Genesis 9- Breakeven

Katherine stared at the mist her breathing created, her back against the wall of the small cafe she had reluctantly agreed to meet with David at. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing him look around the shop from outside the frosted window. She felt her breathing quicken. Her hands shook and her head felt as though it were pulsating.
Katherine quickly shook her head, dug her nails into her palms and stepped inside. David immediately stood with a grin plastered on his face. She walked straight to him, her eyes welled with tears, “I want to break up.”
David stared at her for a moment before laughing, “Kat, what are you talking about? We already were by most definitions.”
“You were right though,” She hung her head, pulling her hands up to her chest, “ I owe you a real break up.”
“I just wanted to see you.”
“And I want to make sure there are no misunderstandings,” Katherine grabbed one of his hands and sighed softly,”Yes I came, but this is not a rekindling and I need to know that you know that David.”
“I didn’t expect us to immediately pick back up,” David took a seat. He still held onto Katherine’s hand. He looked into her tear filled eyes, “And if we can’t pick things up, why are you crying? Wouldn’t that mean you don’t want to let go?”
“It’s because I don’t want to hurt you David,” She rubbed her sleeve against her eyes and took a deep breath, “I don’t love you the way you want me to, but I do still care for you.”
“Maybe it could turn into love though. You never know Katherine,” David edged his seat closer to her, “Maybe you don’t love me now, but you never know how things will change.”
Katherine shook her head, “That what I was trying to do before David. But I never felt right. I never felt the way they describe in books.”
“They’re just books. They’re exaggerated,” She looked into his hazel eyes to see that he too was holding back tears.
“So you’re saying what you’re feeling right now, that this real feeling of lost love, is nothing how it’s described?” Katherine released David’s hand and sat across from him.
David held his head in his hands.
He let out a half-hearted chuckle, “You can’t compare real life to fiction. It could never compare.”
“I don’t want you. I left you and I never felt the longing for you that you’re even now, feeling for me,” She sighed softly, “I don’t want you to stick around if you’re going to keep holding on to this. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“That’s my decision, Kat. I’m the only person that gets to decide what pain I do or do not endure,” His eyes grew distant as he whispered, “And it still hurts either way.”
“It’s Kitty now.”
He rolled his eyes at her. He tapped his fingers against the table and sighed, “You know I originally came into town to interview for an internship?”
“Why are you telling me?”
“I guess I just want to know if we can try to be friends, or if I should turn down this internship and avoid the problem entirely,” He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve before meeting her eyes again.
“Regardless of how things go here, David, you should do whatever is best for your future,” Katherine looked away from him, eyes on the window outside.
“I can’t stand the thought of being in a city where I could randomly run into you and am forced to treat you like a stranger,” He held his head in his hands, his voice began to shake, “My heart couldn’t take it.”
“David, we would never be anything more than friends,” Katherine attempted to plead with him.
“I’d prefer friends to strangers,” He shook his head, “Please just give me a chance to be friends. No promise of anything else. I just want my best friend back.”
Katherine bit down on her lip and stared at her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath of air before meeting his eyes again, “Have you told your parents that you ran into me?”
“After how weird you were acting, I thought it best not to,” He shrugged and tilted his head, “Why?”
“We can try this friends thing,” Katherine nodded, “But you have to promise you won’t tell anyone that you found me.”
“Why?”
“I’m still in witness protection so to speak,” She explained as she began to play with the ends of her hair, “And I was serious about wanting to get away. But if you can promise that you’ll never tell anyone I’m here then we can try to be friends again.”
David grinned, his eyes welled with tears. He reach out his hand towards her, “You have a deal, Kitty. Friends for now.”
“Only friends ever, David,” Katherine sighed and reached her hand to his.
He grinned as he shook her hand, “You never know what the future holds, Kitty.”
…

“Spikes would you quit spacing out?” Katherine cheered. She wrapped her arms around her best friend. Spikes rolled her eyes and twirled Katherine under her arm. The sunlight reflected and danced off of Katherine’s dress as she spun. Spikes laughed as she released her and ran her straight into Nadine.
“I’m so proud of you girls,” Nadine clapped her hands, and pulled both girls into a hug, “Who would have thought the girls who tore apart the courtyard last year would be graduating as best friends.”
“Definitely not me,” Spikes rolled her eyes as she took of the graduation gown. Her eyes scanned the crowd, but she couldn’t seem to find Xander.
“Let’s go get food,” Katherine wrapped her arm around Nadine’s, “I’m absolutely starving. I cannot believe they had us just sitting out there-”
Spikes toned out Katherine as they made their way towards the car. Spikes glanced around again and for a moment she thought she saw him walk behind one of the school buildings. Again she was brought back into the moment my Katherine’s unexpected hug.
“Is there anywhere you wanna go, Spikes?”
“Anything but sushi to be totally honest,” Spikes laughed as Katherine immediately began to pout, “I can do cooked fish. The raw is just too weird.”
Katherine rolled her eyes laughing as she ran to Nadine’s car. Spikes glanced back at where she thought she had seen Xander, but no one was there.
…

Katherine raised an eyebrow as she followed behind Spikes. It had been almost an hour ago since Spikes had barged into her room and begged for Katherine to join her into town, and now here they were on the outskirts of Bridgeport. A chill blew through the air and Katherine crossed her arms over her chest while Spikes adjusted the giant leather jacket she wore.
Katherine opened her mouth to protest against the trip when her eyes fell on the cemetery and she stopped in her tracks. Spikes took a couple more steps before she turned around, “Kitty I know how you are with cemeteries, but please come with me.”
Katherine shook her head and took another step back, “You know I hate these places, Spikes!”
“Please Kitty!” Spikes’s voice carried an unfamiliar strain to it and Katherine took another step forward, “I’ll never ask you to do this again, but this is really important to me right now.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Katherine muttered under her breath as she walked past Spikes and through the cemetery gate. Spikes caught up to her and began to guide her deeper into the cemetery. Katherine’s breathing became more labored as they walked further in, her hands grew shaky and she could hear her heartbeat ring in her ears.
Katherine was so focused on her discomfort that she nearly tripped over Spikes when she came to an abrupt stop and knelt down. Katherine looked up and saw the tombstone they had stopped in front of. It was a plain unassuming slab of rock with “Takado Rovain” carved into it.
“Hey big brother,” Spikes spoke softly as she gingerly reached out to touch the tombstone, “I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last visit, but I wanted to introduce you to someone very special.”
Spikes smiled up at Katherine and gestured for her to sit beside her. She laughed at Katherine’s concerned face before she took a seat, “This is my best friend in the world, Kitty.”
Katherine wanted to roll her eyes when Spikes turned to smile at her expectantly. She took a deep breath and let out a nervous chuckle, “Hey Takado, that sounds kind of like Taco, anyways I’m Kitty and… well I guess Spikes said most of it.”
She looked up at Spikes as she pulled a flask from her jacket and dumped the contents in front of the tombstone, “It’s hard to get the good kind of rum he liked, but I manage every year for his birthday.”
“Well I hope Takado knows he doesn’t have to worry about you so much now that you have me,” Katherine giggled. She smiled at Spikes, who grinned in response, “I know how hard losing him was, but you’re never going to be alone again Spikes.”
Spikes rest her head on Katherine’s shoulder and sighed softly. She let a few tears fall and curled her fingers around Katherine’s hand, “Thank you. For coming with me, and for all the other amazing things you’ve done.”
“That’s what best friends are for Spikes,” Katherine ran a hand threw her hair, “Human, demon or otherwise.”
Spikes nodded and wrapped her arms around Katherine’s waist. They sat there for a few minutes longer before Katherine sighed with relief as Spikes agreed to them heading home. Katherine paused as they began to walk away. She glanced around briefly, spotting a patch of wildflowers she ran over and picked a few and gently set them down in front of Takado’s grave. Spikes wrapped Katherine in another hug when she caught up and they both quickly exited.

