Kats of a Kind

(Set in Megakat City High School)

The morning tardy bell rang, and the school’s hallways were now empty except for those running late to class.

Walking into the classroom marked E-4 was a muscular dark yellowish tabby, wearing his blue letterkat’s jacket. The class, already in their seats, shifted their eyes to him as he entered. He smirked at their attention, and walked casually back to his seat in the 4th row. After he sat down in his seat the teacher called out.

“Mr. Furlong, understanding that you have a large commute to school everyday does not mean that you are excluded from school guidelines. And that jacket is not a shield from detention, so I will see you after school today until *you* can figure that out,” she said.

The kat looked up at her as she spoke, then answered with an overly happy tone, “Yes Ms. Birman.” Leaning back in his seat he thought to himself, ‘Crud’.

The day went on and lunchtime finally came around. The muscular tabby was in line for food, when another kat walked up to him.

“Hey Chance,” he called out.

“Hey Rob,” Chance answered.

“I heard about Ms. Birman this morning. What a bummer. You gonna skip it and come with Zack and me to the gym to work out? Then maybe we can go find some fine she-kats if the night is kind,” Rob said, lifting his eyebrow.

“I don’t know. This is the 3rd one this month…”

“Forget that, man. She’s not gonna do anything. Coach has got your back. Oh, speaking of which, you ready for Martial Arts tryouts?”

“Yeah, but I think I’m going to sit tonight out. Besides I’m always in shape to kick your tail. And *I* don’t need to go looking for she-kats, they find me.”

“Whatever, man. Talk to you later,” Rob replied as he walked off.

Chance got his lunch and sat down alone at a table. He took a bite of his tuna sandwich, then stopped.

“Needs some spice,” he said to himself. He poured a packet of “Fire” sauce on the tuna, then took another bite. The taste was the same, “And they call *this* ‘Fire.’ It’s not even semi-hot. What a gip.” Even with the disappointment, he continued to eat.

While he was eating his lunch, he noticed an attractive she-kat looking over at him with a curious eye. He noticed her gaze as he looked around the room. As he made eye contact with her, she turned over to her friend, getting her to look as she pointed towards him.

‘No doubt asking her friend, who I am,’ Chance thought to himself.

He looked back down toward his food and didn’t look back up at her. But all the while as he was looking down, he knew she was looking over at him. After a while she got up with her group and as they walked by him, she stopped and turned to him. Smiling she handed a piece of paper, and then she turned and caught up with her friends. Chance looked down at it, unfolded to note, and read it. ‘Hey there, Give me a call some time? Abby Purrece 967-2883.’

He looked up, then down, only to look up again when a group of three kats came up to him, all dressed in their letterkat’s jackets. Rob was one of them.

“See Rob, what did I tell ya?” Chance said.

“How do you do that?” asked the medium sized jellicle who was to the right of Rob.

“I don’t know. *They* just choose who they want, and I can’t help that they have good taste…” Chance answered as he leaned back with a smile on his face.

“You gonna to go for her?” the jellicle asked again.

“I don’t know, maybe. She was pretty, but I just feel if *I* ever settled down with anyone, all the school would go into heartbreak cause I was taken. Don’t worry Sam, I’m sure there is somebody out there for you…” Chance answered.

“Yeah well I already got my girl,” the tall muscular one of the group said, boasting with superiority.

“Yes, you do Zack. And how is Lana doing…?” Chance said sarcastically, but was interrupted by a loud voice pointed toward them and closing in fast.

“Tabbson, Furlong, Manx, Snowshoe!” the voice boomed.

All four kats turned to see an intimidating muscular kat, who towered over them.

“Yes, Coach?” asked Rob.

“Quiet Manx,” he interrupted, as he turned toward Chance. “Furlong, what is this about detention cause of being late to class?”

“It’s nothing, Coach,” Chance replied.

“It better be. I don’t want you missing any practices cause of this *late* business,” he said. He then turned to the rest of the kats, “That goes for all of you as well, no school problems or I’ll bump you down to J.V Girl’s waterkat so fast, you won’t know what hit you.”

“Yes, Coach!” they all answered.

He walked off sternly, and the four kats talked for a while longer before the bell rang and they all went to back to their classes. The second half of the day went by faster than the first and soon Chance was alone in Ms. Birman’s room after school. He sat there in his desk, while she was busy grading papers behind hers. He pulled out the latest issue of his favorite hero comic, “kat Commando” to read, when the door opened and in walked a medium to small sized dark orange furred kat. He was dressed in a hooded gray sweatshirt, and baggy dark blue jeans. Taking his hood off, the kat first looked over at Chance with a curious expression, and then forward toward the teacher.

“Can I help you?” Ms. Birman asked.

He was quiet at first, while he looked around the room, but when then he realized her question he answered, “Hello, I’m a new student and I have your class.” He walked over and handed her his schedule. She looked at it, then handed it back to him.

“Welcome to Senior English, let me get your book for this class.” She got up from her desk, walked to a cabinet, and pulled out a large book. “All the stories we will read in this class are in this textbook, bring it to class everyday, and you shouldn’t have problem,” she explained.

“Thank you,” the kat replied as he took the book from her. “Is there anything I should read over the weekend?”

“Yes, you should read over the first 3 units to catch up with the class,” she replied, as she smiled at him.

He took her smile as his exit. “Thank you again, and I’ll see you Monday,” he said, moving back towards the door.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

The kat walked out of the room, and Chance’s eyes followed him out the door. Then they turned to Ms. Birman and asked, “What’s his name?”

She looked down at the information she had copied from his schedule and answered, “Jake… Jake Clawson.”

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