FSE

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The story's main character is bi, so don't read if you don't want to. As ever, your thoughts and criticism are welcome so that I can get better.

Thanks for reading!

• Xi

All's Fair - Part 4

The trick was to get off campus without being seen, because I didn't feel like running and I didn't want to get told off - again - for ditching class. Damn it, it's not like I was missing anything. But it really wasn't too dificult, and half an hour later I flopped onto a grassy hill outside of town, breathing deeply. It occurred to me to wonder what the hell I was doing here, where the hell I was going with my life. I snorted. "I'm living it," I said aloud to the lowering clouds. Losinng interest, I started watching the wind push them to and fro while they put out new plumes and darkened. Maybe it would rain today. My eyes slid out of focus while I imagined how it would be to have Ivan looking down on me, between me and the clouds. I carefully crafted every gold-brown strand of his mane and the beautiful way his eyes shone. Grinning, I gave him the exasperated expression he usually wore when he saw me. I touched a paw to my lips and extended it upward to him.

Suddenly a familiar voice sounded in my mind. "Idiot mutt." Jake's scornful image flashed in front of my eyes, making Ivan vanish while I growled at the air. Damn it, I couldn't even daydream in peace anymore. I pushed myself off the grass and started back to catch social psychology. I had to run the last few minutes to make it in time.

All through the class I felt frustration building in my chest, making me want to scream even though I knew from experience that didn't help. When the bell rang I stayed behind a moment, breathing deeply, before I made myself get up. Once I was moving, I walked swiftly over to my usual seat next to Ivan in the cafeteria, but I stopped three feet away. Suddenly I didn't want to sit down. Sighing, I stepped behind Ivan and lightly rested my paws on his chest. He slapped them away, but I just put them back, even more lightly. Growling to himself, he let me. I shut my eyes, concentrating on his body heat under my paws and in front of my stomach.

They were talking about some other furs who'd been encroaching on their territory. It was always other gangs with them. I flicked my ears back, listening to other conversations instead.

"...have really good deals on skateboards and stuff..."

"...yeah, and then she turned around and..."

"...plus, he lets you take sick days off and work a flexible schedule..."

"...the Hotspurs all the way, no question. They totally have the best offense..."

Suddenly I didn't want to be there anymore. I walked quickly out of the cafeteria, but slowed down once I was in the open; I'd really nowhere else I wanted to go. I meandered around the quieter areas of campus, avoiding anyone who was making noise. The air was smelling more and more like rain, so I kept outside to savor it; I like that smell, no matter how often we get it.

"You missed class today," Jake's voice said from maybe ten feet behind me.

I didn't turn around. "I have a whole team of nags at the correction center, just for me. I don't need another one here."

If he was daunted, he made absolutely no sign of it. Impossible wolf. "Then you walk out of lunch without a word to anyone. Not that anyone minded really; they're glad you're gone and I'm glad you're not inciting Ivan to murder."

"There are furs in the world who get their jollies by spilling their guts to passers by and examining each other's motives. They'd love to have you."

"The trouble is, knowing you, this probably means you're planning something even less healthy than hanging out with a bunch of jumped-up high schoolers that hate your guts."

"How about you go bug someone who gives a shit, like your girlfriend."

"She's out for the day, mutt, so I'm left to your illustrious company." Ah. I'd hit a little nerve; his voice was decidedly chilled.

"That doesn't mean you can't find her. Go stalk someone else."

I'd lost it again; I heard the mocking smile in his voice. "Oh, but you're so much fun." His voice sobered. "Seriously, it would be nice if I didn't have to save your tail again for a while, 'kay?"

I felt that frustration again. Making a sound midway between a whine and a scream, I took off. I don't know if he followed. I'm slightly faster than he is, both sprinting and distance. I didn't listen to find out if he said anything else, either. I just let my footfalls jar through my body for as long as I could, until the city faded back into those peaceful hills and the hills faded into forest and climbed into mountains. My heart pounded heard in my chest as the minutes stretched to an hour and more and I steadfastly ignored the pain building in my muscles. Finally I fell onto the ground, gasping for air through the dirt and pine needles. My legs burned, my lungs screamed, my rib ached, my pads throbbed. I was covered in little scratches from the tree branches. For a few minutes I felt wonderful.

