Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, it belongs to Dan and Nickelodeon. This chapter's inspiration: 'Don't Wake Me Up' by Chris Brown; song may be subject to future use.
Thanks to my betas: the-original-lovelace and StakeTheHeart for their impeccable job and hard work.
Chapter 8: Jealousy? Seriously?
Another Wednesday, and after their babysitting adventure and recalling it to Sikowitz, he recognized that another Play Date wouldn't be necessary. They were relieved, until he commented that the two of them spent enough time together as it was. They rolled their eyes at him. Tori was frequently questioned about her hair, and most thought that Jade had done it as she slept. A debate began if, perhaps, Tori would work better as Beast Boy with her hair that short, and Robbie groaned. Then they remembered that everyone had signed up already as their designated heroes, and thought that things were better as it was. But, they had to begin preparing, and this meant dealing with wigs. Not that the Latina was a stranger to those, but among the props, they couldn't find one that was good enough.
"Forget it, we're leaving!" Jade began, fuming, not stopping as she began leaving the room.
"Jade," Beck called as he noticed the hurt look in those hazel eyes, "come on, just a little longer?"
"What are you talking about?" She asked, then rolled her eyes, hating having to explain herself, and she took her friend's wrist, as was common, and began dragging her along. "None of us are staying in this futile search. I'm going to my main hair stylist; I'm sure she'll be able to help."
"Oh," everyone said, and began leaving, "good..."
They all had other things to do, and were glad not to have to spend a futile day searching for some elusive wig. Parting their separate ways, Tori sighed in relief; she had been afraid that the Goth would have left her on her own. They were, indeed, receiving a lot of glances at their constant companionship, but everyone figured it was good for the misunderstood thespian; rarely, others understood her, and it was as if they knew what made the other tick, which was hard enough for the boys. André had taken to helping Cat out, since her parents took her car for giving her brother the keys.
"It's so weird seeing those two so close," they muttered, then shrugged, "ready?"
They smiled at their simultaneous thoughts, and Tori began braiding quickly the long hair, as to not have it whipping her face. Leaving, they began noticing how close the other was, but didn't do anything to stop it, despite the oddity of finding it normal, natural even. This time, their trip took them to the other end of L.A. The name of the establishment was Freestyle, oddly enough, although it was obviously very popular and it looked as though people needed appointments. Tori felt out of place and extremely self conscious as they crossed wooden doors; these we styled as the saloons of the wild west, into a very nice antechamber, but they went even further. The Latina felt as though she was intruding, and everyone turned their heads to see them, customers and employees alike, some customers glared and even sneered, as if they knew what would come. And sure enough, someone had arrived to kick them out. She was obviously the one who ran the place, middle eastern features, probably Hindu, but the Latina had no interest in placing her foot on her mouth. The young woman smiled at the Goth, who smiled back, and taking the pale chin in her fingers, they pressed their cheeks, first left, then right. Half the customers became outraged, but obviously the hostess didn't care.
"Jade, Jewel," the woman said kindly, voice soft, "so good to see you."
"I'm glad to be back Samara," she replied, then motioned to the tanned female besides who looked like a fish out of water, "this is Victoria Vega."
"You can call me Tori," she said awkwardly, looking at her hand, then back at the woman, Samara, and she smiled sheepishly, clearly not sure what to do, while catching the amused look on her friend and she blushed.
Beyond the fact that it was a different culture and anything could be offensive, really, it also went that despite the woman's garments being completely traditional, she also had her black hair spiked at the front with blue, green, and red tips, but that the back was mullet like and quite long... Those dark eyes looked black... Definitely unsettling. Awkward wasn't the right word to define the moment for the Latina.
"Welcome Tori, friend of Jewel," the woman said kindly, taking hold of the Latina's chin, as if inspecting her slightly, then pressed their cheeks together, the same motion she had done with Jade, and all the Latina could do was gasp, "you'll always be welcome at my sanctuary."
"Um, thanks," she said, still feeling awkward, and she clasped her hands tightly together, not knowing what else to say, blushing furiously and making her thespian friend laugh at her discomfort, "gee, Jade, thanks..."
"She laughs at more than what you think," Samara whispered, and the chuckling Goth nodded, following the middle eastern woman towards the stairs, where she was guiding Tori, "the second floor is my sanctuary, and not everyone can come here."
