Chapter three
When Cathy woke up she felt much better; in fact she'd have been convinced that it was all a dream if not for the fact that she was currently laying on cold dewy blades of grass with Petunia Evans was staring at her with a look of relief on her face.
Cathy was more than confused as she replayed her memories of what happened- What had attacked them? And how had Petunia managed to fight it?
"Here, drink this," Petunia said handing her a small glass bottle.
Cathy stared at it. "What is this?"
It looked disgusting and thick and she swore it smelled like rat poison. Petunia shot her an annoyed look.
"Just drink it."
"No… you're trying to poison me," Cathy accused.
"If I was trying to poison you I could have done it while you were sleep." Petunia pointed out reasonably but Cathy wasn't convinced.
"Maybe you want to watch me die." Cathy could imagine Petunia doing that and she still couldn't get over her surprise that Petunia had come back for her. It just didn't fit the image she had of Petunia Evans, High Society Bitch of Nor'brex Girls Academy.
Petunia grabbed the bottle back and drank half of it, her face screwing up in disgust. "Ugh! Now drink it."
Cathy took the bottle back skeptically. She didn't think Petunia would poison herself but she still didn't want to drink it since it looked and smelled- and from Petunia's reaction- tasted so vile.
"What will it do?" Cathy asked and Petunia looked very reluctant to tell her.
"It will heal you."
"Heal me?" Cathy had a hard time not bursting into laughter but she was weary of angering Petunia- who was surely crazy and from what she'd seen of her fighting the monster also very strong.
"Um…thanks for all your help but I should get going." Cathy said slowly standing up and backing away from Petunia.
Petunia sighed heavily. "I've already given it to you three times. Look your wound is almost healed already. Can you even feel it anymore?"
Cathy stopped her eyes widening as she realized Petunia was right. It had hurt like hell before she passed out and now it was just a tiny twinge of pain. She moved the jacket to the side and saw that the huge gash was almost closed and looked like she'd had it for years.
"How..?" Cathy asked staring at the bottle and then Petunia.
"Just drink it okay? And quickly because we have to go." Petunia said and Cathy gulped it down and tried not to throw up. It somehow managed to taste more revolting than it smelled.
"Where?"
"Where what?" Petunia asked.
"Where do we have to go?"
"Oh," Petunia said, "I'll tell you when we get there."
Cathy felt anger welling up in her as Petunia started to walk ahead of her. This was ridiculous. First she humiliated her in front of everyone, then she got her chased down by some sort of Demon monster and almost got her killed and she was still not telling her everything.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Cathy called after her and Petunia swung around, just noticing that Cathy wasn't walking beside her.
"We don't have time for this Cathy!"
What Petunia didn't know was that Cathy Reynolds was notoriously stubborn and she wasn't backing down. Her earlier fear of Petunia was gone replaced with anger and frustration.
"Then you better start talking."
"Fine," Petunia spat irritably walking back toward her, "what do you want to know?"
Cathy was struck by just how completely unlike herself Petunia looked. It wasn't just the ruined dress and blood marring her face and skin. She'd never seen Petunia so undone and messy and angry. She was notoriously known for being a calm, cool and composed absolute bitch and it was unnerving to see her so frantic.
"What was that thing last night?" Cathy was sure she didn't want to know the answer to.
"I don't know," Petunia answered.
"How did you fight it off? I've never seen anyone fight like that," Cathy said remembering the almost lightning speed in which Petunia had moved.
"I don't know."
"Do you know anything?" Cathy screamed feeling like Petunia was lying to her. Petunia grabbed her arm and shushed her looking to make sure no one heard.
"Get your hands off of me!" Cathy demanded trying to wrench her arm away. Finally Petunia let her go and stared at her for a minute before seeming to come to a decision.
"Look if I tell you everything I do know you can't tell anyone."
Cathy nodded rubbing her now bruised wrist. "Do you think anyone would believe me if I did?"
Petunia cracked a small smile, "I suppose not."
Petunia told her everything. The nightmares and visions, the book that had seemed to disappear, the extra strength and speed she couldn't explain. She told her about Lily and magic and Hogwarts and Cathy's head was spinning as she tried to process it. Before tonight she would have assumed Petunia was lying, but now?
"Where are we?" Cathy asked as they got off the bus.
"The bookstore," Petunia said dashing across the street ignoring the small amount of traffic that was now beeping at her.
