Yay more!
Cat woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She rolled onto her side, facing her table and slowly reached out to take the small device. It was Tori, her thumb hovered above the answer button before her eyes fell upon the tiny numbers at the top and she realized it was only six o'clock in the morning.
A full hour before her alarm was going to go off.
Tori had woken her up before her alarm.
"Ugh!" Cat dropped her phone back onto the table and rolled back onto her back. There was no way she was going to talk to Tori Vega at six o'clock in the morning. Cat closed her eyes and tried to force herself back to sleep, but it didn't work, her mind was awake.
Her phone started ringing again and this time Cat didn't even bother looking at the caller I.D. instead she let the phone ring through.
When the ringing finally stopped Cat rolled back onto her side and snatched her phone up again, since she was awake she might as well make the most of it and do something right? She found herself clicking into theSlap and checking up on some of her friends statuses most of them hadn't changed since their updates last night. So she clicked off of theSlap and instead decided to check some celebrity news websites.
'Mona Patterson joins The Dead'
Cat frowned, her eyes reading over the headline three times. That couldn't be true. Mona Patterson was too young. That wasn't fair.
It wasn't right.
Being too bummed to click on the webpage Cat instead decided to check out Mona Patterson's bio page. She took one glance at the picture at the top of the page and had to fight the tears that were threatening to fall.
Her phone started ringing in her hand, though she chose to ignore it again, only this time it was because she was too depressed to deal with Tori right now. Cat set her phone back on the table, just as her brother clamored into her room.
"Hey! I made breakfast!"
"Go away, I'm too sad to eat."
"Why are you sad?" He frowned.
"I don't wanna talk about it." She told him. "Please go away."
"Okay…" He nodded, "but I'm gonna come back."
"I don't want you t…" She trailed off when the door closed behind him.
Her phone buzzed again and Cat was ready to throw her phone at the wall with the amount of times Tori had called her already. Her annoyance quickly fell away when she realized it wasn't Tori calling again, but instead her girlfriend.
Hey, I'm heading into school early, so I won't be by to walk with you.
-Jade
That's fine. Sometimes in life you gotta walk alone.
-Cat
Cat pushed out of her bed and carried over to her closet to find the saddest looking clothes she could find and changed into them as she heard her phone buzz as it rang again. When she'd gathered her shoes and moved to sit on the bed once again to slip them on she tapped her phone awake to see that Tori had called her again, but she also had a message from Jade.
Um…what's up?
-Jade
Cat considered telling her that she was sad about Mona Patterson, but she figured Jade wouldn't understand. Sure Jade had role models, there were actresses she looked up to. One of her favorite actresses was in The Scissoring, but Cat didn't think that a death of her favorite actress would put Jade in the same kind of funk that it had Cat. Jade would probably just tell her it was a part of life. And that's true, it is. But Cat's sensitive to these kind of things. Cat gets super depressed if a favorite character dies on a TV show she really likes. She gets really sad (dramatically sad) when a show gets cancelled without a proper ending.
Cat takes things personally, she gets too emotionally attached to everything.
Nothing, I'm fine :)
-Cat
Much like every other time, Jade's reply is almost instant.
I don't believe you, but I'm late. I'll see you at school and I expect some honesty.
-Jade
Cat chose to let the conversation there instead of trying to reassure Jade with another text. Instead she shoved her phone into her pocket and grabbed her backpack and heading downstairs to the kitchen. "Cat, honey, what are you wearing?" Her mother asked, noticing her black clothing. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." Cat replied, dropping her bag onto the floor and sliding onto a stool at the kitchen island.
"Okay," her mother replied, but her tone was apprehensive. "Look, I have to go into work early, your brother can drop you off at school if you want."
"Whatever." Cat shrugged with a frown as her mother slid a plate of food in front of her.
"Cat, what's wrong?...did something happen with Jadelyn?"
Cat's eyes met her mother's as she asked, "what?"
Her mother sighed, "is everything okay with you two?"
"Everything's fine." Cat shrugged, "this isn't about Jade. Jade's perfect."
"Then-"
"She's sad!" Her brother answered as he skipped down the stairs, "but she won't say why. Here Cat!" He excitedly placed something on the table beside her plate, "took forever to find it, I had to tear my room apart, but ta-da! I found it."
"Wait." Their mother waved her hand, "you tore your room apart?"
"Yeah, but I found the button." He smiled, patting Cat's shoulder, "wear it today, yeah?"
Cat set her fork down and picked up the button to get a better look at it. "I'm sad. Ask me why." She read.
"Yeah, that way everyone around you will know you're sad."
"Caterina, what is going on?"
Cat slid off of the stool and pushed away from the island, "nothing! It's stupid you wouldn't understand!"
"Cat-"
"I gotta go!" Cat threw over her shoulder as she snatched her bag from the floor and made her way toward the door, slipping the button onto her cardigan as she did so.