Genesis 8- I'm not an Angel

Katherine opened her eyes, shivering against the cold evening air. She lifted herself from the patio steps and looked towards the door. She rest her hand against her forehead, wincing when the small gesture caused some pain. Her breathing still felt rapid, as if she couldn’t catch her breath.
Katherine jumped at the sound of the front door opening. Spikes looked at her with a raised eyebrow, Damon’s leash in hand, “What the hell are you doing out here, Kitty?"
Katherine’s eyes filled with tears as she stood up, “I ran in to someone. Someone I thought I’d never have to see again.”
Spikes’s face softened as she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Katherine’s shoulders, “Let’s get inside, Kitty.”
Katherine nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped into the house. Spikes followed behind her. She whistled after shutting the door. Katherine chuckled as Damon tripped on his way up the stairs, following behind the girls as the walked into the living room.
Katherine took a seat on the nearest couch and Spikes beside her.
“What happened, Kitty?” Spikes questioned. She reached her hand out and brushed a strand of Katherine’s hair behind her ear.
Katherine placed her face in her hands and began quietly mumbling. Spikes stared at her with an eyebrow raised as she went on. Spikes rolled her eyes and lightly poked Katherine’s temple, “You know, I can’t hear you when you mutter like that.”
Katherine looked up, tears in her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, “Long story short, I ran into my ex.”
Katherine spoke quickly and grabbed one of the couch cushions a buried her face in it. Spikes stared at her with wide eyes. Katherine looked up at her when the silence continued, “What do you look so shocked for?”
“Well when we met you made a comment about how people don’t really interest you romantically. So it’s kind of a shock to discover you did have an interest at some point,” Spikes laughed, her cheeks gaining the smallest hint of red.
“Except I didn’t,” Katherine sighed and sat up straight. Her eyes were on the ceiling above her as she spoke, “David and I had been best friends practically since we were in diapers. When we were 15 he asked me out. He was my best friend and I enjoyed spending time with him so I said yes.”
“I thought you said you weren’t interested?” Spikes questioned, receiving a quick glare from Katherine.
“I didn’t know the difference then. Between romantic love, and friendship. I assumed they’d be easily transferrable or essentially the same,” Katherine sighed again, “But as time went on I realized that we weren’t like most couples. I didn’t like when he would try to kiss me. I didn’t like when he would try to touch me. He was always respectful. He always stopped. But it made me realize that… I wasn’t like everyone else.”
“So… You’re thinking you might be asexual?” Spikes cut in again.
“I didn’t even know what that was. I thought maybe it was because I didn’t love him the way books and movie describe love,” Katherine chuckled and pulled her knees up to her chest, “I know that’s pretty dumb since neither of those are real, but I just assumed that was the problem. So then I thought that… maybe the reason I didn’t love him was because I was lying to him… about what I am.”
Spikes stood from the couch, knocking pillows aside. Damon yelped as he moved away, tucking his tail in between his legs. Jynx jumped on the couches’ armrest and pressed her forehead to Katherine’s arm.
“Kitty… what did you do.” Katherine looked up at her best friend. Her hands were curled into fists, and her arms shook. Katherine’s eyes welled with tears once again.
“I told him that I’m not human. That maybe I didn’t feel the way I was supposed to because I’m a monster,” Katherine covered her eyes, “He pulled me into a hug, and he told me how grateful he was that I had trusted him with something so big. He said it was the soul that made the monster, not the species. He said it was okay that I didn’t love him yet and that he would always love me.”
“Then why did you break up?” Spikes questioned. She moved slowly as she made her way back to the couch. Her brows furrowed with concern as Katherine cried. She couldn’t even speak through the tears. Spikes sat back down on the couch and pulled Katherine’s hands from her face, “Why did you guys break up?”
“I was just a kid. I’d grown up with him my whole life, and I knew he told his parents everything. But they were our neighbors. We spent holidays together, went on vacations together,” Katherine hung her head, her voice quiet, “How the hell was I supposed to know that they were hunters?”
Katherine winced as Spikes’s grip on her hands tightened, her copper eye began to glow.
“Spikes, you’re hurting me,” Katherine tried to pull her hands out of Spikes’s grip, but she didn’t budge. Her eyes were far away, “I’m going to kill him.”
She released Katherine as she stood from the couch, reaching a hand up to her face as she made her way to the door.
“Spikes, you can’t!” Katherine screamed as she ran after her, “Spikes, he doesn’t know his parents are hunters. He doesn’t know what they did. You can’t persecute him for a crime he didn’t commit.”
“He knows what you are and that you’re here. What’s to stop him from telling his parents about this? What’s to stop them from hunting you down, and me with you this time?,” Spikes growled as she turned to face Katherine. She dropped the small clear lense from her hand. Her copper and amethyst eye glowedi with rage. “Besides, consider this revenge for your father.”
“You don’t think I haven’t considered that?” Katherine screamed and shoved Spikes’s shoulders, “You don’t think I haven’t dreamed about taking away what they treasure most like they took it from me? That I don’t spend every day thinking about how they deserve to suffer for what they did and haven’t?”
“Why not do it then?” Spikes shouted back.
“Because I’m better than them!” Katherine’s eyes shifted to slits and began to glow softly, “I may not be human, but I have more humanity than they could ever hope too. I am not letting you walk out that door unless you give me your word that you won’t hurt him.”
Spikes hesitated, her hand reaching for the door handle, “We have to make sure he won’t tell them that you’re here.”
Katherine nodded, “Set up a time for me to talk to him if you feel like you can’t persuade him without violence.”
“I give you my word I won’t hurt him,” Spikes rolled her eyes, but smiled softly at Katherine, “Now tell me where he is.”
…

David stared out over the cliff side at the bay and the city beyond it, the silver locket in his hands flailing wildly in the wind.
“New to the city?” A soft voice spoke from behind him, startling him slightly. He turned around and shoved the locket back into his pocket.
“New to this one at least,” He chuckled, “How’d you know?”
She walked up to him, leaning over the railing beside him, “Most of us locals don’t care for the romanticized view of the city we see everyday. This view is beautiful, but the reality of the city is not.”
David shrugged and returned to leaning against the railing, “When are things ever as pretty as they look?”
“So what brings you to town?”
“Just passing through,” He sighed softly, “I was on my way to go see a couple of colleges. I was only going to be here for one night, but…”
“But?” She asked as she nudged his shoulder.
“I found someone,” He smiled softly but he could feel tears form in his eyes, “Someone I thought I would never see again.”
“Let me guess, an ex-girlfriend?” She chuckled. She turned around and rest her back against the railing, “You must really care about her.”
“I didn’t realize it was quite that obvious, but yes,” He looked at her. He paused for a moment, startled by her two different colored eyes.
“And she left without saying anything to you didn’t she?” She inched closer to him, “Right after a tragedy, when all you wanted to do was comfort her.”
“How did you-”
“And for nearly two years now, those sapphire eyes have haunted you, haven’t they?” Spikes grinned as David began to step backwards and fell. He stared up at her with wide eyes.
“Who are you?”
“I’m your replacement,” Spikes growled, “I’m the person that helped Katherine pick up the pieces. I helped her grieve her late father. I am family to her, and unlike you I will protect her.”
“Protect her? What are you talking about?” David questioned as he stood back up, “I didn’t even know about the fire until the next day. She was already gone by then, there was nothing I could have done!”
“If you’re just here to hurt her again, I will destroy you,” Spikes growled and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He grabbed her wrist, his grip around it almost caused her pain.
“I will take a lot, but don’t you ever say I’m trying to hurt her,” His voice was low and deep. He met her eyes with a glare as he spoke, “I love Katherine, I have always loved Katherine. Nothing in this world would ever make me intentionally hurt her.”
Spikes dropped her hand from his shirt, and he let her go. She crossed her arms over her chest, “She collapsed on the steps in front of the house sobbing. I hate seeing her cry.”
“You love her too, don’t you?”
Spikes’s face flushed bright crimson. She hung her head, hoping her hair would hide some of the redness, “Of course not! Kitty is my best friend… almost like a sister to me. It’s a familial love… that’s all it ever could be.”
David nodded, “Not sure if you’re trying to convince me or yourself, but I understand. She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
Spikes nodded, her arms tightened over her chest, “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“Yes,” His smile was soft, but sad, “I didn’t realize losing her father would change so much. It’s like the light of her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes anymore.”
Spikes ran a hand through her hair and sighed, “Before I came, she agreed to see you just one more time. She needs to talk to you.”
David stared at her and nodded.
“You can’t tell anyone though. You can’t tell anyone you’ve found her,” Spikes added. “That includes your parents. She’s in witness protection, no one can know.”
“Thank you,” David smiled halfheartedly.
Spikes shook her head as she began to talk away, “I wouldn’t thank me just yet.”

