If You Love Her

Chapter 1

       Nobody likes going to a new school. There's large crowds, new faces, and the scary intimidation of a huge school campus. All of these fight through a person's mind, flooding their nerves with fear. Of course, this is exactly how Matthew felt as he stood in front of Pasadena Community College. Suddenly, the weight of his backpack felt so much heavier on his back. His wings fluttered nervously as he stood there, trying to build up the courage to go in. 

       'You're being an idiot, Matthew! He scolded himself. 'It's just another school. Exactly like the ones in North Carolina. There is no reason to be freaking out.' But this school was different. The campus was easily three times as big as his old High School. He had read that the grounds covered almost four square miles of land! He watched as students milled about around him. Most were heading inside, trying to get to one class or another. Others were sitting on the benches outside, relaxing or studying. Some people were even throwing around a football on the campus lawn. 'See? Nobody else is panicking. Only you. Get yourself together!' 

      This wasn't the first time he had been here in California. Back when he was younger, he and his family had grown up here. They had moved all the way across the country to North Carolina for his father's job. As soon as he had saved up enough, he found a college in California and moved back there. The whole time he had lived in North Carolina, Matt knew that this was the only place that he would ever truly consider to be home. So, why was he so nervous to be here then? 

      Matt took a deep breath, calming his nerves as he finally walked through the front door. A kind looking elderly owl sat at the front desk, typing away on her computer. She looked up from her work when she heard Matt come in. Her large brown eyes shone as she smiled at him. 

"Is there anything I can help you with, dear?" She asked politely. 

"Uh, yeah, could you tell me where I could find Professor Cooper's class?"

"Of course!" She told him. More clacking on her keyboard gave him his answer. "That will be in room 306. Just at the end of the hall, first door on your right." 

"Thank you so much." Matt said nervously. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last time he was going to be asking for directions. As if she could read his mind, the secretary reached into one of the drawers of her desk and pulled out a little pamphlet that had an image of the school building on the cover. 

"This has a map of the school campus so that you don't get lost." She told him as he took it. Matt flipped through the pamphlet, reading through all of the information about the school. It told him about the classes they had available, what sports they played, and even a list of the clubs that he could join. Sure enough, at the very back of the pamphlet was a map of the school grounds. He could see classroom numbers, and what classes were held in which rooms. In a separate building there was a library where he could study. Matt pushed the location of the library to the back of his mind so he wouldn't forget it. He would probably be spending a lot of time there between classes. 

"Is this your first time, Hun?" The lady asked, jerking him from his thoughts.  

"Y-yeah, how'd you know?" 

She chuckled. "I've seen a lot of faces this morning, but you are among the most nervous ones." Matt instantly felt as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He was glad she understood what he was going through. 

"Is it that obvious?" He asked. The owl simply nodded. "'Fraid so." She told him, laughing. "Don't worry, though Professor Cooper is one of the sweetest professors here at the school. Just be glad she's your first class for the day." 

"Thanks for all of the help, Ms.-" 

"You can just call me Edith, Hun. And I'll always be here if you ever need anything!" She told him, smiling. Matt found himself returning the smile as he headed off to his first class. He stood up straighter, feeling a little more confident after his talk with Edith. Maybe this day wouldn't be as bad as he thought it was going to be. 

        A few hours later, Matt sat in the library, reading his textbook after his first Chemistry class. The room around him was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Not a single peep came from any of the students around him. Matt had learned shortly after coming in that anybody who spoke was immediately shushed by everyone in the room. Bookshelves towered over everybody, filled to the brim with books of all kinds. There were actual ladders like those in movies so somebody could reach books on the utmost shelves. Matt had been surprised when he came in at the sheer size of the building. It was the biggest library he had ever seen. 

      Matt's mind drifted to thoughts of his Chemistry class with Professor Cooper. Edith was right; she had been extremely sweet and welcoming to Matt on his first day. She wasn't like most professors who bored the students with their lectures. Professor Cooper made sure to include each and every student when they had been testing different formulas. She had even come around to help those who were struggling. Matt had always been told that even boring subjects could be made fun with the right person teaching them, and this was definitely true with Professor Cooper.

      "Matt? Is that really you?" A voice asked behind him. His jaw dropped as he turned around. In front of him stood his old best friend, Carmen whom he had grown up with when he first lived in California. They drifted apart over the years that he lived in North Carolina, and if he was honest with himself, he thought he would never see her again. Now, here she stood, out of the blue. 

