(Matt's PoV - Friday, September 22nd, 2012, around 3 p.m.)
A few weeks have passed since the Gina incident. Her dad went to the police station after they spread posters around town saying she was found.
Sherry - the girl who came to my house to make me go to school - finally contacted me. She looked defeated and ragged. I invited her into my home and reinstated my plans of buying a ton of shares and having her deal with it. She was still very skeptical until I invited her on a shopping spree.
As I am not a fashionista myself, we had a lot of help from clerks of high-end stores. We bought clothes, accessories, amenities... I even bought the apartment complex she lives in and convinced her to sign the ownership of it to her. She was flabbergasted, but after dealing with the legal proceedings of it, she finally believed me.
We set off on a plane to New York; the transactions I wanted to partake in were too high profile to be done just anywhere.
My plan remained the same: I wanted to know how much cash I could spend at any one instance. I've also thought about something... where does the money come from? Am I going to destroy the economy or is this money magic currency?
The answer? I can spend a lot of money at once. The most I can spend at once is 10 billion dollars.
10 BILLION dollars. And oh, it's only 'at once'. This means I bought 4.17% worth of Google shares at once... then again, and again and again. To say the executives were shocked was the understatement of the century.
I asked MecMe to monitor global economics, just in case this money was coming from somewhere or someone, and lo and behold, it actually was!
At generally the same time I made my transactions, several corruption schemes were found in accounts spread across the world, accounts that weren't active for a very long time were repurposed, banks broke down, wills were passed... all of that money was moved around until it all got to a non-descript account, with all the reasons why it happened being generally accepted.
In a single afternoon, I shifted a good part of the Global Economy.
The waves are being felt to this day.
Of course, I didn't stop there. I bought companies, entire residential complexes, buildings, you name it.
I made sure to put it all under Sherry's name, only making a contract with some things she should do every year:
One: she should make sure the net worth of everything put to her name is at least 25% liquid. Two: she should donate to charity, per year, at least 50% of that liquid 25%. That's besides donations already made to abate taxes. Three: make sure the money is always running; investments, shares, stocks, what have you. Make it move. Four: if she is ever to pass the position down, make a very detailed screening process beforehand, just in case.
I made the rules very haphazardly, I just want to keep the money running through the economy whenever possible and to give to those who need it.
I left it up to her to name whatever company she made to keep all the assets together and she came up with Second Chance, saying that it was what I gave her and what she would strive to give others. Hearing that, I gave her a name of companies that ended up doing good on my Earth so she could pay attention to them.
From what I understood, after she read the rules of the contract she thought I was about to isolate myself from the world or something like that - not far from it, to be honest - and decided to make money not just for the sake of money, but to try and help ailing companies get a second wind, for a fair share of their stocks.
Very grand dream, very noble indeed... except she, like me, had no talent in business management. She had to hire a lot of helpers in that regard, but by then my involvement became secondary at best. I'm only the money bag now, and that's fine by me. She has until Christmas to make me spend as much as possible in assets to secure the position of her company.
Now, for today...
I'm training again, at least for a few more hours. After that, I have a meeting with the boys.
I'll say, coming to a glacier to train was a very good idea.
Manipulating water is trickier than solid objects and its weight translates differently too. Levitating icebergs, small tsunamis worth of water, even making a show of relocating a whole tribe of penguins.
Also, while it wasn't needed, I took Andrew's critique of the temperature and found a way to circumvent it. I can vibrate particles to generate heat or slow them down to reduce it. This way I can create ice and fire, though I cannot control fire. Ice is fair game, though not as magically as I would like.
Still, temperature control: check. Can't say I'll solve global warming by myself, but maybe I can freeze some glaciers back together? Hmm... actually, if my control gets stronger and smaller in precision, I might be able to repair the ozone layer... I'll have to research how, but maybe it's doable.
The thing is: I came here to train, yes, but also to finally address an issue that I've been putting off.
