Note that I wrote this a long time ago and in the flashbacks, just remember that they are children there. That's why they act different; because they're little. :)
Memories of Old
Caterina Valentine made her way slowly to her locker, biting her lip profusely. Every step she took literally set her ankle on fire with pain. It was pain unlike any she had felt before, that is, physical pain. It all started when she was playing baseball and she hit a ball far out in the left field. Her teammates went wild and she zoomed to first base, then second, then third, and she had been so close to reaching home when she saw one of the girls near the pitcher catch the ball out of the corner of her eye. Panicked, she ran faster and tried to slide onto the last base, but when she fell to the ground, instead of gliding onto the base like so she had seen so many pro baseball players do, she fell clumsily, knocking the breath from her lungs and landing awkwardly on her foot, twisting it. Unable to find the breath to call out for help, even after they had pronounced her out because the opposing team had gotten the play ball to home, she grabbed for her ankle, but pulled back suddenly when a rippling shot of electricity tore through it and tears sprang to her chocolate brown eyes.
When they finally realized she wasn't getting up any time soon, they had dashed over to her and a trainer came to look over her injury, but he said that he couldn't tell what had happened and gave her some ice, then forgot about her for the rest of gym class. He was like that, the trainer. He was so forgetful and even friendly Cat wanted to strangle him sometimes, especially for completely ignoring her injury.
Cat quickly opened her locker, leaning all her weight on her left foot and pulled out her phone that she had stashed away in the long grey compartment and flipped through the contacts, keeping an eye out for her mom's number. A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J...Jade. She stopped scrolling and stared at the contact. She remembered how when she got hurt, Jade would always sit next to her and begrudgingly hold her hand, even though sometimes she scratched her with her sharp nails on purpose. Cat knew it was on purpose because when she asked why Jade had done that, she always responded with a, "And I thought you'd be grateful." Even though, Jade would still comfort her, soothing her, telling her it was going to be all right through fake insults and nice words.
Cat was jolted out of her reminiscing when the metallic taste of blood entered into her mouth from her lips. She spit subconsciously and frowned; a rare sight. She was told that when she frowned, it made her look so much older than she really was. So much different. Just like how Jade looked so much younger when she smiled.
Cat slouched as the sparkling image of Jade's smile came to mind.
Cat missed Jade. She really did. There wasn't a day in her life that went by where old memories weren't stirred up and she would imagine all the old things Jade and her used to do. Build tree houses, torture dogs (mostly Jade did that but dragged Cat along with her anyway and would tease her about her name and how dogs loved to eat cats), make tents, go apple picking, swim, and so many other things. She wanted Jade to come back from wherever she had gone. When the issue had just occurred, people made up rumors, speculating on why Jade West just disappeared from school. Some said she was hit by a bus, others say that she transferred, and the most horrific ones claimed that her parents locked her away and were keeping her hostage and she was suffering. Cat knew they probably weren't true, but a little part of her couldn't help but wonder if maybe they actually, perhaps, were.
The rest of the day went by quickly like a brisk autumn wind (her mother refused to pick her up from school on an account of a "twisted ankle" though it didn't matter because it felt better in a matter of hours) and soon Cat was throwing her back pack onto the couch in her house, letting out a sigh and sinking deep into the leathery seat. It was a routine for her. Everyday she would come home from Hollywood Arts and fall back onto her couch, a groan escaping her delicate lips, and then she would just sit there. Sit there for hours...and hours...and hours. Sometimes she would turn on the T.V. and flip through the channels, and other times she would fall asleep, but mostly she just sat, occasionally using her phone to go on the or text someone back. She felt to sick to do anything else.
Now in days, Cat didn't feel so well and a stomach racking feeling of disease inhabited her every waking moment. It made her lazy and made her just want to lie down, even if she was a cheeky, bright spirited girl. She speculated that the reason for her daily tiredness was sickness, but if it was it was unlike any other cold she'd ever had before because it wasn't going away. One day she had her mom feel her forehead just to double check that she wasn't running a fever and her mom said she was fine, but she was sweltering, sweating, and flustered and it never went away. It was just there. Ever present unlike anything she had ever heard of before. Sometimes it worried her a little bit, but she got used to the feeling because it had been going on now for a year or two. She learned how to ignore it.
