#28: February Table of Doom
Title: Can't Go Back Now
Prompt(s) Used: Big Red, Stairs to Everywhere, All Tied Up, The Perfect Crime, In the Ballroom with the __________, Jump as High as You Can, I'll Make You Regret This!, Fatal Flaw, Forgotten,Left Behind, I'll Take You Both On!, Just a Flesh Wound, Please Don't Kill Me, Completely Dense, Eat Battery Acid, You Slime! - Stephen King's It
Word Count: 3432
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): mentions Artie/ Kitty
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: When Kitty's older sister steals something precious, Kitty must travel to New York to retrieve it and face the past.
"What do you think?"
Artie turned his phone so Kitty could see the new apartment that he shared with Sam and Blaine. Artie had tried to laugh when he explained how they'd done all of the hard labor of setting everything up and he just sat there. Kitty had just smiled. She had to admit, the results were pretty nice, especially for a guys’ apartment. They had a brand new leather couch and several framed paintings. After a minute, Artie turned the screen back towards him so he could see Kitty's reaction. She cocked an eyebrow. "I see you already have your playstation all set up."
"Of course! Don't you know the real reason I got my own place was to play Grand Theft Auto uninterrupted?"
Kitty just chuckled. Sam looked up from his place the couch and said, "This isn't just your apartment."
"Excuse me," Artie rolled his eyes, mostly for Kitty's benefit. "This is a private conversation."
"Maybe go to a private location," Sam mocked. It was so unlike him to be outright rude like that, but honestly Kitty thought he was probably having problems adjusting to the big city. She couldn’t imagine living there, she didn't have the patience. In New York, it seems like everything happens in a second, but she had lived there.
She knew it was really just that the motion never stops. It takes so much time to get anything done in the big city. Getting a job, buying groceries, pushing through a crowd all require tons of effort. Kitty should have been glad she didn’t have to deal with it, but as she looked at Artie, his big smile and his new surroundings, she only felt left behind.
Artie shook his head and looked back at Kitty. "I'd better go anyway. Kurt is coming by with Blaine for dinner to celebrate the big day."
Kitty smiled. "Yeah, I was gonna wish you good luck."
“Right, the first day,” Artie kind of smirked, but honestly, he just looked doubtful. Kitty still had a few weeks left until high school started again, but Junior year would be nothing compared to what Artie was looking forward to in film school.
“Are you nervous?”
He shrugged, “I guess I just don’t know what to expect. I don’t know anything yet, besides where the elevators are located. Sometimes I just wonder if I’m making a huge mistake,” he said softly.
Kitty just shook her head. "Don’t worry, you’ll be amazing.”
“Thanks,” He had to smile.
“And hey, I'm gonna miss you around here. I don’t want you to end up back here one day on some crazy media tour and say you’ve forgotten all about this place."
"That’s never gonna happen,” he chuckled. “Hey, don't worry. I'll be home for Thanksgiving.”
They hadn't made any promises. They hadn't broken up yet exactly, but Kitty was a popular cheerleader and Artie was in New York City. Who knew what might happen? "Still..." She trailed off.
Artie nodded, knowing what she was thinking. "Still." Artie hoped she would be there when he came back. He reluctantly ended the Skype call with a promise to text her after his classes the next day.
==
As Kitty unlocked her front door the next day, she fell through the doorway and dropped her gym bag and the rest of her stuff on the floor. She sighed and stretched a little. It had been a long day of cheerleading practice, with the usual drama. She looked through the dark hallway, looking for any sign of life. The house seemed to be deserted.
Suddenly, she noticed an envelope on the end table, hand addressed to her, without a stamp. She picked it up and just held it for a moment. It could be something from Artie. He was the type of person who would write a letter and arrange for it to be delivered a week later… But delivered by whom? No one had the key to her house. Kitty shivered, hesitated for another moment and ripped open the envelope. She unfolded the thin piece of paper and read.
Dear Katherine,
I was passing through Lima and I decided to pay dad a visit. He gave me something that I think might belong to you. Check the picture. I know we had a promise, but you have broken that promise. You know where to find me to come get it back.
