Back and Forth by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
A few more weeks had passed since Xavier and Pent's first date. The two had continued to hang out and very sparingly ever used the word "date" among each other. The idea of romance to them was entirely new. Though both cubs were warming more up to the idea of being close to one another. Only occasionally kissing one another on the cheek but nothing more than that.
Xavier had still not told his parents about asking Pent to be his boyfriend. The clandestine cub hadn't worked up the courage to admit it. Though they certainly had an idea that was the case. Even Samaliel had suspected something more was up between the two boys and he was far younger than they were. Pent hadn't brought it up to him out of fear that he wasn't mature enough to know about it.
One weekend, Pent decided he wanted to try asking Xavier out on a date. Xavier had asked him on a date a few times now but the fox had never done it himself. The fox had been preparing himself for a hockey game that weekend. He wanted to show Xavier how to skate and go sledding with him afterward. Pent and Samaliel had a sled of their own and it had been quite a while since they'd used it.
It was a late Friday afternoon and Pent was lazing about in his bed. He would have been reading but he'd been thinking a lot about inviting Xavier recently. His hockey game was only a day away. It was either now or never. He picked up his smartphone and looked at it. Finding Xavier's number was easy enough since he didn't have many contacts. A star on his name showed he was the cub's favorite contact.
"Hey, Xae. What's up?" He put into text, unsure what the other cub was up to.
Xae took about a minute to respond. "Hey, dude. Nothing. How are you?"
"I'm alright. A bit nervous about tomorrow. Are you busy tomorrow?" Pent was hopeful his boyfriend was free.
Xavier responded. "Nope. Did you want to do something?"
"I'd like to invite you on a date. I have a hockey game and I'd like to teach you how to skate beforehand." The white fox felt the excitement build within him.
The chipmunk answered quickly. "Totally, Pent. You're on. I'd love to go on another date with you."
"Alright, I will meet you at Satskara rink in the morning at like 8 am. Sound good?" Pent liked to get an early start on the day.
Xavier texted quickly. "See you then, Pent. I can't wait to see you. I miss you."
"Me too, Xae. See you in the morning." The fox smiled knowing his friend would be hanging out with him.
Pent realized he had forgotten to mention sledding but figured it didn't matter. He knew Xavier's parents were flexible and assumed they would be fine with it. Butterflies began to stir in his stomach at the thought of seeing Xavier again. It was only a matter of time before he would see his boyfriend.
The fox couldn't sleep that well that night. He was distracted by his thoughts of another date with Xavier. Part of him was nervous but most of was him thinking negatively. He knew Xavier liked him but he figured his feelings were much stronger than his boyfriends. He got up and stretched and yawned. The fox checked on Samaliel who was still sleeping. The older boy decided to make food.
He checked the clock. It was still pretty early and he had plenty of time to get ready. He headed into the kitchen and made himself some pastry tarts and fruit. Making sure to leave some for Samaliel so the younger boy didn't complain when he awoke. The older cub knew his brother could be cranky in the morning, especially when he didn't eat. As he was finishing up his meal, he heard Samaliel's voice.
"You're up early. Isn't your hockey game this afternoon?" Samaliel padded into the kitchen and looked up at his brother.
Pent sipped his juice. "Yeah, but I'm going to show Xavier how to ice skate."
"Oh, that sounds fun. Just don't miss your hockey game." The younger boy sat down and began eating the food that had been prepared for him.
The white fox swallowed. "I won't. I'm gonna ask him to stay and watch."
"I'm sure he won't mind. After all, you stayed for his lacrosse game." The salt and pepper fox nibbled through his meal.
The two finished their meals and Pent cleaned up for them. Samaliel had already darted back to play video games since it was a weekend. Pent went about getting ready for hockey practice. Putting on most of his gear but skipping out on his pads since they were just unnecessary weight and bulk. By the time he was ready, it was time to catch the bus. He put his pads in the bag he had for them and collected his stick and skates.
"See ya later, Sama." Pent shouted to his brother as he made his way out of the door.
The cub made his way outside. The sun was shining and the snow was beginning to thin out. He knew that spring was right on the horizon. He hated warm weather but at least it meant he could go outside more often. The white fox proceeded to the public bus stop. Since he had no one to take him to the hockey game he had to take public transportation. He had a student's pass which allowed him to go for free.
Pent got on the bus and sat down on one of the chairs that were isolated. The bus wasn't very busy that day. It made a much better time than usual as it arrived ahead of time at his stop. The bus came to a halt right in front of the arena. He got off the bus and made his way to the front door. A sign out front was posted.
"All Pee-Wee, Junior, Adult, and Senior League games are canceled for today. To be rescheduled. Due to inclimate weather possibility."
The fox felt disappointed but then remembered that Xavier was going to come. He smiled upon realizing he could spend more time with his friend. The fox checked a few of the doors and found that the rear door was open. He went inside to check if visitors were going to be allowed since the games were canceled. He proceeded to the rental station where an older teenage wolf was taking care of things.
"Excuse me…Is the Arena allowing visitors to skate today since the games are canceled?" Pent asked hopeful that he could skate with Xavier.
She looked at the boy, not recognizing him. "I don't see why not as long as you leave by noon."
"Thank's ma'am! Can I leave my hockey stuff here? I'm gonna show my friend how to ice skate." He asked holding up his stick and equipment bag.
She pointed at the corner. "Put it over there. I will watch it."
He nodded and went to the corner to set his stuff down. Pent went back outside to wait for Xavier. The white fox soon saw the familiar vehicle of the chipmunk's mom. Pent waved to them. The smaller cub rushed over after thanking his mom for taking him.
"Hey, Pent. Sorry If I'm late." The smaller boy knew it was a little past their scheduled meeting time.
Pent shrugged. "It's cool. They canceled the game anyways so it doesn't matter."
"That sucks. Sorry to hear that." Xavier was looking forward to watching his boyfriend play hockey.
The white fox patted his friend's back and hugged him. "It's okay. It means we get to spend more time together."
"Yeah, you're right. I don't have any skates though." The chipmunk hugged him back but not as enthusiastically as he was still a little worried about people seeing them.
Pent broke the hug. "Come on, we can get you rentals. It won't take long. We're the only one's here."
Xavier followed him into the building. It had been quite a while since he'd been into an ice rink and even longer since he skated. He couldn't help but feel nervous but was certain Pent would help him out. The two walked to the rental station and Xavier was asked about his shoe size before being provided a pair of skates.
Pent brought him over to the area where he had set his bag down and pulled his skates out of the bag. His pair were a beat-up pair of old Bauers that'd been overused. The fox had almost outgrown them but couldn't afford another pair. He took his snow shoes off and began to change into them. Xavier followed suit, pulling his shoes off. Pent was looking at the floor and happened to get a glimpse of his friend's socked paws.
"You're wearing Pokemon socks?" Pent recognized the characters from his brother's game.
Xavier scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…I figured I needed long socks and they were the only ones clean."
"You look cute in them." The white fox smiled complimenting the footwear.
The chipmunk smiled and blushed. "Thanks."
They both put their skates on and stood up. The smaller boy wobbled a bit but Pent reached over to offer himself as a crutch if the other boy needed it. The white fox proceeded to help his friend walk to the ice rink. It got colder as they got closer but Pent was used to it enough that it didn't bother him. The bigger boy took the first steps on the ice and turned around, waiting for his friend to do the same.
"Go on and walk normally onto the ice. I will catch you if you fall." Pent wasn't sure he could hold the other cub up but that wasn't about to stop him from trying.
Xavier looked at the ice in front of him and then back at Pent. He took a slow and methodical step forward. Putting weight on his front leg caused it to glide a bit. Pent wedged himself in front of the other boy. Providing more than enough force to allow his boyfriend to walk. The chipmunk felt certain he would fall if he took another step inside.
"One more foot. Come on….you can do it, Xae." The bigger boy goaded the cub to carry on.
The chipmunk braced himself and took a step forward, his back foot wedged against the board and his front foot against Pent.
