The Fletchers
05. Party Plans
By Assilsasta, Talon2point0, VerbMyNoun, & Blastothehanar
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>September 9, 2013<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Invitations<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Ariela climbed down from the buckboard that had all but became a trademark and target for whispered rumors about her among the other students. She was all too happy for the gossip to be as simple as speculation about her being rich or even some sort of vampire instead of the stories about her father or her own condition that spread like wildfire at her last school.
She straightened the jacket on her latest version of the prep school uniform. The past few weeks she had found the fabric that perfectly matched the original colors, and this was her first chance to see just how far she could get before anyone noticed that it was not the official uniform. The past three weeks she had worn the basic uniform, not wanting to push her luck after being called out on the first day by the principal. But she thought the look of this was close enough that most people would not notice the difference. It felt a bit tighter than her first version, even though she used the same pattern for the cuts, but it did just what she wanted it to: accentuated her form just enough to get a few looks from guys, and hopefully the boy she wanted to notice her.
Each day at lunch, she sat mostly quiet at the table with her new friends, the same group she had planned on working her way into to get close to the wolf hybrid. She watched and took in the dynamic of the group, seeing just how they all worked together. Sometimes she even thought she might be taking too much after her mother as she started looking at each of them and speculating on just what their lives really were like outside of school. But she kept coming back to Lucas, who seemed distant and distracted most of the time, like he was living in a half daydream state looking for something he was missing.
She started her now daily walk toward the bench in the courtyard where Jordan usually sat and worked on her music. She could see that Lucas had already arrived, but the others were nowhere in sight. She smiled at the thought of getting a chance to talk to him alone. Even with Jordan there, the two were essentially alone as the cheetah hybrid zoned out in her musical notation. She picked up the pace a bit, party invitations in paw, each envelope decorated by her sister with glitter, hearts and stickers. The look of the childish decorations was a little embarrassing, but she couldn’t tell Petra ‘no’ when the younger mink begged with the pouty look she so often used to get her way.
Just as she was getting close enough to say anything to the pair, her vision started to haze and everything lost focus. She felt her mouth open, though she could not tell if she was saying anything. As her senses quickly dulled, she tried to think through the last time she had slept. The planning for her party had made her lose track of days, only knowing that it was Monday by her sister's overjoyed need to give her invitations to her classmates. Seven… nine… twelve… Everything went black as she felt her body falling lifelessly to the ground.
------
Arelia jerked awake, and looked around to see just how many people saw her faint. Several moments passed as she slowly realized she wasn’t at school. Her room slowly came into focus, the thick comforter of her bed covering her. She turned to look out the window to see the dark night sky. Had she actually slept through the whole day, or was it longer?
She swung her legs off the side of the bed and tried to stand up. Staggering for a moment she found her balance by catching the post of her canopy bed. Had Lucas seen her like this? Of course he did, how could he have missed it sitting not more than two yards away. She felt herself blush deeply as she thought about how she would have to explain what happened in the morning at school.
She started to walk clumsily to the door as her stomach growled and pinched in a hollow pain of emptiness. Had it really been almost two weeks without sleep? And now a full day without eating. She staggered her way down the stairs toward the kitchen as she heard the clank of dishes in the distance. Maybe her dad had expected her to wake up and fixed some thing for them.
“Morning, Miss Van Winkle,” the older mink said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen “You feeling any better?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she answered as her stomach rumbled again.
“Here, have some oatmeal,” her father offered the bowl in his paw to her. “You need to get something in you after two days of nothing.”
It took a moment for his words to register as she took the bowl. “Two days? Wh... what happened?”
“From what I hear, you passed out in the courtyard right after I dropped you off. The nurse told me that boy, Lucas, carried you to her office.”
“Shit,” she muttered as the blush burned through her white fur.
“Language, Arei,” Brent said as he sat next to her at the little breakfast bar. “Besides, he seemed really worried. Even called when you didn't show up for school today.”
Wide-eyed, she looked at her father and asked, “How'd he get our number?”
“Well, apparently someone handed out your birthday invitations for you.”
Arelia dropped her head to the counter and groaned as she thought about how childish the envelopes looked and the fact she did not get to explain how her sister decorated them for her. “I’m going to be the laughing stock of the school now. Passing out in front of everyone with a paw full of cards that look like they were made by a first grader.”
Brent put his arm over her shoulder as he said, “It’s not the end of the world. I doubt they were even thinking about what the cards looked like. The real question is, do you feel up to going to school in five hours?”
“I’m never going again; I’ll die of embarrassment.”
“Look,” he said with as much of a reassuring tone as he could muster, “I’m sure they will all be happy to see that you are really okay, and not wondering who decorated the invitations you tossed all over the ground when you passed out. Besides, if that Lucas boy calls again, I’m going to make you answer the phone.”
The young mink groaned loudly as she said, “Fine, I’ll go to school. But if I die of embarrassment, it’ll be all your fault.”
“I think I can live with that,” he responded, a sincerely happy sound in his voice.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>September 11, 2013<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Girl Talk<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Arelia spent the day avoiding all contact she could manage. Upon arriving at school, she quickly made her way to her first class and bypassed the table where she had been spending her lunches, worried about what the group would say about her little episode. She had not wanted to fall into the same situation she had that got her shunned in the public school, and now she had dropped out right in front of the boy she wanted to get to notice her, an event not in her plans whatsoever.
After the day was done, she secluded herself under a tree as she waited for her father to come pick her up. She looked down at the ground, not wanting to see everyone looking at her the way she was sure they would. The entire day, she felt them all staring and whispering about her, just like they did before. She just hoped that the anti-bullying policies worked better here than they did before.
“You okay?” the voice said from behind her. She jumped and turned to see Jordan standing there.
Arelia sighed as she looked back at the ground, ready for the other girl to poke fun at her. “Yeah, I just passed out.”
“That almost happened to me during finals last year,” the cheetah hybrid said, taking a seat by the tree.
“That’s one way to get out of taking a test.”
“I suppose, it was kinda an important test, though...” Jordan replied.
“So,” the mink started off with a sigh as she twiddled her thumbs, “how much of a dork did I look like, sprawled out on the ground?”
“You didn’t look like a dork! Lucas said you scared the Hell out of him. Though, Lucas kinda overreacts to things like that. Haha,” Jordan laughed.
“Maybe next time, I’ll be able to get some sleep over the weekends,”Arelia mumbled to herself, uncertain of Jordan. “Well, I bet no one wants to come to my party now. Who would want to hang out at some sick girl’s birthday?”
Jordan paused, her ears flattening. “Sick? Oh… I just thought you had insomnia. If you're sick, maybe you’ll be better before the party?” the cheetah girl offered.
“I’m not really sick,” she replied softly. “Not that they can find, anyway. But, thats what people start thinking when you pass out and disappear for a few days at a time. I’ve been dealing with it for almost two years, ever since…” Arelia trailed off as she realized just how open she was being with a girl she still hardly knew herself.
Jordan sat there quietly listening, her tail flicking back and forth with nervous energy. “Something happened? It’s ok, I know some things are hard to talk about. Kaitlyn told me about some things that happened to her… To tell you the truth, I’m still kind of shaken by it.” Jordan let out a slow sigh and looked up at the sky between the leaves. “If you're worried people will make fun of you for a sleeping disorder, don’t be. I’ve had insomnia all my life. I’ve never missed school for more than a day but…” She shared, now looking at the young mink girl. “It’s just… things sometimes work out, ya’ know?” Jordan smiled weakly.
Arelia gave a weak huffed snicker as she said, “Hopefully, I won’t crash again in the next two weeks.” She looked over at Jordan as she asked, “Did you give out my invitations? I only saw you and Lucas before I passed out.”
Jordan nodded. “Yeah. I grabbed your things while Lucas carried you to the nurse’s office. I hope you didn’t mind; they looked kinda personal, but they had our names on them so I figured…” Jordan trailed off.
“No, it’s okay. Just a little embarrassing,” she said, looking at her paws again. “My sister decorated them when she was making some for her class. Oh… um… My sister is having a sleepover also, but they be in a different area, so they shouldn’t bother us… if you were coming, that is.”
“Of course! The invitation said something about a hay ride? I asked my mom and dad; my dad wants to talk to and maybe meet yours before he’ll let me ride along.”
“That should be fine. My dad doesn’t work right now, so he just rides the buckboard between here and home. But it’s probably better to talk to my mom. Dad can be a little… um… hard to talk to sometimes.”
“Sounds good.” Jordan remarked, standing back up. “I can see my cousin’s car waiting for me; she gets mad if I keep her waiting too long. Uh, I’ll see you tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be here, “ she said with a smile. “I should be good for at least five more days,” she added with a weak chuckle. “And… thanks for talking.”
Jordan stopped, turning back to look at her friend. “Yeah… it was nice. See you tomorrow, Arelia.” And with that, the other girl ran off.
Arelia waved, a little more confident that things were going to be better this year, even if they didn’t feel that way right now.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>September 27, 2013<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Hayride<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
The two weeks passed in an almost flash, everything returning to normal quickly. The next few days Arelia had to repeatedly reassure people that she was fine. Her teachers watched her more closely. Even Lucas seemed to be paying more attention to her, even if it was more out of misplaced concern, and not the same interest she had in him. Everyone assured her that they would come to the party; she was even getting the chance to ride with Lucas all the way home in a bed of hay, even if most of her other friends were going to be there.
Petra bounded lightly on the deep pile of hay next to her classmate, Ryan. They had picked the young rabbit boy up at the mall, where the sisters took the opportunity to change out of their school uniforms. Arelia had donned a pink and black dress she had made the night before. The front and back laced up so that she could pull it tight to her body. The arms did the same, lacing around the biceps to pull it tight to her arms, while the forearms were comprised of a black, ruffled bell wedge. The black ruffle layered bell of the skirt only went down to her mid thigh, much shorter than she had ever made one before. Over the past month she had slowly downsized the bows that often covered her chest, while on this particular dress she did away with it entirely. She had chosen to make this dress for one reason alone: to get some sort of reaction from Lucas when he saw her in it. And it wouldn’t be long before she got to test her new outfit.
Arelia’s heart started to race as they drew closer to their next stop. She had been sitting with her dad as he planned out the rout after getting the pickup locations from all of the parents. Lucas and Kait had planned on being picked up at Jordan’s, and that was their current destination. She had yet to see any of them out of the school uniform, and was a little anxious. She recognized the house from the street view program as they rounded the corner. She hesitated when the buckboard came to a stop in front of the house, not really sure she was ready for that moment.
“Go ahead and knock on the door,” her father said, looking over his shoulder at her. “We still have three more stops before we start heading back to the house.”
She sighed as she slid off the back of the wagon and brushed the hay off her dress before she walked up to the door. Once there, she paused and took a deep breath before knocking. If she didn’t know it was impossible she thought her heart might leap out of her chest with as fast as it was pounding. She continued to straighten her dress while she waited, wanting everything to look perfect if Lucas was the one to answer the door. After only a moment the door was pulled open revealing Jordan, Lucas and Kait not far behind her. Arelia was a little disappointed to see Lucas already wearing pajama pants and an oversized hoodie. Jordan took a single surprised look at Arelia before she swung her body out of the way, giving her a full view of the wolf boy, as well as giving him a chance to see her. She smiled a little as she saw the boy’s mouth drop open before he looked at himself.
“Um… Do I need to put on something else?” Lucas asked, sounding a little embarrassed as the other two girls giggled at his awkward moment.
“No, it’s okay,” the mink girl answered shyly. “All of my dresses look like this.”
“You always dress like that?” Jordan asked with a knowing grin and a wink.
“Actually… Um.. Yes,” She replied blushing slightly, “But my dad’s waiting and we still have three stops before we head out.” She pointed out to the road where the older mink waved from the bench seat behind the enormous Clydesdale horse.
As they approached the wagon, the older mink looked down at the group and said, “You can put your things up front with me. That way you save room in the back.”
“Thank you, Sir, uh, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to hold on to my instrument.” Jordan replied, clutching her guitar case.
The slightly eerie look in his eyes didn’t match the smile on his face as he said, “I would never deprive a musician of her instrument. But you might want to hang it up here before you try to climb up yourself, for safety’s sake.”
Jordan made an uncomfortable glance at Arelia before handing the case to the mink. “Thank you, Sir,” she quickly remarked, climbing up shortly after.
Arelia waited for the others to finish getting into the back of the wagon before she started to climb up herself, worried about flashing Lucas if her dress flipped up unexpectedly in the wind. She looked up as she saw a paw reach down at her to see Lucas offering her a hand up. She smiled as she took hold, then ‘eeped’ as he nearly lifted her off the ground as she started to climb up. She sat by Jordan and whispered, “I’m sorry if my dad seems a little creepy. See that scar over his eye?” She rubbed over her own left eye to further point it out. She noticed the other two looking at her also when Jordan nodded. “Well, he was hit with shrapnel a few years ago and had some brain damage. It’s hard for him to interpret emotions correctly. So don’t feel too weirded out if he looks a little… um… strange.”
Almost as soon as the cart started moving, Petra looked over at the teens with a big smile on her face. “Hi, I’m Petra, but everyone calls me Pet. I’m Arei’s sister and I get to have a sleepover too. This is Ryan, he’s in my class. We get to pick up Tabby and Travis and Trent next, they are in my class too. Are you Lucas? You have to be Jordan, Arei says you are always doing music things. I like music….” The small mink trailed off as Arelia shot her a look.
Jordan had a broad grin from the young mink’s outburst. “Your little sister is cute, Arei.”
“Try living with her,” Arelia said with a little huff.
Soon, they pulled to a stop outside another house and the younger mink rocketed out of the pile of hay. The teens winced as they heard her hit the ground with a thud, but she continued to move without missing a beat. From the distance they could hear the doorbell being rung repeatedly in rapid succession. A few moments later, Petra returned with a tabby cat about her age in tow, followed by two raccoon boys. As they climbed into the back of the wagon, Petra started talking again. “This is Tabby and her brothers; that’s Lucas and Jordan and… um… I don't know her name but she’s one of Arei’s friends and now we get to pick up more of Arie’s friends and then…” The young mink trailed off again as her sister scowled at her.
Arelia tried to listen to what her friends were talking about, their voices being drowned out by the chatter and laughter of the younger kids. She felt bad that the teens had to put up with the din of the younger cubs as they bounced and played in the hay. She got a slight reprieve when they stopped in front of Illyana’s house, where they were meeting her and ‘Lissa Jo. As she got out of the cart and headed to the door, she remembered all the times Illyana mentioned how her sister would love the outfits that Arelia made. She checked her dress again, brushing the stray hay straws off before she rang the bell, just incase she was put on display.
The door was opened by a tall raccoon-hare crossbreed with straight, shoulder-length black hair. The girl gave the younger mink a friendly smile and said, “You must be Arelia. Just a moment, and I’ll get my sister for you.” She turned her head and yelled back over her shoulder, “Illya! LJ! Your ride is here! Pārvietot!” Arelia briefly wondered what that last word meant, but found the accent in which it was spoken to be very beautiful. Turning back to the birthday girl, she added, “Oh, forgive me. I’m Svetlana, Illya’s older sister. It’s nice to meet you.” Svetlana looked every bit as fashionable as the other girls had indicated, wearing a pair of black, flare-legged pants, a white sleeveless shirt, and a black fedora.
“Pleased to meet you,” Arelia said bowing her head slightly.
The pounding of a pair of footpaws and a pair of hooves could be heard rushing down the steps as the blonde raccoon/hare hybrid and her white deer girlfriend came into view. Illyana had changed into a bohemian-style dress, a scarf, and a pair of wedge sandals while her girlfriend was in a worn pair of jeans, a t-shirt, cowgirl boots, and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail fed through the back of a trucker's cap.
As the girls rushed out to the wagon, Sveta called out to the mink girl, "Hey, Arelia."
“Yeah,” she questioned as looked at the slightly older girl.
"My sister tells me you make your own clothes. Is that right?"
“Um… yeah,” the mink replied, blushing a little. “I made this one this week. I kind of tossed it together out of some scraps. I need to get to the fabric store to get same more material.” She hoped the lies were not obvious to her friends as they ran past.
"That's a nice dress. I'll have to show you some of my designs later on."
“Thank you, and that would be nice,” Arelia said as she looked over her shoulder. “I really need to go, we still have to get Sky before we head back to the house.”
------
After picking up the flying squirrel, the two groups arranged themselves on each side of the cart, teens on one side and the younger cubs on the other. Both groups were just as playful as the ride went on, tossing bits of hay and joking. ‘Lissa Jo talked about how it reminded her of home while Skyla, the flying squirrel, scratching incessantly at her legs and membrane as she insisted she was having a blast. Petra and Tabitha played pattycake most of the way while the younger boys whispered among themselves. Kaitlyn sat by Jordan as the cheetah plucked at her guitar and made notes in her notebook. The only thing that brought Arelia’s spirits down was the simple fact that Lucas still seemed preoccupied and distant. He looked off into the distance almost ignoring the countryside as they rode toward the house.
