Hedgesville, West Virginia
Caspian Residence
Sunday, August 25, 1996
12:43 PM

Slowly stepping into her room and closing the door behind her, Jennie paused when she saw Kasei sitting on her bed. She could see that he had already had his hair trimmed and was now staring at the cover of her journal, tracing the design with his finger.
"What did Reiyl say?" she questioned as Kasei glanced up. It was easy to see that his face held a composed air.
"Nothing," Kasei stated with a fake laugh and smirk, shaking his head then looking away. "He took one look at me and walked off. He was pretty angry."
“Ears back? Swishing tail?” Jennie asked as Kasei nodded, “Typical cat behavior. But you realize he’s not mad at you, right?”
Dropping the book to the side of him, he gave her a shake of his head and sighed. “Of course I know that. He’s irritated at Rowen. Was never fond of him in the first place. Then he does this.”
Kasei rubs at the back of his neck and frowns. “I feel kind of naked.”
"I guess you would," she whispered, trying to smile, “going from really long hair to really short.”
"Rachael fixed it up for me," Kasei said, running his hands through his hair. He peeked up at her with unsure eyes. "Does it look okay though?"
“Yeah,” Jennie said with a smile, “looks good.”
Scooting off the bed, Kasei stood up. He appeared very nervous. It was then that Jennie realized he was standing without his cat ears, but with his human ears.
“Oh,” she announced clearly, startling him, as she pressed her hands to her own ears, “Wow, I never saw you like that before. With the short hair and all, you look really good.”
His face flamed up as he looked away. “It suits you, too,” he mumbled, “the short hair.”
“I haven’t fixed it yet,” Jennie whispered, “the back is shorter than the front.”
“I think it looks cute,” Kasei replied as he stepped up to her, reaching out and brushing her fingers over her hair, “yeah, it’s really cute on you.”
"Kasei..."
At the sound of his name coming off her lips, the cat demon lunged forward as his arms wrapped securely around her body. Jennie stilled.
"Please stay with me," he whispered, burying his face into her shoulder. "If I get kicked out of my village, would you please stay with me…"
"I don't think they'll kick you out," Jennie answered, unsure what to truly say. "Not over some hair. After all, you were protecting me from Rowen. And he‘s the one who cut your hair."
"You don't understand," Kasei cried as he pulled back to look her in the face. "They're strict. One of my older cousins got his face scarred in a battle and he was sent away. You can't disgrace your body!"
Jennie's mouth opened in shock then bit down on her lower lip. "Then I'll stay by your side," she whispered, bumping her forehead into his. "You and I will be together forever. Nothing will split us up, okay?"
Tilting her head back slightly, she looked up at the ceiling of her room then sighed and closed her eyes. This isn’t what I was thinking…
Standing up, Jennie fumbled with the hem of her shirt as she noticed Kasei seem to shuffle uneasily with his left foot where he stood. Her eyes scanned upward, but would sneak glances down at the cat demon from time to time. And he had his eyes on the ground, but would steal a look at her when he thought she wouldn’t notice.
Neither wanted to speak, but both held a look of discomfort. Jennie's face abruptly reddened as she caught him watching her longingly, startling Kasei.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It‘s just that you look so cute," Jennie whispered as she clasped her hands over her mouth abruptly. "Sorry! I mean, with your hair cut like that. You're really..."
She was digging herself deeper in a hole as she waved her arms about abruptly. Even her face was turning a darker shade of red with each word she was yelling out.
Staring at her with a calm expression, Kasei reached up and clasped Jennie's head in both his hands as he stared her directly in the eyes. The corners of his lips curled.
"It's okay," he said with a smile. "You're really cute, too."
Pulling her face toward his, he bumped his nose against hers before tilting his head slightly so that his lips met hers. Just a delicate connection, but enough to shake her.
Jennie didn‘t hesitate to move as she balled up her fist. When Kasei backed away, he was given a sharp punch in the face that sent him flailing to the ground. A hard flop on his rear and all he could do was nurse his aching jaw while staring up at her with shock.
"I don't know what gave you the idea you could kiss me, but don't you ever do it again!" Jennie shouted, pointing at Kasei while a sharp glint was in her eyes.
"But I thought," Kasei began, but Jennie cut him off with a vicious glare.
"I said you were cute, yes, but that doesn‘t mean I‘m interested in you," Jennie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You‘re only twelve. That‘s four years younger than me. I‘m not interested in a kid that‘s shorter than I am."
"I‘ll be taller than you soon," Kasei remarked, standing up. "I should be hitting a growth period soon. Then…"
"It doesn't matter," she interrupted. "You're still a kid. You should find someone your own age."
Before any more words could be said, Kasei fled the room and left Jennie with a bad taste in her mouth. She wiped her hand over her lips and sighed.
"I'm just being honest," she whispered, frowning. "I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. Just trying to be direct. But maybe it was a little too direct."