Chapter 2: “A Friend or Something Else?”

I’ve never had a real friend. Not once. Everyone who got close to me only cared about my family’s money. 

They’d smile, laugh, act all buddy-buddy until they got what they wanted. Then, poof. Gone.

That’s why Ayaa my cat, my goddess, my only real companion has been the only one I could trust. She’s been my rock forever.

Monday morning. I woke up gasping, something heavy squashing my chest. “Nyaa! Get off! I can’t breathe!” I wheezed.

Ayaa blinked her golden eyes at me, totally unbothered. “Mmm, that was a solid nap. Think I’ll take another.”

And just like that, she curled up again. Right. On. My. Chest.“ Today’s my first day of school!” I groaned, shoving her off. “Move already!”

She yawned, stretching dramatically before flopping onto the couch. “Whatever. School’s not a big deal. I’ll just nap here.”

And she was out again. Classic cat move. I sighed, dragging myself out of bed. No way was I gonna be late for the first day.

The streets were buzzing. Kids were laughing, high-fiving, walking in tight-knit groups. They looked so… happy. Like they belonged.

Me? I walked alone. Head down, hands in pockets. Until... “GOOD MORNING!!!”

The shout nearly blew out my eardrums. I spun around to see a girl charging toward me, practically radiating energy. 

She was like a human sunbeam, too bright to look at directly. And she was talking to me. “Uh… m-morning,” I mumbled.

“I’m Liea Kazaki! Nice to meet ya!” She grabbed my hand and shook it like we were old pals.

Some kids behind us snickered. “Classic Liea, full throttle as always.” I froze, my brain scrambling. “I’m… Aeya Sai. Nice to, uh, meet you?”

That’s when I noticed everyone staring. This hyper girl was holding my hand like we’d known each other forever.

“You look kinda lonely,” Liea said, blunt as a brick. “Wanna be friends?” My brain blue-screened for the second time in two days.

School let out early after the opening ceremony. I thought I was free. Ready to escape back to my quiet life.

Nope. “Aeya! Where you headed?! ” Liea again. She sprinted up to me, grinning like she’d just won the lottery.

“Home,” I said, keeping it short. She crossed her arms, pouting. “No wonder you’re friendless.”

“Hey!” I sputtered. “I never said I don’t have friends!” Her eyes narrowed, suddenly sharp. “You lying? I hate liars.”

Caught. I froze. “…Okay, fine. I don’t have friends. But I can talk just fine, alright?!”

Her friends called her over, saving me from the interrogation. “Catch you later, Aeya!” she yelled, dashing off with a wave.

And that was it. My first day of school was over. Did I… actually make a friend? But what if Liea was like the others? 

Just pretending, waiting to use me like everyone else? She seemed different real, maybe but doubt still chewed at me.

When I got home, I barely kicked off my shoes before “Hey! I smell another girl on you!”

Ayaa. Arms crossed, golden eyes glaring, acting like she still had a tail to flick angrily.

“Explain yourself, Master,” she demanded, leaning forward like a detective.

I sighed. “I made a friend. Well, she kinda made me her friend. I didn’t have much say.”

Ayaa’s eyes went wide, then narrowed again. “Huuuh?! A friend? You sure she’s not one of those fake losers from before?”

She fired questions at me like a machine gun until I threw my hands up. “Enough! I’m wiped, okay? Can we talk later?”

“Hmph!” She flopped onto the couch, yanking a blanket over herself. “Fine. Guess I’m not your favorite anymore…”

I stared at her, sulking under the blanket like a grumpy kitten. My life was officially a circus.

After dinner, I tried to relax by watching some TV. Just a normal night, right? Wrong. Ayaa, still in her human form, plopped down next to me and snatched the remote.

“Hey, what gives?” I protested.“ Human stuff is so cool!” she said, eyes sparkling as she flipped through channels at lightning speed. 

“Ooh, what’s this? A show about food? No, wait cats! No, humans fighting over love?!”

“Slow down!” I grabbed for the remote, but she held it out of reach, giggling.

“Nope! I’m a goddess, remember? I get to pick.” She settled on some over-the-top drama about a love triangle. “This is way better than napping in a sunbeam.”

I groaned, sinking into the couch. “You’re gonna be impossible, aren’t you?” She smirked, tossing her hair. “Only if you keep being boring, Master.”

As she laughed at the cheesy TV dialogue, I couldn’t help but smile a little. Maybe having a goddess-cat-roommate wasn’t the worst thing ever. But I still had no idea how I was gonna survive her and Liea.

And hey i sometimes call her Ayaa instead of Nyaa or vice versa so don't get confused. It's the same person.