As the hayride pulled around the bend into the driveway, an Audi Q7 drove past, leaving. “Hey look, Tay’s already here. Ah reckon she thinks she’s too good to come on a hay ride with us ‘poor folk,’” ‘Lissa Jo said pointing to the passing automobile. “That gal’s stuck up higher than a light pole. Ah wonder if Abby is here yet.”
Almost as soon as the deer spoke the younger of the minks started bouncing in place, “OOoo, Ooo, ooo. Maybe Charry’s here, her daddy called and said she was coming, maybe she’s here already.”
The long gravel drive led up to a red brick, single-story ranch-style house. The drive curved passed a small, walled-in courtyard with a young cedar tree growing in the center, surrounded by a sparse garden already hibernating for the coming winter. Balloons and a big ‘Happy Birthday’ banner adorned the courtyard.
Arelia buried her face in her paws as she mumbled, “Oh god, mom, you didn’t.”
The drive continued around to the house, forking to a path that led back to the road and one leading to a three-car garage. The horse continued to pull that wagon around behind the house and toward a large red wooden barn. As the buckboard got close to the fenced-in field several other horses trotted out and kept pace with the wagon, almost as if examining the occupants.
Petra scrambled over to the side of the hay pile, pushing the teens as she went and started pointing to the feral horses. “That’s Tex, and that one is Shadow, and she is Mary Sue, we just got her, see how she is all skinny, the last people that had her didn’t feed her right so Daddy brought her home and we’re going to get her all better again.”
“Wow, ya’ll sure do got a lot o’ horses,” ‘Lissa Jo said a little giddy as the fullness of the country atmosphere she grew up in surrounded her.
“Yeah,” Arelia replied, “Only three are really ours, the rest are fosters that we nurse back to health and try and place in good homes. Tex is supposed to be mine, but I don’t get to ride him much with school and all. He used to be a rodeo horse, but he is getting too old for that now, so he gets the easy life here.”
The older mink man steered the Clydesdale away from the fence and back toward the back of the house as he said, “Okey, I think Missus Fletcher is setting up the back porch for S’mores for the little ones. Arei, you can show your friends up to your room until the rest of the guests arrive. I’ll bring in anything you guys leave in the cart.”
“Yes, Daddy,” both girls said in unison as the buckboard came to a stop.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Simple Changes<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Having left the younger cubs on the enclosed porch, the teens followed Arelia into the house. The mink started by steering the group toward the family room where her mother had told her Taybra and Abby were waiting for them. As she saw the two felines sitting on the couch chatting she said, “Sorry it took us so long; I‘m kind of used to the slow ride back from town.”
Abby and Taybra turned the see the group gathered behind the mink. “Oh, it’s okay, we just got here, too,” Abby said with a smile.
“Happy birthday, Arelia!” Taybra remarked cheerily.
Bushing lightly through her white fur, Arelia said, “Thanks, but you can save that for when my mom tries to embarrass me later. I’m not even sure what all they have planned. But, you can bring your stuff up to my room for now.” She pointed through the kitchen. “I think Dad brought some extra chairs and stuff up so everyone would have a place to sit.”
As the group followed her through the house she gave a little verbal tour. “Over there is Pet’s room, the guest room, and the bathroom. I think Dad is going to make Lucas sleep in the guest room… if we fall asleep, that is.” She stopped and turned to the group, “The guest room shares the bathroom with the hallway, so you might need to knock to be sure no one is in it. Pet’s room has it’s own bathroom, so you shouldn’t have to worry much about them.”
She continued through the kitchen as she pointed to one door, “That’s the laundry room and garage over there.” As they passed into a small hall between the kitchen and garage she added, “And there is the formal dining room. The other half of the house is my parents’ room, my mom’s home office, and another guest room. If anyone has trouble sleeping in my room they can move to the other guest room.” She opened a door that led upstairs as she said, “My room is over the garage. I moved up here last winter.”
Skyla raised her paw as she asked, “Um… Why would anyone have trouble sleeping in your room?”
“Well, I have an old grandfather clock that can tick pretty loudly,” the mink replied as she opened the second door at the top of the stairs. Arelia winced as she heard a gasp or two as they walked into the converted attic space. The room was easily the largest they had seen in the house, divided into several smaller spaces by what looked like victorian screen dividers. The top of the prominent king-sized canopy was almost on display at the far end of the room near the old oak grandfather clock as it tolled out the half-hour.
“Thats freaking cool!” Lucas exclaimed, admiring the old antique. “Is all this yours?” he asked, looking around Arelia’s room.
A glint of joy flashed in her eyes as the boy took notice. “Yeah, um… most of it my mom and I restored last winter.” She rushed over to one side of the room moving a screen out of the way, revealing her apparent fashion work area. A small rolling rack of dresses stood in one corner of the room with a fitting mannequin nearby. But what she seemed most interested in was the old cast-iron sewing machine that was pushed up next to the wall near a pile of fabric. “Dad fixed this up for me as a surprise when he…” she trailed off for a moment as she glanced over her shoulder at the other teens, “I’m almost as fast on this as I am with the electric one, but it is so much quieter. So I don't have to worry about waking anyone up.”
She spun around in the small stool as she said, “I don’t have a T.V. or anything up here, just my computer for homework and stuff, but Dad said he would bring one up for the night if we want to watch any movies.” She paused for a moment looking at her own paws. “I really don’t want to start any games or anything until after my parents are done with what they want to do… so we don’t get interrupted and stuff.” She looked up quickly as a thought came to her, “But we can change into our night clothes if you want.”
She stood up and reached for the screen that had been blocking off the sewing area as she said, “We can use this to block off that half of the room so Lucas can’t watch.” She glanced at the wolf hybrid as he seemed more interested in the pile of loose fabric then the opportunity to see the girls changing. She watched him out the corner of her eye as Jordan and Katlyn helped her move the divider next to another, almost completely blocking off the girls at the far end of the room with the bed.
As soon as the screen was in place Illyana and 'Lissa Jo both dropped backward onto the large bed and giggled as they landed. The raccoon-hare girl rolled her head to look over at the mink, “You get this bed all to yourself? I bet we can all fit on here! This thing is huge.”
“Hot dang, this thing’s softer than a pig’s ear,” ‘Lissa Jo added as she rolled over on the mattress.
Following the couple’s lead, Abby dove onto the bed and let out a soft purr as she landed.
“It’s mostly the over stuffed comforter,” the mink said as she started to untie the laces that held her dress tight to her body. She let out a sigh as the strings visibly loosened around her chest, as if letting out the pressure. “I usually just sleep on top of it with a throw. It’s too much hassle to make it every morning,” she lied, not wanting to let on just how little she used the bed.
Arelia glanced over at Taybra then to Jordan as she whispered, “Can you help me with my zipper? I can’t really reach it,” as she tried to position herself to where she could see Lucas through the small space in the dividers, and he could see her if he looked.
“Um, sure,” the cheetah girl said as she assisted with the common hassle of most fancy dresses.
Arealia didn’t pay much attention to the other girls as she watched the boy out of the corner of her eye, trying to not look like she was obviously putting on a show for him. She desperately tried to maintain a pace that seemed reasonable for the outfit while still slow enough to be a tease, hoping not to draw the attention of the other girls in that section of the room. She pulled the sleeves off and the top down, leaving herself in nothing more than her training bra and panties. She caught him glancing as the other girls started to giggle. She took the opportunity to close her eyes and turn so he could see as much as possible through the crack as she stretched her arms over her head.
She turned back to look at the other girls as the giggling erupted again. She covered herself up as her cheeks burned with a pink blush, “What? You try wearing that thing on a hay ride.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince them that she was just stretching, or convince herself that they didn’t know what she was really doing. She trotted over to the bed and reached under to pull out a plastic bin as she said, “Hey, if you guys want, I have a million silk nightgowns that I made over the summer. I hardly ever wear them, I just like working with silk.”
Taybra smirked. “You should try one Jordan, I bet you’d look good in one.”
Jordan blushed. “I don’t know… I feel kinda awkward wearing someone else's clothes.”
“Here,” the mink pulled out several red, blue, and green gowns, “I’ve never worn these ones, and you can keep them if you want. I was getting ready to go through all this and see what I could reuse.”
Jordan seemed uneased, but politely accepted a green nightgown from the pile. “Uh, thank you.”
Taybra admired Jordan’s new gown. “I think it’s about the same size, too. Go ahead and try it on.”
Jordan looked around at everyone, noting everyone already in their underwear or sleepwear. Jordan turned away from everyone and pulled her shirt off over her head. A small gasp of air was heard as Jordan tossed her shirt aside, reaving her lack of bra. She quickly pulled the nightgown over her head and into place, before taking her sweats off underneath.
"It's fine, I'll just wear what I brought," Skyla said as she pulled out a bundle of clothes that looked like the same baggy tee and shorts she was wearing, only in different colors.
“Really?” Illyana said looking at the squirrel, “You’re just going to put on the same old drab things you always wear?”
“They’re more comfortable on my patagium, so why wouldn’t I?” the flying squirrel said, pulling off her shirt and stretching out one of her arms to show off her wing flap, oblivious to the way it made her boobs bounce in her bra.
“I um…” Arelia blushed as she felt herself caught in her little plan, “took that into account, along with bust size?” She held up a small selection of gowns. “Either that, or I’m planning on growing wings in the next few months,” she added with a weak giggle.
“Wow, okay, that changes things,” Skyla answered as she selected out a green gown, then looked over to Jordan and decided on the blue one she’d held out for her. “I wouldn’t want to let all the trouble you went through making them special for me go to waste.”
“I make the stuff anyway,” the mink responded with a bit of a blush, “It’s kind of fun to guess some of the measurements. They were all going to be taken apart in a few days to make something new, anyway.”
Arelia glanced around the space, as Illyana, ‘Lissa Jo, and Abby rummaged through the gowns she had tossed on the bed, and Kaitlyn stood off to one side looking down with a mild blush. She smiled back toward Jordan as she pulled a gown over her own head, “It’s so much easier to change when you’re not wearing a dress.”
She stood up as she asked, “We about ready? Don’t want to give Lucas any ideas about what we might be doing back here without him.” She smiled, hoping to get at least a chuckle from the other girls as she tried desperately to be entertaining.
“No,” Kaitlyn said in a slight rush as she moved over to the bed and picked out a gown for herself.
Arelia waited a little impatiently as Taybra changed into her own expensive-looking silk pajamas and Kaitlyn changed again into a red gown. She was eager to see the look on Lucas’s face when the wolf boy saw the girls in some of her own handiwork. As they moved the barrier out of the way she saw him quickly look down at his paws, a blush evident through his fur, as Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo strutted their way out, as if on a fashion runway followed by the rest of the silk-clad girls. The mink girl giggled as she watched him nearly jump out of his skin when there was a knock at the door before it clicked and opened.
On the other side stood Arelia’s mother with a smile as she said, “All of Pet’s guests are here, it’s time for the games and then cake.” She smiled as she saw all the girls dressed in the light fabric and added, “Don’t worry, we will do most of the games on the back porch and the fire is already going from the s’mores.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Lucas blurted out as he nearly jumped from the couch and headed for the door, eliciting a giggle from the group of girls.
Arelia gave her mother a sheepish smile as she shrugged in response to that knowing glare that all mothers have. “Just remember the rules, Arei,” was all the older mink said as she turned to leave the room behind the wolf boy.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Party Games<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
The mink girl sighed heavily as the group of teens entered the breakfast room and the bay window showing the back porch came into view. Petra and her classmates were already playing pin the tail on the donkey, and her father finished filling a half barrel with water and apples and a large piñata sat by the back porch wall. She started to open her mouth to say something but stopped when she heard her sister laughing. She held her tongue knowing one thing: friends come and go, but Petra was always going to be her sister. If this group couldn’t look past the few things her only sister wanted at the party, she might not really want them as friends. She turned to the group with the best smile she could muster and asked, “So who’s up for bobbing for apples?”
“I’ll give it a shot!” Jordan exclaimed excitedly.
“We also have pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, and a piñata, but Pet’s friend’s get first shot at that,” She tried to maintain her mock excitement as she ushered the teens out the back door. “So, where do we want to start?” she asked, leading in the general direction of the apple bobbing, thinking it was the most mature of the games and least likely to make her look bad to the group.
As they approached the older mink, Brent turned and looked at the group. “Well now, I didn’t know we were going to get a ‘Fashions by Fletcher’ show tonight, also,” he said with a smile. “Too bad you don’t make anything for boys; poor Mister Blackfoot is left out.”
“DAD!” Arelia nearly shouted as she clenched her fists and gave him a stern look, but quickly backed down when she saw the blank look in his eyes staring back at her. She held her breath for a moment as she watched him silently.
“I’ll be inside if you need me,” the older mink said as he looked away from his daughter and headed toward the back door.
Arelia mustered a weak smile as she turned back to the group and asked, “So you want to go first, Jordan? I think the barrel is big enough for two people to try at the same time.” She stepped back and took a few deep breaths as her friends gathered around the barrel filled with water and apples, then glanced over at her mother, who nodded to her. She turned back to the group and said, “I need to help out my sister and her friends for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
She watched the teens out the corner of her eye as she walked over to the group of first graders. The younger cubs had one of the raccoon twins blindfolded and were spinning him as his twin brother pointed him away from the donkey target. Arelia couldn’t help but giggle a little as her sister started to say something before a young skunk gave her a look that instantly silenced her. The skunk must have been the Charlotte that Petra was always talking about. She could tell the skunk didn’t seem to be having as much fun as the other cubs and could sympathize with her a little with the almost childish games.
Her attention was brought back to her friends as an ‘Oh’ came from their direction. She stared slack-jawed for a moment as she saw Jordan and Kaitlyn both with only a single apple separating their lips in what almost looked like a passionate kiss. Jordan, with her glasses off, laughed and asked, "Who is that? Kait? You're supposed to grab the apples from the water, cheater!"
Arelia snickered as she realized what was going on. She could see the same frustration in in Kaitlyn's eyes as the girl tried to get Jordan’s attention as much as she tried with Lucas. And she saw the same shy retreat of not being sure the other was even interested in her. She suddenly pictured herself doing the same thing with Lucas, but the boy would probably be just as clueless as Jordan. Maybe one of the other games she had planned for them when they got back to her room would have better results for her.
Soon, her mother came back out, her father not far behind, saying, “Okay, it’s piñata time!” An eruption of excitement from the younger cubs nearly made her stumble forward; the only thing that stopped her was the flash of excitement she saw for a moment on Lucas’s face as he turned to look at the large paper mache feral cat that was obviously filled with candy. “I know how excited everyone is, but the little ones get to go first. If there is anything left, you big kids can have a try.” Arelia couldn’t help but feel a little bad when she saw the mild look of disappointment on the boy’s face when her mother mentioned the simple rule.
Arelia ushered the younger cubs over, trying to keep them in some sort of orderly line as she felt like she was ignoring her own guests to help with her sister. But every time she thought about it she would rather be there for her family than something happen with so many furs there. As she got close enough to the other teens she rejoined them and whispered, “Do we really want to do this? Because if you don’t, we can just let Pet and her friends have it. I think Mom and dad have the cake ready inside.” She stood there for a moment as she realized the entire group seemed just as interested in the candy-filled party favor as the young cubs.
Arelia watched as, one-by-one, the younger cubs took turns getting blindfolded by her mother and spun several times by their friends and given three swings as her father moved the piñata up and down on the makeshift pulley of a rope over one of the porch rafters. She couldn’t help but cheer with everyone else as the young doberman knocked off one leg letting some of the candy and treats spill out onto the floor.
“Okay,” Arelia’s mother said, “Now it’s the birthday girl’s turn. Come on, Arei, get over here.”
“MOM!” the mink girl protested through her gritting teeth, only to cave as her sister got the younger cubs to start chanting her shortened name, and her own friends joined in quickly.
“Come on, Dear,” her mother added with a smile, “it’s not much of a birthday party if the birthday girl doesn’t play any of the games.”
“Fine,” she said with a sigh as she walked over and let her mother blindfold her. She held her breath again as she felt the many pairs of paws guild her body in small circles before someone put a bat in her paws. She felt the world churning around her as someone lined her uneasy body up with the piñata, tapping the bat against the body so she would have some idea of where it was. She pulled the bat back and let it swing almost as hard as she could only to feel it hit what must have been the rope as laughter and cheering erupted around her. She held the bat straight out for a moment before she pulled back and swung again, only a little lower. The bat passed effortlessly through the empty space as she grunted and pulled back for her last try. She let her last swing fly with all her might, putting her whole body into it as the bat collided hard with something the almost instantly gave way to free air. She paused and held her breath for what felt like eternity as she waited for some sign of what she hit. She dropped the bat and lifted up the blindfold as the cheers erupted from the gathered cubs and teens. She smiled with pride as she saw half of the piñata still flipping through the air spilling candy as it went, with the other hung lifelessly on the rope, devoid of treats.
