The Cat That Went to Homecoming Read Free Page A

I never ventured to her part of
the subdivision so the only time our paths crossed was on the bus
or in the hallways at school. I didn’t know why she hated me so
much, but her teasing was relentless. She would trip me. She would
pretend I was taking up too much room so she had to slide against a
wall to pass me. And she would loudly ask me about my ‘love
life’.
    “Who’s taking you to homecoming,
Watermelon?”
    “Watermelon, was that you I saw under the
bleachers with Roy Wilson? What was I thinking? Of course it wasn’t
because the two of you wouldn’t fit under the bleachers!”
    Roy Wilson was an outcast like me for the
same reason, he was overweight. You would think we outcasts would
ban together, but that isn’t how it works. Since we already
received so much negative attention, we avoided adding fuel to the
fire.
    Darcel was going to be a senior next fall,
the top dog of the school. I had to really work on myself over the
summer to keep from being chewed up by that pit bull!
    Oh no! My daydream had distracted me and I
was not ready when the bus stopped at my driveway! I scrambled to
get my book bag in my arms, and during the struggle I dropped my
cell phone. Darcel squealed in laugher.
    “Oh, my God, look at her phone! It’s not even
a Smartphone! It looks like my grandma’s Jitterbug!”
    The entire bus laughed at me as I exited. The
bus driver told me to have a great summer, but once again, I
ignored her.
     

 
    Chapter
Four
     
    It was nearly a week into summer vacation and
I hadn’t done a thing! Hershey and I spent the days watching game
shows, soap operas, and Jerry Springer. I kept telling myself as I
ate my ice cream that next week I’d get on the stick and start a
diet plan. I needed access to the internet to look up healthy
recipes and eating plans. I planned on riding my bike the three
miles to the library to use one of their computers, but every day I
would sleep until noon and didn’t feel motivated. Truth be told, I
was more afraid of being seen riding my bike than anything else. I
came up with one excuse after another.
    One evening, a week into summer, Mom called
and said she had to work late to cover another person’s shift and
asked if I could handle making dinner myself.
    “No problem Mom,” I said as she instructed me
on how to make Hamburger Helper. I was only half-listening to her
because I’d already decided I was going to eat microwaved popcorn
for dinner!
    I pulled the bag out of the microwave and
carefully opened the top so I wouldn’t get a steam burn. I took the
bag with me into the living room and turned on the TV. I started to
shove handfuls into my mouth while I channel surfed. Hershey was
chasing a fallen piece of popcorn around the living room, batting
at it with his paw and pouncing on it after it moved.
    I put the remote down so I could go get a
soda. It was on a local news station. As I walked to the kitchen, I
heard the reporter talking about animal-assisted activities. I
turned back to the living room and sat on the edge of the couch.
What were animal-assisted activities?
    The reporter was in a nursing home,
interviewing a woman holding a calico cat in her arms. The woman’s
name was Jane. She and her cat were visiting nursing home
residents.
    “Animals bring such happiness to people.
Simply petting a purring cat can lower the blood pressure and bring
about a feeling of contentment,” Jane said to the reporter.
    “Animals do not judge and love
unconditionally,” She went on to say. I looked down at Hershey who
was rubbing my feet with his cheeks and offering his tummy to me.
She was right. I felt like the entire world hated me because of my
size, everyone except for Hershey.
    I listened as she told the reporter about the
visiting animal group she was involved with, and went into the
kitchen for a pen and paper to write the website down.
    “I’ll see you in a little bit Hershey,” I
said as I pushed the piece of paper into the front pocket of my
jeans.