It was a quarter to five, Zay was laying on his bed, gnawing on a pencil as he looked through his phone. The picture of Gerald and Kathy on his mind as well. 'I still don't know how to show Zayra... Tell Zayra. She needs to know...' He tossed the phone down by his side and sat up, continuing to chew on what remained of the number two pencil. His nerves all over the place.
With his ears back he picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts, texting aimlesses with a few people. He perked his ears as he heard keys jingle, sitting up a bit.
"Thirty seconds," Mary hollard.
He rolled off his bed, shoving his phone in his pocket and hurrying out through his door, bumping into Zayra who did the same. He laughed and dropped to all fours, the two running down the hall, Zayra jumping over him to clear the stairs and the two squeezed past Mary who held the door open.
Zay skipped the steps, hopping down the hillside and slipping into the van before Zayra, "Winner winner chinese dinner!!"
She jumped in beside him, nearly falling on him as she shifted and buckled, "You always cheat!"
"Do not," He barked.
"Alright kids," Mary said coming down the steps toward the van, placing the keys in Henry's hand before slipping into the passenger side. She shut the door, watching a little as Zayra pushed the van door to slide close.
Henry slipped in and shut his door, buckling before starting the engine.
Zayra looked up at Zay, her big red eyes blinking, "Can we play the Alphabet game?"
He smirked, "Fine, but you know we have to skip the harder letters cuz we'll never find them."
As they drove down the road the twins called out letters they saw on signs, starting with 'A' and finding Z just before they reached the restaurant.
Once inside they sat down, both twins asking for their regular drink of choice, mountain dew, before hopping up and heading for the buffet.
Zay was filling a plate with long stringy, overcooked noodles with sliced vegetables. Then tossed on some garlic green beans and mushrooms in a dark sauce. He left it on the table and started poking around for something else, finding fish, pizza, and chicken covered in a red sauce.
As he went to sit down he noticed Zayra who was piling rice rolls and sushi on a plate. Her paw grabbing two small packages of chopsticks.
She looked up at him as she stepped away from the sushi bar, ears perking as she started past him. "What?"
His eyes dropped to her tail, stepping up beside her to wrap up under her tail, "Nuthin."
They sat at the table, the three plates pushed together. Pulling out their chopsticks they started stuffing food in their mouths, Zay going after the chicken and noodles while Zayra shoved full rolls of sushi in her mouth.
Henry sat down with a piled plate of peppered chicken and vegetables, picking up his fork as he eyed Zay hard.
Zayra placed a sushi in her mouth with some red slices on top of it. Her paw rose as she chewed, "Mm!” She picked up another and put her paw up under it, offering it to Zay.
He leaned over a little, taking it right off her chopsticks before sitting back up. There was a soft strawberry sweetness to the cucumber, rice, and cream cheese. He swallowed, "Dunno how that works, but it works." He reached over and grabbed the last one of that kind off the plate, shoving it in his mouth as well.
"The other ones are sliced avocado," she picked one up and shoved it in her mouth.
Mary sat down with a plate of rice, chicken, green beans, and a small cup of soup.
Henry swallowed a bit, eyes looking around.
Zays ears shifted, lifting and twitching at whispers. Nothing besides simple chatter, nothing about foxes, twins, siblings, or plate sharing. He picked up a mushroom and put it in his mouth, covering with the back of his hand, swallowing roughly.
Mary looked up at him, "Well, Zay how was practice this morning?"
"Was okay," he said, picking up the glass and sucking down about half of his drink. "Game on wednesday."
"Home game," She asked.
"Nah, over at Model," he said.
She scooped up some rice, "Have you ever lost to Model?"
He laughed a little, "Nope, and don't intend to."
Henry pushed his food around a bit, "How are your grades coming?"
Zays eyes shifted, darkening slightly, "Better than last week. I don't have Kathy breathing down my neck for attention."
"Blaming grades on your girlfriend."
"Ex-girlfriend," Zay replied a little coldly. "And yes. I couldn't get her off my back about how much I don't pay attention to her. It was always something..."
"That why you broke up with her?"
Zay rolled his eyes, looking down at his plate, poking the noodles with his chop sticks. "I broke up with her because she was making Zayra do her homework..."
Henry looked at Zayra, "You could have just told her 'No' honey..."
Zayra flattened her ears, "I was afraid to..."
"Kathy was going to tell me, that Zayra was stealing her homework to copy... That Zayra was the bully," Zay dropped his free hand and set it in her lap. "Which is so not Zayra."
Mary murmured something with her mouthful, nodding.
Zayra poked at the plate in front of her with chicken on it.
He smiled slightly at her, paw gripping her leg firmly. Feeling the jean fabric of her shorts under his paw pad.
They continued dinner, managing more small talk but Zays mind was elsewhere. Curious of what color underwear she was wearing. If it bothered her for him to be touching her. How he was going to tell her about Gerald?
Zay was slowly eating some cookies and cream ice cream when he looked over at Zayra as she set her phone on the table. Eyes catching it.
She was talking to Gerald. Texting and flirting while her tail was curled around his own.
A pain in his chest flared, burning to tell her, to show her. To prove to her she was making a giant mistake and trusting someone who was using her. He looked at her, watching her eat. 'How will she react,' he thought. Imaging a few scenarios.
She could be angry with him, calling it a fake, denying its existence and trusting Gerald.
Or maybe she would crawl into a shell and ignore it all, letting it seep into nothingness. Allowing Gerald to have his cake, and everyone else's...
Or, the most likely one, if she accepted Gerald was cheating. A confusion, self destructive depression. He imagined her in tears, crying in pain from the iron crushing of her heart.
His ears lowered and he looked at his bowl, as if searching it. 'I don't like any of those... But she has the right to know...'
A purple paw with lavender painted claws touched his hand, "Zay honey? What's on your mind?"
