Forever Yours:
By TerraMGP
``Mom, why do I have to do VBS?'' The lanky rust-furred kit whined in frustration as she eyed the door knob of the station wagon with disdain. A small slew of kids in bright white marketed up T shirts made their way into a relatively nice looking brown and yellow house sitting not too far from the local Baptist church.
The question drew a heavy sigh from the older fox as she unbuckled herself and reached back around. She spat on her palm and pushed a few tangles and cowlicks back from the mess of dark auburn tresses her daughter sported. The attention made the girl profoundly uncomfortable. But then everything seemed to make her profoundly uncomfortable lately.
``You need to make some friends, Mary Sue. It's very important you do it while you're young. If you don't then it will be much harder when you grow up. We tried to get you talking to kids at the playground. This seemed like the next best step.''
Mary wrinkled her nose and crossed her arms over the obnoxious hand drawn VBS logo sprawled over the too-big tee. She glanced once more at the kids who had assembled. Most of them were either the fifth and sixth graders who always picked on her and the other younger kids, or the kids from her own class last year. The ones she'd be stuck in class with next month regardless. Mary looked away from them in disgust and growled a bit. Her mother seemed to expect this and used the chance to slip a pair of glasses over her ear tips and onto her muzzle.
Mom!'' Mary yelped ``I told you I don't like these.''
``You like to read, don't you? You like to be able to see. Doctor Jennings said if you don't wear them then your eyes will only get worse when you get older.''
``Can't I just get contacts, Momma?'' Mary whined.
``Mary Sue, you are nowhere near ready to deal with that kind of responsibility. Be glad I don't let you. They're way more trouble than they are worth. Besides making friends only maters if they like you for who you are. A false friend is no better than an enemy.''
``That something grandpa used to say?'' The question came out low and snotty. Those big bright blue eyes fixing on the stern Japanese woman who glanced down at her from the front seat.
``No, but I'm sure he would have in the right situation. I think I read it in a book somewhere. Not that it matters. You need to get out there and find some people you like. Even if it's just one friend. Sometimes that's all you need.''
Mary barked snarkily at that and shook her head ``You don't have any friends, Momma. You just go to work all day then come home and watch TV with Daddy.''
``Your daddy is my friend, Mary Sue. My best friend. When you are older you will understand that. Besides, I left my old friends behind and moved over an ocean. You've only left the state three times. When you grow up and go to school in England then perhaps we can talk. Until then'' With one smooth motion Keiko managed to dislodge the seatbelt, pull open the door and shove Mary out stumbling onto the sidewalk without the kit having so much as a moment to respond. The station wagon quickly pulled off once the door was shut leaving poor Mary stranded with the Reverends wife looking at her quizzically from the side porch door.
With no easy way home and Mrs. Snow watching Mary had no choice but to slowly stumble in to the overly-clean household. She made a point to drag her feet along the smooth cement leading up to the door. She stopped long enough to pop her still-tied sneakers off with the others piled up on the linoleum and to catch an overly cheery `God Bless' from the graying old rabbit woman before making her way though the chaotic collection of grade school kids as they grouped off and began to banter about whatever stupid things kids always talked about. Naturally a few of these kids made a point to comment about Mary in loud enough whispers that she could hear. She, in turn, made a point of loudly dragging her socks along the low pile beige carpet as if to announce to them that she heard everything.
Ultimately they hushed to a whisper and gave her a wide birth. More than enough for the kits satisfaction.
She made her way past another group of muttering kids as they talked about Rocket Football and glanced down the stairs towards what seemed to be a finished basement. Some of the older kids had gathered down there with cans of soda and small paper plates piled with Oreos and chex mix. It was enough of a sign to drag her down the narrow carpet clad steps and away from the larger selection of her so called peers. After all, if she had to be here she may as well get a few cookies out of the deal.
The older kids didn't scatter like the younger ones upstairs. One girl standing almost directly in front of the staircase was good enough to move slightly to the side in order to let Mary by without having to jump or duck the banister bar. Beyond that it was clear they gave her little real regard, another thing that suited Mary just fine.
