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The Life of Another - Chapter 39

© Jake Atkinson

P.O.V. - Roger

"Roger, wake up."

"I fell asleep?" I asked, rubbing at the fur on my face.

"Right after breakfast." Nick replied.

"Sorry about that." I said, groaning contentedly with a slow stretch. "Did I miss the part where the stewardess gives everyone a manicure?"

"You missed the whole five hour flight." he commented with a hint of disappointment.

A glance out the window confirmed Nick's words. We were already on the ground, rolling towards the terminal. "Wow, I didn't mean for that to happen. Is it too late to get a cup of coffee?"

"We can swing by the V.I.P. lounge, they'll have some."

"Awesome, hopefully that'll clear my head after all that val... medication." I said with an apologetic smile. "Really, I am sorry."

"It's ok." Nick responded with a pat to my forearm. "It gave me time to think. And besides, you were super snuggly!"

A wave of panic flattened my ears.

"Oh relax. You were just leaning against me and stuff." Nick produced my phone. "Here, see?"

"There's pictures?!" I exclaimed, staring at the screen.

"When the stewardess came by to collect our breakfast leftovers, she thought you were so adorable she offered to take our picture."

Indeed, it was clear the picture was not a selfie. There I was, leaning on Nick so heavily that he was pressed against the window, all while I snuggled his arm with a blissful look on my face.

Nick must have sensed my mixed feelings. "What? Your phone was right there on the tray. Besides, she said we reminded her of her son. Turns out he's gay too, small world huh?"

"How did I sleep through all that?!" I said with self-conscious indignation. "You even put my seatbelt back on without waking me up!"

"I think you know the answer." he said, his ears lowering. "But there's no reason to take it so hard." He brightened. "In fact, our picture's already gotten a ton of likes on Facebook."

"You posted it?!" I said, almost dropping the phone.

"What's the matter?" countered Nick genuinely.

Finally gaining some composure, I replied, "Sorry, it just caught me off guard. I don't think I've slept that soundly in my entire life."

"Everyone sleeps." offered Nick supportively. "Now stop worrying and grab your bag from under the seat. We'll be the first people off the plane."

Shortly thereafter, the plane docked with the terminal gate and we made our way down the elevated walkway, along with the other first-class passengers.

"Is the lounge far away?" I asked as we rounded the bend into the general seating area. "If not, we could just stop at a coffee shop along..."

The sight of Nick's parents waiting for us just beyond the exit stopped me cold, until Nick hauled on my wrist. "Come on, you know how nice they are!"

As we drew closer, I could hear the end of the conversation Nick's mother was having with a Coyote girl. "Here you go." she said, handing back a phone.

The girl's tail wagged furiously. "My friends are going to _freak_when they see this picture! Thank you!"

"What's all that about?" I asked under my breath, leaning towards Nick's ear.

Nick was almost bursting with anticipation. "You really don't know, do you?"

I shook my head as the young Coyote padded away, tapping at her screen.

"I can't believe you still haven't made the connection." Nick said with a grin. "You know my family name is Russell, and my mom's first name is Kim... Kim Russell... Still doesn't ring a bell?"

I huffed with impatience at the inside joke. "They're bound to see us any second, don't leave me hanging!"

"Too late!" he declared with a wave of his hand. "Hey mom, hey dad!"

A moment later he was in his mother's arms, hugging warmly. "Mmm, so good to see you!" she said before releasing him to a hug from his father. "And Roger! Oh my god, that picture of you two on the plane was precious!"

Mortified, I grinned sheepishly and folded my ears. "About that... we uh, were up really early and uh..."

Before I could stammer further, she had her arms around me. "You two are so cute together!"

"Thanks," I said, awkwardly returning the hug. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

She let go and I turned to shake hands with Nick's father, Scott. He looked momentarily disappointed, as if expecting a hug as well, but quickly overcame it and grasped my hand. "Roger! So glad you managed to bust out of that place."

"Err uh, yeah." I responded.

He pulled me close to mock whisper into my ear. "Ya know, the school called while you guys were on the plane."

I froze, my heart pounding, but Scott was quick to offer a placating gesture, clapping me on the shoulder. "Not to worry!" He said, straightening and talking at full volume again. "They were going on about how you weren't allowed off campus without a guardian... something something... not authorized for commercial travel... blah blah blah! Anyway, it's all been sorted out."

