The sound of Miao Miao shrieking and Papa shouting compelled me to walk into the living room with a spatula as my weapon and a pillow as my shield.

Papa was frantically trying to pull Miao Miao away from the bedcovers and pillows which he had already shredded into a million pieces of colourful red confetti.

"You stupid cat!" As Papa shouted mean names at Miao Miao, I took hold of my little fluffball and quickly covered his furry white ears.

"Don't Papa! You'll hurt his feelings. He might cry."

"I might cry right now, Scarlett! Those were my favourite pillows. And those bedsheets were part of the limited edition fuchsia purple-red collection which I have kept since your Mama and I got married!"

"Did Mama choose the bedsheets?"

"No, I did! Why?"

"You chose that colour without Mama's permission, didn't you?"

"Yes, I thought it looked nice with- wait, what has this got to do with your cat shredding my favorite bed sheets to pieces?"

"It's got nothing to do with our cat shredding your-" I coughed abruptly, "ugly bed sheets at all! I was just curious, Papa. That's all." I gave Papa my usual grin and stroked behind Miao Miao's ears. "If you're really that sad about those bed sheets, Papa, I'll grow up quickly, find a job and buy you nicer ones."

Immediately, Papa's expression softened. He ruffled my red hair and said in a softer tone, "The problem is sometimes, I don't want you to grow up so quickly, I just want you to be my little scallop forever and ever. I don't even want new bedsheets if I could keep you this way."

"Don't be silly. You know that won't be possible. All of us have to grow up; you grew up too, Papa, and met Mama on the way."

"Yeah, you're right." He pulled me into his arms and took the spatula from my hand, "Soon, I'll be chasing away boys around you with that baseball bat I kept in the basement for a good reason." For pointless emphasis, Papa began swatting left and right at make-believe boys with his wooden spatula. He smirked and added, "Just like what I did for your Mama."

"Was that how you won over Mama's heart? I feel so sorry for her." I held a hand to my heart.

Papa held me at a distance and looked at me with a raised brow. "Hey, it was your Mama who fell head over heels in love with me first."

"Mama sounded like a really nice person." I said while Miao Miao decided that he preferred to lie on Papa's feet more than my lap.

"Yes, she was. And she loved you very much, as much as I do." A heavy and thick atmosphere started to form in the room. However it was suddenly but thankfully disturbed by Papa's angry remark as Miao Miao purred loudly to remind us he was still there.

"I'm gonna use you as a kitchen rag, you useless piece of fluff! If not for Scarlett, you'll already be on the streets!" Papa kicked gently at Miao Miao with the top of his toe which made Miao Miao jumped to the top of the bed where his work of art, the ugly shreds of fuchsias was still in place.

"I don't even know why you like that cat of yours so much!"

"Miao Miao is your cat too! And I like him because he's always there for me when I need him, like you are, when I need you."

The corners of papa's lips began to tilt up a little, just a little. He scoffed.

"You always have a way with words, don't you, Scallop?" Papa shook his head but stopped when his phone vibrated, "I'm getting a call." Papa said and began to walk out of the crime scene.

"I'll clean this up, Papa." I called out to him.

"Yeah, you should, cause it's your cat that created that mess after all." He gave me a wink from the end of the hallway.

I flashed him a smile and rolled my eyes heavenwards.

As I moved Miao Miao out of the crime scene, I said to him, "Oh Miao Miao, Mama in heaven would be so proud of you." I squished his fluffy cheeks. "I bet she would finally be at peace when she sees those nasty bed sheets gone once and for all."

"I heard that!"

~#~#~#~#~#~#

As I settled down at the table, breakfast was already served. Pancakes. My favourite!

I noticed Papa's chair was empty so I looked over to where he was. He was nicely suited up and even his suitcase was right beside him. I saw that the reason he wasn't having breakfast with me now was because of that awful guy talking on the other end of Papa's phone line again. It seemed quite serious as Papa was gesturing wildly with his free hand and the angry crinkles on his head appeared deeper than ever.

