Chapter 10

"Um, Chris, how am I supposed to know what kind of food and toys he likes?" JC asked Chris, looking at all the choices offered him in the store.

"I hate fish," Lance muttered, pulling back slightly when JC tugged at the leash. "OW! Don't pull so hard!"

"What about toys?" Justin asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere with a bright blue ball in his hand. "Cats like toys, right?"

"He might like this," JC said, taking the ball from Justin and studying it. Lance groaned.

"Here, Scoop, see if you like this." JC tossed the ball a little ways down the aisle and Lance groaned again, then felt an irresistable urge to run after it.

"Damn!" he yelled, then chased the ball happily down the aisle. JC laughed as 'Scoop' brought the ball back to him and sat at his feet, begging with his big green eyes.

"I don't want to, but I do," Lance replied. "Damn I wish you could understand me, Josh! I hate not being able to talk to you."

"You get used to having to guess at what they're trying to tell you, believe me."

"Oo, catnip!" JC, Chris and Justin crowded around Joey, looking over all the catnip toys he had brought with him. Lance pouted and batted at the blue ball in front of him.

"Catnip smells weird... catnip!" Lance then climbed Joey's leg and sat on the big man's shoulder, staring at the catnip in excitement.

"I know he's not trying to hurt me, so the pain doesn't hit me as hard," Joey replied. "He just wants to see what we have for him here."

"I think he likes catnip," Justin laughed. "Put a couple of those on the ground and let him play." Joey did so and Lance leaped from his shoulder to play with the toys.

"Thank you!" Lance chirped in appreciation, playing with a small white mouse. He batted it to the left and ran right into JC's black boot when he went to chase it. "Ow. You have a hard boot."

"I won't tell you to fetch, but here." JC tossed the mouse a little ways and watched his new pet chase it happily. Chris sidled up to him.

"He needs his shots. And I think you ought to get him fixed. I mean, do you want him spreading his love around to every female cat that he meets?"

"What difference does it make?" JC said. "I mean, it's not like Busta or Korea do that."

"They'll never grow up," Joey commented. "Now, methinks Scoop will need food. We've found him some toys already."

"How many kinds can there... oh, shit." Joey and JC stood in awe of the walls and walls of choices of cat food before them. A store clerk appeared.

"I just got a cat," JC started, tugging on Scoop's leash. Scoop came around the corner, toy mouse in mouth. He dropped it at JC's feet and looked up at his owner, pleading. "Not now, Scoop. Anyways, I just got this cat and I have no idea what to feed him."

"Food," Joey wisecracked, then shut up when JC, the store clerk and the cat all gave him looks.

"Well, cats always like this one." The clerk handed JC a can of chicken broth. They went along like that, finding and discarding cans until JC had about a dozen he felt Scoop would like. Scoop himself just sat at his owner's feet, patiently waiting. Joey had long since disappeared to find Justin and Chris. As JC headed for the checkout with food and toys in hand, Chris approached.

"Yay!" Lance cheered. "But wait... my own bed means I don't get to sleep on JC's."

"Does he really need one right now?" JC asked. "I mean, for now he can sleep wherever he wants."

"Yay!" Lance cheered again, allowing himself to be picked up by Justin. JC paid for the food and toys and led the way out to the van.

"I still think he needs his shots," Chris said just loud enough for JC to hear, but Lance caught it, too.

"Fine. But really, think about it, JC. I don't really think you want a horny cat around." Lance hissed viciously and Chris backed up a step. "Woah, leash that cat of yours, C. I think he's gonna go for my throat or something."

"Would you be any better if we talked about cutting off YOUR balls?" Justin asked sweetly. Lance snickered.

