Chapter 33: Little Surprise

It was finally Saturday, and Nicole May thought of going around the street where there were different varieties of stores. The fact that it had been only a couple of months since she moved to Centralville made her curious enough to explore the other areas of the town. That and she knew that Avegaille was going to be around the area as well. She noticed a bookstore next to a café and started peering through the window of the front store. While she was reading through some posters clung on the glass window, she could hear familiar voices coming towards her. She quickly placed her glasses on her face and put on the hood of her jacket over her head. Nicole May didn't want Avegaille or Jane to know that she was also around. Both Avegaille and Jane stopped in front of the café. Then, Avegaille noticed the person standing in front of the bookstore, and stared at them curiously.

"Huh, what's wrong with you, shrimp?" Jane asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Ah… well… I don't know… I have this feeling I've seen that person somewhere, but I could be wrong," Avegaille muttered and laughed nervously.

"Why don't you go inside first, then?" Jane suggested and opened the glass door leading inside the café.

"Well, okay, I'll save us a seat there!" Avegaille exclaimed and quickly rushed inside.

After Avegaille got inside, Jane released her grip to the glass door and approached the person standing in front of the bookstore. She already knew it was Nicole May, even with the hood on her head. Nicole May slowly turned around, knowing that Jane could see through her small change.

"You know, if you really want to disguise yourself, you should probably wear something different…" Jane remarked and stared at Nicole May mischievously. "Avegaille's just an exception, since she thinks that someone is a different person when little details in their physical appearance are changed."

"I'll make note of that…" Nicole May muttered as she put down the hood off her head and stared at Jane exasperatedly.

"So, what are you doing here?" Jane asked skeptically and raised her eyebrow.

"Geh… it's not what you think…" Nicole May muttered nervously and slowly stepped back from Jane. She noticed the smirk Jane had on her face, which made her even more nervous.

"Ehh, well… if you don't wanna say it, that's fine with me," Jane teased as she turned away from Nicole May and shrugged. "See you some other time then!"

Nicole May sighed with relief and watched Jane enter the café. After that, she looked again at the poster that was on the display window of the bookstore and finally decided to enter the bookstore.

.-.-.-.-.-

Jane entered the café and saw how the place was busy despite the fact it was only morning. Of course, the corner areas of the store were more quiet, and even the outside part of the store, where there were tables and chairs set up. Some people outside the cafe were reading either books or newspapers, as part of their morning routine. Then, Jane saw Avegaille waving to her and quickly approached her. Avegaille had chosen a seat near the glass window, where they could see the people from outside passing by. Jane sat down on the other side of the table and one of the waitresses handed over a menu to her. Avegaille had already decided on what to get since she came in first.

"Oooh, so what are you gonna order?" Avegaille asked while she stared at Jane ecstatically.

"Just wait… I'm looking…" Jane muttered while she flipped through the menu book. "What about you? What are you going to order?"

"Well, their famous large ice cream sundae of course!" Avegaille exclaimed and giggled.

"What? It's only nine in the morning…" Jane muttered exasperatedly and cringed. "Besides, you're going to pay for that… do you have the money for it?"

"Whaa, I thought you were paying…" Avegaille groaned while she closed her eyes.

"Hey now… don't you give me that excuse…" Jane grunted and stared at Avegaille exasperatedly. "Where are you spending your money at, anyway?"

"Aaah… actually, I was saving it for something…" Avegaille replied sheepishly and smiled nervously. She opened her eyes and looked at Jane ecstatically again. "There's this new gaming console that's already out, and I want it so badly. Also, there's that new game that will come out soon just for that console!"

"What type of console is that?" Jane asked curiously. Their father was also working in a gaming company, which was recently bought by a bigger company, to avoid going out of business. Jane was filled in with the details by her own father when she had a chance to talk to him during the time she went by his apartment.

"Ah, it's a dual-screened handheld console that you can carry around wherever you go," Avegaille explained and grinned. "Plus, the bottom screen is a touch screen… And then, that new game that will come out will utilize that screen… I really want it…"

"Eeh…" Jane couldn't help but cringe while she continued to listen to her little sister ramble about what the game was about. Then, she finally realized that the game her sister was talking about was the same game their father was working on with the new company he was in now. Of course, she couldn't tell her little sister about that. Not right now, anyway.

