Shadows / Beck Oliver

✧Chapter 43 - Car, Rain, & Fire

"How do you know I'm sad?" Cat tries to play it off, faking a smile.

"Well, you're dressed in sad colors, and you were playing a sad song," Tori starts listing out, "there are tear-stains on Lia's shirt. Oh, and you're wearing a button that says, "I'm sad, ask me why"." She reads the button in a cartoony voice in an attempt to cheer Cat up a little.

"Mona Patterson died." Cat sighs out sadly.

Tori's smile drops from her face and she frowns at Cat, "Oh, I'm so sorry... But I don't know who Mona Patterson is." She admits sheepishly.

Yeah, honestly I don't know who she is either. I just didn't have the guts to ask.

"That's what's so sad!" Cat exclaims, "She's one of my favorite actresses ever. She was on a really popular TV show from the nineteen sixties called I Married My Mom."

"Ohh, I know that show." I gasp out in awe, "Our abuelita used to watch that when she first came to the US. She said it helped her learn English." I tell Cat with a smile, trying to give her a positive comment while also reminding Tori.

"Ohh yeah, we liked that show." Tori gasps too, smiling at Cat.

"I used to watch reruns of it with my brother when he was in the special hospital where they used to handcuff him to his bed." Cat tells us. Despite the terrible memory, a small smile still formed on her face at the memory.

"But now, no one even remembers Mona Patterson or cares that she's gone." Cat sighs again, pouting at us.

"I'm sure she has lots of fans who care." Tori assures her.

"No!" Cat frowns, "On my way to school, I stopped at her star on Hollywood Boulevard, and there weren't any flowers or anything." She informs us, "Just a weird man with a hat and some vomit on his pants."

"Well, maybe they didn't want it to get dirty or... Vomited on." I wince in disgust, "Maybe they left flowers at her house or at the funeral home."

"I gave him a tighty white but he ate it." Cat continues her story and stares at us in confusion. She clearly didn't hear what I said.

"Well... I'm really sorry about this, Cat. But we have a science project due tomorrow and we still have a lot to do." Tori grimaces, "Maybe this'll help take your mind off of this a little."

"You're not done with that?" I ask her with a judgmental look.

"Oh, shut up."

"No, I'm too sad to science." Cat shakes her head at Tori. She leans her head on my shoulder and starts to cry again.

I pat her head with one hand and use the other to slap Tori's arm, giving her a pointed look.

Letting out a defeated sigh, she calls Cat again, "Okay, where did Mona Patterson live?"

"Here in California."

"All right, well... What if, after school we drive to her house and you maybe, light a candle and leave it by her doorstep." Tori suggests with a comforting smile, "To honor her memory?"

"Can it be a scented candle?" Cat lights up a bit, sitting up.

"Anything you want, Cat." I smile at her.

"'Cuz I have one that smells like cinnamon buns." She shows off, more cheery this time.

"Did Mona Patterson like cinnamon buns?" Tori questions with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno... We weren't friends!" Cat exclaims again, frowning at Tori.

Rolling her eyes, Tori slings her bag and stands up again, "Okay! Just- You find Mrs. Patterson's address, and then after school we'll drive to her house, and then you can leave your candle by her door. And then we'll go back to my house and work on our science project until we finish. Okay?"