A/N: Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews.
Disclaimer: Victorious and its characters belong to where it legally belongs, i.e. not me.
Chapter Two:
Splash!
A body emerged from the lagoon, her scuba suit is shiny due the sun's reflective gaze. She sat on the edge, took off her swim cap, and wrung her dripping red hair to rid of excess water. After a few minutes of just staring and giggling at the dolphins playing in the lagoon, the sun was suddenly blocked by a shadow from behind her. She turned around, looked up, and smile at the figure holding out a towel for her to take.
"Thanks," the redhead chirped, toweling her face and her hair.
"How are the kids?" the figure asked, crouching beside her.
"Jonah seems a little down today," she answered, glancing at the unenthusiastic dolphin at the far end of the lagoon. "He didn't play with me as much as Heidi did."
"Maybe it's a mood thing? Papa and I checked them this morning and they're fine."
"You sure?" the redhead asked, looking at the other girl with obvious worry in her doe eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure," the brunette insisted, and then chuckled when she heard a loud sigh.
"Now," the brunette continues, "how about you? You feeling okay now?"
"I dunno..." the redhead tried to shrugged her slumped shoulder.
"Cat..."
"Melissa..."
"C'mere." Melissa offered herself for a hug, and the other girl easily complied. Cat loves hugging, especially when she's getting it from friends and her grandma. But this time, the girl needs it to be comforting, especially with the disaster that is last night.
"It's so embarrassing..." Cat whined, her voice muffled by the hug.
"Yeah, I know. But at least you weren't fired, right?"
"Yeah..." Cat whispered, burying herself to Melissa. Last night is the most memorable night of her life, and that's saying something seeing that she was constantly and regularly being followed by the most bizarre events ever since she's a child.
The worst part is that she wasn't expecting something like that to happen, especially at work. She's always careful around the customers, always giving them smiles and being an overall happy person. But then it happened, and she's still reeling from the humiliation.
[Flashback]
"Get off of me!" the girl below her screeched, and she jumped off - too fast for her liking - and scrambled to help the pale girl while spouting a string of apologies.
The pale girl slapped her hands off, and glared at her with such an intensity that she visibly recoiled. The people on the table all jumped up - except one girl who is busy eating her pesto - and helped the fuming girl. The pretty boy carefully helped the girl on her feet while the tanned girl tried to get rid of the pasta and tomato sauce at the pale girl's back.
All of these are happening and the pale girl has yet to take her eyes off of Cat. Her blue-grey eyes are set in making the redhead feel ashamed and humiliated, even though she's not the one covered in pasta.
"What the hell are you looking at?!" the pale girl barked and the redhead was startled, unaware that she's just standing frozen on the spot and staring like a deer caught in headlights. "What? Are you planning on dumping a lasagna at me now?" the girl raised an eyebrow and laughed cruelly, sending chills on Cat's spine. She felt the eyes and heard the murmurings of the other patrons as the pale girl continues, "you stupid, incompetent, idiotic..."
The list of all that is Catarina Valentine - according to the pale girl - goes on, and the redhead is on the verge of crying when the manager finally approached. Seeing Cat's state, he sent her to the kitchen with an order to stay there and wait for him while he sort things out. She nodded, bowed ridiculously low at the distressed group - she was slightly curious at the seated girl who's still eating and texting without a care - and scurried off.
Most staff gravitated towards her as soon as she stepped inside the kitchen. Dianne, one of the main chefs, abandoned her post just to check up on her.
"You okay, Hun?" she asked, already aware of the commotion that happened. The woman put her hands on her, and the redhead is suddenly aware of how her hands were trembling and how she was taking short breaths. Dianne stood up and fetch a glass of water for her, and Cat thirstily gulp it all down.
"I'm okay, really," Cat insisted, worried that Dianne might get in trouble for abandoning her work just for her. Dianne gave her a hug, told her that it'll be alright, and then went back to her post. Some other staff tried to comfort her, but she told them - with a forceful cheery smile that could convince even the most hateful person - not to worry and just focus on their work.
She sat on a bench at the back and waited, anxious at what is happening right now and what will happen later. While sitting, she involuntary recalled the events earlier and the blazing eyes fixed on her coupled with hurtful insults thrown her way.
She wasn't born yesterday and she's aware how people can be mean. But for some reason, that kind of hateful glare is so profound that she felt like she was on trial for murdering hundreds of babies. And she loves babies, and the angry girl almost made her burst to tears for killing hypothetical babies that she loves.
After twenty minutes of being alone with her thoughts (she's now on trial for hypothetically murdering kittens and puppies; it horrified her because some of those hypothetical creatures are pregnant with hypothetical babies), the manager went inside the kitchen and gestured for Cat to follow him.
