Baseball in Winter 3
#3 of Baseball in Winter
The conclusion of my story Baseball in Winter. I hope you guys enjoy!
Ket finds his lonely spot again in the lunchroom. He sets down his Styrofoam tray with a piece of pizza on it and pulls out some books to study. He didn't feel so confident about his history test today, so reading up on that he picks up his milk carton and takes a sip letting his eyes go forward. Ahead he sees Ciyter, his is laughing with his friends. Ket sets down his milk still looking at the table across the cafeteria. Are they talking about him? Laughing about him? Panic sets in, they saw him at the swim meet. Oh no, now they're going to tell the whole school that he has a crush on Ciyter. Rocketing him into even more humiliation. Ciyter looks his way and Ket looks away, back at his books.
But Ciyter looks back. Ket thinks fast, he has to get out of here. He stands up, throws his still new pizza away and makes his way down the hall to science class. Ciyter watches him leave, his tail perks up.
"Uh oh, looks like someone is keeping an eye out!"
His friends laugh, Ciyter continues to stare down the hall.
"Dude, Ciyter. You ok?"
No response. "Look, no hard feelings at the swim meet. So what if this queer likes you, we just don't want you to like him back. You know what I'm saying." He elbows the wolf in this side.
"And we're all just joking right?" His friends nod in agreement.
Ciyter still doesn't say anything. "Just a joke wolfie lighten up."
He puts a paw on Ciyters shoulder. But he just shrugs it off and leaves the table without saying a word, going down the same hallway as Ket.
His friends look at each other one by one, they all knew at once. It wasn't a joke to Ciyter anymore.
Ciyter still didn't feel comfortable standing beside Ket, but for a different reason now. He liked him. His eyes drew over Kets figure, what made him so attractive? Why did he fall for him? He had to tell him sooner or later, and he wanted sooner.
"Look, Ket. Want another ride after school. I'd be happy to give you one."
Ket screamed inside, how could he go for another drive with the wolf he had a crush on. It would make things too awkward. So he made something up.
"Can't today. I'm saying after school."
Ciyter protested, "For what? You probably have the best grades in the entire school."
"Sorry, I just can't." Ket was worried that this might drive him away so again he acted fast.
"But, I will need a ride tomorrow."
Ciyter smiled inside, perfect. That's when he'll tell him about his feelings, in Ket's mind he was thinking the same thing.
Ciyter read through the powerpoint and nodded in approval. "Guaranteed A! Nice job Ket." The fox's eyes moved to the floor, and he blushed under his fur.
He was about to say something back but the bell rang, and they stood there for a second while the rest of the class emptied out. Ciyter moved first. "Well, have fun after school." He waved and left Ket in the dust thinking about Ciyter.
The white fox collected his things and walked outside, snow began to fall covering up the dirty, ugly snow from three days ago. He saw Ciyter pull out of the parking lot. So much to think about. His mind raged with the thought of being rejected by Ciyter, of course he will be, it's obvious. But he just wonders if he'll rub it in his face. Or what if he's nice about it and lets him down gently, that'll be the day.
Ket sits on some dry steps in front of the school and watches the flakes gracefully drift down and touch the ground. That's how he wants to be let down, gracefully. But the sound of shoes crunching in the snow brought him back. He looked around and found himself surrounded by Ciyters friends.
"Hey."
Ket lowered himself, "What do you guys want?"
They close in, "we're here to tell you that Ciyter hates you. He told us that after he saw you at the meet that you were stupid and queer and he doesn't want to see you."
Ket quaked under their barrage, "but he gave me a ride home after!"
The friends didn't know about that so they made something up, "yeah, now he knows where you live and mess with you. Get it?"
He shook his head, not really understanding.
"Have you ever heard of egging? What about TP? Because that's just the start of it."
Tears started to form in Kets eyes, how could this be true, but it had to be.
"Ciyter hates me?"
The friends closed in, "Yeah, look I hate telling you this. But Ciyter was going to tell you sometime, and probably make it a lot worse than this."
The fox stood up and broke the circle of so called friends and continued running.
His friends smiled, they'd done it.
Ciyter opens his door, to again find his awaiting dad, for the third time. He sighs.
"What is it this time dad?"
The large wolf crossed his arms, "I heard some interesting things today."
Ciyter rolled his eyes, "Yeah like what?"
"That you've been hanging around a gay fox. That one who's father died if I'm correct."
A cold shiver shoots through Ciyters spine, how did he find out? Unless, his friends told his dad. Were they really that homophobic?
"he's my lab partner, so what."
"Well, when the lab is done. I don't want you to be with him anymore."
Ciyter was confused and curious at the same time. "Why?"
"He's gay of course!" His dad said it in a tone like everybody should have known that.
Ciyter starts to bare his teeth at his dad, "well, he's a nice guy. What's wrong about that, and he's a good listener, better I can say for you."
Gyld stomps his feet to gain the upperpaw, "If you hang around him you'll turn gay!"
Ciyters jaw trembled as he stared menacingly at his father.
"What if I am already gay!" The comment takes Gyld off guard. "That's right, I am! And I love him! Now you shut up about him or I'll send you to your room!"
Ciyter grabs his father's collar and brings him to his level.
"Now, what did you tell my friends to do?"
Gyld drops to his knees before his son.
Ciyter speeds to the school, he can't believe what his dad told his so called friends to do. It was pure predigest. His wipers on full blast to combat the falling snow. He slides into the fire-lane and gets out without turning it off, scanning the school for Ket, he is nowhere to be seen. But, he sees his old friends. Anger swells up inside of him and he runs after them tackling one of them. With him pinned on the ground Ciyter lays into him.
