A worse time

Story by Isaac Cahn on SoFurry

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#22 of Writing group challenges

hello people of the internet, sorry for being quiet lately. some things happened and stuff has calmed down enough for me to write again. i am getting the hand of doing everything again so expect some more stories soon. as for the format, i am experamenting with it again, so feel free to leave your thoughts about it

This Week's Writing Challenge: It wasn't that bad after all-- it was worse.


"Don't you dare use it Kevin, don't you fucking dare us that blue shell," screamed Kial, the beagal.

"Oh I am fucking doing it," Kevin retorted. The corgi unleashed the power of blue shell on Kial in the lead, putting Kail's driver in the air as other racers drove past him.

"Kevin you fucker. I thought you were my friend."

Kevin face formed into his infamous shit eatting grin, "Fuck off cunt, this is mario kart, there is no freandship, only slaugther."

Siege, the dalmatian, sighed, his brows furrowed, "and here I thought we would have a nice relaxing race, without all the cussing."

Kevin just shrugged, "what do you expect, it's mario kart."

"Well you promised that things wouldn't get heated between the two of you before we started."

Kial shrugged, "what did you expect, it's mario kart." The begal growled in frustration, "I blame you for my loss, Kevin."

The corgi just laugh at the begal, "and that is fine with me."

Siege just sighs and continues with the race, "If I knew this was how you two were going to act, I would have gone with Junior to the wedding."

"Well Junior picked Dante, so you are stuck with us."

The race concluded with none of the three friends in the top three. Kial put down the switch and started to crack his fingers, "so what do you think is happening at the wedding right now?"

"Probably they are at the reception part of the wedding," Kial got up from his seat and stretched his legs, "I'm going to get a beer."

"Can you bring me one too?"

Kial stuck up his middle finger while he turned the corner, "Why? Did you suddenly become a paraplegic?"

"It's your fault I didn't get first place, so it is your atonement for your crimes."

Siege jumped from his seat, "I need to get something from the kitchen as well so I'll bring you one."

"Aw thanks Siege. You're a true friend."

"Yeah, yeah." Siege said as he strode to the kitchen.But before he can get there, an upset saint Bernard slams open the front door.

"Hey Junior how was-"

Without paying much attention to the dalmatian, Junior ran past him and up the stairs, tears already forming in his eyes.

"That was odd."

Before he could think about it anymore, the front door opened again to a slightly disheveled husky. Dante noticed Siege standing in front of him, "Oh! Hey, we're back."

"Oh hey," Siege looks up the stairs, a concerned look on his face, "So did something happen at the wedding? You're back early and Junior ran past me looking really upset."

"I don't blame him, he was barely holding it together on the ride back. I think it's better if we give him space for now."

Kevin walked out from the kitchen holding a beer, "Oh! you're back. How was the wedding?"

Dante shrugged, "it definitely could have been better "

"Ah," Kevin sips his beer, "Was it bad?"

Dante's voice deepened, "Bad is not strong enough of a word to describe it. I would need something much much worse to describe it."

"Clusterfuck?"

"Maybe," Dante took the beer out of Kevin's hand and sipped it.

"My beer."

"Sorry but I want to get buzzed to deal with the bullshit that happened." Dante walked into the kitchen and opening cabinets. Dante started to pull boxes and containers out of the cabinet, before putting them back, all with a disgruntled look on his face.

Siege comes into the kitchen, equally concerned for his friend's behaviour "Was it that bad?"

"Yes," Dante yelled, "It was that bad. Can't you tell?"

Siege body shuddered from the yelling, eyes closed shut. His arms glued to his sides.

Seeing his friend in this state filled Dante with guilt, "Sorry, it just pissed me off. I am not taking it out on you."

Kevin walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, "Look we are worried about Junior as well and want to help but we don't know what happened." he pulled out a couple beers, "So why not just tell us what happened."

Dante sighs, "Since you guys are not going to stop asking, it might be better to keep you in the loop." Dante grabs some bags of chips and closes the cabinet, "Where is Kial?"

"Gaming room."

"Okay," Dante led the way back to the gaming room, seeing Kial lounging on the couch. Dante waited for the other two to sit down before starting.

###( Dante's recount)

It was at the wedding reception. The best man had just finished his speech and everyone was socialising. Junior and I were off to the side. He was looking me over and trying to make me presentable. "Okay, when you meet Sarah. I want you to be polite, Be friendly, and, I cannot stress this enough, do not flirt with the husband when you see him."

I nod, "Yeah yeah, no need to act like my mother or anything."

"Sorry," Junior said sheepishly, "just nervous about it. This is my sister and all. Today is all about her and I don't want to ruin it by having a fuckbuddy acting inappropriately."

"Didn't you pick me because I was the one with the best manners?"

"Well yeah, but you have your moments."

I groan, "Look, I understand that this day is important to you. You stressed it all the way here, I am not going to fuck this up for you."

"You promise?" You should have seen the look he was giving me. It was a mix of pleading eyes and a stink eye.

I give him a peck, "Of course. Now let's see your sister."

Getting to Sarah and her husband took some time. Everyone was excited to talk to the newlyweds and we had to wait over thirty minutes to get our chance. When we got to Sarah she hugged Junior, "hey so glad you can make it."

"Yeah," Junior said, hugging back, "I was able to get some time off to come. Had to make some deals though."

Sahra notices me, "Oh! I remember you. Let me think, you were named after a game character."

I shook my head, "No actually, my parents were bibliophiles. I am named after an author." We shake hands and I start eyeing up her husband. He was a dapper looking pitbull, he easily towered over the saint bernard wife and us. He really didn't smile much, but didn't really look upset either.

