Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, or Sugarland, or Elvis. NOBODY OWNS THE KING. NOBODY. hashtag Elvis is still alive hashtag probably not actually.
Sleep came to me so quickly. I guess I had forgotten I had little sleep in the last twenty-four hours… plus, this time I wasn't worried about how Cat would react to my crush. Now I know... she likes me back and she's sleeping right next to me…
Or not. I just opened my eyes and met hers, wide open and staring at me with a slight smile on her face.
"You slept better last night." She comments, sounding tired. I give her a smile.
"And how do you know that?" I inquire.
"I woke up a while ago and you were still sleeping, and I can't go do other things while I wait for you to wake up, so… I just watched you sleep." Cat murmurs, and I blush. Good thing I don't snore… at least I'm pretty sure I don't…
"Oops… sorry." I sigh, squeezing her hand. Still stuck. Geez, if anything you'd think after two days the adhesive would've weakened a little bit but nope.
"It's okay. I thought it was a good way to pass the time." She breathes. Great, I just woke up and she's already making me overheat.
"Did you at least get a good night's rest too?"
"Oh definitely." Cat grins, and then she bites her lip, eyes growing heavy. She leans forward a moment, hesitates, and then closes the distance to give me a sweet good morning kiss.
I am never waking up any other way ever again.
She pulls back, almost looking worried, but I smile at her with a swell in my heart as large as a tsunami. "What a way to wake up." I sigh. She starts to beam in response.
"You didn't start screaming or try to get away or punch me." Cat comments, seeming very excited by this. I blink at her.
"Why would I?" I question. She shrinks down a bit, looking shy.
"It just means… that yesterday wasn't a dream." Cat gushes, and my heart throbs in the best way. How can someone be so cute?
"It definitely wasn't." I chuckle.
"Yay…" Cat cheers tiredly, nuzzling her head against my glued hand. Nope. It's not possible to be so cute. Oh god our hands need to be unglued so I can hold her. I need to snuggle this girl into my arms. I watch her dotingly, and I notice her eyes suddenly go wide. "It wasn't a dream…" She gasps, sitting up quickly.
"Yes… and this is a good thing… right?" I say slowly. Her brow furrows as if she thinking about it. Well that's not worrying at all. "Right?"
Her eyes snap to mine. "Oh, Tori of course." She smiles.
"Then what's the matter?" I question.
"It's just… it means I'm coming out to my parents today." Cat mumbles. "And we might have to get surgery on our hands and even if that doesn't mean we can't be together after, it still sounds painful!"
I carefully sit up with her and place my hand gently on her knee, offering support. She sounds as stressed as I did yesterday morning. "Did you actually sleep well last night?" I interrogate.
"I did! …For the most part. I did have a bad dream at one point." Cat mutters. "I dreamt that there was a doctor chasing us with a chainsaw to cut us apart, except the way they wanted to do it involved, um…" She shifts slightly, "Seriously hurting you. And we were running and then they cornered us and I turned around and it was my mom!" Cat cries. "It was so scary! But then I woke up and you right there and you were okay…" She blinks a moment. "Oh, and right before I woke up, my teeth fell out."
"I can't vouch for the rest, but I've definitely had dreams where my teeth fall out." I nod. "I looked it up once. It's supposed to mean you're afraid of losing something."
"You… my family…" Cat lists off. "…My hand…"
"Yeah, I got that idea from the dream you described." I sigh. She pouts, fiddling with my hand in hers. I shift close to her and give her the most encompassing one-armed hug I can muster. "Remember how coming out to Sam went?"
"She threatened to buttersock you."
"Yes… after she said she was okay with us. Maybe it won't be as bad as you think. Most things people worry about never actually end up happening." I point out.
"That's true. One time I worried my brother would try to cook and feed us turtles for dinner." Cat mumbles.
"And did he?"
"Not in the way I thought he would."
…
No. No I'm not going to ask her to elaborate.
"See?" I slap on a smile. "Besides, I'll be with you the entire time."
"And if my mom pulls out a chainsaw and tries to seriously injure you?" Cat asks. "You know… just in case… it never hurts to be prepared…"
"I'll… remind her my dad is a cop."
"Perfect."
"Better?"
"No…"
"Why?" I tip her chin up, eyeing her with concern. She lets out a sigh.
"Because we still have to shower." Cat mutters. I feel my skin crawl.
