E-mail: angelchildr@freaky.nu
Rating: pg-15?
Pairing: None (mentions of Kade/Kay, Kade/Matt)
Summary: The fight gets to be too much.
Disclaimer: They're not specifically named, but Kay and Matt are not mine. Kade apparently isn't either, as she has a mind of her own lately.
Distribution: http://penned-insanity.freaky.nu/ (My site) or ask.
Author's Note: This is a fic inspired by events from the SECA RPG. This plot line breaks away from the game story just before the beginning of the Fall 2004 semester.

* * * *

"The worst thing is, now that she's moving out, I have to find a new roommate, because there's no way that I'm going to be able to afford rent on my own. And I have no idea how I'm going to find someone before the first of the month."

Kade nodded absently, listening to Ginny talk while they picked up hot, full plates from under the heating lamps. She looked up over the high metal counter and smiled faintly at Max, who smiled back before turning back to the grill.

It'd been three days since she'd returned to Lou's Pub after the time she'd taken off because of the injury to her foot. Right after it'd happened, she'd asked the manager, Mike, if she could have some time off to let her foot heal. The answer hadn't been very favorable. Well, you can take the time off, but there's no guarantees that your job will be here when you get back. She'd figured that was it and she'd need to find a new job, but she'd run into Ginny a few days ago, just after her doctors had okayed her to walk without the crutches. Ginny'd told her that they were low on servers, like always, and that Mike would probably allow her to come back without too much of an argument.

She hadn't said any more than that, but Kade could tell that Ginny was desperate for more help at the pub. They were always running low on servers, and apparently things hadn't changed much since Kade had left. Not wanting to let the other girl down, she'd gone to talk to Mike the very same day. The day after had seen her back in "uniform" and serving greasy food and alcohol to drunk, obnoxious customers.

Lou's Pub hadn't changed at all in the short time she'd been gone. The walls were still dirty, you could still hardly see out of the tiny windows at the front, the food was greasy, the "uniform" was still too tight and too short, the beer on tap was watered down, and the customers were still rude and still put their hands in places they shouldn't. She was already tired, even after just three days. She sighed and grabbed another plate before Ginny's words sunk into her brain.

"What?"

Ginny looked over and laughed.

"Yeah, I figured you weren't listening. You had that sort of glazed look you sometimes get."

"I do not get a glazed look!" Kade made a face and shifted a hot basket of fries higher on her arm to avoid the grease trying to burn her.

"You do too. And I was saying that Nell's boyfriend's band got a touring gig - opening for some other band I've never heard of. And she's going with them. Some groupie-girlfriend thing. So I'm out a roommate and need to find a new one." She paused. "Know anyone that needs a place? The radiator doesn't always work in winter, but it's a pretty big place and the rent is reasonable, especially with two people. There're two bedrooms, too, so there'd be no sharing or anything."

Kade nodded slightly, pushing through the door to the dining area backwards, balancing plates and baskets in her arms.

The smoke hit her immediately. She was known to have a cigarette or two, but the constant cloud at work made her chest ache toward the end of the night. She coughed shallowly and approached the table of four, dreading it when she heard one of them finish an obscene joke and the other three break out into too-loud laughter.

She didn't say anything as she neared the table, only turned her body enough to be able to lean between two of the men, carefully setting down the first plate. Leaning over made her skirt ride up a few inches, and she knew it, but couldn't do anything about it. She needed to reach the tabletop, and that was the only way to do it.

"Hey, not bad darlin'! How 'bout you shift it a little bit more for me?" She felt a hand on her right hip, trying to pull her closer. The plates balanced on her arm rattled dangerously, but she managed to stand up and roll her hip enough to dislodge his hand without dropping any of the dishes. She threw a look over her shoulder and continued around the table, placing the plates in front of the appropriate drunk customer.

"Aww, what's that look for? You know you want it!" He grabbed himself and raised his eyebrows in what he probably thought was an invitation. She blinked, still not saying anything, and grabbed the empty glasses off the table.

"Another round, guys?" They all answered with an enthusiastic agreement and she crossed the room to put in their order at the bar.

"Katie, keep it movin'. You got thirsty boys at the table in the corner!" She nodded at Mike, by now used to everyone calling her by the wrong name.

