[b]Chapter One[/b]

	A young white feline quickly opened a door, letting in a lot of sunlight into the darken area.  He walked inside and closed the door behind him.  In the dark, he walked to a large box with multiple switches and turned on a spotlight.  He spotted a folding chair and grabbed it with his free hand, holding a case in his other.  He walked up the small pair of steps and into the light, holding that folding chair and a case.  He gently placed the case onto the wooden floor and unfolded the chair.  He sat down on it and sighed deeply.  This cat's fur was short and wavy.  His left arm and right ear were all black, same goes to his whiskers and the frizzy tip to his thick white tail.  His claws were black as well, but they were almost retractable, only the sharp points of each claw were visible.  His short black hair was left in a untidy, wild hairstyle.  His eyes were silver with white round pupils.  He had on a buttoned t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers with fingerless gloves.  "What song should I play today", he asked himself.  He gasped then said with a smile, "Got it...  Canon in D minor!"

	The feline grabbed his case and placed it on his lap.  He unlocked it and flipped the cover open.  Inside that case was a violin, in a glossy cherry red color.  He took it out and examined it with a smile.  On the back of the instrument had the initial "Chai Raleigh" in French Script font.  The bow that came with it had "C.R." on the handle.  He placed the case gently onto the floor and got into position with his instrument.  After he gently tapped the strings four times with his bow, he began to play it with eyes closed.

	Minutes of playing the chosen song later, he finished it and sighed deeply.  His ears flicked and his eyes opened, hearing someone clapping in the distance.  He looked down and saw a bilby giving him an applause while sitting in a chair in the front row.  It had on a tank top and loose jeans with sandals on its feet and a short, clean cut hairstyle.  The feline tilted his head, but then he straightened it and smiled.  "Hello there, Jazmine", he said.

	"Hi to you too, Chai", Jazmine said in a feminine tone.

	Chai placed his violin and bow back in its case and locked it.  "May I ask how long you were sitting there?"

	"Long enough to listen to most of it.  Are you absolutely sure you don't wanna join our band?"

	"I'm sure, Jaz.  I'm really sure."  He stood up and folded the chair back.  "There's no way I could join, anyway."

	Jaz crossed her arms.  "Because you play like... a hundred times better than the entire band, maybe?"

	Chai chuckled.  "No no.  I wouldn't say that about your band."  He walked out the spotlight and put the chair back, then walked back into and grabbed his violin's case.  "I'm only twelve, Jaz, still in elementary."

	Jaz smacked her head.  "Duh!  I forgot...  Not in high school yet...  Anyways, our band sucks... filled with nerds and geeks that don't know how to play their instruments..."  She paused.  "Hey, mind if I come up there with you?"

	"Oh, sure you can!  I... don't mind if you do."

	Jaz stood up and walked towards the stage.  She jumped and sat on the edge of it, looking out at the empty row of seats barely seen in the dark.  Chai walked next to her and sat down on the edge of the stage, placing his violin behind him.  Jaz called the feline's name and he looked at her.  "You know, you come here every single day with different instruments, but you like to play that violin the most."

	"Yeah!  It's a gift from my mother.  Of course I'll play it the most every day!"

	"You told me a couple months ago.  I still remember how excited you were when you got it...  But you know what I was wondering?  Why are you here in high school playing instead of your own school?"

	Chai paused for a while and looked away.  "Your school's auditorium's bigger..."  Jaz just laughed out loud and Chai blushed.  His blush went away and he looked at the bilby.  "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?  I know you don't have any weekend activities and all."

	Jaz blinked.  "Oh... well, not only I wanna hear you play but... I've been hearing some rumors about you.  I just wanna confirm this."  She paused.  "Do you... have a crush on me?"  Chai blushed again and stuttered misunderstood words for a while.  He paused, taking a deep breath.  "You don't have to say anything", Jaz said while chuckling.  "That reaction says it all.  What I don't understand is why."

	"I...  The thing is I have this... thing for tomboys.  I don't know why I do, I just happen to like them.  But out of all the ones I've met, I developed a crush on you.  I mean... you're very tough and pretty all at once and... yeah..."

	Jaz's eyes were open widely and mouth slightly gaped.  She blushed lightly while asking the feline, "You...really think that about me?"  Chai nodded and smiled nervously.  "How long have you had these feelings for me...?"

	"For almost a year now.  I didn't tell you because I assumed you were few years older than me and..."  He stopped from hearing Jaz chuckling.  "Did I say something wrong?"

	Jaz stopped chuckling and rubbed her nose.  "I can't believe you have a crush on me.  It's just surprising for someone like you!"  Chai tilted his head.  "I was expecting you to like... I dunno, cheerleaders or a girl that's good at physics or chemistry or...something."

	Chai shook his head.  "They're okay as friends, but... like I said, I developed a liking for tomboys and... well...  I'm...  I apologize.  I hope I didn't make this conversation awkward for you..."

