the tabby by the sakura tree

1

Whenever I'd think of you, I'd see sakura blossoms cascading down onto sidewalks. I'd smell the dewy scent of grass in the mornings on my way to school. I'd hear your soft velvety voice laced with a trace of sadness—darkness, even.

This was the scenery that painted the first time I ever met you.

I recalled the opening day of class. Finally a first year in middle school, there was a spring in my step as I hummed my favorite tune on my walk to the academy grounds. Dozens of kids my age were walking in my direction, and I glanced at a few of them searching for any familiar faces. To my dismay, there were none.

Going to my older brother's alma mater even when it was in a different district meant a fresh start, though I wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet.

What I was sure of, was that my unsteady heartbeat and sweaty palms made my anticipation known. It was only natural to feel giddy thinking about a foreign environment. As much as I wanted to run to school and make new friends right at that moment, I still wanted to look cool in front of all my potential classmates who were walking the same path as me. I tried my best to keep my composure, I walked in collected silence, occasionally catching myself skipping too fast to the tune I was humming under my breath.

Although my head was relatively empty on my walk to school, I still managed to pick up the sound of soft mewling from a short distance.

They'd say curiosity killed the cat—but I wasn't a cat, and I just wanted to pet it.

I followed the meowing sounds' increasing volume as it led me to a sakura tree. Under it was a beaten up cardboard box and a sorry excuse for a blanket; if you could even call it that. The cloth was clearly weathered beyond its years, with the threads unfurling at the ends and dark stains that I assumed to be mud or dust. An unsettling feeling started to grow at the pit of my stomach as I realized that the mewls didn't sound as cute as I initially thought, they were desperate cries for help instead. I quickened my pacing towards the cat albeit with an air of caution. My hands faltered as I reached for the cloth, slowly but surely I lifted it to reveal a bone-thin kitten covered in fleas. I let out a gasp and tried not to make any sudden movements, so as to not cause the kitten any more stress than it already was feeling. For a cat that was probably only two weeks out of the womb, its ginger fur was matted and dirty. Upon closer inspection, I even saw a dried up patch of blood below its right leg. That was when tears started welling up in my eyes.

I had to save it—middle school was going to wait.

I covered the cat once more with the cloth and grabbed the box gently, trying desperately to remember where the nearest vet was. Walking fast enough to get there as soon as possible yet slow enough to not alarm the orange kitten, I noticed kids my age glancing at me as I walked past them. Not a great first impression, I guessed. I prayed that they weren't from my school, but even if they were there was no stopping now. I was already well on my way back to where I came from. I didn't even give myself time to register the snot and tears flowing down my face like Niagara Falls.

However, my tears started blurring my vision and I had to pause for a moment to wipe them. The moment I stopped walking I ended up colliding with what felt like a rock. I let out a small shriek in surprise, quickly wiping my tears to see what I had bumped into.

It wasn't a rock—it was a kid not much taller than me. For someone so skinny, his body was as solid as an MMA fighter.

"Sorry ..." I muttered and pressed forward, hoping that he would forget about the whole ordeal.

"What's that in the box?" He called out to me, not bothering to take the lollipop out of his mouth. Confused, my eyes darted between the blonde boy and the road that led me to the vet. Out of panic, I ended up replying anyway.