We stepped into the kitchen and he sat on the chair by the granite island. I sat across from him. I took Bali away from my shoulder and placed him on the counter. He looked around before jumping into my lap. I sighed and stroked his cheek. He made a queer humming noise like a buzzing insect.

"Hey Coop?"

"Yeah?" He said.

He cracked his knuckles.

"Have you noticed Paul has been acting weird lately?"

I heard him shift in his seat.

"What do you mean?"

I gazed up at him. His green eyes looked keenly into my blue ones.

"You know he's been angry all the time! And he eats a lot..."

"Paul always eats a lot."

He shrugged nonchalantly and l stopped petting Bali.

"No!" l said and stood up.

"It's more than usual now and he's become huge all of a sudden- like he's on steroids."

Coop's eyebrows drew together and he grimaced before looking down at the island. He ran a bronze finger over its smooth,cool surface. I sat back down on the stool.

"I think you're being too sceptical. He might be going through puberty now- you know what they say about late bloomers. And in his own strange way he's dealing with it." He said.

Really? Is that your explanation?
I blushed and tried to speak but he continued.

"Give him some time,he'll be back to normal soon."

"I don't know Coop."

I caressed Bali's tiny cheek.

"I'm really worried about him," l whispered.

I saw Coop kneel beside me in my peripheral vision. Something warm touched my shoulder;l twisted back and looked into Coop's eyes. I sniffled and his eyes softened. He moved his hand towards my face. I frowned.

"What are you doing?"

He ignored my question and reached out to my face. I flinched but he moved his thumb down my face. That's when l realised tears were sliding down my face. My mouth gaped and l pulled away. Hurriedly l dabbed at the tears.

"He'll be okay. Trust me," he said.

I  snivelled again. "Promise?"

"I promise," he said.

I smiled and wiped away the remaining tears. He removed his hand from my shoulder. I looked into his eyes. I squinted at them. I admittedly have never seen anything as beautiful as his eyes.

They were a soft lime green with a dark peppermint green ring outside the irises,and an orange ring inside.

Only now as l gazed into them from the chair, they were different. I stared at deep pools of lime with golden rings circling the inside and outside of his irises. A gold hue was dominating the pools.

"Fuchsia."

I blinked and l moved my eyes away from his. I rolled back my shoulders and looked back at him. He was staring. I blushed and cleared my throat.

"Coop?" I said weakly.

He tilted his head and continued to stare.

"Are you okay?"

I bit my lip and held on tightly to the kitchen chair. His stare was unnerving and unwelcome. It was silent before l heard him shift around.

"I'm fine,"he chuckled.

I looked back at him again. He was now leaning against the island, and he was still staring. I swallowed and began playing with my hair.

'Was there something wrong with my face? Or my hair?' She thought.

I bit my lip and squeezed my hair tighter. He chuckled huskily. He grinned.

'Why is he laughing?' She thought.

"What? Why are you cracking up?"

He chuckled before pushing off the island.

"Ha. No reason."

I opened  my mouth to respond to him but he walked past my chair.

"We should get back. Paul and Katy must be wondering where we are."

I sighed before standing up and following him. Bali meowed. I turned and he was looking at me expectantly.

"What are you looking at?"

"Mew." He replied.

I picked him up and cradled him in my arms. I quickly caught up to Coop and we walked to the sitting room.

"Ouch! Stop doing that you're hurting me!!" I heard Paul say.

"Well hold still! Would you? No wonder you're getting hurt you're squirming like piggy!"

"I am not a pig!" He said.

"Good thing you decided for us to head back ." l said.

He smiled and shook his head. As we entered we saw Katy cutting off the supply of blood to Paul's foot. Paul grunted as he saw us.

"Thank goodness you guys finally showed up! Katy's killing me."

She huffed and sat down next to him. She crossed her arms.

"Good luck helping this ungrateful pig."

Paul turned to her and yelled l'm not a pig.

Coop told Katy to go get a first aid kit,a towel and another ice pack. She zipped off and Coop examined Paul's foot. I sat on a love seat facing them. Bali seemed to be wearing this proud grin like he accomplished something.

