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Love doesn't always go the way you expect.

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At least it didn't for me. Hell, for most of high school, I thought I was going to get some cheerleader for a girlfriend, and maybe lose my virginity as a football-playing junior. I think that maybe life just likes to pull surprises on you. Or that maybe God just has a great sense of humor.

_ _

I guess that's what you get for loving the son of a reverend.

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"C'mon Kager! Gotta get ready for school!"

I groaned, shielding my eyes from the sunlight that was conveniently angled directly toward my face. My gaze was directed to the bouncing ball of fur that was my brother who was repeatedly pounding my chest. Funny way to wake up a person, huh? I think he was getting revenge for the time I interrupted him in one of his "alone" times. Not my fault he doesn't lock his door. That fist of his was just pawing away, and I swear he was close, too. Maybe I gave him a serious case of blue balls. I wouldn't be in the mood either if I had an older brother walking in on me while I was trying to get my rocks off. Then again, my brother, Restrif, wasn't the most vengeful type of fur. You could slam him in the head with a baseball bat on purpose and eventually find reason to forgive you.

I looked at my alarm clock. And cursed loud enough to make all the angels in heaven cringe in offense. My brother's idea of 'forgiveness' was a curious one. Not to say he doesn't forgive easily; just not until he gives you some form of punishment. Like any normal teenager, I would have killed Restrif for waking me up an hour earlier than I'm supposed to. I would have had no regrets either... if it weren't for the fact that my brother was the way he was. He had an adorable grin plastered on his furry muzzle while his ears waggled playfully at me. Plus, there was that light, contagious giggle of his. My heart nearly melted. Who could get mad at such a cute face? Even mom and dad could never muster the courage to raise their voice at him.

Lucky bastard.

But I loved him all the same. He was in high school just like me, but genetics made his height like that of a twelve-year old. Restrif was actually mature for his age, maybe even more insightful than my mother and father combined. He may not act like it all the time, or even look like it either. Just goes to prove that appearances are not what they seem. His mischievous side was a pain in the ass, but it's what keeps him that childish, yet intelligent, boy that can give you a differing perspective on things.

Besides, it gives me a chance to tease him about his fear of thunder. If he acted too old for me, it wouldn't be fun anymore. He still hasn't gotten over it. Even now, he wakes me up in the middle of the night when he has a nightmare. Someone would probably say that it should get annoying by now. But no matter how lame the reason, or if he had a reason at all, I would move aside to give him space on my bed, and he would climb in to sleep with me.

Yeah, we were that close. Which is another reason why I couldn't complain when he was up to his usual antics again.

"Hey kiddo. I'll be coming down in a sec, 'kay?" I rubbed his head fur affectionately and patted him on the back. He laughed for a moment before running out of my room to enter the kitchen. I shook my head, but I couldn't help but smile. He just had that atmosphere about him that made it impossible to get angry. "Maybe I'll learn to knock next time," I said, pushing the sheets off my naked body.

Personally, I think getting out of bed is always the hardest part of the day for me. Needless to say, I was not a morning person. Still couldn't get mad at Restrif though. How the heck does that kid do it? So as usual, I stretched my arms and back, and grunted with each satisfying crack. I found some boxers on the floor and gave them a quick sniff.

Clean.

I put them on drowsily, the morning haze still dominating most of my mind. On second thought, I might just have a little fun getting back at my younger brother. Taking a towel from a nearby closet, I headed into the bathroom.

From someone else's point of view, my house was... you could say, over the top. Which could have been expected, considering my parents' choice in careers. My father was a retired soldier, while my mom was the successful owner of an accounting company. She's a huge stock market fanatic, and like most people in the financial world, the husky was very assertive. Even my dad, who had this air of authority and importance about him, typical of a wolf in the military, had to bend to mom's wishes sometimes. You could probably guess how hard it was just to purchase the furniture.

As I stared in the bathroom mirror, I couldn't help but see both of them in my appearance. I took after my mom's side with my fur pattern, adopting the usual white fur that extended from around my eyes and muzzle, down my chest, and past the rim of my boxer shorts. However, instead of the normal grey color, I inherited my father's black fur, which covered my face, back and arms. I admired the glowing sapphire orbs, a product from my mother, which looked back in my reflection. My gaze then drifted to the bathroom clock.

"Shit, I'm going to be late!" I showered off quickly, just barely using any soap, and rushed into my room, a thin towel wrapped around my waist. While I should have been thinking about how the time seemed a bit off, the raging erection against my abdomen was a constant reminder of what I didn't get to do. Damn. I didn't get a chance to paw off. School was going to be fucking hell.