      Carmen was wearing a blue button-up shirt and a pair of lavender shorts. Happiness shone in sea blue eyes, and for a second, Matt could feel himself getting lost in their depths. She had sleek, orange fur, dotted with cream and brown splotches. Her arms were full of thick textbooks, and he knew she must have just come from one of her classes. 

"Wow, Carmen! It's so good to see you!" Matt exclaimed. Carmen put her books down and rushed over to give him a hug. He couldn't help but grin as her sweet scent wreathed around him. It smelled like roses, with a hint of honey, just like he remembered. Memories of them growing up together filled his mind. It had been so long since he had seen her!

"You've gotten huge!" Carmen told him when they parted. "The last time I saw you, we were the same height." Before Matt could say anything, a resounding shush echoed through the library. They both blushed from embarrassment as students around them gave then stern looks. "You wanna go talk outside?" 

"Yeah, let's go!" Matt replied. 

          Matt and Carmen walked quickly out of the library, trying their best not to laugh as more shushing followed them. As soon as the door closed behind them, they couldn't hold it in anymore. They both busted out laughing. 

"Oh my gosh, I'm still surprised that you're here, Matt. I thought I'd never see you again." She told him. 

"Yeah, that makes two of us." He replied. "When my parents told me we were moving, I thought that was going to be the end. I'm glad to have been wrong."

      Matt and Carmen walked along one of the paths that wrapped around the campus as they caught up. The world around him seemed to be brighter than when he first came here. All of the fears and worries about what this year was going to be like washed away when he saw Carmen. It felt as if they had been made kids again, not a care in the world besides each other. 

       "Why did your parents decide to move, anyway?" Carmen asked. 

Matt sighed. "Dad had gotten a promotion. An opportunity for him to become the administrator of a big new hospital down in North Carolina." 

"So far away? That's on the other side of the country!"

"Well, when something like that comes up, it's important." He spoke. "Dad always said it would have been wrong to turn down an opportunity like that." Matt sighed again. He didn't want to talk about the past. All of that was behind him now, and he just wanted to enjoy being back. "Enough about me, though. How have you been?" 

"I've been pretty good." Carmen told him. "I have a job at the local mall, and I'm here taking classes for graphic design. My little brother, Rodney, is starting his senior year in high school." She shrugged. "Honestly not much, just the norm." 

        Carmen's eyes drifted away from his, and he could tell there was something she wasn't telling him. As if she could read his mind, she changed the topic, gesturing to a bench just off the path. It was sitting in the shade of a large oak tree, away from the glaring heat of the sun. "Wanna sit down?" She asked. Matt nodded and pushed the thought out of his mind that she was hiding something. If she didn't want to tell him, he wasn't going to pry. 

"So, what brings you back down here?" 

"I'm taking classes in software engineering, but I wanted to find a college in California." He answered. "I missed being here too much to stay away." Carmen placed her hand on his. 

"Well, I'm glad you chose to come back."

       She opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by an alarm going off on her phone. Her eyes widened as she pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh, crap! I completely forgot about my English class!" She said frantically. "I'm sorry! It was nice to see you, and we should meet up another time, but I have to go!" Carmen went to leave but came back and gave Matt a quick goodbye hug. "Good luck with the rest of your classes!" She told him as she ran back towards the library to grab her books. 

Art for Troy 

Chapter 2

      Carmen quickly exited the library, her arms now full of the books she had left. 'Crap, I'm gonna be late! I got so distracted catching up that I lost track of time and now I'm late for my English class!' Carmen was kicking herself mentally for being so stupid. Her eyes widened as she checked the time on her phone. She only had five minutes to get all the way across campus!

"Crap! Crap! Crap!" She murmured to herself as she broke into a run. 

       Carmen sprinted away from the park-like area and across the road that ran through the campus. When she finally got to the building with the classrooms, she was panting. She hurried to her classroom, letting out a sigh of relief as she collapsed into her seat. Thankfully, the teacher was running a few minutes later and hadn't started yet. Carmen spread her books out on the table in front of her as she reviewed her notes. 

        When her class finished up, Carmen joined the flood of students leaving the classroom. Some stayed behind to talk to the teacher about things that they had struggled with. Unlike them, Carmen couldn't leave fast enough. She hated her English teacher. It was so hard to not fall asleep during his class and there was no way she could stand to listen to him any longer than she had to. 