Junior reached out nervously, "hey, I think this is the first we meet right? I'm Michael junior, but everyone calls me Junior."

"I know," he said, grasping Junior's hand, "Sarah told me a lot about you." While I looked at the Husband's face, he still had that plain stoic face I saw him with.

"Not a very happy man is he?" I ask.

"No, he's happy alright. It just doesn't show it on his face. His tail on the other hand," Sarah turned his body around for us to see the tail going a mile a minute behind him. I couldn't believe a tail could move so fast. After turning him back, she looked back at her brother, "So Junior, when you told me you would be bringing someone, I thought it would have been a girlfriend."

"Haha, no sadly don't have one," Junior said while avoiding his sister's eyes, "Just keep striking out on my end. Might never get with a girl knowing my luck."

"Oh don't feel bad," Sarah said,the smile she had getting a little bit wider "in fact I believe your luck is about to change."

Junior's body stiffened, "what?! No, no you don't need to do anything Sahra."

"Nonsense," Sarah grabbed Junior's arm, "Since you are both here I might as well introduce you." Sahra pulled Junior away from us, passing through the guests eager to see the new bride.

I followed them through the crowd, a sense of dread growing in me.

Sahra stopped in front of a bridesmaid, a nice looking doberman in a light dress. "So Junior, this is her," Sahra said, "Junior this is Natali. Natali, Junior."

"H-hey," Junior said, obviously uncomfortable with the whole thing. He was not even looking at the doberman, just his sister, "Um Sis, you really don't--"

"It's fine. I showed her some pics of you and she seemed interested in meeting you. So why not get to know each other a bit."

Immediately I knew where this was going. I didn't doubt Sahra had good intentions, but this was not the way to go about it. It was obvious Junior was uncomfortable with the situation. So what better way to help than by being a distraction. So in one of my more daring moves I strode up to the group, wrapping an arm around Junior's neck, "Hey, so it looks like you are having a good time here." I reached out my other hand to the doberman, "Hey there, I'm Dante and you are beautiful. Why don't you and I get a ta--"

Sahra grabbed my hand into a deathgrip. I could almost feel the bones in my hand crack from it. "Dante, a moment of your time," was all she said in an overly sweet tone before dragging me away like she was a parent and I was a disrespectful child. Once we were away from them, she shoved me in front of her, dropping the facade of the blushing bride from a moment ago, "What the hell were you thinking back there?"

"I was trying to help Junior out," I answered, nursing my crushed hand.

"By what, trying to steal Natali away from him? You are supposed to be his friend."

"I am his friend. Couldn't you see how awkward and uncomfortable you made him?"

Her face goes a bit soft, "Look, meeting someone new is hard. I knew how much of a struggle it is for him to go out of his comfort zone to meet new people, I had the same struggles too when I was dating. Sometimes you need someone to push you in the right direction."

I felt exasperated, "okay,one, you do not even know what the right direction for Junior might be. Number two, did you even tell him you were going to do this beforehand?"

"Well I though if i told him he would be against it and--"

Behind us, a loud crash filled the room. "What the hell is your problem?" I heard Junior yell from across the room. We rushed over and saw the doberman girl he was talking to was on the floor, a chair knocked down besides her. Junior was a bit off, almost ready to fight.

"What happened?" Sahra asked.

Before Junior had a chance to speak, Natali spoke first, "Your brother is a psycho. I was only talking to him and he just shoved me out of nowhere."

"Fuck you, don't you play inoccent here," Junior yelled, "Sarah this bitch here-"

"Enough Junior!" Sarah yelled, "I can't believe you would do this!" Tears started to come from her eyes. "I thought I would help you get someone and then you act like this. Why? I don't understand why you are acting this way."

"Sahra let me explain please, this woman-"

"Enough," a loud voice boomed from the husband. Guests parted as the pitbull walked over to Junior. Even though his face looked no different, I could easily tell that he was angry, "I think it is best if you leave now."

All around us, guests watched the scene with judging stares, like it was some sort of drama. Other guests were attending to the girl on the floor. But whatever it was, every eye in that room was glaring daggers at Junior. Like he was scum or something worse. Junior ran out of the reception hall and I followed him out.

When he went to the parking lot, he started to curl into a ball and cry.

(present)

The three other dogs listened intently as the Husky continued, "It wasn't until I got him into the car that he actually told me what happened back there. Seemed that girl Natali kissed and groped him suddenly and that was what got him all upset."

All three of the dogs got a horrifying look on their faces at the revelation. Kial spoke up first, "so he was assaulted at his own sister's wedding and they all turned against him? That is fucked up."

"You're telling me," Dante said, "the drive back was tiring. Even though he just got assaulted, he was more upset that he thought he ruined his sister's wedding. On the way back, when his phone rang, he practically broke down. I never saw him like this before."

Kevin spoke up next, "Well what should we do?"

"I think for now we should give him some space." Siege answered, "He is going through a lot right now and we shouldn't risk making it worse."

Kevin looked a bit upset with that answer, "Still, I don't want to leave him like this,"

"We aren't abandoning him, but he needs space." Dante finished off the beer in his hand and rose up from his seat, "I'm going to get out of this suit and slip into something more comfortable." Dante left the gaming room, leaving behind his three friends in confusion.

As the Husky walked to his room, he stopped on Junior's door and knocked. "Hey," Dante said, "You don't have to answer the door or anything, I just want to say something." He cleared his throat, "I want you to know that we are here for you Junior. You are going through a lot and you are hurt right now. I just want you to know everyone is for you. When you are ready, we'll be waiting." Dante walked away, unsure that his friend heard what he said.

Inside the dark room, the saint Bernard only muttered, "Thank you," before he buried his head back onto his pillows.