"Hmm...Does this hurt?"

Coop gently touched Paul's foot but he winced.

"It's excruciating..." Paul said.

"Well,its swollen but the bleeding has stopped. It's too late to go to the doctor, and it's not an emergency..."

"Not an emergency? Look at it!" Paul said.

"Paul it's only a cat scratch. If you were bitten by a dog it would be."

Paul huffed.

" l hate you stupid cat this is all your fault." He said to Bali.

Bali chirped and waved his tail. He gracefully declined Paul's insult like he was some respected feline prince. He rubbed his head under my hand and l petted him. Coop and l laughed. Paul crossed his muscled arms and sighed.

"I hate cats," he said.

"Got the stuff." Katy said as she dashed in. She handed the stuff to Coop and sat down next to me.

"Hi,cutie." She said and stroked Bali affectionately.

Bali closed his eyes.

"Hmm... It looks like Bali likes all of us but Paul."

Paul glared at Bali like he was the devil incarnated.

Coop opened the stop light green first aid bag and took out gauze, bandages,solution and ointment. He cleaned Paul's wound with the solution,before dabbing on the ointment and compacting  his foot with the bandages. He wrapped it with a towel. 

"Well l did the best l could with what we had."

Paul smiled. "Are you kidding? It feels so much better."

He moved to stand but Coop prevented him from moving.

"Wait until l get the boot. For now you can put this here," he moved the ice pack over Paul's bandage.

He left and all that was heard was the cat murmuring like a diesel engine.

"So Fuchsia. What were you two up to in the kitchen?"

Katy asked and suggestively wiggled her brows.

Paul furrowed his brows.

"Were you and Coop in the kitchen?"

"Yeah," l muttered.

"Oh. Doing what?" He said casually.

"Uhmm..." My cheeks became rosy.

" Jus..just t..talking." I fiddled with Bali's tail,but he didn't seem to mind.

"Uh... Huh." Katy said.

"Just talking,when are you guys going to do more than just talk?" Paul said.

"Never."

"Come on! You two both like each other,do something about it." Katy said.

"Easy for you to say. And what if he doesn't? What if it ruins our friendship? What if...if..." I said.

"Fuchsia you only live once. You will never know if you don't try." Paul said.

I sighed as l scooped up Bali in my hands.

"Coop's a good guy,he'll treat you right."

Paul smiled at me.

It suddenly became quiet. I looked up and Coop came in. He was holding a brown fuzzy boot- most likely Ruth's.

I giggled.

"Isn't that Ruth's boot?"

Coop nodded. "My sister's not going to be happy, but she'll understand."

He sauntered to Paul and waved the boot at him.

"Wear this."

Paul scowled.

"I'm not wearing those girly boots."

"You have too,if you don't want to stress the wound anymore than you have already." Coop said.

Paul sighed.

"You only have to wear it until tomorrow."

"Give me the stupid thing then." He said.

Coop quickly put the boot on before he changed his mind. It was very stylish even on guys.

Coop told Paul to see his family's general practitioner. He gave him the number. Coop came over and knelt beside me.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Uhh...fine..."

Why was he asking me that?

"I mean to ask if you have any injuries?"

I scoffed.

"You never know. Bali has pretty sharp claws for a tiny cat."

I checked my shoulder the red jelly was beginning to scab. I winced as l felt a stab of pain.

Coop gave me a look before pulling out band aids,gauze and ointment. He dabbed on ointment on my shoulder and l whimpered.

"Ouch."

"Sorry."

After that it was no longer painful. He pressed on the band aid. As he did so Paul and Katy smirked at me. I glared but they laughed at that. Bali was sleeping.

"Okay,let's walk them home Fuchs."

He stood up and that's when l noticed his eyes were a peppermint green with lime rings around them.

Huh...weird.

Imagine that boot in the picture on Paul. And of course look at the cute kitty. :)
Now you know some of what l know...Fuchsia has a crush on Coop!!!!!