The next day at school as Lane pulls Jade aside
"Jade, who are they" asks Lane
"this is Cally and Selena, they're only here because my dad's working from home this week and they're still not sure about him, Eichner already introduced himself and gave the ok for them to follow me around today so long as they're quiet and can control themselves" says Jade
"can they, I don't need students coming to me traumatized because one or both of them were making out and distracting you or the class" says Lane
"they will definitely try and they don't initiate anything in most cases, after I went to bed they stayed up and kept watching movies so they'll be sleeping at my feet most of the time, so long as nobody kicks them they'll be fine" says Jade
"fair enough but if they can't, there's a corner in my office where they can nap without being disturbed, now get to class, Sikowitz is waiting" says Lane as Selena and Cally whisper words of thanks
At lunch where Tori and Cat show up unexpectedly
"well this is a surprise, I thought you weren't coming back till next week" says Beck
"don't be snippy Beck, their drinks got spiked at the restaurant they went to, technically this is a date for them, not a school thing, if you can't control your mouth I will put this tape over your mouth" says Andre
"thanks Andre, what's with the bullet holes in Beck's car anyway" says Tori as they sit down
"apparently I'd parked in the path of a drug dealer who was trying to evade the cops, now I can't afford to fix it, now I know why someone would sell a classic car" says Beck
"how much" asks Cat
"after all I've done to make you feel uncomfortable you're still willing to help me, I know I wouldn't help me" says Beck surprised
"that's one of the reasons I wanted to get a record deal, so I could help people, sure maybe there's an alternate universe where I'm snobby and care more about money than my friends but that's not this one, so how much" says Cat
"ten thousand before labor, which they said would be about six thousand, I need new doors, windows and new fenders, apparently the dealer and the cops played musical chairs around my car, not one corner of my car wasn't hit by bullets, I still have a hard time believing you'll actually help me after everything I've ever said to you about you being childish" says Beck hoping Cat doesn't take that last part as an insult
"just be glad I'm not petty enough to ignore Tori's dad's legal advice, I'll pay for it in full next week IF you buy me ice-cream for a full week" says Cat
"any ice-cream in particular and what kind, a cone, tub or what" asks Beck at a loss for words at Cat's generosity
"Jade knows the kind, I'm not giving any hints" says Cat as Festus arrives with her and Tori's food
"miss Valentine, Vega, here is your lunch with drink of choice" says Festus as he sets the food and drinks down, bows and leaves
"he never does that" says Andre shocked
"we called in advance after our drinks were spiked at the restaurant, also I paid him extra, his food truck renewal is coming up so now he has enough money to pay it" says Cat
"I hate to sound critical but it sounds like you're just throwing your money at people Cat" says Andre
"Festus only needed four thousand for truck repairs so it would qualify to be renewed, he's a staple here at Hollywood arts, besides I trust him to make food that won't make me sick, if he failed to renew his license, the school would bring someone new in and I can't trust someone new, not with my food, I got food poisoning because the regular restaurant chef was out sick and they hired a new guy to fill in for him, I wanted to trust that the restaurant would make the right decision, if me 'throwing' money at Festus means I have a known quantity every day at lunch then that's what I'll do" says Cat
"I never thought of it like that" says Andre
"Cat's a very logical action person, if there's a kitten or Cat in trouble and she can do something about it then she will, though she draws the line at going up trees to save them" says Tori as Cat eats her ravioli
"what's she like one on one, I've only seen her react during group outings" asks Beck, genuinely interested in seeing if his view of Cat is skewed
"she's nervous and jokes can go over her head but she's amazing and a very organized person, ever since I've had glasses I've always misplaced them, I'll set them down and forget about them until I need them and they're never where I think I put them, Cat's been living with me since Saturday and I haven't misplaced my glasses once because she's gotten me into the pattern of putting them in only one place" says Tori
"ok I admit based on what I knew I'd have never guessed Cat is an organized person, I'm definitely going to try and be a better person" says Beck realizing he really really never understood Cat
