It was time! It was finally time!
Friday had arrived! Cat could hardly believe it had been a week, but it had, and she couldn't hold back her excitement. Nor would she try.
There was absolutely no point in it.
It hadn't even occurred to Cat that the day before had been Thursday, and that was when John had visited her at school.
Ever since Monday, when John had first called her number, the two had kept up on their plans for the date. The only things that weren't actually discussed were the parts of the date each of them were planning.
Meaning John had no idea that they were going to Chipotle's Mexican Grill.
John had said he was fine with fast food, but Cat didn't want to take him to a place like McDonalds or Wendy's. That still felt too cheap in her opinion.
But a lot of the better restaurants were more than out of her pay range, and even though it seemed like a rather common place… Chipotle seemed like the best compromise.
Cat wasn't proud of it, but it seemed like the best possible place she could find.
In return… she had no idea what they'd be doing before going to Chipotle. That part of the date was all her.
It would seem that Jade's prior words would ring true. Despite her steadfast belief that it should be her responsibility since she asked him out, John had remained determined to at least have an active part in the planning. He, like Jade, believed it to be his own responsibility to show her a good time.
They had also discussed when and where they were going to meet in the first place, though that one had been discussed yesterday when they were talking with her friends.
Despite how rocky things had turned yesterday, John seemed to get along with all of her friends really well when he had nothing to be angry about. It took a little bit, but eventually, John and Tori had been cracking jokes and laughing with each other just as he had with everyone else.
The only one who really seemed to hold Tori's actions over her head was Jade… which wasn't surprising in the slightest.
Nonetheless, Cat had refused to let the day before ruin her excitement for the current day.
After discussing the different possible locations where they could meet, they had eventually agreed that John would meet Cat at Jade's house, while the goth helped Cat get prepared for her date.
Though… there was another reason that Cat had decided to go to Jade's after school that day to get prepared.
The last thing, the very last thing she wanted was for John to meet her family. To think she was too weird to be around. Or for her brother or her parents to drive him off. She really liked John, and she wanted to have a chance with him.
She didn't want her relationship with John to end before it could really have a chance to start.
Now her only concern was that Jade didn't give him too much trouble when he actually arrived.
Or that her advice actually paid off.
"You want me to… what?" Cat honestly had to ask again to make sure she'd heard that right. She wasn't even sure she was just being a ditz at that moment.
"Be more assertive, take control." Jade reiterated with a shrug as she brushed the red head of hair that belonged to her friend. "If you want to do something, tell him that he can do it or take a hike."
That… sounded less like a good idea and more like a good way to make him angry. Especially considering the effort he was putting into the date himself.
"But… I don't want to make him mad." Cat murmured quietly in response to Jade's advice. "I want the date to go well."
Jade rolled her eyes in response, before shaking her head. "Well, don't do what I would do. You aren't tough enough for that."
"Jade!" Cat found herself pouting in response to that, because that was honestly a little hurtful.
"But don't let him take advantage of you." Jade continued speaking as if Cat's outburst hadn't even happened. "If he tries pressuring you into something you're uncomfortable with, tell him to take a hike."
"But John isn't like that." Cat found herself defending the boy she liked against Jade's words for the second time that week.
"Maybe not, but we don't know him well enough to be sure." Jade retorted without a second thought as she put the brush down before reaching over for the bright red lipstick. "Do you know how many boys I actually gave a chance before Beck?"
"Um… No." As far as Cat could recall, Jade had never mentioned being with anyone prior to Beck. "Why? How many was it?"
"Five." Jade answered as she began to apply the lipstick perfectly to the redhead's lips. "In the end, three of them were too scared, but two others acted nice before they tried to get in my pants."
"Jade, thats-"
"Cat!" Jade interrupted Cat in a snappish tone as she pulled the lipstick away from the girl's mouth. "Lipstick goes on lips, no chins and noses. No talking."
Cat promptly shut her mouth to allow her friend to continue.
"Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way, I'm not telling you to be paranoid around the guy." Jade elaborated her words as she finished carefully applying the lipstick to the bottom lip, before beginning the top one. "Believe it or not, I think he's a pretty cool guy so far. He definitely had your back yesterday."
Cat wasn't sure how she felt about the mention of the day before, considering they had mostly seemed to avoid speaking about it while they could.
