This Cat Has Claws

20: Too Bad

Landon's POV

Marley and I were still holding hands as we walked away from Jillian's house to her parents car. Mr. and Mrs. Parker waked behind us as they argued about something related to their business. It sounded like they were about to sign some, if not all, of it away to Jillian in return for our safety and Marley had interrupted that. So I was pretty sure they were arguing about one of them going overboard and being rash instead of waiting and thinking things through logically. Because everything about that whole situation was totally logical in the first place. Note the sarcasm.

"I guess, we'll be taking you back to your place, Landon?" Mr. Parker asked as he got into the front seat. Marley and I were already settled in the back of the car.

"Sure, if everything has been settled now," I answered.

"Well, this has been fun," Mrs. Parker commented sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah. I had a lot of fun," Marley said. "First I get kidnapped, then I get kidnapped along with Landon all within twenty four hours."

"How else would you get to spend quality time with someone?" Mr. Parker joked.

At that we all laughed and the mood was lightened substantially. I could feel Marley relax next to me and lay her head back. We had finally let go of each other's hand as we got into the car and I was tempted to reach for it again. But that would be a little weird as her friend, right? Yeah. It would be. It was almost too bad that I wouldn't be going back with Marley to her parents' house. I mean, I definitely didn't like being kidnapped or having the threat of kidnapping, or worse, looming over my head, but I wanted to spend more time with her. There was always the option of asking her to hang out with me, but I figured now wouldn't be the best time. We were both exhausted.

They dropped me off near my dorm. I said bye to Marley and then got out of the car and walked the rest of the way to my dorm. Josh was laying on his bed with his earphones in when I walked through the door. He glanced at me then back at his phone and turned it off.

"I thought you'd be gone the rest of the day," he said.

"Yeah, that was the plan, but things happened," I said.

There was no reason for me to actually explain anything to Josh. He was friendly, but I wouldn't really consider him my friend. One of us was usually out while the other one here, so we didn't have to interact a whole lot. And that's the way I liked it. He has his own friends, and I had my own life. What was great was that Josh didn't try to pry into my business. If I was vague, which I usually was, he just left it at that and moved on.

"No parties to force me to today?" I asked. I'll admit I felt a little awkward with the two of us here without any attempts at conversation.

"Nah, man. I'm not feeling up for it right now," he replied.

"Ah."

Well, we had a conversation, so that was that. I didn't feel the need to try again so I stayed silent and Josh went back to his phone. It felt like it had been a while since I had seen Grams and Grandpa. Grams had a shift at the hospital until around 5. That was coming up pretty quick. I decided that I was going to head over to the hospital and meet up with Grams. It hadn't really been that long, but with all that had happened the last day, it felt like a lifetime. Plus, when did I need an excuse to see my grandparents?

"I'm heading out. See you later," I said and opened the door.

I'm not quite sure if Josh even heard me, but he did look up from his phone very briefly when I got up. I left the dorm building and started walking across campus where the hospital was. It actually had been a while since I'd been to the hospital. Lately I had just been going over to their house and waiting for Grams with Grandpa in his office.

As I turned a corner, I saw a familiar cat. I had seen it a few other times since the start of school, but I had only been able to pet it that first time a few months back. The cat didn't seem to notice me. I quickened my pace towards the cat, which was actually walking in the direction I need to go so I didn't have to walk out of my way, and followed it around another corner. I was about to call out to the cat when I saw something. First I saw JayJay standing in the middle of the empty sidewalk. Then I saw the cat. Then I saw JayJay and Marley standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and no more cat.

"I told you I was fine, JayJay Boo," Marley cooed.

JayJay gave her a look. Did I just see that right? There was no way I just saw what I know I just saw. It was one thing to see it in movies or shows or books, but there was no way. Marley had transformed from that same cat I had pet and seen around campus into herself. This was too much to take in right now all on my own. It just seemed completely impossible for such a thing to even be possible, let alone happen right in front of my eyes.

"I was really worried, Marley. Especially since Mom and Dad wouldn't let me come with them," JayJay complained.

"Oh, everything was completely under my control. Jillian only hired like three guys, so it was a piece of cake," Marley boasted. She slung her arm around JayJay's shoulder and they began to walk away from me as I stood there motionless. Should I just go up to them and ask what the fuck just happened? Or should I continue on my way like nothing happened? I'm going to go with the second option, for now. I'll ask Marley about it some other time.