Return of Routine 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.
Another summer break had come to pass. The breaks always seemed to be shorter than the year before. Never quite having enough time to do everything one wants. Not being able to spend time with the people one cares about. Personal responsibilities always seemed to be more demanding. There never seemed to be any shortage of them and there often was a new one that popped up when others might be resolved.
A young Arctic fox boy sat at a desk typing away at his computer. The tapping of the keyboard was the only thing he could hear other than the music he was playing. His mind wholly focused on the task at hand. His attention was undeterred by any of the notifications on his screen. He had just finished his homework, yet something was on his mind. The fox boy began to write in his journal.
"It has been almost 2 years. 2 years since I met him. 2 years since my life changed forever. I never thought it would be like this. I always believed I would be alone. I thought that no one cared about me except my brother. Other people only seemed interested in taking advantage of me. Asking me to do their homework or trying to cheat on my tests. I tried not to give in but there were times when I had no choice. I had almost lost hope that nothing would change.
Then I met him. The boy of my dreams. My prince charming. My knight in shining armor. I can't live without him. Xavier gave up so much to be with me. He used to be one of the most popular boys in school. The one every girl had their eyes on because he was attractive. The one every boy looked up to because he was a star player on the school Lacrosse team. But it all changed when he met me when everyone cut him off because he was hanging out with someone they considered a nerd.
I eventually grew attached to him and fell for him. He gave me things no one else would. He was kind, understanding, and most important of all he was there for me when I needed him. He didn't even push me away when I came out to him. Sure, it was weird for him but he was always willing to listen and I could vent my frustration to him. Then…he eventually came around and decided to give it a shot. To give me…a shot. I was so happy.
Things started rough but we were able to see through the rough patches. We spent more time together and eventually, I fell in love. I never wanted to leave his side. I always wanted to be with him. I didn't want anyone else. He was all I needed. We grew closer and eventually, he fell for me too. Even despite our many differences, I feel like we were meant to be together. I feel like he is my one true love. My heart will always be happy as long as I have him.
I can't believe it's already been this long. Time flies so quickly. It feels like yesterday that I just met him. He's always on my mind. I often feel lonely when he is not around. I often feel empty when I see him with other people. But I know to not be jealous. I trust him and I know he wouldn't cheat on me. I hope that we can spend the rest of our lives together because I wouldn't have it any other way."
Pent saved the file into a folder that he had assigned as his journal. It was something he had started doing in the last year. Documenting things that he considered important. Sometimes using it for notes or ideas. More often than not he just chronicled his thoughts. Doing so at least once a week. The file was growing as time went on and he kept them named inconspicuously. Though he always had a suspicion that his younger brother had read through some of them.
The fox boy was now 14. A young teenager who was still very much figuring himself out. Not much had changed for him over the last year or so. Things had more or less settled back to normalcy for him. School was back into session with the first semester with his entry as a "third year". By normal academic standards, he would be considered a freshman. Very much looking toward the future but not quite planning for it just yet.
But Pent was different. The fox teen was an academic prodigy. He had been recognized early on as both a Science and Math wizz. To the staff he was seen as "gifted" but the white-furred boy was a hard-working and diligent boy. Never settling for anything but perfect scores. Always keen on studying and honing his knowledge regardless of subject. Still, his love for the Sciences was well known at the academy.
The administration had placed him in all advanced classes. Already taking physics, the teen was in his final year before they could consider him for college-level courses. Of course, this meant he was also taking the math to accompany it. Pre-calculus was now his area of focus, even if the subject covered some more complex topics. Pent had yet to find himself challenged at either level but the school staff refused to put him further up the academic totem poll.
The teen's peers were a bit older than himself. Many of them were in their final year of the academy with the rest of them being a year short. As such they ostracized him and very rarely talked to him. To them, the boy was still seen as weird or quirky. It was no longer that he was seen as a nerd. He was an outsider and treated as such. The fox teen still had a few bullies who bothered him but more or less kept a low profile to not attract their attention.
Pent had never been a social boy. That certainly hadn't changed over the last 2 years, even with his boyfriend's help. The Arctic fox's circle of friends was a very small select group of boys who he had met through his continued counseling. The fox was never outgoing and very rarely talked to anyone he didn't know. Only when either Xavier, his brother, or the counselor got involved did he usually branch out.
Xavier on the other hand had changed a bit more. While the chipmunk trailed behind his boyfriend academically, he was much more open to seeking help. Of course, the fox was always willing to help him. The rodent had all average-level classes and shared none of them with the fox boy. The only class he shared with Pent was gym class, which happened to be at the very end of the day.
The brown-furred teen was still very much a boy who loved sports. His favorite was still Lacrosse and he'd continued his tenure on the same private teams. His parents had even gotten him private coaching lessons, which only further continued to develop his skills as an athlete. He'd even begun lifting a little bit of weights, though it wasn't quite enough for him to develop his body. After all both the school and his team had strict restrictions against younger furs and weightlifting.
Socially, Xavier was fairing much better than Pent. The rodent's best friend, other than the fox teen, was Milo. Milo was a boy who the chipmunk had met in the last year. The two hit it off quite quickly as the rabbit was just as sporty as he was. The chipmunk had a larger group of friends of both genders as he was a likable boy. He even joined a few school clubs, though it was mostly to get Pent more involved socially.
