Cat Bennet, Queen of Nothing

by Mary Strand

  “If that’s your idea of begging, you’ll have to work a bit harder.”

  “Fine. I’ll beg, but I don’t have to agree with you. My friends all think she’s a total loser.”

  Of course, they suddenly seemed to think I was, too.

  “She’s not the one without a Jeep or, apparently, friends. Hang on a sec.” Liz made some muffled sound, probably covering the phone with her hand while she asked Mom and Dad if she could just leave me here. Forever. “Okay. I’ll pick you up at the south entrance in twenty minutes. Be there.”

  Click.

  Fine. I’d be there, but I didn’t have to like it. Which was how I felt about everything right now.

  Screwed.

  Twenty-five minutes later, Jane showed up in the Prius. With Liz and Mary along for the ride.

  Great. An intervention.

  As icy winds swirled around me, turning my ears into popsicles, I stayed on the curb. The passenger door opened, but I didn’t budge.

  Liz waved her hand. “Get in. It’s freezing out.”

  No kidding. I took a step backward, but too late. Liz hopped out. I started to bolt, but that was another problem with having Liz for a sister: I couldn’t outrun her.

  Her hand clamped around my upper arm. “I told you to get in, babe. Believe me, this is better than sending Dad to pick you up.”

  Jane waved at me from the driver’s seat, but probably just to stay warm. “You did call for a ride, Cat.”

  I climbed into the back seat, next to Mary. “Actually, I called because the Jeep was gone. I just needed the Jeep.”

  Jane caught my eye in the rearview mirror. “I think you’re done driving the Jeep for a while. Anyway, Mom and Dad went out to dinner, so we’re getting Chinese.”

  “I hate Chinese.” Okay, I loved it—which they all knew—but I hated getting ganged up on.

  Liz snorted. “Yeah, and I hate sports. You might as well give up, since you’re stuck with us. And, well, the guys.”

  “I’m hanging out with you guys and your boyfriends?” We were almost at the entrance ramp for Highway 494, but I tried to open the door anyway. Nothing. I sputtered. “What the hell? Childproof locks?”

  Liz laughed. “Let’s just say I’m good at predicting my sisters’ behavior.” She grinned sideways at Jane. “Pay up.”

  Jane groaned. “You’d think I’d learn by now.”

  “Yeah, you would. Heh heh.”

  I slammed my hand on my door handle, wincing. “You can’t order me around in front of your boyfriends.”

  Jane glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Liz orders everyone around. Why should you be the exception?”

  “Jane!” Liz whapped her on her shoulder, and they both laughed. “Besides, it’s only with the best of intentions.”

  Even Mary snorted at that one.

  Five minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of our usual Chinese takeout joint. Jane hopped out, leaving the engine running, so we must be meeting the guys back at our house. Fine. I could grab my food and haul ass upstairs to my bedroom, where I’d probably spend every Saturday night for the rest of my life.

  Alone.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” Liz’s guy, Alex Darcy, held up a carton of rice in one hand and beef lo mein in the other, his eyebrows dancing as he looked across the table at me. Alex might be tall and dark and wicked hot, but he could also be annoying. “Or are you leaving it all for me?”

  Charlie Bingham, a cute blond puppy of a guy who was usually attached to Jane at the hip, snatched the rice out of Alex’s hand, then scooped up the chicken and snow peas. “Leave her alone, Alex. She said she’s not hungry.”

  I folded my arms across my rumbling stomach. “I didn’t say I’m not hungry. I said I wanted to eat in my room.”

  Liz grabbed the beef lo mein from Alex, who’d stolen it from her in the first place. “But you’re not doing that. Dad asked us to keep an eye on you.”

  Bristling, I shoved my chair back from the table. “I’m obviously in the way here, so if you don’t mind, I’ll head upstairs. Alone. Like I said.”

  Liz pushed her own chair back, but when Jane shook her head, Alex grabbed Liz’s arm to hold her in place.

  Without another word, all of them—including Mary and her skater dude, Josh—watched me walk away on wobbly legs. As I headed toward the stairs, I kept waiting for laughter or snipes about how pathetic I was. When nothing came, I shrugged. They must be waiting for me to get out of earshot.

