Fur: Chapter I
#1 of Fur: Book One
Fur: Chapter I
'Personally I'm always ready to learn. Although I do not always like to be taught.
-Sir Winston Churchill-
Earth, October 29, 2:28 p.m.
Conroe High School, Tx.
15 years later.
"Zzzzzz."
"Mr. Fox."
"Zzzzzz."
"Mr. Fox!"
"Zzzzzz."
'THUD!'
"Fuck!' I yelled as I was startled into awareness.
"Mr. Fox, watch you language." Hissed my teacher, as she retrieved her book from my desk. I noticed the class was snickering at my sudden awakening.
"I wouldn't have to, if you didn't wake me up so abruptly. "I retorted, popping my neck.
"Go to bed earlier then." She fought, her white fluffy tail twitching in agitation.
"I think my P.E. class blows your idea out the water, Mrs. E." I mocked as I lay my chin on my hands.
"Sounds like a personal problem." My feline teacher said. She walked back behind her desk to continue writing on the dry-erase board.
"Why don't you pull your tail out of your...." I mumbled.
"What was that Mr. Fox?" Questioned Mrs. E as she continues to write on the board. Then I noticed her tail was twitching, signifying that she heard what I said.
"I didn't say anything."
"Mhm." Just as she finishes with the dry-erase board, the school bell rang and everyone started to pile out of the classroom. I gathered my binder into my backpack, slung it over my shoulder and headed out the door, until....
"Mr. Fox, a word if you please." Mrs. E said.
"Yes?" I replied as I turn to face my catlike mentor.
"Max, I know that you are a smart kid, but you need to be a little more proactive in class." Lectured Mrs. E as she sits at the desk.
"I would if it wasn't so boring. This stuff is just to easy, Mrs. E." I explained. "But I don't want everyone to know that."
"Why?" I didn't know if she knew the magnitude behind her simple question, because I didn't have a simple answer. I exhaled a breath I didn't realized I had been holding, then I signed. Mrs. E tilted her head in confusion, waiting for my reply.
"Because," Focusing on a pen and pencil holder as I began to explain the best I could. "Then everyone will start to expect things of me that I may not be ready for."
Mrs. E sat silently as I continued to revealed the reason for keeping everyone in the dark.
"I'm tired of everyone telling me I could become a great scientist, the next face of my family's business, the next CEO of Genetic Anthropomorphic Enhancement Corporation, the next this or that, I'm sick of it.
Look, what I'm trying to say is, I'm tired of everyone telling me that I could become like my father, but I have a life too, and I intend on living it the way I want." I concluded, shifting my weight to my left.
My feline mentor just sat in her chair staring at me, suming up all that I had said. She shifted in her seat to, for whatever reason, then said,
"Max, I'm not going to tell you that you that you need to become like your father or to do anything that you don't want to. Just try to act like you care." She responded. I looked up at her and it seemed like she had a sincere enough look on her face.
"Okay?"
"Yeah." I answered.
"Well then, have a good weekend and good Holloween."
Thank you, I will." I said as I walked out the classroom door and into the hallway. I walked until I came across the exit doors, to the left of me, leading towards the bus pickups. Turning left, I ran into two of my best friends, a grey and white wolf named James, and a generic grey naga, Danielle. Both were garbed in all black clothes and Danielle with her three piercings on her ears/fins looking appendages.
"Hey, what took you so long?" James asked, as the three of us walked outside
"I fell asleep in class again, so Mrs. E wanted to talk about it." I answer with a yawn.
"Oh, do you know why J.C. is pissed off?" Asked James as we made our way through the bus crowd.
"Hell if I know." I said blandly, kicking a flattened water bottle across the pavement.
"I heard that hisss girlfriend left him because he started shoving hisss anti-Anthro views in her face." Danielle stated with her usual hissing.
"Well I think the bastard deserves it." I retorted spitefully. We walked across the street with the student parking lot behind us and was standing in front of the small dentist office across from the school. Then I remembered something just as I see a tall human male, around 6'5, come walking across the student parking lot, with a scowl on his face.
"Oh, did I mention I was suppose to fight him today?" I said, though it was more of a statement than a question. Both James and Danielle looked at me for a second blankly. Then James spoke up and said, "Boy I feel sorry for you."
"Why do you say that?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well for one thing; he'sss a foot taller than you, two, he'sss forty pounds heavier than you, and..."
"And?" I cut her off smugly.
"And he'sss the JV quarterback." Danielle concluded
"In otherwords dude, your going to get fucked up."
James simplified, as he backed up about eight feet.
"Just be careful Maxsss, there are some of us that care about your well being." Danielle commented as she too, slithered over to where my wolf friend was standing. I turned around to my opposition.
"J.C., what a pleasant surprise. Oh, and it looks like you brought a camera-man with you." I sarcastically commented. The other kid was, not surprisingly, human. I think he was one of the kids in the journalism class, because he had one of those decent video cameras. But, in truth, I was scared, really scared, but I was confident in my abilities. Where he had size and strength, I had speed and agility.
"Fox, I hope your ready for an ass-kicking." The quarterback taunted, as he popped his neck and knuckles. I threw my backpack towards James, where he caught it, then said, "Yeah, let me tie my shoes." I bent down, undid my shoes and retied them. At the same time, I whispered,
"Activate power. Increase output, 40%." Just as I finished, I felt a sharp sting above my ankles, then the pain was gone. I stood up, looking at J.C. with a smug grin on my face. The jock walked up and stood three feet in front of me.
"Fox, I'm sick of people like you. Think they can screw with nature and make abominations that now plague the planet." J.C. stated, "I'm going to enjoy putting you in your place."
"Alright, let's get started!" I exclaimed, jumping on my toes.