Genesis 7- Let Me Go

Katherine groaned into her hands and Jinx growled beside her as they both watched Spikes’s new dog bark at the window. She raised an eyebrow at the kitchen, Spikes’s music bleeding into the living room, unfazed by the dog’s erratic barking. Katherine picked up a dog toy off of the floor and threw it at the wall beside Damon, hitting it hard enough to break the toy and leave a crack in the wall.
Damon jumped back whimpering, and Spikes rushed out of the kitchen, dish towel in hand. She rushed over to her dog, patting his head until he calmed down again.
“Did you have to scare Damon again?” Spikes asked as she walked up to Katherine, hands on her hips. “It’s not like he was chewing up any of your stuff this time.”
“His consistent barking over squirrels running by outside is going to make me deaf, and nothing makes him stop,” Katherine crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke, “That seems like a fairly good reason to scare the dog to me, and Jinx agrees.”
“He’s been around for six months now, Kitty,” Spikes groaned as she took a seat beside Katherine, “He’s a good boy; he’s just kind of dumb. Besides, Jinx hates him so her opinion doesn’t count.”
Katherine sighed and rolled her eyes, “He’s alright I guess.”
She laughed when Damon jumped onto the couch, his tail wagging in Spikes’s face. Spikes wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him backwards onto her lap.
“By the way Kitty, Xander is going to be stopping by soon,” Spikes kept her eyes on Damon as she spoke.
“Seriously? I thought we agreed on twenty four hours notice before he can stop by,” Katherine groaned. She leaned back on the couch before looking at Spikes.
“He just text me ten minutes ago asking if he could drop by and see me for a little bit,” Spikes ran her hands along Damon’s side.
“So he’s going to hook up with you and leave again basically?”
Spikes snarled and finally lifted her eyes to meet Katherine's. “Will you quit it with your puritanical hang ups over my relationship?”
“I’m sorry,” Katherine rolled her eyes. She lifted Jinx into her lap, running her fingertips beneath the cat’s collar, “I just don’t like the way he treats you. It’s like he just wants a fling, while you want an actual relationship.”
“You don’t know what I want, Kitty,” Spikes growled. Katherine met her gaze with a glare as she stood from the couch, Jinx still in her arms.
“Whether I know exactly what you want or not, doesn’t change that you need to have a serious talk with Mohawk-Guy. You two are not on the same page, and that I am positive of,” Katherine walked out of the living room, leaving the door open after she left. Spikes caught sight of his headlights in the window, but she wasn’t smiling. Katherine’s words repeated themselves in her head. Spikes shook her head, and stood to open the front door. She was only thinking about Katherine’s words because she had just said them. She inhaled as she stared into a mirror, practicing her grin before she open the door. Spikes sighed as she gripped the doorknob and waited for him to knock.
…

Spikes laid on her bed and watched Xander pull his pants back on. She leaned over, pulling his carton of cigarettes from the pocket of his leather jacket.
“You know I’m actually considering quitting,” Spikes muttered softly. She pulled one of the cigarettes out and placed it between her lips, “Kitty just makes it such a pain in the ass to smoke. Doesn’t really seem worth it anymore.”
“Okay,” He pulled his shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned as he turned to face her. His eyes looked her over briefly before resting his lips against her temple.
“You don’t care?” Spikes said as she sat up straight.
“Why would I?” Xander sat down on the bed and shoved his feet into his boots, “We’re not human. It’s not like it affects your health, so I don’t particularly care if you do or don’t. Is that a problem?”
“I guess not,” she let the unlit cigarette fall from her lips and onto the bed, “But I just wanted us to be on the same page.”
“I’m not going to quit just because you might, Spikes,” Xander picked up him carton of cigarettes.
“That’s not really what I meant,” Spikes got onto her knees and moved closer to Xander. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. She rest her lips on his collar bone, “I care about you. Whether it’s something we particularly care about or not, I do feel like we should communicate a bit more.”
Xander grinned, his hands resting on her bare waist, “And what is it you want to communicate about?”
“Us,” Spikes said it softly, but Xander still tensed.
“I thought we were fine with things the way they are,” He growled, his hands dropped from her waist.
“We are fine, Xander. I just mean for the future,” She was quiet as she spoke, she kept her eyes off of his, “I know you aren’t the romantic type and I don’t expect you to be. I just want to know you’re as invested in this as I am.”
“Kat, said something didn’t she?” Xander rolled his eyes and turned away from Spikes.
“Don’t call her that. She hates that,” Spikes whispered and followed after him.
“Do you want to go out for dinner on Valentine’s day?” Spikes stopped and stared at him with wide unblinking eyes. He turned around, hand rubbing the back of his neck, “It’s in three days. Romance isn’t my thing, but I can try. If that’s what you want.”
Spikes grinned and wrapped her arms around Xander’s neck. She kissed his cheek before taking a step back, “It’s more than I hoped for, thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” Xander bent over and kissed Spikes’s forehead. He pulled her into his arms and gently bit down on the nape of her neck, “Not until after dinner at least.”
Spikes shuddered and held back a giggled. Xander kissed her briefly and made his way towards the door.
“You’re sure about this. That you want this too?” Spikes stood in her doorway, grin plastered on her face. Xander stopped at the glass staircase that led to the living room. He looked back at her with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “Of course, Carissa.”
…

Katherine shivered as she stepped out of her car. She threw her jacket over her shoulders as she walked to the cliff edge, a smile on her lips as she stared over the edge at the water below. The water around the city were murky and black, but she watched with fascination as the waves crashed against the wall of earth.
She inhaled deeply and looked up at the city across the water. Skyscrapers glistened with the midday sun, the early winter carnival was in full swing, and on a hill separate from most of the city was the graveyard. A chill ran down her spine and she quickly averted her eyes from the graveyard and looked back to the water below.
“Kat?” Katherine felt her heart fall to her stomach at the sound of a familiar male voice. He called again but she stood frozen, her shaking hands gripping the railing.
She heard him get closer, and for a moment she wondered how much it would hurt to jump from the edge.
“Kat?” His voice was breathless as he grabbed her shoulder, forcing her face him. His eyes filled with tears as they met hers, “It is you.”
Katherine stood motionless as he wrapped his arms around her. She stood completely still as he cried, his grip tightening for a moment before finally taking a step back.
“Where did you go?” He wiped tears from his eyes as he took a step back, a grin now plastered on his face. “After I heard about what happened to your dad, I went straight to your house but it was almost completely burned down. I tried to call you but the line was disconnected.”
Katherine stared at him, her hands shaking. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t seem to find the words.
“I was so scared. The news kept saying only one body was found, but I was so scared you died to,” He wiped tears away from his eyes. He stepped forward and gripped her shoulders.
“Are your parents with you, David?” Her voice was hoarse as she cut off his words.
“No, they’re in the city though. They’re going to be so relieved to see that you’re okay,” His hand slid down her arm as he took her hand with his own and tried to pull her away from the cliffside, “You would not believe how upset they were when they heard the news-”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Katherine hissed and pulled her hand from his, “I have to go home, and you need to forget you saw me.”
David turned to look at her. His elated grin had been quickly replaced by a menacing look in his eyes, “What?”
“I left to get away from you people,” Katherine hissed. She took a step back, her backside hitting the railing, “I have no intention of you dragging me back now.”
“To get away from us people?” David’s voice started to get louder as he spoke, “You might want to clarify because I seem to be out of the loop. Last that I had checked I did nothing but love you and support you.”
“You wouldn’t understand David!” Katherine cried out, pressing against the railing.
“Why because I’m a stupid human?”
“You know that’s not how I feel about that.”
“Then explain it Kat!” David screamed, “Explain to me why you threw away a year long relationship without actually saying a damn word to me. Explain to me why you need to get away from me. Explain what the hell I did wrong because I thought we had something special.”
“I have to go David. Please, please don’t do this,” Tears filled Katherine’s eyes as she slid along the railing away from him.
“You owe me an explanation at the very least Kat,” David grabbed her hand, “You vanished without a trace. I’d hardly call it unreasonable for me to want to know why.”
“Please let go of me,” She whispered. Her arms shook and she kept her eyes on the ground. David released her hand. His hands crossed over his chest as he let out a small sigh.
“I guess I’m the idiot for assuming you’d be happy to see me.”
“David, stop that. You’re not an idiot,” Katherine took a step closer to him.
“If you had missed me, or cared for me at all then you would have found a way to talk to me,” David shook his head, his eyes on something in the distance, “Or at least give me the decency of a real break up.”
“My father was murdered, David. We had to leave. There wasn’t time,” Katherine groaned.
“It’s been almost two years, Kat. I’m sure you could have found an opportunity.”
“Please stop calling me Kat. I don’t go by it anymore,” Katherine wiped at her eyes before tears had the chance to fall.
“What is wrong with you?” David shouted, taking a step back, “How could you possibly think that is a priority right now?”
“I can’t do this, David,” Kat whimpered as she took another step away from him., “I have to go.”
Katherine ran through the snow. She ran into her car without looking back and drove away. She felt dizzy, her breathing labored as she pulled up to her home, collapsing on the patio steps as tears cascaded from her eyes. She couldn’t run anymore. That’s the thing about the past. No matter how fast you run, no matter how far you go. You’re going to have to face it one day, because it will always catch up to you. Always.

