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Chapter Eight: The Student becomes the Teacher.

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The silhouetted outline of a Tiger towered in the doorway as I gulped, cautiously asking "Um, c-can I help you?" gingerly backing away slightly. "Maybe, just maybe... I've been told by Mr. McGraw that you're my new 'mentor'" Peter said, eyeing me up and down - the same way a Tiger would eye up a Deer before moving in for the kill.

"Ohh, y-you must be Peter." I said nervously, knowing full well who he was as I shyly stuck my paw out in a friendly gesture. Batting the paw aside Peter pushed his way into the hallway. "Yes, and you must be Arthur." Eyeing me up and down once again, as he stood crouched in the hallway, his head just shy of scraping the ceiling. He looked very intimidating standing there - just like a Tiger should do I guess. I wasn't exactly the toughest Wolf in the school but I sure wouldn't want to be caught between a wall and those fists.

Peter stood roughly 6 feet tall, if not more - his head just grazed the ceiling in my hallway, two fuzzy ears sticking out either side of the black and white skulled bandana he was wearing, each with various piercings of different sizes. His muscular form was evident of a Tiger who worked out a lot, and if my memory served me correctly - I think he was on the rowing team. His arms bulged out of a tight black tank top, with the words 'IRON MAIDEN' scrawled across, a cut of pair of baggy jeans covered the majority of his powerful legs.

"Put some clothes on dude, we've not got all day." Peter scowled, "Mr. McGraw has given me an extension, 3 more weeks to try and at least pass this last project. He said you'll be able to help me, since you've helped your little friend so much." He hissed, pointing up the stairs as I watched Todd's head dart back inside of the bedroom in fright.

"Umm, y-yes. W-well you make yourself at home; I'll go and get dressed.... Won't be a second." I said, sprinting up the stairs to find Todd cowering in the entrance of the bedroom."What's he doing here!?" He whispered to me, peering out of the door at the feline making himself comfortable on the couch.

"I don't know, just stay here OK? I'll deal with him and come back for you later and we can grab some lunch." Reassuring the scared Raccoon, I stroked the back of his head and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, before slipping on a shirt and scampering back down the stairs. Peter was already waiting by the door, "Ready?" he glared with a slight hint of an evil grin. Nodding, I proceeded out of the door, and shut it behind us.

"The 'rat' won't be joining us then?" Peter said, motioning back to the house. I stopped dead in my tracks, trying furiously to resist the urge to pummel his damn face in. I rarely resort to violence, I am a Wolf of reason, logic, and rationale - violence is seldom my answer. But in this instance my patience grew very thin.

The Tiger seemed somewhat amused to know that he had struck a nerve as I replied "If you was referring to Todd; he's got the day off - he finished his project last week." I snapped, resisting any further urges to rip the whiskers from his smug face as I glanced back at my house, seeing Todd's bandit masked eyes just peering out from over the window pane, counting my steps as I walked further and further away with the enemy.

"So, it is true what people have said about you two." Peter said as we made our way into the Photography department. "Which is?" I asked, cocking my head to the side as I narrowed my eyes, Peter just grinned as he proceeded to slam down a large black book onto the desk in the studio. Turning the first page over, it was evident that he had a lot of work still left to do.

"You do realize, if it's my help that you're after - you're going to have to at least talk to me civilly, and with some level of respect. I am your only hope in passing this course, you do realize, and if you don't pass this year - you can kiss goodbye to your student loan." I said smugly to the Tiger, whose jaw had dropped in surprise that I had stood up to him.

"Is everything ok in here?" A familiar gruff voice butted in from nearby as I looked up to see Mr. McGraw standing in the entrance of the room. "Oh I see you've become acquainted. I presume you have told Master Arugal about the extension that I have granted you, Peter?"

"Master Arugal?!" We both said out loud, slightly confused. "Yes, since Arthur is now essentially a student teacher, it would be anything less than proper to address him as Master Arugal." Mr. McGraw explained, folding his arms over the front of his waistcoat. "Either that or, Sir Arugal, it's your choice, Peter." He continued.

I gave a quick smirk at Peter who looked quite peeved, "Y-yes well I was just showing Ar- I mean, Sir- I mean..." Peter gulped back his annoyance, a frustrated look starting to appear over his yellow and black striped face. "...Master Arugal, the work that I've done so far. He finally finished, his yellow and black stripes turning a light shade of Cherry.

"Well in that case I'll let you too get on with it." The old Irish Wolfhound said has he walked calmly out of the room. Turning back to Peter my eyes were welcomed with a glare. "You think this is funny don't you, fag. Well let me tell you this, as soon as these three weeks are up, your ass is fucking grass."

"Watch your damn mouth, Mr. or I'll give you detention. It's Sir. Arugal to you - not 'fag'." I grinned slyly, waving my finger at Peter like a teacher does a naughty student, as I flicked through his poor effort of a workbook.

"It looks like we've got a lot of work to do over the next three weeks." I said, closing the workbook shut with a bang. I felt quite good about myself to be honest. I had the feeling that I had the upper hand on Peter and there was nothing he could really do about it, although I didn't want to turn him into a boiling pot, because I knew at some point he would just boil over...

"Yes. We have." The agitated Tiger said through gritted teeth as he handed me over 3 film canisters. "This is most of the practical work that I've done over the semester." Peter said, hanging his head downwards in a somewhat shameful manner as I lead us into the darkroom to begin processing the films.

