The Unknown Horrors of Teenage Apartments

It was seven thirty when the girls drove up to the strange house. Darkness surrounded the street and made them both pull out knives to hide around their personage. The danger risk was low, but regardless they armed themselves just in case.
The entry door was well lit, but the family that opened the door was strange. From the shadows they could see little black bodies scurry away. They had come to this place for one reason and one only, to buy Casey a new kitten.
Yes it was soon, but she just couldn’t take his pain. They entered slowly and stiffly, being quickly show to the bedroom where the rest of the little bodies were hiding. There were three left out of the six born. Jean fell in love at first sight with the shimmering fur of black.
Lizzy’s nerves balled in the back of her throat. She knew he was hurting and that drove her to pick up the first little kitten. It was the chubbiest little thing she ever saw. Jean picked up the second, a little skinny thing with almost nothing to her. Although they were sisters there were huge differences between the two.
Chubby was obviously huge for a barely two month old kitten. Her fur was a think coat of blackish blue in the low yellow lighting. Her eyes were a jade color of green and stared into Lizzy’s face.
Skinny was almost anorexic in the amount of weight her slight frame had. Her coat was more of a gray than her sister’s, but shown brighter. She had cool yellow green eyes and was as rambunctious as the little thing could be.
It didn’t take them long to choose to get the kittens, but it did take them forever to catch the two terrors again. . Using every trick in the book to try to catch the two kittens didn’t work. That is until Lizzy took off the chain she wore around her wrist. Dangling it in front of the carrier; the lure worked and the kittens were caught.

Getting in the car, they were chatting ecstatically about name possibilities. They decided on moonlight and moonshine, for short it would just be light and shine. Stepping on the gas, the slow and steady pace of the car almost floating as it moved along the stone river we call “freeways.” “I hope he likes them.” Lizzy expressed a small worry that pressed into her mind, making it sound like real hope, and it was. “I think he will, I sure do. My little fatty,” Jean spoke through the bars of the cat carrier, with a broken handle, to the sleeping kittens. It was a silent agreement that the fatter kitten, moonlight, would become Jean’s; while the thinner kitten, moonshine, would become Casey’s.
“What if he is angry with us?” Lizzy fretted.
“Then he will get used to them, don’t worry how could he not like these little cuties?” Jean beamed a smile at her that flashed away the worries.
They settled into a comfortable silence then, the lights from the dash board shinning out into the darkness casting an eerie light over the happy pairs. The music pumped softly through the speakers calming all their nerves. “I wonder how they can sleep to this,” Lizzy broke the silence first. They were almost to the apartment, and were listening to some hard rock, that the kittens seemed oblivious to. It was their plan to surprise Casey; he knew they left him alone at the apartment. They were going to open the carrier pull out one kitten at a time and then walk in with them.
“Baby, are you awake?” Lizzy called when they got back.
In the bedroom Casey called his answer, “In here my love, come see this it’s so cool.” Around his wrist was the, Rafiki’s now angel’s, collar. It brought the sting of tears to her eyes, “Baby, I brought you a present.” He had already guessed this is what she was doing. Never in his imagination, however, would he have guessed that she would bring home two.
“Lizzy, what is this?” Casey was angry and hurt by the kittens. “They can’t replace her.” They won’t replace her. He brooded sullenly.
“They are a distraction Casey, just a distraction to help heal your heart.” He knew her intentions were in the right place, so he let it go. He drew her into his arms and kissed the woman he wanted to be his forever, the only problem with his plans were her parents. He would fix that though. He wanted her to be like this forever. It still amazed him that she was here, sharing his room with him; that she was here to stay.
They spoke softly to each other, as Jean played on her computer, about their lives. What they wanted, where they wanted to go, who they wanted to be, and amiable things of that nature. After about twenty minutes of small talk, he looked into her face, the face he thought of as better than an angel’s. “My love,” he said the words like they were precious, like he could break them.
“Yes, my dear?” Lizzy grinned at his tone, she thought about what he could want to say to her, with her heart in abandon like this.
“I don’t like the names moonlight and moonshine. They are cool together, but they don’t work very well individually.” He almost regretted saying those words, as her face fell; he knew she wanted to hear something else.
“Ok, how about double and trouble. Get it Jean’s is double and yours is trouble. Imagine the black cats around a witch’s cauldron, stirring green goop on Hallows eve night. Spooky isn’t it.” She giggled to herself, totally satisfied she found the perfect names.
“No, they still depend on each other. They make sense don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t quite right yet.” He kissed her on the side of the head so her spirits couldn’t dampen.
“Well, I am naming my little one Pumpkin.” Jean called out proudly as she cuddled her kitten.
“Baby, mine hates me,” Casey couldn’t help but pout a little; his kitten kept running away from him.
“She is just a little Rogue that’s all.” Taking the kitten, Lizzy gasped, looking to Casey excitedly, “Baby that’s it. Rogue. It’s perfect!” Content that she now won to everyone’s satisfaction, Lizzy curled up with the kitten. “Just like X-Men.”
Casey was jazzed to have a super cat. Shaking his head and thinking to himself, he laughed. Hope it’s super power isn’t eating us out of house and home. Filled with humor he turned off the light allowing all three of them to go to sleep with kittens running all over them while they dreamed.