Tori had called her again, it was starting to get ridiculous, and couldn't Vega see that Cat had no interest in talking to her right now? Cat took a small detour on her way to school this morning and cut through Hollywood Boulevard to check out Mona Patterson's star. She knew, she'd have to run into a few of the actresses other fans, people who would understand how sad she felt right now. Cat rounded the street corner and started looking down every few steps to make sure she didn't pass it. Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket Cat reached back to pull it out before reading a new message from Jade.
You know what Beck can wait, please tell me what's going on?
-Jade
Cat read the message with a frown, Jade was really concerned about her. Of course she was, Jade was her girlfriend and she loved her. And Cat was acting strange. But Jade wouldn't understand. Cat was sure of that.
So she chose to ignore Jade's text and instead proceeded on her journey to Mona Patterson's star. And when she'd finally reached it she couldn't believe her eyes. There was nothing. There were no mourning fans, there were no flowers, no candles, and no sad poems. No pictures, there was nothing. It was just her star. And a man who looked homeless, sleeping next to it.
How was anyone supposed to pay their respects to Mona Patterson's star if a homeless man was hogging all this space?
"Hey!" She scolded, it caused the man to lift his head, and shuffle onto his knees. "Um…excuse me," She started a little softer, "could you possibly lay somewhere else?"
"What?" His eyes were wide and he was a little frightening.
"It's—uh, here," she pointed to the star, "this is Mona Patterson's star and she was one of my favorite actresses and she passed away last night and I just think that it'll be hard for people to stop by and pay their respects if you're in the way."
"Well, I'm sorry to inconvenience you with my homelessness."
"What!" Cat gasped shaking her head, "no I'm sorry, and I didn't mean that." She paused frantically searching around before and idea popped in her head, "here! I have this." She shuffled her bag around and reached into grab a tidy-wipe. She pulled it out and handed it over to the man, "this can help you clean up a little. I didn't mean to offend you—Oh!" She jumped back a little startled when he snatched the wipe from her hand and shoved it into his mouth. "It's—it's not food." She said slowly before taking a few steps backwards her eyes still on the man before she darted back around the corner and took off in the direction of her school.
Maybe she'd stop by Mona Patterson's star again later.
…but probably not.
Why are you ignoring me?
-Jade
It didn't take her that long to arrive at school…and Cat debated shutting her phone off, but figured that wouldn't really be the best option.
Cat? Baby, please answer me.
-Jade
She wanted too, she just knew that Jade wouldn't like what she had to say. She'd probably make fun of Cat. Tell her she was being ridiculous. And Cat really didn't want that reaction from her, so she continued to ignore her while she sat in front of the row of lockers that contained Jade's own scissor covered one.
She did however decide to listen to the voicemail that Tori had left on her phone. She set her bag down and pulled out her wireless speaker to listen to some sad music she'd stuffed into her bag that morning before leaving her house.
'Hey, Cat, I've been looking all over for you. Where are you? Call me.'
Cat sighed and clicked out of her voicemail box and stuffed her phone away, before she leaned back against the lockers and watched as the other students in her school wandered around the hallway rushing toward their first classes, completely oblivious to Cat's sadness. After getting tired of people watching Cat turned her attention to the stereo in her hands, playing with the speaker mindlessly.
"Cat!" Tori squealed, Cat's eyes floated up from her device but she didn't respond. "Cat!" Tori tried again.
"'Sup?" Cat frowned.
"'Sup?" Tori asked, "where have you been? I've been trying to find you since I woke up this morning."
"At least you woke up." Cat told her. "Some people didn't."
"What do you mean?" Tori frowned, taking a seat beside her. "And why are you all sad?"
"How do you know I'm sad?"
"Well, you're dressed in sad colors and you were playing a sad song. Oh, and you're wearing a button that says I'm sad ask my why." Tori responded reaching toward the button.
Cat sighed, "Mona Patterson died."
"Oh." Tori frowned again, "I'm so sorry…that I don't know who Mona Patterson is."
"That's what's so sad." Cat told her. "She's one of my favorite actresses ever. She was on a really popular TV show from the 1960s."
"What show?"
"'I Married my Mom'"
"Oh, yeah, I liked that show."
"I used to watch reruns of it with my brother when he was in the special hospital where they used to handcuff him to his bed." There was an awkward pause between the pair before Cat continued, "but now no one remembers Mona Patterson or even cares that she's gone."
"I'm sure she has lots of fans who care."
"No!" Cat shot back, shifting to look at Tori better, "on my way to school, I stopped at her star on Hollywood Boulevard and there weren't any flowers or anything except for a man with a weird hat and some vomit on his pants."
"Yeah…um listen-"
"I gave him a tidy-wipe but he ate it."
"Well, I'm sorry you're sad, but we have a science project due tomorrow and we still have a lot to do."
"No." Cat shook her head, "I'm too sad to science." Cat hugged her music device to her chest and couldn't hold the tears any longer.
"Okay." Tori said after a moment, "where did Mona Patterson live?"
