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Beth had decided that she hated everything. She hated this school, this math class, the room it was held in, the desk she sat at, the weather outside, her brother Jason, Red and every single one of his friends, and, most especially at this particular moment, the substitute math teacher. She should have been pleased that Mrs. Garfield was out this whole week- it meant easy worksheets for most of class and no quizzes. And no Mrs. Garfield's piercing feline voice calling her to the board or putting her on the spot. She hated Mrs. Garfield. But the sub, a coyote named Mr. Simmons, made the skin under her fur crawl to the point where her hackles were up under her blouse.

He stared at her when he thought she was busy with her worksheets, and sometimes even when she looked back at him, furrowing her brow. He always just smiled at her. She didn't know why he was always smiling at her. She wasn't some kind of math brain (that was Larry), and she wasn't one of the people who never understood anything. Math wasn't hard, Beth felt, but it didn't really interest her either. So Mr. Simmons' interest made her uneasy and self-conscious. He sometimes looked at other girls in the class- her vixen friend Emily for instance. But mostly he had eyes for Beth. On Monday, the day he had showed up instead of Mrs. Garfield, he had said towards the end of the period that anyone should feel free to come see him after classes were over if they had any trouble or questions. But he had been looking at Beth when he had said, "anyone".

She had dismissed the invitation without even thinking. She didn't need the help and didn't want his attention. Today was Friday, supposedly his last day as their sub. When the bell rang, she was ready, packing up quickly and hurrying for the door ahead of her classmates who had been closer to it.

Emily called after her, still stowing her work. "Beth, wait up!"

Beth didn't stop and wait until she was out the door and most of the way down the hall. She stood, tapping one foot with her pointed jackal ears swept back as Emily emerged from the door and jogged to meet her, lime green backpack bouncing with her stride. Beth turned away and resumed walking before the vixen even got to her.

"Hey!" said Emily in an indignant voice. She caught up with Beth and matched pace with her as they exited the building. The weather was still cloudy like the previous week, but the rain had skipped them today. Everything was still wet and squishy though. Beth hated it. Emily re-shouldered her backpack and asked, "Are you late for something?"

Beth growled, "I just don't like Mr. Simmons."

Emily looked back at the building, as if trying to find the window of the classroom they had just been in. "He seems ok to me. Better than Queen Garfield!" She dropped her voice, "Did he like, say something to you?"

Beth shook her head, slowly bringing her ears up from where they had been unconsciously pulled back. "He looked at me. Like, all week. Sometimes he looked at you, too. But mostly at me."

"He does?" asked Emily. "He looks at me?"

Beth rolled her eyes. Sometimes she hated Emily too. "Never mind."

"Maybe he likes you!" Emily exclaimed, covering her muzzle with her black-furred hand before descending into laughter.

"It's not funny. He's a creep and I hated being in that room with him."

Emily got control of her laughter and petted Beth on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. At least we have lunch next, right?"

Beth nodded. "I bet it's tuna today, though," she said, wrinkling her muzzle into a snarl. "I hate tuna."

"You can always get a grilled cheese or a salad, you know."

"Can still smell it everywhere. It's gross."

"Well, I like tuna. And if they have it I'm getting one."

"Maybe I'll skip lunch," growled the jackal.

Emily stopped walking and asked, "Beth, what's going on? You've been acting like someone stepped on your tail since like... last week or something. Are you ok?"

Beth stopped as well, and pinched the bridge of her muzzle, shutting her eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just... I don't know. I got a lot of..." she gestured expansively with one paw, "...stuff to think about."

Emily probed, "Is it a boy? Who is it?" with her black ears perked.

"No! It's not a boy. It's not- look, Em, just go to lunch and have your tuna and whatever and... I'll see you later," decided Beth, who stepped off the path and began crossing the squishy wet ground towards the library.

Emily stood for a second, watching her friend stalk off, and said, "Ok..." in a small voice before continuing by herself in the direction of the primary school lunch room.

*****

Beth seethed, partially because Emily had guessed close to the truth, and if the vixen could see it, then it might as well be on a sign taped to her back. And she seethed because of the boy she had guessed about. Or boys, rather. First there was Red, of course, the squirrel who started all this. Just being near him made her feel self-conscious, worried that someone might see them together and draw the wrong conclusion. Why had she invited him into her room? It had been just a joke at first, and then-- well, she couldn't remember when it had stopped being a joke. Or when it had turned into another kind of joke. She had liked making him squirm, though. That at least brought a grin to her muzzle. She had liked it so much she had tried to corner him again.

But then that fucking rabbit had shown up-- one of Red's nerdo friends, and somehow turned the tables on her. She should have just left, but she hadn't been able to let him win like that. So she had stayed and he... he had won anyway somehow. Left her still trembling on her couch in the gym. Just walked out, licking his muzzle! "Fuck him," she thought. And a smaller voice that she couldn't quite banish said, "But he said no when you asked."

Beth found herself scowling at her reflection in the big glass doors to the library. Why was she here? She didn't hang out in the library- Red and that rabbit did. She had come here last week to get Red, but other than that she had no reason to be here. She refused to entertain the idea that she wanted to talk to either of them. Not Red-- he and that fat skunk were now a thing, judging from his annoyingly cheerful new mood and the smell of skunk on his clothes in the car in the afternoons. She wrinkled her muzzle just thinking about it. It conjured up unwelcome images of the both of them kissing, or worse groping each other up in that room on the second floor where they all hung out.

She abruptly turned on her heel, determined to get away from the library and crashed directly into another student, painfully jamming her long muzzle into his shoulder and sending him sprawling off the path and onto the soggy grass.

Beth yipped! Staggering backwards, she grabbed her pointed canine muzzle and pinned her ears back in pain and anger. The boy on the grass looked briefly dazed before sitting halfway up and looking at Beth. She stared back at him with narrowed burning amber eyes and he cringed, his long lepine ears similarly slicking back. Another rabbit. Damn it, they were everywhere.

"S-sorry, uh-- I'm sorry. I didn't, didn't expect you to turn, see, and..." he gestured with his paws at the inline skates on his big rabbit feet.

Beth huffed and continued rubbing her nose and experimentally sniffing through it. The rabbit apparently thought she was snarling at him, because he dropped his gaze and said, "Sorry," again, then asked, "Is your nose ok?"

She licked her nose and said with a slight growl, "I don't think it's broken. Are you wearing armor or something?"

The rabbit looked down at his own chest and shook his head, "I think you hit my collarbone. Kinda hurt," he admitted.

"Well you should have been paying attention on those things!" Beth concluded while pointing at the young buck's skates.

Rather than protest, he simply nodded, looking up at her.

Beth narrowed her eyes and asked, "What? Is my nose bleeding?" She experimentally rubbed it and inspected her fingers. Then she watched as the rabbit struggled to get back up onto his skates. His shorts and t-shirt were pretty wet from the grass where he landed.

"Ugh. Can you give me a paw up?" he asked.

Beth almost said, "No!" but then bit the urge back with a snap of her teeth and simply made an annoyed growl before offering her hand to him. He took it and used the additional leverage to get back onto his skates on the grass. Then he carefully stepped onto the concrete path before releasing her paw.

"Uhm, hi. Thanks. I'm uh, Benjamin," he managed, regaining his balance. With the skates, he was about Beth's height. He was a white rabbit, all over it appeared, though he didn't have those creepy red eyes that would have meant he was an albino. Rather his were blue, though he couldn't seem to look Beth in the eye for more than a brief moment at a time.

Beth didn't care. Her nose still burned from the impact and she had somewhere to-- where had she been going? It was lunch period for her, and she felt hungry, that was probably it. She shrugged and said, "Bye," then walked past the rabbit named Benjamin without introducing herself, along the path back to the primary school cafeteria.

She only got a dozen steps before she could hear the sound of plastic wheels on wet concrete approaching from behind. He rolled past her, then spun around so that he could see her. "Hey, um, I feel bad about crashing into you. Can I make it up to you?"