'How do we do this?'
|You need only allow our merge. I will cease to be, becoming fully a part of you, fulfilling my purpose.|
{Matt, I've been thinking... do you like me? Do you like me being here?} Symby asks, with a very demure tone.
'I do, Symby... would you like a new name? I named you that when I... well, my naming sense was always bad, but I was in a very stressful situation so I didn't think that much about it.'
{Ok... How about Synthia?}
'That sounds great! Now back to your question... I'm used to being alone with my thoughts. Having you and Caby was great; I could bounce ideas off someone else. I know I sometimes would ignore you and I'm sorry for that, I'll try not to do it again. I appreciate your humor, and your concern and I understand your anger and your sadness. I know you can't abandon me even if you really want to, but I'll still strive to be a better host. Ok?'
{... a stubborn idiot, that's what you are. Fine! Apologies accepted.}
'We'll have to be even greater partners now since MecMe will become just... me.'
|I would like to announce I finally chose my name. As the last act of my individuality, I shall name myself Meshra Kai. It was an honor living life, as both 'Caby' and as myself. Would you like to commence the merge?|
I look to the sky, sitting with my legs crossed on the ice. This is just the beginning of my journey through the Omniverse and yet here I am, about to turn fully cyborg. 'I wonder how much more I will change...'
"Do it."
I feel my whole body being changed. Warped, turned, fused, meld together. My whole skin vibrates like a weird shapeshifting. It doesn't hurt, but it does itch like a motherfucker. The weirdest thing is the amount of information and sub-processes that come to my mind. I close my eyes and take a while to get used to it all.
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'That wasn't so bad.... still, having my mind partitioned like this is definitely going to take a while to get used to. You there, Syn?' I stand up, feeling my body truly mine. Small processes that I didn't know about now stay at the back of my head; how the epidermis adjusts to better handle cold, or how certain muscles subtly shift to maintain a comfortable position no matter how I pose or stay.
{Yes, I'm here! How do you feel~?}
'Good... great, even. The craziest thing is the constant access to the internet and the sheer amount of information I can gather, see, review, and repurpose through nothing but myself now.'
{Must be nice, huh. Anyway, we can also merge deeper~} She sounds like she is twiddling her thumbs.
'Why not do it then? Or are you going to disappear?'
{No! I'm never going to truly merge with you, not fully at least. We are one and the same, yes, but still two different individuals... if that makes sense? It's still a symbiosis, not a fusion or merge.}
'I see. Well, how would we merge deeper together?'
{You see... the deeper we merge, the harder it'll be to tear us apart in any way. Right now I'm fused with most of your muscles and your nerves. The deepest symbiotes normally can go is the bone marrow. As you might know, that's where blood is produced. If I merge with that, I'll become a fundamental part of you. There'll be small parts of me throughout your blood, helping your immune system, transferring nutrients and oxygen through your body... it'll even improve my healing capabilities!}
'Do it. NOW!'
{Eek! Ok ok!}
'Yes... let's reach for higher levels of regeneration, Syn. I believe in you!'
{I don't think that's how that works!... But fine, I'll do my best anyway~}
I keep myself still, this time feeling the symbiote crawling into my bones and slowly settling there. It's a... peculiar feeling, that's for sure.
'All set?'
{To fully merge I need more time. Should be all done by midnight.}
'Can you still be my clothes, though?'
{Hmph, of course.}
'Nice!' A quick query gives me the time: 5:30 p.m. in Seattle. Let's go meet the boys.
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"Man, I'm full of shit to do this weekend! I have to go to at least two parties, one today and the other tomorrow, Samantha wants me to help promote her friend's NGO for the Talent Show, I need to study for three tests... oof." Steve complains, as we all land on top of a building.
"That sounds like a lot of work, Steve. I hope everything will be okay~" I say, lying down and dangling my legs off the edge.
"Step off, Matt, I can feel your sarcasm from here," Steve says, rolling his eyes.
"Hahaha~. Anyway, how you guys doing?" I ask, turning to face them one at a time.
