In the early morning hours, only darkness and silence were known. Save for the occasional buzz of a mosquito or flickering light of a firefly, the insects were nowhere to be seen or heard. The wind silently shook the trees, their branches swaying to and fro, casting shadows in the pale moonlight. Occasionally a cloud would lazily drift in the night sky, briefly obscuring the moon from sight before moving further away on its journey to the horizon and beyond.
This silent halcyon, known to few, was visible through the window of Ecco Fostin, however he was not awake to enjoy it. However, time waits for no one, and time is a cruel mistress, especially for the high school student. As his clock’s display changed to 05:00, all the peace and joy of the early morning was shattered by loud beeps as his alarm went off.
Ecco, despite being used to this phenomenon, shot upward in shock, his eyes glancing around the room in confusion, eyeshine bright in the rays of the moon. As his conscious mind slowly awakened he groaned loudly and threw a pillow at the alarm clock situated across his room. When that failed to silence it, he slowly rolled out of bed and sluggishly strode over to his desk to shut it off, nearly tripping over his hastily thrown pillow. He gave a wry chuckle before tossing the pillow at his bed, gazing longingly at his blankets as he gave a stretch, his form illuminated in the moonlight.
He looked to be an average sized fox, perhaps a bit too far on the slender size. His ears were maybe a bit too large, a constant source of self-confidence issues and doubts. As he yawned, he slowly remembered why he was waking up so early and started to softly grumble. Today was the last day of school for all local high schools, and he was being forced to go like some geek. He had argued this with his mother-- his tests were complete, his books returned, and no new material was to be taught today. His mother, in her infinite wisdom and quest for perfection, argued that he had no choice and that if he stayed home he could enjoy being grounded for the entire summer.
This gambit, of course, forced his attendance, but he knew he would not enjoy it. Other students had a cause to attend, perhaps, but not him. One of his friends had explained that it was a day for yearbook signing and watching movies in classes completed. Ecco had no money to waste on a picture book of the transient, so that argument was nothing to him. If anything, the only positive was that it was an early dismissal day, and that he would be free to go to work much earlier than normal, even if only by two hours.
All of this played in his mind as he left his room and took a quick turn down the darkened hallway, his tail lazily swaying to and fro as he made his way to the bathroom. His house was too silent for his mother to be home, he thought as he padded into the bathroom and flicked on the light, wincing at the sudden change in brightness.
His eyes quickly adjusted and he gazed at himself in the mirror. He was a red fox, just like his mother, with black tipped ears and a darker colour of fur. His eyes, sleep logged as they were, shone back a brilliant green shade. He quickly surveyed his state-- his headfur was a mess, his fur everywhere was a mess, and he looked like the living dead. The solution was clear, and ten minutes later he exited his shower feeling clean and refreshed. Whilst he sat under his fur dryer he took care of the minute details, and five minutes later he exited the the bathroom, clothed in his standard ware of jeans and a black polo shirt.
As he walked he yawned, dropping his pyjamas into his hamper before heading into the kitchen. He and his mother lived in a modest two bedroom, one bathroom house, and had for the past five years or so, ever since his father had left them. He remembered how that had happened-- it was his twelfth birthday. His father, Joseph, had taken him and his mother out on a fun day: a movie, a local fair, and finished with a big dinner. Had he been focused, he would have seen the strained smiles on his parent's faces, or the extra attempts they made to make sure that he was as happy as possible.
That night, his father tucked him in bed and told him how much he loved him. As Ecco smiled and kissed at his father's ears, he heard him whisper two words: forgive me. His father soon walked out of his room and, as his mother would later tell him, out of the house and their lives. In the court agreement, he had waived any and all rights for visitation, and the only impact that he had on their lives was in the form of a check deposited monthly into his mother's account.
While he was angry at his father, his mother was horribly depressed. She quit her job and the two of them moved from their large house in a sprawling metropolis of a city on the west coast to Joy Meadow-glen, a large city on the eastern coast. His mother had given up her role as editor at the magazine she wrote for to move, and now she worked as the editor in chief of the city's newspaper, a job that had her working around the clock, despite the downtrend of newspaper readership.
