Pity Party ➳ Jake Fitzgerald

04; Grade A's

"You're still here"Brooke says as Kat shuts her locker.

"Nina doesn't scare me"Kat says as she begins to walk and Brooke loops her arm with Kat's.

"Well you've just become my new bestfriend and if Nina has a problem then she can suck it"Brooke smiles and so does Kat as they walk to Mr. Branson's class. Nina hasn't showed up today so it's quite peaceful. Kat feels like she can do anything since Nina seemed to be the only thing holding her back.

Katherine takes the seat beside Brooke. It feels so foreign for someone like Brooke to befriend her. Brooke is being so nice, it only adds to her suspicion.

"Cavemen made fires. Those fires cast shadows, and those shadows created fear. Men have been obsessed with scaring each other ever since"Mr. Branson says he writes on the chalk board while everyone else takes notes.

Katherine tries not to focus on the fact that Jake is sitting write behind her. It shouldn't matter because she claims to not care for him but how many teenage girls say that and actually mean it?

"His name's Kieran Wilcox. He just moved here from Atlanta"Brooke whispers as she looks from the new kid to Riley. Katherine looks at Kieran who gives a flirty smile and she blushes as she looks away.

"I thought you weren't into high school guys"Jake whispers to Brooke and she scoffs.

"No, that was just you"she says and he laughs as Mr. Branson faces the class. Katherine finds him a bit distracting since she's never had such a hot teacher before.

"Brooke. Would you please tell us which genre originated with "The Castle of Otranto"?" Mr. Branson questions Brooke clears her throat.

"The Castle genre?"she questions.

"The Gothic genre"Kieran says and Katherine smiles at him which he returns.

"Thank you. Guys look, I get it. Nobody wants to sit around reading 500 dusty pages about monks and curses. But nobody's forcing you to watch The Walking Dead"Branson says as he sits on the edge of his desk.

"I don't watch it"Katherine says.

"Right, you probably watch Pretty Little Liars and Project Runway"Audrey Jensen says from the back of the class in a snarky way which makes Katherine feel confused. Is Audrey naturally a bitch or did Katherine do something to her? Katherine just shifts in her seat uncomfortably and focuses on Branson which isn't much of a problem.

"Oh"Jake says as he drops his pen and raises his hand high with a smile.

"Is The Walking Dead on the mid-term?"he questions and Emma laughs.

"Zombies are not literature, Jake"she says and Kieran speaks.

"Why not? George Romero, Horace Walpole, It's all the same bones"he says seeming more excited to be in this class besides the persuasion of the cute strawberry blonde.

"Or the same rotting flesh. Kieran's right, Gothic genre is all over TV right now. You have American Horror Story, Bates Motel, Hannibal "Branson lists.

"What about Texas Chainsaw or Halloween?"Jake asks.

"Their Slasher movies"Katherine says as she looks down at her notebook. The same words leave Noah Fosters mouth and she gives him a friendly smile while he looks slightly impressed.
Katherine has always been a smart girl but her new look seems to be throwing everyone off and she loves it that way.

Like the pretty girl in horror movie or just a movie or show in general who looks like pretty, dumb, mean girl but in reality she's more then that and that's what keeps it juicy. The mean girl becomes the hero or even goes from your most hated character to your most favorite and that keeps the ratings up and your mind wondering. Will she die?

Jake makes a face as if to say he doesn't care.

"So, you can't do a slasher movie as a TV series"he says and Jake just gives a look as if he has no idea and Branson signals for Noah to continue.

"Well, think about it. You know, girl and her friends arrive at the dance, the camp, the deserted town, whatever. Killer takes them out one by one. 90- minutes later, the sun comes up as survivor girl's sitting in the back of the ambulance watching her friends' bodies being wheeled past. Slasher movies burn bright and fast. TV needs to stretch things out. You know by the time the first body's found, it's only a matter of time before the bloodbath commences "Noah finishes and Katherine laughs.

"Do you disagree?"Branson questions her and she shrugs as she drops her pen onto her notebook and turns in her seat to face Noah who looks intrigued by her.

"So you technically admitted a slasher movie can be a TV series. Like you said, things just need to be stretched out. They give you what they know you want. A couple, a mean girl, a dumb jock, a survivor girl and the fragile broken girl who you think is the main character when in reality she's a decoy or is she? They expand. They give us storylines that make us fall for these characters and then they kill them. The couple is what gets the hopeless romantics intrigued. Whether it's a relationship developing or even just two possible love interests.

They play it on because when one is dead, it hurts. And when you think about it, season 1 can end with the killer being killed or at least their identity being known but they can play it two ways. Either killer isn't really dead or they weren't working alone. And sometimes the survivor girl isn't really the survivor girl. The mean girl or the sidekick, or whoever can easily step up to the plate. They put things we can relate to and sometimes you forget it's a slasher. It makes it all the more interesting"she finishes leaving Noah baffled and Branson impressed. The bell rings and Katherine gathers her things and begins to leave but feels a hand gently touch her arm.

"That was impressive what you said back there"Noah gives her a smile and she nods.

"There's more to me then tight dresses and short skirts. People usually figure that out when I use my mouth"she winks and walks off leaving Brooke to catch up.

"Slow down! Goodness, haven't you heard, us blondes have got to stick together"she says and Katherine laughs.

"I'm not blonde but I don't mind joining the party"Jake says as he appears beside them and Brooke rolls her eyes.

"Only in your wildest dreams. Don't you have some poor soul to be harassing?".

"See the way she treats me, Katherine. This is verbal abuse"he says and Katherine tenses. This is probably the first time her name has ever came out of his mouth and she likes it. She goes back to being the shy Katherine from before and Jake nudges her gently.

"Don't tell me you're going all shy on me now. You sure didn't mind speaking up in class. That was like the hottest thing i've ever seen. Geek the freak literally thought he knew it all and then bam, you just kicked him to the curb"Jake says like it was something mind blowing.

Katherine still doesn't respond and he groans.
"Are you scared Nina will find you talking to us? You're my new friend, not even Nina can touch you now"he says.

"Gosh! Don't you see that she doesn't like you?! I don't blame her, you're practically all over everyone"Brooke snaps and he shrugs.

"I'm not scared of Nina, she's a grade A bitch and your a grade A dick".