Pets II

The sky was gray, ready to rain any moment. They had run out of snacks, so Toph paid Aang to run to the grocery store, leaving her alone in his house.

With nothing better to do, Toph assumed her usual position on Aang's couch (feet on top, butt in the seat, head hanging an inch over the ground) and turned on the TV, having no problem with channel surfing upside-down.

For once, however, she wasn't watching TV alone. Aang's skinny black and white cat had climb onto Toph's belly and sprawled out over her mid-rift. Toph had seen Momo many times and had quickly gotten used to the fluffy feeling of his fur and the gentle purring sound he made when she pet him.

"Having fun, kitty?" Toph asked. The cat didn't respond. She grabbed the remote. "Are you watching this?" Momo purred softly. "Well, too bad. I'm changing the channel."

Another five minutes passed and Aang came home. Momo heard him before he even opened the door and jumped off of Toph's belly gracefully.

"Oof!" Toph said as the feline's paws pushed her kidney.

"Hey Momo." Aang stroked his cat's ears and Momo purred.

"Affectionate little rat-killer, isn't he?" Toph asked as she pulled herself right-side up.

"Yeah. He's a sweetheart." Aang said. "I got your junk food."

"Sweet. Toss it here!" Toph clapped her hands and held them open, ready to catch. Aang threw the loud foil bag to her. "Thanks." She ripped the bag open and began to devour the nasty, high fat snack.

Always being her opposite, Aang sat next to her and began to eat his apple.

Momo jumped in between them and began to rub against Toph's side instead of Aang.

"Ha! Look at that." Toph pointed to Momo. "Your cat likes me better than you."

"She likes you because you're eating pork rinds. Cats don't like apples."

"Yeah…that, and she likes me better." Toph insisted. Aang sighed. "Ya hungry little guy?" Toph asked Momo and held a pork grind over his head. Momo followed the dangling chip with hungry eyes.

"Hey! You can't give a cat junk food!" Aang yelled.

"Sorry Garfield. Aang says 'no'." Toph put the chip back in her bag.

"Meow!" Momo begged Aang for mercy.

"I don't think he likes you anymore Aang." Toph laughed. Then Momo pushed himself against Aang's leg and began purring. "Oh…I guess I was wrong."

"He knows you're not going to give him food, so he's coming to me for something to eat. Just ignore him." Aang took a bite out of his apple.

"Meow." Momo complained again.

"Aw, come on twinkle toes. He's hungry. Look at him. He looks as malnourished as you do."

"He's fine. I am not malnourished." Aang said.

"Look at that black and white face. He's saying 'feed me, feed me. My master doesn't feed me'." Toph thought she was funny.

"He already ate his dinner." Aang was being firm with Momo. "All this cat ever thinks about is food. He's gonna get really fat if he keeps it up."

Momo jumped onto the coffee table in between Aang's couch and his TV, turned around and began to stare at the two humans who had the nerve to eat in front of him.

"Now look. Your cat is giving you the Evil Eye." Toph said and smiled. "Just give him something small to eat. Like…I don't know…like an anchovy."

"We don't have any. And I'm not giving him food!" Aang said sternly. Momo seemed to understand him. He hissed, then jumped off the coffee table and walked into the kitchen.

"Cold Aang…that was just cold." Toph said as she shook her head.

"He can't eat anything."

"Cold. That's all I'm gonna say. Cold." Toph kept shaking her head.

"I think I know how to take care of my cat Toph." Aang took another bite out of his apple.

SMASH! Toph and Aang both jumped in their seat.

"What was that?" Toph asked, startled.

"Oh no. Not again!" Aang yelled. He stood up and ran into the kitchen. Toph followed him, leaving her pork rinds on the coffee table. "MOMO!" Aang shouted as he charged into the kitchen, but his cat wasn't there.

The glass fruit bowl on the top of the refrigerator lay smashed in four pieces on the green and yellow tiled floor, like someone or something had pushed it off.

"Where is that cat?" Aang began looking for him. Toph stepped away from the scene of the crime, not wanting to make Aang any angrier. "MOMO!"

"Aang, he's in here!" Toph yelled, then laughed.

"Where?"

"In the living room. Check this out!" Toph yelled.

Aang rushed to the living room. Toph was practically falling over laughing. Momo had snuck by them and climbed onto the top of the coffee table. His head was buried in Toph's bag of pork rinds.

"You got out smarted by a cat!" Toph pointed at Aang and kept giggling.

"Momo! Bad! Get down!" Aang yelled.

Momo pulled his head out and licked his lips before running away.

"I think you better stick with dogs, twinkle toes." Toph wiped her eyes and slapped him on his back.