Several minutes of searching finally led Mary to a small bar-top counter resting in the back corner of the main finished basement room, piled high with plates of food and snacks. At the end, on the floor next to it there was likewise a cooler full of ice and soda. All caffeine free naturally. It took little time for her to snatch one of the small paper plates and pile it greedily with Oreos and puppy chow and a whole bed of cinnamon coated almonds. A few scattered down on to the immaculate carpet as the structural integrity of her plate became suspect.
Nobody seemed to notice, or perhaps they simply didn't care. A gleeful jolt of triumph shot though Mary. It was always so hard to get away wit things wit her parents. They knew all of her tricks. Knew her schemes. She murred loudly and pranced her way over to the cooler snatching one of the A&Ws from it with all the bravado of finishing off a great heist. Nobody noticed, nobody cared. She'd beaten them and better still beaten her Momma. Now she just had to find a place to hide until things were over.
``Ok kids, time to come on up!'' Mrs. Snow called from atop the stairs. ``It's song time.''
Those words made Mary's blood run cold. She glanced around as the older kids started to file their way up the stairs. Looking at the small collection of doors present off the main room as her mind raced to find a hiding spot. With both hands full Mary dashed towards the door furthest from the stairs, the only one partially opened, feeling a rush of adrenaline and small pang of further triumph as she slipped away amidst the others heading off for a bad round of guitar led hymns no different than those from church. The rushed exit was slowed only by the effort to keep her plate full and a small pause to bump the door shut with her rump. She was alone, hidden, with her own plate of goodies and nobody to bother her.
``Eep!''
Cookies and candied nuts went flying on to the carpet. Mary soon followed. She cast her eyes up to the source of the noise to see a plump Raccoon girl in another of the awful VBS shirts sitting tucked away behind the disturbingly clean guest bed. The other girl was curled up next to an open closet door with a big green wicker basket full of duplos set out beside her. Sharp green eyes and curly orange hair framing her two tone features as she ducked behind the duvet cover and whimpered a bit.
``What are you doing here?'' Mary snapped.
``I don't know.'' The stunned girl responded as she ducked away a bit more. Now only her ears could really be seen. ``Lego stuff.''
Mary opened her mouth hot say something and then let it shut again. Instead she tucked herself down and began to gather up the food that had scattered on the floor. The whole mess ended up on the plate in a jumbled hodgepodge. Yet another foil to the kits planned diversion.
``Why are you doing Lego?'' Mary growled ``How'd you know they were even down here?''
``The snows babysat me when Mom got sick last year. And, and you gotta promise not to tell.'' the Raccoon muttered
``Why would I tell?'' Mary asked. Her annoyance starting to melt a bit as she looked at the poor girl sitting there ``I'm not a tattle tale. What you get in trouble or something?''
``No.'' The Raccoon muttered ``I just, look I don't like the other kids, ok? They're mean to me. Just because I went to home school last year they think I'm some kinda nerd or something.''
Mary slowly slid her way up to the bed and let her plate rest gingerly on the covers. She drew no small sense of satisfaction from the powdered sugar that ended up on the flowery and perfectly made cover. Yet another thing her Momma would admonish her for if she knew. But she'd never know.
``So you just came down here to hide `cause they pick on ya?'' Mary slipped down cross-legged across from the other girl. She looked at the big plastic bricks with disdain. Her eyes slowly moving to the large color co-coordinated cube on wheels that was already taking up the bulk of the blocks. ``Why'd your Momma make you come here if you don't like the other kids?''
``She told Mrs. Snow she would.'' the plump girl muttered ``Mrs. Snow said it'd be a good way for me to make lotsa new friends. She told m that if I just try to fit in then the other kids will like me too. Cause we're all Gods family.''
``And you bought that?'' Mary scoffed as she reached up and snagged a few of the nuts, munching happily.
``Momma said I gotta.'' the poor girl whined defensively ``Plus it'd be real nice to have some friends for once. My cousins are the only ones who play with me and they don't live around here.''
``Those kids suck.'' Mary laughed though a muzzle of half chewed nuts ``They all talk about boring stuff like shoes and cloths and boys. They aren't any fun.'' Mary puffed herself up proudly at this declaration. Her grin only growing wider as she loomed proudly over the timid girl.