A note awaited Ecco as he walked in the kitchen. He glossed over it reading it aloud.
“I had to go into work,” he mumbled as he skipped ahead. “Big deadline. . . have a good day, love Mom.” He chuckled as he folded the note and put it in his pocket. Ever since he and his mother had set out alone, she wrote him a note everyday and left it in the kitchen, and ever since then he had taken the note and held on to it for the entire day. It might be seen as silly by his peers, but it was a sign that his mother was with him all day.
He sighed as he patted the pocket with the note and opened the fridge to forage for some breakfast. He scanned over last night's leftovers and saw his mom had put a bagged lunch there for him. He chuckled as he fumbled around the lunch and grabbed some of the pizza from a few days ago.
As he munched on a cold slice, he wandered back into his room to make sure he had everything he needed. He pulled out his messenger bag and, with muzzle full of cheese pizza, put in his folded work clothes. He swallowed, took another large bite, and put on his socks and shoes. A cursory glance at the clock revealed that it was 05:30-- time to go. He slung his messenger bag on, grabbed his keys and the remaining pizza, flew through the kitchen in order to pick up the lunch his mom had made for him, and left for his bus, taking care to lock up behind in.
At this time, there was still no sun out and the wind was a gentle breeze, blowing his hair to and fro. He fumbled with the pizza for a moment as he put the last slice in his muzzle, holding it there, before pulling a music player and earbuds from his pocket. A quick insertion into his ears and flick on the mp3 player, and the sounds of dawn were replaced with guitars and drums.
Today would be a good day, he told himself, as he walked down his street and into the neighbourhood. His gaze went to and fro, looking at the familiar buildings that surrounded him as he made his way to the bus stop. His mother had gotten him a special assignment to another school, as the closest school was a college preparatory school, which neither he nor his mother thought would be a good match. One of the downsides to the special assignment was that there was no direct school bus route nearby and, as such, he had to take a city bus to where the city and school bus shared a stop, and from there he could go to school. Originally, Ecco had protested this and wanted a ride with his mother, but after now three years of this, he had come to enjoy the walk.
As he passed by a local market, he gave a wave to the older ferret couple who ran it, the two waving back with smiles before they returned their attentions to setting out their produce for sale. Ecco smiled in turn as he continued his walk-- this interaction, almost on a daily basis, made his morning. For some reason, he found a comfort in the fact that they would always be there to wave at him, wishing him a good morning, and that he could do the same; the kindness of near-strangers always amazed him.
He turned the final corner and walked down the block, gazing at each of the buildings as he passed by. To his left was the Catholic Church, and just past that was the Muslim Temple. He always marveled at the differences in architecture and colours, always being a fan of the spires and colours of the Temple. He also found himself enamored with the belltower of the Catholics, even though there were no bells to be found anywhere.
On the other side of the street was where he attended, the Hellenistic Community Center, which shared a fence with the Jewish Community Center. He loved this street, with its seemingly incompatible structures, and as he stood in front of the Jewish center at the designated bus stop sign, he looked from building to building, finally focusing on his own. Why could they just not call it a Greek Temple, he always wondered. There had been a time, centuries ago, when the major religions had fought, and the ones that were much more minor, like his own, were sought out with a passion and many attempts were made to eliminate them. This began to die down when expansion and imperialism became the major forces on the world, and it almost was at an end by the second world war.
When the world had mostly put aside their aggressions and squabbles in order to band together against the Nazi regime, what they had expected was terror. What they discovered was a horror far beyond the nightmares of their darkest dreams. The level of depravity, the amount of destruction and death caused them all to take a quick reflection on their own lives and their own countries. It was then that they all came to a decision-- religious war needed to end, and end immediately.
