Chapter 9: Leo's Secret ( Earlier… 8:45 AM )

After the group finished their breakfast, Leo decided to get some fresh air before setting up capture the flag.

"Okay! Gotta make sure the radiator isn't turned on before I touch anything!" Leo reminded himself as he entered the equipment shed. "Geez… We really need to clean out this place…"

Silence...

"Aaaaaand, of course, it was left on all night! Looks like I'm gonna have to wait a while…" Leo sighed before switching it off. "Guess I should head on back until these cool down."

...Meow…

"I wonder how long that will take. Hopefully, I'll remember to come back."

Meow….

"... I swear I'm hearing something!"

Meow….

"No, wait! Where is it coming from?" Leo asked himself as he looked around the building.

Meow…

"A cat! But, it sounds so weak.." He worried before noticing a small pair of shining green eyes in the corner of the shed.

"Whoa! That's something you don't see every day." He thought out loud as he noticed a tiny orange kitten staring directly at him. "Hey there, little guy! What are you doing out here?"

Meow!

"That's weird, cats aren't usually out at this time. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen an orange breed like you before." He commented as the kitten slowly approached him. "Are you lost or something? Where are your parents?"

Meow!

"Well, I'm not going to just leave you here… You're coming with me." Leo said before gently picking it up with his mouth.

Meow!

"Heh heh. You sure like to meow a lot. Come on, let's see if your parents are nearby."

15 minutes later…

"Wow, still no luck…" Leo mumbled as the kitten climbed on his back. "There's no way they could have abandoned him…"

Meow!

"... Maybe I should ask Mr. Jordan about this." He thought to himself before gently placing the kitten down."

Meow!

"Umm...here! I'm gonna call for some help. You wait here, okay?" He said before making his way towards Mr. Jordan.

Meow…?

"Hey, Mr. Jordan! Are you busy?"

"Uhh, I'm about to head over to Mr. Porters to get some ingredients for today's lunch. Did you need anything?"

"Nothing in particular really. I was just wondering if the shelter owns any orange cats."

"You mean an orange tabby? Umm… no. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're not going to believe this, but I found one all alone in the equipment shed a few minutes ago," Leo explained as Mr. Jordan raised an eyebrow.

"Would It happen to be a newborn by any chance?"

"Yeah, how did you-"

"It's right behind you."

"Huh?" He asked himself before turning around.

Meow!

"H-hey! I thought I told you to rest up while I go look for some help!"

Meow!

"Whoa…. That doesn't look like one of ours, but let me make sure, just in case!" Mr. Jordan replied before grabbing his walky-talky. "Amelia, do you copy?"

"I'm here, over?"

"Ummm, one of the pups found a newborn orange tabby in the shed. It doesn't look very healthy though."

"A newborn tabby?"

"Yeah, it's very small, and doesn't look like it's been around for more than a week."

"That's odd. The cats haven't reproduced for months, so it's definitely not one of ours. Did the pup search for any parents?

"Yeah, I-I looked around the area and I couldn't find anything." Leo stuttered as the cat leaned against him.

Meow!

"Well in that case, can you bring it up here? I'll take a look at it."

"I'll leave that up to you, is that okay?" Mr. Jordan asked Leo.

"Yeah, I can do it! The equipment still needs to cool down, so I'll set it up later."

"Okay then." Mr. Jordan nodded before triggering the walky-talky. " I'm sending Leo to bring it up. I'll be heading off now."

Meow!

"Alright! I'll remain on standby till then! Take care!"

"You too!" Mr. Jordan finished before hanging up. "Alright, you better get going now."

"Right! Thanks, Mr. Jordan!" Leo acknowledged before gently picking up the kitten with his mouth. "Come on little guy! Let's get you checked out!"

Meow!

"Wow, I think I can get used to that sound." He chuckled as he carried the kitten to the kitchen. There, he noticed Rocky setting up a few bowls while Chase and Skye were near the pizza ingredients.

"Hmm… I wonder where Mira and Colten are…" Leo thought to himself before looking down at the kitten. "I would ask them, but they seem a little busy, so I think it's best if we don't disturb them."

Meow!

"Ah-Choo!" Chase sneezed before rubbing his nose. "I swear, I'm picking up a cat's scent!"

"Really? Where is it coming from?" Rocky asked.