But today she couldn't shake off that feeling and sleep was pulling at her eyes, closing them, enticing her to just fall into its clutches, but she couldn't. Not today, because today was a very, very special day, even though no one but her seemed to remember. She didn't dare to bring it up during school with anyone because she didn't want them to feel sad, plus if they didn't recall why today was so special, then they didn't deserve to know.
Today was Jade's anniversary of when she left. When she just got up and ditched school, family, life, friends, and...Cat. She deserted Cat and Cat didn't have any idea as too why, but she trusted Jade to have a damn good reason for her disappearance. Something would have had to happen to drive her off like that. Cat just wished she knew the reason why. Maybe Cat could be a ditz sometimes, or maybe even all the time, and she didn't really care all that much for education, but she really did want to know why Jade just randomly went missing one day.
It really was random. Cat had thought through all the possibilities and all the events leading up to the day Jade left, but nothing added up. Even though she was terrible at math equations, she tried for years to solve it, but gradually learned that this one could not be solved and eventually, she just gave up and accepted it as fact.
Jade was gone, never to return.
Cat gently slapped her cheek, trying to wake herself up a bit. She couldn't go to sleep without doing something for Jade's anniversary that no one even bothered to remember. Cat's eyebrows furrowed and a determined glint shone in her eye. This year would be the best anniversary yet, even if no one was there to "celebrate" it with her. Besides, she kinda liked being alone with her thoughts about Jade. Sometimes they got a little out of control, though, in the way that she would get completely and totally absorbed into old memories. Bittersweet memories.
Cat shook off her sleepiness and rose to her feet. First things first. She set off to the kitchen and opened the pantry, grabbing a box of brownie mix from it and tossing it on the counter. She shut the door with her foot and went over to the box, looking over the instructions before preparing the batter and throwing it in the oven. Brownies had always been one of her favorite treats.
Next Cat went around the house, dusting things, cleaning up some of her brother Frankie's toys and she was glad her parents weren't home to question what she was doing. Cleaning was something Cat never did. She was more of a mess maker rather than a cleaner upper. Unlike Jade. Jade loved things neat and orderly. She was a bit OCD when it came to that kind of stuff. She liked things cleaned. Cat liked them a mess.
Cat chuckled to herself and finished putting the house in order (because if you're going to "celebrate" then the house needs to be at least somewhat clean for guests even though in her case there were none), then jogged down the hall to her room. She grabbed some Yankie candles she always kept in her drawer and set them in a unique arrangement. Jade loved candles. She loved all the different smells except for anything that smelled like flowers. She hated flowers and that's why she was always cutting them up with those scissors of hers, even the ones Cat gave her.
The red haired girl quickly went out to the living room and snagged a few incense holders along with the incense and also put them in her room. Jade may not have particularly favored the smoking sticks, but Cat was absolutely infatuated with them. She enjoyed putting her face right up in the small trail of smoke blowing from the top. Sometimes, much to Jade's disproval, she even liked to eat it.
BEEP!
The oven alarm went off in the kitchen and Cat sauntered off, pulling some oven mitts on and grabbing the tray out of the hot cage and placed it on the stove top next to it, the fresh smell of bakery goods wafting into her nose. She was tempted to bite it, but had to resist, even though she was never one for denying herself from the finer things in life. Especially if it went under the category of junk food. But if it was for Jade, then she had to.
Biting her tongue, she grabbed the utensil to her left and got the brownies to free from the tray and put them on a plate and was about to take it back to her room when she had a brilliant idea. She quickly went into the pantry and scanned it for the items she was searching for and, when finding it, placed a few of them thoughtfully into the chocolate goodness. Cat grinned from ear to ear and then traversed to her room, closing the door silently behind her. She put the food down on the table she had set up in the morning in the middle of the room and then went to her closet. Standing on her very tippy toes she grabbed a big box that jangled as she pulled it down and put it beside her as she knelt down by the table. She was about to say something to herself when...
She totally realized she didn't light any of the candles. She scrambled to her feet and hurriedly rushed to the corner of the room where she kept the lighter for this very special day and went around the room, lighting every candle and incense that soon blended and gave off a very sweet smell.