Dang, didn't take them long to figure out I was missing. And they even knew I was coming here! Hope Jack didn't get in trouble for pretending not to notice me as Nick and I left in the taxi. Then again, maybe he's the one who blew the whistle. Still, he must have waited awhile to do that or I would never have made it this far. Oops, I've been spacing out.

My attention snapped back to the present as Nick's father was talking. "...for the week you're here. As for how you'll get back to school when Spring break is over, that hasn't been decided yet."

Nick shot me a disapproving glare.

"Don't look at me like that." I replied in his direction. "You _begged_me to come!"

"But how did you get Dr. Tamner to sign your travel papers?" Nick asked before holding up his hands. "Wait, wait... I don't want to know."

Grinning mischievously, I replied "You know I can be a pretty resourceful guy." Then, to change the subject, I looked to Nick's mother. "Nick's been relentlessly teasing me by the way."

"Oh?" she said as we stepped away from the terminal. "Nickie, have you been tormenting your poor Wolfie again?"

Nick's tail curled. "Mooomm! Don't talk like that, it's embarrassing!"

Watching their friendly banter quickly calmed my nerves, leaving me to happily settle into the background while we worked our way outside.

"Hey, isn't that Kim Russell?"

The random female voice caught my interest and I looked her direction.

A middle-aged, Red Fox had just gotten out of a taxi and was desperately trying to get the attention of someone who was still emerging.

"Quick Janelle, hand me your phone!" she called, leaning into the car.

Intrigued to be witnessing such a similar scene, I poked Nick's arm and gestured their way. "I think it's about to happen again. Are you going to let me look up her name yet? Because if you don't, I'm gonna ask them."

Nick glanced between the traffic signal we were waiting for and the Foxes that were rapidly approaching us. "Don't take the fun out of it! You have to guess!"

"Excuse me." said the Vixen as the two drew near. "But you're Kim, aren't you? Kim Russell?"

Nick's mother turned and smiled charismatically. "That's me! Would you like a quick picture? I think there's time before the light changes."

The pair giddily jumped at the chance, standing on either side of Kim while the older of the two extended the phone for a group selfie.

Before I could offer to take the photo for them, the phone emitted a faux shutter sound and they were done. "Thank you!" they echoed, checking the image on their screen. "When are you going to tour again?" asked the one I guessed to be the mother.

The light changed, allowing us to enter the crosswalk. "I'm not sure about a tour." she responded. "But keep an eye on my Facebook page. I have a feeling there might be an announcement about a charity concert soon."

They waved excitedly, their departure allowing us just enough time to cross the street.

Nick looked towards me, his ears momentarily folded. "In all the commotion, I forgot about your coffee Roger."

I waved off his concern. "Don't give it a second thought, just getting outside has done wonders for me. But no changing the subject! At least now I know your mom must be a singer!"

Kim swiveled her ears towards me. "Nick has sworn us to secrecy!" she said with a playful flip of her tail.

Worried that my ignorance might hurt her feelings, I said, "Sorry, I don't really follow the music scene much."

We walked up to the parking valet and Scott passed the attendant a ticket stub. The Margay accepted it with a smile, trotting quickly away into the dark recesses of the parking structure while Kim replied. "Don't fret Roger. You're not exactly my target demographic, as my publicist would say." She brightened. "Hey I know, why don't we take a picture and you can post it? Maybe the reactions of your friends will help."

Nick jumped in before I could respond. "I still haven't been able to talk him into creating a page for himself."

A purring rumble echoed from within the concrete enclave and their car rolled into view, the Margay gracefully maneuvering it to a stop beside us.

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "A Mercedes S600! Isn't this the model with the six liter twin-turbo V12?"

Scott grinned proudly, tipping the valet twenty dollars in the process. "Nick mentioned you knew a thing or two about cars. Drop your bags in the trunk and hop in, you boys can have the back seat."

Almost afraid to touch it, I hesitated, letting Nick take the lead. The trunk popped automatically and we dropped in our bags. "This looks brand new." I commented after climbing in and buckling up.

"Oh don't encourage him Roger!" chided Kim from the front. "He spends too much time with his cars as it is!"

"What?" said Scott. "Can't a guy have a hobby?"

"A hobby?" she countered. "Some days you spend more time with them than..."

