10 minutes before the play
"ugh Jade you're being stupid, if you like Cat why hide it, Cat's not prude, she just broke up with Jason, she might be open to a date with you" says Tori playfully pushing Jade
"no you don't understand Tori, I can't just ask Cat out on a date, she's easily spooked and I haven't exactly been a nice person to her, her adorable personality makes me nervous and when I'm nervous I jab, my last nervous jab caused her to walk away as my friend, she hates me Tori, I'm nervous I'm going to get her killed tonight, some of the lights have had issues, Robbie says some of them are loose and Cat's the star of this play, do you have any idea what her voice does to me, I'm afraid, maybe this whole liking her thing is a bad idea, maybe I should forget about her being even remotely possible as a girlfriend" says Jade
"trust me Jade you're overthinking this" says Tori
During the show
"omg Tori, her voice, it's more beautiful than ever…….. Shit" says Jade as she accidentally drops her jumbo Jet Brew coffee and Cat gets drenched below them
"Jade you're slipping" says Tori as Jade falls back and hits one of the loose lights and it plummets to the stage as Tori grabs her before she falls over the railing
At the hospital 2 hours later
"is Cat ok" asks Tori as Jade waits outside the hospital feeling ashamed
"the coffee scalded her, she has nerve damage, Robbie got Cat most of the way from the falling light, it nicked her, may I ask how it happened, Cat thinks Jade intentionally dropped the coffee from up on the catwalk to make her look stupid" asks the doctor
"Jade has feelings for Cat, has for a long time, Cat's quirky personality has a hold on her, Cat's singing voice makes Jade dreamy, Cat started singing, Jade was talking to me, she went to take a sip of her jumbo JetBrew coffee and it slipped out of her hand, it wasn't intentional, Jade wasn't paying attention to the play because of how she feels about Cat, she was talking to me, she was already worried about killing Cat tonight, we had a talk before the play, she's so ashamed that she wouldn't enter the hospital, she's waiting outside in the rain, she said getting soaked by the rare rain was punishment for hurting the girl she loves, she'd rather get a cold than face Cat after what happened, she's talking about running away, she is incapable of facing her fears" says Tori
"we're talking about Jadelyn West correct, the daughter of the richest person in southern California" asks the doctor
"yes, why is there a problem with Cat's insurance" asks Tori
"yes, they're refusing to cover anything to do with Catarina, from her meds to medical treatment, apparently Cat's family comes from money and the insurance policy Cat's on is for those with little income" says the doctor
"yes Cat's family has money, Cat wants nothing to do with it, she believes that money has the ability to corrupt people, especially when it's inherited money, she sees how little Jade seems to care about throwing her money around and hates it" says Tori
"we can't even prescribe pain meds without insurance coverage or someone paying for her medical bill, unless you have cash burning a hole in your pocket Jade's the best bet to getting Cat healthy and back to doing performances, my kids go to Hollywood Arts and they idolize Catarina, not seeing her at school would hurt their self esteem" says the doctor
"ill try and talk Jade into it but Jade giving Cat money is why Cat refuses her family's money, at least that's what Jade says" says Tori as she turns to head to Jade
"Cat's life depends on it" says the doctor
"ok" says Tori
15 minutes later in Cat's hospital room
"I'm not talking to her" says Cat wincing in pain as her nerves continue to send pain signals
"Cat I swear I didn't mean to, you don't under….." says Jade as Cat cuts her off
"I understand plenty, I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Doc I don't care about debt, I'm not taking her money" says Cat
"at this point Cat you don't have much of a choice, your nerves will keep sending pain signals unless we medicate, your already in debt by fifty grand, the medication isn't cheap" says the doctor
"I don't care I can make money, I can pay any debt, she's loose with her money, she gives it away, I don't like it, I refuse to accept her money" says Cat as she writhes in pain as the doctor looks at Jade as Jade clearly has tears rolling down her face
"Jade go sign those papers, I'll get Cat on board, she needs that medication" says Tori as the doctor takes Jade to sign the papers as Cat scowls
"traitor" says Cat trying to look angry while wincing in pain
"there is something you don't understand" says Tori
"what, what am I not understanding Tori, do you think I'm dumb too, just like Eichner does" asks Cat
"you're actually pretty smart, except when it comes to your emotions, the thing with you is you date someone for three days then make a spectacle of breaking up with them because you misunderstood their intentions, if you can't understand emotions you have or of others you miss things, you've missed how Jade looks at you" says Tori
