Chapter Three; The Weakness in Me
When Kat and Patrick woke from their post-babysitting nap, they were greeted by Walter, who was grinning from ear to ear.
'Great news kids,' he said unable to contain his excitement, 'I've decided to accept that the two of you care deeply for each other, and are together.' He stuttered slightly, it was still difficult to say out loud.
Kat and Patrick both looked suspicious, 'what's the catch?' Kat asked.
'No catch, but, we're going to do this properly. So I've invited his parents over for dinner tomorrow.'
'You did WHAT?' Patrick shouted as he jumped off the couch.
'I rang them just now, your mother seemed very excited to finally meet Kat, and so they'll be here at eight.'
'I can't believe you, this isn't a game, you have no right to interfere,' Patrick stepped towards Walter, his anger growing all the time. Kat stood up to restrain him. For the first time since they'd met, she actually felt slightly afraid of what he was going to do.
'What's the problem?' she asked, placing herself in-between Patrick and her father.
'Forget it,' Patrick shook himself free of her grasp and headed for the door, 'I don't need this,' and with that he was gone.
Walter raised his eyebrows, but Kat cut him off before he could say anything.
'Please don't say there's something doggy about him, I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation, and if I only had a phone I could call him and find out.' She knew she was pushing her luck, but figured it couldn't do any more harm, 'I mean you did say you were going to accept us.'
'That doesn't mean you're forgiven Kat. Since you met him you've started deceiving me, and as soon as I go away you jump into bed with him, now I was willing to try and understand, because he did seem to be looking out for you, but enough is enough. Unless we find out more about him, and his family, he will not be welcome in this house.'
'Why can't you trust me to make my own choices?'
Walter wandered over to his study, reappearing a few seconds later.
'Because I'm your father and your mother would be saying the same in my situation.'
'Dad don't', she hated it when he used the mother argument.
Walter handed her phone to her. 'Tell him I want to find out more about him, or, I will do everything in my power to prevent your relationship, don't think I'm even close to kidding.' As he left, the mixture of angry and disappointment in his voice made Kat want to cry, and she never cried.
It was fast approaching midnight, but Patrick just stayed leaning against his bike, just staring at the house. His phone bleeped, and he opened another message from Kat, even more unpleasant than the last. Clearly her Dad had returned her phone. He stuffed it back in his jacket pocket; no girl was worth this, he thought. He could put up with the constant arguments with Kat, they turned him on actually, and he was learning to ignore her sister's comments about how they were the second hottest couple in school next to her and Joey. He could even learn to live with whatever punishment her dad had thrown at them, but not this. He was always a loner; this was just going to restore the natural order of things.
He closed his eyes, readying himself for what he was about to face. But all he could see was Kat's face, set in that determined expression; her brown eye's boring into him, daring him to disagree. When did she get so much inside my head, he thought, trying to shake the image away, he couldn't handle this, and in one quick movement he was on his bike, kick starting it to life and racing down the street.
'Kat, KAT.'
Kat eventually admitted defeat and sat up in bed, scowling at Bianca for waking her. Not that she'd been doing much sleeping. She was too busy thinking about Patrick and the way he'd acted. She wouldn't admit it to her dad, but she liked the idea of meeting Patrick's family and finding out more about him.
'This better be good,' Kat stated.
'I think there's something outside the window,' Bianca said.
'It's probably just a bird or something, go back to sleep,' but the look on Bianca's face told Kat that wasn't going to happen, so she threw off the covers and went to investigate.
'The sooner dad lets me back in my own room the better,' she said reaching the window only to see Patrick standing on the lawn, getting ready to throw another stone at the window.
'This better be a bad dream,' she called down to him as quietly as she could.
'You wouldn't answer your phone,' Patrick shrugged.
'Imagine trying to contact someone all evening and getting no response,' asked Kat sarcastically.
'Alright, I'm sorry I didn't reply to your texts. Just give me five minutes.'
