Not every night of the tour ended as romantically as that, in fact some nights were spent in separate bunks of the tour bus- driving to the next venue. There were some days, it felt like, that the two girls didn't even speak to each other. For example if Cat had fan interactions during the day, and Jade had work to get College done during the show. Still though, it was nice to just exist near each other, for Cat to have Jade there just incase she needed. They'd had a few days to explore the cities they were in, including a very nice day in Texas which happened to line up with Jade's birthday. Those days were the girl's favourites.
Occasionally, someone else would join the tour for an evening- Robbie stopped by for her show in Pittsburg and her parents appeared in Boise. That had been a little weird actually, how neither of them had gotten too involved in her career but then suddenly got to see it all in full force. They supported her of course, and were earth-shatteringly proud- but it was as if neither had really knew just how famous their daughter was until they saw it in front of them. Watching her rise onto the stage, dazzling under a cascade of spotlights, it was almost impossible to remember how their daughter had once been the little girl who used to sing into a hairbrush in their living room. Her voice filled now the venues, powerful and controlled. It left them breathless.
They had only followed her career from a distance, keeping up through news articles, interviews, and clips online. It wasn't the same as being there, but it was how they stayed connected, how they tried to bridge the gap that had formed when they moved away. She had grown so much—more than they could have ever imagined—but there were still glimpses of the daughter they knew, in the way she smiled at the audience, in the little jokes she cracked between songs.
It struck them then how much they had missed. They'd made the choice to leave for her brother's sake, a decision they didn't regret, but one that had cost them time with her. Cat had grown into this incredible, unshakable woman largely on her own, and while they were so proud, there was a bittersweet edge to that pride.
The next surprise tour guests came when Cat flew the whole group over for her Madison Square Garden show- that was huge - almost 30,000 people huge. It was also the last night of the tour Jade could make before she had to go back to College. But still, the month she had managed to be apart of was pretty epic.
It was a strange rhythm Cat was starting to settle into—waking up in a new city, rushing through sound checks, spending hours in hair and makeup, performing for thousands, then collapsing into her bed just to do it all over again. Days blurred together, stitched by the adrenaline of the stage and the solitude of the in-between moments.
She loved performing; that much was undeniable. The energy of the crowd, the way her voice filled the arena, the surreal sight of thousands of fans singing her words back to her—it was everything she'd dreamed of. But it was also draining. There were days she felt like a machine, moving from one obligation to the next without time to even think.
The stage was where she felt most alive, but the hours after the show were the hardest. The uncomfortable tour bus bed, the late-night interviews, and the relentless pace left her feeling disconnected from herself. She missed the little comforts; lazy afternoons with her friends, the release of songwriting, even just cooking in her own kitchen.
Touring wasn't all bad, though. There were pockets of joy: Jade joining her was amazing, late-night laughs with her band, moments when she'd catch a fan holding a sign that made her tear up mid-song. She was seeing the country, too, though mostly through the window of a tour bus.
Still, Cat couldn't deny the toll it was taking. She was tired—so tired—but she reminded herself of why she was doing it. She had worked so hard to get here, and she owed it to herself, her team, and her fans to give it everything she had. There was so much more to come, and she just had to hold on. The road ahead was daunting, but as she looked out at the sea of faces night after night, she knew it was worth it.
It was especially nice to have all of that, and the day of relaxing with her friends in New York after the Madison Square Garden show. It was an unseasonably warm spring day, perfect for exploring. Jade, Tori, Andre, and Beck were already waiting outside for Cat, bundled up in the casual layers New Yorkers wore to blend in, though Jade's leather jacket and sunglasses made her stand out anyway. Cat smiled at the sight of them, her friends' faces grounding her amidst the chaos of the tour.
The only unusual addition was the security guard trailing a few steps behind. It was still strange having someone follow her, but her team insisted—it was New York, and people recognised her everywhere now. Thankfully, her guard, Pete, was professional and unobtrusive, blending in so well she almost forgot he was there.
Their first stop was a coffee shop Cat had read about. It was tucked away on a quieter street, the kind of place that specialised in latte art and overpriced pastries. They grabbed a table near the back, Cat tugging her hat lower and keeping her sunglasses on indoors—a silly but necessary precaution.
"Is this what fame gets you?" Beck teased, motioning to the ridiculous butterfly design in Cat's cappuccino. "Coffee too pretty to drink?"
"Oh, shush," Cat replied, grinning. "You chose for your pattern to be a swan. What does that say about you?"
The group dissolved into laughter, the noise of the city fading into the background. For a moment, it felt like old times—just them, no schedules, no crowds, no expectations.
After coffee, they wandered through Central Park, stopping to watch a street performer juggling flaming batons. Tori insisted on taking selfies, pulling Cat into frame with exaggerated enthusiasm. "For your TheSlap page," Tori joked, snapping a shot of Cat trying to hide behind Jade.
Pete hung back, staying out of their way but always within view. At one point, Andre leaned over and whispered, "Man, how's it feel having your own bodyguard?"
