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So here's the latest of the "The _ of _" series, also known as Spilt Milk.

Yes there is a lot of narrative in this one so it's become a two-part thing due to this part being longer than the entire second chapter already. I'll do part two as soon as possible so sit tight. Also most of this seems redundant, and maybe it is but I'm really getting into this little bubble of a world I've created so endure this for me and I'll suitably reward you all (wink wink).

Oh and as always, if you're traumatised by this, please go away or at least be quiet about it.

---

Rob:

"Li-Ber-Rate your mind!" was the first thing Rob heard that morning.

'Seven-thirty... The work of the devil if you ask me' was the first thought; the first action was to knock off Disturbed, which was blaring from his alarm clock on his mobile phone and dissolution was the first emotion. This was a run-of the mill Wednesday morning for the Seventeen year old Tiger who got up and got dressed in the silence of his own company because he was too groggy to realise he forgot to turn his radio on.

Throwing on some baggy, black jeans, a black shirt with a white pentagram done in a tribal fashion and his black skate shoes, he went down to the kitchen. "'Morning Rob" came the too-cheerful-at-this-time-to-be-legal greeting from his mother, Grace.

"Uhhhrohahhh" came the incomprehensible response from Rob while he poured his cereal into a bowl, not even realizing that half of it was missing it's target and spilling onto the counter-top.

"What, or should I say who, were you doing last night?" teased Grace, shooing him to the table and making breakfast for him before she had to add "clean kitchen" to her things to do before she goes to work list.

"I don't know" was the, more alert, response "but it seems it was quite vigorous, judging from the way I feel".

"Well I told you, you shouldn't be bringing strange boys into the house late at night". Rob's only response to this was a tired half-smile. His mom had won, again; but she had many more years practise at this sort of thing than he did.

Inspiration then struck him, "well you shouldn't of made me this attractive then". 'Point to me' was what ran through his head.

"Well sorry but that was a rather steamy night of passion, you have it to blame".

"Ewww" was what he said externally, 'AAAAGGGGHHHHH! Gross' was what he screamed internally.

Rob's fatigue actually came from staying up late at night and just listening to his music. Truth was that he hadn't even considered another girlfriend since he moved a couple of months ago. Before the, he had one afternoon of sex with his neighbour, and child-hood friend, Stacy. This didn't exactly end well at all, with Stacy cheating on him with her close friend's brother. Although Rob admitted that he wasn't really being attentive at the time due to the fact that he was so wrapped up in moving when his mother reminded him of the fact the night after that faithful autumn afternoon. He heard that Stacy got with Duane, the brother, after a month of Rob's departure; and he was genuinely happy for them, his anger being suppressed at the need to have his half-sister be there for him during the stressful period of fitting into a new town.

He didn't know Duane that well but he had heard that he was a star-athlete who was the very definition of "promiscuous" but also was a good, and willing, tutor for kids struggling in their high-school. The combination of those facts never did make sense to Rob but resolved that if "spirit-metre-level" Stacy thought he was a good guy, then who was he to argue?

As he was leaving his house, he got a text of Stacy, which was weird because it was pretty early in the morning to strike up a conversation.

"W.U.S.B?", it read, "jst reminding u th@ my 17th party is next week, pls pls PLS come to it! :) :) <3 <3"

Rob replied: "Yeah, def goin, jst askin peeps wer can I stay"

"Idiot, @ mine, y are you so stupid atm? :P"

"LOL, D not giving you a present?"

"He will ;) but haven't seen u in ages!!!!! I want my friend bak more :("

"Awww sop-face :P"

"Shut it or u're in the bak-yard 4 the night"

"Yes ma'am, ttyl, skool soon :("

"bye <3"

Putting away his phone as he walked down the street, he ran into one of his school friends, Paul who was a lion who was wearing a red shirt, faded blue jeans and a leather trench-coat. Paul was weird in the sense that he dreaded his mane as well as dying it black with a shock of red along the centre. "Yo man, what's going on?" he asked as he fell in step with Rob.

"I just got a text from my ex to go to her birthday, I'm staying at her's for the night apparently."

"You going then?"

"Yeah, I mean, I knew her before I knew myself. She's a very good friend."

"Hoping you'll rekindle something?"

"Nah, she's with someone, jock type."

