{ "submission_id": "3607360", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "18054", "keyword_name": "bullying", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1956" }, { "keyword_id": "38082", "keyword_name": "c-boy", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1365" }, { "keyword_id": "20995", "keyword_name": "cboy", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "4358" }, { "keyword_id": "37", "keyword_name": "cub", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "284655" }, { "keyword_id": "4222", "keyword_name": "depression", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1114" }, { "keyword_id": "123", "keyword_name": "female", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1102729" }, { "keyword_id": "2968", "keyword_name": "fighting", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "4935" }, { "keyword_id": "4939", "keyword_name": "intersex", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "16685" }, { "keyword_id": "174", "keyword_name": "lion", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "43903" }, { "keyword_id": "165", "keyword_name": "male", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1212663" }, { "keyword_id": "6050", "keyword_name": "okapi", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "348" }, { "keyword_id": "909", "keyword_name": "romance", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "9211" }, { "keyword_id": "449", "keyword_name": "school", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "9069" }, { "keyword_id": "185", "keyword_name": "squirrel", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "31557" }, { "keyword_id": "442", "keyword_name": "teens", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "2806" }, { "keyword_id": "164", "keyword_name": "wolf", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "195845" }, { "keyword_id": "1493", "keyword_name": "young", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "70211" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "3", "create_datetime": "2025-04-28 20:55:26.578532+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "28 Apr 2025 22:55 CEST", "last_file_update_datetime": "2025-04-28 20:53:31.026896+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "28 Apr 2025 22:53 CEST", "username": "XPAuthor", "user_id": "30301", "user_icon_file_name": "401478_XPAuthor_5439638_frankrainbowrichard_output-onlinepngtools.png", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/401/401478_XPAuthor_5439638_frankrainbowrichard_output-onlinepngtools.png", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/401/401478_XPAuthor_5439638_frankrainbowrichard_output-onlinepngtools.png", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/401/401478_XPAuthor_5439638_frankrainbowrichard_output-onlinepngtools.png", "file_name": "5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "120", "files": [ { "file_id": "5545041", "file_name": "5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.doc", "mimetype": "application/msword", "submission_id": "3607360", "user_id": "30301", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": null, "full_size_y": null, "screen_size_x": null, "screen_size_y": null, "preview_size_x": null, "preview_size_y": null, "initial_file_md5": "b1e6677d49bfba56b6dc334b9963c816", "full_file_md5": "b1e6677d49bfba56b6dc334b9963c816", "large_file_md5": "", "small_file_md5": "", "thumbnail_md5": "51a83bfb77b99bc48302f61fcf4c68e8", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2025-04-28 20:53:31.026896+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "28 Apr 2025 22:53 CEST", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545041_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_2.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "300", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "200", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "73418", "name": "Cubs and Teens", "description": "Stories featuring younger characters, under the age of 18. ", "count": "59", "submission_left_submission_id": "3607355", "submission_left_file_name": "5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "3607365", "submission_right_file_name": "5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" }, { "pool_id": "100684", "name": "Saved by Sorrow", "description": "The whirlwind romance of Jesse and Robin", "count": "6", "submission_left_submission_id": "3607355", "submission_left_file_name": "5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545034_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "3607365", "submission_right_file_name": "5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/5545/5545046_XPAuthor_saved_by_sorrow_-_ch_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "[url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3607355]<[/url] | [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3607375]Last>>[/url]\n\n- - - - -\n\nA massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:\nSedyna | [fa]jafferroshak[/fa] | RoleplayCentral | [fa]akinkyyfox[/fa] | [iconname]Karmandel[/iconname]\n\nIf you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/xp_author]SubscribeStar[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "<<First | <Previous | Next> | Last>>

- - - - -

A massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:
Sedyna | \n\t\t\t\t\tjafferroshak | RoleplayCentral | \n\t\t\t\t\takinkyyfox | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t


