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Zack arrived at gym class expecting Coach Salt's booming voice rallying them all together and was confused when that was not what he found. Instead, a slender puma was waiting for them as the students filed in from the locker rooms. She wore workout attire and a whistle around her neck, which she fiddled with impatiently while she waited.

"Let's go, folks! We haven't got all day," she called. Zack was one of the first to arrive, so he waited on the sidelines and pondered the reason for her being there. Had something happened to Coach Salt? Despite their latest encounter, Zack quite liked Salt as a coach and was apprehensive of his replacement.

Once enough people had come in, the puma called them over. "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?" A student piped up.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Sommers answered. "However, he did tell me that you were supposed to have a midterm fitness test today."

The class groaned.

"But," Sommers said, raising her voice. "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."

"Before we do that, however," she said over the students' excited whispers, "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 pushups or as many as you can. Then, do 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," Sommers finished. "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?"

No one argued. Sommers separated them out as she'd said, and Zack started out doing pushups. As he started his set, Charlie settled down next to him.

"What do you think happened to Coach Salt?" Charlie asked.

"Not sure," Zack answered. Though he was in the middle of a pushup, his words didn't sound strained in the least. "Does it matter, though? He'll be back soon."

"Yeah, he's a good coach," said Charlie. "Do you think it had something to do with his breath the other day?"

"Charlie..."

"If he's drinking at school, that's a problem," the wolf argued. "Maybe something happened and that's why he's sick."

Zack finished his set and got up. "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."

Charlie seemed to want to retort, but just grumbled, "Fine."

Zack looked down at him. "Are you going to do your pushups? People are rotating already."

The rest of the short warmup session went by without much conversation, though Sommers did come check on them all periodically. Soon, the class had gathered again in front of their substitute teacher.

"Now that we have that out of the way, we can get to the fun part," Sommers announced. "I'll divide you all up into teams and we can start."

A student raised their hand. "But Coach Salt lets us pick our own teams."

Sommers arched an eyebrow. "I'm not Coach Salt."

That was that. With no further interruptions, Sommers split the class in two. When all was said and done, Zack realized with a start that he and Charlie had been put on separate teams. Next to him, Charlie shrugged wordlessly and joined the rest of his team on the other side of the gym.

Once the balls were placed in the middle of the court, Sommers stood by with her whistle.

She began the countdown. "THREE! TWO! ONE!" The whistle blew.

Zack raced to the line and grabbed two balls, immediately throwing one to hit somebody and keeping the other to deflect any others. The game was in full swing in seconds. Kids shouted, dodgeballs were thrown everywhere; this was their favorite thing to do in gym class, and it showed. Zack did his part, being responsible for about half of the other team's eliminations. Oddly, those on his own team still seemed to keep their distance from him. Oh well.

Soon it was down to one person on each team. Zack faced his opponent and blinked. It was Charlie. How had he managed to be the only one left? Charlie stared back surprised, mirroring what Zack was sure was an equally amazed expression on his own face. Both of them stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

Sommers decided for them. She blew her whistle. "SHOWDOWN!"

Zack glanced at her, then back at Charlie. He grinned. And bolted straight for him.

Charlie 'eeped' and tried to run away. Zack threw a ball and missed by an inch. What he didn't expect was another ball that Charlie flung aimlessly in his direction. He tried to catch it, but fumbled it and it dropped to the ground, thus eliminating the jackal from the game.

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

Charlie appeared about as flustered as he had been moments earlier. Had he really just won a game of dodgeball? Zack went over and patted his shoulder with a confident grin. No words were needed. Zack was proud of him.

No such luck was to be had again, however. While Zack did well for the rest of the class, Charlie got hit relatively early on in the game. Zack felt sorry for him, though the wolf didn't seem to care. They were both having fun. Zack enjoyed this activity too, and he reveled in the fact that his boyfriend had won something. A victory that Zack was partly responsible for, a detail that didn't go unnoticed by Charlie.

The wolf approached him about it while they were changing after class. Zack was checking his reflection at the mirror away from everyone else when Charlie came up to him.

"You let me win, didn't you?"

"What?" Zack turned. The wolf didn't seem bothered or anything; rather, he looked amused.

"During the first game. I shouldn't have stood a chance against you." Charlie peered at him skeptically. "I know you. You could've caught that ball, but you didn't."

Zack grinned smugly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Charlie scoffed. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"Nah, you love it." Zack glanced around to make sure they were alone. There was a wall blocking them from sight, so he made his move. He leaned forward and gave his boyfriend a kiss.

It was meant to be quick. Just a quick smooch. But something more sparked between them and the kiss became more heated, more passionate. Zack moved forward more, pressing their bodies closer together. His paws found their places on Charlie's shoulder and hip as the two of them made out in that empty corner of the locker room.

Charlie tensed and pulled away; Zack, realizing where they were and what they were doing, backed away as well, pressing himself against the wall.