Love,
Nicole
Kitty shook the envelope and sure enough, a small snapshot fell out onto the floor. She picked it up and gasped. It was her one fatal flaw, the one thing she always kept hidden in a shoebox in the corner of her closet.
The picture showed a stuffed kitty cat, missing one of its eyes.
==
It would be stupid for Kitty to pack up, miss a few days of practice and go to New York just to get back her cat, so that’s exactly what she did. She watched the scenery go by while she sat on the Greyhound bus, listening to her favorite songs by Big Red. It seemed like every one of their songs was set to an upbeat tune, but was really dark, so you might not even notice. You’ll never know just what you mean to me/ So just leave me here and let me be. That was how Kitty felt sometimes, when it felt like everyone had left her.
She tried to shake off the feeling. It wasn’t even real, she told herself. She thought about what her sister Nikki had wrote. The promise, of course. Kitty had known exactly what she was doing when she broke it, but she had just been so tempted to test fate. After all these years, she saw it as a peace offering, but she supposed her sister saw it differently. She had felt threatened enough to take something that could never be replaced.
Of course Kitty had to go to New York and try to get it back. There was no other option but to talk to Nikki in person. Nikki could be so completely dense, but Kitty could only hope she would finally listen to reason and give back the cat. It was the only sacred thing Kitty had left.
By the time Kitty got to Port Authority, it was the middle of the night. Kitty was exhausted and she would give anything to avoid her sister right now, but she really had no choice. None of her friends had room to host her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a text, hoping the older girl was still awake.
Her phone rang seconds later. “Hello?” Kitty answered, trying to stay calm.
“So you made it to New York.” Nikki sounded wide awake.
“Yeah. I’m sorry to call you so late, but-”
“You need a place to crash.” It wasn’t a question.
“Well, yeah, that’s what I was hoping. Can I come over?”
“Well… I suppose I can’t let my little sister freeze to death, now can I?”
Kitty was too tired to argue that she wasn’t going to freeze in August. She just hopped on the train and headed to Brooklyn.
She tried not to fall asleep on her way there, she was exhausted. Kitty was surprised she still knew the trains so well. She could probably guide Artie anywhere he needed to go. That reminded her she hadn’t even texted Artie to tell him she was in the city yet. She would do it later, once she felt alive again. She got off at the old stop. The old neighborhood looked exactly the same, a bit run down, scraps of tin, scraggly trees and garbage somehow holding everything together. The wood paneled row house looked exactly the same. Three stories, a steep roof and flight of concrete stairs to everywhere. She couldn’t believe she was actually back here.
Her mind flashed back unwillingly. A blond haired woman, young and healthy, screaming at them to get out... a coffin.
Kitty knocked on the door, not really considering how late it was. Not even a minute later, a young woman answered the door. She was wearing pajama pants and an ivy league tee-shirt. She just stared at Kitty. “I was hoping you would come.”
“Why’d you take it?” Kitty demanded.
“Come in,” Nikki held open the door for her younger sister. Kitty rolled her eyes and ducked under Nikki’s arm into the house.
Kitty set down her stuff and looked up at Nikki. “Well, what happened? Why were you even in Ohio?”
Nikki narrowed her eyes, looking at her carefully. “You’re not even going to say hello to me?”
“You stole something that belongs to me.”
“Don’t make me the villain here. I thought we had a promise.”
“Yeah, but I thought things were different now.”
Nikki just shook her head. “They’re not. They could never be. Look, I don’t want to talk about this now. There’s nothing we can do about it tonight. So why don’t you just go to sleep.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore. Stop treating me like I am.”
“Maybe stop acting like one and I will.”
Kitty was frustrated. She just sighed and looked around. “I’m sleeping on the couch in the den?”
“Of course. I assume you still know your way around this place. It was your home too, after all.”
Kitty picked up her bag, almost ready to just ignore her sister. She turned suddenly. “I can manage, this place hasn’t changed at all.”
“Good night, Kitty,” But Nikki’s smile was almost sinister.
“Please don’t kill me in my sleep.”
The smirk just stayed on her face. “Now why would I ever do something like that?”
Kitty just sighed and headed towards the couch.