Andrew shrugs, "Things have been great. Mom got back to work, Richard went to crash with his sister and school is... school, I guess."
Matthew takes a break from the book he's reading, "Oh, yeah, I'm good. Everything normal." I squint at that.
"You still on about that Casey, Matthew?" I ask.
He flinches so hard the book actually falls from his hand. He despairs for a second, before catching it with his power. He sends me a nasty look, "How do you know her?"
"I mean, I've seen her around sometimes. Besides, she was the chick that gave me your number, remember? Any luck with her?" I say with a smirk. Steve and Andrew also look at Matthew, interested in where this is going.
He stammers a bit, before sighing. "No. She's always rebuking my quotes or just simply not interested... I don't know what to try anymore!" He gripes, looking lost.
"Have you tried... talking to her normally? Ask her out for coffee or dinner?" Steve suggests. Not satisfied with that, he deals another killing blow. "The only chicks that actually dig the philosophical quotes you say are either too nerdy or too crazy, man. Believe me, I've seen it happen."
Matthew is speechless but still doesn't want to believe it, "No, I think I just haven't found the quote she'll relate to. Maybe something about the futility of seeking approval from outside sources..."
"Brother, isn't that LITERALLY what you are doing with her?" I say. Is this guy stupid or is he so smart he goes all the way back to stupid?
"...Oh. Not that one then." He turns back to his book, passing several pages.
I roll my eyes; definitely stupid. "Look, Matthew, I'll give you some money, maybe even lend you my car if you want, but please ask her out normally. If it doesn't happen, at least you tried." I offer. He tears his eyes away from the book, staring at me for a while...
Andrew and Steve look at him, each trying their best to encourage him. He notices this and that seems to give him the courage he needs.
He sighs, "You said something about a party tonight, Steve? I'll call her."
"YEES!!" Steve jumps, punching the air in excitement. Andrew grins, happy for his cousin and I simply shake my head with an amused smile.
"Finally, huh. You go get her, kitty." I say, getting a book smack to my face.
"Oh, oh! Do any of you guys want in the Talent Show? There's two spots left; apparently, one boy got the flu pretty bad and won't be able to go - I call bull on that one, by the way - and the other gave up."
"I don't have any talents to show." I say, unconcerned.
"Me neither..." Matt murmurs, still reading through that book of his.
"Yeah, Steve, I think you got the wrong crowd." Andrew finishes with a wry smile.
"Ah, you guys can't be serious." Steve shakes his head. He gets up and looks over the city. "The view here is amazing, isn't it?"
We all agree. There is something about looking at everything from up here. "Makes you feel so big and everything so small..." I say.
After a few minutes of us all just relaxing, looking at the view, reading a good book or just enjoying the afternoon sun on our skins, Steve turns to us again. Specifically, to Andrew.
"Andrew, I know you have some... issues with Wayne, right?" Steve breaches a very delicate subject. Andrew hesitantly nods.
"I know that guy is not going to change, I tried many many times to no avail. So how about we change you?" He says with a crafty smile.
"What... do you mean?" Andrew asks, looking at me and Matthew for help.
"We get you on the Talent Show! You'll show everyone that you're cool." Steve flies closer to Andrew, butting both his hands on his shoulder. "You are a cool guy, Andrew! You just gotta show that to everyone."
"But I don't have any talents..." Andrew mumbles.
"Oh, you do have a talent..." Steve promptly responds, a glint in his eyes.
Here we go...
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(Matt's PoV - Saturday, September 23nd, 2012, 7:30 p.m.)
"I can't believe it. Matt Garetty filming for the Talent Show!" I hear Casey speaking. According to Matthew, she was busy yesterday but said she would show up to the Talent Show and to the party afterward.
"Yeah..." Matthew turns the camera to point at her, "How do you like being on camera?"
Casey smiles, "I actually don't mind being on camera."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Talent Show is proud to present you... Steve Montgomery!" The crowd cheers as the announcer says the name no one expects on this Talent Show.
