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Chapter 8: Swim Away

It's Friday and everybody knows exactly what to do afterward. Hunter finished his morning lectures of technology engineering. He learned that Keanu's basics architectures lecture he takes is mostly on Thursdays afternoon, so he doesn't have classes on Fridays this semester. Which he must be at home or sometimes he's at the library in the computer lounge for research and learning of the classes he's taking.

Hunter arrived at Oasis Boulevard Station at noon and unlike the previous day or yesterdays where he is mostly stuck on the locked door of his apartment by his pestering brother Rylan as he's is still in school at this time. Probably those times he can settle in the house all alone with little stress, but if he decides to stay at the campus with friends to kill time, he'll just be stuck outside the door like usual when his parents aren't around. Boy, it sucks. Because of this, he skipped his workout routine this Friday afternoon before going back home. Gladly, his mother will come back this weekend from Florida while his father continues his investigation there for another week.

The week wasn't as he was expecting like being the man-of-the-house if it wasn't for Rylan messing up with the dinner time. For now, he can lay back on the bed of his half-disorganized bedroom, still roomy spacious and all. He spent an hour taking a nap until waking up at two of the afternoon. He really needed that, all alone in the house and nothing better else to do. Then Keanu came in his mind. _I wonder what's he up to?_He thought.

He never has yet visited his house across the street but doesn't know where his home apartment is. But he does have his phone number. Sent a text if he wants to hang out, he felt a little excited of the though seeing his new friend of two weeks again. They have seen each other in class or at lunch and nothing else. Aside from the whole mop bucket incident.

A little later Keanu called him. "Hey, Keanu!"

"Hi, Hunter, uh, how was class today?" He sounded as if trying to figure out the words.

"Just fine," Hunter said. "Hey, are you up to anything?"

"Well, I'm, uh, I'm at the pool with my cousins. Their school was dismissed earlier at noon and my aunt brought them over and came to see me today. You know I'm sort of alone around the house since Dad is busy around the city and..."

"You know, I might want to join with you along. How about it?"

"Huh? Really? Well... I guess that's okay, but..."

"But what?"

"It's just that, uh, I don't know. Well, you can come and all, so..."

"Guess I'll just come, Keanu. I know you want to see me." Hunter started to tease.

"Uh..." Keanu's voice trails off. He clears his throat. "Just...S-sure! Feel free to come by. I don't mind at all." It sounded like he regained his composure suddenly and considered it forward. "A-and don't forget your swimming clothes."

Hunter hearty chuckles, "Sure thing, buddy. I'll be there in a quick."

"See you soon, Hunter. Bye." Before Keanu could hang up. "Oh, wait! The pool is on the first floor, behind the lobby outdoors, you'll see it eventually."

"Thanks, buddy. I'll see you soon." And that, he hung up.

Hunter stood up from the bed and look on the drawers for a pair of swimming trunks. Then his mind started to analyze, if he leaves the house to Keanu's apartment, then no one is home and at three PM, Rylan will come back home along with Sally and River. Locking the door with the little chain when Hunter is not around, but, of course, Sally and River will open up. Rest assured, Hunter left the apartment and descended down on the elevator. Packed lightly and walked through the pedestrian bridge of Oasis Boulevard Station. Quite of a whim, he already found himself in front of the Starlight Building.

Once inside, the lobby is very welcoming and so as the doorman behind the desk. Hunter asked him where the pool is where he'll meet his friend over. The male human pointed across were two pairs of elevators faced each other and further after, a series of large bay windows faintly shines through must be tainted for protection by the sun rays. Hunter thanks him and walks through the end where automatic doors slide open to reveal what feels like a hotel resort. Rumor has it that the Starlight Plaza Building was originally proposed as a hotel and left the outdoor pool design left unchanged. Palm trees towering above with curves and twists, a gazebo for multi-purposes for events, one waterslide and a small cascade-like fountain coming out from one artificial-looking rock.