"Lean on me…just relax. I know you think you're going to fall but you need to trust me or you're going to fall." The white fox warned him of the most common beginner's mistake.
Pent put both of his arms forward bent so they were out as guides. "Hold onto my hands and follow me onto the ice."
Xavier put his trust in the other cub and tried holding onto him. Sure enough, he was able to stand up with
only a bit of wobbling.
"Hey…I'm doing it…" He said a bit excited.
One of his legs slipped beneath him but the other cub kept a firm stance so that he didn't fall.
"Don't lose your focus. I need you to take slow and steady strides just like your walking." Pent began guiding them away from the wall.
Pent was the only one moving his feet. Maintaining a slow but fluid direction, going backward. Not even bothering to look behind him. He had done this before with Samaliel so he knew how it worked. Xavier couldn't believe he was doing it so easily.
They made a single lap around the rink. "See? It's not that hard."
"Yeah, it's cool. It's like gliding on a frozen cloud." Xavier was feeling better about it.
The white fox continued to let the cub hold onto him. "Go ahead and try to move your feet. I want you to move your feet in a forward direction just like I'm moving mine."
Pent spun around effortlessly, leaving one hand behind him to offer support to his boyfriend. The cub showed him what he meant and then rotated back around to offer him his hand again.
"Just like that." Pent made sure to hold Xavier's hands again.
Xavier tried to mimic the motions. His feet slid from one side to the other, not making one fluid motion.
"Try like your running. Extend your leg forward and back…Just don't go fast." He continued to make suggestions to improve the boy's forward.
The chipmunk tried again. His second motion much improved over the first. Repeating with his second leg and making a good distance across the ice.
"Keep going. Don't stop. I will guide you through the turn." Pent motioned their bodies so they turned across the bank.
Xavier continued much the same way until they reached the third lap. Pent again stopped.
"Now you're going to try to turn. To turn you just need to tilt your body in the direction you need to go. Your skates should always face the same direction you want to go. Watch me."
Pent let Xavier go and sped through the rink, seemingly mere centimeters away from the boards. His form was almost perfect despite his young age. He returned to Xavier once again and grabbed his hands to give him the same security as before. The chipmunk tried to pull it off, slipping up just a little but Pent was able to keep him upright. Still able to make the turn as they came around the banks of the boards.
"Good. Try again."
They continued to repeat until Pent was happy with Xavier's progress. The chipmunk was feeling more confident now. In his mind, he hadn't fallen yet.
"I'm going to let go now. You just keep going and I will watch from behind." Pent knew Xavier would likely go slow so he just started circling him.
Xavier felt a little wobble again but tried continuing to make the same motions he made before. His strides were unsure of themselves and a little shaky but he was able to make it through the first lap without issue. Pent continued to watch him, remaining an ever-vigilant stay over him. The fox was determined to make sure he didn't fall.
The chipmunk gradually started to pick up speed and confidence. His form continued to get better and he wasn't quite as shaky. Even going out a bit from the walls. Pent watched his progress was pride. A few more minutes of this passed and Xavier had made more rounds than he could keep track of. He was breathing hard and his heart was racing. He thought about wanting to stop.
The moment he thought about anything else, he lost his balance. His body crashed right into Pent who wasn't quite prepared for it. The two landed on the floor with Pent on his butt and Xavier right on top of him facing forward with a huge grin on his face.
"Sorry…haha…" Xavier felt stupid for falling.
Pent got up and offered him a helping hand. "It's alright. You look like you're getting tired. Let's take a break."
The fox guided him back to the side of the rink. Walking on the rubberized floors was much easier than the ice. Pent went to fetch both of them a cup of water and gave it to his friend before himself.
"You're doing good." Pent complimented the other cub.
Xavier smiled. "Thanks for showing me."
"I'm glad you're having fun." The fox sipped on his water noticing the other boy had worked up a bit of a sweat.
The fox pulled out a small towel from his pocket and wiped the chipmunk's forehead. Xavier gave him a goofy grin and drank all of his water in one gulp.
"We have a little bit longer before they kick us out. Do you want to go sledding after?" Pent asked since he hadn't earlier.
Xavier perked up at the thought of sledding. "That sounds cool but where would we sled?"
"There is a hill near the back of my complex. It's not very big but my brother and I used to sled it when we were younger." Pent remembered it all too well.
The chipmunk nodded. "Heck, yeah. I'm all for that."
They soon returned to the rink and continued working together. Pent kept a constant watch on Xavier. The chipmunk only fell a few more times. Each time he did so the bigger boy gladly picked him up and the other cub continued to work on his form. By the end of it, his legs were tired and he wanted to take a break. Sweating rather heavily from all the physical exertion. They were called off the ice and told to get ready to leave.
Xavier returned his skates and Pent collected his bag. The two changed back into their shoes. The fox grabbed them one more drink before they left, making sure to thank the staff for letting them use the rink. They headed outside and saw the skies were getting grey and the temperatures were dropping. It was apparent it would likely snow soon.
"So….should I call my parents to pick us up or do you want to walk?" Xavier wanted to see what Pent's plan was.
Pent hummed. "I have a student pass for the bus. I doubt they'd care if you came with me."
"Good…cause I'm starving…haha." The chipmunk wiped his forehead of the sweat building up there.
The fox nodded and led me to the bus stop. The bus didn't take long to pick them up. Not even bothering to check the two boy's passes since it was completely vacant of passengers. Pent and Xavier sat in the back near each other. The chipmunk allowed his body to rest against the other cub. He didn't think his boyfriend would mind. Pent couldn't help but pick up the boy's smell.
"I hope I don't smell bad, Pent." Xavier had put on deodorant but it was never enough.
Pent murmured. "I…think you smell nice."
"Really? My mom always says I smell bad when I sweat." The chipmunk was glad his boyfriend didn't mind his smell.
The fox ruffled the cub's head fur. "Yeah…that doesn't make me weird does it?"
"Nah, I don't care. Besides…we're boyfriends. You can like whatever you want." Xavier rested his eyes a bit.
Pent stroked the chipmunk's brown fur, waiting for them to arrive at the bus stop. It took about 10 more minutes before they arrived at their stop.
"Come on, let's go." The bigger boy eased his friend up and they walked out of the bus together.
Pent thanked the bus driver and they exited the door. The fox could see the skies in this area of town weren't as grey. He knew they probably didn't have much time before the weather hit. He grabbed Xavier's paw and led him toward his home. The walk from the bus stop to his home wasn't very long and they were able to make pretty good time. The bigger boy let them inside the home and kicked off his shoes.
"I'm home for lunch, Sama. They canceled the games tonight." Pent put his hockey bag near the front door along with his stick and skates.
The white fox heard no response. He assumed that Samaliel likely went over to a friends or was knee-deep in voice chat. The cub decided to check on him just to make sure he was alright.
"Go ahead and make yourself at home. I'm going to check on Sama." Pent told his friend before heading off to his room.
Xavier headed off to the kitchen after taking off his shoes. He decided to make them lunch while Pent was checking on Samaliel. The chipmunk had never looked through Pent's fridge before and was curious about what was inside it. Opening it he found there wasn't much within. Enough food to last the week to be sure but a lot less than he was used to seeing in his fridge. He rifled through it until he found lunch meat for himself and tuna-flavored tofu for Pent.
Xavier busied himself making them lunch. Pent was in his room, finding that Samaliel had left him a note.
"Went over to Darren's house to play Splatoon with him. Didn't think you'd mind if I slept over. Hope the game went well. Call me if you want me to come home. See you in the morning."
It seemed that Xavier and Pent would be alone. The idea certainly appealed to him even if Samaliel hadn't asked him to go out. Returning to the kitchen, he found lunch waiting for him.
"Oh…how nice. Thanks, Xae. You didn't have to make me lunch." Pent's tail wagged behind him.
Xavier shook his head. "Nah, it's the least I can do for you since you showed me how to ice skate."
