Tell Me Your Troubles [Cat]

[Estelle Flores]

Estelle, despite having graduated, still found herself at Hammel a lot. Particularly because she still lived close by with her cousin and happened to have some friends still attending the Institute. Like Cat.

They sort of had formed their own little book club after a while, meeting with cookies or chips or whatever, to talk about different books they'd read. This week, they were meeting at Cat's dorm. Estelle made it there right on time, knocking at her friend's door.

"Hey!" She greeted cheerfully, "how's it going? I brought Goldfish crackers because I was seriously running low on the snack foods."

[Catherine Novella]

It was her last year here at Hammel. Really she should have graduated this year, but powers wasn't allowing it. INstead she was taking some college courses online. Either way she was still stuck at Hammel.

One perk of it though was that she could still continue the mini book club that she and Estelle had formed. It was by far, her favorite part of the week. It wasn't anything fancy just something that let them to gather. At the knock Cat got up and let her in.

" Hello Estelle" Cat wasn't in a cheerful mood but she wasn't going to let estelle know that. "It is fine." Cat had tea in the room ready and waiting.

[Estelle Flores]

Hm. Cat wasn't being as talkative as usual. The other girl was nowhere near the obnoxious chatterbox Estelle was, but she was still being pretty quiet today. Estelle tilted her head to the side and tried to figure out if she should ask.

She never did know what to do in this situation. She figured she would just keep talking and see what happened.

"Oh yay, you made tea." She smiled. "You are the tea-master, it is you." She settled into her customary chair, examining Cat closely. Hm....

"Okay so hypothetically speaking, just throwing this out there," Estelle's voice was gentler now, but still light, trying not to put too much pressure on Cat, "if there happened to be something upsetting you, we could talk about it. Or we could not! Either way, I am here and willing to listen."

That should do it, right? She hoped she wasn't making anything awkward here. She wondered what Dr. Neville would say in this instance. He always knew what to say.

[Catherine Novella]

She hoped she wasn't being too... out there away from her normal self. The truth was she was still a bit shaken up about what had happened with Eli, and then in consequence with Sean.

She just wanted to get her mind off of it. Estelle would be the one to take her mind off of it hopefully.

At her words Cat could only grin. "Thank you." She gave Estelle her mug and took her in her hands as well, sipping it. "I used the microwave downstairs. " It was the easiest way to make it without an oven top.

What she wasn't prepared for though was what came out of Estelle's mouth next. Wincing she gave a sigh and looked over at her friend. "Thank you... I just... have had a long week." Everything was happening so fast. Her whole life was slipping away.

"How about we talk about you instead?" Cat gave a small grin and looked over at her. She was sure Estelle could talk about something other then Cat.

[Estelle Flores]

"Ah, the microwave! Smart!" She grinned happily, taking her mug. "Thanks. I will be sure to use your wisdom at home. It takes forever to heat at the kettle." She wasn't actually sure if it took that much longer but it sure felt like it did.

"Ohh." Estelle's lips twisted sympathetically. "I'm sorry. Long weeks are the worst." But she was willing to let it slide if that was what Cat wanted.

"There's not much to talk about with me! Ahm..." She pursed her lips in thought. "I am really nervous about college?" She laughed quietly. "I mean it will be totally rad, I know, but still. I'm living with my cousin so I don't have to pay for housing. She is totally nice you will have to meet her sometime. She says you are always welcome for dinner."

[Catherine Novella]

Cat gave a small grin before looking at her. "Put it in for two minutes and thirty seconds if you want it piping hot." That was how she liked her tea anyway. It was much easier then using the kettle. At least it was to her.

Estelle didn't even know the half of it. "I'm fine." Or she would be. Hopefully. "I just really hate people who stick their nose where it doesn't belong." Off the top of her head she could think of two.

Cat listened as Estelle talked about what was going on in her life. " I wish I could have graduated...Stupid powers." She gave a small smile though. "That would be nice." She had yet to meet her aunt and was looking forward to it actually. "What do you want to do in college?"