       Carmen's best friend, Jess, caught up with her as she walked through the halls. Jess was an ocelot that he shared classes with for graphic design. They had gotten to know each other over their first year of college and had been best friends ever since. Jess was the more outgoing of the two and would always be going to one party or another. Sometimes, Carmen would find herself wondering how Jess had time to do her work. 

       Jess hugged Carmen as they greeted each other. "Hey girl, how was English?" She asked. 

"It was fine." Carmen told her. "Just a few book reports." It was then that she saw the glint of excitement in Jess's eyes. Every time she had that look, there was always something on her mind. Carmen sighed comically. "That wasn't what you wanted to ask me, was it?"

Jess squealed happily. "Wellll, you know, since you asked.... did you see if Jack was staring at you? You know he totally has a crush on you!" The Ocelot smirked as she nudged Carmen in the ribs. 

"No, Jess. I didn't even glance at him. I was taking notes like a normal student!" Carmen said, rolling her eyes. "Jess, you ate the most boy-crazy ocelot that I've ever met in my life." 

Jess merely giggled. "Oh, come on, you know you like it." 

       Before she could respond, Carmen felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a message from Troy. It asked her if she was free to hang out. "Can't. Got homework, but you can come over if you want." She replied. Just then, Jess's face appeared over her shoulder. 

"Oooh, is that mister boyfriend?" She queried. Carmen playfully pushed her away. 

"Mind your own business." She chuckled. "Go get your own boyfriend." 

"Nah, I'd rather be free. Boyfriends just hold you down." Annoyance showed in Jess's eyes when she saw the apologetic look on Carmens face. "Speaking of, you have to go don't you?" She pouted. Carmen nodded in response. 

"Yeah, sorry." 

 Jess grinned, brushing it off. "Go get 'em sista! But how about next time we see each other on break, don't ditch me." 

Carmen smiled. "Deal." She gave Jess a quick hug before hurrying off to her apartment to meet up with Troy. 

         Carmen found Troy sitting outside her door when she got there. He had a bottle of beer in one hand and his phone in the other as he scrolled through some social media app. Troy was wearing a pair of baggy gray sweatpants and had a shirt that sported one of his favorite sports team's logos. His light brown mane hadn't fully grown yet, and actually looked more like sideburns. When he saw Carmen approaching, he gave a small smile. "Hey babe." He greeted. 

"Hey Troy." He stood up and pulled her into his arms, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. 

        Troy and Carmen had been dating since her sophomore year of High school. Now, four years later, they were still together in college. Troy had been with her through everything. When her older brother had committed suicide, he had been by her side to comfort her. When her best friend moved away not long after, Troy helped her make new friends and even gave her a new family. He had been the one encouraging her love for art and pushing her to do better in her classes. He was there when nobody else had been.  "You know, you didn't have to sit outside." Carmen told him. 

Troy smiled. "I know. But if I did, I wouldn't have been able to do this." He kissed her on the lips once again, this time lingering a little longer. One of his paws caressed her face as they kissed. When they broke, Carmen was blushing a little.  

"Um, s-should we go inside?" She asked awkwardly. 

        When Troy let her go, she grabbed her keys and opened the door. She tossed her books on the table as Troy walked over and collapsed on the couch. He opened his jaws in a massive yawn as he flipped through channels on the TV. Carmen's apartment wasn't anything special, pretty much like the others. She had a small kitchen, something you might call a living room, and a bedroom. Her nose wrinkled when she smelled the acrid tang of smoke. Carmen sighed when he realized that Troy was smoking again. 

"C'mon Troy, at least open a window." She complained. When he didn't move, she walked over and pushed open a window on the far wall. 

         He wasn't perfect, obviously, he had his faults. But it made him feel more real. His parents had recently gotten a divorce in the past year, and he was taking it pretty hard. Troy would go out most nights to a party, get drunk. and would have to call her to pick him up. Carmen didn't like his drinking habits, but she knew not to judge him for it and to stay out of his business. He was good at consistently telling her not to worry about him. Slowly, her protests dwindled to nothing. 

          "So… how's basketball going?" Carmen asked as he puffed out another cloud of foul-smelling smoke. Troy didn't look at her, his eyes lazily watching the tv. 

"Maybe you would know if you came to my game last night." He retorted. Flattening his ears, he pulled out his phone and started scrolling. 

Carmen sighed. "I'm sorry about that. You know I had a late class last night." She walked over and sat down onto the couch, trying to comfort him. She placed a paw on his arm, nuzzling his cheek. 

