Disclaimer: Do I have to? It's in chapter one, and it's really good.

:}

Cat Valentine sighed as she finished getting ready for this date. It was the first date she was heading out for since she'd given up on Robbie, the boy she'd been kinda on kinda off with for the last few years. 'I was holding onto that boy for years, all while insisting we would never work as a couple. I mean, why did he give up, since I was kinda holding out for him. Then again, I also wanted a hottie, and look, I got one. All it took was Jade moving on….'

No one had seen it, Jade West choosing to pursue another relationship, letting Beck go. Cat had watched, last year, as the hansom boys worlds seemed to fall apart. First Jade, then Tori had decided they were better off as friends. The third blow had been when Alyssa Vaughn, of all people, decided she wanted something different, and started pursuing Robbie. That had been the end of Cat's long term game of push and pull, as well as the beginning of this particular relationship.

'I got a date with Beck!' The petite girl thought. 'I have a date with him. Then again, I know why. I mean, he's so hot, but things got weird for him, cause it turned out that girls want a touch more then just hot. Besides, he was so used to high school, where they get to know you over the years, as opposed to the real world, where you have to know how to introduce yourself. Turns out that losing Jade, and her insane attempts to hold on, was a huge attraction to other girls. Almost like they wanted him more to deprive Jade of that prize then to have the laid back boyfriend. That, and it turns out people like it when the boyfriend puts some effort into the relationship. Okay, Beck did, and does, but when you look at how little he had to do in order to have Jade, who's thought process was so middle school, it does make it seem like Beck just doesn't work that hard. Why would he, when every girl wanted the hottie for themselves. The beautiful man.' Cat sighed as she continued to kill a few minutes while adjusting her makeup. 'But they wanted more, cause they want him to want them, so when he tries his laid back approach, they keep their distance.' She smirked. 'Their loss.'

She wasn't playing around. Cat had known Beck forever, and believed that he was the kind of friend she could have a relationship with and not screw up the friendship. The real issue, of how he was always flitting with girls, wasn't an issue for Cat. Simply put, there were far fewer woman interested in stealing Beck from sweet, innocent Catarina then abrasive, psychotic Jade. No, she was the one to hold him, assuming he learned his lesson. The boy had to learn to put in the effort in winning the girl, not just in keeping her.

The truck showed up, and Cat knew the boy had, once again, missed the point. The old truck was one of his favorites, a Ford F-100 he'd rebuilt with his father. They had a side business of rebuilding cars for people, often buying a project car just to work on it together, and then having it around. Beck owned three cars, one modern Kia sedan, the truck, and a classic Dodge Challenger that would have been a great choice to take on the date. Instead, he went with the truck. A vehicle that would attract a certain type of girl, but not someone who fancied themselves as somewhat more grounded, like a girl who'd paid her way through school as a baby sitter, and was great with kids.

Beck walked up in is usual getup, seeming to be relaxed about their impending date. Cat, meanwhile, had stressed over every element of their date, from the right thing to wear for a casual but flirty date to the light she'd been seen in, to choosing the perfect shade of lipstick. She'd given up on the push-up bra, reasoning that if he was after bosoms, he'd have found someone more like Jade. Instead, she'd put in considerable effort in every detail of her part of the date, while it appeared he'd barely put in any on his.

"So, you ready?" He asked, not remembering to point out just how good she looked.

"Okay, lets get a couple of things straight." Cat sighed. "I'm not Jade. I'll put a lot of effort into a relationship, and expect you to do the same. Not saying you haven't figured out the perfect casual place for us to go dine, cause I do think you have that kind of skills. Just saying, you could have dressed up a touch, found some way of turning this date into more then two friends just trying something cause we've both had our share of heartache, and are willing to give this a go." She gave him calculated eyelash flutter, trying to sound more innocent and less critical. "So lets start with a question, shall we? How much effort did you put into your outfit?"

"Not much, cause we agreed to keep it casual, so…" he explained.

"So…?" Cat asked. "Beck, just because we have a shortcut, I know the kind of guy you can be, doesn't mean that I won't respond to just a touch of effort. Like, you could have chosen a shirt because you knew I liked that color, or it goes well with your eyes, or even because you didn't want to be too casual on a date. But instead, it feels like you made sure it was clean, and that was it."

"This is starting to sound like a lot of work…" Beck hemmed.

"Do you have any idea what a girl goes through?" She pushed.

"Jade was usually pretty casual." Beck told her. "Used to have to push to get her to put more effort into the relationship."

"That Jade was majorly shallow." The petite girl snapped back. "I worked on her for years, and what did she go and do? She told me that she'd be happy if we dated, cause for some reason, despite where she is in life, we're still the best of friends. She even offered to come over and help me get ready. Do you know why I refused? Cause no man needs to see his ex when heading out on a date. So no, regardless of what Jadey's doing, YOU'RE still stuck in high school. Beck, you need to dress like you want some, cause otherwise, you'll never get any."

"Sorry, did you just bring up sex?" The boy seemed aghast.

"Wasn't planning on going there yet, but I guess we're here, so…" She heaved a huge sigh. "Look, I may be all sweet and all, but I'm still a woman, and part of being in a relationship is sex. Not tonight, maybe not for a while, but it'll happen. And don't you dare tell me you've never, cause still Jade's best friend here. I know all kinds of details about you, and I still wanna try this." She was close enough for Beck to see how aggressive the heals she'd chosen were.

Cat slipped back a step. "Look, this isn't a pit date, but me wanting the good person you are in my love life. I know who you are. Hell, even Jade knows. She just, she needed a different mix of hotness and support, so she moved on. Robbie, I screwed that one up, so I decided to grow up a touch, stop looking for that perfect mix and just find the right guy." She slipped closer again. "You. You can be the right guy. You just have to think for a second. Jade was easy, because everyone reacted to her. They had good reason. She was a gank. Amazing the difference now, now that she's getting the kind of love she deserves. But the point is, you never had to work that hard at being the supportive guy, cause she drew blame like it was her job. Only now, you're single, and she has someone who makes her feel like she has value."

Cat was walking towards Beck's car. "I'm betting you were thinking of a food truck, right? Some place ultra causal, where we could get decent food, and not make to big a thing about this. Problem is, that's not a date, that's lunch." She stood next to his passengers side door. "Beck, I'm the right type of girl for you. I'm not jealous, and won't judge you fro flirting. I get how hot it was, how it fed your ego, but guess what? Jade found someone, you're still single. Take the gift that is me, and let me teach you how to date girls like me. It's not that hard, just a little effort, learning to do the right guy job, and help us feel like you want this. Like you put as much effort into the relationship as you do your acting. Then, we can talk about sex."

Taking the hint, Beck raced around to open the door for Cat. "Jade was the kind to just do things for herself." He noted.

"She's bossy." Cat agreed. "FYI, Talking about your ex, not a good idea. Sends the wrong message. I think, all things considered, you and me can work out cause I know Jade, and can handle the comparisons." She smiled. "Jade made reservations for us. I'll tell you how to get there. And don't worry, it's not that expensive a place. Just, this is a date, so we do things I might like to do, all while trying to enjoy each others company. I get it, you don't wanna work that hard. Jade was work, just not the kind most sane people do. So, ready to go have some fun?"

"Just one question, since you and Jade are still so tight." Beck paused as he sat in his seat. "How does Tori stay sane?"

"I guess Jade's changed, a lot, for her." Cat guessed. "So, lets get dating!"

:}

Hope you liked it. This is it, so imagine what you like about their future.

Yea, I wrote this one for the anthology. Some will be older, but this, it was just for this set of stories.