"Yea, yea, you'rewelcome."
I struggled up and my purse strap dug painfully into my shoulder, but a dark BMW that screeched to a halt on the side of the road closest to me distracted me as I finally pushed myself to sitting. The passenger door opened and one of the guys from earlier, Marvin, stepped out. Eyes wild, he slid down into the ditch until he stood overme.
"Are you okay?" His naturally deep voice had risen as he glared down at me, now wearing a blue button-down and black slacks. I didn’t have a moment to question the change in clothes. He reached down, wrapping his hands around my upper arms, and hauled me up the steepincline.
"Yea, I'm fine. How didyou–"
"Then what the fuck were you thinking?!" I blinked as he yelled. "You could have fucking died." The kitten in my arms hissed athim.
Marvin glared at the cat until she curled closer to me, her hissing fading to discontented growls. "Is that thingyours?"
I looked down at the kitten as she clawed at my dirty uniform. "No?" Technically, I had never seen the cat before, but now she kind of felt like mine with the way she clutched at me in front of him – and Ihadsavedher.
"No?" He looked even more outraged. "Then why the fuck would you jump across the road to save the mangy thing?!" His nostrils flared as he raged, and stoodstraighter.
"Just because she isn't mine doesn't mean she deserved to die!" Isnapped.
He shoved his long fingers through his perfect hair, mussing it up as he spun and strode back towards his car before pausing and pacing in my direction again. Reaching me, he grabbed my elbow, yanking me as I stumbled along behindhim.
"Come on, we're taking youhome."
"What?" I stopped. "No!" He rounded on me onceagain.
"What the fuck do you fucking mean 'no'? You just almost killed yourself to save a stupid cat that isn't evenyours!"
"I don't even know you!" I screamed back. I would have been perfectly fine, and it wasn't any of hisbusiness.
"What's my name?" he demanded, knowing that I knew theanswer.
"Just because I know your name doesn't mean I trust you." It had only been mentioned once and I had only met him a few hours ago. Why would he even still be in thearea?
Someone knocked on the blackened glass from the driver's side of the BMW, causing both of us to turn our heads. Marvin's gaze narrowed on the glass, but he didn't walk over, and instead turned back to me with a frustratedhuff.
"It's just a ride. You can't be walking too far; you've got school soon, right? Why the fuck would you stay up all nightworking?"
I pulled out of his grip, cradling the cat against my chest. I really couldn't afford to keep the poor thing, but looking down at those gem-colored eyes, she wasn't exactly convincing me to put her down and leaveher.
"Listen, Marvin,I–"
"Marv," he offered absentmindedly as he scrubbed another hand down hisface.
"Marv," I corrected. "I'll be fine. I promise, but you're right, I do have to get home. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can getgoing."
He glared at me, angry. "No more heroic antics." I nodded. He looked at the cat in my arms, reaching forward and passed one hand – many times the size of her head – over her fur. "Take care of that damnthing."
My head bobbed once more as he looked at me, staring hard before he cursed again and headed back to the BMW. He got in, slammed the door, and the beautiful car pulledaway.
I released a pent-up sigh of relief. I almost thought he might have forced me into his car and even though he seemed genuine, he was a bit scary. I stared down at the cat, and rubbed her mangled ear as shepurred.
"Well, guess you're coming home with me." She meowed back. "But what should I name you?" She blinked up at me. "Cleo? You kind of look like an Egyptian Mau." Nails sank into my arm as Cleo climbed to my shoulder. "Okay, Cleo it is. Remember, though, you are definitely an outside cat, Babe. I can't afford alitterbox."
She seemed to find no problem with that and proceeded to paw and claw at me as I continued my walk home. Every now and then, I felt like Marv would pop out from behind a corner and follow me to make sure I didn't do anything else. It was confusing, what did he care? He didn't even know me. Some people could beunpredictable.
My duplex came into view a good twenty minutes later and I was already behind schedule. I reached for the keys inside of my soaked and dirty purse and unlocked the front door, pushing it open to a stale smelling hallway. Cleo scratched at me to be let down. When I released her, her nails clicked across the worn, wood flooring into the linoleum tiledkitchen.
Pictures of my mom and I had been packed away when she had been diagnosed with cancer almost a full year ago. She said that she hated the way they made her feel – like our younger selves were watching and judging us. If I didn't know any better, I might have agreed withher.
The quiet of the house told me that she wasn't awake yet. I strode into the living room to find that Cleo had wandered back from the kitchen and was already napping on the threadbare couch. Lucky cat. Tip-toeing down the hall, I emptied my purse of the cash I had earned and carted it back to the kitchen. An old miniature box of cereal sat in the very back of the nearly empty pantry. Unfolding the top, I dropped the wad of bills into the cardboard piggy bank and stuffed the box back into the furthest reaches of the cabinet, hoping my mom wouldn't care to look init.
When I was younger, and my mom still had a car, and before she’d been laid off from one of her many jobs, she would go on shopping raids. I'd come home from school to find myself with new clothes, and shoes, and no food in the refrigerator. About five months ago, my mom had found my stash of cash that I kept in my room and convinced old Mrs. Grace to drive her to the store. She had spent almost two hundred dollars on clothes and knickknacks, and as a result, I had to shut off our house phone because I couldn't pay the bill. It hadn't been turned back on until I managed to get the funds saved up again. We were still suffering from that setback and the medical bills and the cost of her prescriptions were piling up – but I needed Michael to call every once in a while. I needed to know I wasn't completely alone withher.
Running later than usual, I skipped a deep soak and instead rushed through a five-minute shower, throwing on a pair of old jeans and a faded, green v-neck, before pulling my thick hair into a hairband at the nape of my neck. I poked my head into my mom's room, listening as she snored lightly, and left a glass of tap water next to her pills and a plastic wrapped sandwich from thediner.
"Don't pee on or tear up anything." I pointed at a sleepy, grumbling Cleo as I shrugged my backpack on and left, locking the front door behindme.