Skipping "Ice Cream for Ke$ha" (will be covered in another story at some point, I'm sure), "Tori Gets Stuck" (covered in a chapter of "An Issue of Timing");"Prom Wrecker" (covered in a chapter of "An Issue of Timing" and "Assistant Direction, Candy Specialist"); "Locked Up" (basically skipping these two because those aren't my favourite episodes); "Helen Back Again" (just more focused on Vega sisters/family and I can't think of any Cat moments to build off in it). So, "here I am, once again..." with another chapter covering "Who Did It to Trina?" (earlier in the episode than what I covered in "Guidance: Inappropriate Amusement").
Enjoy!
...
"Come!"
"No."
"Come with me!"
"No. Don't want to."
"Come now!"
"Nooooooo! I'm not goiiiing."
Cat put her hands on her hips and glared at Jade who was dramatically splayed out on her bed and refusing to budge.
"Jade! You said you would come with me if I helped you with the costumes for your movie when you re-auditioned. Now come to Tori's play with me!"
"But it is for Vega!" Jade protested with a very definite whine in her voice. Would she admit it was a whine? Not on her life.
"It's not fair! You promised!" Cat responded with a whine of her own. Would she admit it was a whine? Most definitely. And she planned to use it until Jade gave in and came with her.
Jade knew that too.
She groaned as she let Cat pull her into a seated position.
"Can I choose an outfit for you to wear to the show?" Cat asked eagerly.
"No," Jade said flatly. "I'm already covered in clothes. I don't need to be extra fancy for a show I'm not involved in to any degree."
Cat started drifting toward Jade's jewelry collection. Jade winced as Cat opened a little separate jewelry box that Jade kept completely for Cat's frequent jewelry gifts. She kept the many pink bracelets and lemon yellow necklaces and rainbow anklets there, because they were "too special to wear all the time". She had learned the hard way after giving away a particularly gaudy gift back in sixth grade that Cat's feelings were very hurt when her well-meaning gifts were not treated with dignity. The separate jewelry box filled with Cat's trinket gifts - which she then often ended up borrowing from Jade for her own use - was the concession Jade had made to keep peace. She now understood why her macaroni creations during childhood were rarely worn apart from Mother's Day brunches.
"Tonight is going to be special. Maybe you can wear some of these," Cat said, pulling out the luminous yellow necklace and let the beads slide through her fingers.
"Well, it's time for us to go," Jade said, hurrying to the door. She was not wearing that necklace, thank you very much! She doubted that Cat had been using the idea of dressing her "up" as a motivation to leave, but it was working.
...
Ninety minutes later
After sneaking in a few insults at Tori during the performance - Cat had wanted to sit near Tori as a sign of support, and Jade just capitalized on the location as it fit her agenda - the play got really interesting. Trina's flying aperture started to misfunction. In the chaos, Jade pulled out her phone.
"Well, I guess someone should get this on video," she commented flatly as Trina haplessly careened above the set.
Cat was gasping at the scene, Rex in her lap for safekeeping while Robbie acted - and now tried to rescue Trina along with Tori and other stage hands, actors, and teachers.
"Thank you for making me come to this play," Jade told her while adjusting her camera angle.
"Their poor ranch house," Cat whimpered.
Trina's harness finally broke, and Trina crashed in a manner that even made Jade wince. Cat gasped and covered her eyes. Jade noted that she was wearing one of the gaudy plastic star rings she had tried to give Jade on a previous birthday. At least Cat was getting some use out of it.
"Please tell me it's over," Cat begged weakly from behind her shielding hand.
The wall fell and Jade put her phone away with another grimace. Although she would capitalize on this footage later, she was concerned. Although Trina was not her favourite person, no one deserved for something like that to happen to them.
"It's over," she said.
Cat pulled her hands away from her face, and as they stayed out of the way of the stage hands removing the rubble from around Trina, Jade hugged Cat who was trembling in her arms.
"That was scary, Jade."
"I know."
What if it had been someone else, someone less sturdy and unbreakable than the invincible Trina? What if it had been her little Cat instead?
"It was really, really scary!"
"I know, Cat. I know."