"Here in California."
"All right, well, what if afterschool we drive to her house and you maybe light a candle and leave it by her doorstep to honor her memory."
"Could it be a scented candle?" Cat asked, open to the idea.
"Sure." Tori smiled.
"Cause I have one that smells like cinnamon buns."
"Did Mona Patterson like cinnamon buns?"
"I don't know we weren't friends!"
Tori sighed with a soft chuckle and snatched her bag up, taking a stand, "okay jus-you find Mrs. Patterson's address and then afterschool we'll drive to her house and you can leave your candle by her door and then we'll go back to my house and work on our science project until we finish. Okay?"
"Okay? So you'll drive?"
"No. I-I didn't pass my drivers test."
"Why not?" Cat wondered.
"I didn't see the old lady in the wheelchair." Tori said quietly causing Cat to gasp horrified. "Well, I signaled before I hit her!"
Just as the bell rang Jade appeared around the corner pulling a book from her bag. "Jade!" Cat said.
"What?" Jade asked, pulling her locker open and pushing the book inside.
"If my brother lets us borrow his car will you drive Tori and me to an old lady's house afterschool?"
"No." Jade replied smoothly shutting her locker, with a slam.
"Wait!" Tori cried, grasping Jade's arm and pulling her back, "please? Cat's really sad because this actress passed away last night an-"
"Whoa! She passed away just last night?"
"Yeah." Cat informed as she and Tori nodded.
"Then yeah." Jade said, "yeah, I'll drive you guys to her house."
There was a small silence between the girls before Tori quietly asked, "why'd you change your mind?"
Jade smiled, "because it's been less than twenty-four hours which means her spirit is still lingering so I'll be able to breathe in the fumes of her soul."
God, and that is the girl I love! Cat thought, her eyes wide and distant.
"Maybe there's a bus we can take." Tori tried looking back to Cat.
"No!" Jade shouted, "No. I'll take you. We can leave after sundown."
"Why can't we just go afterschool?" Tori asked.
"I don't like driving in the daylight!" Jade snapped before she pushed away.
"Boy this is gonna be such a blast." Tori grumbled sarcastically.
Cat rolled her eyes before she moved to follow Jade down the hallway, barely catching Tori's, "okay, I'll see you later!" As she rounded the corner, barely witnessing Jade push through the door leading to the Asphalt Café.
"Jade!" She called after her, "hey!"
"What?" Jade turned around, arching an eyebrow.
"A-Are you mad?" Cat stepped back, slowly.
"No." Jade's expression softened. "I just…this is what was bothering you earlier, right?"
Cat shrugged, "yeah."
"You're sad because some old lady died?"
"She's not just an old lady," Cat defended, "she was one of my favorite actresses."
"Okay." Jade shrugged, "why couldn't you just tell me earlier? Why were you hiding it from me? Why were you ignoring me?"
"I don't know." Cat said, "I guess, I just thought you were going to judge me. Thought you wouldn't understand why this was affecting me the way it was."
"There are some things I don't understand about you. I'll admit that, but I would never judge you Cat. You feel sad about some actress dying…remember I stayed in bed for like a whole day crying when Amy Winehouse passed away."
"Oh, yeah." Cat reminisced, "and I took you a bunch of junk food and we cried together."
"Yeah, you helped me through that, and I'm definitely going to help you through this...I'd prefer Tori not be with us, but hey, I'm doing this for you either way."
"Tori's not all bad." Cat said.
"I could make a case against that." Jade smirked, "but since you're sad I won't do anything." She reached out and brushed her fingers along Cat's jaw before pointing toward the Blackbox Theater. "I got class."
"Right." Cat shook her head, "me too." She gave Jade a little wave before she turned around to head back into the school to get to her class.
"Tori's texted me like five times already." Cat said after reading the younger Vega's newest message. "She wants to know when we're gonna go."
"Well, it's not dark yet." Jade told her simply.
"But it's close enough." Cat tried, "Tori's getting impatient."
"Not my problem."
"Jade, I'm ready to go." Cat sighed folding her arms across her chest, "please, can we just go?" When the taller girl only looked at her Cat frowned, "Tori and I still have to work on our project and I really don't want to stay up all night trying to finish."
"Well, you should've just went over to her house to work on it after school instead of coming here with me."
Cat gasped in disbelief, "I tried! You wouldn't let me."
"I know." Jade smiled wickedly, wiggling her eyebrows.
Cat was about to say something else but the vibration of her phone on the tabletop distracted her, she cast her eyes down to glance at the new message it came as no surprise when she discovered it was from Tori. "She's really starting to get irritated, can we just go please?"
Jade's eyes softened at Cat's tone, "okay, just let me get another coffee and we'll be on our way." Cat nodded along as Jade pushed herself back and stood from her chair, "do you want another?" She nodded toward the redhead's empty coffee cup and watched Cat shake her head. "Anything?" Jade asked again.
