Chapter Seven

"I hate..."

Going into the kitchen the next morning my mother had already left for work but upon finding a note attached to the milk carton I figured at least she had thought of me. Pulling it off the carton I saw that it read:

Patrick. Don't worry about school today. Don't ask how I know what happened because I don't know, I merely know something is troubling you because I am your mother. Have a lovely day and don't forget to pick up the laundry from the dry cleaners after school.

Love always, mum.

PS- don't drink out of the carton.

I grumbled as I tossed the note aside and drank directly out of the carton anyway. School. She didn't actually expect me to go, did she?

Okay, so I ended up going to school anyway. It's not like I could avoid Kat forever and hopefully I could get that guitar for her by the end of the day and she will have forgiven me by the time Buffy starts.

Right. Keep dreaming, Verona.

Hopefully the guitar will convince her the teensiest bit that I am sorry, though.

As I parked my car (now making a really weird plonking noise that I had never head it make before) in the student lot I noticed Kat's car parked quite close to the main entrance of the school. Well, I see she didn't have any reservations about coming to school today. In fact she even seemed to have gotten here reasonably early judging from her length from the school gate. As I climbed out of the front seat, pulling my bag behind me I looked vaguely at my timetable to see what I had first period. No matter how long I had been going to this school I still had no idea what lesson I had next. I was soon holding the timetable closer to my eyes as my vague reading of the sheet in front of me proved to me that I had lit class just before lunch. Great. Perfect. Nothing could be better than this. And the earth is flat.

As I walked the familiar path to the literature class after my first two periods I reviewed over and over in my head what I would say to Kat when I saw her. Just before I pushed the door open I made a decision. I wouldn't say aything to her. Time heals all wounds and she would get over me soon enough. Good plan, Verona.

"I will." As Mr. Morgan muttered under his breath at the knowledge that Kat certainly had little reservations about saying what she wanted when she felt it right, Kat made her way up to the front of class and cleared her throat confidently. Even before she started I wished that I could be anywhere but where I was right now. Sitting with my hands slightly in front of my face I surveyed Kat and braced myself for what she was about to say.

"I hate the way you talk to me..."

Yeah, sorry about that one, Kat. But it's not like you've always been the nicest to me either.

"...and the way you cut your hair..."

Wait, what's wrong with my hair? Great, another thing to add to the list of things she doesn't like about me.

"...I hate the way you drive my car..."

Would I have had to drive your car if you didnt pass out from excessive alcohol consumption in the first place?

"...I hate it when you stare..."

I remembered the way I couldn't stop looking at her at the prom and immediately looked away from her in slight embarassment.

"...I hate your big dumb combat boots..."

Just take another dig at my appearance why don't you, Kat?

"...and the way you read my mind..."

Okay, I looked back at her. Well, she's not exactly ugly is she?!

"...I hate you so much it makes me sick..."

Well, at least I'm not the only one feeling as though I'm about to regurgitate my breakfast right now.

"...It even makes me rhyme..."

God, she really is beautiful.

"...I hate the way you're always right..."

Me? Right? What's going on here?

"...I hate it when you lie..."

Don't worry, Kat. I hate it too.

"...I hate it when you make me laugh..."

I smiled a little at that but hid it beneath my hands. Unfortunately, my smile soon faded quickly from my lips as Kat said the next line of her sonnet.

"...even worse when you make me cry..."

It was like a dagger was winding my insides around and around, pulling them from where they should be to wind around a sharp, dangerous object. From then on, every line Kat said was like the dagger was giving an extra wrench inside my body. Kat's crying was fuelling the winding. As she went on I could feel it getting more and more painful.

"...I hate it when you're not around..."

The dagger was winding around...

"...and the fact that you didn't call..."

And around...

"...but mostly I hate the way I dont hate you..."

And around...

"...not even close..."

I could feel it pulling on my insides. One more tug and I felt I would cry out in pain.

"...not even a little bit..."

I gasped inwardly, being careful not to make any kind of outward noise. I began to feel as though it were possible to die without anyone noticing.

"...not even at all."

And with that last line, she looked straight at me. Goading the feeling that had gripped my stomach. I felt like I was about to throw up and hoped beyond all hope that any emotion I was feeling wasn't showing on the outside. I wanted desperately to say something to her. To comfort her. To take her in my arms and not let anyone or anything hurt her ever again. One part of me was feeling guilt that I had never felt before. And yet, another part of me screamed in joy.

She doesn't hate me.

