"You found a what now? And who came to help?" Betty screamed down the phone. I had to pull my phone away from my ear.

When I heard her stop I pushed the phone back. "Do I have to repeat it?" I asked in a pained voice and she sighed.

"Uh? Yeah!"

"Fine. I was on a run and came across this cute little kitten. I didn't know what to do and accidentally called Theo. He then drove over and took me to the vets." I said. "It's not a big deal!"

I know, I know. I was speaking to Betty again. After yesterday, finding that kitten all alone and away from its family, I realised how stupid I was for not saving Betty and I's friendship. Even though nothing crucial really happened. It was just me being me. Being over the top and dramatic when I really just could've messaged her and sorted this out.

I realised how important people and family were. I realised how I shouldn't take anything for granted because they could easily be gone in the next few seconds.

I wanted to salvage our relationship.

"Right, okay. I've got two questions to ask." She paused.

"Shoot."

"Are you keeping that kitten and are you in love with Theo?"

I stared blankly up at my ceiling, ask if she could see me. "The kitten's not mine and I'm going to find its rightful owner when I pick her up in a few days...and no. I am not in love with Theo. He's so difficult." I rolled my eyes.

I didn't understand Theo. One minute he'd be really nice and caring. I still have his sweater and he said I could keep it. Then the next minute he was being egotistical and stuck up.

I'd never known someone to be so.. so annoying!

"Why's he difficult? What's happened?" She asked.

I rolled onto my side and threw the covers over my head, hiding in my bed. "Basically, I first met him when I was getting a card for you- which by the way have you got?"

"I have indeed. One's on its way to your house as we speak."

I smiled. "Awe thanks."

"No prob. But carry on, please."

I snorted. "I ended up tripping in front of him in the store and it was in front of Stephanie as well. Long story short. she hates me because I'm now on the cheer team. I've even been getting these weird messages from an unknown number saying I needed to be careful and shit. Then! This is the best part! Me and Theo almost kissed and now he's being cold with me! Like what the actual fuck, dude!" I exhaled and gasped for air. Holy shit.

"WHAT? You and Theo almost kissed?" She screamed again and I winced. Oh shit. "Also, these weird messages. What have they been saying? This could be quite serious if you're not careful Will." Her tone of voice went from excited, to worried. All in the span of a couple of seconds.

"Yeah. On the day of the storm he came to my house to drop off Cal. Later on in the day he came up to my room and then it went on from there. We almost kissed but he fled like he was on fire." I sighed loudly and Betty whined.

"We almost got a kiss.." She said wistfully.

"Yeah.." I traced the pad of my finger along the wall. Drawing random patterns and letters.

"As much as I'm happy for you, Will. I'm just nervous about these messages you've been getting." Betty said. She was serious. There was no humour in her tone.

"It's okay. I just block the numbers every time." Liar. "I can handle this. I'm sure it's just some stupid kid playing games or something." Liar.

"Yeah, maybe. Just if it gets to much, call me. No matter the time, okay?" She still didn't seem convinced by my words but I didn't want to make her worry. Especially when she wasn't with me and was overseas.

"Course. Thanks." I said. I really missed her so much. "I really wish you were here, Betts."

"I really wish I was there too. I miss you so much. It's not the same without you." I felt my eyes tear up. My face felt hot and I tried my very best to not cry on the phone. "I love you so much, Will. My number one best friend."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and took in a deep breath. Don't cry.

"Betts, I'm worried you won't want to be best friends later on in life." I bit down on my nail and scrunched up my face. Tears were dropping uncontrollably.

I felt a sniffle on the other side of the line. "I thought you were thinking the same thing, Will. But I'm glad that we are both on the same page. I love you so much and you'll always be my number best friend. No matter how far apart we are, or even when we aren't messaging or FaceTiming. I'm always thinking about you."

Now she was crying too.

"Same here. I just want the summer to hurry up." I wiped my eyes and heard a sniffly chuckle on the other end.