Jade would have hated all the smells meshing together, but Cat thought it was lovely. She liked being able to smell a million different scents all at once.
Cat swiftly knelt beside the table again, folded her hands and prayed.
"Dear God. I miss Jade. I really, really do. And I've been good and I've been good to everyone else. I love my brother, and I love my parents. So since I've been so good, can Jade come back?...Did you know today was her special day? I'm going to have so much fun even if it's sad. Anyway, I pray that you will help Jade find her way back, if she's lost, and I pray that you will keep her safe, just like you've kept me safe. Amen."
Cat unfolded her hands and opened her eyes, immediately laying them upon the brownies. She hungrily licked her lips and then tugged the plate over to her and picked up a brownie, devouring it in a few savage gulps. She was starving. She grabbed the next brownie then and shoved it in her mouth, finishing it in less than a minute.
Cat's stomach growled and she laughed. "No, no. The last brownie is for Jade," she warned her stomach, waggling her finger in a no-no movement. "...I miss Jade," she suddenly sniffed, the name causing memories to form in her head, and then she picked up the pink and blue box and put it on the table, opening it. Inside were dozens of trinkets, but the first thing Cat's eyes landed on was a tiny wrinkled candy wrapper. She took it out, careful not to disturb the other objects, and closed the box. She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, fingering the object in her little hands.
.
"If you promise, I guess, maybe, I can," Jade hissed and Cat's eyes nearly bugged out of head.
"Really? You mean it Jade?"
"No. I'm lying."
"You are?" Cat squeaked, tears flooding her eyes almost immediately and Jade looked slightly startled. Cat sat down on the grass dejectedly and pulled at the grass, unable to look up into Jade's eyes.
"You're so messed up," Jade complained, then plopped down beside her, her hand briefly lingering on Cat's before falling onto the soft grass. She gazed up at the sky and leaned back against the ground, Cat sniffling into her knees beside her. "You don't have to be so sensitive you know. I don't really mean it I guess."
"Are you sure?" Cat asked after a small silence fell.
Jade sighed. "Yes, I'm positive." Cat's eyes flicked up and she beamed. She giggled to herself quietly and then scooted over to Jade who tried to inch away, but Cat was to fast. She laid down next to the other girl and curled up beside her, resting her head on Jade's seven year old chest, liking the sound of her heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. It was melodic.
"Uh, Cat?"
"Whattie?"
"Get off," Jade pouted and made to push the girl off but Cat clung tight, twisting Jade's shirt between her fists. "If you don't let go then I'm not giving it to you!" Jade threatened but Cat let out a contented breath.
"I'd rather stay here than get the candy."
"...You're so gross," Jade said disgustedly but let Cat doze off on her, and looked around at Cat's backyard, though she had to wake her a few minutes later.
"Cat...Cat wake up...WAKE UP!" Jade shouted, shaking Cat fiercely and Cat yelped and fell back off of Jade's body. She skidded a little ways and started whimpered and sobs gently racked her frail body. "Cat, come on...Stop being a baby. Ugh...What's wrong?"
Cat sat up and extended her arm, showing Jade the small scrape on her elbow that was made when her arm connected with a rock.
"It's bleeding," Jade observed and softly wiped some of the blood off, smirking at the color and feel of the red liquid.
"K-Kiss it, make it b-b-better?" Cat whined and Jade made a face.
"Why would I want to kiss your blood?...On second thought..." Jade leaned forward but Cat withdrew her elbow, spooked by Jade's sudden change of mind.
"I'll k-kiss it m-myself," she whined and tried to force her elbow up towards her mouth, but couldn't reach it. She tried harder to get to her elbow to her mouth, but it only made her roll backwards onto her back and look like a fool. More tears sprung to her brown eyes. "C-Can't reach i-it, wh-" she cut off as Jade suddenly tackled her, sitting on top of her, pinning her uninjured arm to the ground. Then she forcefully snatched Cat's left arm and twisted it so that the underside was facing her. She brought her pale pink lips to Cat's booboo and kissed it, but only for a second. Cat gazed up at her, stunned.
