Five years ago, when Star was four years old.

“Starry, I have great news! We are going to the beach!” Yelled Moon, Star’s older sister.

“The beach?” Star asked. She had been sitting at her desk in her bedroom when her sister had barged in.

“Yes, the beach.”  Moon said, standing by Star’s desk. “Do you know what a beach is?”

“Actually, I do.”  Starry Sky said, hoping out of her chair. Whereas most Tabaxi kittens could walk, run, and talk after they were three days old, Star was late in Tabaxi standards. She could only walk when she was a week old, and she couldn’t say words anyone understood until she was a month old. Her siblings acted like she didn’t know anything because of it, but she loved them anyway.

“Well,” Moon Lizard said, ignoring Star’s response,“Mom said we are going to go today. Pack up your stuff and come downstairs with it. We’re leaving in an hour.”

“In an hour?!” Star started to say, but her sister had already left the room.

Star looked down at the picture of an owl she’d been drawing before her older sister had barged in. “Oh, well.” she said to herself. She walked over to her closet and opened it’s doors. She peered inside.

Her closet was a total mess. Most of her shirts were in a heap on the 

floor of her closet. Some of her pants were hanging out of her plastic bin that she had organized all her non-shirt stuff in. 

Star looked at her shirt heap. Her suitcase was at the bottom of it.

“Aaand this is what you get for not hanging up your shirts,” She said to herself.

Star started digging through her shirts to reach the bottom of her pile. After five minutes, her paw brushed something that was not a shirt. 

Star bit it and started tugging it out of the pile. With a startled yelp, she flew backwards and landed on her back. The something landed on top of her.

It was her suitcase.

Star’s suitcase was light blue with white and light purple stars all over it. It was about the size of a large backpack, and it had an expandable metal handle on top with two plastic wheels on the bottom.

Star had never used it until now.

Star grabbed her favorite shirts, pants, shorts, and underwear and put them into the suitcase. She also put in a pencil and her diary.

Star wrote everything in her diary. When she watched birds, fights with siblings, when she took a bath, and even what she had for a meal. Her diary was the one thing Star trusted to not tell anyone her secrets.

What else should I pack?  Star thought.

Well, we are going to the beach. There will be lots of seashells. I ‘ll bring a bag to collect them in. And I constantly draw. I’ll bring some coloring tools.

In the end, Star also packed:

. Her favorite blanket . A small plastic bag . A portable clock

. A pack of colored pencils . An animal identifier . And a pillow.

That should be good, she thought.

Star grabbed her suitcase and dragged it out of her room with a struggle. Before she reached the stairs, Star’s brother Flame spotted her. “Need help?” he called to her.

“No, I’m-” Star started.

But Flame had already grabbed Star’s suitcase and was taking it downstairs for her. That’s what Star liked about Flame. Flame always knew what Star meant, even if she hadn’t said anything. Sometimes it was annoying, though.

Star followed her older brother down the stairs. As she entered the Living Room, she could hear her parents arguing about what foods to pack in the Kitchen. 

Star was excited. This would be her first time on vacation, let alone to the beach. 

Endless stretches of water! Amazing!

Unlike everyone else in her family, Star loved water. After all, who wouldn’t like the stuff that cleans us and hydrates us and gives us yummy fish?

Tabaxis.

Tabaxis were cat-people. They hated water. They ate birds instead of watching them. They weren’t afraid of heights. They cooked fish instead of wishing for a pet one.

Who was also a Tabaxi but totally different?

Starry Sky.

Starry Sky was afraid of heights although she loved climbing. She loved water. Star’s favorite animals were Horned Owls and Sugar Gliders (flying squirrels). 

Star’s second brother, Yellow Battle, stopped her from thinking any further.

“Hey, Starry, look at this!” he called. Flame had disappeared.

Yellow Battle (also known as Bat) was crouching on the ottoman, which was in front of the couch. Suddenly he launched forward, taking a flying leap over the couch. He did a front flip in mid-air before landing on his back feet in front of Star and then he bowed.

Star clapped vigorously.

“BAT!!!” Star’s mother yelled from the Kitchen. “I know what you just did, and I told you not to do it!”

“But Star didn’t say no!” Bat protested as his mom came into the room.

“That is no excuse.” Star’s mother said strictly to Bat before sighing. “Come into the Kitchen and help me take the food to the car.” 

As Bat left the room, Shoulders slumping, their mother turned to Star.

“You have everything packed?”

“Yes,” Star answered.

“Your blanket, your pillow, and clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Socks, water shoes, and sunglasses?”

“No.” Star said. She hadn’t thought of bringing sunglasses or water shoes.

“Then pack them,” her mother said before turning back to the Kitchen. “Don’t forget to bring the loaf of bread, Liz!” Star’s mom said. “Careful with the chicken eggs, Moonlight! We don’t need two boxes of cereal, Bat!”

As Star turned to the stairs to get the non-packed items, Flame appeared in front of her. 

“I’ve got them for you,” he said.

Seeing his sister’s confused face, he mewed, “The things Mom told you to get, like the water shoes. I heard what she said.” he waved a paw at Star’s suitcase, which was beside him. “I was about to put your suitcase in the car for you.”

“Oh, um, thanks.” Star said.

Star was paying more attention to her mother, who was shouting more instructions at Star’s poor father and siblings. She really has to yell herself out sometimes, Star thought.

“She really does,” Flame said.

Star stared at him. “Were you reading my mind again?” she asked.

“No. I didn’t have to.” Flame meowed. “Your expression said it all. And how you were looking at Mom.”

“Smart,” Star mewed.

“Well, anyway, I have to put this in the car. If I don’t, maybe I’ll be the one being yelled at next!” Flame said, a smile upon his ginger tabby face.

“Thank you!” Star called as he exited the room.

As Star watched her older brother leave the room, she felt a sudden rush of excitement. Since the Cardinal Family lived alone in the woods, they rarely saw any other people. The only times when they went into the town was when Pop went to the town three to four times a month to get groceries. And since the family had a vegetable garden, they didn’t have to go there for greens very often.

Star was right to be excited. They were going to go through the town to get to the beach, and Star had been to the town only once, when her family had visited the Zoo on her second birthday. But that was a long time ago, and Star could barely remember that day.

Although she was excited, Star was also nervous. What if something went wrong?

Sharks, one thing.

Box Jellyfish, second.

Floods, third.

Getting a seashell stuck in your foot, too.

Hurricane, Fifth.

Dr–

Okay, sharks and box jellyfish and floods and hurricanes are all kind of crazy, but going to the hospital because of a sharp shell in your foot and accidentally drowning could still happen.

We have shoes to protect us from shells, Flame’s voice said in Star’s mind.

Well, I could still drown, Star thought.

That’s very unlikely. Flame’s voice responded.

Yes, but still, Star thought.

Well… Flame’s voice said, True, but…

Get out of my head! NOW!!! Star thought. Flame’s voice didn’t respond.

I’m writing that in my diary as ‘sibling fight’. NOT for you.

Flame’s voice said nothing. It was gone.

Star shook her head. What crazy thoughts! Star was sure that, even with having odd mind superpowers, Flame would never be able to have in-mind conversations.

“Star?” someone said, startling her.

“Uh, yah, Pop?” Star said, turning around to face her Pop (Aka her father, Liz).

“It’s time to go,” Liz said. He tilted his head to one side. “Are you okay, Starry? You looked startled.”

“Um, I’m fine.” Star said.

“Okay, let’s go!” her father said, hopping toward the front door.

Star looked around the house. Goodbye, She thought. Be well.

Star gazed around a moment longer before she turned around and followed her father out the door.