"Me too. But what should we do in the summer?" She asked. I laid wide awake in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was light outside. Light for six in the evening.

"Shopping, go to the cinema, go swimming at the beach, get drunk-"

"Get drunk? Who are you?" Betty laughed.

"I've been to one party and got absolutely drunk. There's even a party coming up this Saturday. Marcus'."

"You're going to Marcus' party?" Betty asked in disbelief.

"Yeah! I went there the other time. He's pretty cool." I said with a sigh. I remember when he and Theo came to my house for dinner.

"Callum's friends with him, isn't he?"

I nodded. "Yep. Although I barely see him with Marcus' lot."

"If I remember correctly I'm pretty sure I remember him always being with...Jackson? I think that's his name. I always saw Cal with him."

I snorted and pushed my hair behind my ears. "Yeah, he's always with him. Even still. Jackson also comes around ours quite a bit."

"Some things don't change then." She said and I hummed in response.

Suddenly my phone vibrated against my skin. Then it vibrated again. I pulled the phone away and looked at the ID. It was the vets. "Betty, I've got to go. The vets are calling me!"

"Alright! If you do keep the kitten or something, send me a pic immediately!" She said in response and I chuckled.

"Will do. Love you, B."

"Love you, Will."

I pressed accept onto the new phone call and sat up against the wall.

"Hello. Is this Willow Anderson?" Some lady asked and I recognised her voice from the reception desk.

"Yes. Yes it is. Is everything okay?" I asked. I felt quite panicked because I knew the kitten I took there was in their care. Maybe their owner came to pick her up and that was it..

"Hi, yes! Everything's absolutely fine. I was just calling up to say the kitten you brought in has been progressing with its health rapidly and you are free to come and pick her up whenever."

I dropped down onto my pillow with a content, but relieved sigh.

"Thank you so much. I'll come and pick her up tomorrow? Around four-ish if that's alright?" I asked. I had school tomorrow but as soon as I get out of those double doors I'll be straight over to the vets to pick her up.

Worse case scenario, my Mom would reject the kitten.

"Yes. That's perfect. Alright, see you tomorrow." The lady said.

"Bye."

The call ended and I sat up, squeezing my phone in my hands. My Mom was home, had been ever since I got back from work. I shrugged on a random jumper and my slippers and walked downstairs into the living room. My Mom had her feet propped up on the sofa whilst she was flicking through a fashion magazine.

"Do people really look like that?" My Mom asked and I came to sit next to her. She scrunched her nose up at some of the models. "Surely that's edited." She pointed at one girl.

I scoffed and hugged my legs. The tv was playing mindlessly in the background and the flicking through the pages of the magazine was the only sound that was loud enough to really hear.

I rocked backwards and forwards on my butt and I could see my Mom peak up from the magazine. She had some round glasses on her face and she looked funny. She never wore them because she knew how funny she looked and knew how much they made me laugh.

"What is it?" My Mom asked, closing the magazine and tossing it down into the small coffee table. I looked at her in confusion. "You rock when you're either nervous or that you don't realise you're doing it. So which one is it?"

I swallowed. Will she be okay by having a kitten in the house? It was only going to be for a short amount of time till I help it find its Mother.

"M'nervous." I said into my knees.

"Why are you nervous. What's happened?" She crossed her legs on the sofa and took off her glasses.

"Just a general question for you. Do you like cats, kittens? You know. That animal." I asked nervously and she looked at me suspiciously. Oh fuck. She was probably sussing me out right now!

"Yes.Why? You've got a secret cat you haven't told me about?" She laughed to herself and I remained still. My straight face was enough for her to stop laughing. "Don't tell me you've got a bloody cat, Willow Sofia Anderson." She said sternly, though she didn't look that angry.

