"A… a Halloween party?" I asked my friend Hiromi, narrowly avoiding bumping into an elderly woman pushing her shopping cart past us.

"Yeah. Oh, you have to come, Haru! Me and Tsuge are going together!" She squeals, grabbing a box of cookies and tossing it into the basket I have lazily hanging from my arm.

"You're paying for those." I mutter, as I inspect the instant breakfasts I so desperately need if I am going to manage to eat breakfast the way I've been waking up so late. "I don't know… parties? Not really my thing." I sigh as I put a few boxes into my basket and continue walking. "Besides, you're making it sound like a couple thing."

Hiromi avoids eye contact with me, and I lean over in front of her to stare her down. Eyes going in all directions necessary to avoid my stare, she stutters, "W-well... it isn't really, but I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind if I-I… got you someone?"

"Wait, what?" I stumble and crash into a display stand, and Hiromi catches the few boxes that fall off the top.

"Klutz." She giggles, trying to calm me down. "I-I didn't think you would mind…"

"You… got… me… a someone?" I say shakily. "Explain. Yourself. Now." I say determinedly, poking Hiromi in the chest with every word.

"Well… see, we're seventeen years old, and you haven't had a date yet!" Hiromi cringes under my piercing stare. "And Machida was showing interest in you the other day, di-didn't you notice? He totally cornered me yesterday and asked me about you, and if you had a boyfriend and if you were going to the Halloween dance and I-I said you didn't and I thought that since you told me like a few months ago that he is, and I quote, 'so darn cool' so I didn't think that you would be angry with me." She looks at me, and I can see tears – which are totally fake – in her eyes.

Sighing, I shake my head. "I'm not angry… just… surprised." I force a smile as I pay for the groceries at the check out counter. "Thank you…" I murmur as she gives me my change. "You can carry the heavier bag." I plop the bulky bag into Hiromi's arms. "I just didn't expect Machida to, well, do that." I push the button on the pedestrian traffic pole, waiting for the walking figure symbol to light up.

"I know!" The Hiromi I know shows herself again. "It totally startled me! Like he was totally sincere about it too! He really wants you to go with him, I'll bet you."

The green light flashes across the street, and Hiromi and I quickly cross the street. "What did you tell him?" I say tiredly.

"Well, you don't have a boyfriend, and that you weren't planning on going to the party. He looked pretty down about that, so I kinda told him that I could convince you to go, and that you two could hang out together." We turn into the park sidewalks, and sit on a bench.

"So you pretty much got me a date to a party I didn't even know about without even asking me." I murmur as I pluck a yellow flower sticking out of a neighboring bush.

"Oh, you are angry at me!" Hiromi cries, grabbing my hand. "Oh, Haru, I'm so sorry!"

"No, no! I'm not angry. I swear." I smile at my worried best friend. "I'm still just… shocked. You sure you're not messing with me?"

She draws an 'x' on her heart with her finger. "Cross my heart. But come on. You so liked Machida. I knew you've changed. Ever since you saved that weird cat you've been different."

"You remember that?" I ask incredulously. Of course I would remember that day, but I didn't expect Hiromi to.

"Of course I do! That was the most ridiculously amazing save ever. But really, Haru, what's up?"

"Nothing." I force a laugh. "I'm totally out of it, I'm sorry." I squeeze her hand, and then I grab that box of cookies Hiromi never paid me for. Popping a cookie into my mouth, I ask, "So when's the party thing?"

Her whole face lights up. "So you'll come?" Taking my shrug as a yes, she says all the party information in a huge rush of words. "Oh, and obviously since it's a Halloween party, you have to wear a costume."

"Of course I do." I mutter under my breath. "So I have two days to figure out a costume, make it, and then confront Machida?"

"Well I'll help you, of course!" Hiromi giggles. She looks up at the sky as she asks, "So what do you want to be?"

I playfully punch her shoulder. "I thought you said you'd help me!"

"I will!" She laughs. "But it's your decision on what you want to be." She winks at me and pops a cookie in her mouth.

"Well…" I stare thoughtfully at the ground. Shrugging, I ask her, "What are you going to be?"

She grins, showing me all her pearly white teeth. "Tsuge and I are going as Mickey and Minnie Mouse." She giggles. "Famous around the world, those two."

"I see why you picked it then." I say, winking at her. "You love attention."

"Well…" Hiromi smiles slyly, playing with her hair. "I can't argue with you there. But back to the main topic. What will you go as?"

"Well, I'm not picking a duet costume." I say firmly. "Hmm… I don't know…"

"A flower?" Hiromi randomly suggests.

"No." I snap my head to look at her. "Nothing that noticeable."

As we sit there, looking at the playground packed with at least a dozen little children, my mind wanders to what Hiromi said.

~"Of course I do! That was the most ridiculously amazing save ever."~

So she remembers me saving the odd-eyed cat. Well, I suppose that's a reasonable thing to remember. He did almost get hit by a truck, after all. Just that occurrence made so much more of an impact on my life than it did Hiromi. I mean… that next day… was insane. I'm not complaining, of course, but it was just… incredible.

"Haru?" Hiromi waves her hand in front of my face. "Earth to Haru? You copy?"

Shaking my head slightly, I sit up straight and nod. "Yea, sorry. Did you say something?"

"Nothing important." She smiles. "Just if you thought of anything yet."

"Oh…" I close my eyes for a few seconds. Then, turning to face her, I grin. "How about a cat?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N

Wow! My first chapter! This is so exciting!

Okay… so please review, if you have the time.

Hope I did okay for the first chapter. I always get carried away with lengths so I tried keeping this one down.

I'll continue as rapidly as life will allow!

The Cat Returns does NOT belong to me (though it would be awesome if it did) but to Studio Ghibli.

=)