Midnight Arrow

Chapter 31: "You Should See the Other Guy."

I can’t seem to do anything else but smile and blush. My eyes conveniently avoid the two, and suddenly seem to find the previously-creepy pool really interesting.

“Come in, Aiden and Aiden’s Girlfriend! I’m cold,” Anna announces after a moment of silence.

Aiden has the tan cat cradled in his arms, looking extremely pleased. The cat’s purrs can be heard from China, I’m sure. He smiles brightly as he scratches him behind the ears, increasing the purr.

“I told you I was a cat person,” he jokes, falling in step next to me as I follow his sister inside the house.

Anna opens the door and breezes into the house, throwing a smile over her shoulder at Aiden and I. The cat is still perfectly content in his arms, and we step into the home, the purrs growing louder every second.

We enter a lush living room with a red Persian carpet warming my bare feet. There is a flat plasma screen TV hanging upon the wall, and the color of the wall is soothing red that matches the carpet. There are expensive-looking paintings of bowls of fruits and landscapes plastered on the wall. The kitchen is right next to the living room, its granite counter tops gleaming in little light that is given off by the pool. There is a humongous Christmas tree in a corner of the room, its decorative lights blinking pleasantly. A slight scent of pine and homemade chocolate chip cookies hangs in the air, along with the remnants of perfume and cologne.

“Do you guys want anything to eat?” she politely asks us, padding into her classy-looking kitchen.

Aiden allows the cat to gracefully leap from his arms. It lands on the ground with an almost soundless thump, and prowls passed, as if I don’t exist.

“I don’t think Tanner likes you very much,” he observes, watching the animal make its way toward its soft bed almost pretentiously.

“Tanner the Tan Cat?” I laugh.

“I didn’t think of the name. Blame Anna.”

“I thought it was cute! I was five,” she defends, rustling about her kitchen. She emerges from the walk-in pantry, carrying a plate of fancy-looking meat.

“Oh, wow. That looks really good,” I comment, watching her walk toward us.

“Uh, this is for the cat.”

“Oh,” I say, embarrassment causing a flood of warmth to my cheeks.

“I mean, I can give you something to eat, too.” She offers in a bemused voice, her bright eyes smoldering with humor.

“Don’t look so smug, Anna. Mom and Dad really spoil Tanner to death, it’s almost disgusting. No wonder he doesn’t get along with other cats,” Aiden snaps, glaring at the cat from its place on the bed. Tanner licks his paw, and even doing a regular cat thing, he still manages it to make it look arrogant.

“Whatever. Do you want something to eat, Addie?” she asks, setting the plate down in front of Tanner the Tan Cat.

“No thanks,” I decline, though it’s impossible to ignore the gnawing hunger at my stomach.

“You were just appatized by cat food, I’m pretty sure you want something to eat,” she giggles, backtracking to the kitchen.

“Can you get me something to eat too, Annie?” Aiden sweetly asks.

“Not until you apologize to Tanner,” she answers.

“What---Oh, come on. He doesn’t even understand what I’m saying!”

“But I do,” she hisses, tossing him an evil-eye that I don’t think qualified for calling a cat spoiled. Something tells me that there is an unspoken argument brewing between the two.