He looked at the floor, away from Zayra, "I don't wanna talk about it..."
"Is it girls," Henry asked.
Zay ignored him.
Henry reached past Mary and grabbed the bill, "You got cash for a tip?"
She pulled her purse into her lap, poking around it and tossing a five on the table before shouldering it and standing.
Zay pulled his tail free of Zayras and stood, feeling her pass him and hold Henry's other hand as he started for the register. Zay looked over at Mary to was standing beside him, "Are we going home now?"
"No, your father would like to do a 'family' shopping trip," She replied, hooking his arm with hers as they walked. "Are you alright Zay, you look like it's about to storm or something."
He shook his head, hearing Zayras giggle as Henry and her walked out behind them.
In the van they piled, Zay looking at his phone, staring at the picture of Gerald and Kathy. His red shirt and khaki shorts, her pink dress.
They pulled into a big grocery store parking lot, walking up as a group.
Mary sent a text to Henrys phone, "You handle the food, I'll handle the rest and meet up with you." She looked over at Zayra, "Do you kids need anything."
She shifted close, whispering softly, "I need more pads."
"Okay honey, same ones as usual?"
"Yeah, with wings," she mumbled.
Zay watched Henry, and flattened his ears, 'I always get paired with dad...' They paused to grab two carts and started away from each other. He grabbed Zayras hand, "Switch me, I need to talk to mom..."
She looked up at him and flattened her ears, "But she never grabs the right pads... I have to go with mom."
"I know which ones you use, I'll make sure she gets the right ones. Just... Please?"
She tilted her head, "Since when?"
"Since you leave them under the sink... Please sis? Dad's gonna wanna talk about girls and I really don't feel up to it. Not from him..."
She sighed, "Alright fine. But you better get the right ones."
"Deal," he passed her, trotting to catch up with Mary as she went after Henry.
"Don't feel like talking about girls with your dad?"
Zay flattened his ears, rolling his eyes, "Dad, and girls? Have you seen some of the girls he's called 'attractive'?"
Marys eyes turned though her head did not, "Are you calling your mother ugly?"
Zay pursed his lips a little, "No... I said some, not all of them..." He shoved his paws in his pockets. "That and he'll give tips that backfire, like... One time he said roses work for every girl. Even I know that ain't true."
"Oh? Gotten flowers for a girl have you?"
"For valentine's day flowers are flowers, roses are diamonds, every other day they're apology offerings. Bring her roses on a non-valentine's day and ten bucks she says 'what did you do'."
She giggled, putting a paw over her greying whiskers to hide her sharp teeth, "Okay, that I understand."
"Then it was plastic flowers," He put a paw on his chest, "You never give a girl plastic flowers unless she's got an allergy."
Mary waved a paw at him, "Okay okay, I understand. Your father’s romantics are a little out of date." She directed the cart into an isle with vitamin bottles, further down the aisle against the wall were green, orange, and pink plastic bags. "You know, I never can remember what kind she likes..."
Zay reached over the cart and grabbed one, "Long, with wings and thin." He batted it into the cart and turned, catching Marys gaze.
"And you know that how?"
He shrugged, "They're under the sink... And... Reading material?"
"Should we grab some magazines and stick em in the bathroom for you Zay?"
He flicked his tail, "That'd be great mom, but then Dad would never come out."
Her head bobbed a little, "Suppose that is true." She turned the cart and backed up into the vitamin aisle, looking through some 'men supplements'.
He caught sight of dark boxes in a lower corner of the shelf in the back, back toward the pads. Curious he approached them and crouched, tucking his tail around his legs so it was out of the way, picking up a box of condoms.
'Wow, these are all really fancy. 'Ribbed for her pleasure' and 'cat condoms'. Thats funny, wonder if they actually work.' He then picked up one for 'tying the knot'. He snickered and could only imagine some fool actually needing a condom over their knot. 'Even I can hold back!' He put it back down and found flavored ones, staring at the small talk in the back.
"Zay... What are you doing," Mary asked.
He perked an ear, looking over, "Just lookin..."
There was a couple other females nearby, glancing over at him.
She sighed, leaning on the bar of the cart, "Just a little terrifying to see you so interested in them."
He put the box in his hand away and stood, "Better a condom than a pregnancy test."
"True," she replied. "Now, your father needs more shampoo, move it."
Zay yipped a little as she nearly ran him over with the cart, "Alright alright, I'm movin'." He walked in front of the cart down a few aisles, looking over the giant wall of nothing but body washes, shampoos, and conditioners. There were some deodorants and a few more female products in the mix among the bottles.
Mary was looking through them all, mumbling to herself.
He watched her carefully, leaning on the bar handle of the cart, a paw holding his jaw. 'Would mom help me get Zayra away from Gerald if she knew?' He sighed, following her through more aisles of clothes. His fur crawled as she stepped into the underclothes. Females half glaring at him, as he followed obediently.
Mary was sifting through bras, "You okay Zay?"
"Yeah..." He pulled out his phone, making sure to keep it down, eyes staring at text messages. He followed about a foot behind her with the cart, stuffing his tail under the carriage of the cart to the under cart so he didn't have to think about keeping it up. He looked slightly to the side and blinked. 'Oh... Shit...'
He was surrounded with lacy, girly underwear. Thongs that said 'bite me', boy shorts that were red lace with an extra black lacy layer with a matching bra. 'I'd love to see Zayra in that...' He flattened his ears a bit and turned back to his phone. 'It's pretty sad... I see sexy underwear and I wanna see em on my sister.' He followed her out and they strolled through to a more proper clothing section near the fitting room.
Mary was pushing through racks of clothes, "So, have you thought about dating anyone else Zay?"
"Not really," he said softly. "Too many girls have cheated on me... I want one with a little loyalty..."
