Chapter two has arrived, when I wrote this I didn't know if you'd want a second but apparently one of you does or else I wouldn't be posting this.
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When I first arrived at Hollywood Arts I was on top of the world, it was my dream school and I got to attend with my best friend Cat Valentine. But I soon realized that being new meant you didn't get noticed and that you had to be noticed to get to perform at the concerts the school put on.
That's where my father comes in. His dream for me is to be a big star, whether at singing, dancing, or acting. He didn't care, as long as it was good for his reputation. Being faceless was not a good thing in his opinion, and in his mind he had always thought of Cat as being an unnecessary distraction and a bad influence on me, even though she was the most hard-working and good person I know. So naturally he blamed this on Cat.
He gave me a choice, either get more noticed by any means possible or he would get Cat removed from the school so Jade could focus. He had many connections, and I hated it. But my decision was obvious.
He told me the only way to get noticed is to be different, somebody interesting and unique. He then told me that at the moment I was none of those things. He said that I'd have to change my entire self, but not let anyone find out about it.
I didn't want Cat to worry when I changed me though, so I proposed the idea to her in the form of a game. She looked rather skeptical but she went along with it. I became a bossy, mean girl with an attitude and she became clueless, candy loving, and ditzy.
I went home and told my father about my choice in character and he said it wasn't his first choice but it was acceptable and it would get me noticed.
I didn't tell him about telling Cat though. Telling nobody meant nobody. Not even my mother was going to be informed of the change. She was going to freak out.
He told me that to be that sort of character though I needed a change of wardrobe. He bought me an entire new set of clothes. He told me dying my hair would be best too. I convinced Cat to dye her hair too, I didn't want to have to go through this alone. Even if it was unfair of me to put this on her.
A few days into my change a couple of girls began to take an interest in me, two blonde chicks called Jenna and Kate. They were popular, and being popular was what this entire thing was about so I let them. They stuck themselves to my side.
I came home to find my Dad furious. He's somehow found out that I'd told Cat.
'That girl is bad news! She will ruin your career! She's already got you disobeying me! I'm pulling her out right now!'
I protested and fought against him with all I had, she deserved to go to our school and I wasn't going to let him rip her dream away from her.
I told him if he let her go to the school I wouldn't hang out with her anymore, and eventually he relented. He got his way, he always does.
I slowly stopped going to her house after school and when I did I always had to tell my Dad that I was going someplace else, but it was getting harder and harder to go over when I knew he had people following me.
I saw the twins being mean to Cat but I couldn't do anything about it or else my dad would pull her out, and the girls got suspicious when I didn't join in on their teasing.
I went over to apologize when the twins and I were mean to her but even that was pushing the boundaries. I could tell she was finding it difficult and that she didn't understand why and I wished I could tell her. But I couldn't.
Our vocal teacher told us that he was trying to decide between us to perform at the big showcase concert, I had been so awful to her recently that I was going to just give up the show so she could perform but when I went over to inform her of it she stubbornly resisted.
She told me she knew my father was going to be there and that she knew what the show meant for me so she was pulling out whether I wanted her to or not. Eventually I gave in. I would do anything she asked me to do at the moment, even if I knew it wasn't fair on her.
But when I left her house I got home to find my Dad furious again, he had found out about my visit to Cat.
I told him that I had gotten her to give up the spot in the showcase concert and his anger vanished. Even though the lie burned my insides it was the only thing I could do to stop him from doing something rash.
The day after the twins ran over to me and started chattering about how cat had pulled out. I wondered how they heard about that but before I had time to ask they dragged me over to her at her locker.
"We heard that you didn't want to face Jade because you knew you would lose and didn't want to face it." They had said. "Let's be honest, singing is really all you have and... well. You're not even that good at it in the first place."
It made me feel sick that these girls were insulting my best-friend and that I couldn't do anything about it. But I couldn't let that show, not even a little bit for Cat's sake.
"It's so pathetic, you don't even deserve to walk in these hallways." They said. "Is that coffee? You don't deserve to drink it. Coffee is better and worth more than you."