I waved at Papa, trying to get his attention after pouring a very generous amount of syrup on my pancake. He waved and pointed back at me, then put an imaginary spoonful of pancake to his mouth as to indicate me to eat.

I didn't need any more indications. When Papa's back was turned away from me, I picked up the bottle of maple syrup again and poured a lot more of its content onto my pancake, leaving my pancake swimming in a pool of too much maple syrup. Ha. No amount of syrup was too much for me. I cringed when Papa suddenly turned around. I gave him a nervous smile and an even more nervous 'ehehe'. He narrowed his eyes in question but went back to the conversation on his phone.

I let out a breath of relief. I was nearly caught having too much thick, brown, gooey, sugary goodness. To prevent Papa from witnessing the evidence of me having too much of that glorious goodness, I took my plate, tilted it towards my mouth, drank big gulps of maple syrup, chewed on big bites of pancake and drank the full cup of milk I poured for myself earlier. Before Papa turned around to look at me again, I had already finished eating the entire plate of pancakes.

Papa poked angrily and repeatedly at the red button on the screen of his iPhone. But before he'd hung up the call, I heard something on the lines of "I have a daughter to take care, Hudson." and a "You can't do this to me." and then a very loud,"I have a life, Hudson. What you're doing now is taking it away from me!" and then finally a very dejected, "Fine, fine! I understand. I'll see you afterwards."

"Papa? Is there a problem?"

"Yes, I have a very last minute but very important meeting at work in about 45 minutes. It'll take up my entire day which means I won't be able to take you home later, Scarlett. Are you done with breakfast?"

I nodded while feeling a slight discomfort in my stomach.

"Good because we need to make a move now. Do you have any friends at school that could bring you home?"

The urge to burp was powerful. I sucked in my breath. Doing that made it worst as all the blood in my body went to my head and for a slight millisecond I felt faint. Trying to hide the fact I had too much maple syrup, I blurted the first thing on my mind.

"I can walk home. We don't live far away from school anyway."

"No, Scarlett. That's definitely out of the question. What about Clara's mom?" Papa said while getting his suitcase from the floor.

I let out a small burp. "I'll ask." I managed.

I wasn't feeling my best throughout the conversation. I had this terrible need to run around the house, fling Miao Miao up in the air and laugh maniacally whilst he flies through the air. I came to the conclusion that the maple syrup I had too much was contaminated with a brain cell-attacking-amoeba.

"Come on, let's go." He said while opening the creaking wooden door which came alive to scream its urgent need to be oiled.

I took my bag and followed after him quickly. Too quickly.

"Bye Miao Miao" I said, feeling ashamed of my urge to throw him across the room. I gave him one last guilty look and ran out the door.

"Meow?" Miao Miao said.

~#~#~#~#~#~#

My feet began to tap a fast rhythm on the car floor.

"So, the very first thing you do when you see Clara is to ask whether her mom can bring you home." Someone said. I wasn't paying much attention as I saw Bob our neighbour jogged down the street. I wished I could join him.

"Scarlett?" the unknown voice called my name. Oh yeah, there's only two people in this car, me and the Sugar Nazi.

"Alright, Papa."

"If she can't, ask Uncle Harry for help if he's free. Worst come to worst, you know my number. I'll try my best to come as early as possible. Take these. Just in case."

The Sugar Nazi, I mean Papa gave me a few coins so I accepted his peace offering and put them in my pocket.

"Alright. We're here."

"Okay. Have a nice day, Papa"

"You too, Scallop. Don't go throwing any more dusters. And avoid Miss McNally at all cost." He grinned while emphasizing the 'Miss'.

"Of course, Papa."

"Oh wait, Scarlett." He stopped me while I was opening the car door to freedom. "I'm going to pick up some groceries when I head home after work. Do you remember what we need besides eggs and milk?"