Astonished, the Latina nodded, and they were requested to sit on a living room that was virtually empty. There were some drinks being ushered over, along with biscuits, and the Latina couldn't believe how comfortable her friend was with all the women that hovered around the place, as satellites around a planet, that planet being Samara, and some even shifted to accommodate those who stepped within. They all gasped as soon as Jade presented them with one of the bags that she had been given in Lluvia de Café, and, gingerly and delicately, one of them stepped forward and took the bag before bowing deeply, others following suit, even if the Goth waved their actions away with her hand.
"Make sure only Samara drinks it," she warned them sternly, and they nodded eagerly, smiling at the thespian, "off with you all. I tire of your display, and I'm sure Samara has greater need of you."
They smiled again, more softly, and nodded in compliance. She then passed the quiet and still fidgety teen besides her, some biscuits and served her some tea. With a grateful smile, the tanned female ate the biscuit in one bite, and eyes opened in surprised; she took another. She heard some giggling, and noticed that some of the woman saw this and were laughing. Smiling sheepishly, she took a sip and smiled, gaze far away. She then turned to her friend, who was enjoying a different drink. As those hazel eyes looked at the cup with some confusion, the Goth chuckled, and offered her a sip. Taking it, she found the taste to be surprising, and even more so, the fact that her friend actually knew she would like the one she was given best. The one she had was sweet, yet a little bitter on the way down; her friend's was the opposite. More giggling, but the teens ignored them. Then, they began speaking softly.
"So, I assume," Tori began, taking one more sip of her friend's drink; she was halfway through her own, "she's a friend of Jazz."
"And Pablo's heart," the other replied with a nod, and at the surprised look, she moved about, obviously a tad uncomfortable, "it was one of those encounters of love at first sight. He cares for her deeply, and always will."
The Latina nodded, accepting the fact that it was all that her friend was saying about the subject. "She taught you how to work with hair?"
"Indeed she did," the surprise was evident, and she couldn't help the smile that spread through her face as she saw this; it was a rare event, surprising Jade West, "how could you tell?"
"Well, I've gone to one of these once in my life," she replied, smile becoming softer, "and the way they rub the scalp is..."
"Heh," the musician shrugged, unable to express herself beyond that point, but she knew her friend understood, "I worked here for a while, just because I believe that, as actors, no knowledge is irrelevant and can be placed on practice."
"So, if you land a role which is of a hairstylist, you have the ability of performing without much trouble," she nodded, understanding, "can you pierce and tattoo skin?"
"Ha ha," she replied dryly, as her friend laughed, "actually, that's one of the few things I learned I couldn't handle; I like blood as much as the next person" right... "but there's something about that blood coming from someone in a voluntary fashion..."
"Ah, I should have guessed such noble reasons," was the reply, they looked at each other, and laughed softly.
"I love it," said a voice, coming from where Samara had been, "as always, impeccable."
"I couldn't agree more," said a different voice, and they both thanked the middle eastern female. "Thanks for helping on such short notice."
And in front of the teens, came Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez. Both women chattering with the other in a friendly manner, looked surprised at the teens, but just smiled candidly before leaving. It was almost through a different door, as though trying to evade a crowd. Hazel went towards the dark eyes of the remaining woman, who smiled kindly at them.
"Emergency styling," she remarked, smiling softly, "one of the reasons why I don't have appointments."
The musician nodded, then rose as the woman indicated her to, and stood in front, being scrutinized.
"Jewel, my dear, did you cut her hair?" Samara asked gently, turning Tori's face to watch her profile, "did you have glue and honey on it?"
"Yes ma'am," came the instant reply, and at the amused look, she blushed, "I mean... Yes..."
"It's okay child," the woman replied, chuckling, then guiding her to sit down before motioning for the other teen to come forward, and the Goth was obviously awkward about it, "you'll have to level it and hydrate the scalp."
"Right away," the thespian replied with a sigh, guiding the brunette towards the only spot where they could begin by washing, and the women about giggled.
"Don't act so excited, Jewel," the older female smiled, kissing the pale forehead as one of the women began placing a towel around the tanned teen's shoulders, "if you need something, my girls will take care of it."
"You must do your rounds, I know," another sigh, but before the Latina could have a say, she gasped at the feeling of the water on her scalp. "She's always so busy..."