``I unno.'' The Raccoon girl muttered. ``I mean lots of em have Barbies. Everyone likes Barbie, right?''
``Barbie sucks too.'' Mary declared matter-of-factly
``She does? But who do you like then?'' The statements seemed to only confuse the poor girl more as she fiddled with the big box of blocks she had made. She kept her eyes focused on Mary while pulling a large flat plate out of the basket to put on top of the thing. Her fingers carefully feeling out to keep it all lined up.
``Vanessa Warfield.'' The name actually came with a proud little wiggle. Especially since it seemed to be utterly lost on the other girl. ``Oh, and Baroness, too. Oh and Christy from the care bears movie was cool too. I kinda feel like the ending was... kinda not good though.''
``Oh.'' By this point the plump girl was totally lost as she looked back down at her creation. She rolled it along the carpet a few t times and folded her ears back before reaching in to the basket and pulling out another brick. It was quickly pressed under a small nub she'd left poking out from one of the small sides of the rectangle. A few more added to it to make another boxy shape.
``Oh come on.'' Mary sighed ``Don't you watch any cartoons?''
``Well yeah.'' She nodded ``I got a bunch of `the greatest adventure' VHS tapes. And t he sword in the stone too. Plus there's rainbow bright and Robin Hood.''
``Rainbow Bright is pretty cool I guess.'' Mary said with a small smirk as she leaned over a bit more. ``Say, uh, you need any help with that?'' I mean I'm down here anyways and all that.''
``Uh, sure.'' The Raccoon nodded ``Could you find some more long four-thingie blue blocks for me? I wanna start with blue for this part.''
Mary nodded solemnly and started to root though the basket carefully for the blocks. Her eyes glancing back up to the other girl every now and then who seemed to be stealing curious glances back. After digging out a few of the requested blocks Mary reached back and snagged a couple Oreos. She held them out casually in offer even as her free hand went back to digging though bricks.
``I'm Mary, by the way.'' She said simply. Mary Delacroix.''
``Like the old house in the woods?'' The other girl asked as she nervously took the cookies. Her timid expression finally giving way to a soft smile. ``I'm Kathy. Kathy McLear. It's really nice to meet you, Mary.'' she giggled as she went back to her project.
``Say, we still got another month of summer.'' Mary smirked softly ``If you're really that behind on all the good cartoons...''
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The kit sat half crouched just outside of the side door to her school. Her jean jacket pooled around her hips and backpack clutched to her chest as she dug around in the front pocket awkwardly. She rifled though the mess of colored pencils and loose markers until finally withdrawing the items at the bottom. Two pieces of plastic. One shaped like an ice cream cone and the other a simple plastic triceratops. Mary fumbled both of these into one hand and tugged on the cheap zipper of her bag as hard as she could to force it closed once more before turning her attention back to the door with an almost beaming grin plastered over her muzzle.
A small group of kids began to flood out of the school mere moments afterwards. A mix of those with lighter detention and a few who stayed after for music lessons or other such. When she was younger Mary would have been a part of that flood, if only because her mother didn't want her trying to walk though the woods on her own and Daddy was always too busy to pick her up. It still felt a bit awkward though. The kit having to remind herself that there was nothing wrong with hanging around here more than once.
She felt the anxiety slip away as she saw the raccoon trotting her way out of the door with her violin case. Mary hopped up hard and squealed dashing over to her new friend with enough eagerness to almost knock her over. The disheveled kit grinning ear to ear as she nodded happily ``Hey. There you are.''
``Wait, did you wait up for me?'' Kathy gasped as she jumped at the sudden intrusion.
``Well I was gonna wait for you to just come out after school. Then Momma said you do music class. Is that what you play?'' Mary asked as she leaned over a bit to look the battered black plastic case over carefully.
``Yeah'' Kathy said rather softly. ``You don't play anything do you?''
Mary stood up rail straight and shook her head with an expression of faux disgust. ``Nah, I like music but daddy says guitars aren't for girls. He gets kinda grumpy when I try to sing, too. Momma just says he's mad I got her taste in music.
