[Queenie]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

A fluffy tom in the center of the clearing caught the she cat's attention. She recognized him, of course - it was Bumblepaw, wasn't it? Please, let me get his name right. She froze for a minute as their eyes met - her expression changing slightly to a worried one, and then she cleared her throat, breaking the eye contact momentarily. She wasn't normally the first to look away, but he was staring at her with such a determined and almost haunting look that it frightened her. Yet, Morningpaw was determined to make a friend out of this cat. Glancing back up, and this time making sure that she was more confident with her eye contact, her eyes lightened pleasantly and she smiled. "Good morning, Bumblepaw! You're doing well, I trust?" She asked, with a purr rumbling in her throat. She flicked her tail, inviting the tom to sit with her. It seemed StarClan had answered her silent wishes, silent prayers for a companion that morning. She had really wanted this - and the shy tom was just the cat to give it to her. Not to mention that even if he refused to, she was more then likely to try and push him into a friendship. Morningpaw could be a little pushy sometimes, her extroverted nature made her more likely to try and push other cats into things that sometimes, they didn't always want to do. And it seemed that Bumblepaw wasn't a likely exception to this. He, more then anyone else, looked like he needed a friend... meaning that he, more then anyone else, was likely to get Morningpaw as a friend.

Bumblepaw shook. Maybe from excitement, maybe from anxiety. He wasn't sure. But he could feel his bones clattering around under his skin making his brain run wild with thoughts. Someone was talking to him! And not just to scold him for being small! And bonus: A she-cat. A pretty she-cat. One who was for sure not trying to run away from him. Bumblepaw froze as she finished. What was he supposed to say? He opened his maw. Nothing. Silence. The toms eyes widened as he tried again. No words, just a completely awkward and utterly terrified apprentice staring on at this very pretty she-cat.

What was worse was, he couldn't break his gaze. He wanted to run to the shelter of the apprentice den, his tail tucked in embarrassment but his paws were locked to the ground and his face forced to look at hers. "I - I - I'm good." Bumblepaw stuttered. Talking to cats his age was so much harder than say, his mentor. Sure Bumblepaw could sit and listen to the other apprentices stories but he never took part in them. Partly because he never had anything to add.

He felt his heart drop into his stomach as he tried fishing for more words. And suddenly as if a dam broke and water was gushing on into a lake, the apprentice found his voice. And it wouldn't stop. "I was just out training! I learned about the different techniques of fighting each different clan. We visited Shadowclan and I was scared." The tom winced, too much information, you barely know this cat, you can't look scared. He thought.