"She must like her job..." Tori's eyes fluttered, making her friend smirk at herself.
"That, she does," and they were silent for a while, as a pale hand began rubbing her scalp with some strange mixture, given to her by one of the women; after a while, she went on to answer the question she knew her friend would ask so she decided to beat her to it. "Her family jewel is jade, and as soon as she met me, she has acted like some kind of sister, sometimes going as far as calling herself my surrogate mother; she would go to school instead of one of my parents because I was afraid."
"She sounds like an awesome big sister," the Latina said, chuckling as she thought of Trina, then her semblance turned sad.
"Okay, bad thoughts off," Jade said completely serious, and she began using both hands to massage the scalp, earning a gasp which made her grin, "good huh?"
"Great..." She held back a moan and was grateful for the chance of feeling those fingers again.
The breathed out response made them slightly uncomfortable, and all conversation stopped. All that could be heard were little gasps and sighs as the Goth continued massaging the scalp, and there was nothing the Latina could do to prevent those sounds. Then, it began tingling, and the delicate hands weren't on her; the mixture was taking effect. She bit her lower lip and opened her eyes, just to find lovely green eyes, which would remain that way because of the green highlights on the shirt, and she felt disappointed. The singer then winced as the mixture appear to tighten against her skull, at which point it seemed as though the expected reaction since water was immediately poured on it. She hissed at the burning sensation, then... it was as if the mixture had mint, possibly eucalyptus, as it felt as though it was fresh. Once again, her lower lip had to be bitten, and the way her lids fluttered made her friend nervous, but Tori could only think that those hands felt like paradise. She opened her eyes to see a grim expression on that pale face, and she drooped a little in worry.
"Uh, the glue and honey mixture..." Jade began trying to explain, "you still had some of it. I thought it would get washed away, especially after so long..."
"It's fine, it's out now, right?" It was all she could think about saying.
"Yeah... I should have brought you here sooner," was there guilt in those lovely green eyes?
Tori just chuckled. "I had forgotten all about that incident."
"Really?" A laugh and suddenly, one of the women passed the Goth a towel, "we have to get it dry."
"No shampoo?" That was a first. She sat down as to make herself and her friend more comfortable.
"This mixture takes away all foreign substances," was the reply as she felt the towel being gingerly pressed against her scalp, "all hair products affect the hair, and prolonged use of those can be bad."
"Ahh, you make me proud," Samara teased, "you did learn something."
The thespian rolled her eyes, but obviously just going through the motions.
"Ah, so I guess she can be domesticated," the Latina said, poking her friend softly, and laughing at the gasp and at the older female's laughter, "I guess that's always good to know."
"Vega..." She heard the growl, but simply continued chuckling. "Ugh, anyway... Thanks to it, you should be able to get it wet, but without further care, it should be healthier than ever."
"Is this the secret of your ever great hair?" She just had to know.
"Oh, and I thought you would never notice!" The tone was clearly mocking, but for some reason, those words made her blush. "It's funny, they've tried to commercialize it, trying to get her to sell it. Heh, she always turns them down."
"Yes, every week a different man comes and tries to learn the secret or to get a sample," Samara laughed, remembering their attempts. "Sometimes goes as far as requesting the treatment."
"Only these women," obviously, her friend meant those who stood and waited for instructions, "are the ones who apply the mixture."
"It feels so good, that they forget to try to take a sample," Tori reasoned, just for the gentle pressing to cease, and then the towel was taken from her head.
"Wow, I guess it also makes people smarter," Jade remarked, leaving the towel on the shoulder and her friend playfully threw it in the Goth's direction; it nailed her on the side of the head, "uh, what's with the look, Sam?"
The towel fell on her shoulder, but her heart was beating a bit faster than usual. What was that expression that the middle eastern woman had on her face? As if the playfulness was a welcome change, as if she hadn't acted like that in... forever—
"You spoke with Calvin!" It was almost an accusation, not knowing how to react to anything.
"Well, we try to videoconference at least once a week, or at least have a four way call," she easily admitted, "of course, Pablo just said you had brought a friend over, while Cal spoke of your interactions."
"Ugh, now I remember why I don't introduce you musketeers to anyone," the Goth replied, rolling her eyes before ushering a lost Latina towards the cutting station, "I come here every three months to get her treatment."
