Disclaimer: I only own Katelyn Westlake, Kyle Westlake, and Tyler Najimy. Any similarities to real people/places/or things are purely coincidences, and unintentional on my part.
AN: If you like it, leave a review. If you don't, don't leave a review.
Summary: Katelyn and Kyle Westlake are sent to live with their grandparents after parents have financial trouble. 2 years later, once they have regained their financial success, their grandparents demand that they ship them off to Waverly Academy, a prestigeous boarding school where Kyle's "problem"(which got them kicked out of several other school's that their grandparent's paid for)wouldn't be tolerated. Kyle is reluctant, but Katelyn is ecstatic. Her boyfriend, Tyler Najimy, had been sent there about 6 months ago, half-way through Somophore year. This will be the first time she'll have talked to him in person since then. But once she sees him, how long will the happy high last?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: OKAY, I KNOW SOME STUFF MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE, BUT I DON'T WANT EVERYTHING TO BE LIKE THE BOOKS, OKAY? GOOD.
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chapter 11
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The next morning it wasn't as cold as the past few days, so many of the students wore long sleeved t-shirts to try and keep warm. Of course there were the ones who didn't care, but it was their fault if they got sick. Katelyn chose to wear an old, fitted, navy-blue knit sweater under her Waverly blazer that said ROOTS, with her beige hiphugger cordoroy pants and brown Gucci loafers. She made her way to the dining hall after Chapel with Sage Francis, who wore a long-sleeved grass-green cashmere sweater that off-set her platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, and Callie, who was wearing a pink button-down t-shirt and knee length black flouncy skirt with her Gucci loafers. Practically everyone had a pair of Gucci loafers here.
For breakfast today they served toast, yogurt, and your choice of a peach, apple, or banana. Katelyn took a peach and sat down at her usual table, removing her blazer and draping it over the back of her chair. The conversation that day wasn't very interesting. Even though it's breakfast, there is usually something more exciting to talk about. Katelyn thought she might fall face-first onto her plate, she was so bored with it all. She was about to pour some water into her mug when Francesca Hilbert-the stuck-up daughter of A-list actors Jason and Nikki Hilbert-who also happened to be the most annoying somophore ever, tapped Katelyn daintily on her shoulder. "Katelyn?" she asked, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder and placing a hand on her waist, trying to look impatient. Katelyn turned and managed to stifle her scoff.
"Yeah, Francesca?" she asked.
"Dean Marymount is looking for you, he's in the Main Hall. I was just there to check back in after I visited my dad on the set of his new-"
"Thanks, Francesca. I'll be back guys." Katelyn said as she got up and left the dining hall.
Once outside she breathed in the scent of the woodstove burning in the basement of dining hall, and listened to the fallen leaves crunch under her weight. As she turned the corner towards the Main Hall she noticed a sleek black car with the license plate...oh my gosh. Could it be..? Katelyn's eyes widened and she started to run. If it was who she thought it was it was either good or bad. She raced up the steps and flung open the heavy wooden doors as quick as she could manage. She stepped out of the foyer and into the main area.
"MUM!" she squealed, running and hugging her mother. If her mother had paid a surprise visit a week before, Katelyn would've grimaced and stayed as far away as possible, but after what she found out about Brandon, she was just glad tosee her.
Mrs. Westlake, who wasn't used to that kind of affection from her daughter, stumbled a bit before hugging her back and sitting down. "Hey, Katie. How are you, sweetheart?" she asked softly, patting the seat between herself and Dean Marymount. Katelyn's face turned milk-white as she took a seat. Oh dear god, what happened!
"Mum..?" she asked.
"Your looking terribly thin, baby." Luciana murmured, smoothing her daughter's hair down.
Dean Marymount cleared his throat. "I believe there is an issue that needs to be brought up here." he said.
Luciana righted herself and turned to Katelyn. "Katelyn, I know about your rehab stint." she said, her voice shaky-like she was trying to decide whether to be scared or angry. "I think it's best we remove you from-"
Angry tears sprung to Katelyn's golden brown eyes. "No! I CAN'T LEAVE HERE! I LOVE IT!"
"Ms. Westlake, please. Listen to your mother." Dean Marymount interrupted. Katelyn gave him the evil eye and turned back to her mum.
"I just can't, mum. Please! The reason I didn't tell you is because I knew you'd pull me from Waverly. Part of the reason that I developed..that problem..was the stress from going to, oh god, like 2,000 schools in the past 3 years! That on top of all the other stress was just too much and I never felt like eating! If you make me move schools again, I swear to god I'll do it again!"
"Katelyn Arianna Westlake! How did you pay for that, anyway!" Luciana demanded.
"Mrs. Westlake, I'm afraid I'll have to explain that. See, we have this student fund for occasions such as these. Thid year's are several million dollars, so we paid for it. It was only 75,000. We only agreed to it after Katelyn pleaded her case."
"You should be FIRED," Mrs. Westlake spat at the Dean. "It's not right to keep this from the child's parents!"
Dean Marymount cleared his throat again. "It was our therapist who made the final decision. She isn't allowed to release any information. We were under the impression you were told."
"Whatever." Luciana scoffed. "Katelyn, your bank account is frozen for the next 3 months."
"What about Christmas! I have to buy presents for my friends!"
Luciana sighed. "I suppose you're right. I will allow you to have several thousand dollars, for the essentials AND christmas shopping-how does 3,000 sound?"
"Fine. Whatever." Katelyn retorted, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.
"And about Christmas vacation, you're not going to visit nana and grandpa-"
"WHAT!"
"-In Florida with Kyle, you're going to go to MY parents' houes in Greenwich. Katelyn, I believe this is a beyond reasonable punishment."
Katelyn kept her head pointed towards the ground, so neither her Mum or Marymount could see her smile. She hadn't even know she was supposed to go to Florida, she thought it was always Greenwich. This was awesome.
"Whatever." Katelyn grumbled, forcing more tears out to try and make her mum believe her punishment was hurting her. "Can I go back to breakfast now?" she asked, wiping her crying eyes. Honestly, she couldn't believe that she got off so easily. She couldn't even believe that they were able to trick Marymount into not calling her mother in the first place.
"Yes, you may." Mrs. Westlake waved her hand.
Dean Marymount jumped up. "One moment, Katelyn. You MAY leave, but your going to be required to attend weekly counselling sessions with several other students in the mental health center."
"Oh for fuc-"
"Katelyn!" Luciana snapped.
"FINE!" Katelyn yelled before storming out. Once she was around the corner again a huge smile broke across her face. "Yes." she whispered excitedly to herself as she ran the rest of the way back to the dining hall.
Everyone was still sitting around when she made the tretourous walk across the hall to her table. "Hey, look who's back."
"Hi guys." Katelyn said softly, sliding into her seat and picking at the cold toast.
"Where were you, sweetie?" Callie asked as she downed some orange juice.
"Well-it...was nothing. Don't worry." Katelyn finished hurriedly.
"Alright.." Brandon trailed off.
Ignoring the disbelief in his voice Katelyn finished her breakfast and went to put the tray back.
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1 week later
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It was a cold late-November night-after dinner-and Katelyn was lounging around on one of the Maxwell House balcony recliners, reading a book she bought in town, about the Underground Railway, and drinking a coffee sweetened with several Splenda's. She tugged her Watermelon pink Diane Von Furtsenburg cashmere wrap sweater sleeves over her hands so the cup wouldn't burn her tiny hands. She was all alone in the little alcove, the chair next to her stood empty. Easy was out saying goodbye to Credo-his parents were taking her back to their Kentucky farm for the winter, Jenny was in getting help on her Phyics homework-grade 12 was ALOT harder than they all thought, Callie was in town shopping, Brett was off with her boyfriend, Jeremiah, Alan was..somewhere, probably smoking with Teague and Heath, and Brandon was nowhere to be found, and Katelyn couldn't exactly walk into Richards to find him.
