Chapter 8
“Excuse me.” Pussface approached Diamond, the fluffy, white cat from across the street. His own fur was patchy; where some spots were full it wasn’t far from other spots that were close to bare, like around his neck. The Marilyn Monroe of all felines turned her head, eyeing the homely black cat.
“Listen, I know only black cats can speak, but you can be of great help to me if you would just nod or shake your head in response to questions I’ll ask you.” He sat in front of her, desperate. “I’m helping my witch’s sister find her missing cat.”
Diamond began to lick her paw.
“The cat I am talking about is the one who lives across the street.”
Diamond looked to the pale-green Victorian home with its witch’s cap’s sparkling stained-glass window and beat-up wrap-around-porch.
“Have you seen Surla around, maybe trying to hide out in corners… or even come over to visit you?”
She shook her head no, causing her expensive collar to glitter in the sun.
“Okay.” Pussface gazed at her almost perversely. “Well, I see you’re of no help to me in this area, but… if you ever feel lonely and want to go for a stroll through some ally, then just ask, Sweet Thing.”
Diamond yawned and jumped onto the porch’s rocking chair.
“I’ll take that as a maybe.” He walked off slowly. “Catch ya later.”
“What is the matter with you?” Idis said to Pussface, while she tried to start a fire in the fireplace. “I send you out to do a simple task, yet you come back with no information.”
“Well,” Pussface scratched behind an ear, “I did find out one thing while looking through a next door neighbor’s window. Did you know that humans have no fur on their butts?” Pussface’s snaggle-tooth poked out in a grin. “How’s that for some information?”
“Did you happen to be looking in a bathroom window? You nut!” She turned around sharply. “You have to take this job seriously. Surla is your cousin and my only way to perform magic.”
“But there are so many places she could be… doing anything.”
Idis’s mouth dropped open in realization. “You are right. Absolutely right!”
“What, what did I just say that was so important? I’m confused here.” He scratched behind an ear again.
“Don’t you get it?” The witch smiled crookedly, not noticing the newspaper she had been using to feed the fire was flaming up wildly. “Surla could be switched at this very moment with a pathetic, lonesome soul.”
“Idis, that dress is on fire!” Pussface warned.
“I know it looks great, but there’s no time to bring up how beautiful I am right now. We have to think up a strategy.” The burning was slowly creeping up the bottom of her short skirt.
“No, Idis. You are literally on fire. If you don’t put out the flames now I’ll have to put them out for you.” He lifted one of his back legs like a dog.
The witch finally understood. Feeling the burning sensation, she took off running to the bathroom to douse it in the sink.
Fearing for Idis’s safety, Pussface cast a spell. “Flip that witch ’round and ’round, ’til those flames are—uh—drowned!”
Idis hit the floor, flames growing. “Oh no!” she yelped, then rolled across the shaggy throw rug, back and forth, back and forth, so fast that all Pussface could see was wildly wind-milling legs and red hair. “I’m going to kiiiillll youuuuuu!”
“Should I stop this or keep it up?” Pussface laughed. “A few more seconds won’t hurt her.” But he did stop the magic right away.
Idis laid flat on her back, unable to speak or move.
Pussface approached her slowly. When she was no longer dizzy and her eyes could finally focus, she shot him a wicked stare.
“Idis, I was just trying to help. You know—stop, drop, and roll?”
She continued staring.
“Here, let me just… fix your hair a little,” Pussface said apologetically, drawing out four claws and combing her bangs a bit.
“DON’T touch me!” She pushed him away.
“I was just trying to help.”
She stood up, pulled down her dress and excused herself to the bathroom, then returned with a wet towel dabbing herself. “Broom, please.”
Pussface obediently handed her the broom.
WHAP! “Now I feel better,” she exclaimed.
Pussface sunk to the ground, seeing stars.
“Now, like I was saying—you stupid cat—tomorrow I want you to go house to house throughout this whole neighborhood, hiding in backyards, peeking in windows, trying to find where the girl lives who switched bodies with Surla. Got that?”
The next day of school was pretty much the same for Surla: Craig was flirty, Tiffany was snobby, Chrissy was distant, and Todd was nice even after the incident with Cathy’s mom. During lunch, Todd helped Surla with her studies in the library, where Cathy’s mom said they should study.
After school, on the usual walk home, Tiffany stopped Surla. “I see no one is giving you a ride home today.”
“Likewise,” Surla responded.
Tiffany and her two friends followed beside her. “Don’t you remember me telling Craig I won’t be needing a ride home from him anymore because I’m about to receive my license?”
What Surla did remember was seeing the back of her head in Craig’s car yesterday, but she decided to say nothing. She still saw the missing cat notices posted everywhere, which was more important at the moment than Tiffany’s rude comments.
“You think you’re so hot these last few days, don’t you?” the conceited girl kept on.
“What are you talking about?” Surla pretended to be confused. “I’ve always been hot.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She raised an eyebrow. “But recently you have come close to looking normal.”
Surla stopped walking. “Listen, um, this is getting really old. You have been obsessed with bothering me for a long time now and I don’t know why, but you and your friends…,” she glanced at Chrissy and Lisa, “are not going to lower my self-esteem and you are not going to stop me from being who I am.”
She continued to walk until she came to the intersection where they would depart. “Yeah, well…,” Tiffany was searching for some last words, “you just better watch your back… because… because anything can happen. Just be ready for it.”
Surla sighed and continued down her street. She’s never going to quit, Surla thought.
Saturday morning was brighter than the usual days for fall. Rays filtered in through Cathy’s curtains and onto her bed, where Surla was curled up into a ball at the bottom. She stretched, accidentally hitting Cathy with her arm, waking her also.
“That’s what I thought would happen,” Cathy said after yawning.
“What?” Surla asked.
“It’s a beautiful day out and I’m grounded.” Cathy wiped her eyes tiredly.
“Cathy, you stay at home practically all the time now. What’s the difference?”
“I know. It does affect me though because I can’t watch Lassie now.”
“Yeah.” Surla agreed. “And I can’t watch talk shows.”
The two then looked at each other like they were just brought out of a daydream. Cathy spoke first. “Do you think I am beginning to think like a real cat?”
“I know what you’re saying. I’m feeling more human every day.”
“This is scary.”
“Yeah.”
“D-do you think this can become permanent? Like I could be stuck as a cat for the rest of my life.”
“No, it can’t be,” Surla answered. “If that’s true, then my life span has been shortened a couple hundred years. Seriously though, I think we’re just figuring out how it feels to be one another.”
“How do you like it? Being me?” Cathy sat up.
“I can see how a human’s teenage years can be very emotional. I’ve never felt so many feelings as I do now that I’m being you. I mean, before I was able to
feel angry and frustrated with Idis and even envious of the cat from across the street. But…,” she patted down her flyaway hair, “I never felt anticipation for tomorrow or excitement to meet new people like Todd. Most importantly, I never felt loved like what becoming a part of your family did.”
“Thanks, Surla.”
“For what?”
“Crossing paths with me.”