by Molly Snow
Chapter 11
“Are you sure this isn’t your cat?” Cathy’s mom held Pussface in her arms. His fur looked healthier and a red bow was tied around his neck.
The elderly lady looked at the cat, then back at her. “What did you say?” She cupped her ear that had the hearing aid.
“Are you sure this isn’t your cat?” she said again, this time raising her voice.
Pussface looked down at the porch and watched Diamond, the fluffy white cat. She sat licking her fur like usual. He then shifted his body to see Idis’s old house across the street.
“Yes, I am sure. He is not my cat. My cat’s name is Diamond. I have had her for seven years.” The door was then shut.
“Well, I’m sorry, Surla.” She rubbed Pussface under the chin. “The flier says 718 Shadyside Street. Maybe your owner is not only deaf but is going blind, too.”
They descended the steps and went to her car. Pussface looked back at the lady’s cat. When Diamond finally made eye contact, he winked.
“We can’t keep this cat. We have to find it a home,” Surla argued.
“I agree, but I am not going out again today. He’ll just have to stay here for now.” Julie and Pussface sat on the couch, while Surla stood across from them with her arms folded. “Go get Licorice. I want to see how they react to one another.”
“But, she is sleeping.” Surla really didn’t know if she was sleeping or not.
“Go wake her up then.”
Surla reluctantly obeyed. The two cats met eye-to-eye. Pussface finally knew he was right—Surla was living there.
Monday, at school, the only thing Surla could think about was Pussface. She couldn’t trust him at all. They had been cousins for centuries. She knew him too well. In fact, she feared that right at that moment, as she sat in Chemistry, Pussface could escape to go tell Idis where to find her.
“Cathy,” she heard a distant whisper becoming louder. “Cathy…” Someone touched her shoulder. Surla turned to see Todd. No one else was in the room except for them and the teacher, Mrs. Fitzgerald. “The bell rang.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m really out of it today.” Surla grabbed her backpack quickly and smiled dumbly.
As they walked out into the hallway, a whiff of Todd’s cologne drifted to Surla’s nostrils. She had smelled the cool scent all day and enjoyed it very much. A couple times she felt like putting her nose right up to his neck and breathing in deeply.
“You still grounded?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s too bad.” He looked very sincere.
“Yeah,” she said again.
“When do you get off of groundation?”
“Possibly by Friday.”
“That would be perfect! I’m playing against our rival school, Jefferson High. Maybe you can come watch me.”
“Maybe.” Surla’s mouth widened into a smile.
“So, why didn’t you escape and tell Idis when you had the chance?” Surla asked, surprised to see Pussface sitting on the bed next to Cathy.
“I still can.” His skinny body stretched across the covers. “I just figured I would stay a while longer and enjoy the luxuries of this place.”
“All day he has been drinking up my milk and napping on my bed,” Cathy whined. “And he sheds more than any cat I have ever known.” She blew on Pussface, causing fur to fly. “See what I mean?”
“How long are you planning on staying?” Surla secretly hoped it would be long enough to postpone the witch from discovering her hideout.
“Well, I might leave in a couple days or I might leave tomorrow,” he said nonchalantly on purpose, “…or maybe I could go early in the morning before you wake up. I don’t want Idis to get too upset. You know how she is, Surla. If I don’t go back soon, I could get one of her boots thrown to my head.”
“You dirty hairball! Poor excuse for a cat! You are saying that to make me mad.” Surla stuck her face right in front of his. “Remember, Pusface, for the time being, I am bigger than you. Idis can go stuff both her boots right in her mouth, because I don’t give a rat’s tail about her. You are going to stay here as long as I want.”
Pussface extended sharp nails on his right paw. “I think I have a right to leave when I want.”
Surla stepped back, but not from fear. “That’s how I felt the day I ran away from Idis.”
Pussface’s claws retracted. Just then the phone rang. Surla stared at him as she went to answer it from off of Cathy’s bedside dresser. “Hello?” Surla’s tone changed to sweet.
“Hey, Cathy. What’s up?” she heard the male voice say.
“I’m sorry, who is this?”
“How many other guys have your number?” he joked. “This is Craig.”
“Oh, Craig,” she repeated for Cathy to hear.
“Craig?!” Cathy jumped up excitedly. Her tail stood like a candy cane.
“Watch out.” Pussface was making fun. “You’ll jump right out of your fur. Who is this Craig guy anyway?” No one answered him.
“I figured I would give you a call,” Craig continued. “Are you busy?”
“What kind of busy?”
“Too busy to go out and do something with me?”
Cathy is getting asked out on a date! “No I’m not busy,” Surla responded coolly.
“Good… do you wanna grab a milkshake with me? I can pick you up in a half hour.”
“Sure, that would be…” She suddenly remembered Cathy’s mother getting mad at her, punishing her for a week for catching a boy in the house. “Wait. I’m sorry, Craig… I can’t. Tonight is bad. My mom grounded me.”
“Oh… Okay.” There was a pause. “What about this Friday? Are you free then?”
“I’m pretty sure.”
“All right then. Don’t get into anymore trouble.” He laughed.
“I won’t, Craig.” She knew it was coming to the end of their conversation.
“See you at school. I’m playing basketball against you tomorrow in P.E.” He sounded ready for more competition.
“I know. I’ve been practicing my skills in the backyard,” Surla kidded.
“I’m ready. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Surla hung up, then plopped on the bed next to Cathy. “Didn’t I tell you I would hook him by my cat-like ways?”
“Did he just ask me on a date?!”
“Yep, but it would be even better if you could go yourself.”
“That’s okay. I’m on a roll having you be me.”
Pussface’s tongue curled into an exaggerated yawn. “Lonely souls are lonely because they don’t have enough guts to go out and do things themselves. They don’t interact well. They have poor social skills.”
“What is he talking about?” Cathy asked.
Surla knew he was speaking of the Black Cats’ Curse. Surla didn’t want Cathy to know that part—the part where it only works with lonely souls. “Pussface likes to ramble a lot. He doesn’t make any sense most of the time.” She shot him a mad look for him to stay quiet. She knew it would be a sensitive subject for Cathy to hear.
It was getting late out. Surla was tired and needed her sleep for school the next day. Cathy was overjoyed from Craig’s call and soon was dreaming about being human again and kissing him. Surla made sure Pussface slept on the rug. There wasn’t enough room for the three of them to be on the bed, and even if there was room, she wouldn’t have it any other way. The window next to her was locked tight to be sure the obnoxious cat couldn’t escape.
The next morning, Cathy’s clock radio turned on as an alarm to wake Surla. It was 6:30. She blinked a few times and felt a chilly breeze cross her arms as she still laid at the bottom of the bed. Surla glanced around to find the cold source. The window! It was open! But I made sure it was locked! she remembered. Surla looked for Pussface. She searched around every corner of the bedroom. He wasn’t found. Finally she looked under the bed and woke up Cathy in the process by frantically throwing t
he covers back and forth.
“What’s wrong?” Cathy asked, alarmed.
“He’s gone. Pussface is gone!”