The biggest change for Xavier was his ability to accept his changes. No longer was he quite as melodramatic about not being popular. He wasn't even worried about what people thought about him anymore. The chipmunk had learned from his boyfriend how to tune out all the noise. He'd even come to terms with being gay and talked about it much more openly now. As such their relationship had flourished and blossomed into true love.
It was late Sunday night, the day before the school week was to start anew. Pent had already done his homework. All of it had been done the very same night he'd been assigned it. None of it was difficult. Even despite being in all advanced, the fox teen never found himself having difficulty understanding anything. Still, he kept up with his studies as one of the most important things to him were grades and so far he'd kept it up.
He spun around in the chair and looked up at the top bunk. The white-furred boy could hear the sounds of some game being played. Pent picked himself up and climbed a few of the stairs leading to the top bunk. Sure enough, his brother Samaliel was plugging away at his switch.
"What'cha playing, Sama?" The older boy still wasn't much of a gamer but still took some interest in his brother's hobby.
The salt and pepper cub didn't take his eyes off the game he was playing. "Super Animal Royale. Have you tried it yet?"
"Nope. What is it about." Pent stayed where he was since there wasn't enough space on the top bed for both of them.
Samaliel rearranged himself so he was closer to the ladder. "It's a battle royale kind of like Fortnite…except with animals."
"Oh, I see." The older fox watched his brother for a few minutes.
The game was simple enough. A competitive shooter game with cute animals as avatars. Pent found it funny that his brother had chosen the wolf character that closest resembled his fur pattern.
"No fox characters with your fur color, eh?" Pent playfully punched the smaller boy.
The younger cub shook his head. "Nope, but there is one that kind of looks like you. Wanna see?"
"Yeah, sure." The white-furred readjusted himself on the ladder so he was at the center of it to give him more support.
Samaliel showed him the "Super Arctic Fox" character. Its fur was sort of an off-white blue but it had blue eyes, much the same as Pent.
"See? He kind of looks like you." The younger boy brought the console closer so his brother could look.
The bigger boy shrugged. "Kind of, yeah."
"It's a fun game. You should try it." The salt and pepper cub never counted on his brother trying any games but continued to anyway.
Pent thought about it a moment. "Maybe next weekend. It's late and I have a new book I want to read."
The fox teen climbed back down the ladder and his brother went back to playing his game. The white-furred teen decided it was time to get ready for bed. Grabbing his pajamas,
he made his way into the bathroom to do his usual hygiene routine. Stepping out of his clothes and into the cold shower, he washed himself. It was still early fall and his fur wasn't as thick as it could be but even still took a lot of effort for him to wash and dry it.
Pent had gotten much more meticulous about his hygiene these days. Always wanting to smell good for his boyfriend. Not just that but he was fully aware of the potential for illness when one didn't clean themselves regularly. The fox spent a bit in there cleaning his body with boat soap and shampoo. As always the longer he spent in there, the more the bathroom smelt of whatever aroma the shampoo came with.
He finished and dried himself to the point where his fur wasn't soaking wet. Some dampness still clung to his body but he was never worried about being completely dry. It just simply wasn't possible. Pent changed into his pajamas and grabbed his dirty clothes. Stepping back into the room, he chuckled as he saw his younger brother still playing the same game.
"It's almost bedtime. Finish up, Sama." Pent was just as protective of the younger cub despite him being a bit more mature now.
The salt and pepper cub huffed. "I will. I promise. Just one more game, alright?"
"Yup…just one." The older fox tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper.
Pent grabbed his latest book, one on the biospheres of microorganisms. He had been expanding much more beyond the realms of just Astronomy and Chemistry. Getting into bed, he stuffed his face into it. Droning out everything else, as he often did. Forgetting all about telling his younger brother what to do. The fox teen read for quite a bit, getting lost in it in a matter of moments. It was only when his fatigue kicked in that he heard the game again.
"It's time for bed, Sama." The white-furred boy said from the bottom bunk.
The younger cub whined a bit. "But, Pent…"
"But nothing. You promised earlier. Turn it off and go to bed." Pent got up to put up his book.
The older fox peered over the top bunk just to make sure his brother had turned it off. Samaliel looked at him one more time before finally giving in. Turning the thing off and just handing it to the older teen. He knew that Pent wouldn't let it go and that he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't.
"Good night, Pent." The salt and pepper cub covered himself with his covers.
The older fox took hold of the console and kissed his brother on the forehead. "Night."
The white-furred boy put the console in its case and away in the drawer they stashed it in. Turning off the lights, he retired to bed. Pent pulled himself into his bed and tried resting his mind. As always it took him a while as his brain was always racing with ideas. It had been a lazy weekend but he was excited for a new day at school. The prospect of seeing his boyfriend as well as learning something new was always on his mind.
Pent fell asleep before long. His mind swirled with dreams. Sometimes of just himself but often with Xavier. That night he was visited by thoughts of his past. Memories of his life and time with Xavier. Each of them was nostalgic on its own, bringing a smile to his face even in his sleep. It was a restful night for the young teen and he would not rouse until the following morning. Waking up just before the alarm clock as he often did.
The fox teen yawned and stretched under the top bunk. It was a small space but he made do with what he had. He looked out the window. The sun was just starting to rise and he could see it peering through the clouds. Gazing away from it, he snaked his body up above to the top bunk to rouse the younger boy. He shook Samaliel a few times before the salt and pepper cub finally came around.
"Come on, Sama. It's time to get up." Pent said in a soft tone.
