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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLuketheDuke2005\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Rated M for implied nudity and suggestive content", "writing": "Voyeuristic views Part 1 by: Pent Ghelsburg\n\nDisclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves micro macro and suggestive content with underaged characters. You have been warned.\n\nThat shiny new object that lies in the corner. That thing that one cannot have but that desire drives one crazy for. That often way overpriced tag on the side of it, putting it well out of reach for oneself. But what if that lucrative item was not being sold, but instead the property of a loved one? A technologically impossible thing in one's eyes, yet the mere existence of it made one curious. Did it actually work?\n\nRowan was a young puppy boy who lived a mostly sheltered life. At 12 years of age, the cub was just on the precipice of puberty. Hormones raging and wayward thoughts all over the place. The Beagle boy was an only child of two loving parents. His mother was your typical overprotective parent, who often went out of her way to keep Rowan out of trouble. His father, on the other hand, was a bit more enabling to him. The man was employed as an engineer with a local tech firm, working on all sorts of secret projects that very few knew about.\n\nRecently, the young boy had been dealing with some problems at school. While not quite a misfit, the beagle had been struggling to get good grades. His parents were especially upset when he supposedly got into a scuffle with another boy in class. When the two of them came in for the conference, they were told it was about a girl. While they weren't really surprised that the cub was developing an interest in them, this was the first time they'd been made aware of it.\n\n\tThe fur in charge of the meeting, a member of the school's disciplinary staff, warned them that if things continued, the boy would be suspended. It was a stark threat, one that neither of the parents expected, let alone wanted to hear. Rowan held his head low in that meeting, seeming just as disheartened about the news. It wasn't like he wanted to get in trouble, but lately, nothing seemed to be going his way.\n\n\tThat night at dinner, his parents had a heart-to-heart conversation with him. Rowan barely ate his food as they continued to chastise him. Though it wasn't necessarily an overly negative conversation, it was more of a reminder of their expectations of him. Of course, he wanted to make them happy and nodded his head at them with each suggestion and warning they gave him. Satisfied, the two older dogs let the issue be, and the rest of dinner went mostly silent.\n\n\tRowan didn't eat much food that night, despite his mother's insistence. He wasn't hungry, nor was he in the mood. Despite everything that had happened, that girl was still the very focus of her mind. The girl, a young Dalmatian cub no older than he was. Ivory, or Ivy as she was known by her close friends, was an athletic girl who was quite popular among her peers. One of the school cheerleaders had quite the following among the boys.\n\n\tTo Rowan, the girl wasn't just some piece of eye candy. She was a delicate flower who deserved to be treated like a princess. Yet, the beagle had never met her. The girl was out of his league in every way. Not just a core member of the cheer squad but also a big part of the most recent school musical. She had even starred as one of the anchors in the production of the morning announcements. She was most certainly one who enjoyed the spotlight.\n\n\tBut Ivory didn't even know he existed. She very seldom talked to boys. Often seen as brushing them off or toying with them. While she enjoyed the attention, she was much more interested in making fools of the cubs who doted on her. But Rowan had not yet made his attraction known to her. In fact, the first person he'd told, Jackson, was the very same boy he'd gotten into a scuffle with.\n\n\tAs he sulked into his room, Rowan's mind was still seething from that day. Already, he had forgotten much about what his parents had told him. None of that mattered now. Taking a school picture out of Ivory, he stared at it. He was very much your typical boy with an obsession. Touching the glossy texture of the photo and dipping his finger onto his lips and then back to hers. That wet smear sparkled back at him, almost as if teasing him that he would never get to touch her lips.\n\n\tThrowing the picture, he simply wouldn't have it. Ivory would be his, and no photo would tell him otherwise. Plopping into his bed, the cub's mind was running a kilometer a minute. Plotting all of the possible ways he could get the girl to notice him. Thinking to himself, he was already planning to take her to the winter ball. But soon his mind devolved into debauchery as his thoughts turned to other things.\n\n\tA few days prior, Rowan had been shown a small peephole inside the boy's locker room. That very same whole looked right into the girl's change room. After being told about it, he got curious and looked. Watching a few of the girls who he didn't know change. Yet, Ivory soon came into his few. Her soft velvety fur seemed to glisten against the lights beaming down from above her. For a moment, she stood there idly talking to her friends. But the moment she started to undress, the puppy boy was torn from the peephole.\n\n\tThe cub had been left wanting more, ever curious and even frustrated about not having gotten to see it. Of course, there was little he could do when Jackson pulled him from it. It was one of the things that caused the whole situation to boil over between them. But in that moment, it didn't matter. Each day that passed after that, he peeked again, but Ivory would not show herself in that spot, and he was left disappointed.\n\n\tAs he lay there thinking about it again, he wondered if there might be a better way to get what he wanted. Rowan knew he couldn't simply walk into the girls' locker room. They had administrative staff patrolling the area to address previous issues. The puppy figured there had to be another way to get what he wanted other than seeking it through the peephole. That night, he decided he would see if he could find something that his father had made that could help him.\n\t\n\tHis father was somewhat of a technological genius. While Rowan didn't know much of what he did at work, what he did know was that his old man liked to tinker. The cub even knew that his father had a workbench at home where he often honed his inventions. He had done things as simple as modifying Styrofoam firearms for his young son, as well as working on leaf vacuums in addition to other household devices.\n\n\tRowan knew his father had a secret stash of his clandestine projects. A dark cabinet with no sign on it, but it was clearly locked up. The cub had always wanted to see what was inside, and that night he was determined to make it happen. After his parents came to tuck him in and wish him goodnight, the young beagle remained awake. Playing on his phone a bit under the sheets so he didn't attract any unwanted attention.\n\n\tIt was another hour or so before he roused, rising out of the bed. A shrill squeak sounded as his socked paw touched the ground. Looking down, he saw it was a toy, kicking it away, he hoped it hadn't woken up his parents. Padding from the room, the cub was as quiet as possible, taking slow and careful steps down the stairs to the living room. Fortunately, the stairs had made almost no noise, so he fully expected he would go unnoticed.\n\n\tRowan knew his father's workshop was in the basement of the home. An off-limits room, which his father seldom locked. His parents policed it strictly, but neither of them had ever bothered to lock it since their son had never violated it before. But that night was different. In his mind, there was a purpose to his rule-breaking. He would get the girl of his dreams, and one of his father's inventions would help.\n\n\tOpening the door to the workshop, he was greeted by a cloud of dust. Immediately, he pinched his nose in an effort not to sneeze. Just barely fighting off the desire to do so before finally closing the door, taking continued steps down into the basement. A light automatically shifted on, briefly blinding the young boy whose vision took a moment to adjust. Once it did, he took a quick look around the workshop.\n\n\tHis father's workshop was small with a few cabinets, two tables, a workbench, and several storage bins. The beagle looked over at his equipment stash, a medium metallic bin that he'd seen his father rifle through before. The boy knew this was where his father kept his smaller inventions. Throwing up the lid, he began to look inside it. A few broken things were within, as well as some parts for whatever other projects his father had abandoned, but it seemed there was nothing of interest there.\n\n\tBut just as he was about to close the lid, he noticed a bright red shiny ring. The ring looked like one of those sucker pops that he liked to get from the local drug store. Even having a plastic finger loop and a setting attached to an obviously fake rhinestone. The rhinestone was ruby red and lacked any sort of luster. Touching it, the thing didn't feel like candy, as there was no stickiness to it. Yet a strange cooling sensation emanated from it as he did.\n\n\tThe cub wondered why his father would have such a thing in his belongings. It didn't even look like something he had made. But the longer he held it, the more that cold feeling began to spread through his body. Just as he was about to put the thing down, a sudden chill was sent down the entirety of his form. Shivering, his body huddled for warmth, and he felt his whole stomach drop as if he were on a roller coaster drop.\n\n\tHis stomach churned from a sudden shift in the whole of his person. Darkness surrounded him in a moment, and that cool feeling dissipated just as quickly as it had arisen. The cub looked around, finding himself surrounded by an unfamiliar dark cavern. Looking down at himself, he was naked. Where had his clothing gone, he thought to himself. At a loss, he tried to move but found his movement stifled by unstable footing.\n\n\tStruggling, the boy fought his position by flailing a bit. That ring he was holding fell out of his hands as he reached out to grab it once again so that he didn't lose it. Clawing forward, he grabbed a hold of something. Finally gaining some traction, he began to climb on whatever was before him. Each stretch forward and pull back, caved ever so slightly as whatever the surface was could only support so much of his weight.\n\n\tRowan eventually climbed out of it. Still holding that ring, he looked around. That metallic bin where he had found the ring now stood in front of him. Its massive walls towered over him by several centimeters. Blinking, he couldn't believe what he saw before him. Gazing behind him, he could see the feet of his father's work stool. The sudden realization dawned on him as he looked at the chair. He had shrunk.\n\n\tThe cub looked at that ring. That red gem had darkened a bit, and he grasped it in his hand. As he touched it, a new warmth resonated from it, making his body prickle, causing him to fidget. Energy began to course through the entirety of his form. A fit of dizziness stirred within him as his body began to twitch, unable to remain still. His stomach dropped as his body shifted in an instant, sending his whole body racing back to its normal size.\n\n\tGazing around, it took him a moment to realize what had happened. Shaking his head, the boy couldn't help but pinch himself. Sure enough, he wasn't asleep. Looking down, he could see the same clothing he'd worn to bed now lying just below his body at his feet. Despite the whole experience only lasting several seconds, it had all been too real. It seemed that this little ring had the power to shrink him as well as return him to normal size. Immediately, he began to plan in his mind, snatching it, ever determined to use it for his purpose of winning over Ivory.\n\n \tPocketing it, he made his way out of the workshop, turning the lights off just before he exited. Making sure to close the door as quietly as he could. Listening for a moment, he wanted to make sure his parents had not gotten up. Stillness surrounded him as he could only hear the occasional sounds of crickets outside. Padding back to his room, he fingered the little ring in his pocket, still coming up with a ploy of how he would use it to achieve his goal.\n\n\tIt wasn't until the next morning that he would come up with anything. Rowan got out of bed with the usual sound of his alarm clock. Drowsy from deep slumber, he rolled around in his bed, jabbing the little ring into the side of his leg. The sudden jolt of pain caused him to wake up in a hurry, but it also reminded him of the little trinket he'd heisted the previous night. Once again, his young mind went hard at work thinking about how he would use it.\n\n\tHis mother soon called to him from the kitchen, reminding him that he needed to hurry so he wasn't late for the bus. Despite his parents being relatively well-to-do, they still made him take the publicly available option. It was something he was used to, so it didn't really bother him. The boy made quick work of his breakfast, a simple mix of fruit and grains along with some freshly squeezed juice. The older woman handed him his lunch box before sending him back to his room to get ready.\n\n\tRowan's morning was rushed, just as it always was. Frantically changing into his school clothes and grabbing his bag. His mother smooching him on the face, just before he skittered out the door. The familiar sight of the yellow cheese wagon was already there waiting for him. His best friend, Dillon, was waving at him from one of the front seats. The familiar sight of the snow leopard made him scamper forward that much faster.\n\n\tOn board, he wasted no time in joining the bigger boy. Dillon was one year his senior, but in the same grade as him. \n\n\"You almost missed the bus, yo.\" The feline teen playfully punched his shoulder.\n\nRowan shrugged. \"Who cares? It's not like the bus would have left without me.\"\n\n\"Right. Did you hear about that new girl, Zoe?\" The grey-furred boy asked with a curious glint in his eyes.\n\nThe smaller cub arched his eyebrow at him. \"No. What about her?\"\n\n\"The other boys say she's already got a bra, brah.\" Dillon daydreamed a bit, as if imagining it.\n\nThe puppy boy had a stunned look on his face. \"Really?\"\n\n\"Yeah, Trey saw her through the peephole the other day. Said she was takin' it off.\" The older boy shaped his fingers as if they were the hole itself.\n\nThe dog shook his head. \"No way.\"\n\n\"Yes, way. She's a total catch, yo.\" The bigger boy was very much about appearance more than anything else.\n\nDillon started to drone on about the girl in question, but no longer was the other boy listening. Fingering the little ring in his pocket, he began to scheme. What if he shrank himself and snuck into the girl's bathroom? It would be the perfect ploy to see not only the new girl but Ivory as well. In his mind, it was a victimless crime, a flawless strategy that couldn't possibly go wrong. He just needed to find a place to use the ring without being seen.\n\nThe rest of the ride to school was pretty low-key for the two boys. Their conversation turned to more innocent topics. Focusing on the most recent homework assignment, which Rowan had forgotten all about. Quickly, he asked to see the other boy's work and copied from it. Not really worried about whether it was correct or not, all he wanted was to avoid the math teacher's ire. Just as they were arriving at the roundabout, he finished and stashed the paper back into his bag without a second thought.\n\nSchool that day was the same as many others for the young beagle. A mix of a few new topics in Science and History class, but nothing that really interested him. Rowan had always been more keen to learn things in music class. He was especially fond of the guitar his parents had bought him and had even been afforded private lessons. As such, he had landed the much sought-after role of lead guitarist.\n\nThough even in music that day, things were low-key. The old man owl teacher forced him to go over his chords. It was a routine he hated, despite not knowing all of them. Breaking down instead into a rock riff that he'd learned online, trying to impress the old teacher. Yet the owl wouldn't have it. Insisting that he keep to the basics since Rowan often missed up on the finer and more nuanced details of the instrument. It was one of the few times he was all too keen to get out of the class once the bell rang. \n\nThe end of music class meant that it was time for lunch. Rowan wasted no time in shifting from the music room to the hallway. As always, the halls were congested with students. There was no order or flow to it, but rather a constant stream of chaos and noise. The school administration tried to keep things under control, but there had been a few times in the past when things got very out of hand.\n\nThe beagle made his way into the lunchroom. The usual line to the serving station wove around the side of the room. Fortunately for the boy, he had his own lunch. Picking it out of his bag, he looked around for Dillon. Sure enough, he found Dillon hanging out with his usual crowd of older teens. Despite being held back a year, the older boy still preferred the company of boys his own age, with the exception of the dog boy.\n\nSitting down next to him, he overheard the tail end of Dillon's conversation. It seemed to be a discussion about Zoe. \n\n\"That dame is a real eye looker, Nick. I swear her body is just all curves, yo.\" The snow leopard said before he mimicked the shape he envisioned with his hand.\n\nThe mouse next to him shook his head. \"Give up. You ain't got any chance with her.\"\n\n\"Even if I don't. I can still admire her from afar. Hope she comes by the peeper today…\" Dillon was referring to the hole in the boy's locker room.\n\nThat comment made the younger boy smirk. \"Zoe is all yours, but I'm gonna get up and close and personal with Ivory today.\"\n\n\"What? What are ya talking about?\" The older cat looked back at him, seeming surprised at the comment.\n\nThe puppy gave him a confident look. \"I'm gonna sneak into the girls' locker room. They won't even notice me.\"\n\n\"You're crazy. If they catch you, you'll probably be suspended. You've already been in trouble for somethin' else before.\" Both of the other boys stared him down in disbelief. Dillon didn't want to avoid any more problems for his best friend.\n\nRowan shook his head. \"Just watch me. I'll even snag a pair of panties.\"\n\n\"You're on. If ya snag a pair, then we'll admit you're top dog, brah.\" The older boy playfully punched him in the shoulder.\n\nThe younger boy arrogantly nodded his head at him. He'd already decided this even before the discussion, but this challenge made it even more worthwhile to him. Now all he needed to do was wait for gym class to see if the little ring could help him accomplish the task. As time continued to pass, he remainder of the lunch period droned down to much more mundane conversation. Going on about their plans for after school and the weekend itself.\n\nA short while later, the dismissal bell for their period lunch heeded its familiar tone through the halls. The usual hubbub and crush of students got up from the tables to head back through the large doors leading out. Administration lined both sides of the cafeteria, and things were much more orderly leaving than coming in. Several members of the dean's staff stared at the cubs, many of which were familiar with their tactics to keep kids following the rules.\n\nThe halls to gym class were still just as disorganized as coming into the lunch room. Several streams of cubs filtered through the large corridor and past the metal doors of the gymnasium. Just beyond the entrance, a basketball court that had several bins filled to the top with all sorts of balls inside. Blue neoprene mats had been placed all about, and it seemed that the hoops had been moved to the side of the arena. \n\nJust as Rowan was about to enter the boy's locker room, he stopped. Looking to the other end, he could see the entrance to the girls' changing space. As usual, the girl's coach controlled the way into it. She was a burly and stought elk, her antlers making her seem much more imposing than she actually was. But most of the boys were scared of her as she did not put up with mischief, and the beagle was no different.\n\nCircling back, the cub retreated a way through the flow of the crowd. Just outside the lockers was the space between the pushed-back bleachers and the wall itself. Hiding himself in between that lofty space, he set down his book bag on the floor. The boy didn't think his belongings could be shrunk, since his clothing hadn't shrunk the other day. Taking a deep breath, he fingered the little ring before bringing it out to touch more intentionally.