A/N: if you haven't noticed I'm pulling random in show truths for this fic while trying to stay as out of universe as possible
Meanwhile at the hospital with Cat and Amy
"you're sure he meant what he said Cat, it's important" asks Amy
"I'm certain, trust me I can tell he wasn't lying, besides after what I did to him landing him in the hospital he wouldn't lie knowing I'd tell you if he lied, he really does love you" says Cat
"I know he loves me but I can't go home, my parents beat me, they're in some sort of social media group that says that if you beat your child enough their brain would start working as its 'supposed to', as if giving me brain damage somehow makes my brain work better" says Amy
"my dad said he'd investigate" says Cat
"did he manage to convince the judge that Jade's dad is innocent" asks Amy
"he presented the evidence but because of the crime he was convicted of, the judge said that he couldn't just overturn the conviction but he would give Mr. West a new trial, why, this seems important to you, more than usual" says Cat slightly confused
"because Jade is my cousin, my mom is her Aunt, my mom never liked that my uncle married Jade's mom, my mom didn't like that Jade's mom adopted Japanese like culture as a way of life, Jade's mom being my therapist was a last resort for my parents and when they didn't like what they were being told about my schizophrenia they pulled me from therapy" says Amy
"does Jade know you're related" asks Cat
"as far as I know no she doesn't but then again Jade has always been secretive, it's hard to tell just how much she knows about her extended family, my uncle may not have been the most endearing father for her but she grew up better and more educated than I ever was" says Amy
"do you think Jade and Tori are meant for each other, seeing them together, it gives me the feeling that they're meant to be together" says Cat
"if I believed in a God Cat I'd believe he sends everyone a soulmate, what do you think about your brother and me, do you think we are meant to be together" says Amy
"I don't know, he certainly thinks so, I haven't seen you together like I have Tori and Jade, maybe you could live at Jade's house, I hear my brother's going to live there for a week or two or something during therapy" says Cat
"that house certainly is big enough but I would never ask aunt Julia to let me live there, honestly I'd rather be in a mental health care facility than ask my aunt to let me live with her, she's already struggling financially, another mouth to feed would only make it worse" says Amy
"ok" says Cat
The next day at school
"hey Jade I got health insurance, I have two open slots for you and Tori if you want…. wait where is she, we have a test today and it's a big one" says Beck
"I'll take the offer, after we left the beach we went on a 'date' we're still not sure what to call ourselves and she's uncomfortable with the term date, she chose the restaurant but unfortunately the meal she chose made her sick, she was throwing up on and off for an hour before I made the decision to take her to the hospital, it would seem not taking her meds has weakened her stomach, she's recovering well but lost too much fluid to attend school today, I could use some defending today, I'm not ready for the hate I'm going to get for her not being here" says Jade
"don't worry, news about your dad's retrial was released today, Principal Eichner told everyone today that your dad might actually be innocent and that you weren't evil, they are at least open to the possibility that you're safe, wait Tori has a weak stomach, that's new, she used to eat all kinds of spicy foods and it never made her sick" says Beck surprised
"it's some sort of stomach acid imbalance or something, she hasn't been able to afford her meds because of how little she makes, I paid for this run of meds for her, they weren't cheap, though I begged the doctors to find another solution to the problem because Tori won't let me keep paying for her meds, she made that clear this morning" says Jade as they approach their lockers
"yeah Tori can be like that, she doesn't like relying on other people for things, oh right, here's the forms for the health insurance, you and Tori have to sign one each, they'll cover most meds as well as therapy" says Beck handing Jade two insurance forms
"these already look filled out" says Jade suddenly suspicious
"her dad gave me the information I needed to put you two on the policy, at least enough to fill the form out, it's pretty basic information, nothing too specific, age, hair color, eye color, that kind of thing, there's a second form that they'll email me once they process these forms, the second form includes a space to put your emails, unless you want me to keep getting emails about your parts of the policy" says Beck
"honestly she won't care, she doesn't like giving her email address out, not even her dad's police insurance people knew it, you should definitely come over tonight, we were going to watch a movie but she's exhausted, the thing is I already rented the movie and I can't return it early without paying a fee" says Jade
"you're sure she'll want me there, I haven't exactly been nice to her recently thanks to Ryder and peer pressure" says Beck
