Page 58 of Teaching the Kot'oll Coach

“Do you like Telke? The big guy with four arms.”

Ossa does his cat thing and ignores me.

I take another bite of my lasagna. My stomach rumbles, wanting more. Maybe if I don’t stop overthinking things, I won’t even survive. One needs food.

At least the cheese is comforting and reminds me of good times.

“Ossa, is it a good time when we are here together? We have each other and that’s probably it. Telke made me buy him tacos, though, so... about your cans...”

He meows and peeks at me probably isn’t fazed by my reused joke.

I shrug. “It’s okay. I bet I can figure out a way to make him pay for food next time.”

But I don’t want to trick anyone. I suppose it’s just food and that’d only make us even, so it won’t hurt anyone. but...

Maybe I shouldn’t do that. I had it bad with beings taking my money and everything.

I put the lasagna on the table, freeing a hand to stroke Ossa’s stomach. He rolls over and lets me. “Ossa, look at you. You’re still a chubby kitty cat despite everything happening around you. Sometimes, I wish I were a cat like you, then I didn’t have to worry about things, and I don’t have to be the one rebuilding everything.”

But I wasn’t a cat, so...

I still have to be here to solve my problem.

There’s a piece of paper on the coffee table that screams cruelly at me.

I sigh as I stare at the back of it, which I’ve already read the front and wouldn’t want to look at it again. “Ossa, if we still have the money, we’d be golden and not here counting the days until I get my first paycheck from the school.”

He purrs, probably waiting for the cans I’m buying him.

I pat him again. “I’m calling the bank tomorrow, maybe they will move my billing date. Then I’d save on interest.”

He doesn’t say anything this time. I hope it means he is confident in me. That’s if he can even understand me from the beginning.

I used to be good at money. I still am, except I didn’t have anything for a while, and...

It’s okay, when the money hits the bank later, I’ll solve most of the issues. If I built savings before, I can do that again.

“Ossa, I’m not trusting anyone again.”

He meows and peeks at me with his cute watery eyes.

“What? Do you think that’s a bad idea?”

He meows again. He may as well be telling me that the lasagna isn’t getting any hotter, so I should be eating instead of thinking about silly stuff.

If I’d never trusted anyone, then I wouldn’t be in this situation.

I silently laugh at myself as I continue with my food. Given how bad things were, it probably doesn’t matter whether I used to share finance with my ex, I’d be fucked, regardless. He’d find a way to take my money to solve his dumb issues, whatever it takes.

Why didn’t I see through him earlier? Then I could have left before he could put his hands on my stuff.

Why didn’t I find out what was happening earlier? Then I could have stopped his stupid plan to save his stupid failing business.

Maybe I’m too trusting, or... too dumb... or... too naïve to think that things will turn for the better.

I’m not repeating that, not that Telke bets on stuff and lost his ass. At least he doesn’t look like that kind of guy.

But...

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