If you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "[center][b]Saved by Sorrow[/b][/center]\n[center][u]Chapter 2[/u][/center]\n[center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nThe next few days were actually not bad. He did manage to get three copies of the homework done, even hiding the third copy in a completely different folder in his bag so the two didn't steal it with the rest. Though they did still take all his money again. When he still only had a few bucks for lunch, they were still disappointed in him, reminding him he 'promised' to bring more. He tried to bring more the next day, but he just didn't have that much to take with him every day. Not that the pair cared. Wade even punctuated their 'disappointment' with a not-so gentle nudge to his gut that knocked the wind out of him.\n\nOther than that and the usual mocking, things didn't go too badly. Even Ms. Swiftpaw couldn't find too much to call him out on. She still found something to gripe about, though. Namely his lack of engagement in class. Which was only a result of her calling out his 'bad attitude' whenever he did. He had long accepted he would never win with the woman. He still had no idea why she, more than any other teacher, hated him so much. She seemed to have it out for him more than most of the students. It's not like he didn't do well on tests. Maybe she just hated quiet kids for some reason.\n\nAfter school, he still didn't see his mother, only the notes she left him. He basically only saw her on the weekends, in the brief window between jobs. And even then, she barely had enough time to change clothes and get herself a quick meal before she had to run off to her second job again. As always, his sanctuary was Orville's, where he could get away from all the crap and just do mundane tasks for a few hours and let his mind wander. Though he found it would wander to thoughts of Robin. Each day after work, she'd be waiting for him on the pier. She was always wearing some combination of black shirt and skirt, sometimes with a t-shirt, sometimes a halter-top, sometimes a spaghetti string, but always black. She really seemed to like the goth look.\n\nHe had the day off on Sunday, though that was only because Gerald forced the issue. Apparently there was some law against making someone work all seven days of the week, even if they were willing. At least for low level jobs like his. But that did mean he could spend more time talking to Robin, as he got to meet with her earlier than midnight. It's when she finally told him some things. \"So wait, you're only 16?\" They were both sitting at the end of the pier, their legs dangling over the edge as water lazily lapped a few feet below.\n\nShe nodded, blowing out another puff of her vape, which still smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. \"Yup. Surprised?\" Today she was in the spaghetti string, and didn't seem to mind showing off a bit of her ample cleavage.\n\n\"A little... I thought you were like... I dunno, 18? When you said you were done with school stuff, it's because you graduated...\"\n\nShe chuckled. \"Nah. I dropped out last year.\"\n\nHe hesitated, but asked. \"Did... your parents get angry with you?\" She never talked about her parents. In fact, she'd never even mentioned them.\n\n\"Oh, I'm sure my dad would be absolutely furious! but...\" She shrugged. \"Well, he's not exactly around anymore.\" She looked out at the ocean.\n\nHe nodded, looking out at the water with her. \"Oh... I'm sorry...\"\n\n\"Ah, don't be. He was a fucking asshole, anyway.\" She grunted. \"He'd never let me out here so late, either. So you should be glad he's gone, or we'd never meet.\"\n\n\"I... guess...\" He looked down a little. \"I've never met my dad.\"\n\nRobin turned to him. \"Did he walk out on your mom or something?\"\n\nHe shook his head slowly. \"I dunno. Mom never talks about him. I don't even know his name.\"\n\nShe grunted. \"Yeah, sounds like he's a sore spot for her.\" She scoffed. \"Men. They're all fucking pricks.\" She nudged him gently. \"Except you, of course. You're cool.\"\n\nHe smiled just a little. \"Thanks...\" His smile did still fade a little. She kind of just confirmed she agreed with something he'd always thought about himself.\n\n\"Hey, what's with that look? That was a compliment.\"\n\n\"S-sorry... I'm just...\" He pulled his legs up, hugging his knees against his chest. \"I've never been a 'normal' guy... I guess...\"\n\n\"Yeah? Well, it's fine. I'm hardly a 'normal' girl, either.\" She chuckled, nudging his shoulder with her elbow. \"Being normal is overrated, anyway.\"\n\nHe just nodded, going quiet again. After a prolonged silence, he spoke up once more. \"So... you're only 16...?\" He still had trouble getting his head around that. She seemed so mature, not at all like the teens her age at school. He wouldn't have been surprised if she said she was 20.\n\nRobin couldn't help but let out another laugh. \"Still surprised by that, huh?\" He nodded slowly. \"Well, that makes us the same age, right? You're also 16, right? Or 17?\" He shifted a little uncomfortably. \"Wait, don't tell me you're actually in your 20's and you've been leading me on with the whole school thing and you actually meant college!\"\n\nHe shook his head quickly. \"N-no! High school! I'm... uh...\" His tail twitched nervously. \"I'm not... 16...\" He bit his lip for a moment. \"I'm only 14...\"\n\nThat actually made the okapi flinch slightly. \"Seriously!?\" He nodded slowly. \"Dang, dude. And you've got a job already?\" She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the convenience store. \"Didn't think it was legal to hire someone under 16.\"\n\n\"It's not... I... lied about my age.\" He suddenly looked at her with a serious expression. \"You can't tell anyone! I-If Gera- If Mr. Orville finds out, he'll be really upset!\"\n\nRobin looked at him for a long moment, then her features softened as she broke a genuine smile. \"Hey, don't worry about it. I won't go snitching.\" She held up a hand and stuck her pinky out. \"Pinkie promise.\"\n\nHe let out a soft sigh. \"Thank you...\"\n\nHer smile turned into a playful frown. \"C'mon, dude. You're supposed to hook your pinky with mine. Then it's a solemn oath that can't be broken. That's how a pinkie promise works!\"\n\nHe blinked, but she looked so serious. He couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, doing what she said. \"Alright. Pinkie promise.