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Zack parked down the road from an empty house. He had followed the mysterious car that carried his brother nearly across town and into a neighborhood he'd never been to before. That car was now parked on the road in front of a house, which still had the "For Sale" sign stuck on the lawn. Whoever Seth was meeting must have gone inside already. What was he up to?

Zack got out of his truck and approached the house. The front door was unlocked. He slipped inside and looked around. As expected, the place was mostly bare save for some generic rental furniture. He had to fight a sneeze as the filthy odor of weed smoke attacked his nostrils. Two voices came from the living room.

"Hah! I win again!" That was Seth. A victory tune sounded from a television Zack couldn't see.

"I've never been good at racing games," said a higher-pitched female voice. Who was that? "I don't know how you play these."

Seth chuckled. Chuckled. "Why? I play these all the time. You never played one?"

"Nah."

"You'll get the hang of it. Another round?"

"In a bit. Let me roll another."

That explained the weed smoke. Wait a minute...

"You want this one?" She asked.

There was a pause. "...yeah, sure."

No. Absolutely not. Zack made a beeline for the living room. "Seth Oliver!"

_ _ "Fuck!" There was a frantic shuffling and the ring of ceramic hitting the carpet. Zack came in to see Seth scrambling off of the couch. Someone else sat up next to him, a blond mouse in a baggy green jacket. Her hooded eyes widened as the older jackal stormed into the room.

"What the fuck is this?" Zack raged. Without waiting for an answer, he looked down and saw the joint in Seth's paw. He stepped forward and snatched it away. "What do you think you're doing? Who is this?"

The mouse eyed his warily and stood. "He kinda looks like you, Seth. Is this your brother?"

Seth opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He fixated on the floor and fell silent.

"Seth, answer me," Zack ordered. "Who is this and why are you smoking pot?"

_ _ When Seth didn't move or try to speak, the stranger stepped forward and held out her paw. "You're Zack, right? I'm Tilly, Seth's girlfriend."

Zack didn't shake her hand. He looked her up and down. "How old are you?"

Her face fell. "Eighteen. I thought you knew that." Tilly frowned and turned to Seth. "You didn't tell your family? You said you would."

"I was gonna do it," came Seth's meek reply.

"But you promised you would!" Tilly sighed and dragged a hand down her face. "This isn't going to be pretty..."

"Damn right it's not. Seth, is this who you've been sneaking off to meet in the morning?" Zack knew the answer, but he wanted to hear Seth say it.

"Yes, okay?" Seth blurted. "What's the big deal?"

"I don't know. You're the one keeping secrets," Zack countered. He held up the rolled up joint. "For starters, you're smoking marijuana without our parents' knowledge. That seems like a pretty big deal."

"So?" Seth shot back with a glare. "It's not like I'm doing it everyday or anything. Or even every week. I've done it like three times max!"

"That's three times too many," said Zack. "Not only is this bad for you, it's bad enough you've been going behind our backs all this time. And she's eighteen, for god's sake!"

"Hey, I'm right here!" Tilly spoke up over the din.

Zack ignored her. "She way too old for you, and you can't have known her that long. How long has it been?"

"Three weeks," Seth replied. "But that doesn't matter. I might be thirteen, but five years is nothing as an adult. We care about each other, and I can handle myself without you butting in and acting like a fucking hypocrite!"

"How am I a hypocrite?" Zack demanded.

"You get to have a boyfriend, and Mom and Dad fawn over him twenty-seven no matter what he does!" Seth fumed. "But then I find someone and big bro doesn't approve? Can't have that!"

"Charlie and I are different," said Zack. "We're right for each other."

"So is Tilly!"

"Oh yeah?" Zack turned to the mouse who looked very confused. "How did you two meet?"

Tilly's shoulders fell, and she avoided his eyes. "I, uh...we met at a video game store. I stole a game for him."

This was worse than he thought. "Where do you live?"

