Save Me
************ NOTE: While there is no actual sex, there are some mature situations in this story.
Save Me, Part 1: The Night Caller
I woke from a dead sleep to the sound of pounding at my door. It was a little before four in the morning, so I was cautious. I dragged myself from under the sheets and stepped as quietly as I could to the peep hole in my door, tightly gripping a sturdy metal rod for protection. I could see Michelle Anderson, a mouse I knew from the office, standing in the hallway. Through the distorted image she looked bedraggled and out of sorts. I popped the locks, leaving the chain in place and opened the door the three inches or so that the chain allowed.
"Reggie," she said. She was sniffling, shivering. "Can I come in?"
I hesitated. I was there in my shorts and I was aware of her violent and jealous boyfriend. I looked at her again; she was bleeding from her nose, her eye was swollen and her glasses were cracked. I pushed the door closed and released the chain, opening it again to let her in.
She was limping slightly and holding her left arm. I quickly locked the door and helped her to the couch. I lived in a repurposed downtown building. It was outfitted like a studio apartment. I used the loft for my computers and such, but the whole lower area spread from kitchen table to bed. I seldom had anyone over, so I didn't bother putting up dividers.
"What happened?" I asked, kneeling down in front of her. I should have asked if she was OK, but it seemed more prudent to get to the point.
Michelle, who said she liked to be called Mike, was quiet for a moment. She seemed reluctant to answer. "I... Got hurt," she said slowly.
"How?" I pressed.
She said nothing, and looked at the floor.
"I'll call an ambulance," I said
"No. I would have done that if I could. I can't go to a doctor," she said quietly.
I sighed and grabbed my first aid kit and some towels. I thought that she probably came to me because I had worked in a clinic for a couple of years. I came back and carefully removed her glasses. She winced.
"Someone hit you," I said. It wasn't a question. "These injuries aren't from a car wreck or a fall. Did Malcolm do this?"
Mike still refused to speak. If she was abused, I knew that she would probably be afraid to talk about it. I could see tears in her eyes and a slight quiver to her chin.
"Just look straight ahead." I shined the penlight into her eyes one at a time to check for response. "Are you dizzy? Can you watch the light without moving your head? Just follow with your eyes." I put on my gloves and proceeded to clean the area around her eye and the cut on her ear. I was concerned about her arm and the limp, but I decided to take care of the most obvious injuries first. "I need you to take off your coat," I explained as I taped a bandage to her ear.
She lowered her head and closed her eyes, but refused to move.
"Your arm's hurt and it'll be a lot easier to get an idea of what's wrong without your overcoat."
She relented. I was quite surprised to see her underclothing. I tried to remain professional. Doing triage at the clinic, I had seen very attractive females in various states of undress and never had a problem. Maybe it was because she was in my home or because I knew her, I thought. I examined her limbs and abdomen and got her to tell me what hurt and what didn't.
"Everything seems to be minor, but I would feel better if you went to the hospital. I'm not a doctor or anything." I disposed of the gloves and gauze and put away my kit. "You can get dressed," I added, not sure if I could maintain my self control in the presence of her almost completely exposed body.
"Can I stay here?" Mike had followed me to my kitchen area. It was surprising how quietly she moved.
"What?" I couldn't think of another thing to say. She hadn't put her coat back on, not that I blamed her. It was wet and heavy.
"Just until I can think of what to do," she pleaded. I looked down into her brown eyes, just a shade darker than her honey fur.
"I suppose," I said, grabbing a sheet from the wardrobe. "You can go freshen up if you like. The bathroom's right there." I walked back to the couch and sat down. "And you can have the bed," I added, unfolding the sheet. "Feel free to grab a shirt," I said, pointing to my dresser.
She nodded and went off to get settled. I fell asleep pretty quickly, which surprised me. I'm usually not too comfortable with anyone else in the place, much less a casual acquaintance.
My dreams were very strange that night. One just replayed Mike arriving, but moved into a sex dream with her ‘thanking' me in a very inappropriate way. I was thankful that I wasn't a teen any longer or I might have had to change my shorts.
Another was one of the more mundane sort of dreams where I go to the store and find out that I'm out of money and have misplaced my pants. Then everyone starts laughing at me and I do some bizarre dance with an otter and everyone starts shoving money in my shorts.
Another dream had Mike's boyfriend busting down the apartment door and shooting up the place. For some reason he swallowed Mike whole (like a snake) and kept stabbing me with some sort of oddly shaped shiv. That one woke me up.
I looked around the apartment and listened for anything out of the ordinary. I heard Mike snoring lightly. It was a pleasant, comforting sound. I wondered if all mice snored like that when they slept. I thought about going closer to see if she looked as cute as she sounded, but I figured that the creepiness factor would be far to high. I decided to go back to sleep.
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Save me, Part 2: Gay or Not Gay? (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That)
The sun was pouring through the windows when I woke up later that morning. The light was the sort of extreme yellow that happens after it's rained all night and the clouds started to burn off at dawn. It was around ten, and my blinds had all been opened. My place was part of an old office building or something, so it had windows from floor to ceiling on the entire east wall. There was also a smell in the air; food cooking. I was hungry.
"Reggie?" Mike called from the kitchen area. I glanced over to see her in one of my dress shirts, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She was making due with her cracked glasses. Her hair was mussed. "I was about to come wake you," she explained. "You hungry?"
It seemed the most natural thing in the world at that moment, having Mike in my apartment making breakfast. The reality fell heavy on my gut when I remembered Malcolm O'Connor. Mike told me some things about him and her coworkers filled in some of the more unsavory details when she was out of earshot.
Malcolm was a thirty-something wolf. He was a boxer in school and was involved in some questionable situations during his time at university, one of those involving the death of a rabbit he dated for a while. His record, though, remained spotless thanks to his coach, his father, his fraternity and some VIP alumni. Time had probably made him a bit slower, but a pudgy fox-rabbit mix whose only sports experience involved video games would be no match for him.
"Sure, but I'm going to take a shower and get dressed first," I answered. I was fortunate to have a job writing code. I was contracted with a company (where Mike worked). I stopped in every couple of weeks to update the IT guy on any system changes I made and to conduct computer training classes. I was on call, but there were seldom any issues that a quick restart wouldn't resolve.
Mike was a tomboy; the cute sort. She wore jeans and T-shirts, nothing that flattered her figure, nothing revealing. Her hair was cropped short and, of course, she wore glasses (I'd always had a thing for girls in glasses). We became friends at the office because she always asked me for some sort of help when I was there. In retrospect, it's likely that she was flirting, but what I knew about her boyfriend made me keep my distance.
I showered and dressed and headed over to the kitchen. Mike smiled at me. Her bruises weren't really visible through her fur, and the cut on her ear was small, so the bandage was hardly visible. Her glasses made her look slightly pathetic; in a cute sort of way.
"You didn't have much food, so I did what I could," she explained. That warm, sunny tone so familiar to me was back in her voice.
"I usually order in." I sat down at the table as she had two places set.