"No, thank you, one coffee's enough for me."
Jade nodded along before she went back over to the counter to order herself another coffee. Cat shifted her eyes from her girlfriend's frame and grabbed her phone from the table before opening Tori's message.
When a we going? We still have so much to do with our project. If we don't go soon, I'm not gonna go at all.
-Tori
Frowning after actually reading the message through Cat clicked into the message bubble to type out a quick response.
We're leaving now, I promise we just stopped to get Jetbrew. Do you want anything?
-Cat
It didn't take Tori any time to respond.
No, I'm okay, thank you.
-Tori
Jade returned to the table with a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and a twinkle in her eye, "you ready to go babe?"
"Yeah." Cat replied with a smile before she joined Jade in the walk back to Cat's house .
Along the way Jade silently took a hold of Cat's hand which honestly made Cat's heart flutter. She knew Jade still wasn't one-hundred percent okay with flaunting their relationship, and there really weren't a lot of people around to witness them holding hands, but it was definitely a sign of progress in Cats eyes and she was so proud.
"What are you thinking about?"
Cat glanced over when she felt the light pressure of Jade's hand squeezing her own, "I'm just—I'm proud of you." She admitted honestly. When Jade didn't say anything Cat continued, "you're getting braver and becoming more comfortable with not only us, but yourself, and you have no idea how proud that makes me."
Jade smiled, "wow—that makes me happy."
They arrived back at Cat's house shortly after and Cat ran inside to retrieve her brother's keys. He wasn't around right now which made it a lot easier for Cat to be in and out of her house without having to deal with anyone from her family…she loved them, but they sure are weird. Thankfully she'd texted her brother that morning about borrowing his car because Jade had lent hers to Beck while his car was in the shop getting a tune-up, and he was more than willing to let them use it.
Cat snatched the keys from the spot they were hanging at on the wall and began to scribble out a note for her mother letting her know where she'd be for the night, but halfway through the note her phone vibrated in pocket so she set the pen down to look at her phone.
Don't forget to bring the hamster.
-Tori
Cat stuffed her phone back into her pocket and finished her note before she went up to her room to grab her new hamster before she rushed out the front door and handed the keys to Jade who'd been waiting on the porch.
"I've let Tori know we're on our way." Cat explained.
"Why are you holding a hamster?" Jade wondered, motioning to the hamster cage in Cat's hands.
"Oh, this is Fat Santa!" Cat said, "I got him at the pet store down at the mall, it's for the science project me and Tori are working on."
"You're working on a project that involves a hamster?"
"Sure am." Cat answered while she and Jade climbed into the car.
"This is a nice ride." Jade said before she noticed the rope that was strapped into the car. "Is this the seatbelt?" She frowned.
"Yeah." Cat said softly.
"You're kidding," Jade muttered, but she said nothing else on the subject.
Cat watched the streets of Los Angeles pass her by as Jade drove the small distance to Tori's house. Tori had agreed to meet them outside, but as soon as Jade had put the vehicle in park and Tori was in the process of climbing into the backseat Cat was pushing her door open and hopping out, "gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!" She exclaimed running up to the Vega's front door and ringing the bell. It took a second for Trina to answer the door, "oh, hey, Cat-"
"Gotta pee!" Cat hollered, pushing passed Trina and rushing up the stairs to the Vega's bathroom. After doing her business and climbing back down the stairs Cat met Tori in the living room, "check it out." Tori said, smiling at the project on her table.
"Is that the-"
"Yeah."
Cat frowned, "…is it done?" She wasn't sure because it looked finished but she hadn't helped Tori at all with it so she didn't understand why she would do everything without her.
"Not exactly. I've done the majority of it…I still haven't got the hamster to actually power the robot yet. I think maybe I wired it wrong or something."
She bent over to grab it. "I'm gonna take it with us, maybe I can get it fixed on the way there."
"Why don't you just leave it? We can get it done when we come back."
"Because I know you Cat. You like to push stuff back until the very last minute and if we wait we won't get it finished until way later or we'll have to rush it tomorrow morning."
Cat was gonna argue, but realized it'd be kind of pointless because Tori was right if it wasn't a class she cared about she most likely put off the work until the last minute and honestly there weren't a lot of classes she actually cared about anymore.
"So are we ready to go?" Jade asked as Tori and Cat approached the car. "And what are you carrying?"
"It's our science project." Tori replied with a shrug, "by the way, I got shotgun."
"What!" Jade snapped, "no, Cat's sitting up front."
"I didn't hear her call shotgun." Tori shrugged.
"That doesn't matter-"
"Ah, ah, ah," Tori shook her head, "it's only fair, I'm being dragged along for this just as much as you are, I'm sitting up front."
Jade's eyes fell to Cat who shrugged, "she's right, it is fair."
"You're kidding?" Jade scoffed.
"Sorry." Cat shrugged before she climbed into the backseat.
Tori grinned triumphantly before she climbed into the car and they were soon on their way.
