yay! another chapter. and i'm so glad for the positive comments about the kiss. i'm not kidding when i say that your reviews make me smile. i love you all.
So, recently, i got a message from StolenProdigy about asking for help with another Cade story that she has been writing, called And CUT!. The idea is great, and i'm really happy to be working on her story with her, so go ahead and check it out.
this chapter also kind of suggests at something more of Cat's past. I do want to keep this story at a T rating (even though it's riddled with profanities) so i won't want to go into too much detail regarding her flashbacks about it. But if you do think that i start venturing into the M catagory, please let me know so i can change it accordingly.
Enjoy :)
The alarm clock sitting on Jade's bedside table was set for 6am. Jade, however, was out of bed by 3am. It was a restless night. She could make herself shut her eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. It was like her brain wouldn't shut off. So instead, she went downstairs and started the coffee machine.
The very scent of the coffee as it wafted through the kitchen was like medicine to the body and mind.
But her mind wouldn't stop. It would slow down from time to time, giving her just a tiny moment to breathe, but then it'd jump start again.
She thought of last night. When she and Cat were lying in bed and Cat held her close, showering her in sweet kisses, everything felt fine, even though it wasn't. Of course it wasn't. She was crying.
She dated a guy who was right for her. Like, really right. Beck put up with her shit, which is a lot more than she could say for most anyone else. He was sweet to her even when she was a bitch. He accepted her apologies. He loved her despite her faults. You don't just go and throw away a relationship that you've had for as long as you can remember. It's been almost three years.
She should be focusing on how she should go apologize to Beck because he was just so perfect for her, but she can't. Because all she can think of is the firework that exploded within her gut when Cat kissed her. And she knows that Cat felt it too.
Jade took her coffee, drank most of the cup, and then began to rummage through the kitchen in search of a notepad and a pen.
The alarm clock sounded and Cat woke up to an empty bed. The moment her eyes opened, she felt a smile tugging at her lips. Lips. Those very lips that not too long ago kissed Jade.
Cat turned off the alarm clock and went about her morning routine, getting showered and dressed with a little more skip in her step than usual.
"Morning," she sang as she danced her way into the kitchen. Mr. West had already left for work while Mrs. West was packing her purse and about to head out the door. Cat saw how Jade's arm jumped where it was pouring herself a cup of coffee, but Jade didn't turn around.
"Good morning Catarina," Mrs. West said with a wide grin. "Please. Make yourself some breakfast. I've gotta head out. You girls have fun in school." And with that, she hurried out the door.
Cat went over to the fridge to make herself a little fruit salad, and Jade grabbed a sheet of paper that was sitting on the counter and walked right passed her and out of the room. "We're leaving in ten," she said. Her voice was cold and harsh.
The ride to school was painfully quiet. Every question Cat asked was completely ignored. She knew that Jade was deliberately trying to separate herself. School was going to be just as painful.
Cat didn't have the time to catch up with Jade before the girl was already storming up to the building. Cat wasn't in any hurry though. She fixed up her outfit and made sure her backpack was zipped and her PearPhone tucked carefully into her boot before she herself started to walk from the parking lot and towards the main entrance.
"Cat!" she heard. She turned around to see Beck hurrying towards her. Beck. The boy who had made Jade cry last night.
Cat smiled at him weakly.
He held out a coffee in from of him. "Give this to Jade," he said. "It's how she likes it. Don't worry."
Cat took the coffee from him and frowned. "Why?"
"I used to get her coffee every morning. She needs it." He laughed, "I've learned the hard way that Jade is even more of a bitch then usual without her morning coffee. I used to think that she was born with anger flowing through her, but I learned that I was wrong. It's coffee running through her veins instead of blood."
Cat's frown didn't falter. "But why are you giving me coffee to give to her?"
Beck's smile however, did. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "Because she won't take if from me."
"Because you broke up?"
Beck's lips formed a thin line before he nodded and walked away, leaving Cat in the parking lot. When she walked into the building, she spotted Jade by Tori's locker. She, Tori, Andre and Robbie were looking at Trina. As Cat walked closer, she noticed why.
Trina had her headphone on and she stood in the hallway, dancing from her waist up. The gang's faces all ranged from confusion, shock, and complete disbelief.
