The Prom Cat

*note: this is based in the Phil. We usually have Two prom nights, 3rd year High school and Fourth Year High School.

         Tonight is prom night. Not just any prom but the senior’s prom! Alicia De Leon can’t get over last year’s junior’s prom. She was the only one without a date. To add salt to her wounds, she was crowned as Wallflower of the Night. Her classmates had never let her forget it. It seems this year was to be a repeat performance.
         “What am I going to do, ‘Lonzo?” Alicia wailed to the cat outside her window. Alonzo the Cat stared at her and shrugged, aloof as ever. He was quite big for a stray and very clean. The Black and White stud was a grooming freak. If Alonzo was not sleeping or eating, he would be grooming his immaculate pelt. He had a black back and white face and chest, like a cat in a suit. Alonzo has soft fur and he was the only cat she knew that had a goatee. Alonzo kept visiting Alicia, most of the time begging for a treat. So, the senior girl kept a box of cat food in her room and fed Alonzo when her parents weren’t watching.
         Alonzo was basking in the sun on top of the wall that divided their gardens from the neighbors. The wall was just a half meter distance to her window. The gardens was much widen in front of the house than the sides. Alonzo got up and stretched. “Nyeooow!” He begged. It was the hungry nyeowing sound.
         “Nobody’s listening to me! Not even you!” Alicia sobbed. She was annoyed. Her parents thought this problem was too petty. She could always go “stag”, they said. Now, Alonzo, the cat she poured her problems to, didn’t seem to care about anything but food.
         Alonzo jumped into her open window and began to rub himself on her. She had to admit, he was affectionate. That’s what she loved about Alonzo. That was how she knew he cared. “Aw, ‘Lonzo! I love you too.” And she poured some cat food on a cute sky blue dish she bought for him.
         Ocean Tuna fish crackers. It was his favorite. Alicia once gave him roast chicken chips. Alonzo snubbed the bowl of cat food. She was forced to give it to other stay cats at the back of her house.
         “Oh, I wish I had a date! Even just for tonight! I want a handsome man to show-off. He’ll give me flowers and he’ll dance with me! We would have such a wonderful time! Why am I even telling you? As if you could solve my problem!” Alicia dropped to her bed and began sobbing again.
         Alonzo jumped on top of her bed and stood over her. She was used to the cat exploring her room. He loved to sit on her bed, much to her mother’s chagrin. Alicia just stared at the ceiling letting her tears flow. Prom, how she wished she had a dream date for the prom! Alonzo lowered his furry head towards her and gave her a kiss.
         Everything went black for Alicia…

         Alicia’s mother shook her urgently on the shoulder. “Licia, hurry up! Wake up!” She urged her daughter. Alicia didn’t want to wake. There was an odd fishy taste to her lips as she tried to open her eyes and stretch. “Look, you better hurry up! You’re date is here!”
         Alicia bolted upright. Did she just hear her mother correctly? Now, what just happened? She fed Alonzo then she… “Oh! Alonzo! Where is he? I fell asleep while feeding him!” She said.
         Her mother crossed her arms over her chest. “You know your father doesn’t want that cat in this house! He hates the fur and the lice. Now, get up and get ready as fast as you can. You can’t let your date wait too long like that.”
         Alicia was still processing this information her mother was feeding her. Date? “You got me a date?” She asked.
         “Not me. I thought your friends set you up on a date. We all know how you cried for a whole month because you were crowned Miss Wallflower of the Night.” Her mother said looking at the distance. She was reminiscing the pains of her only child. Then, she snapped back to reality. “Well, hurry up!”
         Alicia got up and got to the bathroom for a quick shower. She pulled on her red corset prom gown. If she was going to be crowned Wallflower of the Night again, at least she was going to go down wearing something stunning. To cheer their daughter, the De Leon couple brought a stunning red ball gown for their daughter. It had a beaded corset bodice and a full ball skirt with tons of tulle underneath. Her mother lent her black and white pearl set to accessorize and to add to the drama, she wore a white faux fur leopard shrug. As fast as she could, she applied make-up then ran downstairs to see this date. She wondered who set her up to someone and was he even cute? If her classmates were planning a joke, she would walk out of that ballroom not show up until graduation.
