Sorry for the long update you guys. I had a toothache out of this world! They have to pull it :( Good thing it's a back tooth!

Anyways, enjoy chapter 24! ;)

Chapter 24

It's Not About You

[Ikenzie's POV]

"….Oh and I have a dog too! His name is Xston! He might jump on you if he's out of his cage. My parents make me keep him locked up. Oh and we can-"

"-Okay Kaylee! I get it. Please." I said irritably. She hasn't stopped talking since the block started. She's just overly excited and really I don't know why. It's just a sleep over.

"Oh. Sorry." She said with a frown as she sat back in her seat.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Kaylee. I didn't mean to come off so rude. I just have a headache. I'm not feeling so good right now." I said as I turned back around to the front and put my head down.

Ever since I woke up this morning I've just been feeling…off. I think maybe it's something I've eaten or something I've done wrong and I wanted to cancel the sleepover for tonight until she texted me this morning so excited about it. I mean I can't cancel on her. I'd feel bad for doing that. I just have to stick it out.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she leaned up and tapped me on the shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sit back class is about to start."

She gently took her hand and softly put a small piece of my hair that was falling from my ponytail behind my ear. "I hope you feel better by tonight." She said in a sad tone before finally sitting back.

I hope I feel better too….

[Tori's POV]

I pulled up to my daughter's school and put the car in park as I waited for her and her friend to come out.

"Hey!" I heard Kaylee say as she hopped down in the passengers seat.

"Hey sweety." I turned to the back to see her friend Ikenzie getting in slowly with furrowed brows looking as if she didn't want to be a part of anything going on this weekend.

"Hello Ikenzie. I'm Tori, Kaylee's mom. How are you?"

She looked up at me and gave a smile. "Hi Ms. Tori. I'm fine. How are y,you?"

"I'm good thanks for asking." I put the car in drive as Kaylee talked to Ikenzie about the things they were going to do this weekend and I'm happy she's made a friend. Ikenzie on the other hand didn't look interested at all. She sat in the back seat with her head against the window and a miserable look on her face.

"Hey Kenzie, you okay back there?" I asked at a stop light as I looked at her through the rearview.

She nodded. "I'm just a little tired. I have a headache as well."

I stuck my bottom lip out. "Do you need to go home and rest this weekend?"

"Noooo." Kaylee wined.

"No Ms. Tori. I'll be fine."

"Can you take Ibuprofen? I have some."

She nodded. "Yes ma'am, I take them sometimes. May I please have one?"

We pulled into the driveway of my house before I reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the bottle of Ibuprofen held just for emergency pain relief. I thought about calling Cat and asking if it was okay, but I'm sure it is since she said she's taken it before. I mean, it's just Ibuprofen…they aren't bad.

I reached behind me and handed her two small tabs before exiting the car in which Kaylee had already done.

Wow, your house is beautiful!" Ikenzie said as she held onto her bag and looked up at our house.

"Thanks."

"C'mon, let me show you my room!" Kaylee yelled as she grabbed her hand and ran her inside once I unlocked the door.

Ikenzie seems like a sweet quiet girl. I can tell just from meeting her for the small amount of time that I have. It makes me wonder why she's friends with my crazy, outrageous daughter?

I made a quick snack before walking into the living room and turning on the TV. I flipped through a few channels stopping on a small talk show that gets way more into celebrities lives than they need to.

"Hey mom can Xston come out!?" I heard Kaylee yell from upstairs as I sighed.

That dog is annoying. He jumps all over the place and lets loose wherever he chooses. My dad got her the dog about a year ago without my consent. So the dog stays outside or locked it his cage most of the time. I know that sounds sad, but the dog is uncontrollable, but since she's here with her friend…I guess I can let her have some fun with him.

"Just for a little while! And you clean up after him Kaylee!"

"Okay!" She screamed excitedly as she and Ikenzie came downstairs.

"You sit there. I'll go get him."

I watched as Ikenzie lazily walked over to the couch I was sitting on and sat down on the further end away from me.

She wore a bright sundress like her mothers' and flats to match. Her hair was pulled back into a curly ponytail with a bow handing loose tied tightly around it. She looks like a little sweet innocent girl and even though she doesn't look too much like Cat, you can tell she's her daughter. Her eyes will give that away.