"I hate him already". Rob smiled at this. Paul was one hell of a Metal-head. He passive aggressive to everyone he was either friends with or outright aggressive to anyone he hated (everyone who wasn't his friend). He did nothing much except played his guitar and said nothing much save the odd witticism about how anything non-metal was not worth living for. Despite all this, it was hard not to like him. He was genuinely funny at times and was loyal to the core; a best friend in a group of best friends.

"So, what's new with you?" Rob queried.

"Nothin'"

"Right on" Rob replied with a sigh, but he wasn't surprised. If Paul's house were to burn down, he'd still say there was nothing worth mentioning in his life. The two continued in silence down the road.

Rob ran into Paul after a week of being in his new school. Nothing but noticeable in crowd, Rob went over to him during lunch and asked him about the sanity of wearing a black trench-coat, ever. Paul's only response was to stand up and punch Rob. The two got into a fight that landed them both into detention. A few months later, and they've been good friends ever since that day.

During this time, they've gathered a small bunch of Metal-oriented freaks and weirdoes to hang out with. One of whom was standing outside the school wall as he scrawled some pseudo-obscenity on the wall with a marker. "'Sup twitch?" Rob greeted the hyena which made him jump out of his skin.

"R-R-Rob, heh-ha- uh, heh wh-whur-what are you doing here?" came the jumpy reply. Twitch was... well, Twitch. He constantly stammered and laughed nervously at anything, even an empty can. Twitch was a Punker, All ripped clothes and safety-pin piercings, when not in school. He dyed the Mohawk trademark of his species an obnoxious green, much to the chagrin of the school faculty. Twitch always was doing petty "crimes" in order to get back at the "man", such like now where the wall boldly claimed that "Ms. Golding has got my knot in her knickers". Despite this pettiness and his seemingly nervous disposition, Twitch never backs down from a challenge, or a fight; and so he is the master of "Twitch's Paradox" in which the weedy-looking coward will be the first to attack an aggressor or do something stupid.

"Sometimes, Twitch, I ask myself the same thing. Come on, dude, class-time".

During lunch, the usual crowd were sitting at a table in cafeteria. Today's discussion was how Rob should re-bed Stacy.

"Seriously right, think about it right", Garbled Greg, the verbal-diarrhoea Panther (to his friends), "if you ride her again, she'll be reminded what she's missing and then every time you go back to visit she'll be dying for Little Robbie so much right, she'll do anything you want. It's a long-term investment. Am I right?"

"Nah, she'll just sneak around behind him when he's not there" jumped in Marv, a serpent who's forked tongue usually speared him nothing but aggression from those around him, "seems to me that she has commitment issues already so it's probably best to ask for your fantasies from the off and then work on a compromise, it's not the whole hog, no offence Sid, but it's the best outcome."

"I swear, one more Pig-joke from you, wind-sock, and I'll..." grunted the disgruntled Sid the Swine (his own name).

Rob let all this wash over him, there was no point in disagreeing, or even agreeing, to what was being said. He'd still hear everyone's theories and suggestions whether he said he'd do none, one or all of them. Growing tired of the berating of his closest friend, he got up and said "sorry guys, I've got to go to the Tinkle-Dinkle ha-ha Room".

"Oh, Stacy" Moaned Marv "give her one for me man".

"A hee, a hee, a hee hee, ahh..." Rob left the group before Twitch got something tangible out and made his way to the bathroom. After, he wandered around the halls until he came across his next classroom, entered, sat down in a chair, put his feet on the desk and promptly fell asleep.

At the end of the day, Paul was waiting for Rob at the gate. The two started off home in silence until Paul broke the silence. "You know, they may have been retarded plans by themselves but put them together and there's a good idea once you cut the crap."

"Yeah I know but that's past man, gotta look to here and all you know?"

"Love isn't geographical"

"Deep"

"What I mean is, it ended so quick maybe it's still there"

"Most likely it is, but what's the point, she's with the jock, I'm here, she's a cheerleader in all but pom-poms, I'm a metal-head, we're talking Romeo and Juliette stuff here, man"

"Love conquers all"

"And what does one afternoon of awkward sex conquer?"

"Some, but not many"

"..."

"They were only trying to help"

"They're mainly taking a dig at me"

"It's what all guys do, you're no better"

"I don't like my own medicine; it's why I give it to others"

"Don't give out what you can't take yourself"

"Are you becoming a dad? Seriously, I feel like I should ask can I go out and play with my friends"

Before Paul could answer, a white paw grabbed Rob's arm. "Sorry but you dropped your wallet" was the timid explanation. The voice came from a stunning looking white mouse who was dressed in a sensible white blouse, and black skirt.

