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Good Enough--Crossroads--Chapter 17-- Missing in Action

"Hey, Charlie!"

Chance hesitated as he closed his locker on Tuesday morning, turning his head slightly to see who had called him 'Charlie'. Only two people he could think of would actually call him that: his mother or his boyfriend. And the fox trotting up to him was neither.

"What'd you call me?"

"Charlie," Junior said with a grin. "What's wrong?"

"Please don't call me that," Chance insisted, wincing at the name. "Just 'Chance'."

"Zack calls you 'Charlie'."

"That's different," Chance answered. "He's my boyfriend, after all. So, what's going on? I figured you wouldn't want to talk to me since I'm with Zack."

"Yeah," Junior grumbled, rubbing his arm nervously. "I'm honestly surprised you're still with him. But that's not why I came over. I didn't want to talk about Zack. I just wanted to invite you to sit with us at lunch again. Benny and Lexi miss you."

"And you?"

"I kinda do too," Junior confessed, rubbing his head in embarrassment.

"I miss hanging out with you guys too," Chance admitted. "You guys were my first friends here... but I promised Zack we'd sit together today. We're working on something for the art show. Maybe you could sit with us?" Chance questioned hopefully.

Junior scowled. "Not a chance. I really hate Zack and he hates me."

"No, he doesn't," Chance insisted. "Listen, I get you two have a history, but whatever happened between you two, can't you guys let it go?"

"You wouldn't say that if he decked you in the jaw!"

"I don't hold grudges," Chance huffed, "and I think you're both being childish by avoiding each other like this. And now I'm caught in the middle between you guys."

"Well, since you want to choose him, that's fine," Junior huffed. "I'll back off."

"I'm not choosing anyone!" Chance countered. "And you're the only one making this a choice! I'm asking as a friend to at least try to be respectful. You don't have to be friends right away, but I think you both need to clear the air at least." He closed his locker and shouldered his backpack once more. "I bet he's more than willing to talk to you."

"What makes you say that?" Junior asked and Chance could see he was highly intrigued.

"Well, I actually took a moment to learn about him," Chance answered. "I know that he's torn up about what happened between you two. And if you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."

---

The female puma had caught Chance completely by surprise when he entered the gymnasium, expecting to see the burly Coach Salt (and partially wanting to confirm that he had smelled alcohol on the dog's breath) greeting his students in his usual way. Unlike Coach Salt's usual passive demeanor, the puma looked positively irritable and impatient as she waited for the slower students to file out of the locker rooms.

When they had all emerged from the locker rooms, she called them over in a brisk, rough tone. "Let's go, folks! We haven't got all day!"

Chance joined the rest in a semi-circle around the substitute, Chance hurriedly finding Zack and moving closer to him. She gave them a cursory glance before speaking. "Alright, it looks like most of us are here so we'll begin. My name is Coach Sommers--Ms. Sommers is also fine. I'll be stepping in for Salt since he's out sick today."

"What happened to him?" someone inquired.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Sommers remarked dismissively. "However, he did tell me that you were supposed to have a midterm fitness test today." A collective groan rang through the students, but she continued, speaking over the murmurs of discontent. "But, he also told me that he'd like to assess you all himself. So, instead of having your test today, he's giving you a day off. We're playing dodgeball and the test has been moved to Friday."

Relieved sighs and excited noises filled the gymnasium and Chance couldn't help but feel relief that Coach Salt would be grading them. This puma looked severe and strangely harsh and he had a feeling she'd fail him.

"Before we do that, however," Sommers continued, "I do want to try and get some form of warm up in. Repetition is important and I don't want you to do badly on Friday because your bodies are no longer used to it. Here's what we're going to do: we'll have three stations. You're going to do twenty push-ups or as many as you can. Then, twenty sit-ups. And lastly, I want you to run just two laps around the gym. You're going to do all of this twice. Shouldn't take too long." She looked over them. "I'll break you up into groups and you'll start at different stations. After you're done, we'll start playing some dodgeball. Got it?"

Nobody questioned it and Chance was sure that the puma's own tone had quelled any sense of rebelliousness in his classmates. She separated them out and Chance walked with Zack to the push-up section. Zack almost immediately went into his pushups and Chance kneeled down beside him.

"What do you think happened to Coach Salt?" he questioned and he was surprised by the worry in his own voice.

"Not sure," Zack answered, very clearly outdoing everyone else. He didn't even sound strained as he did his push-ups and Chance didn't even bother trying to count as he watched the jackal's body rise and fall, rise and fall. "Does it matter, though? He'll be back soon."

"Yeah, he was a good coach," Chance mused. "Do you think it had something to do with his breath the other day?"

"Charlie..." Zack began warningly.