Then Jenna took her coffee and the twins walked away laughing, I trailed after them feeling terrible inside.
When we were away from Cat I asked them for the coffee and they gave it to me, I took a sip and found her coffee tasted exactly the way I knew it would. It was something familiar and it made me think of Cat. Although it made me miss her tremendously and feel really bad for doing this to her, it reminded me of her.
So everyday since that day, before school, I took a detour to the coffee shop I knew she went to every morning to get her coffee and ordered one exactly how I knew she liked it. She was never there, and I noticed that she didn't drink coffee anymore and I felt guilty every time I saw her hands empty at school in the morning. But I always bought one, as it made me feel slightly closer to Cat during the day.
The twins thought it was me making fun of her but it wasn't, and I really hope she didn't take it that way.
Soon enough the showcase arrived, I almost expected Cat to not be there and the thought hurt my heart but when I walked on stage she was right there in the front row. Even after all I had done to her. Although, I thought bitterly, she might be here for somebody else.
Either way I started to sing, and the entire crowd seemed to be taken by my voice. When I was done everyone applauded, even Cat. She was jumping up and down and whooping. So I smiled but then I realized that her character always had to be excited about everything, so I was unsure.
After the show I was hanging out backstage, drinking more of my Cat styled coffee when Cat herself appeared and started towards me. He eyes found my coffee and she faltered, I frowned realizing that she did take it like I was making fun of her which was not my intention at all. I started towards her but then the twins came crashing into me squealing, bringing me back to the real-world. One that I can't be seen with Cat in.
They congratulated me and called me annoying nicknames and started talking about some after-party that I really didn't want to go to but I agreed anyway because of what my dad would say.
Cat reacted in character even though I could see in her eyes that she hurt still.
"Ooh, I love parties!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, well you're not invited." The twins sneered at her causing me to twitch slightly, but unnoticeably.
"Aww." Cat pouted, I knew she didn't really want to go anyway. A hatred of parties was just one thing we shared.
"Don't make that face, it doesn't do anything to make you look better." Jenna said.
"I bet I know what would." Kate looked to me and smirked she grabbed my coffee and dumped it all over Cat's head. "There, much better."
I twitched again and I'm sure that Cat noticed but she said nothing. I could tell it was burning her but she still tried not to react.
"O-ooh." She stammered slightly. "I love taking coffee baths."
I could tell she was trying hard not to cry and I felt guilty all over again, I didn't have to force her into this but I did and now look where it got her.
"One time my brothe-..." She started but I cut her off not going to let her burn herself for my sake.
"Can I talk to Cat for a minute?" I asked and they nodded and left snickering.
"Cat..." I whispered as she tried to clean herself up. She said nothing.
"Cat please..." I tried, I feel awful and I know I deserve her ignoring me but I really needed to here her speak. It was selfish of me but I missed her so much. "Kitty..."
As soon as she heard her nickname I always used to call her she burst into tears.
"Cat, I'm sorry about them. I'm sorry about the coffee, I'm sorry about being mean to you. I'm sorry about the concert I should have just let you do it. I'm sorry abou-" I started, stepping forward and reaching my hand out to her.
"I'm not crying because of the coffee, or because of the concert, or because of you or them." She speaks finally, her voice small and cracking on the last word. I freeze.
"Then... why?" I ask, just as quietly even though I'm sure I already know the answer.
"I can't do this anymore Jade! I'm tired of being someone I'm not!" She whirled to face me, tears streaming down her face and somewhere behind her eyes I saw something broken. "I just... I can't do this. I didn't like the idea in the first place but I went along with it anyway, because you wanted to."
"Cat... Please... I can't do this without you..." I said desperately. I was being selfish again and I wanted to tell her it all but If I did then my dad would take her out of school. "You're stronger than you think you are... I need you to do this... Please I can't-..."
Then the twins came back in the room.
Then they insulted Cat again, and I had to hide my arm behind my back so they didn't see my clenched fist that I really wanted to throw at their faces. I guess my fake personality was becoming real bit by bit.