Steve comes onto the stage, wearing a suit with no tie, and expertly tames the crowd, "Seattle High, are you ready for some real talent!? All my underclassmen, make some noise!"
"Give it up for my people, class of 2012!!!" And the crowd cheers like wild.
Steve signals the audience to quiet down, "Ok, I want you all to give it up for the very talented, Andrew Detmer!"
No one makes a single noise, as the song they chose starts to play. Andrew comes into Stage with shy uncertain steps and a smile. He pulls a deck of cards from within his suit's inner pocket and shows the audience.
As he walks from one side to the other, he fake-trips and lets all the cards fall. The crowd starts to boo him, but he stands up, undeterred. Even Steve is making a show, gesticulating a lot, and participating in the by-play.
Andrew, already up, appeases the 'angry' Steve and signals him to wait. He puts his hand towards the cards with his palm up and... the cards all float over to his palm!
"No way! How are they doing that!?" Casey asks Matthew, amazed. The crowd agrees with her, as they all start cheering.
After that, Andrew juggles some balls, makes them float and hit Steve. He walks and even does a few tricks on top of a tightrope. The crowd absolutely loves it!
"I didn't know your cousin was talented like that..." Casey says, as Matt turns stops the recording now that Andrew and Steve had come off the stage.
"Yeah, he's full of surprises," Matthew says, packing the camera in his bag. "Meet you at the party later?"
Casey smiles, "Yeah."
"Ahem, I'll be going Matt. You, um, you look like you have some fine company already." I get up from my seat, teasing Matthew as I go away. I see him sputter and Casey laugh at his expression.
The Talent Show soon finishes up, Andrew coming out as the winner.
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"Remember Andrew: popularity is a fickle bitch. They hated you yesterday, they love you today and they'll forget you tomorrow. Don't let it get to your head." I make sure to remind Andrew.
I think this Andrew in front of me is in a better place, emotionally and mentally. The events of the movie should not come to pass, but I still give him some advice just in case.
He smiles, "I know, Matt. Still, it's the springboard I needed and now let me enjoy it!" he turns to Steve, whose smile could rival the brightest lights around. I can't help but smile as well. Let the little guy enjoy his limelight.
As they go deeper into the party, the crowd cheering and chanting Andrew's name, I stay by the poolside, enjoying the sights of teenagers doing crazy shit and having fun.
I'm sure by now Matthew is tongue-deep into Casey's mouth if she lets him, Steve and Andrew should be drinking and having fun. I hope everything goes well for Andrew.
I feel someone approaching, coming directly for me. The person, Monica, puts her feet right up to my lower back and tries to push me into the pool. I don't even bulge.
"Oh, hey Monica. Enjoying the party?" I turn my head to look at her. She's dumbfounded and tries to push me a few more times, even getting the attention of people nearby, making them laugh at her failed attempt.
She notices that and starts to tear up, "You! You...! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" By the time I turn to her, she's already running away, holding her face with her hands.
The people who were laughing around now looked at me and whispered, starting rumors here and there. 'They were a thing?', 'What do you think she meant by that?', 'Wasn't Monica dating Hector?', 'Oh! Maybe they had an affair and he came clean?'.
I simply shrug, getting a nearby drink and going to a corner. Just like all parties.
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(Andrew's PoV - Later that same night)
"Come on, do it again, Magic Man!" Some random guy said, much to the general cheer. I laugh at the poor nickname but oblige anyway.
I pull my deck of cards from the table where it was sprawled and shuffle it. I scan the crowd with a smile and several girls and guy lift their hands, hoping to be chosen. I choose one girl who's been trying to be selected for a while, nodding in her direction. She squeals and comes forward, just as I spread the cards again, this time turned to her. "Pick a card, any card, and show it to everyone around. I won't look, I promise."
I even close my eyes and turn away from her just so they know I'm not looking. She takes a few seconds choosing, but eventually takes a card. As soon as she takes the card off the deck, I put a thin, weak blotch of telekinesis on it. Not enough to control it, but enough for me to know which one it is.
