Page 22 of The Cat's Mausy

Rumors

Issac was annoyed. He had known that there were going to be whispers and not-so-quiet comments behind his back when he showed up in Felinus’s sports car and with the new look Felinus pressured him into last night. No, he had known the whispers already started when he showed up yesterday covered in hickeys and that the comments would start as soon as Lacy and Samantha mentioned someone looking for him.

None of that was surprising.

He wasn’t surprised by Daniel having the guts to openly mock him or by the insinuations he made that morning. Daniel had always been too mouthy for his own good and Issac had taken pleasure in reminding Daniel that it was daddy’s money that kept him in school each semester.

He did not expect people to actually come up and try to get the story out of him directly, usually after a long whispered argument from a group before an elected messenger approached. Added to that stream of interruptions between every class, the phone Felinus had put in his pocket before they stepped out of the elevator kept hissing like an angry cat with a text from a cat picture reminding him to eat the next snack out of his insulated bag.

Issac’s efforts to make it stop by telling Felinus that he was going to get Issac thrown out of a class for texting at the wrong time was countered by Felinus simply saying it wouldn’t happen. Then the arrogant prick proved his point: when Issac looked at his phone again next break, there was a text sent in the middle of class of several eggplants, peaches, and tongues with the new message telling him to stop complaining and eat his next snack.

It all would have been enough to send him into a fit of rage had Dimitri not acted like everything was normal.

True, the Russian man was obviously less than pleased about the things he was overhearing, and he was no good at hiding his own annoyance every time Issac’s phone hissed or he pulled out another snack or drink from the bag. But he was at least trying to pretend it was business as usual. He went through the routine of their day and even accepted Issac’s offer of some of the snacks when the idea of eating one more thing made Issac want to throw up.

It was a sense of normalcy that Issac desperately needed after the last two days of cutting it far too close to the world he had been avoiding for the past fifteen years. He even caved to Dimitri’s request that Issac call Dimitri’s phone so he’d have the number now, though it came with several half-hearted promises not to abuse the privilege and to text or call him about schoolwork only.

Finally, the last class finished and he walked into the library with Dimitri on his heels, all the curious and nosy people apparently satisfied enough to not bother him.

He was just starting to think of the benefit of having the laptop to do his research instead of having to use the public computers when his pocket started to bark loudly.

Nearly dropping it in his rush to get it out of his pocket as he backtracked out of the library, Issac scowled at the animated dog running across his screen with the options to accept or reject the call. He thought about rejecting it just to be petty. But he pressed the green accept and brought it to his ear. “What,” he hissed as Dimitri stepped out with him, frowning.

“We’re on our way to get you,” Brutus’s voice said, not seeming at all phased by Issac’s tone. “Meet us in the same spot in five minutes.”

“No,” Issac said shortly.

There was a pause where all he could hear was the rushing sound of traffic. “No?”

“No,” Issac repeated firmly, barely hearing Felinus in the background say something. “I’ll be done at eight. You can get me then.”

“Iss-” Brutus started but Issac already hung up with a frustrated sigh.

For the first time today, Dimitri actually looked pleased as Issac shoved the phone into his pocket and fell in step with him as they walked back into the library.

They were sitting at the closest empty table when the barking started again and Issac fished the phone out to hit the red rejection and turned the device over in his hand. “How do you silence these things?” he snarled, failing to understand what he needed to push.

“Give it here,” Dimitri said, taking the phone and pressing an unseen button on the side until the phone vibrated once then set it on the table between them.

No sooner did the phone leave his fingers than the screen lit up again but with a cat grooming itself as it buzzed and danced on the table. A vein popped out of Dimitri’s temple as Issac picked up the phone and answered it.

“I’llbedoneateightstopbotheringme,” he said in one breath as soon as he heard the speaker connect.

“Baby bo-” Felinus started, sounding pissed but Issac had already ended the call.

Dimitri had fixed a smile on his face that would have made anyone else piss themselves.

“Stop acting weird or I’m going to move someplace else,” Issac told him firmly, reaching for his backpack.

“Sorry,” Dimitri said quickly, forcing his lips down over his teeth but not quite managing to level out his face.

The phone vibrated again and Issac rejected the call with barely a glance.

“How did the two of you meet anyway,” Dimitri asked sounding like he was walking across gravel barefoot.

“Through a series of random events,” Issac said, pressing the red button again.

“So he-” Dimitri started and broke off and Issac had to look at him to see him eyeing the bruises still on Issac’s neck.

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