A Tiger's Spirit

1. Cafe

I squinted my brown eyes so I could see through the rain, that was falling down from my black hair. I liked my middle part, but it was annoying when the rain made it look like a towel in my head. I was heading towards a brown door, that would lead me to a cafe called Sunset. It was an usual place for my friend group to hang out. 

At the door I ran my hand through my dark hair to make it look reasonable. I opened the sturdy door, and was welcomed with a comforting warmness and dim lighting. I noticed the usual worker behind the counter, Olivia. She greeted me with her bright smile.

"Hello! Welcome in!" she greeted, and I just waved in response. 

I was here almost every day with my friends, who were already sat on a table further away. I noticed one of them waving to me in an attempt to make me come closer.

"Hi Lys!" the blond haired girl, Layla, greeted me. I had met her through high school couple of years back.

"Hiii..." my voice dies away as Layla throws herself to hug me. She had always been clingy, and although physical contact usually made me anxious, I accepted it from her.

"Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Lowe", Darale said from next to me. He had an amused look in his blue eyes. 

"You too, Mr. Squirrelman", I let out a laughter, as we shook our hands. Like I hadn't known him for years. All three of us had met through high school when we were 16, and now we are already 18, some 19. After summer we would start our lives in actual work. It was a scary thought.

Darale grimaced at me, and tried to make his mouth look like a squirrel's, his front teeth popping out. 

"What the hell!" I panicked, and lifted my hands up to cover my eyes. "Don't ever do that again."

Darale just smiled ominously, as I sat down beside him, facing the door. Layla observed us. It was a bit awkward, because we hadn't seen each other in weeks because of our summer jobs. Although someone always had time to hang out here, there was always someone who couldn't. I wasn't lucky enough to get a job, so I just rotted in my bed the whole summer reading books.

"Where is Lubomir?" Darale asked, making Layla glance back at the door.

"I don't know. Late as always, I suppose", she grunted, "but he said that he would catch the next bus to come here."

"Cool cut", I tried to hold in my laughter, when I tapped Darale on his freshly done buzz cut. 

"What the hell", he snorted, as he slapped my hand away with quit a force. I shook my head as I returned my hand to the table. I looked at Layla, who was trying her best to hold her laugh in. She couldn't. 

"I'm sorry!" she laughed with water in her eyes. "It just looks so... supernatural." 

Darale lifted his blue hood up, clearly mad. He had recently grown really sensitive. I guess it came from his squirrely personality. I mean, all the animal forms and human forms were alike. If you are a mouse, then you're also kind of a mouse in human form.

"Hey it's not that bad", I nudged his shoulder, making him grunt. I just took my hand away and gave up. If he wants to act like a child, he should. At least he took the hood off.

The door burst open lazily, as a tall man walked in. His black dreads were covering his eyes, as he greeted Olivia and walked towards us.

"What's up my favorite little predators!" he greeted us with open arms, and sat down. I had known him for more years than I have fingers. I guess it was an advantage when our parents were already friends.

"Lubomir Randal! Why can't you ever make it in time?" Layla bursted, facing the young man who sat next to her. Lubomir pulled his earplugs out, and started smiling widely.