"You look nice," she said. This caught me off guard.
I was wearing a black T-shirt and some green checked, pajama bottoms (why does ‘pajama bottoms' sound like a nickname?). My fur was sticking out at odd angles from still being damp, and I knew the clothes weren't flattering.
"I think you need to get your glasses fixed, ‘cause you're clearly not seeing right," I said as a sort of half joke.
Mike giggled.
A girl, and an attractive one at that, was making me breakfast, complementing me for no reason, and laughing at a one of my stupid jokes. She was there in my home, and my only worry was that her boyfriend would bust in the door and kill us both. As she placed my plate on the table she touched my paw. It wasn't an innocent accident. Her fingers wrapped around mine. Her paw was small. I'd never really noticed how petit before, but it was little more than half the size of mine.
"Thank you again, Reggie." Mike sat down across from me and took off her glasses. Her eyes were very pretty.
"No problem," I said quietly. I wasn't a big fan of omelets, but I was hungry, and she went through all the trouble. It was rather good, though. Cheese and grilled vegetables. I didn't realize that I had any vegetables that hadn't rotted into mush.
"I'm glad I came here," Mike said quietly, sounding unsure of herself.
"I wish it were under better circumstances."
She nodded. I could see that she didn't want to explore the subject further, so I wasn't going to push her at that moment.
"You said you were planning to stay a few days, right?"
Mike nodded. "Maybe a week. I'm not sure."
"Do you need some help to get some of your stuff?" I suggested.
"Probably. I don't know. I'm..." She stopped and took a bite then a drink.
I could see by the look in her eyes that she was afraid. "I could always just drop by the store and pick up some things for you."
"That would probably be better," she nodded, sounding very relieved. "Are you done?" she asked, reaching out for my plate.
I nodded. There was still half left, but (though I wouldn't admit it to her) I didn't really care for omelets. I was uncomfortable being served in my own home, but it seemed so much in her nature to do so.
As much as I have a thing for girls in glasses, that's almost double for a girl wearing a male's dress shirt a few sizes too large. I watched her walk to the sink, her thin tail swishing from side to side, her thighs and backside pressing against the lowest fabric, teasing to offer a peek. It became more than a tease as a fork dropped and she bent down to pick it up. Her panties were almost see-through. I wanted to stare. I wanted to do a lot more. I turned my head and pretended to rub my eyes until I heard the dishes in the sink.
I cleared my throat. "So, what things do you need?"
"Um... Can I make you a list? When were you planning to go out?" She turned off the water and dried her paws on a towel.
"I can head out as soon as you're ready," I said, standing up and stretching. "You didn't have to wash the dishes, Mike, you're my guest. I'll take care of it later."
"You should have said that *before* I washed them," she teased. "But really, I don't mind," she said, grabbing her glasses off the table. "Can I ask you something, Reggie?" She stepped close.
I looked up and raised my eyebrows. "Sure."
"Are you gay?"
I was taken aback. "No," I sputtered and choked.
"I didn't know. I mean, you never talked about a girlfriend or anything."
I shrugged. "I don't have a girlfriend, but that doesn't mean I'm gay."
"Ah," she nodded. "In that case..." She kissed me on the cheek and smiled warmly. "Thank you for looking away."
***************************
Save Me, Part 3: Hey, Sweetie... Want to Cyber?
One day led into the next. I went through Mike's list, bringing her everything she said she needed. By her fourth day in my apartment (Thursday), I was starting to wonder about a few things. She hadn't used the phone or sent an email. She hadn't even stepped outside the door. She read, though, and we talked often. It took a while for me to get the courage to broach the subject.
"Who are you hiding from?" I asked. It was late in the afternoon, around three or so.
Mike gave me a disappointed look. "You know who," she said simply, closing her book and placing it on the arm of the sofa.
"Don't you think that work is looking for you? Your family?" I suggested, pulling up a chair to sit across from her.
"I don't have any family that I want to talk to right now," she sighed. "And I could care less about work."
"You can't hide forever." It was a bit upsetting for her to say she wasn't concerned about work because she was supposed to pay me back for the things I bought for her. such a thought was petty, but we can't often control the random ideas that course through or little heads.
"Reggie," she barked angrily. "That wasn't the first time he hit me, and he's not the first guy to get violent with me. If you don't want me to stay here..."
"I'm just worried for you," I interrupted.
"I know, Reg," she said, reaching out to touch me on the cheek. "I feel safe here. I feel safe with you. You're a good guy. You're so different from the other guys I've known."
"Thanks," I coughed.
She smiled a little, but I don't think her mood was lightened at all. "Honestly, Reggie. How long can I stay with you?"
I didn't pause to think about it. "As long as you need," I said quietly.
We didn't say anything for a long while. We just looked at one another. We were both dressed, both wearing jeans and t-shirts, both without shoes or socks. We didn't really match, though. Our shirts were different colors and I prefer baggier clothes.
"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" she asked, changing the subject completely.
I looked at her with wide eyes. "Um," I hesitated. "I guess it's because I don't get out much, so I don't get to meet many females."
"Are you looking?"
"I put some personals online a while back, but nothing ever came of them." I tilted my head and examined her more closely. "Are you?"
She nodded. "Let's stop playing this game," she said, a gentle smile across her muzzle. "We're grown-ups. Are you interested in me?"
"Yes," I replied plainly.
"Me too." She looked around for a moment. "Honestly, I usually don't take things slow."
"Is that why you've hooked up with so many bad guys?"
"Are you sure you want to talk about that?" she sighed. She didn't seem terribly interested in the subject.
"I guess we don't have to. I was just thinking aloud or something."
"A little background." She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. "My dad died when I was four. My mom, not wanting to be alone, went from one guy to another. Most of them were abusive to her or indifferent to me."
"I'm sorry," I said, my ears drooping.
"I've been through years of therapy for that, hon," she said, a lighter tone to her voice. "I've been involved with six guys. A couple of them were OK. They didn't hit me, but they were sort of distant. I let them do whatever they wanted at first, but when I started to get more comfortable and really opened up they realized that I wasn't an idiot and had my own opinions. So they thought they needed to put me in my place."
"I wouldn't do that," I whispered. I was more thinking out loud or talking to myself, but she could hear.
"I know. That's why I came here. I knew I could trust you." She smiled a little, showing her teeth. "Any skeletons in your closet?"
I laughed. "Only fair that I'm on the spot now, huh?"
She nodded and laughed with me.
"Well... I was different from most everyone else growing up... Obviously. Girls weren't interested and guys mostly picked on me or wanted to fight because they knew they could win. So I got into books and video games and eventually computers. When the whole internet thing came around I was stoked. Most of my socialization came from chat. I could be myself, while everyone thought I was playing a character."
"Have you *ever* had a girlfriend?" she pressed.
"Well," I chuckled uncomfortably. "Not in real life," I admitted. I felt my ears get hot.
"How many dates have you been on?"
I shrugged. "A few. Usually blind dates, friend of a friend things."
