Cat POV
Oh my goodness.
Not again.
I close my eyes, hoping against hope this is a bad dream. A very bad, spinny and queasy dream.
I don't think this is a dream.
I smell something very bad, and the sound of someone moving around.
Think you idiot…what happened last night?
Trenny asked me to go to a party, I said I'd go but wanted to come back…
Wait, is that Jade? I think that's her hair.
She's not facing me.
I open my mouth to say her name, but end up moaning "Ughhhh."
She quickly turned around and brought a trash can back. "Throw up?"
"Awake." I mumble, eyes tightly closed even though I don't know whether the lights are on or not.
"Awake huh?" She replied.
"Uhh."
"I'm going to take that as a no." She said simply, sitting on a chair next to my bed.
I bravely open one eye and barely see my dress from last night before feeling horribly nauseous.
I grab for the trash can and Jade gets it to me right before I lose it.
You are so stupid Cat! You told yourself not to go to another one of Trenny's parties!
He doesn't have good friends.
Or I don't handle their fruit punch very well.
I groan and take the paper towel Jade offers me as she lays me back on my bed. "Hi."
"Are you awake now?"
"Ugh." I nod.
"Eyes open?"
I obeyed and quickly closed them again.
The world is spinning.
Why Cat why?
"Ok. How are ya feeling?" She asked perkily.
"Like I got run over by a truck."
She giggled and said "Hey, I got something that should help."
"What is it?" I groggily ask, still not looking at her.
"A little hangover relief cocktail." She replied.
"And by that you mean?"
"A smoothie."
A smoothie?
"Seriously Jadey, I don't think a smoothie will make m—"
"This isn't a normal smoothie. Blue Horn, Repto Thoral, Celery, Spinach and chocolate. For flavor!" She said happily.
"How are you in such a good mood?" I ask, swinging my head to face her.
She already has the smoothie made.
"I chugged a blue horn earlier. I'm good. Now drink up." She said, extending the drink.
"All of it?"
"Uh huh Rockstar." She replied.
Hey! This doesn't taste too bad!
I don't plan on drinking the whole thing in one gulp, but I realize I'm so thirsty I do it anyway.
"Good girl." She said, as I polished the rest of it off and laid back down.
"That was…actually yummy."
"That's after a lot of trial and error. Believe me, I've had worse versions with more vegetables. That's what makes it work."
"How do you know about it?" I ask.
"Beck's mom made it for me once, I wrote down the recipe and have tinkered with it ever since. Haven't made it awhile though." She replied
"You haven't?"
"Nope. Stopped drinking. While were on the topic, why are you?"
"Ugggh."
"That's not an answer I'm going to accept Cat." Jade snapped.
"I'm a dummy, that's why." I answer. "Why are you here?"
"Because your ass got drunk!"
That wasn't what I meant…
"I meant how did you find out I got drunk?
"You called and left a voicemail while everyone was at Tori's."
"Everyone?" I squeak.
Oh no.
"Oh yeah."
"Do they know?" I ask, terrified to know the answer.
"Uh huh."
"Why'd you tell them?" I snap, suddenly angry.
"Only because I wasn't sure what to do. By the way, I found your extra key. It was under the couch."
"So you got me home last night?" I ask, turning back over.
I am kinda starting to feel better.
"Me and Andre yeah." She replied.
"Does Robbie know?" I blurt out.
I think my filter between my thoughts and words is gone temporarily.
"Yeah, but why do you care? You haven't exactly been the best friend to him recently." She said, not sounding pleased.
"I…How are things between you and Andre?" I buy time.
How do I feel about Robbie.
I still can feel him next to me, sleeping soundly.
"They're fine. Still stuck in neutral. Answer my question about Robbie."
"Why?"
"Because you basically destroyed his life! If you hadn't gone along with him, he wouldn't be saddled by tons off debt and having a parent pretend he doesn't exist! Not to mention having half the school hate him because of what you two did!"
I open my mouth to reply, but…
There really isn't anything to say.
"You should have seen him last night. He was as happy as he was before you trapped him here, and once I got the voicemail he went pale and left right afterward!"
Robbie…
"Now what have you done?" She finished, sounding furious and coming to the other side of my bed to look at me.
"I…told him…to forget what happened and become just friends again."
Her jaw dropped.
"Cat…how could you be so…heartless? He trusted you…took the fall for both of you. And you deserted him? No wonder he doesn't want anything to do with you!"
"What do you mean?" I ask, scared to know her reply.
"I asked him to take me here to your apartment, since I didn't know exactly where it was. Instead, he just gave me the address and said he felt bad when I asked for his help getting you home! Oh, and by the way, nice place! Thanks for lying about it!"
