# A Split Heart: Part 2

Author: Revresbo
Tags: Fox, Sad, Winter, Wolf

#4 of Heart

Mike was standing in the doorway.&nbsp; This was surprising to Jess for a few reasons.&nbsp; Firstly, she didn't remember seeing his car pull up, and she couldn't believe he walk to her place when it was that late and that cold.&nbsp; The chill breeze from the door reminded her how much she would hate to walk anywhere in winter.&nbsp; Secondly, Mike was carrying his backpack.&nbsp; He didn't usually bring that with him to visit friends.&nbsp; Thirdly, and most important to Jess, her friend looked devastated.&nbsp; He had obviously been crying earlier although he wasn't then.&nbsp; The wolf had a stunned look in his eyes that was slowly being replaced by depression.

"Mike?" Jess said, the question in her eyes: What happened?

As she asked, she realized something else was wrong.&nbsp; Mike was clearly not dressed for the weather.&nbsp; He often only wore jeans and runners out in the snow, but he was only wearing a hoodie over his t-shirt.&nbsp; No one was affected by the cold more than Jess, but it was below -20o C outside, not counting the wind chill.&nbsp; The wolf had to be freezing, and his hoodie wasn't even zipped up.

Mike felt the cold.&nbsp; Normally, he didn't like it, but now, the sharp bite kept him awake and focused.&nbsp; He had been worried that without the constant reminder he would simply collapse on the way here.

"Hey, Jess," Mike said.&nbsp; "Can I... can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course!&nbsp; You have to be freezing! What happened to your coat?" Jess asked as she stepped aside.&nbsp; However, the question she really wanted to ask excluded the last three words she had said.

"It's at hom-- at my house," Mike replied.&nbsp; Now Jess was even more confused.&nbsp; Why had he replaced 'home' with 'my house'?&nbsp; Mike didn't look like he was ready to offer an explanation to why he would show up at her house late at night with a tear-streaked face.&nbsp; Even as he removed his shoes, he was gazing about listlessly, almost like he was living in a dream.&nbsp; Or a nightmare.

"Mike?" Jess asked again as she stepped closer.&nbsp; This time, she put the question to words: "What happened?"

"I-- I, uh, got--" the wolf said shakily, gasps of breath breaking up his normally too quick speech.&nbsp; "My dad-- my dad--" He took a deep shaky breath, and then, in a whisper, "My dad kicked me out of the house."

"What?!" Jess couldn't believe it.&nbsp; Why would he get kicked out of the house?&nbsp; He wasn't the kind of person to do something stupid, like rob a bank.&nbsp; "Why?&nbsp; What did you do?"

"I..." Mike started.&nbsp; For a moment Jess thought he would open up, but then, "I can't talk about it right now.&nbsp; Can I crash here tonight?&nbsp; I can sleep on the couch or something, but..." his voice trailed off uncertainly.&nbsp; What would he do if she said no?

His fear was short-lived.&nbsp; "Yeah, sure," Jess said.&nbsp; She attempted some levity.&nbsp; "The cops aren't looking for you, are they?&nbsp; I just need to know so I can prep a story if they show up at the door."

"No, the police aren't going to be looking for me," Mike replied.&nbsp; More quietly, he added, "No one will be."

Hearing that coupled with the new tears running down the from the wolf's eyes nearly broke Jess' heart.&nbsp; What happened at home to make her upbeat friend look like this?

"Mike, when you're ready to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Jess.&nbsp; I just... I just need some sleep," Mike said.&nbsp; _Maybe then I'll forget for a while,_ he thought.

"Yeah, of course," Jess said.&nbsp; She watched as the wolf went and lay down on the couch, not even bothering to shed his hoodie.&nbsp; His eyes closed, and his breathing slowed, but the fox could see her friend wasn't asleep yet.&nbsp; Nevertheless, she left the room and stayed in the kitchen so she could warn her mom about their house guest when she got home.

\*

The morning dawned bright the next day, which insulted the wolf's sense of parallelism.&nbsp; He felt like crap.&nbsp; Why couldn't the weather be crappy too?&nbsp; Then again, someone had to be happy somewhere in the city, even if he couldn't muster up enough empathy to feel happy with them, or for them.&nbsp; He glanced at his bag, which he had packed with all the essentials he could think of and grab in the short time he had had to leave the house.&nbsp; He then turned his attention to the clock.&nbsp; Past the time when Jess' mom would be gone to work.&nbsp; It occurred to Mike that he had forgotten to ask Jess last night when she worked today.&nbsp; She could be gone already, but he doubted it.&nbsp; She probably would have woken him to warn him.

He got off the couch and grabbed his bag.&nbsp; Then he padded quietly over to the washroom, where he quickly changed into a newer (and better smelling) outfit.&nbsp; He might have lain on the couch all day had he not known that others would be up and about the house at some point.&nbsp; He didn't want to be a burden anymore than he had to be.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Jess had roused herself from bed.&nbsp; She was groggily trying to remember if and when she worked today when the floor creaking outside recalled her to her house guest.&nbsp; _I hope he's feeling better now,_ she thought.

* * *

Well, due to a short attention span, amongst other things, this is now going to be three (short) parts.&nbsp; YAY! Oh, and if you think you know why he's been kicked out, you're probably wrong.&nbsp; Well, off by a bit.&nbsp; But then, maybe not.&nbsp; We'll see.&nbsp; Point is, only I know for sure, and I'm loving the feeling of power. (Which is, incidently, a pretty good short story by Isaac Asimov.&nbsp; Look it up.)&nbsp; :-p

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/rn64WwEe
Part of the series Heart
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