"Why should I tell you? You didn't even try to come." He snarled, jerking away from her touch. "I'm always supporting you, but you are so selfish. You never support me or my dreams!" His sharp words struck Carmen hard. Sure, she didn't come to every game, but that didn't mean he had to yell at her for it. It was hard enough juggling him and school. 

"Well, I'm sorry that my education means more to me than some stupid game!" As soon as she said it, Carmen regretted it. She could see a mix of hurt and anger flare up in Troy's eyes. "Troy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" 

"Is that how you really feel about it?" He snapped. Tears of pain welled up in Carmen's eyes as he gripped her arm. She could feel his claws digging into her fur, drawing blood. When she tried to pull out of his grasp, he only squeezed it tighter. 

"Troy! Let me go, it hurts!" She cried. 

"What about me, huh? You never care about my feelings!" He pushed her roughly into the wall. She pressed her back to it, turning her head away from him as he bared his fangs. "Ever since Mom and Dad got divorced, you haven't cared about me at all! All you wanted was what you could get from this relationship!" 

"What happened to you?" Carmen sobbed. "I want the old Troy back, the kind, caring lion I fell in love with." Troy unsheathed his claws and held them up to her neck. 

"Maybe you should have thought about that earlier. Before you decided to make this all about you!" Carmen squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain his claws would inflict. Instead, she heard him storm off, slamming the door behind him. As soon as she was alone, she collapsed onto the floor. Tears flooded from her eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest. He had been this close to seriously hurting her, and it was all her fault. 

Chapter 3 

         Matt dribbled a basketball between his legs as he moved closer toward the basket. At the last second, he leaped into the air, slam dunking the ball into the net. He threw his hands up in triumph. "And he scores!" Matt cheered. "The crowd goes wild!" He mimicked the sound of an audience chanting his name. "We love you, Matthew!" 

          Matt was alone on the basketball court, blowing off some steam after a long first day of classes. He was surprised to find out that this was only one of two different courts on the college campus. The other one was in a large gym closer to the main building. This one sat outside near the college Rec center.  The only light he had come from two lonely streetlamps that stood on either side of the court. Above him, the moon was already rising slowly into the sky. He could see the stars twinkling faintly in the sky as it grew darker. They weren't as bright as they were down in the country areas of North Carolina that he was used to, drowned out by the countless city lights. Matt smiled as they reminded him of his family. He hoped they were doing well. It had only been two weeks since he saw them, and already he missed them. 

         Matt picked up the ball and was about to continue playing when a voice from behind him jerked him from his thoughts. "You're pretty good at that, you know." The voice said. Matt turned around to see a lion walking towards him. He was wearing a jersey that sported a logo for one of the local opposing teams, the Cardinals. Despite the look of exhaustion on his face, excitement shone in his amber eyes. 

"Uh…thanks." Matt said. "How long were you watching?" 

The lion laughed. "Long enough to know you like to win." Matt's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. He didn't know there had been an audience watching his victory dance. The lion extended a paw for Matt to shake. "I'm Troy, by the way. You must be Matthew." He said grinning.  Matt gestured to Troy's jersey. 

"You like the Cardinals?" He asked, desperately trying to change the subject. 

Troy chuckled. "I better. I'm one of the team's star players." 

"What are you doing here, then?" 

         An annoyed look came over his face at Matt's words, but it passed just as quickly. For a second, Matt thought that he had imagined it. "Just visiting my girlfriend. She takes classes here." He spoke. Matt opened his jaws to say something but thought better of it. It wasn't his business to pry. 

"You wanna play a round?" Troy asked. He put up his paws, letting Matt know to pass him the ball. Troy was a little surprised when Matt chose not to pass it. 

"Sure." Matt grinned. "If you can keep up." 

       Before Troy had a chance to object, Matt dashed off, dribbling the ball as he made his way to the goal once again. Just as he leapt, aiming to slam dunk it, Troy blocked his shot. "Looks like you're too slow." Troy taunted. Matt growled playfully in response. 

"We'll see about that." 

       Troy picked up the ball and tossed it at Matt. "Still your point." He spoke. Matt grinned. He started running back towards the basket as Troy blocked him from shooting. They scrambled back and forth as one tried to overtake the other. When Matt realized that he wouldn't be able to out speed Troy, he decided to outsmart him instead. He feigned to the right, as if he was going to shoot. As Troy moved to block him, Matt took the opening on the left, using his wings to get extra height as he leapt into the air for yet another slam dunk. 

"Hey, nobody said you could use your wings to play!" Troy protested. Matt laughed, giving him a smug smile. 

