The Science of Sharing 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 underage characters. You have been warned.
A short while had passed since Pent and Xavier's first day at their respective internships. The opportunity would last a mere five weeks, but it would be more than enough to give them a taste. Both had a much better idea of what the jobs entailed, and the experiences would leave long-lasting marks on their life. But after they had come to an end, things at school returned to normal. The internships would fall back into memory, and they would focus on the more immediate responsibilities of academic success.
Pent awoke to the sound of the alarm going off in his room. He always set the clock just in case he didn't get up, plus his brother benefited from it. The white fox yawned and stretched in bed. Reaching over to the side of it to silence the alarm, but the sound muffled after a short second. He peered back, standing up so he could check on his brother. The older fox could see his younger brother had shielded himself from the noise with his pillow.
"It's time to get up, sleepy head." The white-furred teen poked his brother on the side.
Samaliel groaned. "I know…I just wanted a little more sleep."
"Nope get up, or no granola yogurt for you." Pent made an empty threat that he would never follow through on.
The younger boy finally roused. "You're fibbing…you wouldn't."
"You're right, I was but you're awake now so let's get going to get ready for school so we don't miss the bus." The bigger boy veered away from the bed as he knew he'd won the cubs attention.
Stepping back, the older fox grabbed his school clothes from the closet and placed Samaliel's nearby on a nightstand. He figured it would save the younger boy time since he was always somewhat lethargic in the morning. Pent changed into his school uniform and placed his pajamas back on the bottom bunk for later. Looking over, he could see the salt and pepper cub was just getting down.
The older fox let him handle himself and made his way through the hallways to the kitchen. The only light filtering in the room was from the outside but it was enough to provide ample illumination. Making his way into the kitchen, he opened the blinds so that it was brighter inside. The sudden shift in light caused him to squint but his eyes adjusted before long. Busying himself by making a smaller breakfast for both he and his brother.
As he had said to the other boy, he picked out a carton of yogurt and dolloped it into two bowls. Topping it off with some yogurt and some fresh fruit he cut. Giving each of them slices of grape fruit and juice that they had squeezed a few days ago. It wasn't much longer before the younger cub made his way into the room. Pent looked over at him, the cub still hadn't tucked in his shirt but other than that seemed ready to go.
"Looks good, bro. Thanks." The salt and pepper cub took a seat at the table.
The older boy sat next to him. "Of course. How was the Hoedown the other night?"
"It was good for the most part. I had a lot of fun, and I think she did too." Samaliel seemed to perk up at the mention of it.
The white-furred teen ate some yogurt and spoke between bites. "That's good. I'm glad you two enjoyed it. Does she want to go out again?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't asked. I've been hesitant because of how the dance went." The younger cub scratched the back of his head as he finally started to eat.
Pent turned his head towards him. "What went wrong with it?"
"Oh…uh….well, I've never danced before, and she asked me to dance. It was just awkward." The smaller boy chugged on some juice to placate his anxiety from thinking about it.
The older fox swallowed a bite of food and touched his brother's shoulder. "I am sure it's fine. It's not like she's ever danced before, and even if she has, it doesn't matter."
"What do you mean?" The salt and pepper cub was curious about his brother's answer.
The bigger boy considered his response for a moment. "Think of it this way…most cubs your age have never danced before. For many of them, it was probably their first time, and that goes for Dakota as well. All that matters is that you had fun."
"Oh, yeah…I guess you're right. Even the couple who were voted the best dancers didn't even seem like they knew what they were doing." Samaliel finished his meal and began to clean up.
Pent got up as well to help. "If it's any consolation, my first dance with Xavier wasn't great either…and I even practiced for it."
"Oh, right…you went to prom with him, didn't you? I could only imagine you dancing…" The younger boy couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of it.
The white-furred teen rolled his eyes. "Very funny…but yes, even despite the practice, it was still awkward. Regardless, we both had fun."
"Sorry, haha…I didn't mean it to be hurtful. At least you got your prince charming, right?" The younger cub playfully slapped his brother on his back.
The bigger boy smiled and nodded. "Yup. My sweet Chipmunk boy. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"You're such a sap for him. Thanks for your help, Pent." Samaliel leaned in to hug his brother.
Pent didn't take the comment to heart and hugged his brother back. Breaking it after a quick exchange, the two finished cleaning up. When they were done, both of them returned to their room to grab their bags and return up front to grab their shoes. They soon made their way outside to the front yard. It was getting cooler but had thick enough fur that it didn't phase either of them.
Waiting at the bus stop, neither of them said much. Samaliel was occupying himself on his phone and his brother stood there patiently. It wasn't much longer before the familiar yellow bus came to pick them up. Filing on board one after the other and sat together. Even if the younger boy had friends on the mode of transport, he always sat by the other boy. After all, he knew his brother would never seek out anyone else and likely sit alone.
The usual ride to the school was its usual length that day. They hit no great amount of traffic and the routine stop and goes were expected. Only a small amount of construction caused them delay but it had started to clear up and the detour had just shifted to a lane reduction. The bus driver was more than up to the task of keeping the somewhat strict schedule. Arriving at school shortly before some of the busses did to drop her load off.
The two brothers got out of the vehicle and thanked her. Pent had impressed upon his brother the importance of sharing appreciation whenever he could. Each of them went their separate ways once they were off the bus. Walking toward the school, Pent watched as his brother walked over to some of his friends. There was no doubt the younger boy was far more social than he ever was. Even still, he didn't lament his inability to maintain a larger circle of friends.
Pent walked to the left side of the school. Noticing that some of the teachers were outside on a table. Some of them he recognized and others he didn't but he didn't stare at them and continued past them. The fox proceeded back to the back of the school. The tree where he usually hung out with his boyfriend was always empty. Only a smile pile of autumn-colored foliage piled up underneath.