"when you sew its kind of important to know where your sewing needles are, after a few years of accidentally sitting on them, sharp side up I've learned to keep everything organized, except for my stuffed animals, they're always a disorganized mess" says Cat as Tori finishes her lunch
"you haven't talked about your brother once so far, usually during lunch you always find a reason to bring him up" says Beck actually enjoying this 'new' Cat
"they were mostly lies to keep people like Sinjin from trying to ask me out, my brother may genuinely be wildly unstable but man can he string stories together better than anyone I know, now that I'm dating Tori I don't need them but if anyone tries to advance on me and claim I'm single I'll gladly bring them back, I'm not as unstable as I made myself out to be, it was mostly an act like the 'my brother' stories, to keep people at arms length, I've always liked girls more than boys, I didn't think anyone would be friends with me if they knew I'm a girl leaning bisexual, people can be quite cruel, I was willing to keep my sexuality a secret if I thought it meant that I wouldn't lose friends" says Cat
"ok, that's fair, can you address the rumors about your feelings for people" says Robbie
"the only ones that are true are the ones about you and Tori" says Cat
"so you do like me" asks Robbie
"yes but because of some of the things you've said and done, mainly how you play pirates I can't trust you one on one, Tori and I might consider dating you together if you're open to it and drop the whole 'convert to Judaism' thing" says Cat
"that's a parental request, not something I would want and it's only in play if marriage is involved, I'm open to it so long as you keep my parents in the dark, they'd lose their minds if they knew I was open to a polyamorous style relationship" says Robbie
"it would mostly be me you're interacting with anyway, Tori needs convincing that a truly polyamorous relationship can work, she doesn't believe you'd be willing to split your time equally between us, anyway we're looking at a house after school, you're welcome to come" says Cat not wanting to talk more about her romantic and sexual plans at school
"may I ask how you plan to hide a relationship from my parents" asks Robbie
"most of my concerts will be live streams from whatever house I buy, only a few will be in person so I need a tech producer, iCarly style except I plan to let the tech producer live on site, you'd be paid so you could just say you're paying for a room with the money you make, they wouldn't need to know more than that, oh and if the house doesn't have security cameras you'd be my on site security guy" says Cat
"yeah, I guess they'd believe that" says Robbie
At the house after school
"when Jade said you were looking for a house I was a little mistrusting, I've been trying to sell this house for a year, nobody wanted a house this close to the beach" says Diane Harold
"this is an amazing house at first glance, any particular reason you're selling" asks Cat going down a list her mom gave her
"I'm a life guard, my husband brought in most of the money but he died last year of cancer, the money he left me and my kids is almost gone, my money anyway, I won't let my kids pay bills, they're only nine, though they do love your music, they say it speaks to them, I haven't seen them this happy since before their dad died" says Diane
"yeah I've been getting that a lot lately, it seems I write relatable songs, anyway I wanted to give them a gift" says Cat
"you don't have to" says Diane
"you're right, I don't have to, I want to, the label let's me give away five items a month to worthy fans, and my biggest fans in LA, Savannah and Ariel live here, they're in my LA fan club, they rate all my songs, their input is very valuable to me" says Cat
"do you know all your LA fans home locations, that, seems a little creepy" asks Diane
"I require an address be given when they sign up because I plan to do raffles where random fans can win merch, I don't have direct access to sensitive information like home address or age, the label keeps a tight hold on that information for me, only one person at the label has access to my fans personal information, each fan has an ID number attached and the raffle software I use has all that, we did a test raffle in September, your daughters won, had it been a live raffle they'd have gotten free merchandise, I only know they live here because the address sounded familiar when Jade told me it after school, I texted my fan club manager at the label and she confirmed that it should be familiar because they're the ones that won the test raffle" says Cat
"so do you have the merch with you" asks Diane
"no, every fan is different, I didn't know what they would want, there's the physical store and the online store, I can give you a code that, works for both for two free items each, it's princessPOPfive, pop is all capital letters, the rest are lowercase" says Cat writing it down
