A/N: I had someone here leave me a long review telling me how much they liked my story but then listed in detail all the reasons why Kate is a Mary Sue and that I needed to fix it (basically). They wrote the review anonymously so I can't simply message them and talk it over (which I would. I love talking about my writing lol). While I can understand where they're coming from and their reasoning...I have to make something clear. A lot of the things that they listed (such as popularity and befriending everyone quickly) stems mainly from one thing. Kate is a woman in her late twenties from our time. Yes, she's stuck in the body of a teenager, but she reacts generally the way an adult does (also why she gets along with adults well). This may not be true for everyone, but one thing that I find that tends to happen as you get older is that you care less about what others think (in regards to style, music, fandom...) and you tend to put up with less bs. This viewpoint is what builds the popularity and whatnot because that level of confidence and admitting your mistakes also isn't really seen in teenagers (least not any that I know and certainly not when I was a teen).
Anyway, sorry for the long note. I have a lot of thoughts about it lol. If any of you (including the one who left the review) want to discuss it, leave a review (not anon) or find me on tumblr at asirensrage. I hope you like this chapter too.

Chapter 13

I was sitting on the kitchen floor, trying to win over Buster with treats. So far he was sitting near me eating them. He had yet to come next to me, but he wasn't growling so I was considering this a win. I watched as Tammy's mother came into the kitchen and starting brewing coffee.

"Morning," I said and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"God! Tammy! What are you doing up so early?"

"Sorry," I didn't mean to scare her. "I don't know. I just woke up early. Can I have a cup?" I pointed to the coffee. She looked confused.

"You want...coffee?"

"Yeah, please. Just a bit of sugar." She nodded, still confused and blinking like she wasn't sure she was quite awake. I couldn't tell her that the reason I was up early is because I had a dream about watching Tammy fall into darkness, only as I tried to reach her to help she turned into me. Or what I used to be. It startled me so much I woke up wide awake and terrified. Then I realized it had been a month. I had been stuck in Tammy's body for a month. It was the first week of October and I had no idea how to get back. Hanging out with Buster who didn't like me, seemed like a better idea than trying to sleep or being alone with my thoughts.

"Hey, mom?" I called out to her as she was turning to leave the room. If she was half asleep, it might be easier to get her to agree to the concert.

"Hmm?"

"Can I go to a Prince concert? It's in November and like, in a city, but I thought it would be totally cool to go with Robin."

"Where?"

"Detroit?" I saw the unimpressed look on her face and tried to recover fast. "I know it's far and it'd be a late drive back, but I think he'd be a really good artist to see live. He has a wide vocal range, plays multiple instruments and has such a stage presence that really involves and invites people to enjoy themselves. That's the type of performer I want to be. Someone that people enjoy going to see and have fun at. I think it'd be really good for me to see that live, and the only other person with that same skill is Freddie Mercury but we all know Queen isn't coming here for a while, so this is it."

Deanna looked at the sky and I thought I heard her mutter "it's too early for this". She looked at me though, lips pursed and finally said: "we'll talk to your father at dinner and decide."

It was a decent start. "Okay! Thanks!" I reached over to pet the dog and he very grudgingly let me.

When I looked back up at her, she was watching me carefully. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. She smiled and it looked a little sad. "I'm just going to miss you when you're off becoming a star."

I smiled back, but it hurt. My heart hurt for this woman. "It's not like I won't be back," I lied. I felt like I was lying for Tammy.

"I know," she said. "Go get ready for school."

I got up off the ground slowly and it felt like Buster was glaring at me now that I stopped petting him. "Make up your mind," I told him. He turned away from me.

I stood at my locker, contemplating my own existence when someone slammed a book on the locker next to mine. I jumped.

"You look good," Ally said, looking me over carefully.

"Thanks." I waited for the insult to accompany the compliment. "What's happening?"

She grinned at me. "Have you seen the new guy?"

"What new guy?"

"He's totally hot. You'll know him when you see him. But listen," she said, "everyone already has a crush. Don't bother with it. He totally wouldn't go for you, so just like...keep dreaming of Steve." There it was. My face must have had an unamused expression on it because she continued. "Oh get over it, Tams, I'm just trying to be helpful. Who knows, maybe the wonder duo will break up and you can totally get yourself off to Steve doing it. At least in your imagination."

I slammed the locker shut. "What is wrong with you?" I asked. She recoiled from me, looking confused. "Do you honestly feel better about yourself when you say shit like that? Like, how on earth can you say you're my friend when you're so fucking mean. Is it on purpose or do you honestly have no clue about how you sound to other people? It feels like you're trying to make me feel worse than you, which is a really shitty thing to do to someone."

