(This is centered around Lou!)

———

Some may find Lou’s ability as useless or a little strange, but she loves them.

Speaking to animals opens up the world in a way that no one else has.

They often are better conversationalists than people which is why you can often see her with at least three animals by her side. Usually cats. Many, many cats.

That’s why she was nervous to start at a new school for high school. No animals, just humans.

Animals never judge. They rely on instinct and do what is in their nature. They don’t hide behind masks. Whatever they say to her, they mean.

While her first day wasn’t what she originally expected, she made some human friends, so that’s nice.

They didn’t shy away from her animal friends and appeared to welcome her powers.

Roman was a bit peculiar. Maybe the first day was particularly bad for him or something preoccupied him. Or maybe Lou just couldn’t read people that well.

He was quiet and contemplative, like a lot more was going on than anyone knew. Much different than when they first met in the hallway.

The next day, she found out why.

With hands clasped together, Roman and Jeremiah walk into school together. They declare to Lou and the rest of their friends about their soulmate connection.

“So when did you realize it was Jeremiah?” Bell asks, positively beaming. It amazes Lou how supportive Bell and Cross are when they are soulmateless. One would think they could be bitter, but they looked like they couldn’t be happier for them.

“Umm…..I had a bit of a crisis yesterday morning when Jeremiah bumped into me, but we figured it out,” Roman explains, a bit sheepishly. There is something in that story that Lou doesn’t understand. He’s not saying everything. It’s not her place to question. They present as a happy couple, so what’s there to question anyway?

Everyone is buzzing about them. Apparently it’s been a while since the last paired soulmates.

She goes to her locker and unload all the textbooks and folders she needs for the day.

“Hey Lou,” Roman stops at his own locker. Theirs are close together with their last names being close.

“Hi Roman. Congrats on your relationship!”

She greets.

“Thanks….”

Her smile falters when he trails off.

“Everything ok?” Lou asks, concerned. She knows she isn’t an expert on people but, he’s hesitating, and she has literally no idea why.

“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure we’re friends.”

“Of course. You’re ok, you know, for a person.” She stops before wondering out loud, “Is there a reason you thought we wouldn’t be cool?”

“Well, I-“ he gets cut off by a book that was being moved through the air from someone’s powers. It smacks Lou in the head.

The impact knocks her into her locker, pain exploding in her temple.

She can vaguely hear her stuff falling from her arms and Roman cussing and insulting someone, assumedly the person who hit her with it.

“Lou! You ok?” She nodded, leaning heavily on the wall, her eyes screw shut. The pain is pulsing through her head.

A warm hand touches her arm and the aching quickly fades. Like it was literally sucked out of her. When she feels good enough to open her eyes, she realizes that’s exactly what happened.

She remembers now what Roman said his powers were yesterday at lunch. Pain transference.

“Thank you,” she murmurs gratefully. His eyes are shut but he rights himself faster than she would have thought. “Are you ok?”

He nods, “Yeah, it doesn’t affect me as much as it does the person I’m taking the pain from,” he explains.

Collecting her stuff from the ground, she notices how his books are also on the floor. He must have dropped his stuff to help her. The same green notebook from yesterday is among the folders. She grabs it for him.

She takes one of her colorful markers and doodles a tiny cat on the cover. “That’s an immaculate portrait of one of my kitties, Ajax.”

“Incredibly detailed,” he comments with a grin.

When she is about to close her locker, she sees a green tail sticking out of her bag. “Hey, you were supposed to stay home!” Roman’s gaze bounces between her and her locker, probably wondering who she is talking to.

“But it’s boring at home,” her little lizard complains, crawling into view. Scooping him up and cooing at him, she brings her lizard up to Roman’s eyesight.

“Roman, this is Greg. Greg, this is my first human friend Roman,” she introduces.

“Umm…do I say nice to meet you to Greg? Will he understand?” He inquires, eyeing Greg. “That’s rude. I am a highly intelligent reptile,” Greg retorts, whipping around to face Lou.

Giggling, she slips Greg into her pocket. “Now you stay in there. You aren’t supposed to be here,” she orders her pet.

“Did I offend him?”

“Maybe. You’ll never know.”

OoOoO

“The importance of soulmates. Who can tell me a bit about the importance to them?”

Lou sighs, waiting for her lunch period. Someone is answering the question, but she doesn’t really hear any of it. She can’t wait to break out of this class and be outside with her animal friends and her new human friends.

“Lucille, can you share your perspective?” She wants to say “no” but alas she knows she cannot. Looking around, everyone is staring at her. Great.

“Of course. Soulmates are fine, I guess? I’m ok if I meet my soulmate, but I’m also ok if I don’t.” People start to whisper but that’s ok. Lou knows her view isn’t the most conventional.

Most people fully endorse soulmates and everything about having one is great. Or the other side which is people who are very against the idea of soulmates.

Lou’s just….indifferent.

“I don’t like the concept that you need someone else to live a good life. I love myself and my animals. I don’t need someone else. If that person happens to come along, I’ll see, but I don’t need them to be happy.” She finishes and pats her pocket where Greg is cheering her on.

“Will you just be an old cat lady then?” A boy, whose name she doesn’t know, jokes with his friends laughing. The teacher snaps at the boys, but they continue mocking her. A girl, Lou thinks her name is Amelia or something like that, gives her a sympathetic look. Not exactly happy but like an understanding.

“That’s the goal,” Lou shoots back with a genuine smile.

People can think what they want. That’s why she perfers animals.

——

(Dedicated to AJ Kit for her character, Lou! I love the innocence of Lou and her dynamics with her animals. I think being friends with animals give Lou an interesting view on people.)