Author's Note: This was originally a Secret Santa gift for uponadecember over on livejournal. They wanted a Cat and Jade story. Since I've never written Jade before now, I thought I'd go ahead and post this here to see how you guys thought I did.
Jade isn't entirely sure when she became this person. This person who gets annoyed with everything and everyone for seemingly inconsequential reasons. This person who carries a pair of scissors in her back pocket, just in case. This person who lets her boyfriend put her in timeout when she offends his friend. This person who would rather slam the door in Beck's face than work out their differences. This person who leaves the audience of a friend's show in the middle of the second act and sneaks into the girls' dressing room to see what she can cut into tiny pieces because she's just so sick of the giggling and the smiling faces.
Snip. Snip.
The scissors are very sharp. And the blades flash pleasantly in the bright bulbs of the makeup mirrors while she takes a strip of lace to task.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
Jade's liked scissors ever since she first used one of those really crappy plastic pairs in preschool that didn't actually slice through anything but construction paper. They might have been learning how to shape circles, but she still had fun bringing the dull blade round and round the paper. The teacher eventually took them away from her and recommended counseling to Jade's parents. They put her in an advanced private school instead. She's always been fascinated by the way the sharp metal can slide through things though, the way a flick of your wrist or the twist of a paper can create an entirely new shape. Sometimes though, when she lets her thoughts wander, she ends up with long thin pieces like ribbons. She doesn't particularly like ribbons.
No ribbons this time though. Instead she has tiny pieces of white lace piling up in front of her on the surface of the make shift make-up counter. It's almost like the snowflakes that they never see in LA. Not that Jade's complaining about a lack of snow. She isn't like the sunny happy people with smiles so bright they could melt icicles right off tree branches who whine and whine about not getting to make snow angels or snowmen or have snowball fights. No, some people might say that Jade is cold blooded enough that she needs the warm climate and the bright California sun just to function. Some people might even have gone far, far, north for winter break. Some people might have picked a fight with her when she told them she didn't want to meet their foreign family members, even though they knew how she felt about Canadians. As a result, she might not be talking to some people right now.
And so, even though their winter break has started at Hollywood Arts, Jade is not enjoying the mini vacation the students have been afforded. She would much rather be spending the next two weeks doing drive-by acting exercises for Sikowitz or slaving away over an editing program for a big video project. She would much rather be cramming tons of work into her brain than sitting idly and thinking about yet another fight with her long time boyfriend and his "friend" Tori while her other friends are helping out in some sort of cheesy Christmas musical that involves short skirts and false smiles.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
Taking a moment to survey her work, Jade breathes out what should be a listless sigh, but turns into some sort of growl about half way through. Jade isn't one of those day dreaming prissy girls who longs for things she doesn't have, and sighs while she stares moodily out a window at a painted sunset. She's more of a glare and gripe kind of a girl.
"Hi, hi!"
Speaking of day dreaming prissy girls...
Cat is framed in the doorway, the ugly fluorescent lighting from the hallway bathing her in a weirdly attractive glow. If she was wearing white, somewhere in the recesses of Jade's mind, she might have been comparing her to one of those freaky little angelic characters in all those horrible feel good holiday movies that encourage the main characters to learn the error of their ways and change their outlook on life. Instead, Cat's got on this little green dress that contrasts prettily with her bright red hair, gold shoes with bells on the tips, and sheer red tights. She is every inch the Christmas elf as part of Andre's non-profit Holiday spectacular. She thinks he's getting credit for one of his classes, but she isn't sure. Cat's definitely not. But Cat never passes up a chance to giggle or belt out a few high notes.
Jade wasn't invited to participate. She would find it offensive if he hadn't already put Tori in the lead and Cat as her backup. Even Robbie and his stupid puppet were helping with the show though. And it does give her pause that everyone else was asked to help, even Beck, before he told everyone he was going to Canada for the break, of course. But not her. She knows it's only because she is the last person Andre thinks of when he thinks about holiday cheer. And maybe because he's a little scared of her. And instead of responding to Cat, her eyes scan the tabletop for another piece of lace.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
It really does look like snow.