I turned to the alarm clock on my bedside table and grumbled in irritation.

So that's why...

Today was going to be the day I strangled my younger brother. As frustrated as I was, I had to admit--turning off the alarm as I slept, changing the time one hour early, and waking me up an hour late--the wolf was an absolute genius. It's too bad he messed with the wrong brother. Just guess who's receiving the same treatment tomorrow morning.

Finding a nice red polo shirt with a white collar and some brown cargo shorts, I hurried down the stairs, only to come face to face with my father, Tomal. He sighed in disappointment, a bit too exaggerated to be real. I assumed he was just pretending, but it was hard to tell with him.

"Running late again, son?" I nodded bashfully, my gaze glued to the floor. My dad intimidated me a lot. Of course, most of it was just in my head, and there was almost nothing to fear about him. The wolf was just scary in his own way. His apathetic eyes looked as if he could rip you apart if they stared at you too long. Let's just say that dying wasn't exactly one of my life goals. Not that I thought my dad would kill me though. He had that tough exterior, but he could be just as childish as my younger brother sometimes.

I swear Restrif inherited my dad's sense of humor, which is why I blamed my dad whenever the young wolf would set up one of his weekly practical jokes. I would give my dad the 'look,' and he would just give me an apologetic smile. He knows it's his fault.

"Sorry, I got distracted." I was out of breath, panting heavily from sprinting down the stairs. Why the hell did my stairs have to be so steep? It made getting into the kitchen from my bedroom a death warrant. From the glint in my father's eyes, I knew he was getting other ideas.

"I see. You were, ahem, distracted." He snickered at the mortified look on my face. "You did make sure to clean up, right?" I turned my head, trying to fight the creeping blush on my cheeks. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, my brother showed up.

Restrif peeked from behind Tomal's leg, grinning sadistically at me. "I bet he was too busy trying to hide the evidence." I groaned, covering my face with my paws.

My father just had to continue--as if my embarrassment wasn't enough, they wanted me to crawl into a corner and die. "Looks like we'll be needing to do more laundry." Then, he paused. "Or not. We hear you do it everyday, so it won't make a difference. We're just surprised that you were silent this time."

"Y-You hear me paw off?" I was completely horrified. Those two demons just loved torturing me.

"Nope!" Restrif interjected, his voice high with glee. "But now we know you do it every morning!"

I think at that moment, a blood vessel popped in my brain. I know I told myself I would never hurt my brother, and I still haven't. It wasn't in my nature to be a violent person. The walls would protest to that though. If plaster had nerve endings, they would have rated it as a "Holy Fuck!" on the pain scale. Dad wasn't too happy either as we now had a lamp implanted into the wall. The threat still reached Restrif as he stared where his head had once been. When they both looked at me, I just shrugged.

"Your fault for letting me play football."

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"Hey Kager? Are you still mad at me?" Restrif was shaking in the passenger seat, the wolf still not over what happened this morning. I sighed. Maybe I did go a little far with the lamp thing.

"No, I'm not mad at you, bro. You should just lay off on the jokes a little though. You just made me confess that I paw off every morning to my dad." I chuckled halfheartedly. "If I wanted to tell him that, I might as well have just shown him my porn collection."

Restrif didn't look convinced though. This is the first time I've ever gotten this mad at him, and honestly, I had surprised myself. What if I had killed him? I felt like a truck filled with my guilt had just ran me over. At the next red light, I let go of the steering wheel and embraced my younger brother, who began crying on my chest. His tiny fists were grasping my shirt tightly as the tears cascaded down his muzzle. God did I feel like an asshole.

"I-I just don't know what I'd do if you never talked to me again," he sniffled. I was suddenly reminded of his child-like personality. That made me feel worse. He still thought of me as someone he could depend on, and I just jeopardized it by throwing a piece of furniture at him.

Ouch.

"I would never do that," I said, speaking out of true sincerity. "It wouldn't be the same if I never saw you smile again." I took one of his paws in mine; with my other, I caressed his back softly. For a while we sat like this, sharing a moment between two brothers. It was nice to settle problems like this, just hug and make up. If only wars could be like this. But that would just be awkward, wouldn't it?

We parted once the traffic light turned green, and once more, we continued on our path to school. I could see my brother fidgeting in his seat, and I knew that there was something still on his mind. With this, came the barrage of questions that intruded on my thoughts.

What is he hiding?

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Why does he look scared?

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When has he started hiding things from me?