Genesis 6- Misguided Ghosts

Spikes and Xander stood stunned for a moment while Josh and Derek ran outside. Xander glared at Spikes for a moment before running after them. He was back within a minute, still glaring.
“Well they’re gone, and the cops are on their way,” Xander growled, messing up the hair on top of his head as he ran his hair down, “Why couldn’t you wait to have a self realization at least until the job was over?”
“How does that even make sense, Xander?” Spikes barked, throwing her hands into the air, “I know I fucked up, but what are we going to do?”
“At least you admit it,” He scoffed under his breath. He took in a deep breath of hair, his hand gripped a square shape in his pocket, “I don’t even have time for a smoke to think. So for now, we run. We’ll run to our usual halfway point and then try to form a plan from there.”
Spikes nodded and ran outside of the house with Xander close on her heels. They had started to run into the forest area around the house, and already they could see flashing red and blue lights approaching.
“Gotta love how quick their response time is for rich people,” Xander growled and lowered himself.
“We can’t run Xander. They’ll see us,” Spikes’s heart was racing. She stared at the approaching lights and ducked behind a bush.
Xander sighed heavily and reached his hand out for hers. He smiled softly as she slowly moved closer, “We're going to get out of this, but I need you to stick by and trust me. You know I have your back.”
She took his hand and he squeezed it for a moment. He motioned for her to follow beside him as he quickly darted behind bushes. They had almost gotten over a hill when an officer began shouting.
Xander glared at the voice over his shoulder and took off running with Spikes close behind. Spikes ran as fast as she could, but even they couldn’t outrun cars.
“We have to get away from the roads,” Xander called out to her as he turned towards the trees. She nodded and followed behind him. He moved as quickly as he could, keeping out of the sight of the roads. Spikes could still see the red and blue flashes. Spikes sighed with relief when she noticed the flashes of light has drastically faded as they reached the edge of the city. Xander grabbed Spikes’s hand and ran as fast as they could through the city streets and into an alley.
Spikes fell to her knees, breathing heavily while Xander tried to move the dumpster enough for both of them to hide behind it. Spikes winced with pain as she moved further into the corner of the ally. Her muscles were aching and she was having trouble catching her breath. She looked up at Xander who leaned against the dumpster breathing heavily. They held their breath as they heard sirens approaching. Xander crouched down beside Spikes as they watched a figure enter the alleyway.
“Found you,” Spikes yelped at the sound of Josh’s voice behind her. He grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her to the end of the alley lit by a street lamp where Derek had stood as a distraction.
“Fuck off, Josh,” Spikes screamed as she tried to run back into the cover of the dark alley. Josh went to shove her again but Xander tackled him to the ground, shoving his face into the concrete. He looked up as a cop car pulled up. Derek had vanished and within seconds the officer had Spikes pinned against the hood of the car.
Xander stood up and hesitantly took a step forward. Spikes shook her head softly, evading the officer’s notice and Xander slipped back into the shadows.
“You have the right to remain silent,” Spikes stopped listening as the continued on. She didn’t struggle as she was shoved roughly into the back of the cop car. She just sat quietly and wondered if she had actually made the right decision.
…

“You already have me in a cell, why the hell am I in cuffs too?” Spikes barked at the officer locking up her cell.
“You’ve been deemed a significant threat for whatever reason,” He looked young, his sad eyes glanced her over once before he turned and walked down the hall. She growled and kicked the bench inside the cell before sitting on top of it.
For a moment she tried to struggle against the metal cuffs clanking against her wrists but they didn’t budge. So she waited, though she wasn’t quite sure what she was waiting for. Court? A ? Freedom? Death even?
She heard screaming down the hall, what sounded like a shrill female voice. Spikes rolled her eyes and leaned back against the cell wall. She sighed, and wondered if maybe this was all that was left for her. Stone walls, and a caged door was no way to live though, but neither was the way she had lived before now.
“I didn’t want this… I never wanted this,” Spikes muttered softly. She didn’t care if there were people around, she didn’t care if anyone heard, or if anyone saw the tear slip from her eye. “I didn’t want to grow up on the streets. I didn’t want to watch my brother die, or have my only family after him abandon me. I didn’t choose this. I don’t want this!”
Spikes’s shout reverberated off of the walls and echoed in her ears. Words spoken into an empty empty cell, without anyone to listen.
“Sounds to me like it’s time for you to come home,” Spikes’s head shot up at the sound of her voice. Soft and warm contrast to the cell she sat in. She stood beside an officer unlocking the cell door, her sapphire blue eyes filled with laughter as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Spikes could feel tears rush to her eyes as she stared into Katherine’s, “I don’t understand.”
“There’s nothing to understand, Spikes,” Katherine almost laughed. She reached out her hand towards Spikes, “The door is open. You just have to walk through it.”
The officer raised an eyebrow at the two girls, but continued on and stepped into the cell and removed the handcuffs from Spikes’s wrists. Spikes rubbed her wrists as she stood up and walked towards the open cell door.
“Why?” Spikes stopped before stepping out of the cell.
Katherine rolled her eyes, a smile on the corner of her lips, “Because we’re friends, Stupid. It’s what friends do.”
Spikes stepped forward and wrapped her arm’s around Katherine’s shoulders. Her shoulders heaved as she tried to keep herself from crying, tried to keep herself from squeezing the cat too tightly.
Katherine wrapped her arm’s around Spikes, chuckling slightly as she pulled away, “Alright you big sap. Let’s go home.”
Spikes nodded and followed behind Katherine as she trotted down the hall and made their way outside where a cab was ready and waiting for them.
“Kitty, I can never thank you for this,” Spikes stood outside the cab, “I can never repay you for this. You just stopped me from possibly spending my whole life in that cell.”
“Well if it were a life sentence they’d move you to an actual prison, instead of just in holding,” Kitty shrugged her shoulders. She still grinned despite Spikes’s glare.
“You didn’t have to get me out,” Spikes sighed and took a step away from the car.
“I didn’t have to make arrangements for an interior decorator to visit the house next saturday either, and yet it’s already been done,” Kitty sauntered past Spikes and sat down in the cab, “So can we please go home now? It’s like two in the morning.”
“Home?” Spikes questioned. She hesitantly stepped into the cab, the door slamming shut behind her.
“You’re not back to that dingy apartment Spikes,” Katherine grinned, and gave the driver the address back to her house.
“Are you asking me to live with you?”
“I’m basically ordering you to,” Katherine leaned back in her seat. She stretched her arms over her head, eyes fixated on the car’s ceiling. “You’ll always have a comfortable place to sleep, food, and a roof over your head and you don’t have to pay any bills. I just figured that… being alone really sucks, and since we’re both alone maybe we should stick together.”
Spikes rubbed away the tears pooling in her eyes. The smallest of smiles rest across her lips and she reached over and grabbed Katherine’s hand, “Thank you, Kitty.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s what friends do,” Katherine squeezed her hand as the cab pulled to a stop. “ And Trust me, you will not be thanking me when you see what the room you’re staying in for now looks like.”