I gulped and stood up in front of her, blocking any way for her to get out. "Please listen. I can explain." I said, hands out to frantically stop her from moving. Even though she wasn't going anywhere. "I was on that run the other day and came across a small kitten. It was really weak and was starving to death so I had some help taking it to the vets. They called me up saying I can pick it up whenever which I'm going to do tomorrow after school." My Mom's face went pale and I jumped about in anticipation. "Wait, wait! But I'll have to bring it back here for a couple nights just until I find it's real owner!"

I waited anxiously for the words to come out of my Mom's mouth. Her arms were crossed and she had a straight but strict look on her face. "Sofia.." She started. It never was good when she said my middle name. Whenever she said my middle name in the past it meant I was in deep shit. "I'm not happy that you have gone and done this and didn't even tell me." She said and I bit my lip, rocking side to side on the balls of my feet.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't lea-"

She raised her finger up and I stayed quiet.

"I'm not happy that you didn't tell me about this. How are you going to pay for the bill?"

"I have it sorted. Don't worry!" I said and I felt my stomach churn in discomfort.

"You told me you were saving your money for the future. If you spend all your earnings on some little cat you'll have no money left." She said and stood up, taking her empty mug with her into the kitchen. I followed behind her.

"I am saving up Mom. It's not going to take a big chunk of money out of my bank account. I'll work double shifts if I have to!" I reasoned but she didn't relax. Instead she looked even more tense.

"Willow, you're a seventeen year old who is in the most important year of her life. You should be revising, doing school work, having fun with your friends. You shouldn't need to have to work double shifts." There was a sense of worry and also sadness in her words. But she was right.

Why didn't I think about any of this?

I leant my hip against the counter and stared down at my feet. What was I going to do with the kitten then?

My Mom came over to me and kissed my head. "I'm not mad with you, I'm just disappointed."

"Disappointed? With me?" I felt my voice crack. I always looked up to my Mom. I always had her on my side.

She stroked my cheek and pulled me into a side hug. Her comforting warm scent washed over me. "Not with you, just your lack of thought. That's all. I just thought you'd be mature enough to think about the consequences of your actions." She sighed. "I just don't want you to be left with no money and have no life, my sweet. I want you to have the best life possible and for you to enjoy yourself. You're eighteen soon and that's the next milestone in your life. I want you to be able to afford going out to places with your friends. Enjoying yourself and being an adult."

I listened and soaked in her words. As much as it pained me to say it, I knew she was right.

I had to let that kitten go.

She wasn't mine.

But it didn't mean I couldn't help.

I had to look for its parents somehow.

"Thanks, Mom." I said and kissed her cheek.

I soon after left to go back upstairs. I grabbed my laptop from my desk and hobbled over to my bed. I leant a heart cushion against the wall and rested my back on it. As soon as my laptop loaded up and I was signed in, I pressed onto Google immediately.

This computer was so slow.

It wasn't even a good brand but at least it still did the basic things for me and my school work.

'Missing kittens in Los Angeles.'

The web page showed hundreds of missing cats and kittens and I scrolled down through them. None of them were what I was looking for. I felt sad that there were so many missing animals. It wasn't just people who would go missing, it was also animals too.

Did the world have a plan for all of us?

If so, why can't we all have good life's and not suffer?

Sadness and grief were the worst emotions.

I scrolled through the page and typed up any possible links and words regarding to the kitten. I did that for about an hour but there were no searches that matched up to what I was looking for.

Whoever owner of this kitten was, I wondered how they were feeling.

They must be so distraught.

I closed the lid of my laptop and put it down onto my bed. I grabbed my phone from beside me and it immediately lit up with a message from someone who I did not expect to message me. Not when he was acting so moody yesterday.

Cat alright?

I snorted at his weird, short, abbreviated sentence. Only him. Only him could talk like that.

Yes. The kitten is absolutely

fine. I'm picking it up tomorrow.

Good.

But it's sad :(

What is?

I can't take her home with me.

Why not?