[Estelle Flores]

"Two minutes, thirty...got it." Estelle nodded, committing the directions to memory.

Estelle grimaced sympathetically. "Oh no! Agh, I am sorry. Anyone in particular?" she didn't know if she was supposed to ask, but she figured Cat could always deflect if she didn't want to explain. But Estelle was worried! She didn't want people to be nosing around her friend's business if Cat didn't want them there. That was rude.

She hoped she wasn't being too nosy herself.

"Ah, I know what you mean though. I'm shocked I was able to graduate on time with the hot mess I was a few years ago." Estelle hadn't been in a very good place when she began Hammel. But now she was so much better.

"I think I want to do business." Estelle said with a sheepish grin. "I wanna own my own bookstore, you know? Nothing too ridiculously fancy, but nice enough. I figure business will help me." She looked over her mug at Cat. "What about you? What do you wanna do when you go to college?"

[Catherine Novella]

Good. She was going to remember it.

Cat found herself letting her hair fall in her face. She didn't really want to talk about it, but she trusted Estelle. Probably one of the only people she did trust. "Mr. Morrison and Doctor Neville. I don't need pity and I don't need people sticking their noses into my personal business." She wouldn't accept help. Not from them.

Oh Estelle wasn't the nosy one. They were.

Cat nodded in sympathy with her friend. "I'm taking some courses online." It was easier and way cheaper anyway. "My powers still don't want to listen to me" Estelle had an inkling to that anyway.

This was the first time Cat was hearing of this. Frankly it made her smile. "That sounds good." She had considered doing that, but thought being a librarian was better in the end. "I want to go get my masters in Library Science..." She laughed at the thought. "It will take me a long while though.

[Estelle Flores]

Estelle's eyes grew shocked and wide. "Oh no. What...what happened?" She couldn't imagine Dr. Neville being anything but helpful and kind, as he had been with her. And she didn't know Eli Morrison very well, but he seemed like a generally nice guy as well. This was all very shocking to her! "Er. If you don't mind me asking."

"Ah, I know how that is." Estelle nodded sympathetically. "Powers can be such a pain."

"Oh man you will be like, the most perfect librarian though." Estelle grinned at the thought. "It's like you were made for that." And it was true. If there was anybody in the world perfectly suited for being a librarian, it would be Cat.

[Catherine Novella]

" Its.... a long story..." Cat looked down. "I'm sorry Estelle." She really shouldn't be talking about these things. It would only lead her friend to worry. Sighing she nodded when asked what happened. "Mr. Morrison betrayed me... and then when He and I were discussing the matter, well Dr. Neville butted in and now I have to go for sessions." She didn't like this one bit. "I don't trust him and I don't get why he stud his nose in my personal business."

At least someone understood. cat gave a small smiled towards her friend. "Yes, I agree to that statement."

Cat hid her small smile behind her hair with a grin. "Thanks..." Really it was all she had wanted to do since she was little. Be a librarian. " Specifically a children's librarian." That was the ultimate goal at least. She wanted to make reading fun, and make kids enjoy it. Learn to love it as she did.

[Estelle Flores]

"No, you don't have to apologize." Estelle hastily reassured her friend. She didn't say anything else as Cat continued her story. Estelle's expression was one of worry and conflict. She didn't know what to think about any of this! "Do you mind if I ask what Mr. Morrison did? You don't have to tell me if you don't want!" She was just really worried about her friend. She wanted to make sure it wasn't anything too serious, even though it looked pretty serious indeed.

"But uh." she didn't know how to do this. "If it makes you feel any better, Dr. Neville's pretty trustworthy? He won't use your stuff against you, if you know what I mean." That had been pretty important when she had been sent to Dr. Neville.

She did have to smile, though, when she heard Cat's plans. "You'd be pretty much the best children's librarian in the whole world." She nodded decisively.

