Your Reign
First and foremost, thanks for taking the time to read my work. If you are under the age of eighteen, or have a problem reading straight and/or homosexual material, then I advise that you leave now. However, it's unlikely that you got this far without knowing what you're getting into, now isn't it? The story will be told from the viewpoints of both main characters to better help you understand their personalities. Reviews and emails are both very much appreciated, so if you get the chance, please drop me one or both to tell me how I'm doing. Criticism is what keeps me writing, so if you want more, please say so. So, having that out of the way, let us begin...
My gift to my public. Enjoy.
YOUR REIGN
~~~
KID
I sat nervously in the rolling chair in the back room of Circuit City, tapping my hind paw on the concrete floor as my interviewer scribbled a few notes on the resume that I had handed him ten minutes before. The mongoose shook his head a few times, pushed his oval glasses up the bridge of his nose, and looked back up at me with dark eyes that seemed to go straight through me. "Well, I'll be honest with you." He began, never losing eye contact with me. "I can tell when I like someone when they walk through the door. I can tell by your gestures that you're determined, but easily intimidated."
I cleared my throat, raising my eyebrows. "You can tell that from the way I move?" I asked, surprised at his observations.
The tan colored rodent nodded with a smile - but it wasn't a normal smile. It was a confident, prideful smile. This fur knew what he was doing, and he did it well. Surprisingly, he wasn't all that old, either; he had told me minutes before that he was twenty four, and already a technology lead. It blew me away how someone could be that driven, so I immediately admired him. "You can tell a lot about a person by the way they carry themselves. For instance, you padded through the door, shook my hand and made eye contact when you introduced yourself. That was your determination right there. Also, when you dropped the stapler when I stepped out of the office, then tried to put it back like it never happened, that showed that you're driven, though sometimes by somewhat ... less than honest means."
I swear, my red cheeks could be seen through my white muzzle fur as I averted my eyes to anywhere other than his. My eyes found their way to his name tag, which read 'CRAIG' in big, bold letters, engraved on a silver, expensive looking rectangular slab of plastic. "Yeah...sorry about that. I was just worried about making a good first impression." I said with a nervous smile. "Good thing I wore a lot of cologne, huh?"
The mongoose chuckled. "You've got a sense of humor. That's a good thing in this environment; you'll be dealing with the public, you know. Furs like to deal with people who are friendly and helpful." He took another good look at me before grabbing a sticky note off the back of his desk, then began scribbling out what seemed to be times and days. "You start on ... November the twelfth. That sound good?"
My heart began to race. "That...that sounds great!" I said, probably a little bit more enthusiastically than I should have. I was so excited - ever since my first interview, I had really grown close to this place. I really wanted to work here, in a retail environment. I really thought I could do a good job selling things - whatever they'd have me selling.
After Craig explained what my main job requirements were, what I was to wear, and the other usual things one goes through when starting a new job, I was released from the office with a huge burst of confidence and a handshake. I would be selling computers - something that I had no idea how to operate. Sure, it was a bit intimidating, but I was bound and determined to make Craig see that I could handle the challenge with no problem.
I glanced down at my watch, noticing that it was half past seven. "Oh, no..." I muttered under my breath. That only gave me thirty minutes to blaze my way to school, and I had next to no chance of making it without getting a tardy. I shrugged my shoulders with a smile. Who cares if I got one measly little tardy? At least I got the job!
~~~
I padded into first hour computer class with my black vulpine ears drooping. "Morning, Mrs. Hudson..." I muttered to the slightly plump hen. She looked at me with those 'you know better' eyes as she stood up from her desk and walked over to the podium as I approached to hand her the tardy slip that she had to sign.
"It's not like you to be fifteen minutes late, Mister McAdams. What was the problem?" She asked with a slightly firm, demanding tone.
"Oh, it was a job interview. I'm very sorry, it's just that I'm not used to this thirty minute drive every morning yet. It's not like living right in town anymore, you know." I explained with a nervous laugh.
She nodded, still looking at me with that look that made me feel even worse than I already did for sliding into class so late. She paused for a minute, then took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll let it slip this time. Don't let it happen again, though. Alright?"
