Chapter 1 Kitten

Just like the wind, I was invisible.

No one dare to get close to me. During recitation, I would volunteer myself to speak in front because teachers wouldn't choose me. For them, I was the last option.

I had no friends. Of course, they wouldn't get along with a poor girl like me, because almost all students here in my school were born with a golden spoon in the mouth. I was the exception.

The good thing of being alone? I could do what I want.

I smiled while watching the little kitten ate my leftover fish in my lunchbox. Earlier, I didn't finish my lunch because I need to finish some projects. So when I got pass by here and saw the kitten, I just gave my leftover away.

"We're the same," I whispered under my breath. "People don't want us." I heaved a sigh.

I waited for almost ten minutes before the kitten finished my leftovers. "Good," I said before I put back my lunchbox inside my backpack.

When I stood up, I saw the students nearby looking at me with ridiculous looks. Sometimes they'll whisper to each other and giggles. And I knew that it was me who they were whispering about.

It's okay. I was born to be ridiculed anyway. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked ahead.

The sun was setting on the horizon. The color of the sky was like a painting, with red and orange streaks. It drew a smile to my lips as I wondered how much time was left before the sun finally hid on the west.

I always saw the sunset after school. Every day, while I was strolling the road way home, I constantly look above and wonder how magnificent the sunset was.

I heaved a sigh again. I knew that my mom was making soup now, as I continued my journey towards home. She was like that. She was fond of cooking, and I love every bit of it.

"Miss!" someone shouted from behind.

I stopped in my tracks and turned around. I saw a man walking gracefully towards me. Furthermore, I faintly smiled at him. "Yes, Mister?"

He smiled back. "I saw you giving some food to a kitten near the campus gate."

"Uh." I blinked. "Yeah. I did it earlier."

I looked past him. We're almost a kilometer away from the campus gate. I saw the signage, since the sidewalk follows a straight path.

"It looks like there's something in your food, Miss."

"Huh?" I looked back to the man and I saw no sign of his smile now.

There's something on my food?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He brushed his hair using his own fingers and gave me a weird smile. "The kitten is dead."

What? The kitten is dead?

I knitted my brows at his remarks. I was not sure if he was kidding or saying the truth. The mischievous smile on his lips didn't help either.

"I think I should go," I said and turned around. I briskly walked away, but I abruptly stopped when he said something.

"You must not get away from your crime."

I turned around again and scorned at him. "What did you say?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "When you passed the gate and gave something to the kitten, I was just around the corner watching for you. I have seen the entire crime. I witnessed it all, Miss. And you know that I am not the only witness."

"What are you talking about?" I harshly breathed and gave him a warning look. "Don't accuse me! I did not do anything wrong!"

"How do you explain the dead kitten outside the school campus?"

"I don't believe you!" I looked away and crossed my arm. "If the kitten is dead, then I should be dead also. What I gave to the kitten was my leftover, so don't accuse me of a crime I didn't commit in the first place!"

"Angry?" He chuckled and put both hands inside the pockets of his pants. "Let's talk about it in cool heads, shall we?"

"I'm not kidding with you, Mister. Don't play with me!"

I turned from him and stormed away. I couldn't believe someone will accuse me of murdering a kitten. It was impossible for the kitten to die. That man was hilarious!

"You still don't believe me?"

The voice was near. I looked behind while walking ahead, and I saw the same man. He was keeping up with my pace and smiled at me when our eyes met.

Not again!

"Will you stop following me? Or I'll call the police!"

"We're heading on the same path."

There's no way that this man will stop nagging me. I gave up. I stopped and turned around at him. "What do you want?" I asked.

He stopped walking and smiled again at me. Come on, what's with that smile?

"Will you please stop smiling? You're creeping me out!" I exclaimed.

I could no longer feel the rays of the sunset. The faint smell of coffee from a coffee shop nearby lingered in my nostril as I walked past the shop earlier, but I smelled the strong perfume of this man when the wind passed by us. I almost throw up because of how strong the smell was.

He suppressed his own smile while looking down at me. "I guess, my smile won't work on you."

I faked a smile and gritted my teeth in annoyance. This man was really getting into my nerves.

"I am not here to see your disgusting smile. Show me any evidence that the kitten is dead. By then, I might believe your accusations."

"Alright." He brought his phone out from his pocket. "I knew that you'll ask for it, so I got you a picture."

He showed me his phone's screen. I adjusted my vision and I saw a picture of a kitten that looked like the one I feed outside the campus gate. The kitten in the picture was laying on the dusty sidewalk.

I shrugged my shoulder. "He just lay down there. Maybe the kitten is going to sleep."

But the man showed me the next picture. This time, the perspective was somewhat nearer. I could see that the kitten's mouth was open, and some white foams were coming out from its mouth.

I blinked. Was I seeing a dead kitten?

"Yes." The man put his phone back inside his pocket. "Do you believe now?"