The younger cub groaned as he rotated in the bed. Slowly he got up and slid down the ladder to the floor below. Pent grabbed his school uniform before handing the younger boy his. The two of them changed in front of one another. They had seen each other enough in their underwear that it didn't matter to them. Both of them wore different versions of the same uniform now with only the color of the school emblem differentiating the year they were in.
When they were dressed both of them headed down the hallway. The rising sun provided all the light they needed as it filtered warm light through the open curtains in the front room. Pent padded into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He grabbed some fruit and juice for both of them. Making them both some granola and yogurt before cutting the fruit. Samaliel was already typing away at his phone, texting someone.
"Pent, are you going to go to the carnival?" Samaliel asked as the school was hosting a carnival in the coming weeks.
The bigger boy looked over towards his brother. "Probably not. Why?"
"I might go with some friends. Do you mind if I go?" The younger cub always asked his brother's permission instead of their foster mother.
Pent hesitated before answering. "Is it on the weekend?"
"It's every weekend for a few weeks starting in the middle of the month. I want to go with Nait and Dakota."
The older fox served up the food on the table. "Dakota? Who is that?"
"It's a girl I met in school. She's nice. Can I go, Pent?" Samaliel began nibbling on his food.
The fox teen sat down to eat his food. "Sure, I don't see why not. I hope it's fun."
Pent didn't dictate much of Samaliel's life. All he cared about was that the younger boy did well in school. The younger cub often struggled and relied on his brother's help more often than not. The salt and pepper boy often needed a bit of an incentive but Pent wasn't as worried about it since it was on a weekend. The two of them went about eating their breakfasts, not saying much of anything for the duration of it.
When they were done both of them headed back into the living room. Pent had previously set up their bags up last night so they were there waiting for them. The older fox boy handed his brother his bag before taking his own. Both of them headed outside once the white-furred boy locked the door. Heading to the bus stop to wait for their usual ride to school. It was a windy day with a few clouds in the sky. A nice breeze passed by them as they waited.
The bus showed up before long, shortly after its usual time. The familiar elderly pelican woman who had taken over driving the bus waved to them. Both fox boys waved back and made their way onto the bus. Filing in together before finding an open space. Despite Samaliel having a few people he could sit by, he still sat by the older teen. Otherwise, he figured that Pent would end up possibly being alone and he wouldn't have that.
The vehicle went through its usual cycle of stops. There was slightly more than a dozen before it circled back to the school. Tbe route always took different amounts of times, depending on if the driver had to wait for a student. It accommodated for both the primary school as well as the secondary one and it had to be more flexible for the younger students. Though it still had to follow the "5-minute" rule regardless of what stop it was.
The bus arrived at the school building before long. Pent and Samaliel were towards the front of the bus so they got off shortly after some of the other students. The younger boy had been attending the same school as his older brother since the previous year. However, they seldom saw each other in the building due to how it was set up. Still, they always went to school or came home together unless some other plans came off.
The two brothers separated once they were off the bus. Pent went his own way to the rear of the school. The same spot where he and his boyfriend usually hang out before school started. He didn't expect Xavier to show up just yet but he wanted to be there for when the chipmunk boy did. The fox teen sat underneath the large oak tree and got out his book to keep reading it. After all, he'd left out on a tantalizing detail that he wanted to know more about.
Pent focused entirely on the book and tuned everything else out. He was far enough from the usual hang-out spots that he couldn't hear distant chatter and noise. A few minutes passed before he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, foxy. I hope you haven't been waiting long." Xavier approached him and waved.
The rodent's voice was enough for him to stop what he was doing. "Hey, Xae. How was your weekend?"
"Good. How about yours?" The brown-furred teen made his way over towards him.
The fox patted the spot next to him. "It was slow. Not much going on."
"Hehe, you could have called me. Lacrosse is winding down anyways." The chipmunk sat down next to his boyfriend.
Pent leaned into him. "I know but you told me you had your private coaching sessions and I didn't want to interfere with them."
"You never interfere with me, Pent. I would have loved to have you." Xavier placed his arm around the other boy.
The white-furred teen relaxed a bit more. "Next time I will then."
"Cool. I'll look forward to it. What are you reading?" The brown-furred boy looked at the book.
The fox teen showed it to him. "It's a book about the biospheres of microorganisms."
"Oh, I see. Is it interesting?" The rodent tried to take an interest in his boyfriend's tastes even if they tended to be way over his head.
Pent began explaining to it. The chipmunk listened as most of it went one ear and out the other. He never ignored him even if the subject was boring to him. That usually happened more often than not. But Xavier had grown to love Pent for his quirky nuances. He was just a boy who loved learning. It was one of the things that made him unique. The two boys hung out behind the school until the bell rang.
The two teens stood up together, one after the other. Joining hands they walked paw in paw. Xavier was a bit taller
than Pent now, though not by much. He'd finally outgrown the fox a bit in the last year. The arctic fox was slightly short for his age. Still, it bothered neither of them as they loved each other far deeper than just simple appearances. They made their way together as they went through the rear entrance of the school.
Pent and Xavier had transitioned to the "Senior" portion of the academy. It was the wing of the school for the students who were older. They had just entered it and so they were the first group of students each day. The senior halls were a bit smaller than the other two wings as the student population was lower. The largest part of it was the elective portion since it was the only thing they shared with the other student groups.