"Oh. Right. That." I bite my lip.
Cat and I are geniuses. Two heads really are better than one.
We had stood in front of the shower for about ten minutes, hand in hand, staring at it awkwardly and trying to figure out how to make this work. I guess both of us didn't want to cross this line anymore, and were we inwardly trying to talk ourselves up so we wouldn't let this pierce our souls. At least, I was. I don't think I'm at a stage in my life where I'm okay with being attached with a naked girl who's still nerve-wracking just to kiss. Luckily, Cat spoke up.
"If only there was a way to wash our hair without being full frontal." Cat murmured.
"Bathing suits?" I suggested, sounding hopeful.
"Maybe. But I don't have mine here and I don't think yours would…" She glanced at my chest, "Really give me the support I need." Cat ripped her eyes away, blushes on both our faces.
Right.
"So I guess we just… suck it up." I said, and immediately regretted my word choice.
"If only we were at a hair salon." Cat murmured, and I looked at her.
"Why?" I questioned.
"They have those little sinks where you can lean your head back and-"
"Cat." I had cut her off, my eyes wide. "Cat, I just remembered… my shower has a detachable showerhead."
"What?!" Cat gasped, and I grinned.
"Here, lean over the side of the tub." I instructed, and she did so.
Like I said, we're geniuses.
Not only did we get to stay fully clothed so I didn't have to secretly perv over her bare back in the mirror, but we also had to help with the shampooing and such. So, we got the opportunity to run our hands through each other's hair and feel the sensation of the other's hand on our scalp. Basically, it was heaven. We decided we can survive the day on clean clothes, deodorant and perfume. I definitely don't think Cat is even near the realm of smelling bad yet, anyway. Still holding hope that we'll find that solvent at Cat's parent's place…
That's where we're headed now. We're in the back seat of me mum's car and Cat's snuggled into my side with her head on my shoulder. We're silent, for the most part. It's a bit of a long drive, so we have a lot of time to amp ourselves up for the oncoming search and inevitable discussion with Cat's parents. My mom finally breaks the silence when she pushes a button on the car stereo.
You can shake an apple off an apple tree,
Shake-a, shake-a sugar
But you'll never shake me,
Uh uh uh
No sir-ee oh ohh,
I'm gonna stick like glue
Stick because I'm,
Stuck on you
I hear my mom chuckle.
"Very funny, mom." I roll my eyes.
"Hey, Elvis is the King." Mom scoffs.
"Yes but did you have to choose this song?" I sigh.
"Why? I find the lyrics very relatable." Mom teases.
"You know, Cat and I may need surgery because of this." I mumble. Cat tenses up beside me and I squeeze her hand.
"All the more reason to make light of it! Laughter is the best medicine, you know." Mom explains.
"Let me know when you find a joke that's the best solvent." I retort, and she lets out a huff.
"You're no fun. I thought you'd be more cheerful now that you're dating Cat." She scoffs.
"I am! But we've been stuck together for a long time, you know." I grumble.
"Fine, fine. I'll change it." Mom complies, pressing another button.
I hear the opening of the song and I immediately groan.
Absolutely nobody knows me better,
Nobody that can make me feel so good
How did we stay so long together,
When everybody
Everybody said we never would
And just when I,
I start to think they're right,
The love is died,
There you go makin' my heart beat again,
Heart beat again,
Heart beat again,
There you go makin' me feel like a kid
Won't you do it and do it one time
There you go pullin' me right back in,
Right back in,
Right back in
And I know-oh
I'm never lettin' this go-oh
I'm stuck on you
Whoa-oh whoa-oh stuck like glue,
You and me baby we're stuck like glue
"Seriously?" I huff.
"Oops, how did that get there?" My mom smirks.
"You have a whole playlist of songs like this, don't you?" I glare.
"One hundred and six of them."
"Mom!"
"Alright, alright, fine. I'll turn it off." Mom exasperates, reaching for the stereo.
"Wait!" Cat cries out, and mom pauses. Cat looks down shyly. "… I like this song."
My mom gives me a look through the rear view mirror and I roll my eyes. "Then let the Sugarland continue."
"I knew Cat would be good for you." Mom grins, relaxing back into her drive.
