Chater 3: “Because He Doesn't Like It”

* * Quote of the Chapter * *

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What if the past came to you before and after you gave up?

After you gave up all sense of communication

and before you gave up on looking.

Will you be scared or happy?

-Devi-

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| Because He Doesn't Like It |

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"How about this one?" Katherine pulled out a navy green dress and turned towards the Jesy with an eager look that startled Jesy omce more.

Visibily cringing at the color choice, Jesy instantly regretted it when Katherine's cheery face fell.

"Not a green lover or dress?"

"Green," Jesy squeaked softly.

Katherine nodded, "Right," She gave herself a mental kick.

Idiot.

She pulled out a coral orange sundress. Jesy shook her head, no.

A baby blue flowy strapless dress. She shook her head no again.

A dark purple off shoulder with white floral designs?

Nope...

A zebra printed one?

Nuh-uh.

A furry brown one?

N.O.

An orange and gold sequined one?

Nadda.

Kicking herself mentally for the fiftieth time, Katherine went back to scanning through the racks of dresses but nothing seemed to fit Jesy's complexion and if it did, she either doesn't like it or she doesn't like it. Nothing else-Nothing more.

She doesn't like it then she don't.

"What about this one?"

Katherine spun from her search in the rack of red dresses to find Jesy pointing at a yellow dress that hung from a rack of shirts, clearly misplaced.

"Finally," Katherine sighed, happy that Jesy had found something likable in one of her favorite stores.

Katherine went over to the rack and pulled out the dress and held it up, "Try it on," She threw the dress on Jesy's arms.

Jesy peeled the dress off her shoulder and held it up before looking at Katherine with a confused look.

"What?" Katherine asked innocently.

"I thought you said we were looking for a dress you could wear tomorrow?" Jesy asked handing the dress to Katherine.

"Oh," Katherine chortled, "Ha! Well, it's my... My advanced thank you gift. Because you'll be shopping with me and I'm not a light shopper."

Katherine shoved the dress into Jesy's hands before pushing her into an empty dressing room. Katherine leaned against the grey colored dressing room door and started aimlessly in front of her.

Why did she care?

Why did ahe want Jesy to like something? Like she wanted to make her proud.

She didn't understand.

It was like something... something weird was pulling her.

To make conversation, to build a relationship.

She didn't understand.

She was supposed to hate Jesy, to intimidate her so she wouldn't try anything to take her place, but something made her stop.

Instead of hating Jesy, she wanted to be friends with her. But why?

She stood up from where she sat at the front of the door when she heard the lock of the door close from the inside and went to sit down on the brown leather couch in front of her.

She combed her fingers through her hair and frowned down at the tiled floor between her and the dressing cubicles.

What was happening to her? What was it? That thing that's making her act this way towards Jesy, what was it?

Katherine groaned and repeatedly hit her forehead with the heels of her palms.

"Jay, do you want this one or that?"

"That one."

"Not a green lover or dress?"

"Green..."

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't like it."

~ • ~

"Can we buy the brown bear?"

"I want the green."

"But the brown one's cuter!"

"No, it's ugly. I like the green one."

"No it's not! The green one is the ugly one!"

"Why don't you like green? It's nice."

"Because he doesn't like it."

"The green bear is still better."

"Jay! Your sister's being mean! She said the brown one was ugly!"

"Just get the yellow then?"

Maybe, just maybe?

Katherine shook her head, digging her manicured nails onto her scalp.

There's no mole, Katherine. She didn't have a mole, it's not her! She's not her. Her conscience told her.

"Is there a problem?"

Katherine looks up from her staring contest with the ground, "Jade?" her voice was soft and hoping.

Almost like she was seeing Persephone for the first time in awe.

Jesy unconsciously tilted her head to the side to look at the broken hopeful look on Katherine's face that disappeared the second she spoke up, "Who?"

Katherine groaned, burying her face on her hands.

Even her voice sounds like her.

No, Katherine. You haven't seen her since sophomore year, how could you possibly know that? You're jumping into conclusions. Katherine scolded herself.

"Uh, Katherine?" Jesy's voice snaps her out of her daze once again.

"Sorry, I'm just having a really bad migraine."

Jesy nodded uneasily. She could tell. She knew that Katherine was lying but she chose to let it go. Whatever it was that was really bothering her, she didn't want to interfere.

Katherine made a smile find its way on her lips and gestured at the free creme colored bags on a display table beside Jesy.

"You can put your clothes in one of those- are you sure you don't want to change those?" Katherine asked, deciding not to answer Jesy's question.

She pointed at Jesy's feet.

Jesy looked down on her mustard colored sneakers, then to her dress, then to the bag of clothes on her right hand, then to Katherine.

She shook her head.

Katherine glanced at the fancy Swarovski watch on her wrist and looked back at Jesy.

"Uh, yeah. Let's go?"

"Sure!" Jesy cheerily replied with a small jump.

Katherine frowned.

They made their way to one of the cashiers.

Just before Katherine could hand over her credit card, Jesy was already handing the man a crumpled hundred dollar and two fifty dollars.

The man grumbled something under his breath about how poor and battered the bills looked, just like the one who gave it.

Katherine glared at the man who immediately stops in recognition and shame and looks down on the cash register.

She turned to look at Jesy to argue how she should've paid, but found a teary eyed girl instead, fidgeting on her feet.

"You sure you don't want to change those?" Katherine said teasingly, hoping to lighten up the sudden glumness and pointed at Jesy's feet.

Jesy shrugged and cleared her throat to rid of the lump that had suddenly formed.

"Yeah," She covered her wavering voice with a whisper that didn't go unnoticed by Katherine but let it pass.

