The Good Neighbor - Part 2 by XPAuthor < Submission | Inkbunny, the Furry Art Community

Keywords male 1165415, female 1053901, squirrel 29983, chipmunk 12648, zebra 6832, truck 700, bike 627, business 501, bullies 166, neighbor 118, implied abuse 40

The Good Neighbor

Part 2

By XP Author

Over the course of the next several weeks, Jay started to learn some patterns. His neighbors were thankfully quiet for most of the week, though Veronica would sometimes still start shouting at her daughter for whatever reason. Usually involving some kind of mess that was left. The fucking noises were mostly a weekend thing, Friday and Saturday most of all, but sometimes Sundays. He was almost certain that the woman was some kind of prostitute now, considering that it was never the same man twice that left afterwards. Or maybe she made amateur porn videos. That was possible, too. She didn't seem to do anything else other than yell at her daughter, drink, and smoke several packs of cigarettes a day.

Well, she did hit on him constantly, too. Every time he went outside while she was around, she would try to proposition him. If he was lucky, she didn't reek of alcohol at the time. More positively, he got the chance to talk to Arin a little more. He had started greeting her in the mornings as she left for school. Even when he didn't have to go to the office that day, he would drink his coffee outside to say hello to her and wish her a good day. At first, she was very hesitant to say much more than a hello and goodbye to him, but after about two weeks, she seemed to perk up a little when she saw him outside to send her off. He even managed to get her to stop calling him Sir all the time, instead settling for Mr. McGavin. He still would have preferred she just call him Jay, but he understood how awkward it was for kids to call adults by their first name. He still thought of some of his old neighbors as Mr. or Mrs. whatever, despite being older now than they were when he knew them.

This morning was another that he was going to have to go into the office. A new shipment was coming in, and he would need to be there for it. But he still waited outside for Arin. Soon enough, she came out, as always in her pigtails and baggy clothing, this time mostly green. When she saw him, her expression did brighten just a little. He waved to her. "Good morning, Arin."

She smiled and waved back. "Good morning, Mr. McGavin."

He stepped down the steps as he watched her getting her bike. "Hey, I've got to head into the office this morning. You want a ride to school?"

She pushed her bike out like she always did, but she looked at his truck and seemed to actually consider the offer. Though then she turned to look at her front door, her expression falling a little. "I... uh... I shouldn't..."

He put his hands on his hips. "You sure? It is on the way, so it's no trouble. And you could just put your bike in the back of the truck, so you don't even need to worry about me waiting to pick you up or anything."

She hesitated again, her expression falling a little more. "N-no... b-but thank you! I-I just don't want... Mom getting upset..." She smiled at him. "She doesn't like me bothering you."

He let out a slight snort, his big tail flicking behind him. "You're not annoying me." He took a breath, then let it out slowly. "But I don't want to make your mother angry with you, either. So okay. I can talk to her to let her know it's alright, though. It's really no problem at all."

Arin nodded, getting onto the bike. "O-okay... if you want." She managed a smile at him. "Um... have a nice day, Mr. McGavin!" She waved as she started off.

He waved back. "You, too, Arin!" He watched her ride away, then turned to look at her front door. He didn't have the time right now to talk to Veronica about driving Arin to school, but he probably should at some point. But he did need to get to the office, so he got into his truck and soon was on his way. He did wave to the girl as he passed her, and for the first time, she waved back at him. That certainly brightened his mood.

He managed to get to the shop before the delivery truck did, beating it by only a few minutes. He had barely started the computer in his office when he heard the bell the drivers used. He took the paperwork from the grizzled badger, and showed him where the pallets could be dropped off, but mostly stayed out of his way while he unloaded the truck. It was not a huge delivery, so it was done in only around twenty minutes. With all the papers signed, the driver was off again before Zinda had even arrived.

The zebra did get there as he was unboxing things, though. "Oh! New delivery? What'd we get this time?"

He shifted to the side to show one of the open boxes. "Bunch of new fishing gear. Some new tackle boxes, line, and reels. All from that new company. Still need to test it out first hand, but it's pretty good quality so I ordered a batch."

She put her hands on her hips. "You still haven't gone out on the water with that new rod they sent you?" He shook his head. "I know how much you love fishing. You must be itching to get out there again."

He chuckled. "Yeah. I really am. Just haven't found the time." He pointed to his office. "I haven't even dropped it off yet. Still sitting in there. Haven't even strung it up, yet."