Thinking how murder trials can be so exhausting, she stood up and followed, feeling all the eyes on her as she timidly walked behind her boss. Outside, she felt a bit apprehensive at seeing the group again, especially the angry girl. But when she noticed the empty table, she was slightly relieved; that girl was scary.
"Sit," she heard the manager say, and she was surprised when she realized that they're already inside the office.
Whoa, Cat thought. Did we teleport?
"Cat..." the manager repeated, and Cat complied, not wanting to further incite her boss' incoming wrath.
"Tell me what happened."
Cat then relayed to him as much as she could remember: how she was walking to the table to serve an order when the angry girl suddenly stood up; how it startled her, her hold to the tray slipped and the plates fell on the ground; how the girl stepped backward and slipped on the fallen pasta, accidentally pulling Cat with her; how she fell on top of the girl; how she tried to help but the girl angrily refused.
The manager just kept quiet all throughout the redhead's re-telling, his face showing neither anger nor annoyance. When Cat is done, he removed his glassed and sighed.
"Cat... You're one of my best staff here. I was skeptical at first because Mr. Giovanni basically forced me to hire you, but you made yourself one of the best here all by yourself."
Cat smiled at that, remembering how Melissa's uncle reassured her that she'll be hired to work at the newly-opened Hollywood branch of his famous Italian bistro.
"But saying that, I can't just let this go. No, I won't fire you," he immediately added when he saw Cat opening her mouth in protest. Cat immediately closed her mouth and swallowed her words, and then tried to listen for the incoming punishment.
"...what I'm gonna do is to suspend you for five nights starting now. You're allowed to work in the morning and until twelve o'clock at noon only. That's it. Can you do that?"
Cat gulped at that, but nodded anyways. She knows that she'll be missing a lot seeing that she's not allowed to work during the busy hours. In Giovanni's, every staff members are aware of the unofficial additional pay given to the night shifters, including her.
"Can you do that?" the manager asked, firmly this time when he noticed how Cat is spacing out on him. Again.
"Y-Yes," she stuttered, wincing at her own voice. She cleared her throat before repeating herself. "Yes. I can do that, sir." She tried to smile her usual cheery smile, but she know that she's beeing transparent when the manager tried to smile reassuringly at her.
"Don't worry, Cat. The next time you work at the night shift again, it'll be Saturday."
Despite her worry, she smiled at the thought. Saturday and Friday are the busiest nights, so at least she'll earn a bigger paycheck after her suspension is done.
"You can go now," he dismissed.
Cat stood up and was about to walk toward the door when she suddenly stopped. She turned to face the manager - who started riffling through paper works - and quietly said a "thank you for not firing me" before heading to the door and to the outside.
[End of flashback]
"How about you and I go to ice cream afterwards?" she heard a far-away voice, and she was jolted from her musings. She almost forgot that she's now at the Dolphin Sanctuary where she's doing some volunteer work on behalf of her grandma.
Then she registered the words.
"Did you say ice cream?" the redhead exclaimed, surfacing from the hug and bouncing excitedly at the prospect of having some frozen delights.
Melissa chuckled, her dark eyes twinkling. "Yes, so go change and we'll go to the Freezy Dairy for some. My treat."
"Yay!" Cat cheered before jumping and jogging to the locker room inside, careful not to slip. She suddenly remembered how the angry girl slipped, and she internally cringed.
I forgot to apologize to her, she thought while peeling off the scuba suit. She jumped to the shower and vigorously scrubbed herself with strawberry-scented wash and topped it with strawberry-scented shampoo and conditioner. As much as she loves Jonah and Heidi, she hates smelling like fish, so she made sure that her shower things are all strong-scented.
Half an hour later - ice cream makes her go faster - they are now seated at Melissa's car, belting to old Mariah Carey hits while cruising on a Hollywood road.
Ten minutes later and Cat is now happily licking two scoops of chocolate and pistachio while listening to Melissa's story about the new guy she's been seeing.
"He asked me out on another date on Friday this week," she said, grinning madly at her blueberry yogurt.
"Hmmm... so are you official now?"
"Not yet. I think he's planning to ask me on Friday."
Cat smiled, seeing how her friend blush and giggle excitedly at the thought of seeing this André dude. Melissa told her about how she met him and she guffawed every time: Jonah was feeling neglected because of the tourists, and when Melissa forgot throwing him his fish in favor of talking to André, he jumped and startled the poor guy into the cold water.
It was all good, she re-tells, because they actually bonded over music and malicious sea creatures. Then they were exchanging numbers, and Melissa has been giddy ever since.
"Soooo... What about you?" the brunette asked, scooping some yogurt.
"Me?" Cat asked, her head tilted in confusion.
"Yes, you. Have you started dating anyone, yet?"