"I'm done!" Says the girl, excitedly.
"Ok, put it back on the deck, wherever you want." She does so and I get to shuffle, doing fancy shuffling techniques that I looked up on the internet yesterday. After shuffling I say, "Pick any four people now. They'll help you and me complete this trick, ok?" She nods enthusiastically and chooses four other girls.
"Ok, now each of you will say stop whenever you want and I'll cut the deck there, ok? To spicy things up, I'll close my eyes again!" I start spreading the cards and they all tell me to stop at different points. I cut the deck and give them each their portion of the deck.
When I open my eyes, I glance at each of the five girls with a thoughtful frown, "Now, where did I put it...?" The people around me smile and I see Steve giving me a big thumbs-up. Those tips he gave me for keeping crowd attention are huge!
"Uh... you!" The girl I point towards smiles brightly, but I wave her off, "No no no no... I think it's... you!" I point to another girl but soon shake my head. "That's not right either... where do you guys think it is?" I even scratch my head for emphasis.
Everyone gives their guesses haphazardly before they all just urge me to choose one. I smile confidently, "Ok, ok, guys. We all know where it is." I wave my hands in front of my eyes, grabbing all their attention. Very lightly, I push the card into a very... fortunate? Position.
After I take the card that was in my suit's cuff, I show it to everyone with a smile. They all make funny faces and tell me I'm wrong.
"What? But that's how it's supposed to go..." I turn the card to myself, then the girl. "Is this not your card?" She shakes her head no. "Then... oh. Um, lady, you have a, um..." I say, looking away a bit and not even having to pretend the light blush on my cheeks.
She looks down and takes the card that was slightly tucked into her cleavage. "THAT'S MY CARD!!"
Amidst all the cheering, I say just loud enough for people to hear, "I must have gotten distracted..."
They all laugh harder. Steve comes from behind me and pats me on my shoulder, "That's my boy! Andrew Detmer, everybody!" They all cheer louder.
This day is going great!
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(Matthew's PoV, Sunday Morning.)
Why am I so dumb?
All I had to do was ask her out, have a beer or two, talk about life, school, and her nephew's coming birthday and that's it? Get some?
Why was it so easy? What have I been doing this whole time?
These thoughts were almost enough to keep me from enjoying the night, enjoying her. The feeling of wasted time and opportunity.
She moves, nudging to my chest and I embrace her closer, enjoying her body heat on this crisp morning. I wonder if Andrew, Steve, and Matt had a good time as well.
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(Andrew's PoV, Sunday Morning)
I woke up in someone else's bed. I don't know what happened, nor where I am.
I get away from her, looking at her face to try and remember it properly, so I know who this is later. I put my pants and shirt back on, didn't find the suit jacket. The bathroom smells funky, but I wash my face and leave.
The house has marks and puddles of unknown origin spread around, people passed out in rooms, others in couches... there's even a guy lying on the pool table, drooling all over it.
I feel my pocket vibrate and take out my phone, "Hello?"
"Hey, Drew! You awake yet?" Came Matthew's voice.
"Oh, hey, Matt. Yeah, I just woke up, where are you?" I ask, walking around the place looking for Steve, Matt, or Matthew.
"Dude, I'm in Casey's home!" He yells in a hushed tone, clearly excited. "I did it, dude! I did it!"
I chuckle, "Congrats, Matt!" But then I frown, "You heard anything from Steve or the other Matt?"
"Nah, I don't know where they are. I only called you a few times before, not them. Also, we ditched the party pretty early on." I can hear the smile on his face.
"Yeah yeah, Matt, gloat all you want that the girl you've been chasing all this time just wanted a normal date with normal Matt, not pretentious prick Matt." I poke fun at him, almost tripping on a guy that tried to get up, only to fall back down face first.
