Meow, Meow

“How fucking ironic.” I mutter, pulling my hood over my head and wrapping the tie-strings tighter. With my hand tilted downward I trudge across the pavement towards the campus food court.

Once I finally get there I sling my bag off my shoulders and into the seat next to mine. Sliding into the booth with a sigh, I immediately check my phone. Several missed alerts light up my screen. There’s a stack of text messages from my high school friend Lucia, a missed call and voicemail from my dad and another missed call from the women who I babysit for.

With a quick motion of my fingers I text my friend back and tell her where to meet me, since I know she’s been crazy worried about me. My dad and Mrs. Harriet are just going to have to wait until later, however.

Afterwards I put my ear buds in and rest my head in my hands, ready to start bawling my eyes out.

Fuuuuuck.

This morning I woke up late and barely had enough time to study for this ridiculous exam, which I know I failed.

Not only this, but I have a shitload of late schoolwork that I have to turn in and I’m also close to failing not one but two classes. Then my volunteer work and babysitting are all interfering with my studying. I’m barely managing to make it work, especially since I had to get an on campus job to help pay my tuition. And as of late, the now frequent trips to the vet.

I’m so fucked.

With another sigh, I attempt to put away my thoughts. Lifting my head and pushing myself up from the table, I decide to go ahead and grab a bite to eat.

Finally I get through the line and make my way back towards my seat with my tray of food. Along my way I notice Lucia standing looking around for me. Smiling at her, I motion for her to follow me as I lead her to where my stuff is.

“Hungry?”

“Of course!” She exclaims, her sing-song voice rising a bit. However, instead of going to get something, she simply sheds her rain jacket and sits down across from me. “But I’ll wait.”

I nod my head knowingly, turning the conversation on other things besides our lack of money.

For a while we chat about her partying, my lack of a relationship, and other random subjects. As we do I can tell that her tension seems to ebb and her facial expression becomes more relaxed. Apparently, by her assessment I’m not about to throw myself into traffic anytime soon.

She’s really very observant of others and she can always tell if someone is not feeling good. If she sees that you’re not then she’s the type to try and help you out. Always has been. This is why I love her. She’s so selfless.

Her exotic almond shaped eyes glitter when she gets up to leave. “See you later girl.” She makes it several steps away before turning, and adding over her shoulder. “Hang it there. In the end it’ll be worth it. Really.”

With that her petite form disappears into the growing mass of students. Her words do make me feel a lot more optimistic about things, but I have to be realistic. I’m not going to be able to keep this up forever.

The trudge to 9th street garage is a short one. The ride back home is even shorter, even though I do take a quick stop at PetCo. There are way too many things to keep my mind occupied that it was hard to even focus on the road, let alone on the time it took.

Pulling into the driveway, and turning off the engine I find myself smiling oddly as I glance at the plastic bag in the passenger seat. The little tabby is going to like her newest gift.

“Here kitty.” I call out upon entering, with a shocking near immediate response. Surprised at the change in her, I lean down and reach my hand out slowly. She sniffs, licking at my fingers, and giving them a playful nibble.

I smile, petting her gently along the top of orange blotched head.

In the middle of talking to her like a babe, my phone rings the distinct tune that tells me it’s my dad. I groan, leaning up to answer it.

“Aye dad.” My fingers turn the lock on the front door and toss my things onto the kitchen counter as I walk in that general direction while we talk.

It starts off as a nice conversation, but it soon turns into a disaster.

He’s been creeping on me. He saw some less than savory pictures of me of Facebook. He called the school to check on my grades. Then, he went to the bank and asked about our joint account. So, now he feels the need to chew me about how I’m living my life and yell at me to get my shit together.

He yells and yells. While he does the sleeping beast that is my anger rises up to make the whole conversation that much more heated. For several intense minute we go back and forth. Then he says something that actually hurts.

“I didn’t spend all my time working and slaving for you to be wasting everything that I’d done for you.”

My hand tightens painfully around my phone. “Okay, dad, okay. I get the point. I’m just one walking fucking disappoint.” I suck in a breath, gritting my teeth and trying not to cry. “W-well, I guess you don’t have to worry about me anymore. If I fail, then I fail. Bye.”

With that I hang up.

Suddenly, I feel incredibly tired. My muscles are tense and wound up, my head has begun a light throb, and my legs don’t seem to want to hold me up.

I’m done. No babysitting, no talking, no schoolwork, no anything.

The Harriet family gets a nice message left on their answering machine. The water and food bowls are filled. Afterwards I literally have to drag myself to my room where my bed welcomes me like a lover. So I strip to underwear and dive underneath the covers.

For a while I stare up at the ceiling, running my fingers through my now loose hair. As I do tears form behind my eyes and I let them slide down my face. Everything I’ve held in begins to come out as a torrent of salty droplets.

“Oh!” I’m startled when the orange tinted tabby comes walking along the side of me, prodding my exposed torso with torso with one of her tiny paws. “Hey girl.” I exhale.

She comes even closer to nudge and lick my face gently. The she claws her way up onto my chest and sits, staring down at me with those eyes. It’s weird. I swear it’s like she knows what I’m saying. Or that she’s trying to tell me something.

“I really need to give you a name, girl.” I state, reaching out to stroke her soft fur along her back. A soft, soothing purr emits from her mouth. She leans down and nuzzles against my neck.

“I got you a gift today. A catnip toy.” I admit, yawning. “But I’m too tired to get it.”

At some point my eyes slide shut and I drift into a light sleep, which grows deeper and deepr the longer I stay asleep.

In the middle of my haze, I groan, rolling over to discover a warm presence against me. I cuddle against it, my arms reaching out blindly. Once I find it and tug it closer to myself I sigh happily, liking the heat and comfort emitting from whatever the figure is.

What I don’t expect with for the warmth to shift in my embrace and envelope me with very real feeling arms of its own.

I’m more than startled. My body goes straight as a board, and my leaden eyelids don’t have to fight to open. Fear induced adrenaline pounds though my veins, speeding up my breathing and making me pant as I jump from the bed to turn on the light.

There lying in my bed is a girl red-orange hair. As if that isn’t bad enough she’s naked as a newborn and has a tail attached to her bum and cat ears on her head.