"Well you are still just in high school, they haven't quite matured yet... Maybe go for that girl you were talking about before?"
He pouted, chest feeling heavy, "I would but... My subtle advancements have gotten me nowhere... My obvious ones have made her push me away..."
"Sounds like a good girl then," she said softly. "She'll take time, just be there for her. It's what your father had to do with me."
"You were oblivious and resistant to him?"
"No, just hard to get. He was a hopeless romantic in every sense of the word. I had a lot of issues seeing him as anything long term, different in school social standings."
"I get that," Zay replied.
"He spent all of high school doting to me. He was barely a school friend. But I had a bad break up, horrible, and he was there to catch me as I fell. Hopeless romantic as he is, he was not afraid of showing a sensitive side." Her eyes became distant and her ears flattened, "Even though I still didn't date him..."
"Ouch."
She shrugged, "Years after graduation, mistake after mistake, man after man... We met at a bar, got drunk, had sex and it was like everything fell into place after."
"So... Wait..." Zay narrowed his eyes, "Dad managed to marry you by half stalking, getting you drunk, and listening to your feelings?"
"And being loyal," She said softly. "I know what it is like to be cheated on Zay, it's not just painful."
'Fuck it, we're on the topic...' He scrolled through his phone, holding it out to her, "Then what should I do?"
Mary took his phone, dropping the shirt in her left hand and putting her paw to her mouth, "Is that..."
"Gerald... With my Ex, Kathy. I got it Friday..."
"Does Zayra know," She looked up, eyes shimmering.
"No, I haven't told her, I don't know how."
Mary handed his phone back, "God, it's gonna break her little heart..." She picked up the shirt from the floor, brushing it off a little before putting it up. "How did you get that?"
"One of my friends was at the mall when they saw him."
She shook her head, "I have no idea... She's not going to take it well."
He put his phone in his pocket, "That's what I'm afraid of... I don't wanna be the bad guy and hurt her, but she should know... But if I wait for Gerald to make the mistake I won't feel any better because I let it go on."
She hung the shirt back up, “Best to hurt her now and have her healed before she gets even more serious. The longer it goes on the worse the break up…”
He put his head in his arms, tail flicking as he glanced elsewhere, “I wish there was a way it didn’t hurt her…”
“Beating Gerald into submission and setting him straight,” Mary asked questionably. “Only works for a while though…”
Zays whiskers tensed as he silently growled, “I’d just beat him into submission and leave him to spit out teeth…”
“I was kidding Zay… Partly,” She added.
He flattened his ears, “I wasn’t… He’s got his dirty paws on my sister, that's reason enough not to like him. Now I know he’s cheating on her so I have even more reason to want him away from her.” He flicked his tail closer to his legs as he heard a cart coming up behind him, tucking it back under the cart.
Mary turned to him, a soft smile on her greying lips, “Zay?”
He rose his ears, red eyes lifting to meet hers, “Hmm?”
Her ears were slightly to the side, “Zayras lucky to have you as a brother. You’re always looking out for her and worrying about her.”
Zay lowered his ears again, blinking as she went back to searching through clothes. ‘Of course I worry and care about her, she’s my sister. She’s naive and sometimes pretty stupid outside of school subjects. She’s smart, caring, and pretty, but naive all the same… If I don’t look out for her someone's gonna hurt her. Like Gerald…’
He followed her around, turning this way and that, head in the clouds.
Once Mary was bored she lead Zay to the grocery section, catching up with Henry in the chip aisle.
He watched as they kissed softly and glanced at Zayra, who was handling the list from her father's phone. She picked up two bags and placed them in the cart, then another as they drove by.
Zay couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching her distracted face. Occasionally his eyes would drop and he’d find himself staring at either her chest, hips, or butt. His nose twitched a little, hoping to just get a whiff of her scent, but it was masked by the pungent odor of sweaty balls. Mildly arousing as the scent itself was, it was coming off Henry.
Mary pet Henrys shoulder, “Honey are you having another heat flash?”
“I’ll be fine, think I forgot to take my blood pressure medication,” He stated softly. He touched her hand, smiling at her.
Zay turned a little, watching them whisper and half cuddle in the isle. ‘He was there after she made a mistake… She got her heart broken and he just stood there and listened, and he got the girl he wanted…’ His eyes trailed over to Zayra, ‘Moms right… This Gerald thing is gonna break her heart. Dirty and sick as it sounds, I could be there. I could take advantage of Gerald breaking her heart to get what I want.
‘I want the love of my sister, I want her as fully as dad has mom. I could let her make the same mistakes mom did, and be there when she fell.’ He laid his head on his arms, staring blankly at Zayra. ‘I don’t want to… But Geralds going to hurt her either way. If not me, then she’ll just get hurt again.’
At home, Zay helped put groceries away with Zayra, before he went upstairs to his room. He stared at his phone, the picture proof in his paws. A feeling of guilt and pain a crashing ocean in his chest, feeling like his stomach turned into a rock and was sinking onto his other organs. ‘I’ll go after Gerald first… Maybe I can get him to break up with her, then she’ll never know he cheated and her fall won’t be so hard. I don’t want to break her if I don’t have to.’ He set his phone down, going and taking his shower before crawling into bed, hugging his pillow.
His red eyes couldn’t leave sight of the phone, a part of him afraid to sleep. It was midnight before he felt a tear cross over his snout, blinking as he sat up, noting the damp spot on his pillow case. Biting his lip he tossed off his blankets and walked into Zayras room.
She was fast asleep, half curled up in a ball, tangled in the blanket from her rolling.
He grabbed her blanket, gently untangling her before crawling in beside her. His arms slipping around her waist, nose nuzzling into the back of her neck. Under the blankets his tail shifted to find hers, wrapping around it. Nestled down he pulled the blanket back up to his shoulder, and sighed.