While I hear Matt's groan of frustration, I reach for my suit jacket splayed out on an armchair, some lipstick marks along the neck area. I blush. 'What happened yesterday??'
"Oh, just the one I was looking for!" I hear Steve's voice coming from a doorway a ways away. He's nursing a tall glass of water, wearing ragged yesterday's clothes. "Headache?" He asks.
I shake my head, "No, no... I just can't remember anything."
"Oh, you blacked out then... not great for remembering what happened..." He smiles saucily, "But great to avoid the embarrassment. You might be a light drinker then, Andrew." He comments. "Let's leave this place. For once I'm not part of the clean-up crew and neither are you, Mister Magic Man."
I cringe at the name. It was funny at first, but if that awful name sticks...
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(Steve's PoV, Sunday Morning)
I'm so proud of him! I almost feel a tear running down my face.
"You were great yesterday, Andrew! You'll become a legend! You already are a legend!" I can't help but howl, as we fly above the clouds. Good thing I left my boo at home before coming back for Andrew, otherwise she would've harped to me about forgetting her until next year.
Andrew still has that timid air about him, but instead of being awkward, it's slowly becoming just a charming aspect of his personality. He smiles at me, "I don't know about that, Steve. Still, thank you for suggesting it!" He smiles at me and comes closer. I get what he wants, approach him as well and we do a flying high-five. "Hell yeah! Still so cool!"
"Oh, Steve! Matthew got it! He's with her right now!" Andrew says, clearly happy for his cousin.
"Let's gooooo!! Best night ever!" I whoop and howl.
It was a great night indeed!
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(Matt's PoV - Sunday, September 23rd, 2012, 1:17 p.m.)
Last night was alright.
But today will probably be better!
I called the boys one by one and told them to meet me at this place. Even said it was ok if they wanted to bring their girls - or in Andrew's case, his mom - as it should be a pretty good outing for couples and families.
"Hey, Matt! We're here!" I turn to see Steve waving at me. He parked a bit far, as this area is crowded today.
"Hey! Hey Samantha! Nice party yesterday, no?" I greet them. Samantha nods her head with a smile, subtly nudging Steve's arm more affectionately.
"Yeah, it was awesome! Andrew was awesome too!" She says.
Steve can't help but gloat, "What did I say about my boy? He nailed it!" He cheers like the accomplishment is his. "They should be here soon, Matt... but what exactly is this?" He says, pointing at the place.
It's a barn on the outskirts of the city, with a lot of cars parked around.
"Just a second-" Matthew's car passes us by, hollering at us. "-wait for them to park." I finish with a smile.
At this point, Steve doesn't even blink at my antics anymore, but Samantha always sputters and makes funny faces.
Matthew, Casey, Andrew, and Karen park and come greet us. We all introduce ourselves to Casey and everyone turns to me.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Because of the ritual of sin and promiscuity you partook in yesterday," Andrew turns bright red as his mother sends him an amused look. "I decided today was a great day for some soul healing. So... I invited you all to a Pet Adoption Event!" They all look a bit confused, but mainly the ladies start getting excited.
"While I will be volunteering help to the people organizing the event, you can all just hang around, see, and play with the pets... maybe even adopt them!" I say with a genuine cheer. "Tell you what: if you want to adopt any of them but are concerned about money, I'll give you a big 'help' to get you started!"
That gets confused looks mostly from the girls. The boys are used to me splurging money. "Anyway, let's go in before Mrs. Abott comes out here to fetch me," I say, turning around to lead the way.
The place is a big barn on the city's outskirts, with a big fenced grassy area around it. Today, there are all kinds of animals - mainly cats and dogs - in little fences of their own spread around the grassy area and inside the barn too. Some of these pets are newly born, just now weaning from their mamas, some others are recently rescued street animals, treated and cared for in vets around the city before being taken here for a chance at adoption.
Mrs. Abott is a local housewife who organizes these events from time to time, when there are either too many ownerless animals around the city or when someone donates a fair bit of money to make it happen.