\"\n\nShe nodded. \"There.\" She then giggled softly. \"But seriously, you don't need to worry. I do stuff that a 16 year old isn't supposed to do all the time.\"\n\nHe couldn't help his curiosity. \"L-like what? I-If you don't mind me asking...\"\n\nHer face twitched slightly, and he was sure he saw a shadow cross it for a second, but she smiled again. \"Well...\" She held up her vape. \"This, for one. Not supposed to be able to buy one or the stuff for it unless you're 18. I got a fake ID that says I'm 22.\" She took a long drag from the device and held it in for a moment. She let the large cloud out with a long sigh. \"I live by myself, too. Got my own apartment.\" She frowned. \"Not that the landlord gives a shit since I-\" She stopped herself, shaking her head. \"Doesn't matter. But yeah, anyway. Got lots of stuff like that that I'm technically too young to do.\" He just stared at her, almost in awe. She blinked when she saw him staring. \"What?\"\n\nHe let out a soft squeak, turning away quickly and blushing as he stared at the water under his feet, his tail twitching nervously behind him. \"N-nothing! J-just... really impressed...\" His tail kept twitching. \"I don't think I'd be able to do anything like that... My mom would KILL ME if I dropped out! She already hates that I have the job, but... we kind of need the money...\"\n\nRobin chuckled. \"I think you could do it. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders.\" He nodded slowly, but he wasn't really convinced. After a moment, she grinned at him. \"And don't think I didn't notice you actually squeaked there.\" He tensed up, but she giggled. \"It was cute.\"\n\nHe blushed visibly through his fur. \"I... try not to do it, but sometimes one just slips out...\"\n\nShe leaned in a little closer. \"I wouldn't mind hearing you squeak some more.\" He couldn't help but let another squeak out at that, his cheeks flushing even more, which made her laugh. He smiled, actually giggling with her. \"See? Totally adorable.\" She reached over and gently tousled his hair. \"Which I mean as a positive, for the record.\"\n\n\"Th-thanks... I think...\"\n\n\"Any time.\" She gave him a warm smile, though he was too busy staring intensely at the water to notice. Something in her handbag started to make a chiming noise. She pulled out her phone, frowning. \"Ah. I guess it is getting a bit late. Almost 1 am. I have something I need to do.\" She stood up, brushing her legs off a little, then offered him a hand to help him up. He accepted it, letting her haul him up to his feet. Her hand lingered on his for a moment, and he couldn't help but notice, despite her strong grip, her hand was very soft.\n\nHe quickly withdrew his hand when he realized he was probably being kind of creepy, fidgeting a little. \"I-I should probably go, too... I do have school in the morning...\" He let out a soft sigh as they both started to walk back down the pier. \"At least I got all the copies of my homework done...\"\n\nRobin quirked an eyebrow. \"Copies? They make you do multiple copies of homework now?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"Oh! N-no... I just...\" He lowered his head a little. \"It doesn't matter...\"\n\nShe quickly moved around in front of him. \"Hey, hold up. Why do you need to make copies?\" He looked away, but stayed quiet. \"Someone keep stealing your homework?\" He closed his eyes and nodded. \"Yeah... two of my classmates. Couple of... football jocks. B-but it's okay! I can just make the copies... and they leave me alone for the day... mostly...\"\n\nShe let out a sigh. \"Fucking bullies. Maybe I'll come to school with you one day and teach them a lesson! What are their names? I could find them outside of school and give 'em a piece of my mind.\"\n\nHe looked up quickly, giving her a pleading expression. \"NO! P-please don't... don't do anything! I-I don't want them to... hurt you or... or get you in trouble... They're kind of really strong...\"\n\nShe scoffed. \"I'm no pushover, either.\" She frowned as he kept giving her the same pleading look, tears forming in his eyes.\n\n\"Please... just... forget I said anything. I-I don't want to make everything worse!\"\n\nShe sighed softly, nodding. \"Alright. I won't do anything.\" She reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. Unlike when Zack did it, it felt actually reassuring. \"But if they ever actually hurt you, you tell me, okay?\" He nodded slowly, tilting his head to look down at the ground again, only for her to put her hand under his chin and lift it back up to look him in the eye. \"I mean it. If those jerks ever do something to you, tell me. You're the sweetest guy I've ever met, and I don't like the idea of a couple of bullies bothering you.\"\n\nHe looked like he was about to burst into tears, but managed to keep himself under control... barely. \"O-okay.\"\n\nShe smiled, nodding slowly. \"Good.\" She sighed softly. \"Maybe try standing up for yourself a little to those to jerks? You might be surprised.\"\n\nHe just shrugged a little. \"M-maybe... I dunno...\"\n\nRobin smiled softly. \"Just don't let them keep pushing you around. You deserve to be treated better.\" He returned the smile slightly, but didn't know what to say. She kept staring at him, and for a fleeting moment, he thought she was going to lean in and kiss him. Or he was just fantasizing about it. She backed away a little quickly, but still pat his shoulder gently as she turned to keep walking. \"Now you get going home and get some rest. You look absolutely exhausted.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"Yeah... sleep sounds good...\" His mind conjured an image of himself sleeping against her, his head resting against her bre- He blinked several times, trying to shake that thought out of his head. \"I'll... see you tomorrow?\"\n\nShe smirked. \"Yeah. Same time as usual.\" She gave him a wave as she turned to head off back to her home, which was unfortunately in a different direction than his.\n\nHe frowned a little to himself as he walked back to his apartment, shaking his head. \"Stupid... Stupid, Jesse.\" He sighed as the images of Robin kept swimming through his head. \"She's just a friend. Don't...\" He sighed. \"Don't... mess that up... like you do with everything else...\" He let out a longer, heavier sigh, his shoulders and tail drooping a little as he walked. \"She'd never like a... freak like me anyway...