"Are you a virgin?" she smiled.
I was definitely blushing. I could feel the blood pounding in my ears and face. "I guess so," I stammered, trying to sound cool.
"You guess so?" she grinned. "That's not the sort of thing you usually forget."
I nodded agreement, but didn't expand upon my answer.
"But you have been with girls online, right?" she asked playfully.
I laughed. "It depends on how loosely you define girls." I brushed my ears back.
"Did you ever play with yourself while you were chatting?" She had a very curious look on her face. She wasn't being cruel, but I wasn't sure what she was getting at.
I coughed and looked down at my toes, drumming my fingers on my thigh. I didn't want to lie, but I certainly didn't feel comfortable answering the question. "Um..."
Mike moved on. "What name do you use?"
"Usually I'm FoxBunny." I was more growing uncomfortable with each question, and was a bit put off by her apparent amusement. At least asking my nick wasn't nearly so personal.
"Well, I guess we've done it before," she giggled.
"Pardon?" I cleared my throat.
"You might recall an encounter with one Miss Snowie on a cold winter night trapped in a cabin together? Or another time on a spaceship? Or maybe the lazy morning on the beach?" She was giggling.
It took me a moment. "Snowie? Really?"
"Yep," she nodded, grinning widely.
"What are the odds?" I chuckled nervously.
"Maybe I skewed them a bit in my favor," she said. "You did a good job of being yourself."
"Did you already know it was me?"
"No, but I thought it might be you when you talked about chatting as yourself." She smiled warmly, a look of familiarity in her eyes. "Did I make you come?"
"Excuse me?" I choked.
"You heard me," she insisted, but with a waggish tone.
"Yeah," I answered quietly. My face felt hot.
"Awww," Mike cooed cutely. She leaned toward me and took my face in her paws. She closed her eyes and tilted her head, bringing her lips to mine, kissing me softly.
I was surprised and pulled back slightly at first, but she kept her paws on my cheeks and coaxed me back down. I relaxed and leaned into the kiss. Her lips were warm and the soft caress of her fingers in my cheekfur sent a tingle down my back and into my belly. I murred softly through my nose.
"Where'd you learn to kiss?" she asked, letting her paws slide down the sides of my face and neck to my shoulders. She didn't wait for me to answer, but pressed her muzzle to mine again.
I moved to the edge of my chair and placed my paws on her sides. Her body was soft. I could feel her chest expand and contract. I relaxed for some reason, though I still felt tension all through my body. I let my muzzle fall open slightly and her tongue entered my mouth. It was soft, wet, warm. I squirmed slightly at the unfamiliar sensation. She pulled back slowly. I followed as far as I could, reluctant to let her go.
"Are you disappointed?" she asked breathily, sitting back all the way on my sofa.
I shook my head. "No," I answered absently. After a moment of thought I asked, "What do you mean?"
"That I'm not like my character?" She looked at me with big brown eyes. I almost asked her to put her glasses back on.
"Of course not. You're still you."
"You're not disappointed that I'm not a beautiful white rabbit with long, luxurious lopped ears that give me tingles when you nibble at them?"
I couldn't tell if she was just toying with me or if she was genuinely upset. "You're a beautiful golden-brown mouse and I'm sure that you'll get tingles if I nibble your cute little saucer ears." I wasn't sure where the words came from. It sounded like something I would type in chat, but still seemed natural as I spoke.
She smiled and dropped her chin to her chest. "You think so?" I think she was trying to look cute and vulnerable. It was working.
"I'm pretty sure," I chuckled.
"Hmm," she churred. "Can I be your first?" she asked sweetly. She smiled and bit at her lip.
I knew that I was probably stupid for saying anything other than ‘yes,' but I was nervous. "I don't know," I said with a sigh.
She sat up, looking oddly at me, a hint of concern in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Well, I mean, I just don't want to embarrass myself."
She smiled warmly, reaching out and taking my paws in hers. "There's no reason to be embarrassed around me."
"I'm fat and... I'm not a wolf; that's for sure," I explained.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Look, hon. I think you're handsome. I've seen you with your shirt off already, so I already know what you look like." She stood and moved closer, getting me to sit back. She straddled my lap and rested her head on my chest. My heart was pounding. "And if you're not packing fifteen inches, I certainly won't complain. I'm a mouse. It would be like trying to put ten pounds of junk in a five pound bag, and it's really tough to stay aroused when you feel like your about to get torn in half."
I though quietly, but didn't say anything.
She sighed. "Will you hold me?"
I nodded and wrapped my arms around her. I petted her softly, running my paws up and down her back. "You're soft," I whispered.
"You're warm," she cooed, her paws and head on my chest.
I nuzzled her between her ears. I nosed the rim of one of her ears. It felt soft, like velvet. I sighed happily. Her scent was wonderful. She smelled sweet, but not like candy, more the sort of smell of fresh flowers brought in from the summer heat.
She adjusted in my lap, moving her body closer against me. I could feel her breasts against my belly and I could feel her breath on my chest. I wasn't sure exactly how we got to that point with her resting there in my arms, so very relaxed.
I nosed again at her ear, brushing my muzzle over the thin flap of flesh. I felt her whiskers twitch through my shirt. She was probably smiling. I opened my mouth and lightly placed my teeth against her ear, biting down without any real pressure. Where the courage came from to do that, I couldn't say.
"Tingles," she giggled drowsily. I felt her paws move on my chest then she pinched my nipples through my shirt.
I jumped. "Tingles," I repeated to her. I felt a burst of courage and moved my paws to her backside, just resting them there for a moment. Her curves were arousing just to look at, but the warmth and softness of her body magnified the effect exponentially.
Mike wriggled her hips slowly from side to side, murring warmly. She continued to play with my nipples and tilted her head up, nipping at my neck fur and nuzzling under my chin. I pushed my hips up against her, pulling her closer. Her crotch was hot against my thighs.
She lifted her tail and arched her back, pressing her rump against my paws. "Changed your mind?" she chirped cutely.
"I think so," I said dreamily, my head drifting with the sensations.
She nipped harder at my the skin of my neck. It felt like she was trying to sink her teeth into me.
"That hurts," I said firmly.
She released the grip of her teeth and sat up. "Sorry, Honeybunny," she apologized. She looked more upset that I expected.
"I'm fine," I reassured her. I smiled, touching my nose to hers. "I like it when you call me honeybunny, though."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said as she tilted her head and closed her eyes. Her lips drifted against mine, barely grazing. I got the impression that she was submissive by nature; that she wasn't trying to take the lead at all, but to encourage me in the right direction.
I placed a paw behind her head and pressed my muzzle a bit more firmly against hers. I felt her lips part, her mouth open. I slipped my tongue through her teeth and explored.
She murred softly, almost a light squeak. Her whiskers twitched against mine tickling a little. My paw slipped from behind her neck to her shoulder. She placed her paw on mine behind her neck and pulled down lightly. I let my paw move at her insistence, finding her breast.
