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Chapter 2: Drinking on Campus

I felt as though the atmosphere in the room darkened into a macabre mess of a psychological thriller from the 1960s when I read the last line in his journal. I could not have possibly seen it, yet the sign was staring into my soul. The amount of time it's been since he last dated, his serious, almost hypnotic conversations about girls and their...parts, and all of his stares into the female dormitory for that “fine vixen". I don't believe, no, I am unable to believe it. I can't accept this calumny. Dex is my best friend, my closest ally in this world parallel of humans and anthros coexisting, and I know him too well to consider him as homosexual, not even thinking that line valid, or the scribbles any more than just a well-plotted and coercive attempt at testing my friendship with the sullen German Shepherd behind me.

I suppose it is time to tell him what I found...or I could withhold the information until I know for sure. I need to know for sure about this before I start busting out question after tiring question about it.

“What are you doing in my underwear?" he growls over my shoulder.

I quickly hide the book back before he can take a glance and shuffle around the underwear, silently cringing every few seconds from a pair that were more used than the others.

“Uh, nothing, Dex!" I stammer. “I just need to finally go through this stuff before the smell steals my soul."

Too late for that.

He looks to me with the same look of gloomy suspicion he gives the rivaling football team's halfback.

“I thought you wanted me to do that James?" He asks, clearly annoyed.

I regain my composure and deliberate every word with careful nuance.

“Because waiting for you, you would have done it weeks from now after you finally crashed from finals and needed something to do in between football season and next semester."

This worked to my advantage as I see him smile and laugh haughtily.

“Har har, well you're half right. So I can see why you would want to do it now with your maid nose and tendencies," he finishes the last part with a finger crossing his nose.

This starts to remind me of the time when one of the football players at our high school tried to play tricks on Dex, and little did the poor guy know that Dex wasn't in the best mood for a mild joke that day.

The trails of my mind at this point connected and traveled back to that event when I saw Dex chasing the human and dalmatian anthro responsible for their little “joke".

I just finished turning in my economics homework that day and I had already felt an evil presence barreling down the hall. When I looked out into the respectively pacifist corridor, not to my surprise, I saw Dex shifting his gaze back and forth searching for someone, and from the tendons in his neck stretching outward, he was going to not just kill the guy, but strangle him into submission before doing so. He glanced at me and ran towards me and started to talk briskly with a slight growling undertone.

“Did you see a white human man and a Dalmatian anthro pass through?" He almost barked out his order for me to answer.

“I have no idea, sorry," I muttered under his breath.

He let out an undeveloped snarl just as several students clamored for a spot to see him in quenched rage. Before he turned away and disappeared behind the adjacent hallway, I warned him:

“Hey, Dex people are starting to stare. So probably not the best idea to come out the gym with a towel only."

He looked down, noticing that he had completely forgotten that he was half naked in front of everyone around him. Though there were some laughs for me exposing the fact, some students were actually eye goggling at his physique, especially some of the girls and guys of the cheer squad. He shrugged off his small embarrassment and saw the pair holding the incriminating clothing and pursued them, followed closely by both giggles and whooping cheers.

I fade back into my dorm room with Dex grinning from ear to pointed ear.

“Boo!" he says sharply. I flinch a little and trip over his bedside from the surprise jerk into cold-hearted reality. After I get my bearings, my feet fall flat on the floor, and my vision spins like I had just gotten off a spiral coaster that had taken me from Mt. Everest to the campus in a split second. I do realize his rudimentary jump scare was to sort of getting back at me for not telling him I was touching “his belongings."

“Well if you're done touching used undies, I was suggesting we grab a bite before we party hard tonight."

His foreboding kindness ever so prominent, how can I refuse? As long as he pays for it.

“Please, yes, let's go, I really regret trying to clean your side of the dorm. I need to take my mind off of the...odor. How about a tall drink of tea to quell the stress of today?"

He snorts, “Tea? No thanks, I prefer a beer."

I punch his shoulder softly with a smirk. Like the stereotypical football player in those cheesy frat boy movies, he has an affinity for alcohol though I'm sure the hangover would have ended his football career long ago, especially considering he was around drinking age. “You always have to think about booze?"

His tail is wagging furiously, and his bare smile just goes to show how fun this is for him. “Maybe, I have that Oktoberfest German in my genes."

After the almost pointless lesson on his family tree, we make our the way around the west wing of the campus to the café. The afternoon was primetime student crowding. Many varieties of college undergrad sprawled about the plaza from the homework-obsessed and caffeine-addicted to the free spirits and the “perfect for a stock photo" posers.

