It was the first day of school and Tom was getting ready, confident that he's prepared. A moment later, he heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice.
"Oh, Tommy!"
The kitten was elated to the point of zooming to the door, literally. After that blunder, he opens the door to see his kitty gal Cindy-Lou, also ready for school, all smiles.
"I see you're ready as well." She grabs his paw. "Let's go! We don't wanna be late!"
They set off for the schoolhouse to endure another school year.
=== DURING SCHOOL HOURS ===
First period rolled by quickly, and every student departed their classes for recess. Through the sea of cats and dogs, Tom and Cindy-Lou managed to find each other. They planned on having some quality time together, no matter how weird others may see them.
They walked down the hall where the gym was, when Tom had to use the restroom. He makes his way to the nearby boys' bathroom while Cindy-Lou waits patiently. Then, a striped cat named Beauregard walks up, a little grouchy looking.
"Oh, hi Beauregard." an unenthused Cindy-Lou said, rolling her eyes.
"I don't have time to talk to puppers like you!" the tabby gruffed. "All I'm searching for is that stupid puss known as Thomas "Tom" Cat."
"What has he done to you? He'd never harm anyone for amusement." the kitten retorted.
"He stole my spotlight! I'M supposed to be America's favorite cat, the number one slapstick guy, AND the likeable loser!"
The kitten smirked. "Well, you're already a loser. The bad kind."
"You'll see! That goofin', crazy, slimy, wet furball is going to receive a whap in the head if he comes across-"
He is interrupted by the boys' bathroom door opening. Both cats looked at each other with widened eyes, before staring at a now upset Tom, who's welling up severely.
Beauregard unconvincingly tries to ease the situation. "Uhh, I didn't mean any of that trash! Let bygones be bygones?"
Tom responds by bawling his eyes out, with a jet of tears blowing Beauregard into the set of lockers behind them.
"Please don't cry, Tommy. You know I don't like it when you're sad." Cindy-Lou quivered, trying not to cry herself as she attempts to comfort the feline.
Tom's response is to run away.
"Wait! Come back!" she calls, chasing after him, with an injured Beauregard weakly following behind to see what's up.
Eventually, Tom comes to stop near Mary-Lou, his dog friend. He curls up in a ball on the floor. The puppy expresses her sympathy.
"Thomas?! What's wrong? It's not like you to be this sad." As she says this, she kneels down and cuddles him.
"I think it can be explained in a matter of seconds." an approaching Cindy-Lou spoke, pointing at the staggering Beauregard.
"Oh, him." Mary-Lou muttered with a glare. "Does he know what he just did?"
The other three shook their heads "no".
"If Tom keeps crying like this then..." she gains a more saddened voice "...poor Tommy will just die."
The trio all gasped, until...
"Well, that's life as you know it. Bye bye, Thomas!" Beauregard exclaimed, before trying to walk off. He was easily stopped by Mary-Lou and Cindy-Lou tipping him over.
"YOU STUPID KITTY!" they both yelled in unison.
"I don't want my sweetheart to croak!" Cindy-Lou cried.
"And I don't want my bestest friend to die!" Mary-Lou added.
"I thought I was your bestest friend!" Beauregard yelled at the latter.
"It's kinda hard to be friends with who I'm talking to right now. Besides, you ain't dyin'!"
Beauregard only growls at this. The girls jumped at him.
"PLEASE, MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND HELP HIM!"
Still apathetic, the tabby got up and mumbled "Okay, we'll make Tom happy again", but not long before a light fixture crashes on top of him.
"Close enough." Cindy-Lou said. She and Mary-Lou picked up Tom and helped him to the infirmary, with Beauregard following suite.
=== AT THE INFIRMARY ===
Tom was now silently weeping, sitting on a stool near the door. The girls and guy returned with feathers.
"For a nurse who specializes in bird killing, she stil has a few perks." Cindy-Lou commented, before focusing on Tom. "Alright, Tom. Get ready."
Tom prepared for the inevitable.
The trio tickled all over his body, to no effect.
"Wow. That's a shame." Beauregard deadpaned, before receiving a slap from Mary-Lou.
=== AT THE GUIDANCE OFFICE ===
"Well, I just might have the trick for your friend." the guidance counselor, a female poodle, said.
She went over to the tom cat and whistled a quiet tune in his ear to soothe him. Like before, it apparently didn't work.
"How is my Tommy gonna go back to his peppy self?!" Cindy-Lou cried.
"Let's try the principal!" Mary-Lou suggested. The four kids dashed off.
=== AT THE PRINCIPAL'S ===
Beauregard attempts to enter. He is instantly kicked out.
"I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR! SO, GET HIDING!"
Mary-Lou and Cindy-Lou stepped in the doorway.
"Oh, girls! What seems to be the issue?"
The girls responded with "Poor Tom is stuck in a state of crying and might just die if he doesn't stop! What do we do?"
"What made him cry in the first place?"
"Beauregard."
"Of course it was him. Well, I suggest that the tabby should suffer a more brutal and hilarious fate than he usually does. That should bring your friend's spirits up.
And you better start searchin', 'cause I told him to hide. Darn character traits."
The two girls exit, only to find Tom missing, as well as Beauregard. They then heard a teasing voice and crying.
"What more do you want, wussy cat? You're nothing but a crybaby who doesn't deserve to exist in this strange world, because you're more of a hindrance than anything!"
"Shut it, Beauregard!" Cindy-Lou called. "You always have to make things worse! Remember what will happen to my Tommy?"
"Phooey! Like I'm going to believe that slop."
"But-but-but Beau-." Mary-Lou stammered.
"BUT NOTHING!" He turned his attention to a bawling Tom. "Good luck in Cripple Creak, pampered puss!" He then tries to walk away, but, not watching where he was going,
he slips on Tom's puddle of tears, and begins to fly all over creation. He is sent into windows, doors, the girls' bathroom, everywhere. All of this is witnessed by the trio and the principal. When he finally stops, he is left covered in toilet paper, food, and paper, making him look like a mummy. A faint noise is heard...
"Hey, could it be?" Cindy-Lou beamed.
Tom quietly started giggling, before bursting into laughter.
"He's happy again!" she cheered, snuggling him.
Beauregard gave a weak thumbs up.
"Ms. Mary." the principal asked. "How did you know about Tom's condition?"
"Oh...I made it all up."
"WHAT!?" screamed Beauregard, before bawling himself and speeding off.
"Man, I've never seen your cold side, Mary!" Cindy-Lou stated, impressed.
"He had it coming."
Tom got up from the floor and happily let out a "meow!"
"Good idea, Tommy." Cindy-Lou squeaked. "The three of us, hanging out after school. Since we still have an hour and a half left, let's go back to class together, shall we?"
The trio held hands and walked off. The principal watched happily.
"Aaah! What a happy ending."