Winter Break: Chapter 4
I decided to upload all, if not, most of the chapters. I know you've been waiting a long time, but here it is. Chapter 4 of "Winter Break". It's a little short, I know, but I just put in what I felt was necessary.
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Chapter 4
"Ugh. No. No!" Mutt exclaimed in his sleep. He was thrashing wildly. "No! Don't! Farran!" He shot up, heart pounding. It was freezing outside, yet he was sweating. He looked at his clock. "3:34 a.m." it read. "Oh, thank God. It was just a dream." he mumbled to himself. There was a knock on his door.
"Mutt?" Ran's voice came through the wood, "Are you okay in there? I heard you call my name."
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Mutt called back, "Just a nightmare."
"Another one?" Ran opened the door and stepped into Mutt's room, "That's two nightmares in two nights. What the Hell's going on in that twisted little mind of yours?"
Mutt laughed quietly because he knew that was what Ran was trying to get out of him. "I don't know. There's just been a lot going on lately."
Ran sighed, "I heard that. It's the same on my end."
"Hey, Ran?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"N-never mind. It's nothing."
"Now don't go pulling that crap again. Just tell me already."
"Alright. After the concert, when Cat and I were outside. She..."
"She what?"
"Well. This is kind of embarrassing, and I don't want it to change our relationship."
"Mutt," Ran spoke in a serious tone, unfamiliar to Mutt, "It won't change our relationship. You're my best friend. Get it?"
Mutt hesitated a bit, "Y-yeah. Got it."
"Good. Now just tell me." Ran sat on the edge of Mutt's bed, and set one of his hand paws on Mutt's shoulder, comfortingly.
"O-ok. Cat was talking to me. She said you were a really good drummer and I agreed. Then... Well... She said she could see why..."
"Why, what?"
"Why... I like you." Mutt blushed an extreme Red, which easily showed through his dark maroon colored fur.
Ran was taken slightly aback, "Oh..." he said, voice slightly shaky. He started to blush, "Don't feel bad. Katie..."
"Huh? Katie what?"
"Well. She asked me if I liked you."
"Oh. Why would she ask that?"
"She said she 'gets this feeling' when you and I are together. That we have a strange look in our eyes when we look at each other."
Mutt sat up. They were both silent. Each furs words hung in the air. They sat there in silence for seemingly hours, but was actually only a few minutes before Mutt spoke, "Farran. Do you want to know what my dream was about?"
Ran looked at Mutt curiously, "Sure."
"My dream," Mutt began, "It was horrible. We were walking down a highway. You were on the side of the road, and I was in the middle. We were just talking when..." Mutt eyes started to water, "A drunk driver came flying down the road. He was headed straight for me. But, you... You sprinted as fast as you could, and knocked me out of the way, but..." A tear fell on to the fabric of Mutt's blanket, "but you couldn't get out of the way in time. The car hit you, and you went flying." Ran's face turned from one of concern, to one of shock, but Mutt continued, "You slid forty feet. The driver kept going. I rushed over to you as fast as I could, but by the time I got to you..." by this time Mutt had began sobbing uncontrollably, "You were already... D-dead!" Mutt began crying loudly. Ran stayed quiet. They sat there, Mutt crying, and Ran silent for a few minutes. Ran leaned over to Mutt and hugged him tightly. Immediately Mutt stopped crying.
"It's ok, Mutt. I'm here. I'm not dead. It was just a dream."
In the two years they'd lived together, Mutt had never seen this side of Ran. Ran wiped away Mutt's tears and said, with his own eyes watering, "I want you to go back to sleep. But, no screaming this time. If I have to come back in here, I'll kick your butt." he chuckled a bit.
Mutt laughed lightly, "Sir, yes sir!"
"Don't worry, I'm here, and I won't be going for a long, long time. Goodnight Dukie."