Jade hopped off and shrugged an innocent shrug. "I just really wanted to know what your blood would taste like. Besides, now you got your kiss so stop crying," Jade instructed even though through Cat's desperate attempts to kiss her elbow she had wiped off the small amount of blood that had been on her arm. Cat nodded her head vigorously but still couldn't stop the stream of tears leaving her eyes. Jade bowed her head defeatedly and reached her hand into her back pocket. "Fine. You win," she spat and took out a cherry flavored lollipop.
Cat grabbed for it eagerly and then smiled up at Jade, the tears eventually coming to a halt.
"Aren't you going to eat it now?"
"I'm saving it," Cat spoke softly, whispering, like it was a secret and her eyes held that childish gleam that never went away even as she reached the older age of seventeen.
"Then what was the point o-...Fine. Whatever, Cat. Not asking," Jade babbled.
"Hey Jade?"
"What."
"Can you climb the tree with me?"
"What?"
"Can you climb th-"
"I heard what you said!"
"Oh."
"Oh," Jade imitated in her a snobbish way. "Why should I climb a tree?"
"Because I want to make a treehouse!" Cat exclaimed. "A big, big one, just like everyone else does. And we'll call it Cat's Fort! And it will be like a mansion," she explained and then continued to tell Jade every single detail.
"If you stop talking, I'll climb," Jade finally agreed and Cat jumped to her feet then pranced off, sprinting to the oak tree that was in her back yard. She scrambled up to the first branch, then put her foot in a hole that was in it, and propelled herself up to, not the second, but the third branch. Jade followed less enthusiastically, but Cat could tell from the way the corners of her mouth were pulling upwards that she was enjoying Cat's company. That made Cat smile.
"Hurry up Jadey!"
"Yeah, yeah," Jade said and pulled herself up the tree less gracefully than Cat, then sat next to her, dangling her legs off of the side. "You know we can't really build a treehouse, right?"
"I know," Cat replied.
"Then why'd we come up here?"
"Because really I just wanted to show my favorite person in the whole wide world my favorite spot in the whole wide world!" Cat hollered shamelessly, grinning widely. Madly. She hugged Jade and wrapped her legs around the branch so she wouldn't fall as she was leaning over to embrace her bestest friend in the entire universe.
Jade didn't respond at first, but then slowly brought her hand up and placed it on Cat's head, stroking the brunette's curly hair, gently tugging some of the knots out.
"Hey...Do you think it would hurt to fall from a place up so high?"
Cat squealed and immediately wrenched away, her hand going to her face, pretending to be frightened, even though in her heart she knew Jade didn't mean it. At least, she thought...
"I'm getting down now. I should probably go home anyway," Jade said after a few minutes and dropped down branch by branch to the ground. Then she called up one last time before heading to her house which was only a few blocks away. "Tell me how that lollipop is!" Then she left and Caterina was alone.
The brunette began to let herself slide down the tree and hit the ground, smiling happily. She took out the cherry lollipop she had previously put in her back pocket. She decided that she would keep it without eating it to remember this day forever, but later after dinner, she kinda got hungry so she maybe ate it, but kept the wrapper nonetheless.
.
Cat glanced back down at her hands and tears splashed onto the wrapper. She wanted Jade to come home- no, that wasn't right. Needed her to come home. She needed Jade to kiss her booboo again and to stroke her hair and let her know that her ankle was going to be okay. That she was going to be okay. She needed Jade.
Cat gently popped the decorative box open again and placed the wrapper back where it had been. Spotting a piece of her old blanket as she scanned the items contained in it, she picked it out and rubbed her fingers over the fluffy pink substance.
.
"You're to old for it," Jade reprimanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's time for you to give it up, Cat."
"No!" Cat childishly screamed, stomping her feet in protest.
"Cat...come on, don't make this harder than it needs to be," Jade sighed and outstretched her hand, tapping her fingers to her palm lightly in a give-it-here motion.
Cat backed up, holding her precious item behind her back in an attempt to protect it. She stuck out her tongue feistily and barked, "Didn't your mommy ever give you one? I don't think you can understand at all!"
