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~Mkay, so this is my newest story I've been working on. I hope you guys enjoy it even though it doesn't have any yiff. (Yes, I know. That's an oxymoron with most of you. :P) I'm hoping for this to be a pretty long series full of twists, turns, and all that fun stuff that makes a story worth reading. Don't be afraid to comment. I don't mind constructive critique. ^.^~

"What does it mean to be a hero?" I asked my English teacher Leroy Jacques, a pure white lion. He's a pretty cool teacher. Lets me hang around during my lunch period and he's not the type to make me do work. We actually talk quite a bit about random things. You know, whatever comes up in life. I'd like to think of him as a mentor, although he thinks of himself as a teacher of wisdom and guidance. Personally, I don't think there's any difference. I've told him this before, but all he said to me was, 'Ahh, young feller. There's all the difference in the world to me.'

That reminds me, I haven't told you my name. Of course, names are important. Very important. They hold a certain power over us. Have you ever heard of someone without a name? Yeah, I thought not. That's because our name is our identity. Without it, we are nothing to everyone and everything to no one. We are just faces if not for our names. For the sake of being more than just the face of an average Alaskan Malamute, I shall tell you my name. I am Alex Shields.

"Alex Alex Alex. That my friend, is a good question. A question that requires an answer that can only be found from within. I'll tell you what, Mr. Shields. You write me a paper on that for extra credit. Take as long as you need."

"You know, I come in here to have an intelligent conversation, not to get more work."

"Hey, I'm a teacher first, and a friend second. Besides, you like writing stories. Why don't you do that? Write a story about what it means to be a hero."

"Well... I guess I could. It would be interesting. But I don't know what it means to be a hero. How could I write about it?"

"Write from your heart. You'll find all your answers there."

"You know, sometimes I hate it when you speak in riddles."

"Yeah, but the rest of the time you love it." RRRRIIIINNNGGG!!!! "You should get to class now pup. Can't have you late for History. Keith would kill me if I walked you in there again."

"Yeah, but it's always worth it. See ya later Mr. Jacques." I wave goodbye as I walk out of his class room and to Mr. Reed's class. Mr. Reed is a real character for sure. He's a large elephant. Older than dust, but he has allot of life in him. He's tall and wide, but he's a great teacher. I've never really liked history before his class. He has this way of teaching that just captivates you into that time period. The Mona Lisa of his entire curriculum is the Holocaust. He brings to life those who have long since died in concentration camps. This man is a walking museum.

"Shields. Seems you've made it to class on time today. Keep that up and I might have to start liking you."

He's joking of course. Mr. Reed doesn't play favorites or anything. He likes to pick on a few students, myself included, in a friendly and joking manner. It really brightens up everybody's mood for the day. You know? That's how Mr. Reed is. He makes you laugh to keep you awake, then he teaches you about history. And not just people and places, but what people thought back then. He literally makes you laugh, then feel the emotions of people long past. He truly is a great teacher.

I take my seat. I sit next to two of the biggest assholes in the entire school, and behind one of the biggest losers in the school. Next to the loser sits my best friend, Jake. Jake is a black lab. Tall and lean. He's not exactly all muscle, but he's not a little wimp. He's got a very athletic body. He's a runner on the school's track team. Now, you might think he's like every other jock in the school. You know, a stuck up ignorant ass. But you would be wrong. He's nice. Really nice. He's also the most moral person I have ever been afforded the opportunity to be friends with. He's literally given the shirt off his back before. Just gave it to a small homeless kid wearing tattered old clothing.

You know, I still don't get why a guy like that would want to hang out with a guy like me. He's got the looks and the personality to make it with the "in" crowd yet he prefers to hang with the likes of me. Not that I'm complaining or anything. He's right about the only friend I have. There's some kids I'll say hi to in the hallways, but Jake is my only real friend that I hang out with.

Right now the two guys on either side of me are having a quiet conversation with me in the middle. I just try to tone them out and pay attention to Mr. Reed. That's a pretty hard task though. Especially when they start shooting the old paper football back and forth over my desk. After about ten minutes of back and fourth, back and forth, back and forth, I finally get fed up with it. I hook a finger onto the cover of my binder and lift up to block the football from making it all the way.

"Hey, dickwad." Says the one on my right quiet enough so Mr. Reed can't hear. His name is James. He's a large hyena. 'Bout the stupidest one too. He cheats off of me during every test and copies my answers on class work. Sometimes, if I know we're having a test, I'll ask to go to the nurses office just so he'll fail.

"Dickwad. I'm talking to you." I ignore him and instead pick up the paper football and slip it into my pocket.

"What's the deal, man? Give us the ball back." This time the guy on my right speaks up. His name is Richard. He's an impressively built German Sheppard with a death stare that could make Chuck Norris blink an eye. He's also a little smarter than James, but not by much. I'd say C student. But I digress. These are the guys that are responsible for most of my detentions and suspensions. Looks like I'll have another one under my belt. It's time to throw caution to the wind and fuck all the consequences.

