Petals on the Wind, Part 2

Let's continue our saga of sluttiness! For those reading along, this is the second half of Part 2 and all of Part 3 in the book. I left off at a really good part!

It's Paul's birthday! Cathy is planning a surprise party for him for when he arrives home from a business trip. She made a cake from scratch and everything. She says that she messed up the first cake, so she frosted it and gave it to the neighborhood kids. Was she just like, "Free cake!" while standing outside in a negligee? Chris has to be back at Duke early, so he can only stay a little while. Cathy primps herself all up and totally gives Chris another boner (6!) and makes Carrie jealous. They wait and wait for Paul while dinner dries out in the oven. Cathy is nervous, and if you get the parallelism, you know why. Chris leaves to go back to school and Cathy puts Carrie to bed. Paul comes in 3 hours late and Cathy rips him a new one. He says his flight was delayed, but that's no excuse for our ho. They sit down and eat, and Cathy brings out the cake she made for him. Paul grew a mustache for her while he was away because she kept on saying how much she liked them. Cathy questions Paul about a nurse at the hospital that wants to jump his bones, but he denies any involvement with her. Given Paul's previous cheating history, I'm not inclined to believe him, but oh well. Especially since, as blue828 pointed out, Cathy is a huge tease.

Paul asks about Julian, and Cathy says she only sometimes wants him. Poor Julian. Then she starts getting all crazy outside and dancing and shit and Paul grabs her and they make out. She says she didn't have enough money for a shiny silver Cadillac to give him for his birthday, so she decided to give him second best - herself. Cheapskate!

He keeps on resisting her, but gives in as soon as she touches his no-no place. Guys are so easily persuaded! They have sex, and Cathy doesn't know what the term "come" is, and the whole description of the encounter was totally written by a virgin, because let me tell you "hot juices spurting forth to pleasantly warm my insides five or six times" isn't happening. More like, "oh gross, I hope I can make it to the bathroom before this shit falls out and stains the sheets." Too much info? Sorry, guys. I really wish I hadn't read V.C. Andrews books before I had sex for the first time, so I would have had more realistic expectations. Anyway, the whole description in the book is gross. For all you V.C. Andrews fans out there, find me a book where the author actually says penis. I don't think one exists. It's like reading a passage written by a 12 year old who isn't comfortable using technical terms.

They lay in bed and Paul explains his dirty talk to the clueless Cathy, because clearly Chris didn't teach her everything. They continue having sex on a regular basis, mostly when Henny is out or has the day off so she doesn't know. Who cares about Henny, where is Carrie during all of this? Poor girl is forgotten all the time. After Thanksgiving, Cathy tells Paul she wants to go to Foxworth Hall for Christmas. You know, watch home movies with her mom, bake cookies with TG, that sort of thing. Well, she doesn't say that, but it would be totally awesome if she did. Can you imagine baking cookies with TG? "You can't mix butterscotch chips with peanut butter ones! Forty lashes!" I love TG. Back to the book, Chris freaks out and Carrie cries. I guess the trip is a no, then. TG sadly puts away her measuring cups and whip.

Since Paul is completely whipped, he takes them to Foxworth Hall anyway. Chris refuses to leave the train station, and when Carrie sees the house she starts screaming to go see their mother. They drive back to the train station, pick up Chris, and go home.

Paul is bathing Cathy a few days later - seriously - when it occurs to her that she should be ashamed of seducing her adoptive father. Paul tells her to look at him naked and that it's not sinful at all. Add that to the lines that teenage boys will say to get their girlfriends to have sex with them. They have sex a bunch, and Cathy describes Paul going down on her, and I wonder why the hell I ever decided to recap this particular series.

Julian is still pressuring Cathy to join his company in New York, and finally finally she decides to go. Seriously, it would pretty much be the best choice she could make for her dancing career. I mean, Center Stage didn't take place in South Carolina. Cathy graduates high school a semester early, and makes plans to leave. After making out with her brother and adoptive father, she finally gets on the damn plane. It's about time they quit talking and actually did something.