In the water were three people swimming by in a corner. Hunter had already spotted Keanu swimming out of the water and sits on the edge of the pool with his indigo-colored trunks. Unlike the other day, Keanu all dirty of the mop, Hunter has a better look of Keanu, a simple small lean body build. The wet fur matted on his skin that reveals the curves of his torso. Keanu regularly goes to the pool a couple of times in his free time, it now has become a routine for him to relax and exercise. He shakes his head to dry off and the young arctic wolf-boy saw Hunter coming by. He waved his hand, "Hey, Hunter." Hunter walks up to him and shakes his wet hand.

"Hi, Keanu, glad that I can join along." He chuckles about earlier, the call. "Everything all right earlier?"

"It was nothing, my cousin was just mocking me when I was calling you." Just on cue, the two other arctic wolves swam up close to Keanu and Hunter. The duo is Jack and Crystal Winters, Keanu's younger cousins. From Hunter's perspective, they are almost pretty lookalike as siblings, but Jack is 15 and Crystal 16, both with dark-brown eyes and obvious hairstyles. Wearing orange and black trunks, Jack's has a messier, mane-like white hair than Keanu's regular groomed hair with bangs hanging above his forehead. Crystal, in a cyan colored two-piece bathing suit, just a long white ponytail.

Jack responded to Keanu's statement. "Hey! I wasn't mocking you! I was checking my teeth if anything was caught in." He excused.

"In this chlorinated pool?" Said Crystal. "You were mocking as if he has a boyfriend; mock kisses."

"Yeah-yeah, whatever. It doesn't bother him at all." Jack said. Hunter glanced at Keanu which the arctic wolf shrugged. Pretty much stating that they are just being siblings.

"Remember what Mom said about Keanu." Crystal warned. "He doesn't take teases very well."

"Oh, cut it out, Crystal. Keanu was going to introduce us."

"You should have thought about that in the first place and ignore Keanu's statement." She remarked.

The pair finally turned to Keanu and Hunter with interest. The young teenage wolves would have been a little intimidated by Hunter's quite large physique, but his friendly smile erases his external impression. Keanu introduces with a gesture, "Hunter, these are my cousins; Jack and Crystal.

"It's a pleasure," Said Crystal.

"How's it going, man." Said Jack.

"And this is my new friend Hunter-Hunter Montana. He lives across the street."

"Nice meeting you both." Hunter greeted.

"Montana? Like Tony Montana from Scarface? Cool!" Jack said.

Hunter laughs and plays along. "You know it! Hahaha!"

"I guess I didn't know that..." Keanu softly spoke but chuckle along. "So, Hunter, uh, why not get yourself change and hang with us?"

"Sure, be right back, guys." Hunter left to what he though was the stall or changing room, it was the shower stall to wash off the chlorine.

While he left, Crystal and Jack turned at Keanu with smirky smiles. "What?" Keanu asked.

Crystal started, "Wow, cuz, you really have..." She blushed, feeling guilty at the temptation of teasing. Trying to cover her muzzle, but lays her fingers under chin and giggled. "Y-you know, you have a lot of standards! I've seen a lot of alphas, but this wolf-dude really takes the cake!"

"Jeez, is that what you have in your mind right now, Crystal?" And here goes Jack's antics of every time Crystal thinks of her dreamy ideal boyfriend. "He's probably gay." Trying to cut her mood.

Crystal crosses her arms with a bored expression, "You wish." She turns to Keanu and asked. "So, how did you met him, Keanu?"

"Umm, we just so happens to take the same train every morning and afternoon to campus," Keanu explained. "And he seems very friendly, so I..." Keanu doesn't know what else to put it in.

"You fell for his charm? That's cute!" Crystal added. Keanu started to redden. "But still, do you know him well?"

"Yeah, it's kind of weird you easily gave in to someone like him," Jack added. The siblings have their way to critique unless Keanu has one solid remark that could hold still their doubts.

