“How much longer?” Cat’s voice grew apprehensive.
Her mother continued, speaking as though she hadn’t heard the question, “It would just be so hard to return to Spence after all this. By now, I’m sure other students and parents know, and that would be very difficult for you to deal with.”
“You mean difficult for you and Dad to deal with,” Cat’s voice dripped with disdain, “your perfect straight-A student, ruined.”
“That’s not fair, Cathleen,” her mother’s voice rose.
“What’s not fair is that I make one stupid mistake and I’m being treated like a prisoner in my own home! Oh, and after being sentenced to SIX weeks of group therapy, let’s not forget that fun little detail!”
“What were we supposed to do, Cathleen? Drugs, alcohol, a suicide attempt — all in one night!”
“It was one terrible, crazy night! Am I going to be punished for it for my entire life?”
“Think of what this did to your father and me, Cathleen. Just think of someone other than yourself for one second!”
“Don’t you think I feel guilty enough for, for … EVERYTHING? HOW MANY FREAKING TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY I’M SORRY?”
“Do not raise your voice like that to me, young lady.”
They stared at each other in silence.
“Mom, I’m sorry,” Cat spoke slowly and calmly, “I love you … very much. I have been through a lot and I wanted one crazy night to forget it all. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t want to die. I was stupid; I admit it. I take full responsibility. But you have to learn to trust me again. You can’t just send me away for one mistake.”
Her mother paused, “Maybe you’re right. I’ll talk to your father about it.”
“Thank you,” Cat breathed a sigh of relief. Cat couldn’t imagine being sent to live in North Carolina for God knows how long.
“This is your chance to show us how responsible you can be, like the old Cathleen was,” her mom nodded grimly.
“Mom, I’m the same Cathleen. I’m just going through something difficult. Can’t you see that?” Cat felt so betrayed. Her own parents couldn’t look at her or think of her as the same person after what happened. Who was she supposed to lean on for support without their trust?
“Well, I have to warn you, Cat. Anything that reveals otherwise will have your father putting you on a plane to Mimi’s for your senior year. We love you. But we, your father in particular, just can’t tolerate rebellion.”
Cat sighed. She knew her dreams of breaking out for a night were over. She would be perfect, because anything less than that would mean a one-way ticket to North Carolina.
Chapter Seventeen
Another week and a half went by with Cat playing the part of the perfect daughter. She had always been good before, but then she didn’t feel like she had to be. She was allowed some freedom to come and go as she pleased and was always trusted. Cat wondered if she would ever have that relationship with her parents again. Since her semi-suicide attempt, it seemed that they truly looked at her as a different person. That hurt Cat most of all. At least Lili still treated her the same.
Cat sat on her window seat staring outside. She was dying to go on a jog, it was the perfect morning. But every time she asked, her mother seemed to find some excuse or something she needed Cat to do. Cat didn’t know what they thought she was going to do? Jump in the reservoir? She had been home for four weeks now and things seemed to be getting worse.
“Cat?” Lili called from down the hall.
“I’m in my room!” Cat replied.
“Can you come here for a sec?” Lili called back.
Sighing, Cat got up and shuffled down the hall to her sister’s room.
“So, there’s this party tonight,” Lili was going through her closet, “And Mom and Dad are actually going to let me go!”
“You made me come in here so you could tell me that you get to go out and I don’t? Thanks.” Cat turned to go.
“No, wait!” Lili rushed to her.
“What?” Cat felt impatient. The fact that her soon to be sophomore little sis was getting to go out while she had been told she had to stay in and fold laundry was absurd.
“I need to borrow something to wear,” Lili saw the look on Cat’s face and quickly added, “I’ll figure out a way to get you out for a bit if you let me.”
“How?” Cat was skeptical but intrigued.
“I’ll tell mom that I want you to take me back to school shopping. That it will be healthy sister-bonding time, and that I won’t let you out of my sight.” Lili smiled mischievously. “And then I’ll go shop by myself and you’ll have free time to do whatever.”
Cat smiled, “I have a cute dress by French Connection that will look great on you!”
“Personally, I had your new Marc Jacobs dress in mind,” said Lili, walking around her and down the hall towards Cat’s room.
Cat pursed her lips. That was one of her favorite dresses. But it would be worth it for a day of freedom.
“Deal!” Cat called and followed her into the room.
Cat even helped Lili with her hair and makeup that night. She had to admit it — her sister looked fabulous.
“So, where’s the party?” Cat asked as they stood in the foyer, waiting on the car to pick Lili up. Cat hadn’t thought to ask earlier; she just assumed it was at some sophomore’s place. Someone she probably didn’t know anyway.
“It’s Samuel Alden’s party on the rooftop of the Gansevoort Hotel!” Lili exclaimed, excitedly.
Cat swallowed hard. She couldn’t breathe for a second. The last time she had seen Samuel she had puked on him, right after he’d nearly raped her.
“Lili, I need to tell you something …” Cat began, but didn’t get any further because her parents came in.
“Lilienne, you look fantastic!” their mother proclaimed proudly.
“Just lovely, sweetheart,” their father said before kissing Lili on each cheek.
