\n The leaves began to change into the golden yellow and red that looked so beautiful and perfect. The school was slowly transforming, getting to the slow monotony of the school year, punctuated by small little incidents here and there. Nothing was ever that bad... until one day after school. I was waiting at my locker with Logan. We had planned on going out with Jake to grab a bite to celebrate the musical's successful showings. He was a pretty nice guy fairly attractive-- I was straight, not blind-- and we got along pretty well. I never could shake the feeling that he was a little jealous of the close relationship that Jake and I had. I mean, I knew Jake better than anyone. It didn't surprise me one bit to hear that Logan felt Jake wasn't always open with him.

"I never did get a chance to tell you, but you were really fantastic the other night." I complimented Logan. He smiled.

"Thanks. I was so nervous. It was my first leading role." He shifted his weight to accent his hip slightly.

"Well, you nailed it." He had. I'd seen the show before, when I was really young, and he did my nostalgic memories justice. "I gotta ask though... Did kissing Brenna feel weird though?"

"It was awkward, but we were able to get over it. We had to."  

"That seems like it'd be hard to do though." I rooted through a stack of papers trying to find the one that I'd need to do the homework. My locker was a cluttered mess. There were papers everywhere, trash hanging haphazardly out the hanging bag I had. I had a little holder for breath mints, a mirror, and a bunch of little doodles, drawings, etc. filling every space on the walls of the 10 x 10 x 64 cube. "You got the time?"  

Bringing his watch to eye-level, Logan told me it was 3:13.

"It's not like him to be late like this."

"Brent, you're worrying more than I am... I'm sure he's just getting side-tracked." Logan was naive about the past few weeks. Jake's Wolfiness had caused arguments and small incidents recently. And I heard the humans talk shit about him all the time, but I never thought it'd lead to something.

I really wish I was wrong about that.

I was on my way to the bathroom when I started hearing some shouts from downstairs. I heard thuds, groans, and the unmistakable sound of my best friend. In pain. All my three years I always wanted to jump over the railing onto the awning connecting the walkway to the main wall, and then drop to the lockers down to the lower level. I'm happy to say that I was finally able to do that.

Just not that gracefully. I stumbled and hit the ground on my back. Pained, I stood.

"Well... What do you know? We've got more meat." Chase spat. Jake was being held by two of Chase's friends.

"Chase, what the hell? Do I have to kick your ass again?"

"Funny, I don't remember that happening."

"I seem to remember you on your knees begging-"

"Your mom was doing the same thing last night." I curled up my fist and drove it to his solar plexus. He stumbled back and started gasping for breath.

"First, you say anything about my mom ever again, I'm going to cut your balls off and shove them up your nose. Second, what the fuck is your problem?"

Chase tried to talk but was still too out of breath to accomplish the task. One of Chase's buddies answered for him. "He doesn't deserve the fur!"

"What the hell guys? He shouldn't be attacked for being a fur. Why are we turning against each other?"

"Because he's a fag, and gives us all a bad name." Chase finally spat out, breath returning to his system.

There's a handful of words in the English language I will not stand for. Fag and Nigger the foremost of those. I pulled my claws out and looked Chase dead in the eyes. I swiped Chase's face and he stumbled back further, cut deeply.

"Fucking cunt!" Jake used the distraction to fight his way out, sending a well placed elbow into the bovine's head. Jake and I faced our attackers when we heard a yell.

"Gentlemen!" Mr. Roberts walked down the hallway. "I know that you're nothing but brute savages, but this is a school, settle this elsewhere." Chase snapped that day. I guess he was so sick of the speciesist shit. He wasn't going to take the bullshit anymore. I can understand that... but the way he did it...

He's a dumbass.

Roberts' screams cut into the hallway as Chase pounced him, and dug deep to find all the strength not to kill him. He was on him for... I don't even know how long though, Jake and I just took off, trying to escape the scene. But something wasn't right... I couldn't let Roberts get hurt. Even though he was a total prick, and deserved whatever Chase was going to do to him, it didn't sit right with me to let him be torn to shreds. I turned around, ignoring Jake's advice to leave Roberts. I tackled Chase off of Roberts and pinned his hands to the floor.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm not gonna let you do anything to him!" We stare each other down.

"He's one of them! If he had his way, we'd all be in a lab somewhere getting tested on!" I knew he was right, and that's why it was so hard to stop it.

"It doesn't matter, he doesn't deserve that!"

Chase kicked me off him and stood quickly. "Brent, I never thought you were a bad guy... I was just jealous that you were always so damn sure of yourself. That just crushed me..." I wasn't sure how to react to that speech. Chase went on. "That's why I'm giving you the chance. Get out of here before I'm done with him, or you'll be next." He kicked Roberts in the ribs to put emphasis in what he said. I may have disagreed, but I knew when I was in danger. And I sure as hell felt that right then.

I outside and looked around. I was uneasy about that. I should have done more to stop it... But Chase... he looked like he was going to kill him. I knelt down at the edge of the walkway where the cement met the grass, and I threw up. Shit! I grabbed my sides and tried not to lose myself too much. Jake and Logan came rushing over from my car and grabbed my shoulders.

