I could tell today was going to be hard at school. Not that I care what people think of Cat and I dating, but it was just plain annoying to have people constantly whispering about us. It's been like that since the moment we'd walked through those doors, holding hands. And we'd only been in the school for ten minutes.
"Hey, Jade. Lil' Red." Andre greeted us when we approached his locker. His eyes flicked down to our linked hands, then back up. "So...what's been goin' on?" he asked in his tone of voice that says he's confused, weirded out, or both.
"Oh, Jade and I are dating now!" Cat stated happily. She stood on her toes to give me a quick peck on the cheek and I smiled.
Andre started laughing, so I glared at him. It didn't even faze him like it normally would. "Well, it's about time you two got together!" he snorted. What?
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat cried. I squeezed her arm a little, but I couldn't help but to agree with her. What the hell did Andre mean by that?
"Nothing...just...it was kind of obvious you two liked each other." Obvious? I didn't even know I liked Cat until last night. "I mean...Jade. The only person you would take crap from is Cat. Seriously, even when she's annoying the chizz out of you and everyone knows you're irritated, you don't get mad at her. And Cat...the only time you were ever serious about anything was when Jade was hurt, or upset. Remember when we thought Tori hit her with a cane in that stage fighting class? You were freaking out."
"That is so true!" Cat squeaked, jumping up and down a little. I guess I could kind of see where Andre was coming from. It was true that I only let Cat annoy me, and nobody else. Truth was, I didn't want to hurt her feelings. She just acts so sensitive sometimes...
"Hey, so do you guys want to go get some sushi after school with Robbie and me?" Andre asked. I looked at Cat and asked her if she had any plans this afternoon and when she shook her head no, I told Andre we would go.
By the time we had to go to Sikowitz's class, people were openly approaching Cat and I and telling us how "cute" we were together. I think it was because I act nicer with Cat around. I didn't hit one person for saying that. This semester, Sikowitz was the only class I had with Beck and Vega. This was going to be fun...
Cat told me it would be best if we either pretended they weren't there or act like nothing had happened. I decided to go with the first one, considering what might accidentally happen if either of them came into the range of my fist. I admit that I've been uncharacteristically nice for the day so far, but I wasn't sure if I could hold my anger in with those two.
Cat and I took seats beside each other in one of the back corners of the classroom. Beck, Vega, Andre, and Robbie were all sitting in the front corner farthest from us. It's a good thing this room is big. There was no sign of Sikowitz, even though class should have started five minutes ago.
"Why, good afternoon, little learners of the performing arts. Welcome to class!" I smirked as Sikowitz climbed through the window, greeting us. He's come in that window more often than he has the door. It was actually quite amusing to watch him struggle to get his legs over the sill. "Has anyone seen my coconut?"
"On the stage!" some kid named Austin yelled. Sure enough, there were several coconuts sitting in a pile on the stage.
"Excellent!" Sikowitz strolled up to the stage and gathered all of the coconuts into his arms. "While I go get a straw, why don't you kiddos discuss acting? Have a scene ready with a partner by the time I get back!"
Sikowitz strode to a cabinet on one wall and plucked a pink bendy straw out of a box on the top of it. "I'm back!" he announced before anyone could start talking.
"But...you didn't leave," Andre stated. Sikowitz, being the crazy man that he is, clapped his hands and took a long draught out of a particularly large coconut.
"Yes! This is an Improv class. You should have a scene without speaking about it! Jade and Cat. You're two starving farm girls with a pig, but Cat's character doesn't want to butcher it. The prop's by the door."
"But, Sikowitz," I complained. "We already did that scene. With the same prop. And you hit Cat in the face with a ball." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw cat rub her face as if remembering what the rubber ball had felt like.
"Very well. No Improv today. There are script books by the stage. Choose a scene and do it." I shrugged and got up, making my way to the stage with Cat trailing behind me. I flipped to a random page in one of the books and found a scene for two women called "Traces of Memory" by Ann Weuhler. I showed Cat the page I was on and we established that I would be Phoebe and she would be Ruth.