"No. My mommy never gave me one because she didn't want me to be a wimp like you. Little kids get way to attached to those things." Jade groaned, rolling her eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Just that you're eleven and still drag that dirty thing around for attention." Jade impatiently snapped and looked into Cat's eyes, clearly not regretting a word that she just said, even though it most obviously hurt Cat and her eyes flashed with momentary pain.
"But if I get rid of i-"
"No buts," Jade interrupted, scowling.
"If I get rid of it then...then I'll forget it! I won't remember!" Cat frantically pleaded with Jade, her eyes scanning the area, looking for an escape route or someplace that she could dash to for protection, but Jade had her cornered in her own backyard against the house.
"Forget what? It's just a blanket. It's not like it's real or anything," Jade reminded Cat harshly. Even as a little girl she always had an attitude.
"Um, like, the time...like...uh, t-"
"Spit it out. You're eleven. You're not illiterate."
"Like the time we stayed under it for the whole night when it was thundering outside and we were scared!" Cat howled, her eyes darting to the ground embarrassedly as her cheeks started to flush a very rosy color. Jade suddenly glanced away as well, looking like she was at a loss for words as her face was turning red as a tomato's.
"Yeah...well...uh, just give it to me. It's not healthy," Jade shakily demanded, reaching her hand out further but still averting her gaze from Cat's.
"Please!" Cat begged and dropped to her knees, folding her hands. Silver tears started to gather at the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to forget all those times my blankey kept us safe!" If it was possible, Cat blushed even harder which, in return, made Jade look like an overripe tomato.
"F-Fine. Tell you what. We'll cut a piece off and you can keep that with you," Jade compromised, moving closer to Cat who at first looked up at Jade with puerile defiance, but then defeatedly hung her head and gave Jade her blankey, though not without kissing it goodbye.
"I'll never get how you can like something so pink," Jade frowned and then noticed a few small tears sliding down Cat's face. "Cat, it's not like you're never going to see it again. We just need to cut a piece off," the small girl instructed and Cat nodded. "Good, now let's go." Jade grabbed Cat's hand in her own and pulled her to her feet, then roughly rubbed the tears off of her face.
"We need to go to the kitchen," Jade ordered and led Cat into the house and then into the kitchen, where there was a drawer with a bunch of scissors in them. Jade opened the wooden drawer and picked out a pair of adult sized black scissors which made Cat cringe.
"These will do. You wanna look?"
Cat solemnly nodded her head and Jade took a deep breath, sorrow brimming her almost silver blue eyes, but she knew as well as Cat that the girl couldn't keep lugging around a bright fluorescent hot pink poodle blanket everywhere. Especially not to school.
Jade swiftly cut the edge off of the pink blanket and then tossed the rest in the trash that was residing near the oven. "There. All done."
Cat was speechless. Her mouth gaped open and her eyes were popping out of her head in astonishment at the fact that her blankey was really and truly gone.
"Cat...shhh, it's okay. Look over here. You still have a piece, see?" Jade offered shallowly and waved the piece of fabric near Cat's face.
"N-Not the same," Cat stuttered.
"Cat, don't be difficult," Jade said almost sadly and the young girl's eyes warily flicked to the trash can. It wouldn't be to hard to sow the piece back onto the blanket if Cat really wanted it back..."Be brave."
"O-Okay," Cat agreed and then rushed forward, pulling Jade into her arm's and hugging her as she silently sobbed. Jade awkwardly patted her on the back and then hung her head on Cat's shoulder.
"Want me to stay the night?"
"Y-Yes," Cat responded quietly and then broke the embrace and looked down at the remains of her favorite item. Jade sheepishly held it out to her and Cat took it and rubbed it against her face, loving the way the soft cotton could make her feel so warm. She also loved that the smell of Jade that still lingered on it...She was infatuated with the way Jade smelled. It was always a clean, crisp smell, like fresh laundry. Unbeknownst to Jade, Cat really only missed her blankey because it had Jade's scent permanently etched into it.
"There. That's not so bad, right?"
The two girls spent the next two hours playing and joking around, making each other laugh and the time soon got away from them, or so Cat's mom told them when she crashed their party in a homemade tent and told them to get to bed. They had complained for a few minutes until Cat yawned and Jade giggled, realizing that it was way past both of their bedtimes.
