Inches Away - Chapter Eight

A week had past since that day they hung at Matty’s place. Cathryn was staring at her ceiling ever since she had woken up that Wednesday. She stayed in her black basketball shorts and her red tank top. Each moment she was with Bliss it always became awkward.
“Cathryn?”
Speaking of Bliss...
He knocked a couple of times on her closed door before walking in and walked a couple of steps in.
“What’s up?”
“Matty’s coming over in a second. We’re going to buy some school supplies. Coming?”
“Sure...” Cathryn stood up as Bliss walked out.

She got off her butt for the first time that day and switched her tank top with a white colored cami, and put on a grey shirt that has turquoise, green, blue hearts spread all over it. It came with a hood in the back, and has the top front of the cami showing. To finish it off she took out her black flip flops and kept her hair in a high messy bun.

“Cathryn!” Cathryn snapped back to reality and bumped into someone’s back and fell onto the ground, landing on her butt.
“Ow…Oh! Sorry Bliss,” she looks up to see Bliss’ head looking behind him at her with the cart in front of him. He sighs before turning around completely and helped Cathryn back up.

“Wow, you’re more of a klutz than I thought you were,” a familiar high-pitched voice said.

Cathryn and Bliss looked behind them to see Becca Michaelson once more before the school year started, and along with her three other so called “friends”…in other words: followers, tag-alongs, people who are just being nice so they get to be part of the fame. Ah…Rebecca Steiner: 17, blond hair, brown eyes, high cheekbones, with pale skin, and standing at 5’6. She’s the bubbliest one of them all. Taryn Armstrong: soon to be 17, curly brown hair, dark blue eyes, with tan skin along with freckles, standing at 5’8. She’s the smartest and most sarcastic of them all. But she’s also the easiest to get along with out of the mob. Then there’s Lisa Cole: Soon to be 17, dirty blond hair, big green/gray eyes, with nice skin. Now Lisa has the most random sense of humor you’ll ever meet.
Each of them had some sort of slut-looking outfit…Cathryn was surprised their parents actually let them out in public dressed like…like…sluts. Gross how can they actually feel comfortable with guys undressing them with their eyes?? Oh right because they’re sluts. But seriously, it may be the summer time but you can’t wear mini skirts that are that…small….and short…and blinding…
“Oh dear God…I think my eyes have been scarred for life,” Matty cursed.
“Yours…AND mine,” Bliss shivered.

“Oh psh, you’re just jealous of my awesome skills,” Cathryn said back.
“Skills of being a klutz? Yeah right,” Lisa spoke.
“Better than having the skills of being a whore…” Matty mumbled.
“Haha right on Matty!” Bliss high five her while the popular group of McKay High stood there, unaware of Matty’s comment.
“In ANY case, if you’ll excuse us we got some shopping to do,” Cathryn grabbed Bliss’ arm as he pushed the cart filled with notebooks, pencils, three calculators, and random objects that weren’t exactly necessary.
“You two are excused, but Bliss…I don’t think so,” Becca spoke.

Matty stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.
“What did you say?” she tested them.
“You two are excused,” Rebecca, repeated what Becca said.
“But Bliss isn’t,” Taryn backed them up.
“Ya know what? I’m tired of you two bitching at us!” Matty started making her way towards them but was soon stopped by Cathryn.

“Matty…” Cathryn warned.
“Cathryn…” Matty whined.
“What did we talk about?” Cathryn had a motherly-tone.
“Don’t cuss, don’t pick up any fights, don’t sink to their level, and don’t even bother,” Matty repeated the rules that had came out of her mouth countless times in the past three years since high school started.
“Exactly so scoot your tooshy that way,” Cathryn turned Matty around and guided her forward.
“Do you always listen to Cathryn?” Becca snarled.
The girls stopped in their tracks and only Cathryn turned back around to face them.
“You know what Becca? Why don’t you just take what’s coming out of your mouth and shove it up your—”
“OKAY! Becca. Rebecca. Lisa. Taryn. Bye. Cathryn…come on,” Bliss held her in one arm and covered her mouth with the other.

Matty started gripping the handles to the cart real hard as her ears fumed. Well not really, but if she was in Harry Potter 3, eating that piece of candy that Harry ate…steam would be coming out. Bliss didn’t let her go till they walked into a new hallway of the shop.