"So… are you gonna treat me or not?" Avegaille pleaded, after finally finishing her rambling.

"Yeaah… sure…" Jane muttered and sighed. Then, she placed down the menu on the table and folded her arms across her chest. "You know… you should just ask Nicole May for a copy of that game. I'm pretty sure she gets plenty of them for free…"

"Eh… why would she? I mean… I don't think she's interested in them… not even her parents would buy her that game if she didn't want it…" Avegaille muttered, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well… the Rustfords recently bought a gaming company that was almost near to closing down… and added them to their line of products…" Jane explained. One of the waitresses was already standing next to them, ready to take their order. Then, Jane turned to the waitress. "Oh, I'll have a clubhouse sandwich and a cup of coffee while this little shrimp here wants that large ice cream sundae…"

"You're so mean sometimes, Jane…" Avegaille murmured while the waitress wrote down the orders in her memo pad. Then, the waitress took the menus and left after that. She had gotten used to the fact that Jane would call her 'shrimp' instead of her real name since they were younger. The real reason why Jane called her 'shrimp' was not that she was shorter than her older sister was, but because of her fondness for eating seafood. Of course, there were some exceptions when it comes to talking with other people. Then, Jane turned to her again. "So… you're saying Nicole May gets games for free since her Dad practically owns that company?"

"You finally got it… of course, you might wanna ask her about it yourself," Jane suggested and shrugged.

"I suppose… maybe when I get to talk to her at school or something," Avegaille said and laughed nervously. Then, she looked around and giggled again. "We all used to go here and eat whenever Mom is busy because she doesn't have time to cook dinner, don't we?"

"Yeah… we did…" Jane replied and smiled softly.

"Oh, maybe we should come here more often if we're not busy…" Avegaille suggested and giggled. "I mean, they've got the most delicious ice creams here!"

"Eh… again with that…" Jane muttered and stared at Avegaille exasperatedly. "But sure, we can come here… not just because of your obsession with ice cream."

.-.-.-.-.-

After Avegaille and Jane finished eating at the café, both of them started walking around the area while looking at other stores. Of course, the two of them had no clue on what else to do that day, aside from going to that café. Then, they passed by a vacant lot with a huge tree planted near the sidewalk. Under the tree, there was a small box and the next thing that happened was that Avegaille started sneezing uncontrollably.

"Hey… why are you sneezing all of a sudden?" Jane asked hesitantly. Avegaille's eyes were getting watery from the sneezing that she couldn't even respond. Then, Jane quickly glanced at what was inside the box and saw a small black kitten. It started meowing after seeing Jane. "Holy shit! What's a cat doing in there?"

"Whaa, don't… throw it!" Avegaille begged and sneezed again. Then, she crouched down and started stroking its fur, even though she was already allergic to it.

"Gah! Don't make it worse!" Jane exclaimed furiously and quickly pulled Avegaille away from the box, leaving the two of them sitting on the grass of the vacant lot.

"But I don't want… to abandon it… it's so cute…" Avegaille protested and pouted. Then, she covered her mouth and sneezed again.

"We can't keep it either, you know you're allergic to them!" Jane argued back and folded her arms across her chest. Then, she stared at the box again while holding on to her little sister with both of her arms to prevent her from approaching the kitten further.

On the other hand, Nicole May was walking on the sidewalk when she saw the two sisters sitting on the vacant lot in such an unusual and disturbing position that she couldn't help but cringe at them. Both Avegaille and Jane turned their heads to Nicole May, which they noticed the weird expression on her face and stared at her blankly.

"Um… what are you guys doing down there?" Nicole May asked and folded her arms across her chest. Then, she could hear meowing noises from the box and noticed that Avegaille was sneezing.

"Nicole May! Get rid of that cat, please… before Avegaille's allergies get even more worse!" Jane pleaded while her arms were still wrapped around Avegaille's stomach.

"Whaaa, don't throw it away, Nicole May!" Avegaille pleaded and tears started flowing in her eyes.

"Uuh… why not just send it to the animal shelter?" Nicole May asked and stared at them blankly.

"You know, that's a good idea," Jane said in agreement.

