AN: Oooo this one's short. Like only 900 words or something. Maybe a little less. But hey, I'm writing it, I'm entitled to make a short chapter right? Okay anyway enjoy this chapter. I like the end of this one, it's cute.

Catherine walked into the diner with the others. It seemed that the staff didn't quite like the idea of nine, semi-crazed looking teenagers. They were all seated at a long table. Catherine and Warrick were next to each other, and so were Greg and Sara. The others filled in the seats around these fours.

After ordering their food, they started to talk, mostly about random, relatively unimportant things. It really was amazing. Catherine fit right it to the group, like they had a space just waiting for her. She talked with them, like she was always talking with them, like nothing had happened. It was like these eight other kids were just waiting for her to come to her senses, just waiting for her and that's all.

Catherine, tough puzzled by this, loved it. She liked not having to explain herself, because she wasn't quite sure she would be able to. These kids just accepted her like she had always bee there, a part of their group. Like she belonged. And Catherine was grateful for this. It had been month since she belonged anywhere, and it was a good feeling.

She liked sitting at the diner, nibbling at her eggs and bacon and toast, talking to the others and laughing and joking with them. She like Warrick sitting next to her, occasionally bumping her foot with his. She liked the laughs of the others when she kissed Warrick's cheek, and liked laughing with the others when Greg copied her example.

It was a great feeling, belonging again. And it was such a strange group of people. Fredy, Cassy and Catherine had been up at the top of the school food chain, Catherine suppose they still were, sort of. Warrick was right there at the bottom. Nick came somewhere in the middle, having friends in both high and low places. Greg and Archie didn't even belong on the food chain. They had their own food chain, their own social ladder and they were at the top and the bottom. They were goofy and show off-y and loud and exuberant. They were the dorks and the freaks and everything else rolled into one, well two. And then there was Kiley who didn't even go to their school. And yet all these kids came together to make up the Nerd Squad. Here, social standing didn't matter because everyone was the same. No one was better or worse and Catherine liked that.

"Hey guys, guess what," Fredy said half-way through their breakfast.

"You've decided to cut off all your hair, buy a convertible and seven dozen cats and run away to Norway," Greg guessed

"No," Fredy said, apparently used to Greg's wild guesses.

"Tell us," Greg said impatiently. "I don't want to guess."

"What possessed you to think he was running away to Norway," Cassy asked.

"I have family in Norway," Greg said proudly.

"We know," Kiley said.

"Guys," Fredy said, calling attention to himself again. "Okay, my parents own a cottage near the ocean-"

"Which ocean," Greg asked, cutting Fredy off.

"In California," Fredy said. "So anyway, they own a cottage near the ocean, and it got passed on to my brother and me. So I guess we own it really. And Ty agreed to take us up there for a whole week," Fredy said with a grin.

"Which week," Greg asked.

"Two week from now, starting that Monday," Fredy said.

Neither Cassy nor Catherine was a stranger to this cottage by the beach. They had both been up their with Fredy and his brother. Never with this many people though.

"Oh I am so in," Greg and Archie stated together. Sara and Kiley nodded in agreement. Nick did to. Cassy and Catherine, well it was just a given that they'd come. So no all eyes were on Warrick.

"Thick I'd ruin it for all of you," Warrick asked jokingly. "Naw, I'll come. I'll convince my grandmother."

Fredy grinned approvingly. This was going to be a lot of fun.

When they went back to Greg's house, Greg introduced Catherine to his white cat, saying her name was Jasmin and that she was a Christmas gift.

"What's wrong with her," Catherine asked, not really meaning anything by it. But the at was missing an ear and a half and it's eyes were all cloudy and glassy.

"Nothing! She's perfect," Greg said defensively, hugging the cat tightly to his chest as though protecting it from Catherine and her horrible accusations that the cat was anything but perfect.

And this really hit Catherine. Maybe everyone was like that cat. They all had their issues, their problems, their ugly features. And yet, someone could look at you, ugly features, problems and crack and breaks in all, and think you look perfect. Absolutely perfect just the way you are. Like that white cat with only half an ear, and glassy eyes looked perfect to Greg.

Like Warrick, complete with afro, bottlecap glasses, weird, semi-glowing green eyes, and big feet, look perfect to Catherine. It was all perspective, just the way you look at things. Perspective and love.

"Sorry," Catherine apologized to Greg. She reached out to poet the cat's head. "You're right. She's perfect."

Warrick smiled happily at Catherine, as if he knew what was going through her head and Catherine smiled back.