Is There Hell After High School? Or Am I Already Here?

Chapter One: Luck

Darrell Royal once said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

The boy waited until she turned around and couldn't see him, then he made a jerking off motion at her. Too bad you could see a reflection in the school's windows. Asshole.

Jordan Simmons was everything Caterine hated in a guy. Long hair, a bad-ass attitude, and, of course, he could always be seen sporting his pants halfway down his ass. He kind of looked like a cover model for Teen Vogue - Semi-Emo Edition. Yet, for some reason Cat couldn't fathom, just about every girl in school wanted to be all buddy-buddy with the new kid. To Cat's dismay, that also included her boy-crazy best friend.

"Watch it, Meg, stare any longer and he might catch you drooling.”

The bleached-blonde rolled her eyes. “He's not so bad. You've got to at least admit that he's hot.”

"Translation? 'If you ignore is bad-ass attitude you'd wanna screw him too.'”

Megan gave her a fake, deeply hurt look. “I never said I wanted to fuck him!”

Cat raised an eyebrow.

"What? I never said I didn't either!” Cat laughed. Megan was just about every cliché you would expect of a high school cheerleader. Popular, skinny, blonde, and she even had that hot, athletic boyfriend – So she was basically a slutty Barbie with her Ken doll. Cat figured the only reason she hung out with her was to try and throw people off.

Caterine McKenny was the complete opposite of Meg. Average weight, average height, average looks – She was that half-tomboy, half-scene Barbie doll that never quite made it to the production line. Oh, and she didn't come with a Ken doll either, which meant no sex for Caterine the Barbie doll. That, Meg had a problem with.

"We're going to be seniors next year, Cat. We need to get you at least interested in guys by then!”

Cat rolled her eyes. This was a reoccurring conversation and on Cat's side of it, it was getting old. “I have interest in guys! What about Chase?”

Now it was Megan's turn for the eye-rolling. “Yeah, that guy you kissed on a dare in seventh grade? He doesn't count.”

As the two girls walked into class Cat was about to protest – that dared kiss had caused those two too be great friends since – but she was interrupted by a deep, military-sounding voice – Mr. Skye's, she assumed by the nameplate on his desk.

"All right, all right. Settle down.” Mr. Skye said just before he spotted the girls. “Oh, looky here, a couple of latecomers. Don't bother taking a seat, I'll be giving you a seating plan in just a second.”

Moans and muttering came from all ends of the classroom. “Well, I know who my favorite teacher is this year,” Meg whispered to Cat sarcastically.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, Miss Harris,” the bald man said as he shuffled through some papers on his desk.

"How the hell do you know my name? You're a new teacher, aren't you?

"Say hell and you go to hell,” a much younger, sexier voice than Mr. Skye's came from behind them. “And he used to be a private investigator. I'm willing to bet that my dad over there even knows what time you go to sleep at night.”

Both girls whipped around to see two completely different things. For Cat, it was a nightmare. For Meg, well, it was probably her next prey. But either way they were both face to face with Jordan, leaning up against the door frame, ankles and arms crossed, giving off that bad-ass look of his. He was wearing ripped up jeans, a Metallica t-shirt, and his long black hair just barely covered his eyes.

"Nice of you to join us, Jordan,” the teacher said, not even acknowledging any of what Jordan had said, or if it was true.

Jordan nodded his head and tipped an imaginary hat. “Pops”

Mr. Skye ignored this, and went on to call out his seating plan. Jordan brushed past as his name was called and took his seat one from the back.

"Megan Anne Harris, last seat in the third row.” That was the row next to Jordan's. Okay, Cat thought, Of course I want to sit next to Meg, but I can probably do without her for one class, right?

"Caterine, you're in front of her.” Or not.

The teacher pointed to a graffitied desk in the back. Right next to a certain asshole's seat. A certain asshole who blew her a kiss as she walked by. What a year this was going to be.

What seemed like a century later, Cat found herself walking into her huge Victorian-style house and collapsing on the living room's leather couch. Her two German Shepherds, Lucky and Charlie, rushed over to greet her.

"Hey, boys,” She said in an exhausted tone. Her first day back after spring break and already she had homework by the pounds, not to mention the fact that Jordan was in all but two of her classes. Cat would almost bet her life on the fact that the only reason a guy like him was in art was to see a bunch of paintings of naked women.

Cat glanced around the room for the remote, hoping it wasn't too far away. She finally spotted it – under Charlie's butt. “Get down, Charlie, come on, off the couch.” Charlie hopped down, as ordered, but took the remote with him. Cat sighed. “Charlie...”

As if invited back up, Charlie hopped back on the couch, stepping on the power button along the way.

