Jess

Maybe I reincarnated as a different soul, I'd like to think. Maybe something went wrong when I died and my soul was switched. Maybe I was meant to be the way I was and I was just fretting over nothing. I understood some human behaviours than most of my species. Truth is, I wasn't human, nor would I ever be and I would have to deal with life as I knew it, a cat.

There was this girl in our neighbourhood, moved in pretty recently and got the attention of most boys. As I'm referring to cats as humans now, boys and girls, women and men. I deemed it easier that way. Anyway, she caught my attention too. She had the prettiest blue eyes and white furry coat. She was literally a goddess.

I watched her from my backyard or peeked out the window almost all night long. She was pretty, a dreamy female cat that one would want to have children with. I was non-between, a term in the cat world that meant cats who were neither single nor owned. Single meant you did not have a significant other and owned meaning as humans called 'marriage', but without the married part. Just picture a female cat, and a male one, doing you know what, having children and making a family.

Where did that leave me. Somewhere between having many Significant Others or 'SO', as I'd like to call it, never really knowing who was best or who would fit me better so I took on any female and tried dating. It never worked, at least for me it didn't.

I was grumpy that day since my owner, the rare times he did, forgot to feed me. I walked down the side street, tail high up above and the sun glinting off of my black soft coat. I was thinking about her, Jess was her name, and thinking of the colour coat our children would have. It was surprising since I had never thought about that with any single attractive female or even sometimes, owned ones.

I heard the soft purrs of a cat and turned my head to see who it was. Maybe Larry was given extra food that day. Or Lisa's owner wasn't home so she would invite me inside. I hoped it was Pot, my part time best friend/partner in crime. I had missed him so much.

What I saw was even better. My beautiful Jess was playing with a small cute pink ball all the while looking beautiful in all her glory. And yes I know I called her mine, she would always be. Whether she got owned or even moved away. She had my heart on the first glance, that girl.

Drek was enjoying the view too. Also a few other males, I had noticed. I wanted to hide her away. She was a jewel. No one was allowed to see her apart from me. I watched in awe, as well as the others, as my Jess followed it around purring softly in bliss. Watching her was a moment of bliss itself.

I shrieked as I felt cold electricity travel all over my body. It was water, I realized, a cold one at that. The woman in front of me looked very intimidating with a bucket half full of water. I scurried away to my home which was opposite my Jess, noting that the reason for the old woman's treatment was due to us(me and the other males) occupying her front space.

I fed all the while eyeing her, as she continued her plays in the hot sun while I enjoyed my view in the shade. She mustn't have known that I was watching her, or even have been aware of her beauty. Many single females would be jealous, if not all, of her beauty. And I couldn't even blame them.

I must have taken a nap for a while because when I opened my eyes, it was evening. The sun was setting leaving a beautiful yellow glow across the land. I cast my gaze around to see if there was anything interesting. Lyle, an owned cat up the street, was talking to another female. Mary would not like that at all but I guessed he just wanted to have a breather, where he was out and about without his owned breathing down his neck. Females could be pretty.....violent. But not my Jess, never.

The bell rang as well as caught my attention. I skipped down the oak wood deep brown stairs as I headed for the door . I had a little door in which I could walk out or peep through, and I decided to peep first to see who it was. Maybe it was Miss Nefilman here to bring us her famous pie as she flirted with my owner. She was fifty two, my owner was twenty five. The nerves.

What I saw almost shocked me back to the grave. There she was, eyes luring me out and I hadn't noticed I was out the door before it was too late. My owner came seconds later opening the door and I saw he almost chocked on his breathe. The female owner of my Jess was beautiful. But what is beauty without someone to appreciate it.

I heard my owner stuttering useless words like how one time when he was twenty two he jumped into the community pool naked. He was in a really big mess and I knew just how to get him out. I rubbed against his leg feeling him relax before he started talking normally. Not like a drunk man revealing all his deepest embarrassing secrets to a therapist.

Once that was done I turned my attention back to my Jess, her eyes were already watching me, analyzing me, searching me. My owner returned to talking normally and having an actual conversation between two sane adults. Not one who's done cocaine all his life and it was finally starting to get to him. I returned my attention back to Jess. Although she had it without her speaking a single word.

"Hello." I think my heart actually stopped. The musical tune of her voice must have been so beautiful that my heart couldn't take it.

"Jess." I greeted with her name, doubting if she knew mine.

"Lyman." She greeted confirming the fact that indeed, she knew my name.

"How about we go for a walk." She suggested. Hmm. She was bold on the first encounter, I liked that.

We checked back at our owners knowing they were going to be talking for a long time. About what, I didn't know. And it looked like my Jess didn't know either.

We walked on the side path relishing in the cold that nipped our coats. There was silence, comfortable silence. I could see some cats trying to peep to see what was going on. They could look at me all night long but not my Jess. I felt like she was being violated.

"What is it like in the neighborhood?" She broke the silence. It was quiet for a few seconds before I answered.

"Pretty fun sometimes, here and there. But it can get pretty boring." She hummed in response and I was left not knowing if she was satisfied with my answer.

" Have you ever had a significant other?" The question took me by surprise seeing she was quite blunt. I took a few seconds to contemplate whether to lie to her or not. I decided on the latter.

"No, I'm non-between." I replied truthfully wondering if she would reject me because of that.

"Been single my whole life." I was shocked, honestly, at her revelation. How could you look like that and be single for your whole life. But I guess looks weren't the only factors to be considered.

"Never really found my significant other." She said with a sad tone and I just wanted to tell her he was right in front of her, but I refrained it being it was the first time we talked. But in the future, definitely telling her.

I suddenly looked around realizing Jess was gone. I turned around frantically trying to locate her. She couldn't have gone far,....right? Or maybe she was kidnapped, or even DEAD!!!!! Where was she?

I jumped suddenly at a nip on my tail. There was my beautiful Jess, pulling on me to follow her, so I did. She led me back and we passed through a small hole and into someone's backyard. The Gibson's, I realized, that was their home. They had gone where they usually went for trips and should be back in two weeks.

I followed her this time willingly and she let go of my tail. We came in front of a big swimming pool and wondered why she had brought me there. I looked around. There was nothing interesting other than the pool.

"Look inside." She said, sounding excited all of a sudden.

I bent to look inside and she threw me into the pool. I came back up with a scowl. How dare she!

"This is not over." I said while she was still laughing at me.

"Hey Jess?" I called and she turned her beautiful eyes to look at me.

"Laugh at this." I pulled her into the pool by a leg and she hit the water with a splash.