The day was starting far too early for Cat's likening as her alarm rang at 4:30 a.m. She'd only just gotten back from Tori's a few hours ago and now she had to get up already. She dragged herself out of bed, rubbing her tired eyes, and silently cursed the early hours, but the excitement slowly crept in as she prepared for her second music video shoot.

She'd picked the style for the outfits, starting with white crop top and high-waisted shorts, giving a nod to classic 90s fashion, and put it on quickly- adding some quick to do makeup. Once finally ready, she rushed downstairs to grab a breakfast bar and was barely a bite into it when she got a text saying her taxi was outside and ready to take her to the set. The streets of LA were unusually quiet, and most people walking about were seemingly late finishing the night before rather than early for the new day. The car slowed to a stop, pulling up to a barricade blocking the entrance to a closed-off street.

Cat stepped out of the car, taking in the chilly air that hit her face. The world was still mostly asleep— the city eerily quiet, as if everyone was holding their breath for the day to start. Her eyes blinked against the early light as she crossed the barrier, walking past the crew loading up the last pieces of equipment. There was an energy in the air, though. It wasn't frantic or stressed, but it was that kind of quiet anticipation that felt like the calm before a storm of creativity and movement.

As she walked toward the set, her manager caught sight of her and waved her over. "You ready?" he asked, giving her a quick once-over. "Big day today."

"I think so," Cat said, trying to shake off the sleepiness that clung to her. "Can't believe I'm already shooting my second video. Feels wild."

"Yeah, I mean, you're killing it out there," he said with a grin. "But no time for celebrating just yet. You've got work to do."

They walked together, passing by some of the crew members who were all hard at work. There was a camera crane being built up on her left, with a huddle of people planning out the shots, and 2 prop cars being positioned into place on her right, and a gaggle of dancers warming up on the side-walk. It was strange—so much movement, yet somehow everything had its place. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were supposed to be, and Cat couldn't help but feel a small thrill of it being all for her.

Pete, the director, was a whirlwind of energy. He greeted her with a quick handshake and a smile that reached his eyes. "Morning, Caterina!" He said, excited. "Welcome to the madness. This is where it all starts."

"Wow, this is... really something." Cat said, her eyes widening. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before."

Pete laughed. "I'm sure it's all a bit overwhelming. But don't worry, once we get into it, you're gonna love it." It was bound to be a high-energy, choreographed shoot that would reflect the vibrant, playful vibe of her new song, Baby I. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but the bustle of people and equipment began to make the street feel alive.

"Let's start with you over here," Pete said, motioning for her to follow him to the centre of the set. "I know it's early, but we've got a window before this street needs to open for commuter traffic. We want to make sure it's all perfect for the opening scenes."

Cat nodded, trying to shake the grogginess from her system. As they got into position, she caught the glint of excitement in Pete's eyes. There were dancers stretching near the curb, and a handful of extras were starting to line up. Cat took a deep breath, trying to relax. This was it—her first real, big music video shoot. She was here, in the centre of it all, and there was no turning back now.

Pete quickly briefed her on the scene. "We're gonna kick it off with some big dance moves right here in the middle of the street. You'll be surrounded by the dancers, really pulling in that energy, you know? Keep this bit loose, just follow the lyrics. We'll be moving to a few streets nearby with the cars following and in different positions."

Cat's heart started to race. It sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun, but she also couldn't help but feel a little nervous. But that quickly faded as she saw the choreographer working with the backup dancers. They were all stretching and preparing, the music already pulsing from the speakers set up around the set.

She took her place, and within moments, the camera started rolling. The street came to life in a whole new way, with the vibrant costumes of the dancers and Cat's energy lighting up the scene. She felt herself relax into it as the music began, the beats filling the space around her, and she found ways to move with choreography flowing naturally around her.

After a few takes, Pete gave her a satisfied smile. "Perfect. That's what we want. Let's move on to the next setup."

Cat couldn't help but grin. She was doing it. She was really doing it.

The day felt unnaturally long- mainly because it was. It wasn't until well after sunset when Cat was finished filming. After the handful street shots, they had a retro bus scene to film, a house party, and some rooftop choreography- finished off with using that rooftop sunset to capture her singing the whole song alone to camera for filler parts. The whole day had pretty much blurred together, and she'd definitely heard her song enough times for a lifetime. Which sucked, because it was being released tomorrow so she was bound to hear it a million more times. Still, she was excited to see how the video turned out- they said it would take a week or so to edit. That's what Jade was mostly interested about- the actual production of it all.

Cat stumbled through the door after a long day, her feet dragging as she kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag onto the floor. As normal, she found Jade sitting on the couch, her laptop open, her eyes immediately zeroing in on her.

"How was it?" Jade asked eagerly, her voice full of excitement. She slid over to the edge of the couch, practically leaning forward in anticipation.

Cat paused, feeling the weight of the day crash into her all at once. Her muscles were sore, her mind was foggy, and all she wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. She gave Jade a half-smile, but it felt strained. "It was great. Long day, though. We shot the street scene first, then went inside for the bus stuff. Lots of dancing, but everything went really smoothly. That's about it, really."

Jade's eyes lit up at the mention of the different scenes, her curiosity piqued. "Wait, hold up—what was it like? I want to know everything. What camera did they shoot on? Was it crane or steady cam mostly? What was the set like? Was there a cool lighting setup? Oh, and what about the extras? Were they all like—"

Cat raised her hand in a half-hearted stop motion, cutting off Jade's rapid-fire questions. "Jade, please," she said, her tone a little sharper than she intended. "I can't even think right now. I'm so tired. I just want to sit down and maybe eat something. Let's talk about it later, okay?"