With that, a summit was declared and on the same day that the United Nations was created and ratified, so too was the United Religions, which promoted peace, prosperity, and well-being to all creatures. With that, Ecco's small religion and the other old religions could thrive side-by-side with the larger, more popular religions, and it further allowed those larger religions to co-exist on a mostly peaceful level. Every so often there would be a fanatic who declared something to be immoral and sought to bring everything back to the traditional, old ways, but they were brought quickly to their end.
All too quickly, his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the 05:40 bus. He waved a paw in the air to signal a stop and, after boarding and swiping his pass, he bid the driver a good morning and sat in an empty row in the middle of the bus. Most of the other occupants were divided-- the elderly sat in the front, and everyone else sat in the back. He chose the middle usually, as this would allow for him to converse with others if he wanted to, and it was also right across from the exit, thus making sure he would be among the first to get off at his stops.
He looked around with his paws empty, feeling awkward; typically he would be reading a text book or studying for a quiz. Today he had nothing to do, and the driver was being quiet, unlike her usual self, so it left music and looking at the scenery as it passed by. He slightly curled up in the row, his bag on his lap, as he leaned his head against the window, watching the lightening sky illuminate the city skyline.
Every now and then the bus would stop and passengers would exit or board, and every time they started again the speakers would chime and he could faintly hear a female voice advise that the front seats were for the physically handicapped. Every other five minutes, like clockwork, he knew that a random message would play as well, either proclaiming the city to be great, or talking about how integral the bus was to their lives. The messages, like the bus, had grown on him and he often repeated them to his friends, much to their amusement.
Ten minutes in his ride, the bus stopped across from the cemetery. His city had three cemeteries, and this was the largest one, the other two being private to specific religions. It was an interesting site, seeing plastic crosses next to stone stars next to metallic crescent moons. Here and there you would see a different emblem, and to Ecco that represented the best of the world-- we all can live and die together in peace. As the bus lurched back into action, he felt a gentle nudge at his side.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he re-arranged himself in his seat without looking over, moving his tail to give more room. He gave a casual look over and saw a raccoon, right around his age, with sparkling black eyes scrunched together in a smile. Ecco immediately pulled out his headphones and grinned back.
“Well, look at you, riding the bus. I guess Logan didn't wake up to drive you ?” The raccoon shook his head before leaning his side on the fox. “Nice to see I'm not the only one stuck going to school today, Ethan.” The raccoon nodded a bit to that, his eyes slowly closing and his form weighing more and more on the fox next to him.
Ethan was, to most, an enigma. He and his brother were in an accident when they were younger that robbed him of his parents and nearly his own life. While the doctors were able to save him, they were not able to save his voice. Thus Ethan lived as a mute raccoon, yet he was a cheery sort of guy who was always smiling. His brother, Logan, was less cheery and had seemingly never recovered from that accident emotionally, and worked as the full-time undertaker and groundskeeper for the cemetery they had just passed.
When Ecco and Ethan had first met, Ecco was creeped out by the mute, but he had warmed up significantly when the two of them ended up getting hired at the same Subwich store, Ethan working in the back and Ecco working as a cashier. The raccoon was a perfectionist, and it showed-- he worked efficiently and was never afraid to roll up his sleeves to get the job done correctly.
Even more amazing than his strive for perfection was his sense of humour. As he did not speak and refused to write down his thoughts, he expressed himself almost entirely though facial expressions, to the point of over-exaggeration. Even then he had a good nature, and would point out amusing things, or make silly faces, or would himself silently laugh at things he found amusing.
The two grew as close friends, spending most of their days together at the school or at work. It was not uncommon to see the two in some form of physical contact, as this was how Ethan did communicate most efficiently with others. While it did foster the rumours that the two were gay, Ecco merely waved a paw, said they were half-right about him, and if only he could be so lucky. This always made Ethan laugh.