Cat watched them. She remembered not too long ago it had been her receiving all of their parents’ praises. It felt so strange to be on the other side now.
“Cat helped me get ready!” Lili winked at Cat.
“That was sisterly of you, Cathleen,” their dad smiled, with some difficulty, at her.
“Well, have fun tonight, sweetie! Your car is here,” their mom held the door open for Lili.
“I’ll walk her to the car,” Cat said quickly, grabbing Lili’s elbow and leading her through the door before her parents could protest.
“What was that about?” Lili turned to her and jerked her elbow away.
“Lili, be careful tonight. Please. Samuel … Samuel …” Cat couldn’t get out the words she wanted to say. “Just stay away from him, okay?”
“Okay,” Lili said with a confused tone.
“Promise me,” Cat tried to fill her voice with sincerity and importance, but she wasn’t sure if it came across.
“Okay, I promise,” Lili still looked uncertain, but Cat was pretty sure she had made an impression.
She watched her little sister get in the car and waved as she went to her first ‘real’ party of her high school career. Cat couldn’t shake the fact that something wasn’t right. Why did Samuel invite Lili? He never invited younger girls, unless he wanted something from them. Cat shuddered. She knew this wasn’t good. She needed to be there. She needed to protect Lili. But how?
Cat trudged back up the stairs and inside to her prison. There was no way she could ask her parents if she could go to the party. The idea of her doing so was laughable. But … somehow, she had to get down there.
Her mother interrupted her thoughts, “Cat, will you put this laundry away for me?”
“Mm-hmmm,” Cat took the basket of laundry and dutifully climbed the stairs.
Ever since the economic crisis, their ho
usekeepers had only been coming twice a week, instead of their usual three times a week. It was strange to have to take on chores, but Cat didn’t really mind if that was what her family needed.
She began sorting through her mother’s clothes and putting them away. Socks in this drawer; t-shirts in that one. She was just putting her mother’s underwear away, when she noticed something. It was her iPhone — her beloved iPhone. Cat ran to the door to look over the railing and make sure her parents were still safely downstairs, then ran back to the drawer and picked it up.
She turned it on, praying that it still had some battery life left. It did. She checked her email, her Facebook, Twitter … all while putting laundry away, of course.
On Twitter, she came across Samuel Alden (his name was @ scotchandsex) and clicked to look at his most recent tweets. Her stomach hit the floor when she read, “One Rhodes sister in the nuthouse, I guess the other will have to do.”
She had to get to Lili. Her parents would never let her leave; and though the thought of being caught and sent to live in North Carolina scared her to death, it didn’t worry her nearly as much as what might happen to Lili if she didn’t haul ass down to the Meatpacking District … and quick.
Hurriedly, she put the rest of the laundry away and went downstairs to tell her parents goodnight.
With her iPhone hidden in her bra, she made her way back to her room and got ready as quickly and quietly as possible.
Arranging pillows carefully under her sheets and turning off the lights, she prayed this old trick would be enough to fool her mother if she checked in on her. It always worked in the movies.
She checked her phone yet again. She had sent like ten texts to Meghan and a dozen more to Lili, and hadn’t received anything back.
Finally, a response from Meghan. “B by N 10. Meet me @ corner.”
The message had been sent five minutes ago. Cat gritted her teeth. Somehow, she had to find a way to slip past her parents and make it to Central Park West in five minutes. She had to think fast.
With her shoes in hand, she tiptoed out the door and carefully down the steps. She could see straight through the foyer into the living room where her parents had opened a bottle of wine. It looked like they had almost finished the bottle, which meant her mother would be sufficiently tipsy. Maybe she could make it without being caught.
Not wanting to risk it, she dropped flat to her stomach in an army crawl, and crawled across the tile foyer and to the door. They couldn’t see the door from where they were seated, Cat knew. Gingerly, she turned the knob, and silently she slipped out into the night. Meghan was waiting. Cat prayed she wasn’t too late for Lili’s sake.
When she and Meghan arrived at the party, it became evident to Cat quite quickly that her stint in therapy had become public.
“Oh, Cat! Wow! How are you? No one expected to see you here!” was the response of many people she saw.
“Have you seen my sister?” seemed Cat’s only line of response.
Everyone had seen Lili. With Samuel. But no one seemed to know where they were now.
Cat panicked. She ran around the rooftop three times just to make sure they weren’t up there. Suddenly, she was hit with the realization of where they were. A hotel. Meghan had already made herself cozy with Matt Darlington. Go figure. Cat was completely on her own. She took the elevator down to the lobby to check at the front desk and see if any rooms had been reserved in Samuel’s name.
Of course, the Penthouse Suite was his for the night. Cat closed her eyes in prayer as she took the elevator back up. It seemed to take an eternity. She just hoped against the odds that she wasn’t too late. That she wouldn’t find Samuel molesting her little sister.
She knocked hard on the door, despite the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. No answer. She rapped on the door even harder. She continued knocking a minute, maybe longer, until the door opened.
“Well,” he slurred his words, as he looked her up and down with mild surprise, “Did you come back so I could finish what I started? Just take your clothes off and get on the bed with the others.”
