Later that night in Naomi's room
"ok so you girls have a movie, snacks and plenty of water, pop and juice, anything else you want" asks Allison noticing that Naomi is very close to Katherine
"no mommy Ally, me feel like we have everyting we need…. Wait me stubbed my toe on somefing dismorning, me was focused on Kafy's shimmer eyes, me probwy make lots noise if I have to use bathroom, am me allowed to" says Naomi beginning to play with Katherine's hair as Allison sighs
"I know Cat said otherwise but if it hurts enough that you need to ask then Katherine might as well help you if you actually need it but she must not see anything you wouldn't show your brother, am I understood" says Allison as Naomi dozes off momentarily
"like what" asks Katherine
"well for one her special place Katherine, for another Naomi tends to prefer to go to the bathroom naked, as in without any clothes, something about cleaning every inch of her body after going, she's very OCD about it, IF she needs help walking down the hall then by all means help her but you must NOT look, if you do we will know, she tells her mom everything, and I mean everything, if you want to come back here after this weekend or say stay here longer term you have to follow the rules, Tori was thirteen when she had Naomi and her brother so she's very strict about rules regarding who can see what and when, if you get a glance by accident then you need to tell us before Tori has a chance to misunderstand and she WILL misunderstand sometimes, if it's not an accident don't lie and say it was, that's all I ask" says Allison
"what you mean by longer term… also does she always fall asweep like that" asks Katherine
"longer term as in living here part time if Naomi asks, she gets pretty lonely, if Naomi wants you to be here more often or even wants you to live here Tori may very well ask for that to be honored, she's far more lenient about that stuff with her than she is with Lucas, also no not really, she has nightmares, she literally fears dozing off, it was only today we found out it was because she has nightmares, she's holding you pretty tightly, she's almost asleep but not quite, her grip will loosen as she falls asleep" says Allison
"what she afraid of" asks Katherine
"snakes, I'm sure if you ask she'll tell you, anyway enjoy the movie and be careful" says Allison
"ok night" says Katherine as she starts the movie and Naomi wakes up
The next morning
"what's the nightmare report momma Ally" asks Lucas
"Katherine didn't get much sleep if that's what you're asking, Naomi played Tonsil……" says Allison as Tori cuts her off
"they absolutely did NOT kiss, I refuse to believe that" says Tori trying to calm herself down
"you're right babe, they did not kiss, apparently Katherine's mom had severe tonsillitis around her age, Katherine unfortunately has a nasty habit of biting her tongue or cheeks when she eats, Naomi was worried because Katherine's left cheek was slightly puffy, Tonsil hockey is the term her mother uses for the hospital scramble every time Katherine's cheek puffs up in fear it is tonsillitis" says Allison as Tori twitches 4 times
"that chain of events holds true to a story Miss Duncan's father once told me after dog sitting, apparently Miss Duncan had a lot of trips to the hospital in her childhood appendicitis one year, infected tonsils the next, it wasn't until she turned fifteen that they found the problem, a benign tumor somewhere in her body, I never got the details on that" says Cat as Naomi and Katherine walk into the kitchen
"Mom not look good, is she still sick" asks Naomi clinging to Katherine
"I'm fine Naomi, I took my meds, why do you seem nervous" says Tori as the twitching stops suddenly as if by an invisible hand
"you mad I help Kafy, me hear you upset, that why me wait to come down" says Naomi as Katherine sniffs Naomi's hair
"I misunderstood the term, I'm an adult, I'm not used to that term being used for anything other than kissing, do you love Katherine" says Tori as Naomi tilts her head in confusion
"Mom you told us that we weren't allowed to love because you didn't understand your sexuality or understand what love was so we can't possibly know" says Lucas as Trina's jaw drops
"Tori did you actually say that" asks Trina in a scolding tone
"I didn't mean it that way, I meant it as a cautionary measure not as a strict rule, as I've said before I'm terrible at this parenting thing" says Tori sighing in frustration at getting yet another thing wrong
"Katherine, what's your moms rule about love" asks Allison
"no age inappropriate stuff, cuddles are ok, childhood love is ok" says Katherine as Naomi relaxes, pulling Katherine to the couch
"do you like Naomi, would you like to stay here" asks Trina
"I mean I not know what my future holds, my mom would have to live close by if I live here because my doctor only let's her pick up my in-sul-in… that's a hard word, anway I def-in-itly feel close to her but I not know if I like like her yet, I'm not old enough to make dat decision" says Katherine
"I don't understand, how I see it is that it's one or the other, either you like Naomi or you don't" says Tori
"young love is different Tori, at least it was for me, it's probably the same for them" says Cat
"what was it like for you" asks Tori
"confusing as hell, the first time I saw you was in the grocery store when I was twelve, your dad was being very protective, hand on his gun the whole time, I immediately felt that I should be with you forever but part of my brain said that going to say hi to you would get me killed, I kept trying, fate kept me running into you, but your dad was always there, he scares me, always has, then I got accepted into Hollywood arts and I no longer had the time to search for you, then 'fate' dropped you at Hollywood arts without your dad and I finally got to spend time with you, it felt like I was dreaming" says Cat
