Alone ✧ KATE BISHOP

3 - (Not A) Party Girl

JASPER HAD TO ADMIT, SHE LIKED HAVING KATE AROUND.

She was like a combination of her friends all rolled into one. Kate had Saniya and Harlow's confidence, Jonah's kindness, Bryson's sass, and she looked a lot like Andi. Plus, she was strangely optimistic, which Jasper would usually find suspicious. However, she could tell that there was nothing suspicious about Kate. Her intentions were pure, and she was just a naturally positive person. And honestly, Jasper found it refreshing. Jasper also wound up hanging out with Kate during breaks, and even hung out with her at lunch. True, Kate talked a lot more than Jasper's friends did, but Jasper didn't mind. Again, it was kind of refreshing.

Through their conversations, Jasper found out that Kate was a very decorated student - she was a highly skilled gymnast, fencer, martial artist, and archer (with the latter definitely explaining her keen eyesight). She also found out that Kate had lost her father in the 2012 alien attack, leading her to learn all of these skills so she could protect her mother. Kate even told Jasper that her mother founded and owned Bishop Security, a highly successful security company in Manhattan, making her family very wealthy - much like Jasper's.

Jasper wound up explaining to Kate her own story as well. She told her about how much of an asshole Markus really was, and how she was born from her father's affair with another woman. She told Kate about her mother Rebecca and Cleo, and how she was much closer to them than she was to her father. Jasper told Kate about her job at her father's company, and how she was basically his personal assistant. However, she kept the information about her friends and what happened to them during the Blip to herself. Jasper didn't want to share that just yet.

But overall, it was nice, having Kate around. It made Jasper feel less alone.

So now, it was after school. Jasper walked out of her last class to see Kate waiting for her, a big smile on her face. Jasper shook her head with a small laugh, then jogged forward to talk to her.

"Hey," Jasper said when she reached her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you," Kate replied.

Jasper frowned. "Why?"

Kate shrugged. "Felt like it." She smiled and motioned towards the street with her head. "Come on, I'll walk you to the subway."

Jasper smiled back, and the two began walking towards the sidewalk.

"So you got any plans tonight?" Kate asked.

Jasper turned to her. "Uh, yeah, actually. My sister and I are going out to a Christmas party at a club down in Brooklyn." A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she asked, "Do you wanna come with?"

Kate frowned. "You mean to the party?" Jasper nodded, and Kate shook her head before saying, "I dunno. I'm not that much of a party girl."

"C'mon," Jasper said encouragingly. "It'll be fun. And besides, Cleo is my ride and she has to work tomorrow, so we won't be staying for more than a couple hours."

Kate thought for a moment, then shrugged and nodded. "Alright, I'll come. I mean, it's not like I have much to do to tonight anyway." She took out her phone and said, "Here, gimme your number so I can text you my address."

Jasper was a little surprised by how forward Kate was being, but obliged, giving the blue-eyed girl her number. Kate smiled once she had Jasper's number, then nodded and asked, "So what do you think I should wear? I've never been to a club party before."

"Well, there is an unofficial standard that most people wear," Jasper said after a moment. "But I don't really think it's..." She gave Kate a once-over. "...your thing." Jasper then shrugged and said, "So wear something comfortable, but still nice."