It seems really right. What's with Dan Schneider including all of this subtext in kids' shows? I don't own Victorious or any of his characters, just going off on my own path that I see as logical. I tried to go for in character, but I don't think the characters are very well-developed yet. Maybe that's a good thing for my creative liberties. I think this is a one-shot, but you know how stories go.

It stung. I can admit that. He's like my best friend, and I can't stand it when some new skank works her charm and tempts him. And I don't think I'm reacting how I should be. I should be doing something drastic. I think I should have given him a more stern talking-to and made less empty threats.

Did I only threaten the both of them so that they wouldn't find out?

I sighed and sat on a bench somewhere near the school. Park benches are, apparently by bench regulation, ridiculously uncomfortable and public. I was crying my eyes out, and at least staying silent enough not to draw too much notice. That was not enough, for the one I simultaneously want to be near me and to keep the hell away from me comes.

She was smiling, and I wondered at precisely that moment what the hell she is thinking, carrying one of her trademark red velvet cupcakes and walking towards me. I don't think that she has ever shared those with anyone. There was so much confusion at that moment that I involuntary let out a sob and cried harder. It hurt to cry. I was getting a head-splitting ache on the brain and I was lowered to such a position.

"What do you want?" I said more gruffly than I had intended. Instantly, I feel bad about that and my face falls.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat had this puzzled expression on her face. It only took a moment for me to realize she was just having trouble figuring out whether to sit on my left or right. My right hand was more active at the moment, for whatever reason, so I gestured towards my right. A grin erupted again across her face as she sat down, and I just knew that she was not quite as upset as when she usually said her trademark line.

I asked more gently now, laying a hand on her bare thigh (and wonder why she had to tempt me with such well-fitting shorts at a time like this), "Cat, um…" Well, I could not quite talk nicely to anyone. I didn't want to hurt her with my words, since she is ever so sensitive.

She apparently got the picture. "You looked sad, Jade. I didn't know why, but I saw you run off after Beck hugged Tori. Was he ignoring you? That was not very nice. He is your boyfriend isn't he? I thought he was, but Rex told me he was your boytoy, and I'm kind of confused what that means. But you looked really upset and I still don't know what a boytoy is, but it sounds all couple-y, but Rex isn't very nice to me and he doesn't flirt with me. Is that a good thing? Maybe it's a good thing. Sometimes I-"

"Shh," I said, suppressing a giggle. My face felt hot, for at some point she had involuntarily (maybe?) grasped my hand and started rubbing it. It did not help that she is absolutely adorable when she takes a random tangent and completely changes the direction of the topic. "I was feeling bad. I-" I cut myself out and looked down at her hand again. "Why did you bring me a cupcake? You never share your cupcakes."

Her expression turned thoughtful. "Oh, well, you looked like you needed one. I always feel better when I have a cupcake, and you're a really good person, and I can't stand the thought of you so much more broody and melancholy than usual." She offered the treat to me now, and I accepted it, much to my own surprise. Again she smiled at me, and I must have forgotten Beck and Tori at that point.

"Thank you," I said, placing the cupcake safely on my left. Her eyebrows furrowed, and I sure knew why. I had not said thank you to her- or anyone, really- for at least a year. "You're very sweet, you know. But you should get back to class; I know you don't like to miss Sikowitz's class."

"You don't like to miss him either silly," she said, rubbing circles at the weird webbing junction where my index finger meets my thumb. "And I already took care of that."

I raised an eyebrow in slight alarm. "Cat, what did you do?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Robbie will probably get Rex off of the roof in a couple hours. I hid him really well!"

I gaped at her until she nudged me. "Oh lord… why would you do a thing like that?"

"I told you, didn't I? You looked sad, and I wanted to cheer you up." I was reminded of my sadness, and could not help but look morose again. "Hey!? Hey! No, you are not allowed to be sad when I'm here, Jade."

I was about to say that it is impossible not to feel sad, but then there was this warm tingling on my cheekbone. Cat pulled away, and I realized that she had just kissed me. Without bursting uncharacteristically from joy, I asked, "Why did you do that?"

"Your eyeliner was running," she replied. Almost like an afterthought, she added, "And you're pretty."

I tilted my head towards her more. "I thought you liked Robbie."

Her expression was one of utter disbelief. "When did I ever say I liked Robbie?"

Shrugging, I shifted in my spot awkwardly. "Oh, I don't know! You just always acted like you did, maybe. And Beck said you went to his Grandma's and everything."

"He's a friend. And not a very good one. Sometimes he's really mean, and so is Rex. I can't believe they're best friends. I don't want to spend that much time around him. And anyway, I don't even like boys. Like… like like them. Andre's nice, I suppose."

"You're gay?" I asked, surprised and hopeful.

"Jade, you're very silly. Of course I am. Did I forget to tell you? I forgot to tell you. Omigod, I forgot to tell you!"

Nodding, I replied, "I suppose you did."

A sad expression crossed her face. "I really didn't tell you. Maybe I never thought I should tell you. It's… um…" She tilted her head forward so that her hair made her expression completely inscrutable.

"It's what?" I pressed, rubbing her thigh absently.

"I like it when you do that," she said, muffled through her hair curtain.

I dawned on me then exactly what I was feeling. It was kind of an odd moment to figure out why I was so sad, but I had been hiding so long behind Beck. After brushing her loose hair behind an ear, I leaned in and kissed her on the side of the mouth.

"I like it when you smile at me," I murmured, pulling away nervously.

She did smile, fresh tears shining in the corners of her eyes. "Really?"

"Mm-hm," I said, trying to hide the blush trying to invade my stone-cold cheeks. "I think that's why I'm out here and not doing nasty things to Tori Vega."

"How do you mean?" Cat queried, squirming excitedly in her seat.

I hummed a thoughtful note and turned my head towards the homeless man sleeping across the street. Why? I had no idea. "I'm upset that Beck is kind of cheating on me. But that's because… I trusted him. And he's like my best friend. But, I guess I never loved him as more than a friend, and it got strange when I realized I might, well, like you. But I thought you liked Robbie and I just couldn't take the thought that I might be abnormal. If you could never love me and I could never love Beck, then… all I could do was come out here and feel sorry for myself."

"I could love you," she said in a tone much more vixen-like than I thought was possible of her.

Pointedly, I turned my head back towards her and stared. I saw her eyebrow raise, and then Cat bit her lip… I rationalized that I was extremely turned on by this. It was only natural to lean in at that point. The seconds turned to hours and my often-cold heart swelled. Her full lips were astoundingly more appealing than Beck's. The blush I had been masking colored my cheeks fully as our lips brushed.

I felt her smile, which Beck never did when we were kissing. I never had smiled either. It was contagious. I tilted my head to the right and she tilted her head to the left, and we were both giggling when our noses bumped. We settled on both tilting right and her lips felt amazing and her tongue was snaking out, begging entrance into my mouth. I allowed her in without complaint.

She tasted like frosting. And then I felt frosting on my hand, and I was exceptionally confused until I pulled away, puzzled. "Oh no!"

"It's okay," she said, positively glowing. "It's just a cupcake."

"No, no. You made it for me and now I can't eat it!"

Chuckling, Cat shook her head. "Of course you can still eat it, silly. It has evolved from cupcake to cupmush. Now, watch and learn." Mesmerized, I allowed her to take my frosting-covered left hand and bring it towards her mouth. She sucked on a finger, and it was not quite typically "sexy", as she was licking in a way that might only be described as "cheerful".

"I see," I said, grinning.

"Now," she said after returning me my finger. "You shall finish the cupcake and I shall reveal Rex's super-secret location afterwards."

It made her happy, so I complied.