Adopted by Heathers: The Sequel

Anniversaries

This was the biggest party I've ever been to in my life. And not in the amount of guests. It was big because we were celebrating not one, not two, but three things today.

First, it was Eleanor's first birthday. And she was so cute, babbling on Jess' lap and pulling on her hair. Jess was smiling at her and then passed her to Elle, who Eleanor promptly slapped in the face.

"Do you know if Cat was like this as a baby?" Red asked to no one in particular. Elle laughed and said, "I wish I knew her for that long. It would've gotten her out of that abusive environment." Elle smiled at me and then I picked Eleanor up off of my lap and put her on my hip.

The second thing we were celebrating was my wedding anniversary. I remember a year ago when I was about to get married, happy, giddy, and excited to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life.

Truth be told, I've had a crush on Red Ashley since the moment I laid eyes on her. She was beautiful, smart, and the way she played the clarinet stole my heart. However, I didn't realize I had a crush on her until she mentioned her crush on me. Eighth grade was a weird year. A tough year. And I wasn't as focused on finding a love life as I was on dealing with the car crash and Violet Gardner not leaving me alone.

But that's in the past now. It's all in the past. I'm not that scared little girl anymore, I'm a grown adult. And getting out of my dad's house into a stable home was the greatest gift anyone has given me in my whole life.

And the third...and perhaps most important thing I was celebrating, was that today marked 10 years since Elle found me being pinned to that wall. It's been ten years, and I still cannot believe it's been that long. So much crap has gone down in that time.

I snapped back to reality and smiled as wide as I could. I wasn't in my own apartment to celebrate today, I was in Elle's. And for some reason, I didn't even go look in my childhood bedroom.

I sprung up off of the couch and ran to the door of my old bedroom, slamming the door behind me. Surprisingly, even though Red and I cleaned out most of the room before I moved out, there were still some things strewn around the place. Things I've never bothered to pick up. Things from my middle and high school years.

I looked everywhere to see if I could scrape up a memento or two. And I succeeded. I sighed and sat down on the floor with all my mementos surrounding me, picking them up one after another and looking at them.

The first thing I managed to find was a purple and blue flower crown behind my curtain. I got that at the Renaissance Faire when I was thirteen. Katie, Barrett, and Alice have matching ones with me, I wonder if they still have them. I smiled and slipped the crown lopsided on my head, giggling as I looked in the mirror.

The second thing was a black sweatshirt. This was Ethan's sweatshirt that he left at my house when I thought he died and I was still slightly attached to and in love with him. I'm not even sure why I still have it in the first place anyway. I giggled and set the sweatshirt aside.

The third and final thing I found was a shoebox decorated in pink duct tape with my name written on the side. I remember this shoebox. It was a separation anxiety kit Ryan made me so long ago. I opened the lid and pulled out two things. A scrapbook with "Memories" written on it and a deep purple journal.

I flipped through the scrapbook, and saw photo after photo of my family members, my friends, and twelve year old Cat smiling back at me. Tears started to well as I looked through the photos. These photos were so old that they were all taken before the crash, but after Elle took me in. So I was so happy, so naïve, so together. I had no idea what my life was about to come to.

I wiped my tears on my sleeve and set the journal in my lap. I'm surprised I didn't take this with me when I moved away. The purpose of this journal was for me to write the cast "letters" in after Heathers closed. So, as expected, letter after letter appeared on the pages.

There was one from when Elle got appendicitis. From when I had a breakdown in the middle of the night and called Jess. From right after the crash. From Violet incidents. 

And the last thing was a letter I wrote...

To myself.

This year's been a rollercoaster. Actually, that might be an understatement. This was both the worst and best year of my entire life.
Here's why.
I started 2014 in my dad's custody, and I thought there was no way I was getting out of it. I found the things I wanted to do, I loved being a leader and helping others. Which is why Student Council was the perfect fit for me.
This didn't go over well with my dad. I told him on a walk home from school, and he got mad at me and pinned me to a wall. The wall that got me out of there. The wall that saved my life.
Being with Elle wasn't all happiness and sunshine either. The crash, Ethan dying, all my hospital trips, I can't even count.
But I have a family now. A loving one. One that's always there for me. And I wouldn't trade that for the world.
I haven't written in this journal in a while. Guess I didn't have time. Or a reason. I've gained confidence, I've stood up for myself.
So to the future Catlynn who will inevitably read this, you got this. Stay strong. Fourteen year old Cat believes in you.
And if my family reads this, I love you guys. Thanks for everything.
~Cat

This got the tears flowing. Just reading that letter got the tears flowing. I was a bawling, shaking mess of happy tears on the floor of my old bedroom. I smiled and wiped the tears, then walked out with the journal and said, "Mom? Do you have a pen?"

Elle smiled and then realized what I was holding. "Where did you find that?" she asked. I smiled and said, "I found it in my room." Elle dug in her purse and handed me a pen, and I sat down on the floor.

So, I'm an adult now. I have a wife, a daughter, a house, my dream job.
But it didn't come easily. I had to deal with watching my best friend and biological sister die right in front of me, almost being paralyzed, almost dying, breaking up with the girl I would eventually marry, it's been a lot to deal with.
But...I made it. I made it through. I pushed through and here I stand, ten years after Elle saved my life and got me away from my dad for good.
I love Elle, Jess, Alice, Evan, Katie, Barrett, Ryan, and Jon more than I love myself. And I hope they know that they changed my life.
So...since it doesn't make sense to write this to future Catlynn...I'm writing this letter to Eleanor. 
Leni, when you're a teenager, I'm gonna promise that you don't through the same hell I went through in middle and high school. You're a strong, powerful girl. And I don't want to see you go through what I did.
Though I can't confirm that there won't be Violets in your generation, I can confirm there won't be Thomas Reeve's. I'm gonna be the mother that I wanted to have before Elle.
I love you, Leni.
~Mama

I closed the journal and then sprung up and ran back to my room, wanting to see if one more memento was still there.

And there it was, on the corner wall. My hospital stickers. There were so many that they were crammed on the wall now. And there was one spare one on the dresser I forgot to put on.

I grabbed a Sharpie and started to write.

"First Day as a Doctor: May 2021." I stuck the sticker on my wall and backed up.

"73, 74...75."

Seventy-five stickers. 

The hell of my middle and high school days are over.

It was time for a new start.

It's the end of an era.

The End

AN: Guys...I did it. Adopted by Heathers is over for good. I cannot believe I ended Catlynn's story. It's seriously bittersweet to end it, and I know Catlynn is not just a pivotal part of my life, she's a pivotal part of everyone else's life as well. So...for the final time, hope you enjoyed, and see you in Adopted by Falsettos. Love you all!