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This is a chapter I put a lot of heart into, and it ended up it's going to be at least two parts. I have DNide4Evr to thank for the main plot theme behind this one, and I threw in someone new that at first was just a pawn for my literary abuse, but mayhap will become something more. You'll see who he is by the end. So give me your feedback, people!

Chapter VIII--Red Sunrise

_Here you sit on your high-backed chair

Wonder how the view is from there

I wouldn't know 'cause I like to sit

Upon the floor, yeah upon the floor

If you like we could play a game

Let's pretend that we are the same

But you will have to look much closer

Than you do, closer than you do_

_And I'm far too tired to stay here anymore

And I don't care what you think anyway

'Cause I think you were wrong about me

Yeah what if you were, what if you were_

-Emilie Autumn, "What If"

The month of September had come and passed, along with the first social dance that Luca had asked Zee about so many days before. But Homecoming was yet to arrive, and already people were whispering about the newfound couple of Zee Polaski and Luca Reingold as being part of the Homecoming court. They were sophomores, true, but that made them eligible to be the Duke and Duchess.

"Come on, just let me run us on the ballot," Luca whined, hanging off of Zee's arm as they walked down the hallway towards the locker rooms. It was yet another practice day. Zee seemed more tense and aggravated lately. Luca knew it was because his chest actually developed slightly. Now instead of the flat chest he'd achieved from over-running himself all the time, he swore they'd turned into mosquito bites at the least. For over a week, Luca has had to keep telling her boyfriend he did not have noticeable tits (and you thought your relationship had issues).

"No, for the last time, babe. I don't want to run for court. It's too much of a risk."

"How is it a risk? It's not like anyone even suspects us of being you-know-whats. We'd have to flash the whole audience for them to realize."

Zee sighed, stopping right outside the door to the boys' locker rooms. "Fine, if it'll make you happy, I'll do it. But don't expect my help in the campaign," he said.

Luca hopped up and threw her arms around Zee, kissing him softly on the lips. "No worries, baby, I'll take care of everything. You won't have to worry about a thing."

The following few weeks leading into late October became a maelstrom of activity. Beccah had given up on pestering Zee about hooking her up with one of her track buddies and enlisted some hyena boy of moderate attractiveness from the Honors Society. He was meek and spineless, so naturally Rebeccah picked him out so that she wouldn't have much trouble. Beccah instead threw herself behind the campaign for Luca and Zee to be on the royal court, swearing to Luca she'd give her a run for her money when it came time for the Prince and Princess campaign.

When election time finally rolled around, the race was close. There were three couples running, including Luca and Zee. One pair had committed campaign suicide when they were each caught messing around with other people on the side, but the other consisted of arguably the most popular sophomore couple in the school, Pamela and Alex. It was no coincidence they were also the spawn of two of the richest families in the area. Pamela was a Doberman female with a regal stature that hinted at her distant relationship to the English crown. Alex was a Siberian tiger that was built like a brick wall and was the star quarterback. His family consisted of former Soviets who fled the Iron Curtain and made a killing in the industrial Midwest, mysteriously selling out their assets right before the decline of American automobiles. Now, nobody really knew where his family had their money spread, they just knew they had it.

Luca sighed, sitting down on the bleachers with a heavy thump on a damp Thursday afternoon. She had a clip board that seemed to have as many checks for her and Zee as Pamela and Alex. "It's going to be close," she said to Beccah. Hyata and Ellie weren't around this day, having some DECA meeting to attend on Thursdays. Luca eyed Zee with the slightest glint of apprehension. Naturally, Beccah picked up on it like a hawk with its prey.

"What's the deal? You and Zee fighting?"

"No... he's just distant lately. Trying so hard to work out more and more. Says his body is getting too soft, thinks that relentless working-out is going to keep the boobs and girl hormones away."

"There might be some logic in that."

"That's not the point. So what if he manages to trick his body into producing too much testosterone or burning up all the fat that would have gone into breast development? I want my man back. I love Zee, not some running machine."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"I've tried, but he starts to obsess about keeping his body under control every time I even hint at it. I'm afraid just by talking about it I'm making him worse."

