Mysterious Notebook

saturday

So much of assignments and projects Brown! I just cant get myself to note down anything.

And also because I was so busy with cleaning rabbit-poop stains from my old clothes so that Mum doesnt get any fishy smell.

Yet, Mum says I've been acting all weird and stuff. But I dont get her.

Besides, when am I not weird?!

She says that Miss Loyola of arithmetic has asked to meet her in the PTA meeting, next week.

I hope its nothing regarding the rabbit incident. Ughh. These adults can get so nosey sometimes.

So what if a girl carries a rabbit in her bagpack? I wasnt doing anything harmful. Fluffy just seemed so lost, (thats the name I have given him, the rabbit), in the science hall! Well, naturally I adopted him and decided to bring him home.

I always wanted a pet. And what could be better than a lost white rabbit which looks like a cute fluffy snow ball?!

The problem was during arithmetic lecture when Fluffy suddenly peeped out of my bagpack and started making odd noises. If I had been a bit more observant I would have known that he wanted nothing but lettuce. Poor Fluffy! He must have been so hungry.

However his appearance didnt go unnoticed. All the students heard him squealing from my bagpack. Every single of those skanks made such ''Ooh's" and "Ahh's" attracting the professor's attention.

And soon I got detention for behaving in an inappropriate manner and bringing untame animals into class. Fluffy was forcefully taken away from me inspite of my wailing protests.

God! He looked so terrified. Poor little thing.

The professor kept me for detention after college and made me file the whole bunch of applications at the Office. And she later informed me, regretfully she said, "I didnt think you would stoop so low, Annie. To steal our University's laboratory animal! Kclk.. kchlk.. very bad. Very bad."

With that she left me standing in the room surrounded with files. It didnt make me the least bit reproachful. Instead I just realised how helpless Fluffy must be! A laboratory animal. Oh my! That is so cruel!!

I left the room in a hurry, my mind dancing at a volatile tune.. as I planned out a scheme of stealing Fluffy from the Zoology Laboratory.

Being a science student I knew the location of the labs.

I emptied my bagpack into my locker and ran down the deserted hall towards the labs.

Botany and Zoology labs were both situated at the sides just by the flanks of the staircase.

I tip-toed near the Zoology lab. It would either be locked or guarded by two lab assistants.

I stood outside the Zoology lab and did a quick mental calculation. The door was half open and I could hear voices coming from inside the lab. I supposed they belonged to the two assistants respectively.

Slowly I pushed the door further open and then in a flash, I ran towards the caged animal's section as noiselessly as I could.

The other animals sort of know us students. So neither of them made any signs of surprise at finding me there.

I dont know what I had been expecting, whether to find Fluffy sitting outside the cage waiting for me or what. But I was very disappointed to find her caged in a transparent glass box. The cage had very fine holes for his respiration and a bigger hole for food passage.

After about ten minutes of  anxious inspection, which seemed to expand for hours to me, I discovered a small latch near the corner of the box at the bottom.

I furtively glanced around and then stealthily pulled the latch. The side of the transparent glass slid open with a little click.

The noise put me in mortal dread and I stood dead in my tracks, staring at Fluffy with my wide open eyes while he returned me an innocent wonderous look with his pink ones.

When the two voices appeared to continue their chit chat, I gulped and with sweating hands lifted Fluffy from the cage and transferred him softly into my bagpack.

He didnt mind his new habitat and quietly started nibbling at random sticking-out threads inside the bagpack.

There was no time to waste. So I stole out of the lab as silently as I had entered it. Leaving its door half closed just like before.

That done, I ran down the hall, passed the classrooms, out of the University building into the streets, across the park and through the lane of my neighbourhood; never stopping anywhere in between.

I slowed down only when I could see my house at the end of the lane.

Now Fluffy is living in the bottom most drawer of my closet. I have put out some of my old clothes for his beddings. And when I leave for college in the morning, I keep the drawer slightly open.

I let him free when I return home.

Mum never enters my room so he is safe here. He loves hiding among my pillows under the blanket. Sometimes I get so scared to jump into bed, fearing that I might crush him.

He seems to enjoy the change in his lifestyle. I guess he loves his new home.

I just hope Miss Loyola doesnt report that Fluffy incident to Mum in the PTA meeting.

Fingers crossed. Brown, please pray for my luck.