"she'll be half asleep anyway" says Jade
"you're not planning to date me and her are you because I don't believe in that stuff" asks Beck
"I mean you're hot but no, though if Tori and I ever break up I'd be down for a date or two, I don't believe in polyamorous relationships either and Tori is definitely someone I'd like to try and love forever but I've learned that very little ever goes my way so she could still break up with me, anything is possible, but seriously its just a movie, I'm trying to make my fifty dollars worth it, I bought popcorn and pop and everything but like I said Tori's not in any shape to enjoy any of it and it was a one day rental" says Jade
"it's not like a girly movie is it, I know she used to watch those with Cat" asks Beck
"no she was looking for something different, she wanted something that would keep her up but the doctor at the hospital told her that she needed sleep and that she could only eat soft foods, the movie is some sort of si-fi action movie called Ender's Game, I don't know much about it but Tori seemed excited about it" says Jade
"man I missed that one in theatres, absolutely I'll come but only if Tori's ok with me coming over" says Beck
"trust me she won't mind, you coming over would bring a sense of security and normalcy, besides she'll want to know what happened today at school and I probably won't be able to talk about Sikowitz without laughing every third word, he really is different" says Jade
"Tori has a theory that he works for the federal government weeding out abusers like Ryder and creeps like Sinjin, she thinks that the whole being weird thing is a cover" says Beck
"aren't we going to be late for Sikowitz' class, that's not something she came up with after her and Cat 'broke up' is it" asks Jade
"morning classes are cancelled, specifically music and acting classes because it's noisy, the ninth graders are doing some sort of new test, apparently Principal Eichner is having funding discussions with the school board, apparently there are funding cuts and Hollywood arts is the main target" says Beck
"wait so like they could force students to change schools" asks Jade suddenly worried about being forcibly separated from Tori
"Hollywood arts works on an optional 'pay to play' funding scheme, you either audition and your fees are paid by the state or you pay and have to pay every year, Cat is but one exception, Tori is another, very few people get to go here without prior approval, it's basically a private school but without the extra security but it might not be for long depending on how today goes" says Beck
"wait Cat and Tori didn't have to audition OR pay to attend here, how's that fair for the rest of us" says Jade confused as she follows Beck back to the asphalt Café
"Cat's pretty famous in her own right here, she's been in talent shows since she was little, dancing, singing and making costumes, she was at a private school but the school board basically begged her parents to transfer her here, it wasn't an easy choice for Cat or her parents but it was a better fit" says Beck as they sit at a table in the shade
"what about Tori" asks Jade
"her sister used some sort of Chinese herb gurgle and it made her tongue swell, literally minutes before she was supposed to sing in the big showcase, which is a big deal around here, once you sign up you can't back out, luckily Tori had helped Trina and Andre rehearse the song so Tori was able to step in last minute, though Tori definitely fought against the effort to get her on stage to replace Trina, once she was on stage however, Tori stunned everyone with her voice, nobody saw it coming, Principal Eichner ended up straight up offering her a spot here, that was last year, Cat had been offered a spot just before the end of school last year so they had all summer to discuss it, do you not feel safe here or something" says Beck noticing how nervous Jade suddenly looks
"no I'm comfortable here now, Andre also welcomed me here this morning, though both Robbie and Cat haven't shown up yet, I wasn't too fond of just leaving Tori at my house all alone, my mom's at the hospital talking to Cat's brother and his possible girlfriend Amy" says Jade
"Cat will be here later, she had some sort of doctor's appointment and she asked Robbie to go with her" says Beck
"Tori said you don't think Cat's all that smart, I've talked to her, aside from what people willingly keep from Cat, she soaks up all sorts of information, she's actually very smart" says Jade
"it's not that I don't think she's smart, it's just she lacks focus here at school, Tori was probably the only one that could get her to focus, I just feel like her acting dumb is intentional, as if she's trying to hide something about her that she doesn't want people to know about her" says Beck
"so you don't like that Cat's secretive, is that it" asks Jade
"more or less, I'm also not sure Robbie's ready for her in a romantic way, I feel like their relationship will explode and affect all of us" says Beck
"you really think that Robbie will mess up that badly" asks Jade as Naomi shows up randomly