"So Cat," Jade started from the driver's seat, "is there some reason your brother replaced the seatbelt with a rope?"
"No." Cat told her, "he just loves rope."
"What is that thing anyway?" Jade wondered talking about the device in Tori's lap.
"Oh, this is Cat's and my science project."
"It's a robot that's hamster powered." Cat explained.
"See, Mr. Hamster runs on this wheel and that creates electromagnetic electricity which flows through this transformer and then powers the robot." She finished playing with the robot.
"Isn't it cool?" Cat asked Jade.
"I don't know. All I heard was hamster, hamster, science, science, Tori's boring, kill me."
"You want a muffin?" Tori asked pulling the treat out and offering it to Jade.
"Sure."
Cat frowned, "You brought muffins?"
"Oh, no, I found it under the seat." Tori smirked. As Jade spat the muffin out before chucking it out the vehicle causing another driver to honk.
"Not so boring now, am I?" Tori asked.
"Alright, Vega! I'm gonna pull over an-"
"You guys!" Cat shouted over her, "I'm not going to sit here and listen to the two of you fight for the next two hours."
"Well, she's the one who—Two hours!"
"I thought we were just driving to some dead actress's house and lighting a candle." Jade said.
"We are. Her house is in San Diego."
The admittance caused Jade to slam on the breaks and the three of them lunged forward at the impact, Cat squealing in shock. "San Diego!" Jade snapped.
"Cat, we gotta finish our science project before morning!" Tori interjected.
"But-"
"No." Jade told her, "I am not driving this rolling chizbox to San Diego and back."
Cat couldn't hold in her tears, the thought of not paying her respects to Mona Patterson was heartbreaking so she sobbed into her hands.
"Just drive the child to San Diego!" Tori snapped.
"Alright!" Jade growled back, rolling the car forward again, causing Cat to lift her eyes and wipe at them.
"Please, stop crying." Jade said a little softer, her eyes falling on Cat through the mirror.
"I am." Cat said, wiping at her eyes, "I'm sorry…I'm just having a bad day."
"I've noticed." Jade replied.
"At least, this will make it a little better." Tori said, looking back to Cat, "you'll get a little bit of closure."
Cat sighed, heavily her eyes darting between Tori and Jade, "so…our project?" Cat asked after a few minutes, leaning forward in her seat, her eyes resting on Tori and the girl bent over the cage in her lap.
"Yeah," Tori smiled, reaching into the cage to encourage the hamster onto the wheel. "I think I've got everything wired together, but I haven't had a chance to test it much because I didn't have the hamster."
"Right." Cat nodded.
"You could've just tested it with your hand." Jade suggested, "just reach in and spin the wheel with your hand."
Tori frowned, "yeah…th-that does make sense."
Jade smirked, as she kept her eyes on the road.
Tori shrugged, "anyway, I've been working on it like non-stop for a few days now and I'm pretty sure it's good enough." She continued to push the hamster up onto the wheel and pushed the wheel with a finger to start its spinning. The hamster slowly started jogging along the wheel causing the robot to flicker very little.
"Ooh, it's working!" Cat grinned.
"Yay." Tori replied cheerfully.
Jade's eyes travelled from the road to the cage in Tori's lap and back to the road again as Tori reached into the cage to encourage the hamster some more. "Come on hamster." Tori said happily. "Come on!" Tori cried, watching the fuzzy animal, "go hamster! Run! Make electricity you fuzzy little beast." As the hamster gave up and collapsed the wheel spun to a stop.
"Why won't he run faster?" Cat wondered.
"Cause you bought us a fat hamster!" Tori replied, as the hamster started to run again, slower this time.
"He reminded me of Santa Claus." Cat told her.
"God, how much longer to San Diego!" Jade groaned.
"Oh, I'll check my Pearpad!" Cat grinned from the back, grabbing the device from beside her and clicking it to life. "Uh, according to this map, we should be there in about 63 more miles."
"Oh, good, we're over half-way there." Tori said, messing with the screwdriver.
"Hey, the hamsters running faster!" Cat grinned, watching the little guy pick up his pace.
"Yeah, come on Fat Santa!" She cheered. "I don't understand why we're not getting any power to—oh my gosh!" Her eyes lit up as she glanced back to Cat tapping her shoulder, "look, look!" They shared in the excitement of the robot coming to life from the hamster on the wheel.
"Yay! We made electricity. Go robot!" Cat cheered.
"He's alive!" Tori sang.
"Uh, ladies." Jade interrupted there celebration as thunder clapped in the sky above, "I hate to rain on your parade. But I think it's raining on your parade."
"Uh-oh." Cat frowned.
"Yeah. Yeah, it is raining." Tori said as Cat grabbed the pink umbrella beside her. As she was adjusting it to open the wind snatched it out of her hand and it flew into the street behind her. She squealed as the vehicle behind them honked. "Hey, Cat, I think I brought an umbrella, do you see it back there?"