"Do you want to sleep over tonight? Samaliel is gone so we'd be alone. You can sleep in his bed if you want." The white fox was hopeful he would agree.
The chipmunk thought to himself. "I think my parents would be okay with it but I don't have anything to change into."
"You can just borrow my stuff like last time. At least it fits you." Pent made a corny joke.
Xavier smirked. "I'm not that much smaller than you. One day I'll catch up to you, Pent…haha."
"Perhaps but for now you're the little guy and I like you just the same." The white fox sat down opposite Xavier.
The chipmunk winked and sat down before they began eating food. The meal was good for both of them as they were both famished from skating all morning. Both of them finished their meal in minutes.
"That was good, Xae. Thanks." Pent said with a smile on his face.
Xavier nodded. "Cool. I'm glad you liked it. Did you still want to go sledding?"
"Yeah, that would be fun. I will
go grab our sled." Pent remembered they had put it in the closet.
Xavier threw away the garbage and waited for Pent at the front door. The chipmunk put his coat and boots back on. Pent returned with the wooden sled before long. The fox put on his coat and boots before they went outside again. Pent locked the door behind them. It had started snowing again and the skies were becoming cloudy. He ran as quickly as he could to the rear of the complex.
Behind Pent's apartment complex were a small hill and a fenced-in area for the communities cubs. None of them were out and about. The constant warnings of the weather were causing parents to keep them inside. Of course, Pent and Xavier didn't care about it even if they had overheard it on the bus. They just wanted to have fun and spend time together.
"I'll race you to the top…last one's a rotten egg!" Xavier announced as the willingness to be competitive burned within him.
Pent wasn't able to move as quickly with the sled. "No fair…"
Xavier grabbed it from him when he was close enough to the top. "Come on let's ride."
The chipmunk got on first followed by Pent. The front boy edged forward as the sled picked up speed. The little slid soaring forward, sending them racing across the snow and ice. The ride was rather short but more than exhilarating enough to excite them. They went to the top and repeated their run, switching spots a few times and even falling off when the snow become choppy. The two landed on top of one another, laughing their little butts off as if they didn't have a care in the world.
Xavier got up and helped his friend up as well. The chipmunk bent over and grabbed a ball of snow before chucking it at the fox.
"Snowball fight!" He announced without asking.
Pent felt the cold slushy snow hit his face. Retreating a bit, he collected some snow himself and threw it back. Xavier ran behind a tree, keeping himself under cover. The chipmunk picked up another clump of snow and compounded it in his paw. He hurled it over to the side, where he saw Pent standing. The fox had not taken cover and was an easy target. Hit a second time as the snow broke against him.
Pent ran and got behind a grill hidden underneath a pile of snow. The thing was barely big enough to cover half of his body. He collected more snow before hurling another ball of snow at Xavier. The ball fell short and hit the tree. Xavier picked up another ball of snow and lept outward, his whole body showing but for an instant. Throwing the ball with all his boyish might towards Pent. Scoring yet another hit on the bigger cub.
The white fox peeled the snow off his face. It was apparent that Xavier was good at this game. He just wanted to get one hit in. It's all he wanted right now. He grabbed a ball of snow and ran forward. The other boy pelted him with another ball of snow. Pent continued to run, making a B-line towards the now uncovered chipmunk. He released the ball when he was mere meters away, finally scoring the one hit on the other cub.
Yet Pent didn't stop. He continued to rush forward, tackling the other boy into the snow. The two boys rolled in tandem until their bodies lay still on one another. Pent had come out on top, his face dripping with water and a bit of sweat. Looking right down into Xavier's eyes. Both of them remained transfixed on one another. They remained locked like that for several seconds until Xavier started to wiggle and writhe.
"Lemme go!" He said trying to get out but not trying his hardest.
Pent of course relented and let himself up a bit as he thought Xavier wanted him off. The other boy took advantage and rolled on top. The fox found himself underneath now, though he hadn't put up much of a fight. Once again they looked into one another's eyes. Xavier smiled at him and Pent smiled back. Both sported a goofy grin on their faces. Xavier got up and helped Pent off the ground. The fox's face was a bit red, showing embarrassment about being pinned by the smaller cub, even if he had allowed it.
"Come on, Pent. Let's go inside before the weather gets any worse." Xavier collected the sled.
The fox nodded and followed him to the front of the building. The snow was beginning to pick up and the sky had turned even more grey. The temperature had already begun to drop significantly. They made their way inside. They had been outside for about 2 hours but they were already tired from skating in the morning. They were both ready to relax for the day. Xavier and Pent took their coats and shoes off at the door once again.
"Let me ask my parents if I can stay tonight, alright?" Xavier said since he hadn't done it yet.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll go make us something to drink."
Xavier called his parents who proceeded to give him grief about calling so late. He was supposed to call his father at noon but it was now well past noon. They were worried sick thinking something had happened. They were upset he didn't check in. He assured them he was old enough to handle himself. That he didn't want to be treated like a baby. Of course, they didn't want to hear that.
Xavier continued to argue with his parents. They wanted him to go home. They didn't care he was over Pent. As far as they were concerned he had disobeyed their request. They told him that he was going to be grounded. A threat that didn't sit very well with him. He certainly didn't want to be grounded. Nothing was worth being stuck in his room and being bored out of his mind. He told his parents he would have to take the bus as he was at Pent's.
The chipmunk sulked into the kitchen. He didn't want to go home. He wanted to stay the night but knew he couldn't.
"So what did they say?" The fox wanted to figure out what they would do tonight.
The chipmunk shuffled his feet. "They want me to come home. They are mad at me because I didn't call them earlier."
"Oh…that sucks. I understand. I don't want your parents to be upset at you." Pent frowned but he knew full well that the boy's parents couldn't be ignored.
The chipmunk cub's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Xavier, ask Pent where his foster mother is." His father spoke on the other line.
The chipmunk put it on speaker so Pent could hear and had him repeat himself.
"She's not here. She's not here." Pent was being honest.
There was a moment of silence and mumbling on the other end. "Under normal circumstances, I would come pick you up but…since the weather continues to get worse I will let you stay the night. However…you will be grounded for a week upon your return home. Is that clear?" The older male was quite stern in his tone.
Xavier whined. "But…Dad…."
"There are no but's. I will see you in the morning when I can pick you up. Good night, Xavier." The line was cut off.
"Well…at least I can stay the night I guess?" Xavier tried to make something positive of it.
The chipmunk shuffled his feet. "Yeah, you're right. No need to worry about it for now…"
"Come on, let's go relax since we can't go outside. Want to go sit by the heater or something?" Pent suggested warming up since they'd been outside all day.
Xavier nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Pent finished making them some hot chocolate before they proceeded back to the front room where Pent's heater was roaring. They looked outside and saw a blanket of white powder falling from the sky above. They could barely see out. It meant they were stuck inside. Pent grabbed a blanket off the couch and sat on the floor in front of it. He patted the space next to him and waited for Xavier to join him. He handed one of the warm cups to the other cub.
They could see out the window from where they were sitting. The only thing they could see was a dusty white powder over the window.
"It's coming down huh?" Xavier asked as he never really watched the weather before.
Pent shrugged. "Winter will be over soon. You know how finicky it gets towards the end of the season."
"Yeah, you're right." The chipmunk pushed his shoulder against the other boy and sipped his drink.
The fox put his free arm over the other cub to pull him in closer. Pent just was enjoying being close to his boyfriend. The two continued to drink their warm drinks, sipping a few slurps at a time.
"I had fun today, Pent. Even if I got grounded because of it….haha." The smaller cub joked at his situation.
Pent smiled. "Yeah, too bad the weather cut in our fun."
"What else do you want to do since we're stuck inside?" Xavier did not like to just sit around.
The white cub hummed. "I'm okay just sitting here with you. Do you want to do something else?"
"You're sweet. I dunno. What do you have to do…?" The chipmunk wasn't sure what his boyfriend did for entertainment inside the home other than read.