And off they went, lost in their little front-seat world, leaving Nick and I a moment to ourselves.

"Sorry." I muttered in Nick's ear. "I was just trying to make conversation."

He squeezed my forearm. "Stop being so self-conscious. They're always like this, especially with company around. Just lean back and relax, like this." With an unseen gesture, Nick's seat reclined, a small pawrest extending from underneath.

"I don't remember seeing that on the spec sheet!" I said, feeling around for a switch.

"Lean back while pushing forward." Nick offered. "And check the console between us, in the seatback."

Nick's puppy-like enthusiasm was catching. "Hey, a tiny fridge!" I commented with a smile. "Filled with... diet soda?"

He shrugged. "My dad's a dentist. I didn't even know what regular soda tasted like until I got to Burwell Academy."

"You'll thank me someday!" called Nick's father from behind the wheel. "And what's this about you drinking while you're away at school?!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "That is such a dad joke!"

"I know, I know!" he said. "But that reminds me, you're due for a cleaning and checkup, especially if you've been drinking lots of that sugary stuff."

"I've had like two cups the whole year!" said Nick, crossing his arms. "And it's hardly been six months since my last checkup."

"See?" Scott countered. "You're due. Everyone should get a full cleaning and exam every six months. And you can expect some time in the chair too Roger. I made back-to-back appointments for tomorrow morning."

"Ya know," I replied. "I've had a change of heart about that. I mean, I brush regularly, but I honestly can't recall the last time these teeth have been touched by a dentist. It's really appreciated."

"Now that's the right attitude!" said Scott with a wave of his hand. "Good man."

Nick responded with a pout, sticking his tongue out at me.

Grinning, I gave it a quick lick.

Nick seemed almost as shocked as me, our heads both snapping towards the front to see if we had been caught. Luckily, if his parents noticed, they gave no sign.

"Did you get lunch on the plane?" asked Kim. "It's still a few hours until supper if you want to stop for a light snack to tide you over."

"We had breakfast when we left, but that was hours ago." said Nick. "And it always takes me awhile to get used to the three hour change from the school's time zone. Can we stop at Sub-Hub? One of their mini subs would be perfect."

"Sure." offered Scott. "We'll be passing one after we get off the freeway."

With a subtle smile, I lofted the money clip. "Consider it on me." I offered. "In fact, why don't you guys take this?" Leaning forward between the seats, I pushed the wad of money towards Kim. "Between the loss of Nick's phone and cost of the trip and..."

Kim pushed my outstretched hand away. "Oh please!" she replied. "Your ticket was free with all of our frequent flyer miles, and we don't like Nick traveling alone."

"You guys know I'm almost sixteen!" Nick declared. "I can handle a taxi and a ride in an airplane all by myself."

"We know." Scott responded, his eyes forward watching traffic. "But unexpected things tend to follow you. Take this whole phone-napping incident, talk about strange! Who knows what that guy's intentions were? We tried to track it, by the way, but he must have disabled it somehow. It still shows it's current location as the airport, but security says there's no sign of the phone or the guy who took it."

"Judging by their attitude when we reported the incident, my hopes aren't high for the phone's safe return." I said with a sign of resignation. "But honestly, there's a ton of money in this clip and I would really feel better if you at least took enough to cover the cost of replacing it."

"Put that away already." Kim countered with a hint of exasperation.

As uncomfortable with the idea as I was, I nonetheless stuffed it back into my pocket just as my phone rang. Cocking an ear, I glanced at the screen. "Huh, it's the school's area code but I don't recognize the number, guess I'd better answer. Hello?"

"This is Jamal Pierman with the Department of National Security. Is this Nick Russell, Roger Evans or a guardian thereof?"

It didn't take long for me to recognize his voice as that of the recalcitrant Bear from airport security, the one that kept rolling his eyes while Nick and I filed our report for the whole "Ahmet" incident.

"This is Roger." I responded flatly. Then, feeling a touch irritated, I added nonchalantly "What's up?" just in time to cut him off.

He grumbled under his breath at the interruption, then said, "What's up is that you need to report to the main security office, ask for officer Lopez."

"Can't." I replied tersely. "We've already left the airport. Did you find Nick's phone?"

"Then you'll just have to turn around and come back!" Jamal bellowed.

