"When's Matt going to be back?" Scarlett whined.

"Who cares? I'm hungry," Ashley sighed as she watched her older sister try on another pair of shoes.

"We'll go the food court as soon as I can decide on a pair of heels for the red carpet tomorrow," Catherine said as she took a few steps in a pair of almond toed, black, velvet heels with ankle straps. "What do you think of these?"

"They look wonderful, Darling," Miss Diane gushed. "I'll ring them up. Meet me at the cash register."

Catherine took off the shoes and handed them to Miss Diane, slipping her own sneakers back on. She quickly paid and brought the girls to get lunch.

Soon after, they returned to the apartment and Catherine decided to play guitar for the girls.

She was about halfway through playing Master of Puppets when Matt walked in.

"Matt!" Scarlett exclaimed, running over and wrapping her arms around him. "Look at how fast Catherine can play."

"Oh, hey, Hon," Cath smiled as she stopped playing and stepped aside.

"It's not that hard," Matt teased.

"Master of Puppets?" Scarlett scoffed. "If it's so easy, then let's see you play it."

Matt picked up Catherine's other guitar, and with a smug little smile, played it slowly, the guitar incredibly out of tune. When he reached the last note, he quadrupled the speed, playing every note perfectly.

Catherine pretended to be unimpressed and checked her phone. "Still no messages from Mari," she thought.

"Did you know he could do that?" Ashley whispered.

Catherine shook her head in reply.

Carlos suddenly came through the door and winced. "Dreadfully out of tune."

"I haven't tuned that guitar since I was like twenty," Catherine laughed. "What's in the box?"

"A Bugatti," Carlos joked. "I still have to put it together. That reminds me, do you have a hot glue gun I could borrow?"

"In the kitchen," Catherine chuckled. "What is it really?"

Carlos set the box on the table. "Open it and see for yourself."

Catherine eyed her cousin suspiciously and carefully opened the box, revealing an electric blue, electric guitar. "You didn't," she gasped.

"I did," Carlos smiled. "There's a strap in there too."

"It's beautiful," Cath gushed as she hugged her cousin. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. I figured, you don't play the other two you have, so why not get you a third that you actually like?" Carlos chuckled. "Well, enjoy your new guitar. I'm off to go serenade a girl at the park."

Catherine shook her head. "I'm not going to ask questions."

"Probably best," Carlos nodded, pulling the door closed behind him.

Catherine stared at the guitar. It was the one she'd had her eye on since she first learned to play. "Wow," she whispered.

"Make sure your wrist is bent," Matt laughed. "I wonder what he's gotten himself into."

Catherine shrugged. "Who knows? He's crazy. I love him, but he's crazy...When did you learn to play electric guitar?"

"I didn't. It's half step intervals, and I know the song from hearing you play it."

"That is not fair," Catherine scoffed. "Took me three weeks to learn that song."

"Three weeks?" Scarlett gaped. "It took Carlos like a year."

"Well," Catherine shrugged, "I had no life, so I'm sure that helped."

"A lot of it's genetic. My mom was a pretty proficient musician," Matt nodded.

"True, but I could devote like eight hours straight to just playing guitar since I didn't have a social life," Catherine chuckled.

"Matt, are you excited for the show? Cath says Gerard Butler is going to be there," Ashley smiled.

"Moderately," Matt chuckled.

"I know I'm excited," Catherine grinned. "I wish he could take Ben's place as the Phantom. That would be amazing."

"It would be a nightmare," Matt laughed. "Wonderful, but a nightmare."

"Maybe for you," Catherine teased. "I'd get to kiss him."

Matt kissed her forehead. "An even worse nightmare for me."

"Relax," Catherine laughed, pulling him close. "You know my heart is yours completely."

"Mhm. That's what you say now."

"And it's what I will say even after meeting Gerard Butler. I love you. Nothing could or ever will change that."

"Mhm," Matt smirked.

"You can be so stubborn sometimes," Catherine chuckled.

"Yes. Yes, I can. I gotta get to work, Babe."

Catherine sighed. "Why?"

"Because contrary to popular belief, I do lead a life of my own," Matt laughed.

"This is the first I've heard of it," Catherine smirked. "I'll see you tomorrow."

—————

"Can I ask you to do something stupid?" Mari said softly, pressing her thumb into the palm of her hand anxiously. "You promise you won't laugh, Josh?"

"I'll do anything," Josh smiled.

"It's stupid," Mari chuckled. It was still odd to look at him and allow herself to think him handsome in his peculiar sort of way. Though, she supposed there was no denying now that he was good looking. Still, every accidental hand touch, every glance felt strange and unusual. "Just...do you like car washes?"

"Mari," Josh laughed, "what did you want me to do?"

"I need to escape...and when I was little...well about sixteen, I'd take my foster parents' Chevy and go through the car wash, and in those few short minutes, there was peace in my world. It was silence and the water just enveloped everything, eyes watching every color change and blend together. I-I feel like I could use an escape today, but I'd wanna go with you."

Josh smiled. "Of course."

"Really?" Mari said with some surprise. "I mean, if you don't want to...We kinda jumped from zero to sixty in this relationship. Not that technically it's a relationship. Unless you want it to be. I mean, I don't wanna hijack your car or anything."

"I want this to be a relationship," Josh said softly. "And I do want to take you to the car wash."

