Boy Who Has Everything

6

You decided to place the cat back down on the pavement. It seemed like a better idea than to hold him close to you, given the fact he was an unwashed stray cat. Instead of carrying him home, you encouraged him to walk home with you, beckoning him to tag along. He complied, meowing at you contently as you began to walk and he began to follow in your footsteps.

Step by step on your way home, you had one earbud in for music this time. The sounds of the cat's paws pitter-pattering on the cement was something you found quiet enjoyable and almost therapeutic as you half-listened to it.. Looking down at the cat momentarily, you saw he had not once looked away from you. His gaze never seemed to stray, him remaining focused on you. It was silly from your perspective on how persistent he seemed to watch you. Maybe it was a form of endearment, but you couldn't tell. You weren't allowed to have pets as a kid, so understanding their social cues and mannerisms was something you'd had to learn about over time, it seems.

You were still in town, but at the edge of it, just about to enter your neighborhood that was filled with your classic neighbors, almost following each stereotype to a T. The judgemental woman who seemed to watch from her porch what was going on. The sweet old married couple who would say hi when you ran into them in the store in their front yard as they tended to their garden. And of course the family with children, one of them seemingly being the school bully. The only issue you had with that family, other than having a bully of a son, is that they moved in after Amanda moved out and into a different part of the neiborhood entirely. Sure, you didn't really like Amanda since she ghosted you and you had no idea how to interpret your relationship with her now (if you could even call it such a thing), but she still had a special place in your heart, no matter how hard you tried to deny it.

Suddenly you were brought out of your thoughts unwillingly when you bumped into a boy and you found yourself on the floor below.

"Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry!" Said a boy's voice. His cadence was a touch gravelly, but softened when he saw he had accidentally knocked you into the pavement. "Here, let me help you up."

You looked up and saw he was just a kid, around your age. He had blonde hair that messily fell on his forehead flatteringly, and pretty blue eyes that could pierce through your soul if you stared too long. He was cute, no doubt, but checking guys out wasn't really your main objective at the moment. Instead, your goal was to get up and off the ground. With the help of his hand, you were pulled up and stood to your full height. You found the boy was quite tall as you looked back up at him, only realizing how tall he was now that you were off of the pavement.

"Are you hurt? Did you get scraped or something?" Asked the boy with genuine concern in his eyes and voice. A mix of embarrassment was also there, but you would've been a little embarrassed too if you had accidentally knocked someone into the ground.

Now that you were standing, and closer to him, you could really see his appearance. He had braces and his hair was a bit frizzy. It looked like he didn't use any product in his hair and just combed through it. However, his hair still looked soft and fluffy. On the sides, the hair was short yet grown out. He was really pretty, and now that you could see him better, that fact was just hitting you more intensely.

"No, I'm okay." You replied as you looked away from him nervously, being thankful you didn't stutter. You didn't need to feel even more stupid than how you already felt. His eyelids flickered a bit when he heard your American accent, but he seemingly brushed it off as he didn't point it out.

As you looked away from his face, you saw he had a few other people around him. A shorter boy around your height and age with brown hair and brown eyes, but this boy was holding a camera. Strange, you noted. The other person next to him was another guy who seemed a bit older, maybe in his early to mid twenties. He had fluffy brown hair, similarly cut like blondie's, instead his eyes were brown rather than blue. You also noted he was the tallest of the group. Lastly, there was also a girl there with shorter hair with bangs that was dyed crazy colors and she wore a cool outfit, also around your height too.

"Thank god." The blonde boy spoke again, reiterating his apology. "I'm truly really, really sorry." His voice caught your attention, and your gaze turned back to him.

"No, no! It's okay!" You said. "It's really fine, but I've got to get going. My dad wants me home." You internally face palmed as you wondered as to why you told him the last bit He didn't need to know that. You were oversharing again.

The boy didn't seem to mind though, or put too much thought on what you said at the end there. Instead his mood changed subtly to something more positive than before. "Okay, we've got to get going as well." Said the blonde. "See you."

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" You replied to him, both of you walking around each other to go your own ways. Looking down to see if the cat was still there, you saw he was.

"Oh, I like your cat, by the way." Said the girl with the crazy yet gorgeously dyed hair. You smiled at her compliment. You wanted to tell her he wasn't technically yours, but you also wanted to get out of that situation as quickly as possible. Falling on your ass in front of (and because of) a cute boy made you feel embarrassed enough around him and his friends as it is.

"Thank you!" You replied simply with your fake smile remaining.

After that you began to walk away. You were far but not far enough and you heard bit of their resparking conversation as you all parted.

"Well, she seemed nice." Said a soothing voice. It was from a guy, his voice being deeper yet soft.

Suddenly you heard a gravelly grunt. "God, she was so hot." Said a voice jokingly - or at least that's how you interpreted it, you not being the best at understanding tone sometimes - but he immediately received backlash from his friends. You could tell it was blondie who said it, him increasing the gravelly-ness of his voice for comedic effect.

"Tommy, stop!" Said a higher male voice.

Your eyes slightly widened at the interaction and you didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you also had to hold in a laugh. His looks weren't the only thing you found appealing - he seemed quite funny as well.