Interview

I woke in the mostly darkness. A lamp lighting the path outside my living space provided a little bit of light. More tears filled my eyes as I rolled to my back. I sniffled and tried to get my tears under control. Then I sat up and moved my welcome packet and pen to the coffee table. I got up. I took off my trench coat then stepped into the bathroom to wash away all physical remnants of home. My thoughts turned to Josh as I re-braided my hair and brushed my tails. If the level of pain he was experiencing minus 16 tails was that severe, would my pain—minus 88 tails—be even greater?

I hoped he was doing alright. Penny seemed like a pretty caring patent. A caring I felt jealous of, especially in light of all the truths that had stepped into the spotlight. I bowed my head and exhaled. Such thoughts were not going to help improve my situation. I finished brushing the last of my 88 tails then climbed into bed. But my sleep was far from restful.

A very loud bird outside my window woke me. I covered my head to no avail. Groaning, I climbed out of bed. I pulled on one of my dresses. Then I slipped on my sandals. I gathered my welcome packet and notebook so I could take them to the interview. I put my trench coat on to hide my tails. I left my room and climbed the stairs to the kitchen.

"What can I get you, Miss?" the old man behind the counter asked.

"May I have two scrambled eggs and a piece of toast?"

"Certainly. Did you want a drink?"

"Orange juice?"

"Okay." He set a bottle of orange juice on the counter. "I'll be out shortly with the rest."

"Thank you," I said.

He nodded then went into the back. I sat at one of the tables; tails wrapped around my waist so I would not sit on them or press them into the back of the chair with my back. I sat and read through one more class description before I opened my orange juice. I took a sip. The man came out with a plate. He set it on the table with a napkin and fork.

"Thank you," I said.

"You are very welcome, Miss," he replied. Then he left me to eat alone.

I picked at my eggs, eating small bites every so often. I ate normal bites of my toast, but continued to flip pieces of egg over.

"That worried, are you?" Dr. Gyro asked, startling me.

I turned.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He approached the table and sat across from me. "I'm sure your mother is fine."

"She was fine before he left," I said quietly. "It was only an excuse to leave."

"I'm sure that's not...." He stopped when I turned my head away.

"Only the laws of the state kept me in their home. My parents showed the most affection when I was quiet. They don't like my tails and the only reason why they didn't have them surgically removed… was because they didn't want to hear me," I choked. Tears spilled down my cheeks and I banged my elbow on the table as I covered my mouth. I should not be doing this here, but I wasn't able to stuff it this time.

"I'm sorry, Kathrine."

"I knew the signs," I sobbed. "I felt the energy every day for 18 damn years and they waited until two nights ago to finally admit it!"

Dr. Gyro touched my arm and I pulled away from him. He withdrew his hand as I warily turned my eyes toward him. His expression puzzled. "…Would it be safe to assume that coming here was not your decision then?"

"My decision out of the options they pushed me to choose from."

"Did you not want to attend a college or university?"

"I hadn't planned on it. I felt if I did come, I'd only find more ridicule about my tails."

"It's a strange phenomena for a human to grow a cat tail, let alone multiple."

I looked down at the table.

"Would you like help getting back? Extended family you could stay with?"

"There's no one. I'm here or nowhere."

"Would you prefer to push the interview back a day? Have a little more time to work through your feelings?"

"One day; eighteen years. No time is sufficient. …And your arrival tells me I'm making the others wait."

"Have you eaten all you are going to?" Dr. Gyro asked.

"Yes." I capped my orange juice bottle then picked up my dishes.

"You can leave the dishes," he said. "The staff will clean up."

I just shook my head and took the plate back to the counter. The old man wasn't there. "Excuse me?" I called.

The old man stepped out of the back.

"Thank you. The eggs were perfect; sorry I could not finish them."

He smiled politely and nodded as he took the plate from me.

I returned to the table, letting my tails drop from my waist. I picked up my notebook, welcome packet, and empty orange juice bottle. Dr. Gyro stood and we left the kitchen. I tossed the bottle into the recycle bin by the exit.

We walked in silence across campus to the white pillared Administration building. Climbing the stairs, I tried to still my thoughts, slow my pounding heart, but it was futile. My dreams were still very much on my mind. Even remembering what Dr. Gyro had told my dad didn't help. My tails twisted with my agitation. Dr. Gyro led me into an elevator that took us up to the third floor. Once there, we walked down the hall. He opened a door to a large conference room. At least 15 people sat behind a long table. I stopped halfway into the room. Dr. Gyro joined those behind the table.

"Welcome to Texas, Kathrine," the man in the center said. "I'm Mathias Coolier, Dean of U.A.S.."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir," I replied quietly. My voice sounded a lot louder in the silence of the room.

Dean Coolier continued, "The others in this room are the heads of the different art & science divisions as well as our student services and financial aid advisers."

I nodded to the rest of the faces I saw.

"Would you care to have a seat?" Dean Coolier motioned to a chair a few steps to my left.

I looked at it then at the floor before facing him again. "I'd prefer to stand, if that's alright, Sir."

"Very well. What brings you to U.A.S.?"

"The creative writing major. Out of all the colleges I researched, yours has the biggest diversity of topics any would be author could dream of being exposed to. …And I'd like to expand my current skill set."

"In my initial questioning you said you wrote a mix of Heroic and Romantic Fantasy," a short haired brunette woman with a name tag that read Natalia said.

"Yes," I replied.

"Have you tried writing in the other genres?"

"I have not. Mainly from lack of exposure."

"I see. Were you able to complete the writing challenge I sent you?"

"Mostly." I pulled everything from my notebook and crossed the room to hand it to her. "I wrote myself into a corner."

She took the pages and I backed up to where I had been standing. Natalia scanned through the few pages I had been able to write.

"Kathrine?" a male voice asked.

I turned to the man at the end of the table on my right.

Thomas his name tag said. "You must be hot, why don't you take off your coat?"

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"He's asking so he can get a better view of your dress," the woman with a red pixie cut next to him said.

I noted her name was Chesnia as I nodded then hesitantly took my trench coat off.

"The design is very simple," Thomas said, standing. "But elegant at the same time. Where did you find such a design?"

"It's the only one my mother ever used," I replied quietly, still unsure of the energies I felt in the room. "She only adapted it when I started to develop...."

"Breasts?" a man to my left smirked. He sat a few chairs down from Dean Coolier. He wasn't wearing a name tag.

I frowned.

"Oh, no need to be shy, Sweetheart." He leaned back in his chair. "We're all adults here."

"Dango, back off," Dr. Gyro said. "She's nervous enough as it is."

"Will you turn around so I can see the back of the dress, Kathrine?" Thomas asked.

I closed my eyes, hung my head, and took a resigned breath. Here we go again. I set my right foot on the ball behind my left and did an 180 turn. I heard a gasp and locked my knees. I wanted to run away. Tears filled my eyes as I waited for the torment to begin. I wrapped several tails around the one that had been abused in Elementary School and Jr. High. My breath shook, echoing in the silent room. A chair scraped against the floor behind me on my right. I needed to get out of here. I took a couple steps as foot falls approached. The room swirled in a haze of white. Then there was only darkness.