Beth could have stopped, but she kept walking, forcing the rabbit to continue to skate backwards at her pace. "I'm fine, ok? You should watch where you're going. You're gonna crash into someone else."

Benjamin took a quick glance back, but there was no one else crossing the quad. "I could buy you lunch?"

Beth smirked, "Lunch is free, so that's kind of weak."

"It's not free in the big dining hall."

That was true, but only grades seven and up ate there, and Beth was still in sixth. Once you got to the secondary school, you had to get a meal plan. She asked, "Wait, what grade are you in?"

"Seven," he said, and dug in the pocket of his shorts to show her his ID. Beth had eaten in the secondary school dining hall a few times- mostly courtesy of her brother's meal card. The food there was tons better than in the primary school. A lot more choices, and a much bigger space with solid wood tables.

Beth pretended to consider for a few moments and then rolled her eyes theatrically. "Ok, fine."

Benjamin grinned and spun around again, coming to her side to skate alongside her.

Beth continued to rub her nose every so often as they crossed the street and headed to the north side of campus. Truthfully her nose only hurt now when she did so, but she didn't want the rabbit to think she had fully recovered already. She also tried not to look at him, but couldn't help but size him up. Without the skates he would be shorter than she was despite being a year older, but most rabbits seemed short to her. He was skinny, but not too bad, really. Finally, she asked, "Why were you going to the library, anyway?" in an almost accusatory tone.

He answered, "I left my bag there in the little couch place up front. I was gonna go get it, but I can do that after lunch."

Beth nodded, satisfied that at least he wasn't one of the dork patrol. "Do you wear those things everywhere?" she asked as they went down a set of granite steps. He had to navigate them in a weird sort of sideways hopping manner.

He nodded, "Mostly, yeah. Best way to learn."

"You're still learning?"

"Sort of, I guess. I can do a couple tricks, though!" he claimed, and skated ahead of Beth. He flipped around so that he was skating backwards along the path again, and picked up a little speed, then suddenly crouched and then jumped straight up, using his powerful rabbit legs. At the apex of his jump he threw his legs out wide, into almost a full split, and touched his ankles with his fingers before coming back down onto his skates, still rolling backwards.

Beth was impressed, but tried not to show it. She said, "Ok. Got any more?"

Benjamin nodded and somehow fluidly stopped his backward momentum by going into a tight little turn, which he somehow translated into a spin, using just one wheel on the back of one skate as the pivot while his other skate ran in a tight circle around. When Beth caught up he stopped, looking dizzy with his ears splayed out to the sides.

"Ok, ok, don't make yourself fall," grinned Beth.

Benjamin grinned in return, and shook his head to clear it. "I'm already kinda wet anyway."

Beth gave him a push suddenly, and he flailed his arms, hopping his skates sideways to catch himself. He barely recovered, laughing. "Ha! Try again, Beth!"

She did, giving him a harder shove. This time he was ready for it, and used the extra momentum to roll through the wet grass beside the path and then in an arc that returned him to the path in front of the jackal. She had to admit, he was good on those skates. And she kind of liked shoving him.

He stopped in the middle of the path, facing her and asked, "Think you can get me all the way to the steps?" he pointed behind him at the dining hall. Then he thrust out his chest and pulled his arms back, like some kind of fancy hood ornament from a car, waiting for her.

Beth walked up to him and put her hands on his chest. It felt warm through his t-shirt, and nicely tight. She wound up for a really good push, using her legs and arms and not letting go of Benjamin until she had taken a few steps. She stopped and he kept rolling. He rode the momentum, peering over his shoulder at the approaching granite steps. He made a little squeak as he realized he was going more than fast enough to reach them. Instead of spinning around and regaining control, he let the backs of his skates strike the first step. He pinwheeled his arms, but the rest of his body had to keep going and he ended up on his ass on the third step, feet up and wheels spinning. When Beth caught up, she was still grinning.

"You're crazy," she said, pulling him up by his paw.

"You're strong," he replied, avoiding the question of his sanity before getting back to his feet.

She climbed the steps to the dining hall and he followed her in.

*****

"You staying late after school today, Red?" asked Andy through a mouthful of tuna sandwich.

Red's eyes were drawn to tiny flecks of sandwich contents landing on the polished wooden surface of the table. He was glad he hadn't sat directly across from the tabby. He nodded, saying, "Yeah. Jason has a game so I have to wait until it's over."

"Cool. We're playing Dungeon Raiders as soon as we're all in 210."

"Who's 'we'?" asked Harry, who was eating his usual salad off to Andy's left.

Andy pointed around the table with his finger while still clutching his sandwich. "You. Red. James. Me."

"I don't remember being asked," pointed out Harry.

"News to me," agreed James.

Andy rolled his eyes and said, "All right, do you all want to play Dungeon Raiders after school?" in an exasperated voice.

James grinned, showing his perfect white musteline teeth. "That sounds divine," he said in an exaggerated formal accent. "Or infernal, if I get to play the boss this time."

Andy said, "Nope. My game, I get to be the boss."

Red said, "You should try being a raider some time, give someone else a turn at boss."

Harry said, "According to the rules, if the raiders win, the one with the most valor points at the end gets to be boss for the next game."

"That's an optional rule," pointed out Andy. "Anyway, James is in, what about you guys?"

Red said, "Mmm. Maybe? Megan and I were going to--"

Andy interrupted, "Oh, come on! You and that skunk can make goo-goo eyes at each other some other day. Really, Red, it's getting gross watching you two."

Red bristled, "So don't watch!"

Andy snorted and attacked his sandwich again. "You should just find an empty room to go bone her in already. You know she wants it."

Red made a contorted, unbelieving open-muzzle face at the cat, and discovered that he couldn't respond. His brain shorted out on outrage, embarrassment, and a sick admission that some part of him had already had that thought. But he never would have said it out loud!

Andy turned to Harry without waiting for Red to find a comeback. "What about you, rabbit?"

Harry didn't answer. He appeared to have stopped paying attention to the conversation at his table. He was looking over James' shoulder towards the entry foyer, and both his ears were up and swiveled in the same direction. Red watched, still open-mouthed, then followed the black rabbit's gaze. Beth had just walked in, alongside a white rabbit on skates. Red quickly looked away and became very interested in his grilled cheese, lest Beth notice him. She shouldn't have been in this dining hall in the first place, and he hated to think she might be looking for him again after last week's insanity. He looked back up at Harry just in time to see the buck perform a very quick little dip-swivel-flick of his ears before returning his attention to the table and his salad with a "Huh?"

Andy repeated in another dramatically exasperated tone, "I asked if you're playing."

"Oh, uh, sure. I'm in the same boat as Red. Waiting on athletes."

"Jen and Kathy?"

"Yeah," nodded Harry.

"When are you gonna introduce me?"

"I dunno, Andy, when do you want to get your balls broke?"

"That's cold. Just because they're your sisters doesn't--"

"I'm not the one who'll be breaking 'em. Trying to do you a favor here."

Andy made a derisive hissing noise. "Whatever. So we're good. Whoever gets to 210 first grab the window end of the table if you can."

Harry said, "We need a fifth."

"What? No we don't," disputed Andy.

James pointed his fork at Andy. "Game's best with five. Four raiders, one boss. Unless you want to play full co-op."

"I already said I'm boss."

"Exactly," nodded the sable. "So we need one more raider."

"Pete," suggested Andy.

James shook his head. "Band's playing at the football game."

"Well we'll just grab whoever, then. It doesn't matter."

Red piped up, "Megan plays DR, you know. I'll invite her."

"No you won't," said Andy.

"What? Why not?" demanded Red.

"My game, I get to decide who plays."

Harry said, "Don't be a complete dick, Andy. If she knows the game already, we won't even have to explain the rules. You just said it didn't matter who we got."

"It matters if she and Red spend the whole time pawing at each other," sneered the tabby.

"She plays or I'm out," said Harry.

"Same," agreed James.

"Fuck. Fine. Whatever. It's gonna be a disaster, though," sighed Andy as he finished off his sandwich.

