The Cat Who Knew

Maya's phone lit up for the thousandth time that night. Another notification. Another like on Sydney's post from the party Maya hadn't been invited to.

"You're literally spying on her again," said Jo, flopping onto Maya's bed and knocking over a stack of textbooks. "It's giving stalker energy."

"I'm not stalking her," Maya protested, though she quickly closed Instagram anyway. "I'm just... monitoring. Like, observing the social dynamics. It's basically anthropology."

"It's weird behavior, babe." Jo grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl between them. "Also, your cat has been watching you for like ten minutes and I'm pretty sure he's judging you."

Moonlight, Maya's elderly black cat with one ear and absolutely no patience for teenage drama, was indeed sitting on the windowsill, staring at them with what looked suspiciously like disappointment.

"He's a cat, Jo. He can't judge me."

"Tell that to his face. He's definitely reading your aura and finding it lacking."

Maya sighed and rolled onto her back, phone forgotten beside her. "I just feel like everyone's watching me, you know? Like I'm under surveillance all the time. And then I turn around and become the spy, checking everyone else's stats like it matters. It's exhausting."

"No one is watching you, Maya. Everyone's too busy worrying about themselves." Jo sat up. "Hey, remember last week when you thought that random guy in the cafeteria was staring at you, and it turned out he was just looking at the clock behind your head?"

"Okay, that was ONE TIME—"

"It was three times. Anyway, you're letting FOMO ruin your life. Sydney's party probably sucked anyway. I heard her playlist was mid."

Moonlight jumped onto the bed and walked deliberately across Maya's stomach, purring like a tiny diesel engine. He settled between them, kneading Jo's sweatshirt with alarming precision.

"See?" Jo grinned, scratching behind his ears. "Even the cat thinks you need to get over yourself. He's literally making himself comfortable because he knows you're staying in tonight. No FOMO, no stalking, no weird surveillance games. Just us, bad movies, and a cat who definitely has blackmail material on everyone in this neighborhood."

Maya laughed despite herself. "What do you think he sees?"

"Everything." Jo's eyes twinkled. "That's why he sits in everyone's windows. He's the original spy network. And you know what? He doesn't even have an Instagram account."

Moonlight let out a particularly judgmental meow.

"He says you're welcome, by the way." Jo tossed a piece of popcorn at Maya. "Now pick a movie before I actually become a spy and hack your Netflix algorithm to suggest only documentaries about composting."

"You're the worst friend ever."

"And yet, here I am."