"You seem more on edge than I am." Cat comments, reaching up and stroking my cheekbone with her finger. I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath. She's right. I have to keep acting put together for her sake… I know Cat well enough that if she gets too freaked out, she passes out… That would be bad for two reasons. One, I don't want Cat to pass out. Two, I especially don't want her to pass out while I'm glued to her. We can only work as a team if she's actually conscious. But I should be honest with her as well… just be tactful.
"I guess I'm just anxious for what's to come, that's all." I give her a reassuring smile. "I kind of want this to be all over with… the coming out, the ungluing… then we can finally really start to enjoy our relationship."
"Oh." Cat nods, understanding. "Yeah. Me too. But I think I'm already enjoying our relationship."
"Yes of course." I laugh. "I just mean in a way where it doesn't have to be complicated. I don't want it to be complicated."
"Same. Liking you felt pretty complicated for a long time… but it feels right, too. I just want it to feel right. I hope my parents agree." Cat murmurs.
"Are you coming out to your parents, Cat?" My mom asks.
"Yeah." Cat gulps, shuffling closer.
"Well if they have a problem with it, just call me and I'll be right over. I have pamphlets." Mom states, reaching over to the glove compartment. She pops it open and a mess of rainbow folds of paper spill out.
"Uh… a little overkill, don't you think?" I blink.
"I had to stock up. I have absolutely no problem with you dating a girl but as a parent I'm canny to the societal onslaught you might have to deal with from a few choice people." Mom explains. She reaches over and picks up a pamphlet that seems to be about debunking popular homosexual myths and lightly fans herself with it. "I'm ready." She glowers.
"Oh. Um. That's great, mom. Thank you." I stammer. Seriously, it's great she's so supportive but wow I didn't think she'd take this role with so much gusto.
"I hope my parents are as understanding as you." Cat comments.
"Well if they're not, remember to call me. I'll come right back." Mom declares.
"Thank you, Mrs. Vega." Cat smiles, and I find myself smiling too. If my mom's extreme form of support makes Cat happy, then I'm definitely happy.
Cat's extra cuddly the rest of the way there, snuggling her head under my chin and turning into me slightly. Not complaining at all, but again I wish I could put my arms around her. I settle for the same kind of move I did on the bus, where I reach across to stroke her arm. She made that magical purring sound again, so I know she's just fine with that.
Eventually we pull into the Valentine residence. Good thing, because my legs are stiff and I'm ready to actually start conquering this next hurdle after thinking about it for so long.
"So, granted all things go well with the coming out business, one of your parents will drive you and Tori back tonight, correct?" Mom asks.
"Correct." Cat confirms with a nod.
"Excellent. I'm sure things will go fine, but remember you have me in reserve." My mom states. I really do have one of the best moms.
"I won't forget." Cat smiles, and she turns to me. "Um, I don't want to just go in there and announce it. I want to take my time, find the right moment."
"Absolutely." I agree.
"So… I don't know how long I'll have to wait before I can kiss you again…" Cat mumbles. My mouth curls into a smile and I tip her chin up, but I hesitate for a moment to look at my mom. She's staring back at us with a cheeky look on her face.
"Mom." I huff.
"Alright I won't look. Geez." She grumbles, turning to the front. I shake my head and as soon as I turn to Cat once again, my lips are softly captured between hers. Ahh, lubryte paradise.
"Let's do this." I coo when we pull away, and she nods with a faint blush accenting that dimple I adore so much. "Bye mom. Love you."
"Love you, too. Good luck. Take care of each other." Mom wishes.
"Of course." Cat grins just as I pull her out of the car. We're barely halfway up the walkway when the door flies open.
"Cat!" A woman with short curly hair steps out with her arms spread wide. She has Cat's bone structure.
"Hi, mom!" Cat beams, looking ecstatic. As nervous as she is… this is the first time Cat's seen her parents in a long time. She probably missed them a ton.
"Ohh momma needs some sugar from her favourite daughter!" Mrs. Valentine squeals, running forward to wrap her arms around Cat.
"I'm your only daughter!" Cat laughs.
"Technicalities." Mrs. Valentine scoffs, pulling back. She looks at me. "And hello to you too, Tori!"
She wraps me up in a tight hug, too. I see where Cat got her touchy-feely traits from. "It's nice to see you, Mrs. Valentine." I express and she pulls away from me as well.
