This is a slightly altered version of the original. I made so me changes so that the prequel that I'm currently working on (Everything) would perfectly align with this story.
(Jade's POV)
I sat on a local park bench, writing some lyrics, and thinking about a special someone. I've only known her for a year, but she's been on my mind ever since that one drunken night. I tried to deny my feelings for her at first, but it didn't work. The more I tried to forget her, the more I fell in love with Cat Valentine.
Oh! Here she comes now! But, she should be in school. What the hell? I hope everything is okay.
"Hi!" Cat said with a huge smile.
"Hey, Cat. Why aren't you in school? Isn't it only, like…fourth period? I said as I looked at my watch.
"Oh yeah, there was gas leak or something in the boiler room, so they let everybody out early."
"Oh, well why didn't your mom pick you up?" I asked. I was genuinely concerned for her. A sweet, innocent girl like Cat should not be walking the streets of Los Angeles alone.
"She's in the Philippine's on a business trip." She said it like it was no big deal, like it happens all the time. Come to think of it in all the time's I've been to her house, her mom has only been there, once or twice.
"Oh. Well, do you want to stay the night at my house?" Maybe this will give me the opportunity to tell Cat how I feel.
"Will your parents mind?" She asked.
I scoffed. "My parents don't give a flying fuck about me."
"Jade, I know you've had a bad history with your parents. Remember when you told me a bout the time your father hit you?"
"Obviously" I said
"Well, that's in the past. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but they seem to be trying, lately."
"Yeah, when we have people over! They don't want other people to see them for the vermin they are."
"I'm sorry."
"Whatever." I said
"So, do you want to come over or not?" I asked that question, a little too harshly. And, it was evident when Cat flinched, and started to cry.
"Ugh, Cat, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound crude." She smiled, and I couldn't help but do the same.
"It's okay. And, yes! I would love to come over!"
"Great! Let's go."
We headed for my car, but before I could even get my keys out to unlock the doors, Cat stopped, and looked up at me.
"What?" I asked
"I don't care what everybody else says."
"Huh?" I was legitimately confused.
"Everybody says that you're a monster, and that you couldn't possibly care about anyone or anything, but I don't. You're sweet, and I hate that no one sees that." That statement almost got me crying. But I'm the type of person that avoids any signs of weakness. So I attempted to stop tears from falling at all costs. It worked.
"Thanks Cat. That means a lot to me." She smiled, and again I had to.
"By the way, I want you to give me a list of all the people who have said those things, so I can tear them limb from limb." I said in a joking manner. Well…half joking. She gave me a half frightened, half disappointed look, and I just laughed.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because, Cat, I was joking."
"It wasn't a very funny joke. It was kind of dark." She said
"What else do you expect from me, huh?" She shook her head. I could tell she was still upset about my joke. So, I made her an offer she couldn't refuse.
"C'mon. On the way to my house, we'll stop by the candy store, and you can pick out any kind you want."
She gasped "Yay! I would love some candy!"
"My brother can't eat candy, though. When I asked my parents why, they said it was because he eats it in a way that's "inappropriate." I shuddered. I don't even want to think about what that means.
We got in my car and headed for the candy store. It took Cat at least ten minutes to decide which candy to get. There were literally thousands of choices and before long, the guy behind the counter started getting frustrated.
He looked at me and said "Will you tell your girlfriend to hurry up and pick something, she's holding up the line."
Cat blushed a little at the word girlfriend.
"Maybe my girlfriend should choose for me." She said as she turned to me and smiled.
So many feelings began running around in my stomach when she called me her girlfriend.
Why does this beautiful creature have to make me feel this way?
"Ugh. Fine…uh…we'll take half a pound of Swedish fish."
"Ew! I don't care for Swedish fish. They stick to my teeth. Can you get me something else?" Cat asked
"No, Cat. We've been here for almost twenty minutes, and we're holding up the line. I'm getting you these." I said as I waved the bag in front of her.
"But you're not eating all of it tonight. Okay?"
"Phooey." She said as she pouted her lip, and stomped out of the store.
Man, even when she's upset with me she's still adorable.
As we left the store, Cat was telling me all different reasons as to why she likes certain candies, and what the best part about them is. I was only half listening. My main goal was to try to figure out when the perfect moment to confess my true feelings to her would be. If I was going to do this, it had to be tonight. Otherwise, I may never find the courage again. We got in my car and, headed for my house.
"Jade."
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear what I said?"
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't. What did you say?"
She giggled. "I asked you if you had any secrets." Oh if she only knew.
"Uh…no. Not really." I can't tell her yet.
"Oh, c'mon Jade. There has to be something. Everybody has a secret." And, I'll be damned if she wasn't right.
"Um…okay…I…like bunnies…I guess." Honestly, I do. And, I don't care who knows it.
"Ooh, I love bunnies too. They're just so adorable, and fluffy. And the way they wiggle their nose is so cute."
She proceeded to rant about other reasons why bunnies were cute and even included something about Bugs Bunny. We pulled up to my driveway, got out of the car, and walked up to my house. Out of nowhere Cat pulled me into a hug, and giggled. She caught me off guard, and I instinctively pushed her away.
"No!" I yelled. She looked hurt so to make it up to her I gave her a hug. She looked up at me and said
"Thanks, Jade."
"For what?" I asked.
"For being so nice to me. Everybody else just sees me as the clueless, air-headed girl with bi-polar. You don't, though. How come?"
"Well…for one I'm not everybody else. And, two it's impossible to ignore you."
I thought she would take the second thing I said as an insult and say "what's that supposed to mean?"
But, she didn't. Instead she pulled me into another hug and said as quietly as she could, "I love you."
I don't think she meant for me to hear it but, I did. The only problem is that I know for a fact she doesn't love me the way that I love her. And, that kills me inside, but I need to be headstrong, and determined to tell her how I feel.
We walked into my house. My mother was asleep on the couch, and my father wasn't home. He was probably out getting drunk again. I was kind of hungry so I decided to make a sandwich. Cat had gone up to my room and I could hear her laughing. I love her laugh. It makes me feel, dare I say it? Happy. I walked into my room and found her sitting on the floor watching The Flintstones on my television. I can't stand that show. Not because it's an old cartoon, but because the so called jokes on every episode seem a little bland to me. I love a good dark joke. One's that seem so sinister, it would make any other person cringe. When she saw me come in she shut the TV off, and stood up. She walked over to my bed, and sat down.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Well…we could listen to some music, but I don't think you would like most of the stuff I have."
"Why?" She asked.
"Because most of the music I listen to…might be a little too heavy for your taste." I don't listen to bands like Sepultra or anything like that. I do like Children of Bodom. But it's mostly heavy metal, and hard rock. Although another thing people don't know about me is that, I love classic rock, also. Like the Beatles, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. You know stuff like that.
An hour later we we're sitting on my bed listening to some music. I introduced her to my favorite band of all time…Avenged Sevenfold. She didn't care for them too much. She said they we're too heavy, and their older stuff had way too much screaming. She did say that she liked A Little Piece of Heaven and I Won't See You Tonight though. Part one, not part two So, I reluctantly turned it off. I walked back over to the bed, and sat back down next to her. I looked into her eyes, and decided that this would be the time to do it. I was going to tell Cat Valentine that I loved her.
"Cat. Can we talk about something serious for a second?"
"Sure, Jade. What's up?" It's now or never.
"Cat…I love you."