Still he couldn’t sleep, but the heaviness in his chest didn’t hurt so badly. The tears still flowed though, but he didn’t care. She was close to him. He took a ragged breath, “I love you Zayra.”
She breathed softly, “I love you too Zay.” One of her paws shifted down to hold the back of his, lacing their fingers together.
His lips kissed gently on her neck, his other paw lifting up between her breasts to hold her shoulder. Eyes closing as he felt her soft thudding heartbeat on his arm. Her breaths pushing her chest against his forearm and retreating. He took another breath and curled up tighter against her form, letting himself struggle to find sleep.
In the morning, he abandoned Zayra to hunt down Gerald in the commons room. He’d barely slept, even wrapped in the comfort of his sister. All night his mind raced about the situation, playing back fear after fear until he sobbed into her sleeping neck as silently as he could manage. Twice dismissing himself to the bathroom where he muffled his cries with a towel.
He was wearing dark jeans, the chain to his wallet dangling by his hip. Wearing a dark colored band tee, mohawk done up. He’d even bothered to put on a chain necklace, cologne masking and mixing with his angered scent. The brightness of his red eyes was dulled with exhaustion, irritated from his night of crying.
Gerald was up the short set of steps closest to one of the bus exits, talking with a few other males. A wolf, another coyote, a jackal, and a crane looking bird.
Zay could feel eyes on him, people were staring, watching him. He marched up the steps, shouldered past the wolf and grabbed Gerald by his backpack strap, yanking him close as a growl tore from his throat.
“Woah, what the hell Zay,” He said, paws out to push against him.
He tightened his grasp, turning to drag the smaller coyote boy through his group of friends toward an unpopulated hall way, “I got a bone to pick with you.” His tail was puffed up, fur on his neck raised. Whiskers tense and twitching with his baring teeth.
Gerald stumbled behind him, arms flailing as he grabbed Zays in one arm, “Dude, not cool. Chill out, the hell is wrong with you?!”
Zay dragged him around the hall, up the steps toward the second floor of the secondary gymnasium. He shoved Gerald against the wall with a snarl.
Gerald grabbed Zays right arm that held his bag, left on the foxes chest trying to push him away, “Get off me damn it.”
“Shut up,” He growled. “You’re lucky I’m being gentle. I should beat you into a bloody pulp…”
“The hell is your problem Zay,” Gerald growled in return.
Zay shook him a little, left arm lifting to grab the other strap, “Don’t play coy with me, mutt. I know you’re cheating on Zayra with my ex Kathy.”
Gerald looked up at him, mouth a little gaped, a soft look of confusion before he grinned, “Yeah? What about it? Like you haven’t cheated on girls in the past Zay?”
He growled, lips twitching, “It’s not cheating if it’s an open relationship.”
Gerald tilted his head, still smiling, “Well maybe Zayra, Kathy and I are having an ‘open relationship’.”
“Thats bullshit and you know it, Zayra doesn’t know anything about you and Kathy.”
Gerald pat his paws on Zays, “And I’m fine with that. Kathy knows about Zayra, though. And she loves watching everything from the sidelines. How's it feel Zay?”
Zays ears tilted back, eyes widening as a rush of heat fell over him.
“How's it feel to know you’ll have to destroy your sister's heart or watch me break her,” He chuckled lightly. “How powerless do you feel Zay? Like a cornered rat, right? Will you break your own sisters heart to get rid of me? Or watch her suffer just as much when I let her find out about me and Kathy? By then, I’ll have her wrapped so tightly around my finger she won’t be able to leave me.”
Zay could feel tears welling in his eyes.
Gerald pushed his paws away, “Awe big man's gonna cry. Kathy was right, your sister is your biggest weakness. I bet you can feel it every time we kiss. Squirms like a real slut. Least she’s a good kisser.”
Zay closed his eyes, tears streaking down his cheek.
Gerald shoved him back, “You’re pathetic Zay, you really are.” He turned, tail flicking and snickering as he stepped on Zays tail, turning to trot down the steps. “Oh and Zay? Better be ready for the storm today. Supposed to be a real window breaker.”
A shudder raced up his back, heat vibrating across his shoulders as his paws tensed. Hearing him walk away.
“Gerald? What happened,” a voice asked downstairs. Unmistakably Zayras.
“Nuthin’ much, your brother just bein the antisocial kill joy,” he replied.
“Is he okay,” she asked worriedly.
His chest was swirling, a ton of rocks in his gut. Tears pouring down his face to the concrete floor. His knuckles cracking, the purplish pink scarring on his knuckles turning white. Hot and cold flashes rushing through him.
“He’s fine, just needs a minute,” Gerald replied.
There was a moment of silence and then Zayra giggled, “Gerald not in front of everyone…”
“Just one little kiss?”
A wire snapped and he turned, bounding down the steps and tackling Gerald to the ground, “Keep your dirty paws off my sister!”
“Zay,” Zayra squealed in confusion.
Gerald snarled, baring his teeth, “Get off me!”
Zay could barely hear anything over the sound of his blood pumping, heart like thunder in his ears. “I will not stand by and let you hurt her! You can have Kathy, she wasn’t any good anyway but you will not take my sister from me!”
Gerald stared, eyes wide, unable to find his tongue.
Someone grabbed Zay, pulling him off Gerald and pinning him to the ground as he snarled and squirmed, wiggling free and shouldering them aside.
Zayra looked around, back pressed against the wall, tears in her eyes. She wanted to run, she was so confused, people around her cheering ‘fight, fight, fight’. Zays soccer coach picking himself up off the floor, other teachers moving through the packed crowd to help.
Zays eyes were wild, the snarl that ripped from his throat was the same one that haunted her dreams and made them nightmares.