She scoffed at him, then grabbed one of the boxes and picked it up with noticeable ease. "Well, I should order you to take a break and go out on the water. If for no other reason than to test the products you were given."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm supposed to be your boss." She just chuckled at him. The two finished unpacking and reorganizing the storefront to display the new stock. It sat nicely among the rest of the fishing gear. It was definitely some of the most popular stuff they sold. Made sense, being a coast city and all. A lot of people liked to go fishing around here.

The day went by surprisingly quickly. Before Jay knew it, afternoon had rolled around. He bid Zinda a farewell for the day, though she made sure he took the fishing gear samples with him before he left. He just put them in the back of his truck for now and headed off back home. It was not long before he found himself passing the middle school again. It seems it had just let out a bit ago, as there were a ton of cars coming and going in and out of the place, and he saw several of the busses pulling away in the distance.

Then he saw something that distracted him so much that he nearly slammed into the car in front of him. It was Arin. But the girl was not on her bike, instead just pushing the thing... awkwardly. Almost carrying it more than pushing it. Her head was also low, and her clothes looked... wet. As he got closer, he saw why the way she was pushing the bike looked strange. The front wheel was bent badly, with a very distinct dent. He decided to pull over as soon as he could. Thankfully, one of the waiting parents was just pulling away from the curb, so he quickly slid himself into the spot.

He got out when he could, thankfully before she passed him, and called out. "Arin! Hey!"

The girl flinched when she heard him call her name, gasping and looking around almost in fear. Then she saw him, and her head hung again. "Oh... H-Hello, Mr. McGavin."

He made his way over to her. "Hey. What happened to your bike?"

She looked away again, her ears folding back a little. "I-I... um... J-just hit a pot hole..." Despite her best efforts to not look at him, he could tell she had been crying.

As he got closer, he saw that the wheel was not the only issue. The chain was also hanging loose, and the gears looked like they were bent. If he didn't know any better, he'd say they were smashed by something. "That must have been some pothole... And I'm guessing it was also a very wet pothole?" She flinched, nodding quickly. He didn't buy it for a moment, especially as he could smell just what it was soaked into her clothing. "Never seen a pothole filled with apple juice before." She just squeaked, flinching slightly in place. "Does this pothole have a name?"

She whimpered slightly, then just sighed, knowing she was caught. "C-Cindy... and Becky... a-and Kathy."

He nodded slowly. "Three potholes, then, huh?" She nodded slowly. "Does this happen a lot?"

The young girl hesitated for a long moment, but then nodded again. "Y-yes... but this is the first time they've smashed my bike..."

He sighed softly, crouching down a little in front of her. "Well. I'd very much like to talk to the parents of these potholes." The girl whimpered again, but he continued. "More importantly, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

After another moment, she answered. "N-no. They just dumped a bunch of juice on me and laughed."

He believed that part. She didn't seem hurt, at least. "Alright. Well, c'mon. I'll give you a ride home. You can put that in the back of my truck. And don't worry about getting the seat wet or anything. I have a spare towel you can sit on."

She tried to protest. "Y-you don't have to. I can walk..."

He scoffed. "Nonsense. It's miles to the house! It'll take you over an hour to get there, especially dragging a broken bike with you." He stood up again. "Besides, I live next door. It's not like I'm going out of my way."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second, but then eventually relented. "Alright..." He smiled and helped her carry the bike over to his truck. More he helped her get it into the back, setting it down next to the stuff he had from work. He also tied it down with a bungie so it wouldn't bounce around. He also grabbed the towel for her. It was a big beach mat type thing in dark blue, and almost bigger than she was. She dried herself off a little, but she'd need to change to really get dry. So instead, he just spread it out on the passenger seat for her so it covered both the seat and the back. He helped her up and inside, since it was a bit tall for her short legs.

Once she was all situated, he got into the driver's seat and turned the truck back on again. "Don't worry, I'm sure your mom will understand. I'll explain it to her myself." The girl just whimpered again, and he knew he hit one of her worries. "And, I'll even do you one better. I'll help fix the thing up for you."

That got her attention. "W-wait, you will!?" She quashed her excitement a moment later. "B-but... how?"

He chuckled as he pulled out into the slow moving traffic. "Well, my shop might not be a sporting goods store, but we do have contracts with a lot of the same types of companies. I know a few that produce bikes. I can get some spare parts ordered for you. New gear, new chain, new wheel, all that. Should even be able to get a vendor discount."

