Together Again
On the morning of October 16, 2008, Cat Trastamara had a very important mission: To get back together with her true love and confidante, Jean Pierre Louverture. That day, Cat had dressed in her usual fall attire: A red tank top, her favorite denim jacket, jeans, and kitten heels. She was particularly nervous about this day because she and Jean Pierre, often called JP, agreed the day before to chat and discuss their still lingering feelings they felt for each other even though they had broken up over April vacation six months prior. Even after their breakup, they concealed their feelings for one another even when they tried to date other people. This October day, they finally decided they would declare their love for one another and resume their relationship.
Cat and JP had known each other since they were four years old, when JP and his family moved to Whitehall from Haiti to seek out a better life. The very first day they met each other, they became close friends and played with each other almost every day. Sometimes, the two of them would play house and pretend that they were married. They would also share each other's secrets, insecurities, joys, dreams, and just about everything best friends share with one another. By sophomore year of high school, Cat and JP realized they had romantic feelings for one another. They eventually became lovers after six months of dating, and they were often called the Class Couple of Whitehall High.
Everything was going well for Cat and JP until the start of April vacation in junior year. The Monday before the start of April vacation, JP was looking up some information for a bottle of Ritalin from an online seller who sold prescription drugs for cheap money. JP had been under a lot of academic stress at the time because most of the classes he was taking were AP-level courses. As a result, he felt that he needed an extra boost to help him stay focused and awake for his demanding coursework, extracurricular activities, and varsity baseball. That Monday night, Cat was at his house to study for AP Chemistry, and she had just come back to his room after a quick trip to the bathroom when she caught a glimpse of JP's computer screen. "What's that, babe? Are you seriously resorting to buying Ritalin to keep up with school work," Cat asked with much concern. Responding with a quick lie, JP said, "No, darling! I wouldn't do something like that. I was just looking up info on Ritalin for our project due after vacation. You know Ms. Dalton hates it when her students do research for AP Chem projects at the last minute." "Thanks for clarifying, babe. I was getting worried when I saw what was on your computer. I know you have been stressed with most of your classes and after-school activities. I love you so much, babe, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you," Cat replied. "I love you too, Shorty," JP said.
On the Saturday of April vacation, JP had purchased a bottle of Ritalin from the drug seller he encountered online five days prior. After he bought the Ritalin, he and Cat shared another passionate night of lovemaking at his house. The following morning, as Cat was getting ready to put her clothes back on, the bottle of Ritalin had spilled out of JP's backpack when she accidentally tipped over the bag when coming out of JP's bed. Following a few seconds of shock, horror, and disbelief, Cat shouted, "You…you lied to me! You said you were just looking info up for Ms. Dalton's class project. I…I just…I am dumbfounded. I can't believe you betrayed my trust!" "Babe, I…I'm sorry. I didn't know how you would have reacted if I told you I was going to by the pills. I didn't even take them yet." "Who cares whether you took them or not?! The point is that you lied to my face. Sorry is not going to cut it," Cat exclaimed as she hastily put her clothes back on and grabbed her purse. "Sweetie! Don't leave! I'm gonna call the seller right now and say that I want to give them back. We can talk this out." "There is nothing to discuss, JP. You lied to me. I…I can't trust you anymore," Cat replied with sadness and anger in her voice. She further added, "If I can't trust you, how can we continue seeing each other. I can't do this anymore. Goodbye, JP." With tears running down her eyes, Cat angrily ran down the stairs as fast as she could and slammed the front door in JP's face when he tried to run after her.
Since that day, Cat and JP remained friends, but started dating other people for a short time to move on from their relationship. Around Independence Day, however, both of them realized they were missing one another's company, and they broke it off with their significant others, who also sensed that Cat and JP missed each other. Despite the fact that they came to this realization, they decided not to rush back into dating each other right away. They came to an agreement to see how they felt by the start of senior year on the subject of resuming the relationship. When that September came, both Cat and JP got cold feet and became afraid to resume the relationship out of fear of hurting one another again. They then decided to see how they felt day by day, much to the frustration of the entire student body and staff at Whitehall who were rooting for them to get back together.
