The day was chilly. The hot days would begin to fade as autumn set it, and it would only get colder, or at least that's what Ma said. Socrese would miss the bright summer days, but was sort of okay with saying goodbye to those hot days where she was all too hot. She hadn't seen many of those scorching days, but she'd seen enough to grow hateful of them.

She wondered what it would've been like to have Frostbite as a brother-would sleeping next to him have kept her cool?

Socrese got up and stretched, feeling pretty satisfied. Her stomach didn't ache anymore, and a small pinch of hunger remained. She ate breakfast, and then wondered if she should wake up Frostbite.

The black and blue tom was still sleeping. Socrese felt bored, so she decided to wake him up. She prodded him and urged, "Wake up, Frostbite!"

Everytime she jabbed her paw into his side, it felt like sticking her paw in an icy cold rag. She wondered: Does snow or frost feel like that?

The tom groaned. "No..."

"But I'm bored!" Socrese squeaked.

Frostbite suddenly shook himself and got up. "Okay, I'm up, Soc."

Socrese scowled. "Soc?"

Frostbite looked over his shoulder, but the only thing there was the wall of the box. "Yeah, Soc. Socrese is a mouthful." He looked her over. "You don't mind a nickname, do you?"

Nickname! Soc liked the thought of a nickname of her own. "I'm okay with it!"

"Great," Frostbite said. He turned and looked up the side of the box. "Do you think I could jump it?"

"You did before," Soc pointed out.

"Yeah, but I got to run to build up speed," Frostbite explained. "But there's no space here. Dang."

Dang? Why would Frostbite say that? It's a bad word! If Soc's ma were here, she'd ask her if she could say it, too. She feels a little jealous that she hasn't.

"I tried to jump it once," Soc mentioned. Suddenly she thought about the outside world. What if they never get out? "Do you that she-cat will come back to give us more food?"

Frostbite shrugged. "I don't know. If she doesn't, we can try and knock the box over or just shred it." Frostbite flexed his claws, and stared daggers at the cardboard box wall.

"I don't think we could do that," Soc said. "What can a kitten's claws do to this thick cardboard?"

"It's worth a try-and it won't hurt, right?" Frostbite looked hopefully at her before turning back to the wall.

"Unless you tear a claw!" Soc commented.

Frostbite wasn't listening anymore. He started to back up against the other side of the box. "We run at the same time."

Soc sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's do it."

She crouched beside Frostbite.

"Now!" he cried.

Both kittens bounded and ran into the side of the box. The box didn't fall over; instead, it slid. But in that moment, Soc felt fear spike through her. What if the box did fall over? What if landed on something sharp and they got hurt?

She immediately jumped away from the side of the box. "No! I'm not doing that again."

"But-" Frostbite argued.

Soc went to the corner furthest from Frostbite and spiraled down. She pretended to fall asleep. She didn't feel like trying to escape the box right then. Her ma would come back for her eventually, then she'd be out of this wretched box.

-

Soc woke when she heard a thud beside her.

She slowly got to her paws and turned around. She expected to see Frostbite making another attempt to get out, but no, it was another kitten. No, two kittens! One was golden, the other kitten deep red.

A shadow was overhanging the box, but Soc was too absorbed in the arrival of the new kits. She only noticed when the shadow moved away.

She looked up, even though there was no chance she'd see whoever was there.

"Mom?" the red kitten cried. "Mom!" The red kitten crouched, then jumped. He clawed the walls to get a grip, but fell anyways. He glanced at his claws, looking crestfallen.

"She isn't coming back." Soc and the other two kittens looked over at Frostbite who was crouched in the furthest corner of the box.

"Yes she will!" the red kitten hissed.

Frostbite looked up in surprise. "...No one told you?"

"Told me what?" The red kitten's anger seemed to be fading, but his pelt still bristled.

"The box," Frostbite began, "cats put their kittens in here when they can't take care of them. Other cats stop by and drop off food for us."

"But why can't those cats give food to us and our parents?" the red kitten asked, looking confused. His pelt started to smooth, and she seemed to be more perplexed than angry with Frostbite. My anger wouldn't have faded that quickly! Soc thought.

"I don't know. Well... I think it's because our parents can find food for themselves, but we can't," Frostbite answered.

"I can find food for myself!" the red kitten objected.

"But Amber," the golden kitten who had been dropped with the red kitten-Amber?- said, "the older cats want all the food for themselves! If we found food, they'd take it away."

Amber looked down at his paws, crestfallen. "Oh... right." He looked really sad, and Soc desperately wanted to comfort him, but Soc herself was busy taking in what Frostbite's information herself. So her ma couldn't take care of her? That's why she brought her here- in this box?

Couldn't she have just told me that? Soc thought angrily. The spike of anger faded swiftly as Soc recalled the way her ma's voice quivered as she dropped Soc into the box. She just wants the best for me, and she can't give that to me.

So she put me here.

Sadness dragged Soc to the floor of the box as she laid down.

"I'm Amber," Amber said cheerily suddenly. Amber was standing over Soc, staring down happily. "And that's my brother, Apricot." He nodded behind him at the golden kitten. "What's your name?"

"Socrese, or just Soc," Soc answered. "And that over there is Frostbite." She glanced over at the strange black and blue kitten.

Amber wrinkled his muzzle in bafflement. "Why's he blue?" He didn't notice that before?

"I dunno." Soc shrugged. "And he's really cold, too, so don't try to touch his pelt."

"Really?" Amber jumped over to Frostbite, and jabbed a paw into his side. Frosbite's eyes widened, and he jumped away with a yelp. Soc trembled in amusement as she watched Frostbite's expression turn from shock and confusion, to an unamused, distasteful look. She chuckled a little when he scowled and wrinkled his nose.

Soc's sadness had vanished, and her small grudge against Frostbite was gone, too.

"He is cold!" Amber commented.

"Cold?" Apricot murmured. He walked towards Frostbite.

"Yeah, he feels like ice!" Amber said. Apricot lifted a paw to touch Frostbite, gently laying it against Frostbite's fluffed out pelt, then pulled away his paw.

"Sorta," Apricot muttered.

"No, no," Amber grumbled, shaking his head. "You have to get through the pelt- it's like ice under there!"

"No more touching!" Frostbite snapped. He shook his pelt. "You paws feel like tiny suns."

Soc purred. "You know, it's nice to have new kittens here! Now I finally have someone to cuddle up for warmth with." She glanced over at Frostbite. He rolled his eyes at her.

This isn't so bad, Soc thought, I have new friends now, and my ma is probably getting more food for herself since she doesn't have to feed me now. This can work, right?