Chapter 77: The Lickety Split

(A/N: So...yeah. A cat doing tricks on a skateboard was the only thing I could come up with as an equivalent to Vanellope and her racing kart. Just go with it, ok? XD A kitten riding a skateboard would seriously be pretty cute tho lol :3)

A fond smile already surfacing on her face, the kitten gently placed a paw on her cherished 'friend' as if she was touching something indefinitely fragile and precious. Rolling the skateboard back and forth softly with her paw, her smile only grew- her board's touch already chasing her bad, self-demeaning thoughts away.

Sighing dreamily, she took a moment to take in her skateboard's faded paint that was chipping off on the sides; she smirked at its wobbly, uneven wheels that always made riding it a bit of an adventure. She fondly ran a paw of the board itself, feeling every single ding and cut and notch she'd accidentally created in it...

And although she knew it be might a bit silly to feel so strongly attached to a mere child's toy, to view such an inanimate object as being so alive, the kitten couldn't deny the feelings the skateboard gave her. Just its' touch sent a calming chill up her spine, making her feel miraculously at peace. It always inspired awe in her that such a skateboard could be so powerful that it instantly washed every embittered thought of hers away.

Yes, this skateboard -budded by her as "The Lickety Split"- was truly a long-time friend of the kitten...

And that was because this mere skateboard wasn't like anything else in her life.

It wasn't annoyed or disgusted with her, nor beyond afraid of her. It wasn't just another competitor that she had to compete with- during the competitions or in life as it was. It wasn't just another judgemental opposer of her, another source of needless, life-long pain.

The only friend this kitten had did nothing but be there for her. It would silently listen as she would pour out her heart- keeping every secret the kitten ever told it safe and sound. It didn't seem to mind all the scratches, notches and dings she'd accidentally inflict on it; in fact, in the kitten's mind, the skateboard seemed almost ready for yet another comical wound, another cool new trick gone wrong... Another awesome adventure each and every time she climbed upon it.

But best of all, her precious friend somehow silenced every negative thought the kitten could ever think up.

By simply being at her side, the skateboard reminded the kitten of the talent she possessed- and that was begging to be unleashed. On a daily bases, it gave her the confidence that she could achieve more than she ever imagined...the determination that anything was possible as long as she tried...

The hope to never give in and give up to those plaguing negative thoughts and emotions...

And for that reason alone, "Lickety Split" was truly a reliable, consistent, loving friend to the kitten- one that she was forever indebted to.

Blinking tearfully at such renewed positive feelings, the kitten felt a wave of peace wash over her again- her heart and mind calm once more. A refreshing chill of excitement ran up her spine, one that only the board ever brought her.

As cheesy as she knew it was, there was nothing the kitten felt she couldn't do with her trusty friend of a skateboard by her side- even the seemingly impossible or crazy... like getting a forever home...

Or sneaking into the competition in the first place, for that matter...

Suddenly filled with a positivity only her skateboard could give her, the kitten boldly peered back through the shrubbery. She watched with a smirk as King Candy (clearly begrudgingly) slinked off stage- a large man taking the pooch's place on stage.

"Welcome to the 9th Happy Paws Fun-Raiser!" The round man announced loudly in a dramatic voice- causing an equally loud and dramatic eruption of cheers and claps from the audinece spoken to. "Prepared to be amazed by the talent you will see in competition this month! You will see tricks you've never seen animals do before...see amazing new additions to the competition you've never seen before..."

Yeah, like me, the black and white kitten leered, a bright twinkle in her large eyes. They won't know what hit'em I get up on that-

But she was cut off in her mental words when a certain familiar wiggle overtook her small, pink nose.