The Adventures of Peter Gray Chapter 22: David Who?
Chapter 22 David Who? Sometime later, after spending me free time roaming the alleys and watching ships enter and leave the harbor from the rooftops, I checked me father's pocket watch and saw school was almost over. I thought about going to lunch earlier, but I knew the Presser Lesser would be there. Instead, I climbed down and jogged to the school yard, just as the other students piled outta there like scurrying flies.
"Finally, I thought class would never be over," a grade cub whined while running out. "Race ya home Ben!" "Wait up Kevin!" "Stop pushing!" "Freedom!" Some of the students spotted me and either waved or nodded to me with a smile, even wagging their tail amusingly. As I waved to a pack of vulpine girls passing by, I was surprised when one of them, a pretty dark-furred vixen named Georgia, sniffed in me direction. "You smell better, is that...sugar or cinnamon I smell?" she asked in surprise, her ears twitching. Thank ya Otet, whatever ya put in that stuff ya otter! I simply smiled at her, me tail wagging wildly. "Both I believe." Georgia wagged her vixen tail 'round her and turned to her friends, then walked down the street, leaving me to stand by the school gate. "Very smooth Peter!" I perked me ears and turned to see James and Lancie the last ones walking outta the brick building. As they came closer to me, I saw Gavin trail behind them, then noticing the 'yote and me human friend rubbing their bottoms with pained expressions on their faces. "What happened to ya two?" "The Presser Lesser was listening in on us while ya tried to climb in the window, so she whacked me and James with her ruler," Gavin explained with a twitching tail and a grunt. "For being older than my mama, she's pretty strong for her age." I straightened out me vest and smiled at the clear, cloudless sky above New York. "May that crazy fennec never change," I giggled like a ninny. "P-Plus," James walked with Lance holding him up, "sh said that the next time she sees you near the school, she'll call the police and arrest you for trespassing Peter." I gasped mockingly and stepped over a nearby puddle in front of me footpaws. "I'm so scared I think I'm gonna sob like a lady," me throat chuckled out. "So how was school...other than what happened?" "Besides what happened, we're reading a book," Lance said after a moment of letting Lance go when he could walk properly again. "It's from Britain." I flicked me ears and looked at them. "What would it be then?" I asked. "David Copperfield." I paused. "Who?" "David Copperfield," James said. "Who?" I asked again. "David Copperfield," Lance said for James. Were they screwing with me? "Is he the author of the book?" I asked confused. Me human friend just chuckled. "No Charles Dickens is," James said. "Is what?" I asked (again). "He wrote David Copperfield," Lancie said. "Who did?" I asked. "Charles Dickens," James said again. I raised me paw and froze on the sidewalk. "So who is he?" "He's a furson who wrote about David Copperfield," James said. "He's the author," Gavin included with a 'yote chuckle. I raised an eyebrow and frowned, still confused as 'ell. "So he wrote a book about another author?" I asked again. The raccoon, the 'yote, and the pale human looked at me funny, then got into a quick whisper huddle. I caught phrases like 'how long' and 'until it gets boring' spoken, and wondered if they were referring to me or this David fellow. Lancie and James, even Gavin looked at me like a hog with wings. "No no no Peter, David Copperfield is the name of a wolf furson who lives in London, and he-" "-knows the author Charles Dickens?" I finished, finally understanding. James choked a bit of laughter, ignoring the strange looks from passing fursons muttering something inaudible. "No Peter!" he laughed, clutching his stomach with his pinkish hands. "D-D-David Copperfield...is..." "Oh for the love of..." Gavin impatiently butted in between us and said loudly, "David Copperfield is the name of a book Charles Dickens wrote." The 'yote then smiled. "There? Is that understandable? "Oh," I said after a moment. "So David Copperfield all this time is the name of a book by another furson?" "It's about a boy in London who's mum is marrying a mean gentlewolf," James spoke up. "And it follows David as he grows up. I looked to me friends and scoffed with a playful tone. "So the Presser Lesser is making ya read that?" I asked. "Next thing ya know yer gonna tell me he's a magician."