"What happened?" Jake asked.

"Call the cops, tell them to get here. Chase... Fuck! He's gonna kill Roberts." Jake didn't question, he didn't try and say I was over-reacting or anything. He just dialed 911 and explained it to them. I didn't want to be there when they came; I got up and went into my car.

So much for celebrating...

\n *****

\n "Damn, he really said that?" Haley asked over the phone. I was lying on my bed, still feeling sick to my stomach about the events that had transpired that day. I didn't think that I was that shaken up by it, but I was wrong. Damn, that felt debilitating. I couldn't tell Mom or Dad about it, and Sophie wouldn't understand the gravity of the situation. Jake wasn't answering me (which usually meant he was too busy groping Logan)  so the only person I could talk to was Haley.

"Yeah, it was scary. I mean. You should have seen the look his eyes. He meant every word. He would have killed him." I wasn't sure if Mr. Roberts was alive or dead at that point. Haley wasn't sure either, her dad had been in and out all night, constantly on the phone, usually screaming. He was in a stupor. I heard him come in at one point, and heard the screaming. It was upsetting.

"Look, I'm sure Chase wouldn't have killed him-"

"Haley, he had his claws out! He was prepared to strike."

"Look, can we just talk about something else? You're freaking out over nothing..."

I sighed. She was probably right, but I was just so damned scared. "Alright, you have your dress ready for homecoming?"

"Yup, it's so cute! It's purple with a silver sash, it comes down to about mid-thigh. You're gonna love it."

"I like the sounds of it, do you wanna help me find something?"

"Ask Sophie, she'll be thrilled to help you."

I groaned. "Asking Sophie for dressing help? Please, she'll have me wearing something ridiculous!"

"I will not!" Sophie's voice rang from the vents.

"Stop spying on me Soph'!" I called back, sitting up abruptly. I heard her giggles receding as she went away. "Anyways, I have a few options but I want your advice. I can't decide be-"

"Sorry babe, I gotta get off, Dad's on a rampage." She hung up quickly and I collapsed onto my bed again.

Chase ruined my evening without even being there. Great. Really. Fucking. Great.

\n  

\n *****

\n There was a huge backlash from the press over the incident. The attack on Roberts led to a public outcry against furs. About our danger towards them. The next day, all the furs were called down to the office and had to talk to a guidance counselor. There was a cop there too, guess they were just afraid of anything else. Rumors spread that Chase was arrested. I wouldn't be surprised. I was just glad the little dick didn't get killed. An increased pressure on the school to protect the humans was apparent. There were rumors of segregating the school -- all sorts of bullshit. The thing that really struck home was the fact that the homecoming dance was postponed.

Logan had to deal with the worst from what I heard. All the crazies in choir were screaming at him all the time. He didn't deserve it. Not in the slightest. He was kicked out of the next production, which really hurt him. Jake spent a lot more time with him after that, trying to cheer him up.

Haley wasn't able to hang out as much. Her dad was on such a rampage. I think he might have suspected at that point, but I can't be sure. He was going off even more than usual. They published two sides to the issues of furs, one from him, one from a local professor who I really admired. He taught at the school occasionally. Mr. Arnold's was a rant that pretty much cited nothing but sources that only ever supported his point of view. Mostly because they were in his pocket to an extent.

At least that's what I heard.

I found myself with no one to talk to. No one to help me. Jake was almost always with Logan, Haley was never able to do anything, and Sophie was... well aside from being too young to tell her everything, she was spending a lot more time with Andy. So I was left the only friend I had at that point. Video games.

I found myself playing a lot more with my excess of free-time. It wasn't the most productive thing, but I had nothing else to do, and I couldn't keep pawing because I was starting to feel a little raw. I found myself reading more, and just trying to keep my mind off the overwhelming amount of stress. I knew that it could be worse: the 'rents could be getting a divorce, I could be contracting viruses, etc. But it was bad enough. One day, I'd had enough.

"Hello?" Haley answered.

"I need to do something with you."

"Brent, you know I'm bus-"

"I know, but I can- I'm too- I'm so stressed, and I just need to be with you for a bit to calm down."

"Okay... What'd you have in mind?"

"Let's just go for a drive."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the park by my place."

\n *****

\n
I held onto Haley's hand tightly as we sat in my car, seats reclined, talking about everything. I was so nervous that if I let go, she'd be lost from me forever. We were in the parking garage where I evaded my parents. She held my head a little as I slipped my tongue past her teeth and into her mouth. I needed it. Just the simple act of holding the drop-dead-gorgeous girl of mine -- and kissing her -- cleared all doubt and fear from my mind. We did so much, and yet so little, I remembered every last detail of that moment. Probably because of what happened next. I heard footsteps walking toward my car, I wasn't too concerned though, so I kept on with my actions, my hands firmly holding her breasts. A knock on the window caused us both to jump. A very furious-looking Mr. Arnold was looking in at us.

Oh snap! Yeah... things just got bad. I was originally planning on having these elements be later, but I changed my mind fairly abruptly, and I'm kind of happy I did. Lots of gratitude to my editor, ErythWolf, as always.

\n -Kergiby: Eater of Ho-Hos.