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Apologies

The days seemed to go by so fast. It was like I wasn't even there. I was just sitting back and watching it all go down. Isolating Victoria, doing everything Sam says, and putting on a fake smile to hide my shame. I know that I love Sam, but I know that this thing between Victoria and me can't end this way. It sucks that I waited so long to finally have a voice. Before I knew it, it was Thursday. Tomorrow was the talent show....and Victoria's and my project presentation and I don't know how I was going to present anything with Victoria after what happened that Monday. I had to do something, but then....there's Sam. If I talk to Victoria, if I even look at her, Sam is gonna get suspicious. Everyone is. I know what I have to do to make things right....I just didn't think it was worth it. Or maybe it wouldn't even matter.

After a conflicting school day, it was suddenly after school. Time to go back to the auditorium and get the decorations ready. I walked in and everyone was working as usual. The decorations started to look real good. We had all the balloons and ribbons hanged up and now we were just getting the lights and technology to work. After admiring everyone's hard work, I walked on stage to find Sam. I looked around all over until I heard her voice.

"Grrrr, dang it, I need more tape!" She said. She was on a tall ladder hanging the big banner that Rebecca and her were working on. Rebecca was hanging the other side of the banner, also on a tall ladder.

"I got it!" I said.

Sam then noticed me and I saw her tail wagging happily. I grabbed some duck tape and climbed up the ladder. Once I got to the top, I handed Sam the tape.

"Thanks babe." She said.

I poked her butt a little and said. "No problem."

She yelped a little then laughed.

"Hey!" She said. "You gonna make me kick you."

"You wouldn't." I said.

"I would."

"Fine then. So...this looks like it's gonna be a good show huh?"

Sam started taping the banner and said. "Yep. We've been working our tails off and it finally paid off."

I laughed a little.

"Sam." I said. "Not all of us have tail."

"The ones who did all the work do." She said with authority. "I swear, these humans. All they care about is making everything look nice and pretty and they hardly get anything done."

I sighed a little and said. "Yea, your probably right."

Then, I heard a voice call my name.

"Hey Eddy!" It said.

I looked down and saw it was Ryan.

"Hey mad scientist." Said Sam

I laughed then said. "What's up Ryan?"

"I need your help with the sound equipment!" Said Ryan.

I then winked at Sam one last time and climbed down the ladder. Ryan led me to this big control panel at the back of the stage behind the curtain.

"I just need help setting up the lights and sound." Said Ryan.

I looked up at the lights and said. "Can't the custodians help you?"

Ryan gave me an annoyed look and said. "Don't you think I've tried?"

"Yea, I hear you." I held out my hand. "Let me see that mic."

Ryan handed me the mic and connected it to the panel. I taped it a bit to get some feedback. I heard a little bit of it on the mic, but not loud enough.

"Turn it up, man." I said.

Ryan worked on it a bit and I tried singing in it.

"Oooooooooh.....mmmmmmmyeaaaaaa." Still sounded wrong to me.

"More bass." I said.

Ryan worked on it a little more.

"Aaaaaaaah.....yeaaaaaaaaaaaaa." I sang. "That's better."

I then heard applause in front of me. I looked and saw the furries clapping for me. I couldn't help but smile.

"That's my wolf!" Said Sam. I could feel my tail wagging. I looked around at my audience and I quickly caught a glimpse of Victoria. She smiled slightly, but then swiftly looked away when I noticed her. I could feel my heart sink a little. Now I knew that I have hurt her.

The decorations were basically done. The banners were hung up and the lights and sounds were set. Once we were all done, the drama teacher got us all together, humans and furs, to congratulate us all. It was a nice gesture, but no one really cared. Especially Sam, who still believes she did all the work. As usual. Once we were dismissed, we all started walking out. I started following the crowd, but then I saw the back of Victoria's head in the distance. I figured....if now was the time to do something then I better not blow it. I slowly nudged through people to get in front.

"Excuse me, cuse' me, just need to get through." I said as a carelessly pushed through people. I maneuvered closer and closer Victoria. Then, I got close enough to almost touch her on the shoulder....until Sam hugged me from the side to surprise me.

"Oh, hey! Where did you...." She stopped me with a kiss. I couldn't do anything but kiss her back. I as we kissed, I then glanced over to where I saw Victoria. She had already left. I felt the only thing to do now was to wrap my arms around my baby. She stopped kissing me and looked at me with a bright smile.

"Gotcha by surprise this time." She said.

We rubbed noses and laughed a little.

"Yea." I said. "I guess you did."

"Don't forget." Sam said. "We're doing one last practice of our song at your house."

"Got it babe. I'll be ready."

She rubbed my chest and grinned.

"You better." She said.

I blushed a little and said. "We are practicing the song right?"

Sam then quickly kissed me and slowly walked away.

"Whatever you say babe." She said.

All I could do was smile. I love that girl.

I felt calm when I got home that afternoon, but I still felt wrong in my gut.

"It was Victoria." I thought. _"Victoria, Victoria, god damn Victoria." _

My guilt quickly turned into anger. I fell down on the bed and punched the pillow as hard as I could.

"Why do even care about this?" I thought.

I punched the pillow again. Even harder. Anything to get the anger out. Anything to help me move on. But nothing worked.

"Honey?" A voice said.

I looked to see that it was my mom. She looked at me worried and scarred.

"What has gotten into you?" She said. "What are punching that pillow for?"

I sat up on my bed and looked down.

"I'm fine mom." I said.

She sat down next to me and took a deep breath.

"Eddy, I've known you before you could walk. I know when something is on your mind." She said. I still looked down on the floor, hoping she would just leave it alone. "Now I here you in your room, you know. You've been acting crazy all week. Now you're gonna tell me what's bothering you or I'm just gonna have to call you crazy."