"Would you really like to know what the deal is, Dick?"

"Hey, you better watch your tone of voice with us Al." It's James who speaks up. Figures, he always did have a large mouth.

"Oh, is my tone of voice disturbing you, Jim? Should I change my tone of voice for you too, Dick?" They hate it when I call them by their abbreviated names. All to my advantage.

Richy rich over here grabs my throat. "You best be shuttin' your muzzle up right about now." I let out a low growl through my sharp canines. The next few moments are a blur. When I get in the mood, there's no telling what I can do. What I will do. Inside those next few seconds, I didn't feel anything but boiling anger. Boiling anger that caused my clenched fist to hit it's mark across Richard's muzzle, and my footpaw to crush the life giving vital organs that dangle in between the legs of James. That same boiling anger kept me from feeling the impact of a chair across the back of my neck and head, and the crushing blow of Richard's knee into my face. That rage kept me from hearing Mr. Reed's roaring voice, and Jake's crying plea's to stop this madness. Within those few blurry seconds of blind rage I tasted blood. By the time the papers settled to the ground, and the entire class pulled James and Richard off of my limp body, I was already passed out in a pool of blood. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damn, that guy can take a beating. Not that I care or anything. Fucker deserves it. He's an asshole to me. Sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Kevin. Kevin Bane. I'm a chiwawa. I'm also the biggest loser in the school. Bottom of the food chain. I'm nothing but dirt under guys like Alex's shoes. To see something like the school's biggest bullies take down the schools biggest douche bag makes my day. All three of them will see the wrath of the school officials and their parents.

But then again, their parents won't do a damn thing, and the school will just give them a slap on the wrist. All of them. That's how it always happens. The victim takes the heat while the real criminals, the bullies, get to walk with nothing but a stern talking to. I hate it. I've been reprimanded countless times because of that. But this time I'm not the victim. I'm the pleased third party. Even if these assholes don't get punishment they still got their asses handed to them. That's something I had on my bucket list.

Can't wait until tomorrow. Should find out what happened to them. This is the best I've felt in a long long time. I actually smiled seeing those guys go at it. Had a big grin on my face the whole fight. Some might find that sadistic. But that's not the case. That grin was from watching justice take it's rightful place in a long line of evil. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alex? Alex, are you awake?"

I blink my eyes open. After the blurriness goes away I can see Jake standing over me. It takes me a minute to realize what happened. Then it hits me. I sit up quicker than a fat cop diving for a doughnut. The room spins causing me to lean into Jake who keeps me steady as I hold my head.

"Careful Alex. You've lost quite a bit of blood."

I can't do anything but hug him tight. It may seem weird, two friends hugging like this. Guy friends at that. But this is different... Somehow... I know it should feel awkward and weird, but... it doesn't. Somehow it feels natural. Safe.

"There there, Alex. Every thing's gonna be all right. I put in a good word for you with the principal. Richard and James won't be in school for two weeks at least." I hear him, but I can't tell what he's saying. All I can feel in the aching in my body and the handpaw rubbing gentle circles on my back.

"Achem." I pull away from Jake and look past him to the door. It's the principal, a pure bred lion named Mr. Warren, and the guidance counselor, a pure black Labrador named Mr. Kiran. My face flushes hot red at the sight of them, although I'm not sure why.

"Mr. Arvin." He's talking to Jake. "Could you give us a minute with Alex?" I look at Jake. He looks back. His eyes ask me whether he should go or not. I nod slightly. Just enough. With that he gets up from the bed and walks out, giving one last glance back at me before disappearing out of view. With Jake gone, I look up to Mr. Warren and Mr. Kiran. Their stature and mere presence makes me gulp. "Mr. Shields, it's time for a talk." Says Mr. Kiran. This can't be good... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gawd, I hope Alex will be okay. He worries me sometimes when he gets into fights. Not only do I have to worry about his injuries, but also his punishment. The way things work here, he could get suspended, or worse, expelled from fighting in self defense. I just hope what I said to Mr. Warren helped him out. But why is Mr. Kiran there to talk with him? Maybe they think there's something bigger going on in his head. They could be right about that, but I'm not so sure. It's not like he's depressed. He's fairly happy. I mean, he's told me himself that he's satisfied with his life and the direction it's taking. Of course, that's probably gonna change pretty soon here, but still.

All there is to do is wait and see. Sometimes that's all that can be done when you've already done everything you can. Sure, it's frustrating that I can't help any more than I have, but there isn't any thing I can do about it. Maybe when Alex gets out of the nurses office I can convince him to come over to my house. I know he won't refuse. Anything to keep from going home and confronting his parents about what happened today.

...Why's my tail wagging so much?...

...To Be Continued