Cat walked up and watched Trina's spastic movements. She tapped the older girl on the shoulder, and with a dramatic eye roll, Trina removed the headphones and stared at her.
"You're a really good dancer," Cat said blankly. Jade eyed her curiously.
Instantly, Trina's annoyance dissipated. She smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder confidently. "I know," she said. Jade almost gagged at the smugness that fell off the older girl's tongue. "But you should see me when I'm really dancing. My feet were barely even moving just now."
"That was the best part," Cat said a smile, and Jade tried her hardest to fight back a laugh.
Trina's face contorted in confusion and she looked like she was about to say something, but the bell rang and cut her off.
"Goody!" Cat sang, clapping her hands. "Time to go to class." She was about to skip off when she remembered the coffee in her hand. She held it out to Jade, who eyed her suspiciously. Cat gave her a wink and Jade's face flushed red. She took the coffee and stormed away as Cat skipped in the opposite direction.
Throughout the day, Jade kept reaching into her pocket and fiddling with the folded piece of paper. Images of Cat raced through her mind at the most inopportune times. She couldn't even pay attention to her favorite Shakespearian sonnet being read aloud in her English class because she kept thinking of a particular redhead and the feel of her lips.
At lunch, Jade stepped out the door as a strong wind blew across the Asphalt Café and Jade laughed bitterly in her mind, thinking that her life had suddenly turned into a dramatic movie complete with wind effects.
Lunch was uncomfortable. Cat and Jade sat beside each other. Cat would say things to Jade that were ignored. Jade would be able to feel Cat's eyes on her, and she struggled to keep her gaze upon her food or basically anywhere else other than the chocolate brown eyes that made her melt. She made a conscious effort to make sure that her arm never brushed against Cat's.
At the same time, Beck sat opposite of the two of them. By the end of second period, word had spread around the school that Hollywood Arts' "It" couple had broken up, and probably for good this time.
To say that there was a general feeling of uneasiness at the lunch table would be an understatement.
As soon as the bell rang signaling that lunch had come to an end, Jade instantly shot up out of her seat and started walking away.
"Jade!" Cat called. She walked a little faster to catch up and stuck her hand out to grab Jade's. Instantly, Jade recoiled.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled. Cat jumped back and panic flashed behind her eyes like a neon sign, but she kept composed.
"Can we talk?"
Jade turned around and started walking away. "What about?"
"Last night," Cat explained, walking quickly beside Jade, trying to match her stride for stride. It's not exactly easy to keep up with a girl who was about six inches taller than she.
Jade threw Cat a sideways glance and sighed. "Cat, we have to stop and think rationally about this."
Cat smiled, "I'm never rational."
"Yeah but I am," Jade snapped. She stepped up to her locker and fiddled with the lock until it opened, and she began getting her books for her next class.
Cat gave an exasperated sigh and Jade was surprised at the air of annoyance that the typically sweet-as-apple-pie girl could express.
"Rational about what Jade?" She asked. "About how you don't think of me as anything more than someone living in your house? I know I'm not the only one who feels the things I feel. I know you do to. But you want to be rational and stay away from the crazy girl with a crazy past."
"Cat," Jade said softly. "This has nothing to do with your past. I don't care about your past. Your past doesn't define you. And I don't think you're crazy."
"So what do you need to be rational about?"
She sighed. "Cat, I'm not… but you're a… and this is all so…"
She couldn't bring herself to say the words and hoped that Cat could read between what little she had voiced.
"I get it Jade. I really do. But you can't ignore it forever"
Cat walked away and left Jade standing in the basically empty hallway. Jade felt a wave of frustration building up inside of her and she picked up a random book from her locker and tossed it across the hall with all her might. She felt a calm rush through her at the comforting clang the hard cover made with the metal of someone's locker, but it wasn't enough to completely relieve the redness Jade felt. She stormed through the hallway and into her safe haven that was the Janitor's closet.
She wasn't in there for a full two minutes before she heard the door open. She had her back to it and turned around to see who was disturbing her peace.
Jade hated the pang of disappointment she felt when she didn't see a flash of red hair.
Instead Tori stood in the doorway, mouth agape. She shut the door behind her and continued to stare at Jade in shock.
"Oh my god!" she whispered.
Jade groaned. "What do you want Vega? You better have a good reason for barging in here like this when I obviously don't want to be with you."