So, instead of risking getting in major trouble, she whipped out her new hot pink RAZR phone. She logged onto OwlNet and found Brandon's name.
-----Meanwhile
In Richards
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Brandon lay stretched out on his bed, listening to some weird Acid pop-punk japanese music the kid in the room across the hall had given him, when he felt his silver Nokia phone buzz in his pocket. He flipped it open and sat it was a text message-from Katelyn.
BrandonBuchanan: Hey, Kate.
KatelynWestlake: What's up, hotstuff?
BrandonBuchanan: Nothing. Listening 2 some weird music Trey gave me.
KatelynWestlake: U sould shut it off and come hang out with me.
BrandonBuchanan: Well..
KatelynWestlake: Please, Brandonpuppy dog eyes & pouty lips, I'm all by myself!
BrandonBuchanan: Where are you?
KatelynWestlake: Maxwell. That balcony alcove u were in that time. Come on.
BrandonBuchanan: There are always lots of people in Maxwell House, Kate.
KatelynWestlake: No one I want to hangout with
KatelynWestlake:(
BrandonBuchanan: Okayyy. I'll be right there.
KatelynWestlake: K. C u in a sec, love.
BrandonBuchana: Yep. C u Princess.
Brandon flipped his cellphone shut. He smiled and sat up against his headboard. He chuckled and practically tore the headphones off as he shoved his phone in his pocket and headed for the door. He never could say no to Katelyn. She was one of his best friends-and one of the cutest, nicest girls at Waverly. He pulled on his special edition Dolce and Gabbana lace-up loafers and pulled his Waverly jacket on over his white Brook Brothers button down. It was cold, so he needed the jacket.
When Brandon arrived at Maxwell house, it was crowded. He saw a bunch of people he and Katelyn BOTH knew, but he knew she disliked most of them because of their snobby attitudes and the way they treated everyone 'beneath' them. He slowly made his way up the stairs 'til his reached the floor with the big brown leather recliners. He saw Katelyn sitting in the very last one, the one beside her empty. She looked so cute and innocent, holding a coffee cup, and staring intently at her book. He decided to sneak up on her, so he walked over to the wall and took the long way around instead of weaving in and out of everyone. He reached out and tapped her shoulder.
"AHHH!" she screeched, spilling her coffee all over her dark wash Chip & Pepper skinny jeans, she hadn't drank much of it so there was alot, and it ran down her legs and onto her beige UGGS. Brandon glanced at them, wondering how many pairs of UGGS a girl could have. He's seen her wear baby blue ones, pink ones, white ones, purple ones, green ones, black ones, these ones.
"Oh, shit!" Brandon exclaimed as he grabbed napkins from the kids at the table behind him and handing some to Katelyn as he dabbed at her left leg.
"Hey." Katelyn greeted him brightly as she wiped up the trickling trail of coffee going down her right leg.
Brandon stared dumfoundedly at her. Any other girl and she would've slapped him across his smooth-as-a-baby's-bottom face and called him a dickless moron, but Katelyn wasn't just another girl. "Hey. Oh god, I am so sorry, Kate." he murmured.
"Brandon, it's okay. I'm not going to call you a dickless moron-or slap you across your smooth-as-a-baby's-bottom face."
Brandon's eyes grew wide. "Shit. I thought that out LOUD!"
Katelyn blushed. "Yeah, but it's okay. I won't laugh at you." she giggled before throwing the napkins into her empty cup and falling back into the chair. Brandon sat opposite her.
"So what'd you want to do?" he asked.
Katelyn shrugged. "I actually don't know." she pursed her DuWop lip venom 'Pink Frosting' glossed lips together. "Any suggestions?"
"I..hmm.." Brandon put his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned his head against his hand. "Got a deck of cards?"
Katelyn shook her head. "Nope, but I think Billy does. I'll be right back." she said. Billy-short for Roberta- was this senior girl that all senior boys wanted. She had been Katelyn's student guide on the first day, and from the second Katelyn saw her she was jealous of her. She had volumous dark, glossy girls, big brown eyes, lashes so thick and black she never needed any make-up, and naturally cherry red lips. She kind of looked like the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls. Brandon watched Katelyn prance across the top floor and go down to where Billy was sitting with her boyfriend, Trevor, and best friends, Sarah and Monica. He watched her talk to them, and watched Billy hand her a deck of personalized cards with fancy B's on the back. From what he had heard, Billy was the best card player at Waverly-out of the girls, that is.
"Got 'em?" Brandon smiled as Katelyn slid back into her chair.
"Yah. Billy ALWAYS has cards." she said, placing the deck infront of Brandon. "So? What'd you want them for?"
"We could play go fish."
Katelyn squinted at him, and for the first time Brandon noticed that her golden brown eyes were flecked with forest green. "Oh come on, Brandon!" Katelyn whined, closing her book and leaning forward, her elbows on her knees. "Isn't there a, oh, I don't know, non boring card game you know?" she asked, pretending to be mad, but her eyes were twinkling, which indicated she was trying not to laugh.
"Well we could make it interesting..." he said mischeviously.
Katelyn straightened up, looking very interested. "Brandon Buchanan is going to do something out of character? I'm SHOCKED. SHOCKED I tell you." she snorted with laughter, which made Brandon laugh.
Brandon shook his head with laughter. "So, where's Tyler tonight? Usually he's with you."
Katelyn stopped laughing and looked up, her perfect eyebrows furrowed. "You know what...that never even crossed my mind. Hold on, I'm going to IM him."
KatelynWestlake: Hey, Ty! Where u at? I haven't seen u since this morningheart
KatelynWestlake: Want to hangout with Brandon & Me? We're in Maxwell house.
KatelynWestlake: Tyler?
KatelynWestlake: Ty?
KatelynWestlake?????
KatelynWestlake: Whatever.
Katelyn stomped her foot in frustration, grumbling as she shoved her phone into her back pocket. She wasn't going to wait around for Tyler, they weren't even officially dating again...yet. "What's up?" Brandon asked.
"Well, he's online, but he's not answering."
A light bulb went off in Brandon's head. Tyler did seem to be acting strange this morning. He hadn't seen him since him, Easy, and Tyler left the room for Chapel this morning. "Can I check something?"
BrandonBuchanan: Hey, man. Where u at?
TylerNajimy: Smoking the good stuff with my girl Brianna Benson at that picnic table. Bhind Richards.
BrandonBuchanan: ...dude, I thought you were with Katelyn.
TylerNajimy: DUDE, she ain't my girl. Bri is.
BrandonBuchanan: Really? Could've fucking fooled me. Everyone thinks u r with Katelyn..including her, me, well, as I said, EVERYONE. You too walk around like you're together, she talks about how much she likes you.
TylerNajimy: Yah, I mean, she's a cool chick and everything, but she won't do any of the outrageous stuff I like to do, and she always tries 2 stop me. That's why I started messing around with Bri when Kate & I were still dating. We still would be dating if she hadn't have caught me.
BrandonBuchanan: How could you play her like that?
TylerNajimy: Look, I aint datin Bri, either. We just..hang out and fool around, just like I do with Kate.