Cathy meets her new dance producer type thing, Madame Zolta. Add Zolta to the list of things B.Z. could stand for. Julian presents Cathy to her, and she goes about and feels Cathy up. I guess that's her way of saying hello. Cathy moves into an apartment with two other dancers in the company, Yolanda and April. Yolanda is a loud ass ho who likes to walk around naked, and April is very quiet and respectful. Of course we'll never hear about April again. Julian tells everyone in the company that he and Cathy are lovers, and Cathy is pissed. She still gets asked out on tons of dates by boys in the company, though. I find it odd that there are so many straight guys there. Madame Zolta continually picks on Cathy, and one day Cathy tells her to go to hell. It's totally awesome, and Madame Zolta feels the same way because she quiets down and respects Cathy now. She says a dancer without fire is no dancer at all.

Cathy gets chosen to be Clara in a televised Christmastime performance of The Nutcracker. She calls home to tell Paul and everyone is all excited. After they finish taping that August, dumb Yolanda sprains her ankle and Cathy takes over for her as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Madame Zolta recasts Julian as the prince, saying that they have a certain magic between them on stage. The audience loses their shit and loves it, and Julian kisses Cathy during their last curtain call. She's pissed at him for doing it, and he's pissed at her for not wanting him. Sorry, Julian, you'd have a better chance with her if Paul adopted you, too. At the after party, Cathy's family is there, and Chris dances with her and they argue about her not being with him, either. Cathy motions to Paul, who cuts in, and Chris walks right over to Yolanda. I guess we're supposed to be disappointed by that, but I'm happy that Chris is going to go for a girl that isn't his relative. Paul takes Cathy out to dinner where they check up on each other to see if there's any cheating going on, and then they go register at the nearest hotel (a different one from the one Chris, Carrie, and Henny are at) and go at it like rabbits for awhile. Paul proposes to Cathy, and she accepts. They decide to wait until Christmas to break the news to everyone else, mainly Chris.

Since Julian and Cathy are such great dancers, they begin to earn more money, and Julian threatens to leave the company and take Cathy with him so Madame Zolta sells him her Cadillac. Julian and Cathy go driving around New York in it, and again Julian comes on to her. He says that she's scared because she's still a virgin, and he'll be gentle with her. Virgin?!!? Has he met Cathy? She resists him again, and he calls her a cocktease. Score 1 for blue828! Hekicks her ass out of his car and drives away, leaving her on the street. Go Julian! Cathy takes a cab back to her apartment, where she discovers that she left her purse in Julian's car. She runs upstairs and asks Yolanda for a quick loan, and she gives it to her with the promise that Cathy will do a favor for her. Cathy agrees and runs downstairs and pays the cabbie. Yolanda tells Cathy she wants her to invite Chris over the next weekend. Cathy freaks out and calls her a whore. Yolanda grabs her, and Cathy punches her in the face. It's pretty awesome. Cathy packs her shit up and leaves.

Cathy takes all her luggage to Julian's to demand for her purse back. Julian tells her that he's not dumb and he's seen the way she looks at Paul, and at Chris, too. He says he's never seen a brother and sister so in love with each other. Why couldn't Julian stay this cool? Cathy slaps him, even though everything he said was true, and Julian slaps her back. Julian doesn't take any shit! He holds her down, and Cathy thinks he's going to rape her, but he just tells her that she's his and he'll kill any man that comes between them. There goes all the coolness! He throws her purse at her, and she says she'll never dance with him again.

Cathy goes to Madame Zolta and explains why she can't live with Yolanda any more. Madame Zolta says Yolanda is just jealous of Cathy, but gives her a small raise and tells her where to find a cheap single apartment. Cathy scores one, and after a few days there writes another crazy letter to her mother. She also starts sending her mother any news clippings that come out about Cathy's performances. I hope Corinne shows them to TG.

Julian barges in Cathy's apartment one morning and says that Madame Zolta has announced that the company is going on tour in London! He very modestly says it's all because of Cathy's and his sensational dancing. He starts going on and on about the life he and Cathy could have together, but she tells him she doesn't love him and she's been engaged for some time now. Julian gets pissed and yells at her for leading him on (point 2!) and leaves. If Julian could just quit the woman beating, I'd totally love him.