"please tell me you're joking about that last part, Jade absolutely does NOT like me, she's always rude to me" says Cat
"you misjudge the effect you have on people, the way you act and your voice, it doesn't just affect boys, it affects girls too, Jade and Trina especially" says Tori
"so what my voice caused Jade to drop her jumbo Jet Brew coffee onto me from the catwalk, are you saying she didn't know I was directly under her at that moment" asks Cat
"yes to both, Sinjin was in charge of the lights, Jade and I were only backups, you captivate her Cat, everything about you captivates her, she thought looking down at you from up there would look creepy considering you weren't friends with her anymore, talking with you makes her nervous, the jabs at you weren't intentional, when she's nervous she says things she doesn't mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she runs away after paying your medical bills, she's very afraid Cat, she was already afraid she'd kill you by accident because she would get distracted by your voice, her fight or flight response is very much leaning flight right now, I had to basically force her to come in here to pay for your medical needs even though she wanted to pay for your bills, she didn't want to have you find out she wanted to pay for your medical bills" says Tori
"is that why everyone visited but her, is she that scared of me" asks Cat
"you should know something about her family, yes her dad is the snobby rich type, Jade for the most part isn't, most of the time she'd offer to pay for things in the friend group is because you were there, she has never asked for anything in return, that dress I got you on day one of us being together, Jade bought it for me, she said 'it doesn't matter if she thinks it's from you Tori, what matters is that her face lights up like a rainbow after a storm', we all figured she was trying to impress you but none of us understood why until a few days ago when Jade confessed her feelings for you to Andre and tried to get him to keep it a secret" says Tori as Cat tries to giggle through the pain
"Andre couldn't keep a secret to save his life….. Tori, do you think we could have made things work" asks Cat
"what, you and me, it would have been hard, you wanted more, I wasn't ready, my dad arrested your brother when he tried to attack me the day we broke up, my dad has said I can't date you because of him, not going forward, it would be a hard to sell him on the benefits, I think you should give Jade an honest trial run, she's changed a lot since confessing her feelings for you to Andre" says Tori
"name one way she's changed and I'll think about it" says Cat clearly unconvinced as the pain rolls through her body again
"you'd have never gotten to keep the lead roll, did you not notice how Jade didn't even fight for the role instead of letting you keep it, remember the whole Robbie toy car thing where I had to give blood and Jade kept making it disappear so I had to donate three times meaning I made a fool of myself during the play, she had a candy themed plan for you if you'd ever gotten a lead role" says Tori
"so why didn't she hatch the plan, I thought she would have honestly been a better fit, the original character had a big chest like hers, Jade being in the lead role made more sense but Sikowitz said no, that it was my turn to be in the spotlight" says Cat
"she almost did, she pulled me over to her locker the day you got the role and showed me the candy, she said and I quote 'I saw how the blood thing affected you, I have this candy that will make Cat loopy but I can't do it, she means to much to me, making you look like a fool is one thing but Cat, she's on a different level entirely, making her look foolish, well it just makes me feel all icky, she's already quirky, people judge her enough', the thing is Cat, Shipwrecked Sailor, it was written by Jade last year, people in England went nuts over it and she sold them the rights in Europe, she still holds the American rights, at least as far as I know, Cat she wrote it about you and her, a fantasy where you two are shipwrecked on an island and fall in love" says Tori
"I really am stupid, the whole impress me by buying something for everyone thing is the oldest trick in the book, it's literally how my parents met, I must look oh so stupid right now, why didn't she say anything" says Cat
"I have to know if you like her back, she won't say anything about how she feels unless she knows you won't laugh at her, she's on her way back from signing the papers and signing a check" says Tori as Cat again winces in pain