"So, we're doing this?" Mari laughed awkwardly, speaking swiftly.

"Of course," Josh laughed."Mari, can I tell you something?"

"Right," Mari blushed, faking confidence. "Anything. You know that."

"I-I love you," Josh stammered with a nervous laugh.

Mari's blood ran cold. A chill tingled down her spine and it seemed as if the entire world had stopped spinning, stopped breathing except for the two of them.

What do you say? When everyone else has turned away and left you behind? When the only person you ever wanted to care finally sees you? What then?

"Josh," Mari moaned, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

Too fast, too fast.

"Josh, please don't make me say it out loud."

"Don't make me admit it," Mari thought in internal agony. "The moment I say it, it becomes dangerously real, too real. I won't have any excuses left, no reasons to fight this."

"You don't have to," Josh replied with a small smile.

"Oh god," Mari mumbled with a little terrified laugh. "Don't smile. It's hard to keep up my guard when you do that."

Josh's face went solemn. "Yes, ma'am," he said as seriously as he could.

"Josh, can I be honest?"

"Always."

"I've never been in...what I'm trying to say is...Josh, the idea of even holding hands with you terrifies me. I've never felt this strongly about anything ever and- and it freaks the life out of me," Mari admitted, blushing beet red.

"Great," she thought to herself. "And this is the part where he leaves."

Josh gave a sigh of relief. "I agree completely."

"And what's more?" Mari sighed, feeling a bit of relief from the awkward tension. "I trust you. I trust you more than I trust Cath, and she's the only 'family' I have on the planet. I feel like I know nothing about you, and yet, everything where it counts. When I trust people, someone gets hurt and- and I don't want to lose another person, I-"

"I can understand that," Josh nodded.

"The point being," Mari sighed, taking a hesitant step forward, "I just want to make you happy. I just want us, only us. No sisters, no fathers and daughters and best friends. Just me and you. Happy and with some peace of mind. Josh, I'd die to give that to you."

"Don't you dare die on me, Mariah Gerry," Josh smiled, kissing her gently.

Mari shook her head and put a hand on his chest. "Please. Josh I want so badly to hate you. You have no idea how badly."

"But?"

"But I don't," Mari said, looking up and meeting his eyes. "Why do you have to be so...you?"

Josh smirked. "Well, unfortunately, Marius Pontmercy was taken."

"I know exactly what you're doing, and it's not funny," Mari frowned.

"Sorry," Josh chuckled.

Mari could feel his breath as it softly tickled her nose. "God, what am I gonna tell Cath?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Josh shrugged. "She'll be happy for you no matter what."

"No, just-" Mari gave a groan and tapped her foot. "Just she's going to give me a 'I told you so' speech because I promised that I'd never ever like you, let alone fall in l-" Mari gave a little yelp and her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widened in horror.

"Love?" Josh guessed with a smirk.

"No," Mari stammered, rerunning her last sentence in her head. No matter how many times she thought it over, the sentence always seemed to end the same way. With her staring up at him helplessly in terror, the weight of realization falling heavily on her shoulders as her head and heart pounded relentlessly.

Josh noticed her disposition. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No," Mari stammered, putting a hand to her head. "No, I'm fine, just- just a bit in shock that's all."

"Alright," Josh said awkwardly.

Mari shakily took a hand and placed it gently on the side of his cheek. If she looked hard enough, she could almost see the old Josh underneath. The one with disheveled hair and glasses. The one that she wouldn't have even looked at a year ago. "What kind of horrors have you had to endure?" She asked pitifully as she looked into his tired eyes.

"Something happened in New York," Josh shrugged.

Mari's eyes widened. "Josh, what?"

"Forget it," Josh sighed, closing his eyes and placing his hand up to her wrist, treasuring her touch. "It doesn't matter."

"Josh," Mari frowned, "what happened?"

"I got mugged," Josh explained. "Well...I tried to help someone who was getting mugged." He pulled up his shirt and Mari's face burned red. "See," he shuddered softly, showing purple slit across his chest. "They, um, missed my heart by half an inch. Any closer and- well...I wouldn't be standing here, that much is for sure."

Mari's jaw dropped. "I-I can't believe-" she stammered, wrapping her arms around him. "Are you okay?"

Josh wrapped his arms securely around her. "I am now. I'll get over it. It's just a bit of trauma...I've been through worse. I had to leave you behind, didn't I? That nearly hurt more than the surgery."

"Surgery? You had to have surgery?" Mari gaped, her heart skipping a beat.

Josh bit his lip and cringed. "The knife was the only thing keeping me from bleeding out...it was risky. I'm allergic to the stuff in laughing gas...so I was as awake as shock would let me be...I won't lie, Mariah. I was scared to death."

Mari pressed her lips against his. She hadn't any idea that something so traumatic had happened to him. It made her realize that she could lose him at any second. "I love you too," she whispered against his lips, the thought of him dying without knowing how she felt filled her with more terror than saying the words did.

Josh gave a little chuckle and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes tightly. "There it is. There's those stupid, idiotic, wonderful four words."

Author's Note: Even though it's obvious, I wanted to point out that in the video I linked above, it's not supposed to be Catherine playing. I just thought that the girl doing the cover did a great job so I linked it instead of the original song. Also, the pictures to follow show the shoes Catherine chose for the premiere, the electric guitar Carlos bought, and the guitar strap.