Alright Guys! The names for chapter 8 have been decided! Sadie, Aaron, Riley and Louis! Here is the long awaited Chapter Seven!
CHAPTER SEVEN: SILENCE IS LOUD, TALK IS SOFT
Cath was fuming. Stupid Lily. How could she have done this? How? This was an outrage. This was more than an outrage. This was pure humiliation. Cath was NOT going to let it slide.
Reagan was sitting on her bed when Cath stormed in. "Ahhh!" She screamed before slumping down. "Ahhh!"
Reagan ran over. "Cath, what's wrong?"
Cath's look explained it all.
"Lily huh? Aw Cath, its not that bad."
"It is! Lily has made me look like the biggest jerk, and I'm not."
"What you said was jerky last night."
"She's Jerky!"
"I never said she wasn't. I just said what you said last night wasn't nice."
"I know it wasn't!"
"Then why did you say it?"
"I did NOT come her for this." Cath said, before receding to her bed. "I came here to moral support."
Reagan rolled her eyes.
"Its your birthday soon, right?" She said.
"Today."
"I got you this." Reagan held out a small box. The silver 19 glittered on it. Cath gasped. "I thought no one remembered." Reagan smiled. We had something planned for Sunday night. Cath opened the small box. Where she had expected a necklace a small USB sat in its place.
"Go on, plug it in." Reagan grinned.
Cath did. A slideshow popped up. Happy Birthday Cath! The beginning slide read. A series of photos began to play to Lorde. Cath recognised them. Simon and Baz fan art drawings. Drawn by Reagan, as she had a flair for the arts. "Reagan," Cath said looking at her, "you don't have to do this". Reagan waved her hand away. "Nonsense. My friend Joseph works at Cosplay, I got him to pick this up for you." She held out a small Baz plush, to which Cath squealed. "Is it really? The limited edition Simon Snow and the Five Blades Baz Catacomb doll, complete with colour-changing eyes?" Reagan gave a sly smile. "Complete with the official Cosplay replica stamp and GTL's signature of approval. She tapped the box. "Reagan, I can't thank you enough." "Uh-uh, don't bother."
Reagan left the room, and Cath was left on her own to ponder. What was she going to do about Lily? Ugh, life was complicated. Until she heard a knock on the door.
"Hey." Levi stood at the doorway, Starbucks apron and all, with no Lily in sight. Hey walked in, took Cath's hand and lead her down the stairs. "Where are you taking me?" Cath said but Levi didn't reply. They got in his truck and drove off. That's when he began to talk. "The wedding is sooner, they don't want to do it in October anymore. It could be as close as 3 days away." Cath looked at him. But Ryleigh and I were going to get our dresses fitted together? Will we move that forward?" Levi nodded.
"Yes. Ryliegh's was talking about tomorrow."
"Ok. But tomorrow's Wednesday."
"And?"
"The only day we have without Lily to be together. You have no classes, I have no classes… You said we could spend it together."
Levi Sighed. "Cather, you can't hate Lily forever."
"Yes I can."
"She's your step sister."
"I don't care."
"Well I do."
Cath looked at him. "Why can't you just except that we aren't friends? Is that too hard?"
Levi stopped the truck and pulled over.
"Get out." He said not looking up.
Cath bit her lip. "Levi?"
"Just please, I don't want to fight with you. Get out."
This was the first time Cath had seen Levi mad. Even now he wasn't really mad. Just annoyed. So Cath did what she was told. Levi waved and pulled off without her. How could he do this? On her birthday? She sat down on the grass near the highway and cried. She had stuffed everything up heaps. No, Lily had.
What was that smell? Cath looked up from her pity party to get a whiff of that smell in the air. It smelt like…
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
Cath turned around. Reagan, Wren, Alejandro and Levi stood in the crisp autumn air hold a giant birthday cake. They wore giant smiles.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATHER AND WREN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" The Cake read Happy Birthday Catherwren, which made Cath laugh. "Thank you, Levi, I really thought you were mad at me back in the car." She smiled and took a bite into the slice Reagan handed her. Levi bent over to Cath's height. "It wasn't fake, what happened in the car, but now is not time to discuss that." Then louder, to the whole group he said. "Now is time to eat cake!"
With no Lily in sight, Cath thought. How sad Levi would be about that.