Catboy by Eric Walters

of kittens,” I said. “But I don’t think we’ll see them this early in the morning. They sleep during the day, so I’ve only seen them in the evenings. Mr. Singh thinks they live under an abandoned warehouse in the alley.”
    â€œGood to know.”
    I almost mentioned the rats but thought better of it. We weren’t going near where most of them lived.
    â€œIt’s not much farther. It’s just around this—”
    There were three people standing there—a man and two women, one young and one older. They were tossing food to the cats. I’d never seen anybody else here except the mean bully boys from before. It was a little unnerving, but it was good to know my friends and I weren’t the only ones who cared about the cats.
    Then I noticed the traps.

Fourteen
    â€œLeave those cats alone!” I screamed and ran toward them.
    â€œTaylor!” my mother yelled.
    The three people looked shocked, stunned, as I raced forward.
    â€œGet away from those cats, now !” I ordered them.
    They stumbled backward, staring at me like I was insane. “It’s all right,” the man said.
    â€œIt’s not all right!” I yelled back. I ran past them toward the cats. “Shoo! Get away!”
    Most of the cats scattered, dropping bits of food and disappearing into the cars. A couple of the cats hissed at me, and King just stood there, standing his ground, glaring. His fur bristled and made him look even bigger. He wasn’t giving up his food.
    I bent down, grabbed a rock and skipped it toward him, trying not to hit him. He ran off, giving me a threatening glare before he too disappeared.
    â€œYou shouldn’t throw rocks at the cats!” the man exclaimed.
    â€œMaybe you shouldn’t be throwing poisoned meat at them!” I yelled back.
    â€œPoisoned meat?” he said. “What are you—?”
    â€œGet out of here, now!” I ordered. I picked up two more rocks. “Or else!”
    My mother rushed forward. “How about if everybody calms down!” she said. She didn’t sound very calm.
    â€œYes, let’s be reasonable,” the man said.
    â€œReasonable people don’t poison innocent cats!” I said.
    â€œWe weren’t poisoning them!” he said.
    â€œHonestly, we were helping them!” the older woman said.
    â€œHelping them into those cages? You all should be ashamed of yourselves!” I called out.
    â€œSon, we weren’t doing anything wrong,” he said.
    â€œI’m not your son. I’m going to get the security guard and get him to call the police and have you all arrested!”
    â€œPlease don’t call anybody,” the man pleaded.
    â€œIf you’re not doing anything wrong, then why don’t you want me to call the police?” I asked.
    My mother nodded in agreement.
    The man let out a sigh. “We’re not harming the cats, but we also don’t have permission to be here. Technically, we’re trespassing.”
    â€œWell, we do have permission to be here,” I said.
    â€œWe came in through a hole in the fence,” the younger woman said. She sounded guilty.
    â€œThen since you know how to come in through the hole, you know how to go out through the hole before I call the police. Understand?” I asked.
    â€œLook, let me explain. My name is Curtis. Curtis Reynolds. Doctor Reynolds. I’m a veterinarian,” the man said.
    â€œYou’re a vet?” I asked.
    â€œI am.”
    â€œHow do we know you really are a vet?” my mother asked. That was a good question. “I could say I was the Queen of Toronto, but that doesn’t make it true.”
    â€œHere, I have some business cards.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out the cards, handing one to me and the other to my mother. In raised letters it said: Dr. Reynolds, DVM, Small Animals and Emergency Medicine. He was a vet.
    â€œSo you have a card. That only