E.U.R.O Chapter 1
Chapter 1:
The Huskute In The Mirror
Reddened eyes looked straight back into Arthur's own, large tears, a warm cascading waterfall; running down this figures face, wetting the white fur. The figure was trembling. Those ears, usually so alert, now flattened back in self-pity.
The pitiful sight began shaking and soon disappeared from sight, as the mirror fell from Arthur's panicked paws.
What had I done to infli- No self inflict this much damage to myself? The sixteen year old wondered.
The answer came to Arthur like a slap across the snout. Earlier that morning he had decided, and tried to come out to his mother.
This was his second mistake.
Arthur hugged his tail as he sat, recalling the scene that had occurred. He had expected her to be upset of course. But he did not dare expect to see that look of loss and sheer disappointment on the middle aged Husky's face.
Arthur flicked his tail in agitation before hugging it again I don't want to go over it again.. ...Come on you may find a way out. The Huskute was having an emotional battle with himself over the event. Sighing he continued.
"A-Art I don't get it. You're brother is fine and we raised you just the same.." The callas words rang true through to the huskute... Did she not know it wasn't his choice, this time he wasn't intentionally trying to stick out?
Arthur had bit his tongue to hold back a remark as he was sat with her, his silvery grey eyes tearing slightly.
Yes my brother, my athletic, golden brother, A university student for architecture... a football player in his spare time and of course most of all, he was straight.
Arthur sighed leaning against his bed sitting on the carpet. He couldn't bring himself to hate his brother, he had always been happy with the pride sense the two shared, they respected each other and were quite close.
"You're an idiot Arthur" The huskute growled at himself "great idea, tell your conservative traditionalist parents you're gay... works a charm" He stopped, and shook his head he began worrying that he was now talking to himself, arguing with himself even. He had an idea, his eyes glinted with a sense of hope, "James" Arthur grasped his phone, scrolling through the short list of contacts. He had hoped to get more soon, and make some more good friends, he didn't want just random people on his phone, after all what would he talk to them about? He kept up his fine shield at school, but out of school was his time, his time to recover for the next defence. He wouldn't say he was hated at school, but some people were out to get him. Like that coyote for instance.
Arthur stopped scrolling and tapped on the name 'James Flint' There was a good chance that James would not reply for ages, he was a busy Labrador with college work and a job. But to Arthur it was more than worth a shot. Soon the young canine was tapping away at the screen. 'hey :/' Arthur stared at his phone after hitting send, he frowned. To him this seemed now a dumb idea, he had raised his hopes to knock himself down.
The phone then beeped audibly, Arthur yelped at it, having been shocked by the noise in the gloomy room. Soon his eyes became transfixed on the screen, as if one were seeking cure from a doctor.
'Hey Art, what's up?' Arthur couldn't believe it, James had replied... ridiculously swiftly, he couldn't believe it, yet embraced it all the same.
'Nothing good :('
'What's wrong? :O'
He paused... James was likely busy but being polite, and Arthur did hate shoving his problems onto others, he detested making others worry about him. 'Oh.. James' he texted before sobbing.
He knew he was an emotional wreck, having never caused such a shock to his mother before. There had never been such a level of uncertainty of what to do next. He swallowed and soon began to tell James exactly what had happened.
Over the next couple of hours, Arthur went from emotionally unstable to slightly smirking. He knew James had already been through this with his own parents, and to talk to someone who understood how he was feeling felt wonderful.
- ~~_~~ -
Arthur slept uncomfortably that night, he spoke not a word to his parents all that day. The grey skies outside, the quiet before the storm Arthur shivered and pondered, The silence before the storm. At dinner Arthur did not speak about politics or his fathers army life, coming exams. In fact there was a tense silence growing stronger with each passing moment, his parents exchanged looks, his mothers green eyes into his fathers dark blue ones. They did this when they believed Arthur to not be looking, however Arthur was not looking elsewhere. Yet in his mind he was entirely elsewhere, he was running with a small rucksack out of the house at night, padding swiftly down the village taking the short cuts and lesser known routes. The thought of running away upset him immensely. But the thought of how long this silence was going on for, was as good as killing him. His teeth were barred and his tail flicked in anxiety. This was foreign to him, he never felt like he didn't have a trick up his sleeve, a diplomatic comment, or a card to play.
He finally excused himself from dinner and dashed up to his room closing the white door behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat watching the sky grow darker and the moon rise, it's pale beauty lighting up the sky, listening to the lack of sound.