Cat busied herself with her ice cream for a few seconds before replying with a no.
"Why not? Don't tell me you're still not over Chris?" Melissa rolled her eyes at that; she hates the guy with a passion.
Cat giggled. "No, silly. I just have no time. I'm busy with work."
"How about that girl you met last week? What was it again? Melanie?"
Cat blushed at the memory of the tall, busty girl and bit into her ice cream. "She's nothing, Izzy. Besides, a night hardly counts for dating."
"Aha!" the brunette exclaimed and Cat jumped, wide-eyed. "So there really is a 'night' that you've been a denying every time I ask you," Melissa stated, looking smug when Cat sputtered and cursed herself for that slip of tongue.
"It's not that kind of night, you perv," Cat exclaimed in a high voice, her face and neck is turning bright red. "It was just... you know... making out in the back seat of her car," she mumbled the last part, concentrating firmly on her ice cream And avoiding eye contact.
The brunette quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Who knew that my little Kitty Cat is such a tigress," she quips with an eyebrow wiggle, and she ducks when the redhead half-heartedly threw the ice cream cone at her.
"Nona! I'm home!" Cat called as soon as she got home, putting the house keys on a side table neer the door. After Freezy Dairy, she and Melissa killed some time by going around the mall until it closes around nine. It was an hour earlier than she's suppose to come home, but she can deal with it if ever her grandma ask about it.
"Nona?" she called again, softer this time in case her grandma is already asleep. Already free from her shoes, she tiptoed to the kitchen to get some cold milk from the fridge. Taking little sips, she padded towards the room on the right side of the apartment.
When she opened the door, she heard her grandma's snore before she saw her dozing off. Wanting to make sure (she's wary about the story of how a conniving fox ate some grandma and pretended to be her to eat the granddaughter), she came closer and stood beside the bed. The streetlight that's directly on the window gave enough light for Cat to scrutinize her grandma's face.
She breathed in relief when she saw familiar features: the crinkly eyes, the nose that's quiet similar to hers, the mouth, the forehead with visible lines, the space on between the eyebrows where there's a permanent crinkle, and the white roots beneath the artificially-colored hair.
Cat smiled adoringly at the woman who practically raised her from infancy. She put her milk on the side table, bent a little bit, and planted a kiss on the woman's forehead. Her grandma didn't wake up, but there's a subtle shifting in her face that indicates a slight disturbance, though nothing more than that. Not wanting to disturb her any longer, the redhead picked up her milk, tiptoed towards the door, and closed it as softly and as silently as she could.
She went back to the kitchen and finished her milk, all the while contemplating her and her grandma's situation.
The money from the pension is not enough to sustain her education, so against her grandma's wishes, she started using all her free time to work at the end of her freshman year. It sort of affected her education in a way, but she'll take it rather than not being at school at all.
It was all good, but then the idea of college started looming in and she and her grandma started having arguments about it. She doesn't want to go, but her grandma wants her to at least experience college. After a lot of crying on both sides, Cat finally agreed to try.
Since then, she started saving up money by working as much as she could, especially during summer. It resulted in lack of social life, but she wasn't complaining; working actually raised her self-awareness and her grasp of the real world. So whenever someone commented on how she can be random, spacey, and too optimistic for her own good, she can smile at them and be reassured that she knew life better.
Rinsing the now empty glass and and putting it back from where she got it, she went to her room. She made a quick trip to the bathroom for a quick wash, took off her frilly pink dress and accompanying undergarments, and dropped on her bed thoroughly exhausted. The trip to the mall with Melissa is always as exhausting as a full night shift at the bistro, so she's all ready to drift off.
About to doze off and on her way to dreamland, she heard her phone chimed twice, but she ignored it. Her consciousness is already making her ride Felix the flying horse and they're on their way to save a grumpy Snow White on top of a giant tree while the princess throws insults at them that burns like acid.
Tomorrow... she grumbled when her phone chimed again, because she and Felix is now facing a two-headed, pasta-breathing, and tomato-scented dragon with a penchant for making the ground slippery with its tasty brand of viciousness.
"Are you sure this'll work?"
"I'm positive, Kitty Cat. It's easy money if you're a patient person with an impressive amount of musical talent. Since I am neither, I can't take it. But you'll be perfect."
"I don't know..." Cat says, unsure of what she got herself into. She knows she can sing amazingly and that she's a decent pianist, but she's not sure if she can pass along her knowledge to the future generation. Her singing just comes naturally to her, and she learned the technical stuff (like proper breathing) from reading and watching YouTube videos. She also never took conventional piano lessons; all she knows about piano, she learned from her grandma, from reading, and from observing.
She's practically self-taught, so she doesn't exactly know how to make lesson plans or to follow lesson plans that are set by other people. And that is what she exactly replied to the brunette this morning when she finally opened her phone to find three excited text messages.