"Welcome, welcome! Make yourself at home, please! Oh, there are some puppies that are a bit skittish; there is a sign next to each and every one of them, ok? Be careful and remember: they are more afraid of you than you, them!" A bubbly young adult girl receives us, guiding us to the different sections of the place.
I pat their shoulders to encourage them to explore on their own and I go help Mrs. Abott.
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(Andrew's PoV, Sunday Afternoon)
"Look, Mom!" I say, excitedly looking at a whole litter of puppies. They are all still pudgy and small, but they sure are energetic!
"Aren't they cute~" Mom looks at the person watching over them and they nod, giving her permission to grab one. She picks a puppy up and pets them, getting excited yips and little barks in response.
The scene melts my heart. It feels like I'm still a kid, having my mom take me around to choose a pet. The thought makes a chuckle burst from me without me noticing.
"You wanna pet them?" Mom asks me. I nod, receiving the little fella and giving them a great big belly rub. They squirm and paw at my fingers, making me coo.
"Do you want a pet, Andrew? Now that I'm... back, we can have one if you want." Mom puts her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently to assure me.
"I don't know, Mom. We never had any pets, I don't really know how to care for them..." We never had pets because Richard never liked them. 'Stupid asshole...'
"It's ok, sweety. We can learn together! Maybe the nice lady there has some tips for us?" She says, looking at the middle-aged lady taking care of this litter. The lady smiles and beckons us closer, first introducing us to the names of each puppy.
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(Matthew's PoV)
"Yeah, I didn't know he invited us to... this." I say to Casey, looking around the place.
A bunch of people of all ages come and go playing with the animals, some asking questions or trying to learn how to care for their newly adopted pets.
"Anyway, do you want to- Casey?" When I turned to look for Casey, she was gone. I look around for a while and see her gushing over a white cat with black spots. Next to it is a sign reading 'skittish'.
I walk over there and see the cat doing its best to stay by the person looking over it... Matt. Wow, what a coincidence, really.
He smirks at me, "Hey, Matthew! Casey liked little Mona here, do you wish to adopt her?" He says, picking the cat up by its sides. Besides what the sign says, the cat just stays still and calm as he picks her up, putting her in his lap. He nods to Casey, "Walk over here, slowly, and reach your hand out if you want to pet her."
Casey nods seriously and starts approaching slowly. I see the cat bristling as she gets closer, but it doesn't move off Matt's lap. He gently lays his hand over her upper back, which calms the cat enough not to spring away at any moment.
Casey's approach ends with her hand outstretched and waiting for further commands. The cat slowly turns to look at Matt, who looks back keeping a calm posture and tone of voice. "It's okay, Mona. They want to pet you."
The cat holds the stare for a while, before Matt turns to Casey, followed by Mona. "Stay still, she'll come to you." Casey stays in the same position for almost a whole minute, before Mona slowly and hesitantly pushes her head against Casey's hand. "Don't make any noises now. Let her get used to your touch."
After a few minutes of Mr. Animal Whisperer teaching Casey how to interact with Mona, the cat was comfortable enough to let Casey pet her while she was on the ground. Matt did say not to keep petting for long. Apparently, skittish pets - especially cats - really need their space respected.
'Ha! Just like old Andrew.'
Still... seeing the smile in Casey's face and the purring cat brings a smile to my face.
Perhaps coming here was a good idea...
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(Steve's PoV)
"There's a ferret!" I whisper-shout, super excited!
I turn to Samantha, who's already in a classic facepalm. "Can we get the ferret??"
"Steve, you know what your parents think of pets-" She starts, but I'm not having it!
"But it's a ferret!!!!!" I whisper-shout louder, grabbing her by her sides and shaking her lightly.
"Hahaha! I see your boyfriend is excited! Do you want to get to know little James here?" The man taking care of the ferret fence invites us.
"No, Sir we can't-"
"Yes, please! He's up for adoption??" I get close excitedly. The little ferret recoils a bit, which makes me a little sad, but the man beckons me over.