"I'm not sure, I think it's coming from the hallway."

"It's probably the same one from earlier, Chase." Skye giggled before Chase shook his head.

"No… that one had a different scent…

"Crap! Guess that's our cue to leave!" Leo gasped before quietly making his way towards the kennel.

Meow!

"Don't worry, little guy. We're almost there. I'll introduce you to my friends before we arrive. I'm sure they wouldn't mind." He suggested before hearing the other's arguing.

"G-guys, please calm down! You're making too much noise!" Mira's voice was heard from a distance.

"Hey! Put that stuff down!" Colten joined in as Leo rubbed the back of his head.

"Maybe now is not a good time…" He whispered before turning around.

Later...

After making his way past the kennel, Leo waited 25 minutes for Amelia to check up on the kitten. Within moments, the doors opened and he stood up.

"Alright, I've got some good news and some bad news for you." Amelia began.

"Oh geez…" He worried. "Wh-what's the bad news…?"

"Well, I'm not sure how long he's been outside for, but if I were to make a guess, I'd say he's about three days old. And according to what you guys told me, it seems like he was abandoned shortly after his birth."
"That's horrible!"

"Yeah… He's pretty much dehydrated and he kind of lacks nutrients, but other than that, he should be fine!"

"Phew! That's a relief." Leo smiled before looking at the kitten. "You hear that little guy? Everything is going to be okay. You're safe now."

Meow!

"I'll prepare a small replacer formula for him in a little bit. Do you mind watching after him until I come back?"

"Sure thing, Ms. Amelia!"
"Great! I'll be back in a few." She finished before leaving the room.

Meow!

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Leo replied as the kitten hopped on his side. "Aww! You just want to walk all over me, now don't you?"

Meow!

"It's so weird… we have similar backgrounds, but it feels like you've had it worse than me."
Meow!

"I mean, I know my previous owner never wanted me around, but in the end, he got what he deserved. At least he's had some time to repent for everything he's done to me."

Meow!

"Well, it's a long story of me moving from home to home, but I doubt you'd mind." Leo sighed. "I don't remember much about where I was from or who my original parents were. All I remember is traveling around in a small box for at least three years. During that period, I'd see a new family one day, then they were gone the next. It felt like I was stuck in an endless cycle. There were days where I would sleep in my box, and others when I would stare at other pups playing around with their owners. I always wanted to join them, but I was afraid of being rejected, so I stayed put. Sometimes, people would feed me, other times, I would just sleep my way through it all. I always liked the feeling of people caring about me, but at the same time, I wondered why nobody wanted to save me. I convinced myself that I was a cursed pup and that nobody would ever want me. And one day, I would just close my eyes and never wake up again. I wasn't aware of death at the time, and I'm sure you won't understand either, but it could have happened, you know…"

Meow!

"I ended up crying to myself throughout that day. But, thinking back on that day when my previous owners, Robert and his girlfriend, Sharla, found me, I'm guessing I'm being a little ungrateful when I say this, but what felt like the best day of my life was actually the worst. Sharla found me that night and begged Robert to take me inside. I didn't realize that at the time, but he only took me in for her sake. If I remember correctly, Sharla was obsessed with dogs, but due to her apartment policies, pets weren't allowed anywhere near where she lived. I'm guessing she would have gladly taken me in if that weren't the case though. Despite having a home for the next two years, I still felt as lonely as ever. And it's not because I'm being ungrateful or anything, it's because Robert pretended to like me only so he could impress Sharla. At first, I didn't notice it because Sharla was always around, but the moment she left, it was like I no longer existed to him."
Meow!

"Well, yeah! I tried getting his attention for weeks, but whenever I spoke, he would always threaten to shove a sock down my throat. I've never felt so scared in my whole life. At the same time, I wanted to run away from it all, but I had no idea where I would go. I was still convinced that I was a cursed pup and that nobody would want me around, so I stayed put. Even though Robert ignored me, I still had Sharla's support at the time. I considered calling out to her, but I chose to keep quiet. Seeing both of them smile despite Robert's actions felt kind of heartwarming to me, and I didn't want to ruin their moment. It felt like I was just being nice at the time, but the longer I kept quiet, the longer it took me to realize that I was being used. I asked myself, why am I helping this man that doesn't even care about me? So I slowly started to build up courage so I could talk to her while at the same time, mentally and physically preparing myself for how Robert would react because if she were to leave afterward, I thought that maybe something bad would have happened."