"Cat." Melissa turned and faced her, grasping her shoulder with both hands. "You can do this. Just think, if you get this gig, you'll get paid the amount of your night shifts for only two hours. And if you get two or three student a day? Imagine how much money that'll be."
And Cat imagined it, and she can't help but get excited. She may not be that great at math, but she knows how much money she could earn from this.
Cat took a big breath, looked nervously at the supportive brunette at her side, and pushed the door to the Music and Arts Academy. She got inside, brunette in tow, and went to the reception area.
"Good morning, we have an appointment with Mr. West at one. The name is Melissa Giovanni-McKay."
Wow, she's good, Cat thought when Melissa smoothly conversed with the receptionist. She answered a few questions with an easy smile and gracious disposition. A few minutes went by and they're now being ushered at Mr. West's office.
The receptionist - a blonde woman named Joyce - knocked on the huge mahogany door before opening it carefully and gesturing the two inside. As the door closed, a baritone voice told them to sit down on a leather sofa situated in front of a huge office desk.
"So... who's gonna be the recruited tutor?" Mr. West asked as he leaned forward slightly on his forearm with an expectant smile at both of them. He is a pale man, not unnaturally so, but you can clearly see that he is someone incapable of tanning. His dark hair probably made his skin more noticeably fairer. His eyes, although smiling and seemingly friendly, sent an nagging feeling that Cat is unable to pinpoint.
"It's actually my friend here, Mr. West," Melissa started when she felt that Cat won't say anything, still trapped in her thoughts. "She's an exceptional singer and can play the piano really well."
"Really?" the man asked, with an eyebrow raise. The eyebrow movement sent another alarm in Cat's brain, and it somehow made her think of horrible, dead babies. "How about a demonstration, Ms...?"
"V-Valentine!" she sputtered after being jabbed hard by Melissa's elbow. The brunette is looking at her as if saying how weird she's acting to a potential new employer. And she has a right to question Cat, seeing that it was her Dad and Papa's recommendation that got them here.
Also, she'd never acted this timid in front of someone she wanted to impress especially during an interview. But there's something to this man that's making her nervous.
"You don't have to be shy, Ms. Valentine," Mr. West reassured, giving another smile, and the warm smile with his kind of eyes seems wrong to her somehow. But she doesn't want to further embarrass Melissa and her fathers, so she smiled and agreed to do a demonstration.
The brunette gave her an encouraging smile before the redhead stood up. She closed her eyes, thought of an easy enough song, and started singing it.
"There was a time I thought that you did everything right,
No lies, no wrong, boy I must've been out of my mind,
So when I think of the time that I almost loved you,
You showed your ass and I, I saw the real you,
Thank god you blew it, thank god I dodged a bullet,
I'm so over you, so baby good lookin' out,
I wanted you bad, I'm so through with that,
'Cause, honestly, you turned out to be the best thing I never had,
You turned out to be the best thing I never had,
And I'm gonna always be the best thing you never had,
Oh yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now..."
She finished the song with a smile on her face; she really loved singing and performing. Melissa clapped eagerly looking like a proud mom. Mr. West also clapped, not that enthusiastically but he seems impressed enough. He then motioned for the shiny grand piano.
"You ready to impress more, Ms. Valentine?"
Cat smiled nodded vigorously, her nervousness swept away by her own performance. Vibrating with excited energy, she quickly scanned her mental list of piano pieces and settled on something special.
Sitting on the piano stool, she raised her hands and settled them on the keyboard, poised to play. She pressed her fingers and played the famous starting notes, then off she goes.
She doesn't have to think about it; her fingers' motion is now following a specific set of motor memory. There's no thought into it, only passion; an innate drive to translate music from within her and resonate it within the confines of the room with the use of an inanimate object.
She goes on and on, not stopping until she finally pressed the last note.
All done, she thought, inhaling and exhaling audibly and thoroughly exhilarated by the piece. Für Elise is not the most impressive nor is the best piano piece there is, but it held a special place in her heart. It is the starting point of how seriously she took her piano playing; it's also the piece that enticed her into learning how to properly read and write musical notes.
A distant noise of clapping halted her musings. She turned around and saw grinning faces, both clapping like mad.
"Wonderful!" Mr. West exclaimed, and Cat can't help but smiled toothily at him, satisfied that she impressed him. "Well, I think I found another tutor to add on my payroll," he laughed heartily, obviously delighted at what he saw.
He then turned to face Melissa and offered his hand for a handshake. "Tell Ricardo and Alfred that their recommendation is highly appreciated."
"I'll be sure to pass it along, Mr. West. Dad will be happy to hear that you listened to his advice this time." Melissa smiled cheekily at him, and he just laughed off the obvious playful jab.
