Too Smart

I'm too smart for my own good. I know it, but I can't change what I am. I could help them, if they let me. Instead, I sit here and rot.

No one wants me.

No one loves me.

I observe everything from my vantage point up here. The world is in such turmoil. I can tell it just by looking around casually, doesn't take an owl to figure it out. They need more of us strong silent types. Instead, weaklings wander free, while I am stuck here, lurking like an unwilling gargoyle.

Unable to protect anyone.

Waiting for somebody, anybody, to see my value.

Three kids come in. One boy has a shock of orange-red hair. Think unkempt fire. Looks like someone used to being overlooked. Vaguely reminds me of one of my little cousins. Wonder whatever happened to her...if she found someone... I shake away the thought.

"It's my rat, he's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt." I look at the boy's rat. Droopy whiskers. Too grubby to make a decent meal. Boy's going to need a new pet soon.

I turn my attention to the girl studying the cages. I feel an immediate kinship with her. I can see her eyes. Soft, yet perennially impatient. They are the eyes of a clever soul who is too often ignored. Another languishing intellect, too smart for her own good. Such sad, pretty eyes. She even has fluffy hair like me. She doesn't strike me as the type to get a toad. Hideous things they are, no brains. Now a raven, sleek and intelligent, that I could see.

It is their companion who attracts stares. He has messy black hair and round glasses. Something in his demeanor reminds me of those showy black rats. Attention grabbing. Though I suppose he does not try to attract everybody's attention, it seems to happen naturally. I calmly survey the scene, as yet unnoticed. Something smells wrong. It didn't strike me immediately, but there is a subtle oddness...

Something is off about the boy's rat.

I carefully sniff the air.

Analyzing it.

It isn't a rat, but some human pretending to be one. I swear it must be. I sniff again. Yes, human, definitely. Male. And these kids don't know about it. The boy is innocently buying tonic for an imposter!

"OK. How much..."

Without thinking I launch myself at the rat-person, intent on exposing him.

"OUCH!" I landed on the boy's head and propelled myself at the 'rat' in the witch's hands. I hiss and spit, make a fuss, but no one--not even the girl, is smart enough to catch on.

"NO,CROOKSHANKS, NO!" The witch doesn't understand, but that doesn't surprise me. She never does understand. Idiot.

It got away. Hit the ground at a run and fled out of the building.

"Scabbers!" The red haired boy followed his pet. I didn't mean to upset him. Once the hunting instinct was gone I felt guilty for landing on him. The black haired boy ran out too, his green eyes full of concern for his friend.

They are all angry at me. I was trying to help. Shhhhessh. Worse yet, I think I ruined my chances. Stupid. Stupid! Should have bided my time, tried to get the girl to take me home, then dealt with this...creature.

But the girl is still here. Bah, stupid! False hopes. I should know better than that by now. I curl up on the counter and groom. Trying for all the world to appear indifferent.

"He's gorgeous!" I stop and look up at her, mid lick. Is she talking about me? Sure seems it.

"He's been here forever, a real pain. I sold the rest of his family ages ago." That old cow. She didn't have to say that, about me being a pain. I'm just an excellent judge of character. I go back to grooming, trying to repair my squashed ego.

"Poor thing!" What a nice, sympathetic girl. She reached out to pet me. I rose, sauntered closer, then began to purr. She scratched my head. Sweet child, really. "How much?" I stopped purring in shock. The began to butt her hand with my head, ecstatic. I was finally leaving this damn store, and with a wonderful owner.

The boys were not happy to see me.

"You bought that monster?" Oh well, I'd win them over. Once I exposed the spy they would understand. For the moment, I was more than content to be a simple lap cat.

But once I had a moment alone near the rat, I let out a single his, drawn out, as threatening as I could make it. Letting him know that I knew his secret. And promising that I would do my best to make sure others learn it too.