Mirror Mirror

Disclaimer: All these characters are MINE...I do give credit to my frinds since that\'s who they\'er somewhat based off of...but they are MINE...please don\'t steal them.

Prologue

"Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Jonny Ray, South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio"¦" Kat sang along with the radio. She was home alone for a week while her parents were in Florida for a business meeting with some law firm partners. She didn't notice the door open downstairs, nor did she hear her friends calling her name. She was too busy singing and drawing.
She and her friends had been out of school for four days, and in Angy's case, a year in five days, and since then, Kat had kept to herself, holding true to her personality of hibernating in the safety of her own world. Being extremely wrapped up in her drawing, Kat never noticed her five best friends gather around her until she set her pencil down and got pelted with pillows.
"Hello." She said.
"We figured you would still be asleep because you didn't answer the door." Lily said.
"Sorry, didn't hear you guys. You know I would have let you in if I did." Kat said grinning at her friends.
"So what's up buddy? Why have you been ignoring us lately?" Lily asked in a pointed but nonetheless hurt tone.
"I haven't been ignoring you. I have been busy. My parents are out of town and I have been job hunting."
A chorus of "oh" was uttered from the five as each girl took a seat amongst the furniture in the living room.
"So what jobs have you been looking into? Are they part time or full time?" Micki asked.
"Well, all the witnessing jobs"¦you know, Bob Evans, Denny's"¦those sorts, there's also Target, Wal Mart, Checkers, Rita's and my old day care center." Kat answered showing off the stack of applications. "Almost all of the I'm going to ask for full time, save for the day care." She added.
"So I guess your gonna be pretty busy this summer huh?" Nikki asked. She was one of Kat's best friends and her only blood relative out of the close knit circle of friends. The two had grown up together since kindergarten and had lived a street away from each other since they were three.
"Don't worry Nikki, we'll still hang out. I'll still be able to spend time with everyone, I'll just be a working girl too. It just means I'll have a little extra money to burn here and there. Nothing major." Kat said smiling fondly at her friends.
"We know. It was just hard this year, we hardly saw you. What with all the AP classes, ROTC Raiders, Rugby"¦not to mention Dance and Gymnastics meets outside of school, and then the after school choir rehearsals and the concerts. We just missed you." Jen said.
Jen had met Nikki and Kat in sixth grade and had introduced them to Micki and Lily in seventh. Kat met Angy in ninth grade because they had the same art classes, and even though she was a year older, Kat had introduced her to everyone else. After that, the girls had formed a close bond, and since Kat was the most involved with school activities, the bond the girls shared strengthened when they decided to support her; they went to her concerts, games and shows in place of her parents. They were all a family, and no one could tell them different.
Kat sighed. "I know I was really busy this year you guys. I'm sorry for that. I missed talking to everyone at lunches and after school. I have to make things work though. It's like this point I have to prove to my parents. They just never believe I'm responsible enough to do anything on my own." Kat said bitterly.
"Kat"¦they're ones to talk. You have been on the Raider team for four years now. The Drill team for two and a half years, you were captain of the Rugby team this year, president of the choir and band, you had your dance and gymnastics teams in which you were the captain of both, Senior class president AND involved with SGA for four years, not to mention every AP class you ever had in high school. And somehow, your G.P.A. never dropped below a 4.0?" That doesn't say "˜Hello, my name is Kat, I'm 17 ½ and I'm not responsible.' That actually tells me different." Angy said bluntly.
"Yeah, come on Kat, you were accepted into Harvard and Princeton. I know you refused them, but, they don't accept irresponsible people into their schools." Jen said.
"Heh, you know-" Lily was cut off by the shrill cry of the phone.
Kat glared at the phone for interrupting the conversation and answered, causing her friends to snicker. "Hello, Kingsley residence, Kat speaking." She answered.
Lily shook her head and sighed at Kat's antics. She hated being interrupted, but there was nothing she could do. She, like the rest of her friends, waited patiently for Kat to hang up.
"Ok, thanks. Yes. I'll do that. You too." Kat laughed and hung the phone back on the receiver. Turning back to everyone, she smiled and plopped back down in her seat.
"Good news then?" Micki asked.
"Yeah, actually. Well"¦I guess so"¦if you don't mind long distance friendships"¦" Kat said looking down at her sketch book, suddenly finding the corner very interesting.
"What do you mean, I thought you were staying here." Nikki said.
"Yeah, I thought we were all going to go to the same college together." Lily said.
Kat sighed. "look"¦I'm throwing a party for July 4th. I'll tell everyone then what I decide to do." She said.
Micki smiled. "That sounds good. It's only a couple of weeks away. Anyhow, I have to go get ready for work. I'll see you later." She said standing.
Kat nodded and weakly smiled. "Alright. I'll get information about the party to you before the 1st. Tell your parents I said hi?"
"Sure thing. Lily, am I still taking you to Brads?" Micki asked from the top stair.
"Yeah, I need to get my games back. I miss them. Bye guys." She said as both she and Micki disappeared down the stairs only stopping to put their shoes on before they were out the door.
Angy and Jen both checked their watched and sighed. They both worked together at the local Starbucks and both had the same shifts. The longest hours were reserved for them and one other girl and they hated it. Kat smiled at them and shook her head.
"Bye guys." She said laughing at their shocked faces.
"How did you know we were both leaving?" Angy asked.
"You both used the "˜I really don't want to go to work and deal with all those idiots today' sigh." Kat answered simply.
"Caught yet again huh guys?" Nikki laughed as they blushed and headed down to Angy's car where their uniforms were hanging in the back.