"Now come on. It's late and I'm tired." JC spoke with authority and the others quickly piled into the van. Joey grabbed the driver's spot, Chris rode shotgun, so JC and Justin rode in the back. Lance hopped out of Justin's arms and settled down between the two men, content for now. He just hoped this peace would last.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to The Eyes of the Cat Chapter 10 "Um, Chris, how am I supposed to know what kind of food and toys he likes?" JC asked Chris, looking at all the choices offered him in the store. "Guess? I mean, fish. Cats always love fish." "I hate fish," Lance muttered, pulling back slightly when JC tugged at the leash. "OW! Don't pull so hard!" "Scoop, come ON," JC commanded. "Alright already." "What about toys?" Justin asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere with a bright blue ball in his hand. "Cats like toys, right?" "Balls are beneath me." "He might like this," JC said, taking the ball from Justin and studying it. Lance groaned. "You try making me play with that, I'll claw your eyes out." "Here, Scoop, see if you like this." JC tossed the ball a little ways down the aisle and Lance groaned again, then felt an irresistable urge to run after it. "Damn!" he yelled, then chased the ball happily down the aisle. JC laughed as 'Scoop' brought the ball back to him and sat at his feet, begging with his big green eyes. "You like this, I guess," JC said to himself, grinning. "I don't want to, but I do," Lance replied. "Damn I wish you could understand me, Josh! I hate not being able to talk to you." "I really wish I could understand cat-talk," JC told Chris. Chris laughed. "You get used to having to guess at what they're trying to tell you, believe me." "Catnip!" Joey yelled. "Cats like catnip, right?" "Oo, catnip!" JC, Chris and Justin crowded around Joey, looking over all the catnip toys he had brought with him. Lance pouted and batted at the blue ball in front of him. "Catnip smells weird... catnip!" Lance then climbed Joey's leg and sat on the big man's shoulder, staring at the catnip in excitement. "Scoop!" JC scolded. "Doesn't that hurt, Joey?" "I know he's not trying to hurt me, so the pain doesn't hit me as hard," Joey replied. "He just wants to see what we have for him here." "Catnip!" Lance meowed. "I like catnip!" "I think he likes catnip," Justin laughed. "Put a couple of those on the ground and let him play." Joey did so and Lance leaped from his shoulder to play with the toys. "Thank you!" Lance chirped in appreciation, playing with a small white mouse. He batted it to the left and ran right into JC's black boot when he went to chase it. "Ow. You have a hard boot." "I won't tell you to fetch, but here." JC tossed the mouse a little ways and watched his new pet chase it happily. Chris sidled up to him. "He needs his shots. And I think you ought to get him fixed. I mean, do you want him spreading his love around to every female cat that he meets?" "What difference does it make?" JC said. "I mean, it's not like Busta or Korea do that." "That's because 1) they're dogs and 2) they're both fixed." "So Busta's a h'it and Korea's a sh'it." "JUSTIN!" "Sorry." "I'm sure, you little creep!" "They'll never grow up," Joey commented. "Now, methinks Scoop will need food. We've found him some toys already." "What kind of food?" "How many kinds can there... oh, shit." Joey and JC stood in awe of the walls and walls of choices of cat food before them. A store clerk appeared. "Can I help you gentlemen?" "I just got a cat," JC started, tugging on Scoop's leash. Scoop came around the corner, toy mouse in mouth. He dropped it at JC's feet and looked up at his owner, pleading. "Not now, Scoop. Anyways, I just got this cat and I have no idea what to feed him." "Food," Joey wisecracked, then shut up when JC, the store clerk and the cat all gave him looks. "Well, do you have an idea what he likes?" "Not a clue. He was given to me just today, actually." "Well, cats always like this one." The clerk handed JC a can of chicken broth. They went along like that, finding and discarding cans until JC had about a dozen he felt Scoop would like. Scoop himself just sat at his owner's feet, patiently waiting. Joey had long since disappeared to find Justin and Chris. As JC headed for the checkout with food and toys in hand, Chris approached. "What about a bed or something?" he suggested. "Yay!" Lance cheered. "But wait... my own bed means I don't get to sleep on JC's." "Does he really need one right now?" JC asked. "I mean, for now he can sleep wherever he wants." "Yay!" Lance cheered again, allowing himself to be picked up by Justin. JC paid for the food and toys and led the way out to the van. "I still think he needs his shots," Chris said just loud enough for JC to hear, but Lance caught it, too. "I'll shoot YOU," Lance threatened, of course, unheard. "Chris, just leave off for a while, OK? I'll think about it." "No you won't." "Fine. But really, think about it, JC. I don't really think you want a horny cat around." Lance hissed viciously and Chris backed up a step. "Woah, leash that cat of yours, C. I think he's gonna go for my throat or something." "Would you be any better if we talked about cutting off YOUR balls?" Justin asked sweetly. Lance snickered. "Touché," Chris muttered, but laughed. "Now come on. It's late and I'm tired." JC spoke with authority and the others quickly piled into the van. Joey grabbed the driver's spot, Chris rode shotgun, so JC and Justin rode in the back. Lance hopped out of Justin's arms and settled down between the two men, content for now. He just hoped this peace would last.