Padding over towards it, he thinned out some of the leaves but did not get rid of all of them. The teen sat down and placed his bag on his side. Taking in the fresh air, he could smell the scent of freshly cut grass. He looked around briefly and saw several bags with the school's landscaping company's logo on it. Pulling out his book, he decided to occupy himself while he waited for Xavier to arrive.
The book he picked out that day was just as dense as always. Another new piece, this time on particle physics. Pent had been getting much more interested in the mathematical side of Science. Even going as far as to task himself with not just memorizing some often-used equations but being able to do them without issue. Currently he was doing his best to understand Planck's theorem and had been reviewing it extensively.
A short while later Xavier showed up, the chipmunk strode his way toward the back of the school. It was an all but expected routine for the two boys as very rarely did they do anything else. The only thing that changed it was in winter when they had to change their location to indoors. But it wasn't quite cold enough for that just yet. Still, there was a still a breeze about and that made it seem cooler than it actually was.
"Hey, foxy. How are you doing this morning" The rodent approached the other boy before sitting next to him.
The smaller boy put his book down. "I'm good. You?"
"I feel good today. I'm kind of glad the internship thing was over. Having that on Sundays was a bit much for me." Xavier didn't like the fact that much of it was hosted on the past few weekends.
Pent shrugged. "It wasn't that bad…but I will admit getting to Zap on Sundays was challenging."
"Did you end up taking the bus or what?" The brown-furred boy assumed his boyfriend's foster mother hadn't helped at all.
The fox boy nodded. "Yeah, I had to take the bus. It was like four transfers to get to Zap. The commute was over an hour."
"That's crazy. I guess I was lucky since my parents took me every week. Sorry, you had to deal with that." Xavier felt bad for the other boy.
The white-furred boy put his arm around his boyfriend. There isn't anything I can do about it. They were understanding if I was late. Overall, I still had a good experience."
"Me too, but it still stinks that it was on weekends. It just didn't make sense to me." Xavier would have preferred doing something else.
The smaller teen put his book away. "Well…it's over now, so we don't have to worry about it again."
They continued to talk for a bit, shifting to a conversation about their plans for the weekend. It was already midweek, and they hadn't cemented anything just yet. Xavier hadn't asked his parents yet, but already in both of their
minds, they wanted to hang out. It had been a while since they spent time together outside of school. After al,l the internship had taken some of their usual weekend time away from them.
The first bell rang shortly after, and they were unable to come to a consensus. Deciding the issue could wait later, the two boys joined hands and made their way inside. Pent and Xavier got up and grabbed their bags. Heading inside, they continued into the junior halls and paid their attention despite the occasional glances they garnered. Despite how much they'd gone through this routine, there was still someone who stared at them.
Stopping at Xavier's first glass, Pent wished him a good day. The fox hugged his boyfriend once more and carried on his schedule like normal. He proceeded to the rear of the back of the senior wing of classes. This was where most of his classes were and the older students paid him very little attention. Only Santiago sometimes stopped by to check on him and the squirrel was nowhere to be seen.
Pent's homeroom was also his Science class. A larger room than most with tables set up instead of desks. Students were given stools instead of the usual chairs. They were far from comfortable but the class had more laboratory expectations than standard classroom ones. The fox made his way inside. His Physics teacher was a younger Armadillo who's arm had been amputated from an accident she seldom spoke about.
She was the youngest of the fox boy's teachers. She stepped into the room, her attire was considered casual among her peers. A simple blue blouse with an underskirt beneath it. The anteater made her way to the podium and began her usual role call. Her voice was slight and soft with a slight lisp to her intonation. The woman finished before long and rolled into her usual routine of explaining what they would be doing that day.
"Good morning, students. I have an exciting announcement to make today. The Science department had settled on a date for a Science Fair. Since this is many of your last years at the school, this is not a required assignment. Any student who participates will be awarded either five homework passes or extra credit. Should you choose the homework passes, these will simply be excused, and no grades will be given."
There was a light chatter amongst the students. Pent couldn't help but be excited. He always participated in the Science Fair, no matter what incentives were offered. After all, he wasn't doing it for the reward but rather for his sheer passion for the subject. Already in his mind, he was searching for ideas but soon the Anteater began speaking again.
"This Science Fair will be different. The school has set it up so that the Senior class projects will be pitted against the Junior ones. This means that the competition will be broader. Please remember that your scoring will be considered with higher scrutiny. Additionally, should you wish to work with students in other classes, then this is permitted. All we ask is that you ask them and then approve it with us. You will have until the end of next week to decide on a project topic in addition to declaring your partner or lack thereof. Are there any questions?"
A silence followed soon after. She waited a few seconds before following up with her lesson. The teacher was very much of the old ilk. Preferring to lecture and cover things in the style of presentation style. That day they were to go into further detail on the Terminal Velocity. They had been focusing on it for a while and she had been met with very little success. She decided to spice things up that day and do some graphed examples of it.
Pent had faced no difficulty in managing the concept. Understanding drag force and the force of gravity was all too simple for him. The only challenging aspect of it for the fox was determining the opposing forces of friction or buoyancy. They had been given constants, which were more than enough for the remainder of the class. But for the fox boy, his brain constantly craved more, and she tasked him with viscous resistance.
The fox was given a different assignment than everyone else. Despite being in an advanced class, it was never enough for him. His constant focus on the subject put him well above everyone else. Pent's work was almost always assigned to a virtual module where it scaled itself to how well he did. It even offered additional reading for him to do research into, which he was all too keen to dig into. Spending just as much time on the articles themselves as the assignment.