"Hey there, Ikenzie. "

She lifted her head slightly to speak. "Hello Ms. Tori." She said before putting her head back down. She doesn't seem happy at all. Maybe she's dressed like Cat but has Jade's attitude? No way…Jade would never say "Ms." Plus Ikenzie is very polite. Maybe she just isn't very energetic.

"Still have a headache?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Maybe you need to eat something? Have you eaten anything today?"

"I ate some lunch."

"Here have some chips." I said as I slid my bag of chips to her but she slid them back.

"I'm not too hungry. Thank you anyways."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She shrugged.

"If you need to just go home this weekend you can so you can rest. You're always welcomed here if you want to come back next weekend."

"No I'll be fine and t,thank you."

Just then I heard the loud bark of Xston who ran into the living room and right up to Ikenzie who's eyes got wide as she screamed and stood up on the couch.

"Don't be scared! He doesn't bite!" Kaylee laughed.

Ikenzie ran over to me and scrunched in a ball as she hid her face in my shoulder. "Make him go away." She cried as if she were a frighten little girl running away from a ghost.

"He doesn't bite babe." I said to her as I patted her back. And I mean…she knew Kaylee was bringing the dog out…if she was scared, why didn't she say anything?

She lifted her head and looked at me confused. "What?"

"What? He doesn't bite."

She scooted away from me a bit before putting her hands back to her face. "I have a headache!" She yelled out.

Okay that was…odd

"Do you want some hot tea? Maybe that will ease it?"

She nodded as she removed her hands and let her body fall back against the couch. She looked just miserable.

Kaylee sat down beside her as Xston licked all over her hands. She looked over at Ikenzie with sad eyes before she put her head down.

I kind of feel bad for Kaylee you know. She has a friend over who isn't feeling well so she doesn't want to play, but hopefully Ikenzie will be feeling better soon.

After making her tea I sent them both and the dog back up to Kaylee's room so I could get some in rest myself. About 15 minutes later a loud slam brought me back to life from a doze.

I turned to see Monica hanging her bag and walking quickly towards the stairs.

"Hey, slow it."

She sighed and turned to me. "I don't want to talk about it mom okay. I don't."

"Monica….don't let your dad upset you okay? He's just been not himself lately and I believe he took things out on you."

"Okay." She said quickly.

"Babe…I'm so sorry. I don't care who you date. You love who you love, and that's fine with me."

"He doesn't even know her!" She yelled as tears filled her eyes. "And why doesn't he just…accept me!? This just might bed a phase. I don't even know what I want."

I stood up and walked over to her grabbing her hands in my own. "I know babe, and at your age you might feel a little confused and that's fine. I will talk to your dad okay? I really don't think it's you at all. He's just mad about his job right now. I believe it was all out of anger. Baby don't take anything to heart. I know what he said hurt, but he still loves you okay? And so do I. It doesn't matter to me who you date." I leaned lean and kissed her on her forehead. "You have any plans this weekend?"

She nodded. "Yeah….Isis and I were going to hang out…" She said quietly as she looked down at her feet.

I grabbed her chin and brought her eyes back to mine. "You don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed baby. It's okay. I don't think any less of you. You guys have fun this weekend. Don't let anything your dad said go to heart."

She nodded as she gave a small smile.

"We'll talk more about it later." I said as I gave her a smiled and turned back to the couch as she ran up the stairs.

[Cat's POV]

"So Cat…you went shopping today?" Jade asked as she walked into the living room with one of my new dresses in her hand.

I just nodded as I continued to look through old pictures of the family.

"Where did you go?"

"The bag tells you."

"Are you getting smart?"

"No Jade. Come look at pictures with me." I said trying to hurry and dismiss the conversation before she somehow finds out that I went with Tori. I mean I do plan on telling her I guess, because when she finds out she's going to be mad. So maybe if I tell her first she won't be so mad and she won't try to say that she can't trust me or anything because I would have told her first.

She walked slowly over to me and sat Indian style beside me as I was laid out on my stomach on the floor.

"Lookie." I smiled as I handed her a picture of her holding Ikenzie when she was first born. The doctors didn't think Ikenzie would make it after she was born. Not only was she breeched, she wasn't breathing when she came out. And once they got her breathing she had a small seizer. They were so for sure she had brain damage, but they were wrong. She came out fine.