I smiled, thrilled that she wasn't going to punish me. "Yes ma'am!" I replied quickly, turning around to take my seat. "Oh, and by the way." I stated, turning back around with a toothy grin. "I got the job."
"That's great. I'm really proud of you." She replied with a smile. Everyone had been so supportive. Working at Circuit City was not an every day job for a tenth grader, much less a high school student in this area. Everyone close to me - including a few teachers, like Ms. Hudson, had been rooting for me ever since I got a call for that first interview two weeks ago. I had worked hard to get this far, but it ended up paying off. The door opened up behind me, and I quickly scooted off to the left before I got smashed against the wall. I nearly tripped over myself in doing so, but I shook off the dizziness and looked back up. My eyes widened with surprise at what I saw.
There, in the doorway, was Atticus Wolfhouse, holding an expensive looking Nikon camera. He was a very tall, black lab with the shiniest fur I had ever seen. He was one of the elite of the high school, and also a senior this year. He only gave me an emotionless glance as he padded across the room and approached Mrs. Hudson and handed the camera to her. "There's nothing wrong with it, ma'am. You're just going to need to get a long zoom lens. See this?" He said with his deep, masculine voice, pointing to the base of the lens. "This is only a standard lens, and it can only zoom up to fifty five millimeters. You're going to need something a lot stronger than that."
"Oh, boy. How much is that going to cost me?" Mrs. Hudson asked unhappily. She reluctantly took back her camera and looked up toward the much taller fur.
The lab shrugged. "Somewhere around three hundred for a good one. You got the protection plan when you bought it from me, so I can save you twenty percent on a new lens, if you want to come in tonight."
The hen quickly cheered up upon hearing the good news. "Oh, that's wonderful!" The two discussed when they would meet later on, and then as if they both turned to look at me on cue, they stared at me with an insulted glare. They obviously were irritated at my eavesdropping, and for the second time that morning, my furry cheeks turned bright red.
"S-so sorry..." I muttered, scurrying over to my chair on the other side of the room. How embarrassing; first, I fall over myself in front of the most gorgeous fur in the whole school, and then I piss him off by nosing into his conversation.
This was turning out to be quite a lovely day.
~~~
I spent the remainder of the school day pondering the events of that morning, when I should have been concentrating on my work. I was often absent minded when I had a lot to think about, though, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for me. All I could think about with Atticus, and those huge, deep blue eyes. He had looked at me as if he were irritated, but I didn't care - recognition was recognition. It was sad that I was so infatuated with a fur - especially a male fur. I wasn't normally attracted to guys, but there was just something about this lab that drew me into him. He was so refined, so quiet and strong. He had it all together.
I scolded myself for having such a strong crush - things like that were very unhealthy, and never ended well in high school. Besides, I wasn't even gay; sure, I had thoughts about guys sometimes, but I would never get the courage to actually go through with being with another guy. Between classes, I would occasionally walk by him. He was always walking alongside his girlfriend, Tricia Bradshaw. She was an equally popular arctic fox, but she wasn't exactly known for being nice. Truth be told, she was kind of a bitch, though I would never tell anyone that. I never had the nerve to talk bad about anyone. He always looked straight ahead - never making eye contact with anyone he passed. Honestly, it seemed to me that he was a little unhappy by the way he never laughed, or joked around with any of his preppy friends. I would watch him sometimes at lunch from the other side of the park, and he would always stay quiet and listen in to whatever everyone else in his clique was saying. When addressed, he would give a witty, half-assed answer, and then they'd all laugh - save, for him. He would slightly smile, giving a glance to everyone at the table. In a way, I felt sorry for him, but I didn't really know why.
I didn't think I'd ever hear the bell for the end of the day, but when I did, I rushed out of Algebra II like a bat out of hell. I hated math - mainly because I was no good at it. I padded to the end of the hall and grabbed my books, tossed them in my bag, and headed out the door. I glanced to my right to find none other than Atticus, who just so happened to turn and look at me at the same time. He smoothly tilted his head upward, then back down with a half smile. "Later, Kid." He muttered. Chills went down my spine as I stared, barely keeping my wits about me as I continued to walk.