"No, not really." Cat told her, glancing back to the streets behind her.
"What do you mean?" Tori glanced over her shoulder, pushing her hair out of her eyes, "I brought an umbrella didn't I?"
"Uh…yeah." Cat said softly.
"Then it should be back there."
"It…I uh…it was."
"Cat?" Tori asked.
"Whaty?"
"Where'd the umbrella go?"
Cat frowned, "well, you see…it started to rain so I put my Pearpad down and I looked around and noticed your umbrella on the floor and so I grabbed it."
"Okay?"
"Well, then I opened it like you usually open an umbrella and it popped open."
"Where are you going with this? Where is the umbrella?"
"It flew away."
Jade chuckled while Tori's eyes danced from the driver back to Cat, "how did it fly away?" Tori asked.
Cat shrugged, trying to block the rain with her arm, "I got it open and the force of the wind pulled it out of my hand and it flew into the night."
"Great!" Tori huffed, "that was Trina's umbrella, she's gonna kill me."
"Finally." Jade muttered with a smirk. "Anyway, we're in a convertible, there has to be a switch for the rooftop somewhere."
"Right." Tori nodded, "but none of the buttons are labeled correctly."
"Yeah, my brother switched them all around." Cat called over the rain as it started getting harsher.
"Why would he do that!" Jade called back, wiping her hair from her eyes.
"Who knows. My brother's really weird."
"We've gotta pull over!" Tori yelled.
"I can't pull over on this freeway, there's no place to stop!" Jade called back.
"I'm getting wet!" Cat cried.
"How do we put the top up!"
"Cat!" Jade called to her, "where's the switch to put the top up?"
"Right there!" Cat pointed toward the middle console.
Tori leaned forward a bit and hit the switch in anticipation. When nothing happened she hit it two more times. "It's not working!"
"I know, it's broken!"
"How long till the next exit!" Jade asked.
Cat grabbed her Pearpad and struggled to read the map, "ten more miles!"
"Ahh!" Tori yelled shivering a little.
"What are we gonna do?" Cat asked. Tori leaned forward and turned the windshield wipers on smiling as they swung back and forth. "There, that's better."
After a few swings they broke off and flew onto the street causing the girls to scream. "What?!" Jade cried out bewildered.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Tori cried before they screamed.
Luckily for the rain didn't last too long because by the time the next exit came up and Jade had drove off it the rain had let up. "There's a gas station." Tori pointed, panting a little frustrated as she had been bent over covering the science project so it didn't get too wet.
"I'm going." Jade replied, driving toward the gas station. "We've got to get this top up. Is it supposed to rain more?" She wondered, her eyes connecting with Cat's through the rearview mirror.
"I think so…I'm not really sure." She glanced at the Pearpad in her hands. "This thing shut off, I didn't get the waterproof one."
"Of course." Tori rolled her eyes.
Cat sighed, "will you buy me nachos?" She leaned forward in her seat so she could look to her girlfriend.
"You want nachos? Now?"
"I didn't eat at lunch and breakfast was weird—my brother made it—I was too sad to eat."
"I'll buy you nachos." Jade agreed while she turned off the road and into a gas station and all three girls climb out of the car. "At least it stopped raining." Tori said, trying to make light of the situation.
"For now." Jade snapped, slamming her door.
"Well, we have to get this top up on this car in case it starts raining again." Tori said.
"Yeah, I'd hate to get all wet and disgusting!"
"Come on, guys, let's just try and get this top up ourselves." Tori said, leaning forward and trying to pry the top up.
"It's broken." Cat told her.
"We know it's broken!" Jade growled at her. "Does your brother have any tools in the car?"
"I think in the trunk." Cat told her.
"Open the trunk." Tori encouraged as the three of them rounded the car.
Jade inserted the keys and unlocked the truck pulling it open before she and Tori jumped back in fear, "oh, my God!" Jade's eyes darted to Cat before she watched Tori step forward.
"What is this?" Tori asked, pulling out a bag of feet.
"Don't worry, they're not real feet." Cat said, looking to Jade.
"Well, why does your brother have a bag of fake feet in the trunk of his car?"
"I'm not gonna lie, my brother's pretty weird." Cat told them.
Tori chucked the bag back into the car before snatching a crowbar. "Let's just see if we can get this top up." As She moved to try and pry it up, Jade shut the truck and Cat stepped over to the other side of the top to try and pull it up with her hands, "oy!"
"Help me!" Tori cried glancing at Jade.
The girl rolled her eyes, but she grabbed the side with Cat and helped her pry it up. "Okay!" Tori smiled, "okay it's loose." She dropped the crowbar on the ground, "now let's pull up that top." The girls threw the top of the car up only to find that the cover was gone, Cat couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
"What?" Jade asked, looking to the girl.
"Our car is topless." She giggled.
"You know, let's just go back to L.A." Tori suggested.
"Yes." Jade immediately agreed.