\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nMonday morning came far too soon. As did the usual 'greeting' he got outside of the school, a hand slapping his back hard enough to nearly knock him over. \"Hey! Iceman! Dude! You impress me!\"\n\nHe sighed, already pulling his backpack off to get the folder with their homework copies out. \"It's just copies.\"\n\nThe wolf scoffed. \"I ain't talking about the homework, man! I mean that fucking hottie you were talking with last night!\" Suddenly Jesse's ice ran cold. How in the hell did he possibly know. \"So, who is she, man? Be real with me, she your cousin? Ain't no way she's your girlfriend!\"\n\nWade grunted. \"No one that hot would ever be into a skinny icicle like you.\"\n\nJesse tried to keep his calm as he got the folder out of his backpack. \"I... don't know who she is. J-just someone who was around. I... didn't get her name...\"\n\nZack grunted again. \"Nah, she was acting way too friendly for some stranger. C'mon, tell us her name! I bet you got her number, too, huh?\"\n\nThe squirrel shook his head again, holding out the folder, his hand shaking a little. \"No... I don't know who she is... J-just take the homewo-\"\n\nHe flinched as Zack slapped the folder out of his hand, several of the pages slipping out onto the ground. \"I don't care about the fucking homework! I wanna know who that hot bitch is! She's not someone in the school.\" He reached out and grabbed Jesse's shirt. \"You been hiding a hot girlfriend on us, man? And I thought we shared everything.\"\n\nJesse trembled a little, but he wasn't going to tell them anything about one of the only nice people in his life. \"I... I don't know who she is!\" He ended up shouting that. A moment later, pain shot through him as a fist slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of his lungs completely. Zack let his shirt go, and he slumped to his knees, clutching his stomach as he tried to get his lungs to obey him. For one brief, terrifying moment, they refused to do anything, but then he managed a gasp, only to start coughing.\n\nThe wolf crouched down, patting Jesse's head gently. His voice was calm, and yet somehow even more threatening because of it. \"Now. You made me do that by lying. You know who she is. And you're going to tell me her name and her number so we can show her how real men treat a goth whore, instead of a twitchy little pencil twig like you.\"\n\nJesse shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. \"I... I'm not lying... I don't know who she is! She just... showed up last night!\"\n\nZack let out a sigh. \"Oh, she's done more than that. You've been hanging with her for a few days on that pier, haven't you?\" The squirrel remained silent. Were they stalking him? \"Right after you get off work at that convenience store there, right?\" His eyes went wide again. They knew about that, too!? \"So. Here's the deal. You tell me who that cunt is so we can show her a real good time, or I'll tell everyone about your job. You know it's against the law for someone your age to be working, right? And students aren't supposed to work past 10pm, too. So how about it?\"\n\nRobin's words bubbled up into his mind, telling him he should try to stand up for himself a little more. Maybe now was the wrong time, but he wasn't sure there would ever be a right one. \"Fine... you do that, and I'll tell everyone... about how you steal my homework and money every day.\"\n\nThat was definitely not the right thing to say. A fist slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground entirely this time. \"You little bitch! You think anyone will believe your worthless ass?\" A foot slammed into his side this time, making him wince and grunt in pain. \"My dad's paid for half the shit in this school! You're a fucking loser bitch! No one's going to take your word over mine!\" Jesse had no idea why, but he started to laugh. \n\nWade scowled. \"What's so funny, snowflake?\"\n\nHe shook his head. \"You wouldn't have a chance with her anyway. She hates guys like you...\"\n\nZack spat into his face. \"So you do know her!\" He scowled. \"Well, if she hates guys like us, then we'll just have to make sure to make her like us.\"\n\nWade chuckled. \"Yeah. Whether she wants to or not.\"\n\n\"We'll just go down to that pier and introduce ourselves, nice and friendly. And if she's not friendly back, we'll just try a little harder.\" He sneered down at the squirrel. \"After all, we're friends, right? We share everything. So you don't mind sharing that cunt with us!\"\n\nJesse suddenly reached up, grabbing Zack's arm. \"Don't!\" That actually took the wolf by surprise. \"Don't... don't you touch her!\"\n\nStars exploded in his eyes as a fist slammed into his face again. \"Get your fucking hand off me, twerp!\" Zack spat into his face again. \"When the fuck did you get a spine?\"\n\nHe coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, and he couldn't breath through his nose anymore. But he still tried to reach up and grab the wolf. \"Don't... touch...\"\n\nThis time, a foot slammed into him, right into his gut, once more knocking the air out of him. Wade kicked him in the side after that. \"Little bitch doesn't know when to quit. We're going to find that little whore girlfriend of yours, and we're going to show her how a real man fucks. She'll beg for our cocks after we're done. She'll never want to touch your shrimp dick again!\"\n\nZack laughed. \"Or maybe we'll just make her beg for her life.\" He chuckled again, only to flinch when a fist hit his face. It was barely a punch, really, and it surprised him more than anything.\n\nJesse hit him again, though just as weak, his arms already feeling like they were made of lead from the beaten he'd already gotten. \"I-I can't... let... you!\" He had no idea why he was even trying to fight. He had no chance. It was probably all the blows he'd already gotten.\n\nThe wolf growled at him. \"Oh, that's it, you little cunt. You're dead!\" He slammed his fist down against him, cracking off of his face. Another blow came down, and more blood filled his mouth. Wade's foot also slammed into his side, then stomped down on his stomach again. He had no idea how much more they pummeled him, though. One more punch to the face sent him flying into unconsciousness, blissfully away from the pain.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Saved by Sorrow