The shouts woke them; it was 4 o’clock in the morning. They were angry, cold-hearted screams ensuing from the other room. Rolling over to put the pillow over her head, Lizzy attempted to block out the noise and go back to sleep. No wonder he always complained about being tired. How has he lived here all this time without getting any sleep? I really wish that cow of a woman would fall down dead. Especially since she deserves it, fucking the mailman whose wife is dying of cancer. Couldn’t she wait to do it until his wife was at least dead, honor her while she lived and loved?
“If you two don’t get those damn cats out of my house I am going to call the animal shelter. Do you hear me?” Heavy fists pounded on the door, tearing at the doorknob trying to get in. Lizzy thought she reminded her of a mountain lion trying to get at their throats.
“They aren’t any of your business, Brittany.” Casey countered calmly from Lizzy’s side of the door. Damn bitch doesn’t know when to shut up. Casey was pondering what to do when Jessie woke up.
“What the hell is going on out here, and who woke me up?” Jessie asked in an irate tone classified as ‘the calm before the storm.’
“That little bitch brought two new Black cats into my house, with out asking me.” Brittany’s words tore back.
Lying bitch, I asked her permission to bring my Prince here before Rafiki died. That’s two cats what is the difference? She never specified that I couldn’t bring animals into the apartment either. I guess I could have clarified before I did anything. Oh well, I did get permission she can’t kick us out over it. Lizzy thought before she responded, “I asked you if I could bring my fifteen pound cat here and you agreed so I divided him up into two instead. There is no difference to you. Not to mention you won’t have to put up with them for long we are moving out if a few weeks. Before Christmas to be exact, just be patient until then.”
Casey smiled at his fiance, God she is amazing. Always knows just what to say. It’s a talent I wish I had. Stooping for a kiss before he answered, “Brittany we are opening the door now, please step back.”
He opened the door with care and the two of them proceeded to walk hand in hand right out the door. Neither one looking to his or her left or right, they were alone in their own little world, happy to ignore the hulking monstrosities that could be called women if you really stretched the word.
In the dark streets of the early morning, they strolled down the street to her car. It was parked about a block away, and Casey stopped half way to it. He pulled her close to him, feeling her heart in his chest, mornings like this would last him forever. He swooped her up in a huge hug kissing her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, and finally her lips. Her perfect lips, all the food I would need forever. He took her keys from her hand, grabbed that hand, and led her to the car.
They got in and went for a drive. Luckily, Jean had slept through the disaster of this morning. Unfortunately for her unofficially moved in with them last night. A new apartment was crucial and needed soon. He drove her to work after a quick breakfast and went to work himself.

Later that night, she was laying there surrounded by the little black creatures. She had refused to get rid of them. They were too precious, too little, and too cute to say no to.
The light and movement caught her attention. She turned to pick up the little phone. “Hello?” she said sweetly into the microphone.
“Lizzy? It’s Mark, can I come over?” the deep rough baritone rang in her ear.
“Of course you can, may I ask why?” She replied. This is not a good idea; this is not going to be ok. What does he want? I have no idea why he would want to talk to me. Shit.
“I just need to talk to you about some things. I will be over around eight see you then.” With that he hung up the phone. She glanced at the clock it was 7:45 PM He would be there in fifteen minutes.
Just then the door opened, giving her a fright. Jean walked though the door looking at Lizzy like she was crazy.