"Here and there," Tilly replied begrudgingly. "I'm crashing here for the week. I'll find someplace knew soon."

So she didn't even have a permanent place to stay... "Where do your parents live? Do they know where you are?"

Tilly sighed. "Maybe, maybe not." She glanced over at Seth, who wasn't looking at her. She visibly gulped and said, "I ran away."

Zack stared at her in disbelief. This was the girl Seth had gone through all the trouble to keep secret? "Seth, get your stuff. We're leaving."

"What?" Seth started as Zack shoved his things into his bag and hoisted it over his shoulder.

"You heard me. We're leaving." Zack grabbed Seth's arm and pulled him along. "Come on."

"Get off!"

"No, Seth!" Zack pulled with more force. "You're not playing this game any longer!"

"No!" Seth wrested his arm free. "I'm not going!"

Zack scowled and crossed his arms. "Look. Ma and Pa are gonna find out whether you come or not. So either you get to explain this to them, or they hear it from me."

The gears turning in his head were practically audible as Seth stood frozen and conflicted. Tilly walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Seth. You'll see."

"I doubt it," Zack deadpanned.

Seth glared at him for that comment. He then scoffed, pulled his bag away from Zack, and pushed past him. "Fine. But don't fucking lecture me on the way back because I'm not talking."

Zack watched him stalk out of the house. Glancing back at Tilly, who looked worried and disappointed to see him go, he said, "You stay away from my brother. You're nothing but trouble and a bad influence." With that, he followed his brother out of the house.

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

_ _ The moment the car came to a halt in the driveway, Seth jerked the door open and raced inside without a word. Zack sighed and shut the car off, following him in. He arrived just in time to hear Seth's door slam upstairs.

Geoff stood at the foot of the stairs mystified. He looked just as surprised to see Zack came back so soon after supposedly going to the store.

"Zack? Did something happen?" He asked after seeing Zack's sullen expression. "Why is your brother upset?"

Zack told him everything. He recounted what happened only minutes before, taking care to highlight the age difference between his brother and his supposed "girlfriend." He even included Seth's mysterious disappearances early before school.

At first, Geoff said nothing. Then, in a calm but measured voice, he said, "Zack, I need you to go get Charlie and take him home. Take Tristan with you."

"What about Seth?" Zack inquired.

"We'll talk to him, but I don't want Charlie or Tristan to hear it. Knowing your brother, it's going to get loud." Geoff looked over to the kitchen where Karen emerged. "Karen, we need to talk to our son. Zack, go."

Zack didn't hesitate. He went up the stairs and to his room where he suspected Charlie might be. It was empty. Where'd they go? He heard Tristan's high-pitched voice chirping from his room followed by an amused chuckle from Charlie. What were they doing in there?

Zack went to Tristan's room and found his little brother playing with some action figures while Charlie watched from the bed. "Charlie, sorry to say this, but I gotta take you home now." He donned his best smile and said to his little brother, "Tristan, wanna come along for the ride?"

As expected, Tristan dropped his action figures and jumped up. "Sure! Let me get my shoes on!" He dashed out of the room, and they heard his little feet thump down the stairs.

Charlie approached him looking worried. "Zack, what happened? I thought you went to the store?"

"It's just some family drama," Zack said. "We don't want you getting roped into it. I'm sorry."

Charlie sighed. "It's okay. Let me get my stuff."

It took a few minutes for Charlie to gather his things, but soon the three of them were at the front door.

Tristan ran up and gave Charlie a big hug around the waist, making the wolf smile kindly. "Can Charlie come back soon?" Tristan asked, practically bouncing on his feet. "I want to show him the rest of my action figures!"

Charlie looked at him point-blank. "He has so many action figures."

Zack glanced at Geoff, who was still waiting for them to leave. With a nod from his father, Zack said, "Sure, but not today. Or not this weekend. It's a bit of a mess really. But we'll see each other again soon."

