The doors to Starlight City’s Bookstore open as Selina takes a step out onto the street. She’s just got done with her shift there and is heading back home. She’s wearing a blue jean jacket over a white-black striped shirt, black sweatpants, glasses, and checkered shoes. Her blonde hair blows through the wind as the setting sun casts the street in an orange hue.
It’s been a long day yet a fun one for Selina; things are starting to feel normal back at home, no rude customers came into the store today, & someone even tipped her for finding a book for them! As she makes her way to an intersection, she comes to the conclusion that there’s nothing that could ruin this day–
As she reaches the intersection, she accidentally bumps into someone going the other way.
“Sorry!” They both say before seeing who it was they ran into.
Selina rubs her blue eyes before checking to make sure they aren’t deceiving her. Unfortunately for her, they aren’t. Since the person she ran into is none other than The Buzzing Brawler; Randy Buzz. Randy’s wearing a white hoodie with some orange accents and a ketchup stain he hasn’t noticed, green cargo shorts, and black sandals. His dreads are also tied up into a manbun and he’s holding a cone of strawberry ice cream.
When they lock eyes, a smug grin appears on Randy’s face whereas Selina’s face has a look of disgust on it.
“Well well well,” Randy begins to say, “If it isn’t The Marvelous Neanderthal up and at it.”
“Oh wow, I’m surprised you even knew what that word meant,” Selina groans.
“The Buzzing Brawler’s got many surprises up his sleeve,” Randy insists.
“As if you haven’t said all of them with that mouth of yours that never shuts up.”
“At least I have a mouth!”
“What are you talking about? I have one!”
“Okay yeah fair point, I just didn’t know what else to say!”
“Urgh you’re the worst,” Selina says as she sees the crosswalk sign has turned green.
She begins to walk through the intersection, however she gets concerned when she sees Randy follow her.
“Where are you going?” Selina asks.
“My house,” Randy says, “Where are you going?”
“My home,” Selina responds.
However, as they reach closer and closer to their respective homes, the two realize that they may live close to one another since they’re still walking together.
“What street do you even live on?” Selina asks.
“Maple Street, you?” Randy questions.
Selina is silent.
“No fucking way,” Randy begins to laugh.
“I hate it here,” Selina groans.
“NO FUCKING WAY!” Randy laughs as the two pass by the front doors to a building.
“Okay wait wait,” Selina says, “1st Maple Street or 2nd Maple Street?”
“There’s a 2nd?” Randy questions.
“Oh thank god!” Selina fists pumps.
“Hey! Are you that glad I’m not your neighbor?”
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“Yes.”
As the two are walking together, the automatic doors to the building they just passed opens as an American Shorthair cat runs out of it then under the two’s legs as it makes it escape down the street. Shortly after it, two adult men run out of the building after the cat, however, they too run into Randy & Selina, causing the cat to get away.
“NO MISTER FLUFFYKINS!” One of the men shouts.
Randy & Selina look to see that of the two men, one is a man with white skin, a brown mullet, some facial hair, long legs, & a silver ‘MSA’ ring on his finger. He’s also wearing a light green bomber jacket over a white undershirt, black cargo pants, and black sneakers. The other man is a very tall, very bulky person who has not a single section of skin visible. He’s wearing a white & red biker helmet with a thick black lens, a white-&-red striped scarf, a white-maroon-black sportbike jacket, white-maroon-black sportbike pants, black leather gloves, a silver ‘MSA’ ring on his finger, and white boots.
“You kids okay?” The man with long legs asks.
“Yeah, who are you guys?” Selina asks.
“I’m Ronald Sampson, the big guy is Terry Boats. But more importantly… my cat ran away!”
“Wait…your cat wouldn’t be Mister Fluffykins, would it?” Selina asks.
“Yes, how did you know?” Ronald asks.
Memories flood back into Selina’s mind, memories of that very cat watching her, always appearing randomly when she least expected it to.
“We’ve met before,” Selina sighs.
“Oh, so you’re one of his friends?”
“Let’s go with that.”
“Then do you mind helping us look for him?” Ronald asks.
“I gotta get home and do some school work,” Randy says.