"It's says it doesn't open until ten. Are we supposed to wait here all morning?" It was still dark out but Cathy thought it was close to sunrise. It had to be but this night seemed to go on forever.
"The lady said I could come back anytime," Petunia said taking a clip out of her hair and doing something to the lock. Cathy stared at her incredulous.
"I'm sure she didn't mean break in at any time."
"Then she should have clarified." Petunia managed to get the door open and turned to look at Cathy. "Are you coming?"
Petunia searched the store. The book hadn't been on the table behind the desk but Petunia hadn't thought it would be. That would just be too easy. She'd described the book to Cathy and she was also looking for it.
She almost laughed as she realized she was grateful that Cathy was with her. She was happy someone else could see it; someone else was as terrified and unsure as she was- she wasn't alone anymore and she wondered if this meant Cathy would start having visions too.
"Found it! And some other things too," A triumphant voice rang through the store.
"Where are you?" Petunia called back.
"At the front desk."
Petunia rushed to the front and saw Cathy standing in front of a huge pile of books. The one they'd been looking for was on top.
"We need to bag them and get out of here," Petunia said grabbing a huge bag from behind the counter and stuffing it full of the books. Cathy did the same and the girls walked out.
It was early morning now and Petunia realized she hadn't been home yet. Normally she'd be dismayed at the thought of her parents killing her or worse, grounding her for the rest of her life but after last night she couldn't bring herself to care all that much.
A sardonic smile crossed her face as she imagined what her parents would say if she told them where she had really been and why. They believed Lily's magic but only because someone had come and shown them; she doubted they would believe her tale even if she showed them the cut she had.
"We need to go somewhere to change. People will be out soon." Cathy said and Petunia nodded her agreement.
"Where?" Petunia wasn't going to offer her home.
"We could go to my house. My parents won't be home but it's nothing like yours as you constantly remind me." Cathy said seeming angry and Petunia was sure she was thinking about what Petunia had done to her last night.
"I said I was sorry about that."
Petunia actually was sorry now. She hadn't been last night. Not really anyways. She'd been angry and resentful and she'd felt bad because Terrence hadn't like what she'd done and she'd even been slightly remorseful but she hadn't actually been sorry.
Cathy's house was a lot better than Petunia expected. It was small and the walls were chipping and yellowing but it was neat and clean. Petunia took a shower after Cathy was out of it and used the none name brand soap and conditioner and tried not to flinch as Cathy handed her the same oversized sweater and pair of worn paint splattered jeans Petunia had made fun of her for wearing. Petunia was sure she was making a statement.
You're not better than me. You're not better than this.
Petunia's need for superiority was so deeply engrained in her that even as she put on the clothes she couldn't help feeling like she was too good for it.
When Petunia walked into the living room Cathy was reading the books, her red hair spilling over the coffee table and a notebook open in her crossed legs.
"How can you read that?" Petunia asked confused.
Cathy looked up and smirked slightly as her gaze ran over Petunia's clothes. Petunia glared at her daring her to say anything about it. Visions, nightmares, near death experiences or not she was still Petunia Evans.
"I'm fluent in Latin. Don't they teach it at that fancy school of yours or is your parent's money being wasted?"
Petunia bit her lip to keep the nasty retort from coming out. Like it or not she needed Cathy. Especially since she could apparently read whatever was in those books.
"I take French. What's it say?" Petunia asked taking the seat next to her.
"It's actually quite interesting. It was handwritten in the 16th century by Ingrid Galeston who was apparently a nun but she only entered the convent after her parents sent her there because she was having an illegitimate child," catching sight of Petunia impatient look she got to the point, "anyways Ingrid talks of hunters, ten of them at all times who are called to fight the darkness that escape to this world from another realm. It says when one hunter dies or is near death all the potentials are called; they'll have visions and nightmares and get stronger but they won't come into their full strength until after they've killed what they hunt. It triggers the transformation into a hunter."
"What happens if they don't kill the monster?" Petunia asked, staring at the thing on the books cover.
"Not just one monster. There's more and according to Ingrid they don't all look like the one we saw last night. Sometimes they look like us." Cathy explained.
"But what happens if a potential doesn't kill them?" Petunia repeated.