"I suppose this was an unexpected visit for you. I see you weren't lying when you explained your predicament on the phone." Mrs. Valentine notes, looking at our hands. Cat made sure to call last night before the Trina room purge to confirm her visit, and also warned she might still be stuck to me. "I guess you weren't able to find the solvent?"
"No, unfortunately. We're hoping to find it here." I sigh. Mrs. Valentine frowns a bit.
"I don't ever remember packing something like that when we moved, but we can try. I'm so sorry Cat got you into this mess, Tori. I know she's done something like this before. Please excuse her incompetence." Mrs. Valentine expresses. I gape slightly at her words and I see Cat shift next to me, looking ashamed. I squeeze her hand.
"It's not a problem. Accidents happen. I've found Cat very capable since getting our hands stuck anyway." I state, and Cat shoots me a small smile.
"Oh, good. It's a relief to hear that." Mrs. Valentine sighs. A man steps in the doorway from behind her. He has Cat's eyes and bright smile.
"Do my ears deceive me? Is my baby doll home?" The man I assume is Mr. Valentine grins.
"Daddy!" Cat cheers, and I'm yanked forward as Cat practically tackles her dad in a one-armed hug.
"She is! She is home!" Mr. Valentine chuckles. "Never leave again."
"Daddy, I have to finish my year at Hollywood Arts!" Cat mumbles.
"Alright, if you say so." He sighs, pulling away and cupping her face. "Let me get a look at you… Is Nona still feeding you?"
"Huh? Oh yes of course she does I mean why wouldn't she since I live with her and she takes care of me since she's my legal guardian and all that so of course I get food from her I mean you know I can't even make soup-" Cat rambles before being cut off by her dad.
"Alright, alright! I see you still talk too much." He sighs, causing Cat to shift uncomfortably again. I give her an odd look. She doesn't even live with Nona anymore… unless her parents don't know that…
"Well I know I can't beat Nona's cooking but I'll try. Come on in you two." Mrs. Valentine ushers us in as Mr. Valentine nods at me.
"Nice to see you again, Tori." He states.
"It's great to see you, too." I smile.
"Looks like you're pretty attached to my daughter, huh? Ha!" He jokes. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I thought had heard all the jokes by now.
"You have no idea." I smirk. Cat gives me a warning look.
"Try not to get too attached." Mr. Valentine winks and pats me on the shoulder. Well, the fact he can joke about it is a good sign.
"Daddy!" Cat whines.
"I'm just teasing, cupcake." He kisses her on top of her head. Cat pouts slightly.
"I made feta and spinach rolls if you two would like some. I want you to get some before our son devours them all." Mrs. Valentine sighs. Cat blinks rapidly.
"What?" She gawks.
Just then, a lanky guy creeps out from the kitchen, a plate in his arms and a bunch of rolls stuffed in his mouth. The plate is empty. He stares at us curiously and Mrs. Valentine lets out a huff. "Well. Too late for that." She mumbles.
"Daddy…" Cat leans over to her dad to whisper. "Why is my brother here?"
"Hmm? Oh yes. We never told you. The facility didn't… agree with him. So he's put on homecare with regular appointments." Mr. Valentine explains.
"Oh." Cat shrinks down a bit.
"Aren't you happy to see your brother?" Mrs. Valentine inquires.
"Of course! Just… you know…" Cat glances at her brother again before lowering her voice. "Is he… safe?"
"If he's been taking his medication, yes." Mr. Valentine nods. "Don't worry, he hasn't bitten anyone's ear off in months."
Wait, what?
"Okay, good." Cat breathes.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here, Cat." Her brother scoffs, having swallowed the last of the rolls.
"Sorry! How've you been doing?" Cat asks. He stares at us, and then sticks out a finger, pointing at the both of us.
"Grizzly Glue?" He questions, ignoring Cat's question.
"Uh… Yeah…" Cat mumbles. He blinks three times, and then bursts into a fit of laughter, stalking down a hallway and out of sight. His laugh sent a shiver down my spine. It was almost… evil.
"That was a bit maniacal." I comment. Cat's eyebrows are pulled back in concern.
"Are you sure he's taking his medication?" Cat asks.
"Pretty sure." Mr. Valentine shrugs.
"Tori, do you like board games?" Mrs. Valentine inquires.
"Oh, yeah! Totally." I smile, trying to ignore the interaction with the possibly medicated brother.
"Excellent. I'll pull out a few games. Won't that be nice, Cat? Just like when we used to have family game night." Mrs. Valentine exclaims.
