Chapter 7

9 Hours to 9 Days

Hotel Room #667

July 10, 2020

Almost Midnight

Cat lies in a double-bed. Due to precaution and the age of her 60-something parents, Sam and Cat sleep in a different room. The 25-year-old shuffles and sweats as her nightmares about Nona persist.

Inside The Dream

Hollywood Arts: Sikowitz's Classroom

A distraught Tori hugs a 15-year-old Cat. Cat pats the distraught freshman's head.

"Why can't I pass that stupid Bird Scene?!" Tori exclaims.

"I can't tell you; it's a secret" the frizzled-hair redhead replies: "Come on, let's have lunch"

"Oh, what do they have for lunch here?" the fish out of water asks.

Cat shrugs: "I mostly keep to my Bibble. Some seniors sell alcohol in the parking lot, but you want none of that"

Tori nods, but then raises her eyebrows: "You mostly eat Bibble?"

An energetic Cat nods and grabs a packet of Bibble from her bag, but she notices something unusual in her backpack: No Bibble!

Cat sighs and shakes her head; her hands tremble. Tori raises her eyebrows:

"You alright, Cat?" she asks; the redhead shakes her head.

"No!" Cat snaps: "I've gone 9 hours without Bibble; my withdrawal system is bad"

"Withdrawal from Bibble?" Tori scoffs, "That's a load of Malarkey"

"Malarkey?" Cat turns around and squints at her: "What are you, 80?"

Suddenly, Tori morphs into Nora and holds a bottle of Vodka.

A Rental Car

Unknown Time Later

Cat wakes up screaming. She pants and shuts her eyes.

"You alright?" Sam asks as she drives the mini-car. Cat nods with her eyes still shut. The panting eventually settles down and Cat calms down.

"Where are we going?" Cat's eyes dart around the windshield. Their vehicle is blocked by multiple mask protesters.

"I'm taking you to AA" Sam admits: "I know you've been sober for 9 days, but I heard you sleep talk about alcohol"

Cat crosses her trembling arms and sighs: "I'm just worried of public perception"

Sam stares back at her: "Relax. It's anonymous for a reason"

Cat nods and stares at the protestors blocking their path

"Hey, liberals!" One of them yells, noticing a sticker on their car which reads "Wear a Mask"

"It's just like the flu!" the man yells: "COVID's a hoax!"

Sam grabs a quivering Cat by the arm, as if to calm her nerves. That all changes when the mask protestor cracks their windshield. Cat grabs a mask from the soda holder and steps out of the car.

A concerned Sam stares at the woman outside the car: "Cat, don't!"

The Streets of L.A

July 11, 2020

1 A.M

Cat puts on her mask and glares at the maskless protestor. He holds a picket sign with a crossed-out mask

"Aren't you Cat Valentine?" the man asks: "Honestly, I was a huge fan until you showed support for the Democrats"

A sea of press photographers swarm Cat Valentine and the conspiracy theorist

Cat shakes her head: "I have no time for this. Tell your pals to get out of our way!"

"Woman, don't raise your voice at me!" The man sighs: "If you want us to leave, then remove your mask"

"Absolutely not!" Cat snatches his Pickett sign and snaps it in half. Suddenly, a police officer shoots a rubber bullet at Cat's knee.

"OW!" Cat falls and scrapes her kneecap. Her former roommate parks the car and dashes towards a restrained Cat. The redhead tries her best to break free

"Let her go!" Sam yells as the photographers work at rapid speed, nearly blinding the dirty blonde.

Cat wheezes as she's yanked up with handcuffs behind her back. She's nearly blinded by the constant camera flashes. The officer points his gun at Sam.

"If you make a step forward, I'll take you in too!" he warns her.

"What are you arresting her for?!" a terrified Sam asks.

"Destruction of private property and resisting arrest" the officer tells her: "Violence of any kind is absolutely unacceptable"

The blood boils inside Sam, but she can't do anything as multiple officers point rubber bullet guns and tear gas deployers at her.

"Aren't you going to arrest him?" she points at the mask protester: "He cracked our windshield!"

The officer shakes his head: "Lady, it's just a crack. It happens when people act on their 1st Amendment right. Plus, it's a cheap repair"

Sam sighs and stares at the armed officers.

"If you wanna collect your friend, come to the police station at 10 A.M; it's by Hollywood Arts" another officer tells her.

Sam sighs and enters the rental car. She slams her head on the steering wheel.

The police officer tells the masked protesters outside: "Have a good night, sir"

July 11, 2020

Hospital

3 P.M

Jade paces the hallway as everyone else sits against the wall, distressed

"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Valentine" Jade hangs up and sighs: "Guys, Cat's still in the L.A Jail"

Trina asks: "Did he say if Cat's gonna pay for Tori's bill?"

Jade shakes her head and grabs car keys from her purse: "One way to find out"

Jail Cell #420

July 11, 2020

7 P.M

Cat quivers on the floor; her withdrawal symptoms are worsening. The woman pants and is on the edge. Her hands tremble and she hears voices of Nona. Suddenly, there's a knock on the cell door.

"You have a visitor" a security officer tells her from outside. Cat snaps out of her withdrawal episode; she sits up and fixes her hair to her best ability; quivering hands made it quite challenging.

Jade enters the prison cell. The redhead springs up and runs towards the former goth. The black-hair woman yells: "Dude, social distancing!"

An embarrassed Cat stops in her tracks and sighs: "Right"

Jade sighs and crosses her arms: "How are you, Cat?"

Cat shakes her head: "I'll be fine. Just miss you all?"

Jade jumps back: "Who do you mean by 'you all'?"

Cat rubs her migraine-induced forehead: "You know, Andre, Robbie, Beck, I guess Trina, and also Tori"

Jade's eyes shoot at her: "Did you say Tori? You miss you?"

Cat pauses for a moment and nods softly

To be continued

Date of Publication:

November 5, 2020