"If he's drinking at school, that's a problem," Chance insisted, lowering his voice so that he wasn't overheard. "Maybe something happened and that's why he's sick."

Zack sat upright. "Charlie, listen to me. You're worried, I get it, but it's not your problem. I'm sure Coach will come back just fine."

Chance opened his mouth to reply, but stopped himself. No point in getting into an argument. "Fine," he huffed.

"Are you going to do your push-ups? People are rotating already."

Chance did his best (he counted up to thirteen) but rapidly found that he lacked the ability go much further. By the time the "warm-up" was finished, his arms and legs were already starting to feel heavier. And Sommers's "encouragement" did little to help as he did what he could to push himself. After what felt like should've been the entire class, Sommers called them all in front of her once again.

"Now that we have that out of the way, we can get to the fun part," she announced and there was something mischievous in her tone. "I'll divide you all up into teams and we can start."

A young leopard raised his paw. "But Coach Salt lets us pick our own teams."

She turned and looked at him, eyebrow raised and smirking. "I'm not Coach Salt."

And that was final. She quickly divided them and Chance could see how she was trying to do it. She had tried to separate divide them up fairly, splitting up the more athletic students and intermixing them with those who were lacking. And Chance might've commended her for it but any kudos he'd have given quickly turned to dislike when he saw his jackal on the other side of the gym.

She placed the balls in the middle of the court and stood off to the side with her whistle. "THREE! TWO! ONE!" She blew her whistle.

It was pandemonium, chaos unchained and Chance did whatever he could to keep his head down. He ducked and weaved and avoided getting near those rubber spheres as they whisked by and nearly grazed his fur. He watched as the teams whittled down and slowly, panic began to run through him. Why was he dodging? He didn't want to play! He should've let himself be hit and yet here he was, dodging and trying to avoid escaping the game! And--

He froze... Where'd his team go?

Where'd Zack's team go?

His jaw dropped as he looked across the court to see an equally amazed black jackal looking back at him. They stood, frozen in surprise and Chance stole a glance at the now-benched players. They looked no less shocked and Chance was sure that many of them had heard that the black jackal and white wolf were dating.

A loud whistle cut through the stunned silence. "SHOWDOWN!" Coach Sommers called out.

A grin spread across Zack's face as he dashed forward, swiping a ball from the floor. Chance let out a squeak as the ball soared forward. He could feel the air whizz by him, his fur stand on end as he dove forward and picked up another. His body was acting reflexively and moved without thought as he threw the ball. Zack attempted to catch it, but it seemed to purposely avoid his paws and Chance watched the muscular, athletic Zack Bailey fumble the ball.

Sommers blew her whistle once more. "GAME OVER! Good job, Chance!"

Chance's mind seemed to short circuit as he processed what happened. His team had raced back onto the court to congratulate him but they parted as Zack approached. Chance looked up into those blue eyes he'd fallen for and waited for the jackal to speak. He was sure he was shaking when he felt Zack's heavy paw touch his shoulder. There was no animosity, no anger, no hurt on that face. There was only pride and Chance allowed himself a moment to revel in that feeling as Zack returned to his side.

But the next games were nowhere near as easy. Chance found himself being eliminated early in the second game, and in the middle of the third while Zack seemed to endure to the very end constantly. But he didn't mind. He enjoyed watching Zack have fun. He liked that carefree look on Zack's face. He had fun watching Zack have fun.

At the end of class, when they returned to the locker room, Chance approached Zack in an isolated corner of the locker room, an area where the shyest students could change in peace. He smirked at the jackal's confidence as he watched his boyfriend pose shirtless in front of the full-length mirror.

"You let me win, didn't you?" Chance asked.

"What?" Zack grumbled, turning. A small bit of embarrassment seemed to wash over Zack's features.

"During the first game. I shouldn't have stood a chance against you," Chance explained. "I know you. You could've caught that ball, but you didn't."

Zack smiled coyly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Chance snorted indignantly. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"Nah, you love it," Zack said, his eyes scanning around them. There was a wall between them and the other students. They were alone, nobody to see Zack pull Chance closer for a kiss.

Chance's body heated almost right away as their lips met in a deep kiss. He felt Zack's paw on his shoulder and another on his hip, as they kissed over and over. He melted into the embrace, feeling Zack's heated breath on his lips before they kissed again. He felt the paw on his hip pull him closer, felt it lightly pull at the waist of his gym shorts, and Chance felt a familiar stirring.

He gasped and stepped back, pulling his legs close together as he covered his mouth with his paw.

At once, Zack's expression changed from passionate to regretful. "I-I'm so sorry," Zack managed to say between stammers as he caught his breath. "I shouldn't have--"

"No, it's okay!" Chance insisted, feeling just as nervous as he was sure Zack was. "It's just... wow..."

