Handsome: Chapter One
Early winter, November to be exact. The skyline of Pittsburgh burning a shade of pink and purple; the lights of the health building clicking off, one by one. End of shift, it was time for everyone to head home to their significant others, children, friends, and family. A fox peered out of his sliding glass window which led to his balcony. His vision blurred by the tears forming in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks, and splattering onto the pillow which rested his head. The fox's name is Aiden: 18 years old, fresh graduate, machinist; Social worker. What caused him to break down?
A week before
Aiden was no stranger to passion and love. He'd felt it multiple times, yet a vast majority of those chances led to failure, and ultimately, a slow remission. The fox he been meeting a vixen, Alexis, for a months; talking hours on end, dates every other night, promises of eternal love and loyalty. He couldn't have asked for more, this lady was his world. She was so kind to him, caring, and she loved him; actually loved him!
He remembered the day: a Tuesday. He had just gotten off of work, ready to go on a date with the Miss to a nearby café and a stroll along the river. He dreamed of this date for nights on end, losing sleep when the visions ended, wishing for it to come true. The clock ticked and tocked, a countdown until detonation. The hour struck at 5, he sent the girl a message on his phone telling her he was on his way. She usually replies quickly, but didn't. Brushing it off, he went anyways down to the café, a little ahead of schedule. He took a seat by the window as he peered out of it; his foot bouncing of anxiety and nervousness.
_ "A black coffee, Jacob."_ He cracked.
Jacob owned the little brewery, barely making bank on his work, but he loved the support his loyal customers gave him, which kept him in business. Jacob was a fox as well, a little more cheerful and bubbly than Aiden.
_ "Ah,"_ Jacob curled, "What about Alexis?"
_ "Don't know what she wants. You know how she acts."_ Aiden joked, nudging the opposite fox.
He sipped at his coffee for what seemed like forever. He looked down at the dregs in his mug; a reflection of his face in the cup peered back at him. '5:45' the clock above Aiden read.
"'Never had she been late for anything for any reason." He mumbled, turning his phone on for a second, scrolling through his messages to see that Alexis had not looked at his message sent at 5. He contemplated ordering a second or not, whether to ditch out or not. The fox reasoned himself, sent her another message saying he was leaving the joint and going back to his apartment, leaving a twenty dollar bill on the table.
That Friday, two days before the incident
Beginning to worry, Aiden sought some help from his and Alexis's friends, prying for where-a-bouts about her. Of course, he came up empty handed. Full of, "Haven't talked to her in forever." Or "Nope, I saw her two weekends ago with you." Frustration milked his mind, turning into stress, then into depression. He had one tactic left, but never wanted to use it for a stupid reason: Hacking. He taught himself how to hack into other phones, gaining locations, passwords, information, anything he wanted was at his fingers. He tapped in her phone number, giving him a location of the past month: Aiden's apartment, the café, her parent's house, nothing until he hit Tuesday's location: Some complex in Apollo. He tapped in the address, zipping him to the webpage of some fancy college complex located off-campus.
_ "Hmm, doesn't seem to line up."_
Fifteen minutes later, he rolls up to the complex in his obnoxiously loud F-Body Trans-Am. He threw the gearbox to Neutral, cranked the parking brake up, and hopped out the car; his long, brown trench coat hanging at his knees, clad in dark blue jeans, a flat bill and baklava, both painted black. He walked up to the front desk, asking the female where the room was at.
_ "Are you a friend, family member, or what?" _
_ "Friend. Old friend. High school." He lied. _
_ "Whatever..."_
She escorted him to the elevator, telling him the floor number which the room was on. He nodded in thanks, smashing the key as the doors encased him.
He checked his gear: The phone with hacking capabilities, a folding police baton, and a knife just in case if both didn't keep him safe. The floor stopped, dinged, the doors flying open. He peered down both ways, proceeding to the right corridor. Bingo, the right residence. He didn't knock at first as he leaned his ear toward the door:
_ "But John, don't you think this is awkward? I mean I have a boyfriend. This just doesn't seem right." _
_ "Oh come on, it's just once. Besides, I don't think your boyfriend, Aiden, would mind. He seems like a bloke anyway."_
_ "He's not a bloke John... He promised me so many things..."_
_ "Promised? Ha! Why have promises when it can be set in stone this very second?"_
Silence. He recognized the voice of Alexis's. He heard some rustling, a deep breath, then more rustling. He looked down at the door handle: Security card. Childs play. He took the phone out, connected to the servers which the locks were secured on, penetrated their defenses, and he is now able to hack the lock open. Before he hit "Execute" on his phone, he took out the baton, snapped it to its full length, and prepared. Clicking the button, the lock responded with a gentle "Tick", giving him a green light. Aiden opens the door to see the room in front of him empty but a mess of clothing, both male and female attire, strung over a white couch and on the shag carpet. He closed the door behind him, keeping it unlocked. He heard noises to the room on his left. Sneaking along a wall which led to a hallway, he gawked through an opening in the door: A wolf-figure on a king sized mattress as the slender woman worked over the male. He couldn't believe it, after all he did, this is how she he treated him. He clenched the baton, pulling up his baklava over his face, and sprung at the door, knocking it over as he swung at the male, cracking him across the jaw, peeling him over and knocking him out. Alexis, undressed, looked at Aiden in horror, catching the wolf's head and cradled it.
_ "What the fuck is wrong with you, Aiden! He wasn't going to hurt me!"_
_ "Not going to hurt you, huh? What about our date Tuesday? Huh? Oh, sorry you fucking forgot that because I don't have anything to 'set in stone'."_
_ "What are you talking about?! Setting in stone?"_
_ "You perfectly know what I'm speaking of Alexis. Why would you do this to me? Not enough money? Not home all the time? What?!" _
The two argued back a forth, the male still unconscious. He roared, then Alexis, then back to Aiden.
_ "You know what Aiden, I'm done. You don't understand what I need and how I feel."_
He turned around, trotting to the door-way:
_ "Feel? Well, I can tell you this: I feel pretty damn shitty."_
He stormed out of the room, out into the hall, and down the emergency flight of stairs. Everything seemed like a blur: Crashing out the door, running the red light, destroying his picture frame with the two of them standing at the Point. All of it, for nothing. All the time he spent, the money, the love, feelings. For. Nothing.