She watched almost helplessly as the cubs and her friends scrambled on the floor scooping up candy, balloons, and other small trinkets that filled the feline. She jumped as she heard her mother whisper in her ear, “If you don’t get down there, you’re not going to get any treats.” She looked around once again, noticing only two of the guests were not crawling on the floor. The young skunk stood back from the group a bit, a look on her face of almost disgust as her classmates rummaged for treats off the ground. Kaitlyn looked down at the group nervously as she mumbled something about peanut butter. After a moment, Arelia got down on her knees and started scrambling for some of the candy also.
As the excitement died down, each guest with two paws full of candy and balloons, Melissa called out, “Okay, we’re going to get the cake and singing out of the way before we send you guys off to drown yourself with soda and pizza. Any objections?”
The squirrel girl raised her paw again as she asked, “Mrs. Fletcher, why are we doing the cake before the other food?”
“Well, Miss…”
The mink paused for a moment as the girl replied, “Skyla, ma’am.”
Melissa smiled as she continued, “Skyla, we’re going to do the birthday cake first so you girls and Lucas can get back to having your fun, while Pet and her guests can do stuff more appropriate for their ages.” She then turned to Kaitlyn and asked, “How would you girls like to help with the cake?”
The ferret looked at the other girls and shrugged, “I guess?”
With a smile she waved her paw toward the back door and said, “Come on, ladies, lets go get the cake.”
As all the girls followed her mother into the house, leaving her alone for the moment with Lucas and all her sister’s friends, she worried a little at just what her mother had planned with the cake. She closed her eyes, afraid of what was coming as her father flipped off the porch lights and the singing started. As Petra and her friends joined the singing, she opened her eyes to see - to her relief - a simple large sheet cake with two simple numeric candles showing ‘12’. Her reprieve was short lived as the top of the cake came into view and she saw a collage of different pictures of her growing up silk-screened into the icing. She struggled to keep a smile as she blushed at the embarrassing images of her at two and three years old.
“Make a wish, birthday girl,” her mother said as the song finished. She closed her eyes and prayed that this day wouldn’t get any more embarrassing as she took a deep breath and blew out the candles.
From behind her, her father said, “Now you girls can take that cake back up to Arei’s room and we will bring up some pizza when it is ready.”
As the younger kids let out a moan of despair as the cake was taken away, Petra nearly shouted as she bounced on her paws, “Oh, we get our own cake just for us and it is all rainbows and pretty, not all boring like Arei’s.” The small mink’s rant seemed to appease the younger cubs as Arelia followed the girls back into the house, led by Lucas as he held the door open for all of them.
∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>The Best Laid Plans===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
As the group entered her room, Arelia set her real plans for the evening into motion. The first order of business was clearing out space in the middle of the room. “Um… we can put the cake on the vanity,” she said, pointing to the far end of the room. “And lets get these chairs moved, so we can play a few games.” She started moving some of the folding chairs her father had put in the room and leaned them against one wall. “Who’s ever played Suck and Blow?”
Lucas raised his paw as he said, “I know what that is.” As soon as words made it past his lips Illyana and ’Lissa Jo both dropped the the floor laughing while he began to blush. He continued with what he thought she was talking about, “It’s a drinking game with a ping pong ball right?” Almost instantly, the two girls fell silent as everyone looked at the mink girl.
Arelia’s eyes went wide as she said, “Oh… um… noooo... it’s a game where we stand in a circle and try to pass a card around without using our paws. But, only one fur can be touching the card at a time, so you have to like… um… Blow the card out to the next fur while they try to suck it in. If you drop the card the one that is trying to catch it is out. The last one standing wins.” She quickly pulled a deck of cards off of her desk and moved over to Lucas’s right to be sure she was the one he would be passing it to when his turn came up. “Okay, so you pass the card to the right.” The rest of the girls lined up in the circle. She stopped for a moment as she added, “Oh, and my parents made me promise to obey one rule for all the games: because Lucas is here we can’t play any games where he would have to touch us, or vise-versa.” Her heart jumped as she thought about the fact she wanted to break that very rule, and even planned to, if she got a chance.
The mink pulled a card out of the deck and turned to Illyana. “There, lets see if we can do this.” She put her paws behind her back and leaned in as close as she could without the card touching the hare hybrid's lips and nodded to her. Following the mink’s cue Illya did the same as she opened her mouth, ready to catch the card. As the mink gently blew the card out of her lips, Illyana sucked in and closed her mouth as quickly as she could, snapping the card out of the air.
Illyana did a little happy dance as she turned to ‘Lissa Jo and winked.
‘Lissa Jo smiled as she said, “This sounds funner than a barn dance.” The pair tried to stifle giggles as they passed the card between them. Turning to Taybra, the doe blew the card out of her mouth.
As the card bumped into the civet’s snout, she blinked and said, “I wasn’t ready.” The group watched as Taybra fumbled with her paws, trying to catch the card as it fluttered to the floor. “Let’s try again.”
“Nope, yer out, Tay; it’s Kait’s turn,” ‘Lissa Jo said as she snatched the card up just before it landed at her hooves.
Taybra huffed as she stepped out of the circle and dropped on to the antique Victorian couch with her arms crossed. ‘Lissa Jo put the card back in her lips as she looked at Kaitlyn and blew the card out again. The ferret more darted her head forward biting the card out of the air than sucking it in, smiling as she stood back up and looked to her right at Jordan.
Arealia winced as she realized Kaitlyn was going to try the same thing with Jordan she was hoping to do with Lucas. As the two leaned in, she watched Kaitlyn close her eyes and just let the card fall from her lips as the ferret leaned in for her intended target.
“Ho!” Jordan gasped as she looked and lunged for the falling card, her forehead colliding with Kaitlyn’s in a loud echoing thunk. Both girls fell backward to the floor as they held their now-throbbing heads.
The room erupted in an ‘OOoo’ as the girls watched their friends fall over. Taybra jumped up and said, “Jordan’s out, she dropped the card.”
Lucas knelt down to the pair on the floor and asked, “You guys okay?”
They both nodded as Kaitlyn said, “I think so, but I’ll sit the rest of this one out.” She looked over at Jordan rubbing her head as the cheetah nodded in agreement.
“I... Um, guess it’s Abby’s turn, then,” Arelia said as she handed the feline a new card out of the deck. Arealia waited impatiently as she watched the next three pass the card around. Abby and Skyla each made eye contact as they concentrated on passing the card without dropping it. Skyla in turn blew the card to Lucas, who, like Kaitlyn more bit it out of the air than anything. Arelia’s heart jumped as the wolf boy turned to her and made direct, intense eye contact for the first time. For the moment she felt like the only other person in the room as he blew the card out of his mouth toward her. She closed her eyes as she saw the card flutter down from between them and leaned in for the kiss that she watched Kaitlyn fail. Everything was going as planned, until she heard the ‘oo’s from around the room. She opened her eyes to see that Lucas had stepped back and reached out to catch her as she fell helplessly forward, having leaned too far without the expected touch of his snout.
She looked up at him as he asked, “Are you okay? It looked like you were going to pass out again.”
Arelia went limp in his arms as she let out a disappointed sigh. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said as he helped her stand back up.
“Maybe we should try another game,” Lucas suggested, “before someone else gets hurt.”
Just as he suggested changing games, a knock came at her door. As it opened, she heard her father call in, “Pizza is ready.” He paused for a moment before he asked, “Is everything okay in here?”
“Um, yeah, dad,” Arelia replied. “Kait and Jordan bumped heads and I, um… slipped. But we’re going to try a different game now.”
“Okay, then,” the older mink said as he sat the two large homemade pizzas on two of the chairs. “If you get hurt, you know where the first aid kit is, and we are just downstairs.” Arelia worried as she listened to his monotone voice. She could tell that this wasn’t one of his good nights; she just hoped it wouldn’t be a bad one.
As the older mink left the room, ‘Lissa Jo spoke up. “Ah say new game after supper,” she said as she reached over for a slice. “Ah ain’t eaten since lunch, and Ah could eat the north end of a southbound goat.”
“Bring the pizza over to the rug,” Arelia said with a smile. “I think we can eat while we play the next game. I know everyone’s played Truth or Dare.” She watched as the other girls all shared a glance, some stifling snickers while others blushed. “Um… same basic rules; you can't dare anybody to touch someone else. I guess everything else is fair game. I don’t know how you guys played, before but the way I’ve always been told is whoever starts asks anyone they want a truth or dare. That fur has to do whatever they are asked or they get a penalty and lose their turn. If they do the Truth or whatever, they get to pick someone and it goes on like that. Who ever has the least penalties when we’re finished is the winner.”
The group sat in roughly the same order they had lined up in for the previous game. Arelia already next to Lucas as he fidgeted and adjusted himself, his eyes glancing around the room at the girls in silk nightgowns. Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo sat by her, the doe bringing one of the pizzas with her. Taybra pulled up one of the folding chairs to sit on, earning a smirk from ‘Lissa Jo. Abby and Skyla followed suit, grabbing chairs as they rejoined the circle. Kaitlyn and Jordan sat down between Skyla and Lucas, finishing the circle.
“Since I went first in the last one,” Arealia said as she glanced around the circle, “Why don’t you go first, Illya?”
“Okay.” the hare-raccoon hybrid replied. “You said I can pick who I want, and anything goes?” a mischievous grin crossed her muzzle with the question.
“Um...” Arelia got a little worried with the look on her friend’s face, “As long as they don’t have to touch anyone, I guess it’s fair game.”
Illyana’s head snapped to Lucas and asked, “Truth or Dare?”
“Huh?,” the canine said as if being pulled out of a trance, “Oh, um… dare, I guess.”
“Okay, then,” Illya said as she looked around the room, “I dare you to put on one of Arelia’s dresses.”
“Wait, what?” Arelia blurted out as a bright red blush showed through her fur.
“You said anything goes,” the half-hare said with a smile. “He doesn’t have to touch anyone to put on a dress. He can even go back behind the screen to change.” She looked at the wolf boy as she added, “So what’s it going to be: man up and put on a dress, or take the penalty?”
“Um,” Lucas hesitated as he looked around the group of girls, all smiling at him. He swallowed hard and shifted a little as he said, “Yeah, I’ll do it.” He looked at the wide-eyed expression on Arelia’s face as he added, “If that’s okay. I mean, they are your dresses.”
“I… um…” The young mink sat stunned for a moment as she looked into his blue eyes. She could feel herself blushing uncontrollably. She broke away from his gaze and looked at the other girls. Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo both had broad smiles on their faces as they nodded their heads. Skyla and Abby looked a little shocked, the squirrel girl frozen for the moment with a slice of pizza in her paw about to be bitten. She could tell that the thought made Jordan a little uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to be the one to put a damper on the game so soon.
“Okay, but I need to measure your chest to be sure I have one that will fit,” she said, looking back to the only boy. “You’re… um… bigger than I am.”
She could see a mild blush through his own white fur as he said, “Okay, what do I need to do?”
“I need you to… um…” Arelia stood up and walked over to her small studio area. As she dug through a drawer in the sewing cabinet, she tried to cool off the heat in her skin from the thought of what she was about to do. She turned back around as she finished her thought, “I need you to take off the hoodie.” The room erupted with a chorus of ‘OOoooOO’s as she said the words. If she needed him to take off his shirt, she was going to get her own little peep show, even if she was sharing it with the others in the room. They had probably already seen him in a bathing suit, but she’d never seen what he looked like topless, and she was going to need to get close enough to touch him. Her fingers were going to touch the fur on his chest. Just the thought sent shivers through her body as he stood up.
“Okay,” the boy said as he pulled the hoodie over his head, ruffling his thickening winter coat as he pulled it off. The action earned a teasing whistle from ‘Lissa Jo and an audible scoff from Taybra as she crossed her arms and looked away.
Skyla raised her paw again as she asked, “Why do you need to measure him if you were able to guess mine so well?”
Arealia looked at the flying squirrel as she said, “I made them guessing your measurements. I made the dresses based on mine. I have to see if I left enough room in one of mine that he might fit in. I mean, it’s not like I made my dresses to fit a boy.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” Skyla replied as she nodded in understanding, causing the mink to let out a small sigh as she looked back over at the Samoyed-wolf hybrid.
Arelia could feel her paws tremble as she walked up to him and said, “Lift your arms.” As he did, she reached around him, her head almost pressing against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, almost calling her closer, as her paws met behind his back to exchange the end of the measuring tape. She pulled the tape measure around him, lining it up with his nipples as if she was measuring her own chest. She held it tight around him, her fingers trembling as they pressed against the fur of his sternum. She blinked a few times as she said, “I think you can fit the one I had on today.”
“Are you sure?” Taybra said hotly, “That thing looked tight on you.”
“Um, yeah. It’s the corset effect,” the mink explained. “There’s actually a lot of extra material that I tucked in when the ribbons were pulled tight. It's so that no matter what shape you’re in, you can still get the hourglass figure if you’re willing to give up the flexibility.”
Abby’s eyes went wide as she asked, “You mean you can make him look like a girl in that dress?”
“Not really,” the mink said, “He doesn’t have the bone structure, and it could hurt if you pull it too tight. But, he can fit into it. I just have to loosen it up a bit more to fit over his shoulders.” She let the tape measure drop from around Lucas as she walked behind the divider where they had changed earlier to get the dress. She loosened the strings holding the arms and chest as she walked back into the gathering. “The best way to put it on is to step into it like a jumper and pull it up.”
“I know how to put one on,” the Samoyed-wolf hybrid said as the mink handed him the dress. The room fell silent as all the girls looked at him, some in shock and others with a look of curiosity on their faces. “It’s like putting on coveralls, but with the zipper in the back,” he said as they watched him blush a little more.
“If you say so,” Illyana said in a sarcastic tone as she smiled.
The group watched as the boy struggled a bit getting the girl’s clothes on, first pulling the dress up like pants then trying to slide his arms into the sleeves without dropping it. Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo both giggled as they stood up. “Here, let us help you with that.”
Arelia quickly joined the other two girls, taking advantage of the moment to be close to him once again as they helped him into the dress. ‘Lissa Jo helped pull the dress onto his arms and zip it up as Illyana and Arelia started pulling the laces tighter around him. Arelia absentmindedly leaned against him as she tightened the laces across his chest, as she often did with her mother and sister. She blushed hotly as she felt the obvious stiffness in his crotch press against her. She quickly stepped back and tied a bow in the ribbon, not tightening it as much as she would have otherwise.
The trio stepped back from the boy as he got whistles and catcalls from the girls in the room. He blushed a little as he said, “It’s my turn right?”
“Nope,” Illyana said with a smile, “you’ve still got to take off those sweatpants.”
“You just dared me to wear the dress,” Lucas argued.
“He’s got you there, Illya,” Skyla said, looking over at the hare. “You never did tell him to take off his pants in the dare.” She chuckled to herself, adding, “Technically, he could still be wearing the hoodie, too, and look even sillier, if he could make it fit.”
“Okay, fine, it’s your turn.” Illya grumbled as she returned to her pizza with ‘Lissa Jo not far behind.
“Okay,” Lucas muttered as he looked around the circle. “‘Lissa Jo, Truth or Dare?”
“Dare,” the deer said with an almost triumphant smirk.
“Um… Okay.” He thought for a moment as he tried to figure out how to sit down without messing up the dress. “How about I dare you to do a line dance.”
“A line dance?” ‘Lissa Jo scoffed, “What kinda dare is that?”
“Are you going to do it or not?” Taybra asked, an almost annoyed sound in her voice.
“Ah’ll do it, it just seems so weak,” the deer said as she stood back up. “Um, Jordan, can ya play something like Boot scoot boogie?”
“Sure,” the cheetah girl said, sounding almost excited as she jumped up to get her guitar. She walked back over and sat down on the couch as she started picking at the strings. As the tune build into something recognizable, a few members of the group started clapping to the beat.
Soon, ‘Lissa Jo was wiggling her hips in time with the music before she started tapping her hooves against the wooden floor. Within moments, the group and Jordan picked up the pace of the clapping and song, and the deer was in the full swing of the dance, her body turning and paws clapping as she tapped and kicked her hooves. After several minutes, Jordan stopped playing and ‘Lissa Jo took a slightly-winded bow as she said, “There ya go, now Ah’ll show ya’ll how this game’s s’posed ta be played.” She looked over at Taybra and said, “Truth or Dare?”
“Dare,” the Civet answered smugly as she put her pizza down.
“Ah dare ya ta run ‘round the yard nekkid as a fresh-plucked chicken,” the white doe challenged.
“I’m not doing that,” Taybra said, a clear sound of anger in her voice.
“Stuck up city girl’s too good ta feel the wet grass beneath her paws,” the deer prodded. “Ah guess that means you’ll take the penalty?”