Chapter 2

By XP Author


The next few days were actually not bad. He did manage to get three copies of the homework done, even hiding the third copy in a completely different folder in his bag so the two didn't steal it with the rest. Though they did still take all his money again. When he still only had a few bucks for lunch, they were still disappointed in him, reminding him he 'promised' to bring more. He tried to bring more the next day, but he just didn't have that much to take with him every day. Not that the pair cared. Wade even punctuated their 'disappointment' with a not-so gentle nudge to his gut that knocked the wind out of him.

Other than that and the usual mocking, things didn't go too badly. Even Ms. Swiftpaw couldn't find too much to call him out on. She still found something to gripe about, though. Namely his lack of engagement in class. Which was only a result of her calling out his 'bad attitude' whenever he did. He had long accepted he would never win with the woman. He still had no idea why she, more than any other teacher, hated him so much. She seemed to have it out for him more than most of the students. It's not like he didn't do well on tests. Maybe she just hated quiet kids for some reason.

After school, he still didn't see his mother, only the notes she left him. He basically only saw her on the weekends, in the brief window between jobs. And even then, she barely had enough time to change clothes and get herself a quick meal before she had to run off to her second job again. As always, his sanctuary was Orville's, where he could get away from all the crap and just do mundane tasks for a few hours and let his mind wander. Though he found it would wander to thoughts of Robin. Each day after work, she'd be waiting for him on the pier. She was always wearing some combination of black shirt and skirt, sometimes with a t-shirt, sometimes a halter-top, sometimes a spaghetti string, but always black. She really seemed to like the goth look.

He had the day off on Sunday, though that was only because Gerald forced the issue. Apparently there was some law against making someone work all seven days of the week, even if they were willing. At least for low level jobs like his. But that did mean he could spend more time talking to Robin, as he got to meet with her earlier than midnight. It's when she finally told him some things. "So wait, you're only 16?" They were both sitting at the end of the pier, their legs dangling over the edge as water lazily lapped a few feet below.

