UM(1) Creative Writing Club (Activity)

Hayley Faye

Walking down an autumn-themed brick road in silence were two girls, both looking in contrast to each other yet, somehow, they were in perfect synchrony.

Going back home together since they were neighbors, Skye stared at Jett who was counting her steps as usual. She could hear the faint crunching sounds her best friend makes every time she walked on dried leaves.

Jett looked up and saw a stray cat running across the road they were walking on. She smiled. Every friendship has a story and theirs started with a moment of strangeness...

And a cat.

--------------------

It was the summer of 2018 when Skye was working as a waitress in a local coffee house as her part-time job. She had just finished her third year at college and was saving up for year four and graduation. She works morning shifts five days a week and she loved the job because people she worked with were nice and the customers were great tippers.

Her morning shift was almost ending. She got ready to leave and enjoy the rest of her day, possibly by herself or with her friends. It wasn't easy making friends at college but she managed. Being an extrovert had its advantages. But somehow, the thing with growing up is that you know a lot of people but you don't actually "know" them. It's like being at a ball but you're not dancing. Brushing off her thoughts, she went behind the bar and took off her apron. She let her hair loose and ruffled some flattened-out parts to give it volume.

"Leaving already?" Monica asked while putting on an apron. She just got here for her afternoon shift.

"Of course, Mon. My shift ended thirty seconds ago." Skye replied.

Monica laughed and said, "Wanna come hang at T's tonight? You can bring some of your friends over too. It's on the house. I heard it's Big Dave's birthday."

"Sure thang, Mon. Be there at 8:00." Skye shouted as she left through the front door and thought about what she was gonna wear. Normally she wouldn't have shouted because she knew the manager wouldn't like it but since it was busy hour and people were noisy, it didn't matter.

She saw a crowd in front of the coffee house, on the opposite side of the road as soon as she stepped out of the shop. There didn't use to be any street performances near where she worked so curiosity getting the best of her, she pushed through and luckily got to the front.

Oh, it was a street performance alright. But it wasn't what Skye expected. It was something she had never seen in her life.

A cat talent show.

Now, Skye had heard about plenty of talent shows but a cat talent show wasn't one.

Why?

Because cats were hard to train. The two cats she had at home didn't even bother her. Obedience wasn't in their nature.

So it was understandable that Skye, an ailurophile, was greatly impressed by the talent and patience of the showmaster.

She searched for the person. Her eyes bulged wider.

It was someone from her college. Someone she wouldn't even dream of participating in a social event, let alone host a cat talent show. Jett was a Grade-A student, even in college and an introverted, anti-social person whom everyone thought was blunt.

And here she was. Laughing and socializing and accepting compliments from strangers, completely absorbed in her own element. It was like witnessing a metamorphosis, beautiful and sensational.

Or an alien abduction, her inner voice retorted. She shushed it and continued watching the show and didn't realize it ended until people started throwing out tips. If it was an opera, the roaring crowds cheering on her would be equal to a "standing ovation".