Cat climbed into her own bed and Jade got under the sheets of the mattress on the ground.
"Goodnight girls," Cat's mom called over her shoulder and turned off the light, shutting the door until there was only a little crack of light peering through as she went out. Jade closed her eyes, suddenly feeling extremely tired. It had been a long day.
Jade laid there for a few minutes...until the undistinguishable sound of Cat crying split the dark silence and roused Jade. Jade sat up a little bit, resting on her elbows.
"Cat? Cat, what's wrong?"
"My...My bl-blankey," she whimpered and Jade quickly got to her feet and walked over to Cat's bed, climbing in beside the brunette. She snuggled in and wrapped her arms around Cat and rested her head on her friend's shoulder, trying to comfort her like her mom sometimes comforted herself.
"You really miss it that much?"
"Yes." Jade felt Cat nod her head. "I miss being under it. Now I-I'm gonna forget a-all those times we played u-under it," she hiccuped.
"We can play under other blankets," Jade suggested hopefully. "Like this one. Tomorrow we can build a fort out of this one and it will be better than any other fort we've ever made with that dingy pink blanket."
"But...my old blankey...it smelled like you," Cat admitted, her words falling heavily into the air and Jade was silent for a moment.
"Then I'll just have to make all the other blankets smell like me," Jade shrugged and kissed Cat's hair gently, just like she had seen Cat's mom do to her when she was feeling down and upset.
Cat giggled and put a hand on Jade's. "You promise?"
"Forever and always."
"But wha-"
"No buts Cat."
.
Cat grinned at the recollection and brought the piece of fabric to her nose. She took a deep breath and let out a contented sigh. Even after all these years it still smelled like Jade. Clean and crisp. Cat chuckled to herself and gently placed the part of the blanket back in the box only to take out a third item. It was a small, crumpled up bandaid embroidered with the Diddly-Bops.
.
"I'll race you to that pole over there!" a tiny twelve year old Cat squeaked to her friend Jade. She had just bought the coolest pink sneakers and she loved them. She felt like it made her super fast so she wanted to race everyone she could. She hadn't lost once so far.
"I hate running," Jade groaned, crossing her arms over her chest. "And you know I'd beat you," she added, if only to make Cat squirm.
"Come on! Whoever wins will get a prize!" Cat tried to lure Jade into playing with her. The other brunette's eyebrows raised slightly, but acted as if she wasn't interested at all, when Cat knew fully well that Jade loved to win prizes.
"What would it be?" Jade asked nonchalantly, averting her gaze from Cat. Cat knew it was only because Jade did not want her to think that the taller girl was actually debating whether to race or not.
"It's a surprise!" Cat giggled, jumping up and down, excited.
"I hate surprises!" Jade complained, but Cat just shrugged and told Jade to hurry it up. She had to go home soon and she wanted to get this last activity in. "Fine," Jade finally complied and she got in her ready-to-run stance. Cat did the same.
"On your mark...get set...go!" Cat howled and they both took off, Cat a little sooner than Jade, running their hardest with the drive to win because every twelve year old had an obsession with winning. They were very competitive, especially Jade and Cat.
Soon Jade pulled ahead of Cat, her black sneakers clacking against the cement. Cat made a sour face and ran faster, pushing her legs to the limit. She was focused on beating Jade, so focused, in fact, that she didn't see the bump in the sidewalk coming up until her foot got wedged in it and she fell face first with a scream. She skidded across the cement, scraping up her arms and legs.
Jade quickly reached the pole and then looked behind her. When she saw Cat face first on the ground, sobbing, she sprinted over. "Cat!" she exclaimed and helped her friend up. Cat held onto to Jade tightly, refusing to let go even as the other girl tried to pull away. "I'm all s-scraped up," she stuttered and Jade rolled her eyes.
"Really, genius," she muttered under her breath. "Now come on, I'll get you some bandaids. You have them in your backpack, right?" Jade questioned and Cat shook her head yes, using her free hand to try to wipe some of the still falling tears off her face. Cat's mother always made sure Cat had a supply of bandages in her backpack because Cat could be very clumsy sometimes.