"so any place in particular you want to look at" asks Diane taking the custom coupon Cat hands her
"the bedrooms mostly, the pool and the basement if it has one" says Cat reading off her list
"this happens to be one of the few houses in the neighborhood that has a basement, Ariel and Savannah are currently napping but you can certainly take a look around, the coupon code will absolutely work right" says Diane
"the code works, it's the only authorized code I have for both online and physical stores, in store just hand them the paper I gave you, my writing is pretty unique, if it's used online they shoot me a text when it's used to verify its genuine, they give me the name and the amount, if I say no, that I didn't give this person the code they either don't ship it or they contact the person and require payment for the products before they'll ship it, scammers just take the loss because they were looking for a quick score of free product to sell at a massive price, way more than the stores charge, luckily I haven't been a target of it yet but other artists have warned me it has happened to them, but I assure you the code works" says Cat as they roam the house
"I assume someone gave you that list of things to ask about the house" asks Diane starting to feel comfortable with someone as popular as Cat in her home
"as you can tell I'm still pretty young, some would say too young to own a home, my mom wanted me to know about things to look for, man these rooms are huge, any mould problems" says Cat
"no, no mould problems, we've had a few bulbs blow when the power flip-flops fast but otherwise this house has been perfect to raise Ariel and Savannah, it's given them a lot of space" says Diane as Cat checks off two items on her list
"oh my God they're adorable, do they really sleep in the same bed" asks Cat
"ever since their father died yeah, they're both afraid of the dark, my husband was the ultra caring type, he'd read them stories till they fell asleep, without him they're certain the 'monsters' under the bed will get them" says Diane
"they don't kiss do they" asks Cat
"they may both like girls but other than a comforting kiss on the cheek when one of them gets nervous no, they told me they'd never risk losing their best friends, who they do have crushes on" says Diane
"two separate best friends" asks Cat
"yeah, Savannah is nerdy, Ariel is the cheerleader type, Savannah said that if I got security cameras they would have assurance that the monsters can't get them and they wouldn't need to share a bed, at school they don't even talk to each other because it would be 'uncool' for the nerd to talk to the cheerleader" says Diane
"do they get along at home at least" asks Cat, worried about them as she is all her kid fans
"on and off, sometimes they go days without talking to each other, some days they can't stop talking to each other" says Diane
"aren't you worried about a naughty relationship getting started between them" asks Cat truly worried about them
"they're nine, I told them that if they grow feelings for one another to tell me immediately so we can work out why and how to avoid it because it won't be tolerated so they know the expectation" says Diane
"yet you let them kiss cheeks" asks Tori
"we're an open emotion family, they grew up with us kissing their cheeks to calm them down when they got nervous so it's instinct to kiss cheeks when one of them gets nervous, it's not a love thing, it's an oh my sisters nervous thing" says Diane
"she has a point Tor, they're Italian, we're an emotive people, even here in America, location can't change who we are as a people, not at our core, doesn't mean there isn't cause for concern but as long as its just kisses on the cheek there isn't anything to worry about" says Cat
"I'm surprised you noticed that, my last name doesn't exactly evoke Italian vibes" says Diane
"I assumed it was your husbands last name, I know a few Bianchi's and based on looks you'd be one of them" says Cat
"man you really know your stuff huh" says Diane, surprised someone like Cat can tell subtle differences in appearance that easily
"ok I've seen enough of the rooms, let's look at the pool" says Cat as they head downstairs and out to the backyard
"see anything you don't like" asks Diane
"other than backyard furniture no, it all looks good, have you had any issues with the pool" asks Cat back to following the list
"no, no issues that can't be explained by environmental causes, last year the whole neighborhood had algae issues, we saw the signs and corrected to avoid it, we had about a week where we couldn't use the pool but otherwise no problem at all" says Diane as Savannah and Ariel Ron down in their swimsuits
"yay pool time" says Savannah as they stop in their tracks when they see Cat
"h-hi" says Ariel suddenly nervous
"hi girls" says Cat
"are you going to buy the house" asks Savannah