"why did you say the last fate differently than the others" asks Tori as Cat looks down, avoiding eye contact with her
"Because it was partially planned, Principal Eichner asked you so readily because I asked him to, a few days before the big showcase I saw Cat sitting at her locker drawing you and her together, dancing, I realized what was up, I never intended to have my tongue nearly explode, my intention was to be too relaxed to be able to perform, stupid allergies" says Trina
"so all those times you called me untalented were what then" asks Tori
"my stupid attempts at keeping you grounded, I saw where you should be, there are plenty of pop stars that don't have that ground connection, something that keeps them humble, without a grounding background or something to keep them humble they get greedy and expect to be handed things just because they're popular, that's why I acted the way I did, not because I wanted to but to instill a hatred so deep about entitled popular people that you'd never let yourself become one, though one thing that bothered me was how you accepted Andre's ask to be his date for prom then never kept it going" says Trina
"he'd gotten accepted to a music college in New Jersey he knew I wasn't that into guys in general, especially after the whole Ryder Daniels thing, he asked me because he saw how sad I got watching Cat accept Jade's ask for senior prom, he wanted to cheer me up, all we did was sit by the fruit punch and talk, I told him about how I felt about Cat, he confessed feelings for me, we discussed how to deal with these feelings, I told him he had to move on, that while I trusted him as a friend, Ryder's attempt to use my talent and obvious feelings for him had caused me to mistrust most if not all men, that I wasn't sure if I could ever truly feel safe in a relationship with him or any guy" says Tori
"so when did you start having feelings for Cat" asks Jade
"that's a hard question to answer Jadelyn, I don't know the exact answer to it either, as Trina well knows I've always been attracted to girls on some level, it's hard for me to pinpoint an exact moment where it went from friends to crush then from crush to deeply in love, I simply don't have an answer, though being allowed to wring out her bra during the whole play thing was definitely a moment, she's very protective of her garments, she doesn't usually let anyone willingly touch them" says Tori
"you seem to be remembering that differently than I do Tori, I don't remember you seeming all too happy about having to wring her bra out" says Jade
"trust me I was giggling inside, what you were seeing me being upset about was the fact that it happened in public, in front of you no less, I don't know if you know this Jade but you are very intimidating" says Tori
"is that why you immediately went on tour the moment you released your first album" asks Jade
"more or less yeah, whenever I had a stop in Ney York city he'd stop by and we'd talk, the last time I had a stop there was when I got news you'd proposed to Cat, I was quite visibly tired and sad, he stayed on the tour until Vancouver, that was a total of ten stops, he said that if Cat said yes then he'd be by my side in the blink of an eye if I'd asked, that Santa Monica stop almost destroyed my confidence entirely, I was one drink away from calling him and giving up my desire to be with any girl" says Tori
"so why didn't it happen that way, if you were that close to giving up lesbianism why didn't you" asks Allison
"Reiner as always had great advice, he reminded me that Andre said Cat's more malleable than she looks and that I shouldn't give up hope" says Tori
"what did Andre mean when she said I'm malleable exactly" asks Cat
"he meant your impression of others, that you assume things until proven otherwise, that you just need a little push to fully understand things" says Tori as Cat mutters under her breath
"what was that Cat" asks Allison
"he snitched on me, I told him that in confidence, him and I grew up together, he grew up across the street, he's the only non family member that knew about uncle Creepo Christian, he promised to never tell anyone about what I tell him in confidence" says Cat
"how much have you been talking to him about" asks Tori
"I used to tell him everything, Hollywood arts made our friendship into a competitive thing, we drifted apart after the first few months of being at Hollywood arts, I became an airhead singer, willing to sing anything and everything, Andre was all about making music, it put us at extreme odds, something we never really reconciled" says Cat
"well he graduated and is coming to visit tomorrow, if you have beef with him feel free to let him know" says Tori
"wouldn't that make It awkward, I'm fighting with him while you're hosting him, aren't you planning to hire him to help you with your music" asks Cat
"he told me that out of fear I'd take my life but if he did so by breaking a promise then you have every right to be angry at him, you should absolutely confront him, I whole heartedly support you on that, however having said that it has been my intention to hire him, along with working beside Hannah, he's in debt and needs money, his family gave everything they had to send him there, nobody there will hire him" says Tori
"don't think my tone means I don't want you to hire him, neither am I mad he told you, to me promises mean everything, I'm upset he broke a promise, even if for a really good reason, he should have told me he broke the promise and why" says Cat hugging Naomi and Katherine
"maybe he not know you're new number" says Naomi trying to think positively
"I wish that were the case sweetie, he was the first person I texted when I got my new number, then Jade then Trina, he chose not to tell me" says Cat
