Bittersweet: Part I.
**This story is in memory of one of my close friends, whom I lost from this world on the night of the 20th of January, 2005. There is NO yiffing due to the fact that it is based on our lives. If you don't like furry stories without yiffing, please don't read this, you will be sorely disappointed. You can contact me at [email protected] I appreciate feedback**
Bittersweet:
" You know, I never thought that I would be sitting here, right now with you, talking like this, like we were good friends, and look at us now..."
Libni, a 16 year old Fennec fox, was sitting at a table one afternoon of high school enjoying lunch with his younger brother Reuben, another set of fox brothers, Carlos and Micheal, a pair of tiger cousins, Gerald and Jesus, and a 15 year old wolfess/mountain lion named Lexi.
It had been another usual dull day at school, and now that their lunch break had finally shown itself, they all gathered around the same table like they usually did.
(Now, seeing as how I'm writing this story about my relationship with Libni, I'm not going to focus much on the other characters, yet they still are important).
One week earlier, Lexis boyfriend, a 17 year old white tiger and fellow member of the group, had left the school to go to college early to pursue his artistic career.
The relationship between Libni's girlfriend and Alex, Lexis boyfriend, is still a bit hazy.
Gerald and Lexi had just gotten finished telling Libni that he needs to leave her and find another mate. Gerald pleaded, "She's got you wrapped around her finger man! You're pussy-whipped!! Get a hold of yourself and let her go, she aint nothing but trouble."
Lexi sat next to Gerald listening to him try to explain the complicated workings of a fem mind.
**nod nod, "mmhmm..." **.
She flicked her tail ominously, wanting nothing more to be rid of that bitch once and for all.
Lexi had disliked Libni's mate ever since she went with Alex to the dance, which was before they had started dating.
Jealousy had taken a hold of her and she finally told Alex to choose between her and Libni's girlfriend, and Alex chose her, much to her delight.
Jesus glanced at his watch, "Shit!! We only got two minutes to get to class!!"
The furs quickly gathered their things and hurried out of the cafeteria.
Over the next week and a half, Libni was not being himself.
The whole, shaving the fur off his forearms and engraving his mates name into the exposed skin, was not like Libni at all.
Lexi started to get worried and caught up with Libni and Reuben after school one day.
" Libni, I wanted to know if anything was wrong, you haven't been yourself lately and I was just wondering if everything was ok with you?"
Libni hitched his bag farther onto his shoulder uncomfortably.
"It's cool..." The fur shrugged and padded away quickly leaving Lexi to fend off the silence, luckily, she was saved the trouble.
"It's ok. He's been weird lately. like, sick and stuff.
He hardly eats anymore and he won't talk to me, but he'll be fine."
The smaller fox gave Lexi a tight little squeeze.
"Thanks Reuben... just keep me posted ok? I don't want anything to happen to him."
"Will do hun... bye." The fox sprinted after his brother, his tail splaying out behind him.
Lexi stood there unsure of what to do.
She quickly picked up her bag and padded off to find her sister and best friend, which she usually did, seeing as how they always walked to Lexis house after school.
The next week was much like the last.
Libni still wasn't eating, or talking to anyone much at all. Wednesday rolled around and nobody felt like coming to school at all.
Michael had left school early the previous day with an upset stomach, more or less faking it and just wanting to go home to play video games.
Libni was looking more ill than he had in awhile, and everyone was noticing the change.
He looked like he was about to throw up all day and he hardly talked.
His zombie-like attitude was worrying the entire group.
"Dawg you don't look so good ... you sure you alright?" Carlos asked concernedly.
"Naw man I'm fine..." Libni replied looking queasy with each word.
School ended with everyone wondering what was wrong with Libni and wondering if he would be ok. Lexi survived by telling herself that it was just a virus, and would pass in a couple days... hopefully. That night, Lexis parents went out to the clubs with a few friends, leaving Lexi alone for the majority of the night.
She stayed on the computer most of the time, having no clue what was happening at that very same time, right in Libni's house.
1:30 a.m. rolled around and Lexi decided to hit the sack, even though her parents had not returned. She fell asleep on their couch, only to be awoken a few minutes later by their key in the lock.
