The Philippines show had gone off without a hitch, and the videos trickling in after were identical to Mexico City's predecessor: Cat radiating charm and untouchable energy, electrifying every room and stage she touched. Jade couldn't shake the subtle unease that lingered after watching. She hated feeling this way, but it was impossible to ignore how much she didn't know.
So, Jade made her decision. She sent Cat a quick text while booking her flight, making sure to keep it casual.
Jade: I'm going to come meet you in Mexico. Got some free time from school, figured I'd catch a show.
The response was almost instantaneous.
Cat: WAIT REALLY?! you mean it?! i'm gonna cry!
A small smile tugged at the corners of Jade's mouth. If nothing else, Cat's unfiltered joy made the trip worth it already.
When Jade arrived at the hotel in Mexico City, Cat practically tackled her in the lobby, wrapping her arms around Jade in a bear hug that nearly knocked the breath out of her.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here!" Cat squealed, bouncing slightly on her toes as if she were incapable of containing her excitement.
Jade chuckled, steadying her. "Of course I'm here. I missed you."
Cat stepped back, her smile wide and genuine. "I missed you too!" But as they pulled apart, Cat's wide smile faltered just slightly, her eyes darting to the side. "I, uh...I didn't really plan anything. Today was meant to be an acclimation day - I was going to, but then I forgot, and I fell asleep, and now you're here, and I have no idea what we're gonna do."
Jade smirked, resting a hand on Cat's shoulder. "Relax. You don't have to plan a whole day for me."
"But I wanted it to be special!" Cat protested, her hands wringing together anxiously. "You flew all the way here, and I—"
"Cat." Jade's voice was firm but kind, cutting through Cat's spiral. "You're overthinking. What you need is a break. So, how about we take the day off and just...exist? Maybe hit the pool, get room service, and not worry about anything for once."
Cat blinked, her lips pressing into a pout. "Are you sure? That doesn't sound very exciting."
Jade shrugged. "It sounds perfect to me. And honestly, you look like you could use it."
By mid-afternoon, the two of them were stretched out on loungers by the hotel's rooftop pool. The sun was warm but not overbearing, a light breeze carrying the distant hum of city traffic. Cat had swapped her hoodie for a pastel one-piece swimsuit, her hair tied into a loose ponytail, and Jade had her signature all-black swimsuit and oversized sunglasses.
"This is nice," Cat admitted, sipping on a fruity drink through a tiny umbrella straw. "I didn't realise how much I needed this."
Jade smirked from behind her sunglasses. "Told you."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the water ripple and the occasional guests wade in and out of the pool.
"You're not bored, are you?" Cat asked suddenly, glancing at Jade.
Jade shook her head. "Nope. This is way better than running around all day. Besides, I like this version of you—the one who actually sits still for five seconds."
Cat giggled, resting her head on Jade's shoulder. "I guess I owe you one, huh?"
Jade smirked, leaning her head lightly against Cat's. "You owe me nothing, Baby Girl. Just promise me you'll take more days like this, okay?"
Cat sighed, her smile soft. "Okay. I promise."
For the first time in weeks, Jade felt a sense of calm settle over her. Cat seemed more like herself in this moment—no stage lights, no cameras, no pressure. Just the girl she loved. And Jade would do whatever it took to keep her grounded in moments like this.
Cat's PR team had barely masked their irritation when they found out Jade had joined the South American leg of the tour.
"So much to sort," one of them had muttered, as if Jade's presence was an existential crisis. Jade rolled her eyes. Their jobs were literally to organise things, yet they were acting as though her presence would dismantle the entire operation. Still, she kept her annoyance to herself. This wasn't the fight she wanted to pick.
Now, as she sat in Cat's dressing room, Jade had all but forgotten about the PR team. Cat was perched on a stool in front of a mirror, doing her vocal warm-ups with exaggerated gusto. Her voice filled the small space, rising and falling in arpeggios, and her energy seemed to bounce off the walls. She looked fine—normal, even. The slight paranoia Jade had carried with her for a few days was beginning to dissipate. Maybe Cat really was okay. Maybe Jade had overreacted.
That was until, ten minutes before showtime, a knock at the door interrupted the relative calm. Cat barely glanced up as a man—one of the crew, by the look of him—stepped inside.
"Hey, Cat," he said casually, holding a small plastic bag in his hand. "Got this for you."
Jade froze, her stomach flipping.
Cat's eyes widened. "Uh, no. No, thanks. I don't want that again." Her voice was rushed, her tone nervous. She darted up from her stool, moving quickly to intercept the guy. "Just—leave, okay?"
The man hesitated, glancing between Cat and Jade. Jade, still in shock, was piecing together what she'd just seen. But when Cat snatched the bag and shoved it into her pocket, muttering something about not wanting Jade to see, the realisation hit her like a freight train.
"You've got to be fuckin kidding me," Jade growled, rising to her feet.
"Jade—" Cat started, but Jade wasn't listening. She yanked the bag out of Cat's pocket and glared at the guy.
"Get. Out. Now," she snarled, her voice low and venomous.
The man raised his hands defensively. "Alright, alright. I'm gone." He slipped out of the room quickly, leaving the door ajar behind him.
Jade slammed it shut, spinning back to face Cat. Her hand shook as she held the bag, her anger bubbling over. "What the hell is this, Cat?!"
Cat's face flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't ask for it! I said no, didn't I?"