  I reached my room just as the rumbling in my stomach hit earthquake level. I looked everywhere, but no dice. Not a single scrap of food anywhere in my room. Crap.

  I flung myself onto my bed and shoved my pillow hard against my stomach. Why was I so hungry? Duh. I never even ate lunch. As I wandered around the Mall of America, land of junk food, I’d been so busy looking for my so-called friends that I hadn’t even scarfed down a Cinnabon. Later, after I found Tess and Amber, I felt too sick to eat anything.

  Now, though, I was getting desperate. Maybe even desperate enough to face the gauntlet downstairs.

  I slid off my bed and walked to my door, then tiptoed down the stairs. At this point, stale bread sounded okay. I reached the bottom step, and—

  My six jailers were still at the dining room table, eating. Not even discussing me, as far as I could tell. Like Tess and Amber, none of them gave a shit about me.

  I almost went back upstairs. But when my stomach absolutely screamed at me, I stomped to the dining room table and grabbed a seat as far away from everyone else as possible.

  I felt stupid and knew I was acting like a baby. But none of them knew how my life—my life with my friends—was spinning out of control, and I couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t get it. Worse, they’d probably laugh.

  Liz slid a plate in my direction. Just as Alex was about to toss a carton of white rice at my head, Jane leaped to her feet, pushed the rice back into Alex’s startled hands, and grabbed the still-full cartons of Mandarin noodles and broccoli with garlic sauce off the table. Lips pursed, she plunked them down in front of me, then handed me some silverware.

  When she went back to her own chair, I just sat staring at my empty plate and the cartons, feeling six pairs of eyes on me. My stomach rumbled again. After hesitating another moment, I opened the cartons and dug in. I finished my dinner as quickly as I could, even though my usual fave meal tasted like wet cardboard. Finally, I caught Jane’s eye. “Thanks.”

  And I did appreciate it. Being in my family this past week made me question my decision never to drink again, but Jane didn’t have to go out of her way to order my favorite vegetarian Chinese foods and then keep everyone else from scarfing them.

  Still, part of me wanted to end this torture and clear out. Permanently.

  Ten minutes later, after sticking around to load the dishwasher and semi-graciously let Alex tease me about choosing vegetables over red meat, I went back up to my room and flopped on my bed. Should I really leave? Could I? In the beginning of February? It wouldn’t be hard to steal the Jeep, since Lydia had made extra keys ages ago, but where would I go? If I slept in the Jeep, I’d freeze to death. Could I even ask Tess if I could crash at her place? Or anyone else?

  Curled up in a ball, I realized too late the crucial flaw. My plan needed friends. And I didn’t have any.

  I woke up the next morning to the sound of my name being screeched from right outside my bedroom door. Amazingly, Mom hadn’t opened it.

  “Cat? If you’re awake, your father and I want to talk to you.”

  As I rubbed my eyes, my stomach rumbled. This time, I ignored it, which was easier than ignoring my mom.

  “Cat? Are you awake?”

  The instant my door opened, I closed my eyes.

  “She’s faking it, Mom.”

  Groaning, I whipped my pillow at Mary.

  “Told you.” Mary grinned but backed away when I picked up a book from the table by me.

  Mom peered at me over the tops of her reading gl
asses, then shooed Mary out of my room. “Your father and I will deal with Cat.” She jabbed a finger at me. “Downstairs.”

  I wished, not for the first time, that we had a back set of stairs to allow an easy escape. Of course, since it was the beginning of February, I could throw myself out my window and aim for a snowbank. With my luck, though, I’d hit a patch of ice, break my back, and freeze to death before anyone noticed.

  I went with the warmer option. “Fine. I’m coming.”

  Mom made a face. “You might want to get dressed first.”

  I waited until she left the room before crawling out of bed and hitting the shower. Half an hour and all the hot water in the house later, I emerged. Clean but not a bit happier.

  After throwing on a pair of jeans and a ripped sweatshirt Lydia left behind, I headed downstairs. I ignored Dad as I walked through the living room on my way to the kitchen, but he didn’t look up. Either the Sunday newspaper was more fascinating than whatever punishment he planned to hand out or else Mom lied about both of them wanting to talk to me. Either possibility was a decent one.