BrandonBuchanan: Well to me it seems that she's under the impression you two will officially be back together...soon. She was talking with Brett n Cal about it.
TylerNajimy: Speaking of Ms. Callie Vernon, she is your GF, right?
BrandonBuchanan: Yeah..
TylerNajimy: Then why have u taken such an interest in Kate?
BrandonBuchanan: She's one of my BEST FRIENDS. Look, man, you have to decide between Kate and Bri. Preferably Kate because if you don't, who knows what'll happen to her. She might relapse. You have to talk to her. SOON.
TylerNajimy: Wtv dude, I gotta finish this joint then walk Bri down to the front gates. Her cab is waitin. We can see it from here. Later.
BrandonBuchanan: Whatever, Tyler.
"Fuck." Brandon hissed as he handed Katelyn back her phone. She looked up from the book, her eyes gleaming innocently. Brandon felt so sorry for her-especially for the fact that Tyler started messing around with Bri behind Kate's back-he just wanted to hug her, but if he did she would know something was up.
"Everything okay?" she asked, smiling.
"Mmhmm." Brandon murmured. "Well, it's like, 9:00, I'm going back to Richards, okay?"
Katelyn sat up. "Oh! Yeah, I think I'll head back too." she said, gathering her book, Billy's cards, and her empty coffee cup to chuck in the garbage.
"I'll walk you." Brandon offered. Katelyn smiled and looped her arm through Brandon's as the waltzed down the stairs. She tossed the cards over to Billy, and set her cup inside the trash bin.
The were passing the front gate and Katelyn noticed a cab pulling away. She could make out the figure of a girl with sleek blonde hair sitting in the back seat. "Oooh, someone is going to get in so much trouble! Going out this later:" she gasped. Brandon sighed and they kept walking. He knew exactly who was in that cab. Big-bitch-Benson.
When they arrived at the Dumbarton Hall stoop Katelyn kissed Brandon on his cheek and glided up the steps. He watched until she got in, then turned and went back to Richards, eager to tell Easy what their dumb fuck "friend" was doing behind one of their best girl friend's back. He ran up the steps and walked briskly down the hall. He burst through the door to find Easy lounging on his bed, reading some horse magazine and listening to the White Stripes really loudly. He whacked him upside the head and tugged an earphone out of his ear. "I need to tell you something." he said in a whisper, almost like he was afraid that Tyler would here him through several walls and layers of brick.
"What, dude?" Easy drawled, sitting up and ruffling his hair.
"Fucking Tyler," he said, jabbing his finger at Tyler's unmade superman sheets-clad bed. "Is playing Katelyn."
"What are you talking about, they're totally together." Easy said calmly.
"No they aren't. I was just talking to that dumb fuck over IM, and he told me "Im smoking the good stuff with my girl, Bri Benson", "We're just messing around, just like me and Kate."
Easy's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Man, that's not all. Him and Brianna, yeah, they've been messing around since BEFORE they broke up. That time at Heath's was like, months after it started. He also told me he knows that Katelyn thinks he's going to ask her out again, but he never will."
Easy's eyes narrowed. "Fucking Tyler." he spat.
"Yeah tell me about-"
"Shhh!" Easy slapped his hand over Brandon's mouth when they heard the doorknob rustle. Brandon quickly moved to a computer chair in the corner.
"Heeey, Tyler." Brandon said with sarcastic friendliness dripping from his voice.
"Hey, man." Easy practically spat.
Tyler put his hands up in mock-surrender. "Whoa, what's with the hostility, guys?"
Brandon stood up and got in Tyler's face. "Fuck you, dude. You know exactly what the fuck we're talking about. You know how I IM'd you this afternoon? Well it was from Kate's phone. I hope she reads her call logs." he growled before going off to his own room. Easy looked around and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Easy? What the hell-" Tyler began with a laugh as he set his stuff down on his bed.
"Fuck off, Najimy." Easy hissed before putting his headphones back in and ignoring his roommate.
Tyler groaned and flopped onto his bed and tried to get to sleep.
-----
1 week later
-----
It was a few days after that night she hung out with Brandon. Right now Katelyn was trudging across the fields, heading towards the field hockey shed, where Coach Smail was collecting gear. The season was over, and she was returning her stuff. In the spring she decided she's play volleyball with Callie, while Jenny and Brett planned on playing Lacrosse.
After dropping her stuff off she headed off to 5th perio, ready for her trecherous 85 minutes in 12th grade calculus hell. Even though she hated it, the lowest grade she got in the class was a B-. Not too shabby for 12th grade fucking calculus. She sat next to Easy in this class. Normally when she sat down he'd be all; "Heeeey, Katelyn!" But this afternoon he was more like: Grmpfghsrzhg.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
Easy looked like he was hiding something. He wouldn't look at her and his cheeks were red. "Nothing.."
"Tell me!"
"Tyler's playing you!" he blabbed, immeadiatelyn slapping his forehead. "Fuck." he hissed, scolding himself for spilling the beans.
Katelyn just laughed. "Oh, that thing with Bri? It ended a while ago! Didn't he tell you?"
Easy just chuckled nervously. "Oh..heh heh heh."
Katelyn playfully messed up his hair then yanked her ugly hot pink trucker hat that ready "Baby Girl" in light blue letters outlined with thick silver glitter her mum sent her last week that she kept in her purse-she swore she never would wear it-over Easy's head. His dark curls poked out from the sides, and when he turned to make a face she burst out laughing.
"Ms. Westlake, Mr. Walsh! Is there a problem?" Their douchebag of a teacher, Mr. Cullingham, snapped. "Mr. Walsh remove that hat!" Easy pulled it off and shoved it back into Katelyn's quilted pink Chanel bag.
She smacked him in the arm. "No sir. Sorry sir." Easy told him mechanically, making Katelyn laugh uproariously inside.
After that class-last class-Katelyn said a quick goodbye to Easy and dashed across the quad to Dumbarton. Since her sport was done(it was November 25th), she really had nothing to do after 5th period. So she decided to go and call Amy. On her way there she had to pass by the front gates. She spotted Tyler, with his back turned, talking to a blonde who Katelyn couldn't quite see the face off. She snuck up behind Tyler and jumped on his back. "Hey baby!" she squealed, kissing his cheek. He stumbled and the both fell. Katelyn giggled, but quickly stopped when she stood up and noticed that the blonde bitch was Brianna.
"What. The. Fuck." she growled in a low, dangerous voice.
"Katelyn, honey, how ARE you making out?" Brianna asked, pulling some of her pale shimmering blonde hair over the shoulder of her navy blue St. Lucius blazer. Katelyn glared daggers at her. She wanted to drench her perfectly pressed, VERY expensive, white cuffed and collared button-down in grape juice, choke her with her navy and green striped tie, and hem her blue, green, and white plaid skirt so fucking short she'd get expelled for looking like a whore. Either that or cut her rivers of blonde hair so short it looked like she'd just signed up for the Navy Seals.
"Why are you talking to my boyfriend?" she demanded angrily.
"Oh, darling, he isn't your boyfriend." Brianna announced loudly, causing a few of the pasersby to stare.
Tyler shook his head. "N n no! That's not true!" he stammered unsurely.
Brianna placed her hands on her hips. "You mean when you asked me to cut class it was for nothing? You mean when you asked me 30 minutes ago to be your girlfriend you were JOKING?"
"No, I mean..no." he said sadly, turning to Katelyn.
"Katelyn.." he began softly.