==
Kitty’s phone buzzed bright and early, waking her up . It was a text from Artie. Why are you in NYC?
How did u know?
I saw your pic on facebook.
Oops, was going to text u. Here to visit my sis.
As if on cue, Nikki came into the room and rose an eyebrow at Kitty. “Get up. We’re going on a field trip.
Send backup, she texted Artie.
He quickly replied. Sorry, I can’t. All tied up in class. Good luck.
Kitty sighed and looked up at Nikki. “Where are we going?”
Nikki didn’t bother answering. “Just get dressed and come on. I don’t have all day.”
Kitty did as she was told and soon enough, she found herself back on the subway. They took a familiar route, one that could have led anywhere, from Times Square to the Bronx Zoo or the baseball stadium, with one simple transfer. She had forgotten how it easy it was to get around the city. The subway looked the same as it always did, even if they had cleaned up the stations and trains a little. There were the same plastic orange seats, a layer of grime that nothing could wash away. Kitty had no idea what she was doing here, she just didn’t belong in the city. Everyone said it was a land of endless dreams, but Kitty would rather have the open fields than open possibilities. But even though she could never imagine living in the city, she had known it was Artie’s dream, so of course she had encouraged him to go.
The train soon pulled up to the Prospect Park station and Nikki just nodded her head. “Let’s go.”
“Prospect Park?” Kitty asked, following Nikki closely. Even though the train was not crowded in the post rush hour haze, Nikki walked quickly and Kitty didn’t want to get lost. She looked up at the black MTA sign, directing the flow of traffic. “Are we transferring to the shuttle?”
“Just… stop asking questions,” Nikki just kept walking. They went through the turnstiles and up out onto the streets near the park.
Nikki turned up Flatbush Avenue and Kitty actually had to jog a couple steps to catch up with her. “Where are we going? If this is a trap, I’ll make you regret this! I have a bunch of friends who live here now, I could have them come down here in a second.” Kitty snapped her fingers, even though that probably wasn’t even true. She knew everyone was preoccupied. The only people who could come were maybe Santana and Sam and why would they come help her out? As far as she knew, Santana had never even really liked her.
Nikki laughed at Kitty’s expense and led them towards the entrance of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Suddenly, it all made sense. Nikki stopped under a large tree. “You know why we’re here, don’t you?”
“How could I forget?” Kitty asked.
Nikki just shook her head. “You thought it would be the perfect crime, didn’t you? You were determined to go and ruin everything.”
“It wasn’t my fault!”
“I think we’re remembering things differently. If you will, please follow me to the scene of the crime.”
The gardens were nearly empty in the summer heat. Kitty barely even bothered to pause and look around the small but wonderful space. It was like a sad little solise in the heart of the city. It was the only green space for miles, and that wasn’t saying much. This place was tiny. Nikki kept walking quickly through the gardens and finally stopped in front of a glass building. Kitty actually gasped. It was exactly how she remembered it. “No,” she breathed.
Nikki looked up at Kitty. “Do you remember now?”
Kitty just kept shaking her head. “No, I can’t believe it. I think I’m remembering it all wrong. Let’s go inside.”
“Fortunately, I called in a few favors,” Nikki smirked, like she was actually enjoying this.
They walked up to the glass door and Nikki easily pulled it open, revealing a large ballroom. Kitty’s mind couldn’t help flashing back.
Suddenly, she was in the ballroom with the bride. She was a little girl, her hair done up in curls. Her long dress flowed loosely and she couldn’t stop twirling around. There was a large crowd, but she was confident she knew her place. She could sprawl out on the floor, as little girls tend to do at weddings, and it would be OK. She looked around at her family, all of them in matching dresses. All of her aunts, cousins and extended family had come to celebrate. And right in the center of everything vwas her sister in a white gown and their mother, still alive.
Kitty looked around the empty ballroom. It was ten years later and she still couldn’t get the image out of her head. “Why did you bring me here?” She looked over at Nikki.
“This was all your fault.”
Kitty shook her head, “No. It was just an accident… I was a little kid.”
Nikki narrowed her eyes. “It was my wedding. It should have been perfect, instead, I lost everything. I can’t believe you would try to deny that.”