``Really? What kinda music does your daddy like?'' Kathy muttered. Her voice picking up just enough emotion to show a bit of interest.
Mary shrugged and smirked a bit ``That bluegrass stuff. Momma says he used to like other stuff too, but then he decided it wasn't `dignified' enough. I donno why. Guns N Roses are awesome''
``Oh.'' Kathy slumped her shoulders a bit. ``I'm learning bluegrass stuff.'' she said rather matter of factly.
``Oh. Oh.'' Mary muttered. Her sneakers skidding as she slowed a half-step on the sidewalk. She fell quiet for a long time, not sure what to say. Her body hanging like jello off of steel girders as they stopped at the crosswalk and bathed in the awkward silence.
``I, uh.'' the kit mumbled as she once again felt the cheap plastic in her paw ``I got you something. I mean if you want.''
``Got me something? Why?'' The question wasn't really harsh. It felt bad enough to Mary, but in truth even she could tell it was rather tame once she got past her own nervousness. The soft green eyes of the raccoon glancing curiously at her for a moment.
``I unno. I mean kids usually laugh at me I guess. Or get scared of me. I just kinda figured, well.'' Both paws thrust out and opened without another word. Mary grinned inwardly and bobbed her lanky body on the balls of her feet as the nervous energy surged though her. ``Come on. Pick one.''
``Pick one what?'' Kathy muttered as she looked the figures over. Her free hand reached out to pluck the yellow dinosaur from Mary's hand and looked it over slowly ``Is this Cera?'' She asked as her voice picked up again once more. A fluttering little excitement creeping into it.
Mary nodded eagerly as she let the toy go and giggled. ``Yuh huh! She's my favorite. We still have that movie on VHS. I made dad take us to pizza hut twice the same week just so I could get two of em. She was always the coolest. Really tough and strong and knew what she wanted.''
``and you want me to have her?'' Kathy muttered as she looked the toy over slowly ``Are you sure? I mean, you said she's your favorite.''
``yeah, but I got two, like I said. I got two duckies, too. And spikes. But Momma always said that you're a lot happier when you give stuff to your friends instead of just wanting to have stuff. I haven't really had any friends since I was little, specially when Aunt Becky and her kids moved up to North Carolina. It's not, I'm not bein weird or nuthin am I?'' She muttered. The poor fox quickly shot her eyes down at the cement and bit back a throaty whine as she waited for yet another cub to start making fun of her.
She nearly fell on her butt as she felt it. The sudden, warm, tingling sensation. A pair of lips pushing firmly against her own. The weight of the chubby raccoon on tiptoe, trying to bridge the gap with the beanpole of a fox as best she could. Time seemed to freeze. To coalesce and crystallize in that one moment. Confused electricity dancing though every fur and fiber of Mary's being as she looked down at the blushing cub for a not-unpleasant eternal instant.
The loud thunk of a relay broke the spell. Kathy pulled back reluctantly and glanced up at the crosswalk sign which was now a bright white. She dashed her way to the other end of the well painted stripes as Mary simply stood there dumbfounded. Teetering once more on wobbly knees.
A few moments later the light switched back once more and Mary was made to lean on the weathered old telephone pole holding it up. She glanced to the other end of the street where the crossing guard led a few kids, all of whom seemed to be snickering and pointing at her.
All at once the confused feelings enervating the fox left her. She simply curled against the solid wood and winced, glancing eagerly at the little red hand and waiting for it to shift once more.
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Nobody really lingered around the wooded path if they didn't have to. Sure Mary was old enough to take it home, now. Her mother even deciding to walk them with her on days when it was nice and Daddy was too busy to pick her up. Other kids in her grade, though, seemed to buy the old stories about a witch living in these woods. Heck, even the older kids who often perpetuated the rumors and reveled in the fear they could summon seemed to have a healthy dose of the same terror when push came to shove.
Daddy always said that was why other kids were afraid to make friends with her. That and Momma being around making it feel like their house would be an eternal trip to the principals office. That meant when Mary saw someone standing at the edge of the woods she already knew who it was..
``Where were you?'' Kathy whimpered as she stood there bouncing on the balls of her feet.
