When You Least Expect It

7

Chapter 7

Another day began with Miles throwing his controller in frustration. This typically happened whenever he lost.

"Whatever, I let you win on purpose," he grumbled.

"Sore loser."

The sound of a toilet flushing echoed through the narrow hallway, followed by the rush of running water. Dad emerged from our bathroom, his hands damp as he wiped them on his tan pants. "Hey, you two, remember Tobias, Kathy's cat?"

Our neighbor down the street Kathy had a fat cat called Tobias. Every time we crossed paths with the chubby creature, Miles couldn't resist throwing a comment its way, usually along the lines of 'that's one ugly-looking cat.' He had one eye, a pushed in nose, and his ears looked like someone chewed them up and afterward spat them out. Tobias was a far cry from the poster cat for elegance; his creamy fur was far from the glossy kind, closer in hue to that of a bleak looking classroom wall.

"The ugly one? With the messed up eye?"

Dad seemed to be struggling to contain his amusement, his lips twitching as he spoke. "Yes, that's the very one. As fate would have it, Tobias decided to venture into the wild last night."

"Gee, I wonder why." I'd run from home too if Kathy was my owner. And her crazy daughter Cherry, who never paid for anything in her life, not even her boobs.

Dad's laughter danced in his eyes, though he maintained a composed demeanor. "Believe it or not, the entire town is currently on a 'Find Tobias' mission. And, oh, by the way, if you happen to cross paths with our dear Tobias on your way to the party, make sure to give me a shout.""Will do." It shouldn't be hard to miss a hideous cat. I doubt he went far, anyway — Tobias was too fat to cross a large distance.

I looked at the clock hung on our lime green walls that I had painted. Harry's party started at nine o'clock, and I was expected to get ready and be there beforehand.

I got up from the couch and headed to my room. My walls were painted a lavender color, but the ceiling remained white. I etched a personalized message on the wall behind my bed. It was the first thing a person saw when they walked in the room. The quote was 'ars longa, vita brevis' which translated to art is long, life is short.

My canvas always faced the window. I liked to be inspired by the sky and the landscape in front of me — although there was usually nothing fascinating enough to sketch in this town. I went to my wooden closet and thumbed through items of clothing. I didn't own a single dress, other than a green one with lacy sleeves that Mom had given me. I wore it on my first date with Harry which was to a McDonald's out of town. It would be an understatement to say I was overdressed for the occasion. I remember just being so ecstatic that someone as popular as Harry gave me the time of day, even though looking back now, he spent more time admiring his burger than me.

In a quick decision, I opted for a red flannel shirt and sneakers, taming my unruly hair. The decision to straighten my usually rebellious curls seemed fitting for the day.

Stepping outside, a cool breeze carried the fragrance of freshness. Riding my faithful, rusty yellow bicycle through town, I reached the field where Harry's party awaited.

Among his friends, Bones was the first to notice me. "Blondie." His cigarette dangled from his lips.

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw me. He was dressed in a white polo shirt and denim jeans. I waddled over to him and he welcomed me with a smacking kiss on the forehead. I stayed huddled to his side, with my head resting on his chest. I had the height of an elf. Harry kept an arm wrapped around my waist, and he seemed to be over the whole ordeal that happened a few days ago. That was a typical occurrence with Harry — he was the one who called the shots and decided when we should start talking again.