Why Should I Be a Magical Girl? I'm Overworked As It Is! — Chapter 17: Shuli Moves Out

Maya didn’t even pretend to think about Shuli’s question.

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.” Maya scooped Shuli off her lap and stood. She held her up like a newborn lion cub. “I’ve always wanted a talking cat! You can have the sunny spot by my bedroom window. I have a heated blanket you may like for naps. And I’ll give you the salmon filet next, for variety.”

Shuli’s eyes went glassy. “Salmon.”

“Just like that?” Carmen squawked from the couch. “I’ve been trying to get rid of her and the thing that does it is cat food!?”

“I don’t want to end up like Petunia!” Shuli cried.

Maya cooed, “You won’t end up like Petunia, I’ll make sure of it.”

“She told you I starved her ten minutes ago, and you’re rewarding the liar?”

“I’m rescuing a cat from a woman who doesn’t want her and hides her under dirty laundry.”

“She sneezed on my clothes.”

“Your clothes made her throw up.” Maya set Shuli down and went into Carmen’s kitchen to get a plate for the chicken filet. “Plus, you said that you wanted her gone. If she’s with me, you’ll have your peace and quiet.”

Carmen realized Maya was giving her an out. Now Shuli couldn’t pathetically cry outside of Carmen’s window or guilt her into letting her stay in Carmen’s apartment because she had a place with Maya.

Maya had mentioned she’d considered getting a pet, but was worried about it being cooped up indoors all the time, alone, while Maya was away at school or working. She was also concerned about it possibly chewing on her plants and getting poisoned. She didn’t want to come home to a tragedy.

Shuli was clearly independent, smart, and had the added bonus of invisibility. Maya didn’t have to worry about her getting lost or bored.

“Deal. Take her. No refunds.”

Shuli chimed in, “I’m still going to follow you around, Carmen. I secured accommodations with your sidekick, but don’t think this is over.”

“My what?” 

“I’m not giving up on you! And neither is the wand!” Shuli crowed.

“Maya, can you get a leash or a crate?”

Maya ignored the question and peeled the lid off the chicken filet, transferred it onto the plate, and cut it into little pieces with a fork and knife.

“Shuli, don’t antagonize Carmen.” Maya pushed the chicken toward Shuli, who immediately started digging in.

Carmen groaned miserably, covering her face with her hands and then sliding them up to pull at her knot-infested hair. Her back throbbed with the movement. “I need to get Shuli off of my lease before the building manager charges me for her.”

“She’s on your lease? But she can turn invisible! I want to see that by the way, when you get the chance, Shuli.”

Shuli lifted her head, chin full of shredded chicken chunks. “Okay! Only for you though.” Then she went back to eating.

Carmen growled, “That damn cat made herself visible and meowed outside my door until the building manager let her in. Shuli mentioned he’d said something about charging me a pet fee and an extra fee for lying.”

“Oh, no. That’s not good at all.” Maya glanced at Carmen, who was staring into the abyss. She snapped her fingers in front of Carmen. “It’s okay, snap out of it. We just have to de-floof your apartment. Once we do that, you can get him in here and say he made a mistake. It wasn’t your cat. You took it to the shelter and they contacted the owner.”

“There’s cat hair everywhere, Maya. And she’s still shedding. Look at her.”

Maya watched as a tuft of cat fur dislodged from Shuli, while her tail swished happily. Shuli didn’t notice because she was too engrossed in her feast.

Both girls observed it drift until it landed on Carmen’s knee.

“Gah!” Carmen snatched it up and flung it at Shuli. It didn’t get far and floated back to her knee.

“Even her fur is taunting me!”

“We can do it! I believe in us. Do you have a scrunchie?” Maya walked to Carmen’s bathroom.

“No, Maya. I know you want to help. But this is my mess. You’re wearing a nice dress. It’s going to get ruined. Take the cat, that helps. I can clean my apartment, it’s overdue.”

“I saw you use the bed to stand up,” Maya hollered from the bathroom. “You shouldn’t do it alone.” The sound of a drawer skating open, followed by things being moved around, rattled from the doorway.

Maya came out, tying her hair up. “Let the de-floofing commence!” She dug through her bag and pulled out a lint roller.

Carmen stared. “Why do you have that on you?”

“Why don’t you? I expected to walk out of here covered in cat hair when I decided to visit.”

“Ugh. Maya, please. I appreciate you and everything that you do for me, but I’ve got this. I have tape. It works the same. You’re always helping me. Let me… take care of my own problems. I’m older than you. It doesn’t… feel good, having you do this. Getting Shuli out already takes a load off.”

Maya pursed her lips, her excitement fading.

“I’m sorry for overstepping,” she said softly.

“You didn’t overstep. And you are helping me. Shuli is the biggest pain in my life right now.”

“Hmph,” Shuli said loudly, without looking up from her plate.

“If you say so…” Maya said, uncertainly. She slid the scrunchie out of her hair and put it back where she got it from. “I’m leaving the lint roller for you. Do you have a paper bag so I can put all the cat stuff in it? I’m going to use my bag as a cat carrier. Just in case we bump into someone walking their dog.”

“Yeah, in the kitchen. Under the sink, I have a lot.”

Maya made her way there.

Carmen got up with a wince and headed to her desk. She grabbed a roll of clear packing tape, left over from her last move. After finding the seam, she scratched at it, trying to lift it up.

Maya grabbed a brown paper bag from under the sink and collected all the cat things she’d brought. She kept an eye on Carmen, to see if her back was worse than she was letting on. She turned to Shuli, who was licking the plate clean. “Okay, Shuli, you’re going to take a nap.” She held her bag open for her.

“A nap does sound nice right now.” Shuli climbed in. 

“You have to stay in there until I take you home, alright?” Maya said.

“Do I get another filet for dinner if I do?”

“Yes.”

“Goodbye.” 

Maya left the top unclasped. It was deep enough to hide Shuli completely.

Meanwhile, Carmen was figuring out what length of tape she needed. Once she was satisfied, she ripped off a piece with her teeth. She held the strip by both ends to keep it from sticking to itself. She approached her couch. “I’m ready. See, between this and the lint roller, I have it covered.”

Carmen demonstrated by putting it on the couch and ripping it off like a seasoned waxer.

There was silence. It made no sense. Shuli had barely been here three days. The tape was covered with fur as if the couch had hosted a cat convention.

“How,” Carmen said, holding up the tape, “does one cat make this much cat?”

From inside the bag came a muffled, “I’m very luxurious.”

“Are you sure you’re sure?”

“Yes, Maya.”

“Text me if you need help. I’ll come.”

“I know you will.”

Maya’s green bag went over one shoulder. She asked Shuli, “Hey, Shuli, can I touch the wand? I’m going to take it with us. Carmen needs space. She can’t have that with this here.”

Shuli’s head poked out the top like a periscope. “You’re good, it doesn’t want you.” She disappeared back into her enclosure.

Maya picked the wand up from the coffee table and placed it in the brown paper bag with Shuli’s items.

“I guess… this is goodbye. I’ll see you tomorrow at work? Maybe on your next day off, or half-day, we can go to the mall and watch a movie if you can. My monthly bring-a-friend pass just renewed.”

“Sounds good. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

Maya waved and left. The door closed behind them. Carmen stood in the middle of her apartment, finally alone, still holding a strip of tape covered in cat fur.