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Chapter 37: Study

The day proceeded normally. Roger had merely attended the classes in body, but his mind was elsewhere. It was fine, he believed. He knew all of the material. He needed not listen to all the lectures on things he already knew about. Where was the benefit in such a thing?

The first stage had been completed. He knew her name. She now knew he existed. A hard step, but surely not the hardest. Now he needed to befriend her, but how? He knew nothing about her and she knew nothing about him. As far as he knew, they had nothing in common as far as interests.

When would they even see each other again? He thought about it some more, but no answer came. He would just have to wait, he figured. In the meantime, he had to help the wolf with his studies, which he did not really regret doing, but it severely limited his time.

The only time he had to meet with Mary was lunch, it seemed. Maybe even before school, but he did not know when she arrived or where she would be at such a time. He would have to ask her, perhaps tomorrow, he concluded.

It was the end of school and there he saw the wolf, waiting. He felt slightly guilty about seeking a method to evade his feelings, but he could not help but feel a bit happy to see him again. When Hunter noticed him, his expression turned to that of elation and excitement, and it made Roger feel warm. He could not be upset by the beaming wolf, at least not now.

They walked toward Roger's house. It was closest and it was a school day. Were they at the wolf's house, they might engage in some physical activity which would merely detract from the effectiveness of their study session. At least at the fox's house, it was almost guaranteed to be boring and conducive to their learning.

They sat in his room, as usual. This time, though, they sat on the bed, it being a bit more comfortable than the chairs that he had. While the table was much more effective to hold their books and papers, they did not mind having them in their laps. Roger especially did not mind since it helped him hide a certain thing he wanted to hide.

They sat close together, practically leaning on each other, as the bed forced them to do. Roger did not blush as much as he did before, but still a little. It was maintained and unnoticeable, and he was grateful for his fur.

Hunter was focused on the school work, but whenever his attention was grabbed by the fox, his tail would begin to wag and a smile would play across his face.

Roger thought he had enjoyed the company of solitude and privacy, but he was beginning to realize that he enjoyed having the wolf nearby much more. He wondered if it applied to having others around, as well, instead of just Hunter. He never really gave anyone the chance, and in doing so, he never gave himself the chance to figure it out.

They had finished their homework only a few minutes into it. Now Roger was helping him with other things, mostly just his other classes, but also the lesson that would be covered in the next few days so that the wolf would have a bit of a head start. He was not very quick to pick up the information and had a lot of trouble, but he was willing to listen and learn.

Eventually it came time for dinner, but Roger's parents were not home. Hunter inquired about it and the fox simply explained the situation. A frown played across the wolf's face.

Roger shook his head. "No, no, it's fine, really," he said. He anticipated that the wolf would react in such a manner. "I still see them on weekends, and sometimes at night or in the morning. We don't really mind the peace and quiet, anyway."

The wolf nodded, but was still frowning. He looked a bit sad, and the fox wondered why. He had explained the situation and said it was acceptable, but it did not seem to really allay his sorrow.

Hunter said, "I'm sorry, I guess I'm kind of ruining that whole peace and quiet thing for you, aren't I?"

The fox's heart sank. He had not expected the wolf to take that phrase in such a manner, but he figured that he should not really assume the wolf would do as he expected. He quickly replied, though, "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. I like having you over, really. You're a fun guy."

The wolf's frown faded a bit. He looked down at his books and folded his ears. He softly asked, "Do you mean that?"

The fox nodded. "Yeah. I mean, at first, I was kind of... well, didn't really care too much I guess, but you've grown on me."

The wolf turned his head away and kept his ears folded. The fox wondered what he was doing, and then recognized the reaction. He thought to himself incredulously, "Is he blushing?"

A moment passed, and the fox changed the subject for the wolf's sake. "So I finally got her name."

The wolf looked over at him and nodded. He prompted him to continue.

"Well, her name is Mary. I don't know her last name. Do you know any foxes that go by that name?" he asked the wolf.

The wolf thought for a moment. He then said, "Well, we have someone like that in my history class, I think. I don't really pay too much attention to the others there...."

Roger quirked his head. "Really? Think maybe you can, uh... put in a good word for me sometime?" He gave the wolf a smile and a small nudge.

Hunter nodded and gave a small smile. "I'll try," he said, but he seemed unsure.

The fox reminded himself the wolf's nature. "Well, I mean, if it's too much trouble, don't push yourself."

There was a small laugh from the wolf, but it was quiet. He responded, "Well, yeah, but if it's for you, I'll try. I never get to do any favors for friends, so you know, this is my chance to do so."

It felt warm to the fox when the wolf told him that. He gave the wolf a hug and said, "It's fine, really. You don't have to do it, I'll take my chances. After all, if I have to rely on the reputation others give me, then I can't really live up to them."

Hunter had been wagging since the fox hugged him, but his expression seemed solemn. It seemed something was on his mind, but he was hesitant.

Roger noticed, though, but was unsure of what could be bothering the wolf. It was a multitude of things, to be sure, but he could not pinpoint any certain thing. He asked, "Something bothering you?"

It was a sad expression that the wolf gave him. He seemed to be at a loss for words. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came for the moment.

"You can tell me," the fox prompted. "I won't judge you or anything."

Hunter's expression was exacerbated. Finally, words came.

There came a question.