"hey JJ, how are you,….. Wait why are you talking to HIM" asks Naomi nervously
"ugh I knew letting Tori stay home was a bad idea, look Mimi, he made a mistake, he didn't know what Ryder did to you" says Jade
"that doesn't make him innocent, I'm in therapy AGAIN because of his words" says Naomi
"I didn't say it did Mimi, that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve another chance to show you he cares and that he made a mistake, besides you're in therapy with my mom as your therapist, that therapy starts tomorrow, you were ordered by your mother to shadow me today, I won't make you talk to him if you don't want to but he did something I never thought he would, he's giving me and Tori health insurance, which is something her and I had lost access to, neither Tori or I asked him to do this" says Jade
"oh well then I guess he's not entirely evil, Cat's in the hospital, I thought you should know" says Naomi
"wait why is she in the hospital, did Robbie do something to her" asks Jade nervous as Beck looks just as scared
"I don't think it was Robbie, her back didn't look all that great, looked like hives and bruises, all I could hear before your mom sent me here was 'don't take my Robbie away from me', it was scary" says Naomi
"she was supposedly at a doctors appointment and had asked Robbie to go with her" says Beck
"he did seem very concerned" says Naomi
"maybe it was an allergy test, she has been known to be afraid of those" suggests Beck
"why" asks Jade
"because she's a very active person, a new allergy means that what she can do, eat or touch becomes more restrictive so she tends to avoid allergy tests if possible" says Beck
"based on what you saw what do you think it could be" asks Jade
"just based on what she said it would have to be something connected to him, sexual or otherwise" says Naomi
"you're thinking latex aren't you" asks Beck knowing how close Cat and Naomi are
"knowing that she's wanting to at least try and have a relationship with Robbie, I can see her wondering about how love making would go and if there is anything she needs to know before committing to a relationship, Robbie's parents are staunch protection during sex type people and if Cat is allergic to latex they might not be okay with the relationship at all and may move out of California to keep them apart, though I'm hoping it's not latex or rubber" says Naomi
"how long till she's out of the hospital" asks Jade
"maybe an hour though I don't know for sure I'm not a doctor" says Naomi
"if Beck gave you control of the relationship would you consider dating him again" asks Jade
"aunt Julie says I can't until she's 'processed' me, luckily my parents are paying, however if he promised to ask me questions instead of outright assuming things I'd be open to a relationship with him again, certainly nobody else seems interested in me" says Naomi as she sits down beside Jade but across from Beck while twirling her hair
"do you really miss me that much Naomi, was I really that much of an influence on you" asks Beck genuinely shocked that very little is keeping her from being with him
"Beck, her parents are only seeking treatment to see if there is anything verifiably off with her brain like say Bipolar like so that it can be treated and so that she can seem like an option to other boys or girls if she wants" says Jade
"so they're forcing this treatment on her" asks Beck, worried that Naomi's parents are forceful with other things
"you set this in motion Beck, my mom thinks that like with Tori, the break up between you and Naomi was shocking enough that Naomi's brain is locked to you, now my mother hasn't always been right but she generally consults with other therapists on treatment and diagnosis for her patients and it has almost always ended up being the right call, I've seen my mom work on cases like this before and as long as there is a low risk of well in this case you, being a perceived threat to Mimi, by Mimi herself or by my mom, while she will advise caution she won't forbid the rekindling of a relationship but it can only happen once she gives the ok, which is what Mimi's parents want to know the most, they want to know if Mimi was seriously traumatized by the breakup because of how it happened, as long as my mom says it's ok for you and Mimi to be together, her parents won't stop you from dating Mimi" says Jade
"would there be any special rules" asks Beck
"it would have to be a fresh start, meaning no resuming where you left off before the breakup, oh and if my mom sees any worrying signs that can't be explained by anxiety or depression she may recommend that you break up for good" says Jade
"wait she has that power" asks Beck
"she's a psychiatrist that specializes in protecting a person's mental health, if she thinks that you're putting her at risk of suicide she has every right to recommend Naomi get a restraining order on you, however Naomi's parents don't have to follow her advice on that if they believe having you around Naomi is better for Naomi than separating her from you but she'd only recommend such an action if she thought it was necessary, if you genuinely help Naomi through the rough times she's less likely to recommend keeping you apart, however knowing all this doesn't mean you can use this knowledge to keep my mother in the dark, you have to be honest and transparent about things, you can't be gaming the system" says Jade