Christmas time! Chris meets Cathy at the airport and tries to kiss her on the lips, but she turns her head and he gets her cheek. Denied! Cathy says they have the best Christmas they had ever had. Carrie seems happy, and has grown a little bit. On a side note, in my child psychology class we learned that children whose growth had been stunted because of their environment flourished greatly when placed in a healthier one. I wish this would happen for Carrie, but she's only grown an inch and a half. Chris gives Cathy a locket with a diamond chip on it and a love poem. Nerd. Paul gives her a grey fox coat. I'm not anti-fur for ethical reasons (not that I necessarily agree with it), I just think it's ugly. I picture Cathy looking like a tramp. An expensive tramp, but a tramp nonetheless. Chris is pissed about the coat, because he's jealous and knows something is going on between Paul and Cathy. Paul shows Cathy the new color TV he bought so that they didn't have to watch her Nutcracker performance in black and white. They all watch it together, and Chris tells Cathy that he can see that Julian is in love with her and she needs to turn him off fast. Chris needs to STFU because that's his sister, not his girlfriend.

Later on, Cathy and Paul have sex a bunch and then just as she's doing the walk of shame back to her room, Chris comes out of his. He's hurt, and Cathy feels bad. Why? It's your brother, not your ex boyfriend! Ugh, fucking incestuous kids these days.

The next day Chris tells Cathy to give Paul back the fur coat. But it's not his size! Chris says it makes Cathy look like a kept woman. Cathy tells him that she loves Paul and that they are planning on getting married. Chris is pissed as all hell and does not take the news very well.

Cathy takes a ring she bought for Carrie to the local jeweler to get it sized. Her mother walks in, and asks the jeweler for a recommendation for a gift for a young girl. Who the fuck could she be buying something for? Does she think Chris, Cathy, and Carrie are still in the attic? It wouldn't surprise me a bit, Corinne was never a quick one. Cathy crazily fantasizes for awhile in the store, and Paul comes in to take her home. You sure you want to deal with this crap for the rest of your life, Paul?

Cathy is dressing for dinner when Chris comes in and starts yelling at her and begging her not to marry Paul. He says they can go off and live together with Carrie, and don't need a sexual relationship. Yeah, right. Cathy says no, and Chris tells her that even Julian would be better for her than Paul because Paul will be old and dried up when Cathy is at her sexual peak. I find it highly inappropriate for Chris to be discussing his sister's sexual peak with her, but this is nothing compared to the inappropriateness of making out with her and feeling her up. Cathy tells him to stop being jealous because he's slept with other girls (really?) and she loves Paul and nothing will stop her from marrying him. Chris says that if he tells Paul about their relationship he won't want her. He tries to be all scary about this threat, but Cathy steals his glory and tells him she already has. Chris runs out of the room. Round 1 - Cathy!

Chris refuses to go out to dinner with the rest of the family, and instead stays home and pouts. Paul puts a two carat diamond on Cathy's finger, and I'm jealous. They dance together and Cathy believes they will be happy forever.

Cathy goes back to her dance company, and everyone is working their asses off. Julian yells at her during practice for not doing some steps right, but it's all his fault. Cathy is supposed to fall back and have Julian catch her, but since he's a woman beater, she doesn't trust him now. Oh, and it is also said that Julian is wearing only a loin cloth. Does that mean everyone gets an eyeful of his junk when he does turns? They keep on practicing, and she still can't trust him, and he yells at her some more. He tells her that even if he hated her, he wouldn't let her fall, and he doesn't hate her yet. Good to know. At performance time, Madame Zolta notices Yolanda, who has the female lead, looking all weird. She sniffs her out like Gruff McGruff and smells weed on her. She says that no dancer of hers is going to go out high and cheat the audience out of a good performance, so she sends Cathy to dance the lead in her place. Yolanda's pissed, and Cathy and Julian are once again amazing together.

After the show, Madame Zolta says there is a woman who flew in just to see Cathy. Cathy meets her, and the woman coldly says that she's pretty and an exceptional dancer. She says Cathy has a nice fur coat, and says that she supposes her brother gave it to her. She is Paul's sister, Amanda. Amanda tells Cathy that she's not Paul's first little playmate, though he's never given a fur coat and a diamond to the others before. She tells Cathy that Paul likes his women young, and that he'll tire of Cathy when she begins to grow old. He'll be dead by then, he was 41 when she was 17! Amanda also says their affair is being greatly gossiped about, and ruining Paul's career. I can see that. Cathy tells her to GTFO, and Amanda says something about Julia, Paul's first wife. Cathy says that Julia was no wife to Paul, and Amanda says that Julia was the sweetest girl ever and just couldn't give him all the sex he wanted and the kind if sex he wanted. What kind of sex did he want? She says that Paul put a baby in Cathy, and her D&C was an abortion of a two headed embryo that he keeps in a jar on his desk. What. The. Fuck? She says that it's a sin for Cathy to be screwing around with a married man, and Cathy says that Paul's a widower. Amanda tells her that though Scotty drowned that day Julia lives on in an institution. She then hands Cathy some pictures to prove it, and tells her to marry her dance partner instead because he's obviously in love with her.