Crossing her arms and glaring back at ‘Lissa Jo, Tay said, “Not so fast, I didn’t say that. I’m just not going to do it naked. If Lucas wasn’t here…”
‘Lissa Jo interrupted the Civet before she could finish, “Okay, Miss Priss-pot, how about in yer underwear? He’s seen ya in a bathing suit, it ain’t much different.”
“Okay then, Smarty-Pants,” Taybra said with a triumphant grin, “How am I going to get to the yard in my underwear? Arei’s parents and sister are downstairs.”
Arelia raised her paw, wanting to keep the game going as it got more interesting. “We can go out through the garage. The door is though the laundry room at the bottom of the stairs. I just need to watch for my parents when we go through the hall.”
‘Lissa Jo smiled back at her opponent as she said, “There ya have it; do the dare or take the penalty.”
“I’ll do it, but Lucas has to stay up here,” Tayra said, annoyed. “Panties and bathing suits are different, and he’s a boy.” She looked down at Lucas as he adjusted the dress to try and get comfortable.
The deer shrugged as she said, “Ah guess that’s fair, but the rest o’ us hafta see ya do it. No goin’ down then comin’ back up saying ya did it.”
The pair started to walk toward the door as Arelia jumped up and ran past them. “Let me check that the coast is clear before we make a run for it; I don’t want to get in too much trouble.” She slipped out the door and down the stairs, the rest of the girls following quietly. Her heart raced with excitement at the thought of sneaking out around her parents. She’d never done anything like that before and didn’t know what would happen if she got caught, or worse, ran into her father during a reaction.
She held her paw up as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Wait here, I’ll check the hall.”
“This isn’t going to get you into any trouble, is it?” Kaitlyn asked as she tiptoed out into the hall. Arelia didn’t respond as she leaned around the corner and signaled for them to come.
‘Lissa Jo whispered to the ferret, “Shh, we don’t wanna get caught. Ain't ya never snuck out before?”
“My dad’s the district attorney!” the ferret whispered back. “He makes a living punishing people!”
Arelia looked over her shoulder at the other girls as she put her finger to her lips in the universal ‘quiet’ signal. A moment later, she leaned around the corner and looked into the kitchen. Without looking back, she waved her paw for them to go out through the laundry room she had pointed out earlier. The mink winced as she heard ‘Lissa Jo’s hooves clicking down the hall. As they all passed her, she followed them into the garage, closing the door quietly behind them.
The three-car garage was nearly empty, the two-car section housing only a few workbenches and tools, while a blue Smart Car took up the single-car section at the far end. Arelia led them to a pedestrian door built into the rolling garage door as she said, “There are almost no windows on this side of the house, so we should be fine.”
The mink could tell the others were not really ready for the crisp evening air as they shivered a little, stepping out the door. She wrapped her arms around herself as she felt her nipples begin to harden under the thick silk gown. Her only saving grace was that she still had on her bra. She wondered just how Taybra’s body was reacting to the chill and felt a little bad about encouraging the game to continue.
Taybra walked over to the grass, wincing a little as she crossed the gravel driveway barefoot. They all watched as the Civet girl hesitated. ‘Lissa Jo spoke up, saying, “C’mon, don’t tell me we came all the way down here for ya to chicken out.”
“No!” Taybra protested as she started to pull off her pajama top, “Just give me a second.”
“All of it, Tay. The pants, too,” Illyana added.
“I’m getting there; it’s getting cold out,” the civet protested as she started to pull the pants down. “Okay, I’m in my underwear outside, I did it.”
“Now hold up just a dang minute,” ‘Lissa Jo said as she ran up and snagged the pajamas from Taybra’s paws. “Ah said run ‘round the yard; yer just standin’ there like a scarecrow.”
“Fine,” the girl replied as she started prancing around the grass. The Civet had a look of mild disgust on her face as her paws tapped in the damp greenery, while Illyana, and Abby giggled at just how obviously uncomfortable Taybra was with the act. “There, can I have my pajamas back now?”
The deer handed the Civet her clothing as she said, “Close ‘nuff, Ah guess.”
“Come on,” Arelia said as Taybra put her pajamas back on, “Let’s get back in before my parents come to check on us.” The rest of the group acknowledged her thought as they moved back into the garage. Her pulse quickened as everyone looked up at the sound of paw steps on the floor above them. She hoped it was only Lucas getting impatient or looking around her room. She pushed the group a little faster as she thought about the last few searches she had done on her computer over the past month and didn’t really know how computer savvy he might be. As the group passed through the back hall and headed up to her room, she caught her mother winking at her from the kitchen. Maybe she wasn’t going to get in as much trouble as she thought, as long as she followed the rules they had set out for her with the no touching.
When the girls got back to the room they found that Lucas had changed back into the hoodie, sitting by the pile of fabric Arelia had near her antique sewing machine. Abby giggled as she asked, “Looking for what you want her to make your next dress out of?”
Lucas looked over his shoulder. “Huh? Um… no I just saw that you have some really nice material here.”
“Suuure,” several of the girls said sarcastically as they giggled at the lone boy in the group.
“Maybe ya should ask for a pair o’ silk drawers,” ‘Lissa Jo joked.
“Before we get back to the game,” Illyana started to say as she walked over to her bag and started digging through it, “I need a little pick-me-up.” The hare/raccoon hybrid produced a small, foil-wrapped block and unwrapped it, revealing a brownie inside.
“Why’d you bring a brownie if we were having cake and ice cream?” Abby asked.
“It’s just a leftover from the bake sale,” the hybrid girl said, “I didn’t want it to go bad.”
“Illya,” Kaitlyn argued. “The bake sale was two weeks ago.”
“I don’t know, then,” their friend shrugged. “Maybe my mom made another batch later on. Either way, this one’s still good.” She broke off a piece and took a bite, sighing happily as she did.
Arelia looked around the group as she asked, “What bake sale? Did it happen when I was out of school?”
“No,” Kaitlyn answered, “Or, yes. Well, kinda. I mean, it was during that time, but it wasn’t anything at school, so you would have missed it anyway. But that weekend, our Girl Scout troupe had a bake sale to raise money for the families affected by the Boston Marathon bombing.”
“It looks really good,” the mink said as she watched the expression on Illya’s face, “can I try…”
“No!” the doe and ferret girls said together, while Abby shook her head.
“That’s probably a special brownie,” Lucas warned her, whispering into her ear. “Made with marijuana. I don’t think you want to try it.” The young mink shivered with excitement as she felt her crush’s warm breath tickle the fur in her ear.
Arelia whispered back, “Okay,” as she watched the girl more cautiously, worried that her parents might walk in at any moment.
Once the group got settled again, Taybra sat back in her chair and looked over a Arelia. “Okay birthday girl, truth or dare?”
The mink saw the look in her eyes and thought about the Civet’s dare. Not wanting to give her too much of a chance to send her streaking through the halls of her own house or anything like that, she said, “I’ll take a truth.”
“Fine,” Taybra thought for a moment before she asked, “Do you have a crush on anyone, and if so, who?”
Arealia could feel the blush burn like fire in her cheeks as she looked around the circle. Jordan gave the Civet a dirty look as she said, “What the fuck, Tay?”
Kaitlyn and Lucas both looked shocked at Jordan’s sudden outburst. “What?” Taybra asked defensively. “I just ran around the yard in my underwear. If I remember right, as long as she doesn’t have to touch anyone, it’s fair game.”
“She…” Areila started to stammer as she looked over at Jordan, “She’s right. It’s a fair question, even if she already knows the answer.”
Jordan sighed and continued to look angry. “It’s still messed up…” the cheetah hybrid muttered to herself.
The mink took a deep breath before she blurted out, “I like Lucas,” then buried her face in her paws, waiting for whatever was to come next.
The Samoyed-wolf mix looked up from his pizza as he heard his name called out. Several of the others let out long ‘OOooOO’s and giggles as the boy looked around, confused. “Huh?” He looked over at Arelia, his eyes wide as what she had just admitted hit him. Lucas opened his mouth to say something, looking around to meet everyones eyes. Jordan gave him a smile and a noded, sudden realization flashing in his eyes. “R-really!?” Lucas laughed, favoring Arelia with a big smile as his face reddened.
Blushing deeply, Arelia grabbed a slice of pizza and crammed it half into her mouth as she tried to avoid eye contact. Lucas fell backwards, slumping down on the ground and staring at nothing in particular, with a big, silly grin on his face. “Wow.” he said to himself. His face lit up again as something occurred to him. “So- waitaminute... you ALL knew didn’t you!?” he said, regarding all the girls in the room.
Illyana giggled. “It really wasn’t that hard to figure out.”
Lucas’s eyes darted around at everyone before stopping back on Arelia, almost forgotten in the excitement. “I… I mean… I like you too.”
The mink looked at him, wide-eyed as she swallowed her mouth full of pizza, nearly choking on it. She looked into his eyes, unsure if he was serious, or just saying it to spare her feelings at her birthday party.
“Umm…” Taybra started out, which earned her a renewed glare from Jordan. “I’m really glad for you two, but I think we should keep going and finish so that you can talk about this together,” she offered with a weak smile. The mink wasn’t sure if Tay was trying to spare her more embarrassment or simply trying to break up the moment for her own sake.
Arelia looked around the group for who she was going to pick. She didn’t want her little admission to bring the game to a stop and, not really knowing that much about any of them beyond what they talked about at school, she stopped at Kaitlyn. The ferret had spent as much of the night trying to get Jordan to notice her as she had spent on Lucas. She wondered whether Kaitlyn would be as forthcoming as she, considering how frustrated she seemed to be getting overlooked by the one she was infatuated with, or if she would take a dare.
“Kait,” the birthday girl asked, “Truth or Dare?”
Kaitlyn looked back at the mink as she swallowed the bite of pizza in her mouth and answered, “Truth.”
“Same thing Tay asked me: who do you have a crush on?” Arelia fidgeted as she asked, wondering just what Kaitlyn would say.
“Uhm…” the ferret girl said, blushing bright red. “I… I like… Jordan.” The ferret got a little braver and looked the cheetah/tundra lion mix in the eyes. “Ever since… you saved me from Vanessa.”
Jordan blinked. “Aww,” she purred innocently. “I like you too, Kait.”
Arelia caught a flash of frustration on the ferret girl’s muzzle, but Kaitlyn managed to maintain her composure. Several of the other girls exchanged knowing, sympathetic glances while the cheetah girl reached for another slice of pizza. Jordan caught a look at everyones faces after taking a bite. “That’s what you meant, right?” she asked between chews.
Frustrated by the naive cheetah, Kaitlyn looked around the circle, trying to decide who she was going to pick. Her eyes landed on Abby, and she gave a nervous smile. “Abby,” she said, clearly still flustered after having to admit that she had romantic feelings for her best friend, “Truth or Dare?”
“Hmm, Truth,” the snowshoe girl said.
The ferret thought for a moment, trying to come up with a question. An excited spark lit up her eyes and she grinned playfully. “How far have you and this mysterious new boyfriend of yours gone?” This elicited a small outburst of ‘ooohs’ from the other girls in the circle, while Lucas sat there, still lost in his own thoughts.
“Hoo…” Abby breathed, looking extremely nervous. “Uhm… promise me you won’t judge me?” She looked around at the group of friends, looking for their agreement. When she was finally satisfied that they weren’t going to laugh or criticize her, she took the end of her braided ponytail and anxiously played with the end. “We… uhm... he and I… that is, we… we’ve had a threesome with... another girl.”
The silence in the room was palpable as all of the kids sat, slack-jawed and wide-eyed at the teen feline. Abby fidgeted nervously under their scrutiny, waiting for some type of reaction. Finally, Illya started giggling, causing the others to chuckle as well. ‘Lissa Jo broke out into a broad grin and said, “Sweet, innocent l’il Abby had a three-way? Ah never woulda guessed ya had it in ya!”
“So, does that make you bi?” Illya asked as her giggling fit subsided.
“I… I don’t know,” the Snowshoe shrugged. “It was nice, but I don’t think I could ever have the same kind of feelings for a girl.”
“Well, if you ever want to experiment more, just let us know,” the white doe said, while her girlfriend smiled and nodded at her. “Okay, your turn. It’ll be tough to top that last one, though. Who do you pick?”
Abby wasted no time in picking out her target. She glanced at the flying squirrel and said, “Skyla’s been left out of the fun up until now, so what will it be? Truth or Dare?”
“Hmm,” Skyla shortly puzzled as she looked around at the girls that had recently had their turns and allowed a little smirk to come over her face. “I’m thinking I’ll take Truth.”
‘Lissa Jo and Illya groaned out of boredom. “The game’s no fun if we all pick ‘Truth,’” Illyana said. “Just because Taybra got dared to run around in her underwear outside, doesn’t mean all the dares will be so bold. Come on, Sky, pick a dare.”
“I’m not afraid to pick Dare… But I already picked Truth, so it would be against the rules to change it.” The flying squirrel was wearing a huge grin as she then said, “You just don’t want me doing Truth because you know I don’t have any juicy secrets to ask about.”
“That sounds like a challenge,” the Snowshoe girl said, leaning in close towards ‘Lissa Jo and Illyana. The trio chatted in a low whisper, their words inaudible, though an occasional giggle punctuated the silence while they talked. A minute later, Abby sat back in her spot with a silly grin on her lips. “Okay, here we go: your mom is a pretty woman, and single. Have you ever listened in on her while she enjoys herself, or one of her lovers?”
“Umm, err… Umm…” Skyla stuttered and mumbled as she tried to think through her response, then asked hopefully, “It’s not against the rules to talk about someone who’s not here, is it. Even parents?”
Looking at the squirrel, the curiosity of the girl’s home life peaking her interest, Arelia said, “Umm… only touching each other was against the rules.”
“Okay, so I’ve never listened in or anything like that… And I really don’t think I’ve seen her with anyone else since dad… Well, since dad. But…” Skyla paused, looking around at everyone as if she were hoping that someone would help her out and say that she had technically answered the question, before answering in a ramble. “Fine... But, I did walk in on her once when she was using… a ‘thing’ on herself, whatever it was. I have always made sure to knock and wait before going into her room after that. And I really don’t see what the big deal is anyway, it’s not like that kind of stuff feels so good anyway. And I really don’t know why people waste so much time with it anyway. And I really think it’s their own private business anyway. And I really think it’s wrong to talk about people who aren’t here to defend themselves anyway. And I-”
Arelia looked at the flying squirrel, wide-eyed as the group listened to the answer. She hoped the girl's detailed explanation of the encounter with her mother coupled with Abby’s little story about her in a threesome might take the attention off of her and Lucas for a while, though she felt a little self-conscious about her lack of experience as the others talked about the things they had already done sexually. She wondered just what all Lucas had done, even if Taybra said that they hadn’t.
“Wow, and I thought I gave more than was asked for. We just wanted to know if you listened to anything, But Damn.” Abby laughed as the Squirrel paused to think of what to say next.
“Alright... that was me... getting carried away again,” Skyla sighed out as she realized what she had done on her own. “So, why don’t I pick you next,” Skyla said with a subdued laugh at her own plight. “‘Lissa Jo, truth or dare?”
“Dare.” The white doe smirked and narrowed her eyes, as though she was challenging her friend to go as extreme as possible. “Ah can handle whatever ya throw at me.”
“Okay…” the flying squirrel acknowledged, only thinking it over for a moment. “Well, since you’re such a country gal, I bet you wouldn’t mind to go out skinny dipping. And, I also bet boys and girls are always jumping into the pond together where you’re from, so you won’t be too shy to do it in front of everyone.”
“That's a bit better than what Lucas dared me earlier, but still ain't nothin' that'd embarrass me," 'Lissa Jo shrugged, not an ounce of shame or fear in her voice at all.
“Oooh, good dare!” Illya giggled. “I want to see this.”
“Haven’t you seen it already?” Abby asked back.
“That doesn’t mean I ever get tired of the sight,” the hybrid girl said as she stood up, a little wobbly at first, before pulling her girlfriend up with her. Arelia noticed that her friend’s eyes were a little red, almost as if she had been crying, and her pupils were dilated.
“Um… I don’t think I can sneak us out to the river,” Arelia said hesitantly. “They would see us walking past the barn.” She stood and added, “We do have a campsite down there, maybe I can ask if we can go down and build a campfire or something.”
“Won’t they think it's odd that we would want to do that in nightgowns?” Skyla asked offhandedly.
“We’ll have to get dressed first, of course,” Arelia replied. “Um… maybe if we’re already dressed it will work better.” She stood up for a moment then said. “Um… but Lucas only has his pajamas.”
“They’re flannel,” the Samoyed-wolf boy replied, pinching a part of the fabric and pulling it away from his leg to show her. “They’re almost as warm as jeans, and my fur blocks most of the cold. I’ll be fine.”