The woman focused on the rest of the class while Pent did his work. The fox found a few interesting examples involving slime that challenged him a bit. The often flexible substance created a derivative factor that he did his best to understand. Of course, he was up to the challenge. Once he had figured out the variables it represented, it was just a matter of plugging it into the equation. By the end of the class, he had a much better understanding of the concept and was looking forward to mastering it next time.
At the end of class, Pent had to show his work to the teacher. Despite how many times she saw the boy's work, she was always surprised with it. It didn't seem to matter what the challenge was, the fox seemed to overcome it. His brain was almost as if were a sponge and he eagerly absorbed any knowledge he was offered. As usual, the boy's work was without error and she let him go with a hearty smile.
He made his way into the hallway. Pent was not an excitable teen but Science always left him in a better mood than his other classes. This was even more true when he learned something new or something that challenged him. Proceeding down the hall, he made his way to his next class. His day continued like normal until math finally rolled around. The final class he had before lunch.
Pre-calculus was something Pent had to work a bit harder on. He was good at math but it didn't come as naturally to him as his love for Science. Newer subjects usually meant he had to focus harder. Still, his love for academics and perfection suited him well. Making his way into the math room, some of the other students eyed him. The fox had always been a bit of a pariah and ever since his education had been accelerated, this was even more true.
The teen sat down on the side of the class. This room was smaller than most of the others as most of the advanced math classes were. His teacher for the subject, was a middle aged Yak man whose facial hair was long since overgrown. The bovine was very non-chalant about the way he taught and a favorite among his students. But to Pent the man was perceived as not caring as much since things sometimes got out of hand.
Jin, as he was known, had been a long-standing teacher at the school. His hooves were laid casually on the desk in front of him. The whole of his work area was completely without order. Seldom did he even bother to get up. Instead, he spoke into a headset that produced sound through a speaker he had set up in the room. He began his lesson by going into the specifics of harmonic sequencing.
The man wasn't a great teacher and relied mostly on pre-existing examples to do the bulk of his lessons. That day, he went into the Leaning Tower of Lire, which to him, was the single easiest-to-understand concept of the theme. Pent listened all too intently since it was the first time he had heard of the topic. The lack of examples did not sit well with his classmates but for the young fox boy it presented more of a challenge.
The yak explained the Harmonic Mean and how it related to other means. Finally, the lesson with the introduction of the means formula for Harmonic progression. To him, it was a simple enough concept, but it went way above the heads of most of his students. Soon, he assigned them a worksheet that he had distributed through their learning platform. Pent was a bit excited by the prospect of trying a new concept he hadn't attempted yet.
Pent got to work once the work had been assigned. It was a mere 20 questions with each of them being on a more different level than the previous one. He did a quick read of the word problems. They were a mixture of velocity, density, altitude, and depth problems. Unlike the teacher, the assignment presented them with an example they could work through. The fox spent the next few minutes going through each of the steps of the example.
The example hinged on focal distance, a concept that Pent had never studied before. A camera was used and the fox contemplated how lenses compensated for visual clarity. It was a complex way to introduce the topic but he got the basic understanding of it. Slowly he touble shot through each of the problems. Fortunately for him, each of them corrected him when prompted for the correct answer and he was able to figure them out through trial and error.
By the end of class, Pent had managed to finish the assignment. Clicking it to turn it in, he got up once they were dismissed. Not bothering to say anything to the teacher, he made his way out and back down the hall. Keeping to the back of the crowded halls, already he was thinking about lunch. What his Science teacher had mentioned earlier was still ringing in his mind and he was looking forward to bringing it up to Xavier.
The fox made his way into the cafeteria. Just like usual, there was a large line filing along the wall. From what he gathered, it didn't seem like it was moving very quickly. Little did he realize that some of the usual cafeteria staff hadn't shown up. Getting to the front of the line took a bit longer than usual, and he picked up a tray of food for himself and thanked the server. As he stepped away from the serving station, he looked around.
He saw Xavier waiting for him near one of the walls of the cafeteria. It seemed his boyfriend had arrived before him and he hadn't even
noticed it. The fox waved to him and made his way over toward him.
"Hey, foxy. Our class let us out a bit earlier than usual. Ready to head outside?" The chipmunk smiled warmly at his boyfriend.
Pent nodded and smiled back at him. "Yup."
They walked out the door on the side of the building. Only a few other teens were hanging out along the side of the complex, and a single member of the building security was patrolling the area. The fox and chipmunk paid them no mind and made their way to the tree, sitting underneath it and getting comfortable just below. Each of them put their trays on their lap with their drinks squeezed between them.
"How were classes, Xae?" The fox decided to start the conversation on something simple.
Xavier shrugged at him. "They were alright. I have a reading assignment tonight though."
"What did you get assigned?" Pent hadn't gotten the same thing and was curious.
The rodent recalled from his memory. "An article about women's suffrage."
"Interesting. I bet that will be a good read." The white-furred boy hadn't read it before.
The chipmunk started to eat his food. "Yeah, maybe."
"Did your Science class mention the Science Fair?" Pent figured it was the case even if his boyfriend hadn't talked about it yet.
The bigger boy munched on his meal. "Yeah, what about it?"
"Are you going to participate?" The fox stopped short of asking him to play along with his plan.
Xavier shook his head. "Probably not. I already have two other projects to work on. I don't want another."
"But what if I wanted you to be my partner?" The white-furred teen said with a meek smile on his face.
The rodent looked over at him. "You want me to be your partner? But why?"
"Why not? We rarely get to work on projects together. I figured this would be our once chance to do it." Pent finally took a bite of his food.
