As of this point, I don't know how many more chapters are left. Hopefully not that many. Regardless, I still thank those of you that follow this story! And, I must warn you, some shit is about to go DOWN from this point on! Jade messes with Sam's feelings, an improv gets way out of hand, and a heart will be broken!
...
"What do you want, West?" I snarl through my teeth. Is it seriously too much to just ask for a break?
She takes a step forward. "It's not what I want Puckett." She snaps my last name back at me. "I'm pretty sure it's what you want."
I turn back towards the mirror. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, I'm sure you do." She leans forward. "I saw your face when she performed. You thought the song was about you."
I roll my eyes and groan. From the stories Cat told me about her and this girl, I could tell she was at least my level dangerous. I somewhat remember what Cat told me about what she could do with a roll of toilet paper. I laughed at that. Toilet paper? Get real. I have a fucking butter sock.
"Look," I say, my voice trying to stay even. "I don't know what you want, and I really don't care. So leave me the hell alone. Not to mention, I don't even know you. And you sure as hell don't know me."
Jade doesn't budge. Instead, her head cocks to the side, as if she's studying me. I watch her from the corner of my eye.
"Yeah, but I know Cat." she says, knowing instantly that she'd peaked my interest from the way my head pops up. She smirks. "You think Cat wants to go out with Robbie?"
"Well, duh." I say. "That's why she's dating him."
Jade shakes her head like I'm a little kid who doesn't understand something so simple. "You really are that clueless."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" My words come out more in a growl. She was really starting to bother the hell out of me.
"Whoa, someone's getting testy." she chuckles, then straightens up, tossing her hair back. "She's going out with him out of pity."
"You're lying." I say. Why do people feel like it's their job to tease me?
"When you first came to stay with her she wouldn't shut up about how much she liked you." Jade says. "She said you were so pretty and nice." She laughs. "Of course, she doesn't know about your records."
"How do you know?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
"I have my ways, Puckett." Why are we on last-name basis?
I shake my head. "Whatever. What she said…it doesn't matter. I don't care whether you're lying or not. Cat's with Robbie. I'm just a best friend."
I stumble over my words, suddenly feeling pathetic. My eyes sting with oncoming tears and I blink them back. No way I'm gonna cry in front of this bitch. I was insane, but not that insane.
Jade shrugs and crosses her arms. "Fine. Believe what you want. But don't say I didn't tell you."
She turns for the bathroom door and it opens up before she can touch it. "Oh, hey, Cat." she says, a snide tone hidden in her pretend cheery mood.
"Hey, Jade." Cat says with no hint of focus towards her.
I turn on my heels soon enough to see Jade smirk at me and leave the bathroom. I roll my eyes.
"Sam, are you okay?" Cat asks, approaching me and laying a hand on my shoulder.
I ignore the shiver that runs down my spine and swallow. Once. Twice. Breathe. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good, because my next class is about to start!" Cat says.
This time, I follow her out the door. Not giving her a chance to take control.
…
Her next class is actually that crazy teacher Sikowitz. We slip into the room and take our seats in the back. I spot the back of Jade's head towards the front. Does Cat have every class with this chick?
"Okay, class." Sikowitz says, rubbing his hands together. "Today we're going to focus on imagination."
"Imagination?" Tori asks, her hand raised.
Sikowitz nods and walks the stage. "You are all going to learn how to create your own characters from the depths of your teenage minds." Oh, this should be fun.
"Haven't we done this before?" the kid with the dreads, Andre I think, says.
"Indeed, you have." Sikowitz answers. "But not on such a high level. You and your partner will create two characters and do an improve, it must be original, in front of the class."
Cat raises her hand. "Can Sam be my partner?" I knew that was coming.
"Sam?" Sikowitz says. "Who's Sam?"
I raise my hand a little. "Right here."
He eyes me. "I don't believe you're in this class."
I open my mouth to answer, but Cat is two steps ahead of me. "She's here with me. She's a visitor."
"Oh, well," Sikowitz replies. "I see no problem with it. It's always nice to see a fresh, young face taking an interest in the arts."
If you only knew. I think to myself.
"Now, all of you into your pairs!" Sikowitz says.
Students stand from their chairs and search for their partners. Cat wonders to the far corner of the room and I follow her.
"Okay, so what are we doing?" I ask.
"Coming up with our characters!" Cat says, smiling. "You go first."
God, I'm not good at this creative shit. That's why Carly always came up with the skits for iCarly. "Um...okay...I'm a girl...named S-"
"Don't say your real name!" Cat says. "It has to be different!"
I roll my eyes. Already hating this. "Fine. I'm a girl named...Skylar."
Cat smiles. "I'll be a girl named Lissa."
"Okay, and Lissa and Skylar are..." I trail off purposely, hoping she would finish the sentence.
"Best friends!" Cat exclaims excitedly.
"Great, now-"
I barely have enough time to get my sentence out before Sikowitz is telling us to go back to our seats. Damn! I can swear we're fucked. Just by luck, we're not called up first. Tori and Beck are. I giggle a bit at the look on Jade's face.
"Has that happened before?" I whisper to Cat, nodding towards Jade.
She glances over at her and nods. "Oh, yeah. Plenty of times."
I stifle a loud laugh. That's ridiculously sad.
"Sam and Cat!" Sikowitz calls, immediately catching our attention. "You're up!"
We stand from our chair and make our way to the stage. I can feel the intense stares of the class.
"I'll be playing a girl named Lissa." Cat says and looks at me.
"And I'll be Skylar." I say.
"And action!" Sikowitz says before sitting down in a backwards chair facing us.
"What do you mean you can't stay here anymore?" Cat asks, putting on the perfect hurt expression.
I take a deep breath and force myself to jump right in. After all, things can't get worse. "I'm sorry, Liss. I just can't stand being here anymore."
"Why not?" Cat says. "Did-did I do something?"
"No, you...you didn't do anything." I answer.
"Then what's wrong?"
I stare out to our "audience" and find that Jade is staring at me. Ignore her...ignore her... "Because..."
Cat is staring at me with those damn brown eyes, so innocent and beautiful. And all into her character. Little did she know I'm about to go "off-script".
"Because what?" she says.
"Because I can't be around someone I can't have."
A stunned silence overwhelms the class, like death has brushed over all of them. You could've literally heard a feather land on the carpet floor. Cat's expression changes from hurt to confused. "What do you mean?"
"I can't be around you, Lissa." I say tensely. This was getting a little too real for me.
"You're saying that you...like me." Cat says, not as a question but a statement. I nod slowly. "And you're saying that since you can't have me, you'd prefer to be somewhere else?" I nod again. Jade is just getting all of her satisfaction.
"I'm sorry, Liss." I say. "But if I'm in love with someone I can't have, there's no point in staying."
"How long?" Cat begins.
"Huh?" I say.
"How long have you felt like this?" she clarifies.
I shrug nonchalantly. "Since we met."
"What do you like most about me?" What the hell is she doing?
My lips know the words before my head does. "Your laugh, your smile-
The bell rings, cutting me off. I relax my shoulders and everyone seems to start breathing again. They stretch and crowd out the door.
"Lunch!" Cat says happily. "Come on!"
As she leads me out the door, Jade whispers in my ear as we pass her, "Reeeal smooth, Puckett."
I give her the middle finger in return.
...
Were you able to keep up? I hope so! Chapter 8 shall soon be up!