"I-I'm so sorry," Zack stammered, averting his gaze. "I shouldn't have -"

"No, it's okay," said Charlie, who seemed equally flustered, if not more. "It's just...wow."

"Yeah, wow." Zack peered at him, searching for any trace of anger or rejection. "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay," Charlie said. He shut his muzzle immediately after and looked embarrassed. "I-I mean..."

"Good." Zack smiled at him, hoping it would calm the wolf's nerves.

It didn't work. "This is getting awkward...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!" Charlie turned quickly and went to get his things. Zack just chuckled and followed him out.

............................

They separated on the way to lunch to put away their things. When Zack approached the cafeteria later, he spotted a familiar fox hanging around the entrance. It was Junior, and he appeared to be waiting for someone. Zack remembered what Mr. Wagner had told him and felt that he couldn't pass up this opportunity. He needed to tell something to his ex.

Zack approached, and Junior noticed him with a start. "Hey, Alex...can we talk?"

Junior's distaste couldn't be missed. "You are the _last_person I want to see right now," he said with a bit of a frantic edge.

"I know, and that's why I think we need to talk. Who are you waiting for?" Zack inquired when the fox continued peering down the hallway.

"Doesn't matter." Junior seemed to calm down a little as he faced the jackal fully. "What do you want?"

"I..." Only now did Zack realize how hard this was for him to say. He hesitated and then said it. "I'm sorry."

Junior said nothing at first. He tilted his head in a canine fashion, his face showing no emotion. "Sorry about what?"

"What I did during our date," Zack clarified. "And I know I've said this a million times, but now I mean more than just that night. I'm sorry about how I've been acting toward you and that I haven't come to apologize sooner. I know how badly I beat you up that one time, and I know there's nothing I can do to make it better, but...can we at least agree to let this go?"

Zack had rehearsed this nearly fifty times the night before to get it right. And now here he was, waiting to see Junior's reaction. Would it be enough?

Junior just stared at him. Zack had begun to wonder if the fox had heard him at all when he finally responded. "Chance put you up to this, didn't he?"

"What - no!" Zack protested. "No, I really wanted to apologize -"

"See here's the thing, Zack," said the fox. "If you were really sorry, you'd have told it to me sooner. Not now, when you've got someone else to impress."

"I'm not trying to impress anyone. I meant what I said," Zack stated firmly. "If I can't make this better, can you at least tell me what's wrong?"

Junior shrugged. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, clearly you do because you're upset," Zack snarked.

"Don't pretend to know how I feel," snapped Junior. "You're the one who started this whole thing in the first place."

"What do you mean 'this whole thing?'" Zack said with a bit of a laugh. "All from one date? It wasn't even that bad."

Junior pursed his lips, arms crossed over his chest. "And there he is. That's the Zack I know."

Zack saw his mistake. "Alex, no, I didn't mean -"

"Sure you didn't." Junior walked off without another word, down the hall instead of the cafeteria.

Zack sighed and entered the cafeteria. It seemed there was no getting through to Junior; he just didn't want to talk to him. As he approached his table, he noticed Charlie sitting there waiting for him. Something clicked. Maybe...

Charlie looked up when the jackal sat down. "You're late! Where'd you go?"

"Got sidetracked," Zack said. "Hey, I was wondering. Did you talk to Junior earlier?"

"Yeah, he came to speak to me this morning," replied Charlie.

"What'd he say?"

"Just that...why does it matter exactly?" Charlie inquired. He put down his sandwich. "Zack, did he say something to you?"

"No, it's nothing like that." It wasn't a total lie, but... "Can you do something for me? I need you to talk to Junior for me."

The wolf deflated on the spot, making Zack instantly regret bringing it up. "Why?"

"Well..." Zack chose his words carefully. "I just wondered if you could put in a good word for me."

Charlie saw straight through his vagueness. "Zackary, what aren't you telling me?"

The jackal winced. He only ever heard his parents use that name when he was in trouble. "Okay, I lied. I talked to Junior after gym and he wasn't believing anything I was saying," Zack explained. "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?" Charlie asked.

"I told him I was sorry," said Zack. "And that I wanted to make amends."

Charlie went back to eating. He finished a bite before speaking again. "Do you really?"

Zack blinked. "Do I what?"

"Do you want to make things better?"

"Of course I do!"

"I was just asking," Charlie said with a frown. He rested his forehead on a paw and closed his eyes. "No."

Zack was confused. "No?"

"No, I will not talk to him," said Charlie. "I'm tired of being the middle man. arguing, the looks, the insults--I'm done. 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 hissed exasperatedly. "He won't tell me. I thought I knew, but I didn't apparently." He sighed. "I think there might be more to it than just being angry at me for beating him up. Or the date. It's got to be something else."

Charlie appeared to be ignoring him for now and was fully invested in his lunch.

Nevertheless, Zack continued. "Why is he so upset? Maybe he's just being spiteful. Or maybe he's jealous?"

Charlie knit his eyebrows. "Jealous of what?"

Zack shrugged. "I have you."