"But all I'm saying is that not all good actors go to a performing arts school. Some go to regular schools, and some don't go to schools at all." Jade finished her words as she finished applying the lipstick, before setting it off to the side and exchanging it with eyeliner.
"Are you almost done?" Cat asked, getting a little impatient. Although, she knew that she had asked Jade to do her makeup, even she could admit that she wasn't the kind of person to sit still for long.
Unless she was watching a movie… or acting a part for a play…
Okay, maybe she was just a little antsy. She wanted to see how she looked for the date.
Jade rolled her eyes at Cat's impatience, but despite that, the goth actually smiled as she began applying the eyeliner. "Yes, Cat. Soon as the eyeliner is done, the makeup is done."
"Okay." Cat found herself taking in a deep breath as Jade began applying the eyeliner. Each second that ticked by felt like an eternity as the pencil was brought across her eyelids, and Cat found herself more than eager to simply see how she looked.
The lipstick was new- well, lipstick this shade of red, anyway. She really wanted to look nice for John, and she wasn't entirely sure whether the makeup would do it or not. But she wanted to at least try.
Finally, Jade finished with the eyeliner and set it off to the side as well, before grabbing Cat and spinning the seat around so that the redhead could look into the vanity mirror.
The deep red lipstick clashes sharply with her skin, bringing her lips to full attention. The eyeliner really brought out her eyes, which were usually unremarkable with their brown color, and her hair… didn't really look all that different.
She wanted to look like she tried… but outside of the eyeliner and lipstick, she didn't really look all that different.
"I see that face you're making." Jade spoke with a teasing smile as she placed a pair of reassuring hands upon Cat's shoulders, something the goth reserved only for her closest friends. "You heard what John said. Focus on having fun, romance isn't the priority. Just a possibility."
"But… doesn't that defeat the purpose of the date?"
"I'm surprised you know that saying." Jade teased, causing Cat to cross her arms and pout at the goth's words, eliciting a chuckle from the usually glare-giving girl. "I'm joking Cat. And no, a date is meant to let people get to know each other. It shouldn't be focused on as something purely romantic."
"I thought that's why Beck asked you out, though." Cat couldn't help but to ask, using the mirror to meet Jade's eyes without turning around.
Jade simply rolled her eyes. "Beck was persistent on getting a date, sure, but I found myself enjoying that first one. And we focused on getting to know each other. Beck wasn't like other guys who wanted to get in my pants, he was brave, and he just genuinely wanted to get to know me." She explained with a smile as she shook her head. "You're overthinking this, Cat."
Cat found her eyes wandering back to her own face, examining herself once more. She really, really wanted to look nice for John.
"Do you really think so?"
Jade raised an eyebrow in response as she gave a small grin. "Yeah. If John's anything like he seems to be, chances are he'll be showing up in the same outfit he seems to wear all the time."
Almost like clockwork, the sound of Jade's doorbell rang, signifying that John had more than likely arrived to pick up Cat for their date.
"Oh, he's here!" Cat's face lit up with a smile when she heard the doorbell, causing Jade to smile herself at Cat's excitement.
Cat could be hard to handle sometimes for the goth, but she'd be lying if she'd said that the redhead's joyful personality wasn't one of her best qualities.
"Go get changed." Jade told the redhead as she gave a pat to the back before making her way to her bedroom door. "I'll go let him in."
"Okay, thanks Jade!" Cat almost immediately bolted up from her seat, causing the stool to actually spin from how quickly she moved as Jade watched her disappear into the bathroom.
Jade could only shake her head in amusement. Despite her advice, she really meant what she said. John really did seem like a good guy, and though she wasn't a fan when he'd make a crack at her own expense, he was surprisingly easy to get along with for a six-and-a-half foot country boy.
Maybe it was the fact that like Jade, he didn't mince his words. Usually she'd be very standoffish, a defense mechanism when it came to meeting new people.
But just seeing the way he was with Cat had put her worries at ease. Well, most of them anyway.
She couldn't help but to be a little bit suspicious. In her life, she'd learned that it was better to be wary than to be openly accepting, a viewpoint she and Cat disagreed on.
But it had done her well in life, and she wouldn't stop now.
Despite that, however, she really did like John. Though she'd only spoken to him twice, actually met him only once, he really came off as a decent guy.
She'd also be lying if she'd said she wasn't somewhat grateful to the boy. If it weren't for him, Jade wouldn't have found out about Tori's little stunt, and you better believe the goth would never let her live it down.