Genesis 5- Teenagers

“Is it true you’re friends with Spikes?” A girl with red hair and brown eyes grabbed Katherine’s hand as she moved to walk past her. Katherine glared at her and pulled her hand away.
“Whether I am or not, I don’t see how it’s any business of yours,” Katherine scoffed as she looked the girl up and down. “I don’t even know you.”
“It’s the talk of the whole school though,” A brunette piped in as she walked over, “Literally the whole school is in disbelief that someone would be friends with Spikes.”
“Why?” Katherine’s brow wrinkled as she turned to look at the brunette. “She has three people she hangs out with literally everyday.”
“Everyone knows she’s only there cause she puts out for Xander,” A brunette boy mentioned as he approached. “Josh, and Derek are friends with Xander. They don’t give a crap about Spikes.”
“That’s awful,” Katherine frowned. She could feel her heart racing, she wished she had a way to get a hold of Spikes to see if she was okay. “I was just in Ms.Sinclair’s classroom because she’s been helping to tutor me. I don’t know why Spikes was there.”
“So then why would you defend her against Jessica?” Another student popped up, the crowd continued to grow. Katherine’s breathing became labored, the spaces between student grew smaller as they surrounded her.
“She was attacking me too?” Katherine started to back away from the students. “That and Jessica is a pretentious twat. I’d even defend a piece of trash if it meant shutting her down.”
“Isn’t that what you already did?” One of the girls laughed.
“Oh be nice,” One of the boys shoved her shoulder with his own. “You’re just jealous of he cause her boobs are bigger.”
Katherine grimaced as the two began to argue. Someone else tried to say something, as something, but she didn’t hear it. There were too many people, they were too close. She took another step back and walked around the mass of student bodies. Spikes was right, she couldn’t wait for this to just fizzle out.
She stormed into the school hall, whispers and odd glances seemed to surround her. Finally her eyes fell on Jessica’s light blonde hair. Katherine was shaking, the air around her felt too thick to breathe in, there were too many people.
She grabbed Jessica’s shoulder, turned her around and slammed her back into the lockers she stood by. Amy gasped loudly, covering her mouth a moment later. Jessica tried to shove Katherine but she didn’t move.
“You’re going to stop it with all these bullshit rumors,” Katherine shoved her against the lockers again, harder than she had before. “In fact you’re never going to talk about me or Spikes ever again.”
“And why the hell should I do that?” Her voice was shrill as she tried to shove Katherine back.
“For one, I’ll destroy that perfect little nose job of yours,” Katherine growled. She was still shaking, still trying to catch her breath, but she shoved Jessica again, “but after that, you’ll get a taste of your own medicine. Except the rumors I start will be true.”
“You have nothing on me bitch!” Jessica was almost screaming, and students were starting to crowd.
“I know your perfect home life isn’t so great. I know your father regularly cheats on your mother, who is an alcoholic and constantly on pain pills. I know your family is on the verge of bankruptcy,” Katherine kept her voice low. She let go of Jessica's arm and whispered softly, “I know that for as much as you get passed around the football team it’s all just a pointless effort to convince yourself it’s who you are, but we both know that men are not the type you prefer.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. Her arms fell to her sides, and Katherine could see her shaking. She looked down at her feet, her nod was barely noticeable.
“You will make all of this vanish before the end of the day,” Katherine growled, her face within inches of Jessica’s, “Or else.”
Katherine spun on her heel and stormed out of the hall. There were still whispers, but they were different now. They were quieter, afraid, and somehow that made Katherine okay with them.
...

“What are you doing here?” Josh scoffed as he eyed Spikes at her seat beside Xander. She turned her glare onto his brown eyes and rolled her own.
“Sitting next to my boyfriend, what does it look like?”
“Don’t you have a new buddy to sit by?” He jeered as he took his seat beside Derek. “I’m sure you’d do better with little miss rich, anyways.”
“Spikes doesn’t hang out with her type,” Xander growled, glaring daggers at Josh, “I’d suggest you stop being such a little girl and quit buying into school rumors.”
“She’s been vanishing after school is out for over a month now,” Josh pointed at her, his glared fixed on Xander, “I know you’ve noticed. Haven’t you been curious about what she’s been up to?”
“He’s not my owner!” Spikes screamed as she slammed her hand down on the table.
“You heard her,” Xander muttered and rolled her eyes. “And I honestly don’t give a shit what she doe with her own time as long as it doesn’t cause problems.”
“Aren’t you worried she’s going soft?” Josh kicked the table leg and crossed his arms over his shoulders.
“Friends don’t innately equate to softness,” Xander lifted his silver eyes to meet Josh’s, “Prime example, we’re friends but I’d sell you out for a chicken nugget if the mood struck me.”
“You know what I mean,” Josh’s voice lowered, “You know our next job.”
“What is he talking about?” Spikes turned her glare on Xander.
“Is this girl worth a meal to you?” He looked up at her, his cold silver eyes stared into her. “Derek has been staking out her place. It’s got a pretty complicated security system, but it’s not one we haven’t seen before. Derek says the place is practically empty. He’s never seen anyone but her go in or leave. So again, is this girl worth a meal? Is she worth your rent?”
Spike's heart dropped into her stomach. Her lips parted, but only silence followed with shaking hands. The cat didn’t deserve this, but rent was due in a week.
“No one is worth that.”
…

A soft sigh left Katherine’s lips as she opened her phone again. She’d given her phone number to Spikes over a week ago, and she had hoped to hear from her at some point. But her phone remained silent. No calls, no texts, no messages.
Katherine jumped when Jinx mewled besides her. She glared at the cat as she spoke, “I am well aware I’m probably worrying for nothing. That doesn’t change anything.”
Jinx mewled again as she stretched out on the couch. Katherine reached over and stroked her head. She smiled as her cat began to purr softly. Katherine absentmindedly stared at the tv, her thoughts wandering.
It was quiet, so quiet she might not have heard it over the sound of the tv if she were a normal human, but she definitely heard it. A car door shut.
She didn’t have any neighbors. The nearest house to hers was three miles away. She made her way to the window, careful as she peered outside.
There were four figures, and she recognized them all. Spikes stood outside wearing all black like the other three, but she wouldn’t look at the house. Her eyes stayed at her feet. Jinx mewled and trotted to Katherine’s side.
“It’s Spikes, the gil I’ve told you about,” Kitty grimaced, “I knew things were hard, but I didn’t realize this is what she does.”
Jinx growled beside her, and Katherine glared back at the cat. “She didn’t know where I live Jinx. It’s not as if I hand out my address to people, and she’s never been here.”
They were getting closer to the front door. Katherine could feel her heart racing and her legs shake as she took a step back.
“I don’t know if she even knows if this is my house, but I want to hope that she’s the kind of person who just takes things she can sell and leaves everything else alone,” Katherine thought out loud as she looked around the room. “Go hide, and I’ll come find you later. I’m going to grab some expensive stuff and put it in obvious places. Maybe that’s all they need.”
Jinx growled once more and Katherine rolled her eyes, “Do you have a better plan?”
Katherine almost laughed when her cat turned around and made her way downstairs. She looked out the window again. The four were huddled up, probably discussing their plan. She had at least a minute to follow through on her own.
…