I guess I shouldn't have thought like I did earlier, assuming that Dex was homosexual, how preposterous. He would obviously tell me, his best friend, if he started developing feelings for guys, right? We trust each other more than a clownfish and a sea anemone. We are a stronger duo than Bonnie and Clyde, or Batman and Robin (not the Jason Todd version). While standing in line for a cup of coffee--tea's gotten expensive--I decide now to forget that I had ever read Dex's journal, brushing off the very thought with a quick scoff.

“Hello? Earth to James?"

Dex frantically waves his hand in front of my face to knock me out of my thoughts. “It's your turn to order, I already gave mine."

I fail to notice how fast the line depleted. I guess time does tend to go away when you are vividly thinking to yourself about life events. I don't even realize the line of people behind me shoving my way towards a brown cat with a uniform apron and a sneer that almost scared me away from ordering altogether.

I clear my throat and tell the cashier my order:

“Um, black coffee and BLT, no mayo."

After the cashier punches in my order, almost literally, Dex giddily whispers in my ear, “No wonder you're so skinny, man."

I roll my eyes at his comment and receive my order ticket number. I find us two seats by the gate in the front nearest to one of the campus's infamously beautiful open fields. The vista is already leaking its magnificence, but the fact that today's sky radiates a pure azure makes it nearly ironically majestic compared to earlier today. The flowers lining the maintained and unkempt sections of mock pasture are taunting me with how openly quaint they swayed in the winding breeze. I already know that the lushness will not last long, for winter is coming closer than we expect it. A friendly reminder took the form of a crisp, reddened leaf floating down beside the worn soles of my brown Sperry boat shoes.

Dex calls out to get my attention, “So James, um, about what you said earlier today about tutoring for physics?"

I nod my head in recognition of his question.

“Yes, I do remember offering you that. You want to take me up on that offer?"

He nods his head towards the ground, and his normally perky ears droop, clearly of embarrassment.

“Yes, I would like some help. It's about the class really that I have no interest in, not really what they teach in there, ya know? I hope you understand."

“Oh yeah, I definitely know that feeling. Heh, makes you just want to leave the room and never return really. I've felt the same about P.E. before until you convinced me the consequences of not exercising. I did not want to lose my body to sloth and obesity. Not even that, it's more of the fact that you Dex, my best friend, cared enough to help explain it more than any other teacher, and I appreciate that, man."

His ever so compassionate and beaming smile presents itself to me.

“I would cry, but you know it's not allergy season," he says with almost immeasurable sarcasm, oblivious to the fact that he is failing as comic relief.

“Hey it's fall, nobody's gonna have any allergies. Though I thought it was very kind-hearted of you to do that for me in high school. Now I believe it's time I return the favor, I will help you with Physics and any other subject that you may have a problem with."

After the heart-warming conversation Dex and I had, our ticket number finally shows itself on a TV screen on the back wall of the café.

“Well, that's our food, Dex. I'll get it!"

Before I could get two feet away from the table, Dex grabs my arm and insists that he get it. Though it was kind of him, I do question why he grabbed my arm and slid his hand down and off my hand before he walked inside. I could have sworn he looked away as quickly as I turned my head to face his. He probably slid his hand on accident, but I will be sure to keep a close eye on him and any little new quirks he might have picked up.

After some time of meandering talk and eating our lunches, Dex and I paid for our food on separate tabs. On the walk back to our dorm room, I begin talking to Dex about Gloria and if he remembered her.

“Hey, do you remember Gloria Chambers from high school?" I ask.

“Yeah, I remember her. Dropped out, right?"

I sigh, “Yeah, her. The same one I went to prom with junior year."

He elbows me, probably remembering my little date with her.

“Oh yeah, I remember her clearly now. What about her? You two meeting up again?"

I stutter as I get my keys out to open the door to our room. “Uh y-yeah, sh-she's coming three weeks from now. She has a kid, you know?"

I swear Dex yelped as if someone grabbed him by the ear or tail. “What?! She has a kid? Well, I shouldn't be surprised. After all, she was hanging out with, you know who, senior year."

I stab my words into his head like a cobra would sink its fangs into its victim.

“Don't remind me of it! Sorry...I just hate that she chose to do that to herself. The final result being her pregnant with that damn wolf's child. She didn't deserve him then, she doesn't deserve him now, and God forbid he grovel on his knees! 'I'm sorry for getting you pregnant. I'm sorry for ruining your life!' He deserves fucking nothing!" I try to charm the snake back into its basket by utilizing some breathing techniques I got from a couple of late-night infomercials.