I can't afford to pay for the

medical bill. Plus my Mom

said how I shouldn't spend my

money of some kitten when I'm

almost eighteen and all.

I can see where she's coming

from.

But you don't want that.

You want the cat.

My eyes slightly widened at his boldness.

But he was right. I did want to keep her.

In all truth. Yes.

The next day I was spent in the cage of what people like to call school. It wasn't totally bad considering I had some sort of recognition in the halls and...well, around the whole school to be quite honest. Girls would actually go out if their way to say hi to me and smile and wave. Even in the cafeteria, some girls — like today — wanted me to sit at the popular table which meant the table that Theo and Stephanie were all sitting at.

I protested for a bit but realised my food was getting quite cold and I was hungry as fuck so I have in and sat with them.

Cadence was also sitting with us and Angel and Charlotte pushed us to go sit with them. But to be honest, these cheerleader girls and boys were not my friends. My group of friends were the weird, funny group who swam in the ocean in the start of September. The group that got food poisoned. The group that were basically a remake of some kid cartoon. Each of my friends were special in their own ways.

But this lot didn't match with my friends. They didn't get my humour.

Later on that day we ended up having a cheer meet at lunch. I felt quite excited because it felt really real that I was now on the team. My Mom was happy I was doing something good for myself. Betty called me up later that day, despite the time difference and we spent the majority of half an hour talking about our lives and what we were up to that day. Betty was extremely happy when I first told her about making it onto the cheer team. She also told me she got persuaded by her friends to join the lacrosse team. I couldn't be more happier for her.

Even if we were apart in miles. We were still there with each other in spirit and deep in the heart. I would make it possible in every way to stay in contact with her. She was my best friend after all.

As soon as the bell to the lack class went, I zoomed out of the school and into my car. It was roughly three o'clock and the vets was quite long journey away. I hoped I wouldn't be late.

I was nervous and also excited. Nervous because I had to tell them I couldn't pay for the medical bill but excited because I'd be seeing that cute little kitten again.

I felt really happy that she was now healthy and on the road to a full recovery.

I was so lucky to have found her and helped her.

After the drive I finally drove into the parking lot. I parked my car in a spot and got out. I took my phone with me just in case there were any possible issues.

I had no idea how they'd take it that I couldn't afford to pay the bill. Would that practically theft?

Was I going to go to jail?

Hell no.

I was too young!

I walked in and was figuratively pushed out of the way. A women with about three dogs was getting pulled out the door and I tried my very best not to laugh.

Poor women. They were big dogs too.

I walked through the hall and over to the desk that I was at not only a couple of days ago. The same red haired lady was here too.

She looked up from the computer and smiled as soon as she saw me. "Willow Anderson?"

"That's me." I said.

She stood up and grabbed a clipboard, swiftly passing it to me.

I stared down at it and read over the words on the piece of paper.

'...blah blah blah...medical bill...$300'

I gasped.

Three hundred dollars?

No, no, no. That was way too pricey.

I looked at the women and felt my heart sink.

I didn't think the bill was going to be that much!

"I-I can't.." I paused. I was in disbelief. "I can't pay for this. I don't have that money to spend."

I felt terrible.

The women laughed.

What the fuck?

Why was she laughing at my money issue?

Then she passed another piece of paper to me with what looked like a confirmation of some sort of payout.

"What's this?" I asked, staring down at the sheet.

"Some man came by yesterday and paid for the medical bill. He was in a hurry and didn't stop by for long. It was strange really. He literally came in and then he-"

I stared at her in shock. My mouth was dry and I felt numb all over. "-S-someone.. someone came in here and paid for the medical bill?" As soon as the words left my mouth she nodded and passed me a pen.

"For private confidential reasons we need you to sign this to tell us that you accept the payment." She said and I nodded slowly.

I barely brought the pen bud to the page let alone have a neat signature. Someone else paid for the medical bill for me?

And this person was a guy.