Cat entered from the hallway as I stood on the stage. She looked me over up and down and said, "You from here?" I shook my head as Cat shaded her eyes and pretended to stare off into the distance. "Break down?" she asked. "Nearest town is..."
"Look," I cut her off. "I don't want to be rude—leave me the fuck alone." I still did hate cussing at Cat, but it was the script, so I went with it.
"What did you do?" I don't respond, just stare ahead as if I can't see her standing there. "Murder? Armed robbery? Break someone's poor little heart? Regicide?" I frowned a little. "Ah, that's the murder of a king. Did you murder a king down in Vegas?" Wow, Cat sure could sound casual about that.
"Yeah. I murdered a king," I said with sarcasm. I wish we could have picked a shorter scene. This one was supposed to last for ten minutes.
"Fabulous," Cat waited and I didn't respond. "I left the dishes in the sink." I didn't react to her words as the script said. "I left a chicken out to defrost. I left the TV on. If I get going now, my husband'll never know. He won't suspect a thing. Except for something I left in the microwave! It's a humdinger. If I leave now, nothing will happen that I can't take back."
"I really don't care." The scene continued to shoot back and forth like this for the most part. Eventually, Cat's character admitted to being an arson and burning her dog and her three kids and mine to beating a girl to the death. A girl that her boyfriend was banging up. Gee, sound familiar? I didn't feel like being thrown in jail for murder, though.
"Excellent, wonderful!" Sikowitz cried at the end of the scene as the rest of the class thundered applause. I think they were all into the whole murder thin. "Andre and Eli. You're next! Get your rumps up on that stage!"
Everyone else paired up and did their scenes by the end of the period. As soon as the musical bell rang, I grabbed Cat's hand and dragged her out of the classroom and to her locker before Beck or Vega would have the chance to speak to us.
"I'm...sorry. I guess I kind of...didn't want to be anywhere near them," I apologized as I ran a hand through my hair.
"That's okay! It would have been awkward, anyway." Cat arranged her books in her frilly pink locker and shut it, then threw her arms around me and gave me a kiss. I heard a couple of "oohs" around the hall, but I didn't care. Surprisingly, it didn't seem like Cat cared, either. But that was good; I couldn't stop people from making comments.
Cat and I went to the sushi bar together in my car. Andre and Robbie were already there; thankfully, Robbie had left his stupid puppet at home, claiming that he wouldn't come because he was going to be enjoying some time with "his Northridge girls". As if a puppet could get a girlfriend.
Andre and Robbie were cool with Cat and I dating, which was a relief. I didn't think I'd be able to handle things if even they couldn't accept us. Cat offered for me to spend the night again, and I told her I would. I didn't want to deal with my dad after everything that had happened.
Little did I know, I'd have to deal with him anyway.
Cliffhanger? Not really. Well, this chapter came out pretty fast because it's mostly filler, but don't expect one tomorrow because I'll be at mini band camp. I'm still having issues with The Escape; I know what to write, I just can't get the words to come out right. Don't y'all hate it when that happens?
OH and I forgot this last chapter. The song that I was listening to as I was writing the kiss scene is called "Fantasy on a Japanese Folk Song" by Samuel R. Hazo. Look it up on YouTube or something; I swear you won't be disappointed. Unless you hate music. Honestly, it'll be one of the most beautiful pieces of music you'll ever hear.
KhyXXanSkyXTod: Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant in the first place :) I wish they'd come out with new episodes more often, though.
ohsnapitzzhannah: Thanks! I guess I just really wanted to do something from when they didn't know each other. But I'm glad you liked it!
Edit: Alright, it seems like I'm always forgetting something! I found the scene from a website called 10-minute-plays . com without the spaces. So go there if you want to read the whole scene; it's under "Cast Size" then "Plays for Two Women" :D