She and Ginny met again a few minutes later when Kade returned to the bar to pick up a drink order.

"I'll move in. If you want."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, startled.

"I thought you went to school. Don't you live in the dorms?"

Kade shook her head a bit, placing full mugs of beer on a tray.

"No. It's - I need a new place. How much is rent?"

"Three hundred a month. When can you move in?" Ginny was smiling, glad to have found someone to fill the vacancy. Kade turned toward her table again and took a small breath.

"As soon as I pack."

* * *

The move to Boston had been a drastic one, something to hopefully pull her away from the gaping depression that Grandad dying had opened. It had worked, to a point, but she had thrown herself into things that she never would have if she'd been thinking clearly. She tried to ignore the problems by burying herself in other people, people she hardly even knew. She hurried into things that were much too physical much too quickly, creating a bizarre triangle that she didn't know every side to. Then the physical had started to lead into the emotional. She'd only seen what she was doing after it was too late and people were already hurt. Since then she'd done everything she could to try to make it better, but it wasn't working.

Grandad had told her once that she should never let people try to change her, but to change herself if and when she needed to. She didn't normally consider herself a quitter, and she didn't look at this as quitting. This was just another change.

Through the entire summer she'd been wondering whether or not to continue with school in the fall. She'd hardly picked up her viola in months, and even her cameras were mostly unused. Plus, living in the dorms brought her in constant contact with reminders of things she'd ruined. She still had feelings for both of them, and for some reason that she couldn't understand, they both wanted to be her friend even after everything that had happened. She'd agreed, stunned but cautiously happy.

The only thing was, dancing around them, not telling the entire truth about how she still felt, acting like a friend, was slowly eating away at her. It was like being on stage every time she was around either one of them. She was exhausted and drained, and was almost at the breaking point. It was definitely time to make the next change.

* * *

Ginny's apartment was about a five-minute walk from the dorm and a ten-minute walk from the pub. Kade walked over the afternoon after agreeing to move in. She'd seen the place once, several months ago, shortly after starting at the pub. It looked much different this time after the climb up four flights of stairs. Half the furniture was gone, and one of the bedrooms was completely empty.

"Welcome home!" Ginny yelled when she threw open the door after having buzzed Kade in. Kade couldn't help laughing at the over-caffeinated girl in front of her. She was quickly shown around the small apartment, being told the most important things about the place. Like how to jiggle the handle if the toilet kept running. And how to lean on the refrigerator door to shut it because it leaned slightly to the front and wouldn't close without the extra help. And to always be sure to start the coffee maker if she was the first one up. And how to let the shower run for at least four minutes before climbing in.

"If we time it right, we can shower one right after the other and the water will stay hot. It helps to do it in the afternoon before work, because hardly anyone else in the building is using it then." Kade just smiled, nodded slightly, and looked around her new home. She almost missed it when Ginny started talking again.

"Well, I'm not sure when you want to move in - how long it'll take you to pack. Max from the pub has a truck and said he'd help us if we needed it. We just have to let him know." Kade nodded slightly.

"Cool. I actually packed a lot yesterday after work. And this morning. I should probably be ready by tomorrow after work. In the morning." She paused slightly. "If that works for everyone else."

Ginny nodded, but looked slightly serious.

"You sure you want to do it that early in the day? We could wait until an afternoon or something. I don't care much, but you look exhausted…"

"I'll be fine. Probably better the sooner I can do this. And it'll be easier then. Probably not as many people around to get in the way." Ginny agreed, still looking serious but not pushing it.

Kade signed the lease that afternoon as "Katie Stilman."

* * *

She stood in the middle of the empty room, wanting to squint at the combination of fluorescent lighting and the very first beams of the day's sun.

She heard the soft footsteps just behind her, but didn't turn around. The voice that interrupted the silence was low.

"You sure?" She smiled faintly. Max never wasted words. She whispered back, not wanting to be too loud in the early morning.

"Yeah. I'm sure." She didn't have to turn around to know that Max had nodded in response.

"Gin's guarding the truck."

Katie turned toward the door, pausing just long enough to drop a small stack of photos on the built-in dresser top. The door was left cracked open and the keys were dropped off at the front desk, the paperwork having been completed the day before.

* * * *

Send feedback!