At this moment, the raccoon was asleep, silently breathing on Ecco's shoulder. Despite his arm quickly falling asleep, Ecco smiled: a minor discomfort for a friend was nothing to him. He crossed one leg over another and leaned back, getting himself comfortable for the next twenty minutes of the ride. He turned his gaze to the front of the bus where the driver, a kindly female squirrel with chestnut colour fur, smiled back at him through the rear-view mirror and quickly extended a single digit over her muzzle. He could faintly hear her make a shushing sound and he chuckled softly, knowing that she was only teasing the pair.
The fox found himself looking out the window soon after that, the sunrise washing the grey city in a kaleidoscope of colours, each high rise with windows a brilliant reflection of the orange and pink morning sky. The clouds were visible in various hues, and for just this brief period of time the city seemed less busy and more alive at the same time. However, as the bus made the final turn before they had their stop, he knew that such beauty would come to pass, as it was wont to do.
He pushed the button to signal for a stop as he gently shook Ethan, rousing him from his nap. The raccoon sniffed sharply and rubbed his cheek on Ecco's shoulder.
“We're there,” he said softly as he mussed the headfur of his sleepy friend, gaining a playful glare in response. Ecco laughed at this as the two gathered their belongings and stood to exit as the bus slowly came to a stop.
“Have a good day ma'am,” Ecco called to the driver as Ethan gave a friendly smile and wave.
“You too, sirs,” she responded in kind. “Take care.”
“You as well.” With that, the bus stopped and the doors opened, allowing the pair to jump out and walk a short distance to the school bus stop where a small group had gathered. They were in an upscale neighbourhood now, where all of the developments had gated entries and the kids all wore the new brands of clothing. To them, the two were just gutter trash and they made no attempt to talk with them or greet them.
There was, however, one exception.
“Is that poverty I smell,” a grey rabbit asked, wearing near black sunglasses, despite the low level of brightness, which clashed with the formality of his black slacks and white shirt, a black blazer hanging off of his shoulder.
“Hey Eoin,” Ecco said as he and Ethan walked over. He knew Eoin through his temple, and despite the caustic behaviour, it was all in good fun. Eoin leaned on a white cane tipped with a red ball, a sign he was blind. Ecco had once remarked to him that he should be deaf, thus there could be a trio where one was blind, one was deaf, and the other was mute. This rewarded him with a gentle punch from Ethan and a thwack on the shins from Eoin's cane.
“How're you two ?” Eoin looked back and forth between the pair, almost as if seeing them. Ethan smiled at Ecco.
“We're fine, thanks.” The fox briefly surveyed the rabbit. “Where's your violin ? I've never seen you without it.” Despite his visual impairment, he had quite the talent with stringed instruments, his favourite being the cello but the more portable one being the violin. His teachers called him a prodigy, his peers called him a showoff.
“I'm fine, thanks for asking.” Eoin mumbled sarcastically. “No practice, so why lug that thing in, yeah ?” The three all nodded in agreement.
“Any holiday pl--”
“It's near.” Eoin interrupted Ecco, his ears twitching to and fro. Sure enough, the bus rounded the corner and came to a quick stop. The assembled quickly boarded, the three taking up an entire aisle of seats, and the bus took off, a low hum of chatter the only soundtrack for the ride.
“So, any plans for the holiday ?” Ecco asked again, this time not being interrupted. Eoin shrugged noncommittally.
“Well, the folks want to go to the mountains or something. It sounds incredibly boring, but who knows. You two just going to work?” Ecco looked over to see Ethan nod.
“Yeah. No plans for the two of us besides being whores for the man.”
“Here I thought you two were only gay for each other,” Eoin quipped with a smile.
“Hey, just because you're blind doesn't mean I won't kick your ass,” Ecco responded, laughing.
“Ah, right, you two come from the other side of the tracks, I forgot that's how you settle your disputes.”
“Bah, whatever. So why're you coming in on the last day ?”
“Well, I have to get my yearbook signed,” Eoin explained. Ethan tilted his head.
“I agree, Ethan. Why the hell do you have a yearbook ? It's not like the pictures'll do you any good.”
