It had been months now since Cat's second album had been released, and the whirlwind that followed had barely let her catch her breath. Endless interviews, performances, press tours, talk shows, and now—finally—awards season. And the album hadn't just been successful; it had been award-winning. Cat had walked away with trophies that felt almost too heavy in her hands, accolades that reminded her just how far she'd come.
Tonight, though, wasn't about the industry or the spotlight. Tonight was about her friends. Despite everything happening around her, the new people she was meeting, the constant celebrity parties; it was important to her to carve out time with her high school friends.
The restaurant was a step above anything they would have picked a while in school though (well apart from that one time)—a sleek, upscale place nestled in a quiet part of Beverly Hills, where the dim lighting and modern decor screamed exclusivity. The kind of place where even the water cost more than it should. Cat had reserved a private room for them, complete with a long table set with immaculate white linens, polished silverware, and candles that flickered gently in the soft glow.
It had taken a little planning to get everyone together. Tori and Jade were easy enough, Beck had wrapped up a stint on a new indie film, Andre had just gotten out of the studio with his new label, and Robbie—well, she'd flown Robbie in from Pittsburgh specifically for this.
"I can't believe you're footing the bill for this place," Robbie said, leaning back in his chair as he scanned the menu. "It's like—this place is the kind of thing I see in movies."
Cat shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Well, I mean, I can now, can't I? Might as well."
"You're enjoying this a little too much," Jade remarked, smirking at Cat over the rim of her glass.
"I'm not!" Cat protested, though her laughter betrayed her. "Okay, maybe a little. But it's my turn to spoil you guys for once."
"And spoil us you have," Beck said, raising his glass. "To Cat, our own living, breathing success story."
"To Cat!" the others echoed, glasses clinking together as Cat's cheeks flushed with warmth.
The first round of appetizers arrived, delicate and meticulously arranged. Even the breadbasket looked like a work of art.
"This is even better than Maestro's," Beck commented as he took a bite of his salmon tartare.
"Well, as long as Robbie doesn't order a bowl of caviar this time, we're safe," Jade quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Robbie held up his hands, feigning innocence. "Okay, first of all, that was a once-in-a-lifetime indulgence."
"And almost a once-in-a-lifetime trip to jail," Beck added, shaking his head with a grin.
Cat laughed, the sound light and unrestrained. "There's nothing stopping him now. With me paying and all."
Robbie's face lit up. "Oh, really? In that case—"
"No," Jade said sharply, cutting him off before he could finish, though her eyes gleamed with amusement.
The table erupted into laughter, the kind that felt effortless and familiar.
Between bites of food and sips of drink, the conversation meandered through old memories and new updates. Beck shared stories from his recent film, Andre talked about a song he was producing, Tori started slipping in details about her new boyfriend, and Robbie had them all in stitches with tales of his awkward encounters in Pittsburg.
"I'm telling you," Robbie said, gesturing wildly, "I walked into that coffee shop thinking it was some artsy venue, and it turns out I'd stumbled into a performance art piece where I became the art."
"Only you," Tori said, shaking her head as she tried to contain her laughter.
Cat leaned back in her chair, taking it all in. It felt surreal sometimes—how much her life had changed in such a short amount of time. It didn't feel like long ago where they'd all been crowded around someone's living room, eating takeout and talking about the future. Now, here they were, dining in a restaurant she could barely have dreamed of affording back then.
And yet, despite everything, the core of their friendship hadn't changed. They still teased her, still called her out on her quirks, still treated her like she was just Cat—not the rising superstar the rest of the world saw.
As the laughter subsided and the next round of dishes was set down on the table, Jade's gaze shifted to Cat. While the others were busy joking about Robbie's latest mishap, Cat sat quietly, her fork idly tracing patterns in the sauce on her plate. Her face was soft, contemplative, her eyes distant as if caught in some private thought.
Jade nudged her foot under the table, a subtle tap against Cat's ankle. When Cat looked up, Jade tilted her head, her expression quietly asking, You okay?
Cat blinked, then smiled—a small, warm thing that didn't quite reach her eyes. She nodded, but Jade wasn't convinced.
Leaning in slightly, Jade spoke just low enough for only Cat to hear. "You sure? You're not...spacing out on us, are you?"
Cat chuckled softly, setting her fork down. "I'm good," she said, her voice just as quiet. She glanced around the table at their friends, all engrossed in their conversations. "I'm just... taking it all in, you know?"
Jade's brow furrowed, but she nodded slowly, her lips curving into a smirk. "It's a lot to take in," she admitted. "Fancy restaurant, awards, Robbie eating more than is scientifically possible…"
Cat laughed again, more genuinely this time, and shook her head. "Not just that," she said, lowering her voice further. "It's... this. Them. Us. It's nice. It feels... real, you know? Like, no cameras, no pressure. Just... home."
Jade's smirk softened into a rare smile, one she reserved only for Cat. She reached out, her fingers brushing Cat's under the table—just a fleeting touch, but enough.
"Yeah," Jade murmured. "I get it."
Cat exhaled, the weight of her thoughts lifting slightly. She picked up her fork again and leaned closer to Jade. "Thanks," she said, her eyes catching Jade's for a moment longer.
"Always," Jade replied, before sitting back as Tori's voice cut through the table.
"Okay, so, if Robbie eats three desserts, are we staging an intervention?"
Cat laughed, joining the conversation again, the moment between her and Jade quietly slipping back into the noise of the evening.
As dessert was served—a decadent spread of chocolate tarts and fruit soufflés— Robbie raised his glass for a proper toast. "To Cat," he said, his tone suddenly sincere. "For all the late nights, for all the stress, for somehow still being the same dork we've always loved, even when you're winning awards and flying people cross-country for dinner."
"To Cat," they echoed again, smiling at her.
Cat blinked quickly, her heart swelling. It wasn't just the wine making her emotional—it was them. The people who'd been with her before any of this started and who, she hoped, would be with her long after the spotlight dimmed.