(A/N: Cat and Robbie are playing War. It's a card game. Google for details. It's fun.)
5.
I put down a 8.
Cat frowned.
9.
King for me.
Now I have to put down 3 cards.
6…Jack!
Yes! Beat that!
6.
Cat quickly threw her hand down, handily beating me.
"Yay!" She celebrated.
How did she get a sandwich? Seriously? I had her beat with that jack.
But she threw down that damned six.
"All luck. That's all luck." I shook my head, reaching for my stack, as Cat smiled.
We're waiting for 7 to come, since we're supposed to eat out with the others tonight. Last night…
Everything was fixed.
(Flashback)
"Robbie…please…" She yanked on my sleeve.
"Cat. I understand you want me to fix this…but still. It just happened." I tried reasoning with her.
"But I'm ready. C'mon." She begged me.
And I just caught my breath. Plus the couch isn't where I'd like to relapse.
"Cat. We haven't even been a couple for two hours."
"Yeah we have! We were so good! Trust me! I'm on birth control and everything!"
"Cat. That's not the issue. Ok? It's a timing thing."
"But I am ready! They messed me up, and I still feel dirty. Please Robbie, come on!"
"Why do you want to always go so fast?" I asked.
"Because it gets to me! They had their way with me, and I want you to fix it!"
I open my mouth to retort, but I just get air.
"Me?"
"Yes…" She smiled. "You."
"Fine." I picked her up.
She just smiled.
(End Flashback)
6.
Cat giggled.
Queen for me.
Two. This better—
SIX!
I threw my hand, only for Cat's to slam into mine, ring leading the way.
"OW!" I yelped, pulling my hand back.
"I win! Hehe!" She celebrated.
"No! I won, you broke my finger and I pulled back!" I yelped. My hand is throbbing. I doubt she broke it, but it sure feels like it!
"Relax Robbie, it's just a game…Where are you going?" She asked as I turned to go to the kitchen.
"Ice!" I called back.
Her hurried footsteps came closer as I opened the freezer and grabbed the flex ice pack.
"Let me see it." She demanded.
"No, Ice now." I replied.
"But I want to know if you're messing with me." She frowned.
I grudgingly opened it up and let her inspect it. It was bright red and starting to swell already.
And then I threw the ice back on.
When I looked back up Cat pulled herself to me.
"I'm sorry Robbie…I didn't mean to hurt you." She said quietly.
"It's ok, just hurts." I shrugged.
I hate to placate her, but man this hurts!
"Do you want me to kiss it to make it feel better?" She asked, eyes pleading with me.
"Cat, that doesn't really work."
"Yeah it does! Remember when I slammed the SUV door on my hand? You kissed it and it felt better." She pouted, trying to remove the icepack.
"But we gave you some aspirin and ice too. Don't forget that." I jumped in.
"Let me kiss it!" She said, glaring at me.
Trying to make me give in.
"Will you stop nagging me about it?" I asked.
She nodded rapidly.
"Fine…" I sighed.
Before I knew it the cold of the ice was replaced by Cat kissing my knuckles and running her hands on the side of my ribs.
Bye bye pain. Hello Cat. My wonderful girlfriend.
Before I knew it Cat was standing on my feet, and her tiptoes and kissing me, all the while linking her hands behind my back.
Intoxicating.
Good thing being love drunk isn't illegal. Otherwise I would have been locked up a long time ago.
Cat slipped her hands under my shirt and leaned us against the wall, still going at it. I wasn't even thinking about the plans for tonight.
Just enjoying Cat and being so close to her.
"So…I had a feeling this was going on." A familiar voice called out.
But I didn't hear.
All I felt was Cat stop kissing me and a scream go right into my ears.
"AAAHHHHHHH!"
I collapsed to the ground and covered my ringing ears. Someone's laughter floated to me as Cat dashed to a figure with flats on.
It's a girl?
I close my eyes and try to regain my focus, which was shunted aside when Cat kissed me and shattered when she screamed.
I opened my eyes to Cat whacking Jade's arm fiercely and someone yelling.
Wait…JADE!
"—why did you DO that? I was trying to make him feel better!" Cat yelled.
"I can tell." Jade smiled deviously.
"No! We were playing war and I bruised his hand! I really was trying to make him feel better!"
"From my angle he was fine. His hands were perfectly functional." Jade rolled her eyes.
"It was a distraction! His hand got bruised when we were playing war." Cat said, pointing to where the ice pack was before I picked it back up.
"Is it really hurt?" She asked me, head cocked to the side.
"Yeah, it is. Nice entrance." I grumbled.
"Uh oh…he's mad." She playfully teased.
"Of course! We're now in a pointless conversation and he's hurting." She frowned at Jade.
She then turned to face me. "Aspirin?"
"Yes please." I replied, and she dashed off.
