The Girl with the Cat

.:One:.

    Lila was older than she appeared. Lanky and without curves she could pass for twelve, but in truth she was seventeen.

    At the sound of the doorbell, Lila jumped. She hated all doorbells, especially hers. Even though she and her cat, Machete, were snuggled together deep under the blanket forts upstairs in her bedroom, she somehow always heard the hauntingly low tone.

    "Tell me again," Lila said peering down at Machete. "Why mom had insisted we get that stupid thing installed?"

    Machete blinked at her, his long tail swishing behind him. She sighed slowly, peeling away the blankets. She stood stretching, "Come on Machete lets go see who's ruining our Sunday fun day." She snorted at herself slipping out of her room, knowing machete was following.

    The doorbell rung again, and Lila could almost picture the impatient person outside her door, tapping their foot away - sighing continually - Lila giggled, rushing down the stairs where she pulled the door open.

    "I have been at this door ringing your lame doorbell for thirty minutes!" Lila rolled her eyes at her best friend, Suzanne.

    "Try two minutes." Lila said, stepping back so Suzanne could enter. "And what are you doing here? You know it's Machete and I's Sunday fun day." Lila closed the door, swiveling around to face Suzanne with her arms crossed.

    Suzanne snorted. "I'm your best friend not Machete!" Suzanne glanced down at Machete. Machete looked back at Suzanne. "I thought maybe you and I could go out for a bit. Drink some tea, shop, and you know - our daily checkups on Dean Emberson."

Lila laughs quietly, "Okay, Okay." She stared down at Machete sadly. Bending down, she rubbed his soft golden fur, and grinned when he purred. "Hey buddy, don't be mad but I'm going to have to do a rain check today." He stared up a her with his big eyes as if saying 'Don't go Lila'. She ruffled his hair before standing back up.

"Let me get changed then we'll go." Lila said.

Suzanne nodded looking over Lila's unicorn onesie chuckling, before following machete into the living room.

When Lila entered the living room after she changed, Suzanne and Machete sat on the couch together. Lila cleared her throat.

"Ready to go, Suzanne?" Suzanne glanced up from the couch, looking Lila up and down.

"What are you wearing?" Suzanne giggled standing to her feet. Lila raised an eyebrow, looking down at herself.

"Clothes -" Suzanne burst out laughing, holding her stomach. Lila crossed her arms looking to machete who still sat on the couch watching them.

"Scratch her please." Lila said. She turned back to Suzanne, "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"All black -" she said between giggles, "in the middle of daylight!" Lila rolled her eyes. "Only you would do that!"

"But you said we were going to do our checkups!" Lila argued, watching as Suzanne slowly stopped laughing, wiping away tears.

"We are. Look, I know we usually go at night but it's daylight!" She sighed, "Dean would definitely not notice a girl in black following him around in the middle of broad daylight!"

Lila rolls her eyes at Suzanne's obvious sarcasm. "Fine, I'll go change, but I'm keeping the glasses on." Lila said disappearing.