The cats in Caroline Jackson's apartment smelled. They hardly ever cleaned themselves, but when they would, giant hairballs would litter the hardwood floor. These, as well as pebbles tracked from the litter boxes and pellets of hard food, were stepped on regularly by Caroline. She hated the whiny animals, but she couldn't bring herself to get rid of them. Previous boyfriends had given each one to her, and consequently, she saw the various men's features within each fur-covered face. Carl, the Siamese, had a thin mustache that he habitually licked when caught in anxious situations. Simon, the Manx, jiggled his double chin when laughing. Peter, the Calico, squinted his eyes most of the time, due to never acquiring a needed pair of glasses. But Xavier, the Sphynx, was the worst of all, always furrowing his brows in disapproval of Caroline's actions.
Caroline had realized Xavier had become a problem after she opened her front door one night to find the feline sitting at the top of the staircase, yellow eyes staring down at her. It was almost three o'clock in the morning. Sure, she had jokingly told the cats she would be home before one, but of course she didn't think they really cared. Xavier held his gaze, as if punishing Caroline for missing her curfew. She slowly shut the door behind her and began walking towards the stairs. The cat hacked twice, looked at Caroline again, and turned around, prowling into the darkness. Caroline made sure to close her bedroom door that night before falling asleep.
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