Forest Dwellers Ch. 1
#9 of Forest Dwellers
"Man am I bored..." Whined Maverick, a young fox. "There's got to be something more to do around here." He leaned against a tree and began to wag his silver tail back and forth. Maverick was a fun-loving fox that was a native to this forest. Maverick was born completely different than most forest-dwelling foxes. While most foxes were born with a reddish coat with a white-tipped tail, and black-tipped ears, he was born with a silvery, white coat, and a sky blue tipped tail and ears.
He spend a lot of time running around the forest just looking for things to do. Most animals of the forest, especially foxes feel that because his fur was so different, he was an outcast from all others. "Ugh...this forest is just so...simple. Anything that I could do here it seems I already did."
"Then it seems, you need someone else to hang out with, because you look pretty pathetic by yourself, kid." A young, female squirrel yelled out as she jumped from a branch above him. "And ya know, you really shouldn't talk to yourself, it makes you seem really weird."
Maverick instantly began growling. "What do you want!? And I'm fine by myself!" He turned from her as his tail stiffened.
"You also need to work on your people skills. Listen, I know you're that outcast of the forest. But honestly, that doesn't bother me in the least. Besides, I always wanted to meet you." She giggled.
"Too bad I don't share the sentiment about you!" He snarled.
She began laughing now. "Seriously kid, I think I like you, we'll make a great friendship."
"What the hell?" Maverick was more confused than he was angry. There he was, doing the best he could to actually turn her away from him, but instead, he was actually making her like him more.
"The name's Mika," She spoke again. "Mika Acorn. I'm a squirrel from this forest. I've actually been watching you from a distance for a long time now, I just never knew how to approach you. Anyways, you're pretty famous around these parts, aren't you?"
"Infamous...if you ask me." He growled under his breath, still uncomfortable of the prospect of being around other people. "Tell me, why do you continue to talk to me? I'm the outcast of the forest, so what do you want?"
"What do you mean, 'what do you want!?' I want to actually be your friend, dumbass!" She was getting infuriated with the stubborn fox.
Maverick was completely speechless for once. He closed his eyes and blushed.
"Seems I finally broke through that stupid shell of yours. Now the question is, what's your name?"
"It's...it's Maverick. Maverick Skye." He was getting even more nervous as he started to walk closer to him.
"Where do you live anyways?" She asked him as she pat him on the shoulder. She looked into his bright blue eyes. "Its going to rain soon, I can smell the moisture in the air, we can hang out at your place."
"I don't have a home. Does the word outcast mean anything to you. It means cast out. Meaning I have no home, friends, family, nothing but the forest leaves over my head and maybe a tree stump to sleep at when I get tired."
"That really does suck. We need to change that." She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him along through the trees. While they were running, he looked about and noticed other forest creatures looking at him with very strong glares in their eyes. He closed his eyes and just let her guide him to wherever she was taking him. All of a sudden he felt a something strong bash him in the face and he was forced to the ground. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with her!?" An unfamiliar voice yelled.
Maverick hesitated to open his eyes and didn't speak.
"I said what are you doing!?" The voice said again. Maverick could feel that whoever it was, was raising his fist to strike him in the face again, but this time, there was no impact. He finally opened his eyes and saw a wolf standing above him, only the wolf's arm was being held by Mika.
"What do you think you are doing to him, huh?" Mika said with a bit of a shakey voice. "Why do you feel the need to hurt any guy I come in contact with!?"
"Easy, because I don't exactly trust them." He loosened his grip on Maverick and stood all the way up, standing next to Mika, and she was firmly grasping his arm.
Maverick slid back and shakily stood up and looked at the wolf, then at the squirrel. "This is why I don't like having friends, Mika. Because anyone that comes in contact with me gets hurt." He then looked at the wolf again. "And I don't see why you can't trust someone like her. Someone that actually does care about other people." He turned his back on them and a single tear trickled out of his eye, but his voice remained calm. "Mika...thank you. Seriously. You're the first person that actually showed they give a damn about me...but this just wasn't the right place, or the right time to care. I'd loved to have accepted our friendship, but there's people like this guy that prevent me from such happiness. So just enjoy yourself, and don't continue to worry about me."
He then began to walk away, and as he was doing so, the wolf spoke up. "I'm sorry...I thought you were trying to steal my girlfriend, that's why I attacked you. I didn't know she was just trying to..." His voice trailed off as the rain started, drenching all of their coats. "Listen, just come with us...I'll let you stay in our house for now. And I'll make you lunch, just as a show of good faith...and as an apology." His apology fell on deaf ears. Maverick kept walking as he held his middle finger up at the wolf's offer.
"Maverick!" Mika yelled out over the loud sound of rain splashing over the tops of the trees."Stop acting like you're alone in this world! You have us now! He said he was sorry, so please..." Maverick stopped and turned around to take a look at the couple. The wolf had his head down in shame, and although the rain was getting harder, he could tell that Mika's face was mostly drenched in tears.
"Fine...I'll go." He said with a tinge of reluctance in his voice. When he walked toward the spot where the other two animals stood, he momentarily looked into the eyes of his wolf assailant, and then quickly looked away.
"Listen." The wolf spoke with a bit of a softer tone. "I'm really sorry about that. Just give me another chance. Let's start over." He held out his paw. "My name's Lobo Shields. Yours?"
"It's Maverick. Look, let's just go, the rain's getting really bad, and I can hear the thunder, so it's not worth standing out here."
Lobo nodded and he and Mika walked hand-in-hand as they walked alongside Maverick to their forest home. None of them spoke, just gave each other passing glances as they passed house after house. He had so many questions to ask them, like what was their house like, he wanted to know about the two as a couple more, but he decided that questions were best left for later. He found himself in an area of the forest he had not been to before.
"This part of the city is where us...well middle-class workers stay. Well, there's a lot of us living in one place. There's us two, My sister Lana, and another fox, Kaleigh. Then there's little Bon-Bon. Rally...well...she does whatever the hell she wants. I don't know to say if she lives with us or not, but she comes in and out at her leisure. And now we open our arms to you to stay with us as well." Lobo finally broke the silence and smiled. "I don't expect you be able to pay rent...yet. But if I could give you some time, I'm sure I'll find some ways for you earn your stay."
They all finally reached their destination. Maverick looked up at the high apartment building and followed the couple as they entered.
"Wow...it's pretty warm in here." He mumbled out loud.
"Get used to it. This is your home now. This is where you stay." Mika said as she pressed the button for the elevator to come down. "You'll love it here. You're going to make some good friends." They all eneted the elevator and they all leaned up against the walls. He heard the "ding" sound of the elevator and it opened, and they all walked along the hall until they reached room 234. Lobo pulled out his keys, turned the lock, and opened the door. Not only to the apartment room, but to Maverick's new life.