\n The next day at lunch, Jake and I were sitting together. He just ate some gross looking Chinese food the school made. He scarfed it down, and I nearly puked.

\n "How can you eat that stuff?" I forced out.

\n "Like this." He literally put his whole face into the remaining rice. I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like the most ridiculous thing ever, but when he pulled his head up, he had this great big smile on his face. We both started laughing.

\n "You're ridiculous..." I muttered, taking a drink from my water.

\n "You're no fun." He complained. I kicked his shin, and he just laughed. He suddenly looked up and he started staring. I looked over my shoulder and saw who he was staring at. Cynthia Bacocvin. She was quite possibly the sexiest person in the school. She was, quite honestly, the total package. She was brunette, fairly tall, model thin, and had gray eyes which seemed to just pull you closer to her. She was always surrounded by her friends, who were almost designed to make her look better. She was very sexy, though not my type. She was also probably going to be the valedictorian. It was easy to see why people were all in love with her, but... I dunno, she did not interest me at all.

\n He stood and I died a little inside. I knew what was about to happen, and I knew that it wouldn't end well... mostly because she was sitting with her boyfriend, who was a football player, and a wrestler. Jake walked over, and I was able to hear everyone stop talking as he stood there. I'm still a little amazed by what he said.

\n "Is that a banana in your pocket? Because... No, wait, fuck, that doesn't work. Uh, is that a taco in your... Uh... Shit... Look, I just want to have sex with you." I stared at him, and waited for what would eventually happen. Cynthia stared at Jake. Her boyfriend stood up and grabbed at Jake. He turned and started running, with the brute behind him. Jake tripped over someone's backpack and spilled someone's tray all over his counselor. Jake was never the most graceful person I've known. But even that was... talented. The bell rang, and I avoided Jake just so I could get to class. I knew he was gonna get in trouble for that, but part of me couldn't help but laugh a little.

\n I stopped by my locker, and saw that someone had written 'furfag' on it. Not even two days and we have to do this? It wasn't just me though, all of my fellow furs had it sprawled on it. I sighed and put my paw to my face. I heard a slight chuckling. It was of course Peter. Peter is the guy who thinks that all furs are below human. Below animals, they have no place among us, blah blah blah. It's just old by now. I opened my locker and grabbed my notebook. I went off to math.

\n As Mr. Ferguson was reviewing what we went over in Geometry the previous year, I started drawing. My normal stuff. Jake and I. Birds. Clouds. Haley Arnold. Now, I think at this time it's appropriate to just say that, I'm a helpless romantic. Love for me has really transposed a lot of things to the point where I'm just in love with love. And I love nothing more than the thought of simply holding hands with someone and kissing them. That's one of the few things that I know I could do right. I could treat a girl right. That was the theory anyways. Furs were kinda... off limits to a lot of humans. There were the ones who were just attracted towards animals, and those who were rebelling against their parents. For the most part though, they didn't really interact with furs in that way.

\n The door in the room opened and my heart, and something else, jumped. In walked Haley Arnold in the cutest mini skirt, and blouse with a vest. She held a paper and gave it to him. She stood a little awkwardly as Ferguson read the note. He nodded and said,

\n "Why don't you sit next to Jake back there?" Oh my God. I was doing cartwheels in my head. Haley freakin Arnold was going to sit next to me in class. I normally never go the chance to even pass her in the halls. So, I was pretty excited. She sat down, and my fox nose instantly smelled the lilac lotion she was using. Class went on, and I started to get over her being there. Class got let out, and we were given a worksheet for homework. Not too bad... But still, who wants homework? I was packing up when Chase, who was also in the class, walked by and hit me with his backpack. My head slammed into the desk, and he just kept on walking. But I saw, for a moment, he turned and shot me a smirk. Smartass. I packed up my stuff and headed to my next class.

\n After getting out of school, I headed off to work. I didn't necessarily need to work or anything, but it was still nice to be able to go out with Jake, see a movie, and not have to ask the 'rents for the cash. I work at a pizza place. Not the best place, but not terrible. Only problem is, I can't work in the back, because my fur would get in the pizzas, or would catch on fire from the ovens. So I served people, but they were rarely happy with having a fur serve them. I grabbed the plates and glasses from the table and wiped it down.

\n A family was lined up, waiting to be seated. "I'll be with you in a moment," I said and brought the plates to the kitchen. "Man," I griped, "another family stiffed me on the tip." Erica sighed as she put peperoni on a pizza.

\n "Can't help that." She said, nonchalantly.

\n "They never once looked me in the eye." She looked up at that.

\n "Brent, ignore them, they could have some money problems or they could just be afraid."