"are you transparent about things with Tori" asks Naomi
"Tori and I aren't sure how to classify our feelings, we don't know if we want an outright romantic relationship or if it's more of a supportive, friends with benefits thing, Tori has all the power, and I'm okay with that because it means she doesn't have to fake being comfortable if she isn't, I know it sounds weird but it's what makes us feel comfortable until we decide if and when we want to move forward with the relationship" says Jade
"sounds like she's afraid of what your dad might think if he gets released and finds out you're dating a girl and not a boy" says Beck
"I've been out as bisexual to him since I was six Beck, he was proud of me, he was happy that I felt comfortable enough to tell him and that I had the ability to process my feelings and the introspection to know what it all means" says Jade
"I'm just telling you what I know, she did the same thing when she started dating Cat, she'd tell everyone they were just friends and they'd kiss in private, it wasn't until Cat's father called her bluff that Tori admitted the truth and was more open about them dating, even if It was a rather short period of time, it might explain why Cat's not convinced that Tori actually loved her, I'm telling you that Tori has a tendency to hide the truth of her emotions from adults" says Beck
"why would she do that though, it doesn't make sense" asks Jade confused
"I think in her first relationship she was with a boy named Daniel and from her body language when he was dating Cat, I'd have to assume that she broke up with him because of what his parents thought of her, if I had to guess she doesn't feel like she'd be trusted or believed" says Beck as Jade tilts her head intrigued
"she talks to my mom just fine about how she feels about me" says Jade
"sorry I should have clarified, when I said adults I meant adult men, meaning she's likely hidden the whole truth from even her own father" says Beck
"you really think she'd lie to her own father about that kind of thing, how can he protect her if he doesn't know the full truth" asks Jade
"the less people know, the more likely a record label will sign her because they might just wave off her being with a member of the same gender as an aberration and not the norm, the only reason she even rented that equipment was because Andre had accidentally admitted how he felt and it made her uncomfortable, her immediate reaction was 'so I guess I'm writing my own music now', she barely talks to him now" says Beck
"that won't last trust me, though as she heals her signals could get crossed and she might kiss him, it's an unfortunate fact about recovering from the emotional vacuum disorder, especially as bad as she had it, she did say she invited him over for the movie, mainly because she doesn't think that you'd be open to it, we had a whole discussion about who would be likely to come if we offered, part of the healing process is to at least try and repair friendships that were damaged by her emotional vacuum disorder mood swings, do you think Robbie would come, what about Cat" says Jade
"Robbie might come but I doubt Cat will or if she does she'll be as far away from Tori as possible, possibly not even in the same room" says Naomi
"why" asks Beck confused as that's not typical Cat behaviour
"just because she doesn't admit it doesn't mean she wasn't hurt by what happened, Cat's on medication to stabilize her moods because she was tested for Bipolar disorder but she doesn't quite meet the behavioural classification to be officially diagnosed as Bipolar so they put her on meds to more or less stabilize her moods, essentially her threats are toothless, at least on most occasions, I've noticed that when she encounters a new situation she doesn't take them because she can't trust herself not to be taken advantage of and needs to be able to defend herself" says Naomi
"any recent examples" asks Beck
"yes, the day Jade first arrived, what was it, Thursday or Friday, I can't remember, anyway she wanted to make sure that if Jade turned out to be exactly like the rumors she could get herself out of that situation, luckily Jade is more like me than she thought, also she hadn't taken it this morning either, either by instruction by the doctor the appointment was with or because she was afraid it would make Robbie afraid of her, honestly either scenario is possible" says Naomi
"how well do you know Cat exactly" asks Beck slightly suspicious
"what, are you accusing her of exactly Beck, she lives a few doors down from Cat, they were in the same preschool, her mom and Cat's dad were high school sweethearts, Naomi has two moms, Cat's Dad is the donor, they both know this" says Jade
"but I feel like she knows more about Cat than she should, it's making me feel like less of a man" says Beck
"yes Cat and I were close, we 'dated' in sixth grade, though I don't know if we'd consider it dating from what we know now, our parents put a stop to it by telling us the truth about how I was born, it didn't stop us from being close but it did allow Cat to trust me more than anyone in her family, that's how I know what I know Beck" says Naomi