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Has he told mom or dad?

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Maybe he has a girlfriend?

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I smirked at the last question. Restrif was cute enough, and maybe some girl saw through his, um, apparent lack in growth. Who knew? No doubt the kid still had years left to live, and even if he still remained small, he would always be my wonderful brother all the same. His actual question surprised me though.

"K-Kag?" He whispered my nickname softly, but I could still hear him as clear as the chime of bells in a church.

"Yeah, pup?"

Restrif's tail swished nervously between his legs. "If a boy likes another boy, is it... wrong?" I could almost feel the air tense. Why would he be asking me that? I guess there was that article in the newspaper the other day. Some fox had been teased for being gay for almost a year. Then, a couple of devout extremists beat the kid nearly to death. The anti-homosexuals group was arrested, but the fox fell into a coma. When Tomal read that story from his morning paper to us during breakfast, I've never seen Restrif so anxious to see the newspaper in my life until that week. He followed that story religiously, as if his heart was dependent on it like a drug. His excitement when the fox woke up from that coma was the happiest I've seen my little brother in a while.

Though, back to his question, I really didn't know what to say. If it were up to me, I would say, 'let guys screw whoever they want. Hell, make a fucking orgy. As long as I wasn't included. I prefer pussy over cock any day.' But then again, this was Restrif we were talking about here. I might as well have just dropped an anvil on my head, while I was at it. He would be expecting some kind of mind-opening, philosophical advice that I was incapable of giving.

"What's love is love, right? Doesn't mean I want them screwing the man of their dreams against his consent. But hey, if it's mutual, I'm all for it. Why the question though?" I already had a feeling what this was about. Better be safe than sorry, after all. Assumptions are exactly what they are, assumptions. Though, the way his normally sunny disposition turned all gloom-and-doom was a pretty good indicator. "Let me guess, you're gay."

Restrif gulped. He didn't confirm or deny it. Rather, he continued shaking in his car seat, his muzzle turned away so he could prevent me from seeing the tears rolling down his cheeks. I wanted to help him; I really did. Just, how was I supposed to deal with this? I've never been one to judge, but I knew that the rest of the school wouldn't be as forgiving. I whimpered softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He yelped, thinking I was going to hit him, but after the initial feeling of alertness, he soon relaxed into my arm. The wolf slowly turned to lay his head on my lap, clutching the edge of my shorts like a lifeline.

"I...I'm sorry, K-Kager. Please... Please don't hate me." He was back to sobbing, dampening my clothes once more. I sighed in disappointment and brought forth a paw to stroke my brother's head. Must sound bad, right? Here the pup was, pouring out his soul to me, and my only response was a sigh. I wasn't disappointed in Restrif. Not by a long shot. No, I was disappointed in myself, for not being there when my brother discovered this side of himself. He must have gone through a period of denial before finally accepting his sexuality. If only I had paid closer attention, I would have noticed and given him the support that he needed. For all I know, it could have been a living hell.

"C'mon, Restrif. I can't even get mad at you. So how the fuck do you think I could possibly hate you either?" I enveloped his small body in my arms and brought him to my lap. "Who am I to judge what you want to do in bed with other guys?" I said with a smirk.

He blushed heavily, the bright red actually visible beneath his black fur. "You mean, already done," he commented to himself. My ears shot up in surprise. Damn, my little brother does get around. He's just a freshman and the wolf's already got his cherry popped. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous, though.

"So who is it?" I asked.

"H-Huh?"

"You said 'already done.' Who's the lucky guy, eh?" I nudged him playfully in the shoulder. He looked terrified and dug his face in my chest in embarrassment.

He muffled something into my fur, and I made it out as, "you weren't supposed to hear that." I laughed and placed my younger brother back into the passenger seat.

"Just say it. Pretty please? I promise I won't tell," I whined in the best child impression I could. Restrif looked hesitant, but then relented with a sigh. The blush returned to his face as he started fidgeting with the tail in his paws.

"Y-You know the c-captain of our soccer team?"

"Wait, Kyel? The shepherd? He's gay?" I was in shock. I've chatted with him on occasion when the athletic department had a meeting or so. I had been surprised when he knew so much about me. Guess now I know.

My brother nodded silently. "W-We've been dating s-since the beginning of the school year." If it weren't for the fact that my brother could never lie to me to save his life, I probably wouldn't have believed him. You could say that to compensate for his short stature and clumsiness at sports, he spends all his days studying in his room. Tomal is still wondering where to put the State Science Fair trophy that he won last month. His other academic trophies barely fit in his room anywhere. With all that studying, I still wonder how Restrif still manages to keep that lean, yet slightly muscular, body.