"so far chances are good yeah, but If I do that doesn't mean that you girls can't come over and use the pool" says Cat
"really" asks Savannah wide eyed
"yeah, I mean you're my top fans, you're the only ones that speak honestly about my songs, you're not afraid to tell me you don't like a song even if later you change you mind about it, if you were older the label would hire you to be an in house real time critic, the work you do helping me hone my career, that deserves a reward, but you can't bring friends over, it has to be just you and your sister" says Cat as Ariel realizes her and Savannah could get to socialize with their favourite artist regularly
"mom, how much are you going to make Cat pay" asks Ariel
"I was selling the house for seven hundred grand, can you match it Cat" says Diane as hey head towards the basement
"just about, I have six and a half saved up right now, I can give you six hundred thousand right now, I can get you the rest by the end of the week but I have to check the basement first, the kitchen looks good, the basement is the last on my list to check before I can be informed, If it has no visible issues I can either write a check or we can both go to my bank and set up a wire transfer to your bank" says Cat as Ariel and Savannah get in the pool
"a check for most of it up front is fine, when you have the rest just let me know and I'll bring Ariel and Savannah over, I can already tell they're excited at the idea, they'll probably ask you a lot of questions about what it's like being with a girl" says Diane as they reach the basement
"I'm ok with answering the questions as long as sex doesn't come up, any issues with the basement" says Cat quickly changing the subject
"no structural or leak issues, though Savannah has the far end basically trip wired up with tech so the walls down there might look a little bit messed up once we take everything down" says Diane
"I'll have any damage repaired but if they come here often I might build a room where they can stay in" says Cat
"are you thinking I hurt them, because I swear I don't" says Diane suddenly defensive assuming that Cat now believes as other adults do
"I didn't, though you've now given me a reason to be suspicious so I will be asking them if you do before I leave and just to be sure, you can't be out back" says Cat writing the cheque and heading back upstairs to the pool
"hey, so did you buy our house" asks Savannah
"I wrote the check but I haven't given it to her yet, I talked about building you a room in the basement if you guys end up coming over a lot to use the pool and stuff, she got defensive and asserted that she's not abusive to you, I need to know the truth before I buy this house" says Cat
"no, mom doesn't, dad was the one that got close to hurting us when we said we like girls not boys, mom's always been supportive, even if she's a little scared about it, when someone brings up having an 'alternate' place for us to stay it's always meant so she could be arrested for sexual abuse, she gets defensive as a result, she's a lifeguard, we've lived the last year on dad's money that he gave us in his will, people think that a bisexual single mom will abuse their kids sexually when the father dies so the kids become 'un-straight', at least that's been our experience of what people think" says Ariel
"so she doesn't, I believe you but I want to be sure" says Cat
"absolutely not, a cop started that rumor because the day dad died he paid a visit while mom was working, he nearly got us, luckily she was nearby and heard us scream and ran home and caught him, he ran but told us that If he can't have us then nobody can and mom will never be able to raise us, our gi--, our girl FRIENDS at school won't even come to whatever house mom can afford if mom is there, mom had to get loan after loan just so we had a roof over our heads for school this year, there's no guarantee that a place will even take us in, we've heard her talking on the phone, she's on the verge of literally selling herself just to make ends meet" says Ariel
"so you have girlfriends at NINE" asks Cat
"not officially no, it's a secret and you can't tell mom, they think if mom found out our relationship would be over, all we get is game nights, mom's working at a dollar store most nights so she drops us off at the games" says Ariel
"what's the officers name" asks Cat
"Johansson, we don't know his first name but he sounded European" says Savannah
"I'll be right back" says Cat
"no please don't tell mom that we're dating" says Savannah, pleading for secrecy
back in the basement
"well did they clear my name" asks Diane
"yes but they're also dating their crushes, their girlfriends don't trust you not to be overbearing and never giving them privacy, they don't want me to tell you" says Cat