Pent hummed. "Well…we could read but I don't think I have any books you'd like. Do you want to play a board game?"
The smaller boy shrugged. "Sure, I'm game for whatever."
The fox got up and helped his friend do the same. "I'll show you what we have."
Pent led back towards his room and into the closet. It was a well-organized space for the most part with a few things scattered about by Samaliel. The fox pushed back some of the clothing hanging within before showing off the 4 board games they had. Monopoly, Sorry, Life…and something that Xavier had never heard of before a game called Plunder.
"What's that?" Xavier was curious about the game and pointed at the game he was familiar with.
Pent looked at it. "This one? It's a Pirate-themed game. Do you want to try it?"
"Yeah, sure. The other ones are boring games." The chipmunk had played the other ones before and wasn't interested in them.
The bigger boy nodded. "Yeah, I can show you how to play. Samaliel and I have played before. Let's go back to the living room since there is more space."
The smaller cub nodded and followed Pent back into the living room. Xavier picked up the cups they had left behind
and got rid of them while the fox set up the game. When the chipmunk returned he found the board and pieces already set up to play with. He joined Pent on the floor, on the opposite side of the board, straddling the sides of it with his legs extended outward.
Pent saw the other cub slide in. The cub's socked paws were only a few inches from where he was sitting. He looked at them a moment. The moist yellow socks with Pokemon prints on them were loose and wrinkled a bit. He stared at one of them for a few seconds.
"Are you alright?" Xavier noticed the other cub had stopped working.
Pent shook his head, snapping himself out of it. "Sorry…"
The fox finished setting up the board game before rearranging himself so that he could sit with his legs folded. He looked at the other cub's socked foot one more time before beginning to explain the rules and how the game worked. It wasn't an overly complex one. A game similar to Risk but with a naval focus. Both cubs were given a plastic boat they were tasked with upgrading. There were several ways to win the game but the most common was to find the buried treasure.
"So…do you understand?" Pent wanted to make sure that Xavier didn't have any questions about it.
The chipmunk nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I'm ready to play."
Pent handed out cards to each of them to start their adventure. Each cub was assigned an island as a base of operations. They began rolling the dice to determine movement with each cub taking actions on every other turn. A plastic square represented the area where an ever-present storm was set to make things more difficult than otherwise. In the third round, Xavier landed on his first island, rolling a 6 which indicated a flawless takeover of the prize.
"Looks like I got my first point, Arr…." The smaller boy made a poor attempt to imitate a pirate.
The fox rolled and continued to miss the mark on the islands. By the sixth round, Xavier had already gotten his second island and had even found a treasure hint.
"The treasure be mine…" He squinted one of his eyes as if were under a patch.
Pent smirked and rolled, finally getting lucky enough to get his island and a card for an upgrade on his ship.
"The tides turn, matey…" Pent gave his best British accent, even if it was terrible.
Xavier chuckled and rolled, landing on his second treasure hint. He only needed one more. The game was tilted in his favor. Pent smiled as the other boy appeared to be having fun. The chipmunk rolled again, this time landing in the storm square resulting in a low counter roll that damaged his ship for a single turn. The fox thought it was his opportunity to catch up. Instead beaching himself on a reef, costing him much of the resources he had.
Xavier rolled again and got out of the storm. He landed on one of Pent's islands. It meant they had to face off in a battle of luck. The chipmunk gave him a friendly snarl before he spun the spinner. The little spinner landed on the skull icon, which meant he had lost and Pent had kept the island. Pent smirked at him and rolled again, finally scoring his first treasure hint. Pent smiled widely, though he still kind of wanted his boyfriend to win.
The two cubs continued to play the game in much the same fashion. It was a war of attrition with very little progress for quite a bit. Until things finally picked up and Xavier's ship started to get upgrades. Soon they met in battle. It was a trial in which one of them would lose all of their resources and upgrades and likely cost them the game. A three-round dice roll between them ensued with Pent finding his ship being scuttled to the sea. His crew was left to pick up the pieces and attempt a repair, something he wasn't sure was even possible.
Sure enough the next round, Xavier got even more lucky and scored the final treasure hint. All that was left was for him to land on the spot in question. Pent was still stuck in repair, so there was little he could do to stop the other cub. The chipmunk had three more rolls left that would go uncontested. One ends in a ship upgrade and the second puts him near spaces away from the spot of the treasure. Finally landing on it and declaring himself the victor.
"I win!" Xavier pumped his arm in celebration.
The bigger cub smiled, glad that his boyfriend had fun. "Nice game, Xae."
"That was fun. Want to play again?" The chipmunk smiled widely.
"Sure, Xae." The fox was more than happy to accommodate his boyfriend's request.
The two continued to play the game for some time, Xavier winning more times than Pent did though it certainly didn't bother the other cub who was more than happy just seeing the other cub smile. After about 5 games of it, they finally grew tired of it.
"Want to do something else?" Xavier stretched a bit since they had been sitting for a while.
Pent began picking up the pieces but stopped to answer his friend's question. "Sure, what do you want to do?"
"Do you like to watch anything on television?" The chipmunk wanted Pent to have more say in what they did.
The fox hummed. "We don't have many channels…but I like watching Nebula when it's on."
"I've never watched that before. What is it?" The smaller boy was curious.
The white fox smiled. "It's a show where they do experiments and stuff. Sometimes scientists come on to display their work. During the weekend they have shows for kids and stuff. I like it when I get a chance to watch it."
"Haha…Why am I not surprised?" Xavier shook his head.
Pent looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"You're just not like any other kid I've met. I love your personality." The chipmunk smiled widely.
The fox's tail wagged a bit behind him, though it was restrained by the floor. "Thanks, Xae. I like your personality too. Do you want to watch it with me?"
Xavier thought about it for a second but figured it would be boring.
"I have a better idea… Do you want to play some truth or dare? That might be fun." The chipmunk smirked as if it was something he'd played with girls in the past but never a boy.
The fox looked at him curiously. "Huh? What's that? I've never played that before."
"So it's a game where you either ask someone the truth and they have to tell you the truth. For Dare…they have to do what you say. I've only played it twice but it's usually fun." Xavier had some things in mind he wanted to ask Pent.
The bigger boy was curious more than anything else. "Sure, I guess. I'm game to try it."
Xavier proceeded to help his boyfriend put away the game. He couldn't help but be excited about trying truth or dare with Pent. It wasn't something he played often but the prospect of it remained intriguing to him. They finished cleaning up before Pent put it away in his closet. The cub turned around and took the chipmunk's hand in his own and held it. "
"Do you want to play here, Pent?" Xavier asked as they stood together next to one another.
The fox shrugged. "Sure, if you don't think it's too small. You can start if you want."
"Alright, Pent. Truth or Dare?" Xavier tugged Pent to the floor, sitting right next to the other boy.
Pent murmured. "Truth, I guess."
"Hmm. Was there ever a class you had difficulty in? You seem so smart." The smaller boy wanted to start slow.
The white fox thought about it for a second. "Some classes are hard but I try to work hard on anything I don't understand so I can perfect it."
"So…have you ever gotten below an A in anything?" He followed up with another question.
Pent was silent again for a moment. "I think the lowest I ever got was a 94. I wasn't very happy about that."
"Wow…okay. You're turn." Xavier squeezed Pent's hand a bit.
The fox didn't take long to speak up. "Truth or Dare?"
"Truth, I'll start easy." The chipmunk leaned in, eagerly awaiting the other boy's question.
Pent took a few seconds to come up with something. "What got you into lacrosse?"
"My Dad took me to a local game when I was younger. It was really fun so he took me to try it out and so I ended up joining a team. I've played lacrosse for like 6 years now." Xavier estimated the time and wasn't sure about it.
"Cool, I'd like to go to another one of your games when the season starts again." Pent had enjoyed himself last time despite how the team had treated him.
The chipmunk smiled. "I'm glad. I would love for you to come when I join another team. Truth or Dare?"
