“Well, this is a fine mess you have gotten us into, Stanley.”
“Oh, shut up, Cat.”
“You didn’t say Aaliyah’s wish properly.”
“What was I supposed to wish then?”
“It was fine to wish to go home, but you said it wrong.”
“Where are we?”
“I have no idea.” The cat sniffed. “If we are unlucky, the Jinni’s wish has backfired. I am sure we are in a horrible place now thanks to you.” She meowed mournfully. “Wait, I smell pancakes and your very stinky feet.”
“Not nice. You don’t exactly smell like roses either, fish breath.”
Andi felt about, her hand touched something that felt like a furry body. Above her head, something fluttered. “Maybe we are in the tree again? I think there are bats in here.”
There was a rush of noise and thunder.
“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”
“Andi? Where is she?” Thumping footsteps followed by questions, “Where did she go?”
“Look in the bathroom.”
“Nope, I was just in there,”
Andi moved cautiously and hit her head against something solid. “Ow.”
There was brilliant light as the darkness fled. There stood Mattie with a Mylar birthday balloon gripped in his fist.
“I found her, she’s hiding in the closet!” Mattie yelled.
Dad paced over then leaned down and pulled Andi to her feet. “Playing games, huh? Thought you could wiggle out of a proper birthday hug?” He hugged her hard to him then kissed her forehead. “Happy Sweet Sixteen, Baby-Girl” Chuckling, he said, “I guess you aren’t a baby anymore, huh? Come on, we’ve got a birthday feast waiting downstairs.”
He studied her solemn face and belligerent attitude. “Why are you filthy and dressed like a soldier?” He frowned then smiled. “Oh yeah, you’re already anxious for your party at Paint Ball Country? You gotta wait until Saturday.” He nudged her. “I can’t wait either.” Grinning, he pushed her forward. “Let’s go, I’m starved.”
“Dad, I’ll be down in a minute. You and Mattie go.”
Mattie raced out of the room. “Yippee! Pancakes. I want lots of whipped cream, Mom!”
“You sure?” a set of worry lines crossed his brow. “What’s wrong baby?”
“Nothing. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”
She watched her father leave then shut her door. She sat on the neatly made bed. “Cat? You still here?”
Ain-u-tep emerged from the dark, daintily stepped over a pile of shoes, she then flicked a paw at a fuzzy yellow slipper. “Ah, the dead feet smell.”
“Knock it off. What the heck is going on?”
“You seem to have gotten your wish.” The cat said as she sniffed about the messy room. “You really need to be tidier, dear.”
“Dear cat, don’t you get it? Why is it my birthday, again?”
The cat smiled up at her. “They wanted to surprise you?”
“They don’t do stuff like that, not usually, anyway.” Andi went to the cat perch. “Petunia isn’t here. Is this an altered reality, like in Back to the Future, or something? Did we do something wrong, that now everything it is sort of messed up?”
“Why is it messed up?” The cat jumped up on the perch, circled twice then lay down. She sniffed the blanket. “Hm, maybe it is messed up a little. I don’t smell anyone here at all. Not anywhere, only your stinky feet. This blanket is mine.”
“Will you get off the stinky feet jazz? Sheesh! What is going on? One minute you were flying through the air to that flaming mad thing and next, we are in my closet.”
“Frankly, my dear, I think you know.”
“I know nothing.”
Sighing, the cat said, “You claimed me and saved me. You also claimed Sefu, by being loyal to him.”
“Oh. So, did I blow the wish Aaliyah gave me?”
“Maybe. But then again, you wanted to come home.”
“We were about to go into a war, Cat.”
“True. I would have seen you safe. Besides, you forget about the pendant, it is your charm now. Nothing horrible will happen to you as long as you wear it.”
“Oh, but,” Andi was thoughtful then exclaimed, “I lost Arkan’s scale!” as she looked about her room. The pack was missing the artifacts, she had collected.
“I think it saved us.”
“Why was Scott and his dead brother there?” She countered.
“Andi dear, I do not know everything. I cannot answer that. But I do know that Sefu triggered his artifact, and you have it right, those soldiers and warriors were probably raised from the dead.”
“But Scott wasn’t dead, he was in jail.”
“Kitten, forget about it. Sefu’s war is in the future, we are in the now. You are safely home and we shall just have to wait and see if your world is different.”
“Oh, like the war there, would make things different here?” She rubbed her forehead. “This is mind-boggling. How can something in the future affect the past?”
The cat lifted her tail and flopped it. “I cannot answer that. If I was Einstein or Stephen Hawking or a physicist, then maybe I could.”
“Is it all magic?”
“Some, yes. But for now, you must be patient and wait. I think you should wash up and go eat your birthday breakfast. Bring me some ham. I smell ham.”
Andi stepped to the perch and petted the silky black cat. “Thanks for everything, Cat. I am glad you aren’t dead, or me either.”
“I am glad you aren’t and that you resisted the monster. He would have had your power and he would have gotten the Jinni’s pendant. You were brave. Thank you.” She laid her head on her paws. “Please go wash, you smell terrible.”