'Will you just get rid of Romeo so I can get some sleep,' Bianca called from under her covers.
Kat grabbed her hoodie and headed downstairs pushing aside thoughts about what her father would do if he woke up now.
'You don't understand,' Patrick almost pleaded as he stood with Kat on the front lawn.
'No because you just get angry and storm off without any explanation,' Kat replied, she wasn't going to let him get away with this easily.
'I just don't tend to take girls to meet my family.'
'So I'm just another notch on your bedpost that's not important enough.'
'That's not what I meant. I told you my step-father is a jack-ass, I don't even like spending an evening with him in my own home, let alone in some awkward 'Meet the Fockers' style scenario.'
They stood in a stalemate for a while.
'Fine,' Kat gave up disappointed and started back towards the house, 'I'll tell Dad you're not coming. I hate what this whole thing is doing to him, after my mom died we made a promise to stick together as a family, I won't break that.'
'What if just my mom came?' Patrick raced to catch up with her.
'I'm sure that'd be ok.' she relaxed as he kissed her lightly.
'See you tomorrow,' she said going inside, she was too tired to think anymore about it tonight.
Patrick watched her go inside before returning to his bike and headed home.
Patrick studied the house carefully before going in, unable to avoid it this time. There were no lights on, so he quietly let himself in. As he passed the lounge he saw his mom lying on the couch, sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in a snuggie. She often fell asleep waiting for Dan to get home and neither of them ever wanted to wake her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, he thought, as he went up to his room.
As Sunday evening arrived, Bianca, Dawn and Cameron, were attempting to make a start organising their rival cheerleading squad. Bianca was keen for anything that took her mind off Joey right now, but watching her two friends playfully petting each other was not helping.
'A Panda,' Bianca suggested.
'Or a Puffin,' Dawn replied.
'What about a Pig?' Dawn and Bianca just looked at Cameron when he ventured this latest suggestion.
'Look,' Bianca shook her head, 'we're been up here for hours and we haven't even got a name or mascot for the squad, maybe we should just leave that for the time being.'
'Sure, though I've got to go,' Dawn said standing, 'my grandmother's coming round for dinner, and if I'm late she'll spend the whole evening criticizing my hair, loves ya,' she waved, gave Cameron a quick peck on the check, and headed off.
'You can go too if you want,' Bianca turned to Cameron.
'No, I'd like to stay, we haven't hung out much recently, just us, and I'm having fun,' Cameron smiled.
'Right, great,' said Bianca turning back to her laptop, 'all we need is a something that'll make our squad stand out, and some more food, I'll be back in a minute.' Bianca headed off downstairs needing a break.
Eight o'clock. Kat looked at her watch again, then back towards the door.
'Bianca, you and your friends are welcome to join us,' Walter asked, as his younger daughter made her way back upstairs.
'Um no thanks, if I want to watch a disaster, I'll just put Titanic on,' Bianca shouted over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.
Before Walter could respond the doorbell rang, and he braced himself.
'Hey,' Patrick said leading his mom inside, 'Mom, this is Kat and her father and this is my Mom, Denise.'
'Dr Stratford, it's a pleasure to meet you,' Denise stepped forward to shake his hand. She was not at all how Walter had imagined, she was so small and petite, and looked like she might snap in two at the slightest touch.
'I'm sorry my husband Dan can't be here, he had to work late,' she continued.
Patrick made an unsubtle grunt of disagreement.
'Patrick, don't,' she shot him a stern look.
'That's alright, more for us;' Walter reassured her, 'Come this way, dinners almost ready.'
Denise turning to Kat, 'it is so nice to meet you, every time Patrick went out he said he was going to see you, so I've been hearing for name a lot, even thought I must confess I don't know much about you, he doesn't like to talk much.'
'Yeah he doesn't talk about his family much either,' Kat looked uncomfortable, hating how little she knew about Patrick in general.