"You like Cat!"
It felt like the world had stopped spinning and everything came to a crashing halt. Jade had focused completely on the words that had escaped Tori's lips and it was as if she forgot how to breathe and her heart no longer beat. And then, it all came rushing back at Jade a little too fast. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest and she felt as if she was hyperventilating to the point of near unconsciousness.
"What?!" she snapped. She hated the way her voice rose an octave higher than it usually was.
"I overheard you and Cat," Tori admitted.
"Oh, so you were eavesdropping?"
"I wasn't trying to listen," Tori explained, "I was just at my locker and happened to have been able to hear what you were saying."
Neither girl said anything for a moment.
"Is this why you and Beck broke up?" Tori asked.
"No," Jade said with a chuckle. "We actually broke up over a fight about you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. He said that he thought you were hot and he checked you out and whatever, and then me, being the insanely jealous girlfriend that I am, kinda flipped out."
Tori nodded. "So you still love Beck."
Jade shrugged. "He was my first everything. I don't think it's possible not to love him."
"But you like Cat." Tori asked the words carefully, knowing that she was treading across dangerous waters.
She had expected Jade to snap at her. To throw something. Maybe even to scream at her with wild eyes and tell her to get out of her Janitor's closet.
She didn't expect Jade to sigh, lean her head back on the wall and close her eyes as a single tear slid down her cheek.
The very sight of the vulnerability made Tori's heart ache.
"How can I have feelings for someone before I even had the chance to fall out of love with Beck?" Jade asked as bitter tears began to flow more freely. Tori sat down on the floor beside her.
"Feelings are a funny thing, Jade." Tori had no clue how to comfort the taller girl, but she was determined to try.
Jade groaned. "Is that your attempt at advice?"
Tori smiled sheepishly and took a seat beside Jade on the ground. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Nope." Jade popped the P as if that would emphasize her point.
Tori nodded slowly. "Do you want me to leave?"
Jade slowly shook her head no, and the two of them sat on the floor of the janitor's closet in silence.
Cat was walking through the halls at school when Robbie stopped her on the staircase. "Hey Cat, wait up!" he called. She turned around to see him with Rex in his arms, trying to catch up to her.
"Hey Robbie," she said. "What's up?"
"Well, I was actually wondering if you would go out on a date with me?"
Cat bit her lower lip. "Robbie, I don't think that's a good idea."
Rex laughed and Robbie told him to shut up.
"Why not?" he asked.
"No offence, Robbie, but you're really not my type."
"You hang out with Jade all the time and you seem totally fine with her and her rude self, but you won't go out on a single date with me." He seemed so hurt by the thought that Cat would choose someone like Jade over spending what would probablya quiet evening with Robbie.
Cat shrugged. "I like hanging out with Jade. She's nice."
Robbie snorted. "Jade nice? You've gotta be kidding me. I've known Jade for years, and I've learned that she has two moods. Angry, or pissed off."
Cat frowned. "You're not being very nice."
"Neither are you. You won't go out on a date with me."
Cat started to turn around and walk away, but Robbie reached out and grabbed her wrist. "One date," he insisted.
"Please let me go," Cat whispered.
"Just let me try to prove myself worthy. One date." His grip on her wrist tightened.
Cat cried. "You're hurting me daddy." The man's grip on her wrist tightened. She felt as if her fingers were turning cold from lack of circulation.
"You're not going to run away from me," he spat. Cat could smell the liquor on his lips. He was so incredibly close to her that she could feel the heat emanating from his body.
"I promise I won't run," she sniffled. "Just please. Let go of me." But he didn't, he only twisted her arm up sharply to above her head, and Cat cried out. He moved closer to her and roughly ran his hand over her clothes-covered stomach.
"Such a shame that a pretty body was wasted on a bitch of a daughter like you. You're going to be beautiful when you get older, but no one is going to want someone like you. You screw up everything." His hand started toying with the hem of her shirt while his other hand tightened its grip even more so on her wrist.
"You're hurting me" she cried. She cried louder, but her father only laughed.
Jade heard a familiar cry and was instantly on her feet. She opened the closet door and saw Cat, crawled up into a ball on the floor of the hallway and Robbie standing, staring at the girl in shock. Cat had her eyes tightly closed and she was rocking back and forth, crying and repeating the words, "you're hurting me," over and over again.