This must be what Robbie felt like when his world fell on him.
"Sorry." I mumble, plopping into my pillow.
"It's gonna take more than sorry. But we'll deal with that later. How are you feeling?"
"Better."
"Ok then, get up." She said.
"Whyyy?" I groan.
"Sweat helps. Push ups and crunches. NOW!" She yelled.
"No!"
"It'll help, I promise!"
I roll and stand up, at first wobbly, but then realize this isn't as bad as I feared.
"What about my dress?" I ask.
"Take it off, I don't care. You have to wash it anyway, sweat won't hurt." She replied.
I look down.
Very wrinkley.
Phoo.
I drop down and do the pushups, and absent mindedly go to wipe my face.
EWW! I'm all sweaty.
Wait…that was just 10!
I quickly do the crunches and I feel very icky from all the sweat.
It's like I'm a sponge. I move at all, and I sweat.
"Weird huh? Your body is trying to get rid of the alcohol, and you moving is like wringing you out."
"Can I shower?" I beg, bouncing on my toes.
"Why are you asking? This is your place!" Jade replied.
I didn't wait any longer and hopped right in. I was so caught up in the relief of not feeling that bad anymore that I forgot all my clothes.
So I traipsed back into my room, all clean with a towel around my head and body.
Jade isn't in my room.
"Jade?"
"Kitchen!"
"I'm getting clothes!" I reply.
"Ok! I'll take out your trash for you!"
I owe her big time.
Ok…shirt and shorts will have to do for today. I don't wanna dress up.
A few minutes later Jade came back and asked "Hey, you better?"
"A lot better, yeah. Jade?"
"Yeah Cat?" She asked, as I turned to see her hanging by the door.
"Thank you…" I move to hug her. She eagerly hugged me back. "Can we go see Robbie?"
She gave me a funny look. "Why do you want to do that?"
"I dunno…I just want to." I reply, looking to the ground.
"Fine, but you have to tell me why you got drunk last night. C'mon…sit." She said, gesturing to my bed.
I plop down instead, and she sat softly next to me.
"Trenny asked me to go to this party with him…and after last time I told myself I didn't want to drink. So I got the fruit punch. But the next thing I remember is waking up here."
She smirked above me. "You need to handle your alcohol better. You can't go blacking out without seriously overdoing it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you kept on mumbling stuff about shots and beer pong. Zeus Juice doesn't get you this drunk." She said simply.
"What's Zeus Juice?" I dumbly repeat back to her.
"Fruit punch mixed with alcohol. It's for lightweights." She said dismissively.
"I'm not a lightweight!" I snap at her, sitting up.
"Yeah, you are."
"Jade!"
"Hey, I'm just the messenger. Did…your boyfriend force you to go?" She asked, clearly uncomfortable.
"No…why are you nervous?"
"Because, I saw him last night. He doesn't seem like your kind of guy."
"Whatever." I snap at her. "Can we go see Robbie?"
Trenny is perfect.
Well…maybe not perfect, but he's good enough for me.
"Sure. You want make up?" Jade asked, looking at me weird.
"Oh yeah…"
I quickly scurried past her and hastily applied enough makeup to make me look nice.
I want to look nice for Robbie.
"What time is it?" I asked, as Jade grabbed her purse and I stopped at the door.
"About noon. You slept for awhile." She replied, opening the door.
The drive over was nice. We stopped at a snow cone shop and got one each.
I got cherry.
Yum…Wait.
Why is Robbie's front door open?
"Driveway is full, we'll have to park here." Jade told me, stopping the car.
"Ok, did you see his front door?" I asked, finishing the last of my snow cone.
"No, why?"
"It was open." I replied, as she got out of the car.
"Hmm. That's weird. We'll shut it behind us then. C'mon." Jade waved me past his gated yard.
Wait…
Jade walked right to the door, ignoring what sounds like…
She quickly froze and waved me to her.
"I said what are you doing here Dad?" A voice angrily yelled.
Robbie.
"Why's he yelling at his dad?" I asked.
Jade shrugged, and crept inside the house.
ARE YOU CRAZY?
She quickly waved me in, and the voices became much clearer.
"I'm here to speak to your mother Robbie. Where is she?" A deeper voice asked.
Is that Robbie's dad?
"Working. Now go. You aren't welcome here now. We changed the locks for a reason you know." Robbie snapped, sounding very unhappy.
Wait…
The court documents! His dad dumped all those legal bills on him!
Robbie HATES his father!
Oh no!
"I'll go ahead and wait here, thanks though. Do you have any idea when she'll be back?" The other voice asked.