Andi laughing, ran to the bathroom and took a fast shower, relishing the steamy water and her strawberry-scented shower gel and shampoo. As she dried off, she glimpsed her face in the mirror. “You are sixteen today. It’s time to act like it, Dork.” She sped through her tooth brushing and combed her long hair then braided it. She emerged from the bathroom steamy and squeaky clean. She pulled out a simple pink blouse matching it with a plum midi skirt. She put on pink and plum argyle knee socks and then platform black Maryjane shoes. Tucking pink rose earrings in her earlobes, she assessed her new image in the mirror. “You look great, today.” She avowed.
Tromping down the stairs, she noticed the rug was clean, “Hm, that is different, no dog poop.” She sailed through the clean, living room, along the hall to the kitchen. Music was playing on the kitchen radio, and the sun shone brightly through the clean dining room and kitchen windows.
She bent to Snickers as he greeted her with a thumping tail. “Hey, Buddy.”
“It’s about time you got here. I was about to eat your pancakes.” Mattie said, stuffing a bite in his sticky face. She ruffled his hair and sat at the table. There before her was a stack of three fluffy hot cakes, with sliced strawberries, a banana smile and whipped cream.
“Thanks for the smiley face, Mom.”
“Hurry, you don’t want to miss your ride with Dad.” She said as she dropped a kiss on her head and a sack lunch by her plate.
“You are taking me to school?” Andi asked surprised.
Dad leaned across the table, “Don’t I always give you a lift?” Shaking his head, he replied, “Silly, goose. Eat, then we’ll go. I wanted to swing by work and pick up that tech magazine you wanted for your report.” Standing, he picked up his plate and coffee mug. “Oh, and did you want to invite Scott and Dylan to your paintball party? We have room for two more.”
Andi choked on her food. She grabbed up a glass of milk and drank some. “Scott? But he’s,”
“I know he hasn’t been around for a while, but he might get a kick out of paintball. I know Dylan loves it. I’d like him on my team.” Returning empty-handed from the kitchen, Rick dropped a kiss on Andi’s head. “Maybe it will keep you from mooning over the poor kid, if he comes to your party.” Pouring out coffee into two travel mugs, he said, “Unless you have a new boyfriend these days, hm?” He passed one mug to his wife. “I gotta get my stuff, so hurry up.” He strode out of the kitchen.
Andi looked about at her mother who wore a fuzzy pink chenille bathrobe and slippers. “Are you sick, Mom? You’re not going in to work?”
“Work? What’s with you?” Sandy stepped to her daughter. “You know I have my office here. In fact, I am very happy to announce I will be closing two big deals this morning. I’ll get a fat commission. Not bad for a housewife doing big biz in her bathrobe, huh?” She patted Andi’s face. “You need some rouge and lipstick, you are pale, baby.” She stepped around the table to Brook. “Do you still have practice afterschool?”
“Yes, like always, every Monday!” Brook retorted. She swung her long ponytail behind her and rose from her chair, taking her breakfast plates. “But I’ll try to get off early.” As she came around the table, she leaned to Andi, “Just so we can celebrate your birthday, sissy. I don’t want to miss it.”
“I’m not a sissy, you take that back!” Andi shouted.
Brook snorted. “What’s up with you? Got your Ladies’ Woes today or something?”
Andi growled as she flicked her braid in passing.
Brook sauntered out of the room, “See ya, Mom. Don’t forget to pick me up at four-thirty.”
“I said Four!” Sandy shouted. “Andrea, remember to come home on time. We have dinner reservations for five, I want everyone all prettied up for the evening.” Sandy said, then remarked, “Oh, and I put an extra oatmeal raisin cookie in your lunch. I made you egg salad today, it’s not meat really, but that’s what everyone else is having today.”
“That’s okay.” Andi muttered still feeling overwhelmed by the changes in everyone. She sat alone for a minute watching as everyone left her. Even Snickers licked her hand and trotted to his dog door and went outside. “I wonder if Petunia is in the tree.”
She raced outside. Snickers ran with her to the elm tree. She looked up and called, “PB? Are you up there?” This time, she didn’t have bologna to coax her out. But she didn’t see her. Snickers whined and paced about her, then shot off barking, chasing a squirrel over the fence.
“Maybe I am going nuts.” She murmured as Dad called her in.
“I’m going now, kiddo, do the hustle.”
“Yeah, Dad. I’m coming.” She patted Snickers in passing and went inside.
“I gotta get my pack, I’ll be just a sec.” She ran upstairs. “Oh, you are still here, Cat.”
Ain-u-tep’s head lifted. “Of course, I am here. Where should I be? You didn’t bring my ham.” She pouted.
“Well, everything is weird this morning. I thought maybe Petunia was here after all.”
“I’m sorry, Petunia?”
“My cat.”
“I’m your cat.”
Hearing Dad shout, she grabbed her pack. “Don’t go anywhere or do anything silly, Cat,” she demanded and slammed her door.
“Of course not, Kitten.” She said with a smug smile. Ain-u-tep rolled on the platform bed into the sunshine. “Yes, this is a very nice bed. I need a nap,” she purred.
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