Thanks to the reviewers on the last chapter - Boris Yeltsin and Zeroastai! :) I appreciate you both.
This chapter is based upon the "Wi-Fi in the Sky" episode. Short, but hopefully sweet!
Also, finally done exams and relaxing! I hope to write some more chapters and short stories soon. :)
...
Cat was busy helping with a group project ... but it was a little tricky to focus when they were doing it online. No one was in the room with her to keep her focused. Instead, they were writing a play over a group video call. Cat was not as upset by the distractions as some of her group mates had been - after all, what was the hurry? She was fine with spending the rest of the night working with them. Her brother and parents were out for the evening to one of his many therapy appointments or meetings with an intervention specialist. Subconsciously there may have been the idea that if she did not focus, maybe it would take a little longer and her friends would keep her company. All she was aware of was that this was fun!
Oh, and Jade was mad.
Once Jade had gotten through and realized why Beck had not been answering her calls - he was working on a project that she had forgotten he had to do and it was with Tori of all people! - she had gotten revenge. Cat had no idea that she was a tool in Jade's arsenal of revenge when she got a "super secret don't-tell-Beck" text from Jade reminding her about the special affects that she could add to her video.
Cat, of course, immediately had to try them out.
Thus began the descent of Tori's sanity.
Cat was having fun being a rainbow, swirling in space, and transforming into a cherry pie. She did not realize exactly how on-edge Tori was until Tori finally snapped.
"Cat, we have a ten page script due tomorrow morning, and we're on page three. And you're not helping at all!"
That was unfair!
What about my nice idea about the giraffe who learns to love? They said it wasn't good! I was trying!
"Now will you please stop acting like a child?" Tori yelled in frustration.
Something deep in Cat's core cracked a little. Why was Tori mad at her? Tori was the one who was always nice. Jade yelled all the time - she liked being loud. Beck rarely yelled, but when he did it was generally at Jade and Cat knew she didn't mind. Other people yelled - sometimes even Cat yelled - but none of her friends regularly yelled at her.
It was a little scary.
A little reminiscent of her parents yelling at her to "grow up" because acting babyish wasn't going to get them to pay attention to her.
It reminded her of being pushed aside of being put in the corner or swatted out of the way like a bug.
An annoying bug.
She began to cry, her face trembling at the unexpected hurt.
She heard Beck say, "There she goes." He had once told her to stop acting like a child, and had figured out that was the completely wrong thing to ever say to her. It had taken two hot dogs, frozen yoghurt, and a pack of glittery stickers before she had decided to forgive him, and that was mostly due to some prompting from Jade, who tried to explain that her screechy dollar store whistle had been getting on Beck's nerves for half an hour and he had not meant to hurt her feelings.
Funny. That whistle had disappeared soon after that.
But there was nothing funny about this situation.
Tori sighed. "Look, I ... I didn't mean to yell at you."
Nothing about Sorry I called you a buggy old burden that I wish we didn't have in our lives.
"Please don't cry. I'm just frustrated..."
Cat hit the "leave" button and curled in on herself.
Downstairs she heard her family arriving back.
Even though she could not stifle her tears, and even though she heard them walk up and down the hallway getting Nick ready for bed, no one checked in on her.
Meow!
It was a text. She blinked the welled-up tears out of her eyes and peaked at it.
Jade: So, how'd they like the filters?
Cat brushed the tears off her cheeks and tapped out a text with wet, slightly sticky fingers.
Cat: Tori said I was acting like a child!
...
Across town, Jade read the message and shook her head grimly.
That's not what I meant to happen!
She knew that being called "childish" - however appropriate - was a trigger for Cat. Nothing could shut down the girl faster than telling her to "grow up" or that she was "childish". Jade had her suspicions about where that came from, but she did not have the time or power to change it for Cat. Still, she had been the one who reminded Cat about those filters...
Jade: I'm sure you weren't trying to.
Cat: Nuh uh! I wasn't at all!
Jade: I'm on my way to Beck's. We'll be there soon, okay? I'll text you when we get there.
Cat: Grilled cheese?
Jade: Maybe. We'll see.
She arrived at Beck's RV. Time to settle this cheerleader involvement, and then they'd be on their way to Cat's.
...
"Let's not talk about it anymore, okay?" an embarrassed Jade grumbled as she turned away from the laptop she had just smacked shut.
Beck's amusement was mixed with a little annoyance at her disrupting work on a project, but he noticed she was concerned about something.
"What's up with you?"
"Tori hurt Cat's feelings."
Beck's eyebrow went up. "You heard about that?"
"You didn't text me that you knew?" Jade's eyebrow went even higher than his. Beck sighed.
"I hoped she was just a little upset and would forget about it in five minutes."
Jade rolled her eyes. "Well, she didn't. So we're going to check on her. Otherwise..."
"... No one will. I get it. Let's go."
...
Forty-five minutes later, Cat had been comforted by a grilled cheese sandwich and was considering the benefits of forgiving Tori. Beck was pushing the angle that the project still needed to be finished and it would be better if Cat was involved. Jade was filing her nails and throwing in the occasional comment, "But you don't have to forgive Tori, Cat. You know that, right?" Beck kept throwing her annoyed looks, and Jade kept doing that sneaky-type smile that simulatenously amused, scared, and confused Cat.
Beck's plan was clearer. Tori was forgiven.
But Jade was the one who was thanked for coming to her aid.
...
Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to check out the poll on my profile for what short story to address next! :)
