“Pest! Where are you, sweety?” Max yelled, closing the front door behind him.

Sure enough, she came meowing and skipping down the corridor.

Max didn’t waste any time picking up his cat, cradling her like a baby and kissing her on the forehead. Pest let out a small annoyed meow and placed a paw on the boy’s lips, pushing him away.

“I don’t get it; in one moment, you’re about to destroy my pants so I won’t go away, and now you don’t want me to love you?” He opened his arms, and she landed on her feet. “Well, now I don’t want to be with you either.” he pouted.

Pest dug her nails into his pants and climbed up to his waist.

“God, the television is right.” He patted her on the head. “Women sure are bipolar creatures…”

“Max! Lunch is ready!” his aunt yelled from the kitchen. 

“Yes, auntie!”

(A few minutes later, during lunch)

“So, how was your first day of school?” asked his uncle.

“It was fine.” He answered after swallowing the food he had in his mouth.

“Did you make any friends?”

“I think so… I met this guy named Daniel, and then he introduced me to this girl called Elisa. They were nice. Elisa is learning how to sing in this music school in the community center, she’s living with her older sisters and likes books and stuff. And Daniel… I think he didn’t really say anything about himself...” except that he was a mind reader and that he was a possible ex-drug addict, but he couldn’t tell them that. “But he’s cool.”

“Well! First day of school, and you already got yourself a girlfriend!”

“Stop that, Carlos,” Max’s aunt ordered. “That’s annoying.”

“Why?”

A blushing Max continued to eat in silence as they discussed why his uncle was being impolite. Well, he couldn’t deny that Elisa was pretty, and she seemed nice, but he only knew her for a day, no way he could fall for someone he barely knew... 

The orphan spent the rest of the day watching tv and playing improvised melodies on his piano while his cat slept on top of it. Pest, later on, tried to play a little music herself, and Max applauded her effort. Then he talked with Bruno about his day until 8 pm rolled around, and then watched a talk show while petting Pest until his aunt sent him to bed.

He laid awake, thinking about his first day in the outside world... Overall, it had been a pretty great day. Five stars, he would definitely go again.