Serval and Sheep (Chapter 25)
Hafsa and Solomon make plans for spring break.
Hafsa has been asked 34 times so far if she and Solomon are dating. By friends, classmates, sometimes even complete strangers from different grades. It's never comfortable to discuss, but she can't say that this gossip is surprising. Two attractive felines in student council, getting along, working together... of course tongues are bound to wag.
Animals of the same species or family are often "shipped" together by the rest, and many times (maybe because of prodding of classmates) they often do become an item. From elementary through high school, hell, even in university and workspaces, a lion and lioness walking together will always receive a knowing gaze from the surrounding animals, as if they were ticking time bombs counting down to an eventual hookup.
While heading to chemistry class, she was once again accosted by more curious females. Seeing as they were herbivores (three brown-feathered hens), it's unlikely they were scoping out potential love rivals. Meaning they were just interested in the drama itself.
"So you're really not dating?" The smallest of the hens clucked. "You eat dinner together every night, don't you?"
"Along with the rest of the student council, and only on meeting days." Hafsa smiled politely. "The secretary and I are friends and colleagues, nothing more."
The hens squabbled amongst themselves, debating their next approach.
"But don't you want to date him? Everyone thinks you'd look perfect together!"
"Perfect?" Hafsa simpers. "I don't know about that. Besides, my utmost priority is the academy. Between studying, cheerleading, and running the student council, I'm simply not interested in a relationship at the moment."
The hens squawked in dismay. "How unromantic! You're betraying the spirit of high school girldom!"
She giggled away such goading, repeating the same explanations until the nosey critters skulked off, dissatisfied.
Every time Hafsa denied such a relationship between her and the secretary, she'd be met with looks of disbelief or disappointment, and if she's neglected some presidential duty. Maybe somewhere along the way, she began to feel the same way. She probably could've come to a conclusion much sooner if she hadn't been shoving away her thoughts on the matter as soon as they sneaked into consciousness.
A serval and a caracal... it's not the wildest of combinations. In fact, from a strategic standpoint, it'd actually be ideal. Interspecies relationships are trendy, hip. You'd definitely stand out by dating a cat with different stripes, so to speak. Similar enough to remain uncontroversial, but just exotic enough to redden some cheeks. Additionally, considering how beloved she and Solomon are, their union would undoubtedly skyrocket their popularity even more. Not only would she be guaranteed a seat in the council next year, but the caracal as well. Nobody would dare separate the golden couple. She had told herself she's willing to do anything to reach the top. Could she be wasting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
"Hafsa?"
The caracal's low, calm voice brings her back to reality. Oh, right. She'd only gone down that spiraling mental rabbit hole because she and Solomon had been reviewing the meeting notes of the month. With Desmond and Brian dismissed (and at Brian's offer, eating dinner together), the two felines have been left to finish up the bureaucratic revisions alone.
"R-right, sorry." She smiles, waving away the awkward pause caused by her internal tangent.
The caracal smiles back, and places a hand on the top rail of her chair while repositioning himself to better showcase the documents on the sleek wooden desk.
"It's tedious work, isn't it?" He chuckles. "Only my notes could be this... pernickety. Rest assured, we're nearly done."
"Your notes are the only reason this student council keeps afloat. I'd be lost without your pernickety-ness."
They share a quiet laugh before continuing the perusal.
Is this flirting? Are we flirting right now?
Solomon has always been in the back of her mind, ever since that trip to the gymnasium. He's intelligent, and cool, and unlike most male carnivores, understands the lost art of self-restraint and composure. Like he had once said himself, he always holds her best interests in mind, and goodness knows that without his support, her life as a president and as a carnie would be significantly harder.
They are alike, in every sense of the word. A perfect match. Yet...
"I'll just correct the date here, and this month will be ready for archiving." Solomon reaches past her to scratch something out of the file and neatly jot down the modification.
"Hard to believe March is already over, huh?" Hafsa remarks.
"This year has been especially hectic, that's true. On one hand, it's already March, but on the other hand, it's only March."
"I couldn't agree more." Hafsa sighs, a tired chuckle escaping her mouth.
"Come to think of it, spring break is fast approaching." Solomon comments.
Hafsa closes her eyes, dreamily relishing those words. "You're right. A whole week off, isn't it?"
"It may not be much to some," Solomon swiftly collects the papers from the desk, binding them and returning them to their proper place on the shelf. "But I'm very much looking forward to it."
Hafsa hesitates to admit it out loud, but she can't deny she's been wrung dry by the past three months. Not that student council work hasn't been rewarding (mostly to her ego), but all things considered, she'd love some time to reboot and just wash away all the dead stress muddling her down.
"Do you have any plans in mind?" Hafsa asks, standing from her desk chair.
