Crimson and Furs

Chapter Eighteen: Uncanny Boldness

On Monday morning Daniel woke up early as usual. He yawned as he stretched on his bed, causing Caroline who had been sleeping on him to wake up with a startle.

"You shouldn't do that!" Caroline meowed. It wasn't as if Caroline was speaking but Daniel understood what she was saying.

Daniel stood up to prepare for school, his entire body brimming with energy. Although he hadn't forgotten about Mr. Eden's death, he didn't feel guilty anymore. He wasn't the one who killed Mr. Eden so his conscience was clear. He only felt sympathetic towards Jackson for losing both parents at a very young age. It was very sad indeed.

Daniel did his normal morning routines and in fifteen minutes time he was done. Today he wore a red shirt and a pair of red pants with red sneakers. Around his head was a red head band, making him look handsome with a touch of heroic aura. He took his backpack, hung it and made for the garage with Caroline trailing behind.

"Where are you up to this early?" Mrs. Stark was already awake and had set the table. It was a plate of sliced milky cheese and a cup of coffee. A faint fragrance of sugar, vanilla and butter wafted the atmosphere and filled Daniel's olfactory organs.

"Good morning, mum," Daniel didn't reply to the question and greeted his mother. His attention was redirected to the plate of cheese and cup of coffee. He could tell what ingredients were used to make the cheese by just smelling. He could also smell the amount of sugar in the coffee. The smell of everything in the room and across was well pronounced. He could smell something 50 meters away—the flowers, the trees, the rabbits underground, the grasses, children, women, men—he could smell them all.

"Aren't you eating?" Mrs. Stark asked. "You never skip your breakfast before going to school."

"I'm...okay," Daniel said. "Besides I have a chemistry test today. I wanna read at school before the test commences today."

You have always been at the top of the class, Mrs. Stark thought within herself as she admired her son. Can't you take a break? Of course she didn't say anything as she smiled warmly and said, "Take care then."

She didn't bother to ask Daniel to wait for her while she fetched the car to drive him to school. He would never agree to it as he always preferred to ride his bicycle. He believed riding was an exercise for his young muscles. He always wanted to be tough and strong.

"Goodbye mum," Daniel bid his mother goodbye as he dashed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. It was at this moment that he remembered something had skipped his mind. Carolina was standing behind him. He turned to look down at her and saw her stare into his brown eyes with her adorable eyes. She looked very cute than other days.

"Uh..." Daniel felt he should take her to school. He had did researches and discovered that girls loved adorable pets. Wouldn't Felicia fall in love with Carolina? Even Sexy Peacock who was cold found Carolina adorable. He took a deep breathe and said, "Okay you're coming with me. But you're gonna stay in this backpack."

Daniel unzipped his backpack and put Carolina inside, leaving her head outside. He then zipped the backpack and left it only some inches open so that Carolina wouldn't choke. Staring at Carolina, he prayed that she didn't fall out of the backpack.

He walked to the garage and mounted the bicycle, taking off the standing. He then turned to look back at Carolina 'who' was in his backpack and said, "Don't dare poop in my backpack."

Carolina would have rolled her eyes if she was a human but she was not. She was only a cat and could only purr—a sound which Daniel understood to be, "Fuck you!"

"You're becoming disrespectful with time," Daniel complained. "I've not been disciplining you lately."

Hearing this, Carolina shrank into the backpack in fear as she stared at Daniel with watery eyes.