The hallways were decorated with colorful banners. Purple and yellow ribbons were strung along the ceiling, hanging down in spirals. A few posters lined the hallways, some of which were advertising the same carnival that Samaliel had mentioned earlier. Jesters masks were plastered along the wall with each of them having a different letter that represented the theme of the carnival. It was supposed to resemble the popular international holiday "Mardi Gras".
The fox and chipmunk made their way through the halls holding hands. The two teens were well known by that point to be together. Very few gave them grief about it anymore. The whole stigma that they were gay had faded into the past for the most part. Even still the two of them didn't show much public affection for each other in school. After all the way they had been treated in the past had left an indelible mark on how they acted in public.
They proceeded to the "R" halls which were the halls where Xavier had most of his classes. They were closer to where they came from than Pent's classes. Down the hall, they could see other teens hanging about. Many of them flipped away on their phones as the school only enforced the no phone policy while in class. Pent and Xavier continued towards the end of it where the chipmunk's first class was.
"Later, Xae. I hope you have a good day. I'll see you at lunch, alright?" Pent lightly hugged the bigger boy.
The brown-furred boy hugged him back. "Yeah, Let's do lunch outside today. It's supposed to be nice."
"Sounds good. See you later." The fox teen broke off the hug and went about his day like normal.
Xavier watched him go down the hall for a bit before turning his attention back around the other teens in the hallway. Milo was nowhere to be seen so the rodent looked around to see if any of his other friends were around. Just then he saw one of the school counselors walking down the hall. Beside her was the squirrel teen, Santiago, whom the chipmunk was familiar with from having talked to in the past.
The brown-furred boy waved to him hoping to gain his attention. The older squirrel teen waved before heading over his way.
"Hello, Xavier. Did you need something?" They weren't exactly on friendly terms as they only knew each other from peer counseling.
The younger boy shook his head. "Oh, nah. I just wanted to see how things were going in peer counseling."
"It is going well. We are looking for new counselors. Are you interested?" The squirrel said with zero expectation of a positive response.
Xavier hesitated before responding as he wasn't expecting this question. "I don't think I'd be good at that."
"I think you would. You should give it a try. There is no obligation if it doesn't work out." Santiago was in charge of recruitment now as he was one of the most senior student counselors.
The brown-furred teen looked at the other boy curiously. "Why is that?"
"Pent doesn't come as much to counseling anymore. You did wonders on him. Why not try with the other students?" The bigger teen had noticed the change last year but had never said anything about it.
The chipmunk hummed. "But he's my boyfriend. That's different isn't it?"
"He was always your boyfriend. Remember how he was when he first met you?" The squirrel had seen the fox boy many times when he was younger.
Xavier thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so. What does that have to do with it?"
"Not everyone can get through to introverted kids like him, especially ones who are bullied. I think you'd be a good addition to the team. Can you at least think about it?" The older boy could be quite convincing when he wanted to.
The smaller rodent nodded. "Sure, I'll think about it. I'm still not sure how I feel about it though."
"Alright, Xavier. No problem. I need to get going to class. Just let me know what you decide." The squirrel waved to him as he made his way back down the hall.
The chipmunk's mind was swirling with thought. He never considered peer counseling outside of having used it to try and repair his relationship with Arthur. The same boy who had kicked his boyfriend to the curb in an attempt to look cool. But the dog had moved and no longer went to the same school. As such, Xavier didn't attend counseling anymore as he faced far fewer problems these days than he did in the past.
The rodent turned his attention to the door to his first class. He hadn't noticed that the teacher had already started letting the students in. The teen headed towards the woman and made his way inside. His first class was History and besides Math, it was his least favorite subject. To him, learning the history of the country and the world seemed boring. He didn't see the appeal of learning what he saw as something he could never use.
Xavier made his way inside and noticed that Milo had already entered the room. It seemed the rabbit had gotten there while he was talking with Santiago. The other teen had yet another girl on his arm. The Lapine boy considered himself a so-called "lady's man". The chipmunk chuckled at him. He knew that Milo had gone through quite a few girls in the last year, even if he didn't want to admit it.
The rodent sat by himself as he didn't want to bother his friend who seemed busy with his latest girlfriend. Eventually, someone sat by Xavier, a girl who he didn't know. She didn't say much to him but the chipmunk didn't recognize her. He thought to himself a moment, perhaps she was a new student or had transferred from another homeroom. He knew none of it mattered since it was unlikely they would have group work.
The lesson that day focused on a few First Nations Tribes of Canada. The Metis tribe, which was indigenous to the region. They were believed to have relations with several other First Nation communities but were isolated, especially after the arrival of European nationals. The teacher went on about their involvement in the Great Peace of Montreal as well as their involvement in the Seven Years' War.
The woman continued to go into the details of both historical events. They were shown some cultural artifacts of the era, which had been replicated by local craftsmen who descended from the tribe. Several bead necklaces as well as traditional garments worn by both women as well as men. She further expanded upon it by going into the various rituals surrounding coming of age for both boys and girls.
A cultural activity followed with the teens, each assigned a different aspect of the Metis people. The teacher handed out small slips of paper with it, and Xavier ended up getting the red reed river jig. It was a dance shared by this tribe and one to this day that was associated with the group. It was also a dance they had adopted from European styles of dance. One that they'd turned into their style wearing traditional metis clothing and often used makeshift fiddles made from native trees with strings made from grass or river reeds.
