Author's Note: Many sorries for not updating sooner! I had almost no chance to get on my laptop yesterday. Also, you remember how I made Cat's bow white? I know it's the fourth chapter, but now I really want it to be dark brown (even found a pic for it!). I went back through the other chapters to change the colour. But anyways, hope you like the new chapter!
Catherine heard her father moving around downstairs. Ok, time to suck it up. He would have seen the note by now, so no time to rip it up. Cat got up from her chair, and walked downstairs. Trying to look nonchalant, she entered the kitchen. She wasn't afraid of him. He couldn't really punish her. Most of the things she owned had been bought with her own money, so he couldn't confiscate anything...
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" her father said, holding the note up to her face.
"Well, what does it say?" she said calmly. She knew that would piss him off even more, but she couldn't help it. He didn't scare her, and she didn't respect him.
"This is completely disrespectful!" he shouted at her. Well, there you go. Looks like she knew him better than he thought.
"I'm tired of cleaning up after you! You might not realise it, but this is my house too! If it wasn't for me, this place would be entirely disgusting! I sweep and dust and mop and wash this place because I respect it more than I respect you!" Cat yelled right back at him. Her father's face darkened.
"Alright then, Catherine. How about you explain to me how you managed to get into the house without going through the front door? Not only that, but you left I the first place without telling me where you were going or for how long!" he said. Obviously, he had no argument for her cleaning up after him, so he was changing the subject. And crap, he had noticed she hadn't gone through the front to get in.
"Since when do you care when I leave the house? Or for how long! I've been going out to do whatever I felt like for the past three years! Or did you even notice?" Cat said. She had added the last part to get him going even more. She knew he knew that he hadn't noticed her comings and goings.
"I am your father!" He yelled at her. "You will tell me what you are doing, when you are doing it, and you will ask for permission!"
"Be careful there, father. You almost sound like you care," Cat said venomously. And then he slapped her. She could see the immense rage in his face. He was so proud and self-righteous. No matter what she said would make him believe he was a terrible father. All emotion dropped from Catherine's face as she felt her cheek swell. She looked at her father with a deadly calm.
"Right, just making sure," she said before turning around and calmly going back to her room.
"Get your ass back down here!" he shouted. Catherine closed her door, and then locked it. She heard him stomp up the stairs. Without even thinking, she reached for her bow and an arrow. The door handle jiggled. He put up the arrow. Wait, what was she doing? Idiot she thought. She quickly hid the bow and arrows under her bed. It sounded like he was kicking the door. He might have been yelling at her, but she hardly noticed.
"As soon as you come out here, you are going to be severely punished!" Cat's father shouted through the door. How, you're going to ground me? Oh, please she thought. Cat sat cross-legged on her bed. Her eye caught on something on her bedside table. It was the Artemis statuette. She reached over and picked the figure up off the table and held it in her hand. Artemis the Huntress. Hunters killed beasts. Her father was being a beast right now… She shook her head. Don't think those thoughts she told herself. Cat had never killed so much as a squirrel with her bow. Placing the silvery figure on her table again, Cat got up and brought out her bow. Yes, it was very odd for her to use a wooden bow, when even Olympic archers used the modern plastic ones. She stroked the fine dark wood. It was elegantly shaped, much like a sliver of the moon, with the tips flaring outward a little. It was just the right thickness. To thick, and it wouldn't bend right, to slim and it would bend too much, throwing you off, making you feel unstable. The wood on her bow had a silvery-blue design bleeding outwards from the middle. Of all places, Cat found this bow at a pawn shop.
A ten year old Catherine walked into the small pawn shop. A couple of customers glanced at her, confused. Where were this little girl's parents? It was a week away from Christmas, and Cat wanted to buy herself something nice. She would wrap it up and put it under her miniature fake Christmas tree in her room and then feign surprise on Christmas morning when she unwrapped it. Catherine wandered about for a few minutes, touching and inspecting things that caught her eye. At the back of the shop was a display of some old rifles and shotguns. There was even a crossbow placed on the wall amongst them. But then Catherine saw the bow hanging above all the guns. The wooden beauty hung horizontally on two hooks. At first, Catherine just starred at it. Since that one Christmas morning when she had received the Artemis statuette, she had been obsessed with the idea of archery. She would play with curved sticks, and pretend to be a legendary huntress. And so here, in front of her, was the thing of her dreams. She didn't even notice that it was still too large for her, and that the price tag said 200 dollars. Catherine had saved around one hundred dollars over the year, a hefty amount for one so young. Finally, the price registered in her mind. The young Catherine was almost heartbroken. But a hopeful idea came to mind. This was a pawn shop. Obviously, she would just combine something of value with her already saved money. Catherine raced home.
It was a twenty-five minute walk into town, so she was feeling quite tired as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Ok, something worth money. Catherine had no jewelry, so that wasn't an option. After searching her bedroom, Cat realised she had nothing that would add up to the amount needed. And then her gaze settled on the silver figurine. No, she could not give that up. Its sentimental value was higher than its physical value. Her father was not home, so she couldn't ask him for any money, not that she would do that anyways. Still in despair Catherine had gone to her father's bedroom.
