*Looks around nervously* Long time no see! SO sorry for the 19 day wait, I was really blocked on this chapter. First, I wasn't sure who I wanted the reason to be, then who to write it as, and overall, I like how this turned out, but I feel like I should've done another character instead...

I've been looking at colleges, trying to hang out with friends, doing SAT practice and stuff like that during summer, and I kinda slacked off the first few weeks, so I didn't have much time.

On the bright side, we are SO close to 50 reviews! You guys are darling, and your support for this fic is amazing.

This is almost 2k words, a few hundred longer than other chapters, to make up for the wait a little!

Oh, and you might wanna look back at the last chapter, when you learn Cat's reason, for part of the story. You'll know when. ;)

x.

After 3 broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and 1 and a half weeks in the hospital, Tori was finally all better. Too bad the same couldn't be said for Andre's car. Her parents had paid for the damages, thankfully, and everything was back to normal.

Well, almost. Cat was avoiding her. After finding the reason about Cat, she had tried to find out why Cat hadn't told her, told anyone. Tori hadn't listened to the tape yet, not wanting to without talking to Cat, but the temptation was getting to be too much. But she had waited almost a week and needed to know!

Finally, she gave in and invited the others over to watch it, getting a pint of ice cream out. She had a feeling this was gonna be a rough one.

xx.

"Holy shit." Jade said afterwards, eyes wide. She seemed to have a new respect for the short redhead that wasn't shared by the others.

"Tell me about it." André drawled, surprise in his voice.

Tori and Robbie just sat there in shock. Cat? Innocent, sweet Cat?

Jade, yes. Even Tori, maybe. But Cat? Tori had a feeling they didn't know their little friend that well after all.

xxx.

The next day, Tori made sure to arrive early, waking up at 4 a.m. and asking early-riser Jade to drive her to school. Cat had been arriving early for weeks, and this time, Tori was determined to get some answers from her.

"I don't see her, Vega." Jade said as they got there, searching the parking lot. Granted, there weren't many places to hide, but Tori had insisted they be thorough.

"Well, look harder!" Tori hissed as they entered the practically deserted school. Tori didn't even think most of the teachers were there.

Sighing, she thought fondly of her fluffy, soft bed…..

"Tori!" Jade exclaimed. "Look!"

They didn't have to look long, though, because after a few minutes, they saw Cat skip down the stairs, in her favorite Fazzini heels.

Her face seemed sad, and Tori almost felt bad for what they were about to do.

1,2,3.. now, she whispered to Jade, who rushed up to tackle the unsuspecting artificial redhead.

Hand over her mouth, Jade dragged her into the janitor's closet, where Tori was waiting, and locked the door behind them.

"Hi Jade, Tori! Why are we in the closet? Is this a closet party?" Cat spoke quickly, giggling nervously.

"Do you want to tell us why you were spreading rumors about Vega?... I mean, Trina?" Jade questioned.

Darting a glance at Tori, Cat rushed for the secret entrance to the library.

Tori blocked her.

"You watched the tape?" Cat asked, her voice faint.

Tori looked angrily at Cat. Didn't she realize how horrible she'd been?

Catching her glare, Cat was instantly on the defensive. "So what? I told people Trina's little secret. What's wrong with that? Haven't you ever spread a rumor? Keep in mind, neither of you are exactly innocent either."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Tori was betrayed, and hurt.

"I was ashamed, okay? I knew whatever was on that tape wasn't good, and I didn't want you guys to see how you don't know me at all! Remember what the last line was? 'Don't trust a girl who's smarter than you.' And, even though you think I'm the stupidest of the group, I'm not." Cat smiled creepily, sending chills down Tori's spine.

Just then, there was a creak, and Cat was back to normal. "Oh, look! Someone's here! Do you think they'd be interested in a pajelehoochoo?"

And with that, she unlocked the door and sprinted out of the closet, leaving a bewildered Tori and Jade behind.

"I know you're touchy about language and all that, but I have to ask." Jade said. "What the hell happened?"

For once, Tori had no answer.

xxxx.

Later that day, she heard Cat, who had stopped avoiding them and was pretending everything was fine, gasp as she entered Sikowitz's class.

In an instant Tori was there. "What? What happened?"

Sikowitz was passed out on the floor, and no matter how many times Robbie tried CPR, which was as awkward as it sounded, Jade slapped him, and Tori poked him, he wouldn't move. Beck was waiting outside for the ambulance, and André and Cat had gone to get principal Helen.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Robbie asked. There was no answer.

xxxxx.

The next Saturday, exactly 3 weeks, 1 day, and 8 hours and around 34 minutes after she found out Trina had died, (not that Tori was counting or anything,) she got a letter.

