This ain't a diary, this is a - mirror?

Chapter 43: The First Cat I Speak To Pranks Me. Just Great...

{{ Dear Mirror,

There are a bunch of new students that just randomly appeared this morning. I haven't spoken to any of them yet, because I'm kinda in the middle of History and Ms Tient is yaddering on about Egyptians or something and I'm bored.

Hm... about the new students - oh, yeah! Did I mention that most of them weren't even dogs? Let's see... I saw a few butterfly wolves - and if you didn't know, they're like small, delicate and kinda fox-like wolves with butterfly wings. There were also a few cats, a few deer - in fact, there's a very excited looking one at the front of the class right now who actually seems to like History or whatever Ms Tient's talking about - a few horses... and a bat or two! It's... interesting, I suppose.

This is a diary. You're supposed to record stuff about your life here, not... briefly talk about some people in your class and leave. How about you talk about this morning's events?

Oh, you're back. Wait, why are you trying to direct me on how to -

Hmm. Let's try... this? Talk about this morning's events.

... Ha! It didn't work! 'Controlling my universe', huh? Well, whatever. I'll just humour you and tell you about this morning since I have nothing to write about anyways.

So I did my morning routine of waking Elena and getting ready, then we went downstairs to the canteen to eat... Oh, yeah - and Abbey was standing in the canteen with a line of new students behind her. Most of the new students were different species or something - according to Sharon, something about 'late acceptance'.

Hm... I only remember one student being sorted, and it's the first one I saw - I think her name was, er, Serena or something? She was a butterfly wolf - according to Elena, 'a really pretty one' - and... now that I think about it, what was her power? She never said it out loud, and I didn't see her 'present' it... oh well. Maybe I'll ask later.

There. Are you happy?

This isn't for me, this is for you. I have no reason to be 'happy' because you told me about your morning.

Uh, it was you who told me to do this.

It was for your own good.

Pfft, whatever. Oh, look, Ms Tient's giving out homework - WAIT WHAT.

You didn't listen to anything she said, didn't you...?

Whatever, I'll just... find my ways. What was the homework again...? Oh, she's writing it on the board... a one page essay about an Egyptian mythical deity? Ew.

Serves you right for not listening.

Whatever you say. Well, that new deer student at the front seems way too happy to get homework. Good for him.

That was sarcasm, wasn't it?

Really now? I didn't know that.

Definitely sarcasm.

Congratulations. Well, she's dismissing us now, so... oh, it's break next! That's great... and what do I have next...?

Free Period. The perfect time to do your homework.

I'm not even going to question how you know that. I mean, Free Period's great... but with homework? No thanks.

If you do it earlier, you -

Ugh, not this 'talk' again.

Hm. Well, it's your choice, but you should do what's best for you. Plus, being the very helpful 'pocket guardian' I am in your story, I'm just going to remind you to text your sister. Goodbye!

Pfft, whatever - wait, what was that about being a 'pocket guardian'?

You're not going to answer me, are you? Fine, whatever. I'll text my sister later... when I have time. Goodbye. }}

Samantha exited the classroom, immediately tripped over something - actually, someone - and went crashing to the floor.

"Hey, watch the tail!" Said person meowed - wait, meowed?

Samantha groggily sat up and silently cursed the bruise she had gotten in dodgeball yesterday. "Uh, sorry?" She pulled herself to her paws and turned around to get a better look at whoever's tail she'd tripped over. Her eyes travelled down to meet a pair of pale green, slitted eyes.

The cat stared at her for a few moments, then sighed and pulled his rust and black furred tail around his paws. He began to lap at the ruffled fur along his spine with a small pink tongue.

When he realised that Samantha was still staring at him, open mouthed, he looked up and squinted at Samantha. "Er, what do you want?"

"Uh, nothing." Samantha quickly began to back away - thankfully, most of the students had left (Elena had gone with Luna and Sharon to get some of her books from her locker), so there was nobody to bump into.

"Wait." The cat paused for a moment, then reached out a paw. "Sorry for the awkward introduction, I guess. I'm Ember Carson, local cat prankster. Nice to meet you."

"Uh... hi?" Samantha shook his paw, still a little taken aback. "I'm Samantha, or, er, just call me Sam. And, er, that was a rather quick... turnabout."

Ember shrugged. "Don't question it. Plus, I don't want to be making enemies on my first day... unless they deserve to be made an enemy." A sly smile crossed his snout and he casually used a paw to bat his orange hood off his head. "Well, I'd better get to my locker. Seeya around, Sama... Sam."

He sauntered away without a care in the world. Samantha, suddenly feeling suspicious, looked down at her paw... and scowled as she saw the bright green, paw shaped paint mark on the underside of her paw. "Ember...!"

---

"What are you doing?" Elena called from her position on her bed. "I've never seen you spend so long in a bathroom... washing your paws?"

"An encounter with a certain orange cat." Samantha sighed and applied soap to her paw for the fifth time. "Why is it taking so long for this paint to wash off...?"

"I'll be sure not to shake their paw... or get in their way, I suppose." Elena went back to scrolling through her phone and eating her granola bar. "By the way, granola bars are actually pretty good. For being healthier than chips, they're actually delicious."

"Well, that's great," Samantha replied, still busy trying to scrub off the paint on her paw, "but first things first - do you have a better, or stronger, type of soap? This paint mark is just not coming off..."

"Yeah, I actually do - check the cupboard above the sink. It's the one that smells like... what did it smell like again? Something citrus-y... lemon or lime, maybe? Something along those lines. Just don't scrub too hard or your paw pad might come off."

"Found it - wait, what did you mean by -?!"