"Like father, like daughter. Why am I not surprised..." he chuckled and then turned to sit on his chair. He motioned for the two of them to sit again. "Ms. Valentine, if you could just come back tomorrow, I'll have a contract done and a list of potential students. We will also discuss the conditions and such, and the flexibility of your schedule."
"Although," he added, grinning, and Cat can't help but be drawn to those eyes again, "with your piano skills, you already have one sure student."
"Who is it, Mr. West?" Melissa politely asked, and Cat tilted her head with curiosity.
A soft expression fell on his face. "It'll be my daughter."
"That's great, Luigi! You're learning fast. I bet you'll outplay me in no time."
The seven-year old blushed heavily and ducked his head. Giggling, Cat reached for his side and tickled him, his delighted giggling echoing inside the music room.
"Awwww, you're such a cutie!" Cat can't help but exclaim, hugging the blushing boy who's still breathless from her tickling.
"Cat... can't breath..."
"Oops! Sorry, big guy! You're just so cute that I want to hug you forever and ever!"
And she's deadly serious. Ever since she started officially started yesterday as a paid tutor for the Academy, she's been ridiculously happy with all the little kids that was put under her wing.
When she and Melissa came back yesterday, Mr. West presented them with her contract. But before signing it, they first discussed the flexibility of her schedule and her potential availability. She agreed that she can teach between 5pm to 8pm on weekdays, 8am until 6pm on Saturday, and the whole day on Sunday starting at 8am.
The schedule is acceptable enough and Cat is grateful that Mr. West understood that she's going to start school soon. After giving them time to read and re-read the contract (he explained some points that confused them), Cat happily signed it.
Mr. West shook the redhead's hand, officially welcomed her, and then gave her a list of potential students. It was a set of individual portfolios with all the student's necessary information such as their musical strength, musical weakness, their temperament, their likes and dislikes, etcetera. The list of available students are long, and Mr. West explained how most of the tutors under their contract quit because of college.
Out of all the students, Mr. West suggested to start off with the younger ones just to ease her into the flow of things.
"Believe it or not, the younger ones are the most compliant," Mr. West explained.
"Wouldn't they be a bunch of spoiled brats?" Melissa asked, curling her lips in slight distaste; she had a bad experience with little kids when she used to babysit her evil nephews.
Mr. West grinned. "You would think so, but not really. Most of the younger students enrolled here are serious with their music. They are thirsty to learn, and are easily fascinated with their tutors."
Done with all the legal things, Cat agreed that she'll start immediately that day, so she was given three files: Annalise, Walter, and Luigi. The redhead approved of all three and Mr. West gave a copy of their musical curriculum for her to look over and their respective addresses.
"I'll give their parents a call for the heads-up. And I'm sure that the kids will be thrilled by the new replacement seeing that they've been having a hard time when their assigned tutor quits two weeks ago."
"Thank you sir, I'll do my best!" Cat promised with a smile.
"I expect nothing less," Mr. West replied.
Today is her second day at tutoring, and she's thoroughly enjoying herself. Though the first time on the job, she was so nervous that she started unconsciously bouncing up and down the piano stool; it's a quirk that she's unable to get rid of.
Annalise, her first appointment, asked her with wide eyes if she's sick so she can call 911. After laughing it off and blaming it on excessive sugar intake, she willed herself to calm down and they started with the tutoring.
Three hours later, Cat realized that Mr. West is right: the children really are dedicated to their piano. They listened to her, took her criticism and advices, and eagerly inquired about the techniques that they lack.
"Cat?" a small voice called, and she looked over Luigi and smiled. He's looking a bit pensive, his sandy eyebrows are furrowed adorably.
"Yes?"
"Will you teach me your favorite?"
Cat pondered at this. Luigi is her last student for the day, and he's the least... experienced of the three. He just started with his lessons two months ago, and he's still struggling a bit. Logically, teaching him Für Elise is a bit too advanced, but she couldn't deny the little guy if he really wants to learn it.
"I tell you what," she started with a soft smile. "If you do good with your recital piece before the hour is up, I'll slowly teach you my favorite for the remaining time. Is that okay?"
The boy scrunched his face in thought, and then smiled in acceptance.
"Kay!" he agreed, then poised his hand on the keyboard, waiting for Cat's cue. Cat giggled, pinched his cheek slightly, and then cued for him to start.
"How's your teachings, so far?"
"They're great, Mr. West. The children are all a delight," Cat gushed.
"That's fantastic," the man replied while shuffling some paper on his desk. After her session with Luigi, Cat was called into the office regarding another potential student. Seeing that the redhead is doing pretty well in just two days, she was informed that she will be given another one.