\n\nThat smooth ruby glistened against the light that glared down from above, streaking a singular line across its divots. Slipping the ring on, he soon began to feel that cold feeling begin to spread through the entirety of his form. Shivering, he bundled himself up in an effort to keep himself warm. His stomach dropped in an instant as his line of sight dropped, and he began to feel a bit dizzy as his vision blurred from a sudden shift in perspective.\n\nIt took a moment for him to come around. Finding himself once again surrounded by an unfamiliar darkness. The echoes of the locker could be heard nearby, along with the incomprehensible conversation of other cubs. Rowan began to claw himself from the confines of his now much too large clothes. Using the full brunt of his boyish might to dig and pull himself from within.\n\nWhen he finally emerged, the cub looked around. The shadow of the nearby bleachers extended over him, darkening out the area just enough that the stuff he would leave behind could not be found. Looking over at the bleacher, he could only see the foot of the leg of it. Even the boards of the wooden floor seemed large to him, and the cracks between them were much more evident. Yet, he was intent on going through with this and tried not to let it deter him.\n\nRowan raced forward, finding his steps not taking him quite as far as he remembered. Each stride he took took him mere centimeters as the bleacher just to the side of him barely seemed like it was falling behind. Picking up the pace, he ran at full speed ahead. The light from the locker rooms could be seen in front of him, and a few cub's shoes could be seen walking to and fro. He knew he would need to be careful so that he wouldn't be stepped on.\n\nThe cub made his way toward the light, his progress slow but steady. Taking him much longer than he ever anticipated, but eventually he found his way to the edge of the wall. Just beyond, he could see that foot traffic had come to a stop. No longer were there furs coming in or out. This was the chance he needed to get inside the girls' locker room. As quickly as he could, he sprinted across, maintaining himself until he reached the other side of the walkway.\n\nFollowing the wall inside, he kept himself just along it, just in case someone did walk in. He didn't want anyone to notice him or step on him. Continuing within, he followed through the singular turn that led to the interior of the locker room. Once inside it, he heard nothing. Taking a quick look around, it looked very similar to the boy's one except that the tiles were tan instead of gray. A few of the girls' bags lined the benches.\n\nThe boy knew exactly where Ivory's locker was. He'd been spying on her long enough that he knew just where to go, even just from looking through the peephole. Making his way over there, he saw the girls' familiar pink bag. Her initials were inscribed on it, \"IG\"; he knew it had to be her. Now it was just a matter of time before she showed up. So sitting down, he proceeded to wait, listening for any signs of people to come inside the locker room.\n\nA short while later, and furs began to filter in. One by one, girls walked into the locker room, some of them more sweaty than others. Rowan kept an eye out for Ivory, who eventually walked in with two other girls. The familiar dalmation didn't even look like she had worked out. Her finely brushed fur was just as cleanly kept as always. The look on her face was very much one of having skipped out on gym class and gotten away with it.\n\nRowan perked up as she neared him. The girl was still in her gym clothes, despite not actually having participated. She separated from her friends and went to her locker. The puppy raced to the side as she almost stepped on him. Now, on his backside, he stared upward. His gaze pierced through the pant leg of the girl he admired. He could see the frilly outline of her panties, and he couldn't help but stare.\n\nAs he stared, the cub started to get aroused. Reaching down to gently touch himself, his hand briefly rubbed against the outline of that ring. A warmth began to emanate from it, spreading a coursing energy through his body. His body jerked several times with his limbs moving inadvertently. His stomach dropped once again as his whole form shifted in an instant. Ivory didn't have her eyes on him as she was turned around, but didn't take long to notice the naked boy once she rotated back.\n\n\"What's this? A boy in the girls' locker room? How did you get in here?\" She said quietly as if not wanting to attract unwanted attention.\n\nRowan stood there without words, covering his bits as he gargled his speech inaudibly.\n\n\"Well? Either you speak up or I call the coach over here.\" Ivory folded her arms defensively.\n\nThe smaller boy swallowed. \"I erm…I got lost?\"\n\n\"That's a lie. Tell the truth or else.\" She thumped her feet on the tiled floors.\n\nThe beagle swallowed. \"Well..uh…I just wanted to get a better look and uh…\"\n\n\"Oh, I see. So you're a perv. Is that why you're hiding your little prick?\" The dalmation slapped him as if she were offended.\n\nThe brown and white furred boy shook his head. \"Nuh-uh.\"\n\n\"Uh, huh. It sure looks like a way. Get lost before I call the coach over.\" The girl wanted nothing to do with him, tossing him a towel to cover himself.\n\nRowan quickly clothed his lower half. Touching the ring again elicited no reaction from it. The boy had humiliated himself, feeling entirely defeated. Hiding in a corner, he remained until all the girls had left. Finally, when they were gone, he revealed himself. Returning to his back to redress himself. The filth of shame hung about him, and he hoped Ivory would never speak of it. He figured he would never live it down, even going so far as thinking about it, but deciding not to.\n\nLater that night, when he returned home, he got an unexpected text from Dillon.\n\n\"Dude, that was sick, yo! You totally got into the girls' locker room.\" The other boy said through a notification on Rowan's phone.\n\nA fuchsia red fuse tinted under the beagle's fur. \"You saw that?\"\n\n\"Totally, brah. I don't know how you did it, but you totally proved me wrong.\" The snow leopard texted him again.\n\nThe beagle was a mixture of confusion, but he played it off. \"Oh, yeah. That was the plan. Did you see she totally ogled my junk?\"\n\n\"Totally, Ivory is gonna be yours for sure. Did you score the goods?\" Dillon recalled their little wager from earlier.\n\nThe dog's ears and shoulders slumped as he remembered it. \"Nah, I forgot. I got too carried away with her looks.\"\n\n\"All good, brah. You should totally do that again. I can't wait to tell the other guys in class. You'll be a legend for sure.\" The feline had already told a few of his friends.\n\nRowan reached over to his nightstand to where he'd put the ring previously. That dark red gem barely shone against the light. Already in his mind, he was thinking of using it again, despite the small setback. His friend goading him on only fueled the fire even more. Of reliving his glory days of how he got into the girls' locker room and even got to see Ivory in her delicates. Perhaps next time he could see more. A smirk crept across his face as he began to plot and scheme…for tomorrow. \n\nThe next morning came with the usual sounding of the alarm clock. The beagle had always been a deep sleeper, and it wasn't until his mother popped in to rouse him that he got up. Grumbling, he rolled around in the bed, yet his mother showed him no quarter. Eventually, the boy came around, wiping his eyes of the crust that had formed over the course of the night.\n\n\"Get up, lazy bones. You're going to be late for the bus.\" His mother gave him a firm look to let him know she meant business.\n\nSlowly, he eased himself up in the bed, pulling down the sheets. \"I'm up…I'm up.\"\n\n\"It's picture day. Make sure you dress up nice for the photographers, okay?\" The woman planned on buying them if they were nice enough.\n\nRowan whined. \"But mom…my polos and khakis are so stiff and uncomfortable.\"\n\n\"Then maybe you should wear them more. Now get up before I dump cold water on you.\" It was a strategy she had used before, and she knew he didn't like it.\n\nThat threat was enough to get him out of bed, waiting until she was gone to stick out his tongue at her. He loved his mother, but in his mind, she was somewhat difficult. Padding over to his closet, he peered inside. His nicest clothing had all been hung from hangers, all of them without creases or wrinkles. It was evident that one of his parents had ironed them flat. The boy picked out a sky blue polo t-shirt and tan khaki trousers.\n\nSlipping out of his pajamas, he yawned and stretched. He was still tired but could just faintly smell the aroma of something from the kitchen. Sniffing the air, it was the all too familiar odor of freshly cooked sausage. Rowan picked up the pace and quickly changed into his nicer garments and pocketed the little ring from his nightstand. The clothing was a bit small on him, but nothing too tight.\n\n But that lack of roominess that he liked made them something he abhorred to wear. He padded down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen, passing right by his father, who gave him a quick pat on the head. As usual, the older male had his face stuffed into his laptop, seemingly already at work. Rowan continued by himself and saw that the kitchen was vacant. A plate of sausage and fruit had been left for him at the table. Not wasting any time, the cub plopped his behind on the chair and started eating.\n\nIn the backdrop, he could hear one of his parents listening to the radio. The familiar sound of it droning on about the traffic and weather expectations for the day. None of it interested him. Already his mind was deep in thought, thinking about his day. Perhaps he could sneak into the girls' locker room again, except this time he wouldn't get caught, or so he told himself. He still wanted to score that prize, and he wasn't going to give up until he did.\n\nThe rest of his morning was pretty hectic. Daydreaming while eating had cost him a lot of time, and everything else was much more of a frenzy. Dashing back into his room to get his bag ready, but forgetting to clean up his mess. Only to be called back by his father to do his usual chores. By the time he had finally finished getting ready, his mother whistled to him to indicate that the bus was ready. It seemed he was late once again.\n\nFrantically, he rushed out the door and blew the woman a kiss so as not to anger the bus driver anymore. That all too familiar yellow cheese wagon remained dormant at his usual stop. \n\nDillon yelled at him from the window. \"Better hurry, old Hilda is getting impatient.\"\n\nThis warning made him run that much more quickly. Rowan went as fast as his legs would take him. Entering the vehicle, the driver gave him a brief stare. It was obvious the woman was annoyed with him, even if she didn't say anything. \n\n\"Sit down.\" The woman's raspy voice said in a commending tone.\n\nSaying nothing, he quietly shuffled into the seat next to where the snow leopard was sitting. Dillon laughed at him as the other boy seemed entertained by his consistent lateness.\n\n\"What's so funny?\" The puppy couldn't help but ask.\n\nThe older boy shook his head. \"You are. Hilda was going to leave until you waltzed out the door. You should get up earlier, yo.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know my mother says the same thing.\" The beagle shrugged, not seeming bothered by the issue despite it being a consistent problem for him.\n\nDillon playfully slapped him on the back. \"Anyways. Are you planning on sneaking into the girls' locker room today?\"\n\n\"Yeah, probably. I didn't score the prize yesterday, so the bet isn't won or lost just yet.\" Rowan was still intent on seeing Ivory undress.\n\nThe snow leopard gawked at him a bit. \"I don't know how you pulled it off yesterday, but I can't wait to see you do it again today. Think you can score me Zoe's panties, brah? I'll do ya a solid if you do.\"\n\n\"I'll see what I can do. I haven't even gotten Ivory's yet.\" The dog still had no idea how he would pull that portion of his plan off.\n\nDillon slung his arm around the other boy. \"For sha'. I knew I could count on you.\"\n\nThe two boys soon diverted into a different topic, shifting to an upcoming test in Literature class. It was something that Rowan had forgotten, and he was glad that the other cub had reminded him. Chugging along, the bus continued on its way down its usual route. Traffic was a bit thicker than usual, so it took slightly longer than it normally did to get to the school. Arriving just shortly after the warning bell, a member of the administration was there to accommodate the latecomers with passes.\n\nRowan and Dillon went their separate ways in the halls as their first two classes were the only ones they didn't have together. The beagles' first class of the day was History class. It was his least favorite, along with Math. As he saw the door to it, the familiar old woman who was his teacher eyed him warily. The badger fully expected his mischief, as she had more than several problems with him in the past.'\n\nKeeping his eyes to the ground, the boy avoided her line of sight. Inside the room, he noticed the desks had been pushed together.\n\n\"Pick a partner and try not to cause any problems today.\" The woman said shortly as she folded her arms defensively.\n\nThe boy stuck his tongue at her as she turned her back to him. Padding back further towards the rear of the room, he noticed that Ivory had a vacant spot next to her. Surprised to see her alone, he quickly walked over and took the free spot next to her. \n\nThe dalmation looked at him warily. \"What're you doing, dweeb? Scott is sitting here.\"\n\n\"It doesn't look like Scott is here today. Can I join you?\" The smaller puppy said with a hopeful grin.\n\nShe rolled her eyes at him. \"Sure, but if he comes, then you need to scram.\"\n\nThe dog boy smiled at her, glad that she'd given in without much protest. A few minutes passed, but Scott never showed up. Finally shutting the door, the teacher began to go over the day's assignment. Groupwork involving a small research project into peace treaties and prolonged periods of peacetime. Many of the students in the class groaned at the sound of it, but when Rowan turned to the girl to see her reaction, she didn't seem bothered by it.\n\nThe teacher soon passed out laptops for each of them, going desk by desk. Stopping just in front of Rowan before finally conceding to give it to him. Ivory wasted no time in getting to work. The girl was a history buff despite giving off the perception that she wanted nothing to do with school. Saying nothing, she pulled up a site on Pax Romana and started reading into it. She hadn't sought the boy's advice and very much felt like she didn't need to.\n\n\"Whatcha' looking into?\" Rowan peered over toward her computer.\n\nShe gave him a stink eye. \"What do you care? Just leave me be.\"\n\n\"What's your problem? Are you still sour about yesterday? I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to invade your privacy.\" The smaller cub tried to stand his ground without knowing the extent of what bothered her.\n\nIvory huffed at him in frustration. \"I don't like liars. You're a liar.\"\n\n\"Is that what this is about? You want to know the truth?\" I was curious, okay?\" The beagle decided to be up front about it.\n\nThe dalmation slowly turned her head back toward him. \"Was that so hard?\"\n\n\"Well, yes…it was. I thought you would be annoyed because I tried to peek. That doesn't bother you?\" The puppy boy seemed surprised by her response.\n\nThe bigger girl brushed back the longer fur on her head. \"Nah, you're just like every other boy. I think it's kind of cute.\"\n\n\"You do? But why?\" Rowan was under the impression that most girls valued their privacy.\n\nShe poked him on the nose playfully with a smirk. \"That's for me to know and you to possibly find out. Now, are you going to help me or not?\"\n\nSwiftly, he nodded at her, glad that the awkwardness of the conversation had passed. It wasn't nearly as embarrassing as he thought it was. The topic shifted back to what she had picked, going into the specifics of the Pax Romana. It was a period of time that Rowan was unfamiliar with, even if there was more than enough information on it. It wasn't long before they had enough to work with and began building a presentation on the subject.\n\n A thought occurred to him as they were working. What would she think if she caught him again? Would she be so calm about it if he were honest? Not quite, she firmly decided that he would be more clandestine about it this time. He wanted to see her undressed, and no one was going to stop him. All he needed to do was swiftly get into the girls' locker room without being detected, and he had just the tool to help him do it.\n\nThe rest of the class was pretty low-key for the two cubs. They hit off a bit, conversing at first about the topic, but soon shifted to a more personal touch. By the end of it, Rowan had learned more about the girl in an hour than he had in the entirety of knowing her. It made him even more fixated on her and even more willing to do whatever it would take to win her hand. But first…he had other things to take care of it.\n\nRowan went through the rest of his early day like normal. Math taught him another new topic that was way over his head. Scale factors were not something every cub his age got the hang of right off the bat, and he was no different. Still, he did what he could to understand it and was left with some homework since he wasn't able to finish the assignment in class. He was all too glad when the class dismissed, and he was left now with just music.\n\nThe music that day was much more hands-on. Walking into the room, the beagle saw that instruments were set up all about. His assigned guitar had been set on a rack near the back, next to a bass and an acoustic. It appeared they were doing a musical number. The teacher greeted him as he passed by a younger man whom he did not recognize. A pitch black puma man wearing just as dark sunglasses that hid his eyes with a matching leather jacket and ripped up jeans.\n\nPadding back to the guitar, he saw that a lead sheet had been placed there. The notes and lyrics were from a song he was only somewhat familiar with. The tune is from a bygone era, but one that was played often on the radio. Before he could figure out what it was, the unfamiliar man at the front of the room began to talk.\n\n\"Alright, cubbies. I'm your sub today, but you can call me Norm. We ain't doing none of that classical nonsense, nah. Today we're gonna be jamming it out to Kiss.\" \n\nRowan's face lit up at the thought of it. He knew he recognized the lyrics of the song, but was unfamiliar with where it was from. Before long, the man at the front of the room pulled out an electric guitar and began to do the solo from Black Diamond. It was a song seldom heard on the radio, but the vocals and flow of it were synonymous with the group. The sub went on a guitar rampage, hitting every note with ease, shredding in front of the entire class.\n\nThe whole class ended up being a show off for the young man. Rowan was impressed all the same, even going as far as asking him for lessons sometimes. The man pushed him off, telling him perhaps later. A promise he would certainly hold the man to. When lunch rolled around, everyone in that class was talking about it. That showboaty sub who didn't let them try anything but still stole the attention all the same.\n\nThe beagle was sitting with his usual crowd, Dillon and his other friends were there. The conversation soon shifted to what had happened the other day. Revisiting the triumph of the younger cub.\n\n\"So what's your plan today, champ?\" Dillon asked, ever curious to see how his friend had pulled off the effort.\n\nThe dog boy wasn't about to give away his trick. \"A magician never tells his secret.\"\n\n\"You're no magician, brah. Come on, tell us how you did it.\" The older teen continued to goad him on.\n\nRowan shook his head. \"Nope. You're just gonna have to watch and gawk in awe as I snatch some panties.\"\n\n\"No fair. Well, you promised you'd try to score me Zoe's. Don't hold up on your part of the bargain, yo.\" The snow leopard playfully slapped him on the back.\n\nThe brown furred cub rolled his eyes. \"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll try.\"\n\nAn announcement soon came over the intercom, interrupting their conversation. \n\n\"All students reporting to the gymnasium after lunch must report to the field promptly after changing.