And now here he was, saying that he was in a relationship with the captain of the varsity soccer team, the German shepherd that led the players to States last year to land in third. I just had to laugh. How lucky my brother had been that Kyel had fallen in love with him instead of some other muscular, hulking athlete at our school. Maybe he has a fetish?

Restrif looked insulted that I was nearly dying in laughter. "H-Hey... Why are y-you laughing at me? You're so insensitive..." That hurt. I'm not insensitive in the slightest. I just know when to appreciate irony when I see it.

"Sorry. It's just," I said with a chuckle, "how did this all start?" The wolf just glanced at the floor, as if there was something spectacularly amazing about the way a dust bunny rolled across carpet.

"He, sort of, fell on me." Restrif brought his two index fingers together, the blush in his cheeks still red as ever. Maybe I was making him uncomfortable. But I was still curious, so I leaned forward with an inquisitive expression on my face. He continued, albeit reluctantly. "And... he kissed me by accident."

Wow. Sounds like a typical high school drama. Just this time, it involved my wise, fifteen-year old, little brother and the muscularly defined leader of our soccer team. I sighed. What was the world coming to? Well at least my brother and Kyel had only a seven-inch difference in height. Any higher and it would be a lot more awkward to make out.

"So?" I gave Restrif a genuine smile. "What happened next?"

My brother had a dreamy spark in his eyes, as if he was reveling in the moment, which piqued my interest even more. "He went all shy and kept apologizing." Then an amused grin swept across Restrif's muzzle. "You know how I knew he had a crush on me?"

"How?" I said with an equal amount of amusement in my tone.

"He kept on holding my hand the entire time." He giggled. "That, and he had a huge hard-on. Not that it was hard to see. Those shorts give more than enough room for the imagination."

For some reason, I still wasn't convinced that was the way things went. But it's some nice blackmail material. I'll make sure to tease Kyel if he ever comes over the house.

'So hey, Kyel?'

'Yeah.'

'I bet you were pretty excited when you first met Restrif, huh? Couldn't wait to get to know each other better?'

Yeah, I couldn't wait to meet this guy again. I get to embarrass the hell out of him and my brother. I'm still angry with him for this morning. "So then you guys went off the market just like that?"

Then there was that mischievous look in my little brother's eye again. "Not exactly. I do remember that it ended up with us behind the bleachers and--"

"You can shut up now. I really don't want to hear about it," I interrupted. Listening to Restrif's sexual encounters near the football field wasn't the type of information I needed. Then again, the thought of making Kyel squirm popped into my head. "Never mind. Please continue," I said with an innocent smile. "You were talking about the bleachers?"

Restrif giggled and stuck his tongue out. "Why the sudden interest, Kager? Turned on by the thought of two boys fucking?" He flicked me on the nose. "Naughty, naughty. I never knew my big bro was a tail raiser, too."

I just rolled my eyes at him. But I had to admit, the pup's pretty clever. "Nah. Just wanted to hear how you are a total sub," I said, grinning at the rising heat in the wolf's face. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap ashamedly.

"A-Actually, we b-both like s-subbing," he muttered weakly. He opened his mouth to continue, but then closed it again. I could still guess what happened, and I found it quite romantic in that not-so-gay way. My little brother was a queer. I couldn't care less. As long as he and his boyfriend didn't want me involved some kind of ménage à trois, I would be happy with whatever choices Restrif made.

"I bet you liked that large wolf cock of yours up his ass," I teased, nudging him in that casual friend-to-friend manner.

"Not as much as I enjoyed his!" he laughed. Wrapping his arms around my chest, he held me tight and rubbed his muzzle against my chest. "Thanks for understanding. You're the best brother ever." I licked his cheek and nuzzled him affectionately.

"Anything for you, pup," I said. "God, that sounded gay. You're influencing me already." He winked at me and pulled away.

"You'll get used to it." The wolf looked to the car's digital clock. Three glowing green digits flashed across its screen. "Let's go. Class starts soon." I nodded in agreement, and we both got out of the car. Locking the red SUV, the two of us made our separate ways, my brother to Pre-Calculus and me to Chemistry.

Walking to my locker from the school parking lot has always been a pain. Honestly, if it weren't for me incredible laziness for anything but sports, I probably would have had a locker change. To get my Chemistry book, I had to stumble through half the campus while performing evasive maneuvers through the traffic of oncoming students. The mornings were hot as hell, too. And people still wonder why I'm not a morning person. By the time I got to my lock, I nearly collapsed in frustration.

