The Green Eyed Monster

Ch. 4

We make it back a little late. I don't care, but Cat's freaking out, which I don't get, 'cause she's always late. Odds are Sikowitz isn't even there yet. Hell, half the time he doesn't show up at all. I'm just hoping for a quiet lesson, where Cat can direct some of her chatter to her little friends, and give me a goddamn break. I can only drown out so much sweetness. I swear I have diabetes now.

But all that sweetness just makes some of the things she says that much more jarring. I honestly don't think anyone's really listened to her for any period of time. If they had, I think they would've been concerned. She was like a musical scale, rising and rising in pitch until bam! That low note comes crashing in and makes you jump. I couldn't tell if that's just the way her thoughts ran - happy with the occasional discordant sad thought, or if the sweetness was all an act, just a way of trying to keep her mind off the sadness. Hell. I'm reading way too much into this. It's just Cat for Christ's sake! I've known her for years. She's an airhead - granted, a talented one, but an airhead all the same. It's only disturbing because of her age. If she was five I wouldn't be fussed.

I open the door to Sikowitz's classroom, raising a hand automatically to catch the ball that's been hurled at me. Sikowitz laughs boomingly, clapping his hands together. "Excellent Jade! Always in character!"

Cat looks up at me with awe, bouncing on her toes. "Oh! That was so cool Ja-" Cat squealed as a ball smacked into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground heavily.

I sighed angrily. "Sikowitz!"

"...And scene!" Sikowitz slurped on a coconut, pottering over to a window absentmindedly. I rolled my eyes, putting a hand out to Cat. She took it gratefully, standing and rubbing her cheek.

"Am I okay?" I brush her hand away, gripping her chin gently and turning her cheek towards me. There's a large red mark where the ball hit her, and I brush my fingers across her cheek lightly. He gets her every time, she just never learns to suspect people. I become aware of Beck's eyes, burning into me, but I keep my eyes on Cat, watching her face blush to match her afflicted cheek.

"You're fine."

She lets out a soft "Yay!" and I drag her to a couple of empty chairs in the back. Sikowitz is blathering on about something now, not even facing the class, and I turn to Cat.

"How's your leg?"

A look of confusion crosses her face. "Oh! Right. It's okay." She slaps her face lightly. "My cheek's going kinda numb though."

I frown. Not at her answer, but that I asked her at all. It's not... I don't care. I steal a glance at Beck, and feel a surge of satisfaction when I see him staring at us. At me. I put my hand possessively on Cat's thigh, just below where her short shorts end. She giggles, slapping her face some more. I smirk over at Beck and he looks away, pretending to listen to something Tori says. Sikowitz is demonstrating effective 'stage' sleeping, or so he says. Everyone knows he's just zonked out on the coconut milk. This lesson's turning out okay. Sikowitz's class is one of my favorites... mainly because we never do anything, and when we do, it's usually something ridiculously easy. I actually like doing skits with Cat. It's the one place her randomness comes in handy. Beck's good too, but he's less imaginative, more serious. And me... well, it's a chance to be someone else. Not that I don't like who I am, I mean, it's me, but I'm free to be whatever, whoever I want to be. And nobody judges me, because it's just acting. Look, I don't care what people think of me, and I like that they're scared of me, but it's nice to be able to do something without consequences. I hate consequences.

I become aware that Cat's nudging me, trying to get my attention. I turn to her impatiently, raising my eyebrows. "Um... Jade... I have to pee," Cat whispers.

I stare at her blankly. "So?"

She bites her lips, looking uncomfortable and tucking a lock of red velvet hair behind her ear. "I- I need you to move your hand..."

I look down at the offending appendage. "Oh." I take my hand off her thigh and she sighs, jumping up and dashing out of the room, Sikowitz snoring on the stage. I look at my hand for a moment. I completely forgot it was there. Sneaky bastard.

It was weird. Cat was always moving and jiggling, like she was some ball of energy or something, but she was still for - I check my phone - twenty minutes. Not even I can stay still for that long, and I hate moving. When I used to rest my hand on Beck, or drape my arm over his shoulder, he'd shift within ten minutes, guaranteed. He didn't mean to, it was just natural. It comes to me that Cat was actually making a conscious effort to stay still. To keep my hand there.

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. She's never had a boyfriend... or a girlfriend before... she's probably never been touched that way. Of course she's going to savour it. Bodily contact is pretty sweet when you've never had it before. I find myself smiling. It's pretty cute, I have to admit. I look up, catching Beck staring at me, a worried look on his face. Of course he's worried, I'm smiling.

Actually, I'm worried... I'm smiling. I wipe it off quickly, turning it to a scowl. What am I doing? Yeah, okay, Cat's cute. I know that. But it doesn't matter. I shouldn't be smiling 'cause she's a virgin to... everything. Yeah it's cute. I hate cute. Cuteness is just a poor substitute for personality.

And thinking of the word 'virgin' in conjunction of Cat shouldn't be making me tingle. I do not tingle.

Cat crashes down beside me, gripping the edges of her chair. "Have fun?" I say drily.

She nods enthusiastically. "Yeah! I love the hand-dryer. It's all whoooooshhhh." She grins before frowning, looking at her hands, "But it didn't dry my hands..." She inspects her hands, her eyebrows crinkled together.

I cross my arms, looking away from her and making some noise of assent. I'm relieved when the bell chimes, standing and shouldering my bag. I have to get home. I've been around Cat too much today. She's a lot to take. All that sweetness, ugh, it's starting to rub off on me.

Cat mentions something about her locker, and I say goodbye to her, something I've been wanting to do all day. She gives me a soft kiss, her hand on my shoulder, and I notice how good she smells. I'm not one to usually like those flowery girl perfumes... but something about her scent is intoxicating. She pulls back, smiling and skipping off, waving back at me.

I shake my head. Her scent is intoxicating? What the hell? I don't think like that. Thank God today's over. It's one thing to think of using someone as bait, quite another to put in practice. And a whole other thing to like it. Parts of it, anyway.

I can't stop now though. It's working. I'll have Beck back before the week is out, and then it's bye-bye to Cat, and everything'll be back to normal. I sigh, realising I'm the only one left in the room. Well, almost. I kick Sikowitz awake before I leave, and he rolls over, spilling his coconut. At least I'm not him, what small consolation that is.

A/n-

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