And while Cat skips into the room, her shoes jingling and jangling, Jade speeds up her snipping and slicing, forcing an unaffected look across her face.
She is not upset because her boyfriend thinks she's cold and unfeeling.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
She is also not upset that someone she considers a friend left her out of his show.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
And she is most certainly not upset that Robbie and Andre have been so busy ogling Cat in that outfit all night that they forgot a few of their lines.
Snip. Snip. Snip. Snip. Snip.
"What are you doing?" Cat's words are maybe an octave higher than usual because she's still in elf mode. And Jade isn't sure if she's expecting an answer or not because the other girl takes a seat right next to her and begins to touch up her own makeup. Her lips become even redder and shinier, her eyebrows a little bit darker, her cheekbones a bit more defined, and Cat brushes a fine layer of golden glitter all over the finished product.
"Don't you know that curiosity killed the Cat?" she asks in what she hopes is a low and threatening voice, expecting Cat to gulp in response. But Cat just smiles serenely in the mirror and Jade blinks in surprise.
SnipSnip. SnipSnip. SnipSnip.
Jade isn't sure why, but she's struck by the need to cut faster. The pieces falling from the strips of lace are larger than her earlier efforts now. She can't be bothered with attention to detail when her gaze keeps being drawn to Cat's shimmer and sparkle next to her.
There's something about this girl that just draws you in, isn't there? For all her emotional issues, Cat is usually sunshine and rainbows and happiness personified. She's forever smiling and giggling and finding the good in people. And as much effort as she puts into keeping her hair that red velvet color, Jade isn't entirely sure that Cat is actually aware of how pretty she really is. Jade is aware. Maybe she's always been aware. But for some reason, it always hits her this time of year, right when Cat brightens up her dye job and darkens her red lipstick, just in time for all the complimenting green hues in garland and garish sweaters to come out and play. During the holiday season when Cat's tossing tinsel on random people in the hallway, or hiding fake snow in Sikowitz's desk, or humming Christmas carols under her breath, or purposely walking under the sprigs of mistletoe, those are the times when Cat seems to have a bit of an extra spring in her step and light in her eyes.
Sure, Cat's always been in the periphery of Jade's vision. They did get into Hollywood Arts the same year, after all. And they've been in almost all of the same classes. And they have a lot of the same friends. They're even in the same fake club. But Jade's vision has always been a pretty broad scope. She tends to examine the far and the wide to see just how much she can push an issue, how much she can get away with. It's only when her own emotions get involved that said vision narrows and she zeroes in. Like when Tori Vega decided to make it her (deceptively innocent) mission to become BFFs with Beck. Or when Robbie decided to make scathing comments about her latest projects via his puppet. Or when her father decided to cheat on her mother with the last maid. Or when Cat was completely oblivious to the fact that the costuming people had turned her into some sort of sex object to help sell more tickets to male audience members to raise more money for whatever charity this stupid show was for.
Not that she was necessarily emotional about that. It just didn't seem fair to take advantage of Cat's love of pretty costumes.
SnipSnip. SnipSnip. SnipSnip.
"How come you're back here? Don't you like the show?"
Now Cat was inspecting her eye liner in the mirror, as if she didn't have enough on. Her eyes were large and round without it.
"Sure, Cat, what's not to like about stale sugarplums being tossed at the audience and soapsuds that make your eyes water in place of the quality fake snow?" Jade quipped while she grabbed another piece of lace. "And all those guys in ugly shoes and girls in too small dresses? So appropriate for the children in the second row." She punctuates her statement with an eye roll that almost causes her to cut her own thumb. Jade counters her frustration by attempting to slice even faster.
SnipSnipSnip. SnipSnipSnip. SnipSnipSnip.
She's got a miniature mountain in front of her now. Really, it's almost big enough for her to dive into and make her own little lace angel.
Cat just giggles in response. And Jade slices through three more pieces of lace, these even larger than before. They may even be connected by thin ribbon like strands, and be vaguely cloak shaped, but Jade ignores that fact and keeps slicing.