"I was just going to give her some candy." I lied, pulling some candy out of my pocket and shaking the bag towards me. I needed her to play along for just a bit longer, until I could get my dad to see it wasn't necessary for this to be like this anymore. I had already performed at the showcase, people already knew me.
She played along, I don't know whether that was good or bad.
"Ooh, I love candy!" She grabbed the bag and started eating it.
"Now what were you supposed to forget?" I asked, wincing inside.
"What was I forgetting?" She asked mouth full of candy.
The twins laughed and walked out of the door shouting back to me. I followed, but I made sure I showed her I was thankful and still sorry as I left.
I told Jenna and Kate to ease up on Cat, it wasn't fair to her and I already felt bad. I don't know if it made a difference but I hope it did. They didn't seem to verbally abuse her as often as they did.
My dad loosened up his restraints on me a little since I had performed so well at the concert. It was just enough for me to start going back over to Cat's house. We always avoided the elephant in the room when I did though, neither of us really wanted to deal with that.
I did notice however that Cat's broken look in her eyes didn't fade away since the concert. It grew instead. I also noticed that she was acting more and more like the other Cat instead of herself when I was over. I felt so guilty knowing that I was most likely causing this but she never mentioned it so I thought it must not be as bad as I think it is.
The twins eventually got bored of Cat which was great, except that soon after they also got bored of me and cast me away. My dad then put an end to my visits to Cat so I was just a big ball of anger all the time.
I decided that I couldn't just not see my best friend, even though I didn't act like it, and went to hang out with her and some of the friends I'd noticed she'd made. I was happy for her, she found some new friends. Even though they didn't know the real her. That thought was like a wrecking ball of guilt to my stomach.
Her friends themselves were entertaining enough so I was content for a teeny while.
Cat and I got asked to perform at the full-moon jam and this time she accepted. I wanted to back out but my dad was having none of that. A week before the concert Cat went unusually quiet all the time, everyone seemed concerned. Even the teachers, they started to be extra careful with her which made my anxiety and suspicion grow.
But I went and did my performance at the full-moon jam. But then it was Cat's turn. I really hoped she did well. And she did. She was amazing. Everyone was entranced by her singing. It was filled with emotion and it was the best I'd ever heard but it made me feel so guilty. She sang a version of 'Love the way you lie' that broke my heart. Because I knew she was using it as a metaphor for her life recently.
And now I'm running backstage to talk to her but she's already running off to get in her parents car.
I decide to go to the only teacher I trust, Sikowitz. I search all over for him and finally find him backstage with an actor who immediately runs in fear when I approach. Good, that'll make things easier.
I demand he tell me what was going on with Cat. I had seen all the teachers watching her, and being careful around her as if she was fragile and she could break at any moment.
"Well, the students weren't supposed to find out about it until monday..." He says slowly, and it was the first time I'd ever seen him so serious. "But I remember you and Cat used to be very close friends so..."
I never had convinced Sikowitz that I was always like this. He was an acting teacher after all, and though he'd said I was a brilliant actor. He saw right through me. He didn't know why but he knew what I was doing, and he knew what it was doing to Cat. He tells me that he's angry at himself for not putting a stop to it sooner.
"What happened Sikowitz?" I ask my voice breaking and for the first time in a long time I sound like the old me.
"Cat has..." He begins, apparently not knowing how to phrase it. "Well she..."
"She what?.." I ask in a small voice. He sighs.
"Cat has been diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder." He speaks slowly.
My whole world tipped upside down. Multiple Personality Disorder. I had forced Cat to be somebody else and now she had MPD. It was all my fault. I felt sick to my stomach.
"Jade?.." I vaguely hear him ask concerned. "Are you okay?"
That was the last I heard before my hearing turns funny and everything turns black. My last thoughts being 'All my fault.' before the darkness consumed me.
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Two chapters completed! I suppose I might be able to write a third if you guys really like it. Let me know! I love hearing from you guys! Stay frosty!
-NZfulla