Seneca State University - Sophomore Year - The Beginning

Chapter 7 - The Cheerleader's Party

A/N: I do not try to make these chapters so long, but when you're writing a story where everyone has something to say, it can end up becoming longer than you think. Oh well, just read them at your own pace and I hope you enjoy them.

"Get ready, I'm taking you and Kiara to a party tonight," Brent text appeared. "You can meet the rest of my friends."

Cathy sighed. Brent never asked her anything, he just demanded. Was her entire life going to revolve around Brent Jaggers from now on? She hoped not, she'd leave this university if it got that bad. She had just finished unpacking. She'd fixed herself a sandwich and ate with Kiara and then went to her room and stared at her mattress realizing they would need to get another set of sheets since they now had full size beds instead of twins.

She started to text him that she had something planned tonight, but if he actually came by, he would see her doing nothing but watching TV with Kiara. Her social life was nonexistent, but she had a feeling Brent was about to liven in it up.

"What time is the party and where?" she texted him back.

"It's 7:00pm and at Dana's home. You'll finally get to meet her. Her dad is away on vacation, so she's got the place to herself for two weeks."

Cathy smiled. She wasn't going to miss her opportunity to befriend another girl, especially a black girl even if she didn't act "black" as Tyrese said. Most of Brent's friends had been male so far.

"I really don't have another dress to wear unless you want me to wear what I did to the club," she texted.

She couldn't help it. She was mostly good, most of the time, but Brent made it hard for her not to tease him, especially when he seemed to enjoy giving her a hard time.

"Just wear something casual, what you're wearing today is just fine, do...not...wear...that...dress!! Brent texted the last words in bold letters.

She put her hand over her mouth trying to stop from giggling.

Brent picked her and Kiara up, Scott let Cathy sit in the front seat with Brent while he sat in the back with Kiara. He joked with Kiara and constantly had her laughing all the way to Dana's place which wasn't far from the campus. Cathy couldn't believe the houses she passed.

"So, I guess this is the suburbs..." Cathy said in awe of the neighborhood they drove through.

"Didn't you say your father was a businessman? He had to have made enough money for you and your mom to live well..." Brent said.

"He did, but we didn't live in a neighborhood like this. When he passed a lot of debtors came after us and then there were medical bills and then mom decided to move here."

"Medical bills? Was your mom sick?" Brent asked.

"I...had a few health problems," Cathy told him.

"Are you like, Kiara? Lupus must run in your family?"

"Yes, it does," was all Cathy said, hoping he wouldn't ask too many questions and leave it at that. She knew she was misleading him, but she wasn't ready to tell him about her health problems. She didn't have lupus, but she did have a heart condition and it got really bad from the stress of losing her father. At one point her mother thought she might lose her as well.

"I'm sorry," Brent told her looking at her in concern. "I'll take care of you both, make sure nothing happens to you."

There he goes again. Those protective instincts of his, Cathy thought. A girl could get used to it...