She stepped in front of Gerald and put her arms out, just as he lunged, “Zay stop!” She felt his weight knock her off her feet. Knowing the floor was rushing toward her she flinched, but it never came. Instead a strong arm reached around her and held her off the floor. As her eyes opened she looked up at Zays tear streaked face, wild rage in his eyes replaced with worry and fear.
He was over her, holding her weight off the floor in his left, his right paw on the floor, on his knees. His ears were back, staring into her eyes, “I’m sorry…”
The coach pulled him aside and pressed him to the ground, Zay resting his head on the floor.
She sat up from the floor, looking at him as the school police officer took the coaches place and cuffed him, “Zay?”
“On your feet,” the bobcat ordered, lifting Zay up and started escorting him away toward the office.
Gerald got down beside her, “You okay Zayra? Did he hurt you?”
“N-no I’m fine…” She took his paw as he offered it, getting helped to her feet. The crowd dissipating to their classes with a buzz of excitement. Sitting in her math class she kept her ears down, whispers of the fight around her.
“Oh my god I know right? Zay looked like he was about to beat down Gerald.”
“Over Gerald dating his sister too by the sounds of it.”
“Man she’s so lucky Zays willing to stick his neck out for her. He’s probably gonna get expelled or something.”
“Doubt it, remember the big fight earlier this year between the Rhino and the Wildebeest guys? They were suspended for two weeks and they wrecked the cafeteria. Had to pay for the tables and stuff they busted up.”
“So maybe just some detention? It is Zay, I mean he can talk people into anything.”
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, with a light sniff she pulled it out and looked at it.
“<I’m sorry Zayra, I didn’t mean to hurt you.>”
“<I’m fine Zay, you didn’t hurt me, just really scared me.>”
“<I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just so… Mad. I don’t want Gerald to hurt you.>”
She sighed softly, “<He’s not gonna hurt me Zay, he loves me.>”
“<No he doesn’t.>” With the message was an attachment and her heart stopped for a moment. The kiss between Gerald and Kathy scorching in her mind. Another message popping up, pushing the picture farther along, “<Maranda, the parrot girl? She was at the mall on friday last week and took this. She saw it and sent it to me. I wanted to tell you sooner but didn’t know how. I figured if I could get Gerald to break up with you, you wouldn’t have to see it.>”
She bit her lip, a tear falling on the screen, blurring the words.
The picture slipped farther up, “<I didn’t want to hurt you by telling you. But Geralds using you, Kathy knows and is okay with it. He told me, that's why I went after him. He’s only using you so him and Kathy can make me feel miserable. And I do. They’re hurting you to get to me. I’d rather they just came after me directly.>”
She put her phone face down on her desk, sniffling and wiping her eyes with her fists.
After a bit her phone buzzed on the hard desktop and she picked it up, blurry eyes barely making out the words.
“<I love you Zayra, please don’t hate me.>”
She put her phone on silent and shoved it in her bag, trying to focus on her class as it started. It was a short class, the bell ringing after about a half hour and she started for her english class. As she approached it she saw Gerald, waiting for her by the door. Her teeth bit the inside of her lip, the picture flashing in her mind again and again, imagination kicking in as they shared sweet words.
He pushed himself off the wall and put his paws on her shoulders, “Zayra? Your tail is dragging, are you okay? Zay bothering you?”
She looked up at him, trying to find words, imagining different outcomes.
He pet her face with his paws, his brown eyes looking down at her with a gaze she only knew as love. He wiped her tears with his thumbs, “Hey, why are you cryin’? Did he blame it all on you?”
She shook her head, her paws lifting as she gripped his shirt, pressing herself to his chest. His warmth wrapping around her, the scent of his body was soft and comforting. His chest pushing and pulling as he breathed and spoke.
“Hey, hey, easy hun, what’s wrong? What did he say?”
She sniffled, tail coiling around him, “That you’re dating Kathy… That you don’t love me.” She coughed a little.
His paw fell over her ears, “Hey now, you know that can’t be true.” He kissed her tuft, “What girl do I have in my arms right now?”
Her nose rose and she looked up at him, “M-me…”
He ran his thumb over her cheek again, “So what girl matters most to me?”
She sniffed, red eyes searching his face, the soft smile, the loving eyes. “M… Me?”
“Exactly,” he said and leaned over, kissing her trembling lips. “Zays just making drama. Let him yap hun, let ‘em all do their own drama thing. You’ve got me.”
She kissed him back weakly, “Promise?”
“Promise,” he replied against her lips.
She stood on her toes, pressing up into the kiss as she turned her head, a softer feeling filled her chest. ‘Gerald is right. He is here, he’s here with me. So he’s mine.’
Zayra sat in Social Studies, looking down at her phone, texting away at Gerald with a soft smile. Her ears lifting as she smelt Zays cologne and scent. Lifting her head she watched him walk behind her and sit heavily beside her.
She reached over and touched his arm, “So?”
He flicked his ears a bit, “A week detention, after school. I can call mom to come get you if you want.”
“N-no it’s fine, I can call…” She looked down at her claws, “Zay?”
“Yeah,” he said softly, ears still low.
She got up and rounded her desk, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, claws on his shirt. Her nose buried into the fur of his neck, closing her eyes. “I don’t hate you…” She pet his neck softly, “You’re my brother, I know you worry about me, but I’ll be okay.”
He rose a hand, touching her arm softly, “If… You say so…” He took a ragged breath and pushed her lightly away, nosing her cheek gently. “If you ever need me, just say so… You know I’d do anything for you.”
She slipped her nose down putting their brows together, “I know.”
The bell rang and she sat down, opening her book. She was reading the directed pages quietly, tail burning slightly so she shifted it to the other side of the chair. Her tail shifting to slip against Zays who spins his tail to coil them together.
She looked over at him, but he had a pencil in his mouth, chewing on it as he read from the book in front of him. She frowned, ears back and reached over, taking his pencil from him, “Cut that out.”
