An Angel's Heart

The Best Laid Plans

Yo walked back to his room with a wide smile on his face. This evening had definitely not gone according to plan, but it was better than he imagined. He'd planned to walk around and introduce himself to a few of his neighbors with a plate of cookies, hoping for a chance to make new friends. But he'd ended the evening eating cookies and milk with the most handsome man he'd ever met.

Not only had they laughed and gotten along really well, but Pha had asked him on a date and hugged him before letting him leave. As soon as he got home, he told Mau all about it. Mau was a little concerned about how Pring would react, but Yo was sure that it was just a misunderstanding that could be cleared up quickly.

Yo got ready for bed, and said to his room, "Until tomorrow." A few minutes later, he was happily sleeping, safe in his home.

Mau prowled the dark room, thinking over the day's events. The Moon and Star Competition wasn't a problem. There wouldn't be as many people there during practice, so she could stay with Yo as much as she needed. The competition itself might present some difficulties, because she really didn't approve of so much noise and so many bodies crammed together in one building. But she could stay backstage, out of the way. Ming seemed nice, even if Beau was a little too enthusiastic for her taste, they might all become good friends. As for the fairy angels, they would learn to respect her boundaries.

The thing Mau worried about most was Pha and his not-girlfriend Pring. Yo was very trusting in these matters. He seemed to believe (quite erroneously, in her experience) that people were good and kind and that they just needed a gentle push in the right direction for everything to work out for the benefit of all. Mau tended to take a more dim view of humans in general. She was a cat after all. Humans would never allow anyone to see the worst side of themselves, but animals saw it all.

The next morning dawned cool and rainy. Yo cut out the batch of earl grey biscuits that he'd made last night so that they could bake in the early hours before the heat of the day filled the room. He then made a meal to share with Mau, scrambled eggs and toast, before preparing himself for the day. He filled a large thermos with a hot tea blend, double strength so he could make iced tea, and put the biscuits into a container. Ready to go, Yo spoke to the room, "Until we meet again."

"Yo!" Ming ran up to his new friend as soon as Yo walked toward the room where they would practice for the Moon and Star Competition. "Are you a Faculty Moon? Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I'm glad I'll have a friend here."

"Me too," Yo said. "I don't know many people yet, so it's nice to feel like I'm not alone. I'm the Science Moon. Which faculty are you representing?"

"Engineering," Ming answered, pulling Yo toward the practice area. He was stopped by Pha who immediately slapped Ming's hands away from Yo. "Hey!"

"Mine," Pha said, surprising Yo with his possessiveness. In fact, they hadn't even gone out on a date yet, but when Pha hugged Yo from behind, taking a deep breath in the bend of Yo's neck, he didn't feel inclined to argue about trivial details.

"Didn't you just meet him yesterday?" a dimpled, red-headed man asked Pha. Pha shushed him.

"You must be Yo," a man with black hair and mischievous brown eyes said. "Pha's been talking about you all morning. I thought he'd never shut up."

"Nice to meet you," Yo said, still in Pha's embrace. It didn't seem like Pha had any plans to let go soon.

"Oh right, names," the man with black hair said, first pointing to himself and then to the red-headed man. "I'm Beam and this is Kit. We're Pha's best friends."

"I'm Yo's best friend," Ming said quickly, looking at Kit with a big smile. "We met yesterday."

"I don't remember meeting you," Kit said, seeming a little confused.