Katelyn just glared, the nostrils on her button nose flaring up. "Tyler.." she began acidly befor deciding to go a different route. With one big swing of her tiny hand she smacked Tyler clear across his perfectly constructed, gorgeous, lying, cheating face. The entire left side of his face and them some were bright red.
And with that she walked away, ignoring his apologetic shouts. Normally Katelyn could be brave in situations like this, it happened with an old boyfriend, Alex, and she was fine because she realised assholes weren't worth it. But Tyler..he was different. She LOVED him. Until now she didn't realise it, but she LOVED him and he didn't love her. If he ever did he would've dumped her before moving on. Tears began to streak down Katelyn's face. Normally she'd run to the nearest bathroom until she had regained composure, wiped her face, and maintained a steady voice. Right now, she didn't care. She was well aware people were looking at her, watching her walk slowly, watching her cry. Out of what seemed like nowhere Sage Francis swooped in.
"Ohmigosh, Katelyn! Sweetie, what happened!" she cooed, giving her a hug. Katelyn looked up at Sage, and almost slapped her because she sort of looked like Brianna, what with that platinum blonde hair. But at least Sage's was up in a ponytail, and she wasn't wearing her uniform.
"T-Tyler. I just found out he's been cheating on me. I ran in to him and Brianna Benson. Turns out she came by because he asked her to. He ASKED HER, so he could ASK HER OUT. BEFORE BREAKING UP WITH ME! HE WASN'T GOING TO DUMP ME! HE WAS GOING TO PLAY ME, AND BRIANNA IS SUCH A WHOREY LITTLE SLUT SHE DIDN'T CARE!"
"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry! I know what that feels like, BE-LIIIIEVE me. Want to go back to your dorm? I think Callie has some Ben&Jerry's..." she offered. "We could get everyone and go sit in the lounge eating ice cream in our pajama's and trashing Tyler.."
Katelyn managed to force a smile. "Good idea, Sage..but after dinner, okay? Although I do need to go back and get changed." Katelyn said, gesturing at her plain white HANES cotton tee that was covered by her blazer but you could still tell there was paint on it. "If I go to dinner with dirty clothes I could get a work detail."
"Okay, Cal, Brett and Jenny are getting ready for dinner too. I already did so I'll fill them in while you change."
"Alright." Katelyn agreed, and she and Sage made their way to Dumbarton 303. When they got inside the coconut smelling room Katelyn grabbed a baby blue long sleeved button-down with tiny little pearly white heart shaped buttons(3 of the 6 buttoned) running down the front and on the cuffs and pulled it over a plain white Old Navy Camisole, her worn-in seven jeans, and a pair of Brett's sneakers-a pink Louis Vuitton pair-, they shared shoes since they were the same size. After she got dressed, ran a brush through her hair, a put on a little brown mascara and her Waverly jacket, she exited the bathroom and gazed at a room full of apologetic faces.
"Gosh, Katie! That SUCKS!" Jenny declared.
"I'll get the football team after him," Tinsley, who always makes random appearances in her old room, offered.
"We could make him an outsider." Brett grinned devillishly.
"We could bribe Brianna to dump him." Sage thought.
"Or," Callie began. "We could get cold, hard revenge."
Katelyn shook her head, her brown hair swaying back and forth. "No guys. Thank you very much for all the concern, but if I do something to him, I'll feel even worse."
"You sure?" Callie asked. "Because I'm awesome at getting revenge."
"Thanks anyway...but um, I really don't want to talk about this yet." Katelyn smiled weakly. "We should get going to dinner.."
Everyone agreed and they got up to walk to dinner, talking and laughing as if nothing happened as they went.
When the girls got their food, Tinsley and Sage went to sit with Emily Jenkins, Sage's roommate, and a few others at a different table. Callie, Brett, Jenny and Katelyn sat with Benny Cunningham and the guys. Instead of her usualy place between Tyler and Brandon or Easy, she sat between Alan, Easy's old roommate, and Brandon. She just stared down at her place as she feverently shoved forkfuls of food into her tiny mouth. "Whoa, slow down there, girl. Don't want you getting sick." Alan warned. Katelyn shrugged and continued to eat.
"I can put away more food than people think..when I want to." she smirked. God, she could not WAIT for christmas vacation. She looked around at everyone. Brett was texting furiously into her phone, even though you're not supposed to have those in the dining hall, Easy and Jenny were talking quietly to each other, she glanced beside her and saw Brandon and Callie talking, Brandon looked quite distracted with something though, his mind looked like it was anywhere but there. For a while she forgot they were still dating. It was hard to remember, they were hardly seen alone together anymore. Usually they were in a group, not even really paying attention to each other. Brandon was always talking to...her.
Oh shit.
Suddenly the memory of the day she returned from rehab flooded back to her. Brandon's actions had shaken her..but now, looking over at him, she smiled.
OH GOD, STOP IT KATELYN.
She shook those thoughts from her brain and quickly finished up her dinner.
-----
2 weeks later
-----
Katelyn had just returned from her last class of the day-12 grade calc. It was exhausting. And next week was exams. She was getting A's and B's in everything so far, but she still had to study. Blahhh. She had the next afternoon off, because the science/math building was being cleaned. Someone had spilled a very dangerous chemical and they had to clean EVERYTHING. And since she had Calculus AND Biology the next afternoon and English, Drama, and Art before lunch, she had the entire afternoon off. So she decided she'd go any buy Christmas presents then, and after that every break or visitation hour up until the day of the last exam(which she'd use to hand out presents), would be study time. She had passed the specialized test, now if she could just pass everything with A's and B's the rest of the year she'd still be able to get a free scholarship.
-----
Next afternoon
-----
After the cab dropped her off in Rhinecliff town square, Katelyn wandered around, trying to decide what to by who. Thankfully she had her list all made up.
Callie
Jenny
Brett
Easy
Brandon
Alan
Teague
Sage
Callie was first on the list, and-thank god-easy to shop for. Katelyn went into a cute little boutique that sold lots of designer things. After searching for a while she found a gorgeous lilac coloured cashmere wrap sweater and a sparkling diamond necklace. She bought that, and left the store. Next on the list was Jenny.
Jenny's gift was almost as easy as Callie's. There was a store that they had gone into a while back especially for girls with gigantic chests, since it was difficult for them to find cute-without lookign slutty as well-tops. She remembered that Jenny had particularly liked this sea foam green cashmere one with cute messy black hand-drawn looking hearts in the bottom right-hand corner. She found it, and bought a pair of silver mother of pearl earrings to go with it.
Brett was also a breeze to shop for. She was always wearing these tiny gold hoops in her ears. So when Katelyn walked into a little side jewellery shop and saw some silver ones with a tiny faux-but again, real looking-diamond on each hoop, she she bought them and a wonderful velveteen earring box.
In the same jewellery shop was a huge section filled with makeup, so Katelyn went over to take a look. For Sage's gift she picked up some expensive glitter eyeshadow-since she seemed to like it so much-and a bottle of matching O.P.I nailpolish, and some Chanel lipgloss.
Now all the girls were done. Oh shiiit. She had to shop for the guys next. First up was Easy. She knew exactly what she wanted to get him. There was this beautiful horse blanket he had contemplated over getting, but ultimately decided against it because he didn't want him mum and dad to think he ruined the ones he got at the start of the year already. So, there was his present. Since it was really for his horse, Katelyn went and bought him a red Ralph Lauren polo shirt.
Alan's present-since she KNEW he was a HUGE pothead-was a beautiful(despite what it was used for)stained glass gold-accentd bong. She was surprised they sold it to her!