	"No, it's fine, Chai.  I was just wondering."  She paused and smiled.  "By the way, I'm only fourteen and a freshman, believe it or not.  We're not really too far apart, so no need to feel awkward about it.  Now that I know how you feel..."  Jaz placed her hand on top of Chai's.  The bilby blushed herself and continued, "...I... had a bit of something for you, too... for a couple months.  You are the most polite and mature boy I've ever seen.  Plus you stand up to bullies that were twice your size and easily defend yourself.  And the fact you have the ability to put our school band to shame?  I find that very impressive about you, Chai."

	Chai blushed even more, entire face, almost turning red.  "Oh...I...  Thank you for...the compliment...  I appreciate it."

	"No, Chai.  Thank you..."  The two stared at each other for a good while, smiling and staring into each others eyes.  But Jaz broke the silence by asking, "Hey, you busy this weekend?"

	Chai shook his head.  "No, why you ask?"

	Jaz reached into her pocket and pulled out a small index card.  She handed him that card and Chai stared at it.  While he was reading the card, Jaz continued by saying, " Tomorrow, I'm hosting a party at my house by invitation only and I was wondering if you wanna come.  My dad, the mayor, is chaperoning so no need to worry about the party getting out of hand."

	"Interesting!"  Chai look on the back of the card and saw the date and time, also the number to call for RSVP.  "I would love to go!  What are you doing there at your party?"

	"Oh, just kids stuff.  You know, the movies, video games... Truth or Dare, and... I need a sparring partner, hoping you can be my partner."

	Chai blinked and looked at Jaz.  "I'm sorry, what was that?"

	"I've noticed how excellent you were with your kicks.  I mean you DID beat the living hell out of three bullies at the same time and... I wanna know if my kickboxing can take on your fighting style.  Nothing extreme or anything."

	Chai arched a brow.  "This is in front of everyone?"  Jaz chuckled and nodded.  "How innovative", the feline said with a grin.  "Sure, I'll come to your party!  I don't think my parents would mind."

	"Good... then it's settled."  Jaz leaned towards Chai and gave him a tender kiss across his lips.  Chai froze in place with eyes widened.  Then she whispered in his ear, "I'll see you then..."  She jumped off the stage and walked out the auditorium with hands in her jean's pockets.

	Chai regained motion in his body once he fell backwards, back impacting the floor of the stage and letting out a brief groan.  But he laid there in the spotlight, giving a big smile with eyes closed.  He held the invite close to his chest and sighed happily.  [i]A party Jaz is hosting[/i], he thought.  [i]I will NOT miss this for the world...![/i]

--

	Chai was resting on his full sized bed, holding the same invitation card close to his chest.  He changed into his cyan colored two piece pajama set, but he left the shirt unbuttoned and open.  His eyes were closed while he sighed deeply with a big smile on his face.  Chai's ear flicked from hearing a knock on his door, but his eyes were still closed.  He heard a deep masculine voice coming from the other side of the door calling his name.  "Come in", Chai sighed.

	A tan colored cougar opened the door and walked into the room.  He was going shirtless, only wearing a pair of slacks and slippers.  His hazel eyes looked over at the young feline clenching a small card to his body on his own bed.  His arched his brow and asked, "What... are you doing, son?"

	"Nothing, father", Chai replied, still having his eyes closed.

	The cougar crossed his arms.  "Well, having an index card close to your chest like that sure doesn't look like nothing to me..."

	Chai opened his eyes and sat up on his bed.  He looked at the adult cougar with the same smile on his face, holding the card in both hands which were on his lap.  "You know Jaz, Father?"

	"The mayor's tomboy daughter?  Of course I do."  He paused and arched his brow again.  "Why?"

	"Well, we've met in the auditorium this afternoon.  She...noticed that I've developed a crush on her."  He paused and looked away with a blush to his face.  "She had something for me, too..."

	The cougar chuckled.  "So does half the town, son...  But why do you like Jaz out of everyone else?"

	Chai tried looking back to the cougar, but looked away again a few times.  "I..told you before, father.  I have this thing for tomboys.  Plus, Jaz notices me differently than everyone else.  First girl that likes me for more than my personality and my ability to play different instruments."

	The cougar grinned.  "Cute."  He paused, looking at the index card in Chai's hand.  "So is that card a love letter or something?"

	Chai blinked.  "Huh?  No no.  It's an invite to her party tomorrow.  Her dad's chaperoning and..."  He paused, looking up at the adult cougar.  Chai got off the bed and stood in front of him, hands grasping the piece of paper and held it to his his chest again.  "Please, Father?  I promise that I won't do anything bad, indecent, or anything shameful!  Please?"

	The cougar still had the same grin on his face.  He reached his hand out and gently placed it on Chai's head.  Chai stood there with his eyes closed while the cougar rubbed his head gently, smiling and purring softly.  "You're a good kid, Chai", said the cougar.  "And I trust you fully, so there's no way I could never say 'No' to something like that!"  He bent down to Chai's height and took his hand off his head.  Chai stopped purring and opened his eyes.  His smile went away from seeing the adult feline lost his grin.  "What you have to get permission from...is your mother."

	Chai sighed sadly and looked down.  "Yeah, I understand..."

	The cougar placed a finger under Chai's chin and gently lifted his head until they had eye contact.  "Don't be like that, son", he said.  "I'm sure she'll let you go."

