So I'm really, really, really sorry, Patrick. I don't knowwhat else to tell you, but if things could have been different... Okay, Idon't know where ... was going with that. I just wish things could havebeen different. I wish I could like you the way you like me. It wouldmake things a lot easier, but I don't and I can't, but for what I did Iam so, so sorry." Say it one more time." Say what?" Say you're sorry." I am." No, really say it. Then I'll believe you." I'm sorry, Patrick. I'm sorry. . "Iced mocha?"Richard snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed his drink. As he headed for the front door, he noticed Allison sitting at one of the tables. It was almost like his thoughts of her had made her appear."Allison?" he said, approaching her. She was reading a journal. Something with graphs and tables."Oh, Richard, hi! How are you? What a surprise!" she said all in a rush."Yeah, I was just getting a mocha," Richard said, raising his Styrofoam cup."Me too. I'm taking a break from the. As she left the view from the window, Katie hastily did up her pants. The door opened. “Shouldn’t you be in class this period?” “I… uh… had an assignment to catch up on. Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” “Feeling a bit drained. Didn’t sleep much last night. I may skip lunch and take a nap.” Katie’s phone beeped. She covered the screen so Cynthia couldn’t see who was texting her. “I’ll tell Brenda.” “You don’t mind?” Cynthia asked. “Of course not. Take care of yourself. It’s all good,. At... at what might have happened if someone had used one of those computer picture transformations to change a cat's face into a person's face, but stopped it halfway, or perhaps the results if a human and a tabby cat could interbreed. The body was unmistakably human, but covered with a short, dark fur that was colored to produce an effect of layers, exactly like a tabby. The face was furry too, with whiskers sticking out from the nose area to the left and right.I suddenly remembered Lauren's.