Charlie nodded forlornly. "Okay. Come on, Tristan." He and Tristan went out the door.

Before he could follow, Geoff came over and rested a paw on his shoulder. "Hey, Charlie's father called while you were out. We're planning a surprise birthday party for him next weekend."

"His birthday's next week?" Zack said. "He never told me when it was."

Geoff nodded. "It's Friday, but we're planning on holding the party Saturday at Charlie's place. Don't say anything to him, but maybe while you're out, you can get him a gift?"

"I think I will," Zack replied, his mind already racing with the possibilities. "Want me to take Tristan with me? I'm sure he'd like to get a gift of his own."

"Good idea," said Geoff. "And Zack, thank you for telling me about Seth. We had no idea."

"No problem," said Zack. "What's going to happen with him."

"Well, he's not seeing that girl anymore. That's for sure." Geoff scratched his head in thought. "Seth's not going to take it well though. Hopefully he'll see it our way."

Fat chance. "Yeah, I hope so."

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

The art store was an oddly welcome sight after the drama that had ensued in the last hour. Tristan was blissfully unaware of it all as he skipped ahead of him into the store. Zack kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't get lost, but most of his thoughts had turned to Charlie's gift. He steered Tristan toward the painting supplies, thinking he might as well grab some things for himself while he was here.

"Hey Zack! Can I get some paint too?" Tristan asked pointing to a tiny paint set.

"Not right now," said Zack. "We're here to get Charlie a birthday gift, remember?"

"Okay! Do you think he likes painting?" Tristan asked.

"He likes drawing actually," Zack answered.

"Drawing? Oh, I know! Be right back!"

"Tristan, wait!" Tristan ignored Zack's protests and zoomed around to the next aisle.

"He's an endless ball of energy, isn't he?" He turned to find Junior standing there in his work uniform. "I could never understand how you control that kid."

"Lots of patience." Zack regarded him cautiously. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same." When the jackal seemed surprised at the suggestion, Junior added, "I work here. You're a customer."

"Oh." Zack glanced at the paint displays and grabbed the one he needed. "That should do it. I'm actually here to get something for Charlie."

Junior looked at the paint set in his paw and raised an eyebrow. "Paints? Isn't Charlie into drawing?"

"This is for me. Charlie's gonna get something special." At Junior's questioning look, Zack continued. "It's his birthday next week."

Junior frowned. "Really? He never said anything about his birthday."

"Aren't you his friend?" Zack inquired. "He would have told you about it, right?"

Junior shook his head. "Nope."

So he didn't tell his friends either? Maybe it just slipped his mind. "I'm sure he just forgot. Anyway, I need to find something for him and get Tristan. So see you later I guess." Zack started to leave, but Junior interjected.

"How is Chance anyway?" Junior said hastily. "After you-know-what happened."

Zack stopped and stared at him. "He's...as well as he can be. Things are hard for him right now." He turned to leave again. "You should call him or something."

"I've tried! He hasn't responded to any of my texts and my calls go straight to voicemail," Junior said worriedly. "I just want to make sure he's okay."

Zack was a little confused at Junior sudden concern, but he could understand Charlie's silence to be worrying. "Just give him time. I'm sure he'll say something eventually."

"Yeah, maybe," said Junior, though he didn't seem comforted in the slightest. His left ear had swiveled to the side the way it did whenever the fox got worried. "I know it's a bit weird for you, but could you say something to him for me? Let him know a friend misses him?"

Zack was surprised at this abrupt change of behavior from Junior. Had Charlie really grown that quiet? He seemed to be getting a bit better, but perhaps he was wrong. "I'll tell him."

"Thanks." Junior glanced around awkwardly and said, "Maybe Chance would like a new sketchbook."

"Nah, I want something a little more special," said Zack. "I'm sure he's got plenty of those already."

"Well, if you change your mind, we've got some really nice ones three aisles back," Junior replied, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. "We just started carrying some new designs."