“I’m not. I just… I don't know what to say. I don’t know why you had to bring it up now, after all this time. I’m doing OK in Ohio. Maybe most of my friends are here now, but that’s fine. People actually care about me. They don’t know what happened.”
“I guess you wanted to ruin that." Nikki just studied her little sister. "I can’t believe you would try to friend me on facebook.”
She looked down and muttered, “Like I said, I was just trying to make amends.”
Nikki reached out and picked up her sister's chin. “Nothing you do can make amends or make up for what I’ve lost." Kitty pulled away, but she kept eye contact. "I told you I didn’t want to talk to you ever again. I really meant ever. And guess what? All your little friends would have found out what happened if I had accepted your friend request.”
“You wouldn’t really do that, would you?” Now it was Kitty’s turn to be skeptical.
“And why not? This wasn’t just a flesh wound, this was my whole life, wrecked in an instant.”
Kitty looked down at the polished wood floors, over into the corners, anywhere but at her sister. “Look, I think it was a mistake of me to come to New York.”
“You think?” She was sarcastic.
“Let me just take my cat and get out of your hair. I promise not to bother you again.”
“It’s not that simple. Your friends are here now. Your little boyfriend found me and I guess he really wants to connect.”
“Really?” Kitty was surprised Artie would do something like contact her sister without even asking her. Then again, she should have realized it was just like him to want to be friends with everyone.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you both on!”
“No need to be aggressive. I’ll tell him to back off. In the meantime, I promise I’m out of here as soon as you give me back the cat."
“No, come over to the corner with me.”
“Nikki… I could make you eat battery acid, you slime.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, never mind. I don't want to go to the corner. Just give me back the cat and no one gets hurt.”
Nikki just chuckled. “We’ll see. Look in the corner.”
She didn’t look. “What about it?”
“You already know what’s over there, I know you do.”
“There’s no need to drag this up…”
“I just want to prove to you this isn’t over. This is never over.”
“I know,” Kitty sighed. Finally, she gave in. She looked over at the big brass candelabra that still stood in the corner. Her mind returned to the night of the wedding. She was playing with some of her cousins, a game where the goal is to jump as high as can. It was stupid, but the cousins were bored. The wedding was going on too long for their short attention spans. Kitty had crouched low, trying to gain momentum and she jumped. She must have stretched her arm out; it bumped right into the candelabra. She gasped, but there was nothing she could do. No one could stop it from knocking over, sending a lit candle right into the silk curtains.
The fire spread quickly. It was before the days of cell phones and the phone in the ballroom happened to be out of order. It took a long time before the fire department was called and in the meantime, the fire had no mercy. Kitty could clearly remember her mother yelling at them to get out of the ballroom. As much as Kitty didn’t want to leave her mother’s side, she knew she had to listen. She ran outside and that was the last time she ever saw her mother.
It turned out that her mother kept going back inside to make sure everyone got out, and so did Nikki’s new husband. There were old people and little kids that needed a lot of help. Luckily, everyone got out… besides the two most important people. They held the funerals one right after another, saying it would lessen the pain. Everyone knew the reality was that nothing could. Kitty would feel guilty about it forever.
“Do you understand now?” Nikki said after a few minutes just standing there.
“I guess I never realized how much it hurt,” Kitty sighed. “I try not to think about it. Really, it was just a crazy accident.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier," Nikki looked softer for the moment. "I lost the two people who meant the most to me. Do you wonder why I don’t want to talk to you? There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry, but it’s way too late for apologies.”
Kitty realized that was the one thing she had never said. Things had just happened too quickly after the accident. “I’m sorry, Nikki.”
She just shook her head. “I don't know... Who’s the real villain here?”
“Maybe it’s me after all…” but Kitty couldn’t even fathom it.
Nikki just looked impassive. “Well, you have just as much time to think about it now as I do. Here’s your cat back. I know it's the only thing you have from mom. Now get out of my face.”
Kitty easily caught the cat in midair. “I don’t want to be here anyway.” Kitty said, and she left and went back home. She had to say no when Artie invited her to come visit, but she could never explain why.