She nodded, blowing out another puff of her vape, which still smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. "Yup. Surprised?" Today she was in the spaghetti string, and didn't seem to mind showing off a bit of her ample cleavage.

"A little... I thought you were like... I dunno, 18? When you said you were done with school stuff, it's because you graduated..."

She chuckled. "Nah. I dropped out last year."

He hesitated, but asked. "Did... your parents get angry with you?" She never talked about her parents. In fact, she'd never even mentioned them.

"Oh, I'm sure my dad would be absolutely furious! but..." She shrugged. "Well, he's not exactly around anymore." She looked out at the ocean.

He nodded, looking out at the water with her. "Oh... I'm sorry..."

"Ah, don't be. He was a fucking asshole, anyway." She grunted. "He'd never let me out here so late, either. So you should be glad he's gone, or we'd never meet."

"I... guess..." He looked down a little. "I've never met my dad."

Robin turned to him. "Did he walk out on your mom or something?"

He shook his head slowly. "I dunno. Mom never talks about him. I don't even know his name."

She grunted. "Yeah, sounds like he's a sore spot for her." She scoffed. "Men. They're all fucking pricks." She nudged him gently. "Except you, of course. You're cool."

He smiled just a little. "Thanks..." His smile did still fade a little. She kind of just confirmed she agreed with something he'd always thought about himself.

"Hey, what's with that look? That was a compliment."

"S-sorry... I'm just..." He pulled his legs up, hugging his knees against his chest. "I've never been a 'normal' guy... I guess..."

"Yeah? Well, it's fine. I'm hardly a 'normal' girl, either." She chuckled, nudging his shoulder with her elbow. "Being normal is overrated, anyway."

He just nodded, going quiet again. After a prolonged silence, he spoke up once more. "So... you're only 16...?" He still had trouble getting his head around that. She seemed so mature, not at all like the teens her age at school. He wouldn't have been surprised if she said she was 20.

Robin couldn't help but let out another laugh. "Still surprised by that, huh?" He nodded slowly. "Well, that makes us the same age, right? You're also 16, right? Or 17?" He shifted a little uncomfortably. "Wait, don't tell me you're actually in your 20's and you've been leading me on with the whole school thing and you actually meant college!"

He shook his head quickly. "N-no! High school! I'm... uh..." His tail twitched nervously. "I'm not... 16..." He bit his lip for a moment. "I'm only 14..."

That actually made the okapi flinch slightly. "Seriously!?" He nodded slowly. "Dang, dude. And you've got a job already?" She glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the convenience store. "Didn't think it was legal to hire someone under 16."

"It's not... I... lied about my age." He suddenly looked at her with a serious expression. "You can't tell anyone! I-If Gera- If Mr. Orville finds out, he'll be really upset!"

Robin looked at him for a long moment, then her features softened as she broke a genuine smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. I won't go snitching." She held up a hand and stuck her pinky out. "Pinkie promise."

He let out a soft sigh. "Thank you..."

Her smile turned into a playful frown. "C'mon, dude. You're supposed to hook your pinky with mine. Then it's a solemn oath that can't be broken. That's how a pinkie promise works!"

He blinked, but she looked so serious. He couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, doing what she said. "Alright. Pinkie promise."

She nodded. "There." She then giggled softly. "But seriously, you don't need to worry. I do stuff that a 16 year old isn't supposed to do all the time."

He couldn't help his curiosity. "L-like what? I-If you don't mind me asking..."

Her face twitched slightly, and he was sure he saw a shadow cross it for a second, but she smiled again. "Well..." She held up her vape. "This, for one. Not supposed to be able to buy one or the stuff for it unless you're 18. I got a fake ID that says I'm 22." She took a long drag from the device and held it in for a moment. She let the large cloud out with a long sigh. "I live by myself, too. Got my own apartment." She frowned. "Not that the landlord gives a shit since I-" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Doesn't matter. But yeah, anyway. Got lots of stuff like that that I'm technically too young to do." He just stared at her, almost in awe. She blinked when she saw him staring. "What?"

He let out a soft squeak, turning away quickly and blushing as he stared at the water under his feet, his tail twitching nervously behind him. "N-nothing! J-just... really impressed..." His tail kept twitching. "I don't think I'd be able to do anything like that... My mom would KILL ME if I dropped out! She already hates that I have the job, but... we kind of need the money..."

Robin chuckled. "I think you could do it. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders." He nodded slowly, but he wasn't really convinced. After a moment, she grinned at him. "And don't think I didn't notice you actually squeaked there." He tensed up, but she giggled. "It was cute."

He blushed visibly through his fur. "I... try not to do it, but sometimes one just slips out..."

