Chapter 4

Aidoneus had helped himself to an unhealthy amount of finger sandwiches. He didn't realize how much he ate until he felt around the board they were placed on looking for another one, not realizing they were all gone.

Amir found this entertaining, but he also appreciated the act. It meant that these sandwiches he made were just that good.

"I could make you some more sometime," Amir offered

Aidoneus nodded. Who was he to turn down something offered to him? From what Amir had told him about Dalia's party on Friday, it seemed that Dalia planned on putting everything together Friday before the party. She had already sent out a text to people about it and even had the Iota Eta girls agree to use their sorority house for it.

Dalia held one or two parties each season. One for the start, and another for the end. The main issue with this was Dalia was a heavy procrastinator. The parties wouldn't be put together until the last minute.

"She said that she was going to buy groceries and things for food and decoration. But as you can see, it's Wednesday and the groceries have yet to be bought." Amir fell backward on the blanket, his raven hair falling out from the scrunchie that was loosely keeping it out of his face. The red-dyed ringlets peeked through from the underside of his hair.

"Usually, I'm the one that makes the food, but since the space Dalia got is bigger than the ones of the past, there's going to be more people."

"I could help and pitch in a bit for the groceries." Aidoneus laid down on the blanket beside Amir.

"You can cook?" Amir asked with a raised brow. Azariah didn't seem like a person who could make a meal.

Aidoneus looked at Amir mildly insulted, "Yes, I can cook."

Amir snorted, "We'll see about the chef." His head turned towards Aidoneus, "Well if you're going to help, let's go. I don't think Dalia and Bri are ready to leave, so we might as well go now."

Aidoneus and Amir got up and said their goodbyes to Bri and Dalia who barely acknowledged them and walked out of the park.

"I think it'd be a good idea to plan out what food there's going to be. It's fall so stick to fall-themed foods." Amir said as they stood in the middle of the parking lot.

"Your place or mine?" Aidoneus questioned.

"No taking me out on a date first?" Amir asked, putting a hand over his chest and looking at Aidoneus in faux weariness.

"Chivalry is dead Amir," Aidoneus responded rolling his eyes playfully at Amir's behavior.

"It is not! Also, it depends on how far you live. I'm not driving farther than 20 miles."

"I live at the apartment complex on Vines Street. five minutes from campus." Aidoneus said.

Amir thought about it for a moment, "Okay. What time should I come over?"

Aidoneus checked Azariah's phone for the time. It was 4 o'clock and he had some work he needed to get done. Azariah works from home and there's a work project he needs to finish and some homework that needs to be done. It won't be a hassle since he's familiar with finance and computer science, so he should be done in about three hours.

"Around 6:30, 7:00. If that's okay with you." He said, putting his phone into his pocket.

"Yeah, that's good. Give me your address when you're ready for me to come over. I live nearby, so like five minutes before." Amir said Walking off in the other direction towards his car, "And also, Dalia has to approve of the menu, so think about having her over on Thursday to try out some stuff."

"Got it!" Aidoneus waved bye at Amir and walked to his car. Once he got home, he prepped Isul's food for the next two weeks. He turned to get some zip lock bags and some supplements to sprinkle in. Isul jumped on the counter and looked at what Aidoneus made for her. The mixture of rabbit liver, chicken, smelt, carrot, egg, and bone did not look appealing. She was very much satisfied with the wet cat food given to her that morning. This just looks horrendous.

'I'm not eating that. It looks horrifying! Are you trying to kill me?' Isul hissed when Aidoneus moved the large bowl towards her.

"You're an ordinary cat in this world and you'll be fed accordingly." Aidoneus measured out the supplement powder and omega-3 oil and poured them into the mix.

'I'm a talking cat for fucks sake!' Isul reasoned. There was nothing regular about her.

"Yet here you are enjoying wet cat food. Try it out I'll give you a bit of cat food with it." Aidoneus Put a portion for the rest of the week into a separate bowl and put the rest into zip lock bags. He'd make more in a month and a half.

Isul made another gagging noise but said nothing after. She hopped off the counter and bit Aidoneus's exposed ankle and latched on when Aidoneus began shaking his leg around in an attempt to get her off.

"Isul! Get off or I'm not giving you regular cat food." Aidoneus threatened. That seemed to finally get through the cat's head as she quickly let go of Aidoneus's ankle and sat on the floor blinking up at Aidoneus as if she didn't do anything.

"Somebody is coming over tonight. Behave." Aidoneus looked at Isul and quickly walked around her, trying to keep his ankles as far away from her as he could.

Since it was a small wound and inflicted on him in private, Aidoneus was able to heal it himself.

Aidoneus finished his homework and revised and finished the work project Azariah had due. He emailed it to his superior and closed his laptop. Azariah managed to land himself a part-time job as a financial analyst with the help of a few of his professors. Once he graduates, he'll move on to a full-time position.

Aidoneus texted Amir to come over and gave him the address. In the meantime, he put a half pepperoni, half cheese pizza in the oven. A few minutes later Amir arrived. He looked like he rolled out of bed. His hair stuck out in all directions, and he wore loose sweatpants and a large hoodie. He had a backpack with him too.

Aidoneus invited Amir inside, the moment he sat on the couch, he looked like he was about to fall asleep again. It made Aidoneus wonder how he was able to reach here safely.

"Amir, get up. It'll only take an hour or so. There's also pizza cooking in the oven." Aidoneus shook Amir awake and took a seat on the grey rug. Azariah had grey, black and beige themes all around the apartment. With a few plants here and there gifted by his mother.

Amir took a moment to fully wake up. When he did, he slumped down on the rug near Azariah with his back leaning against the cream-colored couch. He leaned over looking at Azariah's computer and decided to take out his own.

"Do you have any ideas?" Amir asked, powering on his laptop.

"Exclude nuts from the dishes and include squash in most of them. I'm sure we could get some cakes from First Lady Groceries and depending on what other things they're selling we could go from there.

Amir nodded and let out a small yawn. He typed down the suggestions and some other things he and Azariah came up with. In about an hour, the two decided what they chose would be enough.

"We could pass by First Lady after I'm done with work, and you finish class and show Dalia the list then," Aidoneus said, closing his laptop and putting it under the coffee table.

"Okay." Amir yawned and stretched his body a bit, "You said you had pizza?"

Aidoneus got up, popping a few bones in the process, "Yeah. You want it now?"

"Yes please!" Amir slumped down on the carpet.

"You can turn on the tv, the remotes right there," Aidoneus said, pointing to the coffee table.

Aidoneus walked into the kitchen and sliced the pizza. When he came back, he found Amir putting Kingdom on and Isul in his lap.

"Your cat is adorable. What is her name?" he asked, petting Isul's head.

"Isul," Aidoneus answered stiffly. Isul Looked up at Aidoneus and flashed her teeth.

'You bitch!' He seethed to Isul.

Isul just hissed in response. Aidoneus set down the tray of pizza and went back to the kitchen to prepare Isul's food. Just as promised, He gave her wet cat food and some of the raw meat mix he made earlier. He set the cat bowl down at her eating station and filled another bowl with water.

"Isul! Come eat!"

Isul's footsteps neared the kitchen. She stopped in front of the cat bowl and looked at it. She looked back at Aidoneus and the food bowl again. Isul slowly moved her neck forward and took a small nibble from the meat.

'It's not bad,' she said, going in for another bite.

Aidoneus shook his head and went back into the living room where Amir was waiting for him.