\"\n\nThis gave Rowan the opportunity he needed to get set up. Surely he could get into the girls' locker room again without being noticed. He knew he would have to use the ring again, but with no one around except the usual doorkeeper, it would be that much easier. Once again, he began to plan how he would pull it off, his mind drifting back to that and not really participating in the conversation anymore.\n\nIt was a short time more before the usual bell sounded to end lunch time. The crush and flow of furs was just as bad as it usually was. Cubs of various grades tried to filter through the small openings of the door. Rowan helped to the back as he wasn't so worried about being on time. He had already come up with a plan in his mind, and it was now just a matter of time before he tried it out. Following along with the crowd, he made his way to the gymnasium.\n\nRowan did not stop by the bleachers; the flow of traffic made it hard for him to step to the side without being noticed. Instead, following along until he was in the very back of the boys' locker room. The place was musty and dank with the stench of funky odors of all sorts. Despite how much the school maintenance sanitized the place, there was no getting rid of it. Most of the students never noticed it as they had gotten used to it.\n\nThe beagle shifted to his locker, finding that Dillon was watching him from afar. Keeping a straight face, he tried to stay calm. He knew he couldn't just use the ring with him watching. He needed to wait for the other boys to leave. Retreating into one of the nearby bathrooms, he remained there a few minutes. A short time passed before he could hear the foot traffic and the clapping of shoes on their way out.\n\nHe peered his head out of the bathroom to make sure no one was left. Sure enough, everyone had left, though he could see the usual member of the school administration near the entrance. This was the opportunity he was looking for. Slipping over to his locker, he reached into his pocket where he had stashed his ring the previous day. Taking it out and looking at it, the thing seemed a bit darker than the previous day.\n\nShoving his hand into his pocket, he felt around for the ring and pulled it out from within. The thing had taken on a new shine to it, looking much more luminescent than earlier. He couldn't help but look at it, noting that his own reflection was bent but that he could still see it refracted over the gem's face. Bringing a single finger to it, he touched it ever so gently, grazing his finger over its sides.\n\nThat now somewhat familiar chilled feeling began to course through his body. His body shivered ever so slightly as he tried to wrap his arms around himself to warm himself. Yet, it courses through him even still. His stomach twisted into a knot, making him feel just short of nauseous. Dropping only seconds later as he fell back flat on his bum. A shroud of darkness surrounded the young boy as he tried to re-collect himself.\n\nRowan clawed his way out of his cloth-enclosed prison. A single flap of the fabric drooped over him as he tried to pull himself out. Sending him reeling back a bit, he tried again but was met with similar failure. Frustration started to build inside him, but he tried again as the fabric pooled over him and caved in his small form, creating an even smaller space. Losing hope, he began to search around for an alternative route of escape.\n\nThe cub eventually spotted a small, thin ray of light to his rear. That crack of illumination was more than enough to get him crawling forward. Each movement of his legs pushed him forward ever so slightly, with the fabric continuing to slop behind him. It took a few tries, but eventually there was enough of it that he could no longer cause it to move from shifting his legs back and forth. After several minutes, he was able to find his way out of confinement.\n\nFinding himself outside, he was met by the sight of the expansive sea of tan tiles before him. The grouts between them were dirty, some of them caked with lime or rust. It didn't seem like the place had been deeply cleaned in a while. From afar, he could hear the constant dripping of one of the showers, a leak that he'd never noticed before. Hopping from the sleeve of his shirt, the beagle took a moment to look around and gauge his surroundings. \n\nJust beyond him, he could see the exit from the bathroom to the locker itself. The shift from tile floor to cement made it obvious where he was. Stepping into the locker room, he could see the iron feet of the benches. The encrusted bases of them were caked with grime. A few dried-up balls of gum hung just below each of the seats. Rowan quickly snuck himself underneath the bench, still unsure if he could be spotted, even despite how small he was.\n\nDown the distance of the locker room, he could see the usual member of the school staff there. The large pelican was mostly absorbed in his cell phone, as he normally was during the class activity time. The boy knew this was the moment he was waiting for, sprinting toward the exit. Yet his strides didn't take him nearly as long. By the time he made it to the door, he had to stop to catch his breath.\n\nRowan remained distant from the bird man. Fortunately, the older male was completely occupied in whatever screen time he was engaging in. Looking to the other side, he saw that the usual member of staff who monitored the girls' locker wasn't there. The cub didn't think much about it and darted across the floor in one quick sprint. Once he was on the other side, he stopped again to catch his breath while peering within the girls' locker room.\n\nJust as his head snaked around the corner, a woman's shoe raced only a near centimeter from his head. The suddenness of the movement of the rush of air made his heart race as he was all but certain it was going to hit him. Yet, the footwear grazed just over his small form. The woman continued right past him without even noticing, going over to shoot the breeze with her friend across the hall.\n\nIt took a moment for the boy to recollect himself. That harrowing experience had left him reeling. Taking a slow breath, he tried to calm himself. After he had finally settled, he began making his way into the girls' locker room once again. Continuing at a slow but persistent rate toward the back. That familiar pink and turquoise duffel bag was sitting on the bench. He was all but certain it was Ivory's. Now it was just a matter of time, he told himself silently.\n\nRowan took a spot underneath the bench, taking a load off while he waited. Finding himself bored before long, he had little else to do. It was a short time before he began to hear voices echoing down the halls. The cacophony of chatter was a mixture of both boys and girls as they made their way into the basketball courts and just beyond them. As the cub heard the sounds, he perked up, looking towards the door for any signs of Ivory.\n\nThe altercation showed up several minutes later. The girl's fine polka-dotted fur made her stand out rather easily among her peers. She was also one of the taller girls, with her lanky features being shared only by other girls who hadn't quite filled out their bodies. Rowan could hear her voice, even among the sounds of other ones he didn't recognize. The girl was chatting up a storm with her friends, though the beagle couldn't make out what they were conversing about.\n\nBreaking off from her friends, Ivory finally made her way over toward the area where she had put her things. Seeing her head this way made the boy's heart race, but he knew he had to relax, so he didn't slip up like before. Calming himself, he tried to sit right along the side of the leg of the chair. Believing himself to be mostly concealed, the cub only peered his head out from underneath the bench.\n\nIvory swiped a towel from the inside of her bag. Wiping her forehead over twice with it before patting it over her short fur. She didn't sweat much, but the activity that day had been harder on her than usual. Reaching down, she began to tug at her shirt, pulling it off in one swift movement. Rowan couldn't help but look up at her. She hadn't quite developed a chest yet, but it was the first time he'd seen her like this that close up.\n\nTossing the shirt into her duffel bag, she took an elongated breath. As he took in every centimeter of her body, he noticed her fur was somewhat messy. Not caring much, he watched as Ivory leaned over a bit\n as he shoved off her gym shorts. The nylon fabric snaked down her legs in a matter of seconds. It was more than stretch enough that she didn't need to take off her shoes to take it off. Rowan gawked at the girl in her panties, the pink fabric, but only a few meters from him.\n\nThe girl moved her clothing to the side from where she'd thrown them on her duffel bag. Briefly reaching inside to find her change of clothes. A bright green graphic t-shirt and cut-off jean shorts that were very much all the rage for girls in her age group. Rowan still stared at the girl with his mouth open agape. From around him, he could hear the clip-clop of shoes as some girls were already headed out.\n\nA moment passed as she wove to one of her friends, exchanging in a brief but playful banter with one of her friends. Shuffling both of her feet and kicking each shoe off one by one. Rowan watched as one sailed right toward him. Ever closer it came as in a panic he tried to get clear of it. Clipping only his tail, the ring he was wearing rubbed against his body as he tumbled. The cub's body made no sound, but he was now no longer under the protection of the bench.\n\nRowan panicked as he realized he was in the open. His body was starting to feel warm again as one of his legs fidgeted. Looking at the ring, it had taken on an ever brighter glow. Energy now coursed through his whole body as he tried touching the ring a few times. But that sensation never went away and only got stronger with each passing moment. Beginning to feel dizzy, his eyesight blurred as his stomach dropped. His body shot up right beside the other girl as he returned to his normal size.\n\nThe dalmation stared at him, her undressed form now even closer to him. It took a second for the beagle to recover, stammering as he covered his nether regions to shield what little vanity that remained.\n\n\"You…again? How did you do that?\" This time, she had seen the whole thing play out and was left dumbstruck. \n\nThe smaller boy murmured a bit. \"Uh…magic?\"\n\n\"That was no magic trick. Tell the truth or I'll scream.\" Ivory seemed even more annoyed than the previous time.\n\nRowan quickly interrupted her as he showed it to her. \"Fine…I can explain. My dad made this, and it helped me get in without being seen.\"\n\n\"A ring? Are you serious? That thing looks like a toy. You're lying, aren't you?\" The dalmation didn't believe what he was telling him.\n\nThe brown furred boy started to panic as he tried to explain. \"No, I swear. It made me little and I snuck in here without being seen. You gotta believe me.\"\n\nThe girl wasn't entirely sure what to think of the claim. Looking at him, she saw that he was afraid, but it didn't seem like he was lying. Still, she wasn't exactly sure how to react, even if what he was saying was true. Yet in the back of her mind, she came up with a plan. Perhaps she could manipulate the boy and get something she wanted for him. A wicked smile crept across her face as she inched toward him,\n\n\"Fine, give me the ring if that was true.\" Ivory held out her hand paw expectantly toward him.\n\nRowan shook his head. \"No. It's mine. Can't I do something else?\"\n\n\"You're going to do everything I tell you, or I will alert the coach.\" She knew he had little other choice.\n\nThe beagle sighed. \"Fine. What do you want me to do?\"\n\n\"You're going to play a trick on Dillon. He's petrified of ghosts, so I want you to play the part. If you do a good job, I'll make it worth your while.\" The taller girl gently touched his chin as if to entice him further,\n\nThe puppy boy seemed shocked by the request. \"Worth my while how?\"\n\n\"I'll take you on a date to K-town.\" K-town was the Korean quarter of the city.\n\nThe smaller cub's face turned into a smile. \"Really?\"\n\n\"Only if you play along. I know you like me. Rumors get around fast. You in or not?\" The dalmation released his chin.\n\nRowan softly nodded at her. \"Deal.\"\n\n\"Now scram and stay hidden. I need to get changed. No peeping or else. My friends are waiting for me.\" The bigger girl shoved him to the back to a place where few went, so he wouldn't be seen.\n\nThe dog boy's heart was racing at a kilometer a minute. The whole thing had lasted only a short while, but already everything had changed. But now he had another problem. How was he going to scare, Dillon? Certainly, he could use the ring to that effect…but how? Already, he was planning his moves as he waited for the locker room to empty. Finally, padding his way out only to return and gather his clothes from the other locker room.\n\nOnce all the girls had left the locker room, Dillon made a quick rush to the other side to grab his stuff and change. He didn't want to miss the bus, especially since he knew the snow leopard would be there. He figured if he could get the other boy to let him come over, then he could scare the other cub. The thought that Ivory would never actually know if he did it or not never occurred to him, but he was a sucker for the girl.\n\nAfter changing and slinging his bag over his shoulder, he sped out to the school yard, finding that the familiar cheese wagons were already waiting. Scanning through the numbers, he saw that his route was already waiting. A few of the other buses near the front of the line were already heading out, so he started to run even faster, thinking that he might miss it. Just as he entered the bus, old Hilda gave him another death stare.\n\n\"Get on and sit down.\" She said with the usual sharp tone in her voice.\n\nA hiss sounded as the door behind him shut, and the tip of his tail nicked just as it did. Yet he knew better than to say anything. The woman had a short temper and even less tolerance for cubs. The fact that she was a bus driver would befuddle anyone she told. Rowan shuffled into his usual seat, where he found Dillon. The boy gave him a playful grin.\n\n\"That was sick, yo.\" Of course, the older boy had seen his successes through the peephole.\n\nThe smaller boy scratched the back of his head. \"Thanks, but I still didn't score the prize.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know, but she is totally into you. Her eyes were all over your junk, brah. How did you do it?\" Dillon asked the same question from earlier.\n\nThe brown furred cub waved his finger playfully. \"Not gonna tell, so forget it.\"\n\n'You're no fun. Did Mrs. Morris give you guys the scale number assignment, too?\" The bigger cub changed topics since he would get nowhere with it.\n\nRowan nodded. \"Yeah, why?\"\n\n\"You wanna come over and work on it together?\" The feline was just as bad at math as his friend was.\n\nThe younger boy cracked a smile. \"Sure, let me text my parents. They won't mind as long as I'm home before dinner.\"\n\nRowan grinned as he took out his phone. He didn't even need to ask the boy; everything was working out much better than he planned. Quickly fingering a text to his mother, who responded but a short time later with the expected response. Sharing the information with the teen, the snow leopard was all too happy to have him over to help, even if the other boy wasn't great at the subject. But for the beagle, this wasn't about the assignment. Already, he was planning how he would scare the other boy.\n\nThe big cats stopped a few after Rowan's own. They soon pulled into the small community where the teen and his family lived. Dillon's house was slightly larger than his own, as he was the younger of two children. His sister, several years older than he was, had moved out the previous summer to attend university. Her room was being used as an entertainment center, even if the girl's belongings and decorations remained mostly in place.\n\nDillon's house was among a few others in the same duplex style. Two-story abodes, with each of them having a balcony and a shared backyard between them. The yard, though small, had a swing bench in addition to a tree house that the boys' neighbors had built for their younger children. The lawn and garden in front of it were well kept with freshly trimmed bushes and pruned flowers that made it all smell rich with a decadent aroma.\n\nThe teen motioned for Rowan to follow him. Leading the younger boy to the front door, where a small welcome mat had been placed. Letting him inside, Dillon didn't even bother to take his shoes off and padded toward the rear of the house. His room was smaller than Rowan's, filled with all sorts of baseball memorabilia from his favorite team. Several signed posters and faux pennants lined the wall, with the younger boy only recognizing a few of the players.\n\nDigging into his bag, the older boy took out the assignment from within. The balled-up piece of paper showed very little thought had been given to where it had been put. He unwrinkled it and straightened it out on the small desk in the corner of his room. Finally tossing his bag to the side and kicking it to his rear with one swift movement of his leg.\n\n\"Come on, let's get this over with. Once we can finish, I can beat your butt in the new Mario Kart.\" The feline was just as big a gamer as he was.\n\nThey started on the assignment and began working through it. Relying on the internet for a walk-through more than the worksheet. The explanation on the sheet was far from sufficient for the purposes of doing it. It took them a while to figure it out, troubleshooting only the first two answers and relying on their process for the rest of it. Already halfway through it, they were bored with the assignment, as in their mind it was taking too long.\n\n\"You want a snack?\" Dillon asked as he stood up from the office chair.\n\nThe smaller cub licked his lips a bit. \"Yeah, have you got any pretzels or chips?\"\n\n\"Probably. Be right back.\" The snow leopard made his way out of the room and into the hall.\n\nRowan watched him leave and then peered his head out to make sure he wasn't coming back for at least a little while. This was the chance he was waiting for. Reaching into his pocket, he gently touched the ring and forced it onto his finger. The gem reverberated with that now all too familiar chill that made his paw clasp from the sudden temperature change. His body shaking as it spread through the rest of his body.\n\nThe cub looked again down the hall, taking a few steps back toward the bathroom to close the door to make it look like he was using it. He wrapped his hands around his body, huddling up as his stomach began to churn. His stomach falling before he found himself surrounded by darkness. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to get rid of the sudden daze he was experiencing. Reaching around to clasp the fabric in hopes of finding a way to dig himself out.\n\nRowan found a small hole through his sleeve that led out. The thin ray of light extended from outside that helped him navigate the small folds in the fabric. Quickly as he could, he snaked his way out from within. Rolling out from the cuff of the sleeve and down the pile of fabric. Looking up at the fabric, it was then that he realized it was out in the open. Trying to push it, the fabric folded over and captured him once again.\n\nDigging himself out from underneath, the beagle decided to just leave it be. Searching around the room, he gazed around surveying for anything he could use to scare the other cub. Nearby, a single shoe lay on its side, the thing slid just underneath the bed. Not believing he could move it, he simply ignored it. Eventually, his eyes landed on a few balls that had found their way under the bed. There seemed to be quite a few of them.\n\nDillon returned a few minutes later with a bowl of popcorn. \"Hey, I'm back with popcorn. Where are you, yo?\" \n\nThere was no answer to his question, but peering over toward the bathroom, he saw it was closed. Certain that the other boy was probably using it, he decided to let the issue go. Sitting back down at the desk, he got back to work on the assignment. Rowan could see that the older boy was focused on what he was doing. Pushing in a singular effort, he shoved a tennis ball toward him. The ball falling just short of where Dillon's paws were.\n\nThe grey-furred cub shifted himself in his chair a bit, angling to look toward the bathroom. No sounds were coming from it, but he still suspected nothing. The teen's foot shifted right alongside that ball as he looked down at it.\n\n\"How did this get here?\" The snow leopard asked aloud.\n\nHe kicked it to the side, but just as he did, a baseball rolled toward him. \"Another one? Where are these coming from?