Tiger's Mate

Chapter 36

"What are you doing?"

I couldn't keep the grin off my face, knowing my eyes probably gleamed with the excitement stirring within me.

"Kitty...let's ditch."

"What?" He blinked in surprise. "No way. We can't..."

"Why not?"

"Because...uh...because..."

I was amused by his stuttered reply. "Hm? Tell me."

"Class?" he tried weakly.

"Fuck class," I said. He huffed, and frowned in a half-turned glare at me.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one just barely passing most of your classes."

"That's what your tutor is for. Your grades will not suffer from one day. And I can help you with whatever you want later, I promise. But for now...I'm feeling excited." I wasn't sure why, but my blood was rushing in my veins. I wanted to run. While the rest of the town stood still in the gloom, I felt like dashing through the rain, feeling weightless. And I wanted him to come with me.

"God, you are a bad influence Drayre," he began to mutter, scratching the back of his head, and that's when I knew I'd won.

Grinning, I said, "Then join the dark side with me, Kitty."

And then I pulled him along behind me, picking up a jogging pace u too we were both running through the halls. He tried to look mad, but one measly smirk thrown his way and the expression cracked like a piece of glass. The sky was dull and gray and raining hard. We didn't care. We ran out into the rain, tipping our heads back and delighting in the cool water as we laughed, never slowing.

The rain was a blessing. It closed off the world to everyone else unwilling to bear it. So we claimed it ourselves. We ran free. Like those long nights in the woods back at the campgrounds.

* * *

Maybe it was the fact that we had been running around and chasing each other like kids for the past hour, or maybe it was because we were both rain-sodden wrecks, but it seemed, as the clouds finally began to part to allow hopeful rays of light to show, that it was time for hot drinks.

Katski was shivering ever so slightly I the chill, though the cheeky grin still had yet to leave his face. That's when I grabbed him by the shirt cuff and began to drag his ass in the direction of the closest cafe; Luna's. The walk took barely five minutes before we were on the doorstep, wringing ourselves out the best we could to get rid of the access water. Despite his teasing laughter — no, I did not shake my head like a wet dog.

The place — thank the moon goddess — was warm and toasty inside. Or maybe that was just how it felt to us who'd been out enjoying the rain. Without needing to think about it we ordered some warm drinks — ignoring the strange looks our drowned-cat-and-dog appearances received from the barista — and went straight to the private room.

"Play me something," Katski blurted almost as soon as we'd sunk down into the beanbag chairs on the floor.

"No," I replied, content just to sit and relax with my simple hot coffee. He, of course, got the sweetest cinnamon-y thing possible.

"Aw," he pouted, huffing a glare at me — right before plopping down and using my lap as his personal cushion. He crossed his arms, staring up at the ceiling, unbothered or unaware of my piercing look. "You know...we still have to finish that music part for our project. The deadline's coming up."