"Absolutely." Cat grins. As soon as her parents turn their back and are out of earshot, Cat pulls me close. "I love my brother, but please keep your distance from him."
"I'd like to keep my ears, thanks." I grimace. "Plus, if there's something you don't want me near, I don't think you'd let me near it." I smirk, holding up our hands.
"Right." Cat smiles in relief.
We play games for a while. I could've won a couple of times, but I held back. No, really! Cat still needs to tell them about our relationship, and I'd like for them to at least be fond of me going into that talk. I mean, they seemed kind of competitive… at least her dad did. I'm not taking any chances.
Cat didn't attempt to bring up our relationship throughout the onslaught of games.
"Ha! Won again!" Mr. Valentine exclaims, slamming his pawn down.
"Very good, dear. I think that's enough for today, don't you think?" Mrs. Valentine yawns.
"Sore loser." Mr. Valentine teases.
"Careful or I'll make sure you don't get any dinner." Mrs. Valentine puts her hands on her hips.
"Yes dear." Mr. Valentine deflates, his wife the real winner.
"Good. I'll go get it ready." She smiles, heading out of the living room.
"And nature calls for me as well as paper work." Mr. Valentines stretches. He looks at us. "Um… have you two had any problem with…?"
"Paper work? No not at all." I joke. He blinks, and then lets out a booming life. Success.
"Ha! Cat you've got a good one here." He winks, also leaving us alone.
"I know." Cat mumbles in response, leaning into me now that the coast is clear.
"You haven't told them yet." I sigh.
"I still haven't found the right moment." Cat breathes, sinking her head onto my shoulder.
"What about when we first got here and your dad said I was pretty attached to you?" I remind her. She pulls her head away, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, and then you made a cheeky comment." Cat accuses.
"I thought it was a good lead in… and your dad seemed to have a good attitude about it." I shrug.
"Tori…" Cat sighs, looking at her lap. "It's not so simple."
"I know it isn't. I'm sorry." I mumble, turning her head to me. "What's scaring you? You said your parents are pretty accepting."
"They are, but…" Cat chews on her lip. "They can also be… judgemental."
"Okay…" I nod slowly. "So like when your mom calls you incompetent… and you don't tell your parents you're living without a legal guardian."
Cat perks up and looks around quickly, and when she's satisfied nobodies listening, she sinks down and nods. "Yeah… you noticed that?"
"A little bit." I smile sadly.
"They love me, but they also don't think much of me, I guess. They don't have a lot of faith in me." Cat sighs. "Now you know why I'm so worried I'm screwing up."
"Oh, Cat." I frown. "And the ones close to you are the ones who can cause the storm." I recall.
"Right." Cat nods. "It's funny because they're the ones who taught me to brush off what other people think, but they're also the reason I can sometimes get a little sensitive to criticism first off."
"Like when you say 'what's that supposed to mean'." I conclude. Cat's jaw drops.
"What's that supposed-" She stops when she sees the look on my face. "Oh. Yes. Like that."
"Well I'm sorry about that, Cat. I really am." I murmur.
"Oh, no! Don't be! They're great parents. I have a great relationship with them. But I'm also scared of disappointing them." Cat admits.
"So like, when you come out…" I start.
"They might think it's just another way for me to screw up." Cat muses.
"Cat… it's totally normal to not want to disappoint your parents. I get that. They have expectations from when you were born and I understand not wanting to fall short of them." I sigh. "Like… they might even have fantasies of who you're going to marry… how many kids you're going to have…"
"And coming out might squash those fantasies." Cat whimpers. I cup her cheek. She leans into my touch, closing her eyes. "Especially with my brother the way he is… I'm not saying I'm anywhere near normal but I have more of a chance to function in society than he does. I'm their chance for them to have the kind of kid they always wanted."
"But Cat… You're you. A wonderful you. You're not your parents and you're not obligated to live any life they planned out for you. Yes, they might be disappointed. But they'll get over it. They'll adjust. And this is something you need to do for you. Not for them. Stand up for yourself, remember? Because you're worth it." I urge.
"Tori…" Cat's lip trembles.
"And if you don't want to come out today… that's okay. I won't pressure you. You should only come out when you're ready. But you need to eventually, and I'll be there with you the whole way." I promise.
"Even if we're not glued?" Cat smiles through tearful eyes.