"Truth again." The fox wasn't sure he was quite prepared for a dare just yet.
Xavier thought to himself again. "What's your favorite subject? Is it Math or Science?"
"I like both but I prefer Science for sure. Truth or Dare?" Pent sat back against the bed bar.
The chipmunk decided to follow suit. "Truth."
"Hmm. Who taught you how to skateboard? You're good at it." The bigger boy remembered their playdate at the skate park.
The chipmunk put his arm behind his boyfriend. "I taught myself."
"That's cool. One day can you show me how?" Pent had never tried skateboarding before.
Xavier nodded. "Sure, dude…when the weather gets better. Truth or Dare?"
"I guess I'll try a dare…" The white cub was a bit nervous and looked down at the floor.
The smaller cub smirked noticing his friend seemed uncomfortable. "You don't have to do anything you don't want okay?"
"Thanks…" Pent meekly smiled and looked back up at his friend.
"Um…I dare you to…uh…run around the house and scream at the top of your lungs." Xavier came up with the silliest dare he could come up with.
The fox got up and proceeded to scamper around the house screaming as loud as he could before returning to sit by his friend on the floor.
"Your turn, Xae. Truth or Dare?" Pent hoped he would say dare as he already had an idea.
"Dare for sure…" Xavier didn't want to seem like a wimp.
Pent only took a split second to say what was on his mind. "I dare you to put your socks on your hands and try to do a handstand."
"Erm…I don't how to do a handstand." The chipmunk
had never tried one before.
The fox got up. "It's okay, I'll hold you up. Come on!"
"Finnnnne…." Xavier reached down to his feet and took off both his socks.
"Ew…they are all wet." He complained out loud as he held them out in his hands but didn't put them on.
Pent looked down at him. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
"Erm…yeah. I'll pass…I think these just need to go in my bag…haha. Do you mind if I stay barefoot?"
The fox shrugged. "Nah, it's cool."
Pent sat back down right next to Xavier. Now that he was barefoot he could see the top of his furry paws. He looked at them for a second but tried not to stare.
"You can give me another since I didn't do that one." Xavier threw the socks over to the bag in the corner.
The fox hadn't expected to need a backup. "Uh…I dare you to prank call someone and play a joke on them."
"Oh…that's easy. I can do that." Xavier took out his own and dialed a random number.
Xavier had never actually prank-called someone before. It took a few tries before someone answered.
"Hey…Is You're Fridge Running….Then you better go catch it!" The chipmunk chuckled as both of them chuckled when the deed was done.
The two of them kept to innocent questions and dares to one another. Neither were brave enough to cross the line of their comfort. They played for a while until they got bored of it when they started to run out of things to ask the other. Both boys yawned as it had been a long day and being stuck inside was boring. It was already getting close to dinner time and they weren't sure what else to do.
Pent got up and helped his boyfriend do the same. "Let's go get something to eat and take it easy the rest of the night unless there's something else you want to do?"
"Nah, relaxing sounds good to me. I'm tired." Xavier yawned and stretched.
They stood eye to eye for a moment. Gazing into one another's eyes. Pent took hold of Xavier's hands in his own. Leaning in and kissing the chipmunk square on the lips. The moment of affection lasted but a split second before he broke it up. Both boys blushed after the moment of soft embrace.
"Come on, Xae…Let's go get something to eat and get ready for bed." Pent smiled widely and kept holding his boyfriend's hand.
The chipmunk nodded. Both boy's emotions riding high. They proceeded into the kitchen where both of them helped in making dinner. Deciding together that they would have the same food, picking on a tuna-based dish since Pent didn't mind fish. It took a while to cook but when it was done, it smelt rather good. The fox served up the food while his friend served up the drinks and silverware.
They ate dinner together. Not saying much to one another. The moment of kissing hadn't spoiled their night but it made both boys quieter than normal. Both cubs think to themselves about different things. Pent hoped he hadn't made things weird and Xavier was finding that he more and more liking being kissed by Pent. When the meal was over, they got up and cleaned up the mess they made together.
"Do you like ice cream?" Pent asked finally breaking the ice again.
The chipmunk nodded. "Yeah."
"Would you like some?" The fox headed to the freezer assuming he would/
Xavier nodded. "Sure, I like whatever flavor. I'm not picky."
Pent found he only had one carton of rocky road, which was far from his favorite. He popped open the lid and saw there wasn't much inside. He handed the mostly empty carton to Xavier. The chipmunk looked at him confused.
"You don't want any?" The smaller cub asked.
Pent shook his head. "Nah. I don't like that flavor and there isn't much left."
The fox got himself some cookies and nibbled on one of them. Xavier only took a minute before finishing the carton. Washing it out and throwing it away. Pent finished what he was eating and they made their way out of the kitchen.
"Let's get ready for bed." Pent yawned as he was just as tired as the other boy was.
Xavier nodded and followed him into the room. The fox handed him the same pajamas he wore last time and grabbed some himself. Both boys took a shower one after the other with the chipmunk going first as he had before. By the time Pent came out of the shower, Xavier was already in the top bunk and under the sheets.
"Good night, Xae." Pent said as he got in his bed.
Xavier chirped back. "Night, Pent."
Pent peered out the window as he often did at night. The stars shining above. His heart was content and filled with happiness. Having a relationship was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Was this love? He couldn't be certain. He replayed the image in his mind over and over again until he shut his eyes. The cub was able to sleep soundly without a care in the world.
Xavier tossed and turned a bit. His mind was torn. The kiss from Pent was still fresh in his memory. It made him feel good inside but he was still uncertain about this. What would his friends do if they found out? He had already lost enough of his "friends" because of Pent. Did he want to lose more? Eventually, his mind gave way to his fatigue and he fell asleep. Dreaming of a school where he was popular once again.
The next morning they woke up to the sound of Xavier's phone going off. The cub was soon picked up by his father, not even let him stay for breakfast. Still upset about what had happened the only thing on his mind was discipline. Pent and Xavier knew it would be a while before they'd hang out again and waved to each other as they parted ways.
Xavier and Pent were not allowed to talk to each other through his grounding. It was only at school that they got to chat. The two seemingly had grown more distant since they last hung out. As such Pent had taken up volunteering at the school's clinic to occupy himself. Xavier had pulled back a bit, his uncertainty remained rampant in his mind. The fact that they had been apart certainly helped his issue, at least in his mind. Allowing his mind to rationalize what made sense to him.
It was deep into the cubs grounding. The only thing he was allowed to do was go to school. Pent wasn't even allowed to come to help him study. Something that didn't sit well with Xavier with a test on the horizon he wasn't prepared for. He had been procrastinating, telling himself that he could do it on his own. But without the hyper-focus of the fox cub, he was finding that he didn't have the self-discipline to study.
One day at school, Xavier was alone doing some work with one of his better friends. A younger otter, named Matthew, who he'd known since they were in primary school. Someone he considered himself quite close with despite the small age gap in their years. They were working on some busy work that they'd been assigned. The assignments interested neither of them and appeared to be filler.
"Are you still hanging out with that fox boy? Whatever his name is?" Matthew asked as he hadn't seen Xavier around the fox as much lately.
Xavier looked at him. "Who? Oh, Pent? Nah, my parents grounded me so we haven't hung out as much. It's fine though. He understands."
"Oh, that stinks. Did you hear about that girl, Gloria? You know…the most popular girl in the 3rd year?" The otter was always in on rumors.
The chipmunk had no idea what he was talking about. "No? What about her."
"Rumor has it…she has a thing for you. You should ask her on a date. You're not dating anyone right?" Matt asked looking up at the chipmunk.
Xavier shook his head. "Nah. It's been a while since I dated anyone."
"You should go for it. I bet you guys would make a cute couple." It wouldn't be the first time that he'd set up Xavier on a date.
The chipmunk cub looked at him. "Wasn't she dating Davis? Why is she so interested in me all of the sudden?"
"She probably heard you're popular. After all that girl is a bit of an attention seeker from what I hear." The otter looked at his friend expectantly.
