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"Are you going to finish that?" Felix asked as he pointed at Mai’s French fries, hope rising in him for a "no." Mai glanced at her fries then to her friend that’s across from the tiny table, before sliding her fries to the other, "you can finish them, but I do warn you that they’re the soggy ones." Felix whines at the information of the French fries, "Oh come on!" He sighs with disappointment, taking a fry to glare at it. "I always wish, for some reason, that these things never existed, but I’m not leaving them to waste." Mai chuckles as she watches her friend’s face distort into slight disgust when he takes a bite of the fry.
"When you finish, do you want to take me home?"
"Is it because I’m the only one with a bike?"
"And because I gave you my fries."
"They’re leftovers, and they’re not even good!" Felix responds, his voice cracking from how loud he had spoken. "Ah-ah, Ferris, you’re the one who’s still eating them! I’m doing you a favor and helping you out with the payback!" Mai spoke, a smile on her face as she took her flower-designed hair tie from her wrist. Felix huffs, a bit annoyed that Mai is using his words against him from the day before. "Fine fine, let me just eat this last one firsttttt, okay, let’s go!"
"Have you told your dad if he will ever teach you how to drive? You’ve already accomplished riding a bike!" Mai yells at Felix, who’s busy riding his bike while she stands on the back of it and supports her balance by gripping onto her friend’s shoulder. "Uhm, no, I haven’t told him! But I’m pretty sure he’s not going to let me even finish my sentence. He still sees me as his 'little boy’! And before you say anythingー!" "Aw, you’re still like a baby to him? I mean, he’s quite right; you do have chubby cheeks; like a baby!" "Mai, I’m this close to turning this bike and making you fall off of it." "No, I’m just joking! It’s funny, though, that you are still 17 but still being babied over." Felix sighs loudly, "It was fine at first, but getting older and still having your dad want you to say ‘I love you too’ back to him in front of other people? It’s embarrassing!" The tall boy said with exasperation, his nose scrunching with his foul expression. "At least you have a parent that cares for you. My dad doesn’t care where I go. I sometimes wish he does." The boy riding the bike sympathized, a pang of guilt hitting him. Maybe he should start appreciating his fatherー
”Wait!"
Mai shouts at the boy under her, her small hands grabbing onto Felix’s hair strands, her other way of wanting Felix to break, which he does. However, a groan followed. "What the hell, Mai?! Why did you do that? We’re not even at your house yet! ‥Mai?" His tone changed as he watched his friend get off of his bike. Her stroll to the bushes has Felix curious. "I wanted to say hi to my popcorns!" A noise came out of Felix’s throat. Confusion and concern would initially describe the noise. "Your what? Mai, I sometimes think you’re a bit mental." Mai rolls her eyes and walks to her friend, grabbing his hands to drag him to the bush that was mentioned before. "You don’t get to roll your eyes at me! What, you really think I would understand the meaning of popcorns being behind this bush?" "They’re these cats I like to hang out with when I’m mad at my parents or just when I see them whenever I walk home. I called them popcorns because, one, I’m terrible with names." "‥And?" "That’s it. That’s my only reason." Mai says, embarrassment was not found.
Silence was the only thing hearable between the two.
Mai’s hands roamed around the orange cat’s belly, a sweet smile on her face, perhaps a way to get the cats to trust her and know that she’s safe. Felix’s round eyes traveled to a cat that was walking towards him. The sensation of warmth grew in his tummy when the cat rubbed itself against his leg. "I heard that cats do that when they want to mark their property. You're now Popcorn’s property!" Mai says, with a taunting grin, that one of the cats that's looking at Felix as well has the exact expression of Mai’s. Felix rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah, okay, Mai." He crouched down next to the cat that took a step back from his leg.
"I thought it was their way of showing affection."
"No, yeah, it is. I just wanted to offend you! That’s what best friends do!"
Felix really wanted to be upset, but having a cat rub its cheek on your knee as it purrs? You can not fight the feeling of love!
How come you don’t adopt them? You did say that your mom wants to get a pet!" Mai sighs, "Yeah..a pet. Not pets. You think she’s going to want several cats on her special couch?" Ah. "Right. You know, I bet my dad would let me keep them! Or possibly grow out of his phase and understand that I’m not a kid anymore." Mai chuckles lightly. "I guess so. But you haven’t even asked him about your idea of wanting to drive, you’re most likely going to forget about the cats!" Felix brought his hand to his chest, posing as if he was severely offended. "Excuse me! How can I forget these lil’ popcorns? They’re so cute! Look, this one is purring. It’s so adorable!" He exclaims.
A huge smile appeared on Mai’s lips. She knew her friend would be a big cat lover. "I’m definitely going to start visiting your house if your dad says yes to adopting the cats." Felix laughs at the other’s statement, "I bet you will! Hey, I should really start getting you back home. Your dad’s going to freak if you stay out here just for a little longer! And mine will, too!"
“Oh shoot, you’re right! Get on the bike, I've got to say goodbye to my popcorns!"
"Hah! Like if I’m letting you do that by yourself, dummy!"