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"Hey Catti, can I come in? There's...... something I need your help with."
Catti stares with a small smile at the monster at her doorstep. Noelle is nervously twiddling her fingers as she awaits an answer.
"Sure" She opens the door invitingly. "We can go ......." She glares at the messy living room. ".....to my room."
Noelle only ferviously nods as she follows behind her friend. Dodging climbing trees and an assortment of toys scattered across the floor as they meander towards Catti's bedroom.
Catti catches her by her shoulders when she nearly tumbles to the ground. Her fur is soft. Noelle assures her that she is just fine.
They continue on. The door clicks behind them as they pass the threshold.
Catti's room, as always is dark and foreboding. But that doesn't mean the room isn't its own kind of tidy. Bookshelves stuffed to the brim with occult classics and supernatural findings. Candles, crystals and other trinkets are scattered across different surfaces. Not an inch of dust touches this place.
The cat monster sits herself down on her bed and encourages Noelle to sit next to her. She does so, bed dipping again as another body disturbs the mattress.
"Did you.... forget.... your house key again?" Catti jumps straight to it as she sits down. Noelle startles slightly, then laughs softly at her bluntness. Catti thinks her laugh is cute.
Everything about her is cute and bright.
"No, not this time. I actually wanted to ask if....um.." She stares at the closet in the corner. Filled to the brim with darkly colored clothing hugging their hangers tightly.
Catti turns to look at her closet as well. "Do you want to..... try on my clothes? Again?" Not an ounce of judgment or malice seeps from her voice.
Noelle has come over a few times to try on her clothing. Experimenting she says... though she never borrows it to wear in public. Catti knows she could rock it if she tried though.
Then again, Catti thinks she could rock any type of clothing of her choice.
"Well um, maybe later right now I want to ask.." Her cheeks puff in frustration as she grumbles. "COULD YOU POSSIBLY HELP ME DYE MY HAIR!!!" The deer girl finally manages to get out. Quickly putting a hoof over her mouth in embarrassment at the small outburst.
A small sparkle shines in Catti's eyes at the request.
"Finally! I knew it. You would come around.. eventually." Sliding off her bed she opens the door to her bathroom. Clinks and shakes of bottles and boxes clatter as she rummages through her cabinet.
She's been waiting for this moment of confidence for what feels like years! Self expression is an art form and she can't help but feel a pitter patter in her heart that Noelle decided to come to her for this type of help.
Walking back out into her room she dumps a few boxes onto her sheets.
"Sorry. Pnk and purple only." She says with a guilty shrug. Maybe she should've invested in that Christmas themed hair dyeing kit Noelle was looking at last year.
"Oh no this is a great start! I actually really like purple..." She giggles with a small spread of red on her cheeks.
A sinking feeling settles in her stomach as she lightly paws the streak of pink in her hair.
"Alright. Follow me." Catti motions as she grabs the box of purple hair dye and scoots her desk chair under her arm. Noelle excitedly follows behind her as the two enter the bathroom.
Setting the chair onto the ground with a scrape, Catti rips open the carboard boxing holding the dye hostage as Noelle sits on the chair. Her whole body is practically vibrating from her nerves and excitement.
"Lucky for you. Your golden hair.." Like the sunshine in the morning dew. "Won't need..bleaching." Catti mixes the color and developer together with a brush as she looks at her friend. "Now. Design. Whatcha thinking?"
"Racoontails!" Noelle quickly answers, courage and certainty in her voice. She pulls on the front two locks of hair framing her face. "I've known it for a while now..."
Catti gives a smirk as she grabs her hairbrush and begins carefully pushing it through Noelle's hair. She notices the reindeer girl tugging at her sweater.
"You're going to look....great." She assures as she detangles a knot, lightly massaging her scalp in an attempt to calm her.
She smells the candy cane conditioner waft from her hair. It's so soft. The scent calms the small, bitter taste in the back of Catti's throat.