Just add it to the list of things Jade didn't like Tori for.
As she reached the front door to her house, she pulled the door open…
And was met with a sight slightly different to what she'd expected.
Standing there in all his glory was someone she was extremely close to dubbing 'Big' John Gallagher. And despite his own words, he seemed to have felt some pressure to look nice as well. If a little more casual.
Gone was the red-flannel that sounded like his trademark. Absent was the dust upon his pants, even the caked mud of his cowboy boots. John stood in front of her in a white short-sleeved shirt and spotless blue jeans over his boots, as well as a plan black belt.
And though she didn't want to admit it, not even to herself… Jade found herself staring.
She knew he was muscular, Cat's description and her own prior meeting with the guy was a testament to that knowledge, but… Wow.
That shirt looked like it was a little too tight, defining every single muscle from the waist up in clear view, from his sturdy pecks, to his large deltoids and his wide arms.
She still found herself in awe that this wasn't a grown man, but a teenage boy her own age.
Luckily for her, John wasn't looking when she opened the door, and thanks to her own habits and the well maintained hinges, the door hadn't made a noise when she opened it. So she'd had time to compose herself while John was busy looking around the neighborhood.
Thank god. That would've been embarrassing.
Jade hated being embarrassed.
"About time you showed up, Bigfoot." Jade greeted in her typical sarcastic manner, though she honestly meant it in jest as John's gaze wandered down to her.
"Hey, Jade." He greeted simply, smiling as he nodded his head in greeting as well. "You say that like you've been waiting for hours. I'm right on time."
Jade found herself smiling at the good natured retort as she nodded her head. "That's more than I can say for most boys. Half of them are obnoxiously early or ridiculously late."
"I wouldn't say I'd be ridiculous, but I will admit that this is rare for me." John joked right back with a grin. "I'll tell you, I thought I'd be late considering the drive and that I had to use GPS."
"Well, congrats, you weren't." Jade replied as she stepped out of the doorway and gestured into her house. "Come on in, Cat's getting dressed."
"Alright." John said as he stepped inside, looking around the living room of the house as Jade closed the door behind him. "Nice house…"
"Thanks." Jade thanked with a smile, though she raised an eyebrow as she moved to stand next to him. "It's my mom's house." There were familiar paintings lining the wall, with flowers in pots set across tables all over the place. It definitely wasn't Jade's style. "She's not home much."
"Better than my mom." John remarked in an off-handed manner. "Ain't seen her since I was nine. Or my dad, funny enough. Met him once, wound up waist deep in a pond full of snakes."
Jade's eyes widened at those unexpected words. She wasn't sure what she had expected of John's life, but that wasn't it in the slightest. Nor his seemingly casual way of admitting it.
"That… sucks…" Jade eventually decided on, averting her gaze and opting to favor looking at the dreadful scenery of her mother's living room. Even she wasn't really sure how to respond to John's words.
Something John seemed to sense.
"Lighten up." John spoke with a chuckle, giving her arm a good natured slap with the back of his hand. Something told Jade either that he was stronger than he knew, or she was weaker than she thought, considering she almost stumbled from what was obviously meant as nothing more than a tap. "Yeah, it sucks, but there ain't no point in moping about it. Make light of the dark, and it's hard not to be happy."
That was an… interesting way to look at things, Jade decided. She herself tended to push people away, not let anyone in. Beck had to fight like hell just for a chance to date her, and Cat was surprisingly determined when she wanted to be.
At first, she was just annoyed when she met each of them. Now, she wouldn't give either of them up for the world.
But unlike her, who could only see the darkness in the world, John seemed to be able to find his own light in that darkness, and Jade couldn't help but feel a little jealous about it.
"What happens if there isn't any light to be found?" Jade's usual cynical nature made itself known as she looked up at John with a raised eyebrow, interested in his response to the question.
John shrugged, giving Jade a raised brow of his own accompanied by a small smile. "Like I said, you make one." Was the simple response. "People find dark humor to be horrible and inappropriate, but I think it's inspiring in a way. If you can take something so evil and horrible, take it, and turn it into something good, something for people to laugh at? You're set for life."
"I guess so." Jade shrugged, because he wasn't wrong. Dark humor was a subjective matter for sure, but either way, you're taking something bad and making it into something genuinely good. "So, how's life on the farm?"