“Hey don't worry about it James, if I remember correctly his ass is in the slammer, where he deserves to be." He comforts me by rubbing my shoulder with his right paw, but he loosened his grip after feeling the instantaneous tension rise in my bones. His lying ass might be in jail, but I don't think he even deserves that kind of grandiose luxury. I want to make him beg to go back to prison, back to the local Big Richy I know he'll use as protection once I'm through with him.

Too bad I can't punish him like I want to. I really wanted to give him what he fucking deserves.

After I was no longer upset, Dex and I took our showers and got dressed to go to the party.

I offer him some of my expensive birthday cologne I received from my mother last year. “Cologne. It helps with the ladies, you know."

“Nah, I'll be fine without it. Besides, who would want to smell like terrible chemicals when you can smell like nature?" He grins trying to remind me of his scented shampoo.

“Uh…I suppose that applies only to people like you. By that, I mean only you."

“You know you're just jealous of this drop-dead, sexy smell." He flexes, trying to imitate the models in the magazines that he could very well have under his bed if his diary entry rings true. I am not going to lie though. He definitely has the body to pose, yet I highly doubt he has the right smell to be opening his legs and exposing his junk in front of certain people. He probably shouldn't open his legs at all.

“Alright, Mr. Poser we have a party to get to." I tap his shoulder while I exit the room with him the following suit. After I lock the door, we walk for about six minutes out of the dorm and down the sidewalk until we reach the library. Even though it is an hour after sundown, the intense neon lights lining the inside of the windows irradiate the patio with oversaturated blues and reds. The music deafens us, even from down the street, as the bass line is disproportionately louder than the treble or vocals if there are any. It is mostly just a random string of bass drops and electronic clanging, matching with my preconceived notions of a parody of future life.

“Well, looks like we aren't too early. Let's have some fun!" Dex almost strains his vocal cords for me to hear and jogs to the door. I soon follow him after a few words of confidence that everything is going to be fine. I still cannot believe Kev organized the whole thing and somehow did not and most likely will not get caught hosting one of the biggest fraternity parties in university history. I need to find Kev, just so I understand how godly he must be to have this.

In the library, I see streamers, balloons, and lights in almost every direction with a banner on the ceiling above the entrance saying “Happy 68th Birthday". I am even shocked to figure out our librarian was that old. Later, I find out that the librarian is on vacation with her husband. You sneaky little anthro wolf, Kev.

Regardless, I am here, so I might as well have some type of fun. There is a heap of people in the library, some people I never even knew were on campus or even students. Funny fact that probably 34% of people in the party actually goes to the library to study. I shrug off the joke and decide to look for Kev.

After some time dodging people and flying confetti poppers, I find Kev sitting down with some anthros and two humans. He has his right arm over a female wolf, who I might add is kind of stunning; I'm surprised that Dex isn't chasing her. He has the other arm wrapped around a female human's shoulder, and he seems to be cheering her up because she's appearing very dissatisfied with being here.

The maned wolf sees me and tells his two girlfriends something before he rises to his feet and heads for me. His walk oozed cockiness with his arms lazily swinging beside him and that plastered smile showing enough teeth for me to get this urge to punch him square in that perfect jawline.

“Hey, you're James, right?" He asks me while grabbing onto my shoulder.

“Yes, my name is James. How did you know my name?" Before I could hear him answer, I realize that Dex could have told him.

“A friend from the football team. You enjoyin' the party?" He stares off to the side and winks at some girls swooning in his direction.

“About that I was trying to find you, Kev, to ask you, 'how the hell did you pull this off?' The whole 'the librarian is my older cousin and today is her 68th birthday' thing. You mind explaining that?"

He scratches behind his left ear as his right ear is swiveling. Usually, canid anthros lie when this happens, but the evidence wasn't obvious as his tail was kept tucked.

“Ya see, today is Joanne's birthday, and she is my cousin. Technically, my third cousin but still family. She just isn't here so to speak. I asked the student body council and the principal here to have a small get-together in honor of her birthday for the students and a few distressed professors. Some are even here if you look, especially the younger ones. Go, Mr. Reese!" he yells out towards my programming teacher.

For once I feel like he isn't lying. Then again I don't know much about him, so I can't judge too early on. As we are talking, one of his lady friends heads this way, the human one.

“Kev I really think this is a bad idea. I mean what would the president think about this?" she asks with worry.

“Hey Jena, baby, there is nothing to worry about. I got this place completely under my paw," he proclaims with high confidence.