"You didn't say I couldn't, either." Troy looked like he was going to argue but stopped himself. Matt was right. "You're only mad that I scored." Matt added. 

       Matt And Troy went back and forth like that for over an hour. One of them would score, and then the other would come around and claim a basket of their own. The more they played, the more Matt got used to how Troy thought. He would score a bunch for a little while until Troy managed to surprise him with a new trick. By the time they started getting tired, the moon was already high in the sky. Matt knew it was late and didn't want to be up for much longer because he had classes the next day. He didn't want to leave either, though. Playing basketball with Troy felt like the most normal thing Matt had done since he had arrived in California. 

       "Should we do one more?" Matt asked after just scoring another shot. Despite the fact that he was breathing hard, Matt still had a bit of energy left. 

"Yeah, I got time for one more." Troy panted. His ears perked up and he looked off to the side. A smile played across his face when he turned back to Matt. "Looks like you got an admirer."

        Matt followed his gaze and, sure enough, standing at the edge of the court was a beautiful gray and white falcon. Her feathers shone in the light and gave off a slight glow.

A lacy green dress hugged her perfect curves and trailed down to her knees. He could see her blush as their eyes met. She smiled shyly, giving him a little wave. Matt returned the wave, and if it was possible, she blushed even harder. 

"Hey Romeo." Troy said, jerking Matt back to reality. "We gonna play or what?"

Matt blushed in response, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. Let's go." He replied awkwardly. Troy rolled his eyes. He passed the ball to Matt. "Your point." He told him. 

       Matt brought his focus back to the game. 'I have to make this look good.' He thought. Whether or not he would admit it, Matt wanted to impress her. He could sense her watching as he bounced the ball between his legs. In front of him, Troy focused on Matt, waiting for him to make a move. Matt lurched to the right, dashing to the left as Troy floundered where he was half a second earlier. He hurried toward the basket, leaping into the air as he performed a perfect slam dunk. The goal rattled from the force of his movement as he dropped to the ground. The falcon clapped cheerfully and Matt blushed once again. 

        "Hey bird girl, you don't need to stand over there." Troy called. "Matt doesn't bite." Matt's eyes widened at Troy's words. His face turned red beet red as the girl giggled. 

"Dude! What are you doing?!" Matt hissed through his teeth. 

"Inviting the nice girl over." Troy murmured back as the girl walked towards them. "You know, the one who has been staring at you for the past half hour!" 

     "Hi, I'm Trinity." She said, blushing. "You guys are really good." Despite the fact that she was talking to both of them, it seemed as though she meant it for Matt. Troy looked back and forth between the two of them and rolled his eyes. The two of them stammered back and forth like idiots. Now that he could see her up close, Troy realized that she was a griffin. Instead of talons like a bird, she had paws like that of a lion. Coarse, golden fur blended into her feathers further up on her arm. She also had a long tail that ended in a little tuft of brown fur. 

        "Nice paws." Troy stated. Trinity glanced at him blankly, as if she had just realized he existed. If she heard him, she certainly didn't show it. Her attention was quickly brought back to Matt when he spoke. 

"That's really cool! So, are your parents' different species?" Matt questioned. 

"Uh, yeah." Trinity replied, blushing. "My dad's a lion. I got the falcon part from my mother." Troy just stood there as they talked. He would never admit it, but a part of him felt left out. Neither of them even really acknowledged that he was there. The other part of him didn't care as he walked away. 

"Do you have any other species in your family?" Matt asked, awkwardly adjusting the ball in his arms. Both of them were oblivious to the fact that Troy had left. 

"I think my great aunt is a snake. My grandparents adopted her before my mom was born." Trinity looked around, feeling like something was missing. Or, more specifically, someone. "Uh, where did your friend go?" 

      Matt was confused. He could have sworn Troy was right beside him. A feeling of guilt came over him when he realized that neither of them had bothered to include him in the conversation. "I don't know. He probably just had somewhere to be." He suggested, knowing it wasn't true. 

        "Do you want to go get a coffee with me?" Trinity asked. She looked nervously down at her paws, her wings twitching slightly. Matt looked at his phone, his eyes widening when he saw the time. It was already 11:30! 

"I don't know." Matt replied. "It's really late. I should probably head home." 

"C'mon, I know this amazing little Café in the city that serves the best donuts. My treat." She smiled at him. "And I'm guessing you don't have any early classes tomorrow." When Matt was still hesitant, she kept going. "It'll be fun. I promise." 

