Cat sipped her coffee and shrugged, leaning against the counter. “I guess? That’s how it’s supposed to be, right? Graduate high school, move on to college or whatever. That’s what Lizzy and Derek did. I think mom gave up on the idea of me going to college a long time ago.”
She set her coffee cup on the counter and ran a hand through her hair. “I think she’s just glad I’m not like, a lush and pregnant, or working as a stripper or something.”
A rare melancholy look came over her face before she caught herself, replacing it quickly with a smile at the taller blond. “But enough of my bitching, I heard a rumor you got a new car. I wanna see!”
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗧 𝗔 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗙. Despite never being involved with his birth parents, Alice Creel is a girl that he was compared to during the unfortunate reunion with his mother. Even though she’s younger than him and different in almost every way imaginable, Virginia had still waxed poetics about the fact that, even if she had it in her to open her heart to a demon, he’d never be able to live up to the posterity and glamour of her beloved daughter.
He wonders if Cat gets cast in the shadows of her family members in very much the same way, or whether they exist in two different realms of darkness.
❝ Well, you’re not Lizzy, or Derek. You’re you. It’s alright to do things differently. ❞ It’s a careful response, though one he makes with conviction. He certainly doesn’t want to come across as if he’s preaching, especially not to somebody of Cat’s easy-going temperament, but he would have killed to have someone tell him something similar back when he was agonising about his place in the world. It can be difficult to free yourself from the shade of another person’s accomplishments— especially when the person who achieved it is somebody you ‘should’ be striving to be.
The shift to the car has him blinking, head slowly shaking. ❝ Me? Not me. I’ve been dealing with the same ride for half a decade at this point. Why fix what isn’t broken? ❞ Though, he understands where the mix-up might be. ❝ I recently accompanied Chrissy to get herself a vehicle— maybe a week or so ago. It’s the most darling thing you’ve ever seen. ❞ He makes a pinching motion with his thumb and forefinger, the way one might nip their grandchild’s cheek. ❝ It’s aaa… Bobcat, I believe, if my memory serves me correctly? You might want to ask her to take you on a joy-ride at some point. She’s in love with the thing and is looking for excuses to roll in it. ❞