Jena by appearance was also of African descent like me, she has black hair and the most statuesque posture. Her eyes are stark to see right through me, yet they're so beautiful to see. I know I'm not paying attention before when I first saw her but my priorities were on Kev at the time. Speaking of which, he eventually leaves after he and Jena threw some more comments at each other. Jena is standing in front of me, looking into me with eyes as dark yet as lustrous and enchanting as a star-filled sky. I can get lost in them forever.

“So, uh, your name is Jena, is that correct?" I ask, a spot of sweat glistening from my forehead from the combined heat of blacked-out living beings in the room and my anxieties surrounding the second prettiest girl I've ever met.

“Yes, who are you? I didn't know we had any other humans here. Well, at the party. Well, in this area of the, um, party in the building. So yeah, what's your name?" she says with a much more sprightly attitude.

“My name is James Zheal. I had the same feeling. Though I think the humans here are doing other stuff, and we just don't pay attention."

“True, very true. However, I'm having a bit of difficulty in seeing how this party really reflects the librarian's birthday." The statement she said was very true and she even proved that when she and I conversate about the flaws having a party at a library.

“I agree a librarian wouldn't want an intense, flashing party. Especially if she's older and already losing her hearing."

“Same here, but Kev is her relative, and he asked. I just think this is a lousy way to celebrate a senior's birthday when she isn't even here."

“I bet she would yell at us more for not reading and studying more than using the books as coasters."

She laughs at my statement, for being too true to deny.

“She would, wouldn't she?" She checks her phone and brings back that straight-faced, disinterested expression I first saw.

“I have to go. Something happened." She begins to leave but stops and faces me again, her smile momentarily returning. “Hey wait! I just want to know if you would like to talk sometime later."

She faces me again, her smile momentarily returning. “Sure. Here is my number." She hands me a card author her phone number, but there is something else on the card. It is a hair stylist's card from a nearby salon. She's a cosmetologist in training, I bet.

I take her card, and she leaves as I watch her leave. I couldn't help but stare at her finely shaped ass like the pervert I am.

Not too long after, I hear cheering coming from around the corner leading to the heart of the library. My curiosity overrides my recent lust and guides me to where the shouts of roughhousing were. I work my way through people shuffling and get to the center of the ruckus. I see Dex and a tiger anthro fighting. Based on the sluggish and staggering stance Dex was in, I could tell he was drunk.

Heavily drunk. Though the tiger was wasted to a certain extent, he definitely knows what was going on.

The staggering Dex barely could speak English at this point “Hey *hic* yo'll b' gettin' th't as o'er 'ere pritty boy."

The tiger morph slurs a bit back, “Keep… keep away from me faggot… I don't roll with that shit."

He swings his arm around like a small wrecking ball but completely misses Dex's face by inches as Dex stumbles away from the tiger's fist.

I hold my face with my palm and try to rid Dex of further embarrassment. I walk up to him and pick him up from his arm to try to get him to balance.

The tiger anthro spits, “Hey we aren't don 'er *hic* with our fight!"

I retort back, “Oh you are done. You can barely keep your eyes on your own offender. We are leaving." I continue to walk through the now opening aisle of people, some groaning in disappointment while others whispered a prayer or two.

Outside of the library, I could have sworn the music stopped when I was taking care of Dex, but it is still as loud as ever. I shrug off the inappropriate thought and continue towards our dorm room, with a very drunk Dex grabbing onto my shoulders. He starts saying some strange things on the walk home.

“I's know whens to has a… *hic* gud time right, James? *hic*" He sprays the words on my face, the stench of his breath is enough to intoxicate me.

I make it to our dorm, I lay Dex down on his bed, and I tell him that he will need to take an aspirin or some type of head relief. He tells me something that I never thought I would here from his mouth.

“You know that…guy, I was fightin'? Ja...James?" He asks me with his face in the pillow.

“Yes Dex, I do, the tiger anthro, who was also drunk." I then ask, “What about him?"

“I think…*hic* he was friggin hot. No…fucking sexy! I told him *hic* you take any meat back there?" He tells me with scrambled words and every word sounding like it was going to run off of his mouth and into the increasing amount of drool building on his shirt.

“Den he got pissy. Thought I was challengin' his teeny little kitty hood. I call him a fuck boy an'…" After his attempt at saying 'and', the alcohol finally knocks him out.

Oh my fucking God. He really is gay, wait you need to think about what you're saying, James. He is clearly drunk and has no idea what he was saying.

I prepare to go to bed comfortable and relaxed, yet I have the slightest feeling that maybe other people who witnessed took him seriously. I hope they don't assume. Because if they do, then they are going to probably accuse me of being homosexual, and my and Jena's relationship will be over before it even started.