"You said 'not again'! But what about before?" Jade snapped, her voice rising, throwing the bag across the room. "How long has this been going on? And don't lie to me."
Cat looked at the floor, her hands twisting together. "I was tired, Jade. I just needed...something to keep me going. I wont do it again."
"Do you hear yourself?" Jade demanded. "Do you even realise how dangerous this is? Have you forgotten about Matteo?"
The mention of her brother was like a trigger being pulled. Cat's head snapped up, her face contorting with rage. "Don't you dare compare us!" She snapped
The room went silent except for the sound of Cat's heavy breathing.
Jade's mouth opened and closed, her words caught in her throat. Her anger wavered, replaced by something softer—something raw.
"Cat…" she said quietly, her voice trembling. "I know you're not him. But don't pretend this can't hurt you, too."
Cat's shoulders slumped, her fiery resolve snuffed out as quickly as it had ignited. She looked small, defeated.
"I'm fine," Cat muttered, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Jade.
Jade set the bag down on the table, her chest tight with emotion. "No, you're not. And I'm scared for you, Cat. You can't keep going like this."
Cat didn't respond. She sank back onto the stool, burying her face in her hands. The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating, and neither of them knew how to break it.
Outside, the roar of the crowd grew louder, signaling that it was time for Cat to take the stage. But inside, the tension between them hung in the air, unresolved.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Jade tensed, expecting the guy to have come back, but instead, a young stagehand poked his head in.
"Caterina, you're on in two minutes," he said with the kind of nervous energy people always seemed to have around her now. "They're ready for you."
Cat glanced toward the door, then back at Jade, her face torn. Her eyes were pleading, her expression screaming what she couldn't bring herself to say: I don't want to leave this like this.
Jade's jaw tightened. She crossed her arms and leaned against the dressing room counter, masking her emotions as best she could. "Go," she said flatly, jerking her head toward the door. "You've got a show to do."
"Jade…" Cat's voice was barely a whisper, her guilt palpable.
"You can't solve this now," Jade cut her off, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Just go."
Cat hesitated for a second longer, then nodded slowly. She grabbed her mic pack from the counter and clipped it onto her belt, her movements stiff. As she turned to leave, she paused in the doorway, looking back at Jade.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.
Jade didn't reply. She just gave Cat a small, almost imperceptible nod.
And then Cat was gone, the door swinging shut behind her.
Jade slumped into the chair Cat had been sitting on moments earlier, the weight of the confrontation pressing down on her. She could hear the faint rumble of the crowd through the walls, the sound growing louder and louder until it exploded into deafening cheers as Cat took the stage.
Jade dropped her head into her hands, squeezing her eyes shut. She could picture Cat out there, smiling like nothing was wrong, dazzling the crowd with every ounce of charm she had.
But here, in the quiet of the dressing room, the truth lingered like a ghost.
Jade stared at the small bag on the floor in the corner, the white powder inside catching the light. It felt like a slap in the face just sitting there, tangible evidence of something she didn't want to believe. She couldn't bring herself to touch it again, couldn't bring herself to move it. It sat there like a cruel reminder —a crack in the picture-perfect image Cat worked so hard to present to the world.
She leaned back in the chair and exhaled shakily, running her fingers through her hair. Her mind raced, replaying the scene over and over. The panic in Cat's eyes when Jade saw the bag, the way her voice cracked when she denied wanting it, the way she snapped, "Don't you dare compare us!"
Matteo. That name hit like a sledgehammer every time she thought about him. Jade squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off memories of Cat's brother—of his struggles, of the stories Cat had shared in tearful, quiet moments. He'd gone through hell and back because of drugs. He was doing better now, but it had nearly destroyed him, nearly destroyed Cat's family.
How could she even consider it? Jade thought bitterly. She gritted her teeth and stared at the bag again, fury bubbling up in her chest.
But then, the fury ebbed, replaced by something murkier, something more complicated. Cat wasn't Matteo. Jade knew that. Cat wasn't spiraling into an addiction; she wasn't using to escape her life. It wasn't the same.
Was it?
Jade leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands. She'd smoked weed before, even dabbled in edibles once or twice during late-night college parties. Was this really any different? Was she being a hypocrite for reacting this way?
She thought of Cat again, of how tired she'd looked during their FaceTimes, how she'd mentioned over and over that the tour was draining her. The pressure, the relentless schedule, the constant eyes on her—it was more than Jade could fathom. Maybe, for Cat, this was just… a release. A temporary fix for a temporary problem.
But that didn't make it okay.
The longer she sat there, the more she realised the truth of it: she didn't know what this was. She didn't know how to categorise it, didn't know how to feel. She was angry, scared, confused, and so, so hurt. Jade had never felt more lost.
The distant roar of the crowd seeped through the walls, a muffled reminder that Cat was out there, dazzling 10,000 people with her voice and charm.
Jade shook her head, her jaw tightening. How does she do it? How does she just… go on stage like nothing's wrong?
The door opened slightly, and a stagehand poked his head in. "Miss, are you alright? Caterina wanted me to make sure—"
"I'm fine," Jade snapped, not even looking up. "Close the door."
The door shut again, and Jade sat in the silence, her thoughts racing. The bag was still there, taunting her, and she wished more than anything that it wasn't. She wished none of this had happened.
But it had. And now, she had to figure out what the hell she was going to do about it.