"Don't send it to the animal shelter… it's too cute…" Avegaille protested while she tried to get off her sister's grasp, sneezing along the way. "It'll be lonely…"

"What… you can't just leave it here either," Nicole May protested back and placed her hands on her hips. "What? You want me to keep it for you or something?"

"Eh… that's not a bad idea… yeah, you should take care of it!" Avegaille exclaimed and giggled. Then, she sneezed again.

"Aah… yeah… that's a good idea too… you're not allergic to them anyway, so…" Jane added as she sweat-dropped. Then, she tried standing up while holding onto her sister until the two of them were standing.

Nicole May approached the box and saw the small black kitten staring at her and then, it started meowing again. Then, Nicole May picked up the cat and carried it around her arms. The kitten looked quite content around Nicole May's arms, which made Avegaille giggle.

"Ugh… I may have to buy some cat things… and take this to the vet," Nicole May muttered and looked exasperated. While she was carrying the kitten with her left arm, she took out her mobile phone with her right hand and flicked it so that the screen and keypads would show. Then, she started dialing numbers on her phone while Avegaille and Jane just stared at her.

"Well, good luck… anyway, I have to take this shrimp back home before her allergies get even worse than this," Jane said and quickly held into Avegaille's shoulder. Then, she started pushing her away from Nicole May.

"See you at school then, Nicole May!" Avegaille exclaimed while she was continuously pushed by her sister, and eventually, leaving Nicole May behind.

"Geez… why did I even get involved in this?" Nicole May asked herself while the kitten in her arms meowed.

.-.-.-.-.-

Hours later after going to the veterinarian, Nicole May had arrived in a pet shop just next door to the vet's office. Her driver, Dan, was waiting for her outside the store and he was standing next to the car parked on the road. Nicole May was looking around the shelves where all the goods were while the black kitten was resting on Nicole May's arms. The veterinarian she visited earlier gave her a list of things to buy for the kitten. She looked at the list while walking through various areas of the store until she reached an area just for cat related items. Nicole May noticed someone standing in front of one of the shelves and thought that the figure and outfit the girl was wearing looked very familiar. Then, the kitten meowed which made the girl turn around.

"Emily Hayward…" Nicole May muttered and stared at her exasperatedly. She placed the list on her hand inside her pocket.

"Hey now, don't give me that look Rustford… it's the weekend!" Emily retorted as she went closer to Nicole May. She still had the cast on her arm, which would be healed after two weeks from the incident. She looked at the kitten on Nicole May's arms closely and giggled. "Aww, it's so cute… did you buy it here?"

"Hell no… Avegaille didn't want it sent to the animal shelter when she and her sister saw it in a box at a vacant lot… and she asked me to take care of it," Nicole May explained and sighed. "I just went to the vet earlier, so now I'm buying things for him."

"Oh? You should probably give him a name also…" Emily suggested while she placed her hand on her hips. "This is your first time taking care of a cat, isn't it?"

"It's none of your business…" Nicole May murmured exasperatedly and turned away from Emily.

"Oh come on, just let me help out. I mean… I do have a cat at home and you could use some advice!" Emily insisted while she walked in front of Nicole May, in which Nicole May slightly raised her eyebrow. "But then again… why did Avegaille asked you to take care of it? Does her mother hate pets?"

"Avegaille's allergic to them…" Nicole May replied while she began to stroke the kitten's fur with her other hand. "If Avegaille wasn't allergic to them, she'd probably keep this cat by now…"

"Damn, must be hard to have allergies over something you love," Emily remarked and sighed. Then, she went closer to the kitten and slightly stroked the head. "Ah… it's too cute… come on, you have to name it!"

"I'm not good with giving names… I'll ask Avegaille later when I get home…" Nicole May muttered while she took out the list again from her pocket. "I should buy a bed, some food, toys… and the inevitable litter box…"

"Oh, I'll tell you the good ones," Emily exclaimed happily and grinned. Then, she quickly ran to a shelf with different kinds of cat toys and Nicole May followed her. "Hoho, look at this… I'll bet that little kitten will love this… and oh yeah, you didn't mention it or forgot to, but you should probably get a scratch post for your kitten unless you want him scratching around your mansion."