"It's nothing like that, he's really friendly." Keanu started and defend. "He was nice enough to introduce his friends and they all seem very fond of me. I even spent a weekend with them at Hunter's house and..." He paused; his relatives are fully aware of his orientation. "I openly came out to them and that's how..."

"Woah, cuz." Jack interrupted him as he was stunned. "Mom was right, you really have changed."

Keanu quieted but Crystal had an idea of insight. "You made news friends in a few weeks and openly talked about yourself being gay and all? That's really ambitious of you, cuz. Aren't you rushing it all?"

Keanu shrugged, "It didn't felt that rushed to me at all."

"Oh, I see." Crystal said. "It's hard for me to remember how I met my new friends when I started middle school. All I know it all occurred in one month."

"Yeah, I remember that time..." Jack statement was then cut in.

"Wait!" Crystal interrupted.

"Hey, I was about to say something."

"Sorry, but I remember you interrupting him what he was about to say."

"What I was about to say?" Keanu confused.

"About how you openly came out and something else you were about to say."

"Oh!" Keanu quickly catches up. "That I found out Hunter was..."

"Guys, I'm ready!" Hunter walks to the three in just only his green trunks...

When Keanu automatically turned at Hunter as he comes by, it hit Keanu to realize that he was going to join them along. It gave him a small sense of excitement. Hunter was, again, only his trunks, nothing else above. The natural colors of brown and white fur fit well along his visible green-eyes. Last but not least, his body build was...extraordinary. An average athletic build, slim and muscular with every curve visible at the naked eye. Rippling slightly as he walks. It was enough for Jack to envy the ideal body build he was working on, he's trying out for sports, but if he doesn't click any of them, he might as well hit the gym and do some liftings.

"Bro, do you lift?" Jack had to say it.

Hunter smiles with hands on his waist, "Hehe, three times a week."

"I was thinking of doing some bodybuilding, but school is really a pain." Jack groaned at the last sentence.

"Then try doing some push-ups and sit-ups every morning and before bed," Hunter suggested.

"He has a bad sleeping habit every morning." Crystal said. "Playing online games until midnight on a school night."

"Ugh, stop calling me lazy indirectly."

"Well, if you want a body-build like Hunter's, you should adapt and change those customs you're bearing on." Crystal is still cross-armed. "Keanu, here, took the opportunity to swim routinely in this pool."

"Alright, alright! I get it!" Jack cut in. "Stop acting like a mom and act more like a sister."

"Then act like a brother to me then."

"I'm already good at it!" He crosses his arms. "You just don't know it."

Keanu rolled his eyes at the two, and Hunter finds this pretty funny. Hunter's youngest brother, River, tends to be all energetic and carefree without any of the consequences that their older siblings worry of like how he dealt his first day in high-school as a freshman.

The four join along swimming the pool when no one is around. In fact, the outdoor pool is mostly empty except on the weekends, mostly children and sometimes on occasions a birthday party of someone. A little later, the four sat around on a submerged booth made of concrete with a table standing nicely above water with the tabletop decorated in mosaic. Keanu sat there quietly as he just listens Hunter's chatting with his cousins.

"So, you guys go to Rexville High School?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, I'm in tenth grade," Jack replied.

"Eleventh grade." Crystal followed. "Reason why?"

"My brothers and sister are in the same school," Hunter remarked. "Have you met them by chance? Their names are Rylan, Sally, and River."

"River?" Jack reacted curiously. Then again, he sure does look a lot like Hunter, but older. "I think he's in math class with me."

"I think there's a Sally in history class." Crystal remarked. "And Rylan? Well, I don't think he's in our classes."

"Same here, is he in another grade?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, he's in twelfth grade, so..." Hunter shrugged. He then turned the quiet Keanu who was listening. "Keanu, did you graduated in Rexville High?"

Keanu shook his head. "No, I graduated from Little Lake High, after that, I moved here."

"Ah, right, I forgot."

"Almost half of our family moved here during the summer," Keanu stated. "Dad for the police career, my uncles' new business café and, soon, Uncle Klaus and Aunt Rachel will join along by Thanksgiving."