"does Cat actually love Robbie" asks Beck
"yes, back when her and I learned we were half sisters and couldn't date we made a pact regarding Robbie, basically if one of us couldn't date or marry him for some reason, then the other would take the other's place" says Naomi
At lunch
"any news" asks Jade
"Cat's allergic to my hair gel, it's concerning because my parents only let me buy Jewish friendly brands of hair gel, there aren't that many options" says Robbie
"so she's still in the hospital" asks Jade
"for a few more hours yes, the hives seemed to be resistant to hospital grade anti-allergy meds, just before I left they were taking her for some sort of immersion bath" says Robbie
"why do you use hair gel anyway, your hair is curly as it is" asks Beck
"it's like this because I use hair gel, otherwise my hair is literally just frizzy and a mess, besides Cat likes my hair this way" says Robbie
"wait when we straightened your hair in detention we're you wearing hair gel, because her hands were all over your hair that day" asks Beck
"not as much, I had run out that morning, I'd picked some up after we got to leave, why what are you thinking" says Robbie
"I'm thinking it's a volume of the hair gel that triggers an allergic reaction, not the hair gel itself, because she was perfectly fine that day, not an allergic reaction in sight, I think using less is worth it if it means you get to date her without issue" says Beck
"did you have to do that with me Beck" asks Naomi
"absolutely but it was worth it, I was using a local brand of shampoo and conditioner, they were going out of business anyway, your parents suggested a brand you use, I haven't looked back since, my hair has never felt so soft, Robbie you have to choose, you need to decide if the amount of hair gel you use is worth bailing on a relationship with Cat" says Beck
"you don't understand the pressure my parents put on me to keep my hair presentable, it's not an easy decision to make" says Robbie
"I can talk to your parents Robbie, Cat doesn't have another romantic option, most people here think she'd be better off in a mental health facility because of how odd she is, they didn't want Tori to be associated with Cat which tells you something about her standing here, besides she doesn't seem to like anyone else" says Beck
"Naomi, is what he says true, does she really not like anyone else besides me" asks Robbie
"you and Tori, that's about it, her and I attempted to date when we were little, our parents put a stop to it real quick as I'm her half sister, they were hoping that her and I spending so much time together wouldn't lead to feeling, her and I had to be taught about dating and sex and stuff at that age because they were afraid we'd disobey them once we found out we were related, Cat was better at resisting her feelings than I was, anyway you can't tell anyone any of this, people can't find out Cat and I are related because our sixth grade 'dates' were pretty public and it would ruin any chances of her getting a record deal, also she doesn't actually like you using hair gel but as you are her only other option for love she was hoping she could get used to it, though if you do ask her out she'd gladly curl your hair every morning if you asked, so I assume you showered before coming back to school" says Naomi
"I kind of had to, I was all sweaty, Cat's not as light as she seems when she faints" says Robbie
"did you put any hair gel in" asks Naomi
"not a lot no but having any in my hair scares me, she almost died Naomi, my parents make me put the hair gel in and they think she's evil and trying to corrupt me or something, they're going nuts, I don't know if you can help them see she's the least evil person in LA" says Robbie
"trust me if anyone can convince your parents Cat isn't evil it's Beck, he after all convinced my own parents that I wasn't completely nuts and I'm better off because of him, they see me as broken sure but even broken things can be repaired" says Naomi
"are you sure this is the right thing to do, I mean I love Cat but I don't want to hurt her image, people are starting to care less and less about her talent, thanks to Sinjin people think I'm evil, I don't want her getting bullied, she's been lucky so far" says Robbie
"actually your image isn't as damaged as you think, Tori's dad confronted Sinjin on Saturday and Sinjin confessed to making you believe that Cat wanted you to forcibly stick your tongue in her mouth, when asked why, Sinjin said he thought it would be funny, apparently since Trina transferred to a school in England he's gotten more extreme, you have to take Cat's feelings into account Robbie, you know for a fact she loves you, to push her away simply because it might get her bullied is bad, Cat will take it as a sign that you don't actually care about her or that Sinjin turned you to the dark side and that you only want power over her and not a relationship" says Naomi
"ok well they might keep Cat till after school so I can pick her up as her parents are quite busy" says Robbie