"Like I'm living in a spy movie," Cat replied. She gave Pete a small wave, and he nodded in return.
Their next stop was the Museum of Modern Art. Jade had wanted to see an exhibit on surrealist photography, and while the others weren't as excited, they humoured her. Cat stuck close to Jade, listening as she explained the symbolism in one particularly strange photo.
"It's about duality," Jade said, gesturing toward the frame. "Light versus shadow. The whole 'who are we really' thing."
Cat tilted her head, pretending to understand. "I see… shapes," she replied, earning a playful shove from Jade.
Lunch was at a food truck festival they stumbled upon near Times Square. They grabbed tacos, dumplings, and artisanal donuts, eating on a bench while Tori recorded everything for her page.
"Cat's tour, day… what day is it?" Tori asked, pointing the camera at Cat.
"Does it matter?" Cat replied, laughing.
"Must you film everything?" Jade asked dryly, adjusting her sunglasses as Tori aimed the lens her way.
"That's rich coming from the film major," Tori shot back with a smirk.
"Yeah, I make art," Jade retorted. "You make…whatever that is." She waved a hand dismissively at Tori's phone.
"I'm documenting life!" Tori declared, undeterred. "And besides, I'm filming this for Evan. He's always asking about what we're up to."
At the mention of Tori's boyfriend, the group perked up.
"How's he doing?" Cat asked, stepping closer with curiosity.
"Yeah, haven't heard you mention him in a while," Beck chimed in, popping a piece of gum in his mouth.
"He's good!" Tori said, her tone brightening. "Busy with College. We're thinking of doing a weekend upstate soon. Something chill."
"Does he still think you're secretly famous because of Cat?" Andre teased, earning a laugh from the group.
"Totally," Tori said, rolling her eyes but grinning. "He's convinced I'm riding the coattails of fame. I told him I'm just a regular person who knows extraordinary people."
"Nice spin," Jade said, smirking.
"Thank you. I try," Tori replied with a playful bow.
As they continued walking, Tori turned the camera back on herself, narrating their plans for the day while the others teased her relentlessly in the background. It was a rhythm that felt like home—effortless and full of warmth.
The last stop of their adventure came later when the group settled into their plush seats at the Broadway Theatre show, the massive chandelier overhead glimmering as the audience filled in. Cat was practically bouncing in her seat, her excitement contagious. "This is so cool!" she whispered, clutching Jade's arm.
Jade smirked. "Told you. Nothing beats live theatre."
As the lights dimmed and the show began, Robbie leaned forward immediately, whispering to Beck, "Did you see those automated lights during the overture? They're running a full DMX system. Bet they're syncing it with timecode. Unreal."
Beck, who had no idea what any of that meant, just nodded. "Totally, dude. Timecode. Unreal."
The production was spectacular from the start—flawless costumes, set pieces gliding on and off stage as if by magic, and performers hitting impossible notes. Cat gasped at the first big number, her eyes wide as the actors belted out a soaring harmony.
Jade leaned in close, grinning. "Feel familiar?"
Cat giggled. "I'm definitely stealing some ideas."
Meanwhile, Andre sat on the edge of his seat, soaking in every beat of the orchestration. "The live band is insane," he whispered. "That percussionist? Genius."
Robbie, however, was still in tech mode. "You know, they're probably running this on a QLab setup. Every scene change is automated to the millisecond. The precision is crazy."
"Dude," Tori muttered, leaning back in her seat. "You're supposed to watch the show, not reverse-engineer it."
"I am watching," Robbie replied defensively. "But you can't ignore the brilliance of the design!"
Jade, Cat, and Andre, however, were utterly transfixed. Their theater-kid roots were in full force, and every moment of the show was pure magic to them. Jade's sharp eyes analysed every blocking choice, every transition, every lighting cue. Cat, beside her, looked like she might burst into tears during one of the ballads.
"I love this," Cat whispered, clutching Jade's hand.
"I know," Jade murmured back, her voice soft with shared awe.
Tori and Beck, while appreciating the talent and spectacle, weren't quite as overwhelmed. Beck leaned over to Tori at one point and said, "You think they'll wrap this up in time for us to grab some late-night pizza?"
Tori stifled a laugh. "Probably not with all those curtain calls," she replied, glancing at the others. "These three are going to stay here until they turn the house lights back on."
By the time the final bow came, Cat, Jade, and Andre were on their feet clapping wildly, completely lost in the moment. Robbie was still muttering about some rigging system he noticed during the finale. Beck and Tori clapped too, though they were already plotting the nearest food spot.
As they filed out of the theatre, Jade turned to Cat, who looked positively glowing. "Was it everything you hoped?"
Cat nodded fervently. "More. So much more."
Jade smiled, pulling her close as they walked out onto the bustling New York streets. "Good. That's what theatre does."
"And the pizza place we're about to find," Beck added, patting his stomach, "is what food does."
"Priorities," Tori said with a grin, wrapping her scarf tighter against the night chill.