“Um… okay,” she said as she tried to keep her eyes from drifting high on his leg when the thought of the earlier bump came to her mind. “I have some jeans I can put on and I guess everyone else can get dressed also.”
“If we’re going out by a campfire, I’ll bring my guitar,” Jordan said excitedly, rushing over to where she had set down her instrument.
Looking back as she headed toward the divider Arelia said, “I’d bring my fiddle, but I’m not very good with it. Dad got it for me over the summer, and I haven't had any lessons other than him showing me.”
Shyly, Kaitlyn asked, “Uhm, Arei? Would you mind if I borrowed it, then? I know how to play, but I don’t own one, and my cello was too big to bring along.”
“Sure, but it’s an antique, also,” the mink said as she disappeared behind the screen to change. “We found it at a flea market while getting some used tack for the horses.”
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Lighting Fires<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Most of the teens waited in the kitchen as Arelia, Jordan, and Kaitlyn walked out to the breakfast table where her father and mother were sitting. “Um, Mom, Dad… Everyone wanted to know if we could go out to the camp site and make a fire. Jordan and Kait wanted to do some campfire songs or something for my birthday.” She glanced at her father for a moment taking note of his pill bottles opened in front of him, which worried her.
Melissa looked back at her with a smile. “I think that would be a good idea; you kids can get out and get some fresh air for a bit.” The younger mink could tell that she had come down at just the opportune time for her mother to say ‘yes’ to them getting out of the house. She stood up and started to walk into the kitchen as she asked, “Kaitlyn, you’re still in the Girl Scouts, right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the ferret said sweetly. “Actually, Jordan, Skyla, ‘Lissa Jo, and Illya are all a part of the same troupe as me. Why do you ask?”
“Just making sure that Arei isn’t the only one that knows proper fire safety,” the older mink said with a smile. As she stepped past the counter and pulled a box of matches out of a drawer she paused for a moment, looking at the group of teens still in the kitchen. She turned back the the trio and said, “There are two red buckets at the end of the porch, take them with you on your way out.” She then turned to Arelia and said, “I need to talk to you for a moment before you go. Everyone else can wait for you outside.”
The young mink’s heart raced as she wondered just what her mother needed to talk to her about. She stood still while her friends funneled past her thanking her parents as they went. She winced as she heard the back door close behind them.
Her mother looked her in the eye as she asked, “The hare girl… Illya, is she okay?” She paused for a moment before she added, “and please don’t lie to me.”
“She… um…” Arelia trailed off as she tried to think of what to say.
“What is she on?” Her heart jumped as her mother explained, “You’re not in trouble, I just want to know what's going on.”
“She… she uses marijuana to deal with… stuff,” Arelia said hesitantly.
“Is anyone else on anything?”
“No, just Illya,” Arelia said as she looked toward the floor and started running the toe of her shoe along the grout lines in the tiles.
“Arei,” her mother said softly, “Look at me, you’re Twelve now, and I know your friends are going to do things sometimes. Is there anything going on with her that you think I should know about?”
“Well... um... last winter her dad died in a car accident, and her cousin was hurt really bad. I think he lost his leg.” She looked up at her mother as she said, “Tay told me that she started using pot after that. I don’t think anyone else does, though. I haven’t seen them use it, at least.”
Arelia watched as the now familiar look of concern rolled over her mother’s face. “Okay, I want you to watch her, make sure nothing happens. Think of it like watching your father.” They both glanced over at the him for a moment.
As if coming out of a mild trance Brent said, “While you’re out there, check on Mary Sue; I think she was limping earlier.”
“Yes, Daddy,” the young mink said as she looked back at her mother.
“I trust you, Arei,” her mother said. “I wouldn’t have let you have this sleepover if I didn’t. Now go out and have fun with your friends, okay? Just try and make sure no one gets hurt.”
“Yes, Mom,” Arelia replied with a smile as she turned and ran for the door.
The group was all gathered around the steps leading out to the back yard as Arelia came out the door. Illyana looked at her a little worried as she asked, “What was that about?”
“Oh, Dad just wanted me to check on Mary Sue while we are out here. He thinks she might have been limping,” the mink said, giving only what she thought they needed to hear. She didn’t want to worry anyone, or put a damper on the party in any way, and her mother didn’t seem overly concerned. “I just need to get a flashlight out of the barn so I can get a good look at her.”
She led the group down the dirt path toward the barn. As they entered the large red structure Illyana jumped and screamed, “What the fuck was that?”
Her girlfriend couldn’t help but giggle and hug her tightly, saying, “Aww, Sugar, that wasn’t nothin’ but a horse.”
“Yeah, that’s Smokey, the Clydesdale,” Arelia said as she picked up a large box flashlight off a bench and flicked it on. “You probably smell sweet like berries or something.” She flashed the light around the dim barn as she asked, “‘Lissa Jo, have you worked with horses before? I might need someone to keep Mary Sue calm while I look at her hooves.”
“Are ya kiddin?’” the doe asked. “Ah’ve been ridin’ since Ah was knee-high to a skeeter.”
She led the group to a stall toward the back of the barn were the spotted saddle horse stood. She rubbed its sides as she made her way into the stall with her, the rib cage visible through the mare’s skin. “She’s a rescue horse; the people that had her couldn’t afford to feed her, so they just stopped.”
“That’s awful,” Kaitlyn said as she stepped forward and gently pet the mare on her neck. “Poor girl. Even if money was tight, I’m sure they could have cut other expenses somewhere. Nobody should be neglected by the ones they love and trust.”
“It happens,” the mink said as she bent over and pulled the mare’s leg up between hers and started feeling and looking at it. “Thats what my dad does now. He finds these horses and buys them, then we nurse them back to health if they need it and try to find them a good home.” She continued to examine the horse’s legs one at a time, diligently checking the joints and flesh as she went. “It doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong with her. Well, on to the camp then.”
“You’ve told what your dad does already,” Skyla mentioned, “It’s like you’re a broken record about it.”
As the mink started leading them out the back of the barn she said, “I guess I just got used to explaining it. It sounds kind of boring when that’s what you say you did all summer.” She mocked an adult voice as she said, “And Miss Fletcher, tell the class what you did over the break.” She let out a sigh. “Everyone did fun stuff while Petra and I stayed here and helped our dad. Early morning feeding the horses, late nights checking on them before bed, making sure they’re getting all the exercise they need. Everyone else went camping or visited relatives, or some other big trip. Abby and Lucas even went on that cruise.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad helping out with the farm, is it?” the flying squirrel argued. “I kind of miss taking care of my baby brother ever since mom started to be able to afford a babysitter. I wouldn’t even like camping if it wasn’t for all of us being in the Scouts together. Besides, I think it’s kind of boring to say you went camping like half the class already said before you. I mean, unless you don’t really care about the horses. I can see how that might be frustrating.”
Lucas walked close to her as she led them along the dirt path toward the treeline. “You have a river and a campsite on your property? That’s pretty cool; you can go camping any time you want.”
“I guess,” the mink said as they reached the small clearing by the river “We spent a lot of nights out here this summer. Pet loved swimming in the river. And we got to ride the horses almost everywhere we wanted to go.” She stopped by the grouping of fallen trees as she said, “This is the fire pit and the river is over there. What do you want to do first: the dare, or start the fire?”
“Ah dunno know ‘bout ya’ll,” ‘Lissa Jo said as she walked over to the river bank, “But Ah could really go for that dip. If ya‘ll don’t wanna see mah down yonder, I reckon ya should turn yer heads now.”
As the doe spoke, Arelia watched Lucas turn and start walking over to a tree. She smiled as she saw the mild blush in his cheeks. He seemed to have more modesty than she thought most boys his age would. She kind of expected him to at least sneak a peek at the nude girl as she stripped her clothes off and dashed headlong into the water. But he kept looking the other way when ‘Lissa Jo started splashing and swimming in the cold running water.
“The water’s nice,” ‘Lissa Jo said as she drifted in the river. “Who wants ta join me?”
“I don’t think we should,”Arelia said as she said as she watched Lucas blush harder and look at the ground. She wasn’t sure if his modesty was simply part of the fact he was friends with them all, or if he really was embarrassed by the girl being nude. “But we can build that fire so ‘Lissa Jo can dry off faster.” She paused for a moment as a realization hit her, “We didn’t bring a towel or anything.”
“Ah’ll be right as rain once the fire’s going. Ah’ll just put my clothes back on and dry off like nature intended,” ‘Lissa Jo said as she came out of the water. “It’s how we do it back in Carolina.”
“Okay,” the mink said as she uncovered a pile of wood hidden by a moss-colored tarp. “Lets get the fire started then.”
Lucas moved over to the pile of wood and grabbed a few split logs. He glanced over his shoulder hesitantly as he saw ‘Lissa Jo had most of her clothes back on before he started toward the fire pit. Arelia felt herself blush as their paws met for a moment at one log. She was sure he was only being helpful, but the closeness was going to have to be enough for now.
“While ya’ll are doing that,” the doe said with a smile, watching the pair set up the fire, “Ah’ll take my turn. Lucas, Truth or Dare?”
Looking up from the small stack of wood, the wolf hybrid said, “What? Um… Truth, I guess.”
“Well, since Ah dunno anyone that could keep it together with all the screwin’ goin’ on down the hall from ya,” ‘Liss Jo started with a smirk, “without chokin’ the chicken, that is. So, whaddya think ‘bout while yer kin’s gettin’ busy?”
"What do I think about? Tennis, History homework, a book I read; anything other than where I am,” Lucas replied as he continued to situate the logs around a small pile of straw.
“That ain’t what Ah meant,” the doe protested when he finished his answer.
“Well, that’s what you asked, and that’s what I do,” the boy replied as he sat back on a log. “Mom and dad going at it like rabbits in heat is bad enough, then Derek’s girlfriend comes over once a month and it’s like I just want to get out of there.” He looked around at the disappointed faces as he asked, “Is it my turn now?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Arelia said as she started the fire. “So who are you going after this time?”
“Um, Illya, Truth or Dare?” the Samoyed asked looking at the hare-racoon hybrid.
“Truth,” she said with a smile.
“Okay, um…” he sat for a moment thinking before he asked, “Are you and ‘Lissa Jo virgins? Like… you know...”
“Are you kidding? One of my favorite things in the world is looking up to see my sexy doe standing over me with a big, fat fake horse cock hanging down between her thighs,” the crossbreed said, sighing happily at the thought. “It looks every bit as good as it feels… And she takes as good as she gives.”
The girls snickered as Lucas sat there with a look of pure shock on his face. “If you don’t want the answer don’t ask the question,” Illyana said with a smug grin, then looked over at the birthday girl. “Arei, Truth or dare?”
Arelia paused for a moment as she thought about the truths and the dares that had been asked. She was nervous about being asked about her sexual experience, because unlike her friends she didn’t have any. She quickly said “Dare,” knowing that it couldn’t be any worse than skinny dipping, and almost felt disappointed that she knew Lucas would look away if it was anything like that.
“No touching, right? I dare you to do a handstand,” the hare/raccoon crossbreed said with a smile.
“Really?” the Mink asked, slightly confused by how simple and innocent the dare was. She had done things like that all the time when she was younger, and was actually decent at doing handstands, and even walking on her handpaws. Arelia figured this was as good an opportunity as any to get off easy in the game after what some of the others had done. “Okay, but it seems a little weak.”
She walked away from the fire a bit as she flipped up onto her handpaws and started walking a bit. Everything was going well until her shirt flopped down in front of her face, also exposing her chest and pink bra. Within a moment, she heard a few laughs followed by Taybra nearly shouting, “You getting a good look, Lucas?”
As she fell over onto her back, Arelia heard Jordan yell back, “Tay, stop it.” She rolled her shirt back down, not really embarrassed by the fact as she had already given the boy a peep show of her underwear, but rather happy that he might have been looking. Maybe he was coming around and thinking about her like that after she had admitted that she liked him. His earlier answer also echoed in her head: he liked her. She sat up to be disappointed when he boy was looking away, obviously blushing.
“You’re welcome, Stud,” Illya laughed, giving him a playful nudge.
She blushed a little herself, more embarrassed at the fact that he wasn’t looking than that she had flashed him and the rest of the group. She looked over at Jordan; the girl seemed to be irritated more at Taybra than anything, though Arelia didn’t really understand why. It was just a game. Maybe she was feeling a little left out since no one had called on her during the game? Maybe this was a chance to help push things along for her and Kaitlyn? The poor cheetah girl was as clueless about the ferret as Lucas was about her.
The mink girl looked at Jordan as she asked, “Jordan, Truth or Dare?”
“Dare, I guess,” the cheetah said as she broke her gaze from Taybra to answer.
The opportunity was better than she had hoped as she let the dare fly. “I dare you to be Kait’s slave for the rest of the night. Do anything she asks you to and I mean ANYTHING.”
Arelia wasn’t sure if Jordan knew what she was agreeing to when the cheetah girl responded, “Yeah, sure,” then almost instantly looked at Taybra. “Truth or Dare, Tay?”
“Wait, Jordan,” Arelia said as she held up a paw and looked over at the ferret, “Do you want her to do anything before she takes her turn?” The rest of the group sat in stunned silence at the mink’s dare. Though, following her rules, it was the most open-ended thing any of them had thought of.
“Well, hold on,” Jordan interjected. “You mean ‘til the end of the game, right?”
Taybra gave a huff. “No, she said the rest-”
“I HEARD what she said, Taybra,” Jordan growled. There was an awkward quiet across the group, a mixture of shock and unease as the normally withdrawn cheetah was being especially hostile. “What I’m saying is that, the only reason I would continue the dare is because I might get a penalty and lose the game. After the game is over, I wouldn’t need to continue the dare because there wouldn’t be a penalty.”
Arelia paused at the obvious hole in her thought. “Well, I guess just the end of the game, then. I can’t really make you keep doing it after.” She looked back at the cheetah, “But that still gives Kait a chance to make you do something before you get your turn.” Arelia was a little disappointed at the thought that the dare would likely end before they got back to her room.
“That’s fair, I guess… go ahead Kait.”
“Um… okay, let me think.” the ferret said as she put her paw to her chin. “I know. I want you to go to the house and get us a drink. You can get one bottle with two straws and we’ll share.”
“Um.. Okay,” the cheetah said as she stood up. “Does anyone else want anything?”
The rest of the group shook their heads as Arelia assumed they didn’t want to lessen the moment for Kaitlyn. They all waited patiently for Jordan to return. Illyana was getting more playful with ‘Lissa Jo as the time passed, Skyla dove into a book she had brought with her, while Abby and Taybra sat whispering between each other.
Arelia couldn’t help but watch Lucas as he repeatedly glanced her way before shyly looking back into the fire. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but her mind kept going back to when he said he liked her also. She still wondered if it was the same oblivious ‘I like you too’ that Jordan gave Kaitlyn, something he had said to spare her feelings, or if he really liked her.
After a while, Jordan returned with several glass bottles and straws. “Your mom wouldn't let me leave without one for everybody.” She looked at Kaitlyn as she said, “I got a decaf for mine, if you still want to share.”
Arelia could see how excited Kaitlyn was as she said, “Yes, I still want to share.” After opening the bottle and slipping the straws in, Kaytlyn smiled slightly as their noses almost touched. The ferret sighed as the cheetah pulled away from the straw and looked to Taybra again.
Jordan gave Taybra a cold, determined stare. Kaitlyn looked a little uncomfortable as the cheetah started at their friend and asked, “Now... Truth or Dare?"
Taybra faltered under Jordan's harsh glare, shying away from the cheetah. "Uh... T-truth," she answered nervously
Jordan's eyes narrowed. "Do you still have feelings for Lucas, Taybra?"
The Civet flinched, her ears going flat. Everything was dead silent as the question lingered in the air, all attention on Jordan and Taybra, Jordan's piercing eyes never faltered. "That- that's not fair, Jordan," Taybra softly whimpered.
"Why? You got to ask Arelia about her feelings. It's not like you really gave Lucas much care while you were dating," Jordan accused.
The group went dangerously quiet as Arelia saw tears forming in the Civet's eyes. Lucas looked uneasy as he glanced between his best friend and his ex. Taybra bit her lip and looked around the circle for a moment before she abruptly stood up and sprinted back toward the barn.
"Wait, Taybra!" Lucas started, before Jordan stopped him. "Don't; you'll just upset her more, Lucas. Besides, there’s someone else you should talk to." Lucas flinched, sat back down, and glanced at Arelia.
Arealia watched, confused by what was going on. After the outburst from Taybra, she wondered just what feelings he still had for her, and if the fact that she admitted to liking him would drive him away or not. She didn’t want to be the one to come between two friends if they were going to get back together. She didn’t know what to do, or if everyone knew something about Lucas and Taybra that they didn’t want to tell her. Her heart raced with anxiety as she saw the inevitable loss of the boy to his ex-girlfriend before she even had a chance to know him.