She leaned in a little closer. "I wouldn't mind hearing you squeak some more." He couldn't help but let another squeak out at that, his cheeks flushing even more, which made her laugh. He smiled, actually giggling with her. "See? Totally adorable." She reached over and gently tousled his hair. "Which I mean as a positive, for the record."

"Th-thanks... I think..."

"Any time." She gave him a warm smile, though he was too busy staring intensely at the water to notice. Something in her handbag started to make a chiming noise. She pulled out her phone, frowning. "Ah. I guess it is getting a bit late. Almost 1 am. I have something I need to do." She stood up, brushing her legs off a little, then offered him a hand to help him up. He accepted it, letting her haul him up to his feet. Her hand lingered on his for a moment, and he couldn't help but notice, despite her strong grip, her hand was very soft.

He quickly withdrew his hand when he realized he was probably being kind of creepy, fidgeting a little. "I-I should probably go, too... I do have school in the morning..." He let out a soft sigh as they both started to walk back down the pier. "At least I got all the copies of my homework done..."

Robin quirked an eyebrow. "Copies? They make you do multiple copies of homework now?"

He shook his head. "Oh! N-no... I just..." He lowered his head a little. "It doesn't matter..."

She quickly moved around in front of him. "Hey, hold up. Why do you need to make copies?" He looked away, but stayed quiet. "Someone keep stealing your homework?" He closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah... two of my classmates. Couple of... football jocks. B-but it's okay! I can just make the copies... and they leave me alone for the day... mostly..."

She let out a sigh. "Fucking bullies. Maybe I'll come to school with you one day and teach them a lesson! What are their names? I could find them outside of school and give 'em a piece of my mind."

He looked up quickly, giving her a pleading expression. "NO! P-please don't... don't do anything! I-I don't want them to... hurt you or... or get you in trouble... They're kind of really strong..."

She scoffed. "I'm no pushover, either." She frowned as he kept giving her the same pleading look, tears forming in his eyes.

"Please... just... forget I said anything. I-I don't want to make everything worse!"

She sighed softly, nodding. "Alright. I won't do anything." She reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. Unlike when Zack did it, it felt actually reassuring. "But if they ever actually hurt you, you tell me, okay?" He nodded slowly, tilting his head to look down at the ground again, only for her to put her hand under his chin and lift it back up to look him in the eye. "I mean it. If those jerks ever do something to you, tell me. You're the sweetest guy I've ever met, and I don't like the idea of a couple of bullies bothering you."

He looked like he was about to burst into tears, but managed to keep himself under control... barely. "O-okay."

She smiled, nodding slowly. "Good." She sighed softly. "Maybe try standing up for yourself a little to those to jerks? You might be surprised."

He just shrugged a little. "M-maybe... I dunno..."

Robin smiled softly. "Just don't let them keep pushing you around. You deserve to be treated better." He returned the smile slightly, but didn't know what to say. She kept staring at him, and for a fleeting moment, he thought she was going to lean in and kiss him. Or he was just fantasizing about it. She backed away a little quickly, but still pat his shoulder gently as she turned to keep walking. "Now you get going home and get some rest. You look absolutely exhausted."

He nodded. "Yeah... sleep sounds good..." His mind conjured an image of himself sleeping against her, his head resting against her bre- He blinked several times, trying to shake that thought out of his head. "I'll... see you tomorrow?"

She smirked. "Yeah. Same time as usual." She gave him a wave as she turned to head off back to her home, which was unfortunately in a different direction than his.

He frowned a little to himself as he walked back to his apartment, shaking his head. "Stupid... Stupid, Jesse." He sighed as the images of Robin kept swimming through his head. "She's just a friend. Don't..." He sighed. "Don't... mess that up... like you do with everything else..." He let out a longer, heavier sigh, his shoulders and tail drooping a little as he walked. "She'd never like a... freak like me anyway..."

*     *     *


Monday morning came far too soon. As did the usual 'greeting' he got outside of the school, a hand slapping his back hard enough to nearly knock him over. "Hey! Iceman! Dude! You impress me!"

He sighed, already pulling his backpack off to get the folder with their homework copies out. "It's just copies."

The wolf scoffed. "I ain't talking about the homework, man! I mean that fucking hottie you were talking with last night!" Suddenly Jesse's ice ran cold. How in the hell did he possibly know. "So, who is she, man? Be real with me, she your cousin? Ain't no way she's your girlfriend!"

Wade grunted. "No one that hot would ever be into a skinny icicle like you."

Jesse tried to keep his calm as he got the folder out of his backpack. "I... don't know who she is. J-just someone who was around. I... didn't get her name..."