"Yes, even if we're not glued." I chuckle. She nods and wipes her eyes on her arm.
"Okay. But I need to come out to them today. I'm ready." Cat states.
"Good. I'm proud of you." I murmur, tipping her chin to me again. She's looking at me with those bright, deep and affectionate eyes again… I can't help myself. I lean forward and she meets me halfway, pressing our lips together and moving in a soothing motion…
"Ahh!" We hear a shriek and immediately pull apart. A tray clatters to the ground with two glasses of what seemed like lemonade spills everywhere. Mrs. Valentine stands at the entrance of the living room, a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. "Oh… Oh my… I… Um… Excuse me…" She rushes out of the room. Ffffff-
"Mom! Wait!" Cat cries, standing up and calling after her distraught mother, I stand up with her, feeling sick.
"Chiz… chiz Cat I'm so sorry." I groan.
"It's not… it's not your fault. I could've moved away but I didn't." Cat murmurs. "What do I do?"
"Face the music." I sigh. "And remember my mom is on call with pamphlets."
"Right… okay… alright." Cat breathes, a little too heavily for my liking. I grasp her by the shoulder.
"Cat, I'm with you." I assure her. "Are you going to pass out? Because now is a bad time." I eye her worriedly. She sucks in a deep breath.
"No, I'm okay. Let's go." Cat nods, pulling me behind her. We hear both her parent's voices coming from the kitchen before we reach it.
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" Mr. Valentine asks.
"Yes, I'm sure!" Mrs. Valentine gasps.
"Well maybe they were just hugging…"
"No, I think I know what a kiss looks like." Mrs. Valentine grumbles.
"…Huh… Well what'd you do?" Mr. Valentine goads.
"I screamed and ran away."
"Oh that's just great."
"I didn't know how to react! What do you say after that?"
"You better figure it out." Mr. Valentine states, pointing to us now that we've made an appearance. Mrs. Valentine slowly turns to us, looking stiff.
"Mom… Daddy…" Cat mumbles. There's silence between all of us and the tension is way too thick for my liking. Someone has to say something.
"I'm… sincerely sorry you had to find out that way." I say, causing Cat to snap out of her frozen state.
"Yeah, I was going to tell you… not show you." Cat sighs.
"So… that wasn't a one-time thing? Or a spur of the moment situation?" Mrs. Valentine inquires, her jaw still set like stone.
"No. I… I like Tori… and she likes me." Cat reveals, reaching her free hand over to place it over our conjoined hands, overtop of mine. Mrs. Valentine stares at us a moment and then turns away.
"I guess… this means you're gay…?" Mr. Valentine says slowly. Cat tilts her head slightly.
"I don't know. I don't think it's just girls. I've liked guys before too but… I don't know. I don't really think about it. I just like the person. It doesn't matter to me if they're a boy or girl… I fall for who they are as a person and…" Cat looks up at me, "I've fallen for Tori for the person she is."
Aww, my heart.
"I see." Mr. Valentine ponders. "Well if anything, I guess it's not too surprising to me that you'd have the capacity to love anyone, Cat."
Cat smiles big at that.
"You can't seriously be okay with this." Mrs. Valentine snaps at her husband.
Cat's not smiling anymore.
"Mom…" Cat whimpers. I debate maybe jumping in, coming to Cat's defense… but maybe I should let them work it out as a family. But as a last resort, I won't hesitate to protect my girl.
"It's a shock." Mr. Valentine agrees. "But what can we do?"
"Maybe it's just a phase." Mrs. Valentine tries to reason, turning to Cat. "Right, Cat? You're just experimenting a little?"
"No… no, I… I've felt this way far too long to be a phase. I know how I feel." Cat argues.
"But…" Mrs. Valentine groans, leaning against the counter. "I don't believe this…"
"Mommy, it's okay. It's okay to be shocked or upset." Cat breathes in, "But it's not okay to tell me what I do or don't feel… and it's not okay to reject me when I'm trying to open up to you." Cat looks up at me. "I'm worth more."
"Cat…" Her mom sighs, shaking her head. "I'd never reject you."
"How could you think we'd ever reject you?" Mr. Valentine chimes in. "We love you, Cat. No matter who you love. But this is new territory for us…"
"And it's not okay for you to be glued to the girl you're seeing!" Mrs. Valentine expresses. "I'd be just as mortified if you were glued to a boy you were… involved with!"