Spikes brushed a strand of her short dark brown hair behind her ear only to have it fall back in front of her face. She didn’t pay much attention as the boys discussed entry and exit strategies. She didn’t even have the stomach to look at the house.
“You ready?” Spikes jumped at the touch of Xander’s hand against her own. She nodded, but still kept her eyes away from his. He released her hand and moved towards the house. The other two followed close behind, but she hesitated for a moment.
She’d meant it when she said no one was worth a meal, worth losing the roof over her head. She looked up at the house, light bleeding through the living room window. She swallowed the lump in her throat and ran to catch up with Xander.
“What if she’s home?” Spikes grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket, “The lights are on, isn’t that odd?”
“Josh bribed someone to keep her occupied. She probably just leaves the light on so that it looks like someone is home,” Xander pulled his arm from her grip. “You said you could do this.”
“I can,” Spikes growled back, “I’m just not too keen on the idea of getting caught or arrested.”
“Anyone’s silence can be bought,” Xander growled. He turned to face her and crossed his arms over his chest, “We’re going in and you don’t have to be a part of it, but you’re also not going to be a part of the earnings.”
“I just said I can do this,” Spikes shoved past him. Her eyes were on Derek as he came up behind her and quickly began working on the lock. He signed for the three to wait as he walked in and quickly got to work on the mansion’s security system. It only took three minutes and the system was down and all four of them stepped inside.
“Jackpot,” Xander grinned as they stepped into the living room. There were four tvs in the room with several other items Spikes swore there had to be an unreasonable number of.
“This tv is only available in japan! We’re going to make so much off of this haul,” Josh beamed as he worked to gather as much as he could. He grabbed a turquoise ipod of the table and shoved it in his pocket before grabbing the tv. The other two boys followed suit, grabbing what they could and running it down stairs. Spikes stared at the room, watching items disappear from its walls, watching as the three boys grabbed everything they could. It wasn’t until their third loop that they finally noticed that Spikes hadn’t grabbed anything yet.
“What is wrong with you?” Josh shoved her shoulder as he walked past her. “We’re getting so much crap just from the living room we might save the rest of the house for another time. Have you even grabbed anything though?”
Xander walked up to Spikes, holding the mangled bits of a home entertainment system. She couldn’t read his eyes, but she shook her head softly, “I haven’t.”
“Spikes we need this. Not all of us get the luxury of parents who care enough to make sure we get fed,” Xander’s voice was low. He set down the bundle of boxes and wires in his arms as he approached her.
“There should be a better way than this though,” Spikes finally spoke, her voice was hoarse, “There should be a better way than robbing people!”
“No one needs this many tvs, Spikes!” Xander exclaimed. He waved his arms, gesturing at all of the frivolous items in the one room. “We are sixteen years old, still trying to go to school, and poor. There is no part time job on this planet that will hire poor tattered kids like us and then pay us enough to make ends meet.”
Josh rolled his eyes and picked up the entertainment system that Xander had set down. Derek stood motionless though, watching Xander and Spikes.
“Blade left so she could come back to a clean life. She can’t do that if I’m still doing shit like this,” Spikes explained. She reached out for his hands, and flinched when he stepped away from her.
“I told you she’d gone soft,” Josh stepped back into the room with his arms crossed over his chest, his tone mocking as he spoke, “She just wants to protect her precious new BFF. I mean she obviously has it so hard with her life of riches.”
“You don’t know anything about her,” Spikes turned to him, left eye glowing, “Rich does not equate to an easy life. You should know that more than any of the rest of us. It’s not our fault you had the perfect life and left it.”
“It wasn’t perfect-”
“But it was a roof over your head, your own room, and a guaranteed meal everyday,” Spikes interrupted him. She looked between all three of them, “We all resort to crap like this for different reasons, from different walks of life. Happiness is not guaranteed based on your standing in life.”
“So what?” Xander spoke up, “Do you want us to put everything back?”
“Just take what we already have. They’re just things, but then we leave her alone,” Spikes pleaded with him, surprised by the well of tears behind her eyes, “Derek only ever saw her come in and out of this house. We have no idea why, we don’t know what she’s going through.”
Derek stepped towards Spikes and nodded. He gestured to the door, and went to lean against the frame.
“You said no one was worth a meal,” Xander’s voice was quiet as his gray eyes finally met hers.
“I meant it when I said it,” Spikes’s voice softened, “I didn’t lie, but I think I was wrong. I should be worth more than a meal. I should care enough for principles and people to mean more than a meal.”
Xander sighed heavily and ran his hand along the side of his head. He looked at her and back to Derek and Josh who stood by the door. He muttered quietly, a small grin on his face, “Okay.”
Spikes’s shoulders fell as a smile broke across her lips. She took a step forward, aiming to kiss him when Josh spoke up behind them.
“To bad it’s not okay with me,” Josh almost growled as he turned his glare on Derek, “Set off the alarms.”
Derek nodded, smashing the box the alarm system was controlled from and immediately setting it off. Josh grinned with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Good luck getting out of this one Lovebirds.”

Genesis 4- House Of Wolves

Autumn had fallen and Katherine had frequently found herself in the art room after class and even during lunch a couple of times. She’d gotten extra help on assignments she didn’t quite understand, particularly math, and got extra time to work on drawing, painting, writing and photography even. Ms.Sinclair encouraged creativity and art in whatever form it manifested itself in.
Katherine sat cross legged on top of Ms.Sinclair’s desk, humming softly to herself as she typed away at her laptop while Ms.Sinclair tidied the classroom when Spikes stepped in the door. Both women stared at her with wide unblinking eyes as she walked in and placed her bags at one of the seats.
“Your offer to stop by after school still stands, doesn’t it?” Spikes glanced at Ms.Sinclair’s face which quickly changed to a grin.
“Yes of course. Did you want something to snack on? I have some cantaloupe or blueberries in the fridge,” Ms.Sinclair chimed in as she went back to her cleaning.
“Thanks,” Spikes stood up, grabbing the blueberries from the fridge and returning to her seat. “So what’s up, Cat?”
“It’s Kitty,” Katherine almost whispered, moving her laptop to her side. “I don’t like the nickname Kat. I understand you might not care, but I’d really appreciate it-”
“Alright just relax, Kitty. You don’t have to explain yourself so much,” Spikes almost grinned as she popped a blueberry in her mouth.
“Sorry,” Katherine muttered, her cheeks turning light pink. “So what made you decide to stop by?”
“Boyfriend assumed I had nothing better to do than be with him all the time,” Spikes shrugged and continued eating the blueberries, “So naturally, I had to prove him wrong.”
“I take it the Mohawk Guy is your boyfriend?” Spikes nearly choked on a blueberry as she laughed at Katherine’s question. Katherine smiled as she watched Spikes laugh with her head thrown back.
“Yeah, he is. For now at least, he’s been pissing me off,” She explained as her laughter settled in her chest, “How about you? You’re pretty cute, have you found any man meat yet?”
Katherine’s eyes shot wide open and cheeks flushed bright red, “I, uhm, I don’t really talk to anyone… Ever.”
“That doesn’t mean you haven’t noticed anyone. I know it’s high school and pickings are slim but there’s gotta be someone who caught your eye,” Spikes began to laugh again.
“There’s really not. Never really has been honestly, I think I’m broken,” Katherine chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

“You a lesbian then?” Spikes and Katherine both jumped at the sound of items falling to the ground. They both glanced toward the back of the classroom where Ms.Sinclair stood with bright pink cheeks and paint brushes scattered on the floor around her.