Xavier had never heard of the dance before. Upon looking into it, he learned it was a style of tap dance. A style that had found its way to be included in the popular culture. Even finding its way into shows like "Canada's Got Talent." He watched a few videos of it. Each one was varied in its style. The chipmunk was impressed by some of the renditions of it and considered how he might do a presentation on it.
Eventually, he decided to do a comparison of the dance to a more well-known one. One which he'd seen on television before "Riverdance." He figured the two dances were similar enough and even the music was somewhat of the same beat. The chipmunk was no dance expert but even he could see where they developed from the same origin. By the time he had done enough research to come up with a starting point, the bell rang, and the students got their things together.
The teacher soon dismissed them and Xavier grabbed his bag before heading out. The chipmunk continued down the hall to his next class. The next class was pretty slow with nothing out of the ordinary standing out. Literature was always some variation of the same thing. They were going over the last book, which the chipmunk had only read bits and pieces of. Even despite his boyfriend loving books, the rodent still wasn't especially fond of them.
The book in question was a modern take on the Stoker classic Dracula. Xavier wasn't exactly fond of gothic horrors but he knew of the character from its many depictions in popular media. The newer take on the novel wasn't a big spinoff of the original and so many of the students were vaguely familiar with the story. The activity was even more boring with the teens having to come up with their own horror stories using monsters they came up with.
Xavier's day was pretty slow for the most part. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen. He got to team up with Milo in math which was a welcome respite for the rodent as he often struggled with the subject. However, he was unable to finish it since the assignment they got was more burdensome than either of them could handle. When the bell finally rang both the chipmunk and rabbit got up, all too happy that the lunch break
had finally arrived.
The two boys made their way out of the room and into the hallway. This time of day the halls were always congested. Students often tried to weave their way through foot traffic with very little success. As such, it often moved rather slowly. Xavier always made sure to keep towards the rear of it as he didn't like to be pushed along. Besides he was far from the biggest student and he was well aware of it.
Once they were in the lunch room, Xavier and Milo continued to the lunch line. The chipmunk looked around to see if Pent was around yet. He knew that the fox teen usually isolated himself and wanted to make sure he had company. It didn't look like the white-furred boy had arrived just yet, so he decided to chat up the rabbit in the meanwhile.
"So who's the latest girlfriend anyhow? I saw you hanging around with a new one I didn't recognize earlier." The chipmunk asked as he was a bit curious about it.
The rabbit turned around to face him. "That was Chloe. She and I are going out now. She's very nice."
"I see. I hope it works out for you." Xavier stopped short of mentioning the other boy's trouble with maintaining relationships.
Milo shrugged. "I'm not worried about it. If it doesn't then it wasn't meant to be."
"That's a good attitude to have." The rodent smiled at him.
The Lapine boy continued forward in the line as it made progress. "Thanks, how are things with Pent?"
"It's going well. He's super sweet as always. The other day he treated me to some yogurt. He's always doing stuff for me. I'm trying to come up with something nice to do for him." The chipmunk boy scratched the back of his head.
The bigger boy thought about it for a moment. "He is a sucker for you for sure. Maybe it's because he's afraid of losing you."
"I would never do that to him. I love him." Xavier blushed a bit as he admitted the fact.
Milo felt a bit guilty for saying that now. "I know that but you can't deny you guys are like opposites."
"So what? I don't care. It's just difficult sometimes to find things we both like to do. Regardless, I like spending time with him." The smaller boy was getting a bit defensive now.
The rabbit touched him on the shoulder. "It will be fine. I'm sure it's just as difficult for him to relate to you. Still, why not talk to him about it."
"Yeah, I will. I was already planning to." The chipmunk cooled down a bit as the topic was changed to something out.
The two boys continued to chat about nothing specific until they arrived at the cafeteria's serving area. A younger Rhino man now was in charge of the kitchen. Much of the cafeteria changed due to the high turnover there. The burly man didn't talk much except to his coworkers and none of the students knew much about him. Still, Xavier thanked him every time the older male served up his food. The rhino simply nodded and went about his day.
Xavier and Milo split apart shortly after deviating from the serving area. The brown-furred teen looked around for his boyfriend. He spotted the smaller boy over to the side of the cafeteria, motioning for him to join the other boy. The chipmunk smiled at him, walking a bit quicker, and followed behind him. The two teens made their way outside to the back of the school. The rodent could see it was pretty quiet outside with only a few other students there.
The chipmunk and fox headed over towards the large oak tree, sitting together with both of them having their trays on the lap. Pent leaned a bit on the bigger teen but it wasn't overtly obvious enough if anyone looked over at them. Xavier smiled at him and began munching on his food.
"How were classes, Xae?" Pent asked as he started chowing down as well.
The brown-furred boy swallowed his food. "They were alright. Nothing too different. I got some math homework though. Do you think you could help me with it?"
"Sure, do you think your parents will let me come over or are you thinking we could do it online?" The smaller teen sipped on his drink between bites.
The brown-furred boy thought about it a moment. "Probably online. My parents have been more strict about you coming over during the weekdays. They want me to do stuff myself and rely less on you."
"Oh, alright. We can do that." The vulpine offered him his cookie as he often did.
The bigger teen gently took it from him. "Thanks, Pent. Say, would you like to do something fun together this weekend?"
"Of course, I love spending time with you. What did you have in mind?" Pent very rarely picked anything as he usually tried to appease his boyfriend.
Xavier nibbled on the cookie. "I want to pick something we both like. Maybe we could go to the skate park? It's been a while."