"I thought you would also do your highlights here," replied the tanned teen, looking confused, but at her words, she could see a mad hostess and a chagrin youngster, and knew she had blown it, "sorry..."
"Jade West," Samara began, sounding mad, and the attendees fled the scene, "Jewel of your brother's heart, I am banning you from all other hair parlors, effective immediately; be thankful its just that."
"Sam—"
"No, not another word," those eyes were like obsidian, and it scared both teens, "you'll get your treatment, but using the normal mixture, not one to hide your roots, you hear me?!"
"But— Cat," the reply was spluttered, and her eyes became emeralds.
"No, she must learn to deal with it as well," Sam replied with a frown, "I'm banning her from all others just like you—"
"You can't do that!" It was a fight of will, but the older woman had the advantage; she had experience.
"Jewel of my heart," those words were laced with feelings, and she obviously meant something else besides what was said; she placed her hands softly and delicately upon the thespian's shoulders, and it was clear that the teen gave up, but of course, the stylist wasn't looking to simply win the fight, "Cat needs to learn other ways of coping, you must learn new ways, and this mean changing wonts to become better. I refuse to allow either of you to get swallowed by the past."
"I know Samara," the older female gave her a short hug, "it's just..."
"Taking you both out of your comfort zones is a must." She insisted, speaking softly. "I'll dye her hair that crazy velvet red, I won't take it away from her just yet, but you... You're ready to return."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" It was obvious she wasn't happy at all with the phrasing, taking offense, then she heard someone chuckle, breaking the spell, and she turned to meet hazel eyes. "Something funny, Vega?"
"That speaking of Cat seems to prompt others to speak like her," then it dawned on the other two, and they laughed as well, "well, she isn't too crass, but still."
"And I meant," soft deep grey gazed upon green, "that you're stronger now, and you're ready to begin from ground zero."
"Yeah, okay..." Really, the thespian couldn't muster anything else, they began working on Tori; she had already been given a new towel and an apron, and taking out her prized scissors and a comb from an extended hand, Jade began snipping. "Ah, I can see what you mean, leveling..."
The two females began working on the Latina as she simply relaxed and, at some point, she dozed off. Jade eyes softened as she noticed this, and her entire expression did as well. Unknowingly, dark eyes were watching her closely; obviously, Calvin had gone through in great detail about the girls and their interactions. Samara began smiling and leaving the Goth to care for the brunette hair she was tending. It didn't escape her notice how the thespian was using her favorite scissors to cut the other's hair, something she had refused everyone, and those scissors had only ever cut her dyed hair. She then began searching for a good, red wig that would help the Latina look more like Starfire; their conversation went from a better cut to give to their main reason for arriving. The still sleeping Latina didn't even feel as they adjusted the wig on her, as well as some eyebrows and they finished with some special contacts.
"Tori, wake up," Jade began softly, shaking the shoulders with equal gentleness, "come on, wake up Tori, wake up..."
"Huh?" She began blinking softly, "oh, sorry..."
As she yawned slightly, she heard Samara laughing, "smoothest wake up call Jewel..."
"Shut it," came the grumpy reply, but she just presented the contact case to the other girl, who opened them and looked at either of them incredulously, "look, they are bigger than normal yes, but that's because your character has soft green cornea with emerald irises."
"So... Starfire, right?" She asked, still unsure as she took one contact to examine, then sighed and place it over her eye and adjusting it slightly; her companion gave her a look, "Trina had to wear some for a play."
"Of course," a scoff was heard and she frowned at it, but shrugged it off and began placing the second contact on, "your big baby of an older sister would need you to place them for her."
Everyone turned towards the mirror as she did, and the middle eastern female and the Goth looked impressed. They began going over some details, but as she moved her eyes about, she couldn't see any white. They, were perfect, and Jade took her picture and texted it to everyone and replies soon sounded. The clique approved, and then André sent everyone an imagine with his suit, and when Samara muttered her approval, she immediately texted to Sinjin, everyone else included, words that said it was good he hadn't ruined the suit. André said the boy had fainted, and the correspondence ended on that note.
"Well, you guys are very talented," Samara commented, then placed her hands on the tanned teen's shoulder, "Koriand'r's is about to come to life."
"You read the background, didn't you?" Jade accused at the perplexed face.
