"I'm sorry Acornpaw. I can't- I can't talk to you," whispered Willowpaw, turning away. Acornpaw frowned, confused and concerned. He didn't know what he had done but he knew he had to make it right. 
               "I'm sorry. What did I do? Please tell me....," begged Acornpaw. 
               "No. Acornpaw. I'm sorry. I just- I can't," Willowpaw mumbled. Her voice was barely a whisper. Acornpaw stepped in front of her, blocking her way. She looked him in the eye. She saw sadness reflected. She felt a pang of guilt. She gulped. She didn't want to hurt Acornpaw. 
               "I'm so sorry. It's- It's Mintspot," stammered Willowpaw. 
               "Mintspot told you not to, didn't she?" Acornpaw finally understood. He turned serious. "What did she tell you? Are you going to listen to her? You're going to shun me for her?"
              "I'm sorry," repeated Willowpaw. She really was. 
               "Are you hearing the rumours?" Acornpaw questioned, blocking Willowpaw from turning away. 
               "No. Just go away. I'm sorry," Willowpaw said. 
               "They're saying that that cat is Stormkit," Acornpaw told Willowpaw. He watched her reaction. She frowned. She didn't move. Stormkit? He wasn't alive. He was dead. It could not be. It would not be. But what if it was? She wished more than anything it was. Then her family would be fixed. Everything would be alright. But she couldn't get her hopes up. 
             "Don't believe everything you hear," Willowpaw answered. 
             "I'm not- why do you do everything Mintspot tells you to? Don't you ever wonder if it's actually for your own good? Or maybe it's just for Stormkit's sake. For his memory," Acornpaw questioned. Willowpaw shook her head. 
             "Don't say that. Mintspot cares about me. And Stormkit," Willowpaw almost choked. 
             "Does she?" Acornpaw asked seriously. Willowpaw bit back tears. 
              "Don't say that!" she sobbed. 
              "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying...," apologised Acornpaw. "What if that is Stormkit? If it is, we can be friends forever. We can, can't we? And if it's not Stormkit... If it's not Stormkit then you' re going to have to chose between me and Mintspot. But I'm pretty sure it's Stormkit. Mintspot just went into the medicine den. And- well that means we can still be friends."
               "No. I'm sorry. If it really is Stormkit. Then my family is fixed. And that- that's more the reason I need to listen to Mintspot," Willowpaw forced back the tide of sadness and guilt that was threatening to burst out. 
              "W-why?" Acornpaw's voice was soft. "I never told you. I love you." Willowpaw almost jumped. She pricked her ears. The most beautiful words. I love you. Words she wished she could be told. The words she wished her parents would tell her, to validate her. She stared at Acornpaw. His gaze was filled with sadness and maybe.., just a bit of hope. She loved him too. She hated hurting him. But she hated defying Mintspot. 
              "I love you. I do," Acornpaw repeated. Willowpaw almost cried. Thank you, she wanted to whisper. 
             "I do. I love you too," Willowpaw blurted. "But- but it doesn't matter. We can't hang out."
             "Of course we can. You have to chose," Acornpaw said seriously. "You have to chose between me and Mintspot. If you chose me..., then I promise to always be there for you. To always make you laugh. To always listen to you and to never hurt you. And if you chose Mintspot... then I won't ever bother you again." Willowpaw's breath was snatched away. She wasn't thinking about Stormkit anymore. Or Mintspot. Her thoughts were only on Acornpaw. What would she do without him? She couldn't survive. No, she couldn't live without him. He was the only one that made her laugh. Complimented her. He had said he loved her. He loved her. He was not afraid or ashamed to love her. And even though Mintspot would hate her for it, Willowpaw loved Acornpaw too. She could imagine a life without Mintspot because..., after all, her whole life had been a life without Mintspot. As she thought about it, she knew it was true. When had Mintspot ever been there for her? When had Mintspot made her laugh? Made her smile? Had Mintspot ever told her she loved her? No. Never. Could Willowpaw imagine a life without Acornpaw? No. She couldn't imagine that. She didn't want to imagine that. She didn't want to lose him. She wanted to see his smile everyday. And when he couldn't smile, she wanted to be there to make him smile. No, she could not live without Acornpaw because no matter what Mintspot or anybody told her, she did love him. She did want him. And for the first time in her life, she didn't care if Mintspot approved or not. 
              "Willowpaw?" Acornpaw breathed. He looked so fragile. As if he were a leave about to be blown over by a cold breeze.  
               "I chose you."