Trigger Warning - Eating disorder.
Jade sat stiffly in her seat, staring out the small airplane window as the clouds drifted past. The hum of the engines filled her ears, but it couldn't drown out the unease twisting in her stomach. She couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Flying to Florida felt eerily identical to that impulsive trip to Mexico during Cat's last tour. Back then, she'd jumped on a plane with nothing but her gut telling her something was wrong. She'd been right, of course—Cat had been a mess, though she'd stubbornly insisted she was fine.
Jade glanced across the aisle at Tori, who was sat beside her reading a book. Jade's grip tightened on the armrest; the thought of history repeating itself was unbearable.
"Hey," Tori said, nudging her arm. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Jade said automatically, not looking away from the window.
Tori didn't buy it. "You're thinking about Mexico, aren't you?"
Jade's head whipped around to face her. "How'd you know that?"
"Because I've been thinking about it too," Tori admitted with a small shrug. "It's hard not to. Everything about this feels the same— you rushing off to check on Cat, hoping she's okay but knowing she's probably not…"
Jade sighed, leaning her head back against the seat. "She sounded happy when we called her."
"She did," Tori agreed. "But you know Cat. She's good at sounding happy even when she's not."
Jade didn't respond, her thoughts racing more. She wanted to believe that this time would be different. She wanted to believe that Cat would greet them at the hotel with her bright smile, that she'd genuinely be okay. But the image of Cat's hollow-eyed expression at her birthday party, the way she'd barely seemed present, was burned into her memory.
She closed her eyes, willing herself to stop overthinking. They'd know the truth soon enough.
As the plane began its descent into Florida, Jade couldn't help but feel like she was hurtling toward something she couldn't control—just like last time. But unlike last-time, she couldn't just accuse Cat and leave, she needed to actually make steps towards helping her.
When Jade and Tori saw Cat at the hotel lobby, a place Cat had arranged for them, they froze. She was radiant, in the way a polished diamond might be, but there was no denying the wear in her eyes and the fragile way she carried herself. Cat's arms were toned and wiry, her skin glowing in a way that might seem enviable to anyone who didn't know better. Her figure, however, was alarmingly thin, the once subtle curves of her youth replaced by an almost gaunt sharpness.
"Hey!" Cat beamed at them, her voice full of warmth, but her energy seemed brittle, as though it might crack under its own weight. She pulled them both into a tight hug, and Tori glanced over Cat's shoulder at Jade, who was clearly fighting to keep her expression neutral.
"You look— toned," Tori said cautiously, pulling back to get a better look.
Cat laughed, a little too loudly. "Thanks! I've been working on myself a lot lately. I'm so glad you're here. Let's go upstairs—it's quieter."
The suite was predictably extravagant, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Cat dropped onto a plush couch, motioning for them to join her. As soon as they sat, she launched into conversation.
"I know I haven't been the best at keeping in touch," she admitted, her smile faltering. "But I've been trying really hard to turn things around since… you know, my party."
"We were worried," Jade said bluntly, her voice cutting through the air.
"I know." Cat bit her lip. "You had every right to be. I wasn't in a good place then. But I've stopped… all of it." She hesitated, then clarified, "The drugs, I mean. After that night, I realised how far I'd let things go, and I—I couldn't keep doing that to myself."
"That's… good," Tori said cautiously. "That's really good, Cat. But are you okay now?"
"I'm better," Cat said quickly, her voice almost defensive. "I'm on this whole cleanse thing—organic foods, no processed junk, no alcohol, no sugar. My team got me this amazing nutritionist, and I've been working out a lot. It's helping me stay focused."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "You're not eating enough."
Cat bristled, her smile flickering. "I eat plenty."
"No, you don't." Jade's tone was firm but not unkind. "You're exhausted, Cat. You look like you're running on fumes."
Cat's eyes darted between them, her facade cracking slightly. "I'm trying," she said softly. "I'm really trying to sort myself out. I really am. The cleanse is working- I'm sober- but like my body just… doesn't want to work with me."
