Senior Year Box Set

In my head, I did a fist pump.

◊◊◊ Sunday May 7

I felt my bed move. At first, I thought it was Duke being bad, but then I remembered Pam had spent the night. I cracked my eyes open enough to tell it was still dark, though there was enough light that I could see her getting dressed.

“You leaving me?” I asked as I stretched.

“Yeah, I’m afraid so. I decided I didn’t want to do the walk of shame in the daylight.”

“I’ll get dressed and take you home,” I offered.

“How about you just give me your keys? I’ll bring your car back later.”

I had a momentary flash of her wrecking my car. The Demon wasn’t something you wanted to drive for the first time in the middle of the night.

“No, I’ll take you,” I insisted.

I got dressed, and we made our way to the car. We found Precious outside in the driveway, looking miserable. One of the boys next door must have put her out and not let her back in. I reached down and picked her up.

“You want to spend the night in my apartment?” I asked the cat.

I walked back and opened the door. Precious ran up the steps like she owned the place.

“Isn’t that the evil cat you’re always talking about?” Pam asked.

“She and I have come to an understanding. I treat her right, and she doesn’t claw me to death.”

When we’d almost reached Pam’s condo, she began to talk.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too. Can I ask you a favor?” I inquired.

“Sure.”

“Can you look in on not just Coby, but all of them for me?”

“Because I’m your favorite?”

“Yes.”

“Then, yes. David?”

“Yes?

“Do you really love me the best?”

“Yes.”

That made her happy.

◊◊◊

I came back to find Precious sprawled out on my pillow. I shook my head because I should’ve seen that one coming. She wasn’t happy when I flopped onto the bed next to her. I chuckled when the cat from hell decided she would rather sleep elsewhere than have me torment her. She’d just lost some of her street cred.

◊◊◊

I woke when I heard my door open. At some point last night, Precious had decided she could sleep on my bed. I knew it had to be her mistress, Brit, by the way Precious got up and stretched. When Brit stuck her head in my door, the cat gave her a mournful meow in greeting.

“There’s my baby.”

“I found her in my drive at three in the morning. I convinced her to have a sleepover.”

“The bad man kidnapped you?” Brit asked and smirked at me as Precious told her mom about the horrors she’d been subjected to last night.

“Did someone let her out?” I asked.

“Bryan is looking guilty this morning.”

“Please don’t hurt him until we’re done winning State,” I begged.

“I’ll take it under advisement, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Are you taking Precious with you when you go to school?” I asked.

“I’m moving into the dorms, and they don’t allow pets. Mom and Dad say they want me to find a home for her,” Brit admitted.

“I can’t believe your parents wouldn’t want such a fine kitty to terrorize them while you’re at school,” I said.

“Dad says he loves me … but not that much. I had hoped you would take her,” Brit said.

“Hell, no,” I said without hesitation.

“But she likes you, and she loves Duke. She all but raised him from a puppy,” Brit said as she batted her eyes at me.

“You would have to convince my parents because I’m not hauling her all over the world while I film my movies. Plus, she thinks she can either sleep on my pillow or my chest. I can’t have claw marks all over me if I’m going to be on camera,” I said to slow her roll.

She just got a big grin.

“Thanks, David. You’re the best.”

I had to blink a few times to figure out what just happened. I hadn’t agreed to take Precious, had I?

Mentally reviewing our conversation, I didn’t remember saying anything of the sort.

Brit made a hasty retreat with her charge before I had a chance to stop her. Then it dawned on me: I’d said she would have to convince my parents. I debated whether I should warn them. It might be more amusing to see them blindsided by this one.

◊◊◊ Monday May 8

I turned in my valedictorian speech to Vice Principal Palm to get that out of the way. I’d surfed the Internet and found a couple that sounded okay and stole from them. In fact, I didn’t plan to actually use the one I submitted. He was just nervous about what I might say, and I was placating him. Or setting him up to be blindsided, I wasn’t sure which. I couldn’t understand his worry. Anyway, I’d given him something to look at to make him happy.

The baseball semifinals and finals were being played at State’s stadium. We’d drawn Marian Catholic as our opponent. In the other bracket, Central, which might be considered the home team because they were located only a few miles away from the stadium, would face Benet Academy.