Max finally woke up. He looked around. Then he heard one big bump. He jumped up and walked out the comfy living room. He tilted his head. Oh, it was his skynxwalker. He kept shaking at the thought of his skynxwalkers seeing the big food mess he made on the kitchen floor.

“What is this?” Max heard his skynxwalker shout in question.

Oh no, this isn’t good, This isn’t good at all.

“What mess did you cats make?” their skynxwalker went on and on. Max’s parents rushed into the living room and pushed his back over to the carpet. They tucked themself close next to him. 

“Don’t worry, dear,” Rose whispered, “it isn’t any different than our skynxwalkers is like this.”

“But also…what was that big bump sound outside?” Max asked. Martin and Rose both shook their heads. 

“We can look after,” Martin whispered back.

“So…like I can go outside?”

“Let’s go see what that sound was!” Max shouted.

Rose slumped down. “I-i'll stay.”
“Are you okay, hon?” Martin asked, looking dismayed at Rose.

“I’m alright. I’m okay. You guys can go.”

Martin patted Rose’s head and walked back to Max. “I know you always like the outdoors so fine…you can look a little bit,” Martin whispered to Max. 

“Yay!” Max shouted. Martin crouched down and said, “But you have to stay on my back. I don’t want you going too far. Max hopped on his back and smiled. “Let’s go father! Bye mommy!”

Rose slightly raised a paw and waved goodbye.  

Martin crouched as low as he could so Max didn’t hit his head when they went through the cat door. Max gasped when they finally stepped outside. The city was big and beautiful. Especially at night, which it was. The city lights shone all over the place. A flock of pigeons raced in the air. Right across Max’s apartment building was a big park with buildings surrounding it. Then, out from the corner came that big bump.

Max shouted, “Look! Someone is moving! Moving! Moving!”

A moving truck that kept bumping into the trees rolled up right in front of the apartment building.

“Stay back still, Max. There could be—”

“A cat!”

Suddenly, the door from the moving truck slid open, and a white cat with a pearl necklace around her neck, and a  big bow clasping on her tail walked out onto the ground. Martin sighed.

“You can say hi, Max. Just a little.”

Max shouted in glee. They walked over to the fancy cat who was licking herself.

The cat looked up at them.

“Um…I'm trying to get a sunbathe here if you don’t mind. Hopefully you don’t mind.”

Max jumped off Martin’s back and said, “How old are you?”

“Two. I’m Fancy. Why do you ask me, way more regal than you, kitten?”

“Huh? Nevermind, I'm one. Still close though!” Max replied

“Well, I have a better class.”
Martin patted Max’s head to go back inside. Fancy was also going to head into her new apartment. “Wait! Can I see what your apartment looks like?” Max shouted when Martin put him back on his back.

“Does your brain have an off switch? No way!” Fancy marched into her apartment. 

Martin mouthed, “Come on!”

“Wait!”

Max and Martin turned around and saw a cat that looked just like Fancy. Longhair, white fur. Except he had a collar with a bow tie and dressed a bit more down. 

“I’m Fancy’s twin brother. Henry.” 

Martin said, “stay right here, I'll rest by the door.” Martin padded to the doorstep and cuddled up.

Max smiled, and walked up to Henry. “How come you're not dressed as fancy… as Fancy?”

“She didn’t get her name for nothing! I don’t want to seem like a show off. Not to be rude but in uh…not in a poorer area at least.”

Max frowned for a quick second. Is he saying that I’m poor? Maybe I should dress up too.

Henry sighed and scratched his ear. “Sorry about that…was I mean? I promise I don’t have the same sass as Fancy.”

“You’re fine. Could you probably still get Fancy? Maybe she is just in a grumpy mood,” Max asked, taking a quick glance at Martin who was still cuddled up on the doorstep.

“It seems she always wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. But sure, I’ll bring her.”

Henry walked back into their new apartment which was right next to theirs. Max looked up at the very top of the apartments. I wonder what it’s like to be on top of all the apartments. I bet Fancy and Henry got that too.

“Do I have to, Henry?” 

Max heard a sassy voice ask. He turned around and saw Henry and Fancy talking by their new apartment doorstep. Max peeked at Martin who was fast asleep, and dashed over. I hope my father doesn’t mind me going by another cat’s house. 

Max dusted his paw on their bright, blue, fancy doormat.

“You? Again?” Fancy asked, hissing at Max.

Max whimpered and backed up next to Henry. Henry replied back, “Be nice. He wants to be our friend.

“What’s your name by the way?” Henry asked

“Max.”

“Nice to meet you,” Henry asked, reaching out a paw. Max shook paws. Hm…fancy. Very fancy!