  My gaze swept the kitchen as I grabbed a bagel and slathered peanut butter on it. Mom’s usual mega cup of coffee was nowhere in sight. I glanced up at the clock: not even ten yet. Mom usually spent all Sunday morning gulping down mugs of coffee as if she was trying to wire herself for a year, but today the coffee maker was empty and clean. Weird.

  “Cat?”

  Ugh. Dad, finally noticing me.

  “Yeah?” I quickly stuffed the bagel in my mouth and swallowed hard, choking on the bagel. “I’m eating.”

  “I can hear that.” Dad’s newspaper rustled. “Could you come in here when you’re done?”

  “Sure.” Talk about easier said than done. The peanut butter tasted rancid as it congealed on the roof of my mouth, and the bagels had to be a month old, minimum. The combo was like chewing rocks covered in chemical waste.

  “Cat? Are you done yet?”

  “Uh, not yet.” I kept chewing and tried to swallow, but I couldn’t get it down my throat.

  The rustling newspaper suddenly sounded a lot closer than the living room. Standing at the kitchen counter, on the verge of prying the disgusting wad out of my mouth with my fingers before I threw up, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

  I jumped, choking on the bagel. Tears sprang up at the corners of my eyes, and it took me a couple of minutes to swallow the disgusting wad of pulverized bagel in my mouth. I reached blindly for something to wash it down with. Nothing. Finally, I turned on the kitchen faucet and held my mouth under it.

  “We usually drink out of glasses.”

  Coming up for air, my hair a little soaked, I glared at Dad. “Geez, Dad. Scare a girl much?”

  One hand went to my hammering chest and the other to my stomach, which felt like hurling its contents all over Dad.

  Dad gave me one of his penetrating stares. “Mary tells me you had dinner with them last night, eventually, after trying to hold out.”

  “Yeah, well, Mary likes to tattle.” She could dress up in new clothes and get a boyfriend, but the fundamentals didn’t change. Which was exactly what I tried to tell Liz. “It’s not like you ever ask for my side of the story.”

  Dad leaned one hip against the counter and folded his arms. “It’s rare that I can get your attention long enough to hear your side of the story. Did you care to share it now?”

  I shrugged. “You won’t believe me anyway.”

  “As long as you don’t try to tell me you didn’t take off in the Jeep by yourself against my orders, I’m prepared to listen.” Dad pointed toward a chair, like I was supposed to sit in it, and plunked down in a different one.

  I paced the kitchen, clutching my stomach, which felt like someone was hammering it from the inside out. All because of one stupid bagel. Instant food poisoning? Possibly deadly?

  “I don’t know why you’re acting so tragic.”

  “I’m not. It’s just—” Oh, God. I bit my lip and held on tight to my stomach, but the pain got worse. Like a knife in the gut.

  Dad was totally oblivious. “We have rules around here, and you’ve been breaking them. Frequently. I’ve laid out punishments for you, and I’ve asked that your sisters keep an eye on you. Yes, Mary is only a year older than you, but your mother and I can’t be here all the time. So Mary is doing us a favor, whether you like it or not.”

  I opened my mouth to speak—and felt the bagel coming back up in a hurry. Still grabbing my stomach, I ran to the kitchen sink and barfed, all over the breakfast dishes, the sight of which made me want to hurl even more.

  “Cat? What’s the matter?” Dad was at my back in an instant, awkwardly putting one hand on my shoulder. “This isn’t from— You didn’t. Not again.”

  Still heaving, I couldn’t care less what Dad thought I’d been doing. I’d inhaled the most disgusting bagel and peanut butter Mom had ever bought and managed to keep for five years. And nearly died. As my head hung over the kitchen sink and I tried in vain to keep my hair out of it, I wondered why crap like this kept happening to me lately. And why I let it keep happening.

  Maybe I had to get out of here, or maybe I just had to make some changes. Fix things. Somehow, I was going to.

  Just as soon as I quit barfing.

  Chapter 5

  “Well, well,” said he, “do not make yourself unhappy. If you are a good girl for the next ten years, I will take you to a review at the end of them.”

  — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Volume III, Chapter Six

  On Monday, Tess definitely seemed to be ignoring me, Amber didn’t even pretend to be nice, and the highlight of my day was a stupid joke Jeremy told me in English class.

  I still wanted to fix things, but ideas were eluding me.

  Sixth period, I trudged into the locker room and started changing into my gym clothes. I spotted Amber and Chelsea, heads bent together on the far side of the locker room, giggling. But whatever they were talking about couldn’t make my day worse.

  Except it did.

  “God, Amber, thank you so much for hooking me up with Drew. And Tess! That was so cool of her, the way she introduced us. Drew is the most—”

  I didn’t hear what else Chelsea said, since my heart stopped and my ears started ringing and I thought my head was gonna explode.

  So much for thinking I could fix things. With or without a plan, I’d rather escape. Somewhere. Anywhere. As fast as possible. When my ears stopped ringing and my flush started to subside, I tried to come up with a strategy. All I had to do was get rid of Mary.

  I nodded to myself. It’d be a cinch to change out of my gym clothes and back into street clothes before the last bell rang and Mary made her way down from whatever geek lab she was in. I could do it. Totally.

  Of course, I didn’t count on Ms. Gonzalez picking today to do the two-mile run. Run for two miles? In less than an hour? Outside, in February? Liz is the only athlete in our family, and if she didn’t look so much like Dad’s relatives, I’d almost think she’d been adopted. In any case, I couldn’t run. I didn’t run. And definitely not in February.

  I figured I could slip out of the pack of kids jogging around the plowed running track and run back inside school. I didn’t see Ms. Gonzalez bringing up the rear.

  “Cat Bennet! Get back here. Now!”

  Groaning, I half-jogged to the end of the line, where the stragglers were barely moving around the track.

  Ms. Gonzalez jogged up beside me, blowing out a huff of breath. “I can either give you detention or solve your authority issues the expedient way.”

  I stared straight ahead. Expedient didn’t sound good, but I knew for a fact that detention sucked. It usually involved a lecture in the principal’s office, and I’d already spent too much time there this year.

  “I take it you’d prefer expedience.”

  I gave her a slight shrug without looking at her.

  “Fine. You can run four miles around the track today.”

 
; “What?” My head whipped in Ms. Gonzalez’s direction as I choked on an inhale of cold air. “Four? I can’t even run two miles! I was just going inside because I’m sure it’s below zero and I knew you wouldn’t want us to freeze to death, so I was going to run on the inside track. Two miles.”

  “Four miles. Outside.” She was smiling now. In an evil sort of way.

  I sputtered, and my nose ran. When I tried to wipe it clean with my hand, I accidentally punched myself in the nose. Crap! “I can’t run four miles. Really.”

  “You’ll learn. Take it at your own pace, even if you have to walk part of it, but get it done.” Ms. Gonzalez flicked a glance at me that wasn’t exactly sympathetic. “I’ll stay with you for as long as it takes. I could use a good run.”

  She could use a good punch in the nose, but I was the only one getting that today. Argh!

  I half-jogged, half-walked my way around the track, watching the rest of the class finish their two-mile run. Most of them shot immediately inside to hit the locker room. A few, including Chelsea and Amber, lingered to watch me. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were whispering loudly to each other and laughing. I was practically comatose, dying of frostbite and mortification, and out of options.

  Eventually, everyone else went inside. I kept going, now mostly walking. When the final bell rang, I looked hopefully at Ms. Gonzalez. She just kept running around the track, not even breathing hard.

  So much for today’s plan to get away from Mary.

  I finally finished ten or fifteen minutes after the final bell and limped back inside as Ms. Gonzalez shot ahead of me at a full sprint. I returned to an empty locker room.

  Empty except for Mary, that is. “You weren’t trying to ditch me again, were you?”

  I hadn’t had the chance. “I did some extra running.”

  Mary’s eyebrows went up. “Extra running? Since when?”

  “Oh, like you’re such a hot athlete.”

  Mary opened her mouth to say something but finally just shook her head, then dropped her backpack onto a nearby bench and plunked herself down next to it. “Well, little miss athlete, get dressed. I need to go home.”