"That sounds fun but what do you think about the carnival?" The fox remembered his younger brother mentioning it earlier.
The rodent thought about it for a moment. "I guess I never thought about it. I did see the signs around the school for it though. We could do that. It might be fun."
"Cool, alright. Let's do that then. It will be different." The white-furred toy chewed on a piece of fruit.
The chipmunk felt better now. Pent had suggested the idea so he was keen to try it. The two of them continued to finish their meals together. The two of them hold hands while eating idly with the other one. It was a nice day with a light breeze blowing through the area. Only a few clouds were visible in the sky with the sunlight somewhat obstructed by the canopy of the tree hanging over them.
The bell rang before long as both of them got up. Continuing to hold hands, they brought their trays and scraps of food back inside to toss. Pent and Xavier made their way to the elective wing of the school. Some of the younger students were hanging around, none of which either of them knew. But of course, the younger cubs often stared at the two boys as even them holding hands wasn't seen very often.
Xavier walked Pent to his elective. "I'll see you at gym class, alright?
"Yeah, I'll look forward to it." The fox teen waved to him.
Pent made his way into his first elective. The fox had chosen Marine Biology and Rocketry as his two electives. The Rocketry elective was the more popular of the two. He wasn't so much as interested in the launching of rockets so much as he was in the physics of it. The class's focus however was on one big culminating competition of the best Rocket launch. Of course, Pent had dedicated himself to the purpose of winning.
The fox had been working on the basics of his idea. It was just in the beginning stages of it. Design diagrams of both the rocket itself as well as the platform were what he'd come up with so far. Each of them had measurements to it. He had used the same proportions of Rockets that had been launched recently by the CSA as a basis for his design. The teen wanted to improve it so that not only would it get higher but that it would return to the ground in one piece.
The teacher had asked him to work in a group but Pent wasn't interested. He knew that the other students would likely make him do all the work. It took him some convincing but eventually the woman gave in. After all, she had heard about him from the other teachers. She was well aware of his introverted nature and the fact he was a lot higher academically than the other students. Pent was very happy to work alone for a change.
The rocketry class was the shorter of the two and had been scheduled as the student's way to wind down after lunch. His final elective was one where all of the students were in their final year of school. Many of them were trying to take it for college credit. The administration had allowed him to take it as Pent had agreed he wouldn't take the exam at the end of it. Instead, they told him he could take the exam over the summer on his own time.
Marine Biology was a much smaller class and Mr. Bernard was in charge of it. The rat was pleased to see one of his favorite students in the class, though he wasn't really surprised. The class focused on the basics of the subject, some of which Pent knew. Of course, the rodent was all too ready to challenge him when he needed to. After all, he was one of the few teachers who rose to the occasion to bring out the potential of their brighter pupils.
The class was Pent's favorite. The current assignments had him focusing on the environment of phytoplankton and how they grew out of control in nutrient-rich environments. The fox was very interested in the toxic compounds they produced and how such phenomena were dealt with by biologists. Mr. Bernard had even given him a sample of it and had tasked him to come up with a way to harvest its benefits rather than just neutralizing it.
The next bell soon rang and Pent hung around a bit to talk to Mr. Bernard. The rodent was always willing to talk, though he never kept him long. The fox always asked way too many questions, some of which he had to save for next time. The rat chuckled at the young student whose curiosity could never be sated. He was certain that the boy would amount to something in the future and was keen on nurturing his interest in the Sciences.
Pent wished him well and headed out of the room towards the gym class. This time of day was more congested in the elective wing as the younger and older students were swapping off. The school had segmented it so that each of the physical education routines was split up into 3-year divisions. However, much like the last few years of his academic career, this meant that the class was still the last one of the day for him.
He made his way through the large metal doors leading into the arena. Already some of the students were getting ready to play basketball, so he kept to the side of it. The fox continued into the locker rooms. The poorly lit rooms were usually bustling with activity. Every so often he would hear the clang of a locker door being shut. Pent kept to himself as he was always wary of attracting attention and didn't want any problems.
The teen found his way to his locker. They shared them with other students but it was his for the time during the class. Unlocking it, he took out his gym clothes from his book bag and began to change out of his uniform. It wasn't long before Xavier showed up and made his way over to him.
"Hey, foxy. What do you think they will have us do today?" The chipmunk put his bag down on the bench nearby.
The smaller boy stepped out of his pants. "Hey, I'm not sure. Last time we did tug of war but it's always something different."
The brown-furred teen started to get undressed as well. Neither boy looked at one another despite having each other like this before. The two of them changed into the gym clothes. It was still warm enough outside that they were allowed to wear a short-sleeved t-shirt and shorts. Sitting down, they both swapped shoes and stood up when they were done. Xavier motioned for the smaller boy to follow him.
"Let's go, Pent." The chipmunk led the way out.
They made their way back out the rear exit of the locker room. The students in that section had been told the previous day that they would be outside that day. A large group was congregating around the two coaches. The coach for their class was a middle-aged Cheetah woman and her assistant was a Badger man. They never divided the class along gender lines, but the physical education department had decided one of each worked better to relate to the students.
The lanky feline woman began to speak. "Today we will be engaging in a lesson in Cricket. It is a sport we have not yet tried and we figured we'd try something new. If it works out, we will have a friendly match in a few days."