"Ingrid doesn't say what happens for sure. Just that the first potential that kills one becomes a hunter and that when one hunter dies the dark ones can sense all the potential hunters and that the dark will hunt them until a new Hunter is made. She says that the potentials are especially weak and easy targets because they can't sense the dark ones until they kill one and become a hunter."
"And you think this is true? You think I'm a potential?" Petunia asks trying to ignore the dread that was building in her stomach. She felt strangely light headed.
"Why not? We've already seen one haven't we? And you said you've been having visions." Cathy pointed out.
Cathy put an arm around Petunia's shoulder when she saw the defeated look on her face. "Look all you have to do is stay alive until a potential kills one of them. That's it.
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one their trying to kill," Petunia responded before storming out of the house angrily, ignoring Cathy's call to come back. She couldn't take this, couldn't take the thought that she of all people was a potential.
She'd finally accepted that this was what it was. If there were witches and wizards and magic then it made sense that there were demons and monsters and hunters. She didn't want to be one. She didn't want to be a potential and she didn't want to be a hunter.
A small voice in the back of her head whispered that she had always wanted to be special. Wasn't that why she was so resentful towards her sister? Because Lily was special and Petunia wasn't and her parents had always liked the younger, more attractive, and brighter daughter better?
Lily could fly and make flowers dance and colors shoot from the sky. Petunia had wanted that. She had wanted that so badly that it had made her hate her sister who had once been her best friend, because Lily had it and she didn't. If she was honest with herself Petunia could admit that she still wanted it.
She wanted to be the one who made her parents act like little kids when she told stories of teacups and floating feathers and mandrakes and the moving staircases and talking portraits. She wanted to be the one to make everyone in the room stare at her in awe of her beauty and the way she made a room light up.
Petunia couldn't have that though and it became painfully obvious when her eleventh birthday passed with no Hogwarts letter in sight. She had become resentful especially when Severus got his letter. How could he, a poor boy with greasy hair and horrible manners, be special when Petunia wasn't? She thought she deserved magic more than he did and he had always delighted in telling her how ordinary she was.
Petunia almost laughed at how unordinary she was now. Back then she would have given anything to be special, to be something other than normal or as Severus called it muggle.
Now she thought about how life had decided to be cruel to her once more. She had wanted magic, had begged God to let her be something special. Now she was and she would give anything to be ordinary again. Lily had bested her once more. Lily got the magic and none of the risk. Petunia supposed she had some kind of magic now, for the time being, but it was going to get her killed and wasn't that just her luck?
"Mum?" Petunia called out walking into the house.
"Petunia?" Her mum yelled running into the living room, "Oh thank God! George, I'll call you back Petunia's home."
Petunia mum wrapped her into a tight hug and Petunia patted her back awkwardly. She wasn't used to her mother being this affectionate to her.
"Mum?" Petunia repeated after a moment.
Her mother released her and Petunia grimaced when her face changed from relieved to angry in an instant.
"Petunia, where have you been? Your father has been looking for you everywhere and we had to call the police. None of your friends had seen you and we've been worried sick!" Her mother was screaming by the end of it and Petunia winced.
"Did you run off with that Terrence boy?"
"What- mum no." Petunia hadn't figured out what she was going to say yet. She'd been so focused on what happened last night and what she'd learned this morning that she hadn't even thought about what she'd tell her parents, an oversight she regretted now.
"Then were where you? How did you get home? Whose clothes are you wearing?"
Her mother was asking a million questions and wasn't giving Petunia anytime to answer which for once she was grateful for, since she was still trying to figure out how to answer them and get in the least amount of trouble possible.
"Mum! Mum," Petunia interrupted once she'd figured out what she was going to say.
Her mum looked at her expectantly and Petunia took a deep breath before talking. "I got drunk."
"You got drunk?" Her mum repeated carefully her voice shaking a bit with suppressed anger.
Petunia nodded. "I know it was wrong- I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. It seemed like a good idea at the time but then I left the party and I couldn't find a telephone. I was stranded and just walked around for a while trying to find a bus but then a girl I knew from the library saw me and took me to her house- she gave me some of her clothes," Petunia finished rambling.
"And you couldn't call? You thought we wouldn't notice you didn't come home? Do you know how worried we were?" Her mum demanded.
Petunia nodded and she didn't even need to pretend to be contrite. She hadn't meant to worry her parents.
"I'm sorry I worried you but the girl didn't have a phone. Not everyone can afford those kinds of things, you know." Petunia lectured a bit ironically.