Prompt(s) Used: Big Red, Stairs to Everywhere, All Tied Up, The Perfect Crime, In the Ballroom with the __________, Jump as High as You Can, I'll Make You Regret This!, Fatal Flaw, Forgotten,Left Behind, I'll Take You Both On!, Just a Flesh Wound, Please Don't Kill Me, Completely Dense, Eat Battery Acid, You Slime! - Stephen King's It
Word Count: 3432
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): mentions Artie/ Kitty
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): none
Summary: When Kitty's older sister steals something precious, Kitty must travel to New York to retrieve it and face the past.
"What do you think?"
Artie turned his phone so Kitty could see the new apartment that he shared with Sam and Blaine. Artie had tried to laugh when he explained how they'd done all of the hard labor of setting everything up and he just sat there. Kitty had just smiled. She had to admit, the results were pretty nice, especially for a guys’ apartment. They had a brand new leather couch and several framed paintings. After a minute, Artie turned the screen back towards him so he could see Kitty's reaction. She cocked an eyebrow. "I see you already have your playstation all set up."
"Of course! Don't you know the real reason I got my own place was to play Grand Theft Auto uninterrupted?"
Kitty just chuckled. Sam looked up from his place the couch and said, "This isn't just your apartment."
"Excuse me," Artie rolled his eyes, mostly for Kitty's benefit. "This is a private conversation."
"Maybe go to a private location," Sam mocked. It was so unlike him to be outright rude like that, but honestly Kitty thought he was probably having problems adjusting to the big city. She couldn’t imagine living there, she didn't have the patience. In New York, it seems like everything happens in a second, but she had lived there.
She knew it was really just that the motion never stops. It takes so much time to get anything done in the big city. Getting a job, buying groceries, pushing through a crowd all require tons of effort. Kitty should have been glad she didn’t have to deal with it, but as she looked at Artie, his big smile and his new surroundings, she only felt left behind.
Artie shook his head and looked back at Kitty. "I'd better go anyway. Kurt is coming by with Blaine for dinner to celebrate the big day."
Kitty smiled. "Yeah, I was gonna wish you good luck."
“Right, the first day,” Artie kind of smirked, but honestly, he just looked doubtful. Kitty still had a few weeks left until high school started again, but Junior year would be nothing compared to what Artie was looking forward to in film school.
“Are you nervous?”
He shrugged, “I guess I just don’t know what to expect. I don’t know anything yet, besides where the elevators are located. Sometimes I just wonder if I’m making a huge mistake,” he said softly.
Kitty just shook her head. "Don’t worry, you’ll be amazing.”
“Thanks,” He had to smile.
“And hey, I'm gonna miss you around here. I don’t want you to end up back here one day on some crazy media tour and say you’ve forgotten all about this place."
"That’s never gonna happen,” he chuckled. “Hey, don't worry. I'll be home for Thanksgiving.”
They hadn't made any promises. They hadn't broken up yet exactly, but Kitty was a popular cheerleader and Artie was in New York City. Who knew what might happen? "Still..." She trailed off.
Artie nodded, knowing what she was thinking. "Still." Artie hoped she would be there when he came back. He reluctantly ended the Skype call with a promise to text her after his classes the next day.
==
As Kitty unlocked her front door the next day, she fell through the doorway and dropped her gym bag and the rest of her stuff on the floor. She sighed and stretched a little. It had been a long day of cheerleading practice, with the usual drama. She looked through the dark hallway, looking for any sign of life. The house seemed to be deserted.
Suddenly, she noticed an envelope on the end table, hand addressed to her, without a stamp. She picked it up and just held it for a moment. It could be something from Artie. He was the type of person who would write a letter and arrange for it to be delivered a week later… But delivered by whom? No one had the key to her house. Kitty shivered, hesitated for another moment and ripped open the envelope. She unfolded the thin piece of paper and read.
Dear Katherine,
I was passing through Lima and I decided to pay dad a visit. He gave me something that I think might belong to you. Check the picture. I know we had a promise, but you have broken that promise. You know where to find me to come get it back.