As the class watched Kat put a hand over her eyes and walk straight out of the classroom I wanted to follow. Once the door had closed I knew that all eyes previously on Katarina Stratford were now placed directly on me. I could feel them boring holes through my skin, adding to the pain the dagger was causing. The thirty minutes that followed that small drama were the longest in my life. Fortunately after Kat's departure, Mr. Morgan dismissed the reciting of any more poems for that lesson. After ten minutes or so the rest of the class had forgotten Kat had even stood up and beared her soul to the rest of the class. But I didn't forget. And as soon as the bell went I jumped out of my seat, ignored everyone else who had remembered Kat's poem and walked straight to my car. Ignoring the clunking noises I revved her into full gear and sped out of the school gates.

The next time I sped back through them I held in my passenger seat three hundred and fifty dollars worth of expensive instrument. Looking frantically around the parking lot for Kat's car I finally spotted it and breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't left yet.I tried to park reasonably close to Kat's car so that I could catch her when she came out of class at the end of the day but parking spaces were limited. The closest space I got was a few rows away from Kat's car but I settled for it. I checked my watch and saw that there was about ten minutes before the final bell signalled the end of the school day. And, upon finding out this information my palms began to become denonstrably sweaty, indicating that a confrontation with Katarina Stratford was not high on my list of favourite things to look forward to.

As the end of the last period drew closer I realised that the only way out of this was to take the rats way out. Grabbing the guitar I carried it past some of the students that had gotten out of school early for one reason or another and avoided the strange looks I was getting. When I reached Kat's car I found that all the doors were unlocked. Not unusual for a person owning a car such as hers. Nothing to steal, nothing to lock, really. I placed the guitar in the front seat and walked back to my car, making sure that I could see the car visibly every step I took. Not only did I want to miss Kat coming back but I didn't really fancy saying goodbye to the three hundred fifty clams I spent on it. Eventually Kat appeared out of the crowd, looking thankfully a lot calmer than she did as she left literature class. I watched from my car as she arrived at her car and looked inside it. Upon seeing that the gift was met with a look of happiness I ventured towards her, confidence enhancing a bit.

"Nice, huh?" I said in her ear. She jumped a bit, looking behind herself at me. I tried to read her features for any sign of hatred, forgiveness but she kept her face carefully blank.

"A fender strat?" she asked incredulously, "is it for me?"

"Yeah," I answered her, "I thought you could use it. You know, when you start your band. Besides, I had some extra cash lying around. Some asshole paid me to take out this really great girl."

Kat smiled at me and my stomach flipped over.

"But I screwed up. I, um," I blushed a little at what I was about to say but Kat looked at me expectantly, "I fell for her," I finished, looking down to hide my embarassment.

"Really?" Kat said quietly. I looked up and saw that she looked a lot happier than she did in literature class and felt myself getting cocky again.

"It's not everyday you find a girl who will flash someone to get you out of detention!" I told her with a grin and she blushed a little herself.

"Oh, God..." she said with a laugh.

Praying that she wouldn't push me away this time I smiled at her then leant down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. She let me for a moment or two then broke away and looked at me accusingly.

"You can't just buy me a guitar everytime you screw up, you know." she told me.

I winced. She was right. However, this didn't really seem like the time that jokes would be inappropriate.

"Yeah, I know," I told her as I pushed a strand away from her forehead, "but then, you know, there's always drums, bass and maybe even one day a tamourine."

Kat smiled sarcastically as though she found my small apology very trying on her patience but I didn't care. I kissed her again which, to my disappointment, she broke away from once again.

"And don't think you can just-" she was cut off by my mouth, closing the distance between us with a kiss which I did not let her escape from. She made a small noise of protest before relaxing into it and wrapping her arms around me, opening her mouth for further invitation which I gratefully accepted. I had been waiting two days to kiss her like this again and she wasn't getting away so easily this time. Happiness and relief washed over me and I pulled her closer to me, holding her more tightly. Kat. My girlfriend. I hoped that I would never have to make things so heavily up to her again. I didn't want to hurt her ever again but I knew that it would probably happen again in the future. For now, though, she was mine and I would make sure that things stayed that way for a long time.

Awwww so cute I think I am going to gag! For those of you who are derranged and actually like this story DO NOT WORRY! It may be the end of the movie but the end of the story it is not! Next chapter to be posted as soon as I write it! Thankyou so much to those who have been reviewing regularly, its what keeps me going! You are my muses! And a message for Elijahbeth - there will be more Cameron action in the next couple of chapters I PROMISE!!!