"No!" Cat cried. "You guys promised we could go to Mona Patterson's house so I could light a candle and leave it by her front door."
"But Cat-"
"Please?"
"Come on, it's already late and we need to get back to L.A. so we can finish our science project-"
"Tori." Jade interrupted quietly, as a creepy clown stepped up behind the other girl. "Tori."
"What?" Tori whipped around and came face to face with the clown.
Cat stepped closer to Jade, taking ahold of her hands.
"Can I have a ride to your house?" The clown asked.
"Um…No." Tori shook her head. "We're driving our friend to San Diego."
"When are you going to San-Die-Ego?"
"You know," Tori said weakly before she cried out, "Now!" And she, Jade and Cat climbed into the vehicle.
"Go! Go! Go!" Cat and Tori cried as Jade slammed on the gas and they sped out of the parking lot.
"That was…" Tori trailed off, her head whipping back toward the gas station as it disappeared out of sight.
"Creepy." Cat finished for her, turning around and sitting back in her seat as she too had been watching the station disappear from view.
"That was even weird for me." Jade added, "I hate clowns." She shivered seemingly thinking back on it.
Cat watched her with a small smile, at least Jade was standing with her when it happened, she was sure the taller girl would've protected her if need be.
"Do you know how much further we have to go?" Tori inquired, her eyes back on Cat.
"Well, San Diego is only a few more miles." Jade shrugged, "maybe like ten minutes."
"Right, and you know the exact address?" Tori asked, still looking at Cat.
"I do." Cat nodded.
"So we're talking maybe fifteen, twenty minutes?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Cat replied.
"Almost there." Tori huffed, finally turning back in her seat and resting her head against it.
"Almost." Cat whispered.
Jade sighed, leaning her head against her left hand as she steered the car with her right, "sorry I couldn't get your nachos."
"It's okay." Cat shrugged, "maybe on the way back?"
"Yeah, maybe."
Tori's eyes fell on Jade with a confused frown, before they turned to Cat who shrugged off her look with a small shake of her head. Tori didn't know they were back together and honestly with how much she judged Cat for being with her in the first place she didn't really feel like telling her at all.
The rest of the ride to Mona Patterson's house was pretty quiet, the girls didn't really have much to talk about and Tori wasn't in the mood to chat anyway unless it was to continue sort of working on the project and encouraging their fat hamster to run on the wheel. And anything Cat really wanted to say to Jade involved their relationship, or at least romance in some form and that wouldn't really be the time to chat about it since Tori was around.
Jade seemed at peace with driving in the quiet anyway, who was Cat to ruin that?
"You have your candle right?" Jade asked as she parked the car on the street in front of the gate surrounding the house.
"I do." Cat picked it up along with the photo of Mona that she had brought along.
"Okay, well, go on." Tori encouraged.
"Wait, you're not coming with me?" She was looking at Tori, but she was directing her question to Jade.
"O-of course we're going." Tori said.
"Yeah, just…go first." Jade told her.
"Yeah, Jade has to soak up her fumes."
The black haired girl rolled her eyes before she undid her seatbelt and pushed the car door open, she then folded the seat down so Cat could scoot out of the back. She had her candle and the photo along with something to light the candle with clutched in her hands. "We're really here." Cat said her voice cracking.
Jade looked at her sadly, reaching out to run her hand over her cheek, "you okay?"
"I'm really sad."
"I know."
Jade pulled her hand away and Cat noticed Tori watching them over the taller girls shoulder, but she didn't say anything. "Let's go." Jade urged, before the three of them began approaching the house.
"I am soaking wet." Tori said.
"We all are." Jade replied. "Do you not hear our feet squishing?" There was a small pause as the girls glanced down and they squished again.
"There, Cat." Tori said, "there Mona Patterson's front door."
"Yeah. And there aren't any flowers, or cards or anything see? No one cares that she died."
"Yeah. It's so sad, now light your dumb candle and let's get out of here." Jade commanded.
"Kay, kay." Cat replied before she walked up the stairs, as Tori and Jade shared a few words Cat set up a picture and placed the candle in front of it before pulling out a match and lighting it, "I feel like I should say a few words about her."
Jade looked down on her, "hurry."
Cat lit the candle and took a hold of the picture, "Mona Patterson." She said, "I'm so sorry you died." She hugged the picture close, and cried. "I used to love watching you on 'I Married my Mom' and I…" she shook her head, her voice breaking, "I…" She glanced up helplessly at Tori and Jade.
Jade frowned, "go finish for her."
"But-" Tori gaped, "I-" She glanced at Jade who mocked her before she stepped over to Cat. "And…" Tori said as Jade took a few steps forward, her eyes on the ground. "Mona." Tori took the picture from Cat, "your memory will live forever in your work on television where you showed us all how funny and awkward it is when you marry your own mother."
"Amen. Let's go." Jade said.
"Come on." Tori handed the picture back to Cat and took a stand.