"So…" Jade said, her smile creeping into her words. I couldn't look up.
This wasn't exactly how she was supposed to find out. And she'll inevitably tell the others.
"Care to look up?" She chided.
"Not really." I said quietly.
"Does your hand really hurt?"
"Yeah. Her ring came down right on top of my hand."
I glanced up to her cringing and step forward to look at my hand.
It seemed as soon as she grabbed my hand, Cat was back. And boy she looked mad.
Jade practically jumped away and I took the water and aspirin thankfully.
"Thanks sunshine." I said, pulling her into a hug.
"So when are we heading to dinner?" Cat asked Jade kindly, adding a smile to the end.
"Umm…whenever. I don't think anyone has a problem with going anytime." Jade said.
"Ok, I'll call Tori and Beck and be right back." She said, dashing out of the room.
Jade opened her mouth to reply, but Cat was gone and left her gaping like a fish.
"You think she's mad at me?"
"No." I said truthfully. "I think she's upset you barged in and didn't come back later, but nothing we can do about that now."
"I'm happy for you guys. I was hoping that this would end this way."
"What?" I asked.
"Her coming here. Part of the reason why that was the only option really discussed was that everyone wanted to see if you guys could get back together."
Only option discussed?
"Everyone?"
"Yeah. Me, Tori, Andre Beck and your parents. We were thinking of options and this is where we all thought she belonged." She explained.
"But you were mad." I asked.
"Only because I thought you took her without her consent and she didn't tell me where she was, leading me to freak out and wonder where she was. I always wanted you guys to get back together. You shouldn't have broken up in the first place."
"But Jade, that was a different time. It was senior year, we had 2 crazy guys coming after us, my parents were out of the country and other stuff too! That's an incredible amount of stress and we were 17 and 18."
"And now you're both 19."
"Jade. We'll be fine." Cat snapped. "And they said they'll meet us at the restaurant."
"Where are we going?" I asked quietly.
"Peppers." Jade replied.
"Sounds great." I said.
"Uh huh. I'll let you guys get ready and meet you there ok?"
"Ok." I hugged her, and Jade walked to her car. As soon as the door closed Cat had me in a soft hug.
"You ok?" I asked.
"She's gonna tell everyone. It's not fair." She pouted.
"Life isn't fair. But you know what?"
"What?" She asked, sounding annoyed.
"I have you and they don't. So I win."
She giggled and snuggled close to me.
"Do I win too?"
"I think so. What do you think?"
"I think I won the championship."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Thanks sweetie. I appreciate the compliment."
She simply smiled back and started dragging me to the door.
"Where are we going?" I asked, as she pulled it open.
"To eat. The others might be waiting for us." She said simply.
"Don't you want to get ready or something?"
She never just "leaves". She preps…and tinkers…then leaves. After 30 + minutes.
I try to keep it off my nerves. It's not hard since she looks gorgeous every time. But still, it's 30 minutes I'll never get back.
"Nope. I think I look great." She smiled.
Or radiated. She's practically glowing.
"I think so too." I teased as I unlocked the door and climbed in.
"You're too sweet." She said as I started the car.
"Nah. It's the truth."
"Do you think the others will pester us about it?" Cat asked, sounding kind of scared. One glance confirmed my suspicions. She had her hair in her mouth.
"Nah. They didn't last time."
"But it was summer last time." She argued.
"You just love to play devil's advocate don't you?" I smirked.
"Yeah, hence the red hair." She stuck her tongue at me.
"Don't tempt me girl. I wish Jade hadn't have interrupted us."
Her eyebrows shot into her hair. "Oh really. What are you trying to say?"
"Just that I missed your kisses." I admitted.
She giggled and blushed.
"But seriously Cat, I think we'll be fine." I said.
"What if they give us a hard time?"
"Don't fight them on it. Just shrug it off and we'll go see that movie afterward." I told her.
Immediately she replied. "But CTC starts tomorrow."
Damn it!
I completely forgot. I got my schedule a few days ago, and got what I wanted. Cat seemed pleased. All I know is that we have Sikowitz together.
We've been slowly readjusting to a reasonable schedule, with the exception of last night.
But everyone is allowed to live a little.
"Dang it. I forgot." I groaned.
"Phooey."
"Phooey indeed." I joked, causing her to burst into a giggling fit.
"You have such a subtle sense of humor Robbie. I love it so much." She smiled.
On that note, we climbed out of the car. The drive seemed to fly by. But that tends to happen when you are talking with the girl of your dreams that is actually yours in reality.
Dinner was nice. Quiet. Just celebrating Cat's hard work and determination. She seemed to loosen up after nobody brought up seeing her on top of me in my kitchen, and made my night easier.
And now I'm on the couch, watching the rerun of some 90's movie that was good, but overplayed. Forget the name.
