Kitty and the City
     
     By Paul Genesse
     
     Cassie sat on the dark rooftop, hating to admit that she was one of those cats who always had bad luck in relationships. She thought she had met the perfect tom until he turned his golden eyes away from her and got up to leave. After weeks of dating, she knew their brief romance was probably over.
     Cassie leaned her white face forward. “Wait.” She projected the desperate word to his mind, vocalizing a soft meow for added urgency that feline telepathy could not convey on its own. Her gray-brown striped ears stood up straight and her sea green eyes opened wide, giving him an unmistakable sign of her feelings for him.
     
     He turned away without reacting—cold and distant as usual. His large tuxedo-colored body slipped into the darkness of the roof. His white chest, feet and face were still prominent, while his black fur blended into the shadows. His reply whispered into her mind. “I just can’t settle down right now.”
     
     Cassie’s tail sagged. His musky scent faded as if he’d already gone. “Why are you so scared to get close to me?”
     
     “I might be leaving the city. Permanently.”
     
     “You weren’t even going to tell me?” Cassie felt so betrayed. The idea of another failed relationship smacked her in the nose like a slammed door.
     
     He regarded her with a sad expression. “It’s just bad timing, Kitty.”
     
     She figured this would be the last time he called her by her nickname. He probably wanted to be kind as he broke up with her, but it just felt cruel.
     
     “I’ll see you around.” Mr. Big Paws disappeared into the shadows, his overly large paws silently padding away into the night.
     
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