Iso's Short Stories

Pizza & Catnip

Written around 4/6/24 || Had to write a story using the words "summer, beautiful, intoxicated, scrumptious, pizza"

"Mmm... scrumptious," Oakley mumbles in a silly voice, biting into a cheesy slice of the pizza that arrived just a minute ago. We decided to bring it to the backyard where we've been hanging out. Purple string lights dangle from the wooden ceiling, giving the place a cozy atmosphere. The perfect cool temperature of a summer night helps a lot, and the bushes surrounding the patio rise high above our heads to act like a natural wall, ensuring our privacy.

"Save some for me, alright?" I joke, leaning forward in the oversized bean bag to nab a piece for myself.

"No promises," the cat smiles mischievously from the other bean bag. My eyes follow his hand as he leans forward greedily, towards the box I set between us on a table. It's joined by an array of other things, ranging from snacks to... more indulgent substances. Two, specifically. A small bag of catnip is poking out, perfect for Oak, but- well, it doesn't do much for me. The only other thing is some kind of hard lemonade, but I'm not much of a drinker.

"Hey, you haven't even finished that one!" I point out that he's still holding a slice in his hand. He sticks out his tongue, intentionally taking the slice I was reaching for and taking a bite of both at the same time. "Oh my god," I plant a hand on my face, concealing an exasperated smile.

We continue enjoying each other's company. As time passes, however, our interests turn away from the food and towards what we can do for fun. At some point, Oakley takes the bag filled with green specks.

"How often do you... do this?" I ask nervously. The cat perks up at my voice, an empathetic look on his face. I've told him why I'm not big on drugs in the past.

"I do this all the time. It's perfectly safe, alright? I promise," he assures me. "You know I'd never... just trust me," he asks of me, pulling open the bag. "It doesn't work like alcohol, it just relaxes you. Or- it relaxes me, at least. Not all cats are the same." I nod wordlessly as I watch him. He dips a hand in, getting some on his finger before pulling the finger to his mouth. He places the bag back on the table. I stare intently, but he doesn't say anything. He leans back after a few seconds.

I place my hands in my lap nervously. "How do you feel?"

He turns his head to me, his pupils dilated slightly. It's a little off-putting at first, seeing my friend like this, but he actually looks kind of cute.

"Heh- good..." he grins. "This stuff acts... fast."

"Hey- um..." he starts, leaning forward, "can I hug you? Are you ok with that?"

I immediately feel my face heat up at his request. I've kind of always wanted to be closer to him, but... like this? I'm... afraid of what it might turn into. "Oak..."

He puts his hands up and shakes his head. "Only hug," he says simply. "You tell me when to stop and I listen."

I want to trust him. I want to believe him so badly. I look around as if the answer is hiding in the bushes. "O-ok, fine," I relent. He shuffles out of his chair and towards me. He stands over me, obscuring me in shadow.

"Oak?" I ask. "Oak- hey!" I shout as he suddenly flops down on top of me. He wraps his arms around me as I squirm. "Y-you idiot," I mumble as I hear him chuckle in my ear. He settles by my side so he's not on top of me in the bean bag, but I'm still trapped.

"Is your bean bag more comfortable than mine?" he asks.

"I don't know, is it?" I respond.

"Maybe it's just you," he says, rubbing his cheek against mine. His fur is soft, calming... noticeably colder than my flush face. "You ok?"

"Yeah," I say, closing my eyes. "What about you?"

"I'm... incredible," he purrs. "This stuff triggers the happy in my brain. You know, they made this strain stronger. And... uh... it only used to last a few minutes. But they managed to make it last like... an hour? Or two... I forget. It doesn't matter."

He continues to rub against me. He's going to be intoxicated for at least an hour? I mean- I suppose this could be worse. Actually, it's... better than I imagined.

"I told you this stuff doesn't work like alcohol, and I wasn't lying. I just feel... safe right now, so, um... have I ever told you you're beautiful, man?" Oakley murmurs.

I feel my heart rate increase. I'm not sure if it's fear or excitement. "Are you... are you sure you're... yourself?" I ask worriedly.

He lazily moves one of his hands to my shoulder. The feeling of fur against my face is lifted. "Hey, look at me," he instructs. I open my eyes to see him looking at me. His pupils are still large, but I can tell he's being serious. "I'm fine, and I'm speaking from the heart. I think you're cute, and I care about you.

I don't respond. Seconds slip by. "Do... you want me to stop? I can get up if this is too much-"

"N-no," I quickly cut him off and look away. "Stay here. I want you to stay here... please."

"Okay," Oak says softly, putting his arm back around me.

I squeeze him lightly. "T-thank you," I stutter. "You're really cute, too."