"That's because you're not fueling it properly," Jade said, her voice softening. "A cleanse isn't going to fix everything. You need real food, real energy. You can't just live off kale smoothies and willpower."
Her's shoulders slumped, and she buried her face in her hands. "The drugs were messing me up. I needed to regain control- to stop myself from doing it again. Without this cleanse I'll fall apart."
Tori reached over, placing a hand on Cat's knee. "We're here, okay? We're not going to let you fall apart. But you need to let us help you."
Cat looked up at them, her eyes glistening. "I don't want to mess up again. I don't want to disappoint you."
"You're not disappointing anyone," Jade said firmly. "But you need to take care of yourself—actually take care of yourself. Not just what some team tells you is healthy."
Cat nodded slowly, her walls finally starting to come down. For the first time in months, she allowed herself to lean on them, even just a little.
The air in the suite shifted when Tori suggested they order food. Cat shook her head almost instantly.
"I'm not hungry," she said, her voice light but firm. "I've already eaten today."
Jade raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. Tori, ever the mediator, chimed in casually. "Come on, just a little something. We haven't eaten either. It'll be like old times—junk food and bad TV."
Cat hesitated, her fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve. "I can't really do junk food anymore. The smell makes me sick."
Tori waved her off, already scrolling through a food delivery app. "Okay, we'll get something light. Salads or wraps or whatever you'll eat. But we're not starving ourselves tonight, deal?"
Cat frowned but didn't argue further, though it was clear she wasn't thrilled.
When the food arrived, Tori made a show of setting everything out on the table. "Look at this spread!" she said, dramatically lifting the lid off a grilled chicken wrap. "Cat, you've got to at least try this. It looks amazing."
Cat perched on the edge of her seat, tentatively reaching for the wrap. She picked off a piece of lettuce and nibbled at it, then set it back down. The cycle repeated as the minutes passed, with Cat mostly rearranging her food rather than eating it.
Jade, sitting across from her, watched the whole thing with growing frustration. Finally, she couldn't hold back. "Cat, come on. You're barely touching it. Just eat something would you."
Cat froze, her hand hovering over the plate. She glanced up at Jade, her expression caught somewhere between guilt and defiance. "I am eating," she said quietly.
"No, you're not," Jade said, her tone sharper than she intended. "Picking at lettuce doesn't count."
"Jade," Tori interjected, her voice warning. But it was too late; Cat had already withdrawn, pulling her knees to her chest like a shield.
"I said I wasn't hungry," Cat muttered, her voice tinged with defensiveness.
Jade exhaled sharply, about to retort, when Tori grabbed her by the arm. "Come help me get some water," she said, tugging her toward the kitchenette.
Once they were out of earshot, Tori turned to Jade, her expression serious. "What are hell you doing?"
"I'm trying to get her to eat," Jade hissed, crossing her arms.
"You're pushing her too much," Tori said firmly. "And that's what pushed her away last time."
Jade's jaw tightened, but she didn't respond.
Tori softened her tone. "Look, I get it. You're worried—we all are. But if we go at her like this, she's just going to shut us out again. She needs support, not pressure. Let her come to it in her own time."
Jade sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just… I hate seeing her like this. It's like she's disappearing in front of us, and she doesn't even realise it."
"I know," Tori said gently. "But we can't force her. We've got to be patient. Show her we're here, no matter what."
Jade glanced over her shoulder at Cat, who was now staring blankly at the untouched food on her plate. Her frustration gave way to a pang of guilt. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll try."
"Good," Tori said with a small smile. "Because if anyone can get through to her, it's us. We just have to do it the right way."
Jade nodded, though the weight of the situation lingered heavy on her shoulders as they returned to the table. For now, she bit her tongue, resolving to let Tori's approach play out. Even if it killed her to stay quiet.
A/N - Sorry that the introduction of this is so sudden and forced. I really wanted to linger on this more and approach it better but honestly this fic is getting far too long so it just has to be brought up and established quickly.