Chapter 8

When Cat and I entered the classroom, it was empty. Weird, I haven`t even heard the bell ring. Next lesson was history. I used to hate that subject at my old school, but here at HA everything is different. Teachers actually try to make us interested in what they tell us. I love history now, because of that. Or maybe, because the topics at this school are more like: Which artist had the most influence on acoustic music? And not: When did the United States become an independent nation?

Anyway, although I really liked history, I didn`t quite feel like joining the lesson today. I need more time to think.

"Hey Cat. I think I am going to ditch. I know you don`t want to, though. You should hurry to your class." I informed her and pointed at the clock that was hanging on the wall over the door. Her eyes went wide in the cute way that they always did when Cat was whether surprised or shocked. In this case I think it was a little bit of both. She gave me a quick hug and ran out of the door.

After I made sure that there were no teachers in the corridors, I headed to the back of the school, where my friends and I always had lunch. I sat down on our usual table, determined to make some decisions or at least to think about something to make decisions about, when a close voice startled me.

"Vega, Vega. I never thought about you as an absentee. I bet this is the first time you are playing truant." I knew it was Jade even before I turned around to see her provoking face.

"And I bet that is like your one hundredth time?" I said sarcastically.

"You got that right." Jade grabbed the chair beside me. We just sat there in silence for a while, until Jade decided to speak up again.

"I am just going to ask you something and you better tell me the truth." She looked me in the eyes, completely serious. "Do you love Cat?" I opened my mouth to deny it, but Jade cut me off instantly. "Don`t even bother to lie. I can see the way you are acting around her." She gave me a knowing look. "You always smile without an actual reason, you watch her all the time and you are pretty protective about her."

"If you are so sure, why are you asking?" I countered, trying to avoid a real answer.

"Don`t play that game with me Vega. Answer my question! Are you in love with Cat?" Jade said calm but still demanding. I wanted to keep it to myself. Why did she have to be so observant? Why couldn`t she just ignore it? And why the hell did Jade West have to be the first one to find out?

"Fine! Yes I love her! She drives me crazy! Are you happy now? Go and tell everyone that I`m gay! Have fun!" I yelled at her, storming of in the direction of my next class.

"Tori! Wait!" Jade shouted after me. That made me stop in my tracks instantly. It wasn`t just that it was the first time she had ever called me by my first name, it was also the way she said it, someway apologetic and also caring.

"I`m sorry that was kind of rude, but I had to make sure that you are serious about your feelings for Cat." She explained.

"Why do you even care? It`s not like you ever considered us to be friends or anything." I asked her accusingly.

"Yeah I think I have to change that, now that I`m completely sure that you are not after Beck. And this is another reason why I want to apologize to you. I have been really mean to you since you came to this school and you have absolutely no motive to forgive me, but you should know that I am seriously sorry and I am not going to get you out of the closet, I promise and a Jade West keeps her promises." A Jade West may keep her promises, but she normally does not apologize for anything, at all. I was completely stunned by what she just said and couldn`t even respond. When I didn`t say anything she added. "If you want I could talk to Cat for you and… I don`t know… ask her if she likes you too?"

"No, please don`t. That`s something I have to do myself. I`m just waiting for the right moment to tell her…" I rejected her offer, shaking my head and looking to the ground.

"Have you told your parents yet?" Jade asked.

I led out a groan. "Thanks for bringing that up. That was actually something that I haven`t thought about until now. Besides I have just found out about it myself." My shoulders slumped.

"Well you don`t have to tell them. It`s nobody else`s business, if you don`t want it to be. Just tell them, when you are ready to tell them." Jade said and gave me a smile that I oddly returned. "But I`m pretty sure that they will have their suspicions, when they hear the first time Cat`s staying over at your place."

"Jade!" I yelled. I could not believe that she was teasing me with Cat already. "Just so you know. Cat has already stayed over at mine, just not the way you stay over at Beck`s." I countered, but unlike the glare that I would have earned a few hours ago, Jade laughed.

"Don`t expect me to be nice like this to you when we are around people. I have an image to keep." She said, only half serious.

"It would be weird if it was like this all the time." I tried to say without a smile, but failed miserably.

After that we started to chat like normal friends would do, until Jade told me how late it was by now.

"If you don`t want to ditch your next lesson too, you should head to class."

"Yeah, you`re right." "I always am, but thanks for pointing it out." We laughed.

"See you later?" I said, but it sounded more like a question and that made Jade grin.

"Sure Tori. I think I feel like attending my next lessons, so we most likely happen to see each other at lunch." Jade stood up and went into the opposite direction.

I hurried out of my music-technic class, because there was a good chance that my teacher would decide to give us more homework than he already did. This assignment about film music alone was going to take me days to get done with. I chose to not let my mind get too covered with stuff like homework, and concentrated on one little thing that made me happy: Just a few minutes and I was going to see Cat. I walked a little faster and as soon as shiny red hair came into my view, my lips turned up into a bright smile. All of my friends were already sitting at our table. Cat was sitting with her back to me, while Jade was facing my direction and rolling her eyes, because of my obvious and unsubstantiated happiness. They all mumbled their hellos.

"Hey Tori." Jade said with as much of disinterest as possible, but alone the fact that she didn`t call me Vega made everyone look up from their lunch and raising their eyebrows. In contrast to all of their questioning expressions, everyone remained silent, except for Cat that is. She turned around and gave me a big smile along with a soft "hi". I hugged her from behind and took a seat beside her.

"How are you? Have you been in any pain in the last few hours?" I whispered in her ear, so nobody else could overhear me. I knew that my question would just bring up the discussion of today`s morning, if I said it loud enough for our friends to hear and I was one hundred percent sure that Cat wouldn`t like that.

"Nothing to worry about. I feel great." Cat informed me equally quiet. I looked at her closely. She didn`t seem to be hurting and I don`t believe that she would lie to me about it. After I was done checking on Cat, I entered the conversation about Andre`s date that he was so excited about. Or at least I tried to, but I couldn`t really concentrate, since my eyes just kept on wandering to Cat`s lovely face…