Cat is My Valentine

Cat has a Secret

Mondays. Whoever decided school should be on Mondays were complete idiots. Tuesdays too, which happens to be today. February 11th. I just don't understand why we have five days of labor and two days for rest and relaxation. It's ridiculous. A wise man once said that the more you get, the more you'll want. No, I can't say I would be fully satisfied if I was given an extra Saturday. No, I wouldn't want to get rid of school altogether either. I like school. Of course, it's not the oh-so-delicious school lunches that attract me; it's the people. It's her.

There goes my ex boyfriend Beck. We dated a month short of two years. He was the only one who put up with my shenanigans. Then, when I broke up with him, I was completely distraught. I did it out of impulse. I did it to make him want to fight for me. He never did. But eventually, I became okay with it. I stopped expecting people to be there for me when I had pushed them away. I know he still loves me, for whatever stupid reason. I also still love him; but, we aren't dating anymore and never will again. I'm okay with that.

Relationships. The majority of teenagers have a boyfriend or girlfriend sometime during their golden high school years. Is this to fill the holes in our hearts? Is it to be like everyone else? We are continuously looking for a way to escape the realities of life. I don't know. Love just happens. Most of my friends are in relationships right now. How does that make me feel? Like, I'm an outsider. A complete waste of space. Like, I'm somebody not worthy of love.

Cat Valentine. There's a girl who deserves the whole world. She's not dating anyone. I'm glad she isn't because she is my best friend. I tend to be the overly jealous type. I keep my distance and I don't let people know that I obsess over each person I've let into my life. I can't help it; they're interesting to me. Every decision that people make has an impact on their future in some way. I love watching them rise and fall as I sit back and keep my life stagnant and still.

There's Cat now. She's texting on her pear phone and she's giggling. I'm very curious about what she's so giddy about. I decide to walk over to her and find out.

"Hey, Cat. What's going on?" I asked the bubbly red head.
"Oh, hi, Jade. Not much. Just texting away. Heheh." She continued to text while I was trying to have a conversation with her.
"If you text too much, your thumbs could fall off." I teased her gullible mind.
"No, no. Wait," she sent a text then looked up at me and furrowed her eyebrows. She raised her thumb and looked at it in confusion. "Do you think my thumb looks Spanish?" I rolled my eyes and walked away. I didn't want to walk away. Cat was being more oblivious today. And it's only Tuesday.

It was time for third period, which is Dramatic Arts with Sikowitz. I sat in my chair behind Cat. She was giggling and texting, yet again. I crossed my arms as if it would protect me from the insane world around me. Beck came in and waved at me after sitting down. Andre and Robbie were talking about some assignment for their next class. Tori was talking to the people in our class who just react. I was surprised they even talked. I looked in front of me at Cat who was combing her fingers in her hair. She held up her phone and took a picture of herself blowing a kiss. I raised an eyebrow. Sikowitz finally came to class.

"Everyone, rumps in seats. Alright. Let's see. We shall begin class with a little acting exercise. Robbie, Beck, Jade, and Cat. Come on up." We all made our way to the stage, except for Cat who was locked in on her phone.

"Cat? Cat!" Cat looked up at Sikowitz. "There she is!" Cat giggled. "Come join the others." When she had made it to the stage, Sikowitz stared at us.

The silence was driving me crazy. "What?!" I asked. Sikowitz snapped his fingers. "Jade, Robbie. You two are a couple from the 50's. Beck and Cat, the two of you shall play a couple from the future. You meet in the present." Cat looked at Sikowitz confused. "How can we play a couple from the future if we don't know the future?" Sikowitz laughed at her question. "Amuse me, dear one."

I was excited to get the 50's couple, but I was upset to be paired with Robbie. Beck wouldn't be my second choice, either.

Robbie: "My little lark, would you like to go for a stroll in the park?"
Jade: "Most certainly, darling."
[They run into the future couple]
Jade: "Why, hello."
Beck: "Hey. Have either of you seen our flying car? It's about yea tall."
Cat: "It's also sparkly purple."
Robbie: "A flying car? You don't say? Me and my honeybee haven't heard of such a thing in all of our existence."
Cat: "It's my favorite flying car. Oh, won't you help us find it?!"
Jade: "I don't have much time for a break. Maybe my husband can assist you. I must go back home and teach my daughter how to vacuum."
Cat: "Vacuum?"
Beck: "What's that?"
Jade: "My, what ignorance. It's a tool that picks up dirt from the ground."
Beck: "We have a robot for that, why don't you?"
Cat: "You can't just ask people why they don't have things. They could be poor."
Robbie: "I can assure you, my lady, I am not poor."
Beck: "Don't talk to my wife like she's a dog."
Robbie: "I'll have you know I'm the owner of three estates."
Cat: "You mean to tell me you both don't live in a faction?"
Jade: "A fraction? Dear, we women don't need to know how to do math. Our men can take care of it for us."

Sikowitz blurted out during our dialogue. "TWIST!" We all looked at him in confusion. He clarified. "I said twist. So, do the twist."

We started dancing. Sikowitz laughed his head off. "That's quite alright, please sit. All of you." I rolled my eyes and took my seat. Robbie asked Sikowtiz "What was the purpose of that?" He answered "I have a question for you. Why did you break character?"

There was a silence in the air.

"It's all about following authority. You did the twist, which was a ridiculous request. And pointless. One day your director could give you a random, new task that changes the course of the whole performance. Do you break character?"

Sikowitz was trying to teach, but kept being distracted by Cat texting and giggling. I have to say, it was distracting me too.

"Cat, hand me your phone or you can exit the classroom." Sikowitz took control. Cat got up without response and walked out the room giggling with her phone. The rest of the class moved by slowly.

Finally, it was lunch time. I sat by Beck and the rest of the gang. I picked up my burrito and before I bit it, I noticed everyone staring at me. I dropped it. "What?" Tori leaned in and touched my hand. I pulled back and grunted. "Jade, Cat's really getting on our nerves. Has she told you why she's texting so much?" I crossed my arms. "Why would she tell me?" Tori sat back to think. Then, she leaned back towards me. "Can you ask Cat what she's got on her phone that's so interesting?" I looked up and saw Cat across the asphalt cafe and she was on the phone while twirling her hair. "Why can't you do it, Vega?" Tori sighed. "I already tried. So did the rest of us." I groaned.

I got up and walked to Cat. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her, I just didn't want to be made a puppet for other people. Cat saw me coming and hurriedly hung up.

"Hi, Jade!"
"Hey. Just curious. Who were you talking to?"
"I wasn't talking to anybody." She lied.
"You were just on the phone?!" I confronted her.
"No, I wasn't. You're crazy Jade. Hahaha." I opened my mouth, then shut it tight. I wasn't going to yell at her.

I walked away and went back to the table. I didn't want the others to know that I couldn't gather the information. I made up a story that Cat was talking to her cousin that she just met a few days ago. Everyone believed it after a few follow-up questions and went on with their lives. However, I didn't go on. I couldn't. I wouldn't until I got to the bottom of this.