“I don’t know he’ll probably just come back to you soon enough,” Selina adds.
“I’ll pay you 100 each,” Ronald begs.
In a now jovial mood, Randy & Selina race to where they last saw the cat as they both shout, “WELL WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SO FROM THE START?!”
Ronald and Terry quickly follow them as they begin to look around the city for the cat.
They first check an alleyway; Randy sifts through a dumpster, Terry blocks off the exit, and Ronald and Selina go further into the alleyway. When they spot a fenced-off section of the alleyway that has a hole large enough for a cat to squeeze under, they both get the same idea to investigate. Selina effortlessly climbs over the chain fence while Ronald kicks the rusted lock open. When the two look at the section they just saw, all they see are a bunch of stray cats. Despite wanting to take the cats with them, the group trenches on.
The next stop the group makes is at Burrito Bistro. Mesto, Garcia, Landon, and Avery watch in amusement as the four searches under every chair, table, and even the register for the cat. Alas, they find nothing, but when they look out the window they see Mister Fluffykins walking down the street. When they go to give chase, Mister Fluffykins has vanished.
When they get to Starlight City’s Central Mall, Randy & Selina scour through the arcade for the cat, making sure to check every hole in the broken ‘whack-a-mole’ game. Terry, still in all of his attire, skates through the ice rink in search of the cat. And Ronald lies in one of the fountains, having lost all hope of finding his furry feline companion. Eventually, security is called and Crunch has to kick him out, with the others following suit.
Deciding to split up for a bit, the group checks around different areas. Randy pretending to look for the cat just messes around at a playground, Selina scavenges through the Griffon Botany Shop and finds Limon the rat but no cat, Ronald checks the empty establishment that used to be Club Azure but to no avail, and lastly Terry checks the trains but he sees nothing.
With all of them exhausted, the group convenes on a street all sweating bullets.
“Did you find Mister Fluffykins?” Ronald asks.
“No, but,” Selina says before looking up.
Randy & Terry also see what Selina is looking at.
“What?” Ronald asks before he feels his head getting heavy.
That’s when he feels it and realizes his cat got onto the top of his head.
“Mister Fluffykins!” Ronald says as he grabs his cat, “When did you get up there huh?”
“I guess it all worked out in the end,” Selina says.
“You bet!” Randy says as he extends his hand toward Terry & Ronald.
Terry takes out his wallet and hands the two each a hundred-dollar bill and a mint before he and Ronald begin to walk away.
“Thanks for all the help,” Terry remarks.
“If I see you around, don't be a stranger!” Ronald shouts.
“Take care!” Selina shouts as she waves at them before sighing, “What an odd bunch.”
She looks to Randy and he looks back at Selina, Randy gives her a smile though unlike before it’s a genuine one. The two begin to walk down the street together.
“So what are you gonna do with the $100?” Selina asks.
“I don’t know,” Randy shrugs, “probably get some new clothes.”
“Maybe you can rent a tailor so you aren’t dressed so awfully,” Selina teases.
“Hey! Well, what about you?” Randy asks.
“To be honest,” Selina begins to say, “I’ll probably save it.”
“Wow, what a lame response.”
“I’m planning it for my future, you’re just gonna use it to buy a single pair of shoes,” Selina retorts, “Who’s really got the lame response?”
“Okay Selina,” Randy rolls his eyes before asking, “How come you were able to hop the fence?”
“You aren’t the only one with tricks up your sleeves,” Selina says, “I’m a pro at playing tag and hide’n’seek.”
“Congrats, you’re good at a game meant for babies.”
The two continue to walk down the street exchanging petty insults and teases back and forth, though where before it was done mostly to spite one another, the banter is much more ... friendlier than before.
For the first time in both of their lives, Selina Gulvonac and Randy Buzz are…just barely enjoying one another’s company. Almost as if they were friends-
“Yuck,” Selina gags at just the thought.
“Ew,” Randy agrees as the thought also crosses his mind.
Well since the two simple teens aren’t fans of being called friends, I guess this chapter will conclude by calling them mere acquaintances. How anticlimactic.
See You Next Chapter!~