Tori POV
After Cat takes her shower, I sit down in the living room, the tv on as background noise, not much else. After a while, the pizza I ordered while Cat was in the shower arrives, and gently stands up to pay for the pizza. After closing the door, I turn to see Cat sitting there, her legs held tight against her body.
"Hungry?" I asks awkwardly, walking over towards the table.
"Little bit." Cat says, slowly standing up and following me.
"You could have stayed in the living room. I would have happily brought you your slices." I tell her, grabbing a couple of paper plates from the cupboard.
"It's okay." Cat says, her usual tone diminished. "You can't say anything to anyone Tori, alright? I don't want Jade to know I told anyone, and you know how people will react if they find out." She says, sitting in one of the chairs.
"I really don't think I can keep this a secret Cat." I say as I hands Cat a plate. "What she's doing to you cannot continue to happen."
"Please, Tori? For now at least?" Cat begs, tears in her eyes.
"For now. Yes. But I can't promise how long it will last." I say, sitting down in the chair beside Cat. "Why do you let her do this to you?" She asks, worry in her eyes and voice.
"I already told you. She's my friend, and I'm the only one she has left." Cat says, taking a couple of slices of pizza out of the box and nibbling on one.
"If she really was your friend, she wouldn't hurt you." I say, forgetting the pizza. "Why does she hurt you?"
"She doesn't." Cat says, head down, avoiding my gaze. "She just gets a little rough at times."
"Cat. You have bruises on both arms, your back, legs, and stomach. You flinch when anyone gets more than a foot away. She's hurting you." I tell her, my voice heavy with worry and fear.
We sit in silence, barely eating or moving. We don't do anything for almost an hour, when Cat finally finishes eating her pizza and stands up to throw away her napkin and put her plate in the sink.
"I'm going to bed early." She says quietly, walking past me without a glance. I watch her go up, a silent tear rolls down my face as I see her shake slightly and softly cry on her way up the stairs.
After I don't hear anymore footsteps, I stand up and put my half eaten slice of pizza in aluminum foil and put it in the fridge, closing the box and put it on top of the stove before setting my plate in the sink, rinsing off my plate and hers. After rinsing off the plates, I head upstairs, opening the door to my room to see a crying Cat on my bed in a fetal position.
Not knowing what to do, I head to my adjoining bathroom after grabbing a change of pajamas to get ready for bed. Even though it's barely nine at night, I feel exhausted and I don't know why. After changing and washing my make-up off, I head into my room and grab some extra blankets and pillows and set them down on the floor beside my bed.
"Night Cat. See you in the morning." I say, barely audible as I lay down.
No POV Next Morning
Early the next morning, Tori wakes up slowly and stands up, glancing at her bed and sees a still Cat in bed, back to Tori.
"Let me help you." Tori says quietly as she picks up the blankets and pillows and sets them in her closet, out of the way. Grabbing a change of clothes, she heads into her bathroom to take a shower, thinking about Cat. After her shower, Tori steps out of her shower and shuts off her shower, drying off as she continues to think about Cat. After she changes into a pair of comfortable jeans and a navy blue short sleeve shirt. Doing her make-up lightly, she tosses her towel in her hamper as she heads back into her room, Cat still laying down.
"Hey." Cat says as Tori starts to fold up the blankets she used the night before.
"Morning." Tori says with a soft smile, sitting on her bed as Cat sits up. "How'd you sleep?"
"Okay." She says, not looking at the half-Latina. "Are there any plans for the day?" She asks, using her hand to brush her hair back.
"Nothing planned. Anything you want to do?" Tori asks, looking at her friend and secret crush.
"Not at the moment." She says, standing and heading into the bathroom without a single glance at Tori.
"I'm going to start breakfast." Tori says loud enough so Cat can hear. After a barely audible 'Okay', Tori heads downstairs to start breakfast. She grabs a loaf of bread, some bacon from the freezer, eggs, and sausage. After moving the pizza from last night and turning on the stove, Tori grabs some pans out to start the bacon and eggs. Putting a couple of slices of bread in the toaster, she opens the fridge to grab the jam and butter for the toast.
"I'm sorry about last night." Cat says as Tori takes the toast out and sets it on a plate, putting two more slices.
"Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for." Tori says as she cooks the eggs and bacon. When the bacon is done, she starts the sausage, putting some of the bacon on one plate, the rest on the other, and the two finished eggs on the plate with the bacon and toast. "You want any sausage?" She asks, setting the plate on the table in front of where Cat sat at the table.
"Sure." Cat says as she takes the jam and butter and spreads them on the toast. "I know you already promised not to tell, at least promised to the best of your ability, but I need you to promise me again." Cat says, looking up from her breakfast.
"You know I can't do that. I promised to try my best, and that's the most I can do." Tori tells her honestly, turning back to the food so it doesn't burn.
After a few more minutes, Tori sets a few sausage links on her plate, putting the rest on her plate as she puts the rest of the toast on her plate, starting on her eggs. When the eggs are finished, Tori puts the eggs on her plate and then sitting in the seat in front of Cat. "Want some orange juice or something to drink?" Tori asks, glancing up to the silent redhead.
"Orange juice please." Cat says, keeping her head down as she eats.
"Okay." Tori says, quietly standing up and heading to the fridge and taking the carton of orange juice out and two cups from the cupboard. After pouring the juice and putting the carton away, she sets one cup in front of Cat, the other in front of her as she sits down.
Cat POV
We sit in silence as we eat, occasionally glancing up at the other as we do. Even after we finish breakfast and Tori washes the dishes and sets them in the dish drainer and we head into the living room and watch random shows in silence. After close to an hour of the tv being on, I stand up.
"I'll be back. I'm gonna go get dressed." I tell Tori, heading upstairs, ignoring the worried look she's giving me. I know she's worried about me, but I don't think I can handle looking at her right now, knowing she wants to help me when she can't.
Entering her room, I grab a change of clothes from my bag and head into her bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing my hair afterwards. After I get dressed and put on enough make-up to hide the small bruise on my cheek from something Jade did a few days ago. When I'm done, I put my sleep clothes in my bag and head back downstairs, seeing Tori watching a Katy Perry video on tv, and based on how she acted when I came downstairs, she's not paying attention to the video.
"Hey." Tori says as I sit beside her. "You look a little tired."
"I'm fine." I tell her, giving her a fake smile.
"How about we go to the zoo?" She asks, a smile on her face. "We haven't gone there yet or done anything as just the two of us since we last did a 'Funny Nugget Show', and that was months ago. Want to?" She asks, sounding and looking hopeful.
"Sure." I say, turning to face her slightly as she shuts off the tv before standing up.
"Ready to go?" She asks, facing me.
"Yeah. Do I need anything?" I ask, standing up.
"No. It's on me. All you need is your phone in case someone calls you." She tells me, her smile never leaving.
"Okay. Thanks." I say, following her out the door. When I hear her lock the door behind her, I follow her again to her car, silence as we step in.
'I hope the zoo relaxes me.' I think to myself as we pull out of the driveway.
The chapter name will come into play next chapter, and there are three parts to the chapter. I know this chapter had some revealing thoughts, at least to me, but the big one will be next.
To anyone who watches Sam & Cat, who noticed that the five students for Sikowtiz's backwards acting excercise were dressed like Jade, Tori, Beck, André, and Robbie?
Thank you for everyone who has stuck with me for this story, I appreciate everyone's reviews, favorites, and follows.
Blessed Be.