FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Grey fur.

"So . . . what's been up with you?" he says, adjusting his obviously clip on tie.

Brown eyes.

"Nothin' much." I say, hoping the curt response would hurt him somehow.

Fairly large in stature.

"Oh, right, how's school? What you . . . you middle school by now?" he asks, smiling innocently. He looked like a con artist.

Ears pointed, twitching always.

"High school."

A nose pad that looked just a little too large. But only to someone who's had to live with it. Put it under scrutiny.

"Oh, right! Right! I knew that. Sophomore?" he says, leaning back, as if this was just a casual meet up for him.

The resemblance was horrifying.

"Freshman." I say, becoming more and more annoyed.

"Ah, fresh-meat." He says, chuckling. I'm sure he's thinking back to his high school days. His prime. "How's the real world treating you?"

I'm not sure I'd be able to live with myself if the similarities went beyond physical.

"I wouldn't know. High school is hardly the real world." I say, pawing at my cup of coffee that he had so graciously offered to pay for.

But I know it was a possibility. It sent shivers up my spine. I felt like I was looking into a mirror that showed myself in thirty years.

"You know what I mean." He says, nonchalantly. I doubt he's taking me seriously.

Alone, pathetic, a deadbeat . . .

"Then it's going how high school normally does. Meaning I hate it." I say, growling lowly. I didn't even like coffee. He had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon.

"Hey now, that is no way to talk to your fa-"

I slam my fist down on the table with a heavy thud, silencing the whole room and threatening to spill my hot drink. It just barely stays standing.

"Don't you dare say that word!" I shout, teeth bared.

There are small whispers around us. But I don't care.

I unclench my fist, patting down my bristled up fur and sitting back down.

"Let's get one thing clear." I say. "You are _not_my father. You aren't even a man in my eyes. Just a pup who fancies himself a wolf."

I'd had that line written down for a while. To try to be insulting, and maybe even to sound a bit fancier. Maybe I even wanted to show him how good I came out to be as a kid. Not that he would care, or start caring.

He loses his smile, sitting back with a kind of empty expression.

"Okay then, kid, why'd you call me out here?" he asks, looking at his watch. "If you think I'm gonna-"

"I don't want hand-outs." I say.

"I don't want money."

"I don't want advice, especially from you."

"I don't want you to come back."

"All I want is to know. What happened. Why'd you leave." I say, glaring at him.

"Look, kid. I think you should be talking to your mother about this." He says, shifting awkwardly.

"Think I haven't tried? She said you died in a car accident. You saved her while she was pregnant with me. And that's obviously a lie."

". . . Fine. Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine." He says, shaking his head. "You wanna know so bad? I'll tell ya."

"We were high school sweethearts. I fell for your mother the first day I laid my eyes on h-"

"Get to the fucking point." I say, gritting my teeth.

"Jeez, loosen up kid." He says, scoffingly. "We fucked. She got pregnant. I wasn't ready for a family. And abortion in the south? Hah! Those backwards people would never-"

"Don't you dare talk smack on mah friends, ya bastard!"

"Funny. I should be calling you that."

My vision goes red. I grab the coffee, still steaming, and splash it into his goddamn smug face.

He screams and yips and whimpers, trying to get the scalding drink out of his fur and face.

"Gah! You little shit!"

"Shut up!" I shout at him, walking to his end of the table and punching him in the fucking throat. He gags and coughs, gripping the damaged area. Little bitch. He could still breathe.

"I don't even know why I fucking tried." I say, a growl imbued into every word. "My mom may have made you into a hero, but in the end you died. And you know why? Cause you were dead to her!"

"So you pour coffee in my face?!" he says, voice raspy, still desperately trying to wipe the coffee out of his fur.

"No! I did it because you're an ass hole!" I shout directly into his ear, making him flinch back. "I worked so damn hard for you! I contacted so many people! I went on a wild goose chase for half the time! And I even waited until high school, so I could be at least a little ready!"

"Oh god, it burns. I can't see."

"Good! You definitely didn't before this!" I say, storming off.

But I stop, just a couple steps away.

"Oh. And this bastard son of yours? He has a name. I'm Mark. And stay away from my family, you jackass"