Wildcat

White Lies

The area around campus was surprisingly large, almost the size of an entire town. Hundreds, if not a good thousand, of students were walking around, going on about their business. Restaurants, shops, cafés, all dime a dozen.

The local college was all that kept this town alive and going by the looks of it, this town won't time die any time soon. The sun was slowly reaching it's zenith as gusts of wind carried thousands of new smells along with it.

All those countless, delicious smells of foods only waiting to be tested trapped you in some sort of sensory feedback loop. Your ears were facing forward and the tip of your tail moved slightly, your head quickly turning from side to side.

"____!" Asriel called out your name, snapping you out of your trance.

You nearly jumped out of your skin, ears flattening against your head as your tail nearly disappeared between your legs. At this very moment you just lost about fifty years of your life expectancy, meaning you can now retire and continue living your life as a senior cat.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Asriel immediately rushed over to you, speaking in a soft and apologetic voice. Although Asriel expression was clearly one of guilt, it still held a certain sense of amusement.

"I'm... I'm alright. I just lost six of my nine lives but otherwise I'm good." You let out a deep sigh in hopes of composing yourself. One hand was still firmly pressed against your racing heart.

Asriel placed an arm around your shoulders and let you to a nearby bench to rest. You hated to admit it but your legs felt a little wobbly.

"Do you need anything? Water, something to eat?" Asriel looked at you with guilt in his eyes, sounding like he just did something unspeakably terrible.

"Water sounds nice." Your voice almost came out as a whisper and you took in a quivering breath.

"Coming right up." Asriel immediately turned around and rushed into a nearby shop.

While you were waiting, you decided to use the moment to observe your surroundings. Numerous students were passing by you, some chatting among each other while others were a little too focused on their phones, nearly running into every obstacle in the vicinity.

Even though the town was full of life, it managed to keep the charm of a small village. Paved streets and victorian style streetlamps combined with more modern buildings set a stark contrast on how times changed.

There was no feeling of stress nor haste but rather peace and relaxation. It does wonders to your soul and only after a few minutes you felt how your heartbeat returned to normal.

You continued watching the people around you and among countless similar faces, you spotted one that looked familiar, one that you didn't despised with every fiber of your being.

"Hey ____, fancy seeing you here." It was Elena, and she greeted you in her usual upbeat mood.

"Hi Elena." You returned, smiling at her.

"What brings you here? You don't strike me as the guy that enjoys shopping." She asked you with curiosity.

"Well, my roommate invited me to explore the town with him." You tried to gave a rather ambiguous answer. While you did hint that you'd share a room with Asriel the day you met Elena, she didn't seem to believe you.

"Sounds fun. Hey, I know this might be a bit out of the blue but have you made up your mind about joining the drama club?" There it was again, that hint of excitement in her eyes whenever she talked about the drama club. You however, face palmed mentally.