• My name is Gabriel Rito. I live in Minnesota, USA. I am currently in the sixth grade. They made me stay back this year because supposedly I was sleeping and writing in my journal then doing anything else.
    My mother agreed and let them hold me back. So I was twelve, supposed to be in seventh grade, but I was stuck in the sixth, along with all the other freshmen... I know they're not really freshmen, in a way. But I liked calling them that anyway. So shut up.
    I have never had a friend and I never cared. I was never paying attention, because I was focused on writing in my journal and wishing I was somewhere else all the time.
    The teacher glared at me from the front of the class room. "Rito?"
    I glanced at her. "Yes, maam?"
    "See me after class." She hissed.
    I nodded. "Sure." I mumbled.
    The teacher had a face like a cat, wide around the eyes, narrow around the mouth and a flat chin. She always made me feel sick for some reason. Maybe because she was the one that told my mom that I should stay back a year... No... I felt sick by just looking at her way before that... Maybe it was because of her face... And the clothing she wears...
    I sighed and opened my Journal.
    She's after me again... She never leaves me alone... It's like she's hunting me or something... I don't know what I ever did to her... But she just seems to be praying over me. Maybe she really is a cat... And I'm a bird... God, I wish I was bird... That way I could fly out of here and never come back. Just leave everything behind me and forgot all about everyone here. I wish that would happen... I really wouldn't care if I magicly turned into a bird randomly one day. I would take it as a blessing.
    I finished writing and closed the cover.
    My father had bought me this journal when he went to England on one his bussiness trips. He thought it would be just some dumb gift, but it's actually one of my most treasured possetions. I haven't talked to him in over two years... One reason is because he's over in Africa and the other reason is because last time he was here we got into a fight and I didn't think he would want to talk to me.
    My mum had told me that he wasn't mad at me anymore. But how could she know that? Did she talk to him behind my back? Was she hogging him to herself?

    Class ended, everyone was leaving for lunch, and I was stuck here. With the teacher.
    She walked like a cat over to my desk and held her hand out for something.
    I blinked at her. "What?"
    She pointed to my journal. "Give it over. I'm confiscating it."
    I gasped and held the precious gift to my chest. "No way! I would never give it to you, it's mine!"
    She narrowed her cat eyes at me. "What did you say to me?"
    Some people that were still leaving the room turned around and looked at our fude.
    I stood up and glared at her. "This is mine! I won't let you touch it!" I shouted.
    She grabbed at me.
    I jumped back and ran towards the door. "Get off me, you stupid cat!" I scream running out into the hallway.
    "Rito!" She screamed after me.
    I ran faster, towards the entrance to the school. Just trying to get away from her and her cat like features. She was truly the ugliest teacher in Minnesota... Maybe even in the country... I wasn't sure about her being the ugliest teacher in the world though... Not yet anyway...
    My legs carried me out of the entrance and all the way to a park.
    I panted and held my knees.
    I have to keep it safe. I think looking down at my journal I had put on the soft grass.
    A warm spring breeze whipped around me, blowing through my hair and cooling me off some. I took in a deep breath as another breeze went by. It smelt sweet, like flowered trees and grass. It was really nice.
    No one was around because they were either at work or school, so no one would see me. Which was a good thing, because I don't like crowds, or poeple for that matter...
    I stood up straight and stretched.
    My mum should be getting a call from my stupid teacher by now... So when she gets home she'll try to get the journal from me too.
    I sighed and knew what I had to do.
    I had to hide it.

