My Achilles Heel

Chapter Ten: There Once Was A Cat Named Patella

Hey everyone! Mikelle here! Just wanted to thank you all for reading 'My Achilles Heel'!! Every read, vote and comment seriously means so much to me! Thank you all for sticking with me on this!

Happy Readings!!

Jason and I didn’t return to lunch together. We had parted ways with a small smile in the main hallway of our high school. I watched Jason’s figure retreat down the hall and round the corner, out of my sight.  With a deep sigh, I pulled out my cell phone, only to be greeted with ten texts and three missed calls. Every single one was from Arianna, all consisting of ‘are you okay’, ‘where are you’, and ‘call me ASAP’.

I texted her back saying to stop by my place later if she could, then made my way through the abandoned hallways.

The bell must’ve already rang.

I knew for a fact that a certain teacher, by the name of Mrs. Liverstone, would not be very happy. But with a name like Liverstone, I didn’t expect a cheery disposition.

Did you?

“You drive,” I said dully, tossing my keys to Kason.

“Seriously?” he beamed. I nodded, dropping myself in the back seat. Ever had one of those days that just wiped you out? not like anything too exhausting really happens, but by the end of the day you’re just…done?

That was exactly how I was feeling as I broke out my headphones and plugged them into my iPod. My head pounded in pain while I waited for tweedle-dumb to make an appearance so we could get home.

Jason appeared in the distance, his backpack slug over one shoulder and cell phone in the other. He had his phone pressed against his right ear as he yakked away to who knows who. Rolling my eyes at his turtle pace, I pressed play on my iPod and Ron Poe’s “A Drop in the Ocean” began to play.

I ignored my brothers sad attempts to make conversation, turning my head to face the back seat window. It was obvious he had heard about my little stunt at lunch, today. Apparently I was just seconds away from being yelled at by the principal.

Guess I dodged that bullet.

Jason got in the car with a final “thank you, goodbye,” on his cell phone. Stretching my legs out across the back seat, I closed my eyes for the ride home. No one tried talking to me this time.

I couldn’t help but be thankful for that.

By four o’clock, my sudden and unexplainable bad mood had dissolved, miraculously.

Mainly because Arianna had showed up with double-chocolate-mocha-grande lattes from Starbucks and a handful of those cake pop things.

“I also brought our favorite. Redbox had it on Blu-ray,” Ari gave me a small smile as she popped the disk into the player.

Forty minutes and a box of Kleenex later, we were totally engrossed in the film ‘The Notebook.’

“Hey! Isn’t that the guy who’s famous for all those ‘Hey Girl’ memes everywhere?” Kason asked as he entered the family room. We nodded in admiration, staring fondly at Ryan Gosling in all his magnificent glory.

Ryan truly was a babe.

“He can be my man crush Monday everyday of the week,” Ari sighed dreamily as she snuggled deeper into her Tinkerbelle fleece blanket that she’s had since we were kids.

 “Gag me with a fork,” Kason scoffed.

“With pleasure!” I laughed. For the first time since he sat down, I turned and looked at my brother-but not before I pushed pause on the TV. I raised my brows at his appearance. Or, more like his ‘get-up’! Kason was all decked out in a sci-fi t-shirt, basketball shorts, and neon green vans.

“Where in lands name have you been, dressed like that?” I coughed, putting my luke-warm Starbucks drink on the lamp stand.

“At my ‘Fantasy Science Fiction’ club meeting,” Kason replied smugly.

“And what are you doing in your ‘Fantasy Science Fiction’ club?” Ari asked, holding back a snicker.

“Reading The Wizard of Oz and discussing Conan,” he stated as if it was the ‘norm’ thing to do.

“Conan O’Brian?” I questioned, squinting at my unusual brother.

“Why would Conan O’Brian be in a Fantasy Sci-Fi class?” both Kason and Arianna gasped, looking at me like I was the biggest idiot of the bunch.

“Well excuse me!” I snapped, throwing my hands up in the air. Arianna and Kason continued to stare at me with disbelief. My goodness! These two are looking at me like I’m some sort of talking pumpkin! I don’t think I have ever been so relieved to have Jason Richards enter any room in my life.

“Why are we staring at Reagan like she grew another head? I mean, I know she’s weird looking, but no need to bring that to her attention,” Jason snickered, earning a death glare from none other than moi.

“She’s insulted the President of the F.S.F. Club with her lack of knowledge and overdose of stupidity,” Kason stated dramatically, placing a hand over his heart in a hurt gesture.

“Uh-huh,” Jason looked at Kase with uncertainty, “So, anyways. Reg, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?” I looked at him for a second, then nodded hesitantly. Standing up, I wrapped my Coca-Cola printed blanket around my shoulders then followed him out of the room.

Hopefully Kase and Ari could be alone for five minutes without turning our living room into a replica of the StarWars set.

No holding my breath.

Ugh.

Jason led me into the kitchen where I was greeted with a large box with holes poked in the sides. “Uhm, what is that?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at him then gesturing towards the box.

“An apology gift,” he trailed off, shifting nervously on his feet as he stood next to the box. “I found him at a shelter. He’s in perfectly good health and has had all his shoots. At least that’s what the lady told me when I was adopting him.”

What?

Adopting?

Him?

The heck?

“What on earth are you talking about?” I frowned. Jason turned his back on me and opened the box, lifting out a large ball of fur. Ball of fur meaning cat. Cat meaning, well, cat! “Y-you got me a cat?” I asked, unable to help the slight smile that warmed my face. He nodded, handing over the cutest kitty I have ever seen.

Bright blue eyes stood out against a coat of pure ebony. “Well hello there little kitty!” I greeted him in a voice that disturbingly resembled Gru from ‘Despicable Me.’ “I shall call you Patella, and you shall be my stella friend!”

“Are you seriously naming the poor thing ‘Patella?’” Jason frowned, a slight hint of amusement hidden at the corners of his mouth. I nodded, cuddling the cat-Patella-to my chest. “Well, there once was a cat named Patella,” Jason shrugged, smirking down at me.

“Who became my favorite fella,” I finished.

At that, we burst into a heartfelt chorus of laughter.

Why wouldn’t we? I’m funny!

Hope you guys liked it! So much is coming up in the next few chapters! So just bear with me on these 'filler' chapters! Thanks! :)