Cathy goes to an after party with Julian, and gets drunk. Julian tells her he loves her and that he's never had a virgin before. Cathy tells him she's not a virgin, but Julian insists she is. Okay, Julian, whatever you say. She says he can have her for one night only. What about Paul? Julian wants her right then, but she says she's drunk and can't. He says she said yes and now she's his forever. What part of one night didn't Julian understand?

Cathy and Julian are married a few days later. What part of one night didn't Cathy understand? Julian is super happy but Cathy is depressed. Why did you marry him if you know you don't love him? Stupid ho didn't even talk to Paul and give him a chance to explain things! Julian does eventually make her want him, because he's damn good in bed. At least Cathy has that going for her.

They go off to London with the dance company, and Julian is annoying as all hell. He doesn't leave Cathy alone ever, even demanding on being in the bathroom with her. I bet eating a Crave Case full of White Castles will get him out of the bathroom with her real quick. He also endlessly questions her about her past and everything, as if she can't even have any privacy in her own head. He asks why she finally decided to marry him, and she yells at him and says that he was bugging her all the time and he said she could learn to love him, but she doesn't and she's made a mistake. Julian cries, and Cathy feels bad and tells him to just take things slower and let her come to him.

Soon Cathy and Julian fly to South Carolina to visit her family. She hasn't told Paul about her marriage yet, even though it's been months. When the hell was she going to tell him, their planned wedding day? She has Julian wait in the car, but loses her nerve about telling Paul about the marriage. Julian comes in and they all have a very tense and uncomfortable dinner, and Cathy and Paul talk in private later on. She tells him about Amanda's visit and asks him why he didn't tell her about Julia still being alive. He doesn't really give a reason why he never told her, but says that Julia finally died a month after he and Cathy started having sex. He also says that Cathy did not have an abortion, and the freak baby he has in a jar on his desk is nothing more than an old joke from med school. Cathy is emotionless and tells Paul she can't marry him because after Amanda's visit she married Julian. That's why you should've talked to Paul before going off with Julian, stupid! Paul is understandably very upset.

Cathy receives word that her old dance teacher and Julian's father, Georges, is on his deathbed. Julian knew of this, but didn't say anything because he resents his father. Cathy drags him to the hospital to see him. Georges dies soon after, and Madame Marisha gives Cathy some advice on loving and living with Julian. Basically she has to ignore his temper, violence, and jealousy, and love him more for it. Right.

Chris comes home for break, and is mega pissed that Cathy married Julian. You told her to do it, asshole! Chris decides that Paul wasn't so bad. Maybe you could've told her that before, instead of pouting that she wasn't marrying you. Carrie starts yelling at Cathy for hurting Paul, and tells her to leave because no one wants her there. Go Carrie! Cathy and Paul talk later, and she says she should've waited and talked to him about the shit Amanda said before marrying Julian. Duh! She tries to give him the engagement ring back, but he tells her to keep it.

Cathy and Julian get an apartment together in New York, and Julian goes all batshit crazy. He says Carrie may come for visits, but he is always numero uno in Cathy's life. He also says he doesn't like the looks he sees Cathy giving Paul and Chris, so they can't visit ever. Instead of walking out, Cathy decides to deal with this shit and learn to love him. Yeah, okay.

Damn Part 2 of the book was long! Now we're starting Part 3, and Chris is visitn Cathy in New York while Julian is at a rehearsal. Julian is pissed as fuck when he comes back and tells Chris to get out and forget he ever had a sister. This doesn't seem so crazy when you think about the fact that Cathy and Chris are also ex lovers and Chris still wants Cathy hardcore. It's still pretty crazy though. Carrie comes to visit the summer she's 15, and is excited that she's finally wearing a bra. Cathy is sad that she's only four foot six, and wonders if Cory would've been the same. Julian says that Carrie has a fabulous face and that he might just kick out Cathy and marry her instead. Cathy is pissed, because she says they've had many arguments about Julian caring too much for very young girls. Julian's a total pedo, all obsessed with virginity and everything. Cathy is happy that there is one member of her family that Julian approves of, though.