I was torn. Part of me was bestial. I was so close to her, and the baser instincts wanted to mate. The part I was more inclined to follow, though, wanted to enjoy a more full experience and not rush things.
"Honeybunny?" she murmured, pulling back from my muzzle. She held my face to keep me from following.
I looked at her a moment, blinking a few times. I was sure she said something, but it didn't register immediately. "Yeah?" I uttered.
"Bed?" she proposed.
I nodded and let her down. As I stood she grasped my arm with both of her paws, pressing her head against my shoulder. I turned a bit and slipped the arm she was holding around her back then crouched slightly to pick up her legs. She squeaked in a strange way that made me think she approved, then followed with a warm giggle and several kisses on my neck.
I carried her across the room (as a mouse she was exceptionally light) and placed her on my bed. I hadn't been in that bed in nearly a week, but any resentment over cricks in my neck or back from the sofa was gone.
She lay there cutely, passively smiling up at me. I bent to kiss her, touching my lips to hers.
*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*
"Damn," she sighed.
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Save Me, Part 4: What are the Odds?
The situation reminded me of a letter to Pentmouse: There I was with this cute mouse. She was all ready and willing when there was a knock at the door. I had to decide if I should answer it, or go ahead and give the little brown mouse girl what she wanted. I went to the door and looked through the peep hole and this smoking hot rabbit friend. "Oh, yeah!" I thought. "Threesome!"
Reality, though it tends to be more frustrating, can also be far more interesting. I *was* indeed there with Mike, and she was a hot little brown mouse. And, as strange as it was, she was on my bed and seemed quite willing to let me do whatever I wanted with her.
Also, there *was* a rabbit at the door, but I had no idea who she was. When I peeped out into the hallway, she just looked like a white rabbit holding an armload of papers. I thought she was going to pitch me on Jesus or tell me I needed to come hear her band.
I kept the chain in place and opened the door slightly. The rabbit looked frazzled, like she hadn't slept or changed clothes in days. "Can I help you?" I barked firmly.
"Oh!" She stood up straighter and held out one of the papers to me. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir. I'm looking for this girl. A taxi dropped her off in front of this building late Sunday night. Have you seen her?"
I took the paper. Staring back at me was a black and white copy of Mike's face. It wasn't a flattering photo; probably something from an office party. I stared at it a moment and beckoned Mike to come closer.
"Hold on a sec," I stalled, closing the door. I showed the page to Mike.
"Who is it?" she whispered.
"It's you," I answered quietly before realizing how stupid I sounded.
"At the door," she sighed.
I shrugged.
"What do they look like?" Mike asked.
"A rabbit," I said vaguely. "Take a look." I gestured to the peep hole.
Mike put her paws on her hips and gave me a cross look. I forgot she was so much shorter than I. I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her easily. She steadied herself on the door and peered out.
"Let her in!" she shouted.
I released the chain and opened the door. "Please, come in," I offered.
"No, thank you. I... Michelle?" the white rabbit said, dropping all her papers with a peculiar crashing sound. "Oh, thank God I found you!"
"Allison. Hurry, come inside," Mike hissed sharply, pulling the rabbit by the arm.
I scooped up the papers and glanced down the hall to see if anyone was there. Feeling confident that all was clear, I closed and locked the door again. Mike and Allison had taken to the sofa and were chatting excitedly. No doubt Mike was explaining her absence and Allison was detailing how she was trying to find Mike.
I used the papers to conceal my ‘excitement' and tried to think of baseball to help me calm down.
"Malcolm tried to kill me," Mike said.
"No!" the rabbit gasped, covering her muzzle.
Getting another moment to look at Allison, I thought it interesting that she was how I pictured Mike's character, Snowie. It seemed an odd coincidence and I found it very hard to let it go.
"Yes!. And I came here. Reggie's been so great to let me have his bed. Perfect gentleman. He's has been on the couch every night and hasn't complained at all."
"Reggie?" Allison thought. She looked at me hard. "Have we met? I'm terrible with names, but you seem really familiar."
"I was thinking the same thing," I said slowly. I offered my paw and shook hers gently. She did that thing girls do where they just put their fingers in your palm.
"Huh," Allison shook her head. "I'm bound to think of it sometime. How long have you known Michelle?"
"Oh," I said thoughtfully. "I think a couple of years now. Really just from work."
"I see," the rabbit nodded. "But you guys hang out, right? I mean you have a lot of computer stuff. Mike's always helping with mine. She's really smart about those sorts of things. All I know how to do is email and stuff."
It dawned on me that I had no clue how Mike found me. She lied about not being familiar with computers. I shot the little brown mouse a look. "What's going on, Mike?"
"I'm sorry, Reggie," the mouse shook her head. "I just..."
"Is this Snowie?" I demanded.
Allison looked gasped and her eyes went wide. "FoxieBunnie!" the rabbit squealed. She clapped her paws together. "That's how I know you!" She jumped up and down and wrapped her arms around me, shaking me roughly. Were I not so upset with Mike at that moment I would have been elated.
Still, I smiled. "Hey, SnowieBunnie," I greeted her as warmly as I could manage. "You look at lot like I pictured your character."
"You do, too." Allison grinned. "I'm so happy to get to see you in real life. Oh! We totally need to hang out."
"Absolutely," I agreed, almost forgetting about Mike.
Mike coughed to get our attention. "I really do need your help, Reggie. Everything I've told you about growing up, and my history is real. I just changed some details so that you would like me better." Mike looked awful sitting alone there on the sofa. I could feel her burning a hole through me with her eyes while Allison hung on my arm.
Had Allison arrived a minute later, I may have been blissfully unaware of Mike's lies. I guess the interruption wasn't so bad after all. Mike was cute, but she was also a liar. At least at that point Allison was a lot more honest.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked.
"Us to do?" Allison chimed in.
"I need make a clean break from Malcolm."
"How?" I pressed.
Allison blew at the fur on my neck. It tickled and made me squirm.
"You two need a minute alone?" Mike sighed.
Allison giggled. "I've wanted to meet you so much, but I've just been too shy to bring it up," she whispered into my ear. Her voice was sweet and soft.
"We can talk more about it later," I whispered back.
"I just want to get my stuff from his place and make him leave me alone. If I go might do something worse than he did before." Mike put her glasses back on and crossed her arms. She was pouting. At least, that's what it looked like to me.
"Maybe we should call the cops and have them go with us to get your stuff. Nothing would happen then," I suggested.
"His dad knows the chief. We'd be there, the police would go to the ‘wrong address' and one or more of us would get the crap beat out of us," Mike countered. Through her tone she was doing a great job of erasing the positive feelings I had toward her.
"How about I go and talk to him," I proposed. "He doesn't really know me, so I can be like a moderator."
"Then you'll get your tail ripped off and shoved down your throat," Mike argued. "Malcolm is not a the most reasonable guy around."
"Fine," I huffed. "You tell me what you want me to do."