"Yeah... seeya." I muttered back with a goofy smile. Once I made it outside and the sun hit my face, I leaned up against one of the benches and took a deep breath, watching him get into that huge white F-150, Tricia jumping in the passenger side right after him. She looked like she was crying, but I didn't pay much attention to that. Did he call me a kid, or was he referring to me by my first name? I had no idea - I had never even carried on a conversation with him before, much less introduced myself. I never had anything to do with school functions, so it wasn't like he had heard of me before or anything. He was probably just calling me a kid, and had no idea who I was. Just some nosy little klutz of a fox.
As I did every day, I drove home alone. Sure, people liked me, but they never really got to know me. I never really hung out with anyone outside of school. It was an insecurity I had fought with for all of my life, but instead of dwelling on it, I always tried to see the good in myself, and held my head high even when I didn't want to. It was the only thing that kept me going.
So, I drove home with my head high, Atticus still on my mind. I noticed that I was almost out of gas, so I decided to run by Kum and Go before heading back to the big city some thirty minutes away.
~~~
ATTICUS
She had stopped crying for the moment as we sat within the comfort of my tinted truck. She stared at the window, purposefully. I knew that she was mad - she always did this when she was mad. I slid my hand down her leg, but she quickly pushed it away, and she started sniffing again. "What's wrong, babe?" I asked, trying to be as nice as possible; I wasn't that good at it, but I tried.
She shook her head back and fourth, still looking at the window. "I just...can't believe...you would believe them over me." She muttered, wiping away the tears rolling down her white furred cheeks. "They'll do anything to get at me, and you let them!" She went into a full out bawl now.
I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath and huffing a few seconds later. "What the hell do you expect me to believe? People you don't even talk to are listening to you. They're coming up to me, telling me you're talking shit behind my back."
"So you believe strangers over your own girlfriend?!" She angrily asked, turning around to make eye contact with me for the first time. "You don't trust me, Atticus. You never have, and that's why we have these problems." She explained, becoming more and more hysterical as she spoke. "You keep everything bottled up inside, like it's wrong to talk about you're problems, and that's why you're so miserable!"
"I'm not miserable!" I screamed back, snarling. I quickly calmed myself, and looked ahead of me. I hated it when people tried to tell me what my damn problem was, like it was their job or something.
She continued to sob. "You never tell me anything, Atticus..." She muttered, calming herself down for the first time since she had got in the truck. "I don't even know what your favorite color is. I don't know your favorite food, your favorite movie..." She looked towards me, but I didn't dare look back. I had to keep myself calm before I blew up. "Do you even know?"
I rolled my tongue around in my mouth, staring forward. "I gotta take you home." I explained. I popped the gear into drive and spun out of the parking lot, headed for her house way out in the country. Once we got there, she hopped out, and I could tell she wasn't going to say a word. "Trish." I muttered, causing her to turn around right before she shut the door. I looked into those hurt, saddened eyes for a few moments before I collected my thoughts. "I'm ... sorry I hurt you."
She shook her head, hesitating to speak for a moment. "It's hard to get to know someone when they don't even know themselves, Atticus. It's taken me two years to realize that, but it's true." Those words cut straight to the heart, but I kept my composure for the time being. She slowly shut the door and made her way up the driveway. My eyes began to sting as I pulled out of the driveway, but I fought them back as I realized that I was almost out of gas. I just blocked the whole thing with Trish out of my mind.
Once I got back to town, I pulled into the gas station to get some smokes before I headed back home. It was so much easier being able to buy the damn things now, instead of having some college dipshit do it for me for a couple extra bucks. I tore open the plastic, tossed it in the trash can to my left, and popped open the lid with my thumb. I picked one out with my teeth, then tucked the new pack of reds away in my side pocket. I wasn't about to smoke in that new truck - not because of what my folks would say ... shit, I didn't even care what dad thought. I just didn't want the smell stinking up that new leather that I had worked so hard to buy. It had taken me two years to finally save up enough money to afford a payment, but it was worth it. It was the best damn vehicle on the parking lot.