\"\n\nDillon kicked the ball a second time, and still another rolled toward his foot. \"Another? What the heck is going on?\"\n\nThe teen looked around as he was starting to get freaked out. Just as his head was frantically searching, he saw another one roll out from under the bed. This aroused his suspicion, and immediately he got up. Rowan noticed the sudden movement and quickly moved behind the teen's shoe so he wouldn't be discovered. Dillon peered underneath and saw nothing except that shoe, a few other balls, and the pile of clothing that his friend had left behind. Yet it didn't occur to him that it wasn't his own.\n\nReturning to the assignment, ball after ball rolled and bumped him just barely on the foot. Each one is raising his level of concern ever more. It had been several minutes by this point, and again he looked over at the bathroom.\n\n\"Are you in there? Something freaky is going on in here.\" The older boy asked, and still there was no answer.\n\nDillon got up yet again, this time heading toward the bathroom. Trying to open it, he found it unlocked. But within, there were no signs of the other cub. His heart started to race as fear began to set within him.\n\n\"Dude, if you're playing a joke…this isn't funny.\" Dillon was starting to panic.\n\nRowan rolled out the last of the balls as the older boy watched them. His eyes grew further. He wanted his mother now. Quickly darting out of the room as he went to look for her. The younger boy chuckled as his little ruse had worked much better than he had planned. Stepping out from under the bed, he could see no signs of the other boy. Giving that ring another rub or two before it returned him to his normal size.\n\nRe-dressing himself, he found the other boy hiding in a closet. Dillon's parents hadn't gotten home from work just yet. Reconciling with him and letting him on his trick, but not giving away how he did it.\n\n\"That was hilarious. I scared you out of your pants.\" The beagle said with a grin on his face.\n\nThe bigger boy scowled at him. \"Yeah, yeah…whatever. You better not tell anyone else about this.\"\n\n\"I won't, but you gotta admit it was a little bit funny.\" Of course, Rowan fully planned on telling Ivory the next day at school.\n\nDillon rolled his eyes. \"I guess so. I don't know how you did it, but you sure got me good, brah. Just don't do it again…haha.\"\n\nIt wasn't long before they got back to work, finishing their assignment just in time before Rowan's parents came to pick him up. The beagle collecting his things before wishing him goodbye. It had been a long day, but everything had gone according to plan. The rest of his night would be a quiet one, sharing dinner with his family and toning things down to head to sleep. Lying there after his usual hygiene routine, he was convinced it was just a matter of time before he knew for sure if Ivory would hold her part of the bargain up or not. \n\nThe next morning arrived with the usual sound of the alarm clock buzzing. Rowan hopped out of bed much more excitedly than usual. Already on his mind, he was thinking about how Ivory would react. A very small part of him doubted she would go along with it, but he was going to try to make her hold up her part of it. Shuffling into the kitchen, he made himself a quick bowl of cereal and fresh fruit.\n\nHis mother popped her head in the kitchen to give him a quick kiss on the forehead, but quickly rushed out as she had to go to work. But Rowan didn't need to be told about missing the bus today; in fact, he was looking forward to it. After he cleaned up and changed into some casual wear for school, he quickly sped out to the outdoors. Yelling to his father, he let him know he was headed to school and left for the bus.\n\nFrom the front yard, he could see Dillon peering out through the window. Not seeming his usual cheerful self. In fact, he was still looking a bit sour about what had happened the previous night. Seeing that frown through the window made Rowan feel that much more guilty about it. Strolling onto the bus, the driver seemed surprised that he wasn't late for once. Though he didn't notice her reaction to him as he passed her by, ignoring her to head right for his usual seat.\n\nRowan made his way to the seat, noticing immediately that the snow leopard was still avoiding his gaze.\n\n\"Are you still sour about yesterday? Look, I'm sorry I scared you.\" The beagle was starting to feel bad about it.\n\nThe bigger boy huffed. \"I wasn't scared.\"\n\n\"Oh, boo-hickey, you weren't scared. I'm sorry, okay? I promise I won't do it again.\" The younger cub just wanted to make it up to him and wasn't sure how.\n\nDillon rolled his eyes at him. \"Whatever. Just don't tell anyone about it.\"\n\n\"I won't. I promise. Do you forgive me?\" The brown furred boy held out his hand to his friend.\n\nThe feline playfully punched him on the shoulder. \"Duh, Brah.\"\n\nThe younger boy smiled, glad to see the other boy back to his usual self. Going back to talking about nothing specific, but never staying on the same topic for long before eventually shifting to girls.\n\n\"You gonna sneak into the girls' locker room again?\" The grey-furred boy couldn't help but ask.\n\nDillon thought about it a moment before shaking his head. \"Nah, I'm gonna ask Ivory out today at lunch.\"\n\n\"Huh? You think she's actually interested in you?\" Dillon was surprised by the change of tune.\n\nThe boy smirked as he knew he had a trick up his sleeve. \"Kind of. She didn't seem that creeped out by me peeping on her, even after she realized I was there.\"\n\n\"Brah, you're crazy, but I like your style.\" The teen gently shoved him again.\n\nBefore long, the bus pulled into the usual roundabout in front of the school. A drizzle had begun to trickle down, so a member of the school's administration was outside hurrying the students inside. Rowan and Dillon parted ways and waved to one another. Fingering that ring in his pocket, the beagle was certain he wouldn't need it that day. As he made his way toward history class, he began to think about how he would win the girl over.\n\nArriving in the class, he found the dalmation girl sitting alone. Her eyes drifted towards him, and in that moment, they met. Rowan assumed that Scott was still out, and he was going to take advantage of it, even if he wasn't sure the group assignment was being continued.\n\n\"Hey, dweeb. Did you do it?\" Ivory had a fiendish smile on her face.\n\nThe smaller boy hesitated a few seconds before answering. \"Yeah, he was pretty sour about it. He was still upset this morning. I feel kind of bad.\"\n\n\"Ah, don't be such a dork. He'll be fine. Looks like I owe you a trip to K-town. Are you free this afternoon? I already talked to my parents about it?\" She continued to chew loudly on a piece of bubble gum.\n\nRowan got a bit nervous but was still excited about the prospect of it. \"Probably, but I have to ask my parents about it. They should be cool with it as long as I'm home before dinner.\"\n\n\"For sha. It's a date then. Don't be late.\" The lean girl got out her notes from the other day.\n\nThe class started before long, and sure enough, they were to continue the group assignments during periods of peace. Yet, already in the boy's mind, he was running all of the possibilities that could happen, both good and bad. Even still, he wasn't going to back out. This was what he wanted all along, and it was his big chance to get with the girl of his dreams. Reaching into a pocket, he sent his parents a text under the desk, asking permission so he could know for sure if he could participate.\n\nIt was a short while later before they answered, and Rowan felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket. Looking at it between classes, the cub cracked a smile. The deal was sealed, his parents were alright with it, and he was set for his very first date. Now it was just a matter of time before he got to spend time with the girl of his dreams. Yet, nerves began to set in as he had never done such a thing before.\n\nThe school day flashed by rather quickly that day. The combination of anxiety and excitement for him made it go by much faster than usual. When gym class rolled around, Rowan actually participated that day instead of sneaking again into the girls' locker room. He didn't want to ruin the chance he had with Ivory. After all, she had given him mixed signals about what she thought about it, and he didn't want to risk it.\n\nThe boy was confronted about his recent absences over the last few days. His coach forced him to do a few laps around the court as the other boys played in a basketball game. Only allowed to join them after he had done 3 run arounds. It was hardly difficult, but annoying all the same. Rowan was all too glad when he finished, finally joining in on the competition and even scoring a basket. High fouring Dillon, who ended up being the most valuable player that day.\n\nAfter retiring to the locker rooms, Rowan saw some of the other boys peeping through the usual hole in the wall. Gawking at whatever girl they saw on the other side. When they asked him if he wanted to join, the beagle declined the invitation, much to their surprise. The mention of the girls made him a bit nervous. It was just then that he realized that he was only a short while away from his date with Ivory.\n\n\"What's wrong with you, brah? How come you don't wanna peep?\" The older feline couldn't help but be curious.\n\nRowan fiddled with his fingers in his hands. \"Because I have a date with Ivory and I don't want to ruin it.\"\n\n\"You do? She actually said yes?\" The grey-furred boy was more than surprised at this.\n\nThe younger cub nodded softly. \"Yeah, she did. We're going to K-town after school.\"\n\n\"Sweet! Good luck, yo. I hope you land that fish.\" The teen playfully slapped him on the back.\n\nThe brown furred boy murmured. \"Thanks.\"\n\n\"Are you alright?\" Dillon picked up something different about his friend's demeanor.\n\nThe beagle shook his head. \"Just a little nervous.\"\n\n\"Just try and relax. When I went on my first date, I just pretended she went in her underwear, and that helped calm my nerves.\" The older boy chuckled at the recollection.\n\nThe smaller cub looked over toward him. \"Really?\"\n\n\"Yeah, try it. If nothing else, it will make you laugh.\" The snow leopard slowly walked away as he returned to talk to his other friends.\n\nHuffing, the puppy took a deep breath, telling himself that everything would be fine. Finally getting up to change back into his casual stuff. It wasn't that much longer before the final bell rang for the day. The usual hubbub of dismissal soon followed. The sudden crush of students making their way through the small corridor leading out of the lockers. But Rowan remained close to the back, keeping a slow but steady breath so he could steel himself.\n\nAfter he had made his way through the halls of the school, he pushed his way outside. Just outside the front doors of the building, he gazed around searching for Ivory. The familiar lanky girl waved to him upon seeing him. A light smile was clearly apparent on her face. Asking himself the question on his mind, was she looking forward to this? He certainly hoped so as he took one more slow and steady breath before making his way over to her.\n\n\"What took you so long, dweeb?\" Ivory said as she placed her hands to the side.\n\nThe smaller boy shrugged. \"There were a lot of people. I hope you haven't been waiting long.\"\n\n\"Nah, just giving you grief. Come on.\" The dalmation offered her hand to the other boy.\n\nTaking her hand in his own made butterflies float around in his stomach. That unfamiliar feeling made him even more nervous.\n\n She peered at him and stared. \"Relax, dork. I'm not going to bite you. Just enjoy yourself.\"\n\n\"I know…it's just…\" Rowan had never been out with a girl before.\n\nThe girl chucked. \"It's your first date, isn't it? Just pretend I'm one of your male friends then. I promise it's no different.\"\n\n\"Sorry, okay…I'll try.\" The boy couldn't help but smile as the floaty feeling in his stomach became even worse.\n\nShe gripped his hand even tighter, almost as if offering her support to the other boy. That confident smile on her face was just as smug as it was reassuring. Taking another careful breath, he tried to relax and settle himself once more as they started to move through the school yard. As they walked together, some of the other kids stared at them. Never had they seen the pair together, and already rumors would start to fly.\n\nIvory led him away from the school, following down the sidewalk to the middle of town. Feeling a bit less nervous now, the beagle had a bigger smile on his face. The girl was nowhere near what he expected. In fact, she seemed more into this than he was. Making their way through a few back roads and side streets until they found their way to the outskirts of \"Korea-town\", the well-known Hangul sign hanging over the entrance to it.\n\nK-town was a small segment at the center of the city. Several kimchi and other restaurants lined the sides of the streets, with some street vendors yelling at patrons. Some of them spoke the local tongue, but others spoke in their native Korean tongue. The smell of barbecue and grills could be smelled in the air as the open market was lively with activity. A few stage performers were doing a fully costumed rendition of the most recent \"Demon Hunters\" tune.\n\n\"Come on, Ejae and her crew are slamming it up.\" Ivory didn't much care about the fact that it was costumed actresses.\n\nThe smaller boy didn't have much of a chance to react before he was tugged away to the stage. The actresses on stage were banging it out to the \"Golden\". The song was upbeat and rhythmic, with many of the people dancing in the audience. Rowan had never heard of the group before, so he wasn't familiar with the song. The bigger girl shuffled in with him toward the tail end of the crowd. Settling in as the girl started to sing along with it, getting much more into it than he ever would.\n\n\"Isn't this awesome?\" She asked between two lines of the song.\n\nThe boy smiled at her. \"Yeah, the music is really catchy.\"\n\n\"Dance with me, dork.\" The girl snapped him up into her arms.\n\nRowan felt his whole body swept away before she released him. \"Follow along.\"\n\nThe girls' dance moves were just as fluid as the makeshift stars on stage. It was almost as if she had choreographed all of this with her. Sensual movements of her arms and legs, throwing them back and forth. Snapping with her hands with every beat of the song. Waving toward him, only to take the cub back in her arms. Guiding him through much of the same movements. The whole experience was surreal, and he couldn't help but melt into her very touch.\n\nThe song ended before long with its usual poppy flair and flashing lights. She held her hand out and then threw it up, still holding it up with her hand. The street lights just beyond them shone down upon them as if they too were stars.\n\n\"Come on, dweeb. Let's go get something to eat before your mum gets worried.\" The girl didn't ask his permission as she felt like she didn't need it.\n\nShe led him back a ways through a small corridor that led into one of the Kimchi shops. The smell of spices and various sauces could be smelt lingering in the air. One of the restaurant's owners waved to her. It was apparent she had been to the place before. Sitting down in the first spot she found, she patted the spot next to her, urging the boy to join her. No longer quite as nervous, Rowan plopped down right next to her.\n\nA waiter eventually showed up, taking their order. She chose both of them. Nabak for herself and Baechu for her new friend. She figured it would be something he would like since it was the most popular variety of the dish. \n\n\"Enjoying yourself, dweeb?\" She asked casually, trying to pass the time while they waited.\n\nThe smaller boy softly nodded. \"Yeah. I've never been to a Korean place before. What is it like?\"\n\n\"It's very spicy, but I assure you it's quite delicious.\" Ivory slung her arm around the beagle.\n\nRowan couldn't help but lean into her, giving in to his inner desire to be closer to her. Everything seemed to be going well for him. They talked amongst themselves, learning more about each other. The Dalamation found herself enjoying his company more than she expected. He wasn't like the other boys. The cub had even started to relax and be himself around her, and his personality was starting to rub off on her. It wasn't much longer before the food showed up.\n\nBoth of them dug in without delay, and the food was rich with flavor. With each bite the boy took, he had to drown it down with water. It was a bit too intense for him, but it was delicious all the same. \n\n\"Too hot for you? Don't be such a wuss.\" The white furred girl chuckled at him.\n\nThe boy blushed at her joke but didn't let it bother him. \"Would you want to do this again this weekend?\"\n\n\"No, I wouldn't. Sorry.\" The Dalamation smirked at him with hidden intent.\n\nRowan frowned at her. \"But why? I thought you were having fun?\"\n\n\"You're right, dork, I am. But we can do something else instead.\" The bigger girl held him a bit tighter against her.\n\nIn that moment, the boy couldn't have been happier. She had just agreed to another date with him. While she wasn't his girlfriend quite yet, he was that much closer. He didn't care what she had in mind so long as he got to spend more time with her.\n\nSlinging his arm around her as well, he smiled back. \"You're on, goof.\"\n\nAs they finished their meal, Ivory couldn't help herself but take the boy's hand in her own. A smile cracked across his face as the waiter came back with the bill. Pulling some money out of his pocket, Rowan paid for the meal with his allowance. Shocked, the girl couldn't believe he would do this, but she certainly wasn't about to complain. Despite her own premonitions about going out with the boy, she had enjoyed herself. A smile on both of their faces as they finally got up to leave.\n\nJust outside the restaurant, the boy stopped to text his parents to let them know he was ready for them to pick him up. Reminding them of where he was before he was whisked away by Ivory to a more secluded place. She backed him into a corner, and his heart raced as he didn't know what to expect. The two cubs' eyes looked into one another's, the dalmatians' piercing yellow pupils only mere centimeters from his.\n\nShe leaned forward, landing a single peck on his cheek. A light red flush ran across his face as his heart stopped for just that moment. Was she his girlfriend now? He couldn't be sure, but that was certainly the case. Ivory squeezed his hand again, seeming to be all too happy to be in his company. The phone in his pocket vibrated, but he ignored it. In that moment, only he and the girl he admired were in the world, and nothing else mattered.\n\nAs they emerged from the alley shortly after, still paw in paw, the smaller boy's head was in the clouds. Eventually, Rowan checked his phone to find that his parents would pick him up at the closest main street crossing. Even offering to take Ivory home, so long as she gave them the directions. Of course, the grandmother agreed even if she could call her own parents to pick her up. After all, it was an excuse to spend just a bit more time with him.\n\nExiting from K-town, they made their way to the street crossing in question. Standing there waiting, Ivory was very much in his personal space, and he certainly didn't mind. Everything had gone great for him, much better than he ever anticipated. The girl he had dreamt about being with for so long was now his, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't much longer before the beagle's mother showed up to pick up the two cubs.\n\nThey filed into the back seat together. The boy's mother immediately picked up on something different about her son. The look on his face and the closeness of the girl next to him were all too telling. Even if they weren't quite an item yet, it was evident they were closer than just friends. A smile crept across her face, but she stayed silent. Telling herself the boy would tell her when he was ready.\n\nWhen it came time for her to go home, Rowan and Ivory's hands lingered in one another. Their gaze was still tied in between one another's vigilant gaze. It was as if two long-lost lovers were being torn apart. Yet on that day, things had forever changed between them. Fostering a relationship that would change their lives forever. A change that both of them would not just embrace but welcome as they discovered their true emotions for each other.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Voyeuristic views Part 1 by: Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves micro macro and suggestive content with underaged characters. You have been warned.