Chance scoffed. "I doubt it."

"Then what else could it be?"

This time, it was Charlie's turn to shrug. "I don't know. You dated him; you know more about him than I do."

"As if," Zack said with a snort. "We dated for like, twenty minutes." Looking over, he saw that Charlie now had his sketchbook out and was beginning to draw. "What's that?"

"Just some stuff for the art show," Charlie answered. "I've got some pretty good ideas I'd like to try."

Zack got an idea. "Say, why don't you come over this weekend and we can try some stuff out?"

"Are you sure that's not a ruse just to get me alone?" Charlie smirked.

"I don't have to scheme to get you alone," the jackal whispered. Returning to his normal volume, he said, "And besides, I think we're due for another date. We can go out later that day if you want. What do you say?"

Charlie smiled. "I'd like that."

...............................

Zack came home to an empty house that day. Or at least it seemed empty, for his parents had not returned home yet and he heard no noise from upstairs. Zack shrugged off his bag and went to the kitchen to get himself a pre-workout snack. He found a note on the fridge:

Zack,

_ Something came up at work, and your mother and I had to go take care of it. We won't be back until dinnertime, so you're going to have to make dinner tonight. If you can, please go to the store and get ingredients. I left you a list on the table._

Love you,

_ Pa_

Zack read the note over. He was slightly annoyed that they weren't home, but it didn't bother him too much. They had talked about this before, and Zack knew that his parents cared. If something had happened at work, it couldn't be helped. He realized he might have to skip his workout today. Oh well.

He went upstairs and found Tristan sound asleep in bed. Poor kid. Must have been tuckered out after school. A moment after checking on his youngest brother, he found Seth leaving his room, eyes glued to his phone as usual.

"Seth," Zack called to him. "I'm going to the store. I need you to watch Tristan for me."

Seth stopped and grimaced as if he'd just been asked to clean the entire house. "Why? He's asleep."

"Seth, just do it," Zack sighed.

"Whatever," Seth said, returning to his room.

Zack rolled his eyes and went back downstairs to grab the shopping list. The list was thankfully a short one. Within fifteen minutes, he arrived at the store and carried on gathering his items.

As he went through the bread aisle, Zack overheard a couple customers talking. One of them spoke with a strange - Scandinavian? - accent while the other sounded more familiar.

"You think we should have wine with dinner tonight?"

"On a Wednesday? I'm a horny drunk, you know that. Unless you want to be late for work in the morning -"

"Not so loud, Nate! And I didn't say you had to get drunk."

"I know, I'm just messing around."

One of their voices made Zack stop in his tracks. The second speaker...that sounded like Coach Salt. And what was that about being a 'horny drunk?' That certainly wasn't something he wanted to hear from his coach.

"Anyway, what kind of bread do you want? I was thinking we could try the white; this brand is normally good."

"Doesn't matter. I won't eat it. I only eat whole grain and we have plenty of that at home."

Boring. And weird. Eager to get away from this awkward conversation, Zack grabbed what he needed and went to leave the aisle -

"Oof!" As he turned the corner, he went too fast and slammed into someone. The force was enough to send him onto the floor; the contents of his basket went everywhere, though fortunately nothing spilled.

"Nate, you have to be more careful! Are you okay?"

It usually took more than a little force to knock Zack down, but considering who he had run into, it was no wonder. Peering down at him was a shocked Coach Salt, his sheer bulk having been enough to tip the jackal over. A concerned coyote, having been the one speaking to him, offered him a paw.

Zack took it and hauled himself up. "Thanks. Sorry, I should have paid more attention."

"It's not a problem," the coyote replied in his Norwegian accent. He jerked a thumb in Salt's direction. "Nate can be clumsy at times."

"My apologies," Salt added. The husky was chewing gum, something he wasn't known to do.

"It's fine." With the coyote's help, Zack gathered his groceries back into his basket. While he was here, he decided to strike up a conversation. "How are you, Coach? We missed you at gym today."

Salt ignored the bewildered look from the coyote and answered, "Doing alright. I was feeling under the weather this morning, but I feel alright now. Andy, weren't we going to take a look at the meats?"

The coyote blinked. "Um, yes you're right. Sorry again..."

"Zack," the jackal finished. "And it's not a problem."

"Have a good one...Nate!"

As they were saying their goodbyes, Salt had accidentally knocked some items off the shelves. More cans rolled to and fro, prompting the coyote to pick them up again.

"Sorry," Salt mumbled. He offered a noncommittal wave and sauntered out of sight.

"He's such a klutz," the coyote muttered. Putting the last can back on the shelf, he waved to Zack, though he was clearly frustrated. "Once again, have a good one." He then followed Salt to the next aisle.

Zack stood at the end of the aisle, unsure of what had just ensued. That was two awkward encounters with Salt in the same week. Something was definitely up with him, and it seemed to be getting worse.

Zack pushed it out of his mind and continued on his way. It's none of my business. Unless it involves me, I have nothing to worry about.