Night Cat | Night Cat #1 (CURRENTLY EDITING)

Night Cat - Chapter 8

Add Another Worry To My List

“I thought you weren’t interested in him that way.”

I rolled my eyes as Brie glared at me from across the bed. “For the last time Brie; I’m not interested in him!” I leaned forward and buried my face in one of my huge pillows. I was going to kill Kimi for blabbing about me and Xander going for ice cream. I was never going to hear the end of this.

“Right.” Brie tossed her long blond mane over her shoulder and looked me defiantly in the eyes. “Is that why you’ve been sneaking around town eating mint-chocolate chip with him?” I sighed. Oh, great. Kimi had given Brie details. I wondered which would be more painful. Chopping her up with a saw or having deadly tarantulas bite her...

“Oh for the love of God! It was only one time Brie! He wanted to go out for ice cream and I said yes. What’s the big deal?”

She narrowed her blue eyes at me as if she was trying to scare me. Yeah, right. As if. “The big deal, Avery Fallyn, is that you acted all nonchalant when he first got here, and acted as if you didn’t like him that way whenever he spoke to you.”

“I don’t like him that way, Brie. He’s just my friend.”

“Yeah. That’s what liars usually say.”

“Argh!” I touched my temples, rubbing them. I was starting to get a headache. “Look. I know you’re mad because I didn’t tell you, but hey, that wasn’t my fault. You were out of town. At your Grandma’s funeral, in case you forgot.”

I saw something dawn in Brie’s blue eyes. I’d like to think it was sensibility. “Well...” She pouted, her slightly thin lips sticking out and making her doll-like face look a little funny. “Maybe I did overreact a little. I mean, it’s not like you would’ve kept it from me, right?”

“Exactly!” I winced as the sound of my own voice rattled my brain. What was with these headaches?

“So there’s nothing going on between you and Xander?” Brie eyed me over her glass of lemonade.

“Nope. We’re just friends.”

“Okay. But I can totally see why he would like you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” I took a sip from my own glass, cursing my head under my breath.

“When he first moved here, every single girl in town was at his feet.” She took a gulp of the refreshing juice. “Except for you.” She said, gesturing towards me with her half-empty glass.

“So?”

“So, you were the only one who got to see him for who he really is. Unlike every other girl around, who loves him because of his Godly good-looks. I’ll bet you a million bucks that he likes you for that.” She took another swig of lemonade. “And not just as a friend.”

I rolled my eyes at Brie’s insinuation, but couldn’t help but wonder if she might have been right. I remembered that day in his room, when he’d squeezed my hand and I’d felt warm all over and was comforted just by his presence. What if Brie had been right? What if I didn’t see him just as a friend?

I shook the thought out of my head. No. Xander was my friend. He was teaching me about what I was. I wasn’t going to join the rest of the girls in this damn town in thinking that I was in love with him or whatever. I wasn’t going to lose someone I already saw as a best friend.

“Whatever Brie.” I said, finally responding. “I’m just sorry I ever introduced you to Kimi.”

Brie burst out laughing at that one, and I winced in pain. “Yeah, well Nakamora may be your neighbour, but she’s proven to be a very god little spy.”

“I think it’s a bit—” a loud noise from outside cut me off and Brie and I both leapt to our feet. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know.” Brie pushed a bit of hair from her eyes. “I’m going to check it out.”

Brie walked over to the door, thinking that the noise came from downstairs. Since I had recently obtained a level up where my hearing and sight were concerned, I knew better. I ran over to my bedroom window and pried it open. A cold wind blew through my hair as I poked my head out of the window.

It was dark and I could barely make out anything in my back yard. I heard a rustle behind me and knew that Brie was peeping over me and looking out into the yard as well. That’s when I saw it. The bobcat.

“Oh my God.” Brie breathed, shocked. “Ave, is that a—?”

“A bobcat. Yeah.” The bobcat was looking directly into my eyes and I returned its gaze defiantly. I didn’t look away.

“Shouldn’t we call animal control or something? That thing could be dangerous.” As if it had heard her – which I guess it had – the bobcat whipped around and sprang over my fence, disappearing into the woods.

Brie had no idea how right she was. Now instead of worrying about being stalked by a friendly panther, I had to worry about being stalked by a bobcat. One that happened to be a killer.