CHAPTER 5: Pussycat

"Where's my bra?"

"Here," I answered, picking it up from the window sill. Don't even ask how it got there.

Cassie went over and took it, saying, "Thanks."

"No problem," I replied, combing my hair with my hand. "You want a lift home?"

"Nah," she answered, slipping her shirt back on. I was expecting that kind of answer from Cassie. She never let me take her home once. Yeah, I've been in her house a couple of times in the past when we would fool around. But when it came to giving her a simple ride home, it's always no.

"Oh, come on," I persisted this time. "You ride me all the time, why don't you ride with me for a change?"

She shot me an unamused glare. "Trevor, Lally's home. You should be watching her."

I rolled my eyes. God, responsibilities. I hated them.

The most I could do for Cassie was walk her out the door. Her house is on the eastside of town, she's gonna have to take the bus. I waved goodbye as she started walking towards the nearest bus stop.

Just as Cassie disappeared from my sight, a clatter came from upstairs. Lally's room. I immediately sprinted up there to see what was going on.

A couple more commotions echoed through when I neared her door. Without even knocking, I stepped inside, finding the gap-toothed kid in pigtails standing right in the middle of the floor. Properly, I might add. She was standing like a freaking military cadet. Except, she was smiling widely.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

"Nothing," she answered quickly. And I might have bought it but then, her green eyes shot from corner to corner.

I crossed my arms. "Lally," I said in a warning tone.

Before she could deny whatever it was that she was hiding, a noise came from underneath her bed. Her eyes widened. That was my cue. I bent down to see what was under there. Then suddenly, a black stray cat leaped out, baring its claws.

I recoiled just in time to dodge the scratching and the cat jumped out of the window, hissing on its way.

"Whiskers! No!" Lally exclaimed, running to the window. She lifted herself up to the sill and was ready to jump hadn't I snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back to her room.

"Are you crazy?!"

"You scared her!" she yelled back, struggling out of my hold.

"It was a male cat, Lally," I said, settling her down on the foot of her bed once she stopped struggling. "Didn't you see the balls under its tail?"

"Still!" she whined. "It was my cat."

I shook my head. "Nuh-uh. You know how dad feels about keeping stray animals in the house. Should I remind you of the little skunk incident last week?"

"I thought it was a chipmunk, okay?" she huffed, pouting her lips and crossing her arms over her chest.

I sighed and walked over to the window. The black cat - Whiskers - was still on the tree right by Lally's room. It hissed when it saw me. I scrunched up my nose in disdain. But then, I noticed something. I leaned over the window and squinted a little, then I saw. The cat had something around its neck.

I quickly glared back at Lally, who I didn't even realize was already standing beside me. I looked back at the cat just to be sure. Yup. Whiskers was wearing a necklace. Not just any necklace. It was our mom's turquoise necklace. It was probably the most expensive thing we had in our house, give or take. And, now, it was worn by a freaking cat.

"Lally," I said through gritted teeth, trying to control my anger.

Oh, she knew what was coming. She was trying to look all innocent, trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"Lally," I repeated, and she finally looked at me. I guess she saw how pissed off I was getting that she didn't even wait for me to ask her about the necklace.

"I'm sorry!" she burst out. "Mom always looked pretty when she wore it. I thought the cat would turn pretty, too, if I gave it to her."

"Him!" I corrected, pointing at the clearly-male cat and groaning at my sister's antics. "Lally, what were you thinking?"

She started crying with her bottom lip sticking out and eyebrows creasing together. It was hard trying to understand what she was saying with all her blubbering but she ended her rambling saying, "It's just that no one's gonna wear it anymore. Mom's gone."

A sting shot through my chest. I sighed and scooped her up in my arms, rubbing her back to soothe her. "Shh. Come on now," I tried calming her down. "That's not true. Mom might be gone but you're still here. You're gonna wear that necklace from now on."

"I am?"

I nodded. "And you're gonna be just as pretty as mom. Even prettier!"

She grinned, displaying that gap tooth that I always found so endearing.

"Now, come on. Let's get that necklace back."

×××××

Whiskers is an asshole.

For a cat that was just bejeweled by an 8-year-old girl with a fairly pricey necklace, he sure was ungrateful as he made us chase him all over town.

I was panting like mad! The thin wind froze up my lungs. I wasn't even dressed for snow weather. All I had on for a top was a single sweater. But we managed to corner the cretin by an alley. I had to give Lally a piggyback ride because she refused to give up the chase when she was already tired. I told her she could just run back to the house while I continued running after Whiskers. But, no. She wanted to come.

God, kids are stubborn.

Lally slid down from my back and helped me close out the opening of the alley.

"We got you now, Whiskers," she taunted the cat.

We slowly approached the cornered kitten, spreading our arms, getting ready to grab (her by) the pussy.

Whiskers began stepping backwards, away from us. I was so sure that we've cornered the animal, but then, Lally shouted a battle cry and stormed towards the cat. Whiskers hissed and easily ran around the approaching kid. It ran past me and I was too slow to even touch a single fur on its tail.

I was ready to run after it again, but when I turned back, the cat was still there. What's more shocking? Another girl was petting it.

The cat lady looked up and I whispered a curse under my breath when I saw the piercing on her nose.

Emma Grange. One of my sexual conquests from a while back, and also one of the remaining girls on my list in the search of the diary writer.

Technically, she could be the mystery writer. I did bed her sometime around August, just after Patricia. But I got a strong feeling in my gut that she wasn't the one. Why? Because for one reason, she hates me.

"I should have known it was you who was chasing a pussy," she commented. "What? Did you run out of girls that you're considering bestiality now?"

I rolled my eyes. I didn't need her southside mouth to blabber right now with my baby sister here.

"Is that your cat?" I asked, ignoring her previous comments.

"Yeah."

Hearing this, Lally whined at the loss of a potential pet. It was only then that Emma noticed the presence of a gradeschooler in our midst and covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry! I didn't see you," Emma apologized to Lally. "I shouldn't have said pus - bad words. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Lally replied. "We just wanted our necklace back."

Emma looked down on her cat and held the necklace on its neck. She smiled at my sister and unhooked the chain from Whiskers... or whatever its real name was.

"Here you go." Emma came up to my sister and handed the necklace over.

"Say thank you," I nudged Lally, who abided.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Emma replied with a smile, which disappeared when her gaze landed back at me. Yup, even the cuteness of Lally couldn't distract her from hating me. When she didn't stop glaring, I decided to react.

"My god, Emma!" I scoffed. "You're still mad about that? It was two months ago! Get over it."

Her jaw went slack. I admit it was appalling that I had the audacity to say that to her after what I did. I admit it was horrible. And I admit that she had the reason to stay mad at me for that long. But just because she was allowed to stay mad, didn't mean she had to stay mad, right?

The answer met me with a slap across the face. Damn, that girl had a way with her hands, both in the violent and non-violent way.

Yeah, I deserved that.

"Who was that?" Lally asked as Emma walked away, Whiskers tailing behind her.

"A friend," I said casually, rubbing my throbbing cheek.

"Oh," she said. "That kind of friend."