The smell of chemicals instantly hit my nostrils as the door opened, I quickly scouted around the room looking for any possible trace of me and Todd, and luckily there were none. I started to mix together some chemicals whilst Peter stood awkwardly in the middle of the darkroom, looking rather impatient.

"Ok, I'm guessing you're unfamiliar with processing much film." I said, still grinning slyly. "What makes you think that?!" Peter retorted, disgust evident in his expression. "Just a presumption, I suppose. Switch off the lights." I said as I finished mixing the chemicals.

"Ok, I'm guessing the only way for me to possibly show you this is if I guide your paws, using mine... Are you ok with that?" I asked into the darkness, hearing a disgusted grunt coming from the Tiger.

"You want to touch me!?" Peter replied angrily. "Well, that's the only way that I could possibly teach you how to develop film efficiently, I'll need to guide your fingers to show you where the bumps are to insert-" "Fuck this man, fuck this." I heard Peter say, as blinding sunlight shone through the room with Peters' silhouette disappearing through it and out onto the grassy pathway towards the field.

"Wait!!!" I called, running after him. "Wait, I'm being serious, it's the quickest way to lea-" "Well I'm being serious too, fuck this, and fuck you. I'm not having your faggot-ass paws touching me you damn homo. Fuck you."

Well, that's the obvious thanks I get for trying to help, I wasn't deliberately trying to gross him out or unnerve him - it was just common practice. "Peter - " I started, shortly being cut off.

"Fuck you, with all of your touching my fingers and inserting shit into places and all this bull. Fuck this!!" I struggled to keep up with the Tiger who had now resorted to a slow jog, almost a run - across the field towards the other side of town.

"What about your film, it's ruined now. The sunlight..." I panted, managing to catch up side by side with the athletic Tiger. "Fuck the film, and fuck you, man. So fuck off."

I was getting quite tired by the negative attitude of this guy, I had tried helping him; but he just threw it all back in my face. Sure I was a little smug at first because of the whole 'Sir Arugal' thing, but hey - you get what you give.

"Look, 'man'..." I stopped and shouted, putting emphasis on the word 'man', watching Peter start to disappear in a thicketed grove "...Just because you've got some damn issues, it doesn't mean you should throw your life away!" I shouted, hoping for some sort of response. He stopped in his tracks about 20 yards away, still with his back against me, his tail swishing from side to side angrily.

"Well, I've tried to help you but all you've done is come back with homophobic remarks, and negativity; it's pretty pathetic that you've judged me by my sexuality first, and not because of my character. So, you know what; go and waste your life." Peter continued to walk further towards the thicket.

I decided to make one last stand, I'm not usually one to provoke, certainly not one to provoke Tigers, but in this instant I couldn't resist. "You know what; most Homophobes turn out to be gay in denial anyway!" I teased.

He stopped dead; his tail went rigid as I watched his paws ball up into fists. Muttering something I saw Peter turn around; a look of pure rage in his face as he charged towards me.

"Oof!" I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me, the world turned upside down and shortly after I was greeted by a snarling set of jaws just inches in front of my face.

"Listen up, and listen good, you god-damned homo." He spat, his face wrought with anger and frustration. Personally I was about to retort with the whole - 'That's Sir. Fag - to you, sonny!' - But I thought I would let him explain himself first.

"Firstly; I'm only on this course so that I can qualify for a student loan. Secondly; if you ever even compare me to being like you and your little 'gutter-rat', fag friend, I swear - I'll fu-"

He didn't have enough time to finish his sentence - well, at least - I didn't give him time.

My paw rolled off the outside of his cheek bone with a loud "'Thwack' sound as little spatters of blood spurted out onto the freshly mowed grass. Using the Tigers dazed and confused state as an opportunity I quickly sprang up from underneath him, pouncing on top of him this time as he became conscious.

Digging my thumbs into the side of his neck, I growled into his ear. "If you dare insult Todd again, you'll be losing these." Grabbing a handful of his whiskers with my left paw and tugging on them hard as I watched Peter flinch in pain. An evil smirk started to spread across his muzzle as Peter continued to mouth the words - "Gutter. Rat."

Maybe he didn't think I had the balls to do it, but that was it; I had had enough. With Peter pinned down securely on the grass with my paw around his throat, I plucked a single whisker out of the Tigers cheek.

"Aaagh! S-stop it, p-please!!" He roared in pain as his eyes started to well up with tears. Something had come over me, like a mother lion protecting her cubs - there was just no way I was going to let anyone offend Todd like that, my best friend - the only one who has ever cared for me, the only one who has ever loved me... I had to stand up for him, and myself. I was sick of his insults.

"Then say you're sorry!!" I said, my eyes wild with fury as I pushed my thumb further and further into his neck, grasping another one of the wire-like hairs between my fingers I proceeded to pull upwards again. "Gaaaah!!! N-never!!" Peter protested, tears started to stream down his face. "Say it!!!" I shouted angrily as I pinned the Tiger down to the ground; now resembling more of a squirming kitten, as opposed to the 'King of Beasts'.

"ENOUGH!" a new voice shouted, confused; I squinted and looked upwards. I was shocked as I realized who it was that was running towards us.