"So...why now? What changed. Your mind? On dyeing your hair? I've been asking you...to do it...for months." She ponders. But deep down she thinks she knows the answer.
"Actually I've been meaning to tell you...... but I've just been so embarrassed to say it out loud!" Noelle clasps her hooves on her face as if to hide it from the world.
Catti remains silent for a moment as she finishes brushing the dandelion hair smooth. "Who is...the lucky..." A deep breathe as she moves to grab the mixed purple dye and brush. "Girl?"
Noelle removes the hooves on her face. "Wow! Gosh, was it really that obvious?" Catti begins to tie parts of her hair up and out of the way, claws gripping the strands tightly as Noelle rubs her neck.
"Someone you know. Stuttering and blushing. When she's....mentioned." She pins some of her hair down. "I have a... guess." She stares at Noelle teasingly, even if her heart aches. "Wanna... confirm it?"
"Yeah.. if I hold it in anymore from you, I'll probably explode!" Noelle admires her brushed and pinned up hair, ready to step outside the little box her mother made for her. "It's... Susie!" She squeezes her eyes closed for a moment, as if afraid of Catti's judgement.
As bad as Catti wants to do just that, to shout out all of Susie's flaws and cruelty.. she won't. She does not wish to wreak pain upon Noelle's sweet heart, she can't bring herself to ever be truly angry with her.
Catti grabs the thin plastic cape from the box and fastens it carefully around Noelle's neck.
"Ha.. knew it." She states instead as she dips the brush into the purple dye.
Purple. Purple like the scales of a certain monster in class. Who arrives late to class and is rude to the teacher. Who shoves Kris into lockers. Purple hands of that asshole who thinks she can.....!
Catti grinds her teeth together as she begins coating the blonde strands in striped formations. "Why?"
"She's just so, scary... but in the good way you know? Haha, kinda like you!"
Why do you want her then?! What else does she have that isn't enough in me?! Is her silent siren song, somehow so much more alluring than my own stilted words?
Catti bites her tongue as she continues.
"But there's so much more there...she's so tough and strong. Plus I'm pretty sure she ate one of my candy cane pencils!" Noelle laughs aloud. "Funny, she has her own humor that I can't help but love..." Her voice turns soft and eyes unfocussed and lost in her own little world of teenage love.
Noelle loved that pencil. Catti had listened to her talk about that new pack of pencils for the school year.
"Here... look." She turns Noelle's head towards the mirror to admire the first strips of dye on her right side.
"Oh my Angel! It's looking so good so far! Wow, I should've taken your advice sooner!"
"Heh, slow down. Other side... unfinished." Noelle wishes she took her advice earlier. Her fur feels warm as she grasps Noelle's left section of hair.
"I.. just Susie being herself so unapologetically, really gave me my own courage to do the things I've been wanting to do! But had been so frightened of stepping outside of my own little box for so long, she showed me.... how to just be myself."
Catti bites her tongue and blinks away the moisture in her eyes. I've been trying to do that, you shine so bright within the light, but that doesn't mean the darkness doesn't try to snuff you out. Why? Why does her voice matter more to you?!
She gently dots the purple dye on another streak of hair.
"I'm....happy." She chokes the words out. "That someone.....encourages you to feel so....comfortable....in your own skin." She gives a small wobbly smile, eyes drooping.
The container of dye is empty.
"There. Now we wait.." She picks up Noelle's hand to read off her watch. "Thirty minutes." She lets go of her hand as Noelle looks at herself in the mirror.
She wishes Noelle would reach back and grab hers.
_
The next thirty minutes are spent discussing makeup ideas and clothes shopping. Talks of crushes and assignments due at school soon in between bites of junk food.
Catti shows off her latest occult findings to Noelle and in return she allows her to lore dump about her latest play of Dragon Blazers III.
Noelle's face is scrunched up in concentration as she speaks. Like that, Catti is enraptured by her excited mumbling. Paw on her cheek, she leans into it as Noelle continues to excitedly ramble.