He looked over at her and pouted, taking his pencil back, “Alright alright, fine…”
The rest of class was quiet until the final bell shrilled and they started out into the hall. The twins walking to their lockers and ditching unneeded books.
Zayra stood, feeling a paw on her back as she turned to Gerald, ears lifting as she turned toward Zay as he closed his locker. Her eyes darting between the two males, “Gerald… erm… Zay I…”
Zays ears were up, face relaxed but frowning a little.
Gerald put an arm around Zayra, smiling.
Zayra blushed, ears flipping back, “Erm… Zay I…”
He put a hand up, “It’s fine, I already knew…”
“About… Me and Gerald still being together,” she asked softly. Her paws lifting slightly as her fingers picked at each other.
He nodded, “Yeah, despite my warnings…” His eyes shifted to Gerald, and he sneered, “She’s happy now… And that’s what matters to me…” He stepped past him, bag on his back as he leaned toward him, growling, “I’ll be there when she falls… And then I’ll be coming after you…”
Gerald turned a little, “Don’t you have a detention to get to?”
A couple students snickered and giggled.
Zay flicked his tail, “You’re just lucky Zayra got in the way, or you’d be far less comfortable.” He smirked, “Oh, and don’t be late for your detention Gerald. Mrs. Lacri is not a patient bird.” He stood, putting his arms up as he walked away.
Zayra turned to him, “You got detention too?”
He wove his paw a little, “Only a week. Maybe some detention with your brother will help us bond.”
She lowered her ears, pressing her lips together with a frown, “I think he just needs time… Try and be friendly with him? He’s really not that bad.”
Gerald lead her down the hall, “Nah, just a player, and school bully.”
“He doesn’t bully everyone, just people that make life harder on everyone else…” She sighed softly, “He’s a little… Protective.”
“Overprotective I’d say,” Gerald replied. “I mean the guy attacked me.”
“You set him off… You don’t understand how hard it is to get Zay that angry,” She replied. “The last time he was that mad he got into a fight with an upperclassmen and sent him to the hospital. Broke his nose, and opened his knuckles pretty badly too.”
“Is that why there's no fur on his knuckles?”
“Zays got a habit of getting into fights… It’s not as bad now.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged softly, “People stopped messing with me…”
Gerald paused, “Wait, so he gets into fights about you?”
“Not all of them, but… I guess?” She shrugged again holding her bag strap softly, “He’s my big brother. Wouldn’t you make people regret hurting your little sister?”
He shrugged, “I suppose… But I’ve only got brothers.”
She looked ahead, Zays tail shifting into a room, looking up at Gerald, “So… I guess see you after detention.”
He cocked his head, “You’re not gonna call your parents? Or take the bus?”
She shook her head, “My parents aren’t gonna be home and I don’t remember the bus for our area. I ain’t worried, I’m sure Zay would be happy to see me after detention. It’s only an hour."
He huffed, “Yeah… an hour with Zay glaring at me I’m sure.”
“He’ll probably just stick his headphones in and work on homework. He’s more likely to give you a cold shoulder than glare,” She smiled. “Promise you’ll at least try to get to know him? Prove him wrong about you and… Kathy…”
Gerald went to speak when a secretary bird female crossed her arms, tapping her foot, glasses on the bridge of her beak.
“I am not a patient bird Mr. Faleran…”
Zayra giggled a little, “Zay has her for English.” She backed away, waved a little and sat against the lockers.
Zay was distractingly chewing on another pencil, the other scribbling down answers to his math homework. ‘God I hate math…’ Flipping the page he continued, music playing in his ears to help keep him distracted from Gerald who had decided to sit right beside him.
Mrs. Lacri pacing around the room as she made sure everyone kept to what they were doing. Her bird eyes catching all kinds of movement. She passed Zay quietly, pausing, standing on one foot, looking over his shoulder, intelligent eyes breezing through them. She rose a hand, claw tapping one of his answers, and then stepped away.
Zay moved back up, looking over his work and changing the answer before returning to the bottom. ‘Why does math have to be so damn hard… When am I going to use this stuff? Pie is pie and quit yer bitchin’ who got the bigger piece!’
Mrs. Lacri made one more round around the room and clapped her clawed hands, “Detention is over, you may go now.”
Zay sighed, and crammed his homework in his book, shoving it in his bag as he stood. “See you tomorrow Mrs. Lacri.”
She turned her beady eyes, “Do not forget your book report due tomorrow Zay.”
He paused, looking back at her, noting Gerald was still packing up his homework far more neatly, “I won’t.” He turned, stepping out into the hall with a sigh. ‘For punishment it’s pretty relaxing.’ He was about to step past when his foot brushed softness.
Looking down he noticed Zayra, curled up with her head on her back pack. Her tail over her like a blanket.
Dropping to a knee he ran his scarred knuckles over her cheek, “ZeeZee.”
She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him tiredly, “I want chicken…”
Gerald stepped from the room, looking over at them. He stepped farther away and pulled out his phone. “Hey mom… Uh… I just got out of detention.” He paced slightly.
Zayra sat up, rubbing her eyes, “Can we make chicken for dinner?”
He stroked her head, “Sure sis.”
“I know mom, I’ll tell you about it when I get home… No…” Gerald huffed. “Seven? I could walk home by then… But I-” He looked at his phone, “Stupid bitch…”
Zayra stood slowly, “Gerald? Is something wrong?”
Zay dropped his ears, glaring a little.
“My parents work third shift, and are too busy. And my brother doesn’t get off until seven…” He shoved his phone in his pocket.
Zayra glanced at Zay, putting her paws together, “Zay?” Her tired eyes brightened, gleaming, pleading silently.
