Page 301 of Lodestar

Me: I did know that Amara has two boyfriends.

Me: Boys are very needy. Best to stay away from them.

I thought about Star dealing with teenage boys who tried to go to second base early and tacked on:

Me: Wait until you’re thirty. They tend to get more interesting then.

Katina: Until I’m THIRTY? That’s so long, Conor. They’re needy but they’re pretty!!

Me: You shouldn’t touch things just because they’re pretty.

Okay, that was the pot calling the kettle black seeing as I liked touching Star, but I wasn’t ten years old either.

Me: Trust me. Thirty is your year. You can look but don’t touch.

Katina: No fair.

Me: You’ll thank me when you’re thirty.

If I kept on repeating thirty, it’d act like subliminal programming, right?

Me: I’m sure Shay likes you very much. I’m glad you like him too. He’s a good kid.

Me: So, where were you going with this conversation?

Not that I wanted to talk about cats, but cats were better than boys.

Fuck my life, when had this become a problem I had to handle?

Katina: Amara brought in these kittens. They’re so little, Conor, and they’re like me.

Me: How?

Katina: Their mom left them. But I want to be their Star!

Hearing the elevator buzzer sound, I slapped a hand over my face.

How in the hell was I supposed to say no to that?

Me: Leave it with me. I’ll talk to Star.

Katina: Yaaaaayyyyyyy! Thank you, Conor!!!!

Me: You’re welcome. But don’t get your hopes up. I can’t imagine this is the first time you’ve asked Star for a pet and I’m pretty sure she’s always said no.

Katina: Of course! She wasn’t happy then. She is now. Though I did hear you make her cry. I don’t like it when Star cries, Conor. Please don’t do that again.

Katina: I’m going to play with the kitties! Bye, Conor!!

I stared blindly at the screen.

Had she…? Like Jake?

Jesus.

Explaining Star’s tears to a toddler while Finn had snickered at me was a real low point in my life. Justifying it to a preteen wasn’t something I needed to deal with in the future.

I needed locks.

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