"I think you're jealous that Andre made Tori Queen of the Snowflakes instead of you," Cat says matter-of-factly, turning in her seat and looking Jade straight in the eyes.
The move makes Jade falter, and she realizes the lace she's been cutting for the last few minutes is, in fact, part of Tori's finale costume in which the Snowflake Queen helps Santa Clause save Christmas with some sort of cheesy pop song about good will. Sikowitz is playing the deranged Santa Clause. Even Sikowitz got a role in Andre's show.
"I'm not jealous," she snaps. "Why would I be jealous of Tori? I hate snowflakes. And I definitely hate lace," she adds snipping several pieces of the offending material to prove her point.
It's Cat's turn to roll her eyes now. Sure, some jokes might go over her head, and maybe she doesn't like to focus long enough to understand a lot of her school work, but she's a bit more perceptive than people have given her credit for. And she knows that Tori and Beck get along better than Jade and Beck. And she knows that as cynical as she is, Jade does love to be on stage, even if she has to sing 'Jingle Bells' to do it. And she even knows that Jade doesn't like that Tori's been on their last few karaoke trips, that maybe she's jealous or afraid that Cat will like Tori better than her one day.
And she knows that Jade has never really been a holiday kind of girl. Holidays are for families gathering around the fireplace (or in the Valentine case, the police station parking lot to bail out Cat's brother), for kissing that special someone under the mistletoe (or, again, in the Valentine case, under the glare of a police spotlight when officials come searching for her brother after he jumped bail), and for singing Christmas carols that would put a smile on anyone's face (the Valentine family actually caroled outside the police station last year too). Jade's family isn't the warmest, her boyfriend is in Canada, and her opportunity to Christmas carol in front of a large audience has been unceremoniously snatched from her by Tori. Again.
"You can be the elf after intermission if you want," she offers generously. If anyone could use a helping of good old fashioned holiday spirit this Christmas, it's Jade. She didn't even want any of her brother's Christmas beef. Which actually didn't make Cat sick this year, so she doesn't know why anyone wouldn't want to try it.
"Pfft. Why would I want to be an elf? Do you know how ridiculous I would look in those pointy shoes and that hideous dress?" Jade gives a mock shudder.
Cat sticks her lower lip out in a pout. "I made this myself." For one second, she sees the guilty expression cross Jade's face. But Jade covers it up with a wicked grin as she finishes snipping the last of the lace for Tori's costume into tiny pieces, dumps the ribbons and buttons from the plastic container under the counter onto the floor, and sweeps her cuttings into the now empty box.
"Jade!" Cat's recovered enough from the hurt she felt that Jade didn't like her costume to realize what the other girl has done. "What's Tori going to do now?" Jade gives a noncommittal shrug, clearly unconcerned with the girl who's currently on stage singing a pitch perfect rendition of 'Let It Snow' while the audience is practically drowning in soap suds because Sinjin was too cheap or lazy to find fake snow at the last minute. "But what are you going to do with all that?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"But if you keep this up, Santa's only going to give you a lump of coal in your stocking this year."
Jade picks up the box of lace bits and eyes Cat curiously. "I can't even remember the last time my family put stockings up, Cat. If there is a Santa Clause, and I'm not saying I believe in him, I'm pretty sure he's all too happy to skip the West house every year."
After an indignant gasp, Cat calls out, "Santa likes to stop at everyone's house! You shouldn't say things like that!"
Jade walks away, sauntering down the halls behind the stage and climbing the catwalk, waiting until just the end of Tori's song, when she's supposed to draw out that one final note, and only then doesn Jade dump the contents of the container out over the spotlights, watching it float down pass the curtains and all over Tori's hair. The girl below can't see her through the glare of the lights, and by the time anyone comes up to find her, she's long gone. The only evidence Jade was even at the show is the pair of blue handled scissors left in the dressing room, and Tori's shrill squeal when she realizes her costume is gone.