    After looking around the park I found a news paper bag and a peice of string some people leave for the birds to use for their nests and then finally a plastic grocery bag, I decided this should be good enough for a few days, until I go back and dig it up to find some place else to put it.
    I put the journal in the newspaper bag, tied the string around it and put it in the grocery bag, then tied the handles together, extra tight to keep it safe. I dug a hole that was deep, but not too deep, with my hands and carefully put the mass into it. I hesitated before pushing the dirt over the precious object of mine. I took the grass matt I had ripped off before digging the hole and put it over it so no one would notice the bare spot of dirt in the middle of the grass feild. I whiped my forehead with the back of my hand and sighed contently. "Try to take it from me now, stupid cat."
    A warm breeze embrassed my cheek and filled my nose with sweetness.
    I smiled and sat back on my butt, getting comfortable. "I hate that cat..." I say to myself.
    A mental image of my teacher came to mind.
    I grimace and layed down on my back against some soft grass. I stared up at the sky and smiled as a few birds flew over my head. I guessed they were robins, but I couldn't tell, they were too far away now. I sighed contently and closed my eyes.
    The feeling of being watched made my spine tingle, but I ignore the feeling.
    No one is here at this time of day. There's no way. Right?
    I opened my eyes, just to make sure.
    A pair of eyes were staring into mine only inches away.
    I jumped and flew forward.
    Our forheads bonked.
    I screamed in pain. "Ouch! What the hell are you doing!?" I shout looking at the person who had been on top of me.
    He straddled my hips and was holding his head. "Ahh~! Okay, that hurt." He giggled.
    I glared at him. "What are you doing?"
    He smiled at me. "Sorry... I thought you fell asleep or something... I just wanted to make sure you breathing."
    I blinked. "Wha...?"
    He pointed at himself. "I'm Shika. Who are you?"
    I narrowed my eyes. "Shika? What kind of name is that?"
    "Well... It's my name..." He giggled. "So I it's a good name, yeah?"
    I sat up pushed him off me.
    He sat down on his knees next to me.
    I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Yeah... sure..."
    Something swayed near his side.
    I jumped, thinking something had jumped behind him. "Look out!"
    He blinked and turned around, but didn't seem to see anything. "What? What is it?"
    I saw it sway on the other side of him. "It's over there!" I shout standing up.
    He looked over his other shoulder. "I don't see anything..."
    I walked behind him and gasped. "T-Tail!" I say taking a step back.
    He turned around and smiled. "Yep. Why...? Don't you know other people that have tails?"
    I felt my heart race as I shook my head.
    He giggled. "You look like your going to pee your pants."
    I swallowed. "I might..."
    He laughed, it sounded sweet and soft.
    Something in my stomach warmed and went gooey.
    His hair perked up.
    Wait... Hair doesn't perk up does it?
    I looked harder at his hair. I blinked in shock. "You have cat ears too!?"
    He giggled. "Yeah. I think it comes with the tail." He said as his tail wrapped around him and rested in his lap.
    I felt my head start to hurt with all this information coming in. "So... Your a cat and a human combined... Is your mom a human and your dad's a cat?"
    He shrugged. "I don't really know."
    I looked him over.
    He was wearing grey running shorts and a white tank top. It looked like he just got out of bed the way he dressed... and his hair was messy... He had dirt all over him, but he didn't stink that much.
    Is he homeless...?
    He giggled. "What are you looking at me like that for?"
    I came back to reality and pointed at him. "What are you wearing?"
    He looked down at himself and blinked. "What do you mean?"
    "Did you just get out of bed?" I ask cocking an eyebrow.
    He giggled. "Oh. No... This is all I have to wear..." He said.
    I blinked. "Huh?"
    He seemed to tense up and get uncomfortable. "I... I didn't want to be there anymore... He didn't treat me like he used to when I was in that cage... He was cruel... So... I left..." He said reaching up to his neck and tugging on something.
    I looked closer at what he was tugging on and felt myself shiver.
    A black leather collar was around his neck, it was too tight and the metal hooks and grips to keep the end peice from sticking out was digging and cutting into his skin. But when I looked at his hands I saw scars all over them and there was leather shackles around his wrists as well. The metal peices also cutting into his skin.
    "Why are you wearing all that?" I say starting to breathe hard in panic.
    I... met... a human cat... or... a human.. with cat ears... and tail... He has scars on him... and a collar and shackle things... What was his life like before he ran away? Who was his owner?
    He looked at his hands, his happy face now gone, replaced with a miserable one. "He would chain me up when he left or went to bed... He would... hurt me if I tried to get away... or he would... make me... dance for him... But I didn't want to... I told him I couldn't do this for him... but he kept making me do it... So he would hit me or throw me around or take me in the bathroom and slid that metal thing on my skin... A razor I think he called it...?" He smiled, but I knew he was still upset. "But that's enough about me. Tell me about yourself."
    I blinked in horror. "What!? What do you mean he would make you dance?"
    He blushed and looked at the ground. "I... I don't know how to discrib it in words... but I can show you..." He said slowy standing up and starting to lift his shirt up.
    I gasped, seeing scars all over him. Some huge and other really small.
    He got up to his chest and held his shirt up with hand and reached for his pants.
    My stomach tightened. I reached up and grabbed his hand. "Don't-."
    He screamed and pulled away, but fell on his butt. "Don't hurt me! I'm sorry!" He said curling into a ball and covering his face.
    I sat down on my knees next to him and started to panic. "Hey... I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want you to take of your clothes. That's all."
    So... his ownder made him take off his clothes for him... and then dance...? Ick!
    I looked down at Shika in pity. "I'm sorry, okay?"
    He looked at me through one eye and blinked. "Sorry?"
    I nodded and patted his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm sorry for scaring you... Okay?"
    He sniffled and sat up, tears falling down his eyes. "Oh... T-thank you..." He whiped the tears away and looked at the ground between us.
    I tried to smile comforting, but I sort of knew inside that I wasn't good at it. "No problem... So... Do you know anything about what you are? Because I don't think anyone else knows about cat people walking around here..." I say tilting my head.
    He shrugged and sniffled. "I guess not... But... Master had a lot other pets... But he liked me a lot more then them... I don't know why... I mean... there were cute boys all over the place... So why did he pick me?" He asked hugging himself.
    I reached out and petted his hair. "I don't know... But I think I don't like your Master. In fact I really don't like him. I hate him. Why would someone hurt a person like that? I'm sorry he hurt you, Shika."
    He looked at me and his eyes filled with something unclear to me. "T-thank you."
    I nodded. "So... Where do you live now?"

    He led me to a thickly hiden path and then to a small clearing that had a blanket in a short tree and open cans of tuna strune on the floor.
    I blinked in shock. "You... live here?"
    He nodded and stretched. "Yeah... It's actually really nice. You get to fall asleep to the sound of the crickets and then you wake up to the sound of those pretty red chest birds. It's really pretty when the moon comes out and all the trees look blue and your skin looks white. I could barely see my scars last night. It was cool." He said smiling and looking around at the trees.
    I spoke before I could think. "Would you like to live with me?" I jumped and immediatly regretted it.
    His face beamed. "Really!? You would let me stay with you!?"
    I nodded slowly, unable to take it back and see his hurt face. He would probably start to cry or something...
    His tail swayed and his ears were sticking straight up. "Yay!" He said jumping up in the air.
    I smirked.
    He gasped. "Does this mean I get my own room!?"
    I sighed. "I don't know... My mum will probably get mad if she finds out I'm keeping someone in my room secretly... So you'll have to share my room... But I have a bunk bed... so it's okay." I say shrugging it off.
    He nodded excitedly. "That's fine! Just as long as I don't have to live here. Even though I kind of got used to it... But that's still okay! I can live with it!" He said obviously feeling too excited about this.
    I smiled. "You talk a lot."
    He smiled and laughed, calming down. "I guess I do, yeah?"