*****

Beth spotted Red as soon as she walked in the door to the dining hall, and of course that black rabbit was sitting right next to him. She scowled and resolved not to look at them again, focusing on Benjamin instead. True, he was another damned rabbit. But he seemed a lot less annoying somehow as he glided on his skates across the carpeted floor to the end of the relatively short line. She followed, watching his little white tail flick up and down every so often when he pushed off to the side with a skate to maintain his forward motion against the carpet.

They came to a stop at the end of the line and he turned, leaning with his back against a window as they waited their turn at the card reader. He was wiggling his nose.

"Tuna today," he commented.

Beth was trying not to sniff the air. "I know. I hate it."

"Me too! We got an awesome salad bar here, though. Much better than last year. You're gonna love eating here every day!"

"I'm not into salad, rabbit."

"Oh! Right, uh, well there's also a, uhm, I guess it's like a meat bar. And cheese. Sliced up like at a deli. You make your own sandwich. I've uh, never tried it. But my carno friends think it's ok."

Beth folded her arms and looked out the window. She said, "I know. I've had lunch here before. My brother's a junior." Benjamin followed her gaze, but she didn't seem to be actively looking at anything so he looked at her instead. When she realized she was being studied, she snapped her attention back to the rabbit and asked, "What?"

"Is your muzzle feeling better?" he asked.

She reflexively felt it with her fingers, then wiggled her own wet black nose. "It's fine, I guess," she admitted.

"Good. It looked good to me. Uh, I mean, nice. You know, still straight and not broken. And cute."

"You just want to be off the hook."

"Still buying you lunch!"

"Yep you are," agreed the young jackal.

The bored senior working the card reader didn't even look up when Benjamin handed him his meal card and told him to swipe it twice. Beth and the rabbit passed by him, grabbing trays and looking over the options. Besides the cold tuna sandwiches and the toasted tuna melts, there was also a vegetable stew and, to Beth's relief, some kind of chicken and rice dish.

Benjamin veered off with his tray, saying, "I'm gonna make myself a salad. Meet you at the end?"

Beth nodded, and joined the brief line for a hot plate. She ended up waiting on him to finish his elaborate leafy creation, holding her tray with both hands and standing behind him as he worked the salad bar. She found herself looking at his tail again, and the loose pair of shorts he wore. They were red and clung to his skinny waist but then hung loose below his hips, though his tail seemed to hike up the stitched hole it passed through. It made certain things more visible below. Before too long, however, he turned, tray in hands, and gestured with his ears. "Wanna go sit near the front windows?"

She shrugged, "Sure, whatever," and followed. They passed several nearly full tables, including one populated with nothing but rabbits. There was a flurry of ear-wiggling as Benjamin passed, and Beth saw him reply without even turning his head.

She asked, "What did they say?"

"Oh, just hi and stuff."

Beth wasn't sure she believed him, but she resolved to keep an eye on his ears and not his tail, if possible. They reached their destination, which was a smaller table right up against one of the enormous colonial style windows that faced the grassy quad they had crossed minutes before.

Benjamin set his tray down and said, "I can, uh, get us both drinks."

Beth set hers down as well, and sat. She answered, "Chocolate milk," while trying not to smile. She had been expecting to go and get her own drink, but if he wanted to wait on her, she wasn't going to argue.

When he returned with the glasses, she was already eating. He set her chocolate milk down within reach and sat next to her, immediately tearing into his salad.

"So what did they really say?"

"Hmm?" asked Benjamin with a mouthful of vegetation.

"The table full of your family or whatever."

Benjamin swallowed, then protested, "They're not my family. Well, one is."

"Come on, tell me. Were they asking about me?"

"Yes," Benjamin admitted.

"So what did you tell them?"

"I told them it wasn't their business who I eat lunch with."

"Well, thanks, I guess. But that's kinda rude. Are they going to be mad at you?"

Benjamin shrugged as he poked through his salad. "Not really. But it does mean they'll probably think we're, uh, you know."

"What? Just because I'm eating lunch with you? What the hell? Tell them I'm just here because you ran into me on your stupid skates and nearly broke my nose!"

Benjamin looked abashed and dropped his ears back and down. "Ok! Sorry, sorry. The ear thing isn't, I mean you can't... it's not that specific. Like it's not the same as talking."

"I don't care. You get up and wiggle your ears and tell them we're not... rrrgh! Not anything, got it?"

The white buck dutifully stood up and looked across the room to the table full of rabbits. After getting the attention of one or two of them, there was a rapid exchange of frantic (to Beth's eyes) ear-semaphore and then he sat down again, resuming eating as if nothing had happened.

"Well?" asked Beth.

"What? I told them we weren't involved, like you asked."

Beth made a little growl-snort sound and worked at cutting her chicken breast with the side of her fork. "I hope they believed you. I don't want to deal with any more... rabbit games." She stole a glance over at the other table, but now none of them were looking their way. Satisfied, she attacked her lunch.

Benjamin did the same, though he stole glances at the jackal from time to time. The awkward silence began to stretch out like a bowstring, and might have continued until Beth finished her lunch and made her escape. But Benjamin asked, while looking into his salad bowl, "What kind of rabbit games?"

Beth dropped her fork into her plate and snapped, "What?"

Benjamin froze and worked his jaw nervously before responding, "If uh... if some rabbit is playing you, you know, uhm... I might be able to--"

"To what? Help? You rabbits are sooooo helpful, you know that? You act like you know everything, like you know everyone, you have like some kind of... I don't know... army of willing secret agents ready to..." Beth stopped mid-sentence and stared at Benjamin. "O. M. G." She enunciated.

Benjamin managed to look at Beth, and her eyes burned, a snarl forming on her muzzle. He quickly looked back at his bowl.

"I never told you my name."

The rabbit dug around in his salad, as if he was trying to find a way out buried in the lettuce someplace.

"He put you up to this, didn't he?"

"Who?" asked Benjamin in a quiet voice.

"I don't remember his name! That black one. He's a sophomore. You know who I mean, you can stop acting."

Benjamin took a moment to think, but then shrugged and nodded. He stopped poking his salad and looked at her with wide, vulnerable eyes.

Beth dropped her voice to a menacing whisper and said, "Fuck. You." Then she gathered up her tray and stormed away from the table, her tail puffed like a bottle-brush and her hackles up at her neck. She dumped her half-eaten lunch into the garbage bin and headed straight for the door without looking back.

*****

Red walked alongside Megan as they crossed the street that ran through the middle of campus. Their art supply boxes both rattled as they hurried across.

Red said, "I think I might be getting better."

"That was only our third class. But I think so too."

"You're already way better than I am."

"I actually practice like Mrs. Kearney says."

"Well, you were better to start with."

Megan just shrugged. "I guess. I've been drawing since I was a kit. You just started."

"I liked the model today."

"Hmm?"

"All those rosettes in her fur!"

"You liked her fur, huh?" asked Megan, looking sidelong at the squirrel.

"Yeah, I like doing cool details like that. Makes the picture look, you know, real."

"You still have to do them last."

"You sound just like Mrs. Kearney."

Megan lowered her voice to an approximation of the polar bear's rumbling bass register, "No, now I sound like Mrs. Kearney."

Red laughed and deliberately bumped into the skunk, who pushed back the skinny squirrel with ease, sending him stumbling a couple of steps to the side. "So, you going to call your mom?" he asked.

Megan nodded. "Need to borrow someone's phone."

"You think she'll let you stay? I made sure you got a spot in the game."

"I'll tell her that I'm going to the theatre class play."

"You can't tell her you're playing games with your friends?"

"I don't know how your mom is, Red, but mine probably thinks everyone in 210 is a bad influence. Along with a million other things. She's very... traditional."

"Have you asked her if I can come over to work on our outfits for the dance?"

Megan shook her head. "No," she said quietly.

"Does she even know you're going to the dance?"

"...no."

"Do you still want to go to the dance?"

"I think so. I don't know, Red. I don't like dances."

"Well, uh, we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"No, you bought tickets and asked me and I want to go with you, I just... I just wish it wasn't a dance."