Katherine sighed internally and looked at the piece of paper that the cashier tore from the cash register.

With a vicious sneer, Katherine snatched the receipt from the him and sent one last glare in his direction before gripping Jesy's arm and dragged her out the glass doors of the shop.

They continued walking in silence on the sidewalk with no clear destination.

Katherine looked her over-analyzing her and picturing her in her previous clothes.

Wondering how had she been able to enter the Academy if she wasn't the Kingcess. But if she was the Kingcess, who was a huge fashion icon, why would she dress like the way she had earlier?

Katherine cringed at the sight of Jesy when she saw her in front of the gate.

For some reason, she was glad there weren't any people outside to see the way Jesy was dressed. Because if there were, no one would've been able to shut their mouths and twist their tongues.

First day as a student and she was already going to be tripping over other people's noses.

She felt possessive, almost.

Like she didn't want anyone laying a finger on Jesy.

But why? Why did she feel this overprotective feeling towards Jesy like she has to protect her?

Suddenly, Katherine realized that she had stopped walking. With a panicked expression, she furiously looked up and down the sidewalk she was just walking with Jesy a few seconds ago and breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw a familiar head of bright hair dye.

Jesy was a few meters away, seeming oblivious.

Katherine glanced around if anyone had seen her just standing there and when she was convinced that no one was paying attention to them, she chased up to Jesy until she was behind her.

They continued down the sidewalk until they reached the end and made a turn to the right.

This time, Katherine finally spoke up,"So! Where to next?"

Jesy came to a sudden halt that Katherine almost slammed against her back.

It was like a bucket of cold water had just been splashed on top of her head when she looked up and surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.

Katherine, realizing and knowing the unspoken answer held onto Jesy's hand and they began walking the opposite direction.

Jesy frowned.

Where are they going?

"Where are we going?" Jesy mumbled shyly.

Katherine glanced behind and grinned at her before focusing her eyes to their next destination.

She stopped in front of a baby pink and blue colored shop, inside out, and turned to Jesy.

"Cupcakes."

She caught a small smile stretch across Jesy's lips as she looked up at the huge pink and blue sign.

"I missed this..."

Katherine stared at Jesy dumbfounded, "Y-You've been here before?"

Jesy shook her head, "I missed going to Cupcake shops," Jesy looked down from the cupcake sign to look at Katherine, "I used to work at one, back in my hometown."

Katherine looked away from Jesy's gaze and nodded her head, trying to regain a calm demeanor, "Where's your hometown?"

"St. Paul," Jesy shrugged.

"Do you live in a specific neighbourhood or town? Maybe a city, perhaps?"

"I..." Jesy sighed, "Let's go inside. I'm starving."

She offered Katherine a small smile and proceeded to push the shop's glass doors open only be greeted by sugar and sugar alone.

The air wafting the entire shop was so high in sugar, the candy store would've have compared anything to it.

They both stopped in front of the cash register where a girl with bright red hair in possibly the brightest and most colorful frilly dress that stopped just above her knees.

It was like she was wearing an actual orange chiffon cake with matching stockings, chunky platformed pumps, and... Nails?

Katherine hummed from beside Jesy as they both watched the girl sweep behind the counter, "Weird."

Jesy looled at Katherine with furrowed brows, "Why?"

"I'm sure she was just wearing a lime outfit when we passed by on our way to the store we came from."

Jesy looked back at the girl who has now disappeared into the kitchen, "She's cute..."

Katherine glanced at Jesy from the corner of her eye and said in a silent murmur, "Be honest, would you bang her though?"

Jesy looked at her in surprise and suppressed laughter bubbled behind her lips that twitched upwards.

Before Jesy could answer, the same girl popped out of the kitchen and let out an excited squeal as she saw the two of them standing by the counter.

"Hello! Welcome, my name's Mexi, what would you like?"

Silent. Both Katherine and Jesy were silent.

How?

Previously she had been in a cake outfit, but now she was dressed in pastel pinks, blues, purples, yellows, and whites of what looks like a yogurt outfit. Even the nails matched the dress and everything else she was wearing.

Jesy was the first to break off of her daze and slightly elbowed Katherine before placing her order of a dozen lemon cupcakes.

Katherine followed afterwards, saying her order in a dazed manner as she still tried to fathom what happened with the girl's outfit.

"Ooookay, so five boxes of velvet and vanilla marbled cake, and a dozen lemon curd cupcakes?"

"Yeah," Katherine mumbled.

"Oh and hey, would you like to have some brownies? Only four dollars for two dozens."

Katherine nodded, "Yeah..."

"Okay! PIETRO, HEARD THAT!?"

A deep voice yelled back a reply from the kitchen followed a few clunking.

Jesy and Katherine sat down on a nearby table with an awkward atmosphere that suddenly just came.

"So," Katherine started, "You said you worked ina cupcake shop?"

Jesy nodded, "Yeah, I'm not the one making them actually, I was just the cashier."

Katherine watched Jesy fidget uncomfortably in her seat.

Lies.

She knew she was lying. It was obvious. But still, she wanted to be friends. She wanted to know the real reason Jesy came here, she wanted to learn about Jesy's past, she wanted to find out the real Jesy, but it wasnt to ruin her.

Strangely enough, though she felt alarmed and guarded around Jesy, she didn't want to destroy her future.

But why?

Snapping both Jesy and Katherine from their thoughts were eight boxes placed on their table.

"Five cakes, a dozen cupcakes, and two dozens of brownies," a guy grumbled before turning and heading back into the kitchen without another word.

Gathering the boxes in their hands, Jesy and Katherine left the shop with curious minds before climbing into the same Tesla from earlier that Katherine had conveniently called.