The next morning was rough and headache filled, the key notes of a hangover.
Cat, for the first time ever, had slept in the guest bedroom, both girls deciding that what they'd done should not have been followed by a bedshare. Unfortunately for the both of them, they still had school to get to.
"I'm probably fine to drive." Jade grumbled as Cat made them both breakfast, just some simple toast to settle their stomachs.
"I somehow don't believe you." Cat replied quickly. "I think some fresh air will do us good anyway." She smiled, looking at the brighter side of basically admitting they had a 40 minute walk ahead of them to Hollywood Arts. It would also give them time to talk, with more sober minds. It seemed the morning hadn't brought regret from either girl, drinking hadn't brought out any lies, just emphasised the truths they were too scared to speak sober. But now they needed to work out what to do with these newfound conclusions.
It was weird on a few levels. They hadn't done this walk in years. Jade lived just off of the route Cat's Dad would take to go to work, so he'd drop Cat off there each morning and the two would walk in together. It never occurred to Cat that doing this actually added time to her morning commute, rather than just walking from her own house, she just liked being with Jade. Of course, once Jade started dating Beck, and he got his drivers license, he would drive her in every morning, and once Jade got her own she drove herself, so Cat just walked from her own house everyday.
So much had changed since the last time they crossed these familiar streets, everything between them felt different now. Not even because of the previous night, they were just generally older now. Looking back, it's hard to believe how much changed between 15 and 17. At 15, everything felt so certain—the world was smaller, simpler, and friendships seemed unshakable. But by 17, life had shifted in ways they couldn't have imagined. People grew apart, others got closer, and suddenly, choices felt heavier. It was College application time now, 'I really need to get on that' Cat thought to herself. It's strange how two years can change so much, making everything feel both fragile and incredibly real.
Jade kicked a stray pebble as they walked, watching it bounce ahead on the pavement. She glanced at Cat, trying to gauge how she was feeling after everything that had happened the night before. She was clearly thinking about something, but she couldn't decide if it was about them or something totally unrelated; there was always some thought buzzing around busily behind Cat's eyes. Her fingers twitched with the desire to reach out and take Cat's hand, but the nervous flutter in her chest held her back.
"So…" Jade started, her voice breaking the comfortable silence. "About last night."
Cat's face softened into a small smile. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it too."
They continued walking in sync, their steps quiet against the asphalt. Cat kept her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket, but every so often, her arm would brush against Jade's, sending a flicker of warmth between them.
"We shouldn't tell anyone… right?" Jade asked cautiously, her voice low, almost hesitant.
Cat glanced at her, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Yeah, probably not. I don't know. I mean, it's still so new. We don't even know what this is yet." She shrugged, her shoulders tense. "I feel like if we tell people, there'll be all this pressure to define it, you know?"
Jade nodded, feeling relieved. She'd been worried about that too—what it would mean if they had to explain themselves before they'd even figured out what they were. "Yeah, I get that. It's like, we need time to just… feel it out. I don't want anyone's opinions."
They reached the corner of the final street where they usually turned toward Hollywood Arts. Ahead, the familiar cluster of students moved in groups, their chatter blending into the morning air. Cat slowed her pace a little, glancing over at Jade.
"So just keep this between us for now?" Cat confirmed, her voice tentative. "At least until we know how we feel."
Jade felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been dreading the thought of being under a microscope, with everyone analysing every glance and touch between them. "Yeah. I like that. We can take it slow."
They shared a brief look, a silent agreement passing between them. The weight of having to explain things lifted slightly, and in its place was a quieter, more intimate understanding. It was just them—for now, it could stay that way.
As they reached the entrance to the school, the familiar hustle and bustle of students filtered around them. Cat noticed a Tori and Andre by the former's locker, already caught up in conversations. She took a deep breath, gave Jade a quick smile and skipped away over to the two, leaving Jade to head to her own locker.
"You look like someone just told you pizza doesn't exist anymore." Andre said to Tori as Cat joined the conversation, who instantly noticed how mopey Tori seemed to be this morning. "Hiya Lil Red." He acknowledged.
"Hi-" Cat started, suddenly interrupted by the bang as Tori slammed her locker shut, letting out a groan.
"Ugh, I wish my problems were as simple as pizza."
"What's wrong?" Cat asked, her big eyes wide with concern. "Did you step on a bunny?" She was feeling extra happy today after last night with Jade, and when she was happy, sometimes logic seemed to leave her brain a little. Too many thoughts in the brain to focus on spitting out the sensible ones.
Tori blinked at her, momentarily confused. "No, Cat. No bunnies were harmed. It's just…" She paused, then threw her hands up in frustration. "Trina! She's driving me insane!"
Andre exchanged a knowing look with Cat before turning back to Tori. "What's she done this time?"
Tori leaned against her locker, crossing her arms. "What hasn't she done? She's was hogging the bathroom for, like, two hours this morning. It's like she thinks she's prepping for the Oscars or something. And when I finally get in, the whole place smells like... I don't know, some weird mix of hairspray and desperation."
Cat gasped. "Desperation smells like hairspray?"
"That's not the point, Cat!" Tori said, exasperated. "She's making it impossible for me to get ready, and then she has the nerve to act like I'm the problem. Like, she actually said my hair looks 'too normal' for a Vega. What does that even mean?!"
Andre chuckled, shaking his head. "Wait, what was she even doing there? She doesn't live with you anymore."
"Exactly! She only came back home to make my life a nightmare."
As Tori ranted on about Trina, Cat nodded along, her bright smile fixed in place. But inside, her mind wandered. Tori complains about Trina so much, she thought, tilting her head slightly. But she'd not last five minutes with Matteo. She did love her brother but he … certainly wasn't the perfect brother. Sometimes she wondered what Tori would do if she had to deal with the kind of things her brother did, if any of the group did.
But Cat kept quiet. Tori didn't know about her brother, and she didn't really want to explain. Besides, she liked hearing Tori talk. Her problems sounded... normal. Predictable.
For now, she just smiled and nodded, letting Tori vent. Trina might be crazy, but everyone's got their own kind of crazy. Tori just doesn't know how lucky she really is.
"Yeah, well, she's pushing it," Tori muttered, replying to whatever Andre had said while Cat was thinking. "At this rate, I'm gonna need my own one-woman show about surviving life with Trina Vega."