The brown-furred teen thought about it a moment. "Well…we are in different classes and let's face it you are much more passionate about Science than I am."
"Please, Xavier? I promise it won't be boring…I just really want to do this with you." Pent was genuine and soft with his request.
This caused the rodent to think to himself. He knew Pent well, and the look on his face was all too sincere. Xavier didn't want any more wor,k but he also didn't want to upset the boy he loved. He knew one thing the fox was passionate about was Science. After a few seconds of contemplation, he finally decided.
"Alright, Pent. I will be your partner." The chipmunk had very little idea of what he was getting himself into but it didn't matter to him.
The fox was beside himself, he wasn't sure that his boyfriend would agree. Hugging him tightly, the smaller boy squeezed the boy he loved.
"Thanks, Xae. I promise you won't regret it." Pent broke the hug after a few seconds.
The bigger boy smiled at him. "I already don't."
Xavier could see the appreciation in the fox boy's eyes. It was clear it meant a lot to him. The deal was sealed…they would be Science fair partners. It would be the first time in a while that they worked on a mutual assignment together. After all, they had been separated by their academic difference ever since they met. It was finally a chance for them to work together…even if this was the fox boy's thing more than it was for the other teen.
Lunch would end with Pent on a chipper note. His tail wagged behind him visibly. Xavier knew all too well he was excited. The two of them headed back inside to get rid of the scraps of trash and food that remained on their tray. Continuing down the hall to the school gymnasium and following along with the rest of the crowd. Already, Pent's mind was racing with ideas of things he had wanted to do in the past but had never been able to since he'd always been solo.
Gym class that day would be less rigorous than usual. One of the coaches was out on maternity leave so they were left with a substitute. The boy's usual routine of calendared activities was swapped with track and field. Their usual coach and the substitute had set up barricades in addition to some other obstacles to challenge the students with. Many of the students groaned the moment they found out what the task would be.
Pent and Xavier changed into their gym outfits and went outside. The track outside the school had been set up with hurdles every so often. They even went as far as to set up a javelin and discus throw, something the staff had to make sure didn't go awry. The fox and his boyfriend decided to take on the track and see if they could manage it. The rodent even went as far as to challenge the smaller teen to a race.
All too keen to take up the challenge, Pent puffed out his chest proudly. He seldom turned down the prospect of competition, even if it came from his boyfriend. Both of them took a stand on the chalk line, with some of the other students joining in the fray. One of the coaches called some of the other students over to join them, the line of them growing in number. Once there was enough, he counted down and blew the whistle.
The whole lot of them were off. Xavier sped off at full speed, going as quickly as his legs would take him. Putting himself in a big gap between himself and the other students. But Pent did not give up and sped himself up. He had been training more recently for the upcoming hockey season and picked up the pace. Yet, the chipmunk was still too fast for him and was able to score an easy first place.
Pent congratulated his boyfriend, who showed him a toothy grin. The bigger boy had always been the more athletic of the two, and very little had changed about that. The fox was glad he had managed second place, and the two began walking around the perimeter of the track. Eventually, they tried their form on the hurdles, but neither of them was great at it. Still, both were able to clear it with a little bit of effort.
Things wrapped up before long, and they were called back inside. Joining hands to go back into the locker room, Xavier got an idea. He figured it would be a good time to go ahead and start the Science project that same day. Thinking to himself, he was all but certain that his boyfriend had ideas. Once they were at his locker, he sent a quick text to his parents asking if Pent could come over for dinner.
"Pent, do you want to come over for dinner? We could probably come up with an idea for the project." Xavier wanted to sound invested in the idea even if he still wasn't thrilled about doing it.
The smaller teen's smile only grew wider. "Yeah, sure. I don't think Samaliel will mind and I know my foster mother doesn't care."
"Cool…do you have any ideas?" The chipmunk got his stuff out of his locker so they could leave right at the sound of the bell.
Pent nodded as he already had been thinking about it. "What if we did a suborbital space simulation?"
"A…what?" Xavier looked at him curiously.
The white-furred teen's tail wagged behind him. "We build a model rocket and we project the height, trajectory, and destination of it. Using the laws of motion in addition to the Euler method, we should…"
"French, please….Pent." The chipmunk couldn't help by how excitable Pent was over the idea.
Pent scratched the back of his head. "We predict how the rocket responds from a controlled launch with pre-determined factors."
"I see. Which factors?" Xavier was getting a better picture of it now.
The fox grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Size, Fuel, Weight, and Angle of the launch."
"But wouldn't you just launch it at 90?" The rodent felt his phone buzz as he checked his notification.
The smaller book shook his head. "Not necessarily. Some launches are performed at less than 90. Our rocket will be small, so we won't need to adhere to things like launch bays or cranes."
"Cool. My parents said you can't come over because we have company coming over. Sorry…I forgot. Maybe this weekend?" The chipmunk wasn't too bummed about it.
The fox shrugged. "It's no big deal. That will give me time to get stuff together. Do you think your parents will buy us a model rocket for the project?"
"Probably, I will talk to them about it tonight and let you know." Xavier turned his head as the bell rang.
The two of them joined hands and headed out. The day had finally come to its end and they filtered into the large conglomerate of students. Flowing out of the locker rooms and into the halls. As usual, the foot traffic was thick with students going from wall to wall. They made their way along with the crowd, not seeming overly rushed about it. It took them a bit longer to get out that day as the schools administration was trying to crack down on students who were running.
Outside, they went their separate ways after sharing a short hug and kiss. Neither was that disappointed by the fact that Xavier's parents had said no. After all, they were more than flexible with the two teens. Xavier felt a bit silly about having forgotten that the company was coming over and couldn't remember who it was. It was only a matter of time before he found out and he couldn't help but be curious about it.