"Nothing in particular. I usually travel, but this year I'd prefer to stay put."
Hafsa's long ears perk up. "Traveling sounds amazing! I want to go on a big trip next summer!"
The caracal leans against his desk, inviting the serval to approach. "That sounds delightful. Are you going overseas?"
"Well, nothing's decided yet. It'll depend on my budget and how busy I'll be, but it would be amazing to go overseas. I've only gone once when I was young with my parents."
"If you'd like, I could recommend you some destinations."
Hafsa clasps her hands together. "That'd be great! Have you been to a lot of places?"
He shrugs. "I used to travel more than I do now. I didn't know you're this interested in traveling."
"It's so exciting! I've only ever been on a plane once, but it was amazing. When you're that high up, everything looks like a little toy figurines."
"Ha ha, I get quite nauseous during air travel myself, so I don't think I've ever dared to look out the window." He looks down, a faint memory playing in his eyes. "Are you going to go somewhere for spring break, at least?"
Hafsa runs her fingers through her whiskers sheepishly. "I'm trying to save up for next year, so I'm just staying here. It's a good thing the academy keeps the dorms open during holidays."
"Oh?" Solomon raises a brow. "Will you not be staying with your parents?"
"Nah, it's just easier to stay here."
"Interesting." The taller cat straightens himself up. "Considering we'll both be around, we should meet up for a day."
Once again, the siren call of the perfect couple echoes through Hafsa's mind.
"Yeah, we should totally get the student council together and hang out!" Hafsa chirps, desperately forcing her facial muscles to refrain from twitching.
"That's a great idea." Solomon lifts himself from his reclined pose, leaning closer to the smaller feline, only his hands grasping the edge of the desk. "But, I'd like to get to know you a little better, just the two of us. Am I... out of line?"
He's asking me out. Clearly, he's asking me out on a date, right? He's always been so kind to me, it only makes sense that this is the case, right? So, if he wants it, and everyone else wants it, then really the only one hesitating is...
"N-no! Not at all!"
Deep breath. Time to give the people what they want.
"I'd really like that."
"Hafsaaaa..." A lumpy mess of blankets grumbles as the serval returns to her dorm room. Molly's crabby face peers out of the folds of cloth from within the cocoon.
"Mollyyyyy." Hafsa replies, imitating the Pallas cat's zombie-like tone.
"You never eat dinner with me anymore. Now that you're hot stuff you don't have time to spare for your dear roommate?"
"A. I was always hot stuff. B. I can't seem to recall you ever enjoying our dinners." Hafsa smirks as she takes off her coat.
Molly's face scrunches into an even more pronounced frown before slowly melting into the blankety fortress once more.
"I'm joking." Her muffled voice deadpans. "I'm watching this true crime docuseries."
"I hate that stuff."
"That's why I'm watching it when you're out schmoozing with the hot secretary."
"He asked me out today, you know."
"There's the case right now about a predator that's half leopard, half gazelle--" Three seconds go by. Molly's face once again pops out of the blankets, this time betraying genuine surprise.
"Really?"
"Really." Hafsa strides to the bathroom. She turns on the sink and begins washing her face. Molly stares at her back. Hafsa can feel the glare of a Pallas cat even with her eyes closed.
"Called it."
With that, the chubby cat head returns to the darkness of the blanket fort. If Molly had stared at her for longer, she would've noticed the serval's lonely expression through the mirror.
Hafsa confronts her reflexion alone. She looks at her ears, much longer and rounder than Solomon's, lacking his signature tufts at the tips. She looks at her whiskers, some still weighed down by drops of water, which slowly trickle down the strand like dew on a spider's web. She looks into her eyes, as deeply as she could, on the off chance that maybe, deep in her pupils, there will be a smaller Hafsa staring back, holding up a sign that would explain everything, make everything feel right.
Who is that? That's the serval who acts like a herbie, who's always cheerful and cute. The cheerleader, the student council president, the closed-mouthed smiler. Solomon is going to go on a date with this person. So what should Hafsa do? Where does she fit on this face?
No, it's not like that. Solomon understands. He isn't like the other males who have asked her out before, who were infatuated by the mask she put on every day. Solomon also wears a mask, and he must know that there is someone else beneath it.
Even in middle school, she knew this was bound to happen. One day, she would have to enter a relationship, and be forced to strip her defenses down, or at least pretend to. She knows that, for her reputation, and (worse yet) her heart, she has to enter that world.
She isn't a herbivore, but Solomon terrifies her beyond all reason. Precisely because he is so much like her. Beneath his kind smile, and his gentle words and actions, lies a monster just as depraved as her. There is no such thing as a good carnivore. The closer they become, the more deeply they hurt each other.
She wonders if he would truly like Hafsa once he meets her. She wonders if she will like Solomon when she meets him.