Kat sighed and let her head fall back against the chair she was sitting in as her fingers ran through her hair and over her face. When she felt one last set of eyes on her, she looked up and gave her cousin the "˜I'm really upset, but don't ask questions because everything will be fine' smile and closed her eyes again. Even if she threatened everyone else into submission, Nikki still asked Kat if she was ok when she smiled like that. She snapped her fingers in front of Kat's face when she didn't answer, causing startled gray eyes to meet her calm gaze.
"I said, is everything ok? And don't bother lying to me either"¦I know you too well." Nikki said.
"Not really. The phone call I got was from Miami. Their SWAT team read over my file not too long ago." Kat paused and stood up. She crossed the room to pick up a picture off the fireplace mantle. It was the group sitting near the pool, posing for the camera. For a moment she asked herself if she should say anything else.
"And, what did they say?" Nikki edged.
"They want me in the division. I told them in my resume I was moving to Miami after college. They told me today they want me to join them now." Kat said.
"Kat, that's great! This is what you have wanted since, well forever." Nikki answered.
"Well yeah, but there's a catch. I'd have to leave by July 12th, and that means no college with everyone." Kat paused long enough to sigh. "Nikki what am I gonna do? This is my chance to live my dream, but I don't want to leave the group so soon." She said as she placed the picture back up on the mantle.
"Kat, you have worked your whole life towards this goal. Don't throw that chance away just to stay with us a little while longer. Everyone will understand. We have supported you through everything and vise versa, why would we hold you back now?" Nikki hugged her cousin secretly regretting that she wasn't telling her to stay a little longer. She knew though, that Kat would love nothing more than to be a part of the Miami SWAT division.
July 4th came too soon for Kat and Nikki as they sat outside talking with their friends. She smiled when Brad, Chris, Lily, Amanda and Andrew came over to talk to them.
"Hey Kat, great party so far." Brad said.
"Yeah, I have to agree with Brad." Chris said.
Kat smiled her thanks. "Have you guys seen Jason anywhere?" She asked.
Brad pointed to the kitchen balcony before heading to the pool house with Chris, Lily, Amanda and Andrew in tow. Kat looked at Nikki in silent question and smiled when she nodded. She needed to talk to him before she left.
"Come on Kat, dance contest is about to start." Sarah said.
"Not right now, I have to talk to someone really fast. I'll be by later though." Kat said walking into the house and up the stairs into the kitchen. Silently she stepped onto the balcony thanking whatever gods were on duty that she had socks on. She placed her arms around Jason's waist loosely enough to turn around, smiling when he did. "I was looking for you." She said.
"You found me. What's up?" He asked placing his hands on her waist. She was his best friend, but that still didn't mean that she didn't look good. He only wished she was more than his friend.
"Have you heard yet?" She asked quietly.
"That you're moving? Yeah, Jackie told me. He said you were accepted onto the Miami SWAT team too." He paused and smiled when she rolled her eyes. "I know your gonna haul ass. And don't worry, we'll still keep in touch." He said.
"I know, I just don't want to leave everyone behind so soon." She said. After a short paused, she chuckled and smiled lightly.
"What is it?" Jason asked her with an arched eyebrow.
"You're probably one of the few people who know me as Jennifer. Everyone else just calls me Kat or Danie." She said. "Damn am I gonna miss that." She added quietly.
"Hey, lets not forget Danie-bear." He joked.
"How could we, it's your pet name for me." She said laughing.
While she was distracted, Jason leaned down and pressed his lips gently against hers. They had been best friends for five years and he had always like her as more, he still did. He was upset that she was leaving, but he wasn't going to hold her back when this was what she wanted.
Kat blinked when the kiss ended. "What was that for?" she asked him, unconsciously licking her bottom lip.
"Just my way of saying bye." He answered.
Kat smiled and pulled him down gently by his neck to kiss him again. It wasn't that she never liked him, she just never thought that he would have liked her as anything other than a best friend. Kat's thoughts left her brain the moment their lips met again and she forgot everything around her, including the friends that were now watching her from the ground.
Sarah stormed out of the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind her causing Jason and Kat to break apart. "You know you do have other guests here." She said tersely.
"No the thought never crossed my mind." Kat shot back.
"Yeah, nothing but HIM has entered your mind for the past half hour." Sarah growled out. She never heard the balcony door open, or nine people walk out until Nikki opened her mouth.
"Oh lighten up, it's only been ten minutes since she came up here." She said. "Besides, if I didn't know any better, I would say your jealous Sarah." She sneered.
Lily snickered and Angy smirked. "Yeah, maybe she's mad because Kat was getting a guys attention and she can't get anyone to look at her." Lily said.
"Save girls that it." Angy added.
"You know Sarah, you can fuck off. You have never been a true friend of Kat's anyways." Jen said. Kat and the group just blinked at Jen who merely shrugged.
Sarah was irate, extremely so. She raised her hand to smack Nikki, but as she lowered her arm, her wrist was caught in a strong hold. She saw Jackie when she looked up and growled.
"Fine, protect the bitch. She's not worth it anyways." She sneered.
"Hey!" Amanda snapped.
"Oh geez, you too I would have thought that you would understand how I feel Amanda. We have been her friends forever too." Sarah yelled.
"Oh yeah, so trying to manipulate her into being your puppy is being a friend? Go screw yourself. It's no wonder Kyle broke up with you." Amanda said.
Sarah growled and smacked Amanda across the face before storming away from the party. She had been dumped by her boyfriend and her best friends. She never thought she would end up so alone. Kat looked to everyone after she had gone and smiled sadly. She really didn't want to leave them now, not after they had protected her like that.
"Don't worry Kat, we'll always be together." Nikki promised. Everyone else nodded and the party resumed. Kat had never been so happy to have the people around her as friends than she was now. She knew deep down that Nikki's words were true and it was enough to comfort her.