"Aw, can wait to see our baby cousin!" Crystal mused. "She's one year old now, can you believe it?"

"Yeah, she is..." Keanu was enthusiastic, but the voice felt a little low. "Is Jennifer, right?"

"Yeah," Jack assured. "I remember that time when you rejected the first name option when she was born while you were at the hospital." Keanu's heart was beating at where this was going.

"Polaris, is it?" Crystal recalled.

"Yeah, Uncle Klaus wanted to name her after the North Star, but Keanu objected," Jack added.

Hunter curiously asked. "Why you rejected a name against your uncles' will?"

"No reasons." Keanu quickly responded. The cousins saw this very strangely.

Crystal decided to fill it up to Hunter. "Well, you see, Hunter, our baby cousin Jennifer was born at the time when Keanu was hospitalized after-"

Keanu stood up from the water and interrupted Crystal with a serious tone of voice. "After I fell down some stairs back home and hurt my back." Crystal and Jack quieted. Keanu continued with crossed arms, not looking at the three, "But I'm better now. Can we please change the subject?"

Hunter observed this and he felt left out why he rejected the beautiful name of a star. He glanced at Crystal and Jack with confusion and seem as if they were tasked to not to talk about it. In his mind, he felt Keanu was lying and possibly denying something like as if it was untrue and exaggerated. But this was killing the good mood for everyone in the pool. Hunter assumes he was not ready to talk about personal issues, it's best to leave them be for the time being.

"It's okay, Keanu." Hunter stands up with one hand on his shoulder to calm him down, he sensed he could erupt at any moment. "If it's too personal, then let's not talk about it, okay?" Keanu took a good lungful of fresh breath. He calms freshly down and looks up to him in the eye.

"Thank you for understanding." Keanu soft calmed voice came back. Hunter smiled at him.

"Big brother material." Crystal whispered to Jack. "He really needs someone like him in his life."

"No kidding, Sis," Jack whispered back. "Remember that time he went berserk and screamed at Aunt Jodie for..." His voice shifts to normal as he smelt something very alluring to say; "Do I smell apple and cinnamon?"

Keanu and Hunter turned at Jack's curious question, they too smelt a fresh scent of apple and cinnamon. Keanu stated with intrigue, but still composed, "Is Aunt Sophia making a pie?"

The siblings hold up for one second until they suddenly in a swift, they left out of the pool and shaking their body to dry off their soaked fur. Lagging Hunter and Keanu still standing in the water and the two are drying off with their towels.

"What's with them?" Hunter asked Keanu.

"My aunt is making a pie. These two cannot miss it."

"Is it that good?"

"Yeah. Fresh from the oven."

The wolves dried off and put back their clothes on before going back to the apartment eight floor. Keanu and Hunter can tell that Jack is obsessed with his mother's homemade pies as his tails wag receiving from his nostrils. Upon arriving at the Winters' residence, Keanu opens the door. They all entered the living room where the kitchen is adjacent along. On the four-seat dining table was a fresh-from-the-oven homemade pie; the culprit of the aroma.

"Back already?" It was Sophia Winters coming from the kitchen with an unstained apron. "You kids got here on time!" As she made to the four and noticed the extra guest, she calmly welcomes him. "Oh, hello. You must be Keanu's friend?"

"Yeah, I'm Hunter. You must be Keanu's mother. It's a pleasure."

"What? Oh no, I'm his aunt and those two are my kids." Sophia remarked.

"Oh!" Hunter blushed his mistake. "Sorry, my bad." He rubs the back of his head embarrassed. Must be the customs, but he must have said it somewhat automatically. Or he was just mistaken.

"It's alright. I'm just coming by to see Keanu once in a while as his father is out working." Sophia said.

"Did you know Keanu's dad is a cop?" Jack began.

"Yeah, I've met him the other day before."