That shiny new object that lies in the corner. That thing that one cannot have but that desire drives one crazy for. That often way overpriced tag on the side of it, putting it well out of reach for oneself. But what if that lucrative item was not being sold, but instead the property of a loved one? A technologically impossible thing in one's eyes, yet the mere existence of it made one curious. Did it actually work?

Rowan was a young puppy boy who lived a mostly sheltered life. At 12 years of age, the cub was just on the precipice of puberty. Hormones raging and wayward thoughts all over the place. The Beagle boy was an only child of two loving parents. His mother was your typical overprotective parent, who often went out of her way to keep Rowan out of trouble. His father, on the other hand, was a bit more enabling to him. The man was employed as an engineer with a local tech firm, working on all sorts of secret projects that very few knew about.

Recently, the young boy had been dealing with some problems at school. While not quite a misfit, the beagle had been struggling to get good grades. His parents were especially upset when he supposedly got into a scuffle with another boy in class. When the two of them came in for the conference, they were told it was about a girl. While they weren't really surprised that the cub was developing an interest in them, this was the first time they'd been made aware of it.

\tThe fur in charge of the meeting, a member of the school's disciplinary staff, warned them that if things continued, the boy would be suspended. It was a stark threat, one that neither of the parents expected, let alone wanted to hear. Rowan held his head low in that meeting, seeming just as disheartened about the news. It wasn't like he wanted to get in trouble, but lately, nothing seemed to be going his way.

