Cat Valentine, as it turned out, was a tiny little thing, with bird bones and a shock of violently red hair, along with wide, innocent brown eyes and a sugary sweet smile. When she came into the guidance office, she had chirped out a long and high pitched 'Hiiiiii!' with a giggle that caused Diaz and Fowler to glance at each other.

From what they'd heard of Jade from Lane and Helen, they didn't have high hopes for this girl being all that close to Jade. After all, Jade had pretty much been described as this girls total opposite. However, once they'd broken the news that Jade was in hospital after getting hurt badly (the news delivered by Fowler, who didn't really think that his partners bluntness was the best way to go with such a innocent looking girl), although no other details were given, the tiny girls face instantly turned to pure despair.

"J-Jadey's hurt?! What happened? Will she be OK? Was it that meanie, Ryder?!"

At that last question, hell, the last word, it caused both Diaz and Fowlers eyes to meet instantly, before Fowler lent forward in his chair – Diaz had evidentially agreed that maybe he was the better one to speak in this interview.

"What do you mean, 'Was it Ryder'?" Fowler prompted gently. "Had Jade spoken to you about him being a...achem...'meanie' before?" How ridiculous he felt, using the word 'Meanie' to talk about a boy who was now laying dead in the city morgue after beating and raping a girl.

Cat bit her lip and looked down a little. "I'm...I'm not supposed to say anything..." She whispered, twisting her fingers together. "Jadey made me pinky swear."

"Cat...Jade needs you to tell us. She's hurt so she's not able to tell us right now, but if we know, we can make sure she doesn't get in trouble or get hurt again." He felt a little bad, manipulating this innocent girl, but it was also truthful. Jade was hurt, and not able to talk to them but mostly because of her father, not her injuries – the physical ones at least. And the more information they had, the more likely it was to make it obviously self-defense, so as to keep her out of trouble.

"Well...we were out at the mall, um...Slausons? The super mall? It's Jadey's favourite. And well...Ryder was there."


"Jadey! Lets go get FroYo! Andre's working today! He always gives me extra jelly bean toppings!" Cat chirped, swinging her hands back and forth as she trailed her alternative best friend, who had brought them both to the mall because she needed new boots, Jade texting rapidly as she walked, just expecting people to get out of her way – which, they actually kinda did.

"Yeah, OK Cat. After I've got my boots OK?" Jade sighed, rolling her eyes a little as they headed straight for Milano Shoes, Jade's preferred boot store. She froze however, and Cat bumped into the back of her, hitting her nose on Jade's sticky out shoulder blade.

"Owie! Why'd you stop!" She exclaimed, rubbing her nose a little, despite it not actually hurting much.

"Ryder's here. Look." Jade nodded towards Milano Shoes, where sure enough, Ryder Daniel's stood, a frown on his brow as he seemed to glance around. Cat blinked as Jade ducked to the side, standing behind a concrete pillar and motioning her over too. "Did he see me? Is he coming over here?"

"Ummm..." Cat peered out of her impromptu hiding spot and saw Ryder, still in the same place, still looking frustrated as he glanced around. "Nope! I don't think he saw us!"

"Good. God, how did he even know I'd be here today." Jade muttered, running her hand through her hair. "Cat, did you say anything about coming here with me today?"

"Um..." Cat bit her lip and twisted her hair around one thin finger. "I um...said on TheSlap that I was excited to be coming boots shopping with you...but I didn't say where! Or when!"

Jade muttered a curse under her breath before chewing her lip. "Cat...just...keep a eye out and make sure Ryder doesn't come this way OK? If he looks like he is, warn me." She pulled her phone out and opened up a text conversation, not that Cat could see who it was with, but instead, she took her job as look out seriously, keeping a watchful eye on the dark haired boy.

"I know we don't like him, but why are we hiding?" Cat asked curiously, chewing her lower lip. Jade sighed and stopped texting, but didn't put her phone away, instead keeping it clenched in her hands like a lifeline.

"Ryder's...he's not leaving me alone. He's always showing up wherever I am and messaging me and...it's just getting super creepy. Last night, him and his dad were at mine for dinner and he...he tried to kiss me." Jade admitted in a rushed tone, and Cat gasped, covering her mouth before not just watching Ryder, but glaring too. "I pushed him off but he kept a hold of my arm and wouldn't let me go. I had to threaten to call for my dad before he let go of me." She rubbed her arm and pushed the elbow length sleeves of her green shirt up, showing a dark handprint on the pale skin of her bicep.

"Should we call security?!" Cat asked, now really worried. Ryder was such a jerk! He was always showing up at school now, trying to speak with Jade. And now he was harassing her at home? What a meanie!

"I've texted Andre. I just hope he can get a quick break." Jade explained, chewing her lower lip. "I just...normally I wouldn't text Andre and would deal with it myself but...I just want him to leave me alone. And he's not doing that, no matter how much I ask him too or threaten him."

Cat wanted to hug Jade a whole lot right then. Jadey was so tough on the outside, and seemed to be rude and mean to everyone but Cat knew deep down, she wasn't as brave as she came off. Especially when it came to guys not taking 'no' for an answer.

They hid for a few more moments, before there was a small commotion over at Milano shoes. Cat and Jade both peered around the concrete pillar they'd been standing behind and watched as Andre Harris, one of their best friends (and, to be totally honest, Cat's crush) shoved Ryder backwards, his face filled with anger, although neither girl could hear what was said. Most wouldn't know it but, Andre was actually built under his hooded sweaters and jumpers; he easily beat Beck out visa vi muscles; Beck was taller and more lithe, with a swimmer like body, with wiry, compact muscles. Andre, however, was a little broader and stockier, more close to an American Football player. And thankfully, Ryder was closer to Beck's body type and strength, meaning Andre had the advantage, despite being a little shorter.