Zack shrugged, not sure whether he was comfortable with Junior's sudden compliance. "Thanks, but I think -"

"Zack, look what I found! I got Charlie a coloring book!" Tristan ran around the corner carrying a floppy book in his little paws. He screeched to a halt when he saw the fox. "Hi."

"Hi," Junior muttered, shuffling his feet. "I've should get back to work. Say hi to Chance for me." Junior turned heel and strode toward the front of the store.

Zack watched him leave with a frown. Looking at Tristan and seeing his troubled expression, he reached down and grabbed the coloring book. "He'll love this," he said with a smile.

Tristan perked up instantly. "Yay! What did you find?"

"Nothing yet," said Zack. He paused as an idea sparked. "But I know exactly what to get for Charlie. And I won't find it here."

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

Zack and Tristan returned to the house a half hour later, but it seemed their parents' "talk" with Seth had not ended. They were met with raised voices and shouting the moment they entered.

" - not even that bad," came Seth's exasperated tone. "People do it all the time, and I'm not addicted or anything!"

"I'll be the judge of how bad it is or isn't," said Karen. "It's already bad enough you kept this from us. Do her parents know about this?"

"She doesn't live with her parents," Seth retorted. "She ran away."

"Ran away?" Karen said mystified. "Why'd she run away?"

"Because," Seth said through gritted teeth. "She had abusive and overbearing parents who didn't care about her. She so ran away to get away from it all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zack turned to Tristan. "Go upstairs to your room and close the door. Don't come out until I say it's okay."

Tristan pouted. "But -"

"Tristan, don't argue with me. Go!" Zack urged.

Tristan nodded dejectedly and ran up to his room. Zack crept over to the living room to find Seth standing with clenched fists facing Geoff and Karen who were both on the couch.

"Why are you so against this?" Seth demanded. "Between the three of us, I always get the short end of the stick. I don't fucking get it."

"Langu -"

"I don't fucking care!" Seth shook with rage. "You were always at work leaving us to fend for ourselves, and now you're giving me shit because I decide to do something for myself? How come I'm not allowed to be happy?"

Geoff stood. "Seth. Shut your mouth and listen. We're telling you this because we care. This Tilly girl is clearly a bad influence and is getting you into things that will harm you long-term. She's not good for you."

"You don't get to decide that!"

"We do get to decide. We're your parents," Geoff stated plainly. "You're grounded. And you won't be seeing this girl any longer. That's that."

Seth fumed, and his eyes suddenly looked moist. "I hate you!" In a moment, he had stormed up the stairs and slammed his door.

Geoff sighed and Karen buried her face in her paws. Zack came in and delicately asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Hopefully," Geoff replied, eyes cast downward. He started to pace the floor. "I had no idea Seth felt that way."

"He's right though," Karen said, lifting her face to reveal glistening eyes. "We've paid so much attention to our oldest and to Tristan making sure he's okay that Seth felt left out. Are you sure this is the right decision?"

"It is, Karen. Just let him cool down." Geoff came over to rub her shoulders. "Seth will be okay. He needs time and a little hindsight."

"Should I talk to him?" Zack suggested.

"No, he'll just get more upset," Geoff said. "Right now, we just need to give him all the support we can. And even though he's grounded, we need to bring him to the party. It might help take his mind off things."

"Are you sure going to a party is the best idea, Geoff?" Karen asked. "It hardly seems the time for celebration."

Geoff nodded adamantly. "Like I said, Seth needs the distraction. And so does Charlie, remember?"

"If you say so," Karen replied. "I just hope things calm down a bit by then."

"Only time will tell." Geoff glanced over at Zack. "How did the shopping go? Find a gift yet?"

"Tristan did, but I'm thinking of something different," said Zack.

"Different how?"

"Something special. Personalized." The idea had developed further in his mind on the drive home, and Zack found himself growing more excited as he spoke. "Charlie likes to draw, so I'm going to play on that. How quickly can I get something engraved?"