'Dukie?' Mutt thought as he said "goodnight" back, 'I haven't heard him call me that since we first met.' He brushed it off and laid back down. He tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. The nightmare kept playing and re-playing in his mind. He had to hold his breath and listen closely for Ran's snoring just to remind himself that it was, indeed, just a dream. 'It felt so real.' He thought. 'I know he's my best friend, but... Those feeling I had when I saw him dead, and then alive. Was Cat right?' He decided that if he couldn't sleep he would meditate to clear his mind. He would often do this to keep his mind clean, so he could think clearly while he worked. He sat on the floor, up against a wall, and closed his eyes. He slowly started to drift off until he was completely unconscious, and oblivious.
Mutt slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He was back in his bed. He looked over at the clock sitting on the nightstand which read "8:49". "Oh, crap! I'm late for work!"
Ran had been at the door, waiting for Mutt to wake up, "No you're not."
"What? Of course I am! I was supposed to be to work a seve--" he was cut off by Ran.
"I called you in sick. I told them you had a cold."
"What? Why would you... Huh?" Mutt was highly confused.
"After that little incident last night, I thought you could use one more day of rest."
"Oh. Well... Thanks, I guess."
"Hey, be psyched! We have all day to ourselves. At least you won't be alone this time."
"Yeah, I guess."
Ran suddenly became more serious, "Besides, I'd like to talk to you a little, about last night. The things we said, about Katie and Cat."
"Oh. Ok. Can we at least get some breakfast first?"
"Yeah sure, I'll make it today. What're you in the mood for?"
"I'm thinking... Not gonna happen. I'm not letting you anywhere near my cooking stuff. You remember what happened last time, don't you?"
"Oh come on, it was just one little fire!"
"The entire kitchen was black. We had to hire a professional cleaning crew just to get it cleaned up!"
"Ok, fine. Pancakes sounds good."
"With sausage and my Aunt Sue's eggs?"
"Of course!"
They both laughed lightly, and Mutt headed for the kitchen to start on breakfast.
After breakfast they started to talk about what Cat and Katie had said.
"So, Cat said she saw why you like me?"
"Yeah. And Katie asked if you liked me. I think we've covered those bases already."
" Ha... ha..." Ran laughed sarcastically, "You're just too funny."
"I know." Mutt replied with a big, over-confident smile.
"Anyway. Back to Cat and Katie." a serious mood shrouded the room, quickly.
"Alright. What about it?"
"Well... When Cat said she saw why you liked me... Was she... seeing the truth?"
Mutt had a shocked look on his face, and he quickly blushed, "U-um. I-- it's just..."
"Well?"
"Look, this isn't exactly an easy thing to talk about!" Mutt shouted, then quickly covered his mouth with his paws. Ran had never know Mutt to shout like that. He was in awe, "I'm sorry," Mutt said as he lowered his paws, "I- I didn't mean to yell like that."
Ran quickly regained his composure, "It's ok. I shouldn't have been so pushy. This is a very touchy subject. Please, just answer me when you can."
"Alright."
"You think about it. I'm going to take a shower." Ran said as he started for his room.
"Ok. Take your time."
Mutt sat on the couch, trying to think of what to say to his long-time friend, and roommate. He wasn't sure of his feelings. A battle, between his mind and his heart, was tearing him apart inside. 'Do I like him? If I do, does he like me? Should I just take a chance and say I like him? I just don't know!' He thought anxiously.
Ran stepped out into the living room. Mutt turned and instinctually started looking at Ran's features. His toned body. Strong, but lean arms. His long tail. His messy, puffed-up fur. 'He looks so cute after he takes a shower.' Mutt quickly realized what he was doing, and thinking, and quickly turned back around, and went back to his conflicting emotions.
"So," Ran started, "do you have an answer yet, or do you need more time." There was no presence of urgency in his voice, only care.
"N-not quite. I still need to think about it. Although, I can tell you one thing."
"Oh? What's that?"
"I might..."