-o-
But later that night, after Jade's vegetarian sushi and sparkling water dinner, long after her parents have sneaked off to the separate bedrooms they like to pretend she doesn't know about, she's tossing and turning in her bed. Like she told Cat, it isn't that she believes in Santa Clause. She isn't seven. And it isn't that she feels guilty for what she did to Tori either. As far as she's concerned, Tori deserves what she gets, usually. It's more like she feels... concerned that she may have upset Cat. And just as she gets ready to hop out of bed, call Cat up and see if she can find a way to guarantee that she won't get coal in her stocking, she hears the unmistakable sound of someone opening the door to the second floor balcony, and she wonders if she should call the police instead.
-o-
Cat struggles with the bag her brother has placed on her back. It's not so much that it's heavy, but more so that it's awkward to be climbing up the trellis in heels and a skirt while carrying a sack of gifts. When she went to her brother for help, this isn't exactly what she had in mind. But at least he isn't making her climb down the chimney to the fire place. She would probably ruin her elf costume if she did that. When she trips climbing over the balcony railing, and her shoes give off a slight jingle jangle, her brother hurriedly shushes her and adjusts his fake belly before picking the lock to the door and easing it open.
The two of them creep down the hallway of the second floor, and Cat pulls out her oversized washable ink pad and stamp she purchased just for this occasion. Well, okay, her brother broke into the craft store, and she had him leave money on the counter with a note explaining what she bought, because the store was already closed for the night. Cat very carefully places the stamp onto the pad, and leaves a trail along the wall, and then, after her brother boosts her onto his shoulders, along the ceiling as well, from the patio door all the way to the stair case. Reindeer hoof prints. Perfect.
She also makes sure to leave a half eaten candy cane and an intricately carved pipe on the hall table next to the fake fern. More evidence that Santa stopped by for a quick visit.
When they reach the living room, just as Cat suspected, there isn't a decoration in sight, so she puts her brother to work. He winds white twinkling lights around the columns that lead into the dining room while Cat hangs the stockings she decorated over the fire place. Jade's has a felt pair of scissors sewn into the top. Mr. West has a cell phone. And Mrs. West has a string of pearls. She's confident they'll know to whom each stocking belongs without her sewing on any names. Santa does like to be mysterious, after all. She then puts some candy in each one, a certificate for free hugs in Mr. West's (he's not as friendly as he used to be), a list of reasons she's still beautiful in Mrs. Wests, and in Jade's, she provides her with a list of all the reasons Santa has decided to make an exception for her this year. She thinks that might rekindle the Christmas spirit.
When she turns around to help her brother, he's got his fake beard pulled down, and he's eating from a container of ice cream while a fake Christmas tree standing in the corner, all ready for garland, lights, and bulbs.
"Where'd that come from?" She's pretty sure she'd remember carrying a tree up the side of Jade's house.
"Santa never reveals his secrets," her brother responds, then quickly pulls his beard back in place and returns to his decorating.
-o-
Jade watches the siblings from top of the stairs, seated on the floor, peering between the railings, for the better part of an hour. She watches gold garland get flung around the tree, candy canes perch on the branches, and bulbs seemingly pop out of nowhere. And then, most surprisingly, she sees Cat sprinkle a healthy dose of snow all over the Christmas greenery. From this distance, Jade isn't positive, but she has a feeling it's the tiny pieces of lace she massacred earlier this evening. And that, more than anything, brings a smile to her face.
Jade waits until the sun is officially up in the sky to take pictures of the house with her camera phone and wake her parents. For the first time in what feels like years, she sees them smile at one another across the living room, and it makes her forget all about her fight with Beck or Tori stealing her spotlight. And when she sends a message to Cat, she doesn't wish her the customary happy holidays that everyone else will. Instead, she writes, Guess Santa didn't miss the Wests this year after all and follows it up with an x and an o, very uncharacteristic of her, before sending a deluge of photos. She adds on a terse thanks, Elf.
Jade isn't really sure what she's done in her life to deserve a friend like Cat, but she's willing to figure it out.
-o-