Actually she wasn't sure if Cathy had a phone or not because she hadn't asked but it didn't matter. Even if she had one Petunia probably wouldn't have called home. She hadn't been in the right state of mind to deal with her parents.
"Petunia… there's a reason you're not supposed to drink yet. You could have been killed walking around in the middle of the night like that."
Her mum had no way of knowing how true her words were and Petunia didn't care to enlighten her. She was just happy that her mother's anger seemed to be deflating.
"I know and I'm sorry. Would you mind if I went to sleep now?" Petunia asked and her mother's mouth tightened but she nodded.
"Your father and I will be talking to you about this later however, so don't think you're off the hook yet."
Petunia nodded her understanding. Right now she just wanted to sleep.
I didn't have a nightmare. That was the first thing Petunia thought when she woke up. It was six A.M which meant she had slept over thirteen hours almost twice as much as she usually slept. Her head throbbed dully and she blinked drowsily in the darkness in an attempt to be more alert.
She was too cautious to be happy about not having a nightmare and she thought that maybe it was a bad thing. She had spent a full week without them before the night she had been attacked.
As she stood up and stretched she decided not to read too much into it either way. She had never had the 'what will happen will happen' and 'roll with the punches' attitude that her father and Lily were so fond of but in this particular situation it seemed the right one to subscribe to.
She walked to the kitchen where her father was reading a newspaper and her mother was drinking tea. Her father looked up and shook his head before speaking.
"I'm sure you already know how disappointed I am so I'm not going to touch on that. Your mother and I have decided that you will be on punishment for a month. That means the only places you'll be allowed to go are to school and back," Her father paused and looked at her like he expected her to put up an argument but Petunia merely nodded, "your mother says you know what you did was wrong. I hope that means it won't be happening again."
Petunia certainly hoped that it wouldn't happen again either. "It won't."
Her father stood up and folded the newspaper, walking over toward her and giving her a hug. "I'm happy you're safe. I need to get to work. I trust you'll listen to your mother and won't give her a hard time today?"
Petunia nodded.
"Well since you're going to be here all day you might as well help getting everything ready for tonight," Her mum said.
"What's happening tonight?" Petunia asked.
"I'm hosting Amelia Gordon's daughter's engagement party. We've been talking about this for months."
Petunia had forgotten. Her godmother Amelia's daughter Amber was twenty three but she was engaged to some American who ran a fortune 500 company. Because of the age difference Petunia hardly knew Amber but Petunia had heard stories of her- she was a bit of a legend at Nor'brex and Petunia had hoped to follow in her footsteps.
The party was exquisite. Her mother used their rooftop as their primary place and it was big enough to comfortably fit the two hundred plus people in attendance. The happy couple was spinning around in circles on the dance floor while the orchestra played music softly in the background and Petunia was standing with one of her father's colleagues, Mrs. Miller's and attempting to pretend that she actually cared about whatever she was rambling about.
"Ah, Mr. Moore. It's a pleasure to see you in attendance," Someone nearby said and Petunia whipped around to see Terrence talking with an older man.
"Mrs. Millers, if you'd excuse me for a moment…" Petunia said hardly able to believe her lick and Mrs. Millers nodded waving her away.
"Hey stranger," Petunia said cheerfully, once the man Terrence was talking to wandered away.
"Petunia," He greeted rather coldly.
Petunia sighed. "You can't still be mad about last night?"
Terrence shook his head. "I'm not mad, just confused."
"What are you confused about?"
"Half the time you're stalking me and the other half you're declaring how much my opinion doesn't count. It's confusing." Terrence stated.
"I do not stalk you!" Petunia objected and Terrence laughed wryly.
"Oh, so you just happened to take the same summer internship as I did at Graphic Designs after you spent months calling it, 'The world's geek convention' because you changed your mind about it?" Terrence said doubtfully.
"I only interned because it was in New York." Petunia lied.
"Abigail's birthday- you hated that girl."
"Oh please, everyone went; it was held at a castle and her parents weren't there so everyone got sloshed." Petunia countered.
"The grateful dead's concert," Terrence continued smiling now.
"I love unbroken chain! That had nothing to do with you," Petunia said grabbing a drink from a passing waiter.
Terrence shrugged, "If you say so."