Zack grunted again. "Nah, she was acting way too friendly for some stranger. C'mon, tell us her name! I bet you got her number, too, huh?"

The squirrel shook his head again, holding out the folder, his hand shaking a little. "No... I don't know who she is... J-just take the homewo-"

He flinched as Zack slapped the folder out of his hand, several of the pages slipping out onto the ground. "I don't care about the fucking homework! I wanna know who that hot bitch is! She's not someone in the school." He reached out and grabbed Jesse's shirt. "You been hiding a hot girlfriend on us, man? And I thought we shared everything."

Jesse trembled a little, but he wasn't going to tell them anything about one of the only nice people in his life. "I... I don't know who she is!" He ended up shouting that. A moment later, pain shot through him as a fist slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of his lungs completely. Zack let his shirt go, and he slumped to his knees, clutching his stomach as he tried to get his lungs to obey him. For one brief, terrifying moment, they refused to do anything, but then he managed a gasp, only to start coughing.

The wolf crouched down, patting Jesse's head gently. His voice was calm, and yet somehow even more threatening because of it. "Now. You made me do that by lying. You know who she is. And you're going to tell me her name and her number so we can show her how real men treat a goth whore, instead of a twitchy little pencil twig like you."

Jesse shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "I... I'm not lying... I don't know who she is! She just... showed up last night!"

Zack let out a sigh. "Oh, she's done more than that. You've been hanging with her for a few days on that pier, haven't you?" The squirrel remained silent. Were they stalking him? "Right after you get off work at that convenience store there, right?" His eyes went wide again. They knew about that, too!? "So. Here's the deal. You tell me who that cunt is so we can show her a real good time, or I'll tell everyone about your job. You know it's against the law for someone your age to be working, right? And students aren't supposed to work past 10pm, too. So how about it?"

Robin's words bubbled up into his mind, telling him he should try to stand up for himself a little more. Maybe now was the wrong time, but he wasn't sure there would ever be a right one. "Fine... you do that, and I'll tell everyone... about how you steal my homework and money every day."

That was definitely not the right thing to say. A fist slammed into his face, sending him crashing to the ground entirely this time. "You little bitch! You think anyone will believe your worthless ass?" A foot slammed into his side this time, making him wince and grunt in pain. "My dad's paid for half the shit in this school! You're a fucking loser bitch! No one's going to take your word over mine!" Jesse had no idea why, but he started to laugh.

Wade scowled. "What's so funny, snowflake?"

He shook his head. "You wouldn't have a chance with her anyway. She hates guys like you..."

Zack spat into his face. "So you do know her!" He scowled. "Well, if she hates guys like us, then we'll just have to make sure to make her like us."

Wade chuckled. "Yeah. Whether she wants to or not."

"We'll just go down to that pier and introduce ourselves, nice and friendly. And if she's not friendly back, we'll just try a little harder." He sneered down at the squirrel. "After all, we're friends, right? We share everything. So you don't mind sharing that cunt with us!"

Jesse suddenly reached up, grabbing Zack's arm. "Don't!" That actually took the wolf by surprise. "Don't... don't you touch her!"

Stars exploded in his eyes as a fist slammed into his face again. "Get your fucking hand off me, twerp!" Zack spat into his face again. "When the fuck did you get a spine?"

He coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, and he couldn't breath through his nose anymore. But he still tried to reach up and grab the wolf. "Don't... touch..."

This time, a foot slammed into him, right into his gut, once more knocking the air out of him. Wade kicked him in the side after that. "Little bitch doesn't know when to quit. We're going to find that little whore girlfriend of yours, and we're going to show her how a real man fucks. She'll beg for our cocks after we're done. She'll never want to touch your shrimp dick again!"

Zack laughed. "Or maybe we'll just make her beg for her life." He chuckled again, only to flinch when a fist hit his face. It was barely a punch, really, and it surprised him more than anything.

Jesse hit him again, though just as weak, his arms already feeling like they were made of lead from the beaten he'd already gotten. "I-I can't... let... you!" He had no idea why he was even trying to fight. He had no chance. It was probably all the blows he'd already gotten.

The wolf growled at him. "Oh, that's it, you little cunt. You're dead!" He slammed his fist down against him, cracking off of his face. Another blow came down, and more blood filled his mouth. Wade's foot also slammed into his side, then stomped down on his stomach again. He had no idea how much more they pummeled him, though. One more punch to the face sent him flying into unconsciousness, blissfully away from the pain.

*     *     *
", "pools_count": 2, "title": "Saved by Sorrow: Chapter 2", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" }, { "content_tag_id": "5", "name": "Strong Violence", "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "178" }