"Um, Reggie?" Allison hugged my arm a little tighter to get my attention. "Do you think you can give me a ride home? My feet are wicked tired." I got the impression that she was trying to keep Mike and me from arguing.
"Sure," I nodded. "Are you going to be OK here, Mike?"
Mike nodded. "Everything will be fine. I'm not going anywhere."
I nodded. I still trusted the little brown mouse to not destroy my apartment or steal anything. "Call me on my cell if you need anything." I jogged over to grab my sandals and slip them on.
Mike let Allison and me out and locked the door behind us. The thought crossed my mind that she might lock me out, but I shrugged it off. Allison was occupying most of my thoughts at that moment. The real Snowie was quite a bit more interesting than the impostor. I was excited to find out if she was anything like her character.
When we got to the elevator Allison sighed with relief. "Does she wear you out?"
I shrugged. She sounded different.
"A tip for dealing with Michelle: Make sure she thinks that she's smarter than you."
I nodded. "I was starting to get that. Doesn't she like to be called Mike, though?"
Allison was just slightly shorter than I was, and her fur was quite beautiful, a pure white. Though, it would have been more so had she been groomed.
"She... Well, she makes things up sometimes." Allison took my paw in hers. "She says things that she thinks will impress you, or she'll say what she thinks you would want to hear. In either case, she doesn't care if its true or not. It's all about getting what she wants. That's what pissed all those guys off."
Everything was becoming clearer. "So she's manipulative?"
"Yeah... She's pretty snoopy, too. She won't hurt you or do anything really bad, though." Allison looked back and forth in the parking garage. "Where are we parked?" she asked.
"Here," I smiled, starting off to my car. It was a used red compact, but was low on mileage.
"She read our chat logs, didn't she?" Allison sighed.
I nodded. "I'm pretty sure. She said she was Snowie, but..." I paused a moment. "Is it cool if I call you Snowie?"
"Sure," Allison smiled. Her real personality was so much like what I read on the screen. "I'll just call you all sorts of different things until something sticks... OK?"
"Alright." I clicked my key fob and made the lights come on.
"Nice car," Snowie said, slipping into the passenger seat.
"Thanks," I smiled. I felt like smiling a lot with her. "Can I ask you something super personal?"
"I donno," the bunny said musingly. "I've shared my most intimate fantasies with you for I can't even remember how long. But this is real life." She looked out her window for a long moment.
"I mean... It's OK if..."
"I'm ready now," she interrupted, turning back quickly. She seemed to have a general good humor and playfulness about her.
I looked into her big blue eyes, eyes that seemed to shine their own light. "Well... I've never actually *been* with anyone before, and I was wondering if you had."
"Wow! You weren't kidding when you said super personal," she laughed.
I started the car and turned down the radio.
"Technically, yes... But it was something I'd rather just forget," she answered thoughtfully. "I've never... You know, nothing passionate... Like in chat."
"I had feelings for Mike because of who she pretended to be..." I admitted. I realized that this was putting myself on the line, but I wanted to stress my honesty and openness. Here was the girl that I had real for. Sure, it was online, but the relationship, the emotion, was real.
"Because she was pretending to be Snowie?" she clarified.
I nodded.
"I understand," she smiled, taking my paw in hers.
My heart was racing. I leaned over and touched my nose to her cheek softly.
"I feel like I've known you forever," she murred, turning her head and giving me a soft kiss on my cheek.
"Me, too," I said dreamily.
"Take me home?"
I put the car in gear. "Just tell me how to get there."
***************************
Save Me, Part 5: Munnies and Otters and Mice, Oh My!
Snowie's place was a condo overlooking the lake about a half hour from downtown. It was small, kind of like those efficiency apartments, but much nicer. It occurred to me, as I sat there on her love seat, that I had no clue about the white rabbit beyond our role playing sessions.
She had gone to freshen up and change, leaving me to poke about her home and looking out the window. It was a nice view. She was on the second floor. The buildings in the more suburban areas tended to be no more than a few stories tall, so she was right on top. I could see the lake and, beyond that, downtown. There were trees right outside the window, too. That was different.
"You hungry?" Snowie asked. I turned around to see her wearing a towel wrapped around her body and another tied like a hood on her head to keep her ears from dripping.
"Um... A little," I said, perhaps staring a bit too much.
She smiled. "I forgot to put the dryer back in the bath," She explained. "I was making some gift baskets after church, and my heat gun died, so I was having to put on the shrink wrap with this." She collected the cord and took the heated fan with her back toward the bathroom. "We can order in, if you'd like."
"Sure." I felt a little odd standing there with nothing to do. "You go to church?" I asked. I could honestly not think of anyone I knew who attended religious services.
"Yeah. I help out in the nursery and do some organizing for events. It's lots of fun," she called out from the bathroom. She peeped around the doorway. "Do you go?"
"Not usually. I mean, not since I was little and then only a couple of times." I scuffed my paws on the floor.
She nodded and carefully added, "Would you be opposed to going with me sometime?"
I shook my head. "No, that would be fine." I wasn't opposed to religion per se, but I had some negative experiences through my life and didn't feel any sort of connection myself.
"Good," she squeaked. She always seemed to get so excited about things that made her happy. "I need to dry off... It'll be a little bit."
"No problem," I smiled as she pulled her head back into the bathroom.
It took a good half an hour before Snowie was dressed (trying to dry and groom an entire body of fur is not so easy). I found some art books to leaf through and looked over the photos on her walls and bookshelves. There were a good number of pictures of her with Mike. The two seemed to have known one another for quite a while. It was nice to see photos of the rabbit as a young bunny running up and down the beach with her pail and shovel. I had a vague thought of my own youth in the country.
"How do I look?" Snowie called from just outside the bathroom door. She was wearing a black camisole and a knee-length black skirt. I was surprised to see her in cats eye glasses, but it was nice. She spun around playfully, flashing her little puff tail.
"Beautiful," I cooed, raising my eyebrows. "I didn't know you wore glasses." There were a ton of things I didn't know, but that was as good a place to start as any.
"I usually wear contacts, but my eyes have been a little irritated." She stepped over to me, her bare paws making no sound on the carpet, and warmly embraced me. "What would you like to eat?"
"I donno. What's good around here?"
She thought a moment, nipping at a finger. "There's a little shop across the street that does great pizza. The fancy kind, not that processed junk."
"Sounds fine. I'm good with whatever you want on it." I let her go so that she could call in the order. "Um... Can we talk about some things?"
She smiled at me. "Of course, silly. That's why I asked you to stay for dinner." Her tone was gentle, not condescending.
I nodded and sat down, feeling a bit more comfortable. While she ordered, I peered down the hallway. Only the bathroom door and one other, probably the bedroom. I relaxed and thought about all the questions I wanted to ask.
"OK. Sergio will bring us our food and drinks in a little bit. They've got a big order for a party or something, but they're going to make time to cook an order just for us," Snowie announced, sitting down by me on the love seat.
"That's nice of them," I said, nodding.