Max shook his head. He really wanted to see Henry and Fancy’s room the most. The fanciest items in the world would be there, he bet. Fancy and Henry’s skynxwalker walked by with a box and whispered, “Looks like you found some friends!” He walked into the house to place down the box.

“Come on! We will show you. Our maid can carry us there,” Henry asked in glee. Fancy scoffed. “Yeah right I’m coming.”

Henry replied, “I’ll give you your pearl necklace I took If you let us show Max around.”

“You took it? Uh…fine!” 

Wow, they have a maid! That’s so cool! I can’t wait to see their fancy apartments and rich stuff. Maybe Fancy will open up more too.

“Max!” 

Martin was right behind him. “I woke up and saw you left my sight. Come back inside now. You can say hi to your friends at a different time.”

“Aw, bye guys! Tomorrow we can play, right?”

“Of course!”

“No!”

Max didn’t listen to Fancy’s response, he took it as a yes.

In the afternoon, their skynxwalker was home, baking dinner in the kitchen. She probably already was cleaning the mess Max made. Martin, Rose, and Max were on the carpet. Max looked at Martin and Rose who were bathing themselves. “Mom?” Max asked. Rose tilted her head and purred. “Yes, Max?”

“Remember what you said about me getting siblings? Does that mean I’m getting some? I couldn’t get that thought out of my head all day!” Max shouted.

“You said that?” Martin gasped at Rose. 

Rose nodded her head. “It was supposed to be a surprise!” Marted said.

“Sorry, I just wanted to know. What if he didn’t want to? I wanted his choice.”

“Well…that's true. So I guess we'll just tell him now,” Martin replied. Max gasped and tilted his head. “Tell me what? Tell me, tell me!”

“We are having kittens, Max.” Martin said, peacefully. Max froze, but not his paws. His paws were shivering. His body was ice. 

Then suddenly, he jumped up, and landed on Rose’s back. 

“Careful with the kittens!” Rose giggled as he leaped on. Martin laughed and said, “You are going to be a big brother. Hopefully this time we get a whole litter.” 

Max smiled. “This will be so fun! I can’t wait to play games with them!”

“Yes. It would be much fun. That's why I didn’t come with you and Martin when you went outside, I was busy sitting here. Having kittens isn’t easy. “

Max smiled at Martin who was cuddled next to his Rose.

“Well…bedtime?” Max asked.

“Yes. But since Rose is having kittens, she must be starving. She needs way more food than she already had.”  Martin replied as Max tucked himself in between.

“Way more. Mother hardly gets any food. You guys always give all the food for me and starve yourselves ... .or me. Please take care of yourselves too.” Martin shook his head and walked out of the living room. Rose and Max looked up. Max jumped out from Rose’s cuddle and peeked his head from the living room.

“I’ll go get Rose food. Stay here this time Max,” Martin said as he ran out the small cat door. Max trotted back over to Rose. They eventually fell asleep. Even while sleeping, Max was simply thinking about his younger siblings sharing laughs with him, running around like wild, stray cats who had no limit. Right now, it was just a dream, but soon, it would be the best day of his house cat life. But mostly, he just wanted to be able to be outside. That was his main goal.

He felt a little pat on his head as he chuckled in his sleep, his paws wrapped gently around his body.

“Oh…Max….” he heard a calm voice say. Max shot his head up, and heard little meows. Max gasped. He turned around, and saw three, small kittens drinking their mother’s milk. Max was about to shout, “What? No way!” But then he remembered that the kittens were so young they probably didn’t want to hear all the noise. Max rubbed a paw over a gray one who had one big white splash on his stomach. 

He then looked over to one with a little white circle on the middle of its head. Then, he headed to one who had….one eye?

“Mom! This one has one eye! Is it okay?”

“This one is a boy. And it’s okay, some kittens are born different.”

Max kept petting the one-eyed one. Max purred. This one was his favorite. It was different, and he loved different. 

“This one is a boy too,” Rose said, pointing to the one with a big splash. 

Max looked at the little splashed one, and licked it. Even kittens had to stay clean. 

“And this one is the only girl,” Rose giggled, “your father will be so shocked to hear they came earlier than I thought.”

Max nodded his head. “May I cuddle them?” he asked, putting a paw over the one-eyes one. 

“I see you love them. Just for a little bit, they need lots of milk.”

Max picked up the little one-eyed one by the scruff, and layed on the floor. He pet his head, and it let out a soft, quiet purr that sounded like a lullabye. Max purred. He put him back next to his mother. 

“What will you name them?” Max asked, raising a paw.

Rose smiled. “I’ll wait until Martin comes back, he usually helps me decide.” Max shook his head. “They are so adorable. I can’t wait for them to grow up a little more so I can finally have someone to play with.” Max said.

Rose sighed. “I see you love company. I’m giving you permission to go and say hi to those new cats you saw.”