Next was Teague. He was the hardest to shop for, since she wasn't BEST best friends with him. But finally she decided to buy him a few C.D's he had been wanting to get a few weeks ago, but never got, and a new leather wallet(since his was in TERRIBLE shape) along with a leather C.D case(the ultimate in protection..lmao).
There! She was almost done. Now it was time for her to shop for...Brandon.
Greaaaat. This was going to be a SNAP!
Not.
Then it hit her. One day when Brandon had accompanied her to dinner when she had sprained her ankle and couldn't go to Field Hockey practice, they passed this old school music store. She remembered the stood, staring, as if he was enchanted, at this record that was in the window. It was some classical violin music. When Katelyn asked him what was up with his obsession he told her that was the same record his mum used to play for him when he was a baby, before she taught HIM how to play, and before she passed away. Katelyn smiled to herself as she ran down the street to that same store. There it was! The record was in the window! She pushed open the door and walked fast up to the counter. "Excuse me, sir? I was wondering if I could buy that record in the window..the one between Chopin and Bach."
The old man stood up, ambled over to the window display, unlocked it, and brought it up to the counter. "$700.00." he droned. Katelyn's eyes widened.
"I-I-I-I"
"Listen, little lady. There are only 5 other copies of this record left IN THE WORLD. This was the first. $700.00 or no deal."
Katelyn sighed, but then decided to go for it. For Brandon's sake. He'd be so happy. GOD, there she went again, thinking of her roomie's boyfriend like...THAT. "Alright. I'll take it."
The guy at the counter pushed the debit thing towards Katelyn and she ran her card through it. She pressed "OK" and waited for her receipt. While it came through the guy shoved the record into a flat, square paper bag and then shoved the receipt inside. "Your crazy, have a nice day." he called after her. Katelyn rolled her eyes and hailed a cab. She threw her bags onto the back seat and leaned her head back.
Phew.
Once back at school Katelyn hid all the bags under her bed and got an extra long sheet from Angelica Pardee to put over her bed so there would be no peeking. Just as she was throwing the sheet onto her bed Tinsley burst into the room. "Where are Callie and Brett?''
Katelyn nervously kicked one of the bags that was peeking out under her bed and sat on it. "I don't know. I think Jeremiah came to visit Brett, but I'm not sure. Jenny is out riding with Easy, and I think Callie is somewhere with Brandon."
Tinsley shook her head as if to say 'you poor, naive girl'. "I doubt she's with Brandon. They hardly hang out anymore. She's probably with Benny or Sage or someone."
"Really? Wow. I thought that Brandon really loved her."
Tinsley tried to stifle laughter. "God, you really ARE blind, aren't you?" she said before turning and leaving. Katelyn stared after her.
What. The. Fuck.
Katelyn slapped a hand over her eyes and dragged it down her face, smearing her lipgloss on her chin. She wiped it off and applied some more before crawling onto her bed and snuggling with her favorite teddy bear shaped cuddle pillow, trying to fall asleep. She must have drifted off because she started having a really bizarre dream. She had lined up all the naturally platinum blonde girls from Waverly and St. Lucius, and they all had masks on so she couldn't tell which one was Brianna. She ended up knocking them all unconcious until she came to the last girl in line. By then she had given up and told whoever it was she was free. That was Brianna. Katelyn was about to attack her when she heard a bunch of voices. She couldn't tell where they were coming from. All of a sudden everything was hazy, and she didn't know if she was still dreaming, or if she was awake.
Nope. Definately awake, and the voices were male, and coming from outside her bedroom door. Her roommates were still nowhere to be seen. The door opened, and Katelyn squeezed her eyes shut. "C'mon, Westlake, we know you aren't sleeping. We saw you look right at us." she looked up at Easy, who was standing at the side of her bed, staring down at her. Heath Ferro and Teague Williams stood on either side of him. Katelyn sat up and blearily rubbed her eyes.
"Whaddaya want." she murmured, sliding off the bed and placing Mr. Chesterfield-Bigglesworth back on her pillow.
"Come outside, good lookin. We need a forth to play soccer." Heath told her. Katelyn shrugged and pulled on her sneakers before realising something.
"It's FREEZING outside today!"
"Not anymore, it was this morning. Now it's like , 65 degrees, which is abnormal for this time of year." Teague said. "But we're still wearing jackets incase the temperature drops." he said, gesturing at himself, Easy and Heath. They were all wearing fall jackets. Just enough to keep warm today.
"Fine. I'll play, just let me get some shorts on. I can't play soccer without my silky shorts." she said, grabbing a pair of black knee-length soccer shorts.
"Whoa, we'll wait outside." Easy and Teague said, dragging Heath out into the hall.
Katelyn pulled on a snug, long-sleeved golden yellow waffle shirt that played off her golden brown eyes, her black soccer shorts, and a purple windbreaker that was way to long. So long it covered most of her legs, leaving an inch or 2 of shorts poking out from underneath. She tied her silky light brown hair up into a ponytail, took off her makeup(she didn't need any anyway, and if she had some on it would just get all sweaty and runny and gross), put on a pair of white sneakers and stepped outside the door. "Ooookay, boys. Let's go." she smiled, leading them down the hall and out onto the large green quad. "Brr," she shivered. "It is kinda chilly."
"Yeah, but once you get playing, the cold will go away." Teague assured her, rubbing his calfs where his khaki shorts ended.
Katelyn nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Heath yawned. "We going to start this game or what?"
Easy nodded and threw the ball up in the air.
-----
1 hour later
-----
When the dinner bell rang Easy scooped up the soccer ball and hid it behind a bush to pick up on his way back. "Damn." he said. "I had no idea you could play like that, Katelyn."
Katelyn smiled shyly. "Well, neither did I. But when I want something, I get it. And I wanted to win that game against all of you."
Teague was still staring, open-mouthed, at Katelyn. "Well you certainly did that."
"That was the hottest thing I have ever se-"
"Shut up, Heath." Katelyn ordered.
Heath clamped his mouth shut. Katelyn grinned and kept walking, wiping her forehead. "Shit, we're going to get in trouble for being dressed like this." Easy cursed.
"Maybe we could weasle our way outta it somehow." Teague mused.
Katelyn's eyes lit up. "I can take care of that...trust me."
The four of them walked into the dining hall. At first Dean Marymount, who stood at the door, didn't notice, but then he grabbed Katelyn by her tiny shoulder and pulled her backwards. "Young lady, would you explain to me why you, Mr. Ferro, Mr. Walsh, and Mr. Williams are dressed like you just came back from the gym? This is DINNER!"
Katelyn stared at the ground for a moment until the tears started to well up. When they started flowing she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Dean Marymount," she wailed. "They were training me for soccer season. It got so fun I guess we lost track of time, and before we knew it the bell ran and we didn't have time to change! I'm sooo sorry! It won't happen again, I promise!" she cried.
Dean Marymount shifted awkwardly. "Yes, well, you're off the hook this time." he stammered before walking quickly away.
Easy hugged Katelyn. "Wicked." he said before they continued down the steps to sit at their table.
Callie and Brandon, who were the only other ones there, looked up. "What the fuck?" Callie asked. "Last time I came in here dressed like that I got 2 weeks work detail!"
"Yeah, well Katelyn can turn on the waterworks pretty quickly." Heath smiled.
Brandon glanced at Katelyn, who was now absorbed in eating her little salad and tiny chicken breast. "That's all your having, Kate?" he asked. Katelyn looked up, her mouth full of salad, and nodded.
