Friday October 9th at the new house after school
"so this is all real, this is actually happening" asks ivy, Savannah's soon to be official 'girlfriend'
"yup, Cat's cool huh" says Savannah as they get into the pool with Ariel and Ella
"very, it's so cool that she lets you guys use the pool whenever you want, I didn't think famous people did that" says Ivy as Ella nods in agreement
"she's not like other famous people, she's on mental health medications, that until this week she's had to pay on her own, she doesn't make that much, even now that her meds are paid for by insurance" says Savannah
"that seems odd" says Ella sinking down into the pool for a second to wet her hair
"you'd think but the label didn't immediately realize that she had to pay for her meds and that they weren't covered by her expensive insurance that she only just replaced this week, because of that they had her pay for travel to and from the mini concert venues she did, they're working to reimburse her now but its not easy and she has tons of stuff to buy for this house and she's building our rooms in the basement where she'll also be doing her new livestream format concerts, the occasional game stream as well, stuff is expensive these days" says Savannah
"that's true, I didn't think of that, our moms said this was a weekend date thing, do we have separate beds or is this a one bed situation" says Ella
"we have two beds obviously, mom never got rid of mine, Savannah and I have darkness issues and her bed is softer, mom wasn't desperate enough to sell it" says Ariel
"speaking of your mom, I'm surprised she allowed this, she's always so clingy" asks Ivy
"that's because of that cop that got arrested yesterday, he walked in to the house while mom was at work, luckily she wasn't working far away and heard us scream and came running, he created the rumors about her that have made it hard for mom to survive let alone raise us, we were almost homeless because of those lies" says Ariel
"so she's not evil" asks Ivy
"no, though I wouldn't say she's perfect, though dad wasn't either, they never let us get them so mad that they had to hit us or use any sort of physical punishment, they never needed to, ice-cream deprival was enough of a punishment to punish us, though they did also ground us on occasion" says Savannah
"that's not fair, ice-cream keeps us kids going" says Ella as Tori walks over
"snack time girls, come get it" says Tori
"ooh snacks" says Ivy as they all get out of the pool to eat
"I thought we'd get to meet Cat" asks Ella
"she's taking a nap, she's been busy arranging for delivery of furniture and still paying attention to her classes, she'll be awake for dinner but she'll avoid interacting with you girls as technically you're on a date with your respective girlfriends and she takes date privacy very seriously but if you ask her a question she'll answer as well as she can" says Tori
"what's it like to have sex with a girl" asks Ivy as Tori's face turns white
"why ask a question like that, that's vastly inappropriate, especially for someone your age" says Tori
"I've seen what the education system teaches, they don't talk at all about girls with girls, it's all boys and girls, I have no intention of figuring it out for myself but that doesn't mean I'm not curious, I didn't mean to look like I was asking for details, I just meant like is it enjoyable" says Ivy
"I wouldn't know first hand, Cat's not really ready, she's crazy serious about privacy, she won't even entertain the idea until the bedrooms are set up to be sound proofed" says Tori
"wait so we could kiss or make as much noise as possible and it wouldn't go anywhere" asks Ella
"any behavior has to be age appropriate miss Ella White" says Tori
"no, I get that but none of us act our age, our doctors call it 'early blooming', there has to be some sort of give and take here" says Ariel as they finish their snacks
"all four of you, that's statistically unlikely" says Tori suspicious
"it's true, we're all in a sexual assault prevention group for girls that started puberty earlier than we're 'supposed to', there's a hundred of us in California, we didn't know the four of us went to the same school until last Christmas when we overheard our parents talking about it, that's why we're dating our respective girlfriends, we understand each other, we don't expect any of us to 'act' our age at sleepovers, we're basically outcasts at school, the only reason we're still allowed there is because we have talent that can make the school look good" says Savannah
"you wouldn't lie to me would you Savannah" asks Tori in a firm tone
"why would I lie, we're already outcasts at school because we're different, if people knew why we're different we'd almost certainly be raped by our older classmates, we've kept the truth a secret for this long, you guys are the only popular people who have shown any trust towards us, adults find out we like who we like at our age and they call us creeps because we could be quite sexually active by the time we're fifteen, our doctors warned us that that was possible, that girls and boys who are like us can become 'sex crazed' whatever that is because of how vivid our imagination is, our parents have talked about self control but tonight is the real test, we're nervous but hopeful" says Savannah
"so how did sleepovers work then" asks Tori
"Ella would be paired with me and Ivy would be paired with Ariel, it was something Ariel and I started to keep our relationship secret, Ariel and I may have really really realistic imaginations when it comes to relationships but we respect our relationships, secret or not, we'd never make any moves on each other's girlfriends, whether they be who we're with now or not" says Savannah
"wait twenty minutes then you can go in the pool again or watch a movie from the selection, I'm going to talk to an expert about your situation to get advice, I'm in uncharted water here" says Tori as the girls nod
With Tori, Selena and Cally