"B-but... I... I can't... pay you..." She looked away a little. "I... don't have any money... so-"

"Don't worry about it." He saw the worried look out of the corner of his eye. "I'm just being neighborly. You don't owe me anything." He smirked. "Maybe just a smile and a hello in the morning like usual. Think you can afford that?" She actually giggled a little, nodding slowly. "Good. And I'll talk to your mom and let her know I can give you a ride to and from school while I get the parts." He held up a hand before she even said anything. "Only if she says it's okay. It's my idea, so you're not bothering me! Got it?"

The little chipmunk nodded again. "O-okay..."

He smiled. "Good." He did what he could to hide his own excitement. He had wanted to get to know her better. Not just for the lewd reasons his mind conjured, but she genuinely seemed like she could use a friend, and he would be happy to do even a little to cheer her up. She did seem a little more perked up during the ride back at least. He was sure she was worrying all about how to get to school with her bike trashed. He hadn't seen any of the busses go near their place, so it was probably a walk to the nearest stop, too.

After a few minutes of silence, the young girl spoke up. "So... do you go fishing a lot?"

He blinked as the question came out of seemingly nowhere. "Huh? Yeah, though not as much as I'd like these days. Why?"

"Oh... I saw the fishing rod and stuff in the back." He had already forgotten he put all that back there. "I've never been fishing, but I've always wanted to try. It seems... nice."

He smiled. "It is. Very relaxing. Though some people find it boring, but I love it." He chuckled a little. "I actually have a boat that I like to go out on the water with. I just haven't found the time latel-"

"You have a boat!?" She excitedly interrupted him, though she lowered her head a little after that.

He chuckled. "Yeah. Got it parked over at the pier in one of their... boat garages." There really was no better term for it. It wasn't exactly a boat house. "I could show you some time. Though I doubt your mom would let me take you out with it. But I could ask."

She whimpered. "N-no... sh-she wouldn't let me do that...." She frowned and looked away again. "She doesn't like me being away for a long time..."

He nodded, figuring as much. Veronica seemed... very overbearing, to put it mildly. "Well, I can still see about showing it to you some time. Even if we don't go out."

Arin got a little smile. "I'd like that..."

Soon enough, they were home. He pulled into his driveway and turned the truck off. "Alright. I'll get the bike. You go get your mom so I can talk with her about giving you a ride for school, okay?" She nodded slowly and half-fell out of the seat onto her feet.

He was just pulling the bike out of the back when he heard the woman yelling. "ARIN! Where the hell have you been!? What are you doing bothering nice Mr. McGavin!?"

Arin sputtered a little. "I-I w-wasn't..."

"I don't want to hear it!" She swatted the girl's arm none-too gently, speaking through grit teeth. "Get your sorry ass back in the house now!"

Jay did what he could to keep his temper under control. "It was no bother, Veronica." He set the bike down. "Seems Arin ran afoul of a pothole and did a number on her bike." He saw the thankful look the girl gave him using her excuse. "Thankfully, she wasn't hurt. I was just on my way home and passing by and thought I'd offer her a ride."

The older chipmunk gave him a forced sweet look that made his fur crawl. "Oh, that's very kind of you, Jay. But you don't need to go out of your way for that girl. She's always doing something like this."

"It's no trouble." He leaned the bike against the side of the house. "In fact, I wanted to talk to you..." He glanced up to see Arin just going inside. "In private."

Veronica perked up hearing that. "Oh?" She gave him a... he guessed it was lustful look. "What about?"

"About Arin and the bike..."

Her expression immediately fell. "Oh..." She sighed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "What about it?"

He explained what he had said to Arin about his shop being able to get parts, possibly at a discount. He was also handy with a wrench, so he could install everything. He was pretty sure the fact he was willing to do all of this for free was the only reason she even considered saying yes. "There's also the matter of Arin going to and from school while the parts are being ordered. Since I literally pass by the school, I figure I could give her a lift until everything is all fixed up. Again, no charge or anything. Just... being neighborly."

The woman's mood seemed to have turned very foul. Or more, she had dropped the sweet act and was acting normal. "I'm sure you are." She let out another heavy sigh, and he had to resist coughing as another puff of smoke wafting in front of his face. "So long as you're not charging for it, then fine. Don't want the school calling about her again." She pointed at him, almost poking his chest. "But don't you go doing her too many favors like this! She's spoiled enough! Give her an inch, and she'll take a mile."

