Anyways, you all know the story of my history teacher, so I'll just explain the rest: my gym teacher's a loon, my AVID teacher's not that bad, my science teacher needs to give himself a reality check, my English teacher is waaaaaaaaaaaay to perky, and my algebra teacher needs to fall down a well.
On with the story!
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Chapter 9
Leafpool sat beside her mother one evening, after fresh-kill time. Sandpaw was off focus and Leafpool could tell there was something on her mind.
"Are you okay, Sandpaw?" Leafpool asked concerned.
"What? Yeah, I am. Why?" Sandpaw asked.
"I don't know. You don't seem to be paying much attention today," Leafpool said.
"Well, you heard yesterday, with Squirrelflight, her comment in the medicine den to Spottedleaf, didn't you?" Sandpaw asked.
"Sandpaw, the Tribe of Rushing Water heard her," Leafpool said.
"The tribe of who?" Sandpaw asked.
"Forget I mentioned it, it could be heard from a long way off, to put it in those terms," Leafpool explained.
Sandpaw looked at her with a confused expression on her face, and then continued talking. "Well, what Squirrelflight said has been bothering me. Does that mean Spottedleaf is not her mother? Who could it be?"
"Sandpaw, you know I can't say that to anybody in this camp, because the word would sooner or later get around to them," Leafpool said.
"Yes, I know, but could you at least tell me who your father is?" Sandpaw asked hopefully.
"But of course you know that," Leafpool laughed.
"No," Sandpaw said, confused.
"Any guesses?" Leafpool asked.
"Well, the obvious one, Dustpelt. You look exactly like him," Sandpaw said.
Leafpool looked at her with an appalled look on her face. "HOW STUPID IS THIS CLAN! IT'S SO FRICKEN OBVIOUS WHO MY FATHER IS BUT EVERYONE IS GUESSING THE WRONG ONE!" Leafpool shrieked in fury. Then she ran out of the camp.
Firepaw walked up to Sandpaw and looked after Leafpool. "Yours too?" he asked.
"Yeah, I think there's something between them," Sandpaw observed.
"What would that be?" Firepaw asked.
"I detect closeness between them, something like love," Sandpaw said.
"I think I detect something like that between two other cats, too," Firepaw said, looking deep and intently into Sandpaw's eyes.
"Who are they?" Sandpaw asked.
"Um, you and Dustpelt, of course," Firepaw said, awkwardly breaking off from her eyes.
"Is that so?" Sandpaw asked. "In which case, I detect closeness between two cats too." She gave him the same deep, intent, stare and stepping closer to him.
"Who do you think?" Firepaw asked.
"You and Spottedleaf, of course, you'd be great for each other," Sandpaw said, breaking the gaze.
"Nyah, I don't know about us. I thought, when Squirrelflight first came, that Spottedleaf would be the only cat that would ever want to have my kits, but now I think, personality wise, it's impossible," Firepaw confessed.
"Because she's so, not like either of you?" Sandpaw asked, not wanting to mention how much the young cat was so much like her.
"Yeah, and when she said, 'KEEP YOUR PAWS OFF MY FATHER!' to her, I kind of got a hint that Spottedleaf is not my mate," Firepaw joked.
"Exactly, and you heard what Leafpool said just now, I'm beginning to doubt Dustpelt," Sandpaw said.
"Do you have any idea who her real father might be?" Firepaw asked.
"No," Sandpaw confessed. "What about Squirrelflight's mother?"
Firepaw looked into Sandpaw's emerald green eyes, identical to his own. 'Think, Firepaw, really think. Think about me,' Squirrelflight's voice rang through his head. "I have no honest idea," he said, looking away from her wondering eyes.
"Neither do I," Sandpaw said, looking down.
"Oh, look at that, time for a patrol," Firepaw said, racing off to avoid the wonders of more awkwardness.
"Time for sleep," Sandpaw said, walking off to the apprentice's den with a sigh.
"Hello, Sandpaw," Dustpelt said in the dims of the den, sitting in her nest.
"Um, hello, Dustpaw," Sandpaw said, confused.
"Are you still wondering who Leafpool's father is?" He asked.
"Yes, but I think I have a very good idea now," Sandpaw said wistfully.
"Then stop wishing," Dustpaw said, rolling over and flexing his muscles for her.
"I suddenly have the urge to go fight all the other Clans alone," Sandpaw said, turning and running out of the den as quickly as possible. Dustpaw gave chase and ran after her.
They ran by Squirrelflight and Leafpool, who were talking at the top of the ravine.
"What's that all about?" Leafpool asked.
"I don't know, but I'm sure a mistake has been made," Squirrelflight said worriedly.
"Let's chase after them," Leafpool exclaimed, getting up and running, Squirrelflight at her heels.
They came to the sandy clearing, where apprentice training was held. Sandpaw and Dustpaw were shouting at each other in the clearing, while Leafpool and Squirrelflight watched from the trees on the outside.
"I'm not your mate!" Sandpaw shouted at Dustpaw.
"Admit it! You loved me all along, and now I practically throw myself at you and you run away! What is this?" Dustpaw shouted at her.
"I never loved you and never will!" Sandpaw shouted.
"We can make this work, you know!" Dustpaw shouted at her.
"NEVER!" Sandpaw shouted at him.
Suddenly, Sandpaw lashed out a paw at Dustpaw. Then, Dustpaw slid under her and started raking at her underbelly with his hind paws. Sandpaw counterattacked and flipped over, causing them to switch positions so that she raked under his underbelly.
Squirrelflight and Leafpool glanced at each other and then jumped as one out of their hiding place. The two sisters lashed at Dustpaw's face, causing a deep gash in his nose. Then, all four cats rolled around in a giant heap, no one could tell whose legs were whose, but they continued fighting.
Eventually, the group broke apart, leaving Dustpaw on one side of the clearing, and Sandpaw, Squirrelflight and Leafpool on the other.
"So this is how it is," Dustpaw said, breathing heavily and glaring at the three she-cats.
"I guess so," Sandpaw said.
"I understand why you would help her," Dustpaw said, indicating Leafpool. "But I don't see why you would," he glared at Squirrelflight, who stood tall at the glare.
Sandpaw looked over at Squirrelflight and narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Squirrelflight, why did you help me?"
"I've noticed something about these two," Dustpaw said.
"Me too," Sandpaw said looking from one she-cat to another.
"Well, we're very close friends," Leafpool said nervously. "But Dustpaw, I thought I told you that you weren't my father."
"I thought that I knew you were lying, Dustpaw said. "But now, I think I have a clear view who the father of you two sisters is."
"Sisters?" came a voice from somewhere up above.
The four cats looked up to see Firepaw jumping down from an oak tree, and gasped in unison.
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Ooh! A cliffie! Too bad I'm back in school, see you next weekend! MUAHAHAHA!
With all due respect, Firestar's Gal