"Oh crap, thanks. Jeez I really owe you one there" was the grateful response.

"Think nothing of it. I know I'd be really upset if I lost my purse."

Rob smiled at this and re-pocketed his wallet. As he turned to resume walking the white paw grabbed his arm again. "Wait! I mean... my name is Sarah... it's nice to meet you..."

"Rob; and this is Paul" Paul nodded his head in greeting.

"Hello Rob, Paul. I'm... uh... going this way as well, do you mind if I walk with you? I'm only the next block over."

"Sure, hell, if I drop my wallet again at least I know you'll be there to tell me what a ditz I am." He replied and the three went set off together.

A little further down the road, Sarah piped up "um you two aren't Satanists right?"

Rob quickly looked at Paul to make sure this new companion was going to be introduced to his fist but, surprisingly, he kept his composure and made no indication of annoyance; "Nope, atheists, best afterlife out of any option."

"Why do you say that?"

"Nothing to hope for so no disappointments" grinned Rob while he internally made a memo to find better quips somewhere, anywhere! The joke's so old it's downright corny these days, but he couldn't help it if he liked it and it did get a laugh out of Sarah, albeit in an 'I'm not sure if it's ok to laugh at that' sort of way.

Very soon after, Sarah declared that they had arrived at her house and waved goodbye to the two males who then continued down the road but not before Rob stared, hypnotized, at Sarah's rear as is made its way to the door. This sudden act of perversion wasn't lost on Paul who commented in his usual blunt demeanour "she's cute".

"Yeah, man" replied Rob after shaking himself back to reality "still though, she seems like the straight type, I'm probably one of those guys that her parents warned her against. You know, being a 'Satanist' and all."

"True but no harm in giving it a shot"

With these tantalising words hanging in the air for the rest of their journey in the air; Paul soon left Rob to his own thoughts as he left to walk down his own street. 'Sarah", mused Rob, pining for this latest crush 'if only...'

The next day Rob caught Sarah's eye and waved to her as she barrelled down the school hall. The only response was for this new acquaintance to brush past him quickly with a envelope in hand which she dropped in front of the confused Tiger as she pushed past him; the fur on her face a shade of light pink as opposed to her previous white. Rob picked up the letter and called out to it's previous owner before reading the front and realising it was addressed to him. It had "Rob" blazed across it in a very elaborate cursive script with the ring of the 'b' shaped like a heart.

Rob, hoping against hope, opened the letter and read:

Rob, a lot of this may not make sense but I'm writing this off the top of my head. I'll try my best to get my thought together so you can understand them.

Dearest Rob, we have only talked yesterday and you may only known me since then, maybe only known of me since then, but I've seen you many times. Every day when I wake up, I make sure to do it a bit later so I'm always a couple of minutes behind you whenever I can, and the same with leaving school, just so I can see you, laugh at the jokes you make with your friends and learn everything I can about you.

When I sit down to lunch, I always sit in the best spot to look at you from across the room and bask in the warmth of your smile. I know this makes me sound like I'm a stalker and that you should avoid me but please don't.

The reason I do this is because I'm shy, and was scared that you wouldn't like me. You and your friends dress and act so differently to the way my friends and I act. If I were to go over to your table, I'd know your friends would laugh at me and that you would tell me to go away. I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to ruin what little chance I have dreamed I've had for so long.

So when, yesterday, you dropped your wallet and gave it back to you. I knew I had to say something and when you thanked me so generously, I felt so heartened that you did not simply brushed me off when so many others would. Then when you said I could walk with you and Paul I was so happy! I didn't know what to say which is why I didn't say anything. But then I felt silly and then I asked the first thing that came to my head. It was the worst thing ever, I not only potentially insulted your beliefs but I asked a really personal question. But you didn't mind and just made a joke. But that joke was different. It was for me! I heard one of your jokes for no-one but me it was too much to bear which is why I rushed off home. Now that I'm writing this letter, I now know how childish I looked.

Rob, what I'm trying to say is that I like you, I have for quite a while but I didn't know how to tell you. You don't need to do anything about this letter, if you ignore it and throw it away (which I won't blame you for) then I promise I'll stop following you. I'll know we were not to be and that I was stupid to think differently.

_Yours truly,

Sarah. xxxx_

'Wow' is all that ran through Rob's head as he finished the letter. As the bell rang, he quickly pocketed the letter and made his way to his first class. But not before promising himself to find the author of the document after school.

To be continued...