"Well maybe he just needs to be reminded just how special you are," Beccah said with a devious smirk.

Luca raised an eyebrow at her. She knew that look all too well. "You intend to share."

"I prefer to retain some mystery in my devious plans."

"Bitch."

"You know it," Rebeccah giggled.

It was worth the wait to find out what Rebeccah hand planned, though. Luca and Beccah, like any good high school girl, were playing hooky from school to spend the day getting ready for the Homecoming dance. Upon seeing just where Beccah planned to bring her, Luca gasped and tried to pull away. Rebeccah held her fast.

"What are you doing?" Luca hissed. "I can't afford Garren!"

"Chill out," Beccah said, pulling Luca along. "My aunt works here. She got us the hookup," Beccah reassured.

"We're getting free makeovers from Garren?"

"Well... not free. But cheap, I swear," Beccah said reassuringly. "Now come on. These people have had their hands in the hair of some of the greatest furres of all time!"

Luca was convinced, and so they went. Luxuriously pampered in the mezzanine level of the Netherland Hotel, the girls let the hours while away as they were treated and pampered from head to toe, several staff members making them go from beautiful to absolutely stunning. It was unlike anything Luca even dreamed of, and nobody seemed to question the fact she was transgendered. She wondered just how often these professionals saw such a thing.

By the time the pair walked out, they looked more like celebrity debutants rather than high school sophomores. Walking down the street, they drew nearly every male eye that happened to catch view of them. When Luca's father pulled up to pick them up from 5th Ave, he seemed just as stunned as everyone else. Luca had been given "the Taylor Swift," which involved the relaxing of her curly auburn locks until they were wavy, then it was loosely tied back, allowing several strands to fall forward and around her face, framing her features. Dark black eyeliner was used to frame her eyes, and her lashes were extended impeccably. Her whole face had been lightly powdered with a careful touch to diminish her gray fur to a lighter shade. Her characteristically long, floppy ears had been bound in front of her chest, but shifted back so that much of their weight rested on her shoulders. Altogether, it gave her a look that was not only stunningly beautiful but wonderfully relaxed. Randal almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her settle in the back seat.

"Well you two look... gorgeous," he said with a laugh. Driving off, Luca leaned over to Beccah and whispered gently.

"So, when do we tell our parents that the 'discounted price' was still more expensive than any salon trip we've had in our entire lives?"

"After the dance," Beccah said, then placed a finger over her lips. Not a word.

Luca nodded, and the pair giggled. Randal drove on in blissful ignorance of what his daughter just dropped on his credit account.

At Luca's house, the girls got dressed and prepped. It didn't seem like long before Zee and Beccah's date showed up. Zee's family had been kind enough to rent him a limo, so Zee invited Rebeccah and Harold along too. Having picked up the two boys, the driver now idled out in front of Luca's house. When Susanne answered the door, she put a hand to her chest. "What handsome young men you two make," she said pleasantly. "The girls will be down in a minute. Come on in and sit down."

In the living room, Zee found himself just as uncomfortable as he always felt when under Randal's scrutiny. He hated the way Luca's father looked at him, as if he were some freak of nature. If only he knew Zee thought to himself, and gave a quiet little smirk that he quickly hid by staring down at his lap.

"So, Harold," Randal finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had previously only been filled by the ticking of the clock over the fire place. The numbers were all written in Hebrew, and the 12 mark was the Star of David. "How do you know everyone?"

"Well I work with Rebeccah a lot for tutoring. At least I used to. When she met Luca she needed me less and less. Luca's really smart. We've been trying to get her to join the Honors Society."

Zee raised a brow at Harold, wondering at the tone of envy he heard in the hyena's voice.

"Luca's been helping her out a lot, then?"

"Yeah, Luca gets straight A's in class. She make some of our club's members look like dullards," Harold replied, hesitating a moment. "Dullard means--"

"--I know what it means Harold, no need to explain."

"Yes, sorry sir. I tend to use words others usually don't understand."

"Not to worry, son. I'm quite capable with the English language."

Just as Harold was about to say something else, Zee suddenly stood, looking up at the stairwell. Harold's gaze followed Zee's, and the pair of boys both drew in gasps of surprise.