         Alicia race to the bottom of the stairs and came face to face with the most striking man she ever saw in her entire life. He looks like a model! A foreign model at that! His skin was so white but his hair was jet black. His most striking feature was his eyes! They were gold-green with black slits for iris. The dazzling stranger was in a tuxedo! How charming, she thought. He’s not in ordinary coat and tie like the other boys would be. This was sure to make a scene! She felt so limp.
         He extended a hand that held a white rose. It didn’t look too clean cut though. It was as if he yanked it somewhere. Alicia scolded herself. The guy was trying to be romantic and she was being picky. Better a limp flower and a strange date than none! She accepted the flower.
         “We really have to go, guys! Friday night’s traffic. Let’s just talk in the car, ok?” Alicia’s father said. He got the car keys and went out to the driveway. The stranger pulled Alicia’s hand and dragged her outside and in to the car. Alicia felt stupid for freezing up like that. What if he really was sent by her classmates to play a trick on her? She had to be alert!
         They were in the car speeding on the skyway to avoid traffic. The venue for their date was in a swanky hotel ballroom. It really cost a lot but since it was their last prom for high school, the student body voted to go all out. “Hey, I don’t know what your name is. Who sent you?” She whispered to the stranger so her father wouldn’t hear.
         The stranger smiled and said one word. “Alonzo.”
         He said it like he had a nasal accent but it sounded so sexy to her she forgot all about the who sent him. Her father started to sneeze three times in a row. “Sorry. I think I’m sniffing something. ‘Lish, did you let that cat in the house?” He asked. “I think smelled him in the sofa. I couldn’t stop sneezing back at the house. I’m afraid I was scaring Alonzo here.” 
         “Sorry, dad, but he was only in my room.” Alicia answered. She was glad he didn’t bother to question this Alonzo thoroughly. She was going to do that herself.
They arrived right on time. “Take lots of photos, ok? Your mom and I want to hear all about this night!” Alicia’s father said he would pick them up at twelve midnight and left.
         Alicia and Alonzo walked in hand in hand. “Funny, my cat’s name is also Alonzo.” She said trying to make small talks. Alonzo’s gaze seemed distant but he never let go of her arm. She looked up at him and saw that underneath his jaw was a faint goatee. Alicia smiled. How cute! He was so very like her Alonzo.
         Alicia and her date passed some odd schoolmates and then some classmates. They stared at her in disbelief. For weeks, they talked about her being the only one they were sure that didn’t have a date! She felt awkward as people stared. Their eyes were cold. Admittedly, she wasn’t the most attractive of girls. Plain Jane and worse, she was the silent type who bordered being a nerd. Not that she was. It’s just, there was nothing special about her.
         Just who was this stranger in her arms? The male was tall, lean and in a tuxedo. None of the other boys wore tuxedo. It costs more to rent. This male was no boy. He was not exactly a full grown man yet but he was far from these boys from school.
         Alonzo was so silent, so aloof. What was in him that made her feel comfortable? He carries himself like he’s royalty. Alicia wouldn’t wonder if he turns out to a long lost prince from some far off country.
         At the picture taking stall, more eyes were upon the duo. They looked like a couple for sure, Alonzo, so black and white while Alicia was a blooming rose. People’s eyes were beginning to make her uncomfortable. Alicia wanted to shrink. How did she think to impress these classmates of hers? Why does she even bother to?
         Sensing her distress, Alonzo nuzzled his face on her neck and shoulder. Alicia was appalled! Who was this stranger to play dirty date on her? Of all the times, while on a photo session! Alicia smiled one last time and left the photo booth. She pulled Alonzo to a corner and was ready to reprimand him when his nuzzling lips planted a juicy one on hers. Shocked, she couldn’t move. Maybe she should slap him, she thought. On her lips lingered a fishy taste that seemed to taste like Ocean Tuna. Then she looked at him, as in really looked!
         “Alonzo? As in Lonzo the Cat?” She asked in disbelieve.
         In response, he just purred. She tickled his chin where his goatee was. Alonzo purred even louder. That was the spot he loves to be scratched.