"We could go someplace else, during the dance, maybe."

"Like where?"

"I dunno. We could just walk around in the dark, look at the stars."

"Sounds suspiciously romantic."

"We could bring a star chart? Maybe a telescope?"

Megan giggled.

"So we'll meet up at the dance, and then we'll do some astronomy," concluded Red.

Megan looked up at the grey overcast sky and sighed, "I still have to convince my mom and dad to even let me go and then to drive me here."

"I could totally convince my dad to come pick you up. Wait, isn't that what I'm supposed to do anyway? There are rules for this, I think. Maybe I'm supposed to rent a limo."

"I guess I'll have to tell them. They're not going to be happy and they're not going to like you."

"What? How can you be so sure? I mean, you like me, right?"

Megan stopped, halfway across the quad, and so did Red. "I do," she said quietly, as if someone might overhear her. "But you're not a skunk."

"What, are they some kind of..."

Megan held up a paw to stop Red. "They're traditional, ok? They want me to find a nice skunk boy from the right family and live according to this... this script where I have some unimportant job for a while and then I quit and have a bunch of perfect skunk babies with Mr. Skunkmate and the whole thing starts all over again."

Red blinked. Megan was nearly seething, her tail flared out alarmingly. He took a half step toward her and delicately put his free hand on her shoulder. "Hey, uhm, sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's not your fault," said Megan. She whiffled her tail, trying to calm down, then turned and continued towards the library's front doors.

Red followed a step later. He offered, "I don't care if they don't like me."

Megan didn't answer.

Red continued as they approached the doors, "And they can't make you do any of that stuff. It's your life, not theirs."

"It's not that simple, Red."

Red thought it was. He thought about what his own parents expected of him. What was the script they had him acting out? They wanted him to go to college, certainly, just like they did. And it stood to reason they wanted him to get a good job after college, so he wouldn't end up living with them. And his mom would probably want grandchildren so that meant finding a red squirrel mate. But he didn't feel imprisoned by any of those major plot points in the story of his future life. Most of them sounded pretty nice, actually. But clearly it was different for Megan. It was almost as if her parents were preparing her to be part of someone else's story instead of her own.

They passed into the double set of glass doors which acted like a sort of airlock between the outside and the hushed atmosphere of the library. Red spoke up before Megan could open the inner door. "Would it be easier if you didn't tell them?"

Megan paused, her black-furred hand grasping the metal handle. "Tell them what?"

"About me. About the dance. Any of this stuff."

"But you wanted to go."

"I wanted to go with you. The dance was sort of like an excuse, I guess. But if it's gonna cause you a bunch of trouble, let's ditch it."

"You bought tickets."

Red shrugged. "Either that or we could both go solo and happen to meet each other there. You could tell your folks that you're hoping to meet Mr. Skunkmate there or something."

Megan laughed, though not with much humor. "They're way ahead of you, Red. But they'd probably believe that story. They'd want to, anyway."

"Sweet," said Red, grinning with a flash of his rodent incisors. "Come on, let's get upstairs before Andy gets pissed at us for delaying the game."

*****

Beth sat up in her balcony, looking down at the big court through the wrought iron bars, leaning her forehead against two of them so that her muzzle poked out into the space beyond. Tonight it was not her private balcony, of course. Jason and the rest of the basketball team were playing an actual game against Holbrook Academy and so rather than being her little castle tower room, it was filled to capacity with students and parents cheering and generally annoying Beth.

She had come straight over after school had ended and therefore was able to snag a front row seat on the far right side before the workers had even finished setting up the extra seating. When they had left she had enjoyed a few minutes of peace before the seats began to fill up beside her, then behind her. She ignored the others as best she could. She watched most of Jason's games from up here, and was used to the crowd. She had tried to watch from the bleachers downstairs, but this was the best vantage point, she felt. Above it all. If only there was a really private luxury box someplace.

The game had just started and she watched the tall boys lope up and down the court, in constant motion, screening each other as they passed the ball around, lunging to steal it, running to put it up to the board. Beth enjoyed basketball, though not as much as Jason. She made up the difference by enjoying watching a select few of his team-mates. Holbrook's team was a pretty good match, and the scores seemed destined to remain within two to four points most of the game.

The spectator sitting to her left was a Wellstone fan, judging by the W crest on his sweatshirt, and his loud animated reactions to every call from the officials that went against Jason's team. Beth decided he must be Tim Jaeger's father, since he was a cougar. Tim's dad was as tall as he was, but much more massive. Beth tried to stay out of range of his expressive gestures. She watched the game impassively by comparison, accepting the occasional jostle and apology from her left.

The soft tapping on her right shoulder, therefore, came as a surprise. She swiveled her ears and then moved to turn her head. Too fast, since she still had her muzzle poked through the bars. She smacked into the right vertical bar and she winced, then pulled back before trying to turn again.

Benjamin was there, wincing along with her while he sat in a crouch off to her right, out of the way. He mouthed, "Sorry," not attempting to be heard over the din of cheering and squeaking sneakers.

She scowled at him and he motioned with his ears towards the back of the balcony where the stairs were. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the game. But he didn't leave. He sat down on the ground, and when Beth stole another glance to her right, she could see that he was still wearing those stupid skates. She tried to ignore him and he just sat there, peering out through the bars at the game or playing with his wheels.

The stalemate remained until halftime. When the horn blew (with the game tied at 33), there was a sudden rush to get up, stretch legs, visit the small snack bar in the lobby, or hit the rest rooms. Beth let the wave carry her out and down the stairs without looking to see where Benjamin was. Once down the stairs she made for the ladies' room, but there was a line out the door. She joined it, and Benjamin coasted up to her.

"Beth," he began.

"Go away. I'm not talking to you," she said without looking at him. The wolf in front of her in line turned to look at the both of them, eying the rabbit suspiciously.

Benjamin stole a glance at the wolf woman, easily twice his size. He worked his throat nervously and turned his ears back and down, almost out of sight. Then he turned his eyes back to Beth. "I just wanted to apologize." When Beth didn't respond, he continued, "For lunch. And not being straight with you. I thought... I thought he told you and... and you wanted..."

Beth finally turned to glare at him. "What? I wanted what? Some random rabbit I've never met before to crash into me and then buy me lunch? I don't want your favors."

"Well, what do you want?"

"Right now? I want you to disappear and then I want to pee."

Benjamin nodded and pushed himself backwards on his skates, then did a quick spin and glided away, turning a corner and granting her first wish.

The wolf leaned over and asked, "Hon, do you want me to wait for you to come out, in case he's still hanging around?"

Beth looked up at the larger canine lady and she shook her head. "I'm not afraid of him. He's just annoying."

"What did he do?"

"This other rabbit I sort of know told me that he'd 'arrange for me to bump into someone I would like'. I didn't think he meant, like, actually bump into him. And I didn't even realize it until this one already bought me lunch."

The wolf laughed. "Is this how you kids meet each other these days?"

"Just rabbits, I think."

The wolf laughed again. "Ok, well, just be careful. I've met some tough bucks. Rabbit doesn't automatically mean harmless. But that one looked like you could probably take him."

Beth laughed, grinning. "Yeah."

The wolf went into the rest room when the line moved and Beth stayed outside, arms folded, but still grinning.

"Yeah," she repeated, to no one. Then she abandoned the line and went off around the same corner where she saw Benjamin last.

*****

"These lightless halls of ancient stone are the domain of..." Andy paused as he shuffled the boss deck one more time for dramatic effect. There were only eight boss cards, so it was not much of a shuffle. He finally chose one and announced in a grating aspirated tone, "Dweamox the Archlich!" then tossed the other cards into the lid of the game box.

Andy, sitting at the end of the table in 210, continued in his 'undead' voice, "Assemble your raid, heroes, and prepare to become part of my unliving horde!"

"Doesn't that hurt your throat?" asked someone on the other end of the table.

Andy replied, "I lack a physical larynx, mortal," but ended up coughing on the last word. "Now choose," he managed to rasp out to the players on his right and left.