Xavier thought about it for a second. This was the opportunity he was looking for. A chance to have a "normal" straight relationship. A chance to regain his status as a popular boy. Telling himself that Pent wouldn't care. After all Pent told him he just wanted to see Xavier happy.
"Alright, I will hit her up later." The chipmunk began thinking about the girl.
Xavier proceeded to avoid Pent the rest of the day. At lunch, the chipmunk decided to make his move. He saw that Gloria was hanging out with nothing but a bunch of girls. Gloria herself was a stout wolf. She was older than he was and perceived by many as mature. A grey wolf with long luxurious hair, often wearing way too much perfume and makeup on her. Many thought it to be tacky but she was much too popular for most kids to even think about confronting.
He grabbed his lunch and sat down next to her, without even bothering to ask.
"Hi, Gloria. A friend told me you were looking for me?" The chipmunk wanted to start slow.
She looked at him seeming surprised. "Ah, the Lacrosse star. I've heard a lot about you. You're a cute one for sure."
"Thanks." Xavier blushed a bit as the wolf was pretty even with the over usage of makeup.
The wolf touched his nose. "And would a cutie like yourself like to go on a date with me?"
"Sure, I don't see why not. I'm grounded right now, though." The chipmunk wanted to be honest with her.
Her ears dropped a bit. "Oh, I see. Well, why not sneak out? It's more fun to not do what your parents say isn't it?"
"Well…I didn't think I deserved to be grounded. It wasn't my fault." He huffed angrily and folded his arms.
The girl got close to his ear. "Then it's a date I take it?"
"You're on, Gloria." Xavier figured hanging with one of the most popular girls in school would help his status.
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek causing him to blush again. "See you tonight."
The wolf grabbed his hand and held it her own. It was firm, much more assertive than Pent's own. The two rambled on at lunch about
nothing specific, seeming to enjoy the company of the other. Xavier already feels glad about replacing Pent with a girl. Telling himself that his best friend wouldn't care. That Pent would just let their relationship go like it was no big deal and that he would understand.
Pent was sitting by himself. The cub didn't have friends outside of Xavier. Santiago was just someone he happened to know. The fox didn't make much of the fact his boyfriend didn't eat lunch with him. He wasn't overbearing and knew that Xavier was popular. Still, he couldn't help but feel lonely when he wasn't around. A familiar feeling he had become all too used to before meeting the other cub.
Still, the fox wasn't one to mope around. He got by and often bottled up his own emotions. He looked around and saw Xavier sitting next to the wolf girl. The wolf girl rubbed his back, being more than close to his supposed boyfriend. The cub certainly wasn't about to distract whatever his friend was doing but he kept a close eye on the two as they exited the lunch room. It appeared they were holding hands, Xavier had a huge smile on his face.
Pent's heart sank in his chest. An immense emptiness began to fill him. Was Xavier interested in this girl? He couldn't help but think it was the case. He knew they had very little in common that considered himself to be boring. After all…who would want to go out with a nerd like himself? At least that's what he asked himself…trying to understand what he had just seen. His somewhat negative mindset began to dig into him, making him think the worst.
The fox had planned to ask Xavier about it at lunch but the chipmunk boy did not show up. Little did he know that his supposed boyfriend had skipped class to hang out with her. She had convinced him to dip school. Something he'd never done before and something he was more than happy to do for her. His mind is only on regaining some semblance of status and being perceived as normal as possible.
Pent went home that day with Samaliel as he did every day when Xavier wasn't there to go with him. The fox didn't let up as to what happened that day. After all the younger didn't know about their relationship and Pent wasn't sure it was appropriate to share it with him. The older fox dug his snout into another book. Eager to wash his fears away with what he was reading. His brother thought nothing of it since it was something he always did.
Xavier got home rather late that night. His parents were both worried and furious. His father had tried to pick him up and they couldn't find him. They thought he had been abducted or something worse. Even the authorities had been notified, only to be called off when he showed up at home after dinner. His mother hugged him, glad that he was home but beside herself. The chipmunk had tried to come up with a white lie but was dismissed when both of them didn't believe him.
Xavier was grounded for another 2 weeks. They warned him if he did it again, that it would be a month next time and that all of his privileges would be revoked. He didn't care. He thought the date with Gloria went well. She seemed to have fun. But for him, he felt nothing. Like he was going through the motions. She was pretty but her personality was brash. He wasn't sure what he liked about her.
Over the next week, Xavier and Pent would grow more distant. Xavier continued to hang out with Gloria. Making sure that he was always in public, in the view of someone else. Crowds of students were beginning to take notice. Word of their relationship grew and rumors circulated that they were a couple. Of course, Pent heard about it and it only confirmed his worse fears.
One day after school, Pent happened to be walking behind Xavier and Gloria. The fox was on his way to the bus. He barely even spoke to the chipmunk anymore except at passing. Even those few moments were becoming less and less now. Around the couple was a crowd of kids, all of which was wishing to catch a glimpse of the star-studded pair. It was like something out of a royal wedding, except something they could relate to and see with their own eyes.
Pent kept himself removed from the drama. He still had feelings for Xavier and thought about him occasionally. He knew the other cub had said he wanted their relationship to be private. But this sudden interest in Gloria bothered him. He thought the chipmunk liked him and they had a couple of moments that he thought were special. Yet none of that seemed to be the case, it all seemed like a distant memory to him.
Pent was feeling jealous. He didn't like seeing his supposed boyfriend with the girl. Walking behind them he looked at the chipmunk from behind. He had a smile on his face, he seemed happy. It appeared they were talking.
"You're not still hanging out with that fox, are you? People told me you were friends with him and I can't afford dating a nerd." The girl warned him and pestered him about it the entire week, slowly convincing him that it wasn't worth his time.
Pent's heart sank and he stood there afraid of what Xavier would say next.
"Nah, I'm not hanging out with him anymore. I haven't even talked to him since we started dating. He wasn't my friend anyways." The chipmunk had recovered his public image and wasn't about to lose it now.
The fox felt rage build inside him. His trust in the other boy instantly shattered. Touching the medallion on his neck and clutching it. Lies...Deceipt...Exploitation...Pent felt disgusted and disappointed towards the other cub but more so towards himself.
"Good. I don't want to hear about him again, ever. If I do...it's over between us. I have an image to maintain and that doesn't include people who associate with nerds." She was serious as she was only concerned with that. Xavier was naught but a tool for her perception.
"I won't hang out with him anymore I promise. Besides you're way cooler than him anyways." The chipmunk told her exactly what he thought she wanted to hear.
Pent ripped the medallion from his neck and threw it on the floor before storming away. It was apparent the friendship he enjoyed so much was over. His heart had been crushed. He was without words as he walked from them without being noticed. Samaliel had noticed the little fit and immediately knew something was wrong. The white face was sullen with sadness, trying his hardest to not get emotional.
"Pent, what happened?" The younger brother tried to figure it out as he didn't have the whole story.
The fox wanted to cry but held back the tears. "Nothing, Samaliel."
"It's nothing. I can tell you are upset. Where is your necklace?" Samaliel knew his brother always wore the piece of jewelry.
Pent huffed. "I threw it away."
"Why? Did you and Xavier fight?" He looked over and saw the chipmunk still hanging out with the wolf girl.
The white fox looked to the ground. "I guess. I don't want to talk about it, Sama."
"Pent, why do you always have to try and hide your emotions from me?" The younger boy could read his brother perfectly.
Pent stared him down. "We're going to miss the bus, Sama."
"Fine...but this isn't over." Samaliel waited for Pent to walk away, making sure to pick up the necklace he'd seen Pent drop and stashed it in his pocket.
They went into the bus. Pent hadn't seen his brother walk away so he didn't know what he did. The two brothers proceeded onto the bus, Samaliel made sure to sit next to his brother. The white fox looked out the window seeming distant. Not even bothering to pull out a book like he always did.