He forced a laugh, backing away a step. "I'll keep that in mind." Now he was sure of it. He was definitely going to spoil the hell out of her every chance he got.

* * *

He made sure to get up bright and early the next morning. After his morning coffee and a bagel with some cream cheese, he made his way outside and waited for Arin. He did not have to wait too long. She came out not much longer than he did, her hair in the usual pig tails, her baggy clothing a light blue this time, and her pink backpack over her shoulder. She had her usual dour look she had in the mornings, but seeing him, she brightened up a little. He smiled to her. "Good morning, Arin. You all set?"

She nodded as she walked across the lawn to his side of the building. "Yeah. I'm all set." He opened the door to the truck and helped her inside. She set her backpack on the floor and buckled in as he got into the driver's seat. "Um... th-thank you again for this."

He chuckled. "Not a problem at all." He couldn't help but reach out and gently pat the girl's head. "I couldn't leave you to walk all the way there and back every day."

The two sat in relative silence as he drove. But she eventually spoke up. "So... your boat... what's it's name?"

"Hmm? Oh. The Azure Seam."

The girl giggled softly. "Oh, that's a cool name! Where'd you come up with it?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. It just came to me one day, and it sounded good."

"Is it big?"

He chuckled. "Not really all that big, no. Big enough, I guess. I can take it out for a few days and be fine. I'll have to show her to you sometime."

She smiled a little more. "I'd like that..." There was a slight wistfulness in her voice.

"You like the ocean?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah... all that water... so much blue just going on and on... like you could get lost in it and just... never come back."

Something about how she said that worried him, but he did understand the sentiment. "Yeah, it's very peaceful out there sometimes. Though it can get a little scary when the weather turns suddenly. I never go far enough out that I need to worry too much about that, though. And as long as you pay attention to the weather reports and learn the patterns in the air, you can usually avoid the worst of it."

"That makes sense..." She looked out the window, in the direction of the ocean. Though it wasn't really visible from where they were, too many buildings in the way. "Have you ever been out there while there's a hurricane?"

He laughed. "No, I've always been careful not to go out during those, and I haven't been unlucky enough to be caught in anything that bad." He chuckled. "Plus, they don't let you take the boats out when there's a weather warning going on, anyway."

"Oh... yeah, I guess they wouldn't..." She got quiet again, just staring out of the window as they drove on.

It was his turn to break the silence. "Anything special going on in school today?" She shook her head. "Mmm. Don't worry, I'm sure the day will pass by quick enough." She nodded, again remaining silent. He wished he could do something to cheer her up more. All too soon, the middle school was in sight. He pulled in with the rest of the parents dropping kids off. "Alright. You try to have a nice day, alright? I'll see you this afternoon."

She nodded as she slid out of the seat, grabbing her backpack. "I'll try. Thanks again."

Before she could walk away, he called out. "Hey!" She stopped, turning around and looking like she was in trouble. "You owe me that smile, remember?" She stared at him for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a little giggle, giving him that smile. "That's better. Now off you go."

She nodded, her mood at least a little better. "Okay. Thanks again, Mr. McGavin." She shut the door, then gave him a wave as she walked off to the school to join the other throng of preteens.

He let out a soft sigh as he watched her go. Someone behind him honked and he scowled. Though he shouldn't block the way, so he pulled out. He made his way to the store, only a few minutes away once he was out of the school traffic. He saw Zinda's car already there. He didn't normally go in on Tuesdays. So when he opened the back door, he heard her call out in surprise. "Jay? That you? Did you forget something yesterday?"

He laughed. "Not quiet." He walked up to the front to find her getting the register ready for opening. "My neighbor's kid had an accident with her bike. Banged up the tire and gears real bad. So I figured I'd order some replacement parts from some of our outdoorsy suppliers."

The woman's expression almost melted. "Awww. That's real sweet of you, Jay." She gave him a big smile. "It's a shame you never became a father. I think you'd have been a great dad."

He chuckled. "Well, never found the right girl for that. And with no siblings, I have no nieces or nephews to spoil. Might as well spoil my neighbor's kid instead, right?" Of course, he wasn't a father for other reasons. He would never want the temptation of doing something to his own kid, especially if he had a daughter. "Oh, and don't worry, I'll be using my own funds, not the store's. But it'll still be shipped here, since that'll be faster. So don't be too surprised if we get an unexpected box in the next day or two."