Love,
Nicole
Kitty shook the envelope and sure enough, a small snapshot fell out onto the floor. She picked it up and gasped. It was her one fatal flaw, the one thing she always kept hidden in a shoebox in the corner of her closet.
The picture showed a stuffed kitty cat, missing one of its eyes.
==
It would be stupid for Kitty to pack up, miss a few days of practice and go to New York just to get back her cat, so that’s exactly what she did. She watched the scenery go by while she sat on the Greyhound bus, listening to her favorite songs by Big Red. It seemed like every one of their songs was set to an upbeat tune, but was really dark, so you might not even notice. You’ll never know just what you mean to me/ So just leave me here and let me be. That was how Kitty felt sometimes, when it felt like everyone had left her.
She tried to shake off the feeling. It wasn’t even real, she told herself. She thought about what her sister Nikki had wrote. The promise, of course. Kitty had known exactly what she was doing when she broke it, but she had just been so tempted to test fate. After all these years, she saw it as a peace offering, but she supposed her sister saw it differently. She had felt threatened enough to take something that could never be replaced.
Of course Kitty had to go to New York and try to get it back. There was no other option but to talk to Nikki in person. Nikki could be so completely dense, but Kitty could only hope she would finally listen to reason and give back the cat. It was the only sacred thing Kitty had left.
By the time Kitty got to Port Authority, it was the middle of the night. Kitty was exhausted and she would give anything to avoid her sister right now, but she really had no choice. None of her friends had room to host her. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a text, hoping the older girl was still awake.
Her phone rang seconds later. “Hello?” Kitty answered, trying to stay calm.
“So you made it to New York.” Nikki sounded wide awake.
“Yeah. I’m sorry to call you so late, but-”
“You need a place to crash.” It wasn’t a question.
“Well, yeah, that’s what I was hoping. Can I come over?”
“Well… I suppose I can’t let my little sister freeze to death, now can I?”
Kitty was too tired to argue that she wasn’t going to freeze in August. She just hopped on the train and headed to Brooklyn.
She tried not to fall asleep on her way there, she was exhausted. Kitty was surprised she still knew the trains so well. She could probably guide Artie anywhere he needed to go. That reminded her she hadn’t even texted Artie to tell him she was in the city yet. She would do it later, once she felt alive again. She got off at the old stop. The old neighborhood looked exactly the same, a bit run down, scraps of tin, scraggly trees and garbage somehow holding everything together. The wood paneled row house looked exactly the same. Three stories, a steep roof and flight of concrete stairs to everywhere. She couldn’t believe she was actually back here.
Her mind flashed back unwillingly. A blond haired woman, young and healthy, screaming at them to get out... a coffin.
Kitty knocked on the door, not really considering how late it was. Not even a minute later, a young woman answered the door. She was wearing pajama pants and an ivy league tee-shirt. She just stared at Kitty. “I was hoping you would come.”
“Why’d you take it?” Kitty demanded.
“Come in,” Nikki held open the door for her younger sister. Kitty rolled her eyes and ducked under Nikki’s arm into the house.
Kitty set down her stuff and looked up at Nikki. “Well, what happened? Why were you even in Ohio?”
Nikki narrowed her eyes, looking at her carefully. “You’re not even going to say hello to me?”
“You stole something that belongs to me.”
“Don’t make me the villain here. I thought we had a promise.”
“Yeah, but I thought things were different now.”
Nikki just shook her head. “They’re not. They could never be. Look, I don’t want to talk about this now. There’s nothing we can do about it tonight. So why don’t you just go to sleep.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore. Stop treating me like I am.”
“Maybe stop acting like one and I will.”
Kitty was frustrated. She just sighed and looked around. “I’m sleeping on the couch in the den?”
“Of course. I assume you still know your way around this place. It was your home too, after all.”
Kitty picked up her bag, almost ready to just ignore her sister. She turned suddenly. “I can manage, this place hasn’t changed at all.”
“Good night, Kitty,” But Nikki’s smile was almost sinister.
“Please don’t kill me in my sleep.”
The smirk just stayed on her face. “Now why would I ever do something like that?”
Kitty just sighed and headed towards the couch.