Jade and Cat continued watching as the argument between the two escalated. Thankfully, security appeared not a few moments later and, after listening to Andre (who they recognised as the kind and smiling young man who always gave them free froyo when his boss wasn't around) instantly took his side, before escorting Ryder away, in the opposite direction than Jade and Cat were hiding.

The second Ryder was out of view, Jade and Cat rushed over to Andre who looked relieved to see them both fine and well.

"You girls OK?" He asked as he hugged Cat to him for a moment, before pulling Jade into his arms and hugging her tightly for just a few moments longer than Cat, before pulling back and holding her by her shoulders, at arm's length, looking her up and down as if he needed to make sure she was still unhurt. "Did he see you at all?"

"No...I spotted him before he saw us and we ducked behind the pillar then I texted you." Jade explained, with a sigh. "Sorry about bothering you. I just couldn't deal with him again, after last night. It's ridiculous."

"Last night?" Andre asked with a frown, looking over his shoulder as if seeing if Ryder was still in the vicinity for a good punch.

"He tried to kiss Jadey and bruised her arm by grabbing her!" Cat blurted out before covering her mouth with both hands as Jade let out a frustrated 'CAT!'. "I wasn't supposed to say!"

"He was over with his dad for dinner." Jade explained, rubbing the hand print bruise on her arm lightly.

"You need to go to the cops or something Jade." Andre sighed, running his hands through his dreads.

"I can't! You know how high profile that kind of case would be? Our dads are both ridiculously well known in the city! If they found out, it'd be a media circus that'd haunt my future career as an actress!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Plus, my dad and his dad are best friends...and he's not really hurt me. I don't even know if it's him that's stalking me, not really!"

"At least let them know it might be him! You've already filed a few reports." Andre insisted, a frown on his brow.

"No...it's fine." She shook her head but gave Andre a soft smile. "Thanks for coming though. I really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me, Boo. Anything for you." Andre promised, pulling her back into a hug. "Now, lets get back to the shop. I didn't quite explain to my boss why I ran out of the shop."

"I'll explain. Make you out to be a big hero saving defenseless lil' ol' me." Jade cooed, batting her eyelashes and Andre rolled his eyes with a grin, and Jade grabbed Cat's hand as Andre steered her towards the food court with a hand on her lower back.


Diaz and Fowler glanced at each other again. This was good; well, for the case. It seemed like Ryder truly was the stalker that Jade had reported a few times to the police. He may have somehow activated the 'Find My Friend' app on Jade's PearPhone at some point prior to the mall meeting, giving him a solid location, and if Milano Shoes was Jade's favourite shoe shop, and Cat had indeed mentioned shoe shopping in her social media feed, Ryder could very well have put two and two together and decided to camp out at the shop until she arrived.

"Did Jade mention anything else about Ryder? Or anyone else bothering her?"

Cat chewed her lip as she played with her bright hair. "Jadey didn't...but he kept coming to school even though he graduated last year, just to talk to her. And Beck...he was real worried. Kept telling us that if we saw Ryder around Jade, or saw him looking for Jade, to let him know." Cat looked around as if about to tell a big secret. "Beck hates Ryder." She whispered. "Anytime him and Jade had a fight or broke up, he always said Ryder tried to swoop in like a knight in shining armor, cause Jadey's dad and Ryder's dad wants them to date, but Jadey loves Beck so she always says no. But this time he said that Ryder wasn't taking no for an answer, so we had to make sure Jadey wasn't ever alone with him." She shook her head. "Plus, we don't like Ryder. He was...he was really mean to Tori." Cat sniffed a little at that, wiping her eyes with her fingers as tears started to well up.

"Thank you for all your help Cat." Fowler said softly, giving her a kind smile. "If we need anything else, we'll call you OK?"

Cat nodded, rubbing her eyes still and standing up, before looking at the two detectives. "Is Jadey really going to be OK? I couldn't...I can't lose her too."

"Jade's in the best hospital getting the best care." Diaz nodded, not really going into detail; after all, physically she might be 'OK' but she had still been beaten, raped and then killed someone she knew – someone she'd at least partially grown up with. The mental strain alone was enough to bring a fully grown adult to their knees, never mind a teenage girl.

Once the tiny little redhead had left the room that the school had allowed them to conduct interviews in – it was a small meeting room, most likely used for teachers and parents to discuss sensitive subjects, or for very small faculty meetings; it had a wooden table, four plush chairs and a small side table with waterglasses on it.

"Who do you think is Tori? She's been mentioned a few times now..." Fowler asked Diaz, tapping his finger to his lip. "But she's not been mentioned on our interview list."

Diaz blinked a few times before understanding crossed her face. "Ah. I forgot you only transferred to us from Major Crimes a few months ago." She gave him a sad smile. "Tori Vega...Victoria Vega. She is...was Officer Vega's youngest daughter – the officer from this morning?"

Fowler nodded, remembering the kind faced man who tried to recuse himself from the case due to knowing both the vic and perp – although in a case like this, he supposed both parties were classified as both vic and perp.

"She came to this school...and I'm assuming was friends with West, along with Valentine. Most likely Shapiro, Harris and Oliver too. Over summer break after her Junior year...Tori Vega killed herself."


So that's one mystery solved - what happened to Tori. Well, partly solved. As the story goes on, we get hints of why she did it - it's not mentioned a lot, but it's going to be a major plot point. More mentions of Jade's stalker, along with an actual appearance from Ryder as something other than a very pretty corpse. What do you think? IS Ryder the Stalker? Or is Jade just very unlucky when it comes to attracting guys who don't take no for an answer?

Hope you're still enjoying!