"He's so glaring with those hypnotic eyes that scares any criminal in this city. He's one cool uncle I could ever have!" Jack said with enthusiasm.

Hunter remembers, Jack just gave him an accurate description when he first saw him at the station yesterday. The sunglasses, his tough-looking appearance, and the uniform that screams authority. Hunter admits he's one intense looking wolf-man unlike his father's role at the NTSB where he investigates transportation disasters.

So, aside to that, Hunter turned at Jack. "So, you want to be a policeman?"

"Hell yeah!" Jack beamed. "After high school, I'll join the Police Academy!"

"I'll appreciate if you go to college first, young man." His mother said as she inserts another fully prepared, unbaked pie into the heated oven. She set up the timer and let it wait. "So, who wants some slice of fresh pie?"

The sight was like a healthy family gathering to Hunter's point of view. Keanu chats so well with his younger cousins no matter how annoying they are and teasing-some they are. They are family after all. The pie he was eating was delicious, the popular flavor of apple and cinnamon was to die for. The latter kept on hanging out together playing video games at the living room until it was time for Hunter to go back home.

At the University's dorms on a quiet Friday afternoon, Xavier relaxes his dormitory while Sergio is out there with his next pranking segment. He said something about a foot-long cockroach with wheels that will scare the fellow students when nearing a bush or something, he'll see a video about it soon. The door knocks and Xavier normally answers it with no hesitation without thinking who it is.

In front of him was Broderick Wood the reindeer. With an unintended smug of a smile, he greeted him in Spanish. "Que tal, Xavier?"

Xavier wantedhim to cut it out, but he's just enjoying his new-found talent on speaking a foreign language as Xavier does with his English. However, the parrot spoke in English. "What is it, Broderick?"

"Listen, about last soccer practice."

"Yeah?"

"As much as I like you being on the team, Sol has his doubts about you." Broderick rubs the back of his head.

"Try me." As usual, Xavier facial-less face reacted, but it seems he was expecting that from Sol.

Broderick mentally felt he was taken aback of his reaction, but he was taking it very maturely. And challenging. Is he mad or what? He thought. "He...he wants you to be the goalkeeper."

His crossed arms and leaning on the door frame were replaced by standing still and letting go of his posture with eyes of disbelief and arms dropped from his folded form. This time, Broderick actually read his expression he was expecting to. "Goalkeeper?"

"Y-yeah, Sol thinks you should-"

"Pero como se atreve ese leopardo a ponerme en una posición tan desafiante?!" Xavier shouted him. How does that leopard dare to put him into such a challenging position?

Broderick quickly translated his statement before Xavier could recompose himself to say it again in English. He replied, "I don't know! Sol and the Captain seem to try giving you some serious training."

"By putting me in front of the net? Is he trying to get rid of me?"

"It's the Captain's choice, not Sol's. W-well, then again, I think it was Sol's idea to convince the Captain." Broderick lays his balled fist under his chin.

Xavier remained still, but his heart is beating fast of terror. "I just joined the club to fulfill my dreams, but being a goalkeeper? I mean... Why me?"

"I know what you mean, and others have questioned about it since you're just a new-comer."

"What about Coach Soto? Does she knows?"

Broderick nodded. "They are talking about this, you might want to give it a go, you know."

Xavier breathed. "So, when's the upcoming game?"

"By the start of October. There's plenty of training ahead for you. We're playing against NorCal University: The West Coasters." Broderick snickered, recalling the mascot as a walking palm tree-man with a big coconut as the head with four leaves of the palm tree as hair. The worst mascot of all in California.

"Well, if Sol wants to get rid of me, might as well give him a lesson. I'm tired of being underestimated."

Broderick smiled, "That's the spirit!"

"And by giving him a lesson, I should get the training I need on how to catch the ball from getting into the net." Xavier paused for a quick thought. "Say, who's the current goalie?"

"Wendell Briggs, remember? Number 45? Human?"

Xavier snapped his fingers as he remembers. "Ah, right!"