"It stings," Cat informed Jade softly, but Jade only scoffed.
"It's not that bad. I've seen worse, so stop crying like a baby," Jade chided Cat and Cat looked down at the ground as the pair came to Cat's pink polka dot backpack that was a tad to big for her. Jade bent down and opened a side pocket and pulled out a box of bandaids, resisting the urge to sigh exasperatedly when she saw the cartoon Diddly-Bops dancing on the box.
"Jade?"
"What."
"Would you use a bandaid?" Cat sniffed and Jade looked up at Cat with confusion.
"Since I'm not a wimp, no," Jade replied.
"Am I wimp?"
"More or less," Jade smirked evilly.
"Well I don't wanna be a wimp," Cat decided and as Jade was taking out a bandaid, she grabbed it softly from Jade, then crumpled it up and threw it back in her backpack. "I don't need it," she firmly and stubbornly said and Jade smiled up at Cat, tossing the box of bandaids into the backpack's side pocket.
"Does it hurt?" Jade wondered aloud and Cat shook her head but when Jade raised her eyebrows at Cat, Cat pouted and replied that yes, it still hurt.
"I could tell," Jade told Cat.
"How?" Cat asked.
"Well, besides the fact that you're still biting your lip, you haven't let go of my arm," Jade admitted, a little pissed. She shook her arm until Cat let go of it. Cat embarrassedly looked to the side, turning even redder in the face.
"I'm sorry," Cat apologized gently.
"I guess it's fine," Jade relented and a small grin spread across Cat's face.
"Can we race again? I want a rematch," Cat suddenly blurted out, making eye contact with Jade, her face lighting up like a light bulb, immediately forgetting everything that had happened in the past few minutes. Jade didn't say anything for a while, debating it.
"All right," she finally said and then both of the girls took their starting positions.
"Ready...set...go!" Cat shouted and they took off and Cat quickly took the lead, getting a fair amount ahead of Jade even though Jade was quite a lot faster than Cat. Jade smiled as she watched Cat go, knowing that even though she liked to win, Cat liked to win more.
"I win! I win!" Cat cheered ecstatically. Jade grunted in response.
"It's only 'cause I was tired," she made up an excuse and Cat bopped Jade lightly on the nose. "So what do you win?"
"Um...I hadn't thought about if I win," Cat shyly admitted and both girls fell quiet.
"Well, what do you want?" Jade finally broke the silence and Cat thought for a moment.
"A feel better hug? It still kinda hurts..." Cat fiddled with her fingers and Jade gave her a look, but then shrugged and went over and hugged Cat tightly. After all, they were best friends.
"Thanks Jade," Cat whispered in her friend's ear.
"For what?"
"For letting me win."
.
Cat chuckled at the memory and put the crumpled up bandaid back in the box. After that day she had gone home and emptied out her backpack, throwing away all the bandaids except for the one she had took from Jade. She had kept that because she had obsession for scrap booking, only without the book and instead of pictures, they were little items. Most of the items had something to do with Jade so that she would, if something ever happened to Jade, have all of these things to remember her by.
Cat's eyebrows furrowed because now Jade was gone. Something had happened to her, and unfortunately, these memories weren't enough. Cat wished with all her heart that she could have the real Jade and not just memories.
Cat quietly lit the five candles on the brownie she had made for Jade.
"It's been five years since you've left Jade...I think it's time for you to come home...That way we can climb the tree again," Cat said so lowly that it came out as garbled wreck of words. She then recited the wish she had made for five years straight and blew out all the candles in one big breath of air.
"Jade, please come home."
Note: Important! I think that I had originally planned for this to be a multi shot, but I'm not sure I like how I wrote this and Cat and Jade might be OOC on accident, so I'm uploading this as a one-shot. Still, I might maybe make a multi-chapter out of this, but I'm not sure if I know what to do for a plot! So if you would like to see this as a multi-chapter, maybe drop a review? Thank you and hope you enjoyed!
Also, I'm literally so sad. Cade was just absolutely massacred by the last two Victorious episodes so I'm kinda upset by that, as well as Eliana which was kinda my fall back if this ever happened to Cade...Ariana just had to post that :( Oh well, I'll live...I guess ;)