"So, no phone then?" I asked petulantly.

Having exited the freeway, Scott was able to pull over. "Who is that Roger?"

"It's a guy from security."I responded. "He wants us to go back to the airport and talk to the main office there. But he won't say whether they've found Nick's phone."

Flicking his ears back, Scott held out his hand.

"Allow me." he said with a predatory grin.

With an amused shrug, I passed him the phone.

"Hello this is Scott Russell, Nick's father. Who is this?"

...

"What's this regarding?"

...

Scott's toned sharpened further. "No, we won't be doing that."

...

"I'm going to hang up now and you're going to call back. At which time you'll be leaving a detailed message that I'll be playing for our attorney, Seth Schimelstein. Thank you, good day."

Kim's tail wagged. "I love it when you go into manager mode!" She exclaimed. "Reminds me of when I was still starting out and you were everything from my agent to my cook."

"Ah, it's kinda fun, gets the blood pumping!" replied Scott, tossing the phone into the glove box. "Now, to Sub Hub! It's only a few blocks from here."

"Uh, dad?" said Nick as we pulled away from the curb.

"I know what you're thinking, but relax." replied Scott. "Seth'll handle it."

Nick shot me a worried look, which his father must have seen in the rear-view mirror.

"Don't get your tail all curled into a knot." chided Scott. "As soon as we park, I'll forward the message to Seth while you boys run in to get the sandwiches. And you know Seth. He'll have your phone flying back here in an overnight package before you get back to the car."

"It's not that." said Nick. "It's just... they didn't take us very seriously."

"Flat out rude is what they were!" I chimed in. "They kept talking behind our backs, calling us demented deviants and other, less repeatable, names. It made me so angry that my aura flared up and wow, did that get 'em going!"

His parents both bristled and I caught Nick wincing away from me out of the corner of my eye. "Err uh, sorry about the outburst." I said apologetically. "I tend to get riled up when someone's getting picked on, and recalling that scene... anyway, sorry if I was doing that weird glow, I know it's kinda daunting at first."

"It's not you that's got my fur ruffled." said Kim as we pulled into the restaurant's parking lot.

Scott finished her thought, saying "The problem is, that's the very reason we don't like Nick traveling alone. You wouldn't believe some of the things we've gone through over the years!"

"I'm glad you were there." he continued as he shut off the car. "A witness makes all the difference! But for now, let's allow Seth to work his magic. Go on in and I'll give him a call. Oh wait, can you unlock your phone first, so I can play the voicemail for him?"

"Sure," I replied, my hand on the door. "It's four fours."

Scott raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I responded. "There's like, one app and a couple pictures. Honestly, I'm afraid to touch the thing! Having an iPhone 8 a month before its release date comes with a lot of responsibility."

"All the more reason to have a better password." countered Scott. "But I see your point. Hey, would you get me a bag of dill pickle flavored potato chips while you're in there?"

"Ok," I said. "Mrs. Russell, do you want anything?"

"Mrs. Russell?!" she said with mock indignation. "Good lord! Hearing that makes me feel like an elderly schoolmarm! Please, call me Kim! And an unsweetened iced tea would be nice. Thank you Roger."

"No trouble." I replied, pausing to open the door. "So that's one bag of pickle chips and one unsweetened iced tea. Be right back."

"Actually," called Scott, stopping me midway. "Nick, why don't you stay with me while I call Seth? He might have some questions about your phone incident that I won't know the answers too."

Nick looked to me and cocked his ears apologetically, saying "Ok. Just get me a small version of whatever you're having Roger, only less spicy! I don't know how you can stand all those buffalo-sauce soaked jalepeños!"

"I'll come in with you Roger." offered Kim.

"Uh oh." I teased. "They're splitting us up to check our stories Nick! Just remember, your phone was stolen by a crazed Caracal! After that, plead the 5th!"

Scott's tail wagged through the seatback slot. "Dang, you're on to me!"

I opened Kim's door, holding it for her as she got out. "I've seen enough cop shows to know a setup when I see one."

Nick's mother nodded a 'thank you' and I shut the door behind her. "Seriously though, Nick and I watched the security footage together with the officers. It was super creepy because it didn't match what either of us remember. Anyway, I'll let Nick fill you in. I'm anxious to see what kind of reception Kim gets inside the restaurant."