"Tough day, Kager?" I growled at the voice.

"Noah, you don't know even half of it." The red fox just grinned, probably enjoying the pain I was suffering. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt underneath the black and gold varsity football jacket of our school. Noah also had some tight-fitting jeans that clearly revealed the defined muscles of his legs. To describe him with the least words possible, he was the stereotypical jock that you see in television or movies. Had the terrible personality of one too. The fox would show off his huge, hulking frame whenever he had the chance. Self-absorbed, that one. He had a large enough ego to recreate the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. Popular with the girls with the short yet vibrant color of his fur, a field of white coloring his muzzle and below, while orange-red fur enveloped the rest of him. Streaks of black covered the tips of his ears and the sides of his muzzle.

The guy was the epitome of masculinity.

"Don't be such a girl. I still don't see why the coach put you on the team," he said. I punched him hard on the shoulder.

"Jerk." I wondered why he was still my friend.

He laughed it off with a smile. "Yeah, but we all know that I'm not going to change any time soon." That was why. His carefree personality. If only I could walk through life blind and still be confident, like the way Noah did. Didn't mean I wanted to become an asshole like him, though. Restrif would never talk to me ever again.

"Got that right," I smirked. The two of us started strolling to the sciences building. On the way there, a pair of female tigers passed by, sending us flirtatious sways of the hips. I yelped when one actually slapped my ass, a blush forming on my cheeks. Dammit, why couldn't I already be taken? At least I wouldn't have to deal with Noah's constant urging to go after someone.

"Go after her, dude!" He pointed at the two felines that were still walking in the other direction. Both would occasionally gaze over their shoulder with expectant looks on their faces. "You could seriously get laid, tonight. Think how amazing it would be for your first time to be with a hot chick!"

I groaned and pushed him away. "Sorry, but no thanks. Why don't you go after them?" Noah chuckled.

"Already have. Ditched them afterwards," he whispered. Wow. This fox was an even bigger asshole than I thought. "Whatever. Your loss." Satisfied with leaving the conversation as it was, we jogged up the stairs and entered the double-doors to get into the hallway with the chemistry labs.

Science was not my favorite subject. In contrast, my brother was an absolute fanatic. But I think Restrif just loved school in general. We had almost nothing in common. In fact, now that I think about, we were practically opposites. Height was the most obvious one. Appearance was another; I took after mom, and he took after dad. I loved football with a passion. He wanted the sport to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Restrif never actually said that, but for some reason, it always seems like the house climbs ten degrees higher whenever dad turns the TV to the sports channel.

I think our curtains caught on fire once...

"Hey, Kager." Noah's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. He had a talent for doing that to just about anyone. His baritone voice and muscular body was enough to break any girl's or, if you turn that way, boy's concentration. "Did you hear about the new student at our school?"

I remember someone mentioning that earlier in the week, but that happened all the time, so it didn't matter that much to me. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Don't you go to that Christian church a couple of blocks down from here? That one with the pointy roof?"

"Seriously, man? The 'one with the pointy roof?' Yeah, I go there. So what?" I shrugged casually. "A lot of people do."

Noah rubbed the back of his neck abashedly. "Geez, I was trying to be specific."

Yeah. Can't be anymore specific than a pointy roof. This guy had dust for brains. How the hell did he pass junior year? "Okay, okay," I said. "Just go on."

"As I was saying, there's a rumor going around that the new kid is the reverend's son." That really did sound interesting. I guess that whoever this kid was, he was pretty lucky. People would probably be too afraid of eternal damnation to hurt the guy.

Wouldn't that be fun? I'd like to ship people's souls to be burned, too. Now to just make a list...

First in line: Noah Kilad.

I was enjoying myself already.

"Is the rumor true?" I asked. "It better not be from the gossip group in the cafeteria." Although, that one story about my brother being gay did turn out right. The other one involving our lead soccer captain being a queer also became true, as well... Damn, they are pretty accurate. I thought about all the other rumors that spread around the school.

God, I hope the one about Noah having a tentacle fetish wasn't true.

"Nope. Not this time. I heard it from Ellie. Besides, aren't most of the rumors from the gossip table true, anyway?" he said, shifting his backpack to his right shoulder. I caught a glimpse inside his bag and nearly reeled in surprise.

Tentacle porn magazine...

Goddammit! Strike my eyeballs with lightning now!

