Sage Heart
By ten in the evening, I have done the following; Fed my cats. Uploaded a new Webtoon episode. Composed an efficient plan for both the Frosh Party and the College Week. Checked recent posts on various B.T.S. fan pages. Now I just need to text Angel before taking a shower and whipping up a quick dinner.
Shoot. I almost forgot about monitoring my emails. I need to see if Jae had sent any messages to me. What should I do first? Text Angel? Shower? Dinner? Emails? I sigh heavily before snatching my green phone from my bed. I compose a concise text to my best friend before hitting Send.
Next, I switch on my laptop and log into my email account. A smile slowly makes its way onto my face. All four student council members have confirmed their attendance to the meeting tomorrow. In Jae's message, he arranged for everyone to meet at Aroma Cafe at One pm. I hastily respond with 'I'll be there' even though as the president, it goes without saying that my presence is mandatory.
After my shower, I slip into a thick cable knit sweater and jersey shorts, my long yellow hair still damp as I walk barefoot into my small kitchen to conjure up a late dinner. I suck at cooking;I never touched a stove in my entire life, which is why, the moment I started living independently, so to speak, every two weeks I stock up on soda, canned goods, junk food, frozen pizzas, and frozen foods. I also have a bunch of menus on hand, ready in case I need anything delivered.
While heating up a TV Dinner, I lean my back against the edge of the counter, folding my arms across my chest. Strangely enough, I don't feel bleary or groggy at all. I suddenly hear a whimper emanating from the floor. I glance down, and there's Cat-Yoongi, nuzzling his furry cheek against my bare ankles.
I squat and stroke his soft coat. "Why are you still awake, Yoongi? Are you having trouble falling asleep? That's a first. You love to sleep. You usually doze off before your six brothers do. Come here." I scoop him up into my arm, then I stand up, bearing my cat's weight for a few seconds before I place him on the cold kitchen counter. He watches me pull open the microwave and take out a thin tray of meatloaf, chicken wings, peas, and juicy shrimps.
"If you can't sleep yet, you can watch me eat dinner," I say to my quiet cat, who follows me to the dining table only a few feet away. I sit down at the small square table with only two chairs facing each other. I start eating in silence, casting glances at my cat seated on the chair opposite mine. It's almost as if he's judging me for the life I choose to live.
"I'm fine like this, you know," I say between bites. "Absolutely fine! It doesn't matter how lonely the nights feel. Or how empty my heart is." I swallow. "I have to keep going. I need to keep living, for other people. They deserve to continue their lives without me ruining it for them. I can't have friends or a lover. The risk is too high. It's safer this way. It's better this way, and I'll never believe otherwise."
Cat-Yoongi keeps staring at me. "I always end up hurting people.. I just don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Is that so wrong? At the expense of one person's freedom, millions are given safety and security. I know I sound pathetic but.." I groan in anguish, clutching my bowed head between my palms.
"What the heck do you know? You're a cat! I don't care how cute you are. I'm not demanding you to respect me just because I love you and I've cared for you since you were born. It's just utterly frustrating how relaxed you look all the time! All you do is eat and sleep!" I bang the side of my head on the table. "I wish I become a cat in my next life." I consider the perks of reincarnating into a kitten or maybe a rock, like the real Min-Yoongi once mentioned.
I'm gobbling up the last of my dinner when I hear a rustling and shuffling noise outside my door. Shit,is that a burglar? A rapist? A murderer? Suddenly all worst-case scenarios flood my mind. I recall every horror movie where someone lives alone and is stupid enough to open the door in the middle of the night. What if it's Jason from Friday the 13th? Or Michael Foster from The Call? Or the stalker/serial killer from When A Stranger Calls? Damn it,Sage! Why would any of those characters show up at your doorstep?
Oh My God, what if it's a literal cat burglar on a sick hunt to kidnap every cat and sell them to a psychopath with a twisted cat fetish? Why does that description fit me too well?
Knock-Knock-Knock.
Shit shit shit! This is it. My life ends here. But I'll be damned if I let my cats perish after I'm brutally killed. Cat-Yoongi follows my panicked haste as I load all six sleeping brothers into my arms and pour the snoozing cats onto my spacious duvet, wrap them up like a giant burrito, then frantically deposit the blanket-sushi-roll-of-cats into my bathtub, ripping off the shower curtain and draping it over them to make sure they're safe.
Knock-Knock-Knock.
I can't go down without a fight. Who will feed my cats? Plus, there's a crucial concert I have to attend next month. I've been saving hard to buy my ticket, including their albums and more merchandise. I want to see them. It's my life's mission to meet--
Knock-Knock-Knock.
With rising urgency, I look around my bedroom, searching for a suitable weapon. I'm crap at sports so I don't have a bat or hockey stick lying around, darn it! Then I remember the can of pepper spray that Angel gave me for my 17th birthday. It's right next to the taser that her younger sister Elana gifted to me on the same occasion. I pull open the drawer containing both self-defense items and choose to grasp the red can firmly in my hand before approaching the door.
Knock-Knock-Knock.
"I'm coming!" I shout while opening the door and pressing hard on the can's button, spritzing a mist of painful substance into the eyes of the person standing on the doormat.
But the unexpected visitor ducks down instantly, coolly dodging my assault. She has long pink hair, is wearing shades and a brown maxi coat, her hands tucked into its pockets as she smiles.
"It's a relief to know you do make use of my present."
My jaw drops, and I gape at her. "Ange?"
