Chance's Encounters. Chapter Kindergarten
#2 of Chance's Encounters
Chance's Encounters Chapter Kindergarten days By Roofles
The small kitten stood out front on the sidewalk with both his paws holding the brown paper lunch bag. His wide eyes looked up the long expansion of asphalt street waiting for the bus his father had told him about. The older cat had taken Chance's two older twin sister to Elementary school leaving him to wait for the Kindergarten bus. Only after making sure he was ok.
Ms. Paxwell, an old elderly duck across the street, was watching him. Rather poorly as she was already fussing with several of the other neighbor hood kids she was stuck with. It was only after she ran off to chase a rather hyper Tasmanian devil that a small puppy joined the feline from the adjoining house.
Being kicked out onto the porch Jasper wasn't really sure what to do or where to go. His large eyes however saw the cats tail swaying back and forth behind him and quickly ran over to join him. Jasper tripped a bit as he jogged across the grass, in such a hurry he found himself to be in. The ugly yellow backpack he wore wasn't the cause for this; it was empty despite save the letter sent home from the school. It was his large, over sized paws that had grown far too quickly compared to the rest of his body that made it so difficult to run. It made him stand out, look odd and that was why, this time, his dad had been yelling at him.
Jasper's tail was wagging quickly as he stood next to the cat who smiled in acknowledgement.
"Hi." The small cat voice was soft and squeaked a bit as his large ears stood up before falling back down from their own weight. While Jasper's paws had grown in too quickly, Chance's ears had become a burden for him.
"Hi." Was the reply he got and Jasper moved a bit closer before standing next to him, mimicking his stance. Though Jasper had no lunch to speak of to hold. The small pup wagged his tail staring with wide brown eyes where the cat was, down the road, at nothing.
"Well hello there little guy." Ms. Paxwell said finally getting the child leash back on the Tasmanian devil. A restraint that was nearly mandatory for the hyperactive child. "What's your name?"
Jasper looked up at her with his large wide eyes and said nothing.
"Well...whose your little friend?" She asked addressing Chance now, hoping the feline could help her out.
The small cat looked up at her with his large mint color eyes and said nothing.
"Ok then..." She said before being yanked to the side by the leash she was holding. "No! Tommy! Don't bite! Get off the bunnies face!"
The cat turned back to look down the road before looking at the puppy. "Mew." Chance just meowed softly saying nothing at all.
The puppy wagged his tail at the sound and took a step closer before looking down the road for the bus.
It came within the next ten minutes and Ms. Paxwell was all too happy to see the Tasmanian devil leave with it.
Even at such a young age they found the bus separated. The girls sat with the girls. The boys with the boys. And then it was broken up mainly due to species. Cats with cats, dogs with dogs, ferrets with weasels with otters and badgers and bats and hyena's with the foreign exchange students sitting in the far back. The cat thought nothing of it as he scaled the front stairs holding onto the silver handle bar the whole time.
He took the first available seat he found. Between the cats and dogs. Jasper took the seat next to him letting his legs dangle off the end of the bench like bus seats.
Two cats in front of them, a cheetah and lioness, turned around and began talking to Chance. The small kitten just looked up at them with large mint green eyes and said nothing back.
"You don't have to sit there." The lioness said. She was a year older, had a manner about her but was seemingly friendly enough. Or at least too Chance she was. "We can move over and you can join us." And she motioned next to her, scowling a bit at the German Shepherd next to Chance.
"Y-yeah y-you don-n't have to s-sit with a d-d-dog." The cheetah stuttered horribly. He had large braces crammed into his muzzle.
"Leave the smelly mongrel with his own kind." The lioness stuck her head up proudly as she spoke. "Daddy says that's all their good for. Being smelly."
The two cats giggled to themselves at that.
"We're good. Thanks." Chance gave his answer as Jasper folded his ears back with a low growl at the two in front of them. His first thought was to hit the girl, even if she was a girl. That'd be what his dad would do in this situation at least...
"Hey leave him alone." A wolf from behind them said standing up on the seat now. "Y-you no good...yawn pusher!" The small pup said repeating what he had heard one of his older brother say once. The impressionable children, after all, just learning from their older family members.
The two groups began to argue over them which only brought more of their sides into the mess. It took the large raccoon bus driver to break things up. The whole time Chance just looked out the window with the small pup sitting next to him ignoring the feud in a way only a cat could. The world could burn around them and yet, unless it directly effected the feline, he could just ignore it. Jasper was having trouble not to put his own opinion in on the matter but at the same time wasn't sure which side to help, now that the canines were beginning to insult all cats, including Chance.
"Oreo?" Chance offered pulling a small bag of the cookies from the brown paper bag he was still carrying.
Jasper shook his head. "I can't have chalk-o-lat." He frowned a bit as he had troubles pronouncing the word. It wasn't often said or used inside their household and it wasn't as if they had any to read.
"Well..." Chance took a cookie out and opened it up offering the insides for him. "What 'bout the white stuff?"
"Oh! I love the white stuff." Jasper said happily wagging his tail and licking at the cookie in Chance's paws. His tongue tickled the cat's fingers and Chance giggled a bit as the dog continued to lick, only picking up his pace at seeing the cat laugh from it. Jasper was kind enough to lick Chance's fingers clean after and the two giggled about it, not thinking anymore from it. Even as Jasper scooted a bit closer to the feline.
The kids behind them and in front continued to fight the rest of the bus trip as the two looked out the window together.
The first class was short and nothing but an introduction to the school. Chance couldn't remember what the teacher had been droning on about and Jasper nearly fell asleep. Several parents had tagged along to see too their kids. After introductions were made, the teacher broke away to talk to them leaving the kids to do "play time." Most the kids grouped up once more, leaving both Chance and Jasper alone together to play with the blocks in the corner.
It was a first for Jasper. To learn to play but mostly to share. And it wasn't hard at all as Chance and he switched pieces of blocks before continuing. The dog continued to hand Chance more blocks, giving him his own and not minding in the least. And instead of sitting across from one another, Jasper ended up seating next to the cat, their legs touching.
Ice cream was served for the welcome party and Chance got his favorite. Mint Chocolate. Jasper had cookie dough. The two stayed near the four square spot on the pavement during recess eating their ice cream together.
It was only after every one was served that the wolf from before walked over. The kid was bigger than the two. Both taller and wider making him look like a stout adult.
"I wanted mint!" He growled at the cat.
Chance offered him a lick but the wolf just knocked it out of his paws saying he didn't want to get cat cooties.
Chance looking down at the fallen ice cram with large tear laden eyes.
And that's when Jasper threw the first punch. That would set him out to be the trouble maker of the class, an outcast from the other canines and no friend even to the felines. He got bruised, beaten up but didn't even get sent to the principles office. Instead, without his parents their, the others tended to larger boy who was crying and holding his scraped elbow.
Jasper took his cone back from Chance, offering him a lick of his cone and the two shared it for the rest of recess. Not minding that they were alone from the others. That they licked at the same spot. Or even which Jasper licked the ice cream off Chance's nose.
Chance was just glad he had such a good friend with him.