That One October {T.M.R}

𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Irene tumbled out of her bed. "Get off, get off!"

Mika sat up slowly while Vivian jumped to her feet.

"What is it?" Korsmo asked, hurrying over to her.

Balsamo scowled. "That thing was licking my face! Licking my face!"

She glanced at the girl's bed, seeing a glimpse of white.

Mika began to howl with laughter, which made Irene furious.

"How many times have I told you to not let it in here? I'm allergic, don't you understand? Now I'll have hives on my first day!"

"I'm sorry!" She struggled to compose herself, "But Holly was meowing outside the door last night! How could I turn her away?"

Vivian looked at her with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

Sakai sighed. "Don't tell me you're allergic too."

She shook her head. "What did you say?"

Mika pointed at the cat, now released from the blankets thrown on her. "That's Holly. She belongs to my best friend."

Korsmo froze, then, once her shock lessened, she turned to observe the cat.

The animal's familiar white fur stuck out funnily, due to its struggle. It recognized the girl, hopping off the mattress and trotting to her.

Vivian looked down at Holly with bewilderment. The cat rubbed its body against her legs, looking for attention.

She turned to Sakai once more. "Who's your friend?"

The shorter girl rose from her bed and rolled her eyes at Irene, who slammed the bathroom door.

"Let's sit together at breakfast, that way I can introduce you to him."

Vivian lifted the cat into her arms and studied it as if it were from another planet.

"I don't understand." She whispered.

Mika hummed. "I really didn't think Holly would be a bother, I just couldn't leave her out in the hall. I think George forgot to take her with him. Sometimes he does that. But if she were my cat, I'd never—"

"George?" Vivian shouted, causing Holly to jump out of her arms. "George?"

Sakai nodded in confusion. "Yes?"

That was enough for Vivian to grab her shoes, fumble with the laces, and give up on tying them.

She sprinted out the door as her roommate called after her. She didn't stop.

Her bare feet pattered on the marble as she rushed down the staircase and looked around the common room.

It was empty and quiet, except for a few early-rising students. They stared at her as she interrupted their reading and conversations.

So, Vivian took to going up the staircase on the right; the one that led to the boys' dorms.

She didn't know what she was doing or where she was going. If the boy was there then he was a Ravenclaw. Otherwise, who would have brought Holly into the common room?

Vivian now stood in the hallway and nearly bumped into a boy who was in his slumber garments.

He yelled at her. "What the hell are you doin' here?"

Another boy passed with a toothbrush in his mouth, turning his head a second time as if he were too tired to realize that she was a girl at first.

He removed the toothbrush. "I know you're a transfer, so you don't know your way around, but this is the boys' dorms."