"He and I are gonna train you before Sol and Spicer test your skills. You better be really agile when trying to catch the ball."

"Do you think I can be agile?"

"Yeah, I've seen you dancing on those arcade games on Facebook."

"Oh, God! You really saw those old videos!?"

Broderick smiled, "That's enough to be convinced that you're agile enough to be a goalie."

"Don't tell me you had shown that to Sol and Spicer? That's hardly proof of my skills!"

"Sol think it is."

"Now I'm doubting Sol's mindset of hindsight. Is he a nut-head!?"

"You haven't been around too much with Sol, have you? He's got some intellectual knowledge on how to deal with his players."

"And I'm one of them, is it?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow morning for our training as a goalie. Okay?"

"Sure, let me know." After saying goodbye, Xavier closes the door and slumps back on his bed. Everything must turn into huge changes; he's been tasked as goalie for the upcoming games next month. This is where he can say now that shit has gone real!

After football practice, the players settled down in the locker room as Xerxes Windsor the dragon steps ahead to finish his shower and searches through the other players changing through the aisles to find the peculiar ferret-man finishing changing to his casual clothes. Xerxes, in all his behavior, turns serious at him. "Hey, Terrence, me and coach have a word with ya."

The ferret raised an eyebrow, and he was just giving him the cold shoulder at the dragon. "Uh-huh, really? What's this about?"

"You know what you did to that fox-boy and that was not cool."

"That?" He snorted. "That was just an accident."

"Oh, really? Well, let's go to Coach's office and see what he thinks of this." Xerxes ended.

At the office, Coach Herrington, a 40-year-old ram-man shows a security camera video footage that recorded the lobby incident at the library. Much to Terrence dismay that there are video cameras everywhere at the campus, including "palm-cams". Not everyone will be standing by and record by their phones.

"This is unacceptable, Browne!" Said Coach Herrington. "You should've known better."

Terrence sits in front of his desk and watching the video with his arms crossed, heavily disinterested. He knows he's ashamed internally as he saw the poor wolf-boy getting drenched by mop water but remained his stoic composure. Xerxes was in shocked when he saw Keanu in the video like the infamous scene of Carrie getting splashed with blood at the prom.

The ram-man continues, "I don't know what was your call, Browne? Kicking laboring staffs' property is beyond no reason to be angry about it. What you have got to say for yourself? Look at yourself in the video! Is that really yourself, walking away from your problems?" He gestures the laptop screen and sees himself leaving the building without any assistance. "That's hit-and-run right there! He could have been hurt if that bucket fell on top of him."

Terrence said nothing. "For the time being, Browne, I should suspend you the next game in October."

Terrence reacted and jumped up from his seat. "What!"

"And this is your first warming, Browne! Another stunt like that you could get expelled out the university. Better maintain your ego out of the way from hurting others. Am I myself clear?"

Terrence said it immediately. "Yes, sir."

"Good. You're now dismissed." Terrence mutters under his breath as he leaves his office.

He stops for a second next to Xerxes and spoke between teeth. "I thought you were my friend here."

"Sorry, pal. I have a conscience to keep clear," said Xerxes.

"Humph." He walked away and left the office.

Just as he leaves, he passed by an approaching red-tailed hawk-man, who had just changed back to his normal clothes, towards Xerxes. "Xerxes, huh, mind if I have a word?" His accent is really off, it's not really his first langue and his accent felt similar to that of Xavier's.

"Sure, Julio, what is it?"

"By..." He tries to think about how to phrase it. "Eh, by any change y-you're friends with a parrot?"

"Xavier?" Xerxes picked it up. "Do you know him?"

"Sort of... I think." He wondered. "Do you think you can...uh..." He murmurs himself and rubs the back of his head.

"You want me to get him?"

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow."

"I can get you to his dorm if you like?"

"Yes, thank you. That'll be useful."

"No problem, but do you know him?"

"Well...let's just say...uh..." He translates his mind. "He was 'friends' with my sister."