"Beck and Andre have wanted to 'sex Jade up' since the moment Jade arrived at Hollywood arts, I'm a rather fast paced girl in more ways than one, yes I like Jade, it's just there is a massive wealth gap between our families, compared to Jade's family my family is poor, that's how big the gap is, her family is loaded loaded, donating millions of dollars to help starving kids in Africa would be pennies to them, my dad was foolish enough to invest in shaky stocks, he lost almost everything in the crash a few years ago, the only reason my family has any money these days is because mom won the lottery last year, anyway the pain is causing me to have a hard time understanding you, I can only reply because I can read your lips, when Jade comes in tell her yes, I'll agree to a date and we'll go from there" says Cat as Jade walks in
"Cat I like like you" says Jade getting right to the point as Cat looks at Tori
"Cat's nerve pain is making it hard to understand people, she had to read my lips to understand me, she has told me she will agree to one date and go from there, is the medication paid for" says Tori
"it is, my dad is pissed about the cost but Cat's family, while not powerful in America is powerful elsewhere and my dad fears them so he approved the payment, the meds will be here shortly" says Jade, tears again falling down her cheeks as she looks at Cat in pain
"will they work" asks Cat
"yes…..,you're not just being polite about the date thing right, because you don't have to if you really don't want to" says Jade as the doctor arrives with the meds
"Catarina, take these three times a day and you aren't to be left alone, the one side effect with this medication is the possibility of muscle weakness, meaning you could collapse under your own weight temporarily" says the doctor as Cat takes the pills
"is there anything we should know, like is there anything she shouldn't eat or drink while she's on these meds, how long will she have to take them for" asks Jade as Cat purses her lips, begging Jade to sir beside her on the hospital bed
"no spicy food and no super sugary drinks for the next few weeks, the meds should start nerve regeneration and dull the pain of the nerve damage significantly, the longest a patient has had to be on this medication is two months but they were in a house fire with severe burns" says the doctor as Jade goes and sits beside Cat
"yeah the whole no spicy food thing won't fly for Cat, her extended family has owned several Italian restaurants, generally on the spicier side of Italian cuisine, Cat was raised on it, though there are some recipes that she's not fond of, in general she likes things spicy" says Tori
"it's not a permanent ban Victoria, a certain level of spiciness is ok but that spicy Italian level is not a good idea with this medication, I know you care for Cat, she's allergic to the only other medication, if I could have given her the less expensive treatment I would have" says Doctor Sabrína Vega
"it's not toxic is it, like it won't affect her in any negative way like affecting her voice will it" asks Jade
"no, though if the muscle weakness happens she will also be less energetic, the expensive medication she's on has less side effects than the less expensive one, oh and whatever you do Jade do not take her to your house, let your father cool off for a few days" says Doctor Sabrína
"was he that mad" asks Jade
"just about, he can't get over your fascination with Cat, the fact that Cat also has feelings for you and you will be going on a date with her will only frustrate him" says Doctor Sabrína Vega
"how do you know my dad so well, he's completely uncaring about appreciating that I actually have feelings for Cat, nobody understands" says Jade confused
"him and I attended the same university, take my advice and give him the cold shoulder for me would ya dear" says Doctor Sabrína
"did he wrong you too" asks Cat managing to speak as the pain slowly subsides
"he raped my little sister, him and I were year three in our respective courses and she'd just started university, sis was way too trusting and he convinced her that no university student was allowed to be a virgin, she dropped out three months later and our parents still don't talk to her because Mr. High and Mighty West convinced them she wanted it" says Doctor Sabrína Vega
"where is Abby now" asks Tori
"in a mental health care facility that I pay for, she had gotten into University to be a mental health care worker and now she's forced to be cared for by the people she wanted to work besides, I've never seen her so sad" says Doctor Sabrína
"do they at least treat her like an equal" asks Jade
"she gets to help out when she's not depressed or reliving that night, anyway Cat will be here for about another hour before she can go home, treat her well Jadelyn" says Doctor Sabrína as she walks out as Jade freaks out a little
"what did she mean by that Tori" asks Jade
"and you think I know how" asks Tori
"she's your aunt isn't she, she looks like your dad" says Jade
"and she's as mysterious as my dad, the only aunt I am close to is Aunt Abby, though I do know Aunt Sabi is protective, Trina and I had a pillow fight when we were little and Trina accidentally swung the pillow hard enough to slam me into my headboard, I needed six stitches, when Aunt Sabi heard what happened she arrived at the hospital and shaved Trina's head as punishment, I'd tread carefully if I were you" says Tori
"got it" says Jade quickly