   "Okay…." Before Matt could finish, Trinity grabbed his arm and led him down the sidewalk towards the café. 

          Twenty minutes later, Trinity walked into the Michael's Place Cafe and found a window seat. The air was filled with the smells of coffee and sweet treats. It reminded Matt of home. Soft amber light shone from the ceiling, filling the room with a warm glow. There was only one other customer in the cafe, sitting at a table on the back wall. He looked to be a college student like them, typing frantically on the laptop in front of him, probably trying to finish a paper for one of his classes. The owner, an old fox named Michael, was sitting behind the counter, sipping a coffee. When he saw Matt and Trinity come in, he rushed over to their table to take their order. 

       "Trinity! What on earth are you doing here so late!" The owner exclaimed, grinning. Trinity stood up and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. 

"You know me, just coming over for a treat." Trinity answered, returning the smile. She gestured to where Matt was still sitting. "This is my friend Matt. He's new here." Matt gave a nervous wave, not sure what to do. "How's Lily doing?" Trinity asked. Sadness shone briefly in Michael's eyes. 

"As well as she can be. The doctors say she is fighting hard against the cancer." Trinity hugged him again and Michael's eyes welled up. When they separated, he took a deep breath, wiping his eyes. His warm smile returned to his face as he pulled out a small notebook. "Enough about me, what would you two like to order?"

"Surprise us." Trinity told him. Michael's eyes shone with excitement at her words. 

"I've got just the thing." 

           Trinity sat back down as Michael walked away to get their order. A wistful look came on Trinity's face as she watched him go. "I've been helping Michael run the store while he took his wife, Lily, to the hospital for treatments." She told Matt. "Sometimes he would have to close early just to make it to the appointments. Michael has been letting me come here to study whenever I wanted, as a way to thank me for helping." Trinity turned back to Matt, a look of surprise on her face as he put his hand on hers. 

"They're gonna be okay. Lily sounds like a true fighter." He told her. Trinity's face softened at his words. 

"I know. It's just tough watching him go through that." She confessed.

         When Michael came out with their order a few minutes later, Matt could feel his mouth watering. The old fox placed a plate on the table in front of them, piled high with golden, delicious donuts. There were some with sprinkles, some with chocolate frosting, and some that looked like they had bits of fruit baked into them. Trinity pulled out a ten-dollar bill to pay, but Michael rejected it. "No need. These are on the house." He told her. "Enjoy." 

         As they ate, Matt and Trinity were swept up into a whirlwind of seemingly endless conversations. They awed at the view of the city outside the window, a field of lights that stretched as far as the eye could see. The two laughed at old stories and shared what they wanted to do after college. Matt learned that Trinity was taking classes for Software Security and that they even shared some classes together. He talked about his family back in North Carolina and how he had come back to California to feel more at home. Trinity shared more about her parents and how they were both professors at the college. Her father taught law, and her mother was a biology teacher. 

          After a few hours that seemed like minutes, Matt looked at his phone and gasped in surprise. "Wow! It's 2:43! I should really head home now…. sorry." He said, giving her an apologetic look. He could see a challenging look in her eyes. 

"That's fine." She grinned. "But you can only leave if I get your number." Before he could respond, she grabbed his phone and put her number into his contacts. Matt couldn't help but smile at her antics. 

      When she was done, they waved goodbye to Michael and started heading back to the student apartments. "I had a great time tonight." Matt told her. "We should do this again sometime." Trinity smiled at him, making his heart skip a beat. 

"Sounds like a plan." Suddenly, Trinity rose onto her tippy toes and kissed Matr on the cheek. Instantly, his face turned red, his eyes wide with shock. "Goodnight, Dragon-boy." She said with a grin. Matt just stood there as Trinity beat her wings and flew off. 

Chapter 4

         Carmen sat in the food court of the local mall, not too far from the college. She was drinking a soda while sketching on a thick pad of paper that she had brought. The drawing was of a lady, walking across a bridge, with the sun setting beautifully behind her. The mall buzzed with life around Carmen, her ears twitching back and forth to the various conversations of shoppers. 

       Carmen's phone buzzed a few minutes later with an alarm for work. She quickly stuffed her drawing supplies into her backpack and headed off to where she worked in the mall, weaving through pedestrians. It was a little store near the front of the building called Tokyo Delights. Shelves in the window boasted all sorts of souvenirs that had been made in Japan. From snacks and delicacies to action figures and even fine dishes that were kept in a glass case for safekeeping. Carmen's favorite part, however, was the amazing collection of anime. Movies, comics, DVDs, they had it all. She would often dream of owning everything in the collection. But, as a near broke college student, a dream it would stay. 