Making his way to the car loop, Xavier caught a glimpse of Milo. The rabbit boy had yet another girl slung over his shoulder. He felt a bit bad for his friend who couldn't seem to maintain a meaningful relationship. It made him grateful for what he had with Pent. Turning his head, he proceeded to wait by the curb. Before long he saw the familiar site of his fathers car coming through the loop.
His father took him home, and the two didn't talk much. Xavier's mind was distracted as he tried to remember who was coming over. Something in the back of his mind told him it was important and he shouldn't have forgotten. He was almost certain his mother would scold him about it. The trip back to his home took no longer than usual and when they had arrived, the younger boy was surprised to find
a vaguely unfamiliar car in their lot.
Xavier stopped short of asking who it was. He was all but certain it had to belong to whoever was staying for dinner that night. The chipmunk decided he would find out who it was sooner rather than later. Grabbing his bag, the rodent followed his father out of the car. Making their way to the front door and stepping inside. Once inside, he could hear the sounds of two familiar voices. One was his mother,r and the other he wasn't overly familiar with.
His father beckoned for him to follow him and they continued to the kitchen. Inside he could see his mother and a squirrel man he hadn't seen in ages. The boy's mother seemed to be quite talkative with him so it was apparent it was a relative that he'd forgotten.
"Xavier, honey….how was school?" The woman stepped around the somewhat taller male before hugging her son.
The chipmunk boy hugged her back. "It was good. I only have a little bit of homework to do."
"That's great to hear. Your Uncle just arrived. Why don't you say hello? His mother stepped to the side so they could catch up.
Xavier had not seen his uncle in years. Uncle Carson was a somewhat estranged member of his family. A man known for his somewhat shady business practices. He was a banker who was known for taking advantage of people. Recently, he had made some changes in his life and even committed to doing community service to make up for his past. Now, he was looking to patch up relations with his family.
"Oh, my little Xavier isn't quite so little anymore." The squirrel wasn't much bigger than Xavier but was still smaller than his father.
The chipmunk boy scratched the back of his head. "Hello, Uncle. How are you?"
"I am well. Just figured I'd stop in for a little chat with your mother. I hope you don't mind." The older male ruffled the boy's headfur.
Xavier moved back a bit, not feeling up to the touch. "No, I don't mind."
"Your mother tells me you have a relationship now. Is that true?" Carson hadn't been told all the details about it yet.
The brown-furred teen nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"Who's the lucky lady?" The last time his uncle had heard about it, Xavier was still into girls.
The smaller looked at his mother and then back at him. "It's not a girl. I'm dating my best friend."
"Is that so? Why didn't you tell me about that, Sophie? Xavier could do so much better than a boy." His uncle was homophobic, and he did not approve of the news.
This comment did not sit well with the chipmunk boy. "Excuse me?"
"Now now…Xavier, Uncle Carson isn't serious. You don't seriously think that, do you?" The boy's mother tried to diffuse things before they escalated further.
Xavier heeded the older woman's words but it did not lessen the sting. The squirrel gazed between both of them before speaking again.
"Oh, I most certainly was not joking. Homosexuality is not acceptable." Carson folded his arms defensively.
Xavier's father could see his son's face grimace. He knew that his wife's brother had gone too far. Before the boy could say anything, the older chipmunk male stepped between them.
"I think it's time you leave. Biggots are not welcome in my home." It wasn't the first time he had stood up for his son.
The man's wife looked at her husband. The two of them had always been accepting of Xavier's relationship, regardless of who it was with. To see someone so blindly insulting it without cause was an affront to their very values.
"Or what? You'll sic your fairy son on me?" The squirrel cackled at his insult.
Xavier's mother scowled at her brother. "Carson, that is uncalled for. I never thought you were so bigoted. I would appreciate it if you left"
He scoffed at her, not seeming to even consider the request. This was the final straw for Xavier's old man. The man was not one to turn to violence, so instead he picked up his phone from his pocket.
"Either you leave or I call the cops. Capiche?" Xavier's father's face was stern, showing he meant business.
Carson huffed. "Fine. I'll leave. I don't need to get in trouble with the fuzz again. Ciao…"
The squirrel turned around and made his way out of the house. Xavier's mother had watched the whole scene unfold and felt bad about it. The chipmunk boy still felt a bit upset by what had happened. It wasn't the first time he'd been insulted for dating Pent, but that didn't change how he felt each time it did.
His mother reached behind him and gently rubbed his back. "Are you alright, Xae?"
"Yeah, he's just a jerk. I'm glad we don't have to eat with him anymore. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sticking up for me."
Both of them hugged him before his mother spoke again. "Of course, honey. Besides…we think Pent and you make a lovely couple."
"Mom…" The rodent couldn't help but blush.
They laughed and went about their night like normal. Xavier didn't let it bother him very long. After all, he had dealt with such things before. The remainder of that night was a slow one for the young chipmunk boy. Spending dinner time with his parents, the usual conversation with them lightened his mood. It wasn't long before he had moved on from the episode. His parents even promised he wouldn't see Uncle Carson again.
Several days later, the weekend had finally arrived. Xavier awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He had set it that day in anticipation of doing something with Pent. The plan they set up was to knock out the entirety of the Science Project for the next two days. The chipmunk boy had worked out the details with his parents and Pent. He knew it was a tall task, but he was certain if anyone was up to it that his boyfriend was.
Changing into his street clothes, he briefly looked outside. The weather appeared to be clear, which boded well for anything outside he and his boyfriend needed to do. Pent had already told him a lot about it but the rodent had only paid attention to some of it. Sometimes he had a tendency to lose focus when the fox boy went over his head. Fortuntely for him, his boyfriend was getting better at it but there were still times when Pent went overboard with his explanations.