Jordan sighed. "Damn it... Abby, could you go talk to her? You're pretty close friends."
Abby stood up. "Yeah, I'll say something. Sky, do you think you could back me up?" Skyla nodded and the two girls ran after Taybra.
The remainder of the group sat in a stunned silence for several moments, all looking at Jordan. After what felt like forever, Illyana, still buzzed from her earlier snack, said, “This is just like a Girl Scout camp sing-along… only Lucas has a little extra package, if you know what I mean.”
‘Lissa Jo nudged the hare hybrid with her elbow as she said, “Illya,” in a playfully scolding tone.
"The what?" Jordan asked, confused.
‘Lissa Jo chuckled. "Don't fret 'bout it."
“We did bring out the fiddle and Jordan’s guitar,” Kaitlyn said as she held up the antique violin. “We could play some songs, like Arelia said we would.”
Jordan picked up her guitar and started picking at the strings, soon followed by Kaitlyn and the violin as the tune became familiar to the other girls as they started humming, but still lost to Arelia and Lucas. After a chorus the group started singing along.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t| " | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ash grove how graceful, how plainly 'tis speaking
The wind through it playing has language for me.
Whenever the light through its branches is breaking,
A host of kind faces is gazing at me.
The friends from my childhood again are before me
Each step brings a memory as freely I roam.
With soft whispers laden the leaves rustle o'er me
The ash grove, the ash grove alone is my home.
Down yonder green meadow where streamlets meander
When twilight is fading I pensively roam
Or in the bright noon tide in solitude wander
Amid the dark spaces of that lonely ash grove.
‘Twas there while the blackbird was cheerfully singing \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
After a while of listening to the girls sing, Arelia raised her paw, getting the attention of the smaller group. “Um… Do… do you have anything you’ve written, Jordan? I see you writing notes all the time. I’d like to hear one of your songs.”
Jordan's face went blank, her mouth forming a thin line. Lucas and Kaitlyn looked at each other, a big grin forming on their faces. Arelia looked at them confused as they started to chuckle.
"No..." Jordan quickly replied, which elected a laugh from Jordan's close friends. "I... they’re not really good. I-I still haven't finished... so..." she finished, looking off the the side.
Kaitlyn giggled. "Jordan doesn't like to share her music. I found that out soon after meeting her."
Arelia frowned. "Well that's a shame... You’re always working on them, I'd like to hear one."
Jordan rubbed her shoulder nervously. "Y-yeah, sorry but I'd rather..."
"Jordan," Kaitlyn cooed sweetly. "I command you to play one of your songs."
"Ah!" Jordan exclaimed, Lucas and Arelia looking curiously at the pair. "A-are we still even playing? I mean everyone is pretty much gone, I figured w-we were done."
Illyana grinned. "She did say the rest of the night. Even if we end soon, the dare is still going for now, right Arei?"
The mink looked around the circle nervously as she said, “Well, I did agree that you only had to do it until the end of the game… but… um… we didn’t say the game was over. We have to wait for the others to get back and see if Tay wants to keep playing… so… um…”
Illyana looked eager to hear one of the cheetah’s songs as she chimed in, “Yeah, the game’s not over yet, so you still have to do what she says.”
"I want to hear it, too," Lucas added. "You like, never play anything you wrote for me."
Jordan glanced at everyone for a way out, before giving a defeated sigh. "Okay, I'll play something. It probably won't be any good, though. So... d-don't judge it yet."
The cheetah leaned over and pulled her notebook out of her guitar case and thumbed through it. Everyone leaned in with excitement as Jordan slowly pulled something out. Her paws trembled as she set up the music in front of her, her whole body shaking with anxiety. Arelia felt bad for putting Jordan on the spot like this; she didn't know the poor cheetah was so shy about her music. The shaking stopped as soon as Jordan's paws grasped the guitar, though, and her eyes closed as she paused for a moment. Everyone was extremely quiet as Jordan started, the sheet music forgotten as the cheetah strummed the guitar strings to the beginning of the song:
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t| " | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThere are a lot of stills in my mind;
Brewed by the bottle the words I can't define...
I'd find my own way out-
If only I could cast out this doubt!
but the dice are rolled, and turned up none.
These concrete feet are going numb...\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Everyone sat in wonder as Jordan played, the tune something surreal, with vibrant notes emphasizing every cord, building up through each verse.
it’s wicked sick, how the water could breathe so thick-
This stoney prison that they call statuesque.
Hey hey, you're now Statuesque.
...
-Will you please pardon my parole? per chance I'll take this gamble that my last dance will be now statuesque.
~Hey hey, my love is statuesque.
Arelia sat in wonder along with everyone else. The nervousness Jordan started with was completely gone, not once looking down at her notes. Arelia couldn't help but wonder if this song was actually done and the cheetah had other reasons for not wanting to share her songs. The song found it's heart at the breakdown, switching chords and times to match the lyrics
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t| " | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t-It does not move but can be admired from afar;
-I'll pay dollars down if you drive me there in your new car;
-When once was virtuous is now detest;
-I'm being beat up done but I passed the test;
-Something once was fine is now Statuesque.
The song fell back into its original tune as Jordan started to finish.
~Hey hey, for all my efforts I'm still standing still like I was Statuesque.
..oh no, looks like you've all gone statuesque...
...
~hey hey... come admire the Statuesque.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t | \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Everyone sat there dumbfounded by Jordan's song, the lyrics were poetic in double meanings Arelia only halfway understood. “That… was…wow,” the mink said trying to find words to describe her friend's talent. “What… what’s your inspiration?”
The nervousness returned to the cheetah as she started to explain what she had just sung. "M-my dad watches a lot of detective movies, and some of the bad guys concrete a victim's feet and throw them in the river. It's a song about being stuck in one place like a living statue, but sometimes you're the statue and sometimes you're the one in the art gallery admiring it. It's suppose to make you question who is the one who's the statue, and thus the word, "Statuesque". I don't really know how to explain it better... I just try and convey a feeling that way... which is why I don't... like sharing my music... like, I wanted it to be longer, but if I did that I'd have to consider adding more lyrics, new chords, and if that would add or detract from the song, and... y-yeah..."
Jordan trailed off in her explanation as Taybra and the others returned to the camp. The mink tensed at her approach. She saw how sad Taybra was as the Civet asked, “Can… can I have a word with you?”
Arelia felt uneasy, looking around for an answer. Abby whispered something to Jordan before they both gave her a look and nodded. Arelia gave a soft sigh and said, “Yeah… ok.”
They started walking down the path back toward the barn. Arelia waited until they were out of earshot of the group to open her mouth to ask something, before Taybra violently hugged her, making the mink ‘oof’ in surprise.
“I’m so sorry!” Taybra blurted out through tears. The mink girl was absolutely stunned, not expecting this reaction at all. “I’m so, so, so sorry Arelia…” Taybra cried into her shoulder.
Arelia uncomfortably gave the poor girl a uneasy hug and patted her back. “I-it’s ok…” she tried to comfort Taybra, the Civet shaking her head in disagreement.
“No, it was wrong. I knew you like Lucas, and I even told you that I wouldn’t mind you pining for him.” Taybra said as she lifted her head off Arelia. Unable to look Arelia in the eyes, she stared at the ground as she further apologized to the mink. “I don’t know what got into me. I guess I was… jealous.”
Arelia was a bit taken aback. “Jealous? Of me?” Taybra nodded.
“I guess it was too much for me. What with the sleepover that is better than mine, making your own awesome clothes, and how everyone is paying so much attention to you… I just felt so overwhelmed by it all,” Taybra sobbed as she finally looked into Arelia’s eyes, showing how much guilt she had. “But… it wasn’t right. Skyla reminded me that this is your party, your show. I was a terrible person to try to hit a sensitive nerve with you over Lucas. I guess… I guess I am a terrible person, huh?” Taybra’s gaze fell back to the ground and she started crying again. “I don’t know what's wrong with me. Jordan was right, I didn’t feel like this about Lucas back when we were dating, but after we broke up the thought of losing him to someone else was more than I could stand. I’m really fucked up, aren't I?”
“No,” Arelia said, putting a paw on Taybra’s shoulder, “You’re not… fucked up…” She paused as she said the rare profanity, the sound of the word almost alien coming from her lips. “It’s normal to feel like that. It’s not just a saying you know. You really don’t know what you have until you lose it.” She leaned against a tree before she continued. She wondered how often her mother had to go through stuff like this with some of her patients. “I don’t know what happened between you but…” Taybra cut her off before she could finish her thought.
“Don't. Don't worry about it anymore. I won’t try to interfere anymore. I want Lucas to be happy, for YOU to be happy… I really do,” she tried to smile. “He broke up with me, I guess I need to let it go now.”
Just as Arelia gave a weak smile and started to open her mouth, ‘Lissa Jo and Illyana walked up on either side of her and swept her away, “Time to head back to the house. Come on, Tay.”
Close behind them were Jordan, Kaitlyn, Skyla, and Abby. The ferret said, “We put out the fire; Lucas is just… uhm… checking it.” She gave Arelia a wink as she finished talking.
Arelia stood there stunned and confused as the rest of the girls ushered Taybra away toward the house. Before she could fully collect herself to follow, she saw Lucas walking up the path looking at the group. He seemed deep in thought as he was most of the time. As he got closer, he looked up at her longingly. Arelia blushed, slightly embarrassed but also excited that she finally was receiving the wolf boy’s attention the way she wanted.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Hey..." Arelia meekly responded. It seemed like a weak comeback, but she didn't know what else to say.
“I've been thinking a lot lately... and I’ve been a fool,” Lucas stated dejectedly. Arelia opened her mouth to disagree, but Lucas finished what he was saying. “I met a girl over the summer,” he stated matter-of-factly. Arelia paused, a little hurt and worried that Lucas was bringing up another girl to her. Her heart sank as she thought about how hopeless things were for her. “She was cute, and fun, but really she was just looking for someone to fill her time like I was. Now, she’s back in Canada and I’ve been all caught up in something that never could have worked. And while I was doing that... I missed something wonderful that was right in front of me.” He blushed. Arelia felt her throat go tight from the tension. She tried to swallow as he slowly shifted uncomfortably. “What I’m trying to say is… do you want to go out on a date sometime?” He blushed furiously, giving her a big smile full of hope.
Stunned speechless, she stood there slack-jawed and wide-eyed. The words that came from his mouth were the last thing she expected after everything that had happened that night. She looked at him, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight, as his white fur seemed to glow angelically. The moment felt like some kind of dream. She had practiced for this moment ever since she found out that he didn’t have a girlfriend. But it all failed her when the time came. She swallowed hard at the lump in her throat as she nearly whispered, “Y-yes,” more questioningly than she had intended. At that moment she wanted to reach out and touch him, hold his paw, anything to just be sure the moment was real. But she just stood there looking at him, unsure what she should do.
"Can... c-can we kiss?" He asked.
Arelia was dumbfounded as her mind questioned what her ears heard. Did he really ask if he could kiss her? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Was everyone just waiting for her to try before they all jumped out to humiliate her? She was struck by the shy sincerity in his eyes, something she could not remember seeing in her father’s. It felt as if the world around her faded, leaving the two of them in limbo together. She had waited so long for that moment, and now she couldn’t move or speak. Her entire body failed her at the one moment she needed it. She felt dizzy as she reached forward and grabbed ahold of his paw. It felt as if her heart stopped as she closed her eyes, stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. She felt her heart flutter back to life as his warm, soft lips pressed back against hers. It was like nothing she had ever felt before as she held the simple kiss, her first kiss, and the first of what was, she hoped, many more to come.
The young mink pulled away and dropped from her toes as she felt the boy begin to shake. She had to put her paw over her mouth so cover the giggle as she noticed his tail wagging behind him excitedly. "Guess that's was one rule meant to be broken," Lucas said with a goofy grin on his muzzle.
Arelia couldn’t help but giggle again as she squeezed his paw in hers and asked, “Do you want me to stop?” She managed to smile at him and flutter her eyelashes in an attempt to be cute and flirty at the same time and took a step closer, almost standing between his footpaws as she looked up at him. She blinked her brown eyes as she looked into his and said, “I… I’ve never been this close to a boy. Your… your eyes are amazing.”
Lucas stood there mesmerized as they looked into each other’s eyes. She wondered just what might be running through the boy’s mind as they stared at one another. She felt the shuddering of his body from the wagging tail slow to almost nothing. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but nothing came out. She stood on her toes again as she quickly kissed him on the nose and said, “Let’s go back to the house, it’s starting to get cold.” Then she turned and pulled him behind her, their fingers somehow intertwined as she held onto his paw. She smiled as she thought about the one thing she got for her birthday that she didn’t expect was in her grasp.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Getting Closer===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Most of her sister’s guests were passed out on the family room floor as they watched a movie on the projector. She assumed her father had taken the TV up to her room, and that her parents had retreated to their bedroom for the time being. She dragged Lucas through the kitchen to the back hall and up to her room as quickly and quietly as she could. She knew her father could be up roaming at any time. As the couple entered the room paw-in paw they saw the other girls gathered around Arelia’s vanity with the two young raccoon boys, each in a dress she had made for Petra and covered in blush and lipstick.
Illyana turned quickly, nearly falling over as she did. “Oh, it’s only you.” A mischievous grin crossed the hare hybrid’s face as she asked, “So, you two get to second base yet?”
‘Lissa jo pushed Illyana lightly in the shoulder, making the already unsteady teen stagger as she said, “Lay off, Illya.”
Arelia looked at the situation for a moment, Lucas’s paw still firmly held in hers as she asked, “What’s going on?”
Taybra turned and looked at the two for a moment with a weak smile as she said, “Hehe, we caught these two sneaking around up here, so we had a little fun while we waited for you.”
The mink giggled a little with the other girls as they turned the pair around in the chairs to show off their handiwork on converting the two preteen boys into cute, girly figures. When the girls stepped out of the way so Arelia and Lucas could see, both boys sprang to their footpaws and ran from the room, giggling and laughing as they went.
Skyla tilted her head when the door closed behind them and said, “That’s a strange pair,” eliciting a laugh from the other girls.
Arelia let go of Lucas’s paw for the first time since she kissed him on the trail and trotted over to the large TV set up on a rolling cart and started turning it toward the foot of her bed. “Oh, dad brought the TV up. I have Cabin in the Woods for us to watch. We can change back into our pajamas and watch it on my bed.” She started to pull her shirt over her head, but stopped when she heard a thud followed by an outburst of laughter. She blushed a deep shade of red when she let her shirt back down and saw the Samoyed boy lying face-down on the floor, having tripped himself when he tried to look the other way.
“Okay girls,” Illyana said with a smile, “Let’s get that divider back up so we can change without Lucas hurting himself.”
The group moved the Victorian screen back into place while they changed into the night clothes that they had brought with them. Arelia changed back into the silk nightgown, not sure if it was more teasing or flirting with the canine boy now that she felt they were an official couple.
Once they were all changed, Jordan and Kaitlyn moved the screen out of the way as Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo climbed into the center of the bed. Arelia grabbed the T.V. remote and adjusted some pillows between her and the headboard to form a makeshift chair as Skyla and Jordan sat at the foot. Kaitlyn sat next to Jordan while Taybra pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. Abby sat next to Arelia as the mink watched the wolf boy shyly walk toward the bed. She felt herself blush as she patted the bed next to her and smiled at him. the mink worried for a moment when he paused and looked at the other girls before sitting down next to her, his legs dangling off the bed.
When the movie started playing, everyone got more comfortable on the bed; Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo snuggled up together, and Lucas moved further onto the bed, closer to Arelia. She had seen the movie before with her dad one night when they were both awake, so she was ready for the movie to get scary. As things in the show started to get strange, Taybra moved to the bed beside the intertwined hare and doe.
The mink did not waste the opportunity to take advantage of the boy that sat next to her. As the first jump scare appeared on the screen, she ‘eeped’ as she grabbed him and held him tightly, hoping to elicit a reaction from him.
Lucas jumped at her grasp and grabbed her back, hugging her closer. She sighed as he put his arm around her. She wasn’t sure if he jumped from her, or the movie, but she really didn’t care as long as she was in his arms.
Lucas gave her a hesitant smile, before moving back a bit. "Are you alright with this? If your dad comes in to check on us..." he asked, his grip loosening a bit.
She scooted closer to him and she lay her head on his chest. She could hear his heart pounding beneath his hoodie and fur. Arelia could tell he was as nervous as she, maybe more, but she didn’t want to give up the moment when she didn’t know when they would be together like this again. “I can deal with my dad,” she said, hoping he would believe her half-truth. The fact was, she didn’t really know what her father's reaction would be, or what effect his medication might have on him tonight. “Besides,” she said with as much reassurance as she could, “what would he think of a guy that didn’t hold a girl during a scary movie?” Though he was still a bit tense, she could feel him relax a little as he pulled her slightly closer.