"Of course I did!" The reply had to be equally offended, "I come from Tamaran, I gave Robin a kiss as to learn the language of Earth—"
"And you did that already during your second day," the Goth reminded her, as if making sure it didn't happen again; hadn't they broken up?
"Yeah but," she looked back at dark grey, almost black, mirthful eyes, "Kori... What?"
"It's the way your name, Starfire, is spoken in your home world," was the reply, then repeated the name slowly, as to give the girl a chance to pick it up again, "Koriand'r."
She managed on her first try, and beamed at the thespian, who rolled her eyes, but was smiling. They began taking the wig and eyebrows off, as the singer began removing the contacts. Soon, it was all packed, and even though they wanted to leave, it was obvious that Samara wasn't allowing the thespian to get away with the hair mistreatment.
"Do you want a chemical cut?" She demanded, arms crossed as she prevented the teens from leaving or rather, an irritated Jewel from dragging her friend away. "Answer me child..."
"No..." Was the pouting reply; she was weak against that hurt tone and she closed her eyes in remorse. "Please Samara, I... I cannot face my honey blonde hair just yet..."
"You'll survive love," came the comforting reply and the pale teen was embraced by the older woman, "I promise you love, you'll survive..."
Tori looked at the floor, not understanding why she suddenly couldn't face the other two. It wasn't like she was intruding in a moment of privacy, it was the fact that she was allowed to watch, but could still recognize it as private, which left her with an awkward feeling. Was she jealous? If so, it would be of Samara but then, did she have feelings for Jade? She risked a glance, and found herself conflicted, heart constricting. Maybe she was, but if so... Was she into women now? Or just Jade? With a soft shake, she discovered her answer: no. They were friends, and they were growing close, so she was jealous was of the bond they shared, nothing else. As she tried averting her eyes, she looked at the soft grey eyes, and it was as if something passed between them.
"Okay, since you attended Tori," Samara began as soon as those hazel orbs averted their path, "now she'll attend you, Jade."
"Wait, what?" They both exclaimed, puzzled; the Goth immediately went to arms length, trying to see how serious the genius was.
"You both heard me," she began pointing Jade in the direction of the washing station, "Tori, I believe you have already learned from the way your scalp was massaged."
Several women began attending Jade, placing a longer towel on her shoulders, as well as picking the long locks and placing it on the basin with uttermost care. She was conflicted; the only one who had ever touched her hair was Samara, and several stylist who highlighted her hair on a little shop on the corner of the neighborhood. It wasn't as prestigious as Freestyle, obviously, but they never cut her hair, not that she thought she had to level it yet... Tori and Samara had been practicing on each other's scalp, which was odd since the middle eastern woman wasn't fond of allowing random people to touch her hair, much less her scalp. Soon, the Latina scooped some, granulated grey paste as the women made sure the scalp and hair were thoroughly wet. With the older woman's indication, the tanned hand was soon getting the scalp full of the strange substance, but the thespian sighed in mild pleasure; she hated to admit it but her friend was definitely a fast learner. As soon as her scalp was completely covered, she felt the usual sensation and then the minty one as the paste was removed. As it fell with help of the water and those dexterous tanned fingers, Samara clicked her tongue in mild disappointment. A foul looking yellow color began to slip from it, and she said the brighter it looked, the more chemical damage was done. After that, came the soft drying, and then Samara showed her expertise with the hair dryer and brush. Hazel eyes were locked as she watched from a different chair, taking the tea that the women offered but not the biscuits; they gave her the same tea the Goth had poured her. Somehow, she knew her friend didn't pay for the hair or tats, and the only coffee she had paid for had been Tori's. It was then that she realized it. She was not only jealous of how long they had been friends, she was also jealous of all the 'benefits' it brought them: the nicknames, the familiarity, the fact that they could hug the thespian without fear of a threat... Then again, they were older and treated her as a kid, but she was clearly used to it and didn't get offended. Once the hair was done and Jade stood up, the Latina couldn't help but stare. The thespian began walking towards a full body length mirror; she hadn't worn skirts since she got her ride and she obviously missed it, and those hazel eyes couldn't help but stare at the swaying of the hips, the enchanting shape of her companion and that firm rear...
"I think it's time to let go a bit," Samara said, noticing the increasing length of the dyed hair, "retribution or redemption?"