‘Shit, fuck, Jesus Christ!’ He bit his inner lip, ears high, weighing it all. ‘Don’t make eye contact. Don’t look at it!’ His eyes stared at her nose, and found her eyes. Staring deep into her red iris eyes. His shoulders slumped, “Fine…”
Zayra pittered over to Gerald and grabbed his arms, “Zay says we can take you home.”
Zay turned his back to em, rubbing his hands over his face, Making a long ‘F’ noise. ‘Fuck fuck shit, jesus… Shit biscuits and a mary sue, damn it!’
“Ready to go Zay... You okay,” She asked.
He turned, her head tilted gently, “Yee… Yeah I guess.” He tossed his tail, coiling it with Zayras as she came up beside him. He tried to keep his composure as she hooked his arm.
She had a bounce in her step, walking between the two males up the ramp and then down the steps through the main hall.
Zay was biting his lip softly, ‘I looked… Oh my god the irony! I have to take the sick bastard home!? Really Zayra? It’s been a day, my first detention of the year and you convinced me to take him home!?’
Gerald looked over the car, “Oh… Cool, this is yours?”
Zay unlocked it, opening the passenger side door, “You didn’t see it when you left the house? Zayra in…”
Zayra sat down, pushing her bag by her feet and tucking her tail.
He shut the door, “Back seat…”
Gerald flattened his ears, “Yeah… I figured…” He opened the door, sitting behind Zayra.
Zay groaned and walked around the car, ‘Son of a basket weavers… Milk maid… Fiddle players… UGH!’ He slid into his seat with a huff.
“You okay Zay,” Zayra asked softly, looking over at him.
He gave her a look, “Me? Oh yeah I’m fine.” He started the car, taking a deep breath. “Where am I going?”
Gerald rubbed his head a little, “Uh… Well. Fifth street… Downtown.”
Zay shifted his hands around the wheel, driving out of the parking lot down the street. At a light he tapped the volume wheel. The music was melancholic and soft, half romantic but it made his chest ache. He only made it through two songs before he hit the eject button, “Zayra find something else.”
She opened his glove box and pulled the large CD case book into her lap, “Anything you’re in the mood for?”
He shrugged, “I dunno, maybe some Valaday? Or Xatrix?”
She flipped through, “Hey I found your Apocalypse CD.”
He shifted, eyes lifting to Gerald who was half looking over her shoulder. “Maybe something less angry…? Jumpy, a little head bangy?”
Gerald looked at him, “Head ‘bangy’? You don’t listen to… Yah know, hip hop? Rap?”
Zay rolled his eyes, “You mean artists that constantly brag about how many girls they bang? Or the drugs they’re on? Cheatin wives, and gang bangers? Thug life?”
Zayra flipped another page, “Could always listen to some Crystal Spire.”
He yawned, “At this point I don’t care Zayra, I just need a distraction. And kept awake.”
She picked out a red and black CD and pushed it gently into the CD player. “Soo…. How was your day in class?”
He shrugged, “Missed German, showed up late to Home Education… Weightlifting sucked…”
“You take German," Gerald asked from the back seat.
“Yeah, so…” Zay grumbled.
“Seemed more like a Spanish guy… Romantic language and all…”
Zay shook his head, “Yeah, no…”
Zayra looked out the window, watching the town fly by. “Soo… You live out here?” She looked at the large brick or wood buildings. Some painted, others not. Roofs with railing, drainage pipes down each corner. The street floor was nothing but shops and other stores, apartments or homes above them.
“I live just outside it… It’s not much,” he said softly.
Zay drove down a cluttered road, each side had cars parked along the edge of the road. Kids playing basketball in the middle between cars. ‘This is fuckin great…’ He slowed to a crawl, pulling up near them and they scattered to the sides.
Pulling through them, he caught a couple of them glaring, marveling their reflection in the black glossy paint compared to the old junkards around him. Further down the road was a soccer game, a wolf boy kicking the ball and it bounced off his front fender as he squeaked to a stop.
Zayra reached over and touched his arm, turning back toward Gerald, “How much farther.”
“Not too far,” Gerald replied.
Zay huffed, gripping the steering wheel, driving past the kids and farther down the street.
“It’s the blue house on the corner,” Gerald said.
Zay stopped in the road, looking at the barely managed as a shack house. The blue siding was dirty, faded, some falling off. The yard was littered with toys, the porch piled high with what looked like the same. At least seven kids of ten and younger bolted around in discombobulated manners. Four men sat up on the steps smoking, all coyotes.
Gerald sighed, “Thanks… Zay... For the lift…”
Zay grumbled, glancing at Zayra who was glaring, “Yeah… Sure.”
He opened the door, “See you at school tomorrow Zayra.”
“Okay, later,” she replied.
He opened the door fully and got out, shutting the door and stalking toward the house as the coyotes at the porch cooed and laughed.
Zayra looked back, “Oh, Zay wait, he forgot his bag.”
“What!? Really? Can’t you just toss it to him tomorrow, I’d like to get out of here before something bad happens!”
She grabbed his bag, “No.” Pushing open her door she stepped out, “Gerald wait.”
He stopped and turned, facing her as she stepped across the rest of the road and halfway across the yard. “Z-Zayra… Uh…”
She smiled, wiggling her tail as she stepped close, handing him his red bag, “You forgot it in the car.”
“Ey Gerald, who's the pretty girl,” A coyote asked standing, he was older, bigger, probably twenty or so.
Gerald stammered a little, “Uh… J-Jackson this is Zayra my erm… G-girlfriend.”
Jackson leaned over and stood closer to Zayra, standing six foot easily, “She’s pertty cute for a fox.” He rose a hand, touching Zayras face, “Prettier than any other girl you’ve brought home.”
Her tail fluffed up, “I erm… um… H-hi…”
Jackson leaned in closer, eyeing her body hungrily, “Wonder if she’ll leave her pretty panties like the last girl did. Or she shares all her treasures.”