Cat looked past him to see two half naked sophomores lying on the bed, obviously strung out.
“I’m here for my sister,” Cat tried to push past him into the room.
“Bitch would hardly get near me, so I sent her home. Do I have you to thank for that?”
Cat didn’t respond. She turned and headed back to the elevators. She felt relief wash over her. Lili was safe. She wouldn’t play Samuel’s game and he sent her home. Thank God!
Cat took the elevator all the way down to the first floor and walked out onto 9th Avenue. She would just have to catch a cab and get home before anyone knew she was gone. Cat pulled out her iPhone and punched in Lili’s number.
One ring, two rings, three …
“Hello,” her sister’s voice sounded strained.
“Lili, I’ve been calling you for over an hour! Are you home yet?” Cat asked nervously.
“Cat! Where are you? They’re about to call the police!” Lili hissed into the phone.
“What?” Cat felt her heart stop.
“They know you’re gone! Where are you?” Lili was whispering now.
“I came down to the Gansevoort. I found out what Samuel was planning for you and I came to save you,” Cat felt tears burn in her eyes.
“Oh, Cat! You didn’t!” Lili exclaimed. “I mean, thanks, but when I caught him putting something in my drink, I was outta there!”
“I was so worried about you. God! They know I’m gone? What am I going to do? I can’t come back!” Cat rubbed her temples in deep thought.
She had been walking since she walked out of the Gansevoort, but she hadn’t really paid attention to where.
“Cat they’re coming in here … I have to go!” Lili hissed. “Just text me where you are, and stay there. I’ll send the car back!”
With that, she was gone. Cat continued to walk. Even when Lili sent the car and she got home, she would have to explain to her parents why she had snuck out. The whole situation was beyond frustrating. Would they accept her reasoning that she had only left out of sisterly devotion to Lili? Would they believe her? Would they even listen at all? They would threaten to send her to Boone again. And that just wasn’t an option.
Cat continued to walk. She looked up to see where she was. Greenwich Avenue. She didn’t know where she should go. Directly beside her was a little hole-in-the-wall bar. She wasn’t even sure what the name of it was. There was just a neon sign over the door that said ‘Bar’. On the sidewalk, by her feet, was writing in chalk: $2 tequila shots. This would do.
She texted Lili and went inside to wait. After a dozen, “No thanks, I’m not interested” later, Cat was beginning to regret coming into this place. It smelled like smoke, despite New York City’s no smoking law, and she was the only girl there. All around, it seemed like a pretty shady place. She was just about to leave and find someplace else to go when she got a text from Lili: “The car’s here. Come outside.”
“Thank God,” Cat breathed. She thanked the bartender for the free shot he’d given her, and then she hurried outside.
She had just walked out of the bar when the door to the town car opened, and her father stepped out with Lili’s phone in hand.
“Cathleen,” he said, holding the door open for her.
“Dad, I can explain everyth- …” Cat began.
But he interrupted, “Don’t speak. I forbid you to say another word. Get in the car immediately, young lady.”
After closing the door behind her, he went around the car and got into the passenger’s seat, leaving Cat in the back by herself.
When she got home, all the lights in the house were on. Lili and her mother were sitting in the living room. Her father still hadn’t spoken a word to her.
“Dad, can I talk now?” Cat asked, after they had walke
d into their home.
“No,” her dad didn’t look in her direction.
“Lili, Cat, go to bed. We’ll talk in the morning,” her dad said with a tone of finality.
Cat was shaking as she climbed the steps with Lili to the second landing. If only she could explain. If only he would give her a chance to tell him why she’d snuck out.
“Don’t worry, Cat,” Lili grabbed her hand and squeezed it when they reached her room. “I told Mom why you were coming down there. It’ll be okay.”
“I hope so,” Cat squeezed her hand back and went into her own room.
After getting ready for bed, she laid there forever unable to fall asleep. Three a.m., three-thirty a.m. Sometime around that point, she must have drifted off to sleep.
“Cathleen? Cathleen, time to wake up!” it was her mother’s voice.
“What time is it?” Cat raised her head groggily. She was utterly exhausted.
“It’s four-thirty a.m., but you need to pack and get ready for your flight. We’re leaving in half an hour,” her mother switched her lights on, blinding her completely.
“What flight? What are you talking about?” Cat tried to retreat from the light by pulling the pillow on top of her head.
The pillow was ripped away and the bed sheets torn back.
She looked up to see her father standing there looking grim and grumpy.
“I’m counting to three,” he said, something Cat hadn’t heard him say since she was in grade school. “One, two …”
“Okay, I’m up!” Cat shouted at him getting out of bed. “Now, what’s going on?”
“You are getting ready and packing for your flight to North Carolina. We’ll take you to the airport in half an hour.”
“What?” Cat’s voice was shrill. “I’ve been perfect! I’ve abided by every ridiculous rule! The only reason I snuck out last night was to save Lili! You have to believe me!” Cat was full on begging at this point. She looked at her mother for pity, who just looked down.
What Cat Lost (The Last Life of Cat Book 1) Page 14