Mittens Has Class

Chapter 18: Most Cats Have Superpowers They Don't Tell You About

"If those two stooges are there for class and look like they're going to make trouble, we'll just head out." Mittens said as she put the 'Mittens-mobile' into park and shut off the engine. "Personally, I's really hoping those idiots, gots suspendeded or somefin'. At the very least."

"Somehow, I doubt it." Krystal replied dourly. Despite how much joy she'd felt the last day and a half staying with them, Mittens could see the reality of returning back to the real world and dealing with the two assholes again was crashing back in on her like a dark wave. The closer they'd gotten to campus, the more of her smile had faded away. "Regardless though, I don't want to let them force us out of class. If they're there, they're there." She breathed out an unsteady breath, her words not sounding all that confident. "Besides, they can't do more than sling ugly words at us with the rest of the class there."

Mittens gave her a darkly amused look. "Bein' a Friday, probably not gonna be lots o' people stickin' around. Even the Professor probably will end up leavin early." She gave a roll of her eyes, half expecting them to walk into the classroom to find just the two dickheads lying in wait there.

Krystal gave a faint shrug, but her face took on a resolute expression. "Even so, I...I don't want to live in fear of these guys." She took in a deep breath, blew it out. It brought back a shadow of her smile and she peered playfully at Mittens. "Besides, I have my pooka with me." She gave a wink. "She'll scratch their eyes out."

"Or 'lectra-ma-cute 'em!" Mittens added helpfully. "I's a certi-ma-fied 'pooka-chu'!!"

Krystal laughed out loud at that, then leaned across the center console to put her head on Mittens' shoulder affectionately. "In that case, I choose you, Pooka-chu." She said with a giggle and then planted a small kiss on Mittens' cheek.

Mittens leaned her own head against hers, slipping an arm around her friend's shoulders. "No matter what's there, I'll be right beside you. If'n I has ta fights 'em off again, I will."

Krystal gave a soft laugh. "Maybe this time I can watch you 'roast his peanuts' first hand."

Mittens grinned. "Well, actually, I brought some seasonin', just in case." She produced a small can of pepper spray from her jacket pocket. "Not as fun as glitter, buts a lots more effective!"

Krystal laughed brightly, more of that happy manner she'd had back at the house returning to her features. "Armed and dangerous."

"Lockeded an' loadeded!" Mittens agreed with a toothy grin.

For a long moment, they just sat there, soaking up one another and silently delaying the inevitable. However, Mittens finally sighed and ushered them out of the car, if only to get it over with. Grabbing their backpacks, they locked up the car and set off across campus towards Callahan Hall. As they walked, Krystal took a hold of Mittens' paw, clutching it firmly as though it were a buoy in a storm. Mittens could feel a slight tremor moving through her, but she bravely kept pace, seeming determined not to let the bullies rule her life.

As it turned out, they were among the first to arrive, only two others occupying seats in the room, neither of them Alvin or Clay. There appeared to be a few other papers already in the basket for turned in essays, however. A part of Mittens hoped that the two dimwits had already dropped theirs off and left again, but doubted they would get that lucky. Dropping their own papers into the basket, they took seats together and began getting settled.

After a moment, Krystal reached over and took Mittens' paw back up in her hand, giving it a meaningful squeeze. The act of it seemed to curb her usual anxiety that always gripped her out in public. Dressed in her usual clashing color choices, pearlescent neon blue shirt, fluorescent green mini-skirt and matching broad necktie, with pink fishnets, and painted army boots, her face the usual mask of white powder and dark accents, she had already gotten plenty of looks on the way here, most of them making her shrink a little in shyness. However, if she held any reservations about someone seeing her holding the hand of another girl out in public, that didn't show at all.