I poke my head around the corner to see a dining room, with Robbie's back turned talking to another man, who was getting water or something to drink.
Jade quickly yanked me back.
"I think that's Robbie's dad!" I tell her.
She quickly looked astonished. "He hates him apparently!" She whispered back.
"No. I told you to leave. You aren't welcome in this house." Robbie said.
"It's my house. I bought it." His dad replied.
"Mom changed the lease you asshole. Kinda like you changed my birth certificate?"
"What are you getting at?"
"Why am I not calling you by real name? Acco9rding to the new birth certificate, there was no father present!" Robbie snapped, voice rising rapidly.
"So? I don't want to be associated to a rapist! I have a career to protect."
"Oh, a career huh? Over your son? Screw you! I didn't rape her!"
"Stop lying Robbie. It's pointless. You need to be accountable for your actions and who you have sex with. From what your mother told me, the girl is apparently crazy." His father said, sounding disgusted.
HE JUST CALLED ME CRAZY!
"Cat is not crazy! Fuck you!"
Jade suddenly looked shocked.
Robbie swore!
"Don't you swear at me young man. That girl didn't want to have sex with you, and she sure as hell doesn't love you." His father said.
I move to confront his father, but Jade grabbed me and put her hand over my mouth.
"Shh!"
"She…" Robbie began.
"HAH! I knew it! You raped that poor girl and you feel no remorse about it! She'll never love you!"
"Hey! You don't know the story! She gave me permission to do what I did!" Robbie snapped at him.
"But you don't love her! And she doesn't love you!"
"I do too love her! You don't know a damn thing about love! Look how your marriage turned out! It ruined my life you selfish prick!" Robbie exploded.
"Don't you lecture me about love boy. You wouldn't know love if it hit you in the face!"
"I do too! I would do ANYTHING for her! I would die for her if I had to! You wouldn't die for anyone! You'd use them as human shields like you did with me!"
"You aren't a human shield, you're the scum of the earth. Like all other rapists." His father growled.
HE DIDN'T RAPE ME!
His father is horrible!
I turn to look at Jade and see looks appalled at what we're hearing.
Why did I want to come today?
"How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't rape Cat! I love her!"
"Sure you do. Has your mother sent you to a psychologist? I know you are going to a therapist." His father changed tune.
"No, the court did. You should go, for disowning your only son just to save some money."
"I didn't save any money."
Robbie blew up. "THEN WHY DO I HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LEGAL DEBT BECAUSE OF YOU?"
"That isn't my fault. Your mother hired a very expensive lawyer." His father deadpanned.
"YOU LYING ASSHOLE! I SAW THE DOCUMENTS! RAT'S EYE IS OBSCENELY EXPENSIVE! AND YOU USED THAT LEGAL STUNT TO DUMP THE BILL ON ME!"
"That's no comparison to the damage you did to that girl you fucked." His father said, sounding like he was smirking.
"I can't believe this guy!" Jade hissed to me, still holding on to me.
I can't either.
This is like out of a bad movie or something.
All because of me. And Prome night.
"Oh, she's just fine! Got a new boyfriend! He's the one that's damaging her! She called me last night, drunk off her ass!"
"Probably trying to deal with what you did to violate her. Poor girl." He sighed.
"She doesn't deserve your pity you monster. He is ruining her! And he's in a gang for god's sake!"
"Great, so you fucked a psychopath girl that is with a gang member. Great choice in women Robbie."
I'M NOT A PSYCHOPATH!
And Trent is not in a gang!
"She's not a psychopath! You wouldn't know, you've never met her! And besides, you don't know anything about the women you sleep with!" Robbie yelled.
"Yeah I do."
"Then why so many? And why are they always screaming "NO?" They don't want you DAD."
"That's because I'm amazing in bed. But you wouldn't know that."
"I don't plan on it either. Now seriously, can you leave? I'm about to call the cops." Robbie said, taking a few steps towards Jade and I.
Jade quickly pulled me to the door.
"Oh I wouldn't do that Robbie. You'll just get arrested again. I doubt you want that."
…
"I'll call mom. Tell her you're here. I sure won't be." Robbie said, walking away from Jade and I.
Behind me, Jade opened the door quietly and shoved me outside. She followed me out and dragged me to the car.
Suddenly, Robbie's car backed out and sped off in the direction of the Pacific ocean.
I followed Jade to her car and got in.
She looks shocked. In disbelief.
"I didn't know his dad hated him so much." I mumble, as Jade started the car.
"Yeah…are you hungry? I bet you are, after the hangover." Jade replied.
"Not really. What about Robbie?"
Jade sighed and ran her hand thru her hair.
"I think we gotta give him space and let him figure this out."