Boy Who Has Everything

4

Closing the front door behind you, you didn't realize how your grip on the pepper spray in your pocket had tightened subconsciously. You were always a little bit of an anxious person. In all honesty, part of you didn't believe you required a small yet powerful weapon to fend for yourself, but now out and exposed to the real world around you. You realized how much of an actual reality it was that there was a possibility of you being harassed in one way or another.

You began to walk nonetheless, your heels hitting the pavement you walked along as you bobbed your head subtley to the music you listened to through your earbuds. Yet again, subconsciously your body moved. This time not gripping tight on a weapon as the harsh reality of being a young woman hit you, but this time you walking to the beat of the song.

Along your walk you got lost in thought as you observed your path to the store. It was short, but walking there took you a bit. The music kept you content and entertained. The visual of civilization in action kept your eyes entertained. The nostalgia left a smile on your face. All around, you were in a good mood. A great mood, even.

The song switched to one with a slower beat. The minor key brought in negative thoughts. Thoughts of Amanda. A soft yet aggressive sting was sharp yet kind and familiar in the center of your chest. Perfectly in your heart - the place it hurt the most. Ever since your parents divorced and you lived here, you were friends with the girl who lived next door at the time. Amanda Morey was a kind girl who did gymnastics and liked to read Magic Tree House books. However, as she moved away, you noticed how she began to slowly distance herself from you over the years until she fully ghosted you recently. It hurt, yes, but it was also refreshing in a way. A fresh start almost.

The slot of a childhood friend being freed gave you a lighter weight on your shoulders. Yes, it felt strange for the weight to vanish, but it was lovely to feel not tied to a girl you once knew.

Now you were in town. People were around, but it being still quite early in the morning, the people were barely there. Just being shells of themselves that they will adapt and regrow their personalities after the layer of exhaustion washes away throughout the day. You were still going though that process yourself.

Getting bored visually, you began to skip over the cracks in the cement as you bounced to the rhythm of your music. You didn't care if people saw. You were just a teen girl making the most of the summer with a lack of friends. Looking up, you recognized you were nearing Mrs. Fletcher's art store. Looking to the stores you passed, you watched yourself pass by in the reflections in the windows. Some stores from years before were gone and new ones took their place.

You came to stop, slowing your stroll to a steady halt when you saw a small black cat with messy fur. "Hi there!"

He meowed at you as you observed him from a few feet away as he sat contently on the exterior sill of the window. Smiling at the cat as you walked up to him, you began to pet and smooth down his fur. Fixing it was easy and the cat accepted the petting.

"What a handsome little man." You told the cat. Watching the cat as he jumped off of the sill, he began to run his body against your legs. "Aw."

The cat looked at least a year old, but young enough to where there was no discoloring in the fur. With pure jet-black fur with pale green eyes, the cat was pretty, no doubt. Some would say he's bad luck, but you'd say otherwise.

"Alright, I need to get going now, kitty." You told the cat.

You began to walk again in the direction of the art store again but stopped once you heard the light sounds of paws pitter-pattering on the pavement behind yourself. Turning your head and turning down to look behind you, you saw the cat again. Snickering to yourself, you looked at him for a moment.

"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" You asked with a smile. The cat just blinked. Another soft chuckle escaped your lips. "My dad's gonna kill me."

Sighing, you decided to allow the cat to follow you where you were headed. Eventually, the cat began to walk beside you, looking up at you as it meowed at you. You glanced at him every now and then, a smile growing on your face. Raising your head again, you saw you were nearing Mrs. Fletcher's art store, it not being too far.

Once you got to the front of the door, you stopped in your tracks once again. Looking at the cat, you turned and smiled at him. "Stay here, alright?" In return, the cat blinked, earning a soft laugh from you. "Damn. Not a thought behind those eyes, huh?" Another blink.

Chuckling softly and breathily, you kneeled down momentarily to run your hand over the cat's head. A goodbye-for-now pat. Standing back up you made sure the store was open, looking at the paper taped to the front of the glass door. Reading the text, it informed you the art store was indeed currently open. You turned back one last time to make sure the cat was still there, to which it was. The cat remained sitting politely and patiently.

You then placed your hand on the door, pushing as it open as the label on it instructed you to do. The bell above the door rang as you opened the small store's entrance to inform any employees inside that a customer had come in for service and items to purchase. Turning to look at the person behind the counter, you saw the one and only Mrs. Fletcher. A smile spread across her face as soon as she saw and recognized you. Then was when a warm and comforting feeling flushed throughout your body and mind.