He arrived precisely five minutes early. “Hey.” He was standing by the door looking pensive. His anger was already coursing up and down the entire length of his six four, nearly three hundred pound frame. His round face, darkened with irritation.
“Can we talk privately?” Mark replied to her friendly welcome.
Jean eagerly and quickly ran out of the room saying, “Good, I need a cigarette!” He shut and locked the door behind her for privacy.
She looked at him, waiting patiently for Mark to begin. Why is he here? I really don’t want to talk to him. He should be talking to Casey. They are best friends, practically grew up in diapers. I don’t even know him.
“Sorry about this. I would have talked to Casey, but we both know he wouldn’t have listened to me.” He paused to see if she would say anything. “I don’t appreciate your lack of respect towards my mother. She is graciously letting you stay here. It is disrespectful, dishonorable, and inappropriate.” His anger was quickly flying out of check.
“Excuse me,” Lizzy began uselessly. He quickly cut her off and flew into a tirade. She watched him carefully. Who does he think he is, trying to come in here and bully me into submission? If he thinks he is going to get anywhere this way he is wrong. Her anger at his indecency quickly rose to match his.
His arms were flailing wildly as he slammed the flat right hand into his cupped left palm. “Have you even spoken to her about rent, utilities, food? Did you even thank her for welcoming you into her home?”
He rocked back and forth on his feet, looking and reminding her of a bulldog on a chain. Raising his voice, he looked at her with beady eyes, that she no longer remembered the color of, behind small square framed glasses with rounded corners.
Mark was soon sweating from the exertion of his speech. “You are supposed to respect people older than you. My mother doesn’t want those cats here, and you will remove them immediately.” He wore his hair neatly and closely trimmed to his head, it made him appear brutish. Like he had either been in the military or had trouble regulating his body temperature.
“She has been calling me almost every hour to come down here and deal with this. The cats are going out of respect to how much she has put on the line for you two. She could lose her home if the renters agency finds out you are here. Or if they find out she has pets.”
He paused then, his face flushed well past the color pink, to catch his breath.
“Well are you going to keep standing there like a brute or are you going to sit down here and have a conversation?” She spoke authoritatively. Good thing I didn’t just walk away from him, not that he would have let me out the door. I have his attention now; I have to keep him calm. “Well are you going to or not?”
He hesitated then sat. “Sorry I got kind of carried away.”
“It’s fine, but just to let you know, you have gotten absolutely no where with the way you just treated me. Lucky you didn’t go to Casey he would have decked you.” He looked like he was going to go off again. She quickly interjected, “If you think that I will listen to you try to bully your way through me, you had better think again. I am even more stubborn the Casey ever has been or ever will be. It’s in his nature to please others; it’s in mine to be pleased.”
She smiled at him then, flashing her best ‘you know I’m right so just agree’ smile. “Now about what you have said before, I have never disrespected you mother. Not even when she doesn’t give me the common courtesy back. Yes, I agree that it is appropriate for the young to give respect to the aged whether they have earned it or not, it was how I was raised.”
After pausing to make sure he was paying attention to what she was saying. She continued with, “Now on the matter of my two kittens, two weeks ago your mother agreed to allow me to bring my fifteen pound Bengal Prince into this room with Rafiki. Why it’s ok to bring in a monstrous animal to be joined by a crazy one. But, oh no, not we can’t bring in two cute innocent kittens without the crazy one still present instead; it escapes me.”
She looked at the door and then him, lowered her head while shaking it. With her voice barely above a whisper, “Can’t you see I can’t let him hurt like this, Casey is always better with a distraction. It’s all I can do.” His face lightened at how much heart was in that small single sentence.
The lapse in strength lasted but a moment. Again, with her sights set on winning the debate, she redirected the argument, “I have done the necessary thing, in this situation asking permission, well in advance. I don’t believe I have to make your mother privy to all of my plans. I refuse, on my rights, to get rid of the cats. I don’t see why it matters anyways. Casey and I have already told her we will be out by the end of next month; which just in case you were wondering he has already paid for.”
“I was unaware of you guys moving out, and about you even talking to my mom.” He looked confused, and it didn’t suit him.
“Is your name still on the lease Mark?” She asked the question hesitantly, even though she was more than eager for the answer.
“It shouldn’t be, I haven’t lived here for over two years and it’s supposed to be off. If it’s not off my mother and I are going to have words between us.” His face was darker again.
“I don’t know whether it is or not. However, I must tell you that this is an inappropriate discussion on your part if it isn’t. This conversation should be held between the lease holder and the leasee. I apologize that your mother is spineless and has been driving you crazy with phone calls, and it is not my responsibility to make sure your mother has a roof over her head. I understand your concern, but this is none of your business.”
“Will you get out of her house if my mom wants you gone?” The quiet question surprised her.
“Yes, if she gives me ample time to find a new place to live, I will be out as soon as I can. We are already looking at three different places to live, one we are almost in the process of finance discussing. We won’t be here for long.”
“Thank you.” Mark looked beside himself.
“I am sorry the phone calls won’t stop.” Even though he had been so rude to her, she felt sorry about the grief that was caused on because of her.
“Why did you move in here? What do you see in Casey? The guy is a mess, he can’t take care of you, and he can’t take care of himself. Why are you here?” He asked the questions, those questions, and it pissed her off.
“I don’t know.” Was the only response she would deem him. Because I love him, he is a beautiful soul. So what if he can’t take care of me I can take care of myself.
“Think about it.” It was the only thing he had time to say. Jean knocked on the door asking if they were finished.
After unlocking the door, Lizzy looked at Mark. Where is this going to go now?
As if hearing her question, he responded. “Can I please play with the kittens now? I have been fighting the urge to all night.”
Laughing Lizzy and Jean agreed. All three of them continued having a good time all the rest of the night.