==
Kitty’s phone buzzed bright and early, waking her up . It was a text from Artie. Why are you in NYC?
How did u know?
I saw your pic on facebook.
Oops, was going to text u. Here to visit my sis.
As if on cue, Nikki came into the room and rose an eyebrow at Kitty. “Get up. We’re going on a field trip.
Send backup, she texted Artie.
He quickly replied. Sorry, I can’t. All tied up in class. Good luck.
Kitty sighed and looked up at Nikki. “Where are we going?”
Nikki didn’t bother answering. “Just get dressed and come on. I don’t have all day.”
Kitty did as she was told and soon enough, she found herself back on the subway. They took a familiar route, one that could have led anywhere, from Times Square to the Bronx Zoo or the baseball stadium, with one simple transfer. She had forgotten how it easy it was to get around the city. The subway looked the same as it always did, even if they had cleaned up the stations and trains a little. There were the same plastic orange seats, a layer of grime that nothing could wash away. Kitty had no idea what she was doing here, she just didn’t belong in the city. Everyone said it was a land of endless dreams, but Kitty would rather have the open fields than open possibilities. But even though she could never imagine living in the city, she had known it was Artie’s dream, so of course she had encouraged him to go.
The train soon pulled up to the Prospect Park station and Nikki just nodded her head. “Let’s go.”
“Prospect Park?” Kitty asked, following Nikki closely. Even though the train was not crowded in the post rush hour haze, Nikki walked quickly and Kitty didn’t want to get lost. She looked up at the black MTA sign, directing the flow of traffic. “Are we transferring to the shuttle?”
“Just… stop asking questions,” Nikki just kept walking. They went through the turnstiles and up out onto the streets near the park.
Nikki turned up Flatbush Avenue and Kitty actually had to jog a couple steps to catch up with her. “Where are we going? If this is a trap, I’ll make you regret this! I have a bunch of friends who live here now, I could have them come down here in a second.” Kitty snapped her fingers, even though that probably wasn’t even true. She knew everyone was preoccupied. The only people who could come were maybe Santana and Sam and why would they come help her out? As far as she knew, Santana had never even really liked her.
Nikki laughed at Kitty’s expense and led them towards the entrance of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Suddenly, it all made sense. Nikki stopped under a large tree. “You know why we’re here, don’t you?”
“How could I forget?” Kitty asked.
Nikki just shook her head. “You thought it would be the perfect crime, didn’t you? You were determined to go and ruin everything.”
“It wasn’t my fault!”
“I think we’re remembering things differently. If you will, please follow me to the scene of the crime.”
The gardens were nearly empty in the summer heat. Kitty barely even bothered to pause and look around the small but wonderful space. It was like a sad little solise in the heart of the city. It was the only green space for miles, and that wasn’t saying much. This place was tiny. Nikki kept walking quickly through the gardens and finally stopped in front of a glass building. Kitty actually gasped. It was exactly how she remembered it. “No,” she breathed.
Nikki looked up at Kitty. “Do you remember now?”
Kitty just kept shaking her head. “No, I can’t believe it. I think I’m remembering it all wrong. Let’s go inside.”
“Fortunately, I called in a few favors,” Nikki smirked, like she was actually enjoying this.
They walked up to the glass door and Nikki easily pulled it open, revealing a large ballroom. Kitty’s mind couldn’t help flashing back.
Suddenly, she was in the ballroom with the bride. She was a little girl, her hair done up in curls. Her long dress flowed loosely and she couldn’t stop twirling around. There was a large crowd, but she was confident she knew her place. She could sprawl out on the floor, as little girls tend to do at weddings, and it would be OK. She looked around at her family, all of them in matching dresses. All of her aunts, cousins and extended family had come to celebrate. And right in the center of everything vwas her sister in a white gown and their mother, still alive.
Kitty looked around the empty ballroom. It was ten years later and she still couldn’t get the image out of her head. “Why did you bring me here?” She looked over at Nikki.
“This was all your fault.”
Kitty shook her head, “No. It was just an accident… I was a little kid.”
Nikki narrowed her eyes. “It was my wedding. It should have been perfect, instead, I lost everything. I can’t believe you would try to deny that.”
