The Cat's Out Of The Bag

Chapter Six

As soon as the bell rings after my fifth period, I run to the field, not even looking behind myself for any signs of Riley.

I immediately sprint to the fence and as I get there, my heart drops. There is no sign of Estrella, and it would be easy to tell, there being no bushes beyond and being mostly made up of dust.

Then I hear a rustle. I slowly turn to the green bushes beside me, the same ones where Estrella had hid yesterday before fleeing.

I let out a small gasp as Estrella steps slowly out of the bushes, her usually shiny fur dusty and unwashed.

She looks up at me with slightly scared golden eyes, blinking rapidly.

"Aww, sweetie." I whisper, holding out a hand, feeling sadness well in my chest at Estrella's disappearance the day before.

She sniffs it tentatively, whiskers twitching rapidly. She pauses, as if assessing the smell, and slowly rubs her head against my arm, still not fully purring.

I feel as if the biggest weight in the world has been lifted off of my chest, and I can finally breathe again. It is only then I realize how tired I truly am.

I stayed up almost all night, going over explanations for Estrella's weird behavior. That whole conversation I had had in my head kept coming back to the same conclusion: That it was my fault and I took too long to feed her or maybe she just realized how bland and unlikeable I am.

But seeing her now, slowly warming up to my touch, knocked all those theories down within a second.

She was purring now, winding her tail around my whole arm.

"Come on now, you couldn't have missed me that bad, right?" I laugh, stiffening as Estrella suddenly stopped, her round eyes locked on something behind me.

"I did."

In a flash Estrella is gone, and I find my mouth wide open as the cat I was just petting has vanished without a single sound.

I look in front of me and I am even more astonished and embarrassed to find Riley staring at me with a sympathetic face.

"Oh! Riley! Um, sorry. Just... thinking about things..." I mumble, feeling ready for the world to swallow me whole as Riley crouches next to me.

"Oh, okay. Same here." Riley whispers, and I stare at her, surprised. She catches my eye, and lightly laughs.

"I kinda told no one this but... I actually also have a dog, Night. She's a big sweetheart, like Star's bigger sister, but Star didn't see it like that. She got scared of her, and I only got her a month ago. I thought leaving them alone together would get them to warm up to each other more. But then that day Star went missing..."

I feel something drop in my gut and suddenly I don't want to listen to this story anymore.

"I got home and Night was more subdued and quiet, and she had... she had a claw mark on her muzzle." Riley was sniffling now.

"And I just know that Night was just trying to play with her but Star took it the wrong way and... I don't know how she got out. But I just want her to come home... my mom keeps talking to me about just completely getting rid of Night and I just can't... I can't loose both of my babies..."

Her face is in her hands, and she's sobbing, her body shaking violently.

I don't know what to do, I feel as if claws are grasping my chest, so without thinking I just place my hand on her back in an effort to comfort her.

She soon regains her composure, and gazes up at me through watery eyes.

"Wow, I'm—I'm sorry for just dumping all of that on you. I just..." Her voice wavers, and she takes in a gasping breath as if it would be her last.

I lean closer, nudging her. "Hey, stop. I can see that you needed that. Maybe..." I stop, unsure of what to say.

"Maybe Est—Star will come back on her own time. I never had any cats, but I know they like to do things on their own terms." I laugh, almost choking as I catch myself nearly saying Estrella instead of Star.

Riley gives me a look full of gratefulness.
"Thanks."

Complete silence, until Riley speaks again.
"I feel like I've been having to say that to you a lot." She laughs, her voice slightly stronger now.

I feel the claws around my chest release me, and I let out a very much needed breath.

"No, it's fine. I understand you have been going through a lot... and it's nice to have a friend. I never really have anyone to hang out with and—" just as I am about to finish my sentence, Riley envelops me in a big hug.

I let out a squeak of surprise, but I soon feel my muscles relaxing, and I hug her back in silence.

* * * * *

I'm in my bedroom, it's 5:00 and all my unfinished homework is sitting beside me as I read a book, my mind blank.

It seems like forever since I actually sat down and read. All of my recent time has been occupied by both Estrella and Riley, and also worrying about them both and overthinking about what would happen if Riley were to find out about me and Estrella.

The conversation I had with Riley earlier that day still irks me. But soon, something clicks in my brain, and my mind flies back to memories from that day Estrella hissed at me.

I had just finished hanging out with Riley, and I remember when Estrella sniffed me and her eyes flicked like a switch, and suddenly she was a whole different cat.

I know for a fact that cat's sense of smell is far more superior than humans, so it must have been something she smelled on me. But what? It's not like I wear perfume or anything that could irritate a cat's nose.

Then, something pop ups in my mind, and I stand up in understanding.

I remember Riley showing me a picture of her hugging Night, a black German shepherd.

That's it. Hugging.

Riley had hugged and pet Night before she went to school, and then she hung out with me, and then Estrella must have smelled Riley on me, and on Riley was the scent of Night.

That's why she freaked out so bad. She thought I had been near Night, when in reality I had no clue she had existed back then.

As soon as I start internally congratulating myself on this discovery, my phone buzzes, and it's a text from Riley.

Sorry, Natalie, but this is urgent. My mom keeps talking to my dad about getting rid of Night, and I just can't handle it. I need another opinion.

I stare at the text, thinking. I am for a fact dreading doing my homework, and I now know just the perfect distraction that probably doesn't involve more intense worrying.

Okay, I'll be there in five.