The price to pay
#1 of Stories
Sometimes you have to accept any help that is offered.
Ok, this is my first submission for "The Writing Group Challenge". Actually it is the first story I post at all.
This weeks prompt for "The Writing Group Challenge" was: "I didn't expect that reaction".
So, I hope you have fun reading it.
Constructive criticism, hints and suggestions are always welcome - especially since I am no native english speaker.
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The pen made a straight line through the room and missed Walt only by a few inches.
"You know," he said to the black-furred Fennec, "throwing things around will not help you write this homework."
The Saint the Bernhard gave Finn his brightest smile, something that usually worked when the Fennec was nervous and stressed out.
This time it didn't.
"And what do you suggest?" Finn whimpered.
"Ask someone for help," was Walts straight answer.
"Where would I find an expert on English Gothic literature Saturday night at 9 pm?" shouted the Fennec hysterically.
Walt put away the magazine he was reading. First, he wanted to hint that Finn tried to get a grip on this topic for almost a week now and that there has been enough time to ask someone for help. But since the homework was due on Monday and Finn's panic level was already high enough, he skipped the moral part of his speech and said instead, "There is this girl in my programming class. Her name is Leo. Some days ago, we talked about the worst teachers we have in this school and she mentioned your course which she had visited last year. Obviously, SHE passed it, so I guess she can help." He paused. "Shall I call her? She didn't seem very sociable, so I guess there is a good chance that she is in her place right now."
Finn looked at Walt with his bright blue Fennec eyes. "Yes, please do it."
The number in the campus directory was for once correct and the call was over in under 2 minutes.
"Ok," Walt said. "She will take a look. No promises. And she wants you to bring a printout of the task specification, that the teacher gave the class, with you."
Luckily, Leo lived not far away. About 10 Minutes later Finn was standing in front of her apartment door. The sign on the door read "Eleanor Bell". Walt had forgotten to tell him her surname, but the number on the door was right. So Leo knocked.
When the door opened a black and white brindled mouse, with a big pair of glasses on her nose, looked at him. The dark green eyes behind those glasses examined him closely.
"Are you Finn?" she snapped.
It took a second for Finn, but then he chose the first answer which came to his mind. Which was possibly also the most stupid one. "Yes, I am Finn. Are you Leo? Sorry, but the sign on your door is confusing."
She rolled her eyes. "Leo is short for Eleanor. My parents were great medieval freaks and thought it was an appropriate name for a girl today." She paused. "If you ever call me by that name you will die."
A tiny but surprisingly strong paw grabbed his shirt and pulled him in. "Now come inside. The neighbours are nosy and love to spread any kind of rumour throughout the campus. Especially about me."
When she turned to lead him in, he realized that her tail, which hung out from a traditional tail hole in her short black skirt, was very nicely tattooed. Detailed ranks of black roses with sharp thorns on their stems which seem to cut into the rosy flesh of the mouses tail, bleeding drops of black blood.
The skirt itself had a lace border, and the tail hole and also the slit on the left side revealed that it had a red silk lining.
Her black blouse was tight cut, also with lace on the collar and the long sleeves.
He just wondered if the front of the blouse had also these lovely lace ornaments when she turned around.
"When you are finished staring at my back, maybe you want to continue to inspect my front, so we can then come to the real reason of this meeting?", she offered in a sweet and sarcastic voice.
The blouse really had lace all around the collar, down to the wide-cut front, which snugged lovely around her well sized ...
"Actually that was a rhetorical, not an answer, stupid." This time her voice was not a bit sarcastic and much less sweet.
"Uhmmm, sorry," Finn stuttered. "I am just not good with girls. Well, actually I am not good with people at all."
Leo removed a strain of black hair which has dropped from her undercut behind one of the glasses. Her heavily pierced ears twitched.
"I know. Walt warned me. I am not a very socialized person myself. So relax." She snatched the printout from his hands and pointed to a table. "Sit."
They both sat on the table and Leo read carefully the task that was described on the sheets of paper.
After a while, she grabbed a pencil and began to add notes here and there.
Every time Finn wanted to say something Leo shushed him.
It felt like hours for him, when she finally lifted her head and pushed the, now heavily commented, printout in his direction.
"Basically, this is what that moron gave us last year as homework. He has changed it a bit, but it is very obvious that he is too lazy to create a completely new one each year and that's good for you."
She grinned. "I have put some comments on every question he wants to have answered in the homework. Take a look at it if you can work with them."
He could. Leos comments where easy to read and understand. Sometimes she added additional sources which he should look up on the internet. With those instructions, he would finish that homework in no-time.
His blue eyes seem to glow and the big black fennec ears stood straight. He gave her his most happy smile. "This is amazing," he said, maybe a bit too loud and overenthusiastic.
He stood up, hinting that he was going to hug her. She stood up too, taking one step back. Finn understood that reaction. He was not that bad with people at all.
"With your comments, it will be so easy. I really owe you. How can I ever repay you?", he asked, not a bit less enthusiastic.
Leo smirked. "Well," she said, in her sweet voice again. "As you seem to have nothing to do the rest of the evening, why don't you start by eating me out?"
"Sure," Finn answered a bit too quickly. "I am hungry, too. Name the place and dinner is on me."
Very slowly he realized that he might have gotten something wrong. Especially when Leo lifted her skirt, sat on the table putting her legs each onto a chair, spreading them wide, showing some lovely furless pink labia, each side pierced with three silver rings.
"Now come here, little Fennec, and pay your debts," she whispered, "and if you are exhausted afterwards, we can still order a Pizza."