I still sat there, not saying a word. Then my mom wrapped one arm around my shoulder and hugged me close.

"Honey?" She said. I finally looked into her eyes. I could then feel how concerned she was.

"Talk to me." She continued.

"It's.....about Victoria." I said.

My mom then looked confused.

"Wait, this is about her?" She said. "What did she do?"

"Nothing...it's all my fault." I said.

She sighed a little and said. "What happened when you two worked on the project?"

I took a big gulp of spit, thinking that it would make it easier to speak.

"I...actually had a good time." I said.

"Then what's wrong?" She asked now puzzled.

"I couldn't admit it." I answered.

"What do you mean?"

"When my friends asked how it was, I just lied about it and...told them that Victoria was just this terrible human....I said that right in front of her face."

I looked down again. I knew my mom was mad at me. I was waiting for a big smack on the back of my head. But instead, she gave me a soft hug. I didn't want her to see it, but her comfort just made me cry a little. I just felt like trash.

"It truly is a strange and confusing world we live in." She began. "People will love you, hate you, hurt you,.....and they will always find a way to bring you down as far as possible." She wiped my tears and hugged tighter. "But we can't control what other people say or do or think." She said. "Because, at the end of the day, it is our life that we choose to live and not the life other people want us to live."

She let me go and I looked into her eyes. She was holding back tears, I could see it, but what made her cry?

"Now I know I raised a very smart and kind wolf." She said while rubbing my head. "And I know that you will make this right again.....because that is the kind of wolf...or person...you are."

I wiped my eyes and finally had a smile on my face again.

"Thanks mom." I said. "I know what to do now."

She kissed my head and said. "Then go make things right."

I got up and went to the living room where my dad was.

"Dad, come on, I need you to take me to Victoria's." I said.

The drive there was quiet. Deathly quiet. I was just focused on what I would say to Victoria when I saw her, because honestly....I had no idea. As we drove on, I looked at my dad as he griped the wheel tightly and stayed focused on the road, not uttering a word. He seemed very tense, maybe more than me. I looked away towards the window, trying not to bother him. Soon we finally arrived and I quickly took of my seatbelt to get out. My dad quickly grabbed my arm before I could open the door. Not really in a threatening way, more in a scared or paranoid kind of way......he was afraid.

"Be careful son." He said softly. Then he let go. I starred at him for a moment but then quickly remembered why I was here and hopped out of the car. I speed through the front door and didn't even look at the guy at the front desk.

"Excuse me! What are you...!" He began to say, but the elevator quickly opened and I rushed inside. I pressed the floor button and off I went.

I stood there, hearing the beeps of the elevator go off in rhythm. Almost like it was a timer. It rushed me to think of something to say to Victoria as I came closer and closer to her floor.

"Maybe I should just wing it or improvise." I thought. "Yea, because that worked so well in the past."

I looked at the numbers to check the floor, but before I could, the doors had already opened.

"Just say.....you're sorry." I thought.

I slowly walked out and walked to the door. I was so nervous, but that didn't matter now. All that mattered was making this right. I approached the door. I took a deep breath, stuck out my chest, and knock twice. I waited.....and waited. Then finally, footsteps walked closer to the door. It swung open. It was Victoria's father.

"Oh, it's you." He said in a disgusted tone.

"I want to speak to Victoria." I said.

"I think you said enough to my daughter, now go away."

I stood my ground. "I need to talk to Victoria."

"Look, just go away you...wolf!" He demanded. Then a voice shouted out from behind him.

"Daddy?!" It was Victoria. "Who is it?!"

"No one darling!" He answered.

His eyes were like lasers on me; doing everything they could to scare me away. I took in another deep breath and said. "I need to apologize to Victoria."

Then, his face changed. It was now a little more relaxed, but still angry. He then stepped aside and said. "Fine then. Let's here your apology."

I walked inside the room. The place was still as luxurious as can be.

"Victoria!" Her dad called.

It was silent for a while, and then suddenly, slow footsteps walked out from the short hallway and in to the room. Victoria then walked out, holding tissues in her hand. Her eyes were red and watery.

"Eddy?" She said in a week voice.

I was stunned. I never thought that she was hurt enough to cry her eyes out. I figured that now would be the best time to start my apology.

"Eddy?" Victoria started. "What are you....."

"I'm sorry Victoria." I interrupted. "For everything. I didn't want our relationship to be like this..." Victoria then looked very surprised, I felt like I grabbed her attention so I kept going. "I just fell into the stereotypes that everybody uses and ended up hurting an innocent person's feelings....in fact..." I then looked down. "It's those same stereotypes that I try my best not to become. All this time I kept complaining about humans and furries not getting along and then I ended up ignoring the one person who felt the same way." I looked back up at Victoria who still had the same surprised look on her face. "Anyway...I know I was wrong and I promise that the wolf you saw, wasn't the real me.....I hope we can still be friends."

I waited for an answer. She still stood there, almost paralyzed, trying to speak out, but couldn't. She then looked down and wiped her eyes. I figured this meant that I failed. I looked down on the floor again and turned toward the door to leave.

"Wait!" Said Victoria.

I turned back around towards her and she instantly gave me a tight hug. Now, I was as shocked as her.

"Friends." She said.

I smiled and eventually hugged her back. My tail wagging a little. She finally stopped hugging me and looked at me with a big smile and happy tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" I asked.

"For being yourself."

"Thank you for reminding me who I am."

Eventually, I left the apartment leaving Victoria and her father in a better mood. I then walked straight to my dad's car. I had a happy smile on my face. I opened the car door and got inside. Then I saw my dad. He still had his worried face fixed right on me.

"Dad, it's okay. Everything is fine." I said.

"It's not that." He said.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Your mother called." He said. "Sam is home, waiting for you."