The Six Months Forgotten

Close

Lunchtime

"Aaaahhh. Perfect spot." I smile sitting under one of the trees in the clearing. Picnic clearing that is.

I had decided to eat outside today, seeing as the clouds weren't plotting, and I wish to be alone for a while.

"Are you sure you don't want to be around anyone?" I hear Sprinkles question as I take out my tuna salad. Decided to make it different this time. Sandwiches are nice but they get old after a while.

"Yeah, Sprinks, now mute up. I wanna eat in peace." I huff for her to mute. I lean back against the tree opening my chip bag and taking a bite. I think about . . . well everything.

We got this whole issue with Smiley wanting me to date Scowl. Then another music tryouts that everyone will probably want me to sign up for, and the issue with the mousies, not to mention this stupid date with Hayden.

I shudder. I mean maybe it's stupid, but I just don't feel safe being with him. He's already put his arms around me and tried to kiss me, unwarranted. Maybe I should back out. . . .

You don't owe him a date.

Hey, you okay?

. . . I know it's hard, but you have to stand up for yourself. . . 'No.' is a complete sentence.

"Start saying no. See his reaction. Go from there." I look at my chip bag, remembering what Dad always says, "Stay safe."

I take a deep breath, relaxing on the tree trunk before Spotty's words find there way through the mind map.

. . . they shouldn't just be stuck in there.

"Ya know, it has been a while since we've done anything . . . maddening." I pause, taking another bite. It's hard to do it here though. I mean putting it in the catnip field will have someone find it, the crawl space is to small, the dorm is . . . our dorm.

"But that makes it mine too, and I should be allowed to decorate it how I want." I pause, "But Pixie and Ribbon may not want me doing that. But who cares what they want? Well, we do cause we share it with them. But what if we just rearranged our side? That will work, how do we wanna do it though?"

"Well, we can start by putting our scratching post on the ceiling, then putting the desk on top of the dresser. Oh, but where do we put the chair? We can mount it to the wall. Yeah, and that can give us more floor space to—"

"Cass?"

"Ah!" I jump and turn to see Dexter. "Oh, Dex what are you doing here?"

"Well, I didn't see you in your normal lunch places, so I figured you'd be out here. Can I sit?" He questions for me to shrug.

"Free courtyard." I take another bite. "Wha'sh up?"

"Oh, not much, I mean, homework and chess club and such. How bout you?"

"Too much it feels like. There's homework, then this whole thing with Hayden, then Smiley wanting me to date Scowl, plus tonight I have to do one of like eighteen photoshoots for my friend Jackson back home, and on top of all of it manage my medicine and learn how to control my instincts so I don't accidently eat one of the mice." I list for him to nod.

"That is a lot. Though you know you can just tell Smiley to drop it. I mean I have multiple times."

"I have too. Doesn't mean she listened." I huff adding some more corn to my chip bag. "But any case, what's the rule about a student changing up their dorm? I wanna rearrange some furniture."

"I'd have to check the handbook again, but I'm pretty sure you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn't mess up the walls." He pauses for me to nod. We stay there in silence for a minute before he asks about the date I'm having with Hayden.