Dry Luck [Chapter 02]
02
Walking back into the locker room after class there was a sudden tug on Marlo's tail that abruptly stopped him. He saw that a few girl cats were the culprits and he grabbed his tail protectively. They giggled menacingly.
"He's so small."
"What a cutey."
"What's his name again?"
"Are you new?"
Mitch interfered and pushed Marlo along into the locker room by the shoulders.
"Ignore them," he said steering the fennec around the wall, "How was it?"
This is the first time he touched me, thought Marlo laying on his side in bed with his eyes closed. His eyelids tightened as he concentrated on the firmness of those hands controlling the direction in which he walked... their softness sliding down his back to let him go. This wasn't the only night dedicated to him.
He climbed out of bed to wash his hands.
FRIDAY [MIDDAY]
A meeting in the principal's office was the result of the hyperactive shenanigans in the locker room that morning. All the boys in the class were immediately called into a separate one themselves. Marlo'd been informed that they were being educated on the subject now that it was public. He slumped, tears soaking the fur on his cheeks. He was offered the day off school, but chose to stay. It would have been worse wondering what everyone was saying about him while he wasn't there. After his parents were called, Marlo assured them he was OK and that he'll wait till after school to come home. Asked about whether he felt comfortable enough to remain in the male locker room, he decided it would be too strange to go in the girls'.
"I will have a long talk with Mitchell about this, don't worry."
Worry? Don't worry?! Merde, merde, merde.
"You're free to at least stay here if you don't want to go back to class."
Now the fact that his and Mitch's schedules matched exactly was probably the most unlucky thing that could have happened. He couldn't face him having lied this entire time about who he was. He knew others would bombard him with questions, comments, remarks, teases...
A few minutes after Mr. Turney left the office, Aaron was escorted into the room by the student counselor to give an apology in private. Marlo didn't look up. He wasn't mad or anything. It's not like he knew. He remembered how nice Aaron was to him his first day--how nice everyone has been to him actually, being a foreigner and all.
"Hey, man... I didn't know about... I didn't even know that was a thing."
"No, don't worry," said Marlo looking at the floor and waving his paw at him.
"It's alright, you know. It just took us by surprise," Aaron continued looking out the door window at the counselor's back.
These were words he wanted to hear.
The word didn't actually spread immediately, but he thought he could feel second glances while walking down the hallway. He was given a slip to give to his Biology teacher; it was now third period and he had to go to History. He kept his backpack at his feet and kicked it idly hiding his muzzle in his arms on the desk. His tail drooped down through the back of his chair and he listened to the students coming in and chatting wildly. A rustling beside him meant Mitch had just arrived and planted himself right next to him. He refused to look up.
"Hey, Marlo..." Mitch murmured.
Marlo twitched his ear in acknowledgment.
"Are you still coming to the game Saturday like you promised?"
Slowly Marlo picked his head up to glance at him. Mitch wasn't making eye contact. Marlo shrugged.
"So... uh," began the squirrel scratching his chin. It was obvious he was trying to act like nothing had happened.
That's when it hit him that he had nothing (almost nothing) to hide anymore. The world didn't end... maybe this would be some relief. Finally lifting his head up and looking once around the room he said, "I'll still go."
Apparently the guys from P.E. were asked to keep it quiet as much as they could help it because it didn't seem like the whole school was going to attack by the end of the day.
SATURDAY [EVENING]
The football game was just a ten minute walk from Marlo's house (it was quite a small town), so he decided to walk there. He paid the entrance fee with the allowance from his parents and leaned against the fence to look for Mitch's fluffy tail standing out from the crowd. Daylight was falling and he could smell the food in the concession stand a couple yards away. Watching the line of folk getting food he felt a nudge at his side.
"Hey," Mitch said keeping his hands buried in his coat pockets and leaning against the fence with him. He was significantly taller than Marlo which made him wonder if it looked like he was much younger than everyone else.
"Hi," Marlo said noticing the company Mitch brought with him: Alex.
"Are... you two...?" Marlo began.
"Tch," Mitch lightly punched his shoulder and started walking. Alex followed behind, but didn't seem eager to make conversation. She was a squirrel as well, but Marlo always liked to pick out things he disliked about her like the way she was slightly pigeon-toed or sniffed really loudly. She was pretty though...
"Hey, I'm going to go get some money from my mom real quick for some popcorn," she told them and strayed off through the crowd.
Mitch looked down a minute after she left and smirked before he asked his first question, "So... I was just wondering. Did you still like girls?" he stopped to make sure the fox beside him wasn't taken aback. Was this some sort of confessional day? Damn.
"I mean... I was thinking about it and--"
"No... not really," admitted Marlo quietly, but loud enough to be heard. He turned to see the fateful revelation in Mitch's face of shock. Then, that smile. That damn smile.
"But it wouldn't really make you gay, right? I mean, maybe the other--but you're kind of free from some label, aren't you?"
"You don't care?"
"It doesn't make you any different than who you've always been," he wrapped his arm around Marlo's shoulder and pulled him in close. The whole world began to spin. He just buried his head in Mitch's side. But, if you knew..., Marlo thought to himself.
"So, that means the one you like is a guy," they were now walking up the stairs to sit in the stands and fighting others on their way there. A particularly nasty old German shepherd had almost trampled over him not noticing. "I still want to know. I won't stop asking. I mean, you deserve to have someone... I think you're a great guy."
They took their seats and Marlo sat on those words for a minute, but felt the conversation was at its end the moment that Alex (such a slut...) found them.
"Hey, Marlo," she said.
"Hi."
"Where are you from again? France, right?"
He hid his scowl and shook his head no.
Mitch whispered, "All you have to do is ask, OK?"
Marlo's heart reset and his paws gripped the bleacher beneath him tightly, "Hm?"
"If I can help you out with whoever it is," his eyes gleamed back at the fox in the same way they had when they first met.
SATURDAY [NIGHT]
That night when Marlo got home he took a shower before climbing into his bed wearing a pair of loose boxers. His bedroom was always quite bare. He never liked decorations, but kept a picture of him and Mitch on his bedside table. His mother could tell. He knew his mother could. His father, unfortunately, had shown a sort of distance from him ever since the exams and therapists a couple years ago.
He buried his face in his pillow and listened to the silence of the night. It was so noisy at the game. He concentrated on Mitch's voice and replayed their entire conversation in his head over and over. He turned to stare up at the ceiling and dug out his phone from beneath his pillow. He had an unread message.
Mitch : Who is it?
Marlo : He's taken so it doesn't matter
Marlo rolled his eyes.
Mitch : It's not me is it 