FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Julie, Alyssa, and Ricky, all three ended up in the principal's office. They sat in black chairs in front of his desk. "So... Ricky, you shoved Julie to the floor because she nudged you with her hand, correct?"

Ricky nodded. He was hurt by Julie and acted impulsively.

"And Julie, why'd you touch him?" The principal wore a glare; he was tall and wore glasses-- naturally intimidating.

"He wouldn't move. He was blocking my locker while insulting me... I guess it pushed me over the edge." She leaned back against the chair.

"Thank you both for cooperating. I'll try and get in contact with your parents shortly. I don't want you two interacting with each other anymore... And Julie, you shouldn't have laid a hand on Ricky, to begin with." Before leaving, they were given punishment, Ricky receiving a heavier one, a suspension for five days, while Julie only got two. She still found it unfair, but there was nothing she could do about it. They were both sent home early, and Alyssa walked with Julie despite it meaning she'd miss a class.

"Hey... You know I'm here. All-day and every day." Alyssa walked by her side.

"I know. Thank you for speaking up for me." Julie couldn't find it in herself to smile or even grin, for that matter, but she much appreciated Alyssa.

The walk through both routes and Goldenrod were utterly silent. They heard nature and general city ambiance. Alyssa didn't try to stir up conversation but accompanied Julie on the walk home.

--

They got to Julie's house in close to thirty minutes and stood in front of her porch. "You gonna be okay, Jule?" Alyssa faced her.

"Sure, I-" Julie cut herself short as she could barely speak without breaking.

"Come here..." Alyssa opened her arms, and Julie didn't hesitate. She took a step and fell into Alyssa's embrace.

Alyssa held her tightly and slowly rubbed her back. She knew Julie was emotionally sensitive.

Julie couldn't hold back her emotions anymore. She found safety in Alyssa's arms and cried into her shoulder silently. It wasn't the physical push from Ricky that was hurting her so much. It was his words, the insults he directed at her on top of the suspension she'd got.

"You'll push through just fine." Alyssa held Julie tightly and continued rubbing her back for a while to hopefully comfort her.

Julie weakly embraced Alyssa's waist and stood there for another minute before pulling away. Her cheeks and eyes were red and irritated from crying. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Julie said in between sniffles. "Thank you again, Ali, really... Thank you. I'll see you later."

"You will; now go get some rest."

She wiped her eyes and turned around to enter her home. Julie's mother was still at work, so Julie would break the news to her tomorrow.

She went up to her room and lay on her bed. At least she had no homework to do tonight. However, that would have kept her busy for a while.

Times like this were when she needed someone to hold onto for hours on end. All she had was Midnight, and he was at the school she'd been suspended from. Julie curled up on her side and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep and waking up every few hours until 8 p.m. That was when she finally fell into a deep sleep.

--

She managed to get enough hours in and woke up at 7 a.m. the next day. "Julie, are you up? You slept in way too late! You were home early yesterday too." Her mother had gone over to Julie's room to wake her up.

"Oh, uh... I... got suspended." Julie sat up and told her mother everything, every detail up to the insults.

"We're going up there today; you did nothing to deserve any kind of suspension!" Her mother was distraught, but Julie didn't want to make the issue any bigger.

"N-No, mom I... Please, just let it go. I only have three months left, and I want it to go as smoothly as possible," Julie pleaded and ended up getting her way after enough convincing .

She stayed in her bed all day, doing nothing but using her cell phone now and again. Julie hadn't yet formed an appetite or had the motivation to do anything. It was depressing.

At about 2 p.m., her phone vibrated continuously. Julie pulled it from under its usual spot. It was a call from Alyssa, and Julie didn't feel like answering it. She did, though hesitantly. Alyssa likely wanted to check on her. "Hey," Julie said weakly, almost sounding lifeless.

"Feeling any better?" Alyssa asked.

"Not much."

"Good, c'mon, National Park at three."

"Alyssa, I-"

"Ah, ah. I don't wanna hear it, Jule. You know you need this. I'll meet you there." She hung up, and Julie set her phone down. She could use some fresh air. It was better than staying inside and staring at the wall all day.

Julie kept the same clothes on and fixed her hair to look presentable before heading to the park. It was warm underneath a blue sky dotted with clouds, making it more enjoyable to be out. She walked through her busy city, hoping she didn't look too much like a wreck to anyone that noticed her. Julie was glad National Park was close by. It was slightly northwest of Route 35 and 37, next door to Goldenrod City. She reached the Magnet Station in just over five minutes, walking under its bridge with her hands stuffed in her pockets and her eyes avoiding contact with anyone.

--

The moment Julie left her city behind and was on the quiet route, she could calm down. Only a few trainers were on it, most training their pokémon. It brought Julie's thoughts back to Midnight. She imagined being outside with him, maybe taking him to a few shops in Goldenrod or exploring nature. They were unrealistic fantasies but were lovely to think about. For a moment, it had warmed her heart.

After leaving the route, Julie entered the park and saw Alyssa sitting on the fountain's edge in the park's epicenter. She went to sit to her right, glancing at the other people standing around the park and chatting.

"So, you came." Alyssa grinned and crossed her legs.

"I thought it might help take my mind off of things a bit. I've been thinking a lot," Julie said and looked over to watch the active fountain.

"About what?" Alyssa pushed for an answer, but not heavily.

"Well, the things Ricky said to me, what I told you about... I wonder if it's true at all. Do you think it is?" Julie hadn't ever thought about how others saw her. She felt she acted casually to everyone.

"If you have to question yourself, Julie, it's either because he got into your head, or you may have a few things to think about."

"Hm..." Julie would think about it some more later if anything.

"Oh, and what was with that sexy getup you were recently wearing?" Alyssa remembered and was still curious about it.

Julie grinned over at her. "How about we save that for another time?"