\n "Afraid?" I would have continued, but the family up front rang the bell. I put on a smile and walked out. "Sorry about the wait." I tried to apologize. But the family looked even more irritated seeing a fox serve them. Then I realized why. I saw Haley looking down, ignoring me, like the dad wanted to. "Party of five?" I asked. Mr. Arnold nodded. "Right this way." I led them to a table and as they sat down, I put the menus on the table. "Alright, I'll give you a minute to decide what you want. My name is Brent and I'll be your server tonight." I turned and left. As I did, I heard Mr. Arnold mutter something about 'freaks' and 'their kind.' Not very Christian like... I grabbed pizzas from the counter in the kitchen and served it to one of the other families who were sitting down. A family of tigers. They had a little one who was chewing on his glass. I laughed and his mom scolded him, he wasn't much younger than Sohpie.

\n "I'm sorry about that." The mom said.

\n "Not a problem, we're used to that sort of thing." I told her. "Alright, well I hope you guys enjoy your pizza, if there's anything else I can get you, just let me know."

\n "I think we're good right now." The mom smiled and nodded. I walked over the Arnold family.

\n "You ready to order?"

\n "Not to you." Mr. Arnold said bluntly.

\n "Sorry, but I'm the only server here tonight."

\n "Well then, we're going to leave." I slouched and sighed.

\n "I'll go see if I can get someone else to take your order." I went back into the kitchen and told Erica that. Erica was my manager, in her forty's, running her family's restaurant. She's always been so nice and accepting of me, and so furious when people refuse to be served by me.

\n "Tell them that everyone else is too busy."

\n "They're threatening to leave."

\n "Damn it. We really need the business Brent... just... try and convince them." The store had been in trouble financially for a while. We've had ads, sales, everything... but not a lot of it works. We're worried about how much longer we can stay a float. It's had me worried for a while, because I don't want to see my childhood spot close down. I walked back over to the table.

\n "I'm sorry but there's no one else that can serve you tonight." Mr. Arnold's neck veins bulged and he just glared.

\n "Well then," He said, "We'll be leaving." He started to stand when Haley's hand grabbed his arm.

\n "Dad, please."

\n "I will not be served by this... thing." I stood, so embarrassed, and miserable.

\n "Dad, he's not a thing, he's a hu- he's a person." She pleaded with him, and I saw her blue eyes shine into him.

\n "Alright, fine. I'll have a Bud Lite, the Mrs. will have a diet Coke, he'll have a root beer, and he'll take a Dr. Pepper, and sh-"

\n "I'll take a Shirley Temple." Haley said. As much as I wanted to laugh at the obscure drink, I had to admit, I liked it too... I wrote it all down, and looked up.

\n "Have you decided on the pizza yet?""Large peperoni and sausage, with bread sticks."  My eyes drifted to Haley as her dad spoke. She blushed and looked down."Did you get everything?" Mr. Arnold asked.

\n "Yup." I repeated their order to them and went to the kitchen. "Large sausage and peperoni." I grabbed glasses and filled them, whistling as I did. I went on and served them their drinks and dinner, cleaned up after the tiger family, who gave me a nice tip, and then back the Arnold's. "How was everything?"

\n "Excellent." Mr. Arnold said. The beer cheered him up apparently.

\n "Can I get you anything else?"

\n "The check, please." Mrs. Arnold said. I was a little surprised that she was polite to me. But there was still a tiny bit of hostility to her voice. Can't win 'em all. I went and got them their check. As they paid, and discussed the tip, my eyes drifted back to Haley. She blushed, and tried not to notice. Her dad sure noticed though. He forced me to the table behind me and shouted at me.

\n "What makes you think you can look at my daughter?" I said nothing. He screamed at me, horrible, obscene things. His youngest, a boy of about two, started crying. Mr. Arnold hit me then, hard. My vision blurred. He hit me again, and again, I heard something crunch in my snout.

\n "Get the hell out of my store." I heard Erica say, calmly. Mr. Arnold looked at her and laughed.

\n "Or what? You can't hurt me."

\n "You've just assaulted one of my employees, I'd be more worried about the lawsuit on your hands." She was cold and precise. I loved seeing her this way. Mr. Arnold grumbled and let go of me. The family cleared out, but Haley stayed a little bit longer. She put something in my hand and left.

\n "Brent, you alright?" Erica asked.

\n "Yeah, I'm fine. Head just hurts."

\n "Go on out, I want you to heal up." I nodded.

\n "Night Erica."

\n "Night kid." She had a very motherly way towards me that I appreciated. I looked down at what Haley gave me. It was a fifty, with a sticky note put on it. It was the same handwriting and number from that note the first day. 

\n I'm sorry about that. Give me a call after midnight.
\n 867-5309
\n Haley

\n
\n What just happened? I'm never this lucky... 

\n  

\n If you want to tell me what you think should happen in the story, because I don't have it all planned, leave it in the comments. -kergiby

\n Also, can someone please tell my how to correctly number my stories? Cause it's way off.