\tThat night at dinner, his parents had a heart-to-heart conversation with him. Rowan barely ate his food as they continued to chastise him. Though it wasn't necessarily an overly negative conversation, it was more of a reminder of their expectations of him. Of course, he wanted to make them happy and nodded his head at them with each suggestion and warning they gave him. Satisfied, the two older dogs let the issue be, and the rest of dinner went mostly silent.

\tRowan didn't eat much food that night, despite his mother's insistence. He wasn't hungry, nor was he in the mood. Despite everything that had happened, that girl was still the very focus of her mind. The girl, a young Dalmatian cub no older than he was. Ivory, or Ivy as she was known by her close friends, was an athletic girl who was quite popular among her peers. One of the school cheerleaders had quite the following among the boys.

\tTo Rowan, the girl wasn't just some piece of eye candy. She was a delicate flower who deserved to be treated like a princess. Yet, the beagle had never met her. The girl was out of his league in every way. Not just a core member of the cheer squad but also a big part of the most recent school musical. She had even starred as one of the anchors in the production of the morning announcements. She was most certainly one who enjoyed the spotlight.

\tBut Ivory didn't even know he existed. She very seldom talked to boys. Often seen as brushing them off or toying with them. While she enjoyed the attention, she was much more interested in making fools of the cubs who doted on her. But Rowan had not yet made his attraction known to her. In fact, the first person he'd told, Jackson, was the very same boy he'd gotten into a scuffle with.

\tAs he sulked into his room, Rowan's mind was still seething from that day. Already, he had forgotten much about what his parents had told him. None of that mattered now. Taking a school picture out of Ivory, he stared at it. He was very much your typical boy with an obsession. Touching the glossy texture of the photo and dipping his finger onto his lips and then back to hers. That wet smear sparkled back at him, almost as if teasing him that he would never get to touch her lips.

