After Forever by Krystal McLaughlin Read Free Book Online Page B

need to go. I need to turn around and leave.
Just keep walking, keep walking until I’m home. But I couldn’t just
leave him here either.
    Then it hit me, I could take him to the
shelter. Yes, that is what I would do. I gently picked him up,
trying not to scare him. He didn’t seem to mind though. He snuggled
up in my arms right away, and started purring. It felt so right.
Everything inside of me wanted to keep him. But I knew I
couldn’t.
    I walked slowly back the way I had come
from, hoping that Branna was still there. It was getting late, and
I knew she would probably be closing up soon. I walked as fast as I
could. When I got there, the building was dark and the door was
locked.
    “Dang it,” I muttered. “Now what am I going
to do with you?” I didn’t have very many options. I sat down on the
curb to think. I had to come up with a plan. I couldn’t leave this
little guy alone. I couldn’t bring him home either. I sure as heck
couldn’t ask Rania either. She’d flip out on me for even picking
him up. Those were my only options. I didn’t like any of them very
much.
    He looked up at me. He almost looked sad. I
knew a cat couldn’t look sad, but he did. “Don’t you worry little
guy, I’m going to take care of you.” Before I knew it, I was up off
the ground and walking home. I’d just have to hide him until
tomorrow. I could bring him to the shelter before school. I didn’t
know how I was going to hide him from my parents, but what choice
did I have?
    When I got home, I checked the garage. The
car wasn’t there. At least that would buy me some time to figure
out a place to hide the cat until morning. It would have been
ridiculously hard to smuggle him inside with my parents at home. I
quickly went inside and up to my room. I set the kitten on my bed
and went in search of something for him to sleep on and food for
him. I would make him as comfortable as I could.
    I took a blanket out of the hall closet,
filled a bowl with milk and grabbed some of the leftover chicken
out of the fridge. It was just going to have to do. I couldn’t get
kitten chow. I set everything down in my closet, picked the kitten
up from my bed and set him down in front of the blanket and food.
He devoured the chicken and milk, then curled up on the blanket and
went to sleep. I left the closet door open, so he wouldn’t freak
out, and then started on my homework.
    A few hours later, mom called up to me to
say that dinner was ready. I hoped that I could play it cool. I
knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I had to do it. I tried to
stay calm as I slid into my chair at the table.
    “What’s that smell?” dad asked as I sat
down.
    “I don’t smell anything,” I commented. “I
don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    Mom walked into the room with a bowl of
mashed potatoes. “Oh my god, I smell it too. I know what that is.
It’s hard to mistake. Crimson, you have a lot of explaining to
do.”
    I stared at her, incredulous. I didn’t know
what to say. “What are you talking about mom?” I tried to play it
off as I didn’t know what she was talking about.
    “I smell cat! Now start talking,” she
demanded.
    “I...umm…I…” I began.
    “You what? Out with it already Crimson. Quit
stalling,” mom fumed.
    I knew there was no way out now. She would
find out eventually. So everything came pouring out. The animal
shelter visits and the kitten asleep upstairs in my room.
    Neither of my parents said anything after I
was finished. “Will one of you please say something? I don’t
understand what’s going on. How could you smell the cat on me? What
is the big deal? I’m going to take him to the animal shelter in the
morning. Just tell me what I’ve done wrong.”
    “Oh honey,” mom said, shaking her head. She
turned to dad. “We better tell her the truth now, don’t you
think?”
    Dad nodded. “Yes, we better. It may already
be too late though.”
    “Too late for what? Tell me what’s going
on!” I exclaimed.