A dark gray cat arched his back, and his skin shuttered in response to my fingers, running down his spine and up the tail. After dealing with the same asshole for days now, I decided to stop at the humane society to pick out a friend. It was apparent I needed something or someone to help keep my mind occupied. That asshole had almost driven me screaming on multiple occasions in the short time we’d spent with one another, and I had to get my mind focused on something else or I’d snap.

The cat stretched and curled into a fur ball on my lap, resting his head against my leg, and was quick to close his eyelids. The soft purrs allowed me to relax as I stroked behind the white spot on his ear and breathed a small sigh of relief.

My phone dinged, and I knew whom the text was from without looking at the screen. It was Mom. No one else called or texted my phone other than work.

Mom: Your brother made all A’s for the semester.

Mom: He wanted to show you.

She forwarded a picture, and I stared at the university crest at the top of the grade report in disbelief. My brother being old enough to be in college was something hard for me to accept, considering he was thirteen the last time I saw him. He used to text as well, but he gave up a few years ago after he broke down and gave up on me ever answering him. Instead, he’d send messages through Mom when he knew the news was something I’d be sad if I missed. Never mind the fact I’d moved away from them without an explanation. I was hurting, but they were, too. I was selfish to not consider how my moving would impact their lives, but I couldn’t handle any aspect of my own.

Mom: We miss you.

Mom: Well, it was nice talking to you.

I didn’t respond. This was nothing new. I never did.

My lap got warm soon after the cat leaped from my legs and cried out like it hurt him to jump. He peed on me, and then I wasn’t sure what happened to cause him to cry.

I wasn’t getting a cat. I hated cats.

The little mousy-looking woman came into the adoption room, and her dark ponytail flipped as she bounced in place. “So, are we going to be taking The Wizard home?”

“The Wizard?” I asked, exhaling and glancing at the wet spot on my jeans. “Is piss his magic trick?” I sounded bitterer than I had intended.

“Yes, well, it’s Wiz for short. He, um, kind of has accidents on occasion.” Her eyes followed mine and then widened. “I guess you figured that out, huh?”

“Yep,” I answered, grabbing my stuff and shaking my head. I guess if she had told me beforehand that he “has accidents,” I probably would have asked to look at another one. I didn’t blame her for that decision. I might have done the same; he wasn’t exactly a young cat. If I had to guess, I’d speculate him to be over seven because he had white patches of fur from aging.

“Sorry,” she said, scooping him up and nuzzling her face against the side of his gray furry face, wiggling her nose when his whiskers tickled her skin. “It’s probably best you don’t want him anyway. Dr. H would have me skinned if he knew I was letting people visit with his cat.”

My head turned to the side and I raised an eyebrow in her direction. She let me visit and potentially bond with a pet that already belonged to someone. It was as if the universe was telling me I was supposed to be alone. Either that or it simply showed her mild behavior and upbeat attitude was a mask for her true dick self.

“I know it’s wrong, but he doesn’t come in often at all. Wiz just kind of lingers around the vet, and I bring him upstairs to the humane society to be loved. I’m sorry.”

Tears formed in the brim of her eyes, and she reached out to grab my elbow.

“Please don’t tell on me. Dr. H only comes in on emergency vet calls now. Dr. Skeen is our full-time doc. It’s really a sad story.”

“I won’t,” I said and truly meant it. She was well-intentioned with her actions. I could definitely relate to Wiz. Unlike him, I chose to distance myself from my family, while he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Dr. H just left him in a vet’s office, and the way she described his life, it was very similar to my own. I’d lingered through life for years now. I didn’t have a purpose. I just endured my days until one day I could finally be laid to rest.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and Wiz meowed in protest since she squished his body between the two of ours. I just stood there with my arms straight to my sides, not wanting to hug a complete stranger. I wasn’t that person anymore. Finally, I gave into her and awkwardly patted her on the back a few times. Satisfied with the half-hearted embrace we shared, she pulled away from me and quietly smiled.

“Oh, thank you!” she quickly exclaimed, putting her nose against Wiz’s. “I’m sorry, but you needed a hug, too.”

He meowed in response, and she carefully set him down onto the floor. He gave a quick glance backward to the two of us before slinking around the corner and out the door.

She smiled and said, “I’m Courtney.”

“Eris,” I replied, forming the best smile I could, fully aware of the type of person I was dealing with now. A hug whore.