“The folks like it, and it'll give the kids something to look at one day.”
“Like you'd bag anyone to have kids with.” A faint whistling was heard before Eoin slapped Ecco's shins.
“I'd better not hear you laughing either, chuckles,” he said with a cold smile, looking at where Ethan was sitting.
“Fucker, what was that for ?” Ecco asked as he rubbed his shins.
“Well,” Eoin fidgeted with his shirt collar, “I'd tell you, but it's more fun to let you figure it out.” Ethan leaned on Ecco's side once more, resting his head on the fox's shoulder.
“I swear, all this one does is sleep,” Ecco muttered. Ethan tilted his head, opening one eye sleepily. “Just kidding,” Ecco quickly added. Ethan smiled and gave a silent yawn before settling his head back on Ecco's shoulder, his bushy ringtail resting on both his and Ecco's hindpaws.
“So I heard a rumour,” Eoin said as he stretched out in his seat, no one wanting to sit next to him. Ecco looked across the aisle at the rabbit.
“Yeah ? What about ?”
“You two. Apparently there's some contest going on.”
“Contest ?” Ecco's ears perked.
“Yeah. The contest is to get a picture of you two together in the most homoerotic pose, yeah ?” Eoin paused to chuckle a little. “So this entire semester, there's apparently been a group of folks running around, taking pictures of the two of you.” Ecco blinked at this.
“Well, what's the prize ?”
“I dunno, but something big I'd hope.”
“Me too. Well, let's see if there's one of these jokers on this bus,” Ecco plotted quietly to Eoin. He ever so gently wrapped an arm around Ethan's shoulders, pulling him close to his side, as he lay his head on top of the sleeping raccoon's.
Immediately he heard a small gasp and a shuffle from a few rows in front of them. A female coyote, in a yellow summer dress, quickly stood and spun around, camera armed and ready to go.
“Tada !” Ecco said as he pointed directly at her, giving a small smile. “Eoin, do I win a bet for this or anything ?”
“No, but you lost a whole lot of self-respect, I'm sure.”
“So cute,” the girl mumbled as she quickly began to snap pictures.
“Sweetheart,” Ecco called out. “What's the prize ?”
“A book with all of the pictures,” she called out, somewhat embarrassed.
“If you win, let me know. We'll autograph it for ya.” The coyote, with blush spread clearly over her muzzle, nodded and sat back down, her faint giggles slowly being masked by the waves of conversation.
“Since when did we become so cute ?” Ecco asked Eoin.
“Since the two of you became attached to the hip,” Eoin answered, deadpan as always.
“Do you think the two of us'll be as cute, Eoin ?” Ecco asked teasingly, making to move over to give the rabbit hugs.
“Don't you dare you street urchin,” Eoin admonished, cane brandished. At Ecco's slight movement, Ethan's arm came across his chest to hold him in place, paw firmly clamped on his shoulder.
“Huh, looks like Ethan won't share, so I guess you're safe.”
“OHMIGOD !” the coyote shouted, again turned and taking pictures of the sleeping clingy raccoon and the fox he clung to.
“Miss, you need to sit down and shut up,” the driver called out, shaking his paw in the air at her.
“Sorry sir.” In his sleep, Ethan rubbed his face on Ecco's shoulder.
“Almost there, promise,” Ecco said, wrapping his arm back around the raccoon. The two remained in that position for the next ten minutes before Ecco gently woke Ethan, the bus slowly pulling into their school.
“So, you two working tonight ?” Eoin asked.
“Yeah, but we'll be at temple tomorrow. We have to write that letter.”
“Ah, right, for that dead guy.”
“He was the Pope,” Ecco reminded.
“So ? When was the last time the Catholics did us a favour, eh ?”
“They sent us a nice fruit basket for Christmas, remember ?”
“Yeah, a holiday we do not celebrate.”
“But 'tis the season, right ?” Ecco reminded as the bus came to a stop.
“The Catholics are apparently already in Conclave to get their new Pope. How weird is that system ?” Eoin asked as he stood up, cane poised for the tapping.