James was already holding up a player figurine-- a custom-made one in place of one of the standard set that came with the game. It was a nearly-black mink dressed in dark leather in a skulking pose holding a dagger. "Rogue, if you please."

Harry, seated next to James said, "There's a surprise."

"Hey, sneaking is what we weasels do, right? I might let you have some of the loot if you're good," grinned the dusky-furred sable as Andy handed him the deck of rogue cards.

Megan said, "Ooh! Nice fig. Can I see him?"

James handed the hand-painted resin figure across the table to Megan. "Of course. His name is Rumskiver."

She looked at James' figurine closely, slowly rotating it with her fingertips before handing it back. "He looks just like you, except the ears."

James nodded. "We sable have nice big earcups," he wiggled them for effect, "but this mink was as close as I could get."

Harry said, "I got mage, unless someone else wants it?"

No one objected, so Andy tossed Harry the mage play deck and the rabbit chose a mage figurine out of a small pile of standard ones in the game box-- a white goat wearing a blue robes, an elaborate matching hat and brandishing a wand.

Red said, "Ok, I'll tank again. Gimme the uh... paladin. That usually works well against undead bosses."

Andy said, "How imaginative," as he flipped the paladin deck at the squirrel, who almost dropped it. Using his normal voice now, Red noted. He rooted through the standard figurine pile until he found the lupine figure with the sword and shield emblazoned with a holy symbol.

Andy turned to Megan. "And you?"

Megan looked at the remaining class decks. Before she could choose, however, Red said, "Could use some more heals. You said you liked cleric?"

Andy said, "Come on, Red, let her choose. She knows how to play, right?" though his tone suggested he didn't really believe it.

Meanwhile Megan had turned in her chair and leaned over, pawing through her backpack with only her twin-striped tail visible for a moment until she straightened up, holding her own hand-painted figurine: a female skunk in green robes holding a wooden staff. She said, "Druid, please."

"What, seriously?" asked Andy.

"Oho, she comes prepared!" said James, eliciting a broad grin from the skunk. Red noticed and felt a sudden chill of jealousy. James was, after all, closer to being a skunk than he was. Not to mention how rich James' family was supposed to be.

Andy tossed her the appropriate deck. "Weakest class in the game, but you know that."

Red asked, "Marching order? I'm guessing I'm up front."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Then James--"

"Rumskiver," corrected the sable.

"Sorry, Rumskiver, then me, then Megan in the back. Err, does your druid have a name?"

Megan said, "Are we doing full RP?"

"Well, as full as you want, I guess," replied Harry with mixed enthusiasm.

"Zinnia, then."

Red said, "I think my paladin's name is... Chuck."

Megan snorted.

Red said, "He looks like a Chuck, don't you think? Like two syllables would be too much for him to remember."

Harry said, "In that case, my mage is Reginald Higginbottom II, Earl of Worcestershire."

Megan laughed out loud this time.

"All right!" interrupted Andy impatiently. "All right. Come get some," dared the cat, back in his archlich voice.

"Just flip the first room," said Harry.

Andy reached across the grid of face-down cardstock squares and turned over the one furthest from him. "You enter my realm and discover a cavern!" He paused to roll some dice, then drew some cards from decks near him. "There are two salamanders on guard here. Your foolish banter and clanking armor has alerted them to your intrusion."

"Charge!" exclaimed Red, placing his paladin figurine in the middle of the room, and they were off.

By the time the party had fought their way through the first level rooms, They had managed to collect a couple of semi-useful items and were in good health. Megan had even tamed one of the salamanders from the first room and named it Sally. Red had used a few too many of his player cards, and Harry had cautioned him to cool it a little with the charging and the hollering, but Red claimed that it was part of Chuck's idiom-- mages just didn't understand how justice was served. Andy, on the other hand, had barely used any of his boss cards, and that meant trouble later on for the party.

The level two rooms had more denizens per roll, and more traps for Rumskiver to find. Better loot as well, but Megan (or Zinnia) had to spend most of her action points on her basic healing spell just to keep everyone alive without exhausting her better cards before the hazards really ramped up. The good news was that everyone had gained one of the two possible extra levels.

On the first room of level three, Andy rolled well, the party was ambushed, and Dweamox saw his chance to destroy them before they even reached his chamber.

Andy announced, "As you peer into this sadistic room of torture and despair, you see three mummies, three skeletons and a vampire! They are upon you before you can even enter the room. The grinding of stone against stone can be heard behind you, and a minotaur steps from a hidden door that your pathetic rogue failed to see. He swings his great axe at Zinnia and... maims her for 8 points!"

Megan winced. "Ouch."

James mumbled, "Sorry guys."

Red said, "No time for regrets, my shadowy friend! I must destroy these abominations ahead of us. You must save the fair Zinnia!" To Andy he said, "I block the doorway and prepare to, er... destroy these abominations. Defensive stance."

James said, "Merging with shadows, going to try to circle behind the minotaur."

Harry announced, "Everyone cover your eyes! Going to toss up this daystar flare we found! That ought to give that vampire a headache."

James, "So much for my shadows..."

Harry said, "It's cool, If I roll a three or better, Mr. Moo is blinded."

Andy said, "The minotaur is not fond of being called Mr. Moo."

"Why, does he have a PhD?"

James said, "He probably has a wife and three calves at home, and is just working for Dweamox to pay the bills. You know how it is," and got a round of laughs from everyone.

Megan said, "There's too many monsters in the room for Chuck to handle, no matter how strong his faith in the light! But I'm also really hurt here. If I die none of you will survive." She eyed her cards, flipping them around in her hand, one after the other. Finally she decided, "I summon roots from the earth to keep the undead horrors at bay for a while," as she tossed her earthvines card into her discard pile. "Oh, and Sally is going to bite Mr. Moo in the ankle. Hopefully that will distract him. Sorry Sally. You were a faithful pet."

Dice were rolled all around the table. Andy interpreted the results, "Your flare blinds the minotaur for one round, and Sally bites his ankle for 1 point of damage. Rumskiver fails to merge with shadows that do not exist. The flare also causes three points of damage to the vampire, who hisses loudly. The roots have entangled all three skeletons but only one mummy. My turn."

After glancing at his hand for a moment, Andy played a card. "The vampire is empowered to level four." Then he played another. "The room fills with a confounding miasma and you all must roll against your will. The vampire attacks Chuck by touching him and Chuck takes... 11 points of damage. One of the free mummies can also attack chuck and claws him for three. The minotaur is blind, but kicks Sally, sending her flying into the stone wall of the corridor and... dead."

"Down to 6 HP!" announced Red, even though everyone could do the math.

"Roll your saves," reminded Andy.

They did, and Red and James both failed.

Andy said, "Failures cower in fear and lose their action next round."

"Bloody rotten." said James.

"All right, well, it's you and me, Zinnia," said Harry. "Chuck, cower behind your shield, I'm gonna toss a greater fireball into the torture room. I was saving it for the big guy, but..."

Red pantomimed cowering. "On it!"

Megan chewed on her lip, again flipping through the cards in her hand. "No choice, I guess." She held up a card so everyone could see. There were resigned nods and a big smile from Andy. "I invoke the Earthmother's blessing, before we lose someone. Everyone regains all their life force." she said, before reluctantly pitching one of her most powerful cards into the discard pile.

Harry rolled his dice for his fireball and exclaimed, "Hot damn! Literally. Three sixes."

Andy grumbled, "That'll do for the skeletons. Oh, and Miss druid's roots."

"Oops," said Harry.

"Mummy one burns up with the roots. Two and three are burning but still moving. Vampire takes it in the face and looks pretty mad."

"And fucked up, I hope?" said Harry.

"Hmmph. Are you listening to the unholy mouth on your mage, paladin?" answered the cat. "Anyway, my turn again. Burning mummy swipes at Chuck, but hits the shield. Scorched vampire reaches around the shield to touch the paladin again."

"Bad touch!" tittered Red.