“I’m not. I just… I don't know what to say. I don’t know why you had to bring it up now, after all this time. I’m doing OK in Ohio. Maybe most of my friends are here now, but that’s fine. People actually care about me. They don’t know what happened.”
“I guess you wanted to ruin that." Nikki just studied her little sister. "I can’t believe you would try to friend me on facebook.”
She looked down and muttered, “Like I said, I was just trying to make amends.”
Nikki reached out and picked up her sister's chin. “Nothing you do can make amends or make up for what I’ve lost." Kitty pulled away, but she kept eye contact. "I told you I didn’t want to talk to you ever again. I really meant ever. And guess what? All your little friends would have found out what happened if I had accepted your friend request.”
“You wouldn’t really do that, would you?” Now it was Kitty’s turn to be skeptical.
“And why not? This wasn’t just a flesh wound, this was my whole life, wrecked in an instant.”
Kitty looked down at the polished wood floors, over into the corners, anywhere but at her sister. “Look, I think it was a mistake of me to come to New York.”
“You think?” She was sarcastic.
“Let me just take my cat and get out of your hair. I promise not to bother you again.”
“It’s not that simple. Your friends are here now. Your little boyfriend found me and I guess he really wants to connect.”
“Really?” Kitty was surprised Artie would do something like contact her sister without even asking her. Then again, she should have realized it was just like him to want to be friends with everyone.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you both on!”
“No need to be aggressive. I’ll tell him to back off. In the meantime, I promise I’m out of here as soon as you give me back the cat."
“No, come over to the corner with me.”
“Nikki… I could make you eat battery acid, you slime.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, never mind. I don't want to go to the corner. Just give me back the cat and no one gets hurt.”
Nikki just chuckled. “We’ll see. Look in the corner.”
She didn’t look. “What about it?”
“You already know what’s over there, I know you do.”
“There’s no need to drag this up…”
“I just want to prove to you this isn’t over. This is never over.”
“I know,” Kitty sighed. Finally, she gave in. She looked over at the big brass candelabra that still stood in the corner. Her mind returned to the night of the wedding. She was playing with some of her cousins, a game where the goal is to jump as high as can. It was stupid, but the cousins were bored. The wedding was going on too long for their short attention spans. Kitty had crouched low, trying to gain momentum and she jumped. She must have stretched her arm out; it bumped right into the candelabra. She gasped, but there was nothing she could do. No one could stop it from knocking over, sending a lit candle right into the silk curtains.
The fire spread quickly. It was before the days of cell phones and the phone in the ballroom happened to be out of order. It took a long time before the fire department was called and in the meantime, the fire had no mercy. Kitty could clearly remember her mother yelling at them to get out of the ballroom. As much as Kitty didn’t want to leave her mother’s side, she knew she had to listen. She ran outside and that was the last time she ever saw her mother.
It turned out that her mother kept going back inside to make sure everyone got out, and so did Nikki’s new husband. There were old people and little kids that needed a lot of help. Luckily, everyone got out… besides the two most important people. They held the funerals one right after another, saying it would lessen the pain. Everyone knew the reality was that nothing could. Kitty would feel guilty about it forever.
“Do you understand now?” Nikki said after a few minutes just standing there.
“I guess I never realized how much it hurt,” Kitty sighed. “I try not to think about it. Really, it was just a crazy accident.”
“That doesn’t make it any easier," Nikki looked softer for the moment. "I lost the two people who meant the most to me. Do you wonder why I don’t want to talk to you? There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry, but it’s way too late for apologies.”
Kitty realized that was the one thing she had never said. Things had just happened too quickly after the accident. “I’m sorry, Nikki.”
She just shook her head. “I don't know... Who’s the real villain here?”
“Maybe it’s me after all…” but Kitty couldn’t even fathom it.
Nikki just looked impassive. “Well, you have just as much time to think about it now as I do. Here’s your cat back. I know it's the only thing you have from mom. Now get out of my face.”
Kitty easily caught the cat in midair. “I don’t want to be here anyway.” Kitty said, and she left and went back home. She had to say no when Artie invited her to come visit, but she could never explain why.