"Where is he?" Marinette tapped her foot impatiently, looking at her watch. "Maybe he just got out of school too?" Tikki tried to help.
Marinette had just got out herself, but she knew if they didn't get home soon, all the pumpkins would be gone, and wouldn't it be fun to carve pumpkins with Cat? Come to think of it, had her best friend ever carved a pumpkin before?
"Marinette!" Cat called. Marinette stopped her daydreaming, running down the steps. "Come on, we need to get home!" she said, grabbing his hand and running. "Where's the fire?" he joked. "In Papa's ovens," she shot back, then groaning to herself. She was used to her Kitty's puns, and even if she rolled her eyes at a lot of them, she liked when Cat was playful. "Papa and Mama had a pumpkin sale today," she explained as they walked. "They told me if I got home in time, I could have a couple to carve."
They walked into the bakery, and Sabine was sweeping the floor. "Hey, sweetie. Cat." Marinette let go of Cat's hand, hands on hips, trying to catch her breath. "Are they're any pumpkins left?" Sabine's face fell. "No, I'm sorry. They went as fast as hotcakes! But Papa has a few turnips in the back." "Oh," Marinette said, blinking back tears of disappointment. She'd been really looking forward to carving a pumpkin, but her parents had tried, so she put on a brave face. "Turnips sound good." Though I've never carved one of them before, she thought to herself.
Soon, Marinette were up on her balcony googling how to carve a turnip. Marinette begin to carve, while Cat looked over at his. "I'm not sure what to crave, so maybe watching you I'll get an idea. What did you do in school today?"
Marinette looked up from her work. "A really hard math test. Ugh. Math is not my best subject." "So, what is?" "Art and English." Cat smiled. "I'm seen your designs. One day, you'll be walking down a runway." "You think so?" Marinette asked. Cat nodded. "And I write in my diary all the time. I would read more often, but I'm not sure homework or my fashion magazines count."
"I like to read too, when I get time. I like anime, but I've read a lot of the classics." They discussed books for awhile, which they liked and disliked. "Maybe you could read me one," Marinette told him, half-joking.
But Cat was no longer listening. He was staring at his turnip when a green glint in his eye. Marinette knew what that meant. Cat Mode: Activated. With a delighted meow, Cat rolled onto his back and begin to bat his turnip like a yarn ball.
Marinette was about to scold him, but then she saw the joy on his face. And there was no way she was taking that away from him. "Oops, I think I scratched it," Cat told her a few minutes later. Marinette giggled as she looked at the claw marks down the side. "That's one way to carve a turnip," she joked, and they both burst into giggles.
A gust of wind blew around them, making Cat's fluffy hair even fluffier. Marinette noticed her outdoor tea lights had come on, and it was just starting to get dark.
"I don't know why, Princess," Cat said, quietly. "But I feel so happy here." "Now that you mention it, I haven't felt lonesome once today." "Marinette?"
The two friends paused their conversation as Sabine came out onto the balcony. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I can't think of a thing for supper. Any suggestions?" Marinette looked at their turnips. "How about turnip soup?" "Hey, great! I have a soup recipe I've been dying to try!" Sabine smiled as she gathered up the vegetables. "I'll call you when its ready!"
Cat made a face when Sabine left. "Why didn't you suggest pizza?" "Mama's a great cook, it will be delicious for sure. Hey, can you stay for supper?" Cat did, but he wasn't sure about the soup. "Trust me, it will be okay." Cat smiled. "Okay. But you owe me a muffin." "Deal."
Cat admitted it did smell good when he followed Marinette down to the table. "I'm not sure about this, Sabine," Papa said, as he stared at his bowl. Suddenly, Cat had a idea. "I'll try it with you, Mr. Dupain. I always feel braver trying new things with someone." "Thanks for offering, Cat."
"On the count of three," Marinette said. Cat and Tom poised their spoons. "One, two, three!" The boys dipped their spoons in and took a bite. Marinette found she was holding her breath. "Yum, this is great!" Cat said, spooning in another mouthful.
With garlic bread and salad, Cat found relaxing and loving the meal and conversation. This didn't happen at home, and he didn't want the meal to end.
When Cat left for the night, both Sabine and Tom gave him hugs. "Your welcome here anytime." Marinette hugged Cat tightly. "I had fun, even if we didn't carve any pumpkins." Cat smiled. "Anything we do together is fun, Princess. See you soon."
Cat sighed happily as he walked down the staircase. So, that was what family dinner time was like. Cat craved more, and he would be back tomorrow.