John chuckled in response to that, crossing his arms as he did so as he looked at Jade. "Well, me and my little siblings went mudding with the Rose twins yesterday after I left Hollywood Arts." He answered with a grin. "It's not too bad, especially when you consider we were on four-wheelers."
"So mud slinging really is something country bums like to do?" Jade couldn't help the lighthearted jab as she gave John a smirk, only for John to return said smirk.
"This coming from a performing city girl? You couldn't handle a drop of mud on those black boots of yours unless it's for a part." The beast of a teen shot back, looking at Jade with a raised eyebrow.
Jade took those words as a challenge. "Is that a fact?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips as she leaned closer to the long-haired teen.
John grinned as he returned Jade's gaze. "Plan on proving me wrong?"
"Without a doubt."
John laughed at that, shaking his head in amusement when it died down to chuckles. "We'll see."
"Jade?" Cat's voice broke through their short conversation, causing both eyes to turn in the direction of Jade's room.
Cat stood there wearing a knee-length skirt that was sky-blue in color, with a dark green shirt to contrast against it, as well as a pair of open-toed high-heels that were a plain gray color. Her brushed hair hung free, and her make-up was easily the first thing that could be noticed. Not that it was bad, quite the contrary. Even Jade could admit that Cat looked great.
The moment the redhead spotted her date currently standing in the living room, her eyes widened and her jaw fell a little bit at his change of attire compared to what she was used too. Or more accurately, what it revealed to the naked eye.
Jade half-expected Cat to start stuttering and fidgeting where she stood, trying to come up with something nice to say.
The goth's eyes wandered over to the teen standing next to her, and she couldn't stop the grin coming onto her face if she tried.
John's expression was nothing short of stunned. He stared right back at Cat with a face that was almost the exact same as the redhead was giving him. If Jade had to guess, she would say that John was downright shellshocked at Cat getting all dressed up for him.
"Cat…" John finally muttered, looking the redhead up and down without ever changing his expression. "You… Wow…"
"Is it bad?" Cat found herself assuming almost immediately, looking over her outfit in a slight panic, wondering if she should've just went with something she'd usually wear without trying to dress up.
"No!" John immediately spoke, as if he'd just made some big mistake, before he regained his composure. "No, no…" He gave Cat an ever so slight smile, and while he was composed, it was safe to say he was still stunned if his still wide eyes were any indication. "You… you look beautiful."
Cat visibly blushed at John's words, something that Jade learned was becoming far easier to accomplish since the boy came into the picture, before she stepped forward of the doorway and into the living room.
"Do you really like it?" Cat asked almost bashfully as she met John's eyes, causing the teen's expression to soften as he stepped forward with a smile.
"Of course I do." John assured her as gazed down at her, a hand coming up to her cheek as he let his thumb gently rub against her skin. "Hell, you'd have a hard time making anything look bad."
Cat's blush only darkened, but to her credit, the redhead refused to lose her composure as she wrapped her arms around John's chest and leaned into him for a hug. Something John gladly returned.
And it once again surprised Jade how someone so big could be so gentle.
"You look nice too." Cat told him when she pulled away from the hug, finding a hand resting upon John's chest as she raised her gaze up to his own.
John merely chuckled in response to that. "If I'd have known you were doing this, I would've tried a little harder." He joked as he brought a hand up to his mess of hair. "Maybe I would've done something with my hair."
Cat playfully swatted his chest at those words, trying to look upset, but the grin cracking through showed that she failed miserably. "No." She spoke, trying to sound disappointed as her finger came to point at John. "I like your hair the way it is."
John raised an eyebrow at those words, before shrugging. "So do I."
Jade could only shake her head in amusement as she watched the display. These two really were lovestruck puppies.
As much as she wanted to watch the scene play out even more, they did have plans for tonight.
"Are you two gonna stay here all night or are you gonna get going?" Jade asked with a smile, causing the two to glance at her. "You guys don't want to spend your date here, do you?"
John gave a grin of amusement, but Cat gave a genuine smile at the goth's words, breaking away from her boytoy as she moved over and pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks, Jade." Cat's words were heartfelt as she hugged her best friend, and despite there being someone present, Jade couldn't help but to shake her head as she returned the hug.
"No problem, Cat." Jade assured as she hugged the redhead, before pulling away as she placed her hands upon Cat's shoulders. "Now, go get your purse, you two gotta get going."