I tried to regain my composure (or what was left of it) to speak. "S-Sure. Let's just go in," I answered weakly. Now I have seen it all. Why couldn't I be wrong for once? Someone up there either just really hated me, or karma's out to get me. Maybe I could ask the new kid to cleanse me from my sins...

"Kager, are you okay? You look really pale. Something on your mind?"

Don't say tentacle porn. Don't say tentacle porn. For love's sake, don't say tentacle porn.

"Oh, I was just thinking about the chemistry homework that Dr. Elan assigned? Did you do it?" My inner subconscious did a happy dance inside my brain.

Noah got wide-eyed. "Shit! I forgot! I'll see ya later in class, Kager!" Then, the fox ran off, presumably to the library. That jock really wasn't the sharpest tool in the crayon box...

As I entered the classroom, I noticed that the desks were lined up in rows, two seats per desk. I sighed in exasperation. Another science experiment. And Noah wasn't here to be my partner. Already I could see the swarm of girls that would surround my desk. Fuck.

It was nearly time for the late bell to ring, so nearly everyone had already taken his or her seat. The excitement that Noah wasn't here to work with me on the science lab was visible in the air. I was totally screwed. If Noah were here, he'd probably make a comment about how I should be the one doing the screwing, instead...

"Guys, guys. Settle down. I know how excited you guys might be for today's science experiment."

Yeah, really excited. Why the hell did Noah have to forget his homework on a lab day? I'll grind him into the dirt next time we had football practice.

Football practice is today...

I couldn't wait for school to finish.

"Guys. I know you were looking forward to meeting the new student. But it appears as though he's not--" A knock against the door brought Dr. Elan to silence. The dingo turned his head in slight confusion, a slight smile on the teacher's face, as if he found the scene entertaining. "The door's not locked."

I heard a soft, "oh," and the classroom filled with laughter. Although it was kind of funny, I felt bad for the new kid, so I left my mouth shut. A black wolf in a blue hooded jacket and some jeans came walking into the room. His ears were folded down, his tail clearly wedged between his legs. He tried to hide his blush by looking down at floor. Damn. If it weren't for his taller height and his bright emerald eyes, I would have thought it was my brother that entered into the room.

"H-Hi. I'm Fahrin." He's even got that stutter problem that my brother has. There could have been more differences between the two, but I was too busy cringing underneath the predatory stares at the back of my head. Those girls probably didn't even notice the wolf walk into the room. Poor kid.

"So you're Fahrin. I was wondering where you went." The dingo gave a comforting pat on the back of the wolf shoulder.

"I got lost. The lady at the office wasn't very good at giving me directions." I think I heard him mutter something along the lines of "trying ten different classes before getting here," but I tried to stifle a laugh. That old badger behind the counter couldn't get out of a supermarket without a GPS and map. I thought they fired her after she sent some kid to the janitor closet instead of the principal. Apparently not. This wolf must have had the worst luck in the history of people related to the holy reverend.

"Don't worry about it. It's your first day, after all. Just take a seat wherever you want. We will be starting a lab soon." All the students gave him a death glare, nearly threatening to kill him if they sat anywhere near them. Fahrin was frozen up, his paws shaking at his sides. If I had felt sympathy for the kid before, I would have sacrificed my life for the wolf now. He actually looked scared to even be in the class in the first place. I stood up and walked towards him. Fahrin had fear in his eyes, and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty for being the one responsible.

I'm going to regret this...

"Hey Fahrin. Why don't you sit next to me?" I offered, stretching out a paw to shake his. The kid was still unsure, choosing to cower behind the teacher's podium instead.

"Y-You're not going to hurt me, are you?" He had an honest expression of innocence behind the mask of terror that he was wearing. This wolf really didn't get out much, did he? Just because I was on the football team didn't mean I was likely to pulverize the guy to do my homework. Sheesh. That's only the crap they put on for high school drama movies.

"Nah, I'm not going to hurt you. I don't think I can say the same thing for everyone else." As I turned around, all the concentrated scowls at Fahrin turned to fake smiles and synchronized whistles.

These guys must have been the devil's incarnates. If only I could find the horns underneath all that fur. I bet they have heretical tridents stored in their closets somewhere.

"W-Why are they doing that?" Fahrin asked, his voice still as gentle as the wolf's personality.

I stared at him confused. "What do you mean?"

He pointed at the class. "They look like they want to eat you alive." I started to sweat heavily.

"They're probably still hungry. I heard today's school breakfast was just cereal and fruit," I responded, a sly smile on my face.

If you could call pieces of cardboard in milk and month-old apples breakfast...