The kit gave a non-committal shrug. About the closest to a response she seemed willing to offer the raccoon. Instantly Mary's hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket as she strode towards the pathway. She made it all of five steps in before the pudgy girl dashed in front of her and puffed out her body as best she could. Sharp green eyes cutting the kit to her core. ``You're sposed at walk me home. You said you were gonna. I haven't seen you after school for almost two weeks''
``Yeah.'' Mary nodded slowly as she glanced away.
``How come? I thought we were friends.'' The normally reserved raccoon bristled now as she went up on tiptoes. She still didn't come close to the other girls height. Barely able to teeter on those penny loafers as they dug into the dusty soil. ``At least you coulda told me if you didn't want to be friends or somehin. I thought you weren't gonna be like al the bullies who pick on me al the time and...''
``You kissed me.'' Mary muttered.
Kathy stopped and shifted back to the flats of her feet. She nearly fell over in the process.
``You Kissed me.'' Mary said once again, her voice growing bitter. ``Like, I was tryin to be nice and you just... kissed me. Like a kiss. Like on TV.''
``Well yeah.'' Kathy muttered meekly as she took a half step back.
``I as trying to be nice to you. I was trying to be your friend, and then you just did something... something weird like that. It was really weird. And not normal, too.''
The righteous anger Kathy had held quickly deflated, leaving her slumped and sniffling in spite of herself. She reached up to grab the straps of her bag and clutched them tight for want of something better to do with her hands. ``So you didn't like it then?'' she sighed
``Well yeah. I mean no. I mean, Girls aren't sposed at kiss girls!'' Mary snapped the words quickly. Bitter barks pushed out by anger even as they felt rather wrong on her lips ``Girls are sposed at kiss boys, and boys are sposed at kiss girls. Nobody ever heard of a girl kissing another girl before.''
``Sure they have.'' Kathy said. ``My auntie likes a girl. They live up north.. She even told me that it was super OK if I like girls that way too. She said if you really like someone then it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl.'' A furious blush crept over the raccoon girls cheeks as she took a step forwards and looked up into Mary's eyes. It was clearly a strain. Something even an aloof kit like Mary could see. Every fiber of Kathy's body screaming to look away Instead she stood her ground and once again began to puff up as if to show what authority she felt she had in the matter.
Mary stood dumbfounded for a long moment. She looked into those big, glassy green eyes behind the copious coke bottles. Her muzzle opening and closing as she clenched her now balled fists hidden away in those pockets. ``I never heard of anything like that.'' She spat back, shaking her head. ``Not from Momma, not from Daddy, not from anyone. It's weird, Kathy. Girls aren't sposed at.'' Even as the words hit the half-dead air they made Mary's ears pin back hard. She hated how they sounded, how they felt. But they were true. It was true. As bad as it felt to say it.
``I thought you wanted to be my friend.'' Kathy sniffled ``I thought you, you liked me.''
``I just said girls aren't' sposed at like girls like that.'' Mary snapped ``And I was trying to be your friend. But I don't wanna if you just wanna be weird about it. I always got by without no friends and things were fine.'' Mary turned heel down the path and started to walk her way towards the house once more. The dirt grinding like wheat in a mill under her white and purple sneakers. She trod her way in a march down the path, and then stopped and looked back. The sound of sobbing filled the rim of that big foreboding wood. Bouncing off of the trees and shooting into the kits ears. Shooting down into her heart.
``I'm sorry.'' Mary said as she struggled to keep her anger strong. ``But I'm not a weirdo. No matter what the other kids say. I know you ain't supposed to like girls.''
Once spoken the words wouldn't come back to her. Not that Mary had it in her to take t hem back always. She watched as her little friend choked back a heavy sob and started to bawl. Kathy dashed out of the woods and down the sidewalk as fast as her legs would carry her. Only the sobbing lingering at the core of Mary's spine. Digging in like needles as she turned and began to march once more towards home.
As she did she felt A small nub of plastic brushing against her paw from the inside pocket of her jacket. The brush of the small plastic ducky figure grating on her thoughts as she felt the first hints of dampness on her cheeks.