"tell me honestly if you'd trust him walking around this house, the studio is in the basement, along with the spare bedroom, which is where he'd be living if I do hire him, I won't hire him if that would make you uncomfortable" says Tori as Naomi leans on Katherine, dosing off
"he's one of the best Tor, I couldn't possibly ask you to not hire him, it wouldn't be right nor fair to him, my issue with him is my own, it shouldn't impact your career, we aren't married and with Ally solidly in the relationship we can't legally ever be so" says Cat
"when will he arrive tomorrow" asks Allison
"around noon if his flight is on time, Cat I need an honest straight forward answer" says Tori
"just hire him, I don't want to make a scene, I'll probably sleep all day to avoid him" says Cat
"Cat as Tori's security personnel on behalf of the label, your mental health and sense of security matters" says Jade
"I'd rather not talk to him right away, you said he needed money, I'll talk to him at some point but I don't want him thinking that I'm a barrier to him getting the job" says Cat
"fine promise me you will talk to him though" says Tori
"I promise" says Cat
"now go get the bathing suit I got for Katherine, supervise them in the pool, Katherine has school and I'd like to clean up before that" says Tori as Cat goes to get the bathing suit
"I have itchy problem with bathing suits, it get bad quick, mom as result not make me wear anything in our pool at home" says Katherine
"this pool is new and still being monitored by the state Katherine, my rule about you not seeing anything you shouldn't of Naomi's body applies to you too, Cat's similar to you that way Katherine, Cat needs , I checked with your mom before buying it, she explained all the itchy issues you have with them, I also spoke to my doctor and they believe the issue is the dyes in the bathing suits that cause the issue, the bathing suit I got you is custom made for you, no dyes, hypoallergenic and it should fit perfectly thanks to measurements your mom gave me" says Tori
"oh ok, I guess it worth trying" says Katherine as Cat returns and hands the bathing suit to Katherine
"how does it feel" asks Cat as Katherine's eyes light up
"amazing, mom would never able to afford this" says Katherine as she goes to put it on
"Cat, if it goes well inform the company that we need more, oh and also get Katherine a Bluetooth speaker for the noise thing" says Tori
"ok" says Cat going to put her bathing suit on
"when are you going to be honest with yourself Tori, you own that company, you didn't spend a penny on making that girls day" says Trina
"wages count as paying Trina, also legally Reiner owns it, they're all around problem fixes when it comes to clothing, they don't just bend to my will, they also mend and fix several other artists clothing" says Tori
"minimum wage doesn't count" says Trina as Cat and the girls head to the pool
"they get paid nearly thirty dollars an hour Trina, I have the taxes to prove it, all the artists pitch in to pay the wages, if it hadn't been so last minute a request I'd have absolutely paid for it, I gave them a bonus instead, nothing is ever free Trina, don't let your old credit card borrowing ways confuse that fact" says Tori
"thirty dollars an hour, damn, you're treating them well, I'm sorry if I came off as rude, Jade only spends what she has to, usually meaning there isn't much to go around, the upside is she saves up for big things" says Trina
"oh speaking of, do you think we could set up an outside walk in movie theater if it was not a permanent structure, do you think that would pass their criteria" asks Jade as Tori chuckles
"you can certainly try, though the living-room is certainly big enough for that kind of thing, they will absolutely fight you on it, mainly because a temporary structure for watching movies would require ground mounted supports" says Tori
"you've tried this" asks Jade
"a few times yes, they will ask for specific information about the project, they will want every little detail, once you choose a location you will not be allowed to move any of the in ground supports without going through the whole process again, the plan was never to build this house, I wanted to put a second level on the shacks but they said we'd have to put support walls in, which Cat wasn't fond of so focus switched to this house, now let's get cleaning, I never thought I'd say this but having kids can be fun but the messes, oh God they're annoying, I don't want Andre thinking I'm a bad parent" says Tori
"you seem very intent on impressing Andre, why is that" says Trina
"we're basically an all girls house, Naomi and Lucas have no father figure in their life and to me that doesn't sit right, Karen had a boyfriend but he was barely ever there, they've never had a stable father figure in their lives" says Tori as Lucas nods
"did Andre agree to this" asks Allison
"yes, I made it clear that snuggle rights were being withheld for You, Cat and I unless we felt like cuddling, Naomi is absolutely a cuddle and Lucas is welcome to if he wants to" says Tori
"so this IS more than a business agreement" asks Jade
"always has been Jade, Ally and Cat cuddle with you and Trina whenever I'm too busy dealing with property stuff or music stuff, you think that's by coincidence" says Tori
"obviously it's not a coincidence Tori but Cat has trust issues with Andre as you found out, would she have really agreed to that" says Jade
"she had already agreed to a cuddling and cuddling agreement involving Andre, as did Ally, it's all about consent, Ally said she will more readily consent as long as Andre knows it goes no farther than cuddling, Cat as you guessed is less willing to consent based on trust but Will try, now seriously let's get cleaning" says Tori