The news was on, looked like another car crash or something. The overdressed news anchor was talking as a bunch of police officers and paramedics rushed to the two smashed up vehicles behind her. Cat was somewhat tuned in as she leaned over to get the remote, hoping like hell that she wouldn't have to get up off her lazy ass to reach it.

"Now, Bill,” the anchor began, talking to the other one back at the News H.Q. or whatever it was, “As you can see in the tragic scene behind me, it's a mess down here on Highway 61. A black Honda Civic carrying a young girl and her mother was rammed into by...”

"Hey Lucky,” Cat asked the dog, still reaching for the remote, “Isn't that the kind of car Aunt Katie drives?” Kate was Cat's only aunt, her godmother, and the sister she never had, all in one. She was the one Cat was named after, too.

"Charlie,” she tusked at the dog, “ did you have to kick the remote under the couch? You couldn't just knock it off, step on it, and then leave it at that?”

"...And police have determined that alcohol was indeed a factor. The woman responsible for the crash is not yet identified, as she had no I.D. on her and refuses to tell police her name.” Cat could make out the slurred voice of a drunken woman yelling in the background, “I told you all my name! I really am Dr. Seuss!” Cat chuckled.

The anchor, though, continued on as if she hadn't noticed. “The two victims of the accident, however, have been identified as eight year old Samantha and her mother 32 year old Katherine Lisa McKenny. The families of both parties are being notified as we speak, and the driver under the influence will be dealt with accordingly.”

Cat finally grasped the remote, but her breath was caught in her throat. No way, she thought, There was no way it was her.

The phone rang, but Cat was frozen, staring at the television. Upstairs, she could hear her mother walk around for a minute and pick up the phone. She had been so quiet upstairs that Caterine had almost forgot she was jobless. But she wasn't quiet now. There was a loud thump as if she had collapsed on the floor. Then there was some muffled yelling, and then it quieted into crying. Then it was complete silence for a few minutes, and her mother came downstairs.

"Caterine,” she whispered, “Your Aunt K...” She trailed off.

Cat was still zoned out, trying to process what the news anchor had said. Her mind was somewhere else, but she still found herself saying, more than asking, “She's dead, isn't she.”
***
Shit. Hospital coffee was shit. Just about every hospital on the planet bought the same cheap, flavorless coffee. No matter how much sugar you put in the cup, that bitter taste never got any better. That's what made shit coffee so suitable for a hospital. The feeling in Cat's stomach was as bitter and tasteless as the coffee, and no matter how much the nurses or her mother gave her “It'll be okay”'s or “They'll both pull through”'s, you just couldn't sweeten up this.

The feeling in Cat's stomach was as bitter and tasteless as the coffee, and no matter how much the nurses or her mother gave her “It'll be okay”'s or “They'll both pull through”'s, you just couldn't sweeten up this.

Two gentle arms wrapped around Cat's waist from behind. “How are you holding up?”

A tiny smile creeped across Cat's lips. “Hey, Chase”. She turned to face him and gave him a quick hug. “You didn't have to come, you know,”

He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You know i did.”

Meg was always insistent on the fact that Chase liked her and always had, but in fact it seemed to Cat that Chase was just a sweet guy. Still, Caterine totally would've dated him if she wasn't so afraid of destroying their relationship.

He had auburn-coloured hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He never cared about popularity or brandname clothes but he still knew how to look good and make people laugh. In short, he was the exact opposite of that stupid new kid who kept popping into her mind. Chase was any girl's dream guy, and that's exactly why Cat was so lucky to have him as a friend.

“You get a hold of Meg?” He asked her.

“I was hoping you did. I called and texted her twice but she hasn't answered yet.”

Chase chuckled. “Give her five more minutes; her and Chad are probably 'watching a movie' again.” He mad air quotes around the words “watching a movie”, and both of them broke out in a fit of laughter. That was always the cover story. Megan's mom found that out the hard way when they accidentally forgot to lock the door.

Their laughter died down, and for a minute neither of them said anything. The quiet began drumming in Cat's ears, the silence giving her a headache.

Chase spotted the cup in her hands. “Where's the coffee?”

She pointed to a blue door further down the hallway. “I'm going to give you a warning in advance...”

“Crap coffee, i know. I'll be right back.” He kissed the top of her head and walked towards the room, leaving Cat to her thoughts once again.

She glanced around the hospital, looking for one of her aunt's doctors or nurses, anyone who she could eavesdrop on to find out how they were doing. After a minute or two, her eyes settled in on a more elderly looking woman holding a little boy, talking to Samantha's nurse. It was clear they weren't talking about her, though, but Cat tuned in anyway.