Some of the students were bewildered by the mention of the sport. Only a few of them had heard of it. Xavier and Pent were vaguely familiar with it but neither had played it. The students were lined up in sets of twos. One of them was given the bat while the other was given the ball. They were told the basics of the sport. It sounded somewhat similar to baseball, but they hadn't been told anything about the rules or specifics of it.
The fox and chipmunk teamed up with another student nearby who was alone since they were given the choice of who they picked as their partners. They were placed next to a single set of wickets. The goal of it was just to be able to hit the ball without the ball being caught or making it back to the wicket before they made a full round of the pitch. It was a simplified version of the game designed to work with just 3 people.
Xavier found it easy enough to hit the ball. It was simple for him to focus since both the bat and ball were larger than what he was used to in Lacrosse. Hitting it rather far, beyond the other student they'd recruited, and ended up scoring 2 runs before it could be retrieved. The two teens swapped places and Pent wasn't quite as fortunate. His hockey skills didn't directly translate and his hit fell far short of the other boys. The chipmunk ended up catching it and outing him.
They swapped with the other boy, with Pent going to the outfield. The fox had much better luck in catching the ball than he did hitting it. The other boy hit the ball nearby him, which made it easy to catch and throw back. As the lesson continued the coaches went around and showed each of them how to better manage their hits as well as the mechanics of the wickets. They still kept it fairly simple and planned to explain it further when the scrimmage was planned.
The lesson wasn't very successful. The cumbersome nature of the bat ended up frustrating some of the students. Some of them even destroyed the wickets in an act of defiance. The coaches ended up ending it early and had the students take laps around the track instead. They didn't quite have a backup plan and there was also the bonus incentive of competition. Many of the students thrived off their desire to beat one another.
Pent and Xavier jogged casually around the track. Neither was that worried about being lapped. Milo eventually showed up and tapped the rodent on the shoulder, goading them to race the bigger boy. Neither Xavier nor Pent could give up a challenge when they were asked. So they quickly fell in line and began racing around the track with the rest of the students. Both of them were able to make up a bit of ground but Xavier was slightly faster than his boyfriend was.
The remainder of the class went rather smoothly. The failure of the cricket lesson had given the coaches pause about continuing forward with the match later that week. It would be something they had to revisit. The cheetah and her assistant soon blew the whistle, signaling that it was time to head inside and get ready to go home. Pent, Xavier, and Milo walked together back toward the locker room.
Inside, they separated since the rabbit's locker had been assigned to the opposite side of the small space. Xavier and Pent made their way back to their lockers to grab their things. They weren't overly sweaty so they weren't worried about washing up. The fox grabbed his bag to get his water bottle out, offering it to his boyfriend to be nice. The brown-furred teen smiled at him and thanked him before taking a swig of it.
They sat down together and cooled down a bit while waiting for the final bell to ring. Xavier slung his arm around the smaller boy. Some of the other students looked at them briefly but didn't stare very long. It wasn't much longer before the final bell of the day rang and they got up. Heading their way through the tight hallway that led back into the court, they had to wait since the usual congestion of students was more than the space could handle.
The hallways weren't much better as the crush of furs trying to get out to go home. It was always hectic at the end of the day and the administration did what it could to keep things under control. The two boys kept to the back of it, not worried about how quickly they would get out of the school. After all, Xavier's parents usually didn't show up for a short while as they had to drive home from work to pick him up.
The fox and chipmunk made their way to the front of the school. Students from both the primary school and secondary school were hanging about. Most of the younger students had left but there were still a few behind. Some of their teachers were close by to prevent any mischief from happening between the two age groups. This rarely occurred but there were times when the younger students tried too assertively to appeal to the older ones and it never ended up well.
Samaliel was hanging around out front waiting for the bus and waved them over. Pent headed over to him with his boyfriend shortly behind.
"Hey, Sama. How were classes?" The older fox boy asked as he wanted to make sure he stayed on top of the cub's studies.
The salt and pepper boy shrugged. "It was fine. Mrs. Gerlock gave us some math homework but I didn't get any other assignments for tonight."
"Do you need help?" The white-furred teen figured he could manage to help both of the boys.
Samaliel shook his head. "Nah, it's just a review. It should be easy."
"Alright. I don't want to see a bad score on it." Pent knew that sometimes his younger brother told him things to pacify him.
The younger boy rolled his eyes a bit. "I won't. Don't worry."
The three of them stood around until Xavier's mother came to pick him up. The chipmunk waved to them before seeing himself off to the vehicle. Pent waved back to him before turning his attention back to his brother. It wasn't much longer before the two fox boys bus arrived at the roundabout. They headed over towards it and waited in the short line that led up to the stairs to get inside.
The brothers made their way on board and Pent pulled out his book so he could occupy himself during the ride. As usual, the vehicle was loud with chatter and most of the seats were full with at least two furs sitting in it. The front rows were the only ones free so Samaliel and Pent plopped themselves down. The younger fox peered over the chair to talk to some of his friends. As always, the white-furred teen drowned everything else so he could read more of his book.
The usual route to their apartment didn't take as long as it normally did. Traffic was lighter that day than usual due to the carnival setting up in town. Much of it had been re-routed so that vendors could bring their things to the venue. School buses were the only thing allowed to continue the same route as they only occurred a few times throughout the day and were far fewer in number than other vehicles.