'So I told mom you don't eat anything with a face, so she's prepared for dinner to taste like crap,' Patrick interjected, not liking the direction the conversation was going.
Denise laughed, and took Kat's arm as Walter led the way to the dinner table, 'I think it's great, I would become a vegetarian, but when I was pregnant with Patrick I became addicted to Big Macs and I can't kick the habit,' she smiled.
Throughout dinner they continued with small talk about the weather, how great California was, and the big news reports of the day. Even Patrick was starting to relax and enjoy himself.
Walter liked Patrick's mother, and as they finished with their coffee, he decided to broach the topic of families. He had tried already several times, but Patrick kept changing the subject.
'So where is Patrick's father?' He asked.
Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed and Denise's face went as white as a sheet. Patrick was on his feet in a flash.
'We've got to go,' he said, 'thanks for dinner,' his mother didn't argue, she just followed him, her thanks, barely audible.
Kat and Walter followed, both confused as to what had just happened, as their guests disappeared through the door.
'Do you know what that was about?' Walter eventually turned towards Kat.
'No idea,' Kat shook her head.
'Look Kat, we gave this a go, but clearly there is a lot we don't know about this guy, did you notice how he kept changing the subject every time I brought up anything to do with his family. You keep saying this is a mature, adult relationship, but that's not what I witnessed just now. Under the circumstances I've been more than reasonable, but I've had enough now.'
Kat, for once, couldn't think what to say. Patrick had never opened up to her; she just figured he would when he was ready. Well if he wanted to be with her, he better be ready tomorrow at school, she thought, determined to get some answers.
Two hours later, Bianca slumped over the desk. They still hadn't got anywhere.
'Cameron, do you think I'm crazy for trying to do this?' She raised her head slightly, 'I mean, even if we came up with a name and everything, who would want to risk alienating the entire cheerleading squad, its social suicide.'
'Nonsense.' Cameron said giving her a hug. 'Everyone in school would kill to be a cheerleader, but are too intimidated, but this way they'll all get another chance.'
Bianca felt her excitement building again.
'Exactly, and it can be like an all encompassing cheerleading squad, no try outs, no rejections, everyone that wants to be part of it can!' screamed Bianca hugging Cameron tightly.
'Like Glee for cheerleaders.' Cameron couldn't help but get caught up in Bianca's enthusiasm.
'Thank you for staying and helping, I don't know what I'd do without you,' she pulled back slowly. Cameron gazed at Bianca. She looked the same way she did the first time he saw her, the same animated look of about to start something new. He reached up and brushed a lose strand of hair out of her face, and instinctively he started to lean towards her. Bianca closed her eyes as Cameron drew closer, their lips just inches apart.
'BIANCA', Walter shouted up the stairs smashing the moment, 'Joey's on the phone', Cameron took a while to register what had just happened, then without saying a word, he stood up and ran from the room.
Bianca was confused over what happened, but ignoring Joey's call wasn't going to help.
'Joey hey', she said taking the receiver from her dad as she reached the foot of the stairs.
'Hey Bianca, I've got tell you something, and I wanted to tell you before you see it on the show.'
Bianca's imagination went into overdrive, something's happen with that model again; she didn't want to deal with this right now.
'I've been kicked off the show', Joey continued when she didn't say anything.
'What?' said Bianca's, her attention suddenly snapping back into focus.
'Yeah, they wanted to step up the flirting, but I knew how much it was upsetting you so I told them no, and they said I should pack my bags and leave.'
'But Joey this is your dream, you can't just throw it all away.'
'Bianca I love you, it's not worth hurting you.' She could hear the smile in his voice and she felt herself melt.
'I can't believe you did that, it's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done!' Bianca started to cry.
'You're not going to cry are you babe, red eyes are not a good look. Anyway I better go but I'll be back tomorrow evening. I can't wait to see you.'
When he hung up Bianca did the only thing she could think of to make herself feel better, she headed for the ice-cream.