"She's right." Mr. Valentine nods. "Tori… I have no problem with you but this puts us in a difficult position."
"I know. And I agree. It also puts us in a difficult position as, you know… us." I state. "Believe me, we've been careful."
"Yeah, we already talked about it. We don't want to officially start dating until we're, you know… not like this." Cat jiggles our arms. They stare at us a moment and Mr. Valentine lets out a sigh of relief.
"Well that's good to hear." He nods.
"But there's still… interaction between you two, from what I saw." Mrs. Valentine states. "How much longer will you be glued?"
"Hopefully not much longer… if we don't find the solvent here, then we'll be getting surgery." I explain. Mrs. Valentine closes her eyes, blowing out a breath.
"Then you'll be getting the surgery tonight, that's for sure." She announces. Cat and I both tense.
"What? Mom, why?!" Cat shouts.
"I don't want you two spending another night like this!" Mrs. Valentine exclaims. "I agree to work on entertaining this idea of you two being together but understand there's some things I'm just not comfortable with at this stage!"
"But mom…!" Cat cries.
"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves." Mr. Valentine cuts in, trying to defuse the situation. "Cat, Tori, you said there's a chance the solvent is here?"
"Yes, sir." I nod.
"Then let's get searching and hopefully end this conflict as soon as possible. I'll check my tool area." Mr. Valentine declares. Mrs. Valentine drags a hand over her face, pulling herself together.
"And I'll check the boxes we haven't unpacked yet. You two… You look around the house." Mrs. Valentine orders.
"Yes, mommy." Cat says in a small voice. Mr. Valentine nods.
"Meet back here in fifteen minutes. Break!" He shouts, doing a cheesy clap and everything. Mrs. Valentine shakes her head as they leave together, leaving us in the kitchen.
"…Tori?" Cat whispers.
"Cat?" I question, looking over at her with concern. She's shaking.
"I might pass out now." She breathes.
"Don't you dare. There's no reason to pass out. You were great. There may have been… a better way to come out of the closet… but your parents agreed to adjust. That's really all you can ask from them at the moment." I encourage her.
"Right." Cat nods a couple of times. She takes a few deep breathes, holding my hand tight. "Okay, I think I'm good. Let's go find that solvent before my mom decides to grab scissors and cut us apart herself."
"That is a very good idea." I chuckle as she leads me through the house. "Is your mom friends with Jade or something?"
"Very funny, Tori." Cat giggles. Good, a smile. And that's really all I can ask of her.
We barely start searching when my phone starts to vibrate. When I look at it, I see Trina's name. Perplexed, I answer the phone.
"Hi… Trina?" I question.
"Ugh… Tori?" Trina's weak voice comes through the receiver. "That you?"
"Um, yeah." I scrunch my brow. What's up with her?
"Thank god… I dialed your number wrong probably three times… maybe fourteen…" Trina drawls.
"Uhh… Are you okay?" I ask.
"Do I SOUND okay?!" Trina snaps, followed by a groan. "Inside voice, Trina… Sorry, I'm feeling a little… under the weather."
"Oh. Did you catch a cold?" I inquire.
"No… This is just blow back from a… really good night last night." Trina sighs. Oh. I see. "It turned into a really bad morning… and afternoon… Ulgh…"
"Um… try drinking lots of water. I've heard that helps." I suggest.
"Do NOT say the word drinking to me right now… for wazz sake…" Trina groans. I let out a huff.
"Listen, Trina, I'm sorry you're feeling awful but is there a reason you're calling?" I ask, trying not to let my frustration shine through. She should've been more careful.
"Oh, right… Remember that… solvent thing you were looking for?" Trina mumbles.
"Yes…"
"Well I found it."
"What?!" I gasp. Trina is suddenly the best sister. The absolute best. Sister of the year. Sister of the universe. I will never complain about her ever again.
"Yeah… there was a dorm party last night and this one guy wanted alcohol and so I found that bottle and thought it was alcohol and put it in his drink…" Trina explains.
"That… probably wasn't good for him…" I grimace. "But this is great news for us! We can maybe meet halfway tomorrow and pick it up! Trina, you have no idea how happy this makes me." I grin, and Cat looks at me with excited eyes at my words.
