Changes - Part 1.0
Changes
Part 1.0
by Dego
Author's Note: This is a very long story about a fox. If you're not interested in sitting in for the long run, don't read it and don't give me a bad vote. The story is split into 10 sections and numbered 1.0, 1.1, 1.2... and so on. I will post a new section each day. Please enjoy.
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Charlie watched as his father placed his belongings into a moving box. "Why do we have to move?" he asked desperately.
"Charlie, we've had this conversation a thousand times before..."
"But I don't want to move to a new school! I don't want to make new friends! Why did your stupid boss make you transfer?"
His father sighed and dismissed the young foxboy with a wave of his hand. Charlie groaned and decided to get out of the house, away from his parents. He took a walk around the neighborhood where he had lived for 12 years, smelling the familiar smells and trying to commit to memory everything he would miss. He passed the houses of some of his friends and felt a twinge of pain at leaving them after so many years.
When he returned home after his walk, he found the shelves empty and his father taping the moving box closed. "We'll be leaving tomorrow, around lunchtime." his father said. "I'm going to go help your mother. Why don't you make plans to say goodbye to your friends before we leave?" Charlie nodded, but said nothing. His dad finally left the room carrying the box of Charlie's things and Charlie just sat, dejected, staring at his empty shelves. He decided that he did want to say goodbye to Zeke and Brian, his two best friends, so he called them and made plans to meet in the park the next day. The rest of the afternoon Charlie silently helped his parents pack their things into boxes, pointedly avoiding eye contact or conversation with either of them. He went to bed that night with an empty feeling in his stomach.
The next morning a group of burly husky dogs came and began to dismantle shelves and furniture and pack it all into their big moving truck. Charlie felt sick watching them tear apart the last remnants of his home, so he left for the park earlier than he needed to. On his way out, he accidentally brushed against one of the huskies whose palm seemed intentionally turned outward. As he passed, the husky's paw grazed the foxboy's groin, giving Charlie a new rush of excitement he had never felt before. He looked up as the husky brushed past and thought he caught a devilish grin, but it lasted only a brief moment. Charlie shrugged it off as an accident, made a mental note to experiment with this new feeling, then left for the park.
He waited around until a bunny showed up. Charlie's best friend Zeke, a short gray hare, greeted the foxboy, and not a minute later Charlie's rotund panda friend Brian showed up too. They found a bench in the shade and sat down to talk. "So which school are you going to go to?" asked Zeke.
"I don't know yet. Some junior high school somewhere."
Charlie was going to turn 13 soon, and his friends nodded their heads in unison, knowing that the smart fox was making a big change in starting high school. Charlie was bumped up a grade, and got to start junior high a year early.
"We'll miss you." Brian interjected. Zeke smiled a sad agreement and looked away. "I'll miss you too, guys." Charlie said sadly. "Let's go get one last ice cream." They went to a nearby parlor and Charlie treated his two best friends to a scoop each. They had one last walk through the park, eating ice cream and reminiscing about times they shared together. When it was time to go, Charlie gave his friends a heartfelt hug, said goodbye, and left without ever looking back.
He returned home and saw the mover huskies finishing up, securing furniture in the truck and shutting the doors. His mother was standing outside, watching the movers, saw him and said, "Charlie, go check your room for anything we missed. It's about time to go." Charlie felt his ears burn with anger, and he shoved past his mom into their now-empty house. He wanted to scream, not understanding why a job was more important than what he wanted, but instead stomped upstairs to his room. He found something that finally caused him to weep. It was a tiny picture frame with a photo of Charlie, Brian, and Zeke eating watermelon together, when they were little kits. Charlie looked at himself in the picture, at his lighter, almost blond fur. He was skinny then and he was skinny now, but his fur had changed to a brown, signaling his maturation. Charlie saw how happy the scene was and how big the grins were on the three friends' faces as watermelon juice dribbled everywhere. He smiled a weak smile as tears flowed freely, then was broken from his reverie as he heard the moving truck starting up and rolling away. He decided the picture would cause too much pain, so he tossed it into the closet and shut the door before he could change his mind. He collected himself, wiped his eyes, and went downstairs with as much dignity as he could muster. His parents were standing together, waiting for him, and his dad noticed the matted fur under Charlie's eyes. "I'm sorry son. I don't want to move either, but..." Charlie cut him off with a curt nod and turned out the front door. His parents followed, locking the door behind them. As his dad started up the car and shifted gears, Charlie looked out the window and whispered a quiet goodbye to his home. Once they drove out of sight, Charlie turned to face forward in his seat, determined to be silent.