Alone ✧ KATE BISHOP

4 - A Bet's A Bet

THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS THE START OF THE SCHOOL'S WINTER BREAK. Jasper had spent the majority of the week prior to the break hanging out with Kate, striking up a close friendship with her. Jasper really did enjoy being around Kate; as strangely overconfident as she was, it was always fun to spend time with her. And so it wasn't long before Jasper found herself spending much more time with Kate than she normally would have with someone she'd barely met. 

When it grew closer to the start of the break, Jasper found out that she was (thankfully and surprisingly) given the time off from her father's company. Though she didn't know what she wanted to do with her free time, she was glad that she had it in the first place. She figured that she'd probably spend it with her mother or Cleo, just hanging out and helping them set up their Christmas decorations. 

On the last day of school before the break, Jasper walked out of her class and outside of the building. The chilly afternoon air nipped at her skin, but despite her thinner jacket and yoga pants, she didn't mind the cold. Her father used to keep the office and his house like a freezer, so the fact that she could see her own breath in front of her didn't bother her in the slightest. 

"Hey, Jas!" a voice shouted. 

Jasper stopped and turned around, smiling when she saw Kate jogging forward to catch up to her. 

"Hey, Kate," Jasper said. "What's up?" 

Kate grinned. "You remember that bet I made with Greer?" 

Jasper crossed her arms. "You mean the one you lost horribly? Yeah, I remember." 

"Well, we're gonna fulfill it tonight," Kate said. "Greer and Jane are coming, and I wanted to see if you'd like to come with." 

Jasper raised an eyebrow. True, she didn't have any plans tonight, but sneaking onto a private property wasn't exactly something she was inclined to do. However, she figured that it'd be better than hanging out at her apartment and watching movies all night. 

So she shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, sure," Jasper said. "I'll come. It's not like I had any plans tonight anyway." 

Kate smiled. "Awesome. Meet us at Stane Tower tonight. And bring dark clothes." And with that, she turned and ran off. 

Jasper shook her head with a soft laugh, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets before heading back to the subway so she could return to her apartment. Sometimes she wondered how Kate could be so perky. 

When Jasper got back to her apartment, she immediately decided to make herself an early dinner. She hadn't always been a big fan of cooking, but after the Blip took away her friends and pretty much her entire family, she had to find other ways to occupy her time. It'd been her mother's idea for Jasper to learn how to cook, after noticing that Jasper's depression over the loss of her friends had led her to stop eating. Jasper had reluctantly agreed to give it a try, but much to her surprise, she found the whole process to be both therapeutic and calming. So now, she cooked for herself almost every night. 

After a few minutes of thought, Jasper began to make herself some stir-fry - a meal that Andi's aunt Pandora had gotten her hooked on. It was always a little bittersweet whenever she made it, since it reminded her of simpler times with her friend, but as always, she pushed the feeling down and continued cooking. She needed the distraction, and she welcomed it in any form it took. 

As Jasper cooked, her thoughts again turned to that strange woman, Val. How did she know Jasper's name or where she lived? What had she wanted with her? What kind of "gifts" was she referring to? And how did Jasper talking to her father tie into all of it? 

Jasper shook her head, finishing her food and serving herself. It was times like this that she wished for the simpler days with her friends, when the craziest thing she had to deal with was Flash picking on Andi.