"Why are you here?" Petunia asked walking down the steps that led to the house. Even though the party had a ton of food she wasn't terribly fond of sushi.
"Nelly was worried about you after you left the party and she couldn't get a hold of you today. She was busy so she asked me to check on you," Terrence explained.
Her disappointment must have showed on her face because Terrence added, "I was worried about you too. I didn't mean to be so judgmental last night."
Petunia sighed, "No… you were right. I was just being a bitch. I ended up apologizing to her. We're not friends or anything but we came to an understanding."
That was an understatement. Petunia wasn't sure if they were friends or not, but they had found some common ground. Ground that happened to include a near death experience.
Terrence looked surprised but then nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, well I'm not perfect either; I've done my fair share of dirt."
"Why did you go to jail?" Petunia asked.
Terrence looked so uncomfortable that Petunia almost felt bad for asking the question. It had been kept pretty quiet and not even Nelly would tell her.
"It was stupid." Terrence said taking a seat beside her.
"Crime usually is," Petunia pointed out and Terrence laughed.
"Yeah well, I was arrested for selling drugs."
Petunia's jaw dropped in shock. "Drugs? Why were you selling drugs?"
"I had a bit of a gambling problem a few years back. I lost all my money and mum wouldn't let me access my trust fund…" Terrence said shaking his head, "Nelly ended up giving me the money to pay the people off but I felt bad for taking it. I got into dealing so I could pay her back."
Terrence stared at her intently, trying to gauge her reaction. "You're right that was stupid," Petunia commented.
"Then again so was me taking that internship in New York so I could stalk you," Petunia said laughing.
"I knew you were stalking me," Terrence said teasingly pushing a piece of her hair back.
"And I knew you weren't as innocent as you pretended to be," Petunia said pushing her shoulder against his.
Cathy
"Ms. Reynolds I cannot help but think this is a poorly thought out decision," The counselor said looking at Cathy over the rims of her glasses, "your grades, while not stellar, are certainly not undesirable either and with a bit of effort on your part you could very well raise them to above average- dropping out of school now seems like a folly."
"Thanks for your concern but if you would just hand me the forms and mind your own bloody business that'd be great," Cathy responded bitingly.
Resentment boiled up in Cathy. Did this stupid woman really think she wanted to drop out? Cathy knew dropping out of her A-Level would almost guarantee she'd be poor for the rest of her life but what choice did she have? She couldn't go to school and hold down a job- working part time just wasn't enough to pay the bills and that didn't leave her with a lot of options.
The counselor had the nerve to look offended but she handed Cathy the forms. Cathy quickly browsed through them, signing where necessary. She wanted nothing more than to be out of this stupid office; the lights were almost blindingly bright and it was too small, with papers littered on almost every surface in the office. Even the chair she was supposed to have been sitting in was full of huge binders and folders and she needed to get away from this counselor's patronizing 'you're making a big mistake and you'll regret this later' stare.
Cathy already regretted this but she was willing to bet this annoying bint wouldn't offer to pay for her food and housing so she could keep her patronizing attitude.
"Is this all?" Cathy asked handing it back.
The counselor looked it over and nodded.
"That should do it."
Cathy nodded and grabbed her bag, slinking it over her shoulder as she left.
"I dropped out of secondary," Cathy announced. Baker looked up from wiping down tables and frowned.
"Take it that means you'll be wanting on full time?"
Cathy nodded.
"Go on in the back," Baker told her, "I'll set you up a schedule later."
Cathy pulled on her apron, setting her bag down by the sink. She'd been working in the tiny diner since she was ten; Baker had seen her panhandling for change and started letting her sweep the place and giving her hot meals and a little money for it. Baker also owned the bar next door, which was where Cathy's dad used to go all the time.
Cathy didn't know where her dad went now; she barely saw him anymore and he hardly ever came home. Sometimes when she got home from school the bathroom would be steamy and there'd be empty bottles in the kitchen so she knew he had been there; other times she'd open the front door in the morning and he'd be passed out on the welcome mat, a bottle of liquor clenched tightly in his dirty fingers, smelling and looking like he hadn't bathed in weeks.
During the day there weren't many people coming into the diner. Baker made most of his money at night when the people at the bar would come over here to get something to eat before or after a night of drinking. They were usually loud, belligerent and demanding but they never skipped out on the bill because Baker's bar was the hot spot in the area for the factory workers and they couldn't afford to alienate Baker.