The master bedroom was only slightly larger than her own, but it had its own bathroom. Catherine had entered it, still not really knowing what she planned on doing there. At last an idea formed in her mid. It was a very bad idea, but she wanted that beautiful bow so badly. Surely her mother would have helped her achieve her goal? Catherine had crouched down and opened the cabinet under the sink. Yes it was still there. Her mother's jewelry box. She had opened it and taken out a gold chain with a pearl the size of her thumb on the end of it. Cat had never seen her mother wear this piece, so she tried to make herself feel better about what she was doing by telling herself that her mother didn't like this necklace, and that was why she had never worn it. And so the Catherine once again dashed off to the pawn shop, panting as she entered, holding her side because now she had a bad cramp. After she had explained what she wanted to the man at the counter, he looked at her doubtfully. He had asked her about how she had gotten her money and the necklace. Wondered where her parents were and what a small girl wanted with the large bow. He didn't know that Cat would grow into it perfectly and become an amazing archer. Eventually the man had let in and accepted the money and necklace. He knew the necklace was only worth forty dollars at most, but this cute kid seemed like getting the bow would mean the moon and the sun to her. So that was how Catherine Talvi had gotten her beloved bow.
Cat was tired of always leaving for the park when she got upset. Besides, if she did it now and her father managed to break down her door, he would finally figure out how she'd been getting in and out all these years without him knowing. Ok, so she wouldn't leave the house. Cat grabbed her pack of arrows, but didn't put the belt on. She climbed out her window and instead of climbing down, ignored the arrow lodged in a hard rubber slate, and continued to climb upwards. Beside the chimney stack was a flat part of the roof. Cat had never understood why it had been built there, but it was helpful for putting Christmas decorations on top of. At least it had been when her mother was still alive. Now, Cat sat on top of it, stroking the smooth wood of her bow. She glanced at her arrows. They were a very mixed assortment. Some were old wooden arrows, with fake or real feathers, some were entirely plastic, and others were sharp while some only had blunt tips. And her newest addition, the ice arrow Jack had given her. Jack. His beautiful face and silvery hair entered her head. Unwillingly, her heart beat a little faster. No, I am not attracted to Jack Frost she told herself. She shook her head and tried to concentrate on other things. Unfortunately, the ice arrow kept entering her peripheral vision. She couldn't break it, but she had no-one to use it on. Throwing it away meant someone could find it. Just then, a group of kids from her school came into view, walking on the sidewalk in front of her house. Cat quickly grabbed the ice arrow, fitted it into her bow, and fired it at the kid in the front. Just as she let it go, the thought came into her head. Will it hurt him? It was sharp, after all. But then it hit the kid, made a tiny explosion of bluish energy, and Cat hid behind the chimney, hoping no one would see her. Then she heard laughing and a couple of playful screeches. The sounds moved off, and Cat went back to her original spot. A cold wind picked up, and Cat shivered. No, she would stay up here as long as it took for her to get her thoughts in order. Five minutes later, the clouds in the sky moved off, and the afternoon sun had a chance to warm up the slated roof.
Catherine had her eyes closed and was basking in the meager sunlight, when another cold wind prompted her to open them. Great. There was Jack, crouched on the chimney.
"What are you doing here?" Cat asked, exasperated.
"I was bored," he replied.
"Already? Why don't you get a hobby or something?" Cat said, annoyed that he was interrupting her thinking time.
"I do have a hobby. Unfortunately, I've run out of people who are worth messing with," he told her with an annoying grin on his face. Cat rolled her eyes.
"Hey, why're you up here anyways?" he looked at her curiously. Cat considered lying to him, but realised she didn't feel like it.
"My dad's being an asshole again. I'm waiting for him to go to work or… something," she said, not looking at him. 'Something' meant him playing with his new "friend".
"Oh. So, you don't wanna…" he was cut off by her glare. "Hey, I'm just trying to have some fun," he said, smiling again.
"You can't have run out of people to piss off that quickly. It's the middle of winter. Now get lost," Catherine said, starting to get angry. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?
"Hey, Just 'cause you're all pissed at your dad doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!" he said, gesturing to himself with his staff.
"But fine. You want to be boring, I'll leave. Better things to do than sit around here while you mope. At least you have a dad," Jack said before the wind caught him and he flew off. Cat shook her head. I'd rather not have a dad than have to up with that asshole in there she thought. Some more clouds past by and the sun brightened a little more. Sighing, Cat sat back against the brick chimney. Tomorrow, her father worked all day. She could get some homework done in peace, and then maybe see if she could catch a squirrel.
Author's Note: Thanks to Saffamoe01 and Foxchick1 for the reviews. Anyone else like my story? Think something needs to be added? Review! I'll consider all suggestions! As far as a first story goes, I'm happy I have any follows or favourites. Glad people are liking Jack. I might not get the chance to write much, since I'll be busy for the next couple of days, but I'll try really hard!