A/N: Jade made a huge stride on her road to recovery. She got away from Pamela and finally she was held accountable for her treatment of her daughter.
We are on the home stretch for the story here. Just a couple of chapters after this one.
BIG THANKS to everyone that has reviewed; super glad to hear that you're all loving it.
Cat pulled up to Jade's house and was confused by the presence of her mother's car in the driveway. She thought Pam was usually at work by this time. None of the others mentioned seeing her at all this week.
The last twenty-four hours was rather confusing.
First Robbie ran up to her yesterday and gave her an envelope apparently from Jade. And now this.
Cat looked to her right and saw the envelope still sitting underneath her bag, still unopened.
(Haven't seen hide nor hair of her for weeks and suddenly, boom! this.)
She contemplated opening the parcel and seeing what Jade had inside there. Cat wondered if it was best to read before she was face to face with the goth or not.
A knock on the window made her jump.
Cat saw a beleaguered-looking Pamela starring at her from outside the car.
The redhead rolled down the window.
"Good morning, Mrs. West."
"Is it?"
(That's a strange thing to say, even for you.)
"I was here to pick up Ja-"
"Jade's not here!" Pam interrupted.
Cat blinked in bemusement.
"Um, where is she then?"
The woman shrugged with a bitter look on her face.
"She's staying with friends," she sneered. "Not you, apparently" she felt she had to add.
The petite girl released her seatbelt, concerned.
"What? Who?"
"I don't know," Pam said, shaking her head. "Some busy body she met at the hospital."
(Okay, lady I have ALL the questions right now. But I'm getting the sense that the information well is dry.)
"Maybe you can call her and find where she is," Pam sighed. "According to her, you're still tight or whatever."
Cat bit her lip. Her mind was racing. Everything she was prepared for this morning was turned on its head.
"While you're here, though; why don't you make yourself useful and pick up some of Jade's things? Let her know if she wants to live somewhere else, I want her shit out!"
The redhead thought for a second and it was an easy decision.
"I can pick her rabbit up for now. And all his food and stuff."
Pamela massaged the bridge of her nose.
"Okay, fine. Make it fast."
Cat turned off the car and went around the house to the back. She was thankful that she didn't have to go through the house. The habitat was much too big for her car, so she had to settle for taking Renfield in his carrier for trips to the vet. Cat loaded the fluff ball into his little transport and carried him to the car and placed him nicely in the backseat. Then like a choo-choo train, Cat ran back and forth with rabbit food, cedar for his cage and little treats to nibble on for healthy chompers.
Once she loaded the last of it into her car, Cat checked on the bunny and he looked in good spirits.
The redhead bounded to the driver's seat when Pam put her hand on the still down window right next to her.
"Oh, and one more thing, Cat."
"Uh-huh?"
"I looked over my Ring camera. There was apparently a disturbance a week ago."
Cat swallowed nervously.
"If you would hand over your key," she said, holding out her hand.
The teenager didn't protest. She just separated the house key from her key chain as fast as she could. Cat handed it and the woman snatched it.
"By the way, tell Jade that she can pick up her belongings. But if you come anywhere near my house again; I will call the police. Got it?"
Cat couldn't help but nod and start the car.
When she pulled away, the girl kept her gaze locked because she knew Pam was watching her like a hawk until she was out of sight.
(THAT was aggressively uncomfortable.)
Cat goes into the parking lot of the nearby supermarket and stops.
She needed to collect her thoughts before driving any further. Plus, she wasn't sure where she was going next. The plan was to show up at Hollywood Arts with Jade in tow. Now it's a half hour until school starts and Cat is sans Jade.
She turned toward the backseat to check up on Renfield, who was just twitching his little nose.
"Ever have one of those mornings?" she asked the bunny.
Cat inhaled and exhaled intensely. She glanced over at the seat next to her and the envelope was taunting her.
The redhead took out her phone and dialed Jade. It rang for a minute but went to voicemail. Cat hung up before leaving a message. She checked the texts and nothing new for today.
Frustrated and puzzled (not a great combo) she grabbed the envelope and tore it open.
Inside was a handwritten letter on loose-leaf paper.
She recognized it immediately as Jade's handwriting, which was always impeccable. Her penmanship was very readable but, on the downside, Jade's hand would strain easily trying to write long form with such perfection. Cat knew something of this length would have taken her hours.
Cat,
I know you don't want to hear from me and that forgiving me is the furthest thing from your mind. But I needed to get this off my chest. Your friendship meant everything to me, and I was too stupid and blind to appreciate it. I didn't just take you for granted. I stabbed you in the back! I guess it's impossible to love others if you don't love yourself first.
And don't think I'm trying to make excuses for what I did. I take responsibility for my actions. You were such a good friend, that I was able to ignore the voices that told me I was worthless, or I was an abomination. You built me up so much that I started to believe my own hype. I'm not going to mince words: I was a BITCH. There was no better term that I could find.
When you guys were no longer there, it was the worst time of my life. I see now how much you gave me strength and acceptance. Even if the play went well, it wouldn't be the same because my friends weren't there. But it didn't go well and now I'm paying for it. And I get it now. This was all just karma coming to kick my ass. And I had it coming. I'm sorry if I made any of you worry by the way.
The point is...
It stopped abruptly there and Cat switched to the next page.
I'm sorry that I was a horrible friend. You deserve someone who will have your back. Tori is that person and she would never do something like I did.
Even after everything, I wanted to see you when I was at the hospital. I had no choice but to make peace with the fact that we're done and nothing I can do will ever make up for how I made you feel. You gave and I just took. You were a saint to put up with my bullshit as long as you did.