"Oh… about that… I can't bring it to you." Trina sighs. I suck in a breath. She better have a good reason, but I'm willing to convince my mom to drive all the way there, or take a bus…
"Why?" I huff.
"Because there's none left. I put it aaall in that guy's drink." There's silence over the phone for a moment. "…I think he might be dead…"
TRINA IS THE WORST SISTER IN THE UNIVERSE.
"Trina. You. I. I can't. You have no idea. I don't. I just. It. The solvent. I…I…" I sputter, clutching the phone tightly. "Don't drink any water!"
I end the call, fuming. This is great. Just great. Now Trina has resigned us to our fate. Now we have to get surgery. And now that we for sure know there's no more solvent, there's no way we can convince Cat's mom to wait another day. We'll have to get surgery… maybe in a few hours. And now I have to tell Cat…
Oh god, how do I tell Cat?
"Tori? What was it?" Cat asks curiously, her excitement died down. "Did she find the solvent?"
"Yes…" I trail off.
"Well that's great! But, why do you seem sad?" Cat asks. I bite my lip and she steps close to me. "I'm going to miss holding hands all the time, too. But we can hold hands whenever we want! And give each other full hugs! And kiss more…"
"Cat…" I choke, giving her a pitying look.
We're both distracted by a sound to the side. We turn to see Cat's brother, staring at us from the shadows. Great, from one dysfunctional sibling to another. Creepy.
"What are you doing?" Cat questions. He flashes a grin.
And before we know it he bounds forward and scoops us up in his arms.
"What the chiz?!" I scream.
"Hey! Stop it! Put us down. Bad! Bad brother!" Cat shouts. We continue to yell, kick and struggle but he completely ignores us as he carries us upstairs.
"Cat! What's he doing?!" I cry.
"I don't know! I don't want to know!" Cat groans. "Stop this right this instant! Listen to your sister!"
He does. He lets us go and I look around. We seem to be in his room. He continues to stare at us.
"That wasn't funny!" Cat pouts.
"Cat… we should leave…" I whisper to her, seeing the look on his face.
"Y-yeah." Cat and I take a step back. He takes a step towards us. "Don't. I'll tell mom and dad." Cat warns. He takes another step forward.
And then like before he bounds forward and this time grabs us by our conjoined arms and yanks us towards him.
This is it.
This is how I lose my ears.
I always knew this would happen.
Wait, no I didn't!
In a last desperate attempt, Cat and I both let out a shriek before we're dipped down… And our hand sink into a thick, gooey concoction in a bucket. I catch a whiff of it. It smells awful, it's a weird deep-amber colour, and it feels greasy and disgusting.
"Ewie! What is this?!" Cat gasps. We try to pull away but he holds us in there.
"Cat. Control. Your crazy. Brother!" I pant.
"I wish I could!" Cat cries. Finally he releases us and we pull our hands from the… whatever it is. Cat's brother steps back with a grin on his face as our hands and half our arms drip with the stuff. "Gross! What'd you just get all over us?!"
"You don't want to know." He glowers, his face growing dark. I feel my hand slip a little bit. Wait, my hand slipped…?
"Why would you do-"
"Cat." I cut her off.
"What?" Cat asks, but my hand has already slipped fully from her grasp. Her eyes widen as I slowly lift my now-free hand in front of us. The first feeling of free movement in days. Cat does the same, wincing a bit as she flexes her hand. It starts to sink in to both of us as we stare at each other.
We're free.
We're really free.
Author's Notes: Free at last! Thank Cori, they are free at last! Thanks to... Whatever Cat's brother did. Honestly that's based on some searching on the Googles to see weird home-made solvents for super glue... some of them were really random and gross... But hey! No surgery! Just really gross hands! Yaay! Also Cat's parents weren't as on board as Tori's parents, but hey, they were much better than they were in Falling Out (spoilers if you haven't read Falling Out yet?).
Sorry this is a day late by the way. My parents have been gone for the past few days so I had to take care of the house so they wouldn't come home to a disaster and think I failed as an adult. So yeah! It's up now! And only... one more left for this one. Yeah it's pretty short. But I hope it was also sweet! Short and sweet! Let me know!
Fun Fact: There's been a lot of memes in this story... more than I thought there would but, hey, memes happen. There's a reference to a pretty recent internet viral thing in this one. My Twitter followers know what I'm talking about... and THEY convinced me to keep it in! Blame them! (I love you, Tweeps)