"YES!" Cat yelled from the office upstairs. She came sprinting down and jumped into my lap.
"Guess what?" She smiled.
"What?" I played along, eliciting another giggle.
"I got a job!"
WHAT?
"A job? Why do you need a job?" I asked, less than pleased.
"To pay you back."
"You don't need to pay me back. Why do you think that?" I asked.
"Your dad. He showed me the whole car thing and the bills you covered and said I could get in IRS trouble if I don't pay you some back. Something about a claim you made on your taxes?"
Oh right…I said I was supporting a medical liability. Temporary, but I saved money and I did it on Dad's insistence.
And now Cat has a job.
RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL!
I laid my head back onto the pillows and groaned. "This has the recipe of a disaster."
"Why?" She asked.
"Cat, you haven't gone to college in a year. It's gonna be a adjustment. A difficult one. But with a job…it's that much harder."
"You sound like you don't want me to do it."
"I don't." I plainly stated.
"But Robbie…I do owe you some money. And that's not cool. You can't just go around eating $17,000 in bills from me just because you love me."
"How about you use some of the severance package you got? That's more than enough to cover it." I suggested.
"Nope. Remember, IMG is contesting my sanity and we don't have that money. Plus our other plans for it!"
Oh yeah.
The baby fund. In case something happens, we have some cash we can spend in a pinch if 2 becomes 3.
"Ok, where did you get hired?"
"Cali Roadhouse."
"Again?" I blurted out, causing her to jump.
That was a disaster last time.
"Yeah…they said they wanted me back and even offered a pay raise." She smiled.
"But…you remember what happened last time right?" I asked. The whole memory issue never really got addressed. Or at least I never asked.
"Yeah. I remember everything Robbie. The only thing I don't remember is that mental snafu. I remember everything up to that and all of Methodist and to now."
"Ok, last time was a disaster." I said.
"Only because of drunken frat boys. I'll be 20 soon Robbie, don't forget."
I could help but laugh. "My 20 year old girlfriend. I'll have to do something creative that day huh?"
She rolled her eyes.
I extended my arms to her and she hugged me softly.
"Just promise that you'll let me help you ok? If you need it. I'm on your side."
"Ok. You want something to drink?" She asked.
"Sure."
In a moment or two she came back with two dark drinks in different glasses.
"Thanks…what is this?" I asked, taking one as she sat next to me.
"Try it. You've had it before."
Coke…and a sweet taste. Vanilla?
"Vanilla coke?" I asked.
She looked mildly impressed. "Close. Closer than I expected."
"But we don't have vanilla coke." I said, confused.
"I just said that's not it."
I racked my brain…and I still have no idea what it is.
"I give. What is it?" I asked. She stood up, grabbed my glass and walked out of the room.
"That wasn't what I asked!" I jokingly called out.
A moment later she came back with two cans of coke and glasses in hand and placed them on the coffee table.
Then left again.
"Where'd y—"
"Right here, easy. I didn't go anywhere." She cooed, carrying a Jack Daniels bottle.
Wait…she spiked my drink!
"You didn't…" I quietly said. She seemed to enjoy my astonishment as she proceeded to make the next round right in front of me.
"Yep." She giggled, handing me my glass back.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well, I need a little practice and this is the most ordered drink other than beer and I don't like beer." She said quietly, sipping her glass.
I agree on the beer. Disgusting in my opinion. Never understood why people like it.
"I don't taste the jack at all." I commented.
"That's because I don't want you wasted tomorrow. And I did it right. Which is good."
I laughed. "I appreciate you thinking of my wellbeing."
This is nice. I never thought I'd say I was enjoying a quiet night of dinner and talking with Cat before I was like 30. It's an old person thing. An adult thing. But here I am with the drink, the girl and the conversation.
"You like it?"
"I have a hard time turning down another." I smiled, causing her to blush.
"Ok. You're halfway done. I'm not doing more than 4." She said, taking my glass.
"But I already have had 2."
"The first one doesn't count." She stated.
"Huh?"
She was quiet as she measured the ingredients and handed it to me then sat next to me. "The first one chased away your concern. Now you've relaxed and having fun."
"You are all about the fun huh?" I asked.
"Yeah. It's time to make mistakes while we can get off scot free."
"Good point." I conceded.
Suddenly, she raised her glass in a toast. "To a great new semester?"
"And to us." I smiled.
"Clink!"
A/N: Ok guys, hope you like the chapter. I know teen drinking is kind of a touchy subject, but I couldn't skirt the issue. It happens. I hate to admit I do it but I do. As long as you are smart and stay within your limits you are usually fine. I don't want people to drink, but I can't go say "Don't drink!" and go to sleep without thinking I'm a hypocrite. I just want to level with you guys because you have stayed loyal thru this almost year long saga that is slowly wrapping up. Thanks for reading as always. :)