"Wow," she said. "What the fuck? I was trying to be nice."

"That's nice?" I asked. I felt sorry for Tammy but I was about to be doing her a favour, even if she didn't realise it. "You know what, I know we've been friends for what feels like forever, but I can't stay friends with someone who is constantly belittling me and who won't fucking use the name I asked you to! I think we both need to move on because we're clearly growing in different directions."

"Fuck you, Tammy! You think you're going to go to Nashville and be famous? You're going to wind up bartending tables, spending your nights on your knees and coming back washed out and wasted."

I took a deep breath. She was damn lucky those weren't actually my dreams or my plans. "Maybe," I said. "But at least I'm going to go out there and try to make myself something instead of wallowing in hatred and trying to make myself feel better by degrading others. Go hang out with Carol and Tommy. You can all hate everyone and yourselves together."

I walked away. If I stayed I was going to end up lashing out more. It was a shitty situation added on top of a shitty day. I left the building. I was tired of this. I needed a break.

It had to be my luck of course that as I was heading into Joyce's store, the cop who had stopped me for speeding was coming out.

He stopped and stared at me for a moment. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Maybe," I said. His eyes narrowed and I felt myself smile. He was still attractive in the light. I had already embarrassed myself terribly. "Are you going to arrest me?"

I never saw a grown man move so fast in my life. I cackled as I walked in and started laughing harder when I saw Joyce's face.

"What was that? Do you know Hopper?"

"Is that his name?" I asked. The store was fairly empty and I leaned against the counter to talk to her. "Suits him."

"So you do know him?"

I grinned and felt myself start to blush. "Well…" I said slowly. "You could say that. He pulled me over, I was going faster than I realized. I completely embarrassed myself and...may have...hit on him. Very obviously. Then my arm slipped and I slammed my head on the car horn."

She started laughing hard. "No wonder he looked so awkward!" I waited until she was finished, laughing softly myself as she seemed to be enjoying the image.

"It was completely embarrassing when it happened," I said. "I'm not sure who was more ready for the world to swallow them whole. Possibly me. I couldn't seem to stop myself." I winced as I remembered the incident. "I also might have totally called him...officer daddy…" She laughed harder.

I watched as Joyce wiped her eyes. "That might be the best thing I've heard all week. Thank you."

I gave a small bow. "I live to serve." I leaned on the counter and waited until she gained her composure back.

"What brings you here?" she finally asked. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Yes," I admitted. "But it's pretty shit right now and I'm going to be completely honest, I had to go. I couldn't stay. It's a shit day and I got into a huge fight with a friend and I just wanted to be somewhere else. How are you?"

Joyce frowned, looking a little concerned. "I'm good. A fight with a friend? About what?"

I sighed and hopped up on the counter. She didn't look impressed but she didn't tell me to get off either. "I just...we've been friends for ages and I don't know, I just realized she's mean. I don't want to be around cruel people who are out to hurt because they can. It's a fucking waste of my energy."

"Girls can be like that," she said slowly. "I...never had that problem. No one said anything to me."

"But you wouldn't have stood up for it, would you?" I turned to face her. "If your friend told you not to worry about the new kid because you aren't attractive enough to gain their attention, this being after other incidents of being joked about, how would you react?"

She looked surprised. "She said that?"

"Yeah!"

"What a bitch."

"Right?" I felt myself smile. This was the second woman I knew now that agreed with me about the people Tammy had surrounded herself with. At least some people here were sane. "She is a bitch. And did not appreciate me telling her so. I'm pretty sure that friendship is dead." I sighed and looked across the store. Why was this place always empty? "Good riddance."

"Yeah, you can find better people than that. There has to be better people your age."

"God I hope so. Robin's cool, and this girl Veronica seemed alright, but I'm starting to be doubtful about the rest of them."

"If it helps," she said, "it'll get better once you leave."

I felt like lying down on the floor and waiting for it to absorb me. That was part of the problem. I knew it would get better. It had gotten better. I was out of high school, out of university and living my life when I woke up here. I felt like crying.

"Not soon enough," I muttered. I tried to ignore it. The whole point of coming here was to avoid feeling like this. "How's Bob?" Joyce smiled widely and blushed. "That good, huh?"

"He's great. It's great. And he's so good with the kids."

"That's rare. He's a good guy, Joyce, and the two of you seem great together. I really hope you stick together. I feel like you two could have the happily ever after the stories talk about."

She smiled at me, softer than she ever had before. "Thank you...that might be the nicest thing someone has said to me. Outside of my kids and Bob."

"Clearly I should stick around then."

[tbc]