Julian and Cathy have now been married for five years, and are in Spain on vacation. Cathy receives an invitation in the mail to Chris's graduation. Chris wrote a letter with it saying that he is the top of his class and he couldn't possibly accept his M.D. without her there to see it. Cathy and Julian are doing a taped performance of Giselle soon after the graduation, so she tells Julian she'll go and be back in plenty of time for the rehearsals. Julian throws a fit and tells her she's not going. They have a huge fight, and then Julian decides it's sexytime. Cathy pushes him away and tells him she's going whether he likes it or not. Julian says when they married he became her ruler, and will remain so until he kicks her out. Cathy closes her eyes and lets Julian do what he wants with her for awhile, but refuses to promise not to go. She says he can't hit her because a bruise will show on the tape, and he can't replace her because he's grown so accustomed to her weight and height while dancing. She also throws in his face his affairs with little girls, and he beats her up and gives her at least two black eyes. He says he's going to hide her passport and tell everyone at the taping that she's sick and can't make it, and then rapes her. Julian sucks now!

The next morning Cathy has breakfast prepared for Julian. He is happy and gobbles it all down, and after he's passed out from the buttload of sleeping pills Cathy had dumped in his coffee she searches for her passport. She finds it under the rug where he's hidden it, and leaves.

She has a great time with her family, and either her black eyes healed on the plane ride or everyone thinks she's going goth now, because no one mentions them. Chris tries to make out with her, and says he'll throw away his M.D. if she just stays with him. You wouldn't do it before when she wanted you to! She tells him to leave her alone. A few days later he hands her a newspaper that says that Yolanda is replacing her in Giselle and that it is rumored that she and Julian are splitting up. She visits Madame Marisha, who talks to her about Julian, and decides that she loves him after all. Chris flies with her to New York, and they immediately go to the rehearsals. Julian is fucking up because he's not accustomed to Yolanda's body, and Cathy secretly warms up backstage. She pushes Yolanda out of the way, and she and Julian fight all while performing the dance perfectly. Julian ends the fight by jumping and landing right on Cathy's toes, and leaves her collapsed on the stage in pain.

After a trip to the emergency room, Chris brings Cathy back to her apartment. She has 3 broken toes on her left foot, and 1 on her right. Her big toes were fine, so she's not in danger of having to quit dancing. At her apartment, everything that was hers is completely ruined. All her clothes are cut up, her vases smashed, jewelry hammered, and pictures slashed. Chris is pissed, but Cathy is so hopped up on pain pills that she's not surprised and just wants to sleep. When she wakes up Julian still hasn't returned, and Chris tells her to leave him and marry him instead. Goddamnit, Chris, knock it off! Cathy tells him that while she was visiting Paul's she had a doctor's appointment and found out she was pregnant. Chris is sad at first, but then tells Cathy again to leave Julian and be with him, and he'll be the father to her baby. Shut up, Chris. She says no, and falls back asleep. She is awakened by the telephone, and it's a nurse telling her that Julian has been in a car accident and she needs to come to the hospital right away.

Chris takes her to the hospital, and Julian is all sorts of fucked up. He has a broken neck, among other things, and is temporarily paralyzed. Yolanda, who was in the car with him, wasn't so lucky, and died. Cathy tells him she loves him and that she's having her baby, and he tells her to get rid of it. A few days later he kills himself by cutting his IV and letting air seep into his veins. Cathy says that she knew that if he couldn't dance he felt his life wasn't worth living.

A very depressed Cathy returns to Paul's at his insistence. He wants to make sure she's taken care of during her pregnancy. Cathy spends her days writing crazy letters to her mother and being waited on by everyone. She and Paul begin making out again, and Chris is pissed. Is he going to say that he liked Julian now, and she should've stayed married to him? Finally, on Valentine's Day, which also would've been her sixth wedding anniversary, Cathy gives birth to a baby boy who she names Julian Janus Marquet, but decides to call Jory. Paul asks why she wants to call him Jory, and Chris answers that if he had been blonde she would've called him Cory, but instead the J will be for Julian and the rest for Cory. Cathy is pleased that someone understands her crazy ass.

And so ends this day's section! Tomorrow will be the last two parts of the book, and then I'll be done! So keep checking back, because I know you're dying to find out what Cathy's crazy ass will do next, and who she'll do next.