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Flickering twilight broke though the treeline and danced though the trunks in long steady fingers. The golden orb shifting to a scintillating violet that seemed to spread impossibly far into the old woods. It was the first real thing to strike Mary as she looked up from the soft summer dirt to see the signs of the street on the other side of a thick bush line.
The trail was old and painfully familiar. As the vixen came to her senses she could feel the years slowly peel away and then just as quickly pile on to her shoulders. An odd burden that only served to make her more aware of her age. The mere thought made her snort in contempt as she slowly moved up to the briars and brambles taking a step though where the old break to the path had been ages ago.
Air outside of the woods was oddly cool for an august night in Georgia. Naturally it was nothing compared to Boston. Then again she had grown acclimated to the southern heat by now. A chill blast of oncoming night air cutting her like shards of ice and leaving the fur on her neck standing on end.
Mary made her way down the street slowly. Her hands crammed in her pockets and those bright blue eyes sparing only a passing glance at the houses and shops lining the roadway. The old corner bakery stood where it had always been. A tattered red brick building sticking out like a sore thumb and wearing a few decades of age from her childhood. There was the Murphy's house where the kids used to go for the best candy. A familiar bass boat in the driveway indicating that the owners remained the same even if the cheap vinyl siding was now a ghastly shade of peach. She shuffled her way mindlessly, block after block. Passively taking in the lights. The crossing to the elementary school with a thankfully refurbished playground. Utterly lacking the rotting old wooden merry-go-round and fractured concrete of her youth. Houses with kids playing around in the yard. Shooting nerf guns and swinging sticks while wearing oh so familiar faces. The cold air caught a hint of hickory as some of the families savored the fleeting days of the month. All of these things slipped though Mary's mind and bounced around aimlessly in her head. Her mind unable to focus, refusing to focus. Lost in a haze of nostalgia and the drag of her own footfalls.
She was barely aware of it when those footfalls stopped. The sidewalk beneath her her now laying cracked and shattered with gnarled branches littering a plot of dead grass and dirt.
Mary cast her eyes up slowly and fearfully. The charred and blackened ruins of a house looming over her. Its long shadow seemed to consume her in the evening light digging a deep dark gouge across the peaceful street and chilling the air even colder than the wind. She could feel her heart sink just lingering there. Holding her place before the corpse of wood and scrap nobody had seen fit to clean up in all this time. What little remained likely only held up by zealous post war over construction and spite. A stupid thought. But then what hadn't become absurd since she came down here?
Once again the vixen began to move without realizing it. Her mind barely snapping in to place as she trod her way along the shattered cement towards the stoop. A simple set of cement stairs and wrought iron railing that had still remained mostly in tact after all this time. Mary stopped at the foot of those stairs and let her eyes slip shut. Her left hand pulled free of her jeans and reached out trembling to grab the shaky iron bars that had once led up to a house. A home. She squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could and gripped the railing until it felt like her hand would slash open and spill blood all over the mossy cement. It was so easy, too easy, to let all those years peel away from her mind. The feeling of the railing now bigger in her hand. Of the heavy skirt and thin brown leather jacket she used to wear. To picture that faded old canary yellow paint on the McLear household.
For one agonized moment her heart filled with torturous hope. The knobby knees of her youth screaming at her to dash up those stairs and throw open the door. Run up to the second floor past Mrs. McLear's overlong china cabinet and Mr. McLear in his recliner. She could almost feel herself reaching out and gripping the plastic crystal doorknob on Kathy's bedroom door.
Then her mind pulled away. Mary was there still. At the foot of the ruins. Her trembling hand screaming signals of hurt and chill that she simply could not process. It took god only knew how many trembling breaths to steady herself and at least that many more to pry her hand from the railing. As she did so Mary glanced down to check for any actual cuts or tears from the ancient metal. Instead all she saw was ash. A thick, cool line of grey ash streaked down the soft white fur of her palm. She just stood there gazing dumbfounded. Not daring to move an inch beyond sucking in the slowly cooling air with long ragged breaths. Mercifully the paw seemed to close on its own. Clenching into a tight fist as she pulled it in to her chest and took one last long breath to choke down whatever may come.
Mary let her eyes shut tight once more, feeling the night swallowing the world around her.