"I suppose I'd be hungry too, if that's all I had for this morning," he said. His gaze shifted upwards, as if in deep thought. I noticed in satisfaction that he had lost his previous stutter in his speech. Fahrin was opening up to me a little, at least.

What made me wonder is, why did I care? Maybe it was due to the similarities between him and my brother? I suppose I wanted him to have a good impression of this place when he left off for college. This school made me want to rip my arms out with a plastic spoon, and I guess I hoped that I could help him out; experience his first time at high school without all the drama that followed me everywhere. On second thought, maybe helping him out wasn't such a great idea.

"We should probably go sit down now. Do you still want to sit next to me?" I asked the black lupine, hoping for some reason that the wolf would agree. From the corner of my eye, I could see Dr. Elan organizing the papers to pass out for the science experiment. Fahrin hesitated for a minute before giving me a brilliant smile.

"I... I'd like that," he murmured. The two of us walked back to the desk and took our seats. The late bell rang and class was soon to start.

Of course, it seemed as though the glares behind our heads were intensified, as if saying 'how dare that wolf sit next to my Kager.' I didn't mind it all though. It probably bothered Fahrin, with the way he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Those eyes were pretty unnerving...

Or that chair was just so damn irritating.

I snarled in contempt for probably the twentieth time this week at my seat, as I hunched over my desk to avoid my spine being sliced clean in half by the 'plastic' edge of the back support. Stupid school and its lousy funding. Fahrin, unlike me, didn't complain, and after adjusting his jeans, he awaited patiently for the teacher to initiate the lesson.

The wolf then muttered to himself, mentioning the word "dad" here and there in a venomous tone. I was tempted to ask what that was all about, but the last thing I wanted to do was offend him by intruding his personal space. Who was I to care if the reverend's son despised his father and openly bad-mouthed him in front of innocent football playing huskies? Yeah, none of my business at all. Of course, my subconscious decided to choose that time to have a conversation with me.

"Don't fucking kid yourself. The moment that wolf goes out to use the bathroom or ask the teacher a question, you'll be snooping through the poor kid's backpack like some creepy stalker."

_ _

"W-What are you talking about? I'd never--" My subconscious gave a menacing growl.

_ _

"Yeah? Then explain the incident with Noah this morning. You were purposely looking in his bag for something, weren't you? It just so happened that his bag was unzipped by itself... right, Kager?"

_ _

I made a mental shrug. "Fine. Caught red-handed. I may have touched the bag a little... My apologies. Wait, why the hell am I apologizing? Where were you when I had to take my English quiz yesterday? You know my writing sounds like the wheezing breath of a broken recorder on dead batteries. I utterly failed because of you!"

"Oh sure. Blame the subconscious on your piteous attempts at writing. Because you know that'll definitely improve your literary skills..."

_ _

I sighed. "Yeah, whatever. So should I ask the kid or not?"

No response.

Great. Even my subconscious was giving me the silent treatment... Choosing the best option, I decided to chuck the issue in the cluttered attic of my mind, hoping that with some luck that I managed to beam my subconscious in the head with it, and let matters to rest. The kid just started school; I'd be a real ass if I brought up a touchy subject.

Which reminded me of science... Damn, I hope this kid doesn't think I'm stupid. There's a reason why I'm taking chemistry instead of physics this year. I may have had an aptitude for math and writing, but as soon as Dr. Elan started passing out the chemicals, I might as well have shoved them down my throat and killed myself. Yes, I was that terrible with science. I probably might have understood it better if I didn't have science as my first period class.

Let's face it. Me not being a morning person combined with science just equaled disaster. So as I watched Fahrin gazing at the test tubes with a pensive expression on his face, I think I felt something die inside of me a little. I must have been in a drunken stupor for quite a while, because as soon as I could focus again, I heard the professor's voice echo throughout the room.

"Okay, class. You may select your partners now." Panic surged through me as I saw the predator-like eyes that turned towards me.

Oh shit.

An army of students came parading up the aisle of desks to stop at mine. Girls with enough makeup to put beauty salons to shame surrounded the little fort of books that did little to protect me.

Off to my side, Fahrin was looking very uncomfortable, desperately searching for a way to escape the wall of bodies that were blocking his way. He looked at me with some sort of hope that I could muscle through the bulwark of furs that were stealing our air. Of course, my subconscious finally chose to step in.

"Just get him to be your partner. End of story."

"Are you insane?" I nearly shouted. "Do you want me to give him a life of misery? Because I can tell you right now, those girls aren't going to like it that a cute wolf like him can be my partner and they can't."

"So you admit it. You think the wolf's cute."

_ _

"I do not," I growled. Stupid brain. I swear I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. My eyes drifted to Fahrin's body once more. There was definitely some developing muscle underneath that tight hoodie of his, and his eyes did have an attractive, mystifying quality to them. I'd probably kiss him on the lips right now if it weren't for the fact that I was... straight?

"Ha! Guess you and your brother have more in common than you thought."

_ _

"Oh shut up. You're not helping in the least. That actually just made it worse, you demon."

"Funny you should say that. You should go ask that cute wolf of yours to purify you of your sins. Maybe you'll find a whole different holy water of your own."

I groaned. "You're terrible."

"Just call me your guardian angel."

Yeah, some angel you are.

Dr. Elan was having difficulty settling the class down, and I could only watch helplessly as the crowd continued to harass the hell out of me. I hate it when my subconscious is right.

"Sorry guys. I already chose my lab partner." I grinned wolfishly at Fahrin, who gazed at me in surprise. The girls moaned in disappointment, but left without another word. Most just glowered at the wolf sitting next to me; he still had that stunned look. A few stragglers tried to convince me otherwise, but I waved them off, saying: "Maybe next time?"

I nearly added, "even if there is a next time, there's no way I'd choose you."

"Because you'll be too busy trying to seduce the new guy."

If I could smack my 'guardian angel' right now, I'd decline, with the suggestion of burning it with a flamethrower instead. The chemistry teacher sighed in relief and resumed the lesson. God, I was glad that was over.

Fahrin decided to study my face, his gaze scrutinizing every nervous twitch I made. Who wouldn't be? He was the very reason my mind was doubting my sexuality. I was a football player. I had to be straight.

Right?

"Me? But I barely know you," he said, a skeptical tone in his voice.

"All the better," I replied, giving him a pat on the back. He flinched a little at the contact, and I yelled at myself mentally. Shit, I was already being an idiot around him. Before my subconscious could utter anything about 'telltale signs of love,' I slammed a metaphorical door in the husky's face.

No more comments from you.

I was about to apologize for invading his personal space. And believe me, I rarely apologized to anyone. Except for maybe my brother. Who could withstand the might that is Restrif's puppy dog eyes? My mouth was open to mutter a quick, "sorry," until I was dumbstruck once again by Fahrin's laughter. One ear was folded, and there was an effervescent grin on that wolf's muzzle. I whimpered softly as his arm brushed against mine accidently.

"You're strange," he started, twirling his pencil expertly with his hand. Fahrin turned silent, as if in deep thought. "But..." the wolf whispered, "I think I like that..." His cheeks flared up again, and he scratched the back of his head nervously. The lupine's tail wagged slightly. "Sorry, if that sounded kind of awkward."

"T-That's okay," I replied, cursing mentally to myself. I haven't stuttered since I was in elementary school, but now, I couldn't help it. Fahrin's voice brought a euphoric, fluttering feeling to my stomach. The sound was so soft, yet pleasing to my ear, like faded chimes of a church bell lingering in the wind.

"Secret romanticist, are we?"

_ _

Dammit. My subconscious was back.

Banishing the pest into a pit of darkness, I turned to the lab sheets and various test tubes that Dr. Elan had passed out. I blanked out when I saw the chemical names that lined the paper. Students were already pouring substances inside their empty glass vials, and I had yet to understand the point of the assignment. I think Fahrin must have noticed me in my 'panic mode,' because he had the expression that he was looking at a dog with mental breakdown. He wouldn't be far off either.

"I wasn't paying attention," I mumbled quietly. The wolf beside me gave a relieved sigh.

"Oh, that's it? I thought you were having an asthma attack," he said cheerfully. "Don't worry. I'll just explain it to you."

I blushed, hoping that despite the white fur, Fahrin wouldn't see the red on my face. "I kinda suck at chemistry."

"Really? Hmm," he thought loudly, "I really don't see the difficulty in putting two solutions inside a glass container..." When he looked at my pleading face, Fahrin quickly added, "but I'll see what I can do."

Scanning his copy of the lab experiment, the wolf grabbed a tube labeled 'POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE' in his right paw. He had a glint in his eye that seemed to spark with scientific curiosity. Intrigued, I studied his face a little closer. The similarity between him and my brother were so astounding. That same introspective look in his pupils, that same habit of slightly revealing his tongue as he worked. He turned to me with a toothy grin, frighteningly similar to Restrif's, and immediately set to work.