Cat's bubbly joy had returned as she nodded her head, before bolting off back to the bedroom, returning only a second later with her purse in hand as she looked at John.
"Are you ready?" She asked the teen, who was now looking between the bedroom and Cat herself with a look of disbelief.
"Did… did you just run in high-heels?"
Cat giggled in response, while Jade found herself snorting in amusement at the site.
Of course, he had a point.
"Alright, time to go!" Jade said as she clapped her hands together, moving off to the side and out of the way of the front door as she said it. "You two have plans, get going."
Cat wasn't put off by Jade's blunt words, and even John was snickering as he moved towards the door and pulled it open, before turning to Cat.
"After you, my lady." He joked, causing Cat to giggle as she made her way out the door with a bright smile on her face. John followed after her, closing the door behind him.
And Jade was left alone.
"Finally." Jade muttered to herself, though the smile was hard to keep off of her expression.
Despite her own reservations, she really thought the date would go well.
'Mind your strength, mind your strength, for the love of god, mind your strength.'
This was the mantra that John found himself repeating every once in a while. Having had his powers for well over a year, He'd developed plenty of control over his strength. It was almost laughably easy to appear as a normal person. Not a hint of the immense strength he possessed ever being visible.
Yet, despite his own confidence in his control, none of that eased his nervousness.
He really liked Cat. He couldn't stress that enough. And didn't help that despite the reassurances of his grandfather, it was still his first date, and really wanted it to go well.
Though he preferred to hide his strength among strangers rather than deal with the questions or whatever else may follow, John often had no care about whether people actually found out about his status as a superhuman.
This was not some random person, however. This was Cat.
And John really didn't want to scare her.
Having been with the militia for a year now, John could safely say that the public fear towards superhumans was not exactly unfounded. He'd seen both best, and the unfortunate worst that a superhuman could do with their powers.
Had it been anyone else in his position, it would've been easy to simply intimidate Cat into being with him.
He didn't want that. He didn't want that at all.
Because that wasn't the kind of person John was. He didn't want people to fear him, especially not people he cared for. And he wasn't raised that way either. It wouldn't be right to use his strength to get whatever he wanted.
Of course, in the end, his strength was his to do with as he pleased. Life wasn't a superhero movie, and he hadn't fooled himself into believing he had some responsibility to a greater good with his powers.
Everything, everything he did with his strength was by choice, not a sense of duty.
And that included concealing it.
When he'd told his loved ones in the past, there was that lingering fear that they'd reject him, think he was some kind of freak. That they'd be scared of him.
But his reassurance was that he knew them better than that. They wouldn't reject him.
As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't have that here.
In a perfect world, Cat would've known he was a superhuman from the get-go. But this isn't a perfect world, and as much as he really liked her, John didn't want to disclose that part of him until he knew for sure that she would accept it.
So, as far as Cat was concerned, he was a normal human… who just so happened to be 6'5".
Though, his height was a part of his genetics.
Point is, despite his self-control with his strength, John couldn't help the lingering fear that he might expose himself by accident. And though it was easy to bury that fear in the back of his mind, that didn't mean it wasn't there.
But it wasn't so present that he couldn't focus on the date.
"So, what are we gonna watch?" Cat asked as she glanced over at John from the passenger seat. John's grandfather had been willing to allow him to use the Silverado, under the conditions that John was extremely careful while driving.
"Couldn't decide to tell the truth." John admitted without taking his eyes off the road, flicking on the turn signal and waiting to move past the stop sign until he was sure nothing was coming before making a left. "Only comedy movie showing was a horror comedy. And a bad one, from what I hear."
"Oh…" Cat sounded somewhat disappointed at the news. "Well, it didn't have to be a comedy." She said with a shrug as she looked over at him with a smile, leaning onto the console and propping her chin on her hand as she spoke. "What do you like?"
John shrugged as he glanced over at Cat with a smile. "Being honest?" He turned his gaze back towards the road as he continued speaking. "I'll watch a bit of everything, but horror and superheroes are my favorite." He admitted.
"Well, do they have any superhero movies?" Cat asked, and it was obvious that she was hoping for a superhero movie over a horror movie. Though John honestly hadn't planned on a horror movie. He had the feeling that Cat wouldn't enjoy a horror movie in the first place.
"Hmm… no, not to my knowledge." John shook his head. "Couldn't find any, so I looked to see if there was anything. I kind of figured you wouldn't be into horror movies."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat immediately cried, nearly jumping out of her seat as she looked at John with a look that demanded explanation. John simply chuckled in response.
