grow up, cat.

So, maybe instructing her to sit outside in the cold wasn’t the best idea but, it was the only thing he could really think to do last moment. And besides that it seemed to work with helping her wake up to making the smell of blood disappear a bit. even though her hand was still messed up        shit, he forgot about that. “Do you think you’ll be okay with going inside so we an get your hand fixed up? They should have a first aid kid somewhere.” He shrugged, chewing on his lower lip as his hands folded into his coat pockets. “That and Nate would probably kick my ass if I didn’t help you with that along with leaving you jacketless.”

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm feeling a lot better now." The uneasiness had past for the most part, plus she wasn't sure she could handle being more of a bother to him by protesting. "The nurse probably won't be there at this hour, but she leaves a first aid kit out just in case." Cate knew this from the many injuries she sustained over the years. The blonde laughed, picking herself up off the bench slowly but steadily, then began to make her way back to the building. "Well, most people would've just kept walking. So, I appreciate the help." Her brother could be overprotective at times, but he wasn't exactly a hotheaded person. Plus, Cate managed to hurt herself much too regularly for him to be mad at anyone. "You might need to help me with this," she motioned to her hand, "though, because I don't think me staring at the cut for lengthy amount of time is a good idea."

Like clockwork, it only took a few minutes outside before she came to, which was a relief for him because he could only imagine what would’ve happened if he had to escort her to the hospital, that would only stir up questions that he wasn’t about to answer since he could’ve very well been in the wrong place at the wrong time with this one. But, he hardly thought that this was the case because she was an Archibald after all. “Right, here just sit down and I’ll get you some water or something.” He offered, as he placed her down on a nearby bench. “Do you want me to call your brother or something? I’m sure I still have his number from lacrosse.”

Cate followed his instructions, sitting herself down on the bench. She didn't want to cause him any trouble, all she needed was to get her hand done up and have a few minutes to recuperate. She offered him a smile, despite the unfriendly face he was making, and tried her best to compose herself so to get out of his hair as soon as she could. "Oh, no, I'll be fine. This happens a lot -- well, not this specifically, but the same type of thing." Cate frowned, kicking herself for the stupid rambling. "I'll, um, I think the driver is getting him right now, so I can wait here... I, uh, just need to get my jacket, Nate'll probably smack me upside the head if I sit here without it." It was beginning to snow, and she wasn't sure waiting twenty minutes in the freezing cold was reasonable. 

Cate rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited for Zach. She had texted him earlier that week, deciding that she was ready to take him up on that tour of NYU. While she knew her mother would go ballistic, she was genuinely curious. It was hardly a first choice for most people in Cate's position, but Cate liked to think she was a little different than the rest. She was determined to finally make her own path, one that wasn't forced on her through guilt trips and peer pressure. If she was ever going to be her own person, she had to stop listening to everyone else.

She smiled as she saw Zach, waving to get his attention. When he walked over, Cate suddenly felt a burst of excitement. She had convinced herself this was just her exploring options, like every other college, but knowingly touring NYU as a possible choice made her excited to think that it was this easy: all she had to do was make the move, and anything she wanted could be hers if she worked hard enough. Nobody could really control her, not unless she let them.

"Shit       ” He grumbled as the blonde’s knees buckled from underneath her, causing him to work quickly into catching her before she ended up flat on the floor. This was definitely not something he wanted to deal with today, but, he really didn’t have a choice since he kind of walked himself into this and all. A sigh fell from his lips as he stood up with the girl in his arms, one underneath the bend of her knees and the other wrapped around her waist to hold her up so she wouldn’t fall. “If you can somehow hear me, you an wake up now.” He muttered while walking out of the building and outside to get her some fresh air, and hopefully find someone that hand a bandage or two for her hand.

It felt like she'd slept an entire night, but after a minute or two Cate began to stir. As she woke, she felt her cheeks turn hot with the realization of what had just happened sinking in. "I-- Jeez, wow." She muttered breathlessly, trying to recompose herself. "I'm so-- so sorry. I didn't think I would actually-- Here, sorry, I'll stand." She wasn't sure how to react, but she could tell from his face that he wasn't pleased with her. Luckily the cold air was a help, and she was already starting to feel better. 

The boy walked through the hall with a small frown on his face. Will typed restlessly on his phone, hoping his fast fingers could change the information he was seeing. It couldn’t. The thing is, hacking into other people’s phone is pretty fun when it doesn’t involve private information about someone you actually care about. And although Will considered himself to be a pacifist, in that moment he just really wanted to punch Eric van der Woodsen in the face. Right, but he should probably hold onto that thought. "Food? You definitely know your way to a guy’s heart, Cate.” It’s not every day Catherine Archibald spontaneously buys you food and he couldn’t keep a small smile from escaping his lips. “So, any progress on your plan to dominate the school or are you setting your mind on something else now?”

"I think it's the way to everyone's heart, though mine is more specifically chocolate." Cate grinned, falling into stride with him as they continued to walk. She shivered involuntarily from the cold. She hadn't planned on walking home, so she was rather underdressed for the weather. "I'm putting it on hold, I think." She grinned, shrugging. "Just been looking at colleges lately, mostly Columbia and NYU. I kind of want to stay close to home. How about you? Been up to anything interesting?"

It only took a second to register what was going on as he passed the blonde, stopping once he had noticed the crimson color on the pale skin of her hand. “Here, let’s go get that fixed up before someone else see’s.”

"I.. uh..." She was trying to put together words, but to no avail. Her head was spinning, and she knew it wasn't a good sign. "I don't--" was all she could choke out before he knees buckled and she fell out of consciousness.