[Catherine Novella]

Ah there was the low point. She looked over anther friend as her voice went into that broken, monotone voice she had. "I trusted him...I allowed myself to believe that I could be friends with him and he broke that trust. I told him things in confidence that he would just listen and he acted upon them. I know I'm poor, but really, I don't need anyone's pity." All the while Cat nursed her tea, trying to not think about the whole situation. "Why is it the people I put my trust in end up betraying me Estelle?" Oh this wasn't good. She was very close to crying.

"How is he trustworthy?" There was nothing about that man that made him trustworthy. Especially to someone like Cat who didn't trust people easily. Someone who messed with other's business wasn't trustworthy. "He needs to stay out of my business."

Now she was blushing. Smiling and looking down she nodded. It really was what she wanted to do. Especially story hour. That was the most fun. "Thanks." Her voice was barely above a whisper but she did appreciate it.

[Estelle Flores]

Oh.

Estelle was no stranger to pity herself. She didn't have much, and she had mostly given up on her mother ever reaching out to her again. She knew what it was like to have people look at you different, or try to do you favors because they felt bad for you. So Estelle set down her tea and scooted over so she was sitting next to Cat. Close enough that their shoulders were bumping into each other, but enough distance that Cat didn't have to feel trapped by a hug. Usually she would try to hug it out, but she wasn't sure if Cat was a huggy person.

"I'm sorry." She said simply. "I'm sorry. I....sometimes people don't live up to expectations, I guess. And there's..really nothing worse than when they don't. I am glad we're friends." She said this as an offer of trust. "You can trust me if you want."

"He. Um." Estelle rubbed the back of her neck. "Hm... He's trustworthy because he...he wants to help. Sometimes that is nice." She looked at Cat, "but I don't think it helps much if you don't want to be there though. I'm sorry for that too. You should only do stuff when you're ready to talk about them!"

[Catherine Novella]

Cat really didn't want to be talking about this.

She hated pity. She hated the fact that someone she liked, trusted, had broken that. She hated herself for being so stupid as to actually think she could trust someone. She barely noticed when Estelle came over. She didn't want to burden her friend. Didn't want her friend to run away either. Silently she laid her head on Estelle's shoulder, just sort of leaning against her. Before she knew it Cat reached up and felt tears falling down her face. "Sorry... It seems I am crying..." She hated herself for crying.

She was surprised bought when Estelle began to talk. It wasn't as if she wanted anyone's pity and the words she was saying shocked her. "I...I do trust you... that is why I am telling you..." Otherwise Cat wouldn't even be here right now. Estelle, now that Eli was on the no talk list, was one of only friends. She didn't want to lose her over something so simple. "Why are you friends with me?" TO others it might be an odd question, but frankly Cat didn't really see anything good about herself in that moment. Certainly nothing to deserve Estelle as a friend.

Cat stared at her friend as she tried to explain. "But I don't want his help..." That was the problem. She didn't want his help. Didn't need his help. "I'm not hurting anyone, I don't cause problems, and I am not a disruption. Plus my grades are stellar. Why does he have to interfere?" She didn't want to interact with him. it just wasn't right. " yea well he doesn't give me a choice."

[Estelle Flores]

Estelle didn’t think Cat was being a burden at all. Sometimes life was just hard. Estelle knew that just as well as anyone else. She rested her head on Cat’s and looped an arm around her friend’s shoulders when she started to cry. “It’s okay,” she reassured Cat. “Crying isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It means you’ve been strong for a really long time!” She didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with crying, but she also knew that sometimes people didn’t feel the same way. “And anyways, you can cry with me. What are friends for?”

“Because I enjoy your company. You listen to me when I’m sad and you make me laugh.” Estelle answered readily. “I like hanging out with you! And I hope you like hanging out with me too, because you’re pretty great.”

“I don’t know.” Estelle said finally. “I don’t know. Maybe he wants to help. I guess that doesn’t make it right, when you don’t want help. I wish I had a solution for you.”