"Yeah, wow..." Zack's eyes studied him carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay," Chance replied. Then, with a more modesty and a redder face, he said, "I-I mean...."

"Good," Zack said, forcing a smile.

"This is getting awkward," Chance noted. I need a frozen shower. "Let's go to lunch! I can show you some of the stuff I drew! Maybe we can do some of it for the art show!"

---

Chance looked around nervously as he sat at an empty table. He didn't see Zack at all and he doubted that his boyfriend was lost. But as he scanned the cafeteria, there was no sign of the imposing figure, no one moving away to allow him to pass by. And such a tall figure would scarcely go unnoticed.

And then he heard one of the chairs at his table move. He quickly hid his fear behind a mask of concern when he noticed Zack sinking down beside him.

"You're late! Where'd you go?"

"Got sidetracked," Zack said dismissively. Then, in an almost nervous voice, Zack said, "Hey, I was wondering; did you talk to Junior earlier?"

Chance's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, he came to speak to me this morning," Chance admitted.

"What'd he say?"

Chance analyzed Zack carefully. "Just that..." Chance trailed off, noticing just how tense Zack looked. "Why does it matter exactly? Zack, did he say something to you?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Zack said, averting his eyes. "Can you do something for me?"

"I need you to talk to Junior for me."

Chance frowned. "Why?"

"Well... I just wondered if you can put in a good word for me."

"Zackary, what aren't you telling me?" Chance demanded in the most serious, annoyed tone he could manage.

Zack cringed at being called 'Zackary'. Chance was sure he'd say something about it, but when their eyes met, Chance could almost see Zack's strong demeanor crumble. "Okay, I lied. I talked to Junior after gym and he wasn't believing anything I was saying! I tried to apologize but he just shot me down and said that I was only apologizing because of you."

"What exactly did you say to him, Zack?" Chance questioned.

"I told him I was sorry and that I wanted to make amends."

"Do you really?" Chance challenged.

"Do I what?"

"Do you want to make things better?"

"Of course I do!" Zack countered defensively.

"I was just asking," Chance grumbled, resting his forehead on his paw. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He very easily could speak to Junior. End this grudge once and for all. And he wanted to. He was tired of seeing Junior scowl at Zack and tired of hearing Zack growl at Junior. He hated being caught between them.

He hesitated and considered it. If he said anything, he'd just be even deeper into that mess. And it might never end.

No. I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm not going to be their middle-man. I'm not going to be caught between them again.

"No," Chance said finally.

"No?" Zack repeated.

"No, I will not talk to him," Chance huffed, his patience finally reaching its limit. "I'm tired of being the middleman. And I'm tired of all the arguing, the looks, the insults--I'm done." Chance took another bite of his sandwich. "If this stupid feud is going to end, you two have to do it. Nothing I say or do will change anything."

"But that's just it! I don't know what to say or do anymore! I don't know what the problem is!" Zack insisted. "He won't tell me! I thought I knew, but I didn't apparently." Zack let out a heavy sigh. "I think there might be more to it than him being angry at me for beating him up. Or the date. It's got to be something else."

Do you really listen to him or do you just hear him? I'm sure he's said it over and over again.

Zack continued, now talking more to himself than Chance. "Why is he so upset? Maybe he's just being spiteful. Or maybe he's jealous."

Chance nearly choked on his sandwich. He coughed and spoke in intrigue. "Jealous of what?"

Zack shrugged. "I have you," he said in a smug way.

Chance rolled his eyes. "I doubt it."

"Then what else could it be?"

Chance shrugged. "I don't know. You dated him; you know more about him than I do." At least, you should. Chance pushed his tray away and reached down for his backpack, opening his sketchbook. He flipped to a drawing he'd started in class a bit earlier, wanting to leave this conversation behind.

"As if," Zack retorted with a snort. "We dated for, like, twenty minutes." Zack looked over. "What's that?"

"Just some stuff for the art show," Chance replied, showing it to Zack. "I've got some pretty good ideas I'd like to try."

"Say, why don't you come over this weekend and we can try some of this stuff out?"

"Are you sure that's not a ruse just to get me alone?" Chance said with a mixture of playfulness and sarcasm.

Zack leaned in closer. "I don't need a scheme to get you alone," Zack said. Chance shivered as he felt Zack's warm breath against his fur as Zack pulled back and spoke in his normal volume. "And besides, I think we're due for another date. We can go out later that day if you want. What do you say?"

Chance smiled at the eagerness in Zack's voice. There was something undeniably adorable about how hopeful and excited Zack was and Chance couldn't deny that he felt the same way.

"I'd like that," he admitted.