Meow!

"Yeah. Any time Robert was angry, he would usually lash out at the closest thing nearby, but he only did that whenever he was on his computer. Other times, he would just throw stuff around, and sometimes, I'd get caught in the crossfire, but I figured that maybe it's a great way to release stress and anger, but don't get me wrong, little guy! It's a great solution, but it can also be very destructive, especially for me. I wanted to release my anger in the past, but due to my lack of energy, I just let it all soak in, you know… I kept telling myself, this would all be over as soon as I talked to Sharla, but by the time I was fully prepared, they started hanging out in different locations."
Meow!

"I know, right? I was too slow in the end. And just when I thought my luck couldn't get any worse, Robert stopped caring about whether or not I ate food within the last month of me living with him, meaning I had to go look for my own food. That same month, I overheard him talking to someone else about how he and Sharla were taking some time apart. I don't know what exactly happened, or who that other person was, but all I know is that he seemed more irritated than ever. One day, that same person came back and offered to get him a meal. I wanted to come along with them, but before I could say anything, they were already gone. And on top of that, they left me all alone with nothing to eat for the next twelve hours. It felt like my body was going to crumble if I moved, but that was just the catalyst for what happened next…"

Meow!

"Later that night, Robert came back alone with a left-over box. He didn't say much, he just threw it against the wall which left a brown stain, then went to sleep. I didn't know what exactly it was, but it had an amazing scent. I decided to take a look at its remains, and that's when I noticed a small piece of bread covered in brown liquid on the inside. Whenever I touched it, more liquid oozed out of it. Without hesitation, I took a bite out of it, and all of the sudden, I felt my eyes begin to light up. It was the best thing I've ever tasted at the time, and the more I ate, the more my mouth watered. I ended up eating the rest of it, and after I was finished, I wanted to lick the stain off the walls, but the more I thought about it, the lighter my head felt, and before I knew it, I was out like a light."

Meow!

"When I woke up the next morning, I felt a huge pain in my stomach, and the more I moved around, the more I felt it. Robert was aware of my situation, but he didn't know how to handle it, so he just left me a bowl of water and went on with his day. Although the water was helpful, it didn't really stop the pain I was feeling, so I was forced to endure it all by myself for the next three days. Er… at least I think it was three days… I'm not sure. All I know is that one day, the pain started to fade off, but by the time that happened, I was completely drained of energy. I couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't speak, I was just laying down there for who knows how long. I could hear Robert speaking to other people, but he never mentioned a word about me, which made me extremely frustrated, but once again, there was nothing I could do about it. So I remained still as my body started to feel lighter, and lighter until I could no longer hear anything. It felt like I was trapped in an empty void for the longest time, and if I'm being honest, it felt kind of relaxing. I didn't have to deal with pain, anger, or anything! I wanted to stay like that forever, but it felt wrong at the same time. Luckily, I was able to snap out of it, and I ended up waking up on a soft bed in the veterinarian's office. They asked me if I was doing okay, but I still couldn't say a word, so I just remained quiet. They promised they'd tell me whenever I felt better, but I was still confused about what was going on. I no longer had Robert's scent on me, and I couldn't find him anywhere, but I guess it didn't really matter at the time, considering I wanted nothing to do with him after he left me all alone for the past two years. "

Meow!

"At first, they offered me a few meals to try out, but I had a hard time choosing whether or not I should eat them due to the whole left-overs incident. They knew about that as well, so they had to convince me that the meals were safe for me to eat. It took me a while, but eventually, I accepted their offer. Their food didn't taste as great as the left-overs but it did restore some of my energy over time. A few hours later, I met the man you saw earlier, Mr. Jordan, along with a little girl named Katie, and a pup named Skipper. I didn't know much about them, but judging by their reaction when they noticed I was finally awake, I felt a connection towards them unlike anything else. I still couldn't speak, but I was able to move my head when they asked if I was feeling better. After their introductions, they ended up explaining everything that happened while I was unconscious."
Meow!
"They told me I was asleep for at least seven weeks! Can you believe that? Time went by so fast, and I didn't even notice! For the first two days, Robert was nowhere to be found. Sharla had realized he left the doors to his house unlocked and decided to enter without his permission to see if everything was alright. That's when she noticed me barely breathing in the living room with my eyes slightly opened. She quickly rushed me to the vet where they diagnosed me with a disease called pancreatitis. I don't know who comes up with these names, but one thing was for sure, my condition was extremely severe, and they told Sharla that I had a low chance of survival. I can only imagine how she reacted after hearing that. She tried calling Robert multiple times, but no matter how many times his phone rang, it always went to voicemail. The veterinarian gave her the option to choose whether or not to put me down, but I had a feeling she knew I was going to make it."