Besides, Baker was a bear of a man and no one really wanted to anger him. He was almost seven feet tall, thick and muscular with tattoos lining his arms, and a thick jagged scar running from his forehead to his chin. There were plenty of rumors of how he had gotten it, but Cathy found it hard to believe the man who had declared himself her protector could be that violent.
Cathy's father used to be a factory worker until he got laid off; then he just spent his days in an alcohol induced haze. She tried really hard not to be angry at her father. He had lost so much. He never really recovered from her mother's death. Cathy had been too young to remember it, but when she was little before her dad had lost his job he would tell stories of her.
"Let me get a burger. Medium done," One of the regulars slurred, almost falling off his seat. His friend rolled into loud laughter.
"And what will you have sir?" Cathy asked turning to the other man. He let his gaze roam over her, stopping for a moment at her chest.
"Well how much do you cost little lady?" The man asked smiling, in what Cathy was sure he thought was a charming manner.
"I'm not on the menu," Cathy responded resisting the urge to cross her arms to cover herself or smash the thick beer mug sitting on the table over his head.
He leaned forward and said in a loud whisper, "I'm talking about the house special. I'll pay extra."
Cathy rolled her eyes, "You're at the wrong house. We don't have those kinds of specials. I'll be back to take your order in a moment."
The man grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap. "Now, don't be a spoilsport. I pay well," he said and licked her neck before she could jerk her head away. Bile rose in her throat but before she could react Baker was standing over them a menacing look on his face.
Baker pulled Cathy up and pushed her behind him not taking his eyes off the man. "Morris, get over here!"
Morris was Baker's son. He was in his thirties and worked there sometimes when his father needed a hand. He looked like the spitting image of Baker.
'Walk Cathy home, would you?"
Morris nodded, and started to push Cathy in the direction of the door but Cathy protested, "What? I don't need to go home, I still have tables!"
"Trust me, Cat you don't want to argue with my dad right now," Morris said.
"But I'm going to lose money because of this and rent's due tomorrow," Cathy said feeling tears well up in her eyes.
She couldn't let one bad table make her lose her place.
"Don't worry about it. I'll let dad know. He'll make sure you don't lose your place," Morris told her.
Morris was right. The next day she was called in to work. Baker was painting the ceiling and pointed her toward the counter.
"Will that be enough to cover rent?" Baker asked, wiping sweat from his brow as he climbed down the ladder.
"I can't take this much! I only need half of this," Cathy said trying to give him some back. He swiped her hand away.
"Of course you can take it," Baker told her firmly, "and you will. I won't hear any more of it."
Cathy nodded and flashed him a grateful smile before remembering last night. "Baker, I can't work here if you send me home every time some drunken moron feels like he has a right to touch me. I'd get sent home every night if you did."
She'd been working full time for the past two weeks and she already been sent home four times. If it kept up like this she wouldn't be able to make enough in tables or tips to pay for all the bills.
Baker frowned and nodded, "I understand your point."
Cathy hoped he did.
"Cathy?" A now familiar voice called as Cathy started to walk up her porch. She saw someone shifting on the porch swing and Cathy went to stand by Petunia.
"What are you doing here?" Cathy asked. It was almost two in the morning.
"The book," Petunia responded and Cathy noticed her voice was shaking.
"Did you have another nightmare?" Cathy asked unlocking the door and turning the living room light on.
"Yeah," Petunia said.
Now that Cathy could see her she noticed the other girl looked shaken up. Her face was even paler than normal and her eyes were scanning the room and outside like she was expecting something to jump out at her, which she probably was.
Petunia was wearing a nightgown and slippers like she'd just run out of the house. "How did you get here?"
"I took my dad's car," Petunia said absently before grinning, "He's going to kill me if he ever finds out."
"And here I thought the prospect of death scared you," Cathy said wryly.
Petunia sat down on the couch, looking more comfortable than she had the last time she'd been here. "I am. I just think it's ironic that my dad might do the job for them. Course that's not likely since mum and dad are out of town for the next two weeks… which is why I figured I'd stay here, with you."
Cathy stared at her. "You want to stay here?"
"Can I?" Petunia asked seeming a little unsure.
Cathy shrugged, "I guess. But you can't be rude. And Emily can't come over."
Petunia nodded and stood up, "I'm going to get my things out of the car."