"what's so urgent sis, Cally and I were sort of about to have some fun while Jade's out buying food for our weekend guests" asks Selena
"Savannah says all four of them are like you and Cally, she said they were told to use self control but I don't know if I can trust them or if I should let a few accidental adult behavior moments slide, if they do slip and can't control themselves and news gets out, it could ruin Cat's career and my budding career, I just signed a record deal, I'm an independent artist but I reserved the right to do as many duo songs with Cat that I want, we can't afford to mess that up" says Tori panicked
"oh Luniterra, Tori they'll be fine, the more time they spend with their girlfriends the more in tune they'll be with their emotions and the more control they'll have over it, the thing is the specific condition we have is quite rare, the fact that there are six of us in LA should actually be alarming, in America in general there are maybe ten thousand children with this condition, we don't actually know the real number because most kids who get diagnosed are girls and most end up dead one way or another before they get to ten years old, anyone older than that is considered a veteran survivor" says Selena
"so you're saying the more they feel the emotions and act on them the more control they'll have later" asks Tori
"within reason obviously, they're nine, luckily Cally and I are their 'chat guardians', basically they come to us for advice, we told them to exert as much self control as they could but that if they risked harming themselves that they had to give in, the expected timeline to 'flush' our body with this condition is once every two weeks, though its generally recommended to be self play not with another person but given the mortality rate is in the eighties some leeway is usually given for the ones around age ten that find someone but the once every two week rule is a firm rule" says Selena
"is there a name for this condition, you've never said what it is even when Cat asks" asks Tori
"it's like thirty letters long and incredibly hard to pronounce, not even aunt Becca can reliably pronounce it and she helped discover it and is the leading doctor for treatment, its better known as the perv disease, for obvious reasons but us girls call it 'brain curse disease' and yes it's more common in girls than boys, at least as far as research has noticed but knowledge of the condition is fairly new, not much older than we are, maybe ten years older" says Selena
"so if they slip and can't control themselves it would be expected behavior for a first time together at night in a bed situation" asks Tori
"expected yes, though full on sex will not be tolerated, they're part of a study on the condition, one of the main parts of the study is on levels of self control in people with this condition, that's the main reason that this support group chat still exists, if they fail to have even a little bit of self control, the freedoms they've been enjoying will evaporate, they'll be removed from the study and forced to act the age society says they are" says Selena
"so it's some sort of aging condition" asks Tori
"not physically, it's a brain thing, mentally and emotionally they're at least three years older than they look, which explains their thoughts and actions towards each other, I'll be monitoring them tonight" says Cally
"is there a determined range for this condition" asks Tori
"anywhere from two years younger to five years older, anyway give half an hour and I'll be ready to monitor them" says Cally
"ok" says Tori as she heads back to the pool
45 minutes later at the pool
"you're late" says Tori
"sorry I had trouble deciding what to wear, Luniterra, I'm on watch tonight" says Cally
"does Doctor Nomi not trust us" asks Ivy feeling betrayed
"it's not about trusting you with your girlfriend or Ella with hers, the thing you girls don't realize is that being in a relationship isn't a common thing at your age, even less so with the condition you four share, it's possible that you four won't understand your emotions in an intense the first situation where you and your girlfriend share a bed, you four are very important to this study, nobody has shown your level of self control, if anything happens they want it to be a fully informed decision and there are age restrictions for what can happen without being talked to by a cop, preferably Tori and Selena's dad but we can't control who gets called and Cat's making a big sacrifice by letting you girls be here, if something happens and word gets out, her career could be over" says Cally
"oh ok" says Ivy
At dinner an hour or so later
"hi Cat" says Ella as Cat mostly ignores her
"does she have to say it so loud" asks Cat annoyed as she has a headache
"it wasn't that loud Cat, girls, she has a headache, you'll have to keep the questions to a minimum but you can write them down after dinner and she'll do her best to answer them for tomorrow" says Tori as they sit down for dinner as Robbie hands out plates and utensils
5 minutes later after everyone's served dinner
"are we likable" asks Ella as she starts twirling her spaghetti
"is that important" asks Cat as the headache medication starts taking effect
"nobody at our school likes us, we're autistic so the teachers and coaches can't discriminate and we do have talent but our classmates hate us" says Savannah
"in my opinion likability only matters when you need to get a job, If they're not your friends it doesn't matter if they like you or not, I've gone most of my life with people hating me for one reason or another and look where I am now, millions of people around the world like me and play my music" says Cat
"ivy and I can sing, do you think we'd have a chance like you" asks Savannah