Just then Tinsley waltzed over and wedged herseld between Katelyn and Heath. For that, Katelyn was grateful. "So, Katelyn, I noticed all those presents under your bed. Christmas shopping? Who're they for?" she breathed a she took a gulp of water. Everyone's eyes immediately shot towards Katelyn.
"Tinsley,
why the fuck did you.." Katelyn trailed off once she noticed
everyone staring at her.
"It was supposed to be a fucking
surprise." she shook her head sadly.
"You got us christmas presents?" Callie asked, her brown eyes gleaming.
Katelyn nodded reluctantly. "Mmhm. For those of you I consider friends."
"Ooooh!" everyone said.
"When do we get them!" Brett asked as she took a seat beside Callie.
Katelyn rolled her eyes and downed the milk that was still in her cup. "Day we leave for break." she sighed.
"What'd you get everyone!" Alan asked.
"I can't tell you guys THAT! The surprise would be a total waste!" Katelyn exclaimed.
-----
after dinner
-----
Katelyn was making her way back to Dumbarton when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see Brandon standing there. "Sorry about Tinsley," he said. "She can be a huge bitch sometimes."
Katelyn smiled. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."
"So about those presents.." he began teasingly.
Katelyn smirked, then her smirk faded to a sincere smile. "Brandon, you know how we're gonna hang out on Christmas break?"
Brandon nodded. "Mmhmm, I do."
"Is it okay if I give you your present then?"
Brandon glanced at her. "Yeah, sure. You didn't even have to get me anything."
Katelyn blushed. "Oohhh, but I wanted to! I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will," he said, hugging her before heading off to join a few other guys in a game of frisbee.
Katelyn beamed at his retreating back before skipping up Dumbarton's marble steps.
When Katelyn walked in Jenny was sitting on her bed, painting her toes. "Where were you, Jen? I thought you had been riding with Easy."
"Nope," Jenny shook her head. "I went into the city for a couple hours. Just got back half an hour ago. I ate there so I didn't bother coming to dinner."
"Oh, well okay." Katelyn replied tiredly.
"You alright?" Jenny asked, looking up.
"Mmm. Busy day."
"Ohh, okay."
"Yeah." Katelyn said, pulling her laptop onto her bed from her desk. She logged on.
CailinHeartsJamie: Katie!
KatelynWestlake: Cailin!
CailinHeartsJamie: What's UP? Where are you?
KatelynWestlake: I'm at Waverly..u didn't know?
CailinHeartsJamie: OMG! I knew u were going but I thot u were getting home schooled until after xmas break!
KatelynWestlake: Nope. Hey..Amy is supposed to be coming to visit me for a few days after break..u shud totally come 2!
CailinHeartsJamie: OMG! YEA!
KatelynWestlake: Anywho, I g2g. But yeah, talk to Amy 'bout it. Lemme kno, k?
CailinHeartsJamie: Yah 4 sure. Ttyl sweetie.
KatelynWestlake: Ciao Bella.
Katelyn put her laptop back onto her desk and smiled widely. "Eeeee!" she squealed, kicking her legs up happily.
Jenny looked up from her Chemistry homework. "What's up?"
"Cailin and Amy are coming to visit after breeeeak!" she squealed, bouncing up and down so hard her hair came loose from the ponytail, making her look like a 5 year old on a major sugar high, what with her huge eyes shimmering with excitement. Jenny laughed and got up.
"Kate-Kate-KATE! Stop that! Jeepers, you're going to break your bed if you keep jumping on it!"
Katelyn settled down and glanced over at her clock. "You almost done your Physics?"
"Nope. Just started-don't you have any?"
"Did it last night. I always do my homework Friday nights before parties so I can do whatever I want to on Saturday and Sunday's."
"Ah, I see," Jenny began. "Why?"
"I want to go over to Maxwell house and get a cappuchino."
Jenny squinted at Katelyn's teeth. "You drink those too much to have such pretty teeth."
Katelyn shrugged. "Wanna go?"
Jenny shook her head. "No thanks, Katelyn. I'll see you when you get back." Katelyn nodded as she pulled on a pair of dark wash James Jeans and a navy blue ROOTS sweatshirt. She brushed her hair and pulled on her white runners.
"I'll see you later, Jenny." Katelyn nodded at her roommate before plugging herself into her Ipod , listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers as she trekked over to get her drink.
Tonight Maxwell house was buzzing with students chugging down coffee after coffee, desperate to stay awake long enough to finish the essay or any other homework they put off that was due Monday morning. Humming to 'Can't Stop' as she mounted the stairs, Ipod and Drink in hand, to her favorite spot, she was thinking of Amy and Cailin coming to visit her. "Someone seems happy." she heard Easy drawl from behind her. She turned around to see him and Brandon standing behind her on the stairs. She shook the earplugs out of her ears.
"Yeah!" she beamed, stumbling until Easy and Brandon put out their hands to steady her. "Sorry guys." she said sheepishly.
"So what's got you so jumpy..I mean, jumpier than usual?" Brandon asked as they kept going up the elegantly carpeted stairs.
"My best friends, Amy and Cailin, are coming to visit after Christmas breaaaaak!" she screeched happily, setting her coffee down on a table near her favorite chair. Brandon and Easy lounged in the two chairs across from her.
"Really? They good lookin'?" Easy joked.
Katelyn stared blankly at him. "You touch my friends, you die," she said in all seriousness. "Besides, you have Jen."
"Ease up, Katelyn. I was just joking with you." he apologized.
Katelyn giggled. "So was I. Yeah, Cailin is soo pretty! She's modeled before, and Amy is naturally gorgeous. She doesn't need make up or anything. That stupid, lucky bitch."
Brandon glanced up at her. "You don't need it either, Katelyn." he murmured quietly.
Katelyn and Easy's stares went from the intense contest they were having to Brandon. "Uh, thanks. But I do. Have you ever seen me WITHOUT make up? You'd run away crying, I swear."
"It can't be that bad." Easy said as he stole a drink from Katelyn's cup. She smacked him in the shoulder and snatched it back, emptying the rest of the contents into her stomach.
"Sorry." I shake my head. "It is."
About 10 minutes later we're sitting in silence when the buzzing of Brandon's phone interrupts it. He whips it out. "It's from Callie. I'll be right back." he says, getting up to leave.
Easy scratches his neck awkwardly and looks down of the balcony's railing. I remember something. "So, what's the story?" I ask, putting my feet up on the small glass-topped coffee table.
"What story?" he asks, his face quizzical.
"That whole you, Brandon, Jenny, and Callie thing. No one ever did tell me."
Easy sighed. "Well, Cal and Brandon started going out freshman year. I had always thought she was cute, and I always liked her. So, one day during a party in the library-when she and Brandon were still dating-I took her up to the rare book room and we-"
Katelyn put her hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa, don't need to go that far into detail. Fast forward to the whole you and Jenny thing."
"Well, last year, when Jenny came, everything with Callie was kinda messed up. It all started when I went to visit her in Barcelona-which I won't get into, too long-and stuff happened. Jenny was really sweet, cute, and nice. One night I snuck into Callie, Brett, and Jenny's room, to you know, get with Callie. She had assured me Brett and Jen weren't there, so stuff started to happen, and before I knew it I was laying naked on the floor, with Jenny's comforter wrapped around me. Callie got scared, so she left, saying something about needing to get something. When I stood up I fell over again, which Mr. Pardee heard. She came in, and told me and Jenny we were in trouble and had to go infront of the DC. In order to save her ass, Callie asked me to flirt with Jenny, and Jenny to flirt with me-without telling us- to make it look like we really WERE in..like, and that I really WAS in their room for Jenny, 'cause if Callie got caught after the E fiasco she'd be expelled and forced to go to NASCAR school. Anyway, her plan, as you can see, kind of back fired. Because Jenny and I actually started to REALLY like each other. I was already tired of Callie's antics anyway, so I broke up with her. Jenny and I started to hang out, and eventually I asked her out. That pissed Callie off, so she and Brandon started up again, to make me jealous. But she ended up falling back in love with him about 8 months ago. Now I don' t know what's going on with them."
