Connie and Steven sat at the foot of Steven's bed, watching a movie. Connie was happy to have a sleepover at Steven's without having to bring medical equipment, though her parents had told her she couldn't watch any movies over a PG rating.

Cat Steven crept up into Steven's loft. Though Connie had never been allowed a pet of her own, she thought she knew almost everything about cats from books and the internet. She'd researched cats in the hopes that she might prove to her parents that she could look after one, but they had still said no.

Even all of the books and internet articles in the world couldn't have prepared Connie for the unique quirks of specific cats. She noticed Cat Steven lie on her belly next to Steven's bed, front legs tucked under herself, back legs sticking out.

"What's she doing?" Connie whispered to Steven.

"She only does that pose for me," Steven explained. "Usually it means she wants a back-rub. She seems to like how I do it."

Steven showed Connie how he rubbed the kitten's back: he put the tip of his thumb on one side of her tail and the tip of his forefinger on the other side. Then he rubbed Cat Steven's hipbones in slow circles as she purred.

"Small back-rub, because she's a small kitty," Steven said quietly.

Connie tried to rub Cat Steven the same way, but the kitten flopped onto her side.

"Did I do something wrong?" Connie asked anxiously.

"No," Steven assured her, "that's just what she does after I rub her."

Cat Steven licked the tips of Connie's fingers, and Steven said, "See, she likes you."

Connie kept petting the cat while continuing to watch the movie. Cat Steven eventually hopped on the bed and stretched herself across Steven and Connie's laps.