"What did you do?" Jade hissed at Robbie as she stormed over. He cowered in fear away from the intimidating girl.
"I asked her on a date," he answered. Jade sensed Tori approach, but she didn't move her gaze off of Cat.
"If the situation wasn't so dire, I'd comment about how you asking a girl out made her have a panic attack," Jade snapped. She slowly lowered herself onto her knees and scooted closer to Cat.
"Cat?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. "Cat it's me. Jadey. I'm here. No one is hurting you."
Cat's crying lowered to a soft whimper, but she didn't open her eyes. Jade moved a little bit closer.
"Cat," she said again. "Open your eyes. Come back to me. I'm here." She slowly reached her arms out and enveloped the girl in a secure embrace. At first, she felt Cat's body stiffen, and then slowly start to relax, but her eyes were still tightly shut.
"Can I read you something?" Jade asked in a soft whisper. Cat didn't answer, but Jade reached into her pocket and pulled out the paper she had been writing on early in the morning and read aloud.
"Ask me not the questions why, because the answer is not within me. Not even I could tell you why my heart beats for you so. Neither you or I could ever explain why a daemon heart like mine can mesh with angel blessed, and cause a warmth that my soul hath not seen. A warmth my soul denied the existence of."
She knew that Robbie and Tori were watching, but Jade continued to read the poem she had penned.
"For you, the angel, so pained in past life have entered mine and caused a change. But is change what I long for? Is this a change for which I am ready? Many questions flood my mind and yet none is accompanied by an answer. And yet, without an answer, all seems fine."
Jade looked away from the crumpled paper and at the redhead who was basically laying against Jade's entire body. Jade looked deep into the soft brown eyes and felt as if she was getting lost in pools of melted chocolate. Every second she spent staring into those eyes reminded her of the feeling of soft lips on hers. It was hypnotic. It was as if Cat was a drug and Jade was hooked.
"Did you write that about me?" Cat asked. Cat looked up at Jade and understood. Cat wasn't very smart about history or math, but she was smart about people. Behind Jade's stony exterior, she saw the feelings. She saw that Jade cared about her, but that she was afraid to voice it. She saw that Jade did not want to admit that she may not be as strong as everyone thought she was. She saw that Jade was afraid of admitting the truth.
The truth being that she was starting to fall for a one Miss Catarina Valentine.
Jade nodded slowly and Cat paused for a minute.
Cat bit her bottom lip and looked deep into Jade. "If I kissed you, would you slap me?"
Jade's eyes opened wider, but she shook her head no, and Cat didn't hesitate.
This kiss was nothing like their first. This was like rainbows exploding and an orchestra playing in the background. This kiss made Jade feel like she was melting. It was everything that musicians, writers, playwrights, and poets had ever penned, and everything Jade had always thought to be a fairytale.
But she was living this fairytale. She was living it with Cat.
She pulled away and smiled as she looked at Cat's face, taking in every last detail. She wanted to remember the dimples on her left cheek, the twinkle in her eye, and the way that her lips were formed into an adorable smile.
She wanted to remember this perfect moment.
Or at least, it would have been perfect had it not been for Tori beginning to clap and Robbie's gasp of "holy shit."
Cat giggled, and Jade found it within herself to forgive him.
So it may seem like all is happy fairytale rainbows in the land of Cade right now, but don't let looks fool you. There is drama to be brewing. The next chapter will include another visit to Dr. Lovely and Jade having a conversation with Angela. Lots to be revealed.
Also, i hope you all like the little poem Jade wrote about Cat. i have no problems writing poetry, but i thought Jade seemed like someone who would be deeper than i am, and possibly a little more oldschool with her writing style. something victorian and shakespearian-type language, you know?
Also, in case you can't tell, i don't particularly like Robbie very much. And i'm guessing you all can see what i'm hinting at about Cat's past. I definitly want to revisit this again, especially in her visits with Dr. Lovely and when it comes to the furthering of her relationship with Jade, but i know that i'm treading dangerous waters here. On one hand, i really want to go forward with it and just write everything that comes to my mind, but i also want to remain at a T rating for this story. So, we'll see how it unfolds.
Reviews make me happy :)