“I know,” he replied, nuzzling her neck affectionately. Arliea shivered at the attention he was now giving her, even if he was trying to slow things down out of respect or fear of her parents. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is let you go right now. But there will be other nights, other scary movies, and I'd like to have a good impression with your parents, so we don't have to worry about that sort of thing then."
“I’ll move if I hear the door,” the mink said as she nuzzled her head under his chin. “And you can just pretend to be asleep. I just don’t want to move yet.”
Arelia could tell the rational part of Lucas wanted to disagree with her logic, but he stayed with her just as she asked. "Sounds good to me." He said, honestly, as he relented and wrapped his arm over her shoulder.
She nuzzled into him as the the movie continued to grow in thrill and suspense, occasionally causing them both to jump, and giggle at each other. She had imagined what it might be like to have someone hold her like that, but even the warmth of his touch seemed somehow different from even her father’s. She felt comfortable, and more relaxed than she had in a long time. Maybe it was just the relief of knowing that he liked her also, and she didn’t need to work so hard to get him to notice her. What ever it was, she liked the feeling.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Eye Opener===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
The room was filled with the heavy breathing of the sleeping teens. They had gone through several movies, Lucas, Skyla and Abby being the first to fall asleep. Illyana and ‘Lissa Jo fell asleep some time later after spending an entire romantic comedy making out in the middle of the bed. Arelia wasn’t sure when Taybra and Katlyn had dozed off, but she had taken the time to snuggle up to the Samoyed mix as he slept.
Jordan was the only one still awake, the cheetah girl just now returning from the bathroom with a cup of water and a sleeping pill. She sat off to the side on the Victorian couch and washed down her medicine before pulling out her phone and headphones.
Arelia looked over at the cheetah girl and thought about how she felt while trying to get Lucas’ attention, and how long Kaitlyn must have been doing the same thing. She slowly and reluctantly slipped out of Lucas’s grasp as she tried to make her way over the sleeping girls to and off the bed. “Hey, Jordan,” she said softly as she walked across the room, “Um… I wanted to say thanks.”
The cheetah girl looked back at her as she asked, “Huh, for what?”
“Well, um…” She paused as she sat by Jordan on the couch, “For helping me with Lucas. I… I was too embarrassed to ask him myself… and… and it was like he didn’t even see me half the time. Sure, he knew I was there, but he didn’t think of me like that.”
“Oh,” Jordan replied, “Yeah, I'm sure that was rough. Especially with Taybra there... I'm really sorry about that. She's usually not like that I, swear."
Arelia blinked. "Oh, it's fine, I understand Taybra was having a hard time dealing with this; I can imagine anyone would be acting out in her situation."
Jordan tilted her head. "Mmhh, no, actually that's more or less what Taybra is like. But you shouldn't let tonight leave a bad impression of Tay; she can be really nice. She's just... Boisterous. In a good way, though; like, when I first met her I was new kid at Girl Scouts, and she took me under her wing and made me part of the group. She did pick on me a bit - asking me pointed questions in front of everyone, but that's just Taybra. She's stuck up for me more often then she's bothered me, and I think she's a good friend."
Arelia listened to Jordan defend Taybra. It seemed everyone had mixed opinions on the girl. "I... think I understand. Really, though, she didn't bother me too much. I can tell you all care about her, and I really don’t blame her. I mean, I don't know how I would act if I were in her place. She obviously still has some feeling for him, and he broke up with her, right?” She looked at Jordan for confirmation before she went on. “I mean… he’s cute, protective, and… clueless.”
"Hahaha!" Jordan laughed softly, "Yeah, Smiley can be kinda a doof sometimes. Taybra went through the same thing actually... I shouldn't bring that up; I'm sorry, but you're right. He has no idea when a girl likes him."
Arelia looked at her paws as she twiddled her thumbs. “Funny you should mention that,” she started to say, not knowing exactly how to tell her friend what she felt like she needed to. “The thing is, you’re kinda the same way."
“What do you mean?” the girl asked as she looked at the mink confused.
“Well, it’s that you’re not seeing the way someone close to you is looking at you.” She glanced over at Kaitlyn curled up at the foot of the bed. “And I think it’s just like with Lucas and I; everyone sees it but you.” She looked back at the cheetah girl as she added, “She even said it, tonight, and you missed it.”
"I...?" Jordan started out. Her face went from perplexed to solemn. "Kaitlyn..."
Arelia nodded. Jordan looked down at the ground, her mind racing. "God damnit."
Arelia's heart sank as she read the the girl's expression. She suddenly felt like she made a mistake letting the cheetah know. “I… I might be wrong,” she started to backpedal to try and salvage the situation. “It’s… it’s just that… when I was watching today... it looked like she was... um… doing the same things I thought about doing with Lucas, but with you. Maybe that’s just her way of-"
"No," Jordan interrupted, "You’re right. I think... I think I've known for a while now. I just put it out of my mind... uuuhg." Jordan looked up at Arelia. "When we were at Taybra's sleepover... I woke up in the middle of the night. Kaitlyn was making a noise so I checked on her. She was moaning and whispering my name... I didn't know what it was at the time, but I think she was..." Jordan paused, blushing furiously at her words, "I think she was... m-masturbating, thinking about me."
Arelia sat for several moments watching the cheetah, lost in thought. The mink had done the same thing many nights as she pined over the wolf boy, vying for his attention. But she didn’t want to just say that to one of her newest, and honestly one of her best friends. Jordan looked up at the ceiling again, wringing her tail with her paws. "She said she likes me tonight, and I said I like her too... what does that even mean? Crap, what am I going to do?"
Something occurred to Arelia. "Do you like her like that?"
Jordan didn't answer immediately. She looked straight ahead, staring off into space as she searched for what she wanted to say. "...maybe? I dunno. I've never, really, thought about girls... or boys, in that way."
"Um… I’m just saying,” Arealia tried to console her friend without pushing her one way or the other. “She’s your best friend, right? And I know how hard it is to like someone and have them look right past you. I think it would be better for you, and her if you talked about it. I know it’s a lot to drop on you, and you’re not even sure how you feel about boys or girls, but your friend needs you. One way or the other.” She cringed as she listened to herself basically echo a slightly modified speech her mother gave her earlier that week after Lucas’s parents confirmed that he would be coming.
Jordan frowned, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "What if... what if I gave her the wrong answer? What if this changes everything? I don't want to lose her..."
Arelia felt a pain in her heart for Jordan and Kaitlyn. She wondered if her mother felt this way about her patients, and how she could ever deal with it, not to mention she felt guilty for putting them in this situation.
"The fact that you feel that way about Kaitlyn means she's at least important to you. You can't be scared of talking through your feelings; it only is going to make you both worse off and Kait deserves your attention to her feelings, even if you don't share them. I know its painful, but ignoring the problem is only going to leave your friendship worse off."
Her words were saturated in her mother's, but she hoped that they would help Jordan overcome her doubts.
Jordan remained silent, giving Arelia only a nod in acknowledgement. The pair of insomniacs sat there for a long time in silence, the lack of sound hurting Arelia's ears. Finally, Jordan broke the awkwardness with a weak chuckle and a shy smile. "I've never done it before."
Arelia looked at her confused. "Done what?"
Jordan blushed, her yellow muzzle turning orange from the color. "Masturbated."
The young mink blushed deeply at the unexpected turn of the conversation. “I… um… I thought… After everything that everyone said during truth-or-dare….” She fidgeted as she realized she wasn’t the most innocent of the group.
Jordan shook her head. "Exactly. I didn't even know Illyana and Melissa were lesbians till truth-or-dare at Taybra's. Imagine my surprise then..."
Arelia shyly looked at the cheetah as she said, “I… um… I’ve only done it a few times…” She paused as she looked back at her folded paws. “I don’t know if it matters who… or what you think about.. but it… it feels good.” She sat silently, not sure what to say next, or what her friend might think if she knew that she was watching porn the first few times she did it.
Jordan gave her a shocked look, before breaking out into a big grin as she started laughing.
"What?" The mink asked, blushing more at Jordan's response.
"I don't know, it’s just sorta funny sitting here talking about that. I didn't expect you to share that with me!" She giggled some more.
Arelia shook her head, chuckling with Jordan a bit as she did. Jordan was definitely not what she expected when she first saw the musical cheetah girl. “I… um… I thought… well Illyana and Abby… it’s just… I’d don’t know it just seems like you all have so much more… experience and I thought that you…” the mink trailed off.
"Haha, nope. God I feel like a dork sometimes..." Jordan smiled, but her tone was undermining.
“You feel like a dork?” Arelia asked jokingly, “I’m the one that spit crackers into the face of a cute guy when we first met. Then when I tried to sneak a kiss during a game he thought I was fainting. How pathetic is that?” Arelia giggled as she added, “I don’t know which of us is worse.”
Jordan smiled. “Yeah…”
Jordan gave out a quick huff in amusement, making Arelia laugh a bit more. The two friends continued to laugh at their own shortcomings, amplified by each other's renewed chuckle. After a while, Jordan gave a long, tired yawn. “I think that sleeping pill is working, I’m going to try and sleep while I can. If I don’t, I’ll be really tired tomorrow and won’t be able to do a thing…”
Arelia gave a mild yawn, not sure if it was triggered by her need for sleep or just Jordan talking about it. “Yeah, I'd like to finish watching that movie before I wake Lucas up and get him down to the guest room.”
As Arelia got up, Jordan sprawled out on the couch, plugging her headphones into her phone and placing them over her ears. Arelia watched in interest as Jordan scrolled through her phone to try and find music.
“You sleep listening to music?” The mink asked. Jordan was in the middle of pulling a cover over herself before she pulled her headphones off a bit and answered. “It’s not music, they’re called ‘binaural beats.’ They're soundwaves played at different frequencies to stimulate parts of the brain. This one is called ‘Deepsleep’, which is suppose to trigger the sleep synapse or something like that.”
“Does it work?” the mink asked, genuinely curious of anything that might help her that she had not tried.
Jordan pondered for a second. “It’s… complicated. Studies have shown it does improve REM and puts the mind in a relaxed state. However, there's no guarantee it will help improve your insomnia, and some people claim it doesn’t work on them. That and some species have larger hearing ranges than others. I personally found it does work, but I use it sparingly ‘cause… I dunno, but I think I get used to the effects. It’s weird for me.”
“Well, I don’t know if it would work for me,” Arelia said with a weak smile, “But anything is worth looking into, even if it only kinda works.”
Jordan nodded. “It works better if you have…” She trailed off, her eyes lighting up in realization. “I never gave you your present!” Jordan got up off the couch and bolted to her things. She shuffled through, them, then came out with a small box covered in note pattern wrapping paper. “Happy birthday, Arei.”
The mink took the box, wide-eyed as she shared the Cheetah’s realization, “Oh my god, we forgot to do presents, I didn’t even think about it after…” she trailed off as she blushed at the thought of the white-furred distraction that still lay in her bed sleeping. She sat on the floor and unwrapped the gift to find a high-end set of headphones. She looked at the gift, uncertain how to react. It wasn’t something she had thought of as a gift, but not really all that unexpected from her musically-oriented friend. “Wow, these are… great. I’ll need to get a music player to go with them.”
Jordan smiled. “I was gonna say, you should get some good headphones if you're going to try binaural beats, but then I remembered I already got you some.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to remember the presents in the morning, before everyone leaves.” Arealia blushed at the thought of forgetting her own birthday presents. “I’m sure these will come in handy when I try that binaural beats stuff.”
Jordan yawned, cozying up on the couch once more. “Well, goodnight, Arelia.”
“Yeah, goodnight… I guess I should try and get some sleep too if I can,... after this movie,” she said as she turned and started back toward the bed again. She didn’t want to waste the opportunity to be close to Lucas for a little longer, even if he did sleep through it. “I hope you at least get a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you in the morning I guess.”
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Unexpected Encounter===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Lucas’s eyes fluttered open in the dimly lit room, the only light source being the T.V. showing the look of a DVD menu screen. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep, but he could tell everyone else was now also. He looked down to see Arelia curled up at his side, her tail and legs tangled in his with her head on his chest. He couldn’t help but run his fingers through her long black and blue streaked hair that was loose from it’s usual ponytail confines. He had never really taken the time to look at her before, but now she seemed so peaceful and beautiful. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed before.
He laid back, his arm resting on her side as he thought about what was happening. Then he suddenly remembered what she had said when they first walked through the house. He was supposed to sleep in the guest room, away from the girls. He nearly jumped out for the bed when he saw her father standing behind the T.V., looking at him with the coldest, most frightening look he had ever seen. The light from the video shining from under his chin and illuminating the scar above his eye made the older mink look even more ominous as he started to try and move Arelia without waking her.
Lucas froze in his attempt as he saw the mink man shake his head. He could barely hear the mink whisper above the looking sound of the DVD, “Let her sleep.”
Lucas swallowed hard as the other male walked over to the side of the bed where he was and knelt by him. He tried to whisper, “Mister Fletcher, I’m sorry... I fell asleep. I didn’t…”
The older mink interrupted him with a hush, “Let her sleep. If she can sleep like that, don’t move. You’re going to stay right there until she wakes up on her own.”
Lucas looked at the man, confused. Everything he knew told him he was about to be skinned alive for being in the girl’s bed with her, late at night, and her in not much more than a silk nightgown. But instead her father was telling him to stay there, with his daughter tangled up with him. “Sir, I…”
“Quiet, boy,” the mink interrupted as softly as he could with a stern voice. “She’s smiling, she’s not moving or thrashing. This might be the first real good sleep she’s had in a year. Just stay right there and we can talk after she wakes up.”
Brent got up after that, quietly removing the television set and leaving Lucas alone in the dark without another word. Lucas glanced at the mink resting next to him. Two weeks ago she had tried so hard to get him to notice her, and had passed out because of it. Insomnia wasn't something new to him, Jordan had had bad days too, but was always closely monitored by her parents and him. He snuggled in closer to Arelia, making her sigh happily in her sleep. Lucas wasn't sure of all the details, but if he was helping her condition just by being there, then this was where he wanted to be right then. He wondered how long Arelia could stay asleep as he started nodding off again. They should really go explain themselves to her parents he thought, but a greedy part of him was telling him that that could wait as he held Arliea closer, smelling the sweet scent of her hair as he fell into a shallow slumber.
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>September 28, 2013<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Wake up<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Disoriented, Arelia stretched and yawned as she started to wake up. She wasn’t sure how long she had been out, but she felt well rested for a change. Slowly the events of the night before filtered back into her mind. The embarrassment of her party, the admission of her crush on Lucas, and the subsequent kiss and closeness that came after he admitted liking her also. She felt herself smile as she reminisced of the warm strong boy’s body pressed up against her. It was almost if she could still feel him holding her, lying beside her, in each others arms. She reached up and wiped the drool from her mouth as she lifted her face out of the pool that had formed on her pillow. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the low light of the early morning that filtered through her heavy curtains.
“Morning,” a male voice said.
She couldn’t place it right away as she asked, “How long was I out?”
“I don’t know, at least six or seven hours,” the boy replied as he sat up in the bed next to her.
Confused, groggy and startled, she skittered back on the large empty bed as she nearly screamed, “What the …” She fell silent as her eyes focused on the confused white dog boy that sat in the bed with her. “D… did you sleep there all night?” She looked around the room, the two were there all alone. “Where is everyone? What… what day it is?”
“Um…” the samoyed boy started to say confused by her questions, “It’s Saturday, and um.. everyone went downstairs when your sister came up and got them for breakfast.”
She watched him blush as she asked, “Wh… you didn’t go?”
He looked down and brushed the wet spot on his hoodie as she said, “I.. I couldn’t. You were still asleep and…”
“Wh… what do you mean you couldn’t?” the mink asked. “What if my dad came in and found you? What is…”
“Um,” the boy said, the worry evident in his voice, “he already did. He saw us sleeping together, and he… um… he told me not to move until you woke up.”
Arelia looked at him shocked by what he had said, “He told you to…”
“I was trying to move, but you were…” The boy blushed as he recalled the night’s events, “we were kind of tangled up and he didn’t want you to wake up.” He looked back at her and added, “He said it looked like the best sleep you had gotten in a long time, and… and he would talk to us after you woke up.”
“Wh… what about the others?” she asked as a blush of embarrassment burned in her cheeks.
“They all went downstairs for breakfast,” Lucas repeated his previous answer.
“No, I mean…” Arelia tried to tailor the question to the boy who seemed to miss everything thrown at him, “I mean, they woke up and we were…”
The samoyed wolf mix blushed through his white fur as he softly said, “I don’t know… I… I didn’t really look, I… I didn’t want to move. You were… you seemed so content. You’re so cute when you are sleeping.
Arealia’s mind was still three questions behind the conversation, Lucas’s comment about her father telling him to stay in the bed with her. The concept snapped her awake as she looked at him wide-eyed. “My dad told you to stay in bed with me?”
Lucas blushed as he said, “Maybe we should go downstairs and see what's for breakfast.”