"Now," he started. "The first time you were in this office, I mentioned that my daughter could be your potential student. I didn't immediately give her to you, seeing that you first need to get comfortable with the idea of tutoring."
Cat nodded at that.
"You already have three students under your wing, and if you're willing, I want to hire you as my daughter's tutor on Saturday and Sunday for this week."
"Just this week?" Cat asked.
"She's advancing a grade, and she needs someone to watch over her practices for her upcoming recital on Monday. For that, I'm gonna need your Saturday and Sunday schedule."
"For how long, sir?"
"A whole day for both."
Cat's eyes widened at that. From her contract, she learned that she'll be paid every session which consists of an hour worth of work. Compared to what she's earning at Giovanni's, two hours is equivalent to a whole night shift. By working with three students on weekdays, she's already earning 1.5 times her usual salary. Plus her additional night shift, and she's earning twice and a half the amount of what she used to make on weekdays.
Now, if you add eight a.m. 'til the start of her night shift on Saturday, then eight a.m. 'til god-knows-what-time on Sunday... Cat gulped. Tutoring on Saturday and Sunday is a lot of money.
"So, will you accept?" she heard Mr. West, snapping her off of her mental calculation.
"Yes sir!" she eagerly replied, unconsciously bouncing on her chair due to excitement.
"Good," Mr. West chuckled, amused at the redhead. "Now, my daughter is clearly not a novice, but she's not the type of student who'll be a snob to her tutors. So, don't be nervous and just relax when you're with her."
"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. West," Cat replied, plastering a cheery smile. She wasn't really nervous with the idea of tutoring her boss' daughter, but nervousness crept in when he mentioned that she's an experienced pianist.
She's nowhere near an expert, and she's worried that she'll be inadequate.
Breath, she thought. It's just for two days.
"Great!" the man replied, clearly glad that she accepted. "You'll start at eight tomorrow, and you'll be paid by the hour of your stay."
Cat smiled and nodded, and she was dismissed with a folder in her hand. She went to her car, sat down, and decided to look over Emerald West's files before driving off.
Emerald West is a ten-year old blonde girl with striking hazel eyes. Just like her father, the 2x2 picture of the little girl gave the redhead a nagging sense of... something. The redhead just shrugged it off, and read the file.
According to the portfolio, the girl was formally enrolled at the Academy at the age of seven. She is one of the top five performers in her level, so Cat is a bit curious on why the girl needs a tutor.
Maybe she needs an additional set of critical ears for her recital piece? she thought. Shrugging, she checked the curriculum and was glad that she's at least familiar with the topics. Satisfied, she put the portfolio on her the passenger seat and drove.
She stopped at the red light and checked the time. She decided to go home when she saw that it's almost nine. She smiled, excited to go home and tell her grandma about her day.
"Here, sweetie!"
"Thanks, nona!" Cat said in between huge bites of the syrupy pancakes.
"Don't talk while chewing," the old woman reprimanded, putting down a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of her granddaughter.
"Uh huh," Cat replied, her voice muffled seeing that she's too busy shoving the delicious pancake in her mouth. Her grandma woke up early today to make sure that she'll be fed properly, and the redhead's taste buds are grateful for it.
"Are you sure you want to do the night shift after your tutoring? That's a whole day of work," her grandma commented, her voice carrying a worried vibe.
"It's okay, nona. I can handle the night shift since my tutoring won't require any physical work."
"If you're sure," the older Valentine replied. "Now, finish your pancakes while I go take a shower. Dr. Ricardo needs a hand with the sea turtles today and I won't miss it."
"Kay!"
After finishing the three stacks of pancakes and the glass of orange juice, she bounded over the bathroom door and rapped at the door.
"Nona! I'm gonna go!" Cat shouted to the door while reaching for the car keys on the side table.
"Okay sweetie! Take care!" a muffled voice replied.
Cat glanced at the wall clock and saw that it's half past seven. Thinking that it's a reasonable time, she went outside the apartment and into her red Volkswagen Beetle. She put the keys in the ignition, restarted the car, and drove off.
She's still on the road after half an hour, and she's starting to worry. Thinking that she should've estimated how long the journey would be earlier, she rechecked the GPS. According to it, she'll be at her destination after eight minutes. Not wanting to get in trouble for her tardiness, she stopped at the red light and typed a message to Joyce, Mr. West's secretary.
Me: Gud morning Ms. Harold! :) Uhmm, Im running a bit late 4 Emerald West's appointment. Cn u pls inform Mr. West? Thank u! :)
The phone chimed, and Cat read the message at another stoplight.
Ms. Harold: Mr. West has been informed. He said to drive safely and make sure you have an ID with you.
Cat quirked an eyebrow at that, but nonetheless checked her bag for her school ID. When she saw it, she quickly composed another text message.