"I did ask them to start a juniors sub label and they're working on it, if your parents tell them you're looking to be a singer and you two audition, I could see them signing you but because of your age, your parents would be assigned to divide up the income and decide how much you get and when, if you can have a song ready for tomorrow I can record you performing it and I can start the process" says Cat as she quickly finishes her dinner and goes to get more
"is that really possible, neither Ella's or my parents make that much money" says Ivy
"the deal wouldn't be between you and Ella, it would be between you and Savannah, though I suppose you could always share your money once it's given to you" says Cat as she sits back down
"we have a song" says Savannah
"you can sing it before lunch, I'll have the camera ready" says Cat
"wait who will see this video, we don't want the school seeing it" asks Savannah
"just your parents and the kids label rep if your parents both agree that you should get a chance" says Cat
"what do they think of pop/rock, because that's the genre we wrote the song in, my dad was in a pop/rock band in college, he quit when he met mom and settled down, he knew Bon Jovi, it was insane getting to meet him last year" says Ivy
"so I assume your dad approves of your music style" asks Cat
"I don't really know, mom lost her job three years ago and has been from job to job ever since and Dad's always working, he had to pick up a second job, he's gone before I wake up and gets back long after I'm in bed but I know my mom will never ever support me singing in pop/rock style, even though she's never heard me sing, neither of them have, neither of them are sports people or they'd know I sing at the school games, our classmates family all cheer me on even though our classmates glare with an annoyed look" says Ivy
"what's the song called" asks Cat admittedly interested in hearing more
"promise, it's more pop than rock but that's the same way my dad was, his songs always swung from one side of the genre to the other" says Ivy
"well you girls have your night, you're free to watch any online movie on my account that's less than twenty-five dollars to buy and age appropriate, take that last part as to not mean your socially accepted age but the age in which your brain works and the doctor told you that you basically are" says Cat as she finishes her dinner and hugs them
"thank you" says Ella
The next day after lunch as Cat's on video call with Ivy and Savannah's parents
"well let's see this video, I already told her she'll never make it big, she doesn't have the confidence for it" says Rita Jackson
"you don't think Ivy has the talent to work in a duo or even a solo" asks Cat
"I never said that, is that what she told you I said, she's always been dramatic, she's just like me that way" says Rita
"before I play it you should know it's a love song that they don't plan on releasing, they call it 'promise', it's actually pretty beautiful, I sent it to the sub label I asked them to create for kids Olivia, Mohini or I find that have a lot of talent, they said that if you guys agree they'll get a deal, a really good one at that, so anyway here's the song" says Cat as she plays the recording she'd made
"oh my god, they're amazing, I had no idea they were THIS good, wait where's Diane, didn't you ask her to be here too, I thought I saw her name in the video chat but now it's gone" says Rita nearly melting at hearing Ivy and Savannah harmonize
"she was here for a moment, the mayor got her a job that pays well enough to feed four people plus herself, Diane heads the 'clean city and beach' team, she thought she had enough time on her break but she's also the most experienced lifeguard on the beach side of the team so she's basically always working when she's working on the beaches and today is her first official day" says Cat as the song ends
"can we hear that song again, I haven't seen Ivy sing since she was little, the last time I heard her sing she was three" says Jacob Jackson
"I can send you the file but you can't share it, they don't want anyone from their school hearing or seeing it, they all say the bullying has increased this year and they've been seriously considering just never showing up again since day one in September so the school expels them, Ivy in particular is very aware of how much you guys struggle with money and just this morning told me outright that her stopping her education would give you guys enough extra money so you could afford the bills, she's told Savannah a few times that 'the perv condition is ruining my parents lives, Anna is suffering because of me, I'd rather run away with you than cause Anna pain', she's quite aware of the situation at your house" says Cat sending them the video
"I had no idea she understood all that, she struggles with math and English at school and she doesn't act the age her doctor says she is mentally" says Rita
"she doesn't act like a twelve year old because legally she isn't twelve, on some level she knows that people don't believe a word her doctor says about her mental and emotional age not being in line with her socially accepted age, she tends to 'fake' certain things to make her age 'line up' with what people expect, failing math and English are part of that" says Cat
"so what, she thinks acting less smart will make her likable" asks Jacob
"that's what they all think, Ella is the only one that actually struggles in math and English, they all dumb themselves down a little in public so she feels less like an outcast among them because at school they're all outcasts but Ivy's the only one who acts less smart than she is at school" says Cat
"is there some sort of beef with Ella's parents or something, they seem like nice enough people" asks Jacob wondering if there's a potential lawsuit against Ella's parents that needs his law firms attention
"in general they are but they don't believe the doctor that diagnosed her with the emotional aging condition because doctor wouldn't say the name and that it's all just a phase like they think her liking Ariel is, they only agreed to the weekend date so Ella 'could get it out of her system and be normal again', if you're a lawyer Jacob, I'd definitely talk to them because it's not a phase and could end with Ella ending her own life" says Cat
