*3rd Person's POV*
The rest of the week flew by and Kat was spun tighter than a coil ready to snap. All she wanted to do was run to her brother and make him remember. She wanted him to remember all of their times together, their secrets, their father figure. But she couldn't.
Logan and Bruce had forced her to act as if they had just met. She wasn't suppose to have contact with him for anything, unless it was necessary. When he entered a room she kept her head down, focused on what she had been doing. Act like she didn't want to run up and hug him.
She had been friendly, of course. Answering questions he had, offering him more food at the dinner table, letting him pick what they watched in the common area. But it all felt forced. So Kat was very grateful when school was back in session.
"Where are you going?" Oliver questioned from where he sat.
Kat turned around with her bag slung over one shoulder and helmet in hand. Banner lifted his eyes from the newspaper, watching the exchange.
"School." Kat answered.
"When-when will you be back?" Oliver stuttered, taking Kat off guard.
"Around 4ish," Kat smiled, watching Oliver pout. "Why?"
"Just curious."
With that Oliver turned back to his eggs and toast. Kat and Banner shared a look before he nodded to the elevator, hinting for her to leave. Although she did just that, Kat couldn't get the imagine of his face out of her head. It almost felt like he didn't want her to leave.
Kat shook her head, not wanting to get her hopes up. She barely noticed that she had arrived at school already. Or that Gwen was going off on her.
"Katherine! Are you even listening?" she asked.
"What?" Kat was surprised that Gwen was standing next to her. "No, sorry. It's been a tough week."
Gwen then took in the sight of her best friend. Dark circles under her eyes, frowned lips, ruffled hair, staring at the back of her locker.
"What's wrong?" Gwen's voiced turned softer. "Is it this Taylor thing?"
"KInd of," Kat shut her locker when she found her books. "We found Oliver."
"That's amazing!" Gwen's smile disappeared as fast as it had come. "Isn't it?"
"It's definitely good, but it would be better if he actually remembered me."
Kat explained the events of the past week. Thinking they had Taylor. Getting Oliver. Oliver not knowing who she was. But what set Gwen off was the fact that Kat couldn't really talk to him.
"That's absurd! How can they expect you not to talk to your brother?"
Kat sighed as they took their seats, "I understand why. I can't let anything slip that we knew each other before. I have to let him remember on his own. If we force it too quickly, who knows what could happen."
"But it's not like he would explode to know that you're his sister."
"No, but it would raise a lot of questions about a mom that we don't have and a father who, although loves us, we met when we were all being experimented on. We're not your average family, Gwen."
Gwen sagged a little in her chair, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
There was a moment of silence between them as other students poured into the classroom.
"But hey," Kat turned to Gwen as she spoke. "At least you have him back. And when he remembers you guys are gonna be so happy. You'll be able to make more memories that you never thought you could."
Kat smiled at the optimism, "You're right."
"I always am."
They laughed as the bell rang and were thrown into the lesson.
After that Kat's day was starting to look up. And it would have stayed like that, if it hadn't been for a shrill voice that seemed to pop up out of no where.
"KItty Kat! How was your spring break?" Kat turned around to come face-to-face with a burnt tomato, oh wait, sorry, Tiffany.
"Fine."
"What's wrong, sour puss?" Tiffany mock pouted.
"I don't have time for this today."
Kat walked away, ignoring the fit Tiffany was having behind her. As she did Steve, still posing as a janitor, caught her eye. She nodded to him, letting him know that she was good.
When Kat had turned the corner, she didn't know that Tiffany had noticed the small exchange. Kat never thought that Tiffany could noticed anything that didn't focus on herself. But Tiffany was already scheming to get Kat's attention by using the new, surprisingly attractive, janitor.
***
It was just before the last class of the day. Tiffany was leaning against Kat's locker, hunky janitor in sight. She saw the brunette turn the corner with her blonde sidekick in tow. With her signature smirk set in place, Tiffany pushed off her locker and began to strut towards Steve.
Kat and Tiffany locked eyes right before she was sliding up next to Steve. Everything about her screamed 'watch this'. And Kat watched, much to her dismay, as Tiffany began to flirt with Steve. But Steve wasn't having any of it. He shook his head, but that only encouraged Tiffany more. And she, I kid you not, ran her hand along Steve's arm and whispered something that made Steve turn slightly red.
Not the red where you're embarassed, no, this was an angry red. And Kat was marching up behind Steve in time to hear him say, "Don't talk about what you don't know."
"What's going on here?"
"Kat!" Tiffany almost screeched in pure delight. "We were just talking about you!"
Now there was a crowd gathering. Of course there was. This was Tiffany we were talking about. She had probably already told half the school she was going to do this. She wanted to play games.
"Is that so?" Kat questioned, placing her hand on her hip. "How shocking."
"Yes, I was just sharing with our lovely janitor here that I know about you two."
"Excuse me?" Kat quirked an eyebrow, looking from Steve to Tiffany.
"Why don't we share with everyone," at this point Tiffany was walking around the circle that had formed, her voice growing louder in volume. "About your little love affair."
Everything froze. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath at this new piece of information. Could it be possible that Katherine Howlett was with this janitor?
But Kat was almost amused at the thought. Her and Steve? Together? She had never gone farther than kissing the one person she's ever dated. And even then, Steve wasn't that person.
'Wrong staff member, sweetheart.'
Kat wanted to laugh, but she decided to milk the situation for what it was. To show Tiffany that Kat would always win at these petty, little games.
"I've seen your sneaky glances in the hallways," Tiffany continued. "Your knight in shining armor checking up on you when your having a bad day. Little nods to each other every so often. I bet that if we looked at your recent messages that we'd find all the answers we need."
Everyone watched Kat expectantly, waiting for her to make her move. Kat couldn't contain herself any longer, with one look at Gwen's face, who was thinking the same thing as her best friend, she lost it. It started with a little giggle that soon transformed into full out laughter. Gwen was holding her hand over her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking as well.
"You- you think...me...and St-Steve..." she tried to speak between giggles.
"Why are you laughing? I'm serious!"
"That's why it's so funny." Steve answered for Kat, who began to calm down.
"Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any dumber," Kat smiled, watching Tiffany open and close her mouth. "Steve and I aren't together."
"Then why-"
"He's my cousin."
More laughter broke out, but it wasn't Kat or Gwen this time, it came from the crowd surrounding them. Tiffany deflated like a popped balloon.
"No, I saw you." She began grasping at straws.
"What you saw," Kat began to walk closer to her. "Was my cousin checking up on me because a crazy, she-devil wants to ruin my life, and apparently accuse me of incest."
Tiffany turned red and began to speak but was cut off again once more.
"What's going on here?" Loki questioned, Dr. Banner right behind him.
"Tiffany blamed Kat for sleeping with her cousin, who happens to be our janitor." a student filled them in.
"I didn't know they were cousins!" Tiffany claimed, turning even more red.
"Well, now you'll think before you act, won't you?" Loki looked down at Tiffany, annoyance clear on his face.
After all, his girlfriend was just accused of sleeping with someone else.
"Alright, everyone! Get to class!" Dr. Banner instructed, the shuffling of feet filling the hallway.
Tiffany disappear with the crowd, not wanting to be noticed after that embarrassment. Kat was retrieving her book from her locker when she heard a voice.
'Is everything alright?'
Kat smiled to herself as she closed her locker, glancing up to meet Loki's eyes briefly.
'Yes. Thank you.'
'Of course, my dear. See you in class.'