Jessie with an i | Billy Andrews

Chapter six

(Update: I FINISHED THE SHOW! So I should be alright with spoilers and such. But still since I don't have Netflix I can't go back and watch a lot of the episodes,only scenes I can find on YouTube,)

The next day Samual and I where in a very big rush to the schoolhouse. We had both eaten breakfast and just started to catch up. So much so that we lost track of time. We were almost at the school house and I wasn't watching where I was going. Samual was two feet ahead of me mainly because he had longer legs than I did so he had larger strides. I had my eyes forward and my brain set on not being late for the day of school when my foot gets caught on a tree root that was sticking out of the ground. I fall forward and land on my stomach with my hands trying to catch my fall but they couldn't. My cheek hits some dirt and I could get up as quickly as I can. I was such in a rush that I couldn't brush myself off because I knew if I stopped for a second longer I would be late. I finally get to the schoolhouse and I walk inside. I take off my hat and scarf rushing to my seat. I hear the door to the supply room open and Mr. Phillips comes out and his eyes instantly land on me.
"Miss.Gray if you insist to look like that then you should be sitting with the boys" he said.
I sigh and look over at Jane. She gets up and used her sleeve to wipe off the dirt from my face. I hear laughter from the boys side. Of course Billy's laugh stuck out to me most.
"What happened Jess?" Jane asked as she cleans up my face and I help.
"I fell on my way here. My brother and I were running late so I didn't stop to clean myself off" I sigh and look down. My red dress had a thin layer of grass and dirt. I grumble and brush myself off. Jane helps with the skirt. Once my dress was clean we both look at each other.
"Do I look decent again?" I ask.
Jane nodded "Absolutely beautiful" she smiled.
"Thanks." I turn to see Mr.Philips talking with a student. I sigh and look back at Jane.
"Don't let him get to you" she said.
"I know I know" I walk to my seat and sits down. "He wants a boy....I'll give him a boy" I mutter with gritted teeth.

During lunch, we all eat outside. We were chatting about the day and such when a ball lands next to me. I look up to see Billy and his friends with baseball gloves.
"Can you throw that back Gray?" He calls out to me. Not in a mocking way, but an actual question. I pick up the ball and throw it to him. Me and Samual play catch all the time so it was easy to throw the ball all the way over to Billy. He catches it with a thud in his glove. He chuckled to himself.
"You throw like a boy!" He shouts at me smiling.
"At least one of us has to!" I yell back smiling.
He laughs at my comment. Not in a mocking way but in a laughing at a joke way. I smile at him laughing. He looked so friendly and approachable when he was laughing. I go back to eating my lunch.
After lunch we all head back inside. Someone grabs my arm and pulls me back outside. I see the smirking Andrews' boy.
"What do you want Billy?" I ask.
"Maybe you should sit next to me today. You'll fit right in! Not to mention-"
"Just shut up Billy" I say. "You've made your point! I look like a boy, I act like one, I talk like one. But unlike you I have the guts to not pick on someone for their looks!" I say before storming inside the schoolhouse.
That was the cherry on top, both Mr.Philips and Billy in one day. I knew what I had to do.

Once I get home I grab Samual's hand and rush upstairs.
"Jess what is this about?" He asked as I drag him up the stairs.
I go to his room, not mine, his. I open the door and walk to his dresser. "Sam"
"Yes?"
"I need to dress like a boy tomorrow" I say.
"But why?" He asked.
"Billy and his pals have started to do what....they did." I say.
"Bully you about looking like a boy" he said.
I nod.
There was a moment of silence before Sam broke it. "I think I have an old pare of pants that could fit you, you might have to hem them"
"Thank you Sam" I smile and hug him. He hugs back.
He takes out his old pants and yeah I had to hem them. I would have to hem them no matter what. He has always been a beanstalk. Thin and tall. He also hands me a shirt that I would also have to fix up. We kept digging and I found a vest along with some of his shoes that actually fit me.
"It might take me all night for me to make these fit me..." I say. "But I can do it" I smile.
"Good" he kisses my head. "You'll make a great boy" he said.
"Thank you, I better get to my room. If I want to get my work done and fix the clothes, I should go now" I rush out of his room and into mine. I sit down and get to work on my school work. Once that was done, I started on the clothes. The gemming would be an easy job. I tried on the pants and everything else fit including the waistband. So I folded up the bottom of the pants. I take them off and sit down on my bed. I take out my wooden box of sewing supplies that mother gave to me. Once the hem was done I try them on.
"Perfect" I say looking in the mirror smiling.
The shirt on the other hand was a bit harder. The sleeves where a bit too long and the shirt was a little big. So I new I had to use more that just a needle and thread. I hear my mother calling us down for dinner. I'll ask to use our sewing machine after dinner. I get up and take off the pants so I was only in my dress. I rush downstairs to eat. I take a seat at the table. We eat and I talk about my day. Sam talks about his too. After dinner I go into the kitchen where mother was cleaning up.
"Mother?" I ask.
She turns to me. "Yes hun?"
"Can I use your sewing machine?" I ask.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing! I just" I try to think of an excuse. I knew my mother wouldn't want me to dress like a boy at school. So I had to lie. "I just though that my green dress could use some lace at the wrists" I smile. That was partly true. The sleeves where getting short so I wanted to make them a bit longer so I could where it longer.
"Alright but hey careful" she said.
"Thanks mom" I walk up the stairs to my room to grab the shirt before I walk to father's study to sew them. She kept the machine in his study so she can work in the same room he does at night. But father was out tonight so I had it to myself. I close the door and start sewing the shirt. I made sure it fit my measurements but I also wanted to make it loose so it wasn't tight like a dress. My goal was to look like a boy. Not a girl dressed like a boy. Once I finished I bring the shirt up to my room again. I thought that I will have to make a plan for tomorrow start the day by getting dressed in a dress then changing before I get to the school house. But where would I put the dress. Maybe I can change outside and climb into my bedroom window. But my window is on the second floor. That wouldn't work. I hear a knock on my door.
"Honey I want to see the dress" my mother said
I quickly shove my clothes in my closet. "Oh I decided I didn't like the look of the lace" I walk to the door and open it.
"So you didn't use the machine?" She asked
"No I did. Samual needed a shirt fixed." I lie
"Oh good" she smiled. "I want you to get used to that machine"
"Why?"
"Well I was thinking of having you work at the shop with me. I talked to the others and they agree that maybe this summer you can work with us."
I light up. "Earn money by sewing?!" I ask
My mother nodded "Yes"
"I would love to!" I hug her.
"It's settled then! I'll tell Mrs.Johns, my boss, that you will work with us this summer."
"Thank you mother!" I say.
"You're welcome. Now get ready for bed, you have school tomorrow"
"I know. Night" I say. I close the door and rush to get ready for bed.