Cat started to get a little choked up. This was unmistakably Jade's hand that wrote this but this didn't sound like her. No trace of an ego in these pages. What came from these harsh words appeared to be the last rites of a broken girl.
There's nothing to gain for me. I have to deal with the choices I made. All I wanted to do here is apologize and hopefully make you believe how much I mean it.
It went on for another half a page but the redhead couldn't bring herself to read the rest. She was overcome with emotions. After not speaking a word to Jade in weeks, this outpouring painstakingly written down was like a sledgehammer.
She then had a horrible thought.
(Please don't this be what I think it is...)
Cat frantically got a hold of her cell and tried Jade again. It rang and rang but no answer.
"Shit."
Tears slid down her cheeks as she tried yet again to contact her friend.
RING...
RING...
RING...
RING...
"Cat? OW!"
The girl closed her eyes tightly, squeezing out the rest of her tears but they weren't going to be the last of them. She clutched her heart like she was having palpitations.
Reading these words after hearing the stories from Robbie and the others; Cat didn't know what to make of it. For all she knew this was a suicide note for her eyes only. It didn't sound like it was written by someone with hope.
After that, nothing mattered anymore. She was mad at Jade, sure, but she wasn't planning on something permanent.
"Cat? Cat?"
"Jade!" she sighed. "Are you okay? Where are you?"
"Oh, shit, shit! I'm so sorry, Cat. It all happened just last night and I was exhausted."
"It doesn't matter," Cat said. "Just tell me where you are."
Cat parked behind Lori's car and got out to ring the doorbell. But Jade was already there to open the door before she had the chance.
"Hi," Jade said out of breath.
"Hi," Cat said, beside herself with relief that she was okay.
"Hey," came a third voice.
The redhead noticed the woman standing behind Jade.
"Oh, Lori, this is Cat Valentine."
She shook hands with the girl.
"It's just not fair to have a name THAT cool," Lori smiled.
Cat chuckled and noticed Jade's crutch.
"How's it been?" she asked.
"Oh," Jade blurted out. "I'm...surviving."
"I tried to call this morning but..."
"That's my fault," Lori explained. "Jade's been through a lot and she pretty much passed out last night. Noticed her phone so I found a charger in the other room."
Jade smiled at how attentive Lori had been. Just the complete 180 from her own mother.
"Guess I should be getting ready," Jade said. "We're probably running a little late."
"We can talk to Lane. He'll understand. Besides, we need to make a stop first."
Jade tilted her head.
"Stop?"
"Come here," Cat said.
The two looked at each other, shrugged and followed the redhead to her car.
"I sort of didn't come alone."
Cat then pulled out the pet carrier.
"Ta-da!"
"RENFIELD!" Jade cried. "Thanks so much, Cat! I was worried about him."
"I was thinking about taking him to my house. We have the space."
The goth reach through the little door to pet the bunny with her finger.
"That's really cool of you."
Lori looked at the two friends and offered to take the rabbit.
"How about I get the little thing some water and veggies to eat. Bugger look hungry. I'll leave you two alone."
"Thanks," Jade said.
Lori nodded and took the carrier inside.
"So," Cat began, rubbing her arm. "Robbie gave me your letter."
Jade's eyes widened.
"He did?"
Cat nodded.
"Did you mean what you said?" she asked.
The brunette looked like she was going to have a breakdown.
"Every word," she whispered.
Cat regarded her best friend and wrapped her arms around Jade's waist and pulled her in for a tight hug. Given her petite stature, she wasn't in the way of Jade's crutch. Otherwise, her meager frame would be her only means of support.
Jade was full on crying at this point. Before she would rather be stabbed in the eyeballs than to show any kind of weakness. But this past week, she laid her soul bare to her closest mates. And despite getting so much out from her previous four friends; the sight of Cat made the dam burst.
The redhead could feel Jade's whole body shake. She was struggling to say something audible amidst the sobbing.
"I...love...you, Cat! Please...please don't s-s-stop...b-being my...friend! Please!"
That just made the girl squeeze tighter.
"I'm here," she said back. "And I forgive you."
Jade thought she was going to collapse with those words. She thought she would never hear them. Ever.
"How can you forgive me?" Jade shakily asked.
Cat broke the hug and looked her dead in the eye.
"It doesn't matter what you think," Cat said. "Forgiving you is my decision. I'm so sick of being angry and I'm really tired of everyone being outraged on my behalf."
Jade was speechless. The little one was never quite this serious.
"Guess we're seeing different sides of each other," she added.
"Guess so," Jade agreed. "So what now?"
Cat looked at the house and back to her car.
"Well, I can't stand separating a girl and her rabbit so get your stuff because you're coming with me."
"Wait, Cat, what?"
She took Jade's free hand.
"You said that you're sorry. The way I see it, you owe me. So when I say you're staying at my house, that's that! No fighting!"
"But...I..."
"I think it's a sweet offer," Lori butted in. "Besides if you stay here too long, Jamie's gonna think I got him a big sister and then you really can't leave."
Jade scoffed and shook her head.
"What about you?"
"I'm a mom," Lori quipped. "You make it sound like I got nothing to do."
"Fair enough," Jade nodded.
"Thank you Lori. For everything."
Lori smiled.
"Forget about it. Like I said, it was my pleasure."
"Here," Cat offered. "I'll give you a hand with your stuff."
Jade nodded and went back inside.
"Hold on a sec," Lori said, gently grabbing Cat's arm for her attention.
"Yeah?"
"That was really big of you, Cat."
She looked back at the house, trying to hide herself wiping away a tear.
"It's nothing, really."
"Making up for lost time?" Lori asked.
Cat nodded.
"Jade's really lucky."
"What do you mean?" the teen asked.
"To have a friend like you."