The day of October 16, 2008, was the day Cat and JP decided once and for all that they would start dating once again. As JP walked down the hall to meet her, she had butterflies in her stomach as she took in the sight of her stunning beloved. JP, who was elected as the captain for the men's varsity soccer team for the year, bore a strong resemblance to Sidney Poitier and had deep brown, expressive eyes and a smile that could make the sun look dim. He was dressed quite shar in his button-down shirt, dark jeans, Nike sneakers, and his signature fedora. "Hi, Shorty," JP said with a huge smile on his face that made Cat feel weak in the knees as it always did for her. "Hi, yourself," Cat replied with much glee followed by a soft chuckle that always made JP's heart race every time he heard it. "So, are you ready to make our relationship official again, darling," JP asked. "Yes, babe! Nothing will break us up this time. I am so sorry for storming out of the house instead of talking things through with you that night," Cat said. "I don't blame you, and I completely forgive you. I am deeply sorry for not being honest with you when you caught me looking up the info on that Ritalin bottle before April vacation," JP replied. "You are forgiven, too. I love you to the moon and back, Jean Pierre Louverture. You're my shooting star," Cat said as she embraced JP by his neck. "And I love you too, Catalina Trastamara. You're my angel," JP responded back as he put his hands around her waist. They then sealed their relationship with a passionate kiss.
As Cat and JP kissed, Artie Beaufort, the tall, handsome, and athletic grandson of the school principal, Mrs. Margaret Beaufort, and quarterback of the varsity football team who was Cat's ex-boyfriend for the short time she split from JP, caught sight of the couple and said, "Wooooooo! Yippee cay yay! You guys are finally back together!" "Artie, when are you going to stop being such a busy body," Cat joked. "I can't help it, haha! I'm a journalist at heart, and that means I can't help but give my congrats after I see you guys kissing," Artie jokingly bragged. After hearing that comment, all three chuckled, which was swiftly interrupted by Mrs. Beaufort announcing her daily five-minute warning before homeroom. "Well, then. That was a short celebration," Artie said sarcastically followed by him silently mouthing with his ocean blue eyes staring to the ceiling, "Thanks a lot, Grandma." "Artie, you're too much! I wouldn't be surprised if you get the superlative for Most Sarcastic in this year's yearbook," JP replied. "Oh, you know I am going to win that superlative by a mile, haha! See you soon, lovebirds," Artie responded with a wink. "See you then, freshie," Cat said as Artie waved goodbye and headed off for homeroom. "See you at lunch, my love," JP said to Cat, who then responded, "You got it, babe!" As they departed, both lovers felt an immense sense of joy in their bodies as they headed to their homerooms. Cat and JP were together again, and they prayed they would stay together forever and ever.
A/N: I have a few things I would like to point out so I can make this chapter a little easier to understand. Hopefully these explanations will be helpful.
Artie is one of many side characters who will play a part in the Tudor Six series. He is based on Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, who was the older brother of Henry VIII who died at the age of 15 in 1502 from sweating sickness, which was a very contagious disease in England at the time. Arthur was also the first husband of Catherine of Aragon before she married Henry in 1509. Although I am not including a fanfiction counterpart for Henry VIII, I did want to create Artie as counterpart for Arthur considering Arthur died so young. As for why I chose Artie's last name (and the last name for Whitehall's school principal) to be Beaufort, I drew inspiration from Arthur and Henry's real-life grandmother, Margaret Beaufort. Artie will also have two younger sisters, Maggie and Mary, who will be the counterparts of Arthur and Henry's younger sisters, Margaret Tudor and Mary Tudor, respectively.
The last name I created for JP is a direct inspiration for the 19th century revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture. JP will be one of many OCs I will introduce in the Tudor Six series.