Arealia blushed as she said, “Let me put on something a little more… presentable.” She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh set of undergarments and flannel pajamas. She turned and looked at him still laying in the bed. She awkwardly held the bundle of garments to her chest and blushed as she added, “You can watch if you want.”
Lucas blushed the deepest shade of pink the mink had ever seen. Lucas opened his mouth to say something, to politely refuse like Arelia expected, but the wolf glanced at the door hesitantly before saying, “ok…”
Arelia blushed deeper as she sat her change of clothes on the bed. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eyes as she stood there for a moment. It was different knowing he was watching and not just possibly peeking. She grabbed the hem of her nightgown and pulled it over her head, leaving her in her panties and bra. She paused a moment before she reached behind her, unfastened the bra and slipped it off revealing her perky ‘A’ cup budding breasts, the soft pink nipples showing through her white fur.
?” she shivered at the thought of his paws against her bare fur.
The boy looked at the door again, “We… um… You should finish so we don’t get caught. I mean your dad already found me sleeping with you in bed.”
She let out a slightly disappointed sigh as she sat back and started to slip her panties off. She wiggled out ot the frilly garment, blushing as she saw him look at her nethers. The boy had now seen her entire body, more than anyone besides her parents had seen. It was both embarrassing and exciting to think about what she was doing, sitting there exposed before the boy she had been longing for.
She waited a moment, letting him get an eyeful before she grabbed her fresh panties and slipped them on, laying on her back and lifting her hips the get them under her buttocks. As she sat back up, she blushed realizing the view she just gave him of her treasure. The boy sat slack-jawed as he stared back at her.
She started to put on the new bra, but decided to try something. She held it to her chest and turned her back to him, then asked, “Can… can you help me fasten this?” She stifled a giggle as she felt him fumble with the bra clasps. He was a little bolder than she thought he would be, through still had his limits. After he managed to get the few hooks fastened Arelia went back to the pile of pajamas and slipped into the shirt and pants.
Once she was dressed she looked over at him, his eyes still locked on her as if she was the most interesting thing in the room. She blushed as she felt more self-conscious than she thought she would now that he was paying attention to her. She looked back at his blue eyes for a moment before she managed to finally say, “We should head downstairs now.”
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Pancakes<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Arealia and Lucas walked into the kitchen from the back hall. The commotion and excitement brought a smile to the mink’s face as she watched Skyla and Petra's friend Charlotte both at the stove cooking pancakes while the other teens helped the young cubs fix their plates and settle down to eat.
Jordan and Kait sat on the couch in the living room. She couldn’t tell if they had talked or not. The two didn’t seem to be any different toward each other than the night before. She still worried that she might have done something that would drive a wedge between the two if things didn’t go well.
The one thing that worried her about the morning scene was the fact that her parents were nowhere to be seen. She held onto Lucas’s paw as they walked in together, while she tried to see where her parents might be. Her heart raced at the sight of her mother sitting in the family room without her father in sight. She worried for what the older mink had in store for the boy she had fallen for after catching them together, even if they were just sleeping. She now hoped that the little show she had given him that morning would be a little consolation if her dad got too tough on the boy.
She let go of Lucas’s paw as she said, “Go ahead and get some of the pancakes, I’m going to talk to my mom for a sec.” He nodded, not saying anything. She could tell he was nervous about whatever her dad had said to him, or was going to say also. Arelia walked over to where her mother sat, nervous about what her dad had told her.
“Morning, sleepy head,” her mother greeted, putting down the publication she was reading, “How’d you sleep last night?”
Arelia blushed, knowing now that she was aware of her and Lucas. The problem was it was like any other night; she didn’t remember anything, not even the echos of a dream. All she knew was she didn’t wake up screaming and she hadn't passed out from pure exhaustion. The one thing she could vaguely remember was the feeling of a warm tight hug, fading in intensity through the night.
“It… it was okay I guess,” she answered as she took a seat in the recliner across from the older mink. “I… I don't really remember it, I kinda slept through it.” She managed a weak smile as she tried to make a joke about the situation. She twiddled her thumbs as she did anything but look at her mother.
Arelia looked up as her mother put a paw on her shoulder and sat on the arm of the recliner next to her. “Your dad told me about what he found in your room early this morning.”
“Mom, I can explain,” the young mink started as she thought about how unbelievable the truth was.
“You all fell asleep watching movies,” the older mink said, “That much was actually expected with the selection you picked out. Most teens don’t spend the whole night doing anything but sleeping.”
“But Lucas…” Arelia started before being cut off.
“Is a teenager also, and a good kid,” her mother said with a smile.” So, I am guessing you found out he likes you too.” Arelia only blushed and nodded her head. “Well, believe it or not, I think your dad likes him. He is well-mannered and comes from a family of hard workers.”
Arelia’s head snapped around toward the back porch as she heard the door close to find her father walking Lucas out to the chairs. “Wh… what’s dad going to do?”
“He’s just going to have a talk with him about you.”
“Wh… what’s he going to say?” Arelia worried about the simple fact her father worried so much about her sleep disorder that he might scare the young wolf boy off before she really got a chance to know him. “I mean he’s not going to…”
Melissa interrupted again as she said, “He’s going to say what he thinks the boy needs to know about the girl he cradled through the night. If he really likes you, nothing your father has to say will run him off. Those kids from your old school are not what everyone is like.” She wrapped her arm over Arelia’s shoulder as she continued, “We got a chance to talk to Jordan when she first came down. She’s a really nice girl, and had nothing but good things to say about Lucas. It was almost like she was defending both you and him, talking about how he worried about you and everything in her own shy way. I think you found some good friends this time. You shouldn’t have to worry about things this year.”
“But what about Lucas?” the younger mink asked as she strained to see what was happening to her new boyfriend before they even had their first date.
“Don’t worry, your dad’s not going to kill him, just give him a little time to think about what the boy really wants.”
“He’s going to…” Arealia trailed off in the half-statement question.
“Make him do your chores today. But we need to talk about you,” her mother said as she shook her a little by the shoulder. “Believe it or not what I am about to say really has little to do with Lucas, and a lot to do with my young girl becoming a woman. Remember that talk we had about your period this summer?”
Arelia blushed and nodded her head. She glanced around, seeing all her friends now eating over at the table, she let out a sigh of relief. She mother wasn’t within earshot of any of them when she said that.
“Well, I told you we were going to see a doctor once things got a little more stable,” her mother said getting a nod from her. “And now with a boy you are interested in I think it is important to to talk about these sort of things.”
Arealia blushed as she thought about the textbook explanation of sex her father had given her one day during the summer after her mother had a more intellectual discussion with her about the subject. She wondered just what her mother was getting at, or where she was going with this little talk.
“I know what it’s like to be interested in a boy like Lucas. He’s strong, good-looking, and if I was your age, I would want to… do things…”
“MOM!” Arelia said cutting her off. Just the thought of her mother talking the way she was embarrassed her to no end.
“I’m just saying, he reminds me a lot of your father at his age, and when we were young we did things.”
“God mom, I don’t need to be hearing this,” Arelia protested, but was suddenly curious about just what her parents did when they were younger. Her mind instantly replaced the two older minks with her and Lucas as she pictured them in bed together.
“What I am getting at, Arei, is you two might want to… try things together at some point, and we can’t really be there all the time to stop you.” The older mink started to talk softly to avoid others hearing in any way. “I’m not going to tell your dad this, just because I remember my dad when I was your age. I want you to promise me that you won’t do anything… sexual until after we go see Dr. Healon and get you on something. And I want you to remember you can always talk to me about anything, and never let that boy sweet talk you into anything you don’t want to do.”
Arelia blushed as it sounded like her mother giving her permission to be with the boy in the ways she had imagined for so long. She tried to contain her excitement as she thought about how she was doing more of the pushing than he was. She felt as if her world had just opened onto a new unexplored continent, and she was given everything she needed to explore facets she had only imagined in the past.
“Now, Lets get some breakfast and call some parents so a young boy doesn’t get in any trouble while your dad has a little fun with your new boyfriend.”
----
Lucas walked over to where Skyla and the skunk girl were cooking, hoping to get a last meal before Arelia’s father got to him. Just as he reached for a plate he felt a large paw on his shoulder. The sudden unexpected touch made him almost jump out of his skin as he turned to see the now even more imposing mink standing only inches away and towering over him. “Y-yes sir?” he managed to squeak out in what he thought was the most girly sound that ever exited his mouth.
“Come with me, boy,” the older male said flatly. Lucas could not tell if the tone was friendly or angry, which only worried him more as he nodded his head and followed the mink. The two walked out the back door and to some patio furniture that was set on the back porch from the party. “Have a seat, Lucas.”
Lucas sat in one of the chairs. It was the first time he had a girl’s father ever talk to him, and was unsure what to expect. It worried him even more that the man had found him with the cute girl cuddled up close to him. The things the man said the night before felt confusing and distant now that the mink was sitting there and they were alone and away from all the others. He opened his mouth to start to defend himself, only to be silenced as the older man started to speak.
“Lucas,” the mink started out before pausing, “I know you are aware of Arei’s sleeping issues, but what do you know about them?”
“Um, she has insomnia?” the boy answered in more of a question than anything. “Jordan has the same thing. They have trouble sleeping.”
“Thats a start,” the girl’s father said as he sat down. “I’m guessing she doesn’t talk about it much. She had issues at her last school. I didn’t want you to move because I really didn't want you to wake her up. That was the first time she slept this week. Only a few minutes here and there.”
Surprised by the fact Arelia seemed to function well didn’t seem to fit with what her father was saying. “But, Sir… She…”
“She runs until her body can’t physically take it any more. And as of now most medications and other popular remedies don’t have the desired effects on her,” the mink seemed solemn and worried as he spoke, though the emotions in his voice were not echoed in the cold look of his eyes.
“But don't some drugs just put you out?” Lucas asked, knowing that Jordan’s father was very anti-pharmaceutical when it came to her insomnia.
Arelia’s father looked down at his paws before he answered. “That’s not the issue, and the other reason I wanted you to stay there. When she does sleep… she suffers from… night terrors. All medications like that do for her is trap her in some unknown horrific dream. The medication that does not put her out completely only last long enough for her to wake up screaming from the dream, unable to remember any of it.”
Lucas looked around grimly. Sleep deprivation was one thing, but night terrors was something completely new to him. He felt both justified in his worry for Arelia over the past few weeks, and rather bad about not asking the full scope of her condition. Xavier’s fear of pharmaceuticals seemed more justified all of a sudden…
“Have you seen a sleep specialist?” Lucas blurted out before he could think about what he was saying.
Without much of a noticeable reaction the mink replied, “Several over the past year from what I understand. No one can explain why or comfortably prescribe anything that might help at her age. She struggles every day with short fitful naps, and neurotropics to help her with brain function.” The man paused for a moment before he continued, “When I saw her there with you, actually sleeping… It was the first time I have seen her like that since I got back from the hospital. I was not going to take that away from her.”
The older male’s comment about her best sleep in a year suddenly made sense as he told Lucas about the sleep specialists. He felt pretty dumb for asking in the first place; of course the Fletchers had done everything to help Arelia. But Mr. Fletcher’s explanation did shine some light on some things. Part of him was happy that this probably meant he’d be allowed to date Arelia after all, but the fact it might only be because he seemed to help her sleep didn’t sit quite well with him.
“Mr. Fletcher… I wanted to say, I really like Arelia. Shes cute, and clever…” and sexy, part of him was thinking despite himself, “...and I would love to take her out sometime… on a date.”
“My girl likes you also,” the mink said as he looked back up at the boy, his cold emotionless eyes meeting Lucas’s once again. “I’m not telling you to date her or not, I am letting you know why you are getting a reprieve for last night. I am sure you are well aware of what most fathers would do if they walked in on the same thing. You had three saving factors. First, the bed had several other sleeping girls in it, so I doubt you could have done too much. Second, you were fully clothed. And third, the look of absolute terror in your eyes when you saw me. Don’t think that because she was able to get a single night’s sleep will give you free access to her, or her bed.”
Lucas’s eyes went wide as he wondered what kind of warning that might be, and what the mink man would be doing right now if he knew what the Samoyed wolf hybrid watched Arelia do before they came downstairs. “C-can I date her?” he asked a little uneasy as he looked at the mink, confused and worried as he thought about Arelia’s comment about her father’s brain damage and issues with interpreting emotions. He suddenly worried again about the man skinning him alive for even thinking about taking his daughter out.
“I’ll make you a deal, boy,” the mink said, as Lucas swallowed hard, “I’ll let you spend as much time as you want around here and her, but you're going to do half of Arelia’s chores when you are here. And sleeping in her bed, like last night… that’s not going to happen again. We have guest rooms.”
“I… I can do that, sir,” Lucas said letting out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding since he asked the question. Though the stipulations sounded odd, the opportunity to spend time with the cute mink seemed to be worth it. Besides, the way Brent put it, he’d be spending nights at the Fletcher’s house maybe, which would be a nice change to listening to his parents and Derek at night...
“Good,” the mink said as he stood up, “Come with me. You’ve got some horses to feed.”
Lucas got up and did as he was told, although totally not expecting these ‘chores’ to start now, right after Arelia’s birthday party. The mention of feed pulled at his stomach, remembering those pancakes he was promised. Still, Lucas silently followed the older mink out into the cold morning air, for whatever he had planned for him. Lucas didn’t have a particular interest in horses, but it seemed likely he was about to know more about them than he ever wanted to. He looked back at the house one last time, wondering if Arelia was worrying about him...
∙∙∙∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ☼)===>Table Manners<===(☼ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫∙∙∙∙∙·
Arelia sat in the recliner, looking out the window as she worried about the Samoyed boy and what ever her father had him out there doing for such a long time. All the other guests had been picked up, Lucas’s parents having been called and told he would be staying a little longer to help with things after the party. She felt like she had used every excuse in the book why Lucas had not come back after her father had led him out of the house. Several of her friends even jokingly commented on how easy it must be to hide a body with so much land. Skyla’s argument of how easy it would be to narrow down suspects didn’t do much to make her feel at ease either.
She jumped out of her seat with relief and excitement when she saw him and her father walking back from the barn. Even in the distance she could see how exhausted the boy was from the sudden unexpected morning work she had grown used to over the summer. She wondered just how much her father had put him though between feeding and grooming the horses they had there. She nearly pounced on him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he came through the door. “Are you okay?” she asked as she looked him in the eyes. He felt much less sturdy than he did last night.
“Hungry,” he replied weakly, “Just really hungry.”
Arelia couldn’t help but laugh at Lucas’s plight. “We moved car parts by hand for a week while the pulley was down.” he continued. “Horse feed isn’t as heavy as say, an engine, but I kinda wish it was so I didn’t have to carry it all by myself.”
Arelia felt bad for continuing to laugh at Lucas, but the way the boy spoke about his trials was just too funny. She let go of him so he could find a seat at the table as she looked over at her father and uttered a reprimanding, “Dad! How could you make him do that? You never make us move feed bags by ourselves.”
“He’s a strong young man,” The mink said as he pulled a chair out at the table and sat down. “He can handle a little hard work. Besides, you heard him, not as heavy as engine parts.” Lucas sighed as he slumped in the chair.
“And you should both know better than to sit down at the table before you wash up,” Arelia’s mother said as she sat down a plate of eggs and bacon in front of the two. “I’ll let it slide this time considering it’s Lucas’s first morning.”
“Did you run out of pancakes?” Lucas asked, breaking his yolk and mixing his eggs and bacon together.
“I’m sorry, we used up the rest of the batter before you finished.” Melissa apologized.
Arelia sat and watched Lucas as he ate his meal, thoroughly soaking his bacon in egg yolk before scarfing it all down like… well, like a starving dog, Arelia mused. She worried that the torture test that her father put him through might drive him away. “So um… everyone else already went home. Mom said she would give you a ride home after you finished.”
“Well, that’s good,” Lucas responded, washing down his breakfast with some juice, “Jordan was my ride.” He chewed contently for a while before putting down his utensils and facing Arelia. “So, I meant what I said earlier, and if you don’t have anything else planned… would you want to go to a movie sometime next week? That is, if it’s alright with your parents...”
Arealia looked at her father after Lucas asked and smiled when the older mink nodded. “Yes,” she said as she leaned her chin on her paws and continued to watch him longingly. She leaned closer to him and whispered, “We can talk on Skype, also… I have a camera.” She winked at him with a little smile as she added the last part. She wondered if he knew what she was getting at for a moment as she watched for any clue on his face. She sighed as it seemed that another obvious hint just flew over him like an airplane. “You do have Skype, right?”
She smiled as he nodded and quickly began formulating her plan to entertain her new boyfriend later that evening.
God, he would of boned her if he wasn't unsure of her boundaries, and the fact he was afraid of what her dad might of done. This story would of been so much different if Lucas wasn't such a gentleman...
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