My sister was praised by the warriors the kits, Volekit and Russetkit, their mother Poppylight was watching them, they were 2 moons younger than Littlekit and his siblings, were really excited to see her and even more excited to see she had a piece of fresh kill for them.
I trotted over to Tsunamipaw and started to apologize but she cut me off yowling at me "You never mean anything do you?! Do you even know who you have been acting!? You're either being rude and cold to everyone or acting like you're the greatest! Just ask your mentor, or the kits for that matter! All you do is mope around camp not caring about anything anyone tells you! Then snap when they say you're not listening! Yet you never listen to them!You're acting like a jerk!" She hissed and stalked off to our mother. I growled, how dare she judge me! But I let her words sink in and Hollywater's words and our mother's words, I was acting like a jerk, I better straighten up.
The week went by fast I did what the cats told me and I hated it but I did not want to end up alone with all the cats I knew they were mad at me but it was hard, sometimes they did dumb stuff and I could not say a word about it, I just had to follow orders it was suffocating! I listened to Hollywater's words but she was sooo boring, I still zoned out, and I still haven't caught a piece of prey! Unless you call a leaf prey. I felt like any minute I'd snap and get myself expelled from the clan so much I had to bite my tongue before I spoke.
"Hurricanepaw, the leader said you could go to the gathering, I don't see why though, so far you have acted like a jerk," said Tsunamipaw padding across the clearing to me. She had not seen me change since we barely talked; we only talked to each other when we absolutely had to.
I ignored her and found Hollywater ``Hollywater!" I called out.
Hollywater turned her head and said "You're going to the gathering? Isn't Tsunamipaw going? Oh sorry I just thought she was going too" I tried to ignore the crushed feelings, why should I care? She disliked me and it was mutual.
"Yeah. What do we do at the gathering? I mean I know what we do but are we supposed to do anything special?" I asked instantly regretted it. I should have asked another cat, not this chatterbox. Now I need to put up with her but she surprised me for the first time in my life. She actually did not chatter on and on.
"Oh you will be fine! We don't do anything special, just don't reveal much to the other clan and don't get too attached to any cat... since they are from another clan after all!" and trotted ahead.
I followed the rest of the cats out of camp, after what felt like forever, we made it to a clearing with a massive oak tree in the middle. So many cats were there, it was magnificent, with fireflies darting everywhere. Reedpaw had said he was too shy to even talk to anyone and just hung around his mentor, but not me.
I wanted to meet every cat, when all of a sudden I collided with another apprentice "Ow watch where you're going!" I hissed.
"You were the one running into me…" the white tom cat replied coolly but nervously
"Well maybe we should both watch where we are going!" I said crossly not knowing what else to say.
. "Sorry for my tone, I am Whitepaw," his voice was cool but he seemed to be taking in the whole place, I examined him, he was a white tom with yellow eyes and a black stripe down his back,
" Your parents were very creative weren't they?" I said wryly.
His eyes twinkled with mischief now "What's your name? Graypaw? Bumping into cats paw?" he said laughing, I giggled, any cat with a strange sense of humor I obviously was going to get along with.
I replied "Maybe I should change my name but my real name is Hurricanepaw,". We laughed and talked for the whole gathering.
"We should do this again," I said when cats were departing. His eyes twinkled " What about 2 nights from right now? At midnight?" he said mischeifiously.
"How? There is no gathering then," I said then I realized he was talking about sneaking out and I lowered my voice
"You mean sneaking out?" I whispered, Whitepaw nodded his head and grinned. I thought for a second that this was a bad idea… but this tom was so fun to be around I wanted to see him but if we are caught… dont think just act, actions speak louder than words I remembered my dad saying that and grief crashes over me. Besides I wanted out of that suffocating camp anyways.
"Maybe" I said heistantly and trotted off not wanting to see his face.
"There you are! Where were you?" Hollywater asked. I hardly heard her, my thoughts were on Whitepaw, his good nature, his understanding and- "Hurricanepaw, where were you?" she repeated,
"Oh I got a bit mixed up with all the cats, sorry," I lied and trotted ahead of her, leaving her to stare wordlessly behind me.