- ~~_~~ -
Sunlight pierced into the grey and black themed room, shining upon the white face of Arthur. He groaned getting out of bed. "The one time English weather has been nice this month and I can't enjoy it" he said whilst walking over to the windowsill scowling. Upon which, stood his silver pocket watch.
It wasn't real silver, or expensive. But he had bought in a market, whilst visiting his brother on his own for the first time. He had taken the train and Arthur loved train travel, the hustle of the platform, the short quest to find a decent seat and then rhythm of the ride as the land knitted its own tale easy to read and oh so beautiful. The watch meant the world to Arthur, it was a memory of a good day and he had not seen one of those for a very long time. Clicking open the watch he revealed a pristine clock-face. He sighed, closing it. "Six O'clock Damn you sleeping issues" he shrugged this off with a flick of his tail and padded off to the bathroom to take a shower, rubbing his eyes with his paws.
Ice cold water rained upon the canine, Arthur gasped his body tensing. He usually opted for a warm shower, or better yet a bath but Arthur did not want to feel warm. The cold water fell rhythmically upon him waking him up and setting him on his guard. After showering and drying off, he strode over to the airing cupboard and pulled on his uniform: an ugly navy blue sweater (which he neglected because of the weather); a pair of black trousers and a black polo shirt with his name, his house name (which was: Comets) and then ' Events Captain' all written in silver letters (Normal students wore a white polo with their house name on only, but as a lead position in his house Arthur got this privilege).
He headed downstairs and made a cup of tea, it was customary in England to take it with milk and sugar. "However today I take it sugarless and black" He said finishing his thought out loud. He then growled as he downed the strong hot beverage in one, he set his cup down and that's when he noticed a note on the worktop. His silvery grey eyes darted over it. ' Arthur, I'm at a conference for a week tell your mum, be back in a week. Dad'
"why didn't you tell her yourself you tos-" He held his tongue, sighing. Arthur felt that being calm and collected was the only way to get through this and getting angry over some miscommunication between his parents was ridiculous, it happen far too frequently to matter. He dashed upstairs to get his things, a black false leather, satchel styled bag. And tucked a small necklace on under his black polo, it had a small silver wire cage to hold a small crystal, Arthur popped one into it that was orange, brown and black "Tigers eye, for confidence, I think I need a boost of that" He grimaced to himself before descending down the stairs and out of the door to the bus stop.
The door was blocked by his mother.
"I'll be taking you to school today, I have errands to do en-route so it's no trouble" she smiled at her son, but not with her eyes and she could not help the feeling that Arthur noticed this, for he had a habit for looking people in the eye when they talked, she found it quite uncomfortable as did most people who didn't know him very well. She breathed a sigh of relief as he got into the car without arguing.
Arthur sat silently, gazing out over the green fields which surrounded his village.
"Arthur..." Arthur's ears pricked up immediately, yet still his eyes were locked on the fields. "I am very.... ....Glad that you told me, but your father and I" Arthur scowled, he hated people going behind his back, it did not matter who they were. "Know that it's just a phase"
"A Phase?!" Arthur snapped his gaze on the husky, glaring.
"Yes... darling, a phase. Lots of teenagers have phases" She began to say.
"Don't patronise me, mother" Arthur's eyes turned into a very hostile glare at the driver.
"You're confused Artie, hormones up in the air and exams" She tried to reason with the huskute.
"CONFUSED?!" Arthur exploded, he was having none of it "I was confused yes, but not after months of uncertainty, I know who I am, mum. Why can't you be happy that I know who I am at last?" There will be no tears from me this time Arthur thought. He could feel a growl gathering in his chest.
The husky grasped desperately at straws "The girls at work sai-"
"OH, I see it. It would be unfashionable with 'The girls at work' to have a son like me?" Arthur's vision was beginning to get red through the sheer anger.
"No it isn't that, you stupid pup, I would like grandchildren one day" She growled at her clearly enraged son.
"Well you know who you have for that" Arthur bellowed, as they pulled up outside the school. "My Golden, sporty and brilliantly straight brother!" He flung the door open and slammed it behind him, he heard the window wind down. "Arthur..."
"what?" he turned to face the husky who was now near tears.
"please for me... just... try to be straight, al-right?"
Arthur cast a murderous look into her green eyes. Turning on the spot, he stormed straight to the front entrance to the school.
Crestfallen.