We'll Get Along

Rey wiped sweat from her brow, pulling off her light jacket and tying it around her slim waist. The sweat had already soaked through her tank top, but there was nothing she could do. She had a deadline. Swiping stray hairs from her face, she grabbed a wrench and dove back under the hood of the car she was working on. She hadn't located the problem, but she had a hunch there was an issue with the carburetor.

Rey worked as a full-time mechanic in the summer to pay her rent and support herself. It was extremely hot this summer. Extremely. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She quickly crossed the garage to her locker, fishing out a bandana and tying it around her head to keep the sweat out of her eyes. Returning to the car, she was soon up to her elbows in the engine. Vicious barking sounded outside the garage. Rey ran to the open garage door to look.

A large black dog was chasing a tiny kitten up the street, barking like the crazed mutt that it was. The kitten was tiny, unhealthy, and dirty, and looked like it was going to collapse and die any second. Rey jumped out into the street, chasing after the dog, waving a wrench in one hand.

"Hey, leave that cat alone!" Rey shouted, throwing the wrench at the dog. The tool missed, but frightened the dog away. Rey ran into the street, scooping up the sad ball of fur. "Hey, little one. Can't find your family? Me too." Rey walked back to the garage and cleaned up quickly, holding the kitten while doing so. It was the end of her shift, so she was free to go. She gathered her sparse belongings from her dented locker and signed out, then walked to her broken down apartment a few blocks away.

"Okay, you need a bath," Rey said, setting the kitten in the tiny sink of the run down bathroom. Luckily, the kitten didn't hiss and cry when the water sprayed from the spout onto its back, but cowered and looked like a drowned rat. Rey scrubbed the dirt away, revealing a grey, orange, and white calico kitten. The kitten was male, which was rare because the majority of calicos were female.

The kitten had huge blue eyes and long whiskers. He had lots of spots and patches, but Rey's personal favorite was the big orange patch that was shaped like a 'b', right on the center of his back.

"Whatcha think, Beebee?" Rey asked the cat, naming him on the spot. The kitten cried pitifully in response, so Rey picked him up and dried him. "You need something to eat, and so do I," Rey said, walking to the kitchen. She found a package of frozen hamburger patties in the freezer and microwaved one, sharing half with Beebee, telling herself she'd have to buy cat food in the morning.

Later that night, Rey curled up in her bed, Beebee in a box with an old towel in it on the floor. The cat, however, didn't like being alone on the floor, so he jumped up to curl against Rey's chest. Rey smiled tiredly and stroked Beebee's back.

"Don't worry," Rey whispered, "we'll get along." She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Somehow."

...

Hope you enjoyed! Based off a fan art I found. Hey, did anyone else notice they changed the document life from 90 days to 365? Wow, that's kinda drastic. Drop a review, maybe?