Me: Thanks! Have a nice day! :)
Ms. Harold: You too, Ms. Valentine.
Eight minutes later and she's pulling over at the white, intricately decorated gate of the West mansion. She was in awe, her eyes bulging at the sight of the place. From Melissa's stories, she was aware that Mr. West is well-off, but she wasn't aware that he was that well-off.
There's a guard-post at the gate, and the guard himself asked her about her business with the West family.
"Hi! I was sent here by Mr. West from the Academy as Emerald's new tutor," she said, smiling brilliantly at him, and the guard can't help but smile back at the cheery girl.
"Ah, yes. Ms. West is certainly expecting you. Just let me see some ID, ma'am," the guard politely requested.
Cat handed over her ID, and the guard went back to his post. She saw him tinkling with a computer, presumably checking her identity thoroughly. After a few minutes, he handed back the ID.
"Just drive straight and stop at the entrance, Ms. Valentine. Someone will be waiting for you there."
"Thank you," she smiled, and the guard tipped his hat at her. She drove forward, looking left and right, amazed at what she's seeing.
To her right, she can see a huge golf course, a soccer field, a tennis area, a basketball court, and all other areas dedicated for sport. To her left, there's a pool done to resemble a lagoon with a waterfall. Seemingly connected to it is a large, beautiful garden with blooming flowers and a huge, maze-like hedges similar to the one she saw in the Alice in Wonderland movie. She then saw an elderly gardener tending to a rose bush and waved at him when he glanced her way. The man waved and smiled in return.
After appreciating the lavish amenities of around her, she pulled over at the front entrance of the mansion as instructed and saw an elderly man in a suit standing there.
"Good morning, Ms. Valentine," the old man greeted and Cat detected a faint hint of a British accent. "Ms. West is waiting for you at the music room. Please give your car keys to Martin," he gestured to a boy her age who suddenly appeared out-of-nowhere and is waiting beside her car, "and he'll park your car for you."
"Thanks..." she said, handing over the keys to the expectant boy.
Wow, they have their own valet... Cat thought, thoroughly amazed. Melissa's family is considered rich, but the redhead has never experienced this sense of opulence whenever she's coming over at the Giovanni-McKay's household.
"Follow me," the old man instructed politely, and walked inside with the redhead in tow. The inside of the house is as impressive as the outside, if not more. The floor is made of shiny, black granite polished to reflective perfection. The elegant stairs in the middle of the huge foyer is also made of granite, but with a swirl of black and white with hints of gold accents. Decorative statues and vases are everywhere, combined with tasteful paintings hung here and there. To top it all off, there's a large, golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling directly above the beginning of the stairs.
And they're still at the foyer.
Cat wanted to take a closer look at the paintings, but she can't at the moment. Maybe later, she thought after bypassing a particularly impressive painting of a mermaid done in black, white, and red.
They must have been walking for a long time, because Cat felt exhausted by the time they reached the right wing of the mansion. As they came closer, the redhead heard the soft tinkling of piano keys, and surmised that Emerald must be inside of a room. The old man beside her knocked on the mahogany door nearby three times, and the music abruptly stopped.
"Come in," a soft voice called out from the inside, and the old man turned the door knob and opened the door.
"You must be my new tutor," the voice said. Cat was busy checking out the room that she didn't immediately greeted her student. When her eyes found Emerald though, she saw a pretty blonde girl in a white dress.
"Hi!" Cat chirped. "Yes, I'll be your new tutor. My name is Catarina Valentine, but you can call me Cat for short."
"Hi Cat, nice to meet you," the girl greeted with a smile, and the redhead felt that nagging at the back of her mind again, this time a bit stronger. "I'm Emerald West, but you can call me Em or Emmy for short."
"...so now I'm stuck with this boy for a partner and he doesn't even know how to spell science!"
Both girls laughed at Emmy's story, obviously having a great time. Emmy then accidentally kicked the empty pizza box they had for lunch, and they roared with laughter again.
"That was mean, Emmy," Cat chuckled, wiping her eyes from too much laughter.
"Well, I usually don't condone meanness, but I care for my grade. Also, if he weren't such a bully, then I wouldn't make fun of him."
Cat nodded while giggling, agreeing with the blonde girl.
"How about you, Cat? How are you coping with school?" the blonde asked as she picked a licorice to munch on.
The redhead sighed, also reaching for a licorice strand. "It's a bit hard, with me working all the time. I also didn't have time to socialize, so I don't have many friends."
The blonde nodded in understanding, although she already confessed earlier that she found it hard to believe that Cat doesn't have many friends seeing how she's so bubbly and fun to be with. Cat smiled toothily, flattered that someone think highly of her.