Meow!

"After they took me to the operation room, Sharla happened to meet up with Katie for the first time and told her about my current situation. She explained how she was planning on meeting up with Robert one last time before she had to leave for the airport, but instead, she found me. Unfortunately, she was almost late, so she had to leave right after their conversation. She asked Katie to look after me and make sure they don't put me down. Luckily, she happened to work here at the time. So she agreed, and Sharla went on her way. They investigated Robert's house the next day to determine whether or not he was abusing me, and that's when they noticed my mess all over the house. I don't want to get into detail with that, but they confirmed that the left-overs were something called a molten lava cake, which had a dangerous amount of poisoning for dogs. They also noticed the bruises on my back and the holes in the walls, so they decided they were going to arrest Robert whenever he returned, but somehow, he was alerted ahead of time, so he tried to flee from the incident as fast as he could. But luckily, his car broke down in the middle of the freeway and the police were able to track his phone and apprehend him for animal cruelty."

Meow!

"Yeah, karma is funny in that way. He was only sentenced for about a year, but I'm guessing that's enough time for a person to repent. As for me, the veterinarians considered pulling the plug multiple times after Sharla left, but Katie kept her promise and begged them to keep me around. Skipper and Mr. Jordan eventually tagged along with her, and every day, they would come and visit me until they decided to bring me along after I made a full recovery. I know it sounds like an insane story. Heck, even I'm still surprised I made it, and it's all thanks to everyone that helped me progress through it all. That's something I don't think I can ever repay."

Meow!

"Geez, Ms. Amelia has been gone for a while. Maybe I should go check and see if she's doing-" Leo tried to explain until the kitten curled up on his back.

"Huh? You want me to continue?"

Meow!

"Well, okay. But, only because you asked!" Leo chuckled. "Umm… where was I…? Oh, right! After the three got me settled in and stuff, I started worrying about how I was going to fit in with everyone else because of my newly developed trust issues. I always thought everyone was going to yell at me whenever I spoke or throw something at me, so I just remained quiet for a while. I did talk to this one pup though. He's still around, but I really don't like talking to him. His name is Rocky, and all he ever talks about is building and recycling. I mean, it wasn't bad a first, but later on, he started making everyone feel inferior compared to him. I don't think that was his intention, but all I know is that it made me extremely angry, and whenever I'm angry, my memory of Robert would always interfere, and I would sometimes lose control over myself. I mean, yeah! We get it, you're smart and all, but you don't have to shove it in our face! You know what I mean, right?"

Meow!

"I'll take that as a yes!" Leo smiled. "It's funny though, I even came up with a funny nickname for him, but the more I used it around others, the more they started turning it into an insult, and later on, that nickname was forbidden, but you know. Anyways, I chose to ignore him for my sake and a week later, I met my best friend, Colten. You remember him, right? He was that male pup you heard earlier trying to calm down the others! We all come from similar backgrounds you know. Abandoned after birth, alone for a certain amount of time. I'm guessing that's why it was so easy for me to talk to him. We were both extremely cautious of each other at first, but after Skipper organized an icebreaker activity, we both shared our stories, and that's how we became friends. Things were going great at first, but the more we started talking to each other, the more he realized I was going through a lot. I wasn't very good at keeping my anger hidden, and I eventually told him how my memories were mixing in with my emotions. He offered to help me relieve some stress whenever I needed to, and at first, I liked the idea, but the more we got into it, the more aggressive I thought was becoming."