"Where is Ket!"
His face is covered with fear as the wolf yells at him.
"WHERE IS HE!"
He began to shake under Ciyters powerful arms, "I don't know?"
"What do you mean you don't fucking know! I know what my dad told you to do."
His head pulls back into the snow.
"Before we got to him, he broke free running away. We didn't chase him."
Ciyter shook his collar like he had done so with his dad.
"When!"
"I don't know? A little after school got out?"
Ciyter dropped him back in the snow, "You guys are sick."
Then runs back to his car.
"You know, the entire school, no, the entire town will know your gay by the end of the week!"
Ciyter doesn't answer, they don't deserve it. The wolf races down the way to Kets house hoping to see him walking home, but nobody was there. He parked in front of his house and frantically knocked at the door. A grey vixen answered the door.
"Yes?"
Ciyter spoke between his deep breaths, "Is....Ket.....here?"
Kita cocked her head, "No, can't say that he is. Why, you looking for him?"
He nodded his head. She thinks for a second, "I can't think of where he would go."
Ciyter shakes his head and digs through his pockets for a small piece of paper.
"You got a pen? I'll give you my number, can you call me if he gets in?"
Kita nods still unsure of who this wolf is, she hands him a pen and he returns it with his number.
"Who are you anyway?"
Ciyter was already halfway to his car but he call out, "Someone who cares for him!"
He gets in, pulls a u-turn and heads back to the center of town. He has to be around here somewhere!
His eyes scan the sidewalks for anything, he doesn't find anybody walking. But, he sees someone sitting at a bus bench.
"There you are!"
He pulls up and rolls down the passenger side window.
"Ket, Thank God, you're ok!"
The white fox doesn't say anything.
"Why don't you get in and let's go someplace."
Ket continues to look at the ground trying to ignore Ciyter.
But he gets out and goes around the car to sit on the bench next to him.
"What's wrong, Ket?"
Finally, he spoke.
"Just go away. I know what you're trying to do."
"No no no no! I think you've misunderstood."
Ket scoots further down the bench trying to get away from him.
"Come on Ket, what's up?"
He sat there for a while, the silence was eerie. The snow dampened everything making it like they were to only two living things.
"You're friends made it very clear."
Ciyter shook his head, "My friends huh? Well, they aren't anymore."
They sat there, in silence for another half-hour. Ciyter just wanted to make sure Ket was ok and he was ready to wait in the cold for the rest of the day not really realizing his car was still on. Ket felt the warmth of Ciyters body still next to him, like a warm blanket. Why was he still here? No trick would be worth sitting in the cold for a half-hour. Ciyter wasn't out to get him.
"Ciyter?"
Ket's voice was almost unheard.
"Yeah?"
He paused, "Could you do me a favor?"
The wolf scooted next to Ket and this time he didn't move.
"Yeah, anything."
Ket took a deep breath, "I need you to take me outside of town someplace. Can you?"
Ciyter got up and opened the passenger door in his car.
"Where to?"
Ket sat staring outside his window at the falling snow. Most of the ride had been in quiet, just what he wanted. Better than sitting on a bus. Ciyter had tried to talk once but he didn't respond, he needed time. He had told Ciyter to continue driving until he said stop and they've been at it for an hour. He could sense that Ciyter was beginning to wonder where they were going. Then, through the snow, Ket saw what he was looking for.
"Take a right up here."
Ciyter did so, happy to hear Ket's voice.
"Then turn in here."
He did, and in front of the car was a large field, covered with new fallen snow. Ciyter didn't understand.
"What is this place?"
But Ket was already out of the car and making his way to the center. Ciyter quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and went after him. Once again the feeling of love filled him as he wanted to be next to Ket for whatever this was.
Ket stopped short of the middle and knelt down wiping something with his paw. Ciyter slowly walked up behind him and saw he was cleaning a small concrete slab of the snow.
"What's that?"
Ket didn't answer, he stood up and let Ciyter read it, it said.
"This is where Envoi, beloved father and husband, died. In October of 2005, his experimental plane malfunctioned and went down. This is to commemorate his life."
Ciyter immediately shut up, he realized this is where Ket's dad had died, but why would he want to come out here?
"I have had nightmares."
Ciyter looked at the fox, he was holding something in his paws.
"I see his plane falling and I can't do anything about it."
Ciyter stood there for a second, this was the time. He slipped his paw into Ket's free one.
"Ket, I'll be there. Whenever you need me."
The fox was speechless.
"I'll be there when you have the nightmares, I'll be there to comfort you. To hold you. Because."
Ciyter stared into the foxes beautiful blue eyes. "I love you."
Ket stared back into Ciyter's warming amber eyes, and a smile appeared in his muzzle.
"Ciyter, I...I...I..."
The wolf came in closer, "It's ok."
He brought his muzzle in and kissed Ket, who was still in shock. Ciyter backed away, Ket was motionless.
"Sorry if that was too soon."
But, Ket pulled the wolf back, parting his muzzle and kissing him back. Wanting, needing, the love he offered.
Ciyter backed away, "Come on, let's get out of here and get warm. Let's go someplace, my treat."
Ket nodded, Ciyter started back. But Ket knelt down at the memorial once more and raced after Ciyter slipping his paw in his.
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing."
The snow fell as the two left, covering the tracks the left behind. On the memorial lay two unused baseball tickets, six years old.