        As she entered the store, she nimbly caught a stuffed cat that a kid had knocked off the shelf. When she returned it to its proper place, she turned back to the kid, grinning at the look of shock on his face. "How did you do that?" He asked, his eyes wide. Carmen couldn't help but laugh. 

"Reflexes." She told him. When his face changed to confusion, she ruffled his hair. "Try to be a little more careful next time, 'kay buddy?" He returned her smile. 

"I will." He told her. 

        Carmen quickly checked with her manager to let him know she was there and slipped behind the counter. She smiled again when a customer came up to the counter. 

"Excuse me, how much does this cost? It doesn't seem to have a sticker on it." In front of her stood an elderly panda that looked to be about sixty. His belly protruded forward past his nose, and she could see graying fur around his muzzle. He handed her a figurine from an old anime show that came out in the nineties. 

"That'll be $39.95." Carmen told him after researching the price. "Would you like to buy it?" 

"I would love to." The panda replied. "This is supposed to be a birthday gift for my grandson. He loves all of the old anime, and this is his favorite character." Carmen grinned. Turns out she wasn't the only anime nerd there. 

      To her surprise, it was the kid from earlier who came up to the counter a few seconds later. "Grandpa, what are you buying?" He asked. Carmen quickly stuffed the figurine into a plastic bag, so he wouldn't see. 

The grandpa chuckled. "Just a little present for you. You'll have to wait until later to find out what it is." He took the bag from Carmen, and the kid waved at her as they walked out. 

"Thank you for coming!" She called as they left.

             With a long sigh, Carmen flopped down into her chair behind the counter. She leaned back and closed her eyes as exhaustion swept over her. It had been almost four hours since she had arrived and all she was thinking of was going home and relaxing. The store was now deserted, and Carmen enjoyed the silence that lingered around her.  She could feel herself dozing off, until a voice brought her back. Carmen groaned, recognizing the voice. 

"Hey, you asleep on the job?" Tiffany asked. Carmen didn't even open her eyes to respond. 

"Technically we're closed, and I'm off." She told her. "What are you doing here anyway?

        Tiffany slapped something onto the counter with a smile on her face. "Last Levi Ackerman shirt. Thought you'd want it." Carmen's eyes sprang open and she bolted upright in her chair. 

"No way! I thought these were sold out already! You're the best, Tiffany!" Carmen picked up the shirt, unfolding it and admiring the design. Without caring to take the tag off, she slipped it on over her other clothes, giggling with excitement. 

         Tiffany was a hairless cat, her whole body covered with patterned tattoos. Like Carmen, she was wearing a Levi Ackerman shirt of her own. She had dark green eyes and dark makeup, making her the poster child for the emo phase. When Carmen and Tiffany first met, they bonded over their love for anime and their similar, goth-like style. As Carmen got older, she found herself growing out of her emo phase. After 5 years, Tiffany hadn't grown out of it. She worked at a Hot Topic store not too far from where Carmen worked. This was one of the many times they would each close up and walk out together. 

         Thus, time was no different as Carmen checked off her list of items to make sure the store could be left alone. When she was done, they both headed toward the entrance. All around them, the mall was still teeming with life as late shoppers scrambled to store after store. A few minutes later, Carmen felt her phone buzz in her pocket. It was Troy. Before Carmen could reply to the text, Tiffany snatched her phone from her. 

"Nuh uh, girl." Tiffany scolded. "Why are you even with that guy? He's bad news." Carmen groaned as Tiffany waved in front of her face. 

"Tiff, I know how you feel about him. But he isn't that bad." Carmen grabbed her phone back from her skeptical friend. "He's usually pretty sweet." Carmen told her as she quickly answered the text. 

"He seems sweet, you mean. We both know that he's always rude to you." Tiffany rolled her eyes as she sat down on a bench in the shade of the building. Carmen sat down beside her. 

       In the years that she and Tiffany had known each other, they only really hung out at work. Carmen had found out that her parents were lawyers, and she had met Troy and his family. Her Dad was the lawyer that assisted his parent's divorce. Carmen and Tiffany clashed the most when Carmen had to quit working at Hot Topic. She needed to get better hours so she could go to Troy's basketball games. It had made little difference, though, because the next semester she was assigned classes that often were held the same time as his games. That didn't thrill Troy. 