Her face is adorable and Catti has to restrain herself from bopping her nose playfully.
Noelle only ever goes on these types of tangents with people she really trusts. You wouldn't find her dumping all this knowledge onto Snowy. And sometimes..... that's enough for her.
Beep Beep
Catti lifts her head up as Noelle stops her rant to look at her watch.
"It's time it's time!" She gasps as she stands herself up. Hooves clack against the carpet when she races to the bathroom and slams it shut. "W-which towel can I use?" Noelle shouts through the muffling of the door.
"The black one." Catti yells back as she pulls out her phone.
"They're all black!" Noelle shouts back.
"Exactly." Catti smiles lightly.
"Har har har, very funny!" She can hear the sound of a shower head turning on. Drowning out whatever other noises clutter the bathroom.
Catti sighs as she leans back and feels her back collide with her mattress. Her body feels tired. She runs a hand against her face and hair, trying to soothe the agitation running through her veins.
Holding her phone up to her face, she sends a small text to Jockington before she begins looking through the different images she has saved on it.
Memories of times hanging out with Jockington at the park, selfies at work in the break room, a collage of her and Noelle's time spent together. She stops on a picture she took of herself, Noelle and Jockington. Noelle had just won first place at a cross country competition.
The memory makes her happy as Noelle holds up the shining medal around her neck. A blur in the back of the photo catches her eye.
Purple.
She shuts her phone off and puts it on her nightstand. Even in the digital world Susie is ruining her mood.
Grabbing one of her pillows she shoves it over her face and growls into it.
It's not fair. She knows life isn't fair, but she doesn't care. She's known Noelle since they were kids. She was there when they went to the same elementary class or had playdates at each others houses. She was there when December disappeared. When Noelle would cry in her arms for hours cause her mom was becoming cold and uncaring.
She has always listened to Noelle when needed. And she listens back.
What does Susie even know about her anyways? Does she even know about Noelle's interests in the occult? Does she know how Noelle likes to drink her eggnog? Does Susie even know why sometimes in class, she gets that sad faraway look...?
A bead of sorrow slips out and soaks into her fur. Catti wipes it quickly as to avoid smudging her mascara. Looking at her paws, she notices the white fur is slightly stained with purple.
Tch. Has Susie ever dyed Noelle's hair?
The bathroom door opens and steam spills into her bedroom. Her body shoots up in anticipation as she waits for a figure to exit.
Noelle hoof can be seen stepping onto the carpet. Her fingers are smoothing over her sweater to ward off the anxious energy. She lifts her head higher with a large smile on her face.
"What..what do you think?"
Thankfully the dim lighting in her room is most likely hiding the raging warm blush on her face as she stares with wide eyes. The horizontal striping frames her face in a way that seems to caress her cheeks gently, but oh so sharp and rebellious at the same time.
"You look...." Beautiful, gorgeous, someone worthy of all the praise this world has to offer. "Amazing. Color really sticks out." Catti jumps off the bed and goes up to her, admiring the colorful hair. "With some... black in between the purple. It'd stick out."
"Ah you're so right!" Noelle squeals as she crashes into Catti with a hug. "Thank you Catti, for doing this for me. I really appreciate it."
Catti squeezes her as she hugs back. Her fluffy body practically engulfs the smaller girl.
"Whatever you need. I'll be there." Catti assures her as she drinks up the warmth from the embrace.
When the two separate, Catti take a moment to admire her face. She wants to hold it and appreciate the look ...more closely. Her lips are soft as she talks excitedly about going to the store to grab more dye. Catti fights that urge to kiss her right here and now.
This... isn't what she needs.
Tomorrow she will be there to cheer Noelle on during practice like always and she will notice the purple blur standing by a tree off in the distance as usual.
This time, Catti's heart will break as Noelle shows her hair off to Susie.
Catti is starting to hate the color purple.