FicWad

Sen and I made our way down the highway to the our middle school. I don't see why we were made to go to human school in the first place. We parked our bikes and locked them up.

I linked my arm with Sen's and we strode in the front doors. Boys whistled at us as we passed and I ignored them. Sen gave her silly flirt smile and waved at the boys who whistled.

When we were almost to our home room, I felt a hand grab my butt...hard. I whirled and brought my hand up to smack whoever had done it. Trying to resist the urge to claw up my hand and scratch his face off, I brought my hand down, hard for a human, but soft for one of us, like a playful swipe at another panther.

He fell to the ground. “Ow! Damn Nell! That fuckin hurt.” our friend Chris stood up and wiped off his jeans. He was human, but a useful one. We still didn't tell him our secrets. We're not suicidal for the love of god!

“Oh. Well that's what you get for groping me you perv.” I smiled and clawed the air between us. He shook his head and fixed his shirt. “So,” he started, looking down at his shoes. “So? What?” I asked, getting tense.

He looked up, biting his lip. “So who's the guy you wanna look cute for?” he asked in a hushed voice. I gasped and Sen laughed; I thought it sounded more like a bark then a laugh. “I asked her the same thing this morning!” she put her free arm around her waist.

Chris blushed slightly and I shuffled my feet. I knew Chris had had a crush on me since we were kids, but I never really saw him as more than a brother, or at least a close friend. “Why does everybody keep asking me that?! There's not a boy!” and then the boy I really was dressing up for passed me and went to our home room.

My eyes followed him and I felt my face get a little warm. Sen gasped and clutched my arm. “Louis?! It's Louis isn't it?!” she giggled and I sneakily clawed her butt again while Chris glared at the home room door.

Sen yelped and jumped again, gripping her butt where my claws had pierced her skin. While Sen rubbed her ass, Chris's eyes flashed back to me. “You know that he goes with at least three girls a year? He went with my friend Sam and broke her heart.” his eyes were sad.

I sighed and pulled my arm away from Sen's. Chris went stiff and melted in my arms when I wrapped them around him and squeezed. “Thanks for the worry, Chris, but I can take care of myself.” I whispered and kissed his cheek.

“Uh, okay. But telling me to not worry about you won't stop me from doing it.” his face had gone all happy and pink. Sen giggled at him now and grabbed his arm. “Alright lover-boy. Time to go to class,” she tugged us to the door Louis had slipped through not three minutes before.

I tried to stay calm as I took my seat next to him. He shifted and leaned over the bar of his desk. “Hey Nell,” he said softly. I nodded and he scooted back in his chair.

Our teacher, Mrs. Milner stepped in and slammed her books on the table. She'd always hated me, which was fine. I hated her too.

Of course, her eyes settled on me and flashed. “Ms. Parduc! Why don't you come show us how to find the hypotenuse of a triangle if you would be so kind?” I stood up and looked her straight in the eye. “Maybe I will when you can say my last name correct. It's Parduc; Par-duse. Like that. Say it with me now, Par-duse.”

Her eyes flashed and I smiled. She pursed her lips in what I think was her form of a smile. “You knew I was talking to you. Now get up here.” she jerked her thumb at the whiteboard.

I went to the front of the room and stood in front of her. “I knew you meant me, but the point is it's about respect. Respect me, I respect you. Would you like me calling you Ms. Milly? I think not.” I knew I was showing my mad English skills off a bit, but I kept up with it.

With a short laugh, I went to the board, leaving her to fume over my words. Thinking back, I drew a right triangle on the board and made up numbers. I quickly solved it and put the marker back on the tray under the board. With a quick smirk at Mrs. Milner, I went back to my seat, a huge grin plastered on my face.

Behind me, Mrs. Milner started snorting and I turned, halfway down the isle to my seat. “Problem?” I asked, looking at the board. She pointed to the three I'd circled and snorted again. “This is wrong!” she laughed out loud now.

I went over the problem in my head. “No, it's not. You didn't square-root the one-hundred-forty-four.” she stopped snorting and looked at the problem again. Crossing my arms over my chest, I watched as she picked up the marker and scribbled across the board.

Her hand slowed and she wrote the three down at the end. I smiled and she turned, her face blank. With a sharp nod, I turned and walked to my seat.

Louis was looking at me, his mouth hanging open a little. I sat back down and pulled out my notebook and a pencil. A note flipped onto my desk and I looked at Sen, who was staring at the board with her 'I'm bored' look on her face.

I picked it up and flipped it open.

Nell? Do you like me? - Louis. Oh god! My heart sped up in my chest. Be cool, be cool!

I snagged my pencil from my desk and thought for a second.

Maybe

I tossed it back on his desk and he jumped. Trying not to smile, I looked away quickly and at the board. About two second later, the note landed in front of me again.

Ignoring it for a moment, I looked at Sen, who was looking at me. Her ears were like mine and the little click of the note landing on the desk was like a clap to me. She smile and I picked it up.

Really. Do you like me or not?

Hmmm... I smiled and felt my fangs grow a little. I wrote back quickly.

Why do you want to know?

I tossed it back. He opened it and huffed a little. I heard his pencil scratch on the paper and a moment later, he tossed it back.

With a grin, I opened it and looked over his words.

What are you, blind? I like you. Do you like me? Check 'yes' or 'no'

I smiled again and checked the box under 'yes' and tossed it back. He opened it and sighed. A moment later, it came back to me and I opened again.

Will you go out with me? 'yes' or 'no'?

I checked yes again and sent it back to him. This time I looked at him and saw his smile. He looked up and I smiled back. I waved at him and he chuckled. Mrs. Milner nearly ran down the isle and snatched up the note.

“Passing notes? Both of you, stay after class!” I snapped my arm out and grabbed the note back. Before she could turn, I shredded it in my hands. Being a cat can usually give you skills humans don't have. And one of them was being able to shred something beyond recognition.

She turned and looked at me, her face incredulous. I just handed her back the paper shreds and smiled. “I'm sorry. I didn't want you butting into my personal life as well as my school life. And I will not be staying after school because I can't be late to my next class. I respect you enough to be one time to your class, who are you to make me late to my others?”

“I've had it with your mouth Nell! You now have lunch detention!” she snapped. I just laughed and shook my head. “Wrong again. You can give me anything you can think of, but you don't actually have the authority to make me follow your orders.”

She narrowed her eyes at me and smirked, showing her nasty yellow teeth. I smiled back, my white teeth flashing. “You really think so? Well, we'll see how much power you have when your suspended.” she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot.

Sen and Chris gasped together and Louis looked at me. I just laughed and stood up, grabbing my bag. Slipping it on, I held out my hands, wrists pressed together. “Bring on the cuffs, Ms. Sheriff!” I smirked at her and she grabbed my wrist hard enough to bruise a human and dragged me to the principle's office.

The secretary looked at us and tilted her head. Mrs. Milner tried to throw me in a seat and I held my ground. She glared at me and I pulled my hand from hers.

“I want this girl to be suspended this moment. She has been back-sassing me and making me look like a fool.” I snorted and crossed my arms. “I don't have to try. You do that on your own.”

The secretary looked at me and punched a button on the phone and spoke into it. “Lee, we have another suspension. Yes, Mrs. Milner. Yes. Yes. I'll send them right in.” she hung up the phone and looked at us again.

“He said you can go right in.” Mrs. Milner nodded and dragged me into the principle's private office. This time, I sat in the chair of my own will and she stood behind me.

Let the game begin. I thought to myself, laughing again.