You know what I just noticed? I spelled the title of my story wrong. Great. Well, I just changed that a little while ago... I wonder if this has happened to anyone before... If so, share your stories. It'll be fun for all.

Anyway, onto the story!

Chapter Four

The acquainted new friend, the cat, mewed at the two boys once it had finished lapping it's milk. The milk, of course, came from Cam - the easily manipulated fool who unwillingly surrenders to any stray cat, having a heart the size of a watermelon. And, just as expected of him - he had allowed the cat to follow them home too, giving in to it's irresistible control.

At one of the tables inside the cafe of Cam's house, the two friends sat, both drinking their own tea as they did their best to ignore such incessant meowing - with Cam to struggle more than Ash to neglect such desperate cries, it was almost unbearable. It caused him to sit on edge, furrowing his eyebrows in his only hope of relieving the burden of such an effect - feeling as though he had no means of escaping.

Aggravated, Ash glared at the florist from the slightest bit of an eye. "I thought we agreed that the cat wouldn't come into the house..."

"We agreed that the cat would quiet itself," Cam corrected, feeling and looking very uneasy as he sipped more tea, practically digging his fingers into the cup under all his tension.

"So shut it up!"

"I can't...," Cam confessed, letting feelings take the best of him as he averted his eyes in another direction - away from Ash. A blush became apparent on his cheeks. "I don't have any more milk..."

Ash, now having tension building inside himself as well, crossed his arms and pushed the most forceful of smiles - even to appear deep in thought. "Your family owns a restaurant and you're telling me you don't have any milk...? How is that even possible?"

"I don't know... But it is..."

Just then, Laney came to bring Ash and Cam two muffins, each on separate plates. She set one before each of the two boys. "There you are. Eat up, you two. I'll be in my room if you need anything else," she chirped, and took one step away before she... Stumbled - stumbled right over the dish of milk that was left on the floor for the cat.

"Huh? What's this?" She questioned, sounding considerably angry. She put her hands to her hips, blaming Cam for her near-fall. "Cam, did you bring home another cat?" She scowled. "Howard's going to be really angry if he finds out about this..."

Cam blushed - uncomfortable. "Well, I-"

"I don't want to hear it. Please put the cat outside at once."

"But it's raining... It'll get all wet, and I...-"

Ash wanted to chime in; he wanted to assist his friend in the situation, and before he knew it, he was blurting out whatever first came to mind. "Um, I'm really sorry, Laney. Cam should be my responsibility; I should have been watching him more carefully; it's all my fault."

Great. What was Cam? Ash's pet now? These were the precise thoughts that had plagued Ash's mind right after his speech.

And after that? Silence. Nothing was heard nor said but a long, lengthy, timed silence.

And then...? Laughter. Pure laughter - killing Ash all the more.

How humiliating...

"What is Cam? Your pet!" Laney choked.

The farmer attempted to conceal his burning cheeks with his hands, even though neither Cam nor Laney were watching him; they were much too preoccupied with collapsing their lungs from so much laughter that they were actually bent over in a stance - each holding a closed fist to their mouths. While Cam's laugh was a restricted one, Laney's was less refined, and was in part, louder than his.

To cease this ongoing laughter, there came an abrupt busting of the door which was followed by Howard's voice and Howard himself, exclaiming, "Hoohoohoo! That was a good one!"

The entrance door didn't actually break, but it was slammed opened violently enough to have caused such a happening.

Cam, Laney, Ash - everyone was startled but Howard.

And then there came the sudden realization of something - something that was very dreadful to recall...

The cat.

The cat was in plain sight, ready to be seen.

Was Laney going to let this happen? No. She understood Cam and Ash's position for it, and found herself obligated to help her friends, coming before the small cat in her best nonchalant way as to hide it from Howard's view, blushing and giggling uncomfortably all the way. "Aheheheh... Father. What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, hello, deary. I'm back!" Howard sang cheerfully. He then noticed Cam. "Cam! You're here, too! Oh, what joy! I've missed you soooo much!" He went to embrace the florist in his arms, crushing him with all his might - unintentionally but lovingly.

Cam merely took it as was, knowing that he wasn't strong enough to pull from his arms.

"Howard... Please let go...," he mumbled, somewhat annoyed.

In the middle of the commotion, Laney found it the perfect time to hide the cat and thus stood aside Ash to whisper in his ear, "Take the cat and hide it in Cam's closet in his room. We'll rid of it when the rain stops. Got it?"

"Right...," Ash assured, seeming indifferent to the plan.

What felt like a short time was actually an hour before the rain had stopped for the night. Cam and Ash knew that the time had come to release their feline friend into the wild again, as painfully as it would be. The two stood just outside the cafe, gazing down at the cat with a sorry theme. Cam took the matter harder than Ash, as expected, and knelt down before it, stroking it for the last time.

The cat was clueless, staring back at him with curious, round, yellow eyes, meowing as if in question.

"Sorry you can't stay here...," Cam murmured - his heart sinking just to the sound of his words. "If you could, I'd let you." He smiled - maybe not at all.

Ash, feeling remorse for his friend, Cam, just stood there to watch the event unfold before his eyes, doing not much else but to feel sorry for them both.

"Are you okay?" He asked Cam.

Cam corrected his balance and stood properly now, smiling at Ash to show his appreciation. "Yes... Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me keep the cat until the rain had died down. And, also, for making me laugh."

To that response, Ash's expression grew to a look of boredom. He detected Cam's humor. "Oh..." He blushed, recalling the time when he and Laney both had laughed at him for sounding like he owned Cam, like he was some kind of pet or a kid.

The florist said no further more, and it was Ash's turn, once again, to say something. This wasn't uncommon, however, for as quiet as Cam was. And Ash certainly didn't mind it at this particular moment because he was already dying to pose the question of...

"You never told me... Who you're really in love with..."

Cam smiled again and replied with, "That's because it's a secret."

Ash grew in fury. "What!"

When Cam didn't say anything yet again, Ash continued, "We're best friends and you're not even going to tell me what's-"

Cam took hold of his hand, clasping it ever so gently as he began to lead him inside the house. "Come. It's getting late. And you wouldn't want me to wander off and get lost, would you? Because it'd be you're fault, since I am your pet now, after all."

"Huh? You are not my...-"

Strangely, in a brisk glance, he just noticed that the two were holding hands... A sort of thing that had never happened before... And it felt strange... It made Ash blush without control.

Why was it... So... Weird?

Howard practically rapes Cam, lol. I find their relationship to be quite humorous, if I do say so myself, so that's why I felt the undying urge to include them in here.

Oh yes, and I've been playing quite a bit of Pokepark 2 lately. It's not as good as the first, but I can deal with it. Sorry if it takes me a while to upload, but you all will forgive me, won't you? I mean, that's what love is, right? Forgive and forget. Heh heh... Right?

Bawwww... I'm outta here. Ba-bye! Send me some reviews, my pretties... Muhahahahaha...