\tThrowing the picture, he simply wouldn't have it. Ivory would be his, and no photo would tell him otherwise. Plopping into his bed, the cub's mind was running a kilometer a minute. Plotting all of the possible ways he could get the girl to notice him. Thinking to himself, he was already planning to take her to the winter ball. But soon his mind devolved into debauchery as his thoughts turned to other things.

\tA few days prior, Rowan had been shown a small peephole inside the boy's locker room. That very same whole looked right into the girl's change room. After being told about it, he got curious and looked. Watching a few of the girls who he didn't know change. Yet, Ivory soon came into his few. Her soft velvety fur seemed to glisten against the lights beaming down from above her. For a moment, she stood there idly talking to her friends. But the moment she started to undress, the puppy boy was torn from the peephole.

\tThe cub had been left wanting more, ever curious and even frustrated about not having gotten to see it. Of course, there was little he could do when Jackson pulled him from it. It was one of the things that caused the whole situation to boil over between them. But in that moment, it didn't matter. Each day that passed after that, he peeked again, but Ivory would not show herself in that spot, and he was left disappointed.

\tAs he lay there thinking about it again, he wondered if there might be a better way to get what he wanted. Rowan knew he couldn't simply walk into the girls' locker room. They had administrative staff patrolling the area to address previous issues.  The puppy figured there had to be another way to get what he wanted other than seeking it through the peephole. That night, he decided he would see if he could find something that his father had made that could help him.
\t
\tHis father was somewhat of a technological genius. While Rowan didn't know much of what he did at work, what he did know was that his old man liked to tinker. The cub even knew that his father had a workbench at home where he often honed his inventions. He had done things as simple as modifying Styrofoam firearms for his young son, as well as working on leaf vacuums in addition to other household devices.

\tRowan knew his father had a secret stash of his clandestine projects. A dark cabinet with no sign on it, but it was clearly locked up. The cub had always wanted to see what was inside, and that night he was determined to make it happen. After his parents came to tuck him in and wish him goodnight, the young beagle remained awake. Playing on his phone a bit under the sheets so he didn't attract any unwanted attention.

\tIt was another hour or so before he roused, rising out of the bed. A shrill squeak sounded as his socked paw touched the ground. Looking down, he saw it was a toy, kicking it away, he hoped it hadn't woken up his parents. Padding from the room, the cub was as quiet as possible, taking slow and careful steps down the stairs to the living room. Fortunately, the stairs had made almost no noise, so he fully expected he would go unnoticed.

\tRowan knew his father's workshop was in the basement of the home. An off-limits room, which his father seldom locked. His parents policed it strictly, but neither of them had ever bothered to lock it since their son had never violated it before. But that night was different. In his mind, there was a purpose to his rule-breaking. He would get the girl of his dreams, and one of his father's inventions would help.

\tOpening the door to the workshop, he was greeted by a cloud of dust. Immediately, he pinched his nose in an effort not to sneeze. Just barely fighting off the desire to do so before finally closing the door, taking continued steps down into the basement. A light automatically shifted on, briefly blinding the young boy whose vision took a moment to adjust. Once it did, he took a quick look around the workshop.

\tHis father's workshop was small with a few cabinets, two tables, a workbench, and several storage bins. The beagle looked over at his equipment stash, a medium metallic bin that he'd seen his father rifle through before. The boy knew this was where his father kept his smaller inventions. Throwing up the lid, he began to look inside it. A few broken things were within, as well as some parts for whatever other projects his father had abandoned, but it seemed there was nothing of interest there.

\tBut just as he was about to close the lid, he noticed a bright red shiny ring. The ring looked like one of those sucker pops that he liked to get from the local drug store. Even having a plastic finger loop and a setting attached to an obviously fake rhinestone. The rhinestone was ruby red and lacked any sort of luster. Touching it, the thing didn't feel like candy, as there was no stickiness to it. Yet a strange cooling sensation emanated from it as he did.

\tThe cub wondered why his father would have such a thing in his belongings. It didn't even look like something he had made. But the longer he held it, the more that cold feeling began to spread through his body. Just as he was about to put the thing down, a sudden chill was sent down the entirety of his form. Shivering, his body huddled for warmth, and he felt his whole stomach drop as if he were on a roller coaster drop.

\tHis stomach churned from a sudden shift in the whole of his person. Darkness surrounded him in a moment, and that cool feeling dissipated just as quickly as it had arisen. The cub looked around, finding himself surrounded by an unfamiliar dark cavern. Looking down at himself, he was naked. Where had his clothing gone, he thought to himself. At a loss, he tried to move but found his movement stifled by unstable footing.

\tStruggling, the boy fought his position by flailing a bit. That ring he was holding fell out of his hands as he reached out to grab it once again so that he didn't lose it. Clawing forward, he grabbed a hold of something. Finally gaining some traction, he began to climb on whatever was before him. Each stretch forward and pull back, caved ever so slightly as whatever the surface was could only support so much of his weight.

\tRowan eventually climbed out of it. Still holding that ring, he looked around. That metallic bin where he had found the ring now stood in front of him. Its massive walls towered over him by several centimeters. Blinking, he couldn't believe what he saw before him. Gazing behind him, he could see the feet of his father's work stool. The sudden realization dawned on him as he looked at the chair. He had shrunk.

\tThe cub looked at that ring. That red gem had darkened a bit, and he grasped it in his hand. As he touched it, a new warmth resonated from it, making his body prickle, causing him to fidget. Energy began to course through the entirety of his form. A fit of dizziness stirred within him as his body began to twitch, unable to remain still. His stomach dropped as his body shifted in an instant, sending his whole body racing back to its normal size.

\tGazing around, it took him a moment to realize what had happened. Shaking his head, the boy couldn't help but pinch himself. Sure enough, he wasn't asleep. Looking down, he could see the same clothing he'd worn to bed now lying just below his body at his feet. Despite the whole experience only lasting several seconds, it had all been too real. It seemed that this little ring had the power to shrink him as well as return him to normal size. Immediately, he began to plan in his mind, snatching it, ever determined to use it for his purpose of winning over Ivory.

 \tPocketing it, he made his way out of the workshop, turning the lights off just before he exited. Making sure to close the door as quietly as he could. Listening for a moment, he wanted to make sure his parents had not gotten up. Stillness surrounded him as he could only hear the occasional sounds of crickets outside. Padding back to his room, he fingered the little ring in his pocket, still coming up with a ploy of how he would use it to achieve his goal.

\tIt wasn't until the next morning that he would come up with anything.  Rowan got out of bed with the usual sound of his alarm clock. Drowsy from deep slumber, he rolled around in his bed, jabbing the little ring into the side of his leg. The sudden jolt of pain caused him to wake up in a hurry, but it also reminded him of the little trinket he'd heisted the previous night. Once again, his young mind went hard at work thinking about how he would use it.

\tHis mother soon called to him from the kitchen, reminding him that he needed to hurry so he wasn't late for the bus. Despite his parents being relatively well-to-do, they still made him take the publicly available option. It was something he was used to, so it didn't really bother him. The boy made quick work of his breakfast, a simple mix of fruit and grains along with some freshly squeezed juice. The older woman handed him his lunch box before sending him back to his room to get ready.

\tRowan's morning was rushed, just as it always was. Frantically changing into his school clothes and grabbing his bag. His mother smooching him on the face, just before he skittered out the door. The familiar sight of the yellow cheese wagon was already there waiting for him. His best friend, Dillon, was waving at him from one of the front seats. The familiar sight of the snow leopard made him scamper forward that much faster.

\tOn board, he wasted no time in joining the bigger boy. Dillon was one year his senior, but in the same grade as him.

"You almost missed the bus, yo." The feline teen playfully punched his shoulder.

Rowan shrugged. "Who cares? It's not like the bus would have left without me."

"Right. Did you hear about that new girl, Zoe?" The grey-furred boy asked with a curious glint in his eyes.

The smaller cub arched his eyebrow at him. "No. What about her?"

"The other boys say she's already got a bra, brah." Dillon daydreamed a bit, as if imagining it.

The puppy boy had a stunned look on his face. "Really?"

"Yeah, Trey saw her through the peephole the other day. Said she was takin' it off." The older boy shaped his fingers as if they were the hole itself.

The dog shook his head. "No way."

"Yes, way. She's a total catch, yo." The bigger boy was very much about appearance more than anything else.

Dillon started to drone on about the girl in question, but no longer was the other boy listening. Fingering the little ring in his pocket, he began to scheme. What if he shrank himself and snuck into the girl's bathroom? It would be the perfect ploy to see not only the new girl but Ivory as well. In his mind, it was a victimless crime, a flawless strategy that couldn't possibly go wrong. He just needed to find a place to use the ring without being seen.

The rest of the ride to school was pretty low-key for the two boys. Their conversation turned to more innocent topics. Focusing on the most recent homework assignment, which Rowan had forgotten all about. Quickly, he asked to see the other boy's work and copied from it. Not really worried about whether it was correct or not, all he wanted was to avoid the math teacher's ire. Just as they were arriving at the roundabout, he finished and stashed the paper back into his bag without a second thought.

School that day was the same as many others for the young beagle. A mix of a few new topics in Science and History class, but nothing that really interested him. Rowan had always been more keen to learn things in music class. He was especially fond of the guitar his parents had bought him and had even been afforded private lessons. As such, he had landed the much sought-after role of lead guitarist.

Though even in music that day, things were low-key. The old man owl teacher forced him to go over his chords. It was a routine he hated, despite not knowing all of them. Breaking down instead into a rock riff that he'd learned online, trying to impress the old teacher. Yet the owl wouldn't have it. Insisting that he keep to the basics since Rowan often missed up on the finer and more nuanced details of the instrument. It was one of the few times he was all too keen to get out of the class once the bell rang.

The end of music class meant that it was time for lunch. Rowan wasted no time in shifting from the music room to the hallway. As always, the halls were congested with students. There was no order or flow to it, but rather a constant stream of chaos and noise. The school administration tried to keep things under control, but there had been a few times in the past when things got very out of hand.

The beagle made his way into the lunchroom. The usual line to the serving station wove around the side of the room. Fortunately for the boy, he had his own lunch. Picking it out of his bag, he looked around for Dillon. Sure enough, he found Dillon hanging out with his usual crowd of older teens. Despite being held back a year, the older boy still preferred the company of boys his own age, with the exception of the dog boy.

Sitting down next to him, he overheard the tail end of Dillon's conversation. It seemed to be a discussion about Zoe.

"That dame is a real eye looker, Nick. I swear her body is just all curves, yo." The snow leopard said before he mimicked the shape he envisioned with his hand.

The mouse next to him shook his head. "Give up. You ain't got any chance with her."

"Even if I don't. I can still admire her from afar. Hope she comes by the peeper today…" Dillon was referring to the hole in the boy's locker room.

That comment made the younger boy smirk. "Zoe is all yours, but I'm gonna get up and close and personal with Ivory today."

"What? What are ya talking about?" The older cat looked back at him, seeming surprised at the comment.

The puppy gave him a confident look. "I'm gonna sneak into the girls' locker room. They won't even notice me."

"You're crazy. If they catch you, you'll probably be suspended. You've already been in trouble for somethin' else before." Both of the other boys stared him down in disbelief. Dillon didn't want to avoid any more problems for his best friend.

Rowan shook his head. "Just watch me. I'll even snag a pair of panties."

"You're on. If ya snag a pair, then we'll admit you're top dog, brah." The older boy playfully punched him in the shoulder.

The younger boy arrogantly nodded his head at him. He'd already decided this even before the discussion, but this challenge made it even more worthwhile to him.  Now all he needed to do was wait for gym class to see if the little ring could help him accomplish the task. As time continued to pass, he remainder of the lunch period droned down to much more mundane conversation. Going on about their plans for after school and the weekend itself.

A short while later, the dismissal bell for their period lunch heeded its familiar tone through the halls. The usual hubbub and crush of students got up from the tables to head back through the large doors leading out. Administration lined both sides of the cafeteria, and things were much more orderly leaving than coming in. Several members of the dean's staff stared at the cubs, many of which were familiar with their tactics to keep kids following the rules.

The halls to gym class were still just as disorganized as coming into the lunch room. Several streams of cubs filtered through the large corridor and past the metal doors of the gymnasium. Just beyond the entrance, a basketball court that had several bins filled to the top with all sorts of balls inside. Blue neoprene mats had been placed all about, and it seemed that the hoops had been moved to the side of the arena.  