“How clumsy of me,” Ms.Sinclair stuttered. She bent over as she quickly picked up the fallen at materials. “You two keep going! Don’t mind me okay?”
Spikes shrugged and turned a raised eyebrow to Katherine, “Well?”
“I don’t think so,” Katherine shook her head softly, “I don’t dismiss the possibility, but I just… No one has ever really caught my attention like that.”
“Weird,” Spikes mumbled through a mouthful of blueberries.
Katherine smiled and pulled her laptop back onto her lap and began typing again, “Well it’s nice to see you again. I honestly thought you wouldn’t ever stop by.”
“I didn’t think I would either,” Spikes shrugged and set the half empty carton down on her desk, “Ms.Sinclair, would you mind if I painted?”
“Not at all,” Ms.Sinclair trotted to Spikes’s side and handed her several paint brushes and gesturing where she could grab the paints from. Spikes almost grinned as she went about collecting supplies and then began painting. The three of them continued as they were in near silence, occasionally commenting on what the others were doing or asking questions.
Katherine stretched out her arms and yawned before shutting her laptop, “I guess it’s time to head back home.”
Ms.Sinclair stood from the back of the room and walked towards the two girls, a soft smile on her lips.
“Thank you for stopping by today, Spikes,” Ms.Sinclair winked at Spikes while she cleaned her space. “It was nice to have you join us.”
“Yeah, you’re not as awful to talk to as I would have expected,” Katherine grinned. She grabbed the paints Spikes had set aside.
“We’ll see,” Spikes rolled her eyes, shoved the paint brushes in a drawer and stomped out of the room.
“I think she’s coming around,” Ms.Sinclair grinned, eyes on the door that Spikes had exited from.
Katherine looked up at the door as she lifted her backpack off of the ground. She smiled, her gripped tightened on the strap, “Maybe.”
…

Spikes stopped by again the following week, twice a week after, and within a month she was joining Nadine and Katherine in the art room after class everyday. Ms.Sinclair usually sat at her desk grading assignments, or painted with the girls. Spikes had expanded her art portfolio and began working in a digital medium while Katherine dabbled in everything that she could, but spent most of her time typing away on her laptop. As the season grew colder the two teenage girls warmed up to each other, eventually reaching a point where Ms.Sinclair called them friends even though neither girl would admit to it.
“Guess who has her driver’s license!” Katherine cheered as she burst through the classroom doors, startling both Ms.Sinclair and Spikes.
“Probably the spoiled cat who’s ready to spend the big bucks on a car,” Spikes scoffed, her hair just barely hiding her grin.
“Ha ha ha,” Katherine rolled her eyes as she set her bag down.
“Good job Katherine,” Ms.Sinclair grinned brightly from the other side of her desk. “Perhaps you can finally start arriving to school on time.”
Spikes began to howl with laughter, Katherine’s jaw dropping as she stared at her teacher.
“I came here to have a good time, and honestly I’m feeling so attacked right now,” Kitty clutched her hands to her chest, turning away from both women.
Spikes groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. She stood from the desk to grab her painting equipment and swatted Katherine’s arm as she passed by her, “You’re an idiot.”
“But I was looking online at some used car dealerships, since I figured I shouldn’t spend crazy money on my first car,” Katherine explained as she pulled her laptop out of her backpack.
“When the fuck did you grow up, Kitty?” Spikes started laughing as she pulled up an easel.
Katherine rolled her eyes and took her usual seat atop her desk, “When you got a sense of humor.”
Spikes’s ears flared red as she glared at Katherine from across the room, “Very funny Kitty.”
“Alright I actually have a meeting with the principal today girls,” Nadine stood from her desk with several folders in her arms, “Can I trust you not to burn the school down, and be on your on for about thirty minutes?”
Katherine and Spikes nodded in unison as Ms.Sinclair stepped out the door. Katherine smiled softly as she typed away at her laptop, humming along to the music she was listening to, “I hope it doesn’t rain today.”
“It’s California, it basically never rains,” Spikes chuckled.
“I know but it actually looks pretty overcast outside,” Kitty pointed defensively to the window.
“Are you really so much of a cat that you can’t stand water?” Spikes laughed. She turned around with a raised eyebrow at Katherine.
“I just don’t like rain,” Katherine's voice was soft as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the window, “It just feels like it carries a lot of sadness with it.”
“I’ve always found it soothing,” Spikes walked over to Katherine and stared out the window with her, “But I am a fan of water and a fairly gloomy person myself.”
Katherine laughed, shoving Spikes’s shoulder lightly, “My dad used to groan every time he even saw clouds and start up a fire in the fireplace. We would grab cocoa or hot apple cider and watch movies. It was a lot of fun.”
“Was?” Spikes turned to look at Katherine’s watering sapphire eyes.
“He’s dead,” Katherine whispered. Her head fell, ebony hair falling in front of her face, “He was murdered. It hasn’t even been a year yet.”
Spikes stared at Katherine with wide unblinking eyes. “That’s awful, Kitty. At least you have your mom though, right?”
Katherine shook her head, tears dripped onto her laptop, “She left me. We moved to a new city and a week later she just left. I don’t know where she went.”
Spikes could feel her heart racing, she was still staring at Katherine. She couldn’t speak, she knew better than anyone that no words could fix this.
“Me too,” Katherine looked up at Spikes as she wiped away her tears. Spikes stared at the clouds outside, her fists clenched to her side. “I never knew my parents. Ever since I can remember it was just me and my big brother. He was the closest thing to a family, or father I ever knew.”
Katherine moved her laptop aside and stepped down from her seat on the table. She put her hand on Spikes’s shoulder as she continued to speak, “But I lost him when I was nine. I watched him die.”
“It sucks doesn’t it?” Katherine’s eyes began to water once more as their eyes met, “And everyone looks at you with so much pity, but it’s a pain no one else could even begin to understand.”
“And you get so sick of seeing it.”
“You figure it’s better to lock it away and never say anything.”
“But then it eats away at you. It won’t let you sleep or rest, forcing you to face it.”
“But how can you ever face something like that… alone?”
The two girls stared at each other with tears in their eyes. Katherine held her hand out and Spikes took it. Tears rolled down both of their cheeks as they gave each other weak smiles. Katherine squeezed Spikes’s hand in hers and inhaled sharply.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have to be alone anymore.”
“Ms.Sinclair!” A nasal high pitched voice called out as the door to the room swung open. Spikes immediately dropped Kitty’s hand and wiped away at the tears in her eyes. A mass of blonde hair and expensive perfume stepped in, her light blue eyes widening at the sight of Katherine and Spikes standing together.
“What did I just walk in on? Were you two making out?” She giggled as she walked over to them.
“Who was making out?” Another girl ran in, immediately at the blonde’s side.
“No one was making out Amy, why don’t you two leave and mind your own business?” Spikes growled, turning around to shove things back in her backpack.
“It’s always my business when there is gossip to be had,” The blonde grinned as she took a seat on the desk. “So what’s the deal with the two of you?”
“None of your business, Jessica,” Katherine’s eyes widened at Spikes’s snarls toward the two girls in the room.
“Then why isn’t she saying anything?” Jessica gestured her hand towards Katherine. “I mean surely the second richest girl in school would object if my accusations were false.”
“I hardly think it matters how much money my family has, but I’m almost positive it’s more than yours,” Katherine muttered under her breath. She kept her eyes on the floor, her long ebony hair blocking her sight of Jessica’s gaze.
“I have a nice car, that runs on electricity which is better for the environment,” Jessica glared at Katherine, holding a hand to her chest.
“We get it Jessica, you’re vegan and making a difference on the planet. Congratulations, no one cares,” Spikes scoffed throwing her hand into the air. “Everyone knows you don’t give a shit about animals or the planet. You’re just trying to be skinny and look good so you can continue to look down your nose at everyday people living their lives.”
Jessica rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder, “You’re just bitter cause I wouldn’t be your friend in middle school.”
“No, I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re a pretentious ass,” Katherine interrupted, “You can go now.”
Jessica glared at Katherine and took step forward only to find Spikes blocking her path, “You heard her. It’s time for you to go,” Spikes snarled. She grinned and cracked her knuckles.
“Whatever, I have what I need here anyways. Ciao,” Jessica winked, slapping Amy’s arm as she sauntered out of the room.
“Looks like we’re about to be the newest school-wide rumor,” Katherine sighed as she opened her laptop once more.
“I think I should get going,” Spike kept her head down as she shoved her things back into her backpack.
“Why?” Katherine frowned. Her hands shook as the hovered above the laptop’ keyboard. “Rumors suck, but it’s not true and it’ll fizzle out.”
“Look you may have time for it to fizzle, but I don’t,” Spikes barked at Kitty. Her copper eyes met Katherine’s sapphire ones just as she was about to exit. “I might stop by again. When things settle down.”
Katherine stood up to protest, but Spikes was already out the door.