Andy ignored him. "This time it's 8 damage. Blind minotaur flails his axe around uselessly, but he's blinking the spots from his eyes already. Ok, Chuck and Rumskiver roll your saves again for the miasma."

Red and James both rolled. James nodded. "Made it," but Red rolled poorly again.

"Well, at least you make a fairly decent wall," said Harry to Red.

Red asked, "Can I play anything like this?"

Andy said, "No. All you can do is defensive stance. And whimper, I suppose."

James said, "Well, I'm getting behind that minotaur before he regains his sight."

Harry's phone chirped and he pulled it up to the table, rapidly replying to a text. While still staring at the screen, he said, "I can only shoot in one direction. Anyone got a preference?"

Megan asked, "Do you have another fireball?"

Harry said, "Yeah, but..."

"Good, save it."

"Oh. Ok. What, uh..."

Megan said, "Use your arcane bolt on the minotaur. I'll save Chuck." She flipped another card from her dwindling hand. "Dire transformation."

Andy sneered, "So, what, you're a dire skunk now?"

"Yup," agreed Megan.

"Are we all gonna need tomato soup baths after this?"

Megan scowled, "One, that's not funny. Two, tomato soup doesn't even work, and three, I wish I got a special attack like that but no, I'm just an angry skunk the size of a feral grizzly that's going to tear your vampire in two!"

Andy raised his eyebrow whiskers and said, "Ok then. But you don't get an attack this round. Card says you spend this round transforming."

Red asked, "How long do you stay like that?"

"For the rest of the encounter."

"Too bad. Would have been epic to ride you into the next battle."

"Ride me?"

"Err... I mean, like a mount... never mind."

"More than we needed to know, squirrel," said Andy.

Harry clucked his tongue and shook his head at Red. "Meanwhile, I'm shooting the minotaur as Zinnia the very angry scary giant skunk suggested, because I know better than to argue with raw natural fury." He rolled his die and said, "Five." After rolling he returned his attention to his phone, tapping out another text.

Andy said, "Harry, we're playing a game here. Pay attention. Minotaur loses five, Chuck cowers, Rumskiver sneaks around, Zinnia is busy. On my turn, minotaur is super pissed at the mage... what the hell was your name again, Harry? Higgy-biggy the third or something? No, never mind, it doesn't matter. He swings his axe at your cloth-covered body and does... 9!"

"Ouchie," said Harry, whose character now only had three hit points remaining.

"Vampire isn't done molesting Chuck. And this time instead of dealing damage, he uses his alternate ability and drains Chuck down to level 1."

Red said, "Oh for fuck's sake."

Andy laughed, "Language, paladin. You'll need to flail yourself a dozen times for cursing. Oh and there's still two burning mummies. The one that can hit Chuck gets him for 3 again."

"Not looking good," moaned Red, who was down to 4 hit points now that he was no longer second level.

James asked eagerly, "Our turn?"

Andy nodded. "Roll your save again, Chuck-o".

Red rolled with his face resting against his arm on the table, not even looking at the die.

"Hey, you made it," said Harry.

Red just lifted his head and rolled his eyes.

"Ok, I'm using my backstab ability on the minotaur," said James, grinning wide. He rolled his dice loudly between his palms and then tossed them. "Booooom! 15!"

Harry said, "Good, I'm popping the vampire with my arcane bolt. Looks like... 2 this time. Oh well."

Red said, "Uhh... well, I'm free of the gas or whatever it was. I gotta sword something. It's what paladins do. And that vampire is about the most evil thing I've ever seen. So I sword the vampire. I hope you can finish it off, Meg... I mean Zinnia. Otherwise I'm dead." He rolled his dice and said, "Well, 9 is not bad. How many hit points does this guy have anyway?"

Megan said, "Not enough. I shove Chuck out of the way and charge. I get four dice in this form and can assign the damage however I like to anything in reach." She rolled and counted and said, "That's the vampire and one of the mummies. Now, are you going to play something out of your hand, or can we just assume I tear the last one apart next round?" She was almost baring her teeth at Andy.

"Um, good enough for me," said Andy, who picked up the denizen cards and tossed them in the discard pile.

Megan muttered under her breath, "Weakest class in the game..."

Red looked to his side, at Megan, whose tail was flared up. He reached his arm behind her and tried to give her a sideways hug. "That was pretty bad-ass."

Megan sighed, "But I burned three of my best cards. I've got almost nothing left for Dweamox."

"It was still awesome. I could totally picture you as a huge, enraged feral skunk, roaring and bursting into the room and tearing everything up."

Harry agreed, "Nothing but black and white fury."

James, still all business, asked, "Ok, we cleared the room and the ambush. Loot time!"

*****

Beth rounded the corner where Benjamin had disappeared and found an empty hallway. The walls were covered with framed team photographs going back decades, but there were no doors here. She walked on, pricking up her ears, searching for the sound of rolling plastic wheels. She even sniffed the air, recalling the rabbit's scent, but all she could smell was the damp musk and sweat of what seemed like a thousand different species. The corridor took another bend back in the direction of the gym and Beth spotted Benjamin as soon as she turned the corner. He was at the far end, sitting on a wooden bench that was set outside the gym office, just before the hall ended at the double doors that led down to the locker rooms.

The rabbit was busily texting on a smartphone, and somehow failed to sense Beth's approach. She could guess who he was texting with and what about. She walked as quietly as she could along the hallway, but Benjamin swiveled his ears towards her and looked up before she got within three meters. He looked genuinely surprised.

"Beth! Uh... hi!" he said, hasily stuffing his phone into the pocket of his shorts.

"Let me see that," she demanded as she closed the distance with her hand out.

His ears flicked, and he considered a moment, then with a shrug he withdrew the phone and handed it to the jackal girl.

He hadn't locked the screen, as if he had expected the request.

She peered at the display, tail flicking back and forth.

HW: Try again at the game. She hangs out up in the balcony box.

BB: Ok. She was pr pissed, tho

HW: Isn't she cute like that?

BB: Yeah very hot ttyl

BB: Ok just tried 2 talk 2 her but she told me 2 fuck off again

BB: U sure she wants? Still mad

HW: Yes

HW: She needs 2 let off some steam

BB: Dunno. She cute but

Beth looked up. "But what?" she asked, biting off the ends of her words.

Benjamin shrugged and rested his arms on his knees, leaning forward and looking up at Beth. "But you're not, you know, into it. I mean, you are, I can tell, but you... I dunno. Not ready I guess. Sorry."

Beth growled.

Benjamin pricked his ears and asked, "Uh, can I have my phone back?"

Beth looked down at the phone again. She said, "No," in a clipped haughty tone and then turned and walked towards the big double doors.

"Wha-- hey, you can't just take my stuff! I need that!"

Beth pushed through the doors and walked down the sloping concrete floor that led to the lower level of the gym. Benjamin got up from his bench and followed. He rolled down the ramp and tried to pass the jackal, but she heard him coming and hip-checked him into the wall. He grabbed the handrail and managed to stay upright.

He said, "C'mon, Beth, my parents will kill me if I lose it. Just text whatever you want to Harry and give it back."

Beth kept walking until she came to the end of the ramp. There was a concrete block wall there, forming a T-intersection. A sign indicated girls to the left and boys to the right. Beth chose right and disappeared from sight. Benjamin followed, peeking around each corner to make sure she wasn't waiting to shove him again. All he saw was the ends of the many rows of lockers. Assuming she had ducked into a row, he rolled slowly along until he found her. Why she had chosen the third row on the left he didn't know, but at least there appeared to be no one else down here at the moment to object to her presence in the boys' locker room. Everyone was still playing their various games. He could here the dull echo of running feet and cheering spectators. He paused at the end of her row, leaning on the lockers there.

Beth was sitting straddling the bench at the center, tapping on his phone.

"What are you telling him?" asked Benjamin.

"I finished your text. 'She cute but I want to suck your cock instead'," she grinned triumphantly, holding up the phone as if he could read it from there.

Benjamin huffed a laugh. "Um, well, ok. That's kind of true."