"Really, getting my hair that short would be..." She winced, but the woman just smiled, not pressing the matter further. "I'll think about it, but it would be redemption, right?"
"Right." Tori had been listening, but had just regained her sanity, but she could tell that she had been caught by dark eyes. "Tori, I hope to see you around."
"Thanks," was all the Latina could muster, breathing the answer out.
As it had happened with the other two, Samara walked them out, and nodded approvingly at the ride. Of course, the young woman wasn't alone, her entire entourage followed her. The middle eastern woman placed the case containing the wig and eyebrows, and a special stand to place the contact case within for those to be secure, and was fastened by the stylist. Saying goodbye as she said hello pressing of the cheeks, both girls donned jackets and helmets, and in the Goth's case, glasses, and they were off.
"She's nice," she felt like kicking herself, but for the first time, her companion only chuckled in reply.
"That she is," she smiled softly at the singer as she unfastened the props, promising to care for them, "hey Tori."
"Yeah?" Came the awkward reply; she had been stopped mid sentence.
"The bombay arrives Friday," she began, just as awkwardly...
"Aren't we supposed to go watch a movie with everyone?" The face was puzzled.
"Well, I refuse to have that many people and Rex inside my house," of course, the frown had to appear; not to mention Cat would have a melt down inside the house, "so I was wondering if you wanted to ditch."
She expected the silence, but not for the tanned teen to notice her blush. "I... It'll be fun, I wouldn't want to miss it." The reply had been hesitant, but the certainty of it made her release the held breath.
With that, and a smile, they parted ways. As she entered her house, Holly made an aggravated noise at the sight of the slightly shorter hair. She wasn't happy that she was spending so much time with Jade, more because she thought that she was being kept from her school duties, not quite so much that she thought the Goth was a bad company. Ever since she became principal, she was adamant that Tori do her best; now she knew from whom Trina got her obsession with reputations.
"Well, at least you got your hair fixed," her mother snorted, clearly a tad disappointed that her daughter was actually up to date and there were no complaints from teachers, "told you your friend hadn't done a good job."
"For your information," the teen began, irritated beyond belief; really, if it wasn't Trina it was her mother? "Jade was the one who evened it out."
"Ohh!" The surprise was clear, then she rose her hands the air, "she's clearly a Jack-of-all-trades, I hope you learned something or another."
"Right, now she's the hero?!" She exclaimed with bitterness. "If you want to be her mother, go ahead, I think I rather have hers instead."
"Do they still have that show in which you can exchange spouses and mothers with another family?" David asked, then laughed at the glances, which were actually serious. "Come now, it ended long time ago."
"Ugh, I'm off to bed," Tori exclaimed, extremely irritated, and as soon as she was in her sanctuary, she placed the case down and jumped in her bed. "What now?"
She frowned at her phone, until she realized it was a text from Jade, to which she replied, grateful to know when her friend made it home. She then saw the update on Jade's Slap, and felt embarrassment; while she had been sleeping peacefully, they had done more than wig her up. Jade had posted a video in which they rub something above her upper lip, and five minutes after, they peel some film without her waking and it came back with some facial hair, not much, but enough for it to be noticed. There were already posts regarding the cream, but plenty of others concerning her facial hair. Really, if she was attracted to that teen, there was something wrong with her. It was then that she noticed her phone had been used to film something, in it was Jade doing the same thing with her own face, also on her eyebrows and on Tori's. With mixed feelings, she decided to edit the vid a little, and posted it in her own Slap. It was when Jade worked on their eyebrows, smiling all the way, then saying: no pain, and all the gain. She kept the part of the clip in which the thespian laughs clearly and honestly to herself, feeling a tad nervous about it. The video caption read: not so mean now, huh West? To which she read the reply: Bite me Vega. She laughed at that, her nerves settling, and threatening to place other videos. 'Idle threats.' 'Really?' 'Yeah, you would have posted it already.' She laughed again, and left it at that as more questions about the cream arose. Shaking her head, Tori knew she couldn't help herself at the wonders Samara could do. She felt good, thinking about Friday in which she would meet the thespian's kitty. She did feel bad about not going to the movies with the clique, but she also knew she couldn't let the chance slip by. It just felt important, somehow.
Up next: meet the cat, and the cat's vet; you think you had it all sorted out but no, it turns out you don't.