"Pent, please? I know something is wrong and I want to help." Samaliel touched his brother's shoulder.
The white fox turned around, a single tear dripping from his eye. Still managing to control his emotions and not lose himself.
"I don't want to talk about it in public." Pent didn't want to get upset in front of people.
Samaliel could respect that and decided to hold him to it. Pent returned his gaze out the window. Trying his hardest to control himself and not break down. Taking a deep breath and just looking at the clouds. Part of him blamed himself. Xavier could have anyone he wanted. Why would he hang out let alone date someone like him? The inner dialogue within himself continued.
The bus churned off into the distance back to its usual route. Snow on the main roads was beginning to thin out and it was almost warm enough to get rid of winter clothing. Spring was right around the corner and with it the return to the outdoors for more fun was all too real for most cubs. Pent himself wasn't a fan of the season as it took his body a while to shed his winter coat but was looking forward to not having to wear thick clothes all the time.
The bus was able to make better time than the last few months. Less snow meant it could go its normal speed and not take detours. Pent and Samaliel padded off the vehicle with their bags in hand. The white fox let them inside their home. As usual, there was no car in front which meant their foster mother was missing in action again. Once they were in the living room, they took their shoes off and set their bags on the floor.
Pent led his brother over to the couch and sat down on it next to the other cub.
"So…what happened?" Samaliel was concerned about his brother being lonely again.
The older boy took a deep breath. "Xavier doesn't want to be my friend anymore?"
"How come? I mean….you've done so much together and seemed to get along so well." The younger fox assumed that they fought.
Pent shrugged. "I guess he thinks I'm a nerd now like everyone else."
"Pent, I don't think you're a nerd…you're just different." Samaliel had grown up knowing his brother's quirks and understood them all too well.
The white fox sighed. "I know, Sama. You know what I mean though."
"Right…well what changed? It didn't seem to bother him before." The younger fox wanted to help him solve his problem.
Pent
looked away. "He's going out with Gloria…the most popular third-year student. I heard them talking about it and yeah…"
"Ah, so you think the girl caused a change in his personality?" Samaliel knew that liking girls was a thing even if he didn't understand it himself just yet.
The older boy frowned. "I guess."
"Maybe you should talk to him about it. See what he says?" The salt and pepper boy just wanted to see Pent to try and save his friendship.
The bigger cub shook his head. "Nah, he hurt my feelings. I heard what he said today. I'm not interested in being lied to anymore."
"Don't you think you should give him a chance? I understand he hurt your feelings but maybe there was a misunderstanding?" He continued to try and be positive about it.
Pent looked at him eye to eye. "There's more to it than that, Sama…It's not that simple."
"Then tell me what else there is? I'm trying to help you here." The younger boy pleaded with him.
The fox shook his head. "Nah. I give up, Samaliel. I'm not cut out to have friends. Thanks for trying."
Pent got up from the sofa and headed back to their room. Samaliel knew there was something more to this than he thought but it was evident his brother didn't walk to talk about it. He couldn't help but feel bad for his brother. Wanting nothing more than for Xavier to make up with Pent and for his brother to forgive him. He decided he wasn't just going to let this go. He wanted to see Pent happy again.
The rest of the night went like normal for the two cubs. They made and ate dinner together and Pent went back to reading his latest book. The slight distraction in his mind wasn't enough to keep him from doing his favorite activity. After all, it helped him drown out his problems. At bedtime, he glanced into the stars. His heart was still sore and his person was filled with sadness. He closed his eyes and hoped for better days.
The next day Samaliel had planned to confront Xavier. It wasn't the first time he'd stood up for his brother. Seeing his brother back to his old ways wasn't something he wanted. Pent had changed since meeting Xavier, something Samaliel didn't want to see him revert to. He knew he needed to act fast before it was too late. The younger fox knew his brother could carry grudges like no one's business, especially because of all the times he'd been misled in the past.
That morning before school, Pent and Samaliel parted ways. The younger fox knew that his brother had been volunteering at the clinic to get first aid training. They had been going early every so often to accommodate it. The school had even arranged early pickup for them, much to the younger fox's dismay. Though, Pent seemed to like it so Samaliel just went along with the motions. But Today was different…Samaliel knew Xavier had to show up eventually and he waited for him.
Samaliel hangs out in front of the secondary school. He occasionally checked his phone to see the time. He remembered that Xavier was normally dropped off by his parents and looked to see if he could spot the boy getting out. It took a while before he showed up. The salt and pepper fox wasted no time in getting up. He didn't want Xavier to get swooped up by whoever the girl was or one of his friends.
Xavier was about to head over to the spot where the "cool" kids hung out. He hadn't even gotten an idea to get himself situated until he saw his old friend's younger brother approaching him. The chipmunk tried to avoid him by walking around but each time he made a movement the cub copied it.
"You're not going anywhere until you talk to me." Samaliel was rather abrupt when he wanted something.
The chipmunk rolled his eyes. "Get out of my way."
"No. I just want to talk to you. Give me a few minutes of your time and I'll leave you alone forever." The salt and pepper fox gave him an offer he couldn't refuse.
Xavier sighed. "Fine. 3 minutes. Out with it."
"What's your deal? Why don't you want to be friends with my brother anymore?" Samaliel folded his arms defensively.
The chipmunk shook his head. "We have nothing in common. He's a nerd. I don't want to hang out with him anymore."
"You're a jerk you know that? My brother liked hanging out with you. Now he doesn't want to have friends anymore." The salt and pepper fox said with an angry face.
Xavier hesitated a second before responding. "So? It's not just about him, is it? I have feelings too you know."
The chipmunk pushed his way past Samaliel. "Fine, be that way. I hope you are happy."
Samaliel stormed away and sighed deeply. He felt bad for Pent but this was beyond anything he could handle. It remained at the back of his mind. Thoughts of his brother being forever without a friend. Without knowing true friendship.
Another week passed. Xavier's grades continued to slip. His behavior continued to degrade. Skipping classes and being late to class, all in the name of dating Gloria. He was very much in the limelight now. Everyone talked about him and rumors about what they did were all he heard about. To say it inflated his ego would be an understatement. His parents had even forbade him to pursue the relationship, telling him it was a bad decision. Of course, he didn't care and did it anyways.
Then one day at school, it all came crashing down for Xavier. He was failing several classes now. He had applied to the local lacrosse team and had been denied because of his grades. His parents had been warned multiple times about his truancy and lateness issues. He was on the verge of being suspended. He was riding a very fine line between delinquency and order.
Many of his so-called new friends had noticed the change. Of course, they saw it as cool. The rebel jock who was rocking the boat. It was like something out of a movie and they complimented him about it time and time again. Xavier had continued the charade to pacify them. Enjoying more and more of the attention he was getting. He was very much at the behest of the girl who he fixated over.
Then it happened all at once. Gloria dumped him, in front of all of his so-called friends. Xavier was in complete disbelief. He had served his purpose for her. He was not but a tool of her device for popularity. Now that she had manipulated him and got what she wanted, she was done with him. Leaving him a sad wreck, a shell of his own poor decisions, and without anyone in the world.
That day at lunch Xavier sat by himself. Entirely alone. No one wanted to sit with him. The so-called friends he had "earned" over the past few weeks no longer wanted anything to do with him. Still hanging around Gloria who began to search for her newest victim. She cackled as she pointed and laughed at the chipmunk who was left to his suffering.
Pent too was alone. It was something he'd gotten used to again. Santiago hadn't been assigned his lunchtime in a while. He saw the chipmunk in the corner of his eye. The fox kit knew loneliness all too well. Part of him still liked Xavier, not wanting him to be sad. The fox got up with his lunch tray and proceeded to walk around to the table where his old friend was.
"Is someone sitting here?" The white fox asked with a meek smile on his face.
Xavier looked up at him. "Pent?"
"Yeah, I saw you were alone so I thought I'd ask to see if you want company." Pent looked around and noticed Gloria's crew was looking at them.