There was nothing written on the front, so she didn't recognize who it was from until she opened it. It was a copy of a handwritten letter, and on the top it said, 'To Tori and friends'.

Realizing what it was, she called the gang over.

Only Cat, André, and Robbie came, as Beck and Jade were 'having some alone time' as Beck had told her when he declined, and 'having wild, kinky sex', as Jade had described when she declined.

"Can I read it out loud?" Robbie asked.

Looking strangely at him, Tori replied. "Okay.."

"I always liked you, Erwin Sikowitz, even though you were a little weird. I figured you were just born that way, maybe dropped on your head as a baby, but soon I figured out it was for another reason entirely. More often than not, you were high on d.r.u.g.s. To everyone else who knows him, doesn't that make a lot of sense? You were always drinking out of a coconut, doing weird things and generally being kind of… out of it. Most of what you did was harmless, like as writing strange sayings on the board or doing abnormal acting exercises. Even though you didn't have the best morals, and yes, I'm talking about the 'Great Ping Pong Scam' as well as other things, but you taught efficiently and I thought you liked me.

I was wrong.

If you liked me, why would you lie? WHY WOULD YOU LIE?

When Cat and Beck and Jade and André asked about how I got in, you lied. You spun a story, about woefully untalented me, and you, the unfortunate rotten coconut drinker. You could've told them the simple truth, that you had no clue, but you decided to make your own story, and give it a little spark, a little flare, wanting them perched on the edge of their seats, waiting for more. Well, your little acting trick worked then, but it won't work anymore.

Let me tell you exactly how I got in, listeners. It was the day of the audition, and I was going in for mine, the last one for the day. When I went into the Black Box Theatre, you were passed out on the table, the principal was bleary eyed and drinking a gallon of caffeine, and the rest of them either had horrible headaches or were asleep, with their heads in their hands.

I sang the song I'd written myself with a choreographed dance. It was loud and flashy, as I'd been trying to make a lasting impression on the judges. Back then, my voice wasn't bad either, and the principal and the only other one who was awake told me that, if I left right then and didn't mention how he was hung over to anyone who would do anything about it, I was in.

It's not just that, though, was it? In junior year, I auditioned for tens upon tens of plays, musicals, even little skits that would be performed in a basement with maybe 10 audience members. In my résumé, I listed you as a referral. I know I wouldn't be considered in most of the plays, but after 6 months of this and no offers at all, even to be an extra, I knew something was wrong. I started eating less, working out more, so I could be skinnier so maybe people would give me a chance. I skipped the tasty piece of cake on my birthday, drank only water and forced myself to eat celery and other 'healthy' foods. But even after losing considerable weight that I didn't need to lose, I didn't get any parts.

So I called one up. Specifically, the producer of the musical Jawbreaker, which I had auditioned for the role of the dead girl, Liz. The woman told me my audition was fine, and that, although she wouldn't have cast me as Liz, she would've offered me a very minor role in the play. Until, she called up my referrals. More specifically, you. And apparently, you told me a very interesting story about me. How I was unable to perform onstage because of a very crippling fear of performing in front of large audiences, called badactressitis. bad actress itis. How people believed you when you told them that, I don't know, but for some reason it worked. It scared people off, and without my knowing it, because apparently I was, 'very embarrassed about it', and how I'd arrive late to rehearsals and even back out because of my crippling condition.

Is any of that the makings of a good teacher? If I confronted you, I knew you'd tell me it was for my own good, that I would've failed and embarrassed myself horribly, so I didn't tell you how I knew.

Instead, I auditioned for even more roles, without you as a referral, and guess what? I got a small role, and several parts as an extra.

I proved to myself that I could be something, without any help. Even though that only lasted for a few months, before I began trying too hard, failing auditions again, and getting insulted by people I liked, I should thank you for that.

But I won't because you won't appreciate it, won't try to fix your mistakes. You'd just forget about it anyway.

So screw you, Erwin Sikowitz, for needlessly hurting a girl who'd been hurt enough during her life. And P.S, I was the one who took all of your coconuts and the weed stored in them.

Lots of hate, Trina"

By the way, Cat just found out that she had to live with her mean relatives the day after she received the reason, and she is living at the school right now. I just added that in so it would be slightly more canon, and I doubt there'll be other mentions of it, but if I mention her at her Nana's at all, all of that happened outside of the story.

Also, I've written 2 oneshots for different fandoms, so check them out!

I thought the part where they confront Cat and the last few sentences a bit weak, but that's just me. What do you think? Is it realistic or OOC? Tell me!

And the 50th and 55th reviewers will get shoutouts and a preview for the next chapter, while all other reviewers will also get a (possibly shorter) preview. Some of you may think it's bribing, but I just wanted to make up for the longest and most un-needed wait this story has seen.

Review please! :)