Katelyn scratched her head. "Wow."
"Mmhm." Easy agreed, just as Brandon came back up the stairs. "Hey, man."
"Hey."
"What's up, Brandon?" Katelyn smiled.
Brandon shrugged. "Nothing." he murmured.
Katelyn and Easy shot each other uh-oh glances. "You okay?"
"Yes, Katelyn! What did tell you the first time? Are you always so fucking nosey!" Brandon snapped at her angrily. Katelyn's eyes widened. Instead of retaliating she glared angrily at him and snatched her Ipod off the table and stormed out of the building. On her way past them she heard Easy say;
"Nice going, moron."
Brandon sighed and raked his hands through his perfectly disheveled blonde hair.
Katelyn just ignored it and kept going, all the way back to the room. She didn't even talk to her roommates, just striped down to her bra and boyshorts and climbed under her blankets. "What happened?" she heard Brett whisper to Callie, who came in behind her.
"I don't know," Callie shrugged. "I was just in a meeting with my bitch advisor."
"Ahh."
Katelyn rolled her eyes under the cover. That was a lie, and she knew it. Whatever she and Brandon had said to each other made him really angry. Angry enough to yell at her infront of atleast 50 other students.
Katelyn stayed snuggled under her comforter, to angry and confused to come out, even when she heard a knock at the door. Brett answered it. "Hello-oh, hey Brandon. Callie went to the library.." she said.
Katelyn heard Brandon step inside the room. "Yeah, I know. Is Katelyn here?" he asked, his voice regretful.
Brett nodded. "Mmhmm. Right there." she pointed at Katelyn's hair spilling out from underneath her lumpy blanket. Katelyn relaxed her eye lids and made it look like she was sleeping by drooling a tiny bit. "Hold on." Brett walked over and kneeled down by Katelyn's head. She lifted the blanket and came face to face with Katelyn's angry, pleading eyes.
"She awake?" Brandon asked, stepping closer. Brett poked Katelyn discreetly on her pale skinny arm, warning her to shut her eyes.
"No, I don't think so." Brett said, stepping aside so Brandon could see Katelyn's delicate sleeping face.
"Shit." Brandon muttered, sitting down at a desk chair.
Jenny entered the room then, and looked at Katelyn, then Brandon, the Brett. "What happened?" she asked, setting her purple sueded bag on her desk beside Brandon.
"I fucked up." Brandon whispered, in an attempt not to wake the sleeping-but not really sleeping-Katelyn.
"What'd you do?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah, it couldn't have been that bad." Brett assured him.
Brandon sighed. "You girls better not tell anyone."
Jenny and Brett swore they wouldn't. "We won't."
"Callie and I broke up." he started.
Brett and Jenny gasped simultaneously. "Oh no!"
"It's okay, we both saw it coming." he said.
Katelyn's shut eyes popped wide open.
"So why is Katelyn so upset about that?"
"Fuck? How mad was she?" he asked.
Brett glanced at Jenny. "Well her face was all red and she looked like she was going to cry. What did you do?"
"Well she asked me if I was okay when I went back and sat down with her and Easy, because I guess I looked pretty bummed," Brandon began. "I said okay, and she went 'are you sure', and I flipped out at her."
"My god, Brandon. What did you say?" Jenny questioned.
"Uh..something like, 'Yes, Katelyn! What did tell you the first time? Are you always so fucking nosey!'? he finished.
Brett's cat-like green eyes widened. "God, she was only asking if you were okay."
"I know, I KNOW." Brandon groaned. Katelyn shifted in her bed, and everyone noticed.
"I think you better go, Brandon. We don't want her to wake up." Jenny said softly, not sure whether or not to be angry or just stay outta it. She decided to stay outta it.
"Well, if she wakes up before the morning..get her to text me or something. Otherwise I'll see her tomorrow."
"Will do." Brett nodded. "Now you better go before Pardee catches you."
"Yep." Brandon closed the white wood door behind him.
Brett sat on the edge of Katelyn's bed and threw the cover's back. "Katelyn..." she said. "I know you're awake, girl."
Katelyn sat up, her big golden brown eyes looking around awkwardly. ''Mmhmm. I am."
"What was that?" Jenny asked.
"Exactly as he said, honestly. But maybe we shoul-oh, shit. Callie's coming back. Act like you know nothing."
Brett laid down belly first infront of Katelyn's laptop on the floor, Jenny sat at the desk, pretending to do her already finished Phyics homework, and Katelyn just laid in her bed, pretending to be asleep. Callie flung open the door, her blonde hair sticking to her forehead and her eyes wild and wide.
"What were you doing, Cal?" Brett asked, looking up.
"I did some AH-MAZING pot with some of the other girls."
"I didn't know you.." Brett began.
"Oh, me either. But I've just been under so much stress lately, you know.."
"Yah." Jenny said quickly, feeling awkward.
"ANYWAY, girls, I have an idea."
"Shoot." Callie said, falling onto her bed.
Katelyn took a breath. "Well, you know how the year has been a little..stressful, so far?"
Everyone nodded. " ch'yah."
"I know eh? So, I propose that started after christmas break we let NOTHING get us down. Boy problems? Oh well, they weren't worth it if they're going to screw us around. Friend problems? Apologize first, let it be water under the bridge! Body issues? Believe it when our friends tell us we aren't fat! Grades? Take time out of each day to study and let that be that. You try your best. If that isn't good enough, whatever. Just as long as you try and get good grades! We don't want anyone of us falling out of the special program. Teacher issues? Confront them! Any other issue? Try your best to resolve it, if you can't, let it be! And most of all, don't let other people get you down slash push you around."
Brett stared at the carpet for a few silent seconds before a huge smile broke across her face. "Good idea! I have way to much stress on my shoulders right now!"
Katelyn bobbed her head in agreement before pulling on a navy blue baby-tee. She tugged at her green, pink, aqua, purple, white, orange and yellow striped short shorts a tug so they weren't risen up, and hopped outta bed to go brush her teeth. "I know, me too."
"So about that thing with Bra-" Jenny began before Katelyn dove at her and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, right. Sorry."
Luckily Callie missed that. She was too busy staring moodily out the glass bay window. "Mhghm. Good idea Katelyn." She murmured. Suddenly Katelyn felt horrible, but she shook the feeling and went to brush her teeth. It's not like she could confront Katelyn about it.
-----
next morning
-----
For the first time in a long time the girls felt better-well, with the exception of Callie, but she didn't tell them about Brandon yet-when they all woke up. Everyone was smiling and talking happily as they got ready for the day. "Well I feel better." Brett yawned.
"Yeah, me too. Except I just remembered we have exams in 4 days." Katelyn groaned.
Callie pulled a blue silk D&G t-shirt over her head before turning to face them. "Haven't you been studying? You know, grade 12 exams are gonna be alot harder than grade 11."
Katelyn rolled her eyes. "Well duh, of course I've been studying! And they can't be that much different, it's only a year difference between 12 and 11."