Beth made a face. "He couldn't even send a straight rabbit?!" she roared, making discordant echoes against the concrete and steel. She brought her arm up above her head, as if preparing to smash the phone against the floor.

Benjamin squeaked and scrambled with his skates, diving clumsily towards the spot where he expected his phone to strike the hard grey floor. But when he got there Beth was still holding it. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Beth was grinning again. "You want this back?"

He nodded from the floor, eyes wide.

She looked at the phone. There was a text back from Harry. It said "LOL hi beth". She made a strangled angry cry and looked like she might smash it again, but didn't. Instead she stepped over Benjamin and went to one of the lockers. As the rabbit watched she worked the combination lock and after a moment got it open. She popped open the locker, put his phone inside, then closed it and locked it up again.

"What..." he began.

She said, "Get up."

He paused, trying to figure how she had the combination to a locker on the boys' side. Then he used the bench to pull himself up and got back up on his skates, a couple of steps away from Beth. She began to circle around him, studying the rabbit, who tracked her with his eyes until she passed out of his peripheral vision. He began to turn to keep her in sight but she barked, "Stand still!"

Benjamin raised his ears tall and straight and stared at the wall at the end of this row of lockers. After a brief unnerving silence, he suddenly felt her hands on his back, pushing him in that direction. He almost lost his balance from the surprise, but he threw a paw out to his left to use the lockers to steady himself and then coasted smoothly up to the wall. He wanted to ask her what she wanted, how he could get his phone back, but he had a hope that she would tell him, or better yet show him. He might actually salvage this. He held his paws flat on the painted cinderblock wall, his ears straining to hear her behind him. She was walking closer.

Beth watched the rabbit, wondering how afraid of her he might really be, how much of his compliance was some kind of act. He could leave (without his phone) anytime he wanted, but there he was. Up against the wall, waiting for her. She made him wait a little longer, walking slowly up to him. She studied his ears, pointing straight at the ceiling but swiveled back to hear her. His back was straight, not at all relaxed or slouching. His tail- that caught her attention. It was quivering, just slightly. She closed the gap and touched it. Soft, definitely quivering. He turned his head, peeking back at her.

She grinned, muzzle full of canine fangs. "Scared?" she asked.

He nodded, eyes wide.

She growled, "Don't lie to me. You just want your phone back. You're just like... pretending to be a scared little bunny."

He asked, "What do I have to do to get it back?"

"Just do what I say."

He nodded. That was his plan going in, anyway.

Beth trailed her fingers up from his tail along his back. So, she had a toy rabbit, at least until the games upstairs and outside were all finished and the locker room filled back up. She still felt angry about it not being quite real, though. A set up. Almost like a game. She decided she would have to see how far he would go. He shivered under her feathery touches as she brought her hand down once more. She passed his tail, and suddenly reached between his legs, clutching his nuts from the back through his loose red shorts.

Benjamin gasped as the young jackal girl grabbed him and squeezed. He hadn't expected her to be so brazen, and she wasn't being gentle about it. The pain in his testicles made him whimper and shuffle his skates, resting his forehead on the moist painted concrete. He didn't cry out.

Beth let go, just as suddenly as she had grabbed him. He let out a relieved sigh, panting a little. She returned to playing with his tail. She said, "Turn around."

He did, and did not attempt to hide the half-erection that was pushing at the front of his shorts.

Beth asked, "Did you like that?"

Benjamin said, "A little. Still hurt."

Beth took a step back and her hands went to the front of her jeans. "Don't move. Just watch," she warned. Then she undid the buttons in front and back. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of both her jeans and her panties, and began to shimmy them down, watching the rabbit closely as she did so. His eyes were glued to her crotch as she revealed her white-furred mons, then the more thinly-furred lips of her vulva below. His half erection grew in little surges, hidden from direct view but obvious under the sheer material of his shorts.

She sneered, "Oh, looks like the bunny does like girls."

Benjamin just nodded, watching the jackal. She bent in the middle to take her jeans and panties down all the way to her feet before stepping out of them. She left her blouse on, but it was not quite long enough to hide her slit from his view. It looked soft and maddeningly inviting. He could feel his mouth actually begin to water. His nose wiggled as he tried to catch some part of her scent over the powerful mixed male odor of the locker room.

She slowly turned until she was facing away from him, but still looking back. She spread her legs, giving him the sort of show she had only seen in her brother's hidden porn folders on the computer. She even hiked her tailbrush up, presenting.

Benjamin was captivated, and misinterpreted it as an actual invitation. He pushed off from the wall and closed the gap, putting his paws on her upturned rear.

Instantly she turned on him. She stayed low and bit him on the wrist, holding him with a growl.

He cried out this time, and pulled his other paw back, flailing for balance.

She let go before he wrenched his arm out of her jaws, but snapped at him again for good measure. He rubbed his wrist with his other paw, looking at it so see if she had bit him hard enough to draw blood. She didn't taste any. But he looked like he might actually be scared now.

*****

By the time the raiders reached the final room, there was not much hope for victory. Zinnia had only one special druid spell left, Chuck was still only second level, and Rumskiver had died in the previous room while saving Zinnia's life. James didn't seem to mind being dead. He was still sitting next to Harry, eager to see how the final encounter went against the boss. Red had said he was willing to call it, and let Andy have his win, but the tabby refused, saying that was just because Red wanted to go make out with Megan. Red had blushed and Megan had just looked cross.

Andy came out swinging, or rather casting as archliches more typically do. Red failed another save and got mind-controlled.

"You'd think with as little mind as I have, there wouldn't be enough to control," he quipped in a morose deadpan.

Megan looked across the table to Harry and said, "I have one more druid trick," showing him her last card.

Harry looked at the card, then the picture of Dweamox's boss room. He said, "Huh. Interesting idea. Well, now I know why you wanted me to save that fireball."

Andy said, "Just do it, whatever it is. Between me and your possessed boyfriend this is over in two rounds."

Megan said, "Fine." She flipped the card to where Andy could see it. "I summon a wood golem to fight for me."

Andy rolled his eyes. "That card is useless. You need an actual source of wood for the golem to form out of."

"Your room is full of wooden bookcases," Megan pointed to the room tile with one black-clawed finger.

"Oh, come on, that's insane. What is it then, a bookcase golem?"

"There's the wood, there's the spell. The trees whose bones you set your books upon answer my call."

"Fine..."

Harry said, "And I'll use my silence card on you."

Andy rolled for his save. "Heh, nope. Sorry. Ok, My new loyal but not yet undead servant Chuck attacks Zinnia. Red, if you would please roll for damage on your girlfriend?"

Red scowled and rolled, but smiled when he saw the low total. "Whew. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" he said, stroking her shoulder. Megan hushed him.

Andy continued, "And I'm summoning a... hmm." He made a show of studying the half-dozen cards he still had in his hand. "How about a shade," he concluded.

Megan didn't wait for Andy to state that his turn was over. "My golem hugs Dweamox."

"What?" said Andy. "Are you coming on to me? Red, control your girlfriend."

Megan growled at Andy, tail flared up again.

Harry said, "Fireball time!" He rolled. "14. Dweamox and the golem are now on fire."

"Huh. Points for style, I guess," said Andy.

Red said, "That's awesome. I never would have thought of that!"

James agreed. "I'm gonna remember that. Might need to give druid a second look."

"Still a gimmick class," said Andy.

Megan said, "If we only had found the chime of clarity, we would have had a chance."

Red said, "Wow, you really know this game!"

Megan nodded, "I have a set at home. My friends from my old school used to play a lot."

"At your house?"

"Yeah. On the weekends mostly."

"And your mom let you?" asked Red in disbelief.

"Well, they're all girls."

Harry said, "Man, how do I get invited to your game?"

Megan said, "We haven't played since I switched schools, sorry."

Andy broke in, "Can we finish?"

Red asked, "What do you guys think? I may as well be dead at this point."

Harry said, "We have a non-zero chance, technically. Megan?"

Megan shrugged. "I'm down to basic heals or hitting things with my stick. Seems like a waste of time. Wish I had another dire transformation."