The girls slowly descended, step by step, holding themselves erect like true ladies of the court. Harold bit his lip nervously and pushed up the pair of gold-rimmed glasses that rested on top of his maw. The hyena had never had such a pretty date--or any date, for that matter--in his life. Rebeccah's golden locks had been tightly curled and cascaded down around her ears, which had been tied back behind her head in a golden clasp studded with diamonds her grandmother had given her many years before. Her dress was a simple and black with a deep V plunging between her breasts and a long slit on each side to show off her white legs. A silver chain hung around Beccah's hips, ending in a ruby pendant that dangled in front of where her pubic bone was.

Luca's dress was a color that matched the burnt red tones of her hair, and was all the way up to her neck where it darkened to a black mesh collar with intricate designs that wrapped snuggly around her neck. The bottom hem faded to black as well, matching her high heels. Her arms were completely bare and (thankfully) the scars on her wrists had fully healed by this point, invisible under her regrown fur.

Zee simply looked on at his girlfriend, completely dumbfounded. His maw hung open, and his eyes were wide. "My God, Luca." Her dark attractiveness was astounding. Harold seemed just as impressed but even more speechless with his date, not managing to say a word as Beccah slipped her arm around his.

"Shall we?" Beccah said.

"Sure," Zee replied, then shook his head. "But first..." he pulled out a corsage. There was a white rose set in the center of it that brightly accentuated itself against the dark beauty of Luca's ensemble. Harold mimicked Zee, fumbling with the corsage his mother had picked up for him at the store that day. It was still cold from its storage in the refrigerator. Beccah simply looked amused as he tried to slip it onto the wrong wrist, and helped him along the way. Luca and Zee were too distracted by each other to really notice anything.

The limo ride consisted mostly of Luca and Zee snuggling together on one side and Beccah and Harold awkwardly holding hands on the opposite side with Beccah silently wondering if she'd ever find the kind of bond that Luca and Zee shared. She hoped--no, prayed--for some blessings in that department.

By the time they were about to arrive, however, the excitement and tension had grown to the point where Luca and Beccah kept shooting each other girlish grins. Like the two children on a new adventure they were, they were practically itching with excitement as they pulled up to The Palace. The gorgeous façade, however, managed to stop them in their tracks. First Garren, now this? The girls were in awe. The student events committee had really managed to go all-out this time around.

Following their lead, the boys had their maws agape when they stepped out. The entire place looked beyond amazing, and the bracing October chill that swept through the street only inflamed their giddiness. Following the flood of students making their way inside and up to the second floor, the four of them talked between each other in whispers of awe about everything they were seeing.

The dance went off without a hitch--at least for most of the night. It wasn't until Zee had to hit the restroom that there was a problem.

Striding into the lovely bathroom, Zee found himself faced with half the track team along with several others from the football team--including Mr. Star Quarterback Alex. Several bottles of Jager disappeared for a split second before the guys realized it was one of their own.

"Hey, hey, two star athletes and two Duke nominees in the house!" One of the boys said, holding up one of the chilled Jager bottles and then tilting it to his lips for a hefty swig. Another one pushed a bottle into Zee's hands.

"C'mon, man, take a shot!"

Zee shook his head with his award-winning grin. "Nah, dude, want to stay sober for this."

"Aw, c'mon, it's a party!" one of his track mates said to Zee's back as he disappeared into one of the stalls.

It was when Zee sat down and started pissing that the trouble started. Through the crack he could see the guys suddenly gather around something one of them had. Then they all grouped around the door.

"Hey Zee!"

"What, dude? Trying to go to the bathroom here."

Then suddenly he door kicked in and a camera flash filled Zee's face. What was meant to be a funny prank of the guys taking a shot of one of their team members taking a dump suddenly turned to an awkwardly silent moment in which the seconds seemed to stretch into individually wrapped eternities.

"Holy shit, dude... Zee's a chick?" One of the guys whispered. Zee couldn't see who it was. He was too busy trying to cover himself. After nothing else was said or done, he quickly lifted his slacks, buckling and zipping them up, and went dashing from the bathroom.