Jade blinked, clearly surprised by the tone. For a moment, her excitement faltered, but she quickly recovered, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, right," she said, her voice dipping into a hint of annoyance. "I get it, you've had a long day. But I just wanted to hear about the production. You're on a music video set! This is a big deal, Cat. It's not like filming is my passion or anything."

Cat's eyes narrowed slightly, a flare of irritation flickering inside her. She had been trying to keep it together all day, pushing through the exhaustion, and Jade's incessant questioning felt like one more thing she couldn't deal with. "I said I'm tired, Jade!" she snapped. "I can't focus on your questions right now. I've been on my feet all day—dancing, getting the shots, running around, and trying to make it all work. I'm not a freaking director, okay? I don't know the lighting setup, I don't know about the extras. I was just trying to get through it without messing up!"

Jade blinked, the sudden snap in Cat's voice catching her off guard. For a second, she didn't know how to respond. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She always had a grating response to people - but that's not what this moment needed. She may be mean, but she wasn't unempathetic. The disappointment in her eyes was obvious, but there was a flicker of hurt, too. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you," she said quietly. "I just—"

"I know, I know." Cat rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of both her fatigue and her frustration. "I get that you're excited about this stuff, but I'm really not in the mood to break down every little detail of the day for you. It's been a long day. Can we just not do this now?"

There was a pause. Jade stared at her, her arms still crossed tightly across her chest. For a moment, she said nothing. Then, after a beat, she sighed, her voice softening. "Okay. I'm sorry. I just—I get excited for you, you know? It's hard not to want to know all the cool stuff you're doing. But I should've noticed you were tired."

Cat bit her lip, feeling guilty for snapping. It wasn't Jade's fault. It was just everything building up. She exhaled deeply, sinking down onto the couch beside her. "I know you're just trying to be supportive, but right now, I'm kind of just... done with it all. I just need a break from all the questions."

Jade nodded slowly, her expression softening as she slid a little closer. "I get it," she said, her voice quiet now. "You've been working non-stop. You deserve a break. I'm sorry for pushing you."

Cat gave her a small, tired smile. "It's okay. I just... I can't keep up with it all sometimes, you know? I'm not used to it."

Jade reached over, brushing a strand of hair from Cat's face. "You're doing amazing, though. You're handling all of this way better than I ever could."

Cat nodded, appreciating the support, but the exhaustion still hung heavily in the air between them. "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow, okay?" she said, her voice quieter now. "Just... let me sleep tonight."

Jade smiled softly. "Deal."

Cat leaned back, closing her eyes as she laid across the couch, head rested on Jade's lap. It had been a long day, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she was allowing herself to just be.

Jade sat quietly, her legs stretched out across the couch, with Cat's head resting on her lap. She gently stroked Cat's hair, feeling the soft strands under her fingers as she stared at the ceiling, her mind swirling with a mix of thoughts. The feeling of Cat's weight on her legs was comforting, but it wasn't quite enough to settle the gnawing annoyance in her chest. She had tried to do what was best—excitedly asking about the music video, wanting to share in the experience with Cat. But it had all blown up in her face.

Her breath caught in her throat as she replayed Cat's words from earlier. 'I'm not a freaking director, okay?' The harshness in Cat's voice still stung, even though Jade knew it wasn't really about her. But it still felt like a punch to the gut.

Cat never yelled with malice intent. It wasn't like her, and that was what bothered Jade most. She wanted to believe it was just a rough day and a pile of stress getting to Cat. But still, it didn't sit right. It made Jade feel like she was an afterthought—like she was just one more thing on Cat's list of things she had to juggle. As if Jade, of all people, was just... too much.

But as she looked down at Cat's peaceful face, Jade's irritation began to shift. She felt the warmth of Cat's breath on her lap, and the tension in her chest loosened a little. It was clear that Cat was worn out—physically, emotionally, mentally. She had been pushed to her limits. Jade had seen it before, in her own life, when everything piled on top of her, and the smallest thing would set her off. Cat wasn't used to snapping, which made it all the more harsh when it happened.

Jade let out a quiet sigh, brushing a strand of Cat's hair out of her face. She's not mad at you. She's just tired, overwhelmed. The thought repeated in her head, like a mantra. She understood that. She knew it wasn't about her. She just wanted to help, to be the one to share in the excitement.

But the truth was, Cat had so many people pulling at her now, demanding her time and energy. Jade wasn't used to that, and it stung more than she wanted to admit. But then she remembered the way Cat had looked at her earlier that evening, before snapping. The way Cat's eyes softened when they met hers. She could see the apology there, even before it was spoken. Jade knew Cat wasn't upset with her; she just couldn't handle it anymore.

She let out another breath, this one slower, more calming. She's still my Cat, Jade reminded herself. She just needs me to hold space for her right now.

Eventually, Jade's body started to relax, and she let herself doze lightly, feeling the quiet rhythm of Cat's breathing against her lap. She knew there would be more conversations ahead—more moments where they'd both have to face the stress that came with all of this. But in that moment, she realised something she hadn't quite understood before: sometimes, being there for Cat meant not pushing for answers or solutions. It was just about offering a safe space. Being her one constant away from the buzz of change around her.