Xavier grabbed his phone and quickly shot a text to the other boy to see what time he would arrive. Making his way to the kitchen while he thought about everything that would be involved. He still only had the faintest idea and part of him wished he had paid attention to Pent more about it. It didn't matter now since they would be working on it for the next few days. He stepped into the kitchen and found his parents had left him a note.
Reading it, he discovered his parents would be out until later that night. No details would provided other than that but it meant they would have the house to themselves for most of the day. The rodent made himself some breakfast, picking out some fresh fruit and a bowl of cereal. He wasn't in the mood for anything extravagant and was soon disrupted by the sound of his phone. Checking it, he found that Pent would meet him at the local park that was somewhere mid-way between their homes.
The chipmunk responded quickly and finished his meal. Stashing some extra cereal in a plastic bag so he or Pent could have a snack if they wanted. He stepped into the living room where on the coffee table a packaged model rocket had been set. His name had been stuck on it and he knew his parents had bought it for him for the project. They weren't all to surprised that he was doing it when he revealed the real reason behind it.
He put on his socks and shoes and placed the model rocket inside a plastic bag his parents had left behind for him. Pulling off his hoodie from the coat rack and putting it on. He figured it was probably cold enough to wear it since he was biking to the park and it was getting later into the fall season. Outside, it was just as brisk as he was expecting. He tightened the pull string of his jacket and placed the bag over one of his shoulders so he didn't have to worry about it.
The teen made the journey to the park through the outskirts of the town. Keeping to back roads and side streets. Traffic was lighter that day due to it being a weekend but he still wanted to avoid it. Xavier pedaled at his usual pace, going fast enough to make the wind gust through his fur. It was chilly but the jacket was thick enough to provide him ample warmth. It didn't take him long before he arrived at the park entrance.
Pulling into the entrance, he found the usual station was empty of anyone. A sign in front of it indicated that the local parks were free to enter that weekend. Likely to celebrate a provincial government program that was promoting naturalism. Xavier continued past it and into the main part of the park. Making a quick off-the-beaten path to check his phone. Once again, he sent the fox boy a message to see where they would meet inside.
Xavier continued to the central gazebo inside the park. The hollowed-out building was nothing more than a shelter from rain. A small fire pit near the edge of it, but it didn't seem to have been used in some time. He felt a buzz in his pocket and checked his phone again. Pent confirmed his location was at the place in the park called "Velden's Field". It was the only place not covered by a canopy of trees and one of the less popular areas of the park due to its lack of shade.
The chipmunk confirmed the spot that Pent was talking about by looking at a nearby map. Pedaling his way to it, he picked up his pace as he hastened towards it. It wasn't very long before he arrived at the clearing. Just into the field, he could see the fox boy standing next to his bike. It wasn't often that the fox boy used his bike, but the park had fewer paved roads so he didn't have much choice in the matter.
"Hey, Pent. Sorry, I just got here." Xavier said as he came to a stop near the smaller boy.
Xavier could see that the fox had brought his bag of things, though he wasn't sure what
was inside it.
The fox teen shrugged. "I haven't been here long. Did you bring the rocket?"
"Yeah, it's in this bag." The chipmunk slung the thing back over his shoulder and peeled the bag off it.
Getting off the bike, the brown-furred teen walked over to where Pent was and showed him the box. The box was simple enough, it just featured a 3d image of the rocket itself shooting off into space. They had already been through the box previously as the fox had asked for the controller to enhance it. His boyfriend looked at it briefly and smiled at him.
"Cool, let's get started with building it. It should have some directions inside. Do you want to give it a shot?" The white-furred teen wanted his boyfriend to be as involved as possible.
Xavier nodded and knelt on the floor to take apart the box. He began going through it and placed all of the parts on the ground before him. The fox boy dug through his bag and pulled out a small canister of fuel, a digital measuring device, and a sensor. Bringing it over to where his boyfriend was working, the two of them began to work on assembling the rocket. Putting it together was a simple task and only required them to attach the different parts.
The rocket was a simple design with very little flare to it. A simple PVC body with four plastic red fins at the base of it. At its base was a seal that Pent kept off for the time being. Just inside of it was the injection compartment. The company that had made it had placed a very small blasting component within. The fox read through the ingredients of the powder and did not seem pleased with it.
"Is something wrong?" Xavier noticed the scowl on his boyfriend's face.
The fox shook his head. "Nah, they just did a very cheap compound. This is nothing more than sodium nitrate, carbon, and sulfur. It is very basic. It needs more…aluminum instead of carbon and sulfur. It will burn better."
"Oh, that makes sense. " The chipmunk didn't fully understand why, but still went along with it.
Pent replaced the cartridge with one he had prepared himself. He had anticipated such a problem beforehand and came prepared. Placing the cheaper one in a sealed plastic bag so that there was no offset from it. Once he had installed it, the fox sealed it back up and fastened the two plastic clasps along its body. Xavier watched him the entire time, feeling very much out of place in the situation.
"So…how can I help?" The bigger boy asked as he still hadn't done much to contribute.
The fox teen placed the rocket on the ground. "Oh, I was thinking you could be in charge of taking data. I made a spreadsheet for you."
Reaching behind him, the white-furred teen grabbed a small clip board from his bag. Handing it to his boyfriend he showed it to him. Xavier looked at it. The different labels made it much more clear as to what the other teen had in mind for him.
"So you want me to just write down all of this stuff?" Xavier felt confident he could manage it.
The smaller boy nodded. "Yup. The sensor will provide most of it, but there is some manual stuff we will have to do, like distance. I brought a measuring tape for that."