"Don't worry, it's in this list…" Nicole May muttered and then, handed over the list to Emily. "I'm just buying the stuff that I can carry outside and come back later for the rest…"

"Did you make this list?" Emily asked while reading through the things listed on the paper.

"Not really… the vet did… she was really nice too even though it was the first time I met her," Nicole May replied while the kitten meowed.

"Would that be the vet next to this shop? I think she's Arthur's Mom… she mentioned her son a couple of times to me whenever I visited her with Vivian… maybe I should ask her when I remember," Emily pondered and handed the list back to Nicole May.

"We shouldn't really be dawdling and focus more on getting the stuff this kitten needs…" Nicole May muttered and placed back the list in her pocket again while the cat meowed. Then, she looked at the shelf, and the kitten suddenly jumped into it. The kitten stared at a fluffy toy and started poking it with its paws.

"Well, looks like this kitten knows what it likes," Emily remarked and giggled.

.-.-.-.-.-

It was almost evening at the Stewart residence. Jane and her mother were both in the kitchen. While Mrs. Stewart was preparing dinner, Jane was reading a book. Then, the phone rang, in which Mrs. Stewart picked up the phone immediately while the stew she was making simmered in the pot. Jane slightly lifted her head while listening over the conversation her mother was having over the phone.

"Amelia speaking… who's this?" Mrs. Stewart asked and slightly scratched her head.

‘Oh, Mrs. Stewart… this is Nicole May,' Nicole May replied. 'I was wondering if Avegaille wasn't doing anything… I wanted to ask her something…'

"Ah… well, she's in bed right now, resting after an encounter with a kitten…" Mrs. Stewart explained and laughed nervously. "What is it that you wanted to ask her? Maybe I'll tell her later…"

‘It's nothing too important… but what about Jane? Is she available?’ Nicole May asked.

"Sure… just hold for a second…" Mrs. Stewart said and quickly turned to Jane. "Hey, Jane! Nicole May wants to talk to you…"

"Huh… what does she want?" Jane asked while she stood up and approached her mother. Then, her mother handed over the phone to her and went back to her cooking. Jane placed the phone's receiver over her ear. "Jane here… how did you even know our number? Did Avegaille gave it to you?"

‘No… I asked 411 for it…' Nicole May muttered. 'So, anyway, I need help with naming this kitten… I was going to ask Avegaille for help, but she's resting…'

"Well… I'm not really good with animals myself… so it's not really a good idea to ask me about these kinds of things," Jane said and sighed. "So, what gender is the cat?"

'It's a male, according to the vet I visited earlier…' Nicole May replied.

"Oh… well, give it some sort of manly name then…" Jane suggested and laughed awkwardly.

‘Um… yeah…' Nicole May muttered. ‘Not really what I had in mind for a suggestion…'

"Meh… just ask Avegaille, I'm pretty sure she'd give it some Japanese name or something…" Jane remarked while she placed her hand on her hips.

'Japanese name… huh…' Nicole May kept quiet for a while.

"Hmm?" Jane became curious at what Nicole May was murmuring from the other line.

‘Ah, it's nothing… thanks though,' Nicole May said and ended the call.

"Huh… what's up with her?" Jane asked and placed the phone back on the base, which was stuck to the wall. Then, she turned to her mother. "Geez… that girl is really weird…"

"True, but at least, that makes her more unique and approachable, right?" Mrs. Stewart remarked and giggled. "So, she's taking care of the kitten you two found earlier?"

"Yeah… all because Avegaille doesn't want it sent to the animal shelter," Jane replied and sighed. "Hey, Mom, if Avegaille wasn't allergic to cats, would you allow her to keep it?"

"Sure… why not? I mean, it'll make her less depressed and all…" Mrs. Stewart replied and smiled. "Oh… I forgot to ask, did you guys have fun earlier?"

"Yeah, we did… I still don't understand how Avegaille could eat ice cream so early in the morning and not get a stomach ache…" Jane replied and looked exasperated. "We also talked about other things… I was this close to telling her about the company Dad is with now… should I tell her about what Dad is doing now?"

"I don't think she'd want to hear that now… but why don't you try it anyway when you guys spend some time together again," Mrs. Stewart suggested.

"I suppose…" Jane muttered hesitantly while she folded her arms across her chest.