The brown-furred boy nodded softly. The fox joined him at the table. The kids behind them started yelling "Nerds!"
"Don't mind them…I promise you to get used to it." The white fox tuned out the insults he knew all too well.
The chipmunk sighed. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because that's what friends do for one another. I can't let you sit alone." The white fox decided his issues could wait to make Xavier feel better.
Xavier looked at him with tears in his eyes. "But…I was such a jerk to you."
"I'm not interested in revenge Xavier. I just want to be your friend." Pent still felt hurt but still felt compassion for Xavier.
The chipmunk looked down. "I'm sorry, Pent. I shouldn't have treated you like that."
"Let's worry about that later, alright. Just eat your lunch. I don't want you to go hungry because of what Gloria did." The fox had heard about him being dumped.
The brown-furred boy nodded and started eating his food, it made him feel better about himself. Despite no one else being around, he felt good that Pent was near him. At least he had one friend, he told himself.
"Pent…do you mind helping me study again? I'm not doing too hot in my classes and my parents are upset at me. You don't have to if you don't want." Xavier knew the cub was upset with him and thought he wouldn't take him up on it.
The white fox thought about it for a few seconds. "I don't have a problem with that."
"Wait…what? You're going to help me?" The chipmunk seem surprised.
Pent shrugged. "Sure."
"You are too nice, Pent. I don't deserve your help." The smaller cub confided within himself about his poor choices.
The fox shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I would like to see you do better in school."
"Thanks, Pent…I'm still grounded so you won't be able to stay long okay?" Xavier figured his parents wouldn't mind if the fox boy came over to help him.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll meet you after school then."
Xavier and Pent reported to gym class after lunch. The fox was glad that he'd gotten his friend back. The chipmunk still dealing with the fallout of his own decisions. In gym class, they were tasked with playing basketball. A game neither of them liked nor that either of them was good at it. Though they still participated, happy to get a little physical activity. Xavier finally showed a little more willingness to participate in the class than he had lately.
After school, Pent and Xavier walked out together. Samaliel was surprised to see them around each other again. Though, he was glad things had appeared
to resolve themselves again. Pent informed his brother of his plan who was alright with him not showing up til later. Noticing that the older fox had a smile on his face. The first time that he'd seen his brother happy in what seemed like weeks.
Xavier led Pent to the car loop where his father soon arrived to pick him up. The older chipmunk inside was surprised to see the fox around again since it had been a while.
"Hey, Dad. Can Pent come over to help me study?" He asked with a smile on his face.
The father looked at Pent and then back at him. "Certainly….but he goes home after you're done."
"Yes, sir." It was the most respectful he'd been since starting dating Gloria.
He drove them back to the chipmunk's house. The cub's mother was more than glad to see Pent around again. She thought that Gloria was a bad influence on her son and thought this meant he'd moved on from her finally. Xavier and Pent walked to the smaller cub's room where he pulled out his math book and they started working. Pent was much more strict than usual, making sure that Xavier did everything over at least three times.
They had been working on math for about an hour, seemingly lost track of time. Xavier's mother had come to check on them. They were still at the desk with Pent looking over Xavier's shoulder checking his work. It was the hardest she'd ever seen him work and it made her smile. She decided to take Pent home and could wait a bit longer. They continued working on the math for another hour. By the end of it, Xavier had a headache.
Pent was happy with the progress he made. He was certain that Xavier would do well.
"I want to know what you get on your test, alright?" Pent said with a serious look on his face.
Xavier looked at the clock and then back at his friend. "Yeah, too bad we spent the entire night on math."
"It's fine. I want you to get your grades up. I don't want you to be grounded forever. That's not any fun." The fox wasn't one to like seeing his friend cooped up.
Xavier started to feel guilty at how nice Pent was treating him. "Pent…I think I owe you an explanation."
"Hmm? About what happened?" The white fox had been avoiding the issue until now.
The chipmunk nodded. "Yeah…your brother told me you overheard Gloria and I talking and….you know I dated her and stuff."
"I won't lie I was pretty upset when I heard you told her that you didn't want to hang out with me anymore. I thought we were friends…" Pent wasn't sure what to expect.
"I know…I'm sorry. I was a jerk to you. Look…I was stupid. I thought she would make me popular again. Dating her brought me more attention than I ever had in my life. It was exhilarating. She was brash and abrupt. She often interrupted me. She was just a brat. I didn't even like her. She was attractive sure….but that was all she had going for her. But she made me feel nothing. Like something was missing from my life. I might not have admitted it….but I missed being with you, Pent." Xavier tried to be as honest as possible.
It took a moment for Pent to process the information. "I see. I guess I can understand that. I've never seen the appeal of being popular but I guess it doesn't matter now."
"No, she used me to get what she wanted and dumped me. I was disappointed and lost. I thought I had lost everything. All of the friends I had gained went back to her. I thought you would hate me. I felt completely alone." Xavier looked down as if disappointed in himself.
Pent sighed. "Then now you understand how I felt. You made me feel lied to and unloved. Before I met you I never knew true friendship. People would only talk to me when they wanted something. You're the only friend I have in my life, Xavier. I like you…a lot. You know how I feel about you. I don't care what people think about me. I just want to be with you…boyfriends or not."
"Pent…I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?" Xavier wanted to repair the friendship.
The fox hummed. "Just be honest with me. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong I want to be boyfriends with you but if you don't want to then that's fine. Just don't lead me on anymore…"
Xavier stuttered. "The whole idea of being seen as gay has been something that's bothered me since we first hung out. I like hanging out with you. You make me feel happy. I enjoyed going out with you on a date the few times we had. But my brain is stupid, okay? I'm confused. I don't understand my feelings. I don't know what I want."
Pent frowned. "I guess I never thought about it like that. I've never had feelings for anyone else before. It never occurred to me to consider it gay or whatever. I didn't care to think about it. I don't care if it means that I'm gay, Xavier. I just want to be with you."
A moment of silence was shared between them as the chipmunk thought to himself.
"I am touched you have feelings for me. I like you too, Pent. I'm glad you feel comfortable around me enough to share it with me." Xavier blushed a bit.
Pent got on his knee and took the other cub's hand in his own. "So what do you say? Do you want to be my boyfriend again? No one has to know if you want."
"Nah, Pent. I can't. It's not fair to you. You're feelings matter just as much as mine do." The brown-furred boy squeezed the other cub's hand a bit tighter.
The fox looked down as if disappointed. "Oh….alright."
Xavier put Pent's hand on his chest. "Pent, I would love to be your boyfriend again but I don't want to sneak around anymore. I want people to know…I want them to know we're together and that you're my special guy."
Pent's face lit up. "R-really? Do you mean it?"
The chipmunk got on his knees so he could hug Pent. Pulling him in tightly before landing a kiss on his lips. The embrace lasted a few seconds before he pulled away. Both boys' faces blushed profusely.
"Yeah, Pent. From this day forward….you are the only one I want to date. I don't care what people think about me." Xavier smiled warmly.
Pent took Xavier's hand and clutched it in his own. "Thanks, Xae. It means a lot to me…I love you."
The white fox brought him in for another kiss. Extending his arms over the other boy's back, exploring his body a bit. The kiss lasted what seemed like a minute. It was the most passionate thing he could muster. Both cubs' hearts were beating rather quickly when they pulled apart again.
Xavier got up and helped his boyfriend do the same. The two came back out front to report they were done. His father gladly took the fox cub home. The chipmunk still felt a little crummy about his day but he was glad that he'd worked things out with Pent. He wondered if he made the right choice to try being boyfriends again. He still wanted to try it but he still wasn't sure how it would work out. Telling himself that it would be worth it in the end.
Pent returned home pretty giddy with himself. A huge smile on his face once again. His heart was filled with happiness and possibilities. He told Samaliel what happened, leaving out choice details. The younger cub gave him the two necklaces, happy that they had reconciled. Pent was surprised to see them hanging out again. When in bed, he stared at the stars thinking what was to come. Certain that his life would get better from here.