"Just get closer walking normally, don't run." I oblige and soon I'm crouching next to the little guy.
I say little, but when he gets closer and stands on two feet, he's almost as tall as my chest crouching. "He's a pretty big one, isn't he?" The man says.
"Yeah! So cute too! Can I pet him?" I ask to make sure. The guy nods and I pet James slowly.
He leans into it and even grabs my hand with his two hands, wanting to pull himself up. "Oh, be careful! He's a rowdy one!"
I laugh and play with him. Eventually, Samantha joins me by my side and starts to pet him too, smiling. I turn to her, "See!? Isn't he just so cute???"
"Yeah Steve, he's very cute... sigh. I guess I could ask my parents if I can adopt the ferret-" I get up and hug her, picking her up off the ground.
"You'd do that!?" I whisper in her ear.
After a fit of giggles and being let down, she nods with a blush, "Yeah. If they agree, why not?"
"Come on, let's call them now!" I can't help but say, turning around to leave.
"Hey, you two. Don't you want to know what it takes to care for this cutie before deciding if you want to adopt them?" The man calls out to us, making me sport an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry! Got too excited. Teach me the ways, please!"
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(Matt's PoV - Sunday, September 24th, 2012, 2:00 p.m.)
Seeing everyone having fun and their cuteness meter raising is gratifying. Even if my money wasn't artificially infinite, it would have been worth spending it on this.
Scanning the crowd again, I finally spot the final invitees for the day. I get up and start walking towards the man. "Mr. Norman. Here, hello. I'm Matt, the one who called you."
Marco Norman was on rock bottom when the police found him. Devastated by the disappearance of his daughter and the loss of his years-long job; his world crumbled down. He was living in a city park, using what last scraps of money he had to keep himself fed enough to wait another day, hoping his daughter would be found or return. From what the officers said, he came up to the police station reeking of piss and rank but his daughter still hugged the hell out of him, both crying their hearts out.
Must have been a touching reunion.
Now, almost a month ago, Marco Norman has not completely recovered yet, but he cleaned up nicely. Now he has an apartment in a well-localized building in the city (Sherry's building), is bulking back up from his months-long endeavor at homelessness and slight malnutrition, dressing up in good, clean clothes, and apparently looking for a job.
He smiles at me, his eyes forming crow's feet an undeniable tell of his age, even if they radiate such deep gratitude. "Matthew! I was starting to wonder if we were at the right place." I shake his extended hand and wave at Gina as well, who only absentmindedly waves back at me, so amazed and distracted by the pets she is.
"No, you've come to the right place, sir. Come, let's take a look around. I'll show you to some pets!" I stand up straight and imitate a British butler accent, very poorly. He laughs anyway, taking Gina by the hand and coming with her.
I show them around the place for a while. Gina eventually gets excited about a litter of kittens and goes over to play with them.
"I invited you and your daughter here to spend some quality time together. I think it might help both of you recuperate." I say, looking at Gina and the kittens.
Marco takes a deep breath, "You didn't have to, son. You already did too much for us. So much I can't thank you enough." He says, looking at me seriously.
I keep looking forward, "Mr. Norman, you know that's not how I feel. Call it a selfish whim, but I would hate to see you or your daughter in any trouble after all the effort I went through to keep you safe and together." I fish a card from my pocket and hand it to him. "Here. Call this number and give her your name. Tell her I said to take care of you, personally. She'll understand."
He doesn't take the card at first, "Look son, like I said I can't accept-" I look at him and his sentence stops dead in his throat. I feel a single tear roll down my face, even as I quickly clean it up.
"Take it, sir. You both deserve some rest." He hesitates for a little longer, before taking the card and taking a good look at it. He shakes it and nods his head.
"Thank you, son. May God pay you back a hundred- a thousandfold for this. For all you've done for us." He says, pats my shoulder, and walks to his daughter, soon smiling and petting some kittens along with her.
The smile on my face runs deeper than any I've had in a while.