“You want to explain anything?” Bliss asked.
“About those female dogs who seriously want to murder me in my sleep?” Cathryn muttered out.
“I mean why you’ve been so distant lately. You’ve been in your daydreaming state since that night at Matty’s,” he spoke as Matty walked ahead when she spotted some binders that she needed.
“I just got a lot on my mind, that’s all,” Cathryn replied as she walked on ahead as well and joined Matty.

What was on Cathryn’s mind were the two kisses she had with Bliss and Blake. She’s been trying to avoid them the whole time until now. Sure she can avoid Blake, but Bliss…there was no way around considering the fact that she LIVES with the guy. Cathryn zoned out, for the third time since she left the house this morning, as she thought about what Bliss said to her in the hallway.

*Flashback*
“Um Cathryn can I talk to you in the hallway for a second?” Bliss asked as he pointed to a random hallway nearby.
“Huh? Oh yeah uh sure,” Cathryn slowly got up with a dazed look and followed Bliss.

They walked off into an unlit hallway and Bliss stopped with a sigh before turning around to face Cathryn. They stared into each other’s eyes for God knows how long until Bliss finally broke the silent war their eyes were causing.
“Did you feel anything when we kissed?” Bliss nervously asked.
Cathryn hesitated before she slowly started to nod her head.
“Yeah, I did. It was a like…”
“A jolt of electricity flowing throughout your body while your mind went blank,” Bliss finished.
“Exactly,” Cathryn noticed she was staring at the ground, but finally looked up to see Bliss’ face only inches away.

Bliss started to lean down towards Cathryn, and just when they were about to kiss, Blake decided to cut in with a “Hurry up you two! We don’t have all decade!”
A sigh came out of Bliss’ lips as they walked back out to the living room where Matty and Blake was.
*End Flashback*

Cathryn snapped back from the memory as she saw some snapping fingers in front of her face. She jumped a little before turning around to see Matty giving her a strange “Are you okay?” expression. She nodded before they started to finish off their school supply shopping.
That night, the God or Dreamer dude or whoever gives dreams to people, decided to drop by Cathryn’s room. Her dream had her tossing and turning all over. And most of all, it had her entirely confused even more than ever before if that was even possible..

[[Dream]]
Cathryn was running as fast as she could from something that was chasing her, not knowing what it was, until she saw the diner. She ran through the diner looking for anyone that was there. No one was found. She ran into the kitchen and bumped into something while she felt someone grab her wrists. Cathryn looked up and saw two emerald greens eyes.
‘Blake!’ Cathryn half-yelled.
‘Cathryn, there’s something I must tell you,’ he spoke, ‘I— ’
‘Cathryn! Where have—what is he doing here?’ Bliss walked over to them and saw how Blake was holding on to Cathryn.
‘This is important, so if you could just go back to where you came from…’ Blake said.
There was a hint of anger in his voice, and Cathryn noticed it. She looked up at Blake, then at Bliss, and back at Blake.
‘Look guys, I uh…got to get going so—’ Blake who decided to plant a deep kiss onto her lips interrupted Cathryn.
A bright light flashed in her mind as she opened her eyes to see that she was no longer at the diner, but at the YMCA. Cathryn made a 360-degree turn before she advanced forward looking around for any sign of anyone being here. Where did Blake and Bliss go?
‘Cathryn!’ Cathryn turned around to see Bliss standing a few feet away.
‘Bliss? Where’d you go?’ Cathryn asked as she closed their distance between them.
‘What do you mean? I didn’t go anywhere. Whatever, in any case there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for so long,’ Bliss paused before continuing, ‘Ever since—’
‘Bliss, get away from her,’ Blake’s voice stopped Bliss, causing him to turn around to find Blake standing there.
‘You guys, what’s going on? You bo—’ Cathryn wanted to clear things up but couldn’t.
‘There’s no time to explain. But just remember Cathryn, I will always be there for you,’ Bliss crashed his lips down onto her own before another bright light flashed.
[[End Dream]]

Cathryn jolted up, waking up from her alarm clock that was playing “Love Like This” by Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston. What kind of dream was that? Kissing both Blake and Bliss? The blinding light flashes? This did NOT help Cathryn’s situation whatsoever.

"Crap."