The old woman said something inaudible, which then put a grim face on the nurse.

“I'm afraid there's not much we can do about that then,” she whispered. “Other than having the boys put in a foster home or...”

“NO!” The lady yelled, giving both the nurse, the little boy, and Cat a start. Realizing she was yelling, the woman lowered her voice, but it was still stern. “That just won't do. It can't happen. The boys will be separated!”

The nurse looked tired, like she felt guilty there was nothing else she could do for them. She was quiet for a minute, then seemed to think of something. “How old is the other boy?”

“Jay? He's near seventeen now. Why?”

A doctor walked by and whispered something to the nurse. She nodded, then waited until he was out of earshot, pulled a pamphlet out of her pocket, and said, “Get him to call this number, only if he agrees to it. If he applies, him and his brother might be able to live on their own in an apartment, instead of being stuck with-” She glanced at the little boy in the woman's arms, looking at her attentively, though he probably had no idea about any of what she was saying. “...Stuck in a broken home. But if your grandson doesn't wish to do that, there's nothing else I can do for you.”

“Catherine?”

Cat jumped. She turned to see a young doctor holding a clipboard. She hadn't even heard him walk up. “It's Caterine. Cat, actually.”

The doctor nodded as they shook hands. “I'm Dr. Paisley, but you can just call me Kim. That's... quite the unique name you've got there, isn't it?”

Cat flinched. She knew it wasn't meant to be rude, but she still hated when people said her name was “unique”. It was just another reminder of how different she was. “So is Kim for a guy, don't you think?”

He coughed and smiled awkwardly. “Yes, well, if you would be so kind as to come this way, there's something I need to discuss with you and your mother.”

Cat looked at the blue door, suddenly remembering Chase. He walked out and noticed the doctor, then mouthed to Cat “I'll wait here.” She nodded, then followed the doctor to yet another blue door, this one with a sign saying PRIVATE.

The knot in Cat's stomach grew tight as the doctor shut the door behind them and she saw her mother in an almost dazed-looking state. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red and swollen. She had a tissue box in front of her, and half of the tissues were already in the garbage can. Cat sat down next to her, but her mother barely acknowledged it, besides a smile, but she hadn't even looked up. She just kept staring at the tissue box, as if it had all the answers she was ever looking for.

Kim sat on the other side of the desk, folded and then unfolded his hands. He never said anything for a minute, but then he took a deep breath, and Cat was waiting to hear those two words she was dreading.

“There isn't much of an easy way to say this, to either of you. I know you both were very close with Kate. But, to be blunt, her and her daughter are both paying for another woman's stupidity.”

Tears rolled down Cat's cheeks, but she made no crying sound, unlike her mother, who was in hysterics. “So they're both dead then,” she whispered, without looking the doctor in the eye.

Kim looked uneasy, and glanced at her mother. “Well... I'm afraid your Aunt has passed on, yes. But your little cousin Sam is still hanging on.”

Cat's vision blurred with tears, and her voice cracked as she spoke. “I want to see her.”

“I'm afraid I can't allow that. She's in a very critical condition, she hasn't even woken up yet.”

“Kate then! I want to see Kate!” Cat shot to her feet and slammed a fist on the table. She didn't know why she had demanded to see her dead aunt. She knew it wouldn't be allowed, and even if it was she knew she wouldn't be able to take it.
“That's enough, Caterine!”

Cat looked down at her mother, surprised at the anger in her voice. “That's enough, Cat,” She whispered this time, getting to her feet. She turned to Kim. “Thank you, Dr. Paisley, we know you did everything you could.” She wrapped her arm around her daughter's waist and began leading her out of the room.

“Oh, Ms. McKenny! One more thing. Should Samantha come to from her coma... Kate has Caterine enlisted as the guardian in her will.”

Cat looked the doctor in the eye. “Me?”

Kim smiled. “Of course, being an unreasonable age to raise a daughter, uh...” He looked up at Cat almost afraid of her reaction. “No offence... being a... very young age to be raising a child, your mother would have to both agree to it as well as help with it. Ms. McKenny? Would you be up to that?”

She looked down at Cat. She struggled to speak, and after whispering too quietly for anyone but her to hear, she simply nodded and started crying again.

Cat could feel her eyes flooding with tears. She ran out of the room to where Chase was, now with Meg, both of them with worried faces. Cat collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed. Her friends fell to the floor alongside her, and the three of them stayed there, cuddled up on the hospital floor, for at least an hour.

Darrell Royal once said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Nothing could have prepared me for this. I had no opportunity to say goodbye or help them.

I realize for the first time in my life that I have no luck.