“Really? Fancy and Henry?” Max asked.

Rose giggled and replied, “Yes. Just don’t go too far, okay?”

Max shook his head and rushed out the living room, through the hallway, and out the cat flap. Max saw Henry already by his door. Max tilted his head. “What are you doing? I was just about to come over to your apartment to hang out.”
Henry laughed. “That’s what I was about to do.”

Suddenly, Fancy came out and sighed. “Henry…why are you talking to this poor cat again?”
“He may not have the same class as us, but I think he could be a great friend. Let’s go.”

Fancy sighed and the three cats walked into the apartment. Max’s eyes sparkled as they went in. A shiny, blue pot held a big, green plant. Max sniffed it and gasped. “This smells nice. What is this?”

“It’s called catnip,” Fancy scoffed, “you don’t know what that is?”
“I never had things that smelled this great before.”

Max looked more around the apartment. There was a fluffy white foot mat, and the dining table was shiny white, same thing with the kitchen. 

“Meow! It must have cost a fortune to have half of the stuff in here,” Max gasped.

“I’m a fortune! Well, uh, yeah, the stuff did cost a lot,” Fancy replied.

Max ran through the living room hallway, with lots of catnip plants surrounding it. Max’s mouth dropped as he went into the living room.

One large white cat bed was in the center of the room. Behind it was a l shaped gray couch. Max pounced on the cat bed, and purred. It had a big white pillow in it that really made it an even more of a pleasure. 

Fancy and Henry dashed in. Fancy hissed. “Get off! Don’t get the bed dirty!” Henry put a paw on Fancy’s head and said, “Let him be. He hasn't ever had the time to enjoy something comfy.” This is the life. I wish I was rich. Being rich is awesome.

Max snapped out of his rich life mind, and peeked out from the bed. “It feels like I’m sinking into the ground!” Max shouted, raising a paw from the bed. He jumped out, and purred.

“Fancy found the bed at the Paws and Claws Market,” Henry stated. 

“You went to shop at a sphynxwalker store? That’s a bad idea! What If you got caught?” Max asked, surprised.

Henry laughed. “Of course not! Our cat kingdom has a market. But they tried to avoid us because a rumor goes around that house cats are rude! But after one of the housecats stole from the king, no housecats are allowed in the kingdom.”

“Cat kingdom?” Max asked.

“If you were a stray or alley cat, you would know. Our king rules over our cat kingdom in New York,” Fancy said.

Max looked down at the apartment door. It would be so cool to be a stray. I would love to be in this kingdom! A cool, nice king. I could probably make so many friends! 

Fancy yawned and jumped on the fluffy cat bed, and Henry did the same. 

“Hey…are you interested in picture books?” Henry asked.

Max tilted his head and walked in front of the bed. “What’s that?”

“A thing with pictures. You look at the pictures to understand them! We have one on our tv table in front of this bed I’m on,” Henry said with a smile.

Max shook his head, He pounced onto the tv table and sniffed around. “This TV is huge.” He looked down at the picture book. Luckily, living with a spynxwalker, he knew a few words. Detectives… Detectives…that’s cool!

“Oh…Max!” someone shouted. 

Max turned to the hallway, where the door was, and saw Martin waving.

“Sorry guys…I gotta go…” Max said, waving.

“Thanks for leaving,” Fancy simply said as she curled into a ball.

“Ignore her. Bye Max!” Henry said.

“I know…the kittens are so cute!” Rose shouted when Max and Martin headed inside. They are all on the couch, along with the kittens. They seemed to finally fall asleep next to their mother.  “I was thinking we should name the one girl Lilac. It matches my name.”

Martin shook his head. “That sounds amazing. What do you think Max?”

“I think it’s great. And I think that one with the splash on his stomach should be called…Splash!”

“I think the one-eyed one should be Milo. Just feeling it,” Martin said with a smile.

“All of the names sound great. I love them all.”

As Max pet the kittens, he said, “I learned something at Fancy and Henry’s apartment today!”

“Now what’s that?” Rose asked. 

“I found out that outside our home, there is a cat kingdom in New York. And…I think I wanna be a detective.”

“A kingdom? I don’t think so. But I think you would be a splendid detective,” Martin said.

Max frowned. “I know there is a kingdom! They wouldn’t lie.”

“They could,” Rose said, “kittens like to create their little rumors.”

Max tried to remove the thought from his head, and continued to look at the sleeping kittens. 

“I have a surprise for you guys,” Martin said. He jumped off the couch, raised the carpet, and showed three whole mice.

“I hid these here while Rose was sleeping and Max was at Fancy and Henry’s house. Max jumped down and brought the mice to the couch. “Thank you, father. I love you and mom so much!” Max shouted.