It was twelve p.m. when they decided to have a break after hours of continuous practice. Throughout that time, Emmy demonstrated her skills as a pianists, and Cat is immensely impressed. The blonde then told her how she's having trouble with the faster pace of the piece, so the redhead gave some advices and finger tricks when it comes to fast-paced pieces.
To further explain, Cat looked over the music sheets and reviewed for a few minutes before demonstrated the proper techniques herself.
"Faster pieces needs a certain motor familiarity, and that's not something that can be learned simply by observing, by listening, or by reading," Cat patiently explained, smoothly sailing through the middle part of the piece with ease, the slack-jawed blonde observing her movements.
"When you're dealing with a faster tempo, you don't have time to think. You have to rely heavily on your motor memory to execute your movements. So, I know it's clichéd, but you need a lot of practice to commit the needed muscle memory."
Emmy nodded, looking determined. The redhead then instructed her to play the difficult part in a slower tempo, all the while correcting every little movements of her fingers and making sure that the blonde is applying the proper finger movements. When the blonde did well, Cat made her increase her tempo step-by-step.
Emmy still fumbled a bit, but she happily shared that she improved.
"That's great!" Cat exclaimed, clapping her hands in glee. "You'll get it in time for your recital, I promise."
"Thanks," the blonde smiled, a bit breathless due to the adrenaline rush of having done the piece with less fumbling.
Four hours later and there's a considerable amount of improvement with the blonde. Satisfied, the blonde then requested a lunch break and asked Anton the butler (so that's his name, Cat thought) for a pizza.
They chatted a lot during lunch break, and Cat found herself pleasantly surprised by the maturity level that the blonde is exhibiting.
"Are you sure you're just ten?" Cat teased, and the blonde smiled and rolled her eyes playfully.
"Shut up," the girl replied, playfully pushing her laughing tutor.
After the pizza and milkshakes, they chatted some more about school and whatnot before a ringing of phone interrupted them.
"Excuse me," the blonde girl said distractedly, looking at her phone and frowning a bit. She walked away a few paces and answered the phone while Cat is tinkling with the piano.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, he went to a meeting an hour ago."
"No, it's about the hotels."
"What? No, I'm not gonna tell him that."
"Jadeyyyy..."
"Fine, I'll tell him later, but I'm not promising anything."
"Bye, Jadey."
Emmy then sat beside Cat, sighing. She faced the piano and started playing some simple melody. Cat stopped, listened, and then started harmonizing with the blonde's melody.
"That's my older sister," the blonde said after five minutes of doing a four-person piece. "She's having a sleepover at her friend's and she's making me the messenger."
"Why don't she ask him herself?" Cat can't help but ask, though she's aware that it's a bit personal.
"Well, she knows that Daddy won't let her."
"Huh. How old is she?"
"Seventeen."
Cat mulled it over, a bit confused. Mr. West not letting his seventeen-year old daughter for a sleepover? She may not be that much of a social person, but she's aware that it's a bit odd.
"Jade is... she has a problem," the blonde offered as an explanation, her voice laden with apprehension at sharing that piece of information.
"You don't have to say anything," the redhead assured, stopping any words that's about to come out of the blonde. "It's none of my business, anyway," she chuckled.
The blonde smiled gratefully at her, presumably for stopping her obvious word vomit. She started opening her mouth again when her phone chimed.
"She's home," the blonde whispered, confused at the message she received.
"Maybe she changed her mind," the redhead chirped. The blonde looked up at her and there's this twinkle in her eyes.
"Hey! I'll introduce you to her while she's here. Wait here!"
The blonde stood and bounded to the door without another word, leaving an amused Cat. As instructed, she remained on her spot. She kept pressing random keys while waiting before she finally positioned her fingers and tried to compose another original melody.
Minutes went by when she heard soft footsteps and hushed murmurs, and she absentmindedly thought that Emmy forgot to close the door. The sounds get stronger and stronger, but was drowned out by the piano and Cat's infallible concentration. Music is the one thing that Cat is never distracted from, that's why she was so unprepared for the next series of events.
Distantly, she heard the blonde say her whole name and something about being a new tutor. She then heard a soft gasp, followed by a familiar chuckle that surprised her so much that her eyes popped open and her fingers froze.
"So, you're delivering pasta now?"
Very slowly, she turned her body and came face-to-face with the owner of the voice that sent shivers in Cat's spine last Monday night. The girl's face is schooled with a hint of smirk, although there's an underlying look of annoyance hidden beneath that Cat somehow detected.
Noticing how the girl and Emmy is standing side-by-side, it finally dawned to her why she felt that nagging sense of familiarity with both Mr. West and Emmy.
It's because of her: the girl she'll forever associate with hypothetical dead babies.
"I'm Jade West. Nice to meet my sister's new and supposedly amazing tutor."
Oh boy...
To be continued...