Just as Rowan was about to enter the boy's locker room, he stopped. Looking to the other end, he could see the entrance to the girls' changing space. As usual, the girl's coach controlled the way into it. She was a burly and stought elk, her antlers making her seem much more imposing than she actually was. But most of the boys were scared of her as she did not put up with mischief, and the beagle was no different.

Circling back, the cub retreated a way through the flow of the crowd. Just outside the lockers was the space between the pushed-back bleachers and the wall itself. Hiding himself in between that lofty space, he set down his book bag on the floor. The boy didn't think his belongings could be shrunk, since his clothing hadn't shrunk the other day. Taking a deep breath, he fingered the little ring before bringing it out to touch more intentionally.

That smooth ruby glistened against the light that glared down from above, streaking a singular line across its divots. Slipping the ring on, he soon began to feel that cold feeling begin to spread through the entirety of his form. Shivering, he bundled himself up in an effort to keep himself warm. His stomach dropped in an instant as his line of sight dropped, and he began to feel a bit dizzy as his vision blurred from a sudden shift in perspective.

It took a moment for him to come around. Finding himself once again surrounded by an unfamiliar darkness. The echoes of the locker could be heard nearby, along with the incomprehensible conversation of other cubs. Rowan began to claw himself from the confines of his now much too large clothes. Using the full brunt of his boyish might to dig and pull himself from within.

When he finally emerged, the cub looked around. The shadow of the nearby bleachers extended over him, darkening out the area just enough that the stuff he would leave behind could not be found. Looking over at the bleacher, he could only see the foot of the leg of it. Even the boards of the wooden floor seemed large to him, and the cracks between them were much more evident. Yet, he was intent on going through with this and tried not to let it deter him.

Rowan raced forward, finding his steps not taking him quite as far as he remembered. Each stride he took took him mere centimeters as the bleacher just to the side of him barely seemed like it was falling behind. Picking up the pace, he ran at full speed ahead. The light from the locker rooms could be seen in front of him, and a few cub's shoes could be seen walking to and fro. He knew he would need to be careful so that he wouldn't be stepped on.

The cub made his way toward the light, his progress slow but steady. Taking him much longer than he ever anticipated, but eventually he found his way to the edge of the wall. Just beyond, he could see that foot traffic had come to a stop. No longer were there furs coming in or out. This was the chance he needed to get inside the girls' locker room. As quickly as he could, he sprinted across, maintaining himself until he reached the other side of the walkway.

Following the wall inside, he kept himself just along it, just in case someone did walk in. He didn't want anyone to notice him or step on him. Continuing within, he followed through the singular turn that led to the interior of the locker room. Once inside it, he heard nothing. Taking a quick look around, it looked very similar to the boy's one except that the tiles were tan instead of gray. A few of the girls' bags lined the benches.

The boy knew exactly where Ivory's locker was. He'd been spying on her long enough that he knew just where to go, even just from looking through the peephole. Making his way over there, he saw the girls' familiar pink bag. Her initials were inscribed on it, "IG"; he knew it had to be her. Now it was just a matter of time before she showed up. So sitting down, he proceeded to wait, listening for any signs of people to come inside the locker room.

A short while later, and furs began to filter in. One by one, girls walked into the locker room, some of them more sweaty than others. Rowan kept an eye out for Ivory, who eventually walked in with two other girls. The familiar dalmation didn't even look like she had worked out. Her finely brushed fur was just as cleanly kept as always. The look on her face was very much one of having skipped out on gym class and gotten away with it.

Rowan perked up as she neared him. The girl was still in her gym clothes, despite not actually having participated. She separated from her friends and went to her locker. The puppy raced to the side as she almost stepped on him. Now, on his backside, he stared upward. His gaze pierced through the pant leg of the girl he admired. He could see the frilly outline of her panties, and he couldn't help but stare.

As he stared, the cub started to get aroused. Reaching down to gently touch himself, his hand briefly rubbed against the outline of that ring. A warmth began to emanate from it, spreading a coursing energy through his body. His body jerked several times with his limbs moving inadvertently. His stomach dropped once again as his whole form shifted in an instant. Ivory didn't have her eyes on him as she was turned around, but didn't take long to notice the naked boy once she rotated back.

"What's this? A boy in the girls' locker room? How did you get in here?" She said quietly as if not wanting to attract unwanted attention.

Rowan stood there without words, covering his bits as he gargled his speech inaudibly.

"Well? Either you speak up or I call the coach over here." Ivory folded her arms defensively.

The smaller boy swallowed. "I erm…I got lost?"

"That's a lie. Tell the truth or else." She thumped her feet on the tiled floors.

The beagle swallowed. "Well..uh…I just wanted to get a better look and uh…"

"Oh, I see. So you're a perv. Is that why you're hiding your little prick?" The dalmation slapped him as if she were offended.

The brown and white furred boy shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

"Uh, huh. It sure looks like a way. Get lost before I call the coach over." The girl wanted nothing to do with him, tossing him a towel to cover himself.

Rowan quickly clothed his lower half. Touching the ring again elicited no reaction from it. The boy had humiliated himself, feeling entirely defeated. Hiding in a corner, he remained until all the girls had left. Finally, when they were gone, he revealed himself. Returning to his back to redress himself. The filth of shame hung about him, and he hoped Ivory would never speak of it. He figured he would never live it down, even going so far as thinking about it, but deciding not to.

Later that night, when he returned home, he got an unexpected text from Dillon.

"Dude, that was sick, yo! You totally got into the girls' locker room." The other boy said through a notification on Rowan's phone.

A fuchsia red fuse tinted under the beagle's fur. "You saw that?"

"Totally, brah. I don't know how you did it, but you totally proved me wrong." The snow leopard texted him again.

The beagle was a mixture of confusion, but he played it off. "Oh, yeah. That was the plan. Did you see she totally ogled my junk?"

"Totally, Ivory is gonna be yours for sure. Did you score the goods?" Dillon recalled their little wager from earlier.

The dog's ears and shoulders slumped as he remembered it. "Nah, I forgot. I got too carried away with her looks."

"All good, brah. You should totally do that again. I can't wait to tell the other guys in class. You'll be a legend for sure."  The feline had already told a few of his friends.

Rowan reached over to his nightstand to where he'd put the ring previously. That dark red gem barely shone against the light. Already in his mind, he was thinking of using it again, despite the small setback. His friend goading him on only fueled the fire even more. Of reliving his glory days of how he got into the girls' locker room and even got to see Ivory in her delicates. Perhaps next time he could see more. A smirk crept across his face as he began to plot and scheme…for tomorrow.

The next morning came with the usual sounding of the alarm clock. The beagle had always been a deep sleeper, and it wasn't until his mother popped in to rouse him that he got up. Grumbling, he rolled around in the bed, yet his mother showed him no quarter. Eventually, the boy came around, wiping his eyes of the crust that had formed over the course of the night.

"Get up, lazy bones. You're going to be late for the bus." His mother gave him a firm look to let him know she meant business.

Slowly, he eased himself up in the bed, pulling down the sheets. "I'm up…I'm up."

"It's picture day. Make sure you dress up nice for the photographers, okay?" The woman planned on buying them if they were nice enough.

Rowan whined. "But mom…my polos and khakis are so stiff and uncomfortable."

"Then maybe you should wear them more. Now get up before I dump cold water on you." It was a strategy she had used before, and she knew he didn't like it.

That threat was enough to get him out of bed, waiting until she was gone to stick out his tongue at her. He loved his mother, but in his mind, she was somewhat difficult. Padding over to his closet, he peered inside. His nicest clothing had all been hung from hangers, all of them without creases or wrinkles. It was evident that one of his parents had ironed them flat. The boy picked out a sky blue polo t-shirt and tan khaki trousers.

Slipping out of his pajamas, he yawned and stretched. He was still tired but could just faintly smell the aroma of something from the kitchen. Sniffing the air, it was the all too familiar odor of freshly cooked sausage. Rowan picked up the pace and quickly changed into his nicer garments and pocketed the little ring from his nightstand. The clothing was a bit small on him, but nothing too tight.

 But that lack of roominess that he liked made them something he abhorred to wear. He padded down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen, passing right by his father, who gave him a quick pat on the head. As usual, the older male had his face stuffed into his laptop, seemingly already at work. Rowan continued by himself and saw that the kitchen was vacant. A plate of sausage and fruit had been left for him at the table. Not wasting any time, the cub plopped his behind on the chair and started eating.

In the backdrop, he could hear one of his parents listening to the radio. The familiar sound of it droning on about the traffic and weather expectations for the day. None of it interested him. Already his mind was deep in thought, thinking about his day. Perhaps he could sneak into the girls' locker room again, except this time he wouldn't get caught, or so he told himself. He still wanted to score that prize, and he wasn't going to give up until he did.

The rest of his morning was pretty hectic. Daydreaming while eating had cost him a lot of time, and everything else was much more of a frenzy. Dashing back into his room to get his bag ready, but forgetting to clean up his mess. Only to be called back by his father to do his usual chores. By the time he had finally finished getting ready, his mother whistled to him to indicate that the bus was ready. It seemed he was late once again.

Frantically, he rushed out the door and blew the woman a kiss so as not to anger the bus driver anymore. That all too familiar yellow cheese wagon remained dormant at his usual stop.

Dillon yelled at him from the window. "Better hurry, old Hilda is getting impatient."

This warning made him run that much more quickly. Rowan went as fast as his legs would take him. Entering the vehicle, the driver gave him a brief stare. It was obvious the woman was annoyed with him, even if she didn't say anything.

"Sit down." The woman's raspy voice said in a commending tone.

Saying nothing, he quietly shuffled into the seat next to where the snow leopard was sitting.  Dillon laughed at him as the other boy seemed entertained by his consistent lateness.

"What's so funny?" The puppy couldn't help but ask.

The older boy shook his head. "You are. Hilda was going to leave until you waltzed out the door. You should get up earlier, yo."

"Yeah, I know my mother says the same thing." The beagle shrugged, not seeming bothered by the issue despite it being a consistent problem for him.

Dillon playfully slapped him on the back. "Anyways. Are you planning on sneaking into the girls' locker room today?"

"Yeah, probably. I didn't score the prize yesterday, so the bet isn't won or lost just yet." Rowan was still intent on seeing Ivory undress.

The snow leopard gawked at him a bit. "I don't know how you pulled it off yesterday, but I can't wait to see you do it again today. Think you can score me Zoe's panties, brah? I'll do ya a solid if you do."

"I'll see what I can do. I haven't even gotten Ivory's yet."  The dog still had no idea how he would pull that portion of his plan off.

Dillon slung his arm around the other boy. "For sha'. I knew I could count on you."

The two boys soon diverted into a different topic, shifting to an upcoming test in Literature class. It was something that Rowan had forgotten, and he was glad that the other cub had reminded him. Chugging along, the bus continued on its way down its usual route. Traffic was a bit thicker than usual, so it took slightly longer than it normally did to get to the school. Arriving just shortly after the warning bell, a member of the administration was there to accommodate the latecomers with passes.

Rowan and Dillon went their separate ways in the halls as their first two classes were the only ones they didn't have together. The beagles' first class of the day was History class. It was his least favorite, along with Math. As he saw the door to it, the familiar old woman who was his teacher eyed him warily. The badger fully expected his mischief, as she had more than several problems with him in the past.'

Keeping his eyes to the ground, the boy avoided her line of sight. Inside the room, he noticed the desks had been pushed together.

"Pick a partner and try not to cause any problems today." The woman said shortly as she folded her arms defensively.

The boy stuck his tongue at her as she turned her back to him. Padding back further towards the rear of the room, he noticed that Ivory had a vacant spot next to her. Surprised to see her alone, he quickly walked over and took the free spot next to her.

The dalmation looked at him warily. "What're you doing, dweeb? Scott is sitting here."

"It doesn't look like Scott is here today. Can I join you?" The smaller puppy said with a hopeful grin.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Sure, but if he comes, then you need to scram."

The dog boy smiled at her, glad that she'd given in without much protