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--Fen--

"Naki Pelwisk? Really?" Sian looks up from the greasy-looking slice of pizza settled on his plate. "He offered to help you swim? Just like that?" The raccoon chuckles, shaking his head. "Lucky~, he's got a nice rear on'em I bet."

"It's not like that! I was just happy to meet him is all. He's really nice, much nicer than I would've thought a jock would be." I look down at the soggy chicken caesar salad the lunch lady spooned onto my plate. Normally, I'd cringe at the taste but I wasn't paying much attention to the food. I couldn't help but scrutinize every action I made this morning at the pools. The look on my face after he scared me must've been so dumb...

"Then why do you keep staring off into space? Mr. 'it's not like that'. You like the guy, right? Just admit it." Sian grins. "Then it'll just be like True Lives. I can see it now~, having a nice romp and then your clo--"

"Don't even start that, Sai." I mutter, giving him a glare that shuts him up quickly enough.

"I'm just teasing you, man. I know how you feel, I've crushed on my fair share of norms and you know it." He leans to the side and bumps my shoulder, making me grin a little. "Yea, I remember. I'm still amazed that you managed to make that guy think a hangover caused a hallucination. You probably didn't have to get -into- his shoe to get a sniff."

"Don't start lecturing me now." The 'coon smirks.

"Hey guys." A fox settles down, sweeping a brown curtain of hair out from around his eyes and tying it behind his head in a ponytail before he looks to us again. "Hey, Lenny." I wave, Sian mimicking my greeting

"So what, exactly, happened?" Sian asks, peering at me and causing Lenny to become curious. I shoot him a slight glare, not quite wanting to spread the word of my little crush to the entire school.

"I went to swim this morning after we got off the bus. I figured I'd try the deep end out today since I'd become decent enough at the shallow. I felt something press against my stomach all of a sudden and.. uh..." I blush a little bit. "Alright, I'll admit it. I yelped pretty loudly... it was scary, I thought something was attacking me or.. y'know." I peer at Sian who's obviously trying to hold back a laugh. I only roll my eyes and continue. "So it turns out it's Naki. He swims over and floats right infront of me. I get an up-close glimpse at everything above the waist and just... freeze." I can't help but stop explaining to imagine the lean, powerful, sleek otter's form. I can remember every detail of his body dripping with water, brown and tan fur matted down in a way that shows off the powerful musculature beneath while drawing attention to the black highlights in his headfur and along his shoulders and, I imagine, his backside.

"Naki Pelwisk?" Len asks and I blink out of my daze to give a slight, affirmative nod of my muzzle. "He offers to help me out some and I agree pretty quickly. I know he's probably not... gay, but I could use the lessons and, at least, I'll get to know him a little bit."

"That sounds sweet." Len smiles, muzzle resting in both palms while Sian just stuffs his muzzle full of pizza, more than likely to avoid making more jokes.

"He's not a... y'know?" Len asks, tapping his ring finger on the table a couple times.

"No, don't think so. I didn't see one on him, though, granted, I didn't look all that hard. It's not like it matters, I don't think this'll be going anywhere anyway. I'll just have fun with it while it lasts."

"I always figured it'll be easier in college." Len tilts his head a little. "Then again, after what happened in the news, I hear people are getting really defensive about it. Some decided they aren't even going to leave the house until... whatever is going to happen happens."

"Whatever happens, I doubt it'll be too terrible." Sian looks between us. "I mean, think about it. There're mixed families now. It's not just us and them like it was before..."

Len and I look at one another and I give a shrug. "We'll deal with it when it comes. What're we going to do about it on our own anyway?" I finish my salad and look between the two. "Well, I'll see you both later on. After school if not sooner. You'll be at practice, Sian?" I ask and Sian just nods. "Yep, I'll be there. Tell Ian not to be late this time."

The two give a wave and I move towards the doors for my next class. While I walk, I can't help but wonder what -will- happen with Naki tomorrow. I don't think he's gay but what if he is? What if we get into a relationship? How long would it be before I'd have to let him know about my cloaker? I know I'm getting ahead of myself but, despite this knowledge, I can't help but let my mind play with the idea. A big, giant, handsome otter to-- I shake the image out of my head, embarrassed even of my own thoughts.

Once in class, I sit and sigh, watching as the teacher; a small, lithe squirrel flits his tail about and stares towards the students shuffling in and getting themselves prepared. I only absorb a small part of the lecture; not that it quite mattered. I regularly read the books for class and that'd gotten me through up to this point. History was always a class I had a love/hate relationship with. The norms had a way of making everything revolve around them and turning even situations where they were clearly the wrong-doers into what could effectively be summed up as 'end justifies the means'. My parents tell me they're better than they used to be. I might agree if I didn't see how some of them treat the rare micro that gets caught inside of the school. I heard a story about a cougar in the locker-rooms a while back. Apparently, someone saved him. Before that, a mouse micro ended up down someone's gullet on a dare. It's always a dice roll if we're caught cloakerless.

My daydreaming comes to an end when a tap on my shoulder brings my attention to a familiar mouse, I missed the bell's ringing to signal the end of class, apparently. I grin and stand up. "Ian! How's it going?" I ask, staring slightly upwards at the white-furred murine wearing a black hoodie and a pair of skinny-jeans. His height reminds me of Naki. I'm only chest high to either of them whereas Sian and I are about even. I watch his expression take on an exasperated look. "Bleh, I dunno dude. I'm ready for classes to end already. How're you?"

"I'm alright. Sian says you have to stop bein' late to practice." I grin and Ian crosses his arms. "He's the one that wanted to make'em earlier. Bleh." He waves a pink-fleshed hand dismissively. "I'll be on time today. We're meetin' at my house, after all." He grins.

"As if you're ever there. It's not like Lukten is a big city, either. A big, giant mouse like you should be able to make it from one side to the other quickly" I reply to which he rolls his eyes. "Alright alright, I get it. I'll be on time sheesh. Or maybe I'll just make it harder for you two to get there on time." He smirks

I shoot him a glare. He's about the only norm that knows about Sian and I. Well, he and his girlfriend, Samantha, another mouse. He holds it over our heads, so to speak, every now and then but, ever since we were kids, he'd always kept the secret well enough. Except with Samantha. "Yea yea, anyway, let's get out of here." I pull my backpack onto my back and start to walk out with him just behind me.

"How's Sam doing?" I ask the mouse whom shrugs as he walks to match my pace and move next to me. "Good, she'll be there today too."

"Really? Awesome. Is she going to join us? We could really use the fourth and she's a good singer.."

"Maybe. She's still uneasy about gettin' in front of-uh crowd." I nod a little. "Well, she can still practice with us. It'll be nice." I arrive at my class and pause, turning to wave. "Alright, well, this is me." I cringe as his paw comes up and he ruffles between my ears roughly, messing the fur up. "Nng, there're better ways of saying bye." I smirk, poking the mouse in the gut with a finger.

"Stay out of trouble." He smiles, leaning to give my nose a lick, much to my slight embarrassment. I look around to make sure no one saw then I simply shake my head towards the murine. "With any help from you I won't." He grins at that then turns to walk off.

Despite appreciating how nice he is to us, both Sian and I tended to agree that he's looser around us because we're micros. Perhaps even a little... condescending at times.

After school, we walk to Ian's house after meeting by the bus stop. Ian lives closer to the school than we do, only about a block away. "My mom called as I was gettin' out of last period. We're playin' at prom." Sian rubs his ear a little, a thing he seems to do when he's uncertain.

"Well, good. We'll get some exposure to the rest of the school and we can practice up on playing to the public before college."

"I guess." Sian shrugs. "I just don't know about making this a big... thing, y'know? What if our secret gets out?"

"It won't. They'll probably hate our music anyway." I chuckle. "No need to get ahead of ourselves."

"Yea, I guess."

We arrive at Ian's house with no sign of Ian anywhere. He should've opened the garage by now. Sian mumbles something but just as he's, undoubtedly, about to crack some joke Samantha opens the garage door and walks out. "Hey guys, Ian'll be here in a little while." She looks around, then moves to settle on one of the stools sitting around the various guitars and drums lining the walls or settled in the center of the garage floor.

"Hey Sam." We both speak as we walk past the brown-furred mouse-girl peering towards us from behind a nerdy pair of glasses.

"So, uh..." She rubs her head, the mousey features of her face furrowing somewhat while Sian and I make our way into the garage and settle into our spots out of habit. Sian is at the drums and I take the mic. "What's up?" I ask, though I already know what's coming. Ever since Ian told her about us she'd been full of questions. Sian doesn't like answering, but I always offered to give my opinions if only to sate her curiosity.

Luckily, this time, Ian interrupts us as he walks in panting. "Sorry guys, mom needed me to run an errand. So... we ready to practice?" He picks up a guitar, grinning as he tunes it up and strums a few notes, shifting on over to Sam to peck her on the cheek. "Hey, hun~, gonna join us?" He grins happily much to Sam's amusement. She licks his cheek and smiles sweetly. "I'll just watch for now."

Sian rolls his eyes at the public display of affection and taps one of the drums with his stick. "Well, b'fore we go starting anything... I just told Fen. We're on for prom. Should probably practice up for that..."

--Naki--

After the swim I took this morning everything just seemed to slow down. Not the good kind of slow, either. Classes dragged on and the troubles I'd been dealing with returned to mind. I'd just lost another girlfriend, a good-looking one at that! Strangely, the thing that bothered me most about this wasn't so much that I'd lost her but... that people would ask questions about it. I stare boredly towards the chalk-board, watching the teacher go over the chain rule as it applies to taking derivatives. It wasn't particularly boring, but, at the same time, I just couldn't bring myself to pay too much attention. My mind wonders to Fen, the wolf I'd met only an hour or two ago this morning. I don't know why, but thinking about him lightened my mood a little even if only for a moment. I couldn't help but laugh in my head at the look on his face when I scared him.

Finally, the bell rings to signal lunch and I quickly gather my notebook and shove it into my backpack to make my way out of class. A badger I know, Motley, catches up and walks next to me. He's on the football team, one of the only football players I can stand to talk to. "What's your problem, man?" He asks with a wide grin, peering up at me due to his smaller stature. Like his species tended to be, he's a bit on the shorter, stockier side. Powerful, though. I imagine he plays the line positions well... Not that I'd know anything about it.

"What do you mean?" I ask as if I don't know what he's talking about. Since I'd broken up with Loraine, a vixen, before the beginning of this past weekend, I imagine word started travelling today.

"How could you let a catch like that go? I mean, she's like the hottest girls in school! Brad 'as been tryin' to get her forever! And he's the quarterback!" Motley narrows his eyes. "She got something we should know about?"

I stop for a second and just look at him, arching a brow. "Seriously?"

"Hey! I'm just askin'. You can tell me..."

I roll my eyes and go back walking with a grin. "Nothing like that, Motley. Not that you'd ever have to worry..." He cut my eyes at him, still wearing a grin.

"Low blow, man." Motley grumbles, bumping into my shoulder and causing me to stumble slightly. Definitely a good lineman.

"Heheh, no, but... It wasn't anything. Just weren't meant for each other is all."

"Not meant for each other? Pfft! Who cares about that? It's your last year, Naki! Live a little.." He mumbles. "It's highschool, everyone says stuff here doesn't last after college. Plus the year's almost out so it's not like you'll find someone else before college. You're crazy, that's what you are." He sighs, acting exasperated, likely for effect. "What'em I going to do with you..."

"Why d'you care so much? It's not like we were gonna film it for you or something. You didn't miss out on anything."

"I could say my best bud did -the- Loraine!"

"It doesn't sound as impressive as it might in your head." I laugh, finally arriving at the lunch room and standing in line. We talk about our individual sports for a while. I do enjoy listening to his football stories. I doubt anything on that field is so exciting but Motley had a way of depicting it all as some epic battle. Last minute catches or tackles, pivotal blocks... He almost made me feel like I wanted to give it a try sometimes. Almost.

We settle down to eat at a table consisting mostly of people from the swim team. People I knew. It was full of aquatic-types, for the most part. Furs that grew up swimming from day one. Otters, yapoks, muskrats, beavers, orcas, dolphins, and more. Occasionally, a gup would join the team; a fur that learned swimming later in life and aren't naturally equipped for it. They didn't normally place or do particularly well but it's always fun having them around. Most that tried seemed to be there for the exercise and swimming practice more than anything.

"Hey, Naki!" A caramel and cream-colored beaver, Samson, waves as I sit, Motley settling to my right while Samson is to my left. "Feelin' okay? We'll do better at the championships. I heard you took it a bit roughly after the meet." He says, referring to our loss on the same day I broke up with Loraine.

"Yea, I know. It just shook me a bit to lose so close to the most important match of our lives. This is our last chance.." I sigh, remembering the photo finish between me and the Taers' star player. The Taers are our rival team from the neighboring city, Bemont. They always ranked high and ended up placing well in the championship.Ugh, as if I needed more on my mind. I try to brush it off. "We'll be ready for them this time."

"You'd better. After your breakup with Loraine I doubt Brad will be able to keep his mouth shut. I dunno why, Naki. Seems like the guy has a thing for pickin' on you." Motley says while picking at a slice of pizza. Samson shrugs. "Who cares about him? Football team isn't doin' that great this year. They can't brag."

"Yea, but that only makes it worse. The guy has an aggression problem." The badger mutters while I nod agreement. "Yea, Motley's right. Still, I'll just ignore'em. Guys like that aren't even worth lookin' at."

We banter on about my break-up, the swim team and the championship for a while longer before it's time to get up and get to class. The rest of the day is rather easy, at least until the end of it right before I head home. As I'm leaving the school towards my car I notice a familiar face on one of the bulletin boards they have posted in the school's halls. I walk over for a closer look and notice Fen smiling in the picture with several other furries, a typical student club picture. I gaze up at the top of the poster and blink a few times. "Lgbt?" I blurt out before shaking my head and looking around to see if anyone heard. I didn't see anyone around.

I don't linger by the bulletin for too long, moving, instead, to get to my car while I mull this over in my head. Not that I had a problem with homosexuals at all. It just... felt strange to learn that about him. I didn't get get much time to think about it before I realize I've walked right into trouble.

"Naki! There's my favorite swimfag." I hear Brad, a lion fur, chuckle in his deep, hearty voice.

I quickly redirect my steps to walk around him. "Whatever, Brad. Keep it to yourself."

I can hear him shift to walk after me, moving to try and keep up with my pace. I sigh and stop, turning to face the lion who seems, at least, a little surprised that I didn't keep moving. "What?" I ask, staring at him evenly.

"I heard you broke up with Loraine. What's wrong? Couldn't handle it?" He asks with a deep purr, obviously trying to start something. A wolf with brown fur and a weird, creamy spot on his cheek stands next to the lion. He just stares my way silently, apparently just there to hang out with Brad.

"At least she gave me the time of day." I utter with a smile. "Look, you want her? Take her if she'll let you. I don't care. Might want to try focusing on -winning a game- first, though."

That gets him; the purr turns right into a growl for a couple seconds before he regains mental footing. "I heard she couldn't get you up." He says, his growl quickly fading and a grin spreading his muzzle. I falter somewhat, wondering how he'd heard that. He catches my hesitation and profits from it a little. "So it's true, then? Big, cool Naki gets in bed with the hottest girl in school and can't even get a stiffy?"

"Even if it were true." I say slowly, regaining composure as I go. "I recall that you've tried and failed for the last two years just trying to get -that- far. Loraine has you whipped and you know it. If she said sit, you'd be on the floor in less than a second. That, my friend, is desperation. You'd do it and you don't even know if you'd get any."

His fist clenches and I just smile, eager to cut the conversation short at this point. I turn to walk away while Brad fumes. "Fuck you, Naki! The whole school's gonna know what happened and we'll see who's laughing about it in a week!"

I walk quickly, nerves on high, adrenaline pumping through me. How did he find out? Had Loraine told him? Why would she do that? I try not to let it get to me. It's a rumor, after all. I can play it off if it comes to that. At least, I hope I can.

The ride home is mostly smooth, though, driving into the poorer sections of the city is always a bit jarring. A reminder of how lucky I am to be in the school I'm in. I park the clunker, my name for my car, and shove the door open to get out. My parents' house looks as glorious as ever with paint peeling off of the wooden planks that make up its exterior. The stairs creek and groan beneath my weight and, soon, I'm inside of the cramped home.

"I'm back, mom." I call out just as one of my brothers bounds around the corner and pounces at me while shouting "Naki!". Ready, I open my arms and squeeze at him with a grin. His fur is almost completely black, just like my father's. I can't help but stare into those young, purple irses and admire the color. A very rare color for our species. "Hey, Reggie. How was school? Ready for the 5th grade yet?"

"It was fun~! And I'm ready for summer break!" He hugs me back for a while before wriggling out of my grasp, jumping back to the ground and running into the living room again to bug my other little brother. This one, Nate, is in 8th grade. He grumbles. "Reggie! Getoff! I'm watching TV!" He struggles, batting the younger otter away. I walk into the kitchen to find my mom working at dinner already.

"How was your day, son?" She asks, turning to look at me with an exhausted expression. I move to help her prepare the meal, which I see won't be very big once again. A few fish, enough that, at least, Nathan and Reggie might be satisfied. I smile a little and get to work.

"It was alright. Is, uh... everything okay?" I ask her, moving my arm to wrap about her shoulder supportively. She sighs, "Yea, well, your father is out looking for work again. We should have enough for tonight, though. He says he's going to bring a few micros home to supplement." She leans against me and smiles a little. "Our time will come. The good lord will take care of us just like he always has."

"Yea, I know." Is all I can muster when I see how tired she is. "You want me to finish? You can go sit down and rest for a while. There's not a lot left to do, I can handle it."

She looks at me for a moment, then gives a little nod. "Make sure you double check Reggie and Nathan's for bones. You know how fast they eat." The brown otteress heaves a relaxing sigh and smiles. "Thanks, son." She removes the white apron she had been wearing and makes her way towards the living room. "Nathan? It's my turn with the TV." I hear her call out just before a disgruntled "Awww, but mooooom~" is uttered in response.

I look down at the fish and start double-checking my brothers' food. The notion that we'll be eating micros tonight doesn't really sit well with me. I used to enjoy it but, lately, it feels... wrong? I can't quite pinpoint why it made me so uncomfortable. Perhaps it's because they're usually alive. My parents always used to tell me that it's just natural. We're larger than they are, after all. The bigger eats the smaller.

I shake my head again and try to get my mind off of it. For some reason, I start to think of Fen again, and about the poster I saw. Is he really gay? The thought... only made me a little more excited to meet up with him tomorrow; I'd never known someone gay before. I don't know why it matters... But I welcome the feeling of excitement. It helped dull the less pleasant emotions still stirring about.