"Hey look at that one." Jade smiled as she pointed to a picture of me and Italy making mad faces when Italy was about 5. "I remember that day. You guys where mad because it rained that day, and we were supposed to go to the carnival." Jade chuckled.

"Oh yeah!" I giggled.

I loved to see Jade smile and laugh. It's so beautiful to me because she rarely does it and even if she did do it all the time it would still be beautiful.

We looked at more and more pictures as we just had a nice time and reminisced on old times. It wasn't until I found a picture of a little girl I didn't recognize in the back of the photo cabinet that her whole demeanor changed.

"Who's this girl?"

Jade took the picture from me and stared at it. It seemed that almost every emotion took over her face before she settled with just a plain one.

"This is Jewel…my little sister."

"Oh!" I looked at the photo again and smiled. She looks like Jade, but nicer. "….Hey what ever happened to her?"

"Nothing." She said as she stuck the picture in her back pocket and started to look at picture of us again.

She never talks about her sister much at all. She always brushes it aside whenever I bring her up and it's just making me more curious on where she is now?

"Why do you always brush her off? Where is she now?"

"Cat. I said nothing. Drop it now."

I sighed as I started to looked at more pictures as silence fell among us.

"….Is she alive?"

Jade threw the pictures that were in her hands down as she stood up forcefully. "Cat I said to fucking drop it! Do you listen!? No you don't! Never bring it up again! Ever!" She said as she stomped out of the living room.

I sighed again.

Something really bad must have happened to her…

[Beck's & Andre's Text]

Beck: Andre.

Andre: Hey wassup man? Is it game time already?

Beck: No man. I have a question for you.

Andre: Shoot.

Beck: You have a daughter right?

Andre: That's right.

Beck: If you found out your daughter was gay, what would you think?

Andre:…honestly I don't know. Why?

Beck: Seriously, what would you think?

Andre: I guess I'll just have to accepted that you know? I mean wouldn't be all psyched about it, but if that's what she wants then…it's alright by me.

Beck: (sighing emoticon)

Andre: What's wrong? Is your daughter…?

Beck: Yea. I just don't like that. I feel I didn't do something right. I don't like that.

Andre: It's not about you man. That's your daughter. As a father you are supposed to stand behind her and support her in what she chooses. You didn't judge Cat and Jade.

Beck: Yeah Cat was forced to be gay.

Andre: I wonder why Beck?

Beck: Andre….don't okay. I'm sorry about that. It's in the past.

Andre: Whatever man. Just don't give your daughter a hard time. I'll catch up with you later.

[Tori's POV]

"Hey guys dinner's almost ready! Come on down and help set the table please!" I yelled up the stairs.

In seconds I heard footsteps coming fast down the stairs which were Xston's and Kaylee's.

"Where's Ikenzie?"

"She's coming." Kaylee stated as she walked passed me and to the kitchen.

"Hey put Xston back in his cage for now okay?"

"Ahhhhh he's always in his cageeeee." She wined.

"Kaylee. Now." I pointed in which she sighed loudly.

"C'mon Xston." She said grabbing his collar and dragging him to his cage.

I looked up the stairs to see Ikenzie walking down slowly gripping the stair rail pretty tightly as if it was her only life line.

"Ikenzie." She made it down and looked up at me. "Are you okay?" I asked as I put my hand to her head, but it wasn't hot. She's not running a fever.

"Ms. Tori. I don't feel well at all."

"What's the matter?"

"I f,feel dizzy."

I nodded as I grabbed her arm and led her to the dining room table as Kaylee skipped in without the dog.

"Ikenzie I'm going to give your mom a call okay?"

She just nodded as I walked into the kitchen to get my phone.

RING, RING, RING, RING

"Hello?" Cat said into the phone in a hushed tone.

"Hey Cat, Ikenzie is complaining of a headache and being a little light headed. Do you think I should bring her-"

"-Ikenzie! Mom! Mom!" I heard Kaylee yell from the dining room before I quickly ran in to see Ikenzie on the floor with her eyes rolled back in her head and her body shaking uncontrollably.

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