"Toilet paper, some batteries and maple syrup."

"Maple syrup?"

"Yup, there's less than half of it left. Can I go now?" I started to close the car door when I noticed the suspicion in Papa's eyes.

"What do you mean there's less than half of it left? I bought a big bottle just a few days ago."

Oops.

"Scarlett, exactly how much maple syrup did you have this morning?"

"Umm... I don't remember. Oh, oh! I think I see my friends. Talk to you later, Papa. Love you!" I said and sprinted away from him.

"Scarlett, this is not the last you'll hear of this!" The angry Sugar Nazi shouted at me who was already a good distance away from his dictatorial sugar-free clutches.

I raced towards the school field and stopped to admire it in all its glory. Morning dew had covered the grass and made the vastness of green to shimmer under the warm sunlight. It was beckoning me to step on it. Facing forward, I began to run. Fresh air entered my lungs and blood flowed into my limbs. With a smile on my face, I felt my heart pumping after several thrusts forwards. I only stopped when I felt a slight pain in my right abdomen.

I laid my back onto a bench and stayed there until the huffing and puffing of my breath slowed down to a slower, even tempo. Then, I tilted my head upwards to look at the beautiful clear blue sky. It felt amazing. Wonderful even! To have the entire field to myself-

"I saw you."

I fell off the bench and onto granite ground. When I looked up furiously at the pain in the butt who had caused the pain on my butt, my mouth dropped open.

"You nincompoop!" I shouted.

"Scarlett." Tommy said with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk on his face while looking down at me from above.

I stood up painfully and brushed dust off my painful bottom while giving Tommy my best death glare.

"Why are you in school at this time?" I asked annoyed by the smirk on his face.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was the one who asked first. So you should answer first."

"I'm always early. I sit at that spot every day while waiting for school to start." He pointed to the rows of seats above the field.

I felt my face burning up. If he was sitting there the whole time I was here, that only meant he had witnessed me running around the field like an escapist from a mental institution.

"You saw me?" I didn't even need to ask but I still did, just to make sure whether there was any hope left that I wouldn't be named as one of the school's famous Crazies.

"I saw you. That's what I said just now."

All hope was lost.

"Tommy, if you're going to tease me about it. Just don't. I'm not in the mood because I really don't like the person I'm talking to right now." I said with a few elegant flicks of my hand.

"I wasn't going to tease you. It was funny though. You run like a... you know those cartoon horses? You remind me of them when carrots are tied in front of their faces so they would run faster." He laughed and slapped me on the arm. In return, I flinched and stared at the spot he ungracefully laid his hand upon.

Wait. Did he just say I looked like a horse?

"You said you weren't going to tease me!"

"I didn't. You just reminded me of something I like!"

"You like horses?"

"I do."

"And you said I look like a horse?"

"Yes, I mean, no! Yes, but I-"

"I would look horrible if I really do look like a horse!"

"What? No! Of course not. I think you look really pretty!"

Silence. It was as if the whole world had stop revolving. Although I could swear I heard a crow cawing above our heads.

"I'm pretty?" I said.

I could see Tommy struggling not to run away as his face became as red as a tomato.

"I didn't say that! Aargh! The-only-reason-I-came-to-talk-to-you-is-because-I-wanted-to-apologize-for-yesterday. I'm sorry! There! I said it and I'm not going to say it the second time. See you later in class." Tommy said before bolting off in the opposite direction.

As I saw Tommy's figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance, my feet still stayed rooted to the ground. I didn't know what to do or what to think. So, I proceeded back to my original position on the bench to stare blankly at the blue sky.

When I finally gathered my thoughts, a smile formed on my face.

He said I was pretty. Then, he said he was sorry for yesterday.

I blushed when I realized Tommy was actually quite cute when he wasn't being mean and all.

Nice Tommy.

I could get used to that.