Genesis 3- Never Alone

Katherine shook her head with disbelief as she took a seat at one of the outdoor benches at lunch time. Teenagers congregated together in patches of grass, beside trees, along hallways and anywhere else they could be while avoiding the other groups, and her. All day long people avoided her, stared, and passed whispers in the hallways. Whispers that none of them would know that she could hear. Most of them about herself, vicious rumors that she couldn’t even begin to fathom where they would have originated, but some had been about Spikes.
She pulled a book out of her backpack and turned it over in her hand. She stared at the pages while trying to workout some of the rumors she’d overheard in her head. It was only when she heard someone clear their throat that she realized someone was standing over her.
Spikes stared down at her, arms crossed over her chest, “Pretty sure I told you that I never wanted to see you again.”
Katherine set her book down beside her. She squinted through the sun in her eyes to look up at Spikes, “I’m pretty I told you that if you did see me again, that it was your problem not mine. I’m not even in your self proclaimed spot, so why don’t you leave me alone?”
“You know I had my people do some digging on you,” Spikes grinned and sat down beside Katherine. “Word on the street is you’re some kind of hot shot. Living it large in a giant mansion outside the city, and that’s why you’re late every morning.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Katherine’s eyes watched Spikes’s every movement. Strands of her ebony hair fell over her face as her sapphire eyes shifted to slits, “And you’re going to leave me alone before you find yourself in a world of hurt.”
“Look at that, the little kitty kat thinks she’s hot stuff. You’ve got nothing on me,” Spikes scoffed, tossing her short brown hair over her shoulder.
“You really believe that?” Katherine smirked, her own eyes began to glow as she stood from the table, “Cause I heard you're an orphan, that you live in a run down apartment all by yourself because the person taking care of you skipped town.”
Spikes stood up, fists clenched at her sides. Xander moved to step in between the two girls, but Spikes shoved him away.
“I told you, this bitch is mine,” Spikes growled, her left eye beginning to glow.
Katherine smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, “I thought that I had nothing on you?”
“You don’t.”
“Yes, I’m sure I don’t. That’s why you’re not so cocky anymore, right?” Katherine stepped closer to Spikes, “You’re not even worth letting a hair get out of place, Orphan.”
Spikes screamed and lunged at Katherine who easily side stepped her. Spikes turned back around, fists swinging only to have Katherine counter her swings. Spikes screamed again and swung her right arm for Katherine’s face. Katherine leaned back, dodging Spikes’s swing and aiming a kick into the dog’s chest.
Spikes coughed as she fell back, hunched over she gasped for air before Katherine grabbed her by the hair on the back of her neck and slammed Spikes’s face into her knee.
“What do you two think you’re doing?” A woman’s voice called out. Katherine jumped back, eyes wide as they fell on her art teacher’s fiery orange hair. Her brows wrinkled as she looked between the two girls, a soft sigh on her lips, “Carissa, what is this?”
“It’s nothing, Ms.Sinclair. I’m sorry for the trouble,” Spikes stood up straight. She lifted her chin as she met Ms.Sinclair’s crimson eyes.
“Seriously? You’re too proud to get me in trouble because it would mean admitting you lost?” Katherine almost laughed when Ms.Sinclair’s eyes narrowed on her.
“Lost what exactly, Katherine?” She crossed her arms and balanced her weight on her left foot as she waited for one of the girl’s to answer her.
Katherine lowered her eyes to her feet and her lower lip, “She jumped at me with intent to hurt me, so I fought back.”
“Only because you were being a cunt,” Spikes growled, her left eye still held a dull glow.
“I’m sorry, but who was it that approached me in the first place?” Katherine hissed as she took a step back.
“That is enough!” Ms.Sinclair shouted and stepped between to two girls. “I don’t care who started it or how this happened, but you are both receiving detention.”
“What?” Katherine and Spikes groaned in unison.
“I don’t want to hear it from either of you. Carissa, be grateful I’m dealing with this instead of sending you both to the principal’s office. You don’t need another suspension,” The teacher sighed pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “I’ll see you both in the art room at 3:30.”
Ms.Sinclair sighed as she walked away. Spike stood from the ground, glare fixed on Katherine, “Don’t think that this is over, Cat.”
“It is over, unless you want your ass kicked again,” Katherine hissed. She turned away from Spikes, picking up her unattended backpack and marched into the school before Spikes could respond.
...

Katherine sat hunched over in her seat, reading a book as she waited for her detention to end. She glanced above Ms.Sinclair’s head to where to the clock. Spikes was nine minutes late.
She flipped to the next page of her books as the door swung open, and Spikes stepped in. Spikes cast a glare in her direction before throwing herself into a seat across the classroom. Katherine rolled her eyes and tried to go back to reading if not for Ms.Sinclair clearing her throat.
“No that you’ve both finally arrived,” She spoke softly while eyeing Spikes, “We can get started. Unlike traditional detention, I don’t believe thirty minutes of silence will help or teach either of you. So instead we are going to take this time to get to know each other a little better.
Katherine’s shoulders fell as she sighed.The small sigh on her lips was slight compared to Spikes’s outburst “Are you kidding me? What do you hope to accomplish? A spoiled brat like her could never understand, let alone get along with me.”
“At least I’m willing to try,” Katherine muttered under her breath
Ms.Sinclair sighed softly once again holding the bridge of her nose between her fingers, “How about you both either cooperate or you have detention twice a week for the rest of the month?”
“That’s hardly fair,” Kitty protested. She stood from her seat and moved closer to where Ms.Sinclair leaned against her desk. “I’m willing to try. Spikes-Carissa, whatever, is the one being difficult right now.”
“Are you girls hungry?” Ms.Sinclair asked. She stood up from her desk, walking to the back corner of the room and pulled a small carton from the fridge. “Don’t tell the principal, but I snuck in a mini-fridge. I get rather peckish throughout the day.”
She held out the open carton filled with strawberries. Katherine grinned and took two. They both looked to Spikes’s seat expectantly. Katherine frowned when she still didn’t move. She grabbed a strawberry from the carton and walked over to Spikes’s desk.
“I’m sorry,” Katherine’s voice was soft as she held out the strawberry, “I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was just some stupid rumors I overheard throughout the day. I didn’t imagine they’d be true.”
Spikes looked up at her, glaring through the bangs that covered her eyes, “Just because I was ready to fight you, doesn’t mean they were true.”
“That doesn’t change that it was wrong,” Katherine set the strawberry down on Spikes’s desk and took a step back. “I’m not asking you to be my friend, but could you at least work with me so we don’t have to keep coming back here?”
Spikes looked up at her and back to the strawberry on her desk. She sighed as she took the strawberry in her hand and stood from her seat “Only because we aren’t friends.”
Katherine grinned and nearly skipped back to Nadine. She popped another strawberry in her mouth as she took a seat on top of a desk near Nadine.
“So you know each other’s names so let’s try something like favorite colors,” Nadine smiled and handed Spikes a strawberry as she took a seat beside Katherine.
“Aqua, or turquoise, or any blue green type of shade really,” Katherine responded almost gleefully.
Spikes crossed her arms over her chest, brows wrinkled as she looked off to the side, “Purple.”
Katherine covered her mouth to keep from laughing, “That’s not a very badass color.”
“Well aqua isn’t exactly a sophisticated color,” Spikes rolled her eyes. Ms.Sinclair’s smile grew as she watched the two girls interact. Their insults became less harsh and more friendly teasing, Katherine reacted less aggressively, and Spikes had even smiled twice.
“Alright girls, it’s time for me to release you,” Ms.Sinclair set the empty carton on her desk behind her before facing the girls again, “But feel free to stop by after school any time for snacks, and for conversation.”
“Thanks,” Spikes scoffed. She quickly jumped from the desk and made her way out of the classroom. Katherine frowned as she watched her exit the room. She turned back to Ms.Sinclair with a smile on her lips, “Thank you. This really felt a lot more productive than a normal detention would have been.”
“Katherine I have always believed that conversation, even if loud, is better than silence,” Nadine explained. She stepped around her desk and sat down in her seat, “Thank you for your effort today, and please do stop by anytime.”
“I will,” Katherine grinned as she picked up her things from the floor. “I’ll see you later!”
Katherine skipped out of the room and down the hall. She inhaled deeply as she opened the school door and stepped into the sunlight. She quickly called for a taxi, surprised when she glanced over and caught sight of Spikes arguing with the guy with a mo-hawk. Katherine opened her mouth to call out to them, but shook her head when she saw Spikes shove his shoulder. She didn’t know them. It was best if she didn’t get involved.