Chapter Text
Teddy wanted pancakes more than anything in the entire world.
Moving the pan slightly, sending a tantalizing curl of steam into the air, Cat wedged a spatula under the pancake currently cooking and flipped it like a professional. She’d dragged Teddy into the kitchen, declared nothing’s better than breakfast except breakfast for dinner!, shoved Teddy onto one of the bar stools ringing their island, told her to wait right there, and started whipping up what only could be called a breakfast feast.
“You think the two of us can eat all this?” Teddy asked, a little apprehensive, as Cat poured more batter into the pan and slid the finished pancake onto a plate already stacked with at least six others. Her stomach growled, and she hoped it was all just for the two of them. Cat laughed.
“Mercy should be home soon, and Reed—” she shrugged. “She comes and goes. I think she had a shift today, but she also might be at the library with Tom, I think he had something for her to look over, but I made extra just in case—”
“I’m down with extra,” Teddy cut in. “Breakfast for dinner’s the best.”
Cat grinned and turned back to the stove. Teddy didn’t press further, didn’t ask who Tom was, didn’t ask why the girl Cat called Reed looked over things for him, didn’t ask about anything else. She was torn. Cat was so nice, Cat was so cute, and her apartment was homey and wonderful. But Cat was also intertwined so closely with Teddy’s parents, in such a weird way, and Teddy really didn’t want to get involved.
Things with her parents always got so messy, so quickly.
Maybe it’s a sign, Teddy’s inner self spoke up, a quiet voice that Teddy didn’t hear all that often. Maybe you were meant to meet Cat, and not be alone in this big city you’re so hell-bent on conquering.
That we’re so hell bent on conquering, Teddy corrected silently.
You need help, her inner voice continued unimpeded. Take Cat’s help. You don’t need to go to Libertea, you don’t need to meet Eliza and Maria, you just need help. Don’t act like dad.
Well that’s just rude.
“What’re you thinking about?” Cat asked, and started setting up the island for dinner. She handed a stack of place settings across, and Teddy took them and began laying them out, shrugging in response to the question.
“All this stuff,” she answered honestly. “Libertea, and Eliza and Maria. And you, I guess.”
“You’re not thinking about ghosting on me, are you?” Cat asked, a little jokingly, but with an undercurrent of seriousness that made Teddy’s heart seize a little. She really does want me around, doesn’t she?
It was nice, feeling wanted.
“Of course not,” she responded, less honestly than the first time. Cat didn’t know, but ghosting when things got weird was kind of her specialty. “Who else is gonna eat all these pancakes?”
Cat laughed, loud and like she didn’t care who judged her about how loud it was. Her laugh wasn’t pretty, but it was genuine, and Teddy found herself grinning along with her.
The two girls ate pancakes until their sides ached, watching different YouTube videos by passing Cat’s phone back and forth. They ended up on the couch, tangled underneath the same blanket and laughing over a John Mulaney clip.
Teddy almost couldn’t believe it. That morning she had been storming through downtown New York, furious and ready for whatever fight the city was planning on giving her— and there was always a fight, she knew that. And now she was warm and protected, hiding from the fight in a strange girl’s apartment, eating her pancakes and relishing her legs pressed against her own on the couch. Things were already so different than she expected.
“Hey Teddy,” Cat murmured as the video ended.
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad you’re so trusting,” Teddy replied, wiggling farther into the couch to get comfortable. “I could still be an axe murderer.”
“Well I haven’t met a lot of axe murderers,” Cat said, “but if you’re one, they must not be a bad group.”
Teddy kicked her under the blanket and it quickly devolved into a halfhearted, giggly slap fight, only interrupted by the apartment door slamming open and a very blonde whirlwind making touchdown.
This must be one of the roommates, Teddy thought, wriggling upright and half wishing her first impression wasn’t going to be covered in a bright pink blanket with syrup on her face. The roommate dropped her purse (big, black, expensive probably, not that Teddy knew a lot about purses) on the floor and threw her head back with a loud, extended sigh.
“Catherine Barry, my life sucks so much!”
“Shut up, Luce,” Cat said. “Want a pancake?”
Oh, Teddy found herself thinking as Cat untangled herself from the blanket and went to go slide the rest of the pancakes into the oven for warming, that’s Luce. The very same Cat-was-in-love-with-her Luce. Huh.
The very same Cat-was-in-love-with-her Luce was currently slumped on the island dramatically, her chin in her hand, pouting as she scrolled through some article on her phone. She had the longest, waviest blonde hair Teddy had ever seen, perfectly styled in a half-bun with the rest of it cascading down her back. Her dark lashes fluttered like a Disney princess as she sighed at nothing, her pink tinted lips pouting more, if that was possible. Teddy stayed where she was on the couch, kind of wishing she could go hide in her bedroom. Luce’s old bedroom. Well, shit.