Zay opened his door and got out, arm on the top of his car, “Zayra, car.”
She turned and squeaked as Jackson grabbed her arm.
“Oh, ho who’s this guy?”
Gerald put a hand on Jacksons arm, “Bro, knock it off.”
The other males got up, pushing Gerald back and standing shoulder to shoulder with Jackson. Varying slightly in height, but they all looked around the same age, within only a few years of each other.
“Come on over, we’re just bein friendly,” Jackson held her arm, pulling her closer. “Come escort the pretty lady back to the car…”
Zay shut his door, rounding the hood of his car. His long tail twitching just off the ground. He came within arms reach of Zayra, the other three coyotes angling to half circle him.
“And who are you? Her daddy?”
Zays whiskers twitched, feeling the fear in Zayras gut, “Her twin brother.”
“So you’re the ugly twin sibling, got it,” Jackson cracked.
Zay took a step forward, standing nose to nose with him, “Let go of my sister…”
Gerald crammed into the middle, “Jackson, back off. She’s mine.”
“You said that about the last girl, and she was so willing to be yours, mine, his.. Ours… Real family oriented girl little bro.”
Zay put an arm around Zayra and pulled her away, free of Jacksons distracted grasp. “Damn, and I thought the town was creepy.”
“Jack-Son,” someone screamed out the top window. “Quit harrassin that poor girl.” The coyote with her head out the window was wearing a flowery dress, aged but not too old.
Jackson flattened his ears, “Mah! We’re just chattin’! Go back to your show!”
“Don’t make me send your pop down, I can still get my foot up far enough to kick yer ass! You let them foxes go on home and help yer brother with his school work!”
Jackson growled and grumbled, “God she’s a bitch…”
“Gera-ld!”
He flinched, “Yeah ma?”
“You better get your ass inside and talk to your pop! He wants to know why you got detention!”
Jackson and others snickered.
Zay pulled Zayra away, “Do not ever convince me to bring Gerald home again…”
“Deal,” She said, slipping into the car seat and buckling.
Zay did the same, driving on down the road, still tense, “Shit I do not want to do that again.”
“I don’t like Jackson…”
He laughed a breath, “You and me both…” He turned down another street, quickly leaving downtown behind them, passing the school.
She looked out the window, picking at the underside of her claws.
He paused at a stop light, elbow up by the window, paw rubbing his chin a little. “Do you trust him?”
She turned, “Huh?”
“Gerald… Do you trust him? After everything? You have the picture proof, he’s cheating on you and you’re acting like none of it happened.”
“Zay I…”
“Zayra, I know you got feelings for the guy, but he’s dating Kathy.”
“But he’s with me,” She stated. “After the whole thing he was comforting me… He stood outside my english class and was comforting me, he was waiting on me.”
A mix of fear and pain was welling in his chest.
“Kathys got English across the hall from you,” Zay said, turning the wheel with one paw. Using the heel of his hand to direct the vehicle.
“But he was there with me… He was holding me… Not her…” She sniffed a little.
“Because they wanna keep the lie going,” He replied, his hand lifting from his face to gesture at no where.
“I don’t wanna talk about it Zay,” She turned and faced the window.
He stopped at a stop sign, waiting for several cars before him to go through the four way stop. “Zayra, I wouldn’t be so pushy about it if I wasn’t worried. You know he’s gonna hurt you, he’s lying to your face and-”
She turned and bared her teeth, “I don’t wanna talk about it!”
“Well we’re talking about it. Why are you so damn interested in staying with a guy whos just going to hurt you? He’s dating my ex, you saw the picture of them kissing! Have you showed it to Gerald, I’m sure he’d make up a lie just for it!”
“I’m not talking about it!”
“Quit screamin’ at me and answer the question! Why are you dating someone you know is cheating on you!?”
She let out a frustrated scream and threw open her door, grabbing her bag and stepped out.
“Zayra! Get back here!”
She slammed the door and stormed around the car, starting up the street toward the house.
He growled and leaned back against his seat, paw slamming on the wheel.
Zayra threw open the door, turning and locking it. She crumbled to the ground in front of the door, gripping her chest a little. Leaning back against the door as tears streamed down her face. ‘I know what everyone says, but… He was with me…’
Zays car pulled into the drive.
‘Isn’t the point of dating being one and only one? Why would he do that to me, why would he cheat on me. Am I not good enough? When he’s sad I’m there, when he’s hurt, I’m there.’ She sighed, wiping her eyes as the back door opened and slammed.
“Zayra!”
She darted up the steps and into her room, slamming her door and sliding under her bed, tail curling to hide her clothes.
He trotted up the steps, sniffing around and shouldering into her room. His purple nose flaring softly as he rounded her room, and peered under.
She wasn’t looking at him, eyes closed, hidden behind her tail.
He grunted, squirming his way closer as he slipped under the tight space and nosed around her tail. “Zayra, just… Explain it to me.”
“I don’t want to, go away!” She rolled over, putting her back to him and covering her head with her tail. She sniffled and coughed, shoulders shaking. “Just let me love him…”
He fell quiet and huffed, “You know what… FINE!” He squirmed and kicked, lifting her bed a little as he slipped free. “Fine!! Date a no good loser! Date someone who’s cheating on you! But don’t come cryin to me when shit hits the fan!” His feet stormed out of her room and down the steps. Through the kitchen and out the backdoor, slamming the door behind him.
She laid in more or less silence, the pain in her chest was like over filling a balloon, she felt her ribs were ready to bust open and spew darkness. She put her hands over her face.
Finally alone she didn’t have to hold her brave face. Falling into uncontrolled sobbing, her paws trembling, the rest of her shaking like a leaf.
Writhing in her internal agony she cried, screaming a little. The weight of her pain crushing until she fell fast asleep.