She went to bed after saying her goodnights, and fell into a deep 5 hour sleep, having to wake after that time and go to school for the last day that week.
She decided to walk that morning not wanting to miss the brisk air, it seemed like it was going to be a beautiful day.
She arrived at school just a few seconds after her sister, and commenced her daily before-first-hour routine of gossiping and playing grab-ass with her fellow furs.
The bell rang and she knew it as the 5 minute warning before class.
Not wanting to be late, she said her good-byes and good-days and hurried off to class.
Flicking her tail nervously, She sat down in her seat, and realized that the teacher wasn't there.
She looked around and suddenly became troubled by the look on Reuben's face.
She motioned him over.
"What's wrong hun?"
Reuben replied with momentary silence. "Um....... Libni is dead..."
Lexi giggled blissfully not knowing the severe truth behind the surprising reply.
"Stop joking around, seriously what's wrong?"
"I'm not kidding Lexi..." Reuben padded back to his seat and flopped down, now having the attention of the entire class.
"Reuben, seriously, stop saying that, you're lying and I know it...," Lexi replied with a smirk.
"He was seizuring and throwing up last night and we took him to the hospital," Lexi gave a weak smile, not believing it in the least.
"I swear on my mom, that Libni is dead Lexi,"
Lexi started to get worried now, knowing that Reuben would never say anything like that without it being true.
A few moments later, one of their teachers came and pulled Carlos and Reuben out of class to go to a gazebo in the courtyard, where the rest of the usual lunch group was waiting, minus Libni.
Fear started to rise in her breast as Lexi let her mind race, not knowing whether to believe Reuben or not, seeing pictures of Libni, and not knowing why.
Deep down, she knew something was seriously wrong.
She continued watching the group with their voiceless words, mouthing phrases she could not decipher, for what seemed like hours.
The final blow of the axe that sent tears streaming down her cheeks was the sight of Gerald, their elected leader, burst into tears, sobbing into his hands.
Containing her emotions and fear was no longer an option.
She started to cry just as the bell rang.
Knowing that her worst fear at that time had come true, she slowly packed her bag and walked out the door, surviving the skeptical looks of her fellow furs.
They had no idea what had happened last night.
She walked a slow march to the schools daily gathering in the main auditorium, tasting the salt on her whiskers.
She sat down in her seat, just to have her sister walk up, asking what was the matter.
Lexi told her the news through uncontrollable sobs.
Trying to restrain them, she sat down and waited for that terrible announcement to be made.
Their vice-principle stood in front of the student body uncomfortably as silence fell over the crowd.
"Well, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm going to just say it. There, uh..., there was a tragedy last night. Libni Estrada passed away."
Sobs were heard from the back row, from Lexis seat, and Carlos's, and Gerald's, and many others who already knew.
Mr.B continued telling the tale of how it happened, what was being done about it, and necessary precautions to prevent it from happening to others.
"He was running a high fever, throwing up, and seizuring. The doctors are unsure of the cause of death, but there is an autopsy being done right now to determine it."
The Tears were flowing freely now down a greater majority of the muzzles and snouts in the room.
The speech ended and all the young students were to leave campus as a precautionary measure.
The entire student body was dispersed to call parents and rides.
After that was completed, it was mostly a blur for Lexi.
There were tears, and sobs, and crying, and hugging.
Being one who knew him better than most, she was usually the one who was targeted for the contact. She spent most of the time out on the field with Carlos, Gerald, Jesus, and Angel, another male fur who was seen with them often.
It hurt, and everyone knew it.
The pain was unbearable and the crying, the same.
She hated it, seeing all of her close friends in so much pain, yet at the same time wanted to comfort them, and stay at school.
She ended up walking off campus with her sister, to get a ride to Lexi's house from Tenishas mom.
Still sobbing, they arrived home and into Lexis room.
Not wanting to stay, they decided to go for a walk alone.
The silence dragged on, which was seemingly appropriate, each fur lost in her own thoughts, reminiscing on the past.
The pain continued throughout the day.
Phone calls were made and received.
Voices of comfort and sadness offering their condolences echoed within her mind, but most of all, one particular moment replayed itself over and over in Lexis mind...
"You know, I never thought that I would be sitting here, right now with you, talking like this, like we were good friends, and look at us now..."................