"Exactly what I said." John answered as he spared a quick glance towards Cat. "I figured you weren't into horror movies. You said comedies, and besides, I figured we'd end up deciding together anyway instead of it simply being my choice."
"Oh…" Cat found herself sitting back into her seat, her face heating up as embarrassment of her outburst washed over her. "My bad."
"It's cool." John waved it off with a grin on his face. "I keep telling you, I'm not gonna get mad at you when you have a moment." He assures as his expression softens, causing Cat to look up at him with a smile.
"I appreciate it." Cat admitted as she swept some hair behind her ear. "Sometimes it feels like even my friends get irritated with me when it happens."
"Little moments like that? I can see it getting frustrating with time." John admitted with a shrug of his shoulders as his smile faded. "But I'm telling you, when it comes to stuff like what happened yesterday? They all seem like they're more than willing to drop everything for you. Especially Jade."
"I don't know…" Cat couldn't keep from hugging herself in her seat as her gaze wandered towards her window, watching as cars and buildings moved by. "Sometimes, it feels like Jade is the one I can't go to. She's usually really mean to people, and she'll sometimes make bad jokes or tell me to leave her alone."
"Like I said, the little things like just now, I can see." John spoke as he gave a quick glance to Cat. "But I'm telling you, if you'd have seen the way she ripped into Tori yesterday… when people take advantage of you, or your emotions get the better of you, I'm almost positive that Jade would drop everything for you."
"I… I guess so." Cat nodded her head, causing John to smile once more. He seemed to be getting his point across. "But how can you be so sure? You don't know Jade like I do."
"Fair enough." John nodded his head in agreement. "But I'm pretty good at picking up the little things. From what I do know, she's sarcastic and a bit rude at times, and I'll be damned if I say that she looks like someone you'd invite to dinner." He joked as he gave another short glance at Cat, eliciting a giggle from the redhead. "But what I do know is that when it comes to you, all bets are off. Somebody hurts you, Jade will hurt them ten times worse if she gets the chance."
Cat nodded her head at those words. Despite her reservations… John was right. Everything he'd spoke about Jade was one hundred percent correct. Even she knew that when someone took advantage of her, there would be hell to pay if Jade found out.
And she usually found out anyway.
For all of her faults, Jade was loyal to her loved ones. Especially to Cat and Beck.
There was even a time when someone had decided to hit Robbie (probably over something Rex had said).
Three days later, the boy came in with a black eye, shaved bald, and he refused to look at Jade and apologized to Robbie.
And whenever it came to someone actually taking advantage of her, there had been times where Jade would break something she may have had in her hand at the time or even pick something up to use it as a weapon.
Jade would always be there for her, Cat knew that. But considering what some of those moments have led too… Sometimes, Cat worried that Jade would get herself in deep trouble, and the last thing Cat ever wanted was conflict.
It just made her afraid, honestly, to tell Jade when someone did those things. Or even when those things just happen, she lets her thoughts wander and her anxiety and insecurities get the best of her. Jade's tendency and overall personality made her feel like she'd either just be dismissed, or cause something bad.
And at the same time, it made her feel bad. Jade was her best friend, and she knew she hurt Jade's feelings when she refused to tell her… but she thought that it would be better to deal with it by herself than to cause anyone any trouble. Especially since her family didn't seem to ever have time for her.
But… John was different.
He wasn't mean, or dismissive. He didn't just ignore her, tell her he didn't have the time. He made the time, and whenever she'd have a moment, it didn't matter if it was overwhelming or just a moment of obliviousness. John only held reassurances and kind words.
His only faults seemed to be that his temper could erupt when he was sufficiently angered, and so far, the only person who'd actually managed to do that in the last five days was Tori. And even then, it was only without the distraction that Cat herself provided in making him happy.
John enjoyed her presence. He liked her, flaws and all.
Maybe that was why she felt comfortable talking to him when he called, instead of running off to her friends. He felt like someone she could count on. He made her feel like someone normal, rather than a child who needed constant watch.
He didn't make her feel bad when she didn't want to tell him. He gave her advice… he made her feel safe.
She felt like she could tell him… because she felt she didn't need to fear what would happen afterwards. Not like with Jade.
