Saint Joseph School

((cast: Vinegar Tom, Persiflage, Gravwarp, Kalie Kitten.))

Nennya had made reservations at Green Tomatoes, a nice restaurant in the newly gentrified area of Faultline which specialized in American cuisine a la Julia Child. It was pricier than Fuddrucker's, which had been a second choice, but the thought of going to a watertable buffet, the stench of mingling limp lettuces, goulash, and puddings, the line of typically puffy-looking Americans lining up with their trays like pigs at a trough, was too, too much to endure. She wouldn't like it and Drix, she was certain, wouldn't put up with it. So Green Tomatoes it was.

She and Bryan arrived first, and were escorted to a small booth, linen tablecloth, tealight, and fresh-cut flower occupying space in the center along with homely salt and pepper shakers. They had a nice view of the aquarium where tiny Mediterranean crabs and bright-colored fish frolicked, perhaps a reminder of some other tank where lobster and oscar waited for the cold hand of doom to pluck them up and make them ready for the entree.

"Would you like to wait for the rest of your party, or can I offer you drinks?" asked their waiter, nicely done up in dark vest and wraparound apron that trailed to below his knee. Nennya wondered if he was poised enough never to spill, or if there was a dressing area just beyond the kitchen doors where the wait staff, like supermodels, prepped in fresh cloth for their turn on the catwalk.

"Iced tea," said Nennya. "With milk and mint." Bryan also ordered, and they were left to look at each other, grinning, then stopping, then grinning again, a weird amount of deja-vu for each, remembering their first date.

"Do you need to powder your nose or anything, or could you sit comfortably here for a while?" she asked. "Only..."

"What?"

Her eyelids blushed, and she leaned her chin into a fist, elbow on the table, swinging one leg, her toe nudging his foot at the apogee of each kick.

"I could tie our shoelaces together. And if Drix starts misbehaving, you can give me a tug, and I'll pinch him but good."

"Misbehaving how?" asked Bryan, all innocence, taking a sip of his water.

Nennya reached across the table, pointed at his nose in lieu of poking it, as the distance was too great to reach. "Beep beep. You know very well what I mean. Drix is in the habit of making people uncomfortable. Especially you, Bryan. I don't have to put up with it tonight." She smiled at him, wickedly, the smile curling up almost hidden in her mouth.

Bryan blushed and shrugged a little, caught out, made plain. "Ssssuuuuurre." he said. "Tie 'em."

Their drinks arrived.

"So ..." said Bryan. "I've never actually asked, but what is going on with your brother and Kalie? And Raphael too, for that matter? Is there some sort of weird cat love-triangle going on?"

But the answer to his question was forestalled by the arrival of Kalie and Drix, the one former in some sort of nylon dress of black and orange patchwork, the latter a loud haute-coture nightmare in pink pants and lavender trenchcoat.

"Nice to see you again Kalie." Bryan smiled as he rose to greet the couple joining Nennya and himself at the table. "You too Drix." He nodded a greeting to the feline boy, trying hard to keep a pleasant tone in his voice.

The boy muttered an almost imperceptible sarcastic chuckle; “I see we must have caught you on laundry day.” He nodded to Bryan’s plain outfit, obviously pointed out that he was the only one of the group not dressed to impress. Nennya gave Bryan a sympathetic look from across the booth; “Behave, you two.” She said to the two boys.

Bryan just smiled in reply to Nennya’s playful command to the two. “I know Drix; we American’s are so terribly gauche. It’s too bad I cleaned all the mustard stains from my sweat suit or I would have worn that.” Nennya gave him a look as she rose and embraced her brother. After the hugged, the two of them exchanged kisses on one another’s cheeks revealing a glimpse of their European upbringing. Bryan cringed imperceptibly, he hoped, as the two hugged.

Bryan offered the inside seat of the booth to Kalie, feeling slightly odd about sitting next to her instead of his girlfriend. Drix hung his trench coat on the hook next to the seats and sat down next to his sister.

As the grouped settled into the cushioned seats, the waiter returned with Bryan and Nennya’s drinks. He set the glasses down and asked the new arrivals for their orders, Drix ordered for both of them as Kalie smiled across the table at her date. The waiter scribbled onto his small pad and jetted back towards the rear of the restaurant. As he left, Drix nodded approvingly at his sister’s drink and smiled as he looked over to the glass in front of Bryan. “Coca-cola? American champagne.” Drix’s pointed teeth glinted as he smiled.

Bryan just grinned and let the jab go unanswered. “So Drix… how have you been enjoying the City? Planning on staying?”

Kalie sat at the table waiting for the drinks to arrive; she always seems so thirsty around Bryan and Drix. She has been so out of sorts lately the whole cat transformation thing had really thrown off her ability to be comfortable in her own skin. In truth that is really her attraction to Drix he always seems to make her feel comfortable, accepted. Now with Nennya and Bryan sitting there with her she almost felt normal.

Kalie shifted in her seat slightly feeling a bit odd having never really been on such a “formal” date. So um… Nennya, this looks like a nice restraint have you eaten here before is there anything you would recommend?

Nennya suggested the Pasta Shrimp Alfredo to Kalie and when the waitress returned the four placed there orders.

So you guys come here a lot? Kalie asked Bryan and Nennya.

"This is our first time here," Nennya said. "I can't particularly recommend anything, but salmon's in season, and that's always nice. The fishy-fish for the cat in me, and the lox for the Jew."

Drix rolled his eyes. He was drinking a frothy pink drink that perhaps, in some dim distant past, had had a cherry and a lemon waved over it. He ordered ice cream and shrimp.

//How can you eat that stuff?// she asked, her fingertips intertwining with his, making psychic conversation possible. //There's no FOOD in your food.//

//My belly hurts,// he grumbled, but the smile on his face didn't falter.

They made light, safe conversation, talking about movies they'd seen, cartoons they'd found funny. Bryan mentioned in passing the upcoming Prom, and Nennya smiled her madonna smile. The one that gave away nothing.

//I'm getting used to him,// Drix intimated. //I think I may actually like him.//

//That's an improvement. Will you help me with my dress this time?//

Her brother smiled at her, apropos of nothing. //Of course!//

Food came, and was neatly devoured by Nennya and Kalie and Bryan, who seemed to be in good appetite. Drix picked morosely over his candy-sprinkled chocolate-topped confection, slowly nibbling from the edges.

//Be calm,// she said.

"Bryan and I are taking a road trip this summer," she said, smiling. "I want to see the great natural wonders of the American West. The Grand Canyon, Arches National Monument, the World's Greatest Ball of Twine."

Kalie smiled. "That sounds nice."

But Drix frowned, his sour mood echoed on his face. He opened his mouth, to say something caustic.

//Don't you dare,// she said. //You smile and act nice, right now.//

The edges of his mouth twitched up. "Delightful. I hope you enjoy it." And there was something fierce and possessive in his eyes. Nennya could hear his thoughts like a scream, battering against Bryan's head, but Bryan, fortunately, was deaf to this.

//Don't you let anything happen to my sister, you pathetic ape. If she gets hurt, I'll kill you. I'll kill you.//