“Well, it does seem more political,” Ecco mused. “I remember in an RPG I once played the religion was actually a political front.” He nodded for a moment. “Or maybe that was a movie with Guy Fawkes in it. Either way, politics and religion together aren't good.”
“Easier to control the masses, I bet,” Eoin added as the trio disembarked the bus, Ethan shambling along at a sluggard's pace.
“I'm not carrying you to homeroom, lazy butt,” Ecco whined back at Ethan, who merely rubbed his eyes blearily. The trio navigated the near-deserted hallways of their school before entering their homeroom, which too was also near-deserted. Eoin muttered his goodbye before walking his way through the halls toward the special education department, his cane taps fading, along with his threats to hit anyone who bumped into him with his cane.
Ecco led Ethan to their homeroom, the raccoon yawning silently every few steps. They entered the classroom, noting that out of the usual thirty students only three others had decided to attend. They took their usual seats and waited for the teacher, a stout badger, to enter the room. After five minutes of waiting, the teacher strode into the room. He briefly surveyed the classroom and sighed, taking his seat behind the desk at the front of the room.
“Do you have nothing better to do, guys ?” He took a sip from his coffee mug.
“Mister Xant, will you sign my yearbook ?” The squirrel who asked it, Famrix, rested a single paw on the top of her yearbook, the other twirling her long, curly hair. The teacher merely scoffed.
“Later,” he said as he opened a book. “I'm not doing attendance, no words of wisdom. Nothing. Keep it down, and that's it.” The book, titled Orgeal Tendencies, had cover art that depicted a half-nude vixen and a muscular tiger holding both the vixen and a gun. Ecco shook his head and leaned back to talk to Ethan.
“What a joke,” he muttered to the raccoon, who was leaning against the wall, looking quite asleep. Ecco chuckled and turned around, only to see Famrix standing in front of him.
“Heya stud, wanna sign my yearbook ?” She asked, bending over ever so slightly. Famrix was a cheerleader on the varsity team, well known for her ability to easily flip. She was also reputed to be easy to get in bed.
“What're you up to, Famrix ?” Ecco asked with a sigh. The two of them were, at best, temple acquaintances, however they did not speak about it. Ecco thought that Famrix was too vapid, perky, and far too much a stereotype. How she managed to get through her classes he never managed to figure out, but if the rumours about her sexual exploits were true, he had a good idea how it might go.
“Oh, nothing,” she said as she opened her yearbook and placed a pen on the desk. “Just trying to get people to sign it. If you sign it, that would be me giving community service to the poor and underprivileged.” She tilted her head and smiled, looking down her muzzle.
“No thanks,” Ecco said as he turned in his seat, putting on his headphones.
“Mister Xant, Ecco tried to write something disgusting in my yearbook !” Famrix shrieked as she pulled her yearbook away.
“Settle down,” the badger snarled. “Ecco, stop being an idiot.” Ecco knew better than to argue after having known Famrix for so long. When he argued, it ended in Principals and grounding. He merely shook his head at Famrix, who was sitting with her cheerleader groupies, sticking her tongue out at him.
“What a bitch,” he mumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ethan give a small smile.
As they went from class to class, the duo were subjected to farewell speeches from their teachers, movies, or just sitting and talking. As Ecco suspected, no work was done, and as he did not have a yearbook, there was no real point in his being there. He did sign a few, especially those from the females in his classes. He smiled at that, thinking they were either attracted to him or thought he was gay with Ethan. Either way, he liked the attention.
The day soon came to an end, thankfully, and both he and Ethan had gotten their fair share of papers with phone numbers, emails, and names on them. While they had promised to keep in touch, chances are the only thing they would do was add them to their MyPlace and send them occasional messages from there. Fortunately, that would be more than sufficient, and it would keep everyone happy.