"Um… I think I could try a horror movie." Cat suddenly piped up. After all, he'd done a lot for her in the last week, and she really hadn't done anything for him. Heck, she couldn't think of a single thing that had been done for his benefit on her part. The least she could do was sit through a horror movie.
John's eyes widened in surprise when she said it, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to form a response. "Are you serious?" He asked as he sat up straighter in his seat as he gave Cat a quick glance. "Do you like horror movies?"
"No, you were right." Cat admitted as her gaze fell, remembering the last time she'd watched a horror movie.
The Scissoring movies that Jade watched… hadn't sat well with her stomach to say the least.
But there were other horror movies out there, and it had been a while. Heck, she'd even starred in a few short horror productions for the school.
She could handle sitting through one if that would make John happy.
"But… if there aren't any comedies, or superhero movies… I can sit through one. I might even like it." Cat assured as she looked at him with a smile. "Besides, it's been a while since I've watched a horror movie. Maybe it won't be so bad." She shrugged.
John merely chuckled at her words. "If you say so. We'll look and see if there's anything else interesting before we watch a horror movie, though. Maybe we'll get lucky."
Cat's smile widened at the thought. "Maybe."
It was bad.
It was very, very bad.
When they'd made it to the theater, they'd been unable to find any non-horror movies that interested both of them. And as John had said, the only comedy movie was one that was apparently as bad as it looked, and neither of them wanted to try a film that neither would enjoy.
They wanted to actually have fun tonight.
John had asked her what good horror movies there were, and he'd pointed out a few that seemed… rather stomach churning from the posters alone.
And had immediately told her to choose any of the movies when he noticed her looking a little uncomfortable.
However, despite her reservations, she'd meant it when she said that they could try a horror movie. Even though she'd said that she'd rather one not too bad, Cat wanted John to at least enjoy a movie, if nothing else.
So, she chose one of the ones that John had said he was interested in seeing.
Saw 3D.
The first trap alone had way too much blood for her liking, but she at least made it. She'd found herself gripping John's hand, and then hugging his entire arm, throughout the entire first trap. Two men had to either kill each other or let a woman who'd used them get sawed in half.
Yeah, she'd tucked her head into John's arm the moment the first bit of blood went flying off the girl's stomach.
"Hey…" John's voice caught her attention, and she raised her head to find herself staring into his concerned expression, blue eyes meeting her own brown orbs. "I know you picked it, but we can leave if you don't like this. We'll find another movie."
Cat stared at John for a moment, thinking over his offer. She was genuinely touched by his concern. He'd sounded so interested in seeing this movie, and he was ready to leave before they were even halfway through. For her sake.
With a gulp, Cat turned her head back to the movie. The trap scene had passed, and it was now moving between a woman running for her life, and a man who seemed to have an injured cheek stumbling from… what she guessed was a trap that had happened in the prior movie.
Though the blood was disconcerting, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the first trap of the film more than likely was, nor what she'd seen in the Scissoring with Jade.
"No, I'll be fine." Cat said with a shake of her head. John wanted to see the movie. She could sit through it. She even gave him a small smile to reassure him.
It didn't look like it worked, but at the very least, he relaxed enough to focus on watching the film.
The movie didn't get too bad for a while. She was able to learn, thanks to both the film and asking John, that the man at the beginning was a cop named Mark Hoffman, whom was an apprentice to original Jigsaw Killer. The woman, who had been running, was Jill Tuck. She was the ex-wife of the original, who had tasked her with giving Hoffman his test. Hoffman's test had apparently been the ending of the last movie.
Hoffman treated his injured hand and stitched his torn cheek that Cat hadn't noticed at first, and was immediately queasy at watching. But she hadn't turned away that time.
And then came a rather tame and not at all scary part of the film, where Jill went on to make a deal with a detective, offering evidence against Hoffman in exchange for protection and immunity.
And then came the second trap…
And from the get go, Cat had a feeling that this one would be one she'd have to turn away from.
"Hello Evan." The way the voice boomed through the theater caused Cat to jump in fright and let out an audible yell, only to find herself embarrassed at the looks she gained from some of the other movie-goers.
And then she felt an arm around her shoulders, and found herself turning back towards John, who was giving her a reassuring smile and a comforting hug.
"It's just the movie." He assured her. Cat let out a deep breath, and nodded her head.
It was. It was just the movie. It was just a movie. None of it was real.
Cat found herself leaning into John as she turned her attention back to the movie.
