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'' The gray apprentice dared not make sound. "Um...sure?" Her heart dropped like a heavy stone. He said yes, she thought. No, NO! She dashed away not caring of no sound stealth anymore, neither if Prettypaw had heard her, and especially NOT Dustpaw. She sat shuddering underneath a patch of buttercups. Nothing would ever be the same again... ''

"GATHERING!", Dashstar bellowed, making kits yelp in shock. "ANYONE USELESS MORON CAT CAN COME IF THEY WANTS! Come on, Lilacheart!", the black and white leader stormed his way out of camp, leaving about 20 StormClan cats in camp. Smokepaw sighed and joined the crowd. There was nothing else to do anyways. She couldn't help but dart a glance at Prettypaw and Dustpaw-HER Dustpaw, and couldn't suppress a twinge-NO 1 billion twinges of murderous jealousy. Why must Prettypaw do everything to ruin my life? But she knew it was over, by the way the cream tom blushed at the silver one...it was too much, just too much.

The sleek StormClan cats entered the lush landscape with 2 trees in the middle, where the leaders talked on a great rock big enough to fit 2 leaders. Not that Dashstar liked anything about that. He hated sharing, but under the wise eyes of StarClan that could also contain discipline, he had to do so. And accept it of course, he had had much luck to become leader in first place. The lithe, gray apprentice padded to a center, where no one could disrupt her, where she could let out her agony with no distrac-"What ho!", the next moment was spent in a surprised, shocked, VERY ANGRY Smokepaw bowled over. "ACK!", she looked up, and saw a muscular gray tom pinning her down. She could tell he was in DarkClan, of course, because there were 2 clans only, and this rambunctious tom was most certainly definitely NOT a StormClanner. "Get off me!", she snarled, lashing at his face. Depresson was a time you really did not want to mess with Smokepaw. "Whoa, whoa, there, you almost slashed my nose off! I was going to let you off, but now I definitely won't!" Smokepaw's eyes widened. This tom was getting himself to a place he did NOT want to go.

She leaped up with such force that it knocked the tom over. "That'll teach you to mess with me, huh? HUH?" "Yeah. Huh", he smirked and gazed at her deeply. "What do you want, Mr. Lovestosmirk?", she snapped. He frowned. "Nothing. And the name is Clawpaw! What's yours?" "Not telli-"Smokepaw! Come out here!", Brightlily and Shiningclaw called. Smokepaw growled and padded out of the bushes. "So Smokepaw, huh?" Smokepaw didn't turn around but kept on walking. "The gathering is beginning!", Lilystar of DarkClan shouted.She stepped forward, opening her strong jaws to speak. "Things are going well in DarkClan, we have a new kit called Hazekit and a new apprentice called Clawpaw!" Smokepaw turned and noticed that the burly gray tom had walked off to sit with his clan; when he noticed her during the cheering, he winked and waved at her. Smokepaw glared back.

Dashstar stepped forward. 'Nothing new, just a new litter of kits born to Nightsparkle. Other than that, we are doing fine", he was speaking in his calm public voice. Phony. The clan leaders tumbled off of the great rock leading their clan behind. Many cats were surprised. "Well that was the shortest gathering ever!", Fernsplash complained to her mate Strongclaw, who nodded in agreement. As Smokepaw padded away, a sharp voice called her name: "Smokepaw!", the gray she cat turned to see who other but Clawpaw. The encounter immediately reminded her of annoying past stories. No forbidden love phshish here, NO! "Don't even think about it!",she snarled. Clawpaw slowed down:"What?" "This will NOT be a stupid cliché and DON'T even look at me, y'hear?" Clawpaw looked confused. "Um...I was just coing to say...bye?" Smokepaw cocked her head. It warmed her heart to see this tom so dumb. A wistful glow lit in her heart. ''AS clueless as...Dustpaw? Stop it! Shake out of it Smokepaw! Prettypaw has him now, there is nothing you can do about it, STOP IT!''

"What's wrong?", Clawpaw leaped to his feet. "You look...sad.", he took a step closer, as Smokepaw leaped back. "Get away from me!", she yelped. "Go away! Don't you even dare!" Clawpaw looked taken aback, as she fled. "Well, goodbye!", he called to receive no response. Smokepaw would not allow that. She would not allow that tom to be her friend. She could not trust toms, not after Dustpaw. The way the cream colored tom looked at her his eyes sparkling as if she was worth all the beautiful flowers in the world, and only to say "Um...sure" to Prettypaw! How stupid toms were! She couldn't let her heart be toyed like that again, the gray she cat thought as she padded off into the cool night air.

The next day, Smokepaw was assigned on border duty with her mentor, Wingfeather, Aspenbranch, Willowdream, Dustpaw, and Prettypaw. She felt sick the stomach as Prettypaw flirted around Dustpaw-and that Dustpaw was letting it happen! I had the tom first! The patrol advanced into the forest, and paused at the rocky outcrop near the DarkClan border. Wingfeather paused and the tip of his tail twitched. "I don't know how I feel about letting apprentices hunt near the border, but we'll give it a try.