I watched as that nozy little fox pulled into the pump beside my truck on the other side of the parking lot. He stumbled out of his blazer and picked apart his billfold for his debit card. Man, what a nervous wreck. I had watched him every once in a while at school, and I swear, all the kid ever did was worry. He was always so uptight, not to mention any time I was around. I didn't know what the hell that was about. If he wanted to hang out, why didn't he just ask? It's not like I'm too good for anybody or something stupid like that.
He drove off a few minutes later. I could tell he hadn't seen me, cause he wasn't shaking when he got back in his blazer. I took one last drag before flicking the butt, and then made my way over to the truck.
~~~
No one was home when I got there, which was usual. The parents spent so much time vacationing all over the place that I had kind of grown used to running the place myself. That was okay, though; I didn't really feel like talking to anyone much. For the next few hours, I lied around, watching TV in an old pair of pajamas while the rain poured down like waterfalls outside, though Trish was all I could really think about. The sun had already set, and I laid on the couch in the living room with all the lights out, the neon glow of the television being the only source of lighting. I was on my stomach, head pressed against the arm rest. I finally turned the TV off, and began listening to the rain hitting the roof.
Trish loved this kind of weather. We had sat in this very spot countless times during weather like this, holding each other. I could almost feel the warmth of her body against mine. It was times like that where I truly felt secure, like nothing in the world could ever harm me so long as she was in my arms.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, I cried. I let it all out, tears streaming down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably. She was gone, and all because I had pushed her away. It was I who had done this to her, and now I was alone. I sat there for a while, feeling sorry for myself in the dark. I closed my eyes and listened to the soothing sound of the rain outside, but it just wasn't enough. I pulled myself up and padded over to the back door, opening it so that I could walk out onto the deck.
It sounded so much better from out here. I leaned against the wall and slid down its length until my rear hit the concrete floor. I had stopped crying, finally, and I had found a new comfort in this wonderful happening of nature.
Maybe it was because I was so tired, or maybe I was just losing my mind, but something prompted me to walk out of the safety of the deck and into the pouring rain. It was cold, but not freezing. It felt so good against my fur - as if it were cleansing me of my pain, of my sadness. I closed my eyes and tilted my head up, extending my hands outward.
The rain would set me free.
~~~
KID
That night, I couldn't sleep. I stared at the ceiling fan above me, entertaining thoughts that should have never crossed my mind as heavy rain tapped on my window. It was a pleasant night to have intimate thoughts. In my mind, I pictured Atticus there beside me. He wore a pair of tight white briefs, the covers pulled off of him as he lay there in a deep slumber while it stormed outside. I was sitting upright, my head tilted as I took in his beautiful features. I pulled the covers over us both and slid my right hand over his chest, snuggling up tight next to him, but this caused him to wake. He looked down at me with a gentle smile, and then planted a long kiss on my forehead. I nuzzled his warm neck and closed my eyes, and the two of us drifted off into slumber...
However, this was not reality, and I remained wide awake in the real world. If only he could feel the same way about me. I could give him all the love he deserved, but unfortunately, he would never realize that. This was not some silly teenage fantasy - this was real life, and fairytales just didn't happen like that.
A bit of depression swept over me as I raised up, padding over to the door. I quietly scampered out into the living room so I wouldn't wake up mom and dad, and creaked open the front door so that I could hear the rain better. I closed the front door behind me gently, and padded out into the wet grass as I immediately began to get drenched. I didn't care, though - it felt good. It felt good to be cleansed by nature, as if the heavens were telling me that there would be a better day. I extended my arms outward and began to spin around in circles, snickering under my breath at the absurdity of my actions. I finally got dizzy and fell on my rear, giggling. I looked up to the sky, watching the rain fall right down from the cloud above me.
Maybe things would be better tomorrow...
YOUR REIGN
There you have it; part one is complete. I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit on the short side, however this was intended to be little more than an introduction to the main characters. The following chapters will be longer ... that is, if you want more chapters. Remember, reviews and emails are what keep the story going ... so if you'd like more, let me know. I hope you enjoyed the story, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks again.