“What’s wrong?” Cat asked, sliding a plate with two pancakes in front of Luce. She took a dainty bite before slumping back down, again, dramatically.
Disney fuckin’ princess, Teddy thought, surprising herself at how vicious it was. Was she jealous? Teddy Burr didn’t do jealousy. She pinched herself under the blanket.
“I broke up with Pauline,” Luce said, around another bite of pancake. “It was a long time coming, but I think we’ll both be better off—”
Cat snorted out a laugh. “Fuck that, Luce, you’re the worst!”
Luce leaned back, indignant, and Teddy shimmied until she sat up straighter. This was interesting.
“Excuse me?” Luce said.
“You were dating Pauline for, what, two weeks?” Cat was still laughing. “You know that’s your thing, right? You’re a serial dater. Which sucks, because all your exes end up coming here and crying in my arms, you know that, right?”
Luce pouted. “You’re so comforting. Except for right now, bitch.”
Cat shrugged. “You did it to yourself.”
Teddy cocked her head to the side and regarded both girls. Luce and her pancakes, Cat with her hands covered in flour.
Luce doesn’t know, she thought. Cat is in love with her, or was in love with her, or something, and Luce doesn’t know. Hell, Cat said they kissed, and Luce still doesn’t know. Teddy’s cheeks flamed. How self-absorbed can you be! Cat is so caring, how can Luce walk all over her and not even know—
“I can’t believe myself,” Cat burst out, and leapt over a pile of blankets in the living room, grabbing Teddy by the wrist and dragging her to her feet. “This is Teddy, Luce, she’s my new roommate!”
“Teddy,” Luce said, sweeping her striking blue eyes over Teddy’s entire being. “I was wondering who was hiding under a blanket over there. Cat isn’t really one for one night stands, so I guess roommate makes more sense.”
“Theodosia Burr,” Teddy said, and held out a hand. “NIce to meet you.”
These girls didn’t know her, so they didn’t know that polite Teddy meant bitchy Teddy.
“Love that,” Luce said, and kissed her hand, leaving behind a smudge of pink. Teddy squashed the urge to wipe her hand off, and gave her an attempt at a winning smile. This serial dater wasn’t going to get the best of her, and she definitely wasn’t going to get the best of Cat again.
“Teddy’s from Jersey,” Cat said, and jumped up to sit on the counter, Teddy stayed standing; the only other chair was next to Luce, and she wasn’t about that life. “She moved here today, we ran into each other in Times Square.”
“And you’re now a roommate,” Luce said, giving Teddy that judging look again. “Cat, you trust too easily.”
Cat blew a raspberry. “And you don’t trust at all. I’ll remind you about this conversation when I’m comforting Pauline later this week.”
“Shut up.” Luce laughed, and ate the rest of her pancake. “Why do you keep me around, anyway?”
“Free books,” Cat said, grinning, and turned to Teddy. “Luce’s dad owns London Books, the chain.”
“Chain.” Luce scoffed. “Do twelve stores in four states make it a chain?”
Oh, great, Teddy thought, rolling her eyes internally. Disney princess looks, Disney princess money.
“Anyway, she manages the one in town,” Cat went on. “That’s why she moved out. Left us for the apartment above the store, Mrs. One Bedroom Two Bath.”
“You love my Jacuzzi tub,” Luce returned.
“And your Netflix subscription,” Cat said, with her bright white grin. “Are you staying over tonight?”
“I guess not,” Luce said, with another glance at Teddy. “I’ll let your new roommate settle in.”
“You stay over a lot?” Teddy asked. “You think you’d miss the Jacuzzi.”
“I’m here all the time,” Luce replied, cocking her head with the sweetest fuck you smile Teddy ever saw. “And Cat comes over to my place, too. You might even call us best friends.”
Cat jumped off the counter to slap Luce’s shoulder. “Don’t let Mercy and Reed hear you say that shit. We’re a squad.”
“Oh, come on,” Luce said. “Reed and Tom are practically attached at the hip. And Mercy knows she’s my other best friend.”
“Speaking of Tom,” Cat said, lowering her voice like it was now gossip hour, “did he tell you there’s a new hire at Libertea?”
Teddy’s heart immediately seized. Libertea. Was there ever going to be a time that that name didn’t make an anvil drop on her heart? She couldn’t stop thinking about the picture underneath Luce’s bed, the picture of her parents and their old friends. Their New York life. Libertea. She had a sudden, involuntary urge to show Luce the picture. Wave it in her face. I belong here more than you.
Luce’s thumbs flew over her phone screen. “Of course he didn’t tell me. I’m going to kill him.”