"So, um... You work with Michelle?" she asked, crossing her legs and resting her paws in her lap. She was turned a little to face me on the small piece of furniture, which made it feel like she was devoting her full attention to me.
"Well," I began, turning a bit to better face her, my arm across the back of the seat. "I code a lot of the software they use for tracking and notes and things like that. I'm not at the office a lot."
Snowie nodded. "That's probably why I hadn't seen you there. You told me that you write programs before, but I don't remember if you ever mentioned where."
"Are you still a teacher?" I asked.
"Elementary," she confirmed. "We're off for summer break, so I'm taking it easy. When the next year gets ready to start I'll be super busy." She tilted her head a little. "I know you want to ask about Michelle," she smiled. She was right.
"What is up with her?" I sighed, a bit relieved.
"Well... Which story did she tell you?"
I felt a ball of lead in my stomach. "Um... The abbreviated version: Dad died. String of bad guys dated her mom. She seems to be modeling her life after that. Abusive boyfriends. She needs help."
The white bunny nodded, pulling her ears forward to lay over her shoulders. "Kind of," she explained. "Her dad died when she was four or five and her mom was in bad shape. She put her into foster care about a year later. She went from home to home for four years before my family adopted her."
"Oh! You're her sister then," I reckoned.
"Hence the resemblance," Snowie smirked. "She was messed up, and she never really calmed down. I try to help her out as much as I can, but she won't stop."
"So from like ten or so she was living with you?"
Snowie nodded. "Mom and Dad were just awesome parents. Still are. They couldn't have any more of their own after I was born, so they adopted. So far I have eight sisters and six brothers. The youngest is Chu and he's seven next month."
"How old are you?" I asked before realizing. "I mean, I'm not trying to be rude..."
Snowie grinned and touched my paw. "I'm twenty-seven," she giggled. "And how old are you, again?" She blinked her eyes and held up a finger. "You know the drill: Age/sex/location, please."
"Thirty," I chuckled. "Um... So these are all family photos, then?"
"Mostly," she agreed. She took one of the larger picture frames off the table behind her and scooted closer so that we could look together.
"Big family," I noted. There were about twenty individuals in the picture.
"The rabbits here are my blood relatives. Mom and Dad. Aunt Lilly. Uncle Roger. My cousin Blake. And here's me," she described, pointing clearly to each individual.
"This wasn't long ago was it?"
"No," she shook her head. "Two years ago. Blake got in a car wreck last year, so he's in a wheelchair now. He says it was actually a good thing because he's getting to work out his upper body more now."
I smirked. "Really?"
Snowie nodded. "Oh, yeah. You'll see, my family is a big ball of weird."
I chuckled. "Sounds like my kind of folks. When do I get to meet them?" I joked.
"August," she said matter-of-factly. "We all get together at my parents' house and hit the beach. If you want, that is." She smiled. "No pressure."
"I haven't been to the beach in forever," I mused.
"It's a date, then," she giggled, nudging me with her shoulder.
"That's a really diverse group," I observed.
"For siblings I have three foxes, four mice, an otter, a rat, a raccoon and four munnies," she explained.
"Munnies?"
"Mouse bunnies," she giggled. "Munnies. They were already a family, but their mom and dad died," she explained. Her expression saddened for a moment. "It was really hard on Dad trying to make sure they all stayed together. But he finally got it done." She had the hint of tears in her eyes.
"You come from good stock," I said, placing my paw on her knee.
"Thanks," she smiled warmly. "Tell me about your family."
"Well," I hesitated. "My mom's a rabbit and my dad's a fox. Most of my extended family was pretty far away because we lived in the country for quite a while. It was quiet, but we weren't very popular. Eventually we moved closer to the city and I found that most everyone at school was even less accepting than in the rural area."
"I'm sorry," Snowie consoled. "My family is pretty much nothing but acceptance, so we could always bond together when someone outside was giving us grief." She rubbed the back of my paw comfortingly. "But you didn't have anyone, did you?"
"Not for anything like that. I had friends. I mean, when you're little you can find *someone* to be your friend, right?" I chuckled halfheartedly.
"I think when you meet Chu, Harley, Quinn and Rachel you can share some of your experiences with them. Show them that you were strong by yourself, so they can be even stronger as a group."
I smiled. "You really want me to meet your family, don't you?"
Snowie gave me an odd look. "Of course," she said softly. "Why wouldn't I?"
"We don't really know each other. I mean, outside role playing."
"I know. I just see that the real life you and the online you aren't really any different." Where Michelle might have been upset at my density, Snowie was calm and gentle.
I smiled and rubbed my face. "I want to tell you something," I announced.
"OK," she smiled.
*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*
"For the love of Pete!" I laughed.
"Food," Snowie clapped. She placed the picture back on the table before hopping up and skipping over to the door. She exchanged a few niceties with Sergio, the owner of the restaurant and brought the food and drinks to the coffee table.
The food smelled wonderful. Inside the box, the pie was beautifully put together. So often pizza toppings are simply thrown on, but this pizza was lovingly built by skilled paws. My mouth watered.
"Now," she said, getting some plates and glasses from the kitchen. "I didn't know what you wanted to drink, so I got two beers and two sodas."
"Are you trying to get me drunk?"
Snowie giggled and touched my paw. "If it only takes two beers to get you drunk, you're a cheap date," she laughed. She sat down next to me, placing a plate and glass in front of me. "No. If you want a beer, I'd like to join you, but if you don't drink, I'd rather not drink in front of you."
"That's really considerate," I beamed. "I think I would like a beer, though."
She immediately picked opened a bottle and filled my glass, grabbing me a slice of pizza as well before doing the same for herself. "Taste," she suggested, smiling widely.
"You really don't have to serve me," I chuckled.
"I know. I just really like doing it."
I took a bite of pizza. There was no cheese, but it was loaded with vegetables. The crust was crispy on the outside, but savory inside and the sauce was sweet and smokey with a bit of tartness. I gladly placed that pizza as one of the top ten things that had ever been in my mouth. "Good," I said, not waiting to empty my mouth.
Snowie took a bite, a bit of sauce dripped onto her ear that lay across her chest. I didn't think she noticed as she wasn't reacting.
"You spilled," I warned.
"Where?" She lifted her paws and looked down.
"Right there." I pointed to the spot of red.
"Oh... That'll stain. I don't see it. Do you think you can get it?"
I took my napkin and carefully extracted the largest part of the sauce from her fur. A small discolored spot remained.
"I see now... Dangit! Excuse me, I need to go get this off before it stains."
"I think I can get the rest off."
"Foxy-Clean, the ultimate stain remover," she giggled. "OK."
I took her ear up in my paws. I was surprised how heavy it was, sort of like a warm, wet chamois. I looked closer at the spot and licked at the fur. There was the faint taste of powder beneath the tang of the sauce, but neither flavor was terrible or overpowering. I have never been one for the powders, but they help to dry fur after bathing, so they're pretty popular.
I looked up at Snowie. She had a very awkward smile on her face and was staring down at me wide eyed.