When I finally had my breath back, I climbed up on shaking legs and looked around. I doubted I was even then miles away from town - probably quite a bit less, actually - but I'd never been up this mountain. The smallest trees were easily thirty feet tall, mostly evergreen, and I couldn't hear the city at all. The silence was broken by birdcalls and insect noises. Somewhere nearby a stream gurgled. I staggered around until I found it, drinking as deeply as I dared without cramping up, then wandered in aimless exhaustion through the trees.

I stopped a short while later by a particularly large one. Screw my rib; I made a jump for its lower branches, almost missed, but caught it and started to climb, using mostly my arms. Soon they were complaining as much as the rest of me, but I kept going. I took it slow, not wanting to mess up my rib or further abuse my legs. Once I got high enough to see over the trees on the downhill side, I had to gasp. The town was spread out below me, nestled between hills and then the mountains I was in on the north and east, and the long, glimmering silver-slate band of the ocean on the west. As I watched, it faded away under dark bands falling from the clouds. It was raining there. A few minutes later the first droplets began to fall on me as well. I realized then that I wasn't going back tonight.

I sat on that branch for as long as was comfortable, maybe an hour or two, while the rain fell and soaked my clothes and fur. My backpack, fortunately for its contents, shed water. I wasn't cold at all, courtesy of husky fur. I climbed slowly to the ground and took off my clothes, letting it fluff out so that it would insulate better. I wasn't worried about meeting anyone; not in such a vast space, not in this weather. I looked around until I found the stream again, and discovered a decent-sized pond, with steep rocks on the uphill side and trees on the down isolating it from everything. The scene was an open invitation to take a dip, and so I did. Then I looked some more until I found a small tree that had fallen over, leaving a dry space underneath it once I'd broken off some branches on the underside. I stowed my backpack and clothes there, but I didn't turn in until it was too dark to see. It rained the whole time, keeping the world at bay beyond the thick sheets of water. I shook as much of it out of my fur as I could before I crawled under the tree; it didn't bother me too much, but I didn't want to be sopping wet all night.

I was just beginning to drift off when a loud crack sounded through the night, making me sit bolt upright. The darkness wrapped around my eyes like a blindfold, and the branches of the tree I was under muffled and distorted sound. Suddenly I realized there was no way to really tell even if someone - or something - was outside. The light breeze and rain stirred through the forest, making little rustles.

I thought I heard a few quiet thumps of something hitting the ground, like soft footfalls, and I jerked my head towards the sound, straining my ears. But I couldn't hear anything, and eventually decided maybe I'd just imagined it. After a long while spent listening in the night, I lay back down, and exhaustion made me sleep.

I woke up sore. I wasn't used to running like that, and I certainly wasn't used to sleeping on the dirt under a try. After one abortive attempt at motion, I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned, contemplating the many wondrous benefits of civilization, like beds and muscle relaxants. But I knew I wouldn't trade last night for all of them. Whimpering softly, I made myself crawl out into the light.

As if to make up for the rain, the sun was shining warm - thanks, September. I basked in it for a while once I'd hobbled to an exposed boulder. But I'd barely dried the remaining dampness from my fur when my stomach informed me in no uncertain terms that I could definitely not subsist on fresh air and sunlight. I grinned at it and fished my clothes out from under the tree, setting them to dry on the boulder while I took a long drink from the stream. Mountain streams, by the way, are cold. I wandered through the trees for a while, working the stiffness out of my muscles and stretching them, then I put my clothes back on and got my backpack, starting back for the town. Idly I wondered if I could catch a rabbit, but I was no cub scout - I didn't have the first clue how to hunt and wouldn't be able to cook it if I did.

It was a three and some hour walk back, moving slowly. Probably six or eight miles, then. I bought breakfast at McDonald's - am I the only one who thinks their pancakes are way better than their standard? - then went back to school. It felt really weird walking back onto campus, like I'd been dreaming. I guessed it to be somewhere in the middle of art, and I really didn't want to walk into it. I hesitated by a brick corner. Probably the center was looking for me; possibly enough furs at school would know about it that I'd be reported back to them. Todd and Becky would want to know why I'd missed the movie. I'd have to explain what i'd been doing, first to the students and then to my handlers, and the more I thought about it the less I wanted to mix the world on the mountain with the world here - not so much that I minded explaining as that I just didn't want the two to have any contact.

Quietly I turned around and left again.

***

And that makes four. I had a really vivid image running through my head when I wrote this, like an HD video with sound, but I don't think I translated it to writing well. So be it, I guess. Thanks for reading, and please comment.