"that sounds like Savannah, always wanting to keep secrets, what scares me is that officer, I never got his name, not the girls they have crushes on and as you say are dating, they're good girls and their parents are the only ones who actually believe me, the girls not so much" says Diane
"here's the deal, you get six fifty, I spend the rest on building them rooms and they stay here for date's, at that age they need to be sure they're safe, this has to be neutral ground, the more their girlfriends see you're willing to compromise, the more they'll be willing to trust you and the more likely they'll realize the lies are lies" says Cat
"as long as they don't do anything not age appropriate, it's a good compromise and I think it should start immediately" says Diane
"but they don't have bedrooms" says Cat
"they will literally sleep anywhere until the rooms are built, they adore you Cat, they look up to you, they'll talk about this for years, they got to meet the mayor when they were four and they still talk about that, just getting to meet you once will have been a dream come true for them, getting to interact with you daily will make them the envy of their entire school" says Diane
"I assume you have a reason for insisting they stay here immediately for the dates" asks Jade
"I have a new job next week on top of my lifeguard job that will allow me to have enough income to get a respectable home, smaller but respectable, it's part of the mayors 'clean city and beaches' initiatives but it doesn't start until next week, until then I don't have anywhere for us to go, nobody will sell a home, even a small modest one to someone who makes what I normally make, I don't want them to think we're homeless" says Diane
"what kind of sports does Ariel cheer for as part of school extra curricular, I didn't know pre-teen sports existed on the school level, I thought it was an outside of school thing" says Cat
"it's a school board initiative to spot talented students so they can prepare for high school where scholarships start to be considered, right now its LA and area only, the rules are knee length skirts or shorts and full length shirts for cheerleaders, the school board wants to erase the sexualizing of cheerleaders, At least to the point where cheerleaders have options for what to wear, Savannah runs the scoreboard for the school and she's amazing at it, Savannah is the target of talks to bump her up a few grades because she has aced every single test she's ever had and she does very little studying, last year her music teacher asked her to make a song on a very complex topic as a challenge, the next day she had it all done, it absolutely dumbfounded him, he threatened to quit as he felt like he had no purpose, what took him five years of his life to research and produce, took her a single day, I managed to convince him to stay on because while Savannah is very smart, she's a human sponge when it comes to information, there are lots of things in regard to music that you simply can't learn by researching or studying" says Diane
"ok, that's satisfactory, here's the check, I'll have the dates set up, most likely pool dates" says Cat handing the check to Diane
"I admit I'm surprised you trusted me, most people believe all the lies spread by that cop over me, very few people actually believe me" says Diane
"it's not about believing you or not, it's about trust, if you were an abuser, you'd have never let me go upstairs to ask them if the rumors were true and you'd have never agreed to a neutral ground, that cop won't last a minute once the chief finds out what he's done, he was on his last leg with any police force after he cornered me on my bike, my parents have friends in high places, though it helped that I had bear spray on me" says Cat
"so he'll be arrested, my daughters will be safe" asks Diane
"without a doubt and my dad will yell at him for hours, he promised my dad he's never done that before and would never do it again" says Cat
"it was last year, about Christmas time" says Diane
"oh that's funny, mine happened around Valentine's day this year, he's absolutely going down, no question" says Cat
"thank you so much, they've been afraid, knowing there's justice in this world, it's going to make them feel a lot safer" says Diane
"that's how I plan to spend my money, actually helping people, I'm not going to be like those other self interested famous people, I actually have a purpose for my money, the label was actually very nervous about signing me, that is until I told them what my plans were for the money I make, they got right on board, several other artists are also now following my plans, Olivia White is one of them, the former member of Lemonade Mouth, she's actually the one that got me the interview with the label, anyway go pay off your loans with that money, start fresh, your kids deserve to know that you're not struggling anymore" says Cat
"I can't possibly thank you enough, enjoy your new home" says Diane as she leaves with the check to right herself with her bank