An excerpt from In a Dog’s World. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead to the next chapter.
The week turned out to be long too. Katasha had trouble concentrating in her classes, and she felt really weird around Hickory and his friends now. She wasn’t sure at first, but it seemed like he’d started glaring at her. He had to know she’d gotten into Isleywood, because Dominic had proudly stuck a pin with her name on it, coupled with the words “Isleywood College,” up on the big map in the hall where seniors posted their college acceptances.
Then, right before the weekend, Katasha found out for sure: Hickory had been glaring at her.
Hickory had been rejected from Isleywood. He’d have to go to his backup school, and he’d been spreading vicious rumors to everyone about how Katasha only got in because she was a cat. He claimed that Isleywood was trying to appeal to feline investors by letting a few under-qualified cats in, and that Katasha’s grades and test scores clearly wouldn’t have been good enough to get her in otherwise.
Corina was the one to overhear him telling that lie, and she’d been furious. Even at one third the Husky’s size, she’d let him know what for. Her Siamese yowl echoed through the halls as she told him exactly how qualified Katasha was for Isleywood, exactly how unqualified he was, and exactly what she thought of any dog who told lies about her sister.
Of course, when they all got home, the tune changed completely. “I don’t know why you were talking to Hickory anyway,” Corina said.
“Yeah, he’s an idiot and notorious for playing pranks on cats,” Dmitri said.
Dominic added a story about how Hickory brought his car into Buck’s Auto one time to be fixed. After Dominic had replaced the worn-out piping and tuned the engine, Hickory made Buck, the Bulldog who owned the place, recheck all the work Dominic had done. “He just doesn’t like cats. Some dogs are like that.”
Of course, Katasha didn’t point out that Hickory was also the only student who’d outscored her on the chemistry final, and he’d built a fantastic rocket for the bottle rocket competition in physics. He was smart. Though… apparently not smart enough to get into Isleywood. Nonetheless, it troubled her that such a bright dog could also be such a bigot. She’d only been trying to make friends with him. Instead she’d made an enemy and earned her family’s scorn for even trying to reach out to him.
“Look, Tash,” Dominic said after the other two left for a meeting at the library with their debate team. “I know not all dogs are like that, but you have to be careful. Sure, you’ll need to be able to reach out to and get along with the dogs at a place like Isleywood, but, try to pick nice ones, okay? I don’t want my sister getting hurt, ’cause I’d have to drive out there and try to defend you. And, I don’t think I can beat up a Husky.” Dominic flexed his claws and held up his black-leather-clad arms in a boxing pose.
Katasha laughed. “So… You’re saying I should only try to make friends with nice dogs or small ones.”
“Something like that.” He winked and grinned.
Turning serious, Katasha said, “I only asked him if he’d got in and told him I applied there too. That’s nothing.”
Dominic pressed his forehead against his sister’s, purring deep in his throat to soothe her. “I know,” he said, although he hadn’t known. And he probably still didn’t understand. The rumble in his throat, however, was catching, and Katasha found herself purring too. “He’s just jealous that you’re better than him,” Dominic said. They both closed their eyes and thought about how much they’d miss each other.
The next morning, the women of the family packed up early. Corina had every intention of snagging a prom date — wanted or not — for Katasha at the Pourtcouver cat-mixer, so Katasha was going to need a prom dress. That meant dress shopping, which made Katasha shudder.
At the end of the shopping trip, however, there would be a reward: a room full of Isleywood hopefuls and veterans for her to meet. Having read up about the event, Katasha realized she was less interested in the other cats and more interested in the current Isleywood students who’d be there to answer questions. It would be like a little taste of next year to hold her over through the long summer. Maybe while Corina was scoping out potential prom dates, Katasha could do a little snagging of her own — contact information from some of the current students.
Maybe some of them lived close enough to get together during the summer.