"That was unexpected," she said slowly.
"Sorry," I apologized.
"It... Um... It didn't feel *bad*," she explained. "I just thought you were going to wipe it off with some of your drink or something."
I chuckled nervously and placed her ear back down. "Heh. That probably would have been less shocking."
"More sanitary, for sure," she giggled, looking at her ear. "Well, you got it off at least." She gave me a hug and a soft nuzzle on the cheek. "Thank you just the same, sweetie."
"You're really very different from Michelle," I thought aloud.
"I am," she said frankly. "And I'm more reserved than Snowie."
"A little," I agreed. "You're very excitable (in a good way), but you're not as... Affectionate."
"I'm plenty affectionate," she giggled. "I don't want to get us into a situation we could regret."
"I'm sorry that I'm a bit confused," I sighed.
"About what, sweetie?" she asked, turing her full attention to me again.
"I'm having a hard time separating who we are online from who we are here..."
Snowie nodded and took my paws in hers. "I feel the same for you, Reggie, here in the fur as I do for you, FoxBunny, in chat. But I... Well, neither of us can afford to be quite so uninhibited as we are online."
That made sense. I nodded in understanding.
"I really do want to carry over the things we've done online to our real lives, and even continue those things online. I also want to develop a real relationship. You know, spend time together just enjoying our... Togetherness." She giggled a little. "I couldn't think of a good word to use."
"It's OK," I smiled. I became aware that as she held my paws, she was brushing over my fingers with her thumbs.
"We have a little over a month before my family gets together again. Let's get to know each other, hang out, have fun. The other stuff will happen, I promise."
"I'll hold you to that promise," I chuckled.
"You better," she clicked at me. "I just want to make sure the reason we're together is because we want to be together, not because we want to sleep together."
"But you do want to sleep together, right?" I pried jokingly.
She nodded and smiled. "Oh, yes. Very much so." She closed her eyes a moment, her expression a little more sombre. "But if something happened and that was no longer available, I need to know that we have a solid foundation."
I nodded and smiled. Everything she said made sense. "May I kiss you?" I asked. It was from out of nowhere.
She giggled. I could see her blush in her ears. "Do you think you deserve to kiss me?"
I nodded. "I've been a very good boy."
"Oh you have now?" she grinned.
"Yes. I put your sister up at my apartment, and I've kept my paws to myself the whole time I've been here."
"Well... Maybe I should kiss *you* instead. You know... Just to make sure you don't try anything." She looked me up and down, tilting her head. "Just keep your tongue to yourself for now."
"Yes, ma'am," I nodded.
She smiled cutely and placed her paws on my cheeks as she leaned closer. She touched her lips to mine, tilting her head slightly and closing her eyes. I closed my eyes and placed my paws at her waist, just above her hips. The kiss was soft and warm. Her muzzle felt different from a mouse, more blunted. She moved her head a bit, changing the angle of her muzzle against mine. The kiss was warm and full of feeling. She pulled back slowly, fluffing my cheeks with her paws.
"Better?" she asked, smiling gently.
I nodded.
"Good. Then let's eat."
***************************
Save Me, Part 6: Coming Clean
When I got home I found the door locked but not chained. Michelle was at least thoughtful enough to allow me into my own apartment. I started to feel just how tired I was when I locked the door behind myself. It was somewhere just before midnight Thursday. I would probably need to check in with the office in the morning.
"Did you have fun?" Michelle asked. There was a tone to her voice, not sarcastic, but not at all pleasant. She didn't look happy, but also not sad or upset. She looked sort of blank and empty, like she had been drained.
"It was fine," I said quietly. "How do you feel?"
She sighed at me and crossed her arms. She stood up from the bed and paced back and forth on the rug a few times. "I'm upset," she said.
"I can understand that," I nodded.
"Do you think I'm a liar?"
I shrugged and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. She took a few steps away and turned to look at me. She was more cross.
"You did lie to me."
"Maybe you wanted me to," she suggested.
"Why would I want to be lied to?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"You weren't interested in me otherwise."
I buried my face in my paws. "Michelle," I groaned. "I *was* interested. I just didn't know how to approach you." I stood up and stomped to the kitchen to get a drink. "What did you think would happen when I found out you were lying, anyway?"
"I thought you would forgive me if you really loved me," she sniffled, following me through the room.
I shook my head. "I can't help but wonder if you're lying even now."
"That's not fair," she protested.
"Not fair?" I huffed. "How fair was it to try to seduce me by lying about who you are?"
She sighed and shook her head. "So it's all about you now?"
"Don't," I barked. "I'm not the bad guy here, and this isn't your private pity party."
"And you're going to throw me out or something."
"No, Michelle. I'm still going to help you," I explained.
She looked surprised. "Why?"
"Because I really like your sister, and she still wants you to be part of her life." I took a soda from the fridge and popped the top. "And because I promised I would."
Michelle pulled out a chair at the table and sat down, laying her head on her arms. "You're just like Allison, you know."
I sat down beside the mouse girl and placed a paw on her back. "Thank you."
"Everybody used to tease me when I was little. It was like I was the punch line to every joke," the little brown mouse sniffed. "I was the only mouse in my class. Add to that being smart and wearing glasses, and I was a great target."
"I really do understand."
Michelle nodded, looking up at me. Her face was wet. "I found out how to look at someone, observe them a little, and know what it was they wanted. Then I could be whatever it was they wanted. I became popular in any group I wanted. I could hang out with the geeks, the preps, the skaters, the gamers, the jocks. I could remember the key points and talk about anything."
"Wasn't it hard to keep all the lies straight?"
Michelle shook her head. "Not at all. I have a great memory. I was popular and smart in high school. And when I got out into the real world and found out that nothing really changes that much. At work I was the ditzy little mouse girl who didn't know how to send an email. With Malcolm I was the shy, reserved librarian type who turned into a wild beast in bed."
"What about with me?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know.
"I was the damsel in distress," she sighed. "Don't hate me, Reggie," she pleaded. She sounded genuine, but she had before as well. Still, she had more to gain by the truth than with a lie. I had someone to verify her statements with.
"I don't hate you. I'm upset," I admitted. "Why did Malcolm hit you?"
"He didn't."
I was shocked. I didn't say anything for almost a minute. "You did that to yourself?"
"I thought that was the best way," she replied simply.
"So, what about Malcolm? What's the deal with him?"
"I was done with him. I just need to get my stuff back, and I need a place to put it until I get an apartment." She was so matter of fact about the whole thing. She lied with such passion, but the truth was so much uninteresting trivia.
"OK," I said through my confusion.
"I'll call him in the morning and break up."
"Wait..." I massaged my temples. "You didn't tell him that you were leaving?"
"No."
"So he probably called Allison looking for you and she was worried about you, so she came here, thinking the worst."
"Right," she said, taking my soda from in front of me.
"Do you not see how horrible what you did was?"
Michelle shrugged. "You're getting way too emotional over this. It's no big deal."
