Let's Be Birds (OLD VERSION)

☀21☀

I remember being a kid and watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York for the first time. Admittedly, I really didn't get it but I thought that the city looked so good at Christmastime and I begged for my mom to bring us here for one holiday. We didn't go but it's always been in the back of my mind to come to New York for Christmas.

When Chloe left for here over a year ago, I sorely wanted to follow her – at least to see her of - and yeah, play around the city even at such a busy time. But then my family had that annual camping trip that I couldn't miss and my dreams were shoved aside once more. I didn't mind. It was only just a dream, right?

Now, standing here on the sun kissed concrete, staring up at the high rise buildings that tower over us and seem to disappear way of into the clouds above, I feel so small.

But it's a good kind of small – if that makes sense. I feel small, but I feel included. I feel like a particle of water. Fluid and at ease. Part of something but still my own.

"Let's buy that collar for Clemmy Clue before we go find Chloe, yeah?" Hannah grabs onto my arm, pushing me out of my thoughts and dragging me off along the sidewalk.

When we were walking before, a police warden told us off for having a stray cat. Somehow, Hannah managed to convince her that Clem wasn't a stray and was our 'beloved' kitten but we were given this warning to get her collared or else they'd take her away. I felt inclined to say that they could take her but Hannah seemed to read my mind and stopped me before I could.

The streets are so busy and it's weird because like water, we're getting pushed along a never ending stream until we find a store that allows pets. Coincidentally, it's also a pet store. Clem mews quietly, looking as excited as a cat could look in a store filled with all their wildest fantasies and Hannah goes gaga for her even though she's been part of our crew for three weeks.

"Should I put her in my bag?" She asks.

"Uh – NO?!" I yell, causing a scene. She looks startled as I take Clem from her just to be on the safe side. "That's like, animal cruelty, she could suffocate in your tiny ass bag!"

Hannah looks at me with the same surprised expression on her face before bursting into laughter. "Nate!"

"What? Why are you laughing at me?" Clem scratches my arm but then I don't react because I'm too scared to give her away. She stops squirming after a few more seconds of Hannah's incessant laughter and actually cuddles up to me (wow).

"Nate, you're so funny." Hannah says when she's done. She then wipes her eyes and starts browsing the shelves. "Take care of Clemmy Clem while I go look for a collar for her, 'kay?"

"Wait a second –"

"Toodles!" She waves her fingers individually and then starts skipping away through the many racks of collars and toys and whatnot. I stick my finger next to Clem's nose and she sniffs it warily before calming down again.

A shop attendant sidles over to me slowly with a big smile on his face. I look at him as warily as Clem sniffed at my finger.

"Hi! Are you shopping for your cutie kitty cat here?" He asks, the smile never wavering. I smile back at him.

"Er, yeah, sure." I say.

"Is it a boy kitty or a girl kitty?"

"It's a girl."

"Oh wow! So do you want a yellow or pink collar for this little rascal?" He wiggles his finger around Clem and she turns around and jumps onto my neck. It's weird, I'm not used to her being this close to me and I'm scared that she's going to take a dump in my hair.