The bus came to their stop and Samaliel had to poke Pent to remind him that it was time to get off. Pent picked himself up and the two brothers headed off to go towards their apartment. It had been a long day at school and both of them were looking forward to relaxing for a bit. The older fox let them into the apartment and turned on the lights. Sending a quick text to Xavier, he checked on the chipmunk boy to see if he was ready to go over the assignment.
It was a short while before he responded. "I'll be ready in 15 minutes."
Pent decided to go ahead and get set up on the living room computer. He had purchased a newer device for himself, so he and his brother didn't have to share anymore. After all the younger cub tended to spend a fair amount of time on computer games. The Arctic fox sat down and turned on the computer. He had joined Discord, if only as a way to keep an eye on his brother's gaming habits but it had been useful for other things as well.
Xavier came online before long and the two of them entered into a video chat. The chipmunk showed his boyfriend the assignment in question. It was a simpler Geometry assignment focusing on some of the basics of Trigonometry. Of course, these were all topics that Pent had mastered before his boyfriend had. The assignment was only focused on the three basic functions of triangles. The fox came up with the best way to explain it to the other boy.
The two of them spent the next hour going over the assignment. Pent was patient and understanding of his boyfriend's confusion. He usually went slow and tried to keep things simple, even if sometimes he went a bit overboard. The fox had a lot of practice from tutoring younger students and Xavier was only different because they were peers. The chipmunk tried his hardest and with a bit of hard work, he was able to overcome the task and complete it to Pent's satisfaction.
Samaliel padded into the room and noticed his brother on the computer. "What'cha doing bro?"
"I'm helping Xavier with his homework. Did you need help with yours?" The older boy looked over his shoulder at him.
The salt and pepper cub shook his head. "Nah, I'm hungry."
"Oh, right. Let me say good night to Xavier and I'll make dinner." Pent had forgotten all about food as he was hyperfocused as usual.
Samaliel let the two boys be. The fox made sure his boyfriend understood the concepts he explained. Of course, Xavier still had some areas of uncertainty, but he figured they could review it another time. Besides, he had to go eat as well. They decided to revisit it later and Xavier promised him they would talk about it again. After all, he knew that Pent was a stickler for grades and he wasn't about to disappoint the boy he loved.
Pent turned off the computer once Xavier had gone to eat food. Making his way into the kitchen, he went about his usual routine to make a meal. Deciding on some fish, veggies, and fries, he figured it was simple enough to put together. He called Samaliel into the kitchen as he wanted the younger boys to help in preparing it. The salt and pepper sped into the kitchen, his tail wagging at the thought of finally getting to eat.
The two brothers worked together to make food. Pent focused on the cutting of veggies and fries while the younger boy worked on the fish. It didn't take long to make since most of it had been frozen and just needed to be thawed and heated up. Samaliel took care of serving up the food and they ate their meal together. Neither of them said much as both of them were rather hungry from it being later than usual for dinner.
Pent got up from the table as they were finishing and fished an ice cream for both of them. The older fox selected a fruit bar for himself and a chocolate-covered cone for the younger boy. Samaliel looked at him confused. It wasn't like him to offer him chocolate during the weekends.
Arching his eyebrow a bit, he asked. "Chocolate? On a weekday?"
"Just being nice. Do you not want it?" The older fox smirked as he pulled it back in a show of a faux threat.
Samaliel quickly reached forward to grab it. "No, I did. It was just surprising that you offered it to me."
The white-furred teen gave it back to him and they enjoyed their treats together. Samaliel took care of the dishes since he wanted to return the favor. The bigger boy was all too keen to take him up on it as he wanted to take a shower and get to bed to read his book. Padding to his room, he grabbed his change of clothes and headed back towards the bathroom. The fox stripped himself of clothes and turned the spicket on.
Pent's hygiene routine had gotten much more meticulous since things had gotten serious with Xavier. He was much more conscious about how he smelled and how his fur looked. Even if the rodent said he didn't care, the arctic fox took the extra effort to make sure he was clean and presentable. Even going as far as to use both shampoo and conditioner on his fur instead of a cleaner that was designed to do both.
Drying himself took as long as usual. The smell of soap and shampoo was thick in the air. Brushing his teeth and then doing the same with his thick fur to make sure it was matted or knotted. Finally changing into his pajamas when he was done. Walking back towards his room, he tapped Samaliel on the shoulder as he passed by him. Reminding him that it was time to get ready for bed. The fox teen wasn't overly strict and let him finish the game he was playing.
The white-furred boy grabbed his book from his bag. He badly wanted to finish the chapter he had gotten into it. Digging his snout into it the moment he tucked himself into bed. Pent quickly lost himself in the book and didn't even hear his brother get back into the room. The younger boy didn't bother him and just climbed the stairs to relax. Pent even lost track of time and had to be told by Samaliel to turn off the lights.
The older fox finally retired the book to the shelf. It had gotten so good that hadn't thought about anything else. Of course, the younger cub didn't mind. It meant he got to stay up a bit later. Turning off the light, Pent climbed the top bunk and peered over his younger brother before kissing him on the forehead. Still, he felt a bit silly that he'd gotten carried away but both of them knew it wasn't the first time this had happened.
Pent retired to bed and rested his eyes. It took a while for his mind to settle as it had been racing from all the new things he was learning. Eventually, fatigue overcame him and he slipped into slumber. The rest of the night was a quiet one. The calm moonlight from above peered into their room. Its soft blueish-white light gazed over their bodies through the window. Both boys dreamed of different things though neither would remember it. Each of them was earnest for the next day and what it might bring.