       Tiffany had somehow managed to figure out the relationship dynamic of Carmen and Troy.  No matter how much Carmen tried to deny it, Tiffany continued to point out everything wrong with her boyfriend.

"What has he even done for you, Carmen?" Tiffany asked for the millionth time. There she was, going at it again. Carmen shook her head. 

"A lot. He has done a lot for me." Carmen answered, growing tired of their argument.

 Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "Like what?" She demanded.

Carmen sighed. "Like ...inspiring me to follow my dream in college. He was also my only friend for a while, and he helped me make more friends. He supported me when nobody else did! He even helped me get my job here!" Carmen winced as she felt her voice rising. 

"What about the things you've given up for him?" Her question caught Carmen off guard. Carmen looked down at her paws. 

"You have to give up stuff for a relationship." She mumbled. "That's how it works." 

        Tiffany threw her hands up in exasperation. "So, being in a relationship means giving up your job, money, time, even your hobbies?" She listed things off, counting each one of then on her fingers. "But don't forget, you've also given up friends, family, the things you like, your love for reading, animation, and music. All because he didn't like them. He doesn't even know that you love anime, but if he found out I'm sure he'd make you give that up too." Tiffany crossed her arms. A mix of anger and concern flashed in her eyes. "Name one thing he's given up for you." 

      Carmen didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at her friend in shock. She didn't know about the good times she had with Troy. Tiffany didn't know about the times that he was the sweetest boyfriend in the world. When Carmen didn't say anything, Tiffany continued.

"Has he given up drinking? Smoking?" She growled. 

"You know that he struggles with problems, and those things help him…" Carmen's sentence faded into an awkward silence. 

"You've asked him to stop though, and he didn't." Tiffany retorted. "He even uses your money to purchase them. He puts drinking parties above you! How do you call that love?" 

         "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!!" Carmen jumped up, clenching her fists. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes. "He cares about me a lot. He does not put parties above me! He is always telling me how much he loves me. And that I'm lucky to have somebody who actually cares about a stupid cat like me! I'm not even that pretty, and yet he still cares about me!" Carmen almost shouted. As soon as it came out of her mouth, she regretted it. Tiffany didn't deserve to be yelled at. 

      "Who told you that?" Tiffany asked, her expression blank. "Who told you that you were stupid and ugly?" She put her paws on Carmen's shoulders. Carmen looked away, unable to meet her gaze. 

"...nobody… isn't it obvious, just knowing me?" Before Tiffany could say anything, Carmen pulled away. "My love life is none of your business Tiff…see you tomorrow." Without another word, Carmen left her friend on the curb, and walked off towards her car.

         A few hours later, Carmen was at Troy's apartment. They were sitting on his couch, watching YouTube on his phone. She leaned her head on his chest, his arm wrapped comfortingly around her shoulders. She watched as he scrolled mindlessly through his phone, moving from video to video. Carmen sighed and buried her face in his chest, inhaling his musky scent. Troy nuzzled her ear affectionately. 

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked, giving her ear a lick. "You got here all stressed out. It doesn't look good on you." Troy gently squeezed her shoulder, trying to make her feel better. 

"It's Tiffany. She keeps nagging me and talking bad about you." She confessed. "It's annoying, and I've asked her to stop so many times, but she never listens." 

"You should stop hanging out with her." Troy answered bluntly. "It sounds like she's trying to force her hate for me on you. She's a bad influence." His reply made Carmen open her eyes, and she turned to look at him. 

"But she's my friend…" Carmen said quietly. 

"Well, you should stop being friends with her. It's obvious that she's a bad friend." He looked at her, his eyes serious. "She's just using you for free stuff. You've already given her quite a few things from your job." He shrugged. "That relationship is toxic." For a moment, they just looked at each other in silence. Carmen could see the look of concern in his eyes, and deep down she knew he was right. When she didn't say anything else, Troy leaned in for a kiss. As their lips touched, Carmen smiled inwardly. He was all she needed. 

      When they broke, Troy held her head in his paws. "It's going to be okay. Sometimes it's the best thing to do in a situation like this. It will be better for both of you." His voice hit a deep, gravelly tone, and for a second, Carmen thought she saw a look of contempt in his eyes. She passed it off as her imagination as she rested her head back on his chest. 

"I guess that makes sense…." She said, more to herself. Troy carefully put an earbud in her ear and held his phone in both of their views. Carmen felt her eyes growing heavy as she nuzzled her nose into his neck fur. His comforting scent filled her nostrils as the background noise of countless videos lulled her to sleep.

To Be Continued....