Brett shrugged. "Yeah, but it's still a good idea to study alot. Especially since you girls just got moved up."
Jenny looked scared. "I've been doing great here..and studying during 95 of my spare time...but I'm still nervous."
Katelyn agreed. "Yeah, me too. But Jenny, we can't be nervous. If we keep thinking 'we can't do this', we WON'T be able to. If we think like 'I can do this! I'm smart, I studied alot, I know this!' we WILL be able to.''
Jenny rolled her eyes. "I know that, Katelyn." she said, leaning over Brett's desk to her mirror as she applied some Urban Decay in Cherry lipgloss.
Katelyn shrugged as she pulled on a white boloro over a light blue camisole. She fastened it with a golden coloured brooch before yanking on her favorite pair of light washed distressed jeans and blazer. "Oh, shit," Katelyn screeched. "We have 10 minutes to get to chapel! C'mon, we gotta hurry!" she cried, pulling on her loafers.
Brett slipped her blazer over her blue cable-knit sweater. "Yeah, c'mon, Callie. Let's GO!" she said, pulling her best friend away from the mirror.
Callie groaned, but followed. "I wasn't done my hair!" she complained. Brett looked at it. It was down, brushed, and shiney.
"It looks fine. Put your shoes on." Callie did as Brett told her because Brett was scary when she was mad. And being late made her mad.
12 minutes later the roommates slid into their respective seats at chapel.
"Hey, Westlake. You were almost late." Heath Ferro breathed into her ear from behind. Katelyn whipped around.
Giving Heath the evil eye, she hissed; "I know, thanks for the MEM-O, FERR-O."
Heath rolled his eyes and tousled Katelyn's hair. Everyone knew that bugged her. She slapped his hand away and turned around. "Ouch." Heath pretended to be hurt.
Across the chapel aisle she saw Brandon looking at her. She met his gaze for a second before glancing away quickly. Brett, who was sitting beside her, noticed this. "You alright?"
"I just asked him if he was okay.." she whispered to her. Brett patted her shoulder.
''I know. Boys can be huge jerks sometimes."
Katelyn slumped a little in her seat. "Mmm. I know, be-liiiieve me. But it's Brandon. He's never freaked out at me before."
"Buchanan freaked at you! What'd you do!" Heath asked excitedly. Any sort of gossip turned this guy's crank.
Brett's green eyes narrowed. "Mind your own buisness. Besides, he's your ROOMMATE, if he wanted you to know, he would've told you."
Katelyn shook her head. "Yeah, Heath. Screw off. Please."
"Don't mind if I-"
"Heath! Katelyn! Brett! Shh!" Mrs. Tullington, the secretary, warned them from her seat a few meters away. All three students immediately quieted and sat up right.
-----
30 minutes later
-----
Brett had promised to walk with Katelyn to the dining hall, so she could avoid Brandon. Even though it was going to be decidedly difficult, seeing as they all sat at the same table. "Now Katelyn, when we get there, don't even look at him. Don't talk to him either. You didn't do anything wrong, he did. So if he wants to be your friend, he's gonna have to apologize to YOU. Talk to YOU, okay?"
"But it's so hard to ignore..people. For me." Katelyn whined. Brett linked her arm through hers.
''Don't worry. I'm sure it won't take him long to apologize. Brandon is usually a real nice guy."
"Yeah, I know.
-----
Dining hall
-----
After they got their breakfast, Katelyn and Brett sat down. Brett was careful to place herself between Callie and Brandon, while Katelyn sat herself between Easy and Jenny. Across from them. No one really paid any attention to the silence except for the people who knew about the tension; Katelyn, Brett, Jenny, Brandon and Easy. A couple times Katelyn noticed Brandon trying to get her attention, and she wanted to respond. Really, she did. But not infront of all these people. Easy tried to break the silence.
"You guys ready for exams?" he asked nervously.
"As ready as I'm gonna be." Jenny chuckled.
"Kate? Brandon?"
"As ready as I ever will be." she murmured.
"Mhm." Brandon agreed.
Brett coughed. "Well, as much as I'm enjoying this awkwardness, I forgot to back the right books for this morning. I've gotta go. Katelyn, come with me?" she asked. It was more of a demand.
Katelyn nodded, pushed her plate away, and stood up. "Uh..yeah. I..yeah. Let's go."
Once their feet hit the concrete path Katelyn groaned. "Damn. How awkward was that?"
Brett wrinkled her nose. "The most awkward thing I've witnessed in a year. Since the Callie-Easy-Jenny thing started."
"Wow..." Katelyn laughed, but her voice trailed off at the end.
"You know, this can't go on forever. You two are going to have to talk to each other again." Brett said, bending over to wipe some fresh-cut wet grass off her round-toe high heels.
Katelyn shoved her hands into her pockets and kept walking.
-----
Visiting Hour
-----
It seemed that at visiting hour after dinner(the one before was normally used for cleaning up after sports practice) everyone had something to do. Whether it was sneaking off into the woods to participate in some 'illegal activity', play a game with their friends on the quad, read in groups, write, surf the internet, send IM's, or lastly, study. If you had any sort of social life, you were always doing one of the first 6 things. Usually Katelyn was surrounded by her friends, or curled up in Maxwell house during this time, but right now she just felt like staying away from everyone. So instead of going with Jenny to get a latte and read the book they had to read for english class, she was settled on her bed with her Math, History, and English text books spread out infront of her. Right now she was going over some intense molecular compounds/other stupid science things she'll never need to know. It was relatively quiet in the dorm, except for some bizarre music that sounded like a mix of country and jazz acid funk coming from the room a few doors down across the hall. That didn't last long though, because that was a girl named Alicia's room, and she was a study-a-holic, and shut it off to study for a bazillion hours, even though it'd just last 'til her boisterous roommate got back.
It seemed like 3 years had passed since she heard from anyone, when her phone jumped inside her nightstand drawer. She rolled over to get it, but fell off the bed. "Ouuuuch." she moaned, sitting up again. She pulled open the drawer and took her phone out from under the mess of paper's, pen's, deodorant, and hair things. "Yeah?" she greeted tiredly.
"Katelyn?"
She froze. "Yes, Brandon, it's me. Or did you call my cell phone number expecting someone else?"
"I guess I deserved that." he replied, a slight drag to his normaly happy voice, which made Katelyn feel sorry for him. Just a little.
"Hmpfh. What can I do for you?"
Brandon sighed. ''Can I talk to you?"
"Uh..you're doing that right now." she retorted.
"Katelyn, come on. I mean in person." he asked, his voice a little desperate.
Katelyn narrowed her eyes at him, even though she knew he couldn't see. "And why should I-" she began when Jenny came in. 'Who's that?' Jenny mouthed, noticing Katelyn's sour expression. She covered the recieved.
"Brandon." Katelyn whispered before pressing the phone back against her ear. "Anywho. I would normally love to see you, you know that, but I don't want to get my head bitten off for showing concern. Again."
Brandon raked his hand through his hair. "I promise, Katelyn. I'm really sorry about what I did yesterday. Like you have no idea."
Katelyn paused. "Fine. When. Where."
"Picnic table behind Richards. Right now." he instructed.
"Alright. I'll see you in a minute."
"What's going on?" Jenny questioned Katelyn, who was pulling her maroon Waverly sweatshirt over her head and tying up her hair.
"Mr. Buchanan has decided to explain yesterday's actions."
Jenny's eyebrows went up in surprise.
"Have fun."