	"Go where?"  Chai and his father's ears went up.  Chai looked over to his right while the adult feline stood up and looked to his left.  They noticed a female cat in sleepwear.  She had white wavy fur with a thick tail, just like Chai's, but without the frizzy black tip.  Her right ear and left arm were black, same goes to her long whiskers and her short and wavy hair.  She looked at both the male felines with her sparkling and bright red eyes, asking, "What are you two talking about?"  He looked at the cougar.  "Aero?"

	Aero smiled and walked to the feline.  "Ruby, baby!"  Aero tenderly kissed Ruby on her forehead and threw his arm over her shoulder.  "It seems our son here likes a girl that likes her back."

	Ruby arched her brow.  "Really?  Out of all the girls in this town, who is the lucky one?"

	Aero grinned.  "Jazmine."  Chai gave a nervous smile and blushed after Aero's response, still holding the invitation close to his chest.

	Ruby blinked a couple times at Chai, then looked back at Aero.  "By that reaction, our son's not lying!"  Aero agreed.  "But... tell me honey.  What's with the card in his hands?  Is that a love letter?"

	Aero shook his head sharply.  "I thought of it at first, but... it's actually an invitation to Jaz's party tomorrow."

	"Party... hosted by Jaz tomorrow?"  Chai sighed softly and looked away.

	"Uh huh", replied Aero.  "But don't be like that, sweetie.  The mayor's chaperoning and we're excellent friends with him!"  

	"I don't know..."

	Aero gave Ruby a sly wink.  "Think about it...  He'll be out the house."  Ruby called the cougar's name in a dry tone, but Aero moved his head closer to her ear and whispered, "He'll be out the house... get it?  Nudge nudge?"

	Ruby smirked, then sharply turned to Chai.  "Chai, hunny?"

	Chai's eyes opened widely and he looked back at Ruby.  "Y-yes, mother?"

	"Any idea how long will you be gone?"

	Chai looked at his invitation and skimmed through it.  "It says it starts at 11AM, but it didn't give the exact time that it ends.  Just says... 'around evening' and--"

	"You can go!"  Chai stared at his mother and tilted his head slightly.  "That's right!  You can go."

	Chai gasped and gave a big smile.  He quickly ran to Ruby and wrapped his arms around her.  "Thank you!  I won't let you down!"

	Ruby looked at Aero and pointed at him briefly, then went back to Chai, hugging the little feline back.  "Not a prob, dear.  I know you won't disappoint me."  She looked down, noticing Chai giggling with a big smile on his face and rubbing his head on her body.  But she then raised a brow, noticing his head was between her breasts.  She looked over at Aero and pointed down at Chai, suppressing her giggle.  She looked back down and patted the young feline on the head.  "Chai, baby?"

	Chai's eyes were still closed and he kept the smile on his face.  He still rubbed his head between her breasts when he replied with, "Yes, mother?"

	"You father likes putting his head there, too you know."

	"Hm?"  Chai stopped rubbing his head onto his mother's chest and opened his eyes widely.  He sharply looked up and noticed where his head was.  He gasped loudly and blushed, loosening his grip on Ruby.  "I-I-I apologize", he yelled when he jumped back from his parents.  "I didn't mean it, Mother!"

	Ruby and Aero laughed out loud at Chai for a while.  The little feline stood there while he tolerated his parents laughter, blushing and rubbing his arm.  "It's okay, Chai", Ruby said, letting out a few more giggles.  "I'm just messing with you, hon!"

	"Oh I...I see..."

	"Aw, baby..."  Ruby walked up to Chai and tenderly kissed him on the forehead.  "You're a good boy, Chai.  I'm just joking with you, as usual."

	Chai gave her a sheepish smile.  "I understand, Mother.  Just took me a while to, that's all."

	"I see.  Also, hon... it's good to be a gentleman, but be a kid while you still at that age, okay?"

	"I'll do just that, Mother."  Chai quickly gave her another hug, making sure that his head was on in the same place as before.  "Night, Mother.  I love you."

	"I love you too, baby."  She gave Chai another kiss to his head.  "Sweet dreams."  Ruby turned and walked towards Aero, sharply pointing a finger at him and slowly walking by him.  "Nothing tonight, mister..."

	Aero chuckled and saluted her.  "Yes, ma'am!"  Ruby rolled her eyes and continued out Chai's room.

	Chai blinked a couple times and looked at Aero.  "Father, what did she mean by that?"

	Aero snickered and gave a big smile.  He turned to Chai and rubbed his head, ruffling his hair.  "When you're older, son, I'll tell you about it.  But right now... I gotta sleep.  Big day ahead for the both of us!!"  He walked out of Chai's room, rubbing his hands together and still had a big smile on his face.  "Goodnight, son!"

	Chai sighed deeply, placing his face in his hand and slowly shaking his head.  [i]That face[/i], he thought, [i]that smile...and that saying...  Strange I don't have any siblings right now...[/i]  He took his face out his hand, just to look at his invitation in both his hands and smile.  [i]But enough about that!  I can get to see Jaz tomorrow![/i]  He held the index card close to his chest and sighed once more, in a happier tone.  [i]I can't wait![/i]