"Don't you think we should just wait one more minute and-"
"Who's out here!" A voice shouted as the door behind them pulled open.
Tori screamed while Cat and Jade gasped looking at the lady in front of them.
Cat quickly recovered and took a step forward, "be gone ghost of Mona Patterson." She waved her hand in front of the lady. "Go to the light."
"Cat." Jade said stepping over to the girl and patting her back. "I'm almost sure she's not dead."
Cat didn't believe her though, and instead stepped forward to touch the older woman. "Don't poke that!" Mona yelled, swatting her hand away.
"Why did you think that she was dead?" Tori asked.
"I read it online." Cat told her. "It said 'Mona Patterson joins The Dead.'"
"That's a new TV show you dip. There's a story about me being cast in a show called 'The Dead' I play David Schwimmer's wife."
"Well," Cat smiled turning to the lady, "nice to meet you I'm Cat!"
"Good." She smiled, "I have something nice for cats." Mrs. Patterson said as she turned back inside. Cat gasped excitedly looking back to her friends. Before Mona came back out with a water gun and aimed it at the girls who screamed in alarm.
"Whoa! Whoa! Now, just wait a second." Tori said, "this girl made us drive two hours through the rain in a topless convertible just because she loves you and your work. So would it kill you to be just a little bit nice and maybe-" She didn't get to finish her request as Mona squirted them all with the gun. Cat and Jade wasted no time in pulling away and running back to the car.
"Never ask me to do something like this again!" Tori screamed as she caught up with Cat and Jade at the car. "Seriously Cat? You couldn't've just read the whole article?"
Cat trembled slightly at her tone, stepping back and bumping into Jade, "I'm really sorry-"
"Look can we just go!" Tori continued, "I'm tired and I'm wet and-"
"Hey, Vega, relax." Jade snapped back her hands resting comfortingly on Cat's shoulders. "She said she was sorry, you know she feels bad enough. Let's not rub it in." She rubbed Cat's shoulder for good measure before patting it and stepping around to the door, "let's go."
"Kay kay."
"Yeah, sure." Tori waited for Cat to jump into the backseat before she climbed into the passenger seat once more. "But Cat is coming over to my house so we can finish our project."
Jade shot Tori a glare that went unnoticed by its subject, but not by Cat who quickly said, "but I want to go home." She actually wanted to go to Jade's house but Tori didn't need to know that. "I thought our project was done."
"It got ruined by all the rain." Tori replied, "seriously have you not been paying attention at all?"
"Girl." Jade growled threateningly which made Cat's heart pick up speed.
Tori nodded, "you're right I'm sorry. I know that not everything that's happened tonight has been your fault Cat…I'm just frustrated that we put off finishing our project for so long. It's due tomorrow and now we have to start all over and that thought alone is very frustrating."
Cat sighed, her eyes drifting between the two girls in front of her. She wanted to go with Jade, but she knew she had to go with Tori instead.
"I know…so I guess I should come over so we can get it done."
"What?" Jade frowned quickly eyeing Cat as they came to a stoplight. The redhead gave her an apologetic look but didn't say anything.
"Why do you care?" Tori asked her face screwing up in confusion.
"I'm allowed to feel, Vega!" Jade snapped back.
Tori frowned but she turned toward the road and watched the busy streets of California as they made their way back to Los Angeles.
They returned to Tori's around 10:30 PM, Jade dropped them off and promised to pick Cat up in the morning, Cat and Tori each took a shower in the Vega's house before they set up camp in the living room and set to work on their project.
The rain hadn't done as much damage as Tori had thought it did, because she had been covering it up when the rain had been pouring down heavily. It just needed a little tweaking and it was good to go.
"Come on hamster!"
"Run Fat Santa!"
"Yeah, baby!"
"Hey girls." Tori's dad entered the room, "What was the name of that actress whose house you went to tonight?"
"Mona Patterson." Tori smiled.
"Why?"
"She's on the news." Her dad frowned sadly, "channel six." He shook his head as he exited the room. Tori snatched up the remote and sat on the other couch while Cat adjusted herself to look at the TV.
'But by the time fire-fighters arrived at the scene Mrs. Patterson's house was already engulfed in flames and could not be saved.'
"My candle." Cat said sadly.
"No." Tori shook her head, "we do not know for sure. Lots of things could start a fire."
'The cause of the fire?' The reporter said, 'This cinnamon bun scented candle.' He held up the burnt candle for the cameras to see.
Tori and Cat gasped, covering their mouths. 'Mrs. Patterson is now resting uncomfortably at St. Billy's hospital. As for who left the burning candle at the door? Police officials say the only clue comes from Mrs. Patterson herself, who dazed and confused from smoke inhalation was muttering something about a Cat, apparently with red fur. Of course we'll have much more on this story a-'
While Cat gasped and clutched her head Tori quickly picked up the remote and flicked the TV to the cooking channel. "Tori?" Cat asked looking over to her friend.
"Shh." Tori covered her lips with her finger.
As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it!