"to be honest I've always wondered why the doctor never told us the name when he diagnosed Ivy though we've always accepted that it was never a phase" says Rita
"Rebecca or as she likes to be called, Doctor Rebecca Vega, Tori and Selena's doctor aunt can't even pronounce it and she also has it and is a leading doctor in the field, that's because the base of the word is for the most part not able to be pronounced in English, full time Spanish and Finnish speakers have an easier time but Japanese speakers have the easiest time because part of the word is Japanese for beautiful, in all the word spans three languages so no one person who isn't fluent in all three can reliably pronounce it, it's easier to just call it the pervy magnet disease because it basically sums the entire thing up, it's not an easy thing to live with, I dealt with it for a long time, usually by wanting to end my life because I'm 'too different' and that I'd be better off dead and that nobody would ever love me, these four, they are in that same boat, Ella especially" says Cat
"wait you have the same condition, that's not on your website" asks Rita surprised
"I don't advertise it, I got medication two years ago that can kill the minds focus certain things like intense emotions, which can cause what I call self play, others call it masturbation, though I hate the word, makes it feel so soulless and void of emotion" says Cat
"so this medication, would it stop the big risk of the condition" asks Jacobs
"the self play mostly, it will help with self control in a girlfriend sleepover scenario but they're too young, doctors won't touch them until they're at least twelve, there's legal reasons for that, it can mess with the brain in other ways in girls that young, one major possibility is rushed hormone production which would rush puberty, the ideal age for minimum lasting damage is fourteen, anything younger than that and you'll have to sign a waiver saying that you accept full responsibility if the medication speeds up puberty" says Cat
"but they're the ones giving it to girls" says Rita, not fully understanding the difference
"the difference is a moral doctor will never EVER suggest the medication for girls below a certain age, you literally have to request it unless your kid is fourteen or older, even then there is still risk until seventeen" says Cat
"so in your opinion, should we trust them to control themselves" asks Rita, worried about repercussions by society if the girls can't control themselves
"they need a support system, of which I have here ready for them, they are welcome here, as are the rest of the girls and you're more than welcome to ask for advice" says Cat
"do you mind if I ask what your ratio was, Ivy's was three over, two over and two over" asks Rita
"one under, two over and two over, you do know what that means right, the first number is brain age vs biological age, the second number is emotional age vs biological age and the third number is intelligence vs average for biological age" says Cat
"we knew the basics, we knew it meant she is smarter than most kids her age but we didn't know the exact words, Doctor Vega did the tests but we weren't allowed to be there for them, Ivy is scared of most doctors but Doctor Vega was adamant that we weren't allowed to be present during the tests and Ivy's doctor just spit out the numbers and told us she qualified for the diagnosis, is it normal for parents to be denied the right to be present for the tests for this diagnosis" says Jacob
"it's protocol yes, during the original tests to see if the diagnosis was even a real thing or just a coincidence of random psych symptoms they found that kids were more honest and themselves when they knew their parents weren't present, they do the tests twice after a break to see if there is variance in the answers, especially the questions about intense emotions, they found it was at least ten times more accurate when parents weren't there, as for her doctor, he likely thinks you wouldn't understand the terms or its importance, anyway do you approve Ivy and Savannah's desire to be duo artists" says Cat
"yes we approve it, though we'd like it if there was a clause that they could both quit if it gets too stressful for them" says Rita
"that's definitely in the plans for the label in general but just to be clear you as Ivy's parents control her income and Diane will control Savannah's, can you handle that" says Cat
"we'll be giving her basically everything she earns Cat, aside from renewing her insurance and paying bills for her school she'll get everything she earns and I have no problems with it, our policy has always been, you make money you keep everything except for what's required for expenses, are you okay with that" says Rita
"perfectly fine so long as she doesn't have a shopping addiction when she gets money, they're expecting that Ivy and Savannah will make a combined income of three hundred thousand dollars a year but that could be a drastic under estimation, I wasn't expected to make all that much money in my first year and from July to now I had enough saved up for medical expenses because of my crap insurance policy that I bought this house outright from Diane, based on their talent alone I wouldn't be surprised if they make upwards of half a million dollars in their first year, maybe sooner, oh and they want to share money with Ella and Ariel" says Cat
"that's fine, Ivy's always been generous with her money, we're not surprised that Savannah is similar, anyway just send Ivy home with contact information for you and times you're available" says Jacob
"I'm available anytime after school and anytime after ten in the morning on weekends" says Cat
"ok, well we'll be in touch darling, we should let you go" says Rita smiling as she ends the video call