"Sounds easy enough. I can do that." The chipmunk felt a bit better about things now.
Motioning for Xavier to follow him, Pent took hold of the model rocket and the base launch pad it came with. He brought it to what he believed to be the center part of the open area. The fox wanted to make sure to avoid the trees as much as possible. He figured it might land in trees, but the landing wasn't as much of a problem as the launch was. After all, by touchdown down the fuel would have been fully expended.
Xavier grabbed a pen from his boyfriend's bag and then rejoined him. The fox boy set up the rocket on the platform, connecting the charge to the fuselage through a hole in the body. He strung up the wire that led away from it and the two of them walked a fair distance from it. He looked over at Xavier who nodded back at him. It was finally time to launch the rocket and Pent handed the controller to his boyfriend.
Taking hold of it, the controller was much denser than he expected. Pent had modified it far more than he even expected. On board it there was a safety valve, a release lever, an arming mechanism, and a system lockout. In addition, there were several digital readouts for the sensor that the fox had installed. From what he gathered, it seemed much of the information he would be recording was from the controller.
"Go ahead and start the countdown." Pent urged the other boy, who was still staring at the controller.
The bigger teen nodded and began his countdown. "10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…0."
The moment he hit zero, the chipmunk hit the ignition switch. A flicker brightened just below the base of the model rocket, growing into a full-fledged controlled blast. The small rocket started to lift off. Xavier watched the readings on the controller as they varied ever higher, but his attention turned back to the rocket in the sky. In a matter of seconds, the thing launched into the air, getting high enough that they eventually only saw a spec. The fuel capsule exhausted itself as the ascent finally gave way to descent.
"Initiate touch-down sequence in 5 seconds, 5…4…3…2…1…0." The fox boy's tail wagged behind him slowly in anticipation.
Xavier hit another switch, causing the nose of the rocket to pop off. The parachute exploded over the top of it, slowing the rate of its fall. Both of them continued to watch it, and Pent took a few pictures of it. The rodent had been so enamored with it that he'd forgotten all about taking down the readings like he was supposed to. A moment later Pent took out his phone to track it. Telling Xavier to wait there so he could go collect it.
Pent didn't take long before he was back where his boyfriend was. The whole process only took a matter of minutes. The rocket hadn't gone far but the fox was satisfied with their test run.
"How were the readings, Xae?" He asked the moment he got back to where the other teen was.
The rodent scratched the back of his head. "Erm…I was so busy watching it that I forgot to take them down. Sorry."
"No problem. That was just a test run. I have 3 more capsules to use. It will be more than enough for our experiment." Pent was glad his boyfriend had enjoyed the experience.
The two went back to work and continued their tests. Pent changed a few things each time they did so and continued to photograph their tests. His boyfriend was much better about keeping track of the various variables that he'd been tasked to record. Over the next hour, he filled out the top half of the chart. From what he could see, the numbers seemed to increase each time they did it. Even from his untrained eyes, the results of the rocket seemed to be promising.
After the final touchdown, Pent went to collect the rocket once more. The fox had added an additional launch using the provided fuel capsule as an additional comparable. The final test was far less productive than the others. When the fox teen returned to him, he asked to see the chart. Xavier was hoping he'd done a good job with his responsibility.
"Nice work, Xae. All that is left now is to run the simulation at home. Do you want to come run it with me today since we're ahead of schedule?" The white-furred boy had a program at home that he'd made at home for the project.
The rodent nodded. "Yeah, my parents know what we're doing. Besides…it's not even lunchtime yet."
"Alright, let's get everything picked up and we can head to my place. I'm pretty sure Samaliel is home with Dakota today." The fox boy said as he placed the rocket into a bag and enclosed the used fuel capsules in a protective covering.
Xavier shrugged. "That's no big deal. Let's go on over."
Both of them cleaned up the space before they grabbed their bikes once more. Soon they were on their way back out of the park. It was getting closer to the afternoon so things were now warming up a bit. Pent led his boyfriend back to his apartment where they pulled up to the usual bike rack just in front of it. Locking their bikes up for later, they made their way up the stairs and headed inside to the living room.
Just inside the house, they could hear the sound of video games being played. Sure enough, Samaliel was plugging away on the television in the front room. The young badger he'd been interested in sat next to him. She was slightly bigger than he was, and Pent had met her a few times before, but this was the first time Xavier had seen her around.
"We're home, Sama. We finished the first part of the project early." Pent announced as they entered the living room.
The salt and pepper cub did not divert his attention from the screen. "Hi, Pent."
"Come on, Xae. Let's finish our project up." The smaller teen shuffled off his shoes by the door.
Xavier did the same before they continued back through the apartment. The fox turned on the computer and pulled over a nearby spare chair so that his boyfriend could sit as well. Turning on the computer, the fox waited for the machine to turn on. His boyfriend began to wonder exactly what the other teen had in mind. Pent had only briefly talked about the program before and he felt a little bit out of the loop.
"So…uh…what's the plan?" The rodent couldn't help but be curious.
The smaller teen smiled at his boyfriend. "We are going to map out your data and create a simulation using a flight module I found online."
It sounded simple enough to the chipmunk, who understood the idea and grabbed the piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and put it on the table before them. Pent moved to the side so that the other teen could take charge of the data ends of things. The fox figured that since he did the back end of it the other boy could handle the rest. Of course, he would monitor it since he had a much better understanding of the underlying
concepts.
Pent booted up the program and showed the other teen how to work it. It was a fairly simple plotting input and each time Xavier put in a number, it placed a corresponding dot on a graph. One by one the graph was populated until several lines showed on it. Each of them had been color coordinated and the fox had even created a legend for it. It was obvious he had planned the entire thing out.