"You got it, boss. I'll let you know when it gets here."

He chuckled. "I gotta go order it first. Make sure they even have what I need." He gave her a wave and left her to finishing with the register as he went to his office. After booting up his computer, he went through the vendor catalog for some of the outdoors companies. Sure enough, he was able to find parts for all kinds of bikes. Seems some of the offroading types liked to really tinker with their ride. Not that he was surprised at all. It was actually a bit of a struggle to find relatively normal parts among the lists, but he did eventually find them. He decided to get a new chain with the gears, just in case the one on Arin's bike had also been damaged. He also got both a new front and back wheel, and a new cushioned seat. Might as well go all out, while he was at it. In fact, he found a whole kit for changing everything, which included a tool set and new breaks, all at cheaper than buying them individually. He got that, and entered his vendor code at checkout, which knocked off 20% and the shipping. It was set to be shipped later that day, so it should come by tomorrow or Thursday.

With all that set, he decided to look at whatever else the company had to offer. They were mostly for offroading, but his store sold some of their camping things, since hunters liked to use those. Nothing really struck his interest, though. It was all more Zinda's thing than his. She was the type that liked to go out camping. Apparently she and her wife had met while camping. He's not sure how that worked, but they had been together for almost five years now. He was going to have to make sure to get them something for their anniversary coming up in a few months.

He spent most of the day just killing time, either browsing the catalogs, or helping when there was a customer. He did manage to make a pretty good sale for a whole new fishing set to a father looking to teach his son the ropes for his 9th birthday. So that was a nice highlight of the day. Though Zinda again teased him that he'd make a good father because of it. For a woman in a gay marriage, she was always so insistent about other people having kids. He figured she just wanted to be that doting aunt, since she also had no siblings.

Eventually, afternoon rolled around, and he said his goodbyes to Zinda and headed out. He made his way to the school again relatively quickly and parked with the other cars waiting to pick up kids. When he finally spotted Arin coming over, he saw her hair was no longer in pigtails for the first time since he had met her. It hung limp just past her shoulders. She also walked a little slow, her shoulders drooped. Though when she saw him waiting, she did seem to perk up just a little. When she opened the door, she practically tossed the backpack onto the floor before climbing in. "Hey, kiddo. What's with the hair? Gym class?"

She shook her head, closing the door again. "No..." She didn't elaborate further as she buckled herself in.

He sighed slightly. "Was it those potholes again?" She flinched, and he knew he had it. "What did they do this time?"

After a long hesitation, she finally answered. "They... cut my hair ties..."

He frowned. "They didn't try and cut your hair, too, did they?"

She shook her head. "No. Just the ties. Even my spares in my bag..."

He let out another sigh. "Did you tell a teacher?"

"No... They never do anything. And if they do, it only makes it worse..."

He shook his head, pulling the truck out onto the road. "Someone should have a talk with their parents. That kind of behavior is not oka-"

"NO!" The forcefulness she said that surprised him so much he nearly swerved into the car next to him. "D-don't... don't do that..."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. The look on her face was almost afraid. Something clicked, and he took a shot. "Their fathers are clients of your mom's aren't they?"

Her eyes went wide. "H-how..." Well that confirmed his suspicions.

"The walls are pretty thin between our places. I can hear a lot of what goes on in there..." He saw her ears fall back a little. "I can hear her yelling at you, too. Your mother, I mean. Is that why you didn't want to tell her about the bullies at school?" She just nodded. "Well, you still should. The things I've heard her say... She shouldn't say those things to you."

Her eyes looked down at the floor again. "She's right, though..."

"No, she isn't." He sighed yet again. "I know, she's your mom, but she's..." He didn't just want to say she was a bitch, despite thinking it. "Look, just... if she's too much, you can come talk to me, okay? Or even if you just want to talk about something else. Or just sit and be quiet away from her."

Arin sniffled slightly, though she hadn't started crying. "Thanks..."

He smiled a little. "I have some good news. I got the parts ordered for your bike. They should be coming in a day or two. Then I can get it all fixed up for you." She just nodded slowly. "Though if you'd like, I can keep driving you to and from school. I don't mind."

"I'll... think about it..." He did see a little smile. "Th-thanks... again."

"You're welcome."

* * *

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The Good Neighbor - Part 2

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