“His name’s Nathan Hale,” Cat said. “Warren hired him, apparently without consulting Mr. Laurens first—”
“Like he would say no,” Luce said. “Laurens loves everyone Warren hires, according to Mercy. Now if you would’ve said Andre hired him…”
“Andre’s a terrible judge of character,” Cat agreed. “He hired Hazard for Libertwo. That’s damnation in it of itself. I mean, his nickname is Hazard. That should’ve been a red flag, right?”
The two girls dissolved into giggles, like this was a well-rehearsed conversation they had at least once a week. Cat crossed her arms.
“Who’s Hazard?”
“I think his real name’s Oliver,” Cat said, looking over at Luce for confirmation. She shrugged.
“Hell if I know.”
Cat looked back over at Teddy. “He breaks shit.”
Luce picked at a cuticle.
“More shit than his paycheck’s worth.”
“Makes a mean scone, though.”
“Okay, that’s true.”
“Hey Cat,” Teddy interrupted as soon as there was an opening. “You mind if I take a shower? I’m exhausted.”
“Don’t expect any company,” Luce said, and winked, slowly, her dark lashes caressing her porcelain doll cheek. Teddy’s fists clenched under the island’s counter, and she smiled serenely.
“Wouldn’t ask for it even if I wanted it,” she said, and followed Cat down the hall.
“Here it is,” Cat said, pushing open the bathroom door with her toe. “You can use my stuff if you don’t have your own, my shelf’s the highest one. And Teddy?”
“Yeah?” Teddy said, hoping she wasn’t coming off as pissed off as she felt.
“Don’t let Luce get to you,” Cat said. Shit. “We’ve been friends forever, since like middle school, so I’ve had a lot of time to get used to… How she is. But she’s a good person, I promise, no matter how bitter I come off about our… Past activities.”
“Kissing you and not even asking how you felt about it?” Teddy said.
Cat crossed her arms uncomfortably. “Yeah, that.”
“That’s not really what friends do.”
She shifted against the door frame. “Teddy, I like you a lot, but I just met you today. I don’t really think it’s your place to—”
“Fuck, Cat, I know.” Teddy’s cheeks flamed. “I’ll shut up about it. I’m sorry.”
Cat threw her arms around Teddy’s neck and pulled her close. She smelled like butter frying in a warm pan, like cinnamon stars in a pancake sky. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re moving in. I’m glad you’re a part of us now.”
Us.
“That means Luce, too, right?” Teddy said, only half-joking. Cat let go, leaning back and smacking Teddy’s arm with the back of her hand.
“She’s better after you get to know her, I promise.”
“I’ll remember you said that.”
Cat grinned, pushed Teddy farther into the bathroom, and closed the door. Teddy, grinning, her cheeks still hot for some reason, stripped and got into the shower. The controls were, thankfully, simple to figure out, and Cat’s shower shelf was full of Lush soap and shampoo bars. Teddy lathered cinnamon shampoo into her hair and let out a sigh, the sound escaping to the ceiling along with steam and bubbles.
She should call her mom, explain her new living situation, reassure her that she wasn’t dead in some city gutter somewhere. She should unpack, figure out how to make Luce’s old room her own. She should make things right with Luce before they got more complicated. She didn’t want to do that, though. Let Luce hate her. Let the rest of Cat’s friends follow her lead. She didn’t need their pity, their friendship, or their ties to Libertea.
The only thing she wanted to do was sleep.
She found a clean towel in the cabinet by the shower and wrapped herself in it after wringing water out of her hair. Glancing out of the bathroom, she made sure that the coast was clear before sprinting down the hall to her room, leaving moist footprints on the wooden floor.
Digging in her suitcase, she found a clean t-shirt, tie-dye and oversized, with a cat printed on the front. She shimmied into a pair of leggings, and tugged on some socks. She had a blanket but no pillow, but Luce’s old bed was comfortable enough without one. After sprinting back to the bathroom to brush her teeth, Teddy was in bed, light off and white noise playing from her phone.
She huddled further under the blanket, watching the city lights making shapes on her ceiling. Before she knew it she was asleep, curled into a ball in the middle of a bare queen-size mattress, her clothes strewn on the floor, the photos of her family still hidden under the bed.
•••
Teddy woke up the next morning, only to find a pillow under her head, and a comforter draped over the blanket she’d brought from home. Both of them were bright teal, and smelled like Cat. She grinned, snuggling farther into the nest she’d made for herself, but the loud sound of talking made her sit up, quicker than an arrow shot from a bow. There were a lot of voices, from the sounds of it. Someone laughed, a booming, very male sounding laugh. She checked her phone.
It was five thirty in the morning, the sun wasn’t even fully up yet, and there were people in the apartment. Teddy swung her legs over the bed, noting her crazy hair and tired eyes in the mirror. It was time to socialize.
Sup, Cat’s friends, Teddy thought, and gave the mirror unenthusiastic finger guns. Meet Teddy Burr, your new worst enemy.