Meow!
"I ended up breaking a lot of things along the way, and any time a staff member would walk in, he would always take the blame for me. I don't know how many times he's gotten in trouble for that, but no matter how bad things got, he never wanted to leave me behind. Honestly, that made me feel like the worst pup in existence, because he was doing so much for me, and I just sat through it all. I think we were about three weeks into our sessions when I asked if he wanted to stop because it felt like I wasn't making any progress, but in reality, I was actually afraid of doing something that I might regret. And something tells me he knew about that last part because after I was done trying to explain myself, he smiled and said I have nothing to worry about. That we've been making so much progress ever since we've started, and if we keep it up, then I'll be fine in no time."

Meow!

"Yeah... So many thoughts went through my mind after that, but overall, it felt nice knowing that I had someone else I could rely on. I still feel a little guilty though, but that feeling is like a reminder to me that not everyone is as lucky as I am. You know, with the whole… survival rate and things. Honestly, I still can't believe it, but I also remembered the way I felt when strangers used to feed me before I started living with Robert. I figured if they could do that for me, then maybe I can do the same for others. So, I started talking with everyone, and eventually, I met the next most important pup in my life, Mira."

Meow!

"Mira was extremely shy when we first met, which made me believe I was annoying her tail off, but it turns out that she actually enjoyed having me around! We didn't have much in common at the time, but later on, she introduced me to sports, which was kind of a big deal for me, because not only was I becoming stronger, but she also gave me another opportunity to release my stress. At first, we watched a few games on the internet, then we started doing our own little activities out on the field. It's funny though, she used to beat me all the time, but the more we played, the smarter I became, and eventually, I started coming up with my own tactics as well, so I guess you can say we're evenly matched now. Although I can sprint faster than her, she's way more agile than I am, meaning that she can easily outsmart me if I'm not careful enough. It wasn't long until the others asked if they could join in our games as well, and after Colten tagged along, it felt like we had our own little team going on."

Meow!

"I've recently started thinking about her more often, and I guess you can say I may or may not have a little crush on her, but I honestly don't think it's going to work out, because I'm not entirely sure I'm being honest with her. I mean, she still doesn't know anything about my past yet, and I'm too afraid to tell her because she usually gets pretty emotional over the simplest things like music videos and stuff like that. She also tries her best to avoid things that scare her, and I'm afraid that if I end up telling her about my anger issues, then maybe she'll end up avoiding me too. I really don't want her, or anyone else to be afraid of me, so that's why I asked Colten to keep it a secret for now until I get better control over my anger. He was hesitant at first, and I honestly don't blame him for that, because I know this isn't how we should be handling things, but I just don't want to risk it, you know?"

Meow!

"Yeah… but don't worry little guy! Hopefully, I'll get a better control over my emotions before I have to tell her about anything." Leo vowed before the door opened.

"Phew! Sorry, I'm late! I had to answer a very important phone call since Mr. Jordan was working on lunch." Amelia explained. "Looks like you guys will be getting another pup very soon!"

"Really? That's amazing!" He smiled before turning to the kitten. "You hear that little guy? Looks like we might be getting another friend on our side!"

Meow!

"Well, I'm glad that you're excited about it. Now, let's get started! Can you bring him over here for me?"

"Sure thing! Come on, little guy. Let's go!" Leo replied as he gently gave her the kitten. "Wow… who would have thought this is how I'd spend my morning! I really hope he gets along with the other cats! I mean, it would be sad if he doesn't. He's only a kitten after all, and I don't want him to go through the same thing I went through. Speaking of which, I wonder if we'll all get adopted one day. Would we all still be together, or would we go our separate ways? I don't know if I ever want to say goodbye to them..."

"Umm… Sorry, can you keep his head still for me? I think he's a little anxious."

"Oh, right! Sorry about that." Leo apologized. "I don't know… Maybe I'm being a little selfish. I'll think about it later."

"There we go. Much better…" Amelia remarked as the kitten drank the formula. "Okay, just a little more and he should be fine."

"Do you think the other cats will get along with him?"

"Well, we don't have any other kitten at the moment, so it might be a little hard for him to make some friends. I'll make sure to keep an eye on him. Would you like to stick around and play with the other cats while you're at it?"

"R-really? I thought pups weren't allowed back there."

"I'll make an exception for now. Besides, I think he'd really appreciate it if you joined him." Amelia said as the kitten stared at him.

Meow!

"Well in that case, okay! I'm sure the others won't mind if I stick around a little longer." Leo tittered as the kitten approached him.

"Alright, right this way please."

"Come on, little guy! Let's go meet your new friends!"

Meow!