Ecco said their goodbyes, and the two of them rushed outside in order to get to the bus that would take them to where they worked. They barely caught it, reaching the stop right when the bus pulled up. Heaving and huffing, they took their seats, the bus fairly empty as it was still in the middle of the work day. A quick twenty minutes later, they got off the bus and entered the Subwich they worked at.
“Good,” the manager, a slightly overweight tabby named Tammy said. “Everyone called out and we're in the weeds. Hurry up and clock in,” she commanded as the two walked in the bathroom, quickly put on their work clothes, put their belongings in the back room, and clocked in.
“How can I help you ?” Ecco asked, taking over the cashier position. Ethan grabbed all of the dirty pans and containers and brought them to the back, going back out to fill up the various stations around the restaurant. Ecco smiled at the raccoon, who gave a smile back.
“Yes, can I get a footlong veggie?” The customer asked. Ecco turned his smile back to the customer, a middle aged skunk.
“Certainly.”
The work remained steady, but that is how they liked it the most. About an hour from close things slowed down to the point where there were no customers coming in. Ethan started to sweep up the dining room portion of the store, while Ecco began to stock up on the chips and other assorted consumables. He heard the door open and he walked to the counter.
“Welcome to Subw-- oh, hey Julio.” The jaguar strode into the room, a wide smile on his face.
“How are you, friend ?” The twenty-something jaguar, tall and muscular, ran one of the more popular tattoo parlors down the road. He frequented their restaurant and was one of the more fun regulars.
“Ach, okay,” Ecco said as he walked to the other side of the counter. “Regular ?”
“Sure,” Julio reached over to grab a cup. Tammy looked out from the back of the store upon seeing that.
“Oh, hey Julio,” she greeted.
“Hey Tammy, how is the new tat healing up ?”
“Just fine,” she said as she lifted up her shirt sleeve, revealing an ornate pattern in her fur where Juilo had tattooed. Julio walked behind the counter to look at it.
“Very good. Just let the new fur grow in and it will be perfect.” He gave it a tentative poke. “Any pain ?”
“None at all !”
“Excellent,” Julio praised as he walked back to his normal seat. “Oh, drink.” He mumbled something in Portuguese to himself as he wandered to the fountain drink machine.
“Julio, if you're from Brazil why don't you have an accent ?” Ecco asked as he delivered the sandwich, Julio taking a seat with his drink.
“Oh, I taught myself to not speak with it long ago, but I still have to work on contractions and slang,” Julio said with a grin, picking up the sandwich and taking a big bite. “Delicious.”
“Good. If you need something, you know where it is,” Ecco mentioned as he waltzed back over to the closet where they stored the chips. With Julio, he just found it easier to let the tall jaguar have the whole of the store. Tammy did not mind herself, and would often let Julio eat in the backroom if the store was closing but he still wanted to talk.
“So is it summer yet for you ?” Julio called out.
“Today, yeah.” Ecco grunted, the box he had picked up deceptively heavier than he thought it would be.
“Cool. You should come by my store sometime.”
“My mum would kill me if I got a tattoo,” Ecco laughed.
“Well, you can just read comics or something,” Julio shrugged. “It'll do you good to get out of your house every now and then.”
“Fair enough.” Ethan wandered from the back of the house to empty out the trash bins.
“Hey you,” Julio said. “Didn't hear you earlier.” Ethan took a small break to walk over and give Julio a fist-bump, the greeting-of-choice for the two males. “You okay ?” Ethan nodded. “Good. Is Tammy making you work hard ?” Ethan rolled his eyes as he nodded, shaping his paw into a mock-gun and pointing it at his head.
“I saw that,” Tammy called out.
“Oops, better get back before the slave-driver gets her whip.”
“Julio Nurn-however-you-pronounce-your-last-name--”
“--Nurnberg,” Julio and Ecco called out in unison.
“That. If you keep harassing my staff, I swear,” Tammy walked out of the back wielding a knife she had been cleaning.
“Understood, signora,” Julio replied, goofy grin in place. Ethan shook his head, rolling his eyes at the trio.
