Solivagant

~2.1 - Karla~

I sat up in bed with a sigh. This was going to be a second day without sleep. Why can't I just fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow like a normal teenager? Most kids would be exhausted and fall unconscious pretty quickly. Instead, I was exhausted and wide awake. Naturally.

My little black kitten was sitting on the floor, looking up at me with big green eyes. He let out a tiny little meow as I looked at him, making me smile. "Hey Fluffen." I reached down to pick him up, cradling his tiny body in my arms. "Couldn't sleep?" I scratched his cheek, an unsteady purr rumbling in his throat. "Me neither."

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood, Fluffen squeaking at the sudden movement. I chuckle softly, leaving my light off when I walk out of my room. I headed down the grey wood stairs and turned left at the bottom into the kitchen. I turned on the coffee maker, flicking the lights on as well as I neared the back door. Transitioning Fluffen up onto my shoulder, I grabbed a glazed doughnut from the box on the counter. I reached into the cupboard for a coffee mug as the kitten wrapped himself around my neck, purring softly.

I leaned back against the counter, thinking as I waited. A Keurig is less mess and not much of a hassle, but it's so expensive. It really didn't seem worth it when I had a perfectly good coffeemaker that was currently in use. I'll start saving for one, just in case this old thing breaks. It didn't take long for the coffee to finish percolating, and I didn't need creamer or anything. Black coffee is the way to go.

I turned off the light and left the kitchen I walked through the dark past the stairs. I hadn't been staying in the house long enough to clutter it up too much. My little living room was on the right side of the stairs, adjacent to the kitchen. It was only big enough for a rug, a couch, a small lamp, and a coffee table. There were a couple pillows on the L-shaped couch with a crocheted pink blanket folded neatly at the shorter end. I sat down in the corner of the couch with the pillows. Carefully balancing the kitten on my shoulders and the coffee in my right hand, I reached up and pulled on the lamp cord. The room was filled with a soft white light that made me sigh in relief; the bulb was going out and didn't work sometimes.

I set my coffee down on the coffee table and picked up The Fault in our Stars. It had been years since I had read the book, and even longer since I had seen the movie. Yes, I had seen the movie first. One of the biggest mistakes in my book versus movie decision making life. Fluffen slid down from my shoulders with a tiny squeak as I opened the book. I laughed softly at his surprise. He sat around my neck all the time, but it still surprised him when he slid off my shoulders. He can climb just fine, but getting down from where he decides to perch apparently isn't easy.

Fluffen looked up at me as his paws finally touched my lap, meowing quietly. I smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of his head right between his ears. He purred for a moment before wobbling toward the book resting open on my legs. Tentatively, he reached up and placed a paw delicately on the pages. After coming to the conclusion that the book wouldn't crumble underneath him, he hopped onto it. He fit perfectly along the spine when he laid on his stomach with his paws tucked under him.

I sighed, smiling at him as he closed his brilliant green eyes. "I guess I'm not reading." I closed my eyes as well, leaning back against the couch. Even if I couldn't get any sleep tonight, I could still rest for the next three and a half hours before I had to get ready for school.