"You told Allison that Malcolm tried to kill you."
"What should I have said?" she asked.
I looked at her. "I don't know," I replied slowly. "The truth."
"The truth that I ran out on my boyfriend to try to get the guy that she's been screwing online for the last two years? That truth?" she scowled. She seemed agitated with me.
"I'm sorry. It's late. Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay with Allison?" I really didn't want her in my home any longer. She was starting to scare me.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she laughed. "But it it will make you feel better, call me a cab and send me over to my sister's place." It felt like she was mocking me.
"I'll do that," I said, pulling out my cell. I pulled up taxi services and scrolled through until I saw one that I recognized from the area.
"You know. I can see why you've never been with a girl before," Michelle tittered. "You're too timid. I mean, just look at how much prodding I had to do to get you to bed."
"Can I get a cab from downtown to right by Lake Sherman?" I asked through the phone, ignoring Michelle. Pickup at Norman Tower. She'll have the exact address for the driver. About how much? OK. Fifteen minutes? OK. Thank you."
"Did you score with Allison?" she asked.
"That's none of your business," I grunted. I pulled eighty dollars out of my wallet and placed it on the table in front of Michelle. "Do you want to take along any of the stuff I bought?"
"I'm good," she smiled. "See you around, FunnyBunny," she chortled as she picked up the cash. "We could have had a lot of fun."
"Until you got bored with me," I said.
She nodded. "Until I got bored." She looked at the money and shoved it into the pocket of her jeans. "Let me out, please?"
I opened the door for her.
"Bye." She made a kissy sound at me and went off down the hall.
I locked and chained my door, then wedged a chair under the doorknob. I was tired and I wanted to feel reasonably safe.
I got uneasily into my bed, still dressed, still wearing my sandals. The pillow smelled like Michelle. I thought about throwing it to the floor, but decided not to bother. It was late and I was tired.
When I woke up on Friday morning I thought better of my actions. I should have left and stayed at a hotel. If nothing else, it would have cost less. I also had a pang in my gut: I didn't know if Michelle had really gone to stay with Snowie. I picked up my phone, but realized I didn't have the rabbit's number.
I searched a few times on my phone, but with just a name and not remembering the address I didn't have any luck. I sighed and grabbed my keys. I was always good with directions and landmarks, though I couldn't remember street names or numbers so well.
***************************
Save Me, Part 7: Reaching Our Own Conclusions
Under other circumstances I would have more appreciated the coincidence: a disheveled Snowie came to my door looking for a brown mouse on Thursday, and I was heading to home in the same sate looking for the same mouse the following morning. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about the gate.
I parked across the street (that being the only parking lot available), and thought a moment. I recognized the pizza place. What was the delivery guy's name. He wasn't just the deliver guy, he was the owner. Ugh. I pounded my fists into my head, trying to think and cursing my poor memory.
I calmed down. I thought. It was a foreign name. Raul? No, but it had the same kind of sound. I started toward the restaurant. It was a long shot even if I did remember the name.
I wondered if they were open. What time was it? I checked my phone. Half past eleven. They would probably be busy. I looked at myself in the window. I looked awful. I opened the door.
"Welcome!" a chorus of voices cried at me.
"How can I help you?" an skunk asked from behind the counter. She was older, about the same as my mother, and she spoke with a slight accent.
"I'm looking for... Sergio. It think that's right."
"Why?"
"He brought some food to us across the street last night," I explained. "Allison Anderson's condo."
"Ah," the skunk shook her finger at me. "You're Miss Allison's boyfriend, eh?"
I blushed a little. "Yeah," I replied, not sure that I wasn't.
"You didn't get fresh with her, did you? I know how you are, you young males today, always getting up to the hanky-panky," she chided.
"No, ma'am. We just had dinner. I went home, but I wanted to be sure that her sister got to Allison's OK," I explained.
"Oh. The poor mousie. Yes. She has a sickness in her. I pray for her every day." She leaned in closer and beckoned for me to bend down to hear her better. "I think she has the devil," she whispered and nodded. "She says such things," the skunk said in a normal voice and went off into some foreign language that I didn't understand, though I got the impression that she was praying rather boisterously.
"I'm inclined to agree," I said.
"But I'm sorry. It's not my place to pry. You say you want to talk to Sergio. I'm sorry but he's not here now."
"Actually I lost Allison's number and I need to call her," I fibbed a little, but it would have taken too long to explain otherwise.
The skunk looked at me suspiciously. She tossed a towel over her shoulder and put her fists on her hips. She was intimidating for such a small thing. "How do I know she isn't mad at you, huh? Maybe she'll get mad at me for giving her number to a lummox she threw out?"
"So you have her number?"
"Of course. We keep all of our customers' numbers. I just don't know that I should give it to you. That could get us in trouble, you know? Giving out telephone numbers is like the identity theft they have on the television all the time."
"Please," I begged. "If you could call her and just ask if her sister is there. Her sister is Michelle."
"I know the sister's name," the skunk lipped. She looked at me, leaning from one side to the other, examining me for something. "You have an honest face," she said finally, picking up the phone.
"Thank you," I smiled and waited nervously.
"Miss Allison? Good morning. This is Louisa from Tuscany Cafe. Yes. There is a young..." she began. She paused and looked at me more closely. "Rabbit... I think he is. Who wants to speak with you. No. He was not polite enough to give me his name."
"Reggie," I whispered.
"Reginald? OK." Louisa, the skunk, offered me the phone and gave me a stern look. "This is a business phone and we are close to busy time, so be quick."
"Thank you," I bowed and smiled brightly. "Hello?"
"Reggie?" the voice said. It was Snowie. She sounded tired.
"I'm sorry to wake you. I was concerned about something," I apologized.
"Michelle is here," she said. "She said that you threw her out."
"I asked her to leave," I said. "I was... I was worried."
"About what?"
"She's a sociopath," I whispered. "And I'm not trying to be funny."
"I know she has problems, Reggie." Snowie sounded defensive.
"Did she tell you why she really left Malcolm?"
"What did she tell you?" she insisted.
I thought a moment. "That she was bored with him. She wanted to... To be with someone different. And she was so calm about it."
"I'm not very happy that you kicked her out, but I guess I understand." She didn't sound very understanding.
"Michelle's OK, right?"
"She is," Snowie sighed softly. "You're a good guy for driving all this way to check up on her after all she did."
"I don't feel like a good guy."
"Give me your cell number. We can talk about this in a little bit. I need to get dressed."
"OK." I gave her my number and placed the phone back on the cradle. "Thank you so much," I said to Louisa. I ordered some breadsticks to go, so I didn't seem like I was just there to use the phone. I walked out into the sun, not sure what was going to happen, but I felt a bit relieved that it was off my shoulders.
***************************
Epilogue-
There's not much else to tell. That was, without a doubt, the strangest week of my life. I've had stranger days before and since (I may share some of those in the future), but no other event has so thoroughly changed my life.
Cheers,
Reggie Errant