         “Oh no! No way! You can’t be!” But Alonzo just stared with those golden green cat eyes, the same eyes that Alonzo the Cat has. “Oh! What am I gonna do? How could I have taken my cat on a date?” She muttered to herself. What if everyone found out? What if her parents found out? “Wait a minute! This is impossible! A cat can’t turn human!” She said to herself.
         Alonzo was looking pleased with himself. “Nyeoow.” He said as if to prove he really was Alonzo the Cat.
         “Oh no! Oh no!” Alicia wailed. Alonzo repeated his meowing and nuzzled on her neck and then her chest. “No, no, Lonzo-Cat!” She pushed him. This was definitely Alonzo. She was really sure now. He implored her using his saddened, famished-look in his eyes and more nuzzling. “Alright, let’s get some food.”
         Alicia escorted Alonzo to the buffet table. Being a classy hotel like this, there were choices sushi, sashimi and ebi tempura. “Great!” Alicia said sarcastically. “Just his luck! Japanese food.” Alonzo had no trouble wolfing down tray after tray of everything fish. All except ebi and things with crabs.
         He may be handsome but he sure is a pig! Then again, Lonzo-Cat pigs out every meal time. Nobody really has a perfect date, she told herself. Alicia was contented with a piece of sandwich and lots of punch to battle with her nerves. “Oh, Lonzo! What am I going to do with you?” She asked in silence.
         “Alicia, who’s your date?” One of her classmates asked as she was being flooded with people around her. “Where’d he come from?” Another one asked. “Is he a model?”
         Alicia looked at her date, quite embarrassed to see he was still snacking. Definitely not model material then again he was cute. “His name is Alonzo. He’s from… (Czechoslovakia? Bulgaria? Where does the name Alonzo come from?) Russia. Foreign exchange student.”
         Her classmates shifted their attention from her to the Russian stranger. They crowded around Alonzo and began to ask him questions. Alonzo didn’t seem to care about them. He continued to eat then asked a waiter if there was milk. “No Milk?” He sounded devastated when the waited told him his choices were only soda or iced tea.
         “Oh my gosh! I love his accent!” One of the girls squealed. Then, he licked his fingers clean. “Ooo! He’s so sexy!” The girls whispered to themselves.
Yes, she was the envy of all. Tall handsome stranger with a very foreign accent. If they only knew! She thought. If they only knew he was a cat! But this magical night was not complete yet.
         The music started and Alonzo looked at Alicia on the other side of the buffet table looking at him. There were girls crowded around him and nobody there with her. With grace and accuracy, he jumped over the table to the empty side and walked towards Alicia, leaving the bewildered crowd. “Dance?” He asked. There was a smug smile on him. He was full and that made him happy.
         Alicia and Alonzo did a slow dance in the dance floor. It felt good knowing you’re one of the people dancing not just watching. She put her head on his chest inhaling his animal scent and sighed. He smelled good for a cat. “You smell good too.” He whispered.
         “I didn’t wear perfume.” She admitted.
         “Your human scent smells good.” He said and licked her cheek. Good thing she forgot to wear foundation on her face. Lonzo might just eat the powder. For cats to like their humans, they had to like each other’s scent. Her father hated the smell of cats. He always sneezed too.
         “I gave you flower. We went to prom, went to dance. What else?” He smiled a killer smile.
         Those were the things she wished for when she was pouring her troubles on him. Alonzo did listen! He was the only one who listened. Now, he gave her the most wonderful night in her life.
         “If I asked to be Prom Queen, would you make it possible?” She mused. Alonzo kissed her. The taste of fish on his lips didn’t bother her. She remembered he kissed her when he made her wishes come true. A very fishy wish taste, she thought. Would this one come true too?
         The Prom King and Queen were announced. Unanimously, Alicia and Alonzo were voted. Alicia couldn’t believe it! She was Prom Queen! Last year’s Wallflower, this year’s Queen! Alonzo make it come true! She was so happy. “Lonzo-Cat, you’re the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me!” Alicia kissed Alonzo willingly and happily. A photographer clicked that very moment. She wondered what her parents would think if they saw her pictures with Alonzo, all that nuzzling and kissing. What more if they found out he was a cat?
         “I love you, Alonzo. I don’t ever want to let go of you now! I wish you were my boyfriend!” She exclaimed.
         In response, Alonzo lowered his lips to her and gave her a life-changing kiss.