First Love

First Love:

The first of the Heartless Trilogy

## Bloompaw

I'm Bloompaw, an apprentice of ThunderClan. I've been alone my whole life. My parents didn't want me, but, lucky for them, they both were lost to greencough when I was a five moon old kit. I'm fine with not knowing them, I have no emotion. I can't cry, I can't whimper, I can't laugh, I can't *anything*.

She tries to get me to laugh, and I wish I could, but I just can't. I wish I could tell her why, but I just can't.

I got to my paws out of my nest and stretch, before exiting the den. My heart raced as I spotted her out of the corner of my eye, the only emotion I'm able to feel. The only emotion I can feel is when my heart races when I see her. *I wish she would tell me if she feels the same... I'm too scared to say it first. But I think she likes me. I can barely tell, she never talks to me when the others are around.*

She padded over to the nettlepatch in the corner of camp and she settled down there. The others soon joined her, and, as in the others, I mean the other apprentices, almost all of which are toms that like her like I do. Except, they're not afraid to talk to her when the other apprentices are around. I am. Because they think I'm weird, only she thinks I'm not.

I almost considered joining them for the first time *ever*, but then I saw my mentor padding over to me. "Skipheart," I meowed emotionlessly, my tail swaying behind me. My voice sounded cold, but I could sound no other way.

"Bloompaw," she meowed back, her steely grey fur shining in the sunlight. Her head was tilted and she was frowning.

"You did not use my title."  I snorted. "I don't need to," I replied flatly. "You're my *mentor*, I already respect you enough with the names you make me call you. Remember, 'Vigilant Teacher of the Codes'?" Skipheart glared at me, and I glared back.

"Even though you have no emotions," she spat. "It seems you have one, being a brat." I felt like retorting, but I knew I couldn't without revealing my secret.

Skipheart raised her head higher and I was temporarily blinded by the sun glaring at me from behind Skipheart.

"Battle practice," she snapped loftily. "*Now.*" I shook my head hurriedly. *No! I can't, otherwise, she'll know!*"I can't," I said slowly, trying to control my temper. Skipheart narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Why?" She demanded. "We haven't practised for *days*, and the last time you practised was with Birchstone!" I felt like growling, *what's wrong with that? Birchstone's lovely! She's nicer than you!*but I held it back. No point in getting further on Skipheart's bad side.

"I-I injured my paw while hunting last night," I improvised, and I had injured my paw hunting last night. "Can we talk more about our spirit animals?" Yeah, StarClan decided, (once Yewthorn died), to give each Clan cat an animal that would share their skills and the way they acted, so an animal could watch over a particular cat (basically so StarClan didn't have to do all the work). Oh, and if you don't know who Yewthorn is, he was the last cat born into Hawkstar (one of SkyClan's anicent leaders) generation and was well known for his accosiation with the Dark Forest.

My spirit animal is the reason I am emotionless, the reason I am who I am. Her spirit animal is a fox, I've seen it before. It's actually kinda cute. Skipheart's spirit animal is an antelope and Birchstone's is a horse. I prefer not to tell anyone my spirit animal, only my dad knew what it was, but he hated me too much to explain why I had the animal as my animal.

"I guess," Skipheart growled reluctantly.

TBC