Believe | published ✓

black & white

I hadn't even given it a thought. It hadn't even crossed my mind at all. I was too busy being afraid I was going to die that I hadn't remembered having a cat.

Lego is now grooming herself. I must have scared her when I opened the door because her white tail is puffed up to three times its normal size. My parents thought it would be good for me to have an animal companion and someone to keep me company. So on my eighth birthday, they brought me to a shelter and told me to pick one.

There's a feeling you get when you see the pet you know will be yours. She was a beauty, lying on the ground and pawing a ball tiredly, in a black and white heap. A normal person might have passed by without a second thought, but I wasn't the same. I recall the conversation I had with my parents that day clearly:

"I want that one!" I squealed, pointing at the cat who looked like she'd rather swallow a brick than be seen with me.

"Um... are you sure you want that one? Maybe you could get one more like that." My mom pointed towards a burnt orange kitten who was running around in circles and attempting to capture its tail.

"No, I want that one." I pointed insistently at the black and white one again. My mother and my father exchanged a glance behind my back, as if they thought I wouldn't see it, but I did.

My mother let out a long sigh. "Alright, honey. Let's tell the employee."

Lego got her name when my mom almost tripped over her the night we brought her home, when my dad did trip on her, and when I was old enough to know that stepping on legos hurts. Only in this case, it probably injures the cat more than it injures us.

Lego is an easy cat to forget exists. She'll disappear for hours until I realize that she's been sleeping in my underwear drawer the whole time. She'll sneak outside and no one will notice until she paws at the door later, soaked from the rain. Besides her flaws, Lego is the perfect cat for me. Lazy, not much personality, and determinated. Lego is determined to sleep for as long as it is physically possible.

Lego stares at me with her large yellow eyes and I remember. Before I know it the shock at what I'm actually seeing is gone.. I tip my head back and laugh at absolutely nothing. Actually, I take that back. I am laughing at something. I thought that all of the things I was hearing were signs of a supernatural presence in my house. Little did I know it's just my cat.

Everyone in life has that moment when they're so scared they think they're going to die. But everyone also has that moment of clarity: it wasn't real.

~

My parents came home yesterday with rings under their eyes and slumped shoulders. I met them with a big hug and a giant smile on my face. They had no idea what I'd been through the night before, but they knew that whatever happened while they were gone had changed me.

I lay on my bed, flipping my phone around and around in my hand. I've been dying to tell Victoria and Liam about this, but I haven't found the words. Besides, I'm afraid Victoria is still mad at me. Somehow, my fingers find her number. A part of my brain expects it to send me an error message again. None comes and I know that whatever happened last night was simply a one time thing. She picks up right away.

"Ash?" She sounds tired and her voice is raspy as if she's been talking for hours.

"Yeah, it's me."

"What's up?" Her voice is tentative.

"Tell Liam I'll go to that movie with you."

I don't give her a chance to respond. With a huge grin on my face I end the call, silencing her squeals of delight.

It's going to be okay. I'm okay. Everything's great. Right before I turn off my phone though, my eyes catch an unread text message. I don't recall getting any other messages. I press it and the goosebumps return.