Harry said, "Ok, we concede. Does this undead army deal come with full dental and maybe stock options?"

Andy just shook his head and began picking up all the bits and pieces of his game. Despite winning, he looked angry, but no one was paying attention.

James said to Megan, "You should play with us more often."

Megan said, "I'd like to, I just have some trouble staying late like this. Tonight I told my mom and dad that I was going to the play after school today. Not sure how many times I can play that card."

Harry said, "Red, she's full of tricks. You're no match."

Red said, "I know," and found her paw, giving a squeeze. To his relief, she squeezed back.

*****

"Get on the bench. On your back." commanded Beth.

Benjamin obeyed, stepping over the bench with one leg and then lying down, flat on his back on the pale green plastic with his skates together on one end and his ears together on the other.

She corrected, "Feet on the floor." He complied.

She stepped over the bench at his knees, and walked over him, past his now aching groin, his stomach and chest. She stood looking down at him and he let his head rest on the hard bench surface. "You'll get your phone back when I'm ready to give it."

He nodded and reached up to cradle her rear in his furry paws, hoping he knew the game now.

She slapped them away and said, "Keep your hands to yourself!" while baring her teeth again.

He dropped them, going as far as to tuck them under his own rear.

Then she leaned forward and bent her knees, and his face was suddenly full of jackal muff.

He groaned and opened his mouth, trying to get his tongue out so that he could show her he knew how to use it, but she was grinding against his face, making it difficult for him to even breathe. He wanted to tell her to ease back a little, but all he could do was make muffled plaintive noises. He pulled a hand back out to tap her on the thigh, but she reached back and slapped his hand away again. So he stowed it back underneath him and did his best, wriggling his tongue against her tasty little cunny, eventually managing to find a way past her labia even as she moved back and forth against his nose.

Beth found herself enjoying herself despite how angry she still felt. Or maybe even because of it. The rabbit couldn't breathe? Good. She'd let him have some air eventually. Right now it felt too good to stop. She put more weight on her hands and looked down. The rabbit had his eyes squeezed shut and she could see her mound squashed right against his nose. Was he wiggling it, like rabbits did all the time? She thought maybe he was. She could definitely feel his tongue, though, trying to get inside her. She pulled up higher a little, and dragged her now open slit over his nose, painting him with her girlscent. Then she slide back down, tail wagging.

Benjamin seized his opportunity when she stopped pushing his head against the bench and fluttered his tongue over where he thought her clit was. He got an immediate reaction-- a sudden stiffening in her arms and even a yip! But almost immediately she was pressing hard against his now moistened face again and he couldn't repeat the motion. If only she would let up a little! He moaned into her cunt, and drew it out into a long, low vibrating sound. At the same time his hips began to hitch and work behind her, on unconscious automatic pilot. He could feel himself sticking to his shorts.

She began to wiggle her hips back and forth quickly, as if trying to recreate the flutter he had given, occasionally giving a quiet whimper of frustration. Finally she stopped and pulled away from his nose gasping, "Do that again," without explaining what that was. Luckily Benjamin knew, and was more than happy to do it until his tongue cramped up. She shuddered and shut her eyes, ears and whiskers swept back.

He didn't know if he could make her come, or if she could make herself come using his muzzle. Or some combination. She was making a high-pitched whine, punctuated by little barks whenever he moved away from her clit and then came back. He wanted to squeeze her ass, but he kept his paws under himself and resisted the instinct. His tongue was getting fatigued, though. He knew he would have to give it a rest shortly, and she wouldn't like that.

Beth was so close, she could almost feel it, that pin-pricking in her pelvis was almost there, but it was just out of reach. The rabbit under her was panting, and before she wanted him to, he stopped his frenetic tongue acrobatics. She opened her eyes and looked down. "Don't you stop," she said with a snarl.

He said, "Tun nee res."

She grunted and pushed herself back up to her feet, still looking down. The rabbit's whole muzzle was wet with her juice and his saliva and he was working his jaw as if it was dislocated. She chuffed, then looked back, and spotted the dark wet spot on his shorts. She walked back a step, positioned herself above his groin, and sat.

Benjamin cried out in a combination of surprise, pain, and pleasure. He raised his head and saw Beth looking down to where she was grinding her spread slit over his polyester-covered erection. He opened his mouth and she lifted her muzzle to look him in the eye. She began to rub herself against him, back and forth, darkening more of his shorts quickly. But he could see her wince, as the stitching on the front of his shorts disagreed with her delicate flesh. She stopped, rose up again, and grabbed the elastic of both his shorts and the undergarment beneath, exposing him suddenly. His pink shaft twitched free in the air, drooling his clear pre. She yanked the front of his clothes down, hooking the elastics under his balls before letting them go. He could feel the pressure the elastic exerted pushing his balls up, so when she sat back down on his penis, he was ready for the pain in his testicles as they were squeezed once again. He still gasped.

She let his shaft press her labia apart, feeling him twitching and alive against her. She heard him gasp, saw the gooey stuff dripping from him. She remembered Red, remembered what happened next. She put her paws on his chest, leaned on him as she began to wriggle her hips back and forth with his shaft sliding against her slit. She said, "You want to fuck me, right?"

Benjamin nodded, wondering if she would actually let him. He throbbed at the thought.

"Tell me!"

"I want to fuck you, Beth..."

She bit him on the shoulder, quickly, letting go before he could even react. He only squeaked after the fact.

"You want to put it in me?"

"Yes!" he said, closing his eyes, ready for the bite. But it didn't come this time.

She rocked back and forth, never letting his tip near her actual opening, but still coating him with her slippery juice. She worked herself back up to where she had been with his tongue in silence, letting him wonder. She was wondering herself. Should she let him? How would it feel? He was squirming under her now, pushing up against her, his cock steeling and releasing as he struggled.

He panted and whimpered, "Beth..."

She humped her young vulva over his cock and asked, "Are you going to squirt already?"

He squeezed his eyes and mouth shut and nodded quickly.

She spat, "Then I guess you won't get to fuck me," before redoubling her assault on his groin.

He panted and made a strangled noise while his hips popped up under Beth. She was ready, and held them down with her own, still wiggling them back and forth. Suddenly his shaft jumped against her. She looked down, watching the head of his lepine shaft peeking from between her lewdly spread sexlips. The little hole at the end seemed a little bigger than before. Then it jumped again and a long stream of whitish semen shot out over his belly. The next gout was even stronger, reaching his chin and chest.

She could feel him coming under her, and for whatever reason, that was what set her off as well. She yipped and howled, echoing through the locker room as she claimed her victory. The boy under her still shooting his sticky cream all over himself. She hadn't let him take his t-shirt off, and it was now wet and pungent with his semen. She wrinkled her nose, remembering that smell, almost like the swimming pool. She shivered through her own orgasm, savoring each moment of it, feeling little echoing jolts every time his penis jumped and spurted under her.

Soon, though, it began to fade. She clutched at it, wriggled against him again (getting a pained whimper from the oversensitive rabbit for her trouble), but it was gone. She pushed herself back, landing unsteadily on the bench while watching Benjamin. Without her in the way his shorts snapped back up over his groin with a sudden dull thrum. His penis burbled the last of his sperm inside while his chest rose and fell. While he recovered, she got up and began to put her panties and jeans back on, though she needed to lean on the lockers from time to time.

Benjamin opened his eyes, then lifted his head. He was a mess. He pulled his hands out from under himself- they were asleep. He shook them, waiting for the pins and needles to begin and sat up. He sniffed his shirt and said, "Urgh." Beth had finished her hasty re-dressing and he said, "So uh, feel good?"

She thought for a moment and finally nodded. "Yeah."

"Wanna again, sometime?"

"Maybe."

"Uh, can I have my phone?"

Beth grinned at the dazed rabbit. "Basketball game ends in like ten minutes."

"What?" asked Benjamin.

She tapped the locker she had stowed his phone in. "Ask my brother to get it for you."

Then she walked out, leaving him sitting on the basketball team's bench, soaked in his own semen.

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