The victims of the trap were a group of racist skinheads. That racism was exactly why they were targeted from what Cat could gather.
The leader, Evan, had his bare back and upper arms glued to the seat of a vehicle, and he had thirty seconds to tear himself off and pull the e-brake before the trap would engage.
Cat found herself tensing him and pressing into John when the trap had begun, the intense shouting and screaming making her deeply uncomfortable. She found herself thinking about memories that she really didn't want at the moment.
The sight of the man's skin tearing was stomach churning enough as he somehow managed to pull himself away from the seat. But he couldn't reach the e-brake in time.
Those thirty seconds, if it had actually been that long, were honestly more difficult for Cat to sit through than they would've been for anyone else. Heck, John didn't so much as react to the entire scene.
And then the trap engaged.
Cat nearly jumped out of her seat when the car came down, crushing the head of the woman under the rear tire and burning out. She even felt John jump in surprise, even if ever so slightly.
But it was the next death of the film that did her in.
As the car took off, a man with chains latched to his arm and… through his jaw, found himself losing all three as the car sped off.
Even knowing it was special effects, the image of the man's shocked face as he remained in an upright position with only bloody and hanging gore in place of his arms and jaw would forever remain seared into Cat's head.
She let out a yelp of fright and terror as she found herself almost curling up in her seat, turning and burying her face into John's chest as she covered her eyes with her hand to avoid seeing anymore.
"Alright, we're done." John suddenly spoke up as she felt him beginning to sit up, causing Cat to pull her face away and look up at him.
"But you really wanted to see this."
"Not at your expense." John immediately replied as he met her gaze with a stern expression, taking her hand within his own as he nodded in the direction of the exit. "Come on."
Cat could stop herself from feeling bad if she'd tried. She'd ruined John's experience with the movie.
The date was already going in the direction of disaster.
Cat kept her head down in shame as they stood up and made their way out of the theater room, feeling even more eyes on her considering her own and especially John's large frame were visible in front of the projector.
She made no objections, because there was obviously no point in it, as John led her out of the theater room.
Once they were in the hall, John let out a sigh as he let go of her hand, placing his hands on his hips in what appeared to be frustration.
Cat found herself rubbing her arm, her stomach twisting on itself and feeling utterly awful that John hadn't been able to enjoy the film.
"I'm sorry, John." Her voice held a whimper to it as she apologized, but John shook his head as he turned around, raising a hand to silence any further words.
"No, it's my fault." John replied as he rubbed his face with his hand. "You said nothing too bad, and I let you pick a movie knowing it was gonna be a gorefest. It's on me."
"I could've-"
"I want to enjoy a movie with you, Cat." John's face took on a small smile as he moved closer, his hands coming up to gently grip her shoulders, his fingers massaging her skin in a reassuring manner. "Do I want to see Saw? Yeah, but I'm not gonna make you sit through a movie you clearly don't like."
Cat still felt ashamed of herself for her actions, but it was lessening with every word John spoke as he head fell for a moment, before meeting John's gaze once more.
"Are… Are you sure?"
John smiled, and surprised Cat when he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss upon her head. "I'm sure. Is there anything else you like? Besides comedy?"
Cat's face fell and her gaze dropped to the floor at the question. Could she tell him? Would John really not judge her like most people her age would?
"I… I really like cartoons…" Cat admitted bashfully, feeling her embarrassment practically flood her face as she admitted it to John, too scared to look at him for fear of judgment.
But to her surprise, and immense relief, all she got was a light hearted chuckle.
"Why didn't you just say that?" John chuckled in amusement, shaking his head slightly. "Hell, Cat, they got plenty of animated movies going on. Go pick one, we'll watch that instead."
"Really?!" Cat couldn't help the excitement on her face at the idea, her eyes practically shining like stars as she looked up at John. "Do you mean it?"
John shook his head with yet another amused chuckle. "Yeah, go." He waved her towards the lobby with a grin.
Cat may as well have squealed as she basically bounced on her toes. "Thank you!" She nearly screamed with joy as she hopped up and caught John's neck in a hug, basically squishing her face against his own before letting go and running off towards the lobby.
John simply chuckled in amusement as he moved to follow after her.
He was just fine seeing the movie at another time. For the date, he wanted to watch something that Cat would enjoy as well.
So if he had to sit through some animated spectacle that may or may not be amusing, that was just fine with him.