After the graph had been completed, Pent took a quick look at it. Xavier gazed over at his boyfriends whose gaze remained ever focused. He knew all too well to read the other boy and could tell he was deep in thought.
"Well…what do you think?" The brown-furred teen wanted to make sure his boyfriend approved of the product.
The fox finally snapped out of it. "This is about what I expected. I think we can simulate a similar flight with this information."
"So what do we need to do now?" Xavier asked as he was curious as to the next steps.
The smaller boy hummed. "Now we need to put a set of these variables into the flight simulation. Once we confirm it produces similar results, we can finish it by recording the conclusion."
"So we're almost done…already?" The chipmunk arched his eyebrow in disbelief.
Pent nodded at him. "Yeah, almost. We should be able to finish soon."
The fox teen switched out of the graphing program, making sure to save the contents for later. Starting up the flight simulation, Pent handed his boyfriend a control stick. Xavier looked at it awkwardly a moment before taking it. He wasn't entirely sure what the purpose of it was, still he wasn't about to question it and instead it remained in the back of his mind.
Over the course of the next hour the fox showed him how the program worked. It was merely a matter of having Xavier act as pilot. On board the fake rocket there was a command module with all sorts of different control mechanisms. A number of sensors were present, some of which were similar to the ones Pent had made on the remote control. The whole simulation was supposed to represent a much more simplied version of a CSA rocket.
It only took a single launch for Xavier to get the hang of it. The control stick wasn't hard for him to manage as the simulation wasn't designed to be overly complex. They continued to work on it and perfect the details of the launch. By the time their stomachs started rumbling, Pent was very happy with their progress. He'd already recorded a video for their project and the only thing left now was to finish the conclusion and wrap things up.
Pent checked in on Samaliel and Dakota who were still playing the same game. The older fox asked if they wanted something to eat and neither responded. Deciding instead to make something for them anyway in hopes of enticing them further. The fox and chipmunk went into the kitchen together. Sharing his plan with his boyfriend, the fox makes all of them tuna and tofu sandwiches. Xavier helped by putting together some of the plates and grabbing juice boxes of various flavors.
Once lunch was ready, Pent and Xavier returned to the living room. Each of them brought two plates with them and they had. The older fox figured the smell of it would be enough to get the younger cubs to give up the game and eat with them. Joining them on the couch, the older boys placed the shared food on the coffee table in front of them. Sure enough, it only took a matter of minutes before they gave in, put the game on pause, and turned their attention to eating.
Afterward, Samaliel asked Dakota to help him clean up. The girl was more than happy to help. Pent was a little surprised by the act, but wasn't about to question it and was glad for the assistance. Urging for Xavier to follow him, they made their way back to his room to finish up the project. Already in the back of his mind, he was considering all of the possibilities that they could reach a conclusion.
Over the course of the next of the next 2 hours they continued to work together. Pent was the one in charge of it for the most part. He allowed Xavier to offer his input but the chipmunk still didn't have much understanding of it. Still, the fox wanted him to be involved and listened to any input he had to offer. They were able to come up with something after going through a few of the options.
The final step was to put together a presentation. Pent was the least fond of this part as it meant he had to get up and speak. The fox wasn't fond of the cardboard-style displays that were all but common in school. He wanted to do something different, and he had already come up with an idea for it.
"Xae…how do you feel about doing a digital presentation where we feature the video and our findings?" Pent proposed his idea to the other teen.
The bigger boy shrugged. "That doesn't bother me. Why?"
"I was kind of thinking…maybe you could be our spokesman?" The white-furred boy didn't like the idea of speaking publicly.
The rodent thought about it for a moment. "Sure, but can you create a script or something?"
The fox nodded. "Yeah, that should be easy. I will create a cheat sheet you can use. Any questions they ask…I will answer."
"That sounds like a plan to me." Xavier was glad he could continue to contribute to the project.
Pent and Xavier began work on the presentation, using a slide show to show their data. All of the different graphs and readings were included. The fox explained each of them to his boyfriend, who did his best to understand them. They included the photographs that Pent had taken earlier, creating descriptions for each of them. Going even further to add to them by including some of the readings from the sensor he had installed on the project.
It took them a little bit longer to put the finishing touches on the project. Pent wished he had taken a video but there was nothing he could do about it now. Instead deciding to rely on the flight simulation. By the end of it, they had created a single leaflet and the slideshow along with it. It had been a hard day's work and the whole thing didn't take nearly as long as they anticipated. Now it was just a matter of time before they found out how they would do at the fair itself.
For the remainder of the day, Pent and Xavier hung low. Samaliel and Dakota challenged them to a few games of Smash Brothers. The two teens were all too keen to take up the challenge, despite neither of them being games. Of course the younger cubs were able to best them but the older boys were able to put up a good match all the same. Despite losing, they both had a good time playing with the younger cubs.
Dakota would be picked up shortly after and Xavier's parents would show up just before dinner. Pent was a bit disappointed he couldn't stay but didn't complain since they'd been together the entire day. Despite all the hard work they had done, both boys had enjoyed themselves. It would be the first time that Xavier truly enjoyed something Science related…though he still didn't fully understand it. Even he was looking forward to seeing how they would do.
As for Pent…in his mind, he was racing with anticipation. He always looked forward to the Science fair, and this year was only slightly different. It would be one of the few times so far that he got to share his knowledge of the subject with the boy he loved. Sure…Xavier knew he liked it, but the fox teen always held back a bit. It was the first time that the chipmunk fully understood this. It would truly be a welcome change for both of them as they continued to fully embrace each other and their relationship.