“So everyone else called out ?” Julio asked Ecco.
“Yeah. Pansies did'nt want to work the last day of school, I guess.”
“I'd imagine some of them may not be back,” Tammy ominously muttered from the back. “I'll flood this place with pinkslips if need be.”
“Can you do that after we leave ? I think Ethan'll cry if he has to mop again,” Ecco called out in a deadpan voice.
“I think I see one with your name on it,” Tammy teased.
“Yes ma'am back to work ma'am !”
An hour later, with the shop both closed and clean, Ecco left with Ethan and Julio, who offered to give the two a ride back to Ecco's place.
“You just wanna stay over at my place ?” Ecco asked the raccoon. The raccoon nodded. “Hey, can I borrow your cellphone ?” Ecco asked Julio.
“Needy needy fox,” the jaguar play mocked as he passed over his phone. Ecco punched in the number from memory and hit the call button.
“Hello ?” A gruff voice answered.
“Logan, it's Ecco. Can Ethan crash at my place tonight ?”
“Okay.” The reply, brief and terse, was much like any other conversation the two had ever had.
“Thanks. He'll be back tomorrow night.”
“Okay.” With that, the conversation was over. Ethan smiled as Ecco passed the cellphone back.
“So, do you think your mom'll have dinner ready when you get back ?”
“I hope,” Ecco replied, his stomach growling. “Lunch was so far ago.”
“Hopefully she has some for me too,” Julio said as he unlocked his car, an older style hatchback covered in stickers from bands and music groups. The three boarded and drove the short trip to Ecco's house. They exited the hatchback, and Ecco led the two to his house, lights in the windows on, and unlocked the front door. They quickly walked in, closed the door, and took off their shoes.
“I'm home, mum,” Ecco called out. “With guests.”
“Let me guess,” Erika said as she rounded the corner. “A jaguar and a raccoon.” His mom, despite being in her late thirties, only had slightly grey fur. She wore a simple blouse and pants, her slim shape cutting a strong figure in the light. “How're you two ?” Ethan waved a paw.
“Just fine. What is that you are cooking ?” Julio asked as he strode through the living room to give the vixen a hug.
“Bottomless pit,” Erika joked as she returned the hug. “Just some stew. Would both of you like to stay for dinner ? Wait,” she paused as she turned around. “Yes, Ethan can stay over.” Ecco gave a silent victory dance. “But only if he helps you clean the garage tomorrow.”
Victory dance ended, Ecco gave Ethan a resigned look, one that was returned.
“Understood.”
“Good, now come in and eat, you vagabonds. Tell me all about your days.”
Later that night, after Julio had left for home and Erika had turned in for the night, Ecco and Ethan lay in Ecco's bed, munching on some cookies they had liberated from the pantry. Ecco lay snuggled up to Ethan, who was happily munching on a cookie.
“Today was not such a bad day after all,” Ecco said as he rolled onto his back, resting his paws behind his head. Ethan heaved a small sigh and reached over to turn off the light, returning to bed to snuggle his form against Ecco's side, resting an arm on the fox's chest.
In the late night, only darkness and silence were known. Hidden underneath those layers, concealed by the darkness and silence, lay a world of wonder and danger. Thousands of miles away, a group met in seclusion to elect their new leader. In a country far away, a girl ran through the frozen wilderness, unsure why she was being chased or what her aggressors wanted. Twenty miles away, a woman lay in bed, unable to sleep from the knowledge she had. Ten miles away, a male stayed awake, reading through books, trying to make sense of what he was reading. All around the world, groups met in hiding, planning everything from parties to revolutions.
None of this was known to Ecco, who only knew the silent halcyon of the night, enjoyed from the safety of his bed. Every now and then an insect would make a sound, or the distant noise of a train passing by would waft into his room. At his side, his best friend nuzzled at his chest, softly smacking his muzzle and making little noise. As he closed his eyes, a smile crossed his own muzzle.
“Yes, today was not so bad a day at all.”
