Feline (Chapter Three)

The third chapter of "Feline".

 

Normally, I would be showering for no more than two hours. Mom or dad would have no choice but to wait outside in the hallway, cursing under their breaths. But today was different. I stepped out of the bathroom thirty minutes later, wrapped up in towels and an eager expression on my face.

I met Mom along the hallway as she stalked off in the opposite direction to their bedroom. She gave me a bewildered expression that caused me to laugh out loud. I tiptoed to my bedroom and shut the door. It wasn't very big, but it was clean and orderly. The bed was large enough for me, covered in thick purple sheets and numerous pillows. I couldn't sleep without at least five pillows on every side. I guess it was just something I got used to growing up.

The entire wall opposite the bed was covered in pictures of my childhood. A huge, wooden wardrobe stood next to it. I hastily slid into a tight pair of jeans and a purple tank top. Brushing my hair thoroughly, I approached the windows and pulled back the purple curtains. Sunlight flooded the bedroom. I had to cover my eyes with my arms until they could adjust to the sudden brightness.

It was a beautiful day outside. My room had a pleasant view of the surrounding neighborhood. The streets were alive with children running in circles around the pavement. Flowers of every kind bloomed in Mom's well-manicured garden. The sun was at its brightest. I couldn't ask for more. It had rained consecutively over the past two weeks that it started to get on my nerves.

I was downstairs in less than ten seconds. Dad was busy cleaning his 1951 Chevy in the garage. He loved the truck more than anything else. He and his poker friends refurbished it very recently; it was now red and silver.

“Hey, dad,” I said as I stepped out of the front door.

He looked up. “Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?”

I shook my head and cracked, “No, thanks. Besides, I think I'll reach the store faster than the Chevy.”

He made a face and resumed his cleaning. I chuckled and made my way past the open gate. The warmth of the sun against my skin felt wonderful. The children's echoing cries of laughter reverberated through the air. I started walking along the sidewalk, not too fast but not too slow either. The houses were nearly identical, some of them bigger than ours but most were smaller.

The next few blocks were mostly forest and a nice, big farm owned by dad's best friend, Percival Stratton. I always looked forward to going there at least twice a month to visit the sheep and horses he raised. I felt the warm breeze envelope my face as I neared the boutique. It was usually the most crowded place in town. Today, it was jam-packed. I glanced towards the local bookstore along the way; it was bulging with people. I love reading books, but sometimes I get tired if they're too long. Harvendale's, the new boutique, was the most crowded today. I couldn't even get through the entrance.

I searched through the crowd for my friends but failed to find them. Then I felt the tap on my shoulder. I wheeled around and saw them. Danielle was very pretty today; she was approximately an inch shorter than me. She was thinner and more graceful, with shimmering, blond hair that fell down in curls. Her features were almost perfect, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy whenever I saw her. She was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

Tyrone was a tall guy for his age, around six-two, with short, brown hair and a lopsided smile.

"There you are, Cassie,” said Danielle cheerfully. She shoved a paper bag into my arms.

I took it. “What's this?”

"The clothes you wanted, remember?”

I squealed with delight and pulled out the blouse. It was sleeveless, purple and made of silk.

"The boutique got so crowded so we decided to purchase it anyway before anyone gets it before we do,” she explained. “That was the last of that design.”

"It's beautiful,” I muttered, wondering if it would fit me perfectly.

"Hey, wait a second,” Tyrone said. “You owe me twelve dollars for that blouse.”

I made a face at him and took out my wallet. I handed him the money and slid the blouse back inside the bag.

“And what did you buy?” I asked Tyrone.

“These,” he said, gesturing to the clothes he was wearing. Green shirt. Faded black jeans. The three of us had been friends since we were little kids. Growing up, we shared secrets together (despite Tyrone's masculinity), went to the movies together and went to school together. I never grew tired of them, a feeling I knew we all shared.

“I'm surprised Kurt Simon isn't with you today,” Danielle told me as we began walking along the curb. The excited buzzing of the people around us was deafening.

“We had a – a – an argument,” I stuttered, frowning. I could still remember the fight we had over the phone last night. His yelling had been deafening, but mine was enough to shatter his stupid face. But I loved him. Now that's even dumber.

“What did you argue about?” Tyrone piped in.

I shrugged. “It's nothing.”

“I can guess,” Danielle said amusedly. “Actually, I don't. It's pretty obvious.”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

“It's Frank Stratton, isn't it?”

I nodded. “It's always him. I mean, what about Frank?”

Frank was Percival Stratton's oldest son. He was nineteen and very handsome. But it wasn't the only reason why Kurt and I fought. Since Percival was my dad's best friend, naturally, I'd been seeing his son regularly since I was a kid. We were friends, but I wasn't as close to him as I was to Danielle and Tyrone. The last time I met him was two days ago when he asked me out to the house party. I guess he had no idea Kurt was my boyfriend. I told Kurt about it, and he got furious even though I turned down Frank's offer.

“He's being unreasonable,” I told them heatedly as we reached the first couple of houses. The crowd noise was slowly drifting away.

“Is he? You've been flirting with Frank since you were born!” Danielle accused me in a teasing manner.

“Flirting?” I repeated, flabbergasted. “Excuse me? He was just being nice to me so I was doing the same thing!”

“Oh, come on,” Danielle laughed. “I've heard that line thousands of times. Especially from you. It's obvious he's in love with you.”

“Is he?” I asked innocently. The sky was turning to gray. It was going to rain. We were passing by the forest now. The trees loomed like sentinels on either side.

“Yeah,” Tyrone agreed quietly. “But I know you wouldn't dare. You've been with Kurt – how long, exactly?”

But I wasn't listening anymore. I stopped dead in my tracks, gazing at the cluster of trees.

“What? What is it?” Danielle asked me curiously.

The trees. The clearing. It was all too familiar. It couldn't be coincidental.

“What's the problem?” Tyrone muttered as he walked up the curb towards me.

I couldn't speak. My voice was somehow extinguished from fear. I couldn't take my eyes off the spot. Then I saw something else that completely frightened me to death. I felt my hands shaking.

“What are you staring at? What's wrong?”
“Cassie?”

“Cassie!”

There were five sets of paw prints on the soft ground in the center of the clearing.

Author's Note

Thank you to those who gave reviews! I really really appreciate it.