Corina spent the entire three hour drive chattering away about colors and fabrics. Her original plan had been to wear a blue dress herself, but she generously decided to gift the use of that color to Katasha. “It matches our eyes best,” she explained. “A good, bright, sky blue. But, that’s okay, because I can get a nice powdered apricot…” Her blue eyes, which would apparently not match her dress, went all dreamy as she said, “That’ll complement Erik’s russet fur.” She was clearly seeing prom pictures in her head. “We could do it the other way and match your dress to your prom date… But, we don’t know what he’ll look like yet!”
Their mother shook her tabby head and laughed. “Such beautiful daughters,” she said. “Heartbreakers.”
“Can’t I just wear black?” Katasha asked. “That’s classic, right? That goes with my fur. Not some hypothetical tom’s.”
Corina skewed an ear at her and didn’t deign to answer. She was running this show. She would run it her way, and her way was colorful.
Altogether, Corina and Mama managed to drag Katasha through five different dress shops. Corina, of course, found her own dress at the first one. Apricot, just like she’d described, and positively dripping in ruffles. Seeing all the slinky, silky, sequined confections of clothing hanging on their racks wasn’t so bad. They were pretty. It was trying them on that Katasha dreaded. The first one Corina handed to her was a strappy blue thing made out of a fabric that shimmered with metallic threads.
“I’m going to shred this thing.,” Katasha said, holding the hanger out at arm’s length, consciously trying to keep her claws as sheathed as possible. “It looks like breathing on it could make it fall to pieces, and I’m pretty sure my claws will do more damage than that.” Katasha looked pointedly at Mama, “Especially if I’m not careful. Really careful. And it’s expensive.”
Mama took pity on Katasha and made Corina put the dress away.
The next offering really did look like a confection. It was big and pouffy like a sky blue wedding cake. “No,” Katasha said. “Just no.” They made her try it on anyway, but they couldn’t make her un-flatten her ears. So she looked like an angry blue wedding cake.
Corina growled,” You’re not being cooperative.”
Katasha stomped off to remove the offending dress.
They drove to the next department store in silence. It was one of those painfully classy places built in the giant remains of an ancient human building. The ceilings were high. The rooms were large. The prices were… exorbitant. And, of course, that’s where they found the perfect dress.
The fabric had a weight to it that made it fall nicely, and when Katasha touched it, she wasn’t afraid it would instantly melt into ribbons under her claws. Midnight blue with thousands of glittering black beads sewn along a jagged hem and in upward reaching swirls on the skirt. It matched her eyes like Corina wanted, but it was darker and subdued enough to suit Katasha.
“That’s beautiful,” Mama said. “But I’m not buying it if there’s still a chance you aren’t going to the prom.”
“She’s going!” Corina said.
“I won’t pay that much for a dress to hang in the closet unworn,” Mama repeated.
Corina stamped her paw. “I said, she’s going.”
Mama heard Corina, but she was looking at Katasha.
Katasha turned to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was slim and fitted, but flared enough at the hips that her tail wasn’t constricted when she swished it underneath. The swirls of black beads went well with the striped tabby points on her face and paws. The jagged hemline complimented the arch of her feline ears. She had to admit, although it wasn’t plain black and she wasn’t a fan of wearing dresses, she looked stunning in this one. For the first time, she realized that she wanted to be there at the prom with her sister and brothers. It would be a memory worth having.
“Dresses are dumb,” she said. “But, yeah, I’ll go.”
“Even if you don’t find a date at this cat-mixer?” Mama asked, trying to be sure of her investment.
Katasha hesitated. She really didn’t want to be the only singleton while Dominic and Dmitri flattered their dates and Corina cuddled with Erik.
“Tell you what,” Mama said, “We’ll put it on hold, and we can buy it on the way out of town. Once you’re sure.”
It was a subtle way of saying that Mama would only buy the prom dress if Katasha got up the courage to ask out one of the boys at the mixer. Today. Right after meeting them. Because, there almost certainly wouldn’t be time to make it back up to Portcouver with only two weeks until prom. “Great,” Katasha muttered sarcastically to herself. “No pressure.”
“Don’t worry,” Corina mewed, taking her arm as they walked out of the department store and back to the car. “I’ll take care of it.”
Continue on to Chapter 4…