Chapter 22
(Kat's POV)
I was driving back home from work, exhausted, when my phone rang. After recognizing the caller ID, I picked it up immediately.
"Hi mom," I replied excitedly.
"Hey sweetheart, we haven't talked in a while." Her voice soft and smooth like always, but exhaustion hidden behind it clearly.
"Tell me about it," I said as I drove around, looking for a place to eat at, "what have you been up to lately?"
She sighed, then I heard ruffling on the line as she replied, "busy, busy, busy. Everything has been hectic lately, with Landon and the girls and the shop."
"You're telling me," I said while pulling up into a small fast food shop.
I knew I was busy, really busy. But I could only imagine how busy my mom was. She had been married to my stepdad, Landon, for a couple of years now. Landon had two girls before his second marriage with my mom, both of them older than me; Annabel and Ariel. They both worked at the family business, Barbara's, and when mom joined the family, she had to work there too.
The thing about her though, was that she could handle all the stress, most of the time. Just like she did when Dad and her divorced, and we separated, she never seemed to break under pressure, I mean as far as I knew.
"What about you?" She breathed, "tell me what's new."
I thought for a minute, what isn't new would be a better question. In these past three months, a lot has changed, some good while some bad. But everything different. Since mom and I talked last, I don't think I would've imagined everything that's happened in these past couple of months.
"Oh you now," I walked inside the shop, "landed a new job."
She laughed at this, "so you finally quit your dad's restaurant huh? It's about time."
"No, I still work there, just whenever I don't have a lot on my plate," I said rather defensively, but noticed after I had already said it. I loved my mom, I really did, even despite the fact that she wasn't there to raise me through my toughest years. But dad was always there, even if he didn't understand what I was going through. So whenever mom said something about him, I got defensive. Especially about his restaurant, because that was the only thing that was keeping our small family running.
She took notice but decided to change the subject, "so what's your other job?"
After ordering a small meal, I replied, "I started modeling."
"Are you serious?" She instantly replied, "for how long?"
"About two and a half months, maybe less." The man at the counter called out my order number, I took the tray from him and found a small table to sit at in the corner.
I heard ruffled noises again from her side of the line, "like Cora, right?"
"Right."
"So you quit with dad to work with your stepmom," her voice now puzzled, "am I putting this together correctly?"
"Absolutely."
"Just to make sure, this is my daughter Kat, right?"
"Mom," I opened my box containing the caesar salad I ordered, "it's not such a big deal."
"I know, I know," she breathed, "it's just, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot in your life."
Well that thought came soon enough, I thought. But to her I said, "really?"
"Yeah," she replied without missing a beat, "the least we can do is catch up." I didn't say anything so she said, "how about you come to my place next weekend. We'll do some shopping and have fun and it'll be a great way for us to bond."
As she said this, I had to force myself not to laugh. Bond, she had said last time I told her something new, just like this time. She doesn't live far, two hours away, and whenever she asked me to come, I was always there. The thing was, we never really went shopping or "had fun" while I was there, we'd just discuss our problems and ways to solve them with each other.
And besides, we talked every once in a while on the phone. It just so happens that luckily, she decided to ask me about my life for once, and took it the exact way I knew she would; shock.
Not that I didn't appreciate the mini physcology sessions I had with her, I loved them. And most of all, I needed them. Sure dad was a good person to discuss small talk with, but he was never one to discuss your feelings or get personal with. Especially not mine.
"Alright," I said to her, "sounds great. I'll be there next weekend."
She got excited, said she couldn't wait, and after a while of small preparation, she hung up. And right as she did so, I saw Jack walk in through the door. He hadn't noticed me until he finished ordering and turned around to find a seat.
"Kat," he smiled that million dollar smile.
I smiled back as he walked over and sat down across from me, burger and shake in hand. "Didn't expect to bump into you here."
"Small town," I replied as he unwrapped his burger eagerly.
"That it is," he picked it up. "What're you doing here at this time?"
I shrugged, "just got off of work and was starving, so this was the first place I could find."
"And you decided to order a salad?" He eyed my meal.
"And some bread," I added as if that would make my point stronger.
"Oh excuse me," he used that sarcastic tone that would've been offensive to anyone, but I've known him long enough not to take what he says seriously. "But really Kat, this modeling thing has got you tied up."
I couldn't argue with that, so he continued, "you sure it's okay for you?"
"I think I'm handling it just fine," I replied.
He laughed at this, "you know that I'm your best friend and I know when you're lying."
Now I took this offensively, "I'm not lying. I can handle this job."
"Okay," he said, finishing the last bite in his sandwich, "then let's make a pact."
"A what?"
"A pact," he replied as of this explained everything. "If you complain about the slightest thing that somehow leads to your job, you owe me a dollar."
I still didn't understand what he was saying, but that was common when I hung around with Jack. "I don't even complain about my job, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about," he took a sip from his shake, "'I'm hungry' or 'I can't hang tonight' or 'maybe later' or even 'I didn't sleep well'. Because we both know all those excuses didn't exist before this career of yours."
So that's what this was all about, I thought to myself, Jack felt like I was blowing him off too much. But I didn't argue with that, everything he just named were common phrases that I used nowadays, and he was right.
"Okay," I agreed, "but isn't there supposed to be two sides to every deal."
"What do you mean?"
"Like aren't you supposed to do something too?"
"I guess I do," he said, "what would her majesty like for me to do for her?"
I rolled my eyes, but still tried to think of something Jack could do. I looked around trying to find something that would ring any kind of bell.
All I saw were a group of guys around my age, eating and laughing about something they were talking about. But immediately when I saw one guy loop his arm around a girl sitting next to him, I had an idea.
"You can't bash on Zayn," I smirked, "for anything."
His eyes immediately widened, as if I had slapped him or something, "no, Kat. Have some mercy."
I laughed, "come on Jack, it's not that bad."
"Yes it is Kat, you don't understand. I have to bash on him."
"Jack seriously, why do you have to?"
"Because, it comes with the code."
I was about to ask him what code meant, but I knew it better than anything. When Jack and I were in the seventh grade, we made up a "best friend code", which consisted of rules and regulations of having each other as best friends. Such as "no breaking promises", "always buy food for each other if we don't have money", and the one Jack added over the years was, "whatever guy I was going to date is always getting 'tested' by him".
"Fine then. As long as you're teasing, I'm complaining."
He thought about it for a second before saying, "fine. I'll stop teasing him." He took a breath, "but if he hurts you in any way at all, he's going to get it."
That was the Jack I knew, and soon grown to love. Annoying but responsible and always had his head in the game, even when you thought he didn't. But even after everything I've been through, he was always the one person I could rely on completely.
I smiled, "deal."
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