Luca was busy dancing and grinding against Beccah, making a show of things to guys in their immediate area just for the fun of it, when Zee suddenly grabbed her by the upper arm. "Luca, we have to split--now."

"What the hell, Zee? We're having fun."

"It's not going to be fun for much longer. We have to get out of here," he said, tugging at her arm.

"Zee, what the hell?"

Then Zee's heart dropped as the music came to a stop and Pamela marched onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlefurs, I have an announcement to make."

"Come on!" Zee hissed, really pulling now."

"Ow, Zee, what the fuck?"

"They know."

"Who? What?" Luca looked confused, then felt her own heart drop as she saw the smug look in Pamela's face.

"It has come to my attention that there has been deception in the election for your Homecoming Court."

Furres all around whispered in confusion, all eyes on Pamela.

"Oh no..." Luca whispered. She and Zee, however, were glued to their spots in horror now. They clutched close to each other.

"I have just been informed that Zee Polaski is, in fact, a girl, and therefore is disqualified along with her partner, Luca Reingold."

All eyes turned to Luca and Zee.

"Have anything to say for yourself?" Pamela said. Luca just wished she could bitch slap that face so hard her puppies would still feel the sting.

Luca stepped forward. "Yes, I do." Her face was a mask of determination now. Zee tried to hold her back.

"No, don't baby," he said. Luca pulled free and marched right up to the stage, snatching the microphone from Pamela.

"Zee and I are both transgender," she said flatly. The whole crowd gave an audible gasp. "I'm a girl trapped in a boy's body, as Zee is just the opposite. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but it's obvious why we would conceal such a thing. The fact is, none of you would accept us as we truly are--I a girl and Zee a boy--so we have to mask it, we have to pretend. We're not out and out transgendered furres who want to march in parades and wave colorful flags, just normal students in abnormal circumstances, trying to live out our lives the best we can with what we have been given. And I can see by many of your faces that that will no longer be the case. That is why we keep such matters so close to the chest. You, the student body of this high school, won't accept anything outside the norm--at least not completely. Everyone here is so focused on the littlest flaws that make them any different from the crowd. Well I hope everyone here considers themselves lucky. That patch of oddly colored fur or that abnormal crick in your tail or whatever else you obsess about that makes you think you're different must seem pretty small in comparison when measured up against just being in the wrong body. Pamela," Luca said as she turned towards the Doberman, "I hope you're satisfied with yourself. Enjoy being Duchess for a night. Apparently it must be worth ruining the lives of others." With that, Luca dropped the microphone to the floor, producing a painful feedback, then landed a terrible punch right to Pamela's left eye before hopping down from the stage.

Nobody stopped them. Even the security guard at the doorway let Luca pass without trouble with an arm around Zee, who likewise had an arm around her. Behind them, Beccah and Harold marched out. Beccah sneered at the judgmental faces of Hyata and Ellie. Harold simply beamed that he was part of something meaningful. Somewhere in his romanticized view of the world, he was a hero for walking out with the group instead of being like the rest of the furres giving the group a wide berth as they departed, as if the transgendered couple would infect them somehow. Harold was too used to getting teased and tormented to think this changed much for him.

The only person making noise was Pamela, who kept screaming about how they were just going to let the freak boy do that to her. It was an accentuating mark on an already humiliating experience for Luca and Zee.

The group found themselves a little while later at the Sherry-Netherland once more. Zee's father had managed to swing a few connections to find a suite open with a magestic view of Central Park. It was meant to be a magical afterwards to what was meant to be a magical evening. Instead, Zee stood leaning against a window frame, eyes blankly cast towards Central Park and the few furres still straggling their way through it. Luca sat with knees curled up to her chest, and by some miracle, Harold found himself snuggled up against Beccah. True, it was more her holding him close like a girl holds her stuffed bear, but for him it was more than anything he was used to, so he simply went with it happily.

"What are we going to do?" Zee said, his voice cutting into the silence.

"We wait, and we watch what they do first," Luca said. It didn't need to be clarified she spoke of the general student body.

Finally, Beccah couldn't stand it any longer. She stood up and went to a fridge where they held all kinds of spirits. "For now, let's get drunk," she said, holding up two small bottles of good whiskey.