The Girl with Cat's Eyes

C H A P T E R 19

People stare

They don't care

That I see them

They tell him to leave me

But he doesn't

And he seems almost happy

About his fall from grace

He who never once lost faith

C H A P T E R 19

'Hun, I need to talk to you about something...' There was a pause. 'Kat?'

I looked up into her eyes.

I grabbed my board, shifting my sketch book off my lap.

What?

She sighed.

'Kit-Kat, I... I mean... It's been three, maybe four months you've been with us right?'

I nodded slowly, wondering where she was going with this.

She sighed again, and I looked at her expectantly.

'Kat, I'm not going to force you to talk, not at all, never think that, it's just... Well, it's been a while. And I suppose what I'm trying to say is, I thought you might start to talk, that I could help you get a normal life. But I can't, you know, make you speak. And the white board is a pain... '

Oh, God, was she telling me I had to leave? Were they going to kick me out? I looked up at her in panic.

'Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything bad. I was just going to say that... Well, I was wondering if you should start learning sign language... I mean do you want to? It... it would help your communication skills as well, so, what do you say?'

I wasn't sure, I mean, I was talking to Jesse, but... I wasn't sure. Maybe it would help, may be not...

I'll think about it...

'I'm glad you're not saying no straight out. Thank you.' I grinned.

The next day in school was normal. Chelsea and her groupies swung past me, flipping their glossy hair over their shoulders and barging me into the wall. I made a rude gesture behind her head, which got Lilly laughing, and forgetting the fist she was about to throw at Cassie, Chelsea's best friend and side kick.

'Seriously, James, you need to get your sister to stop harassing Kat.' It was Jesse, James and Sam coming up behind us, to meet for lunch.

'Step sister, Jess, and I have no control over what she does...' He said.

'Whatever...' Said Jesse, as they reached our side.

I looked at James quizzically.

She's your sister?

'Yeah, she is. And she's really annoying. I swear, she plays her girly music so loud I can't even hear mine in my own room...'

'You sound like a grandma, James... It's meant to be her complaining about you, anyway, not the other way around...' Sam muttered.

'Oh, she does plenty of that too.' He said acidly.

I bit my lip to stop the laughter pouring out of me.

I felt so bad for him. Not that I really liked him much anyway, but he was growing on me. His helpless face made me want to laugh even more. Chelsea was James' step sister!

How come I didn't know about this before?

'No, idea... By the amount James complains the whole school pretty much knows...' Said Lilly. James gave her a sharp elbow in the ribs.

'What, it's hell, you'd be the same if it was you guys...'

'Yeah, but it's not so we get to tease you...' said Lilly mischievously, grinning evilly.

'What are you plotting now, Mrs?' asked Sam.

She slapped his chest lightly and gasped overly dramatically. ‘Nothing! Why do you always assume the most hurt full things, huh?'

'Um... let's think... 'cause they're true...' muttered Jesse, for which he earned him self a glare.

'No one asked you, sir.' She said back, sticking out her tongue childishly.

'Come on, Kat, you'll back me up, won’t you, I'm not evil, mischievous, annoying, or vaguely disrespectful, to any one, ever, in any way... Right?' She looked at me hopefully.

I shook my head slowly. Sorry, Lils, I'm with the guys on this one... But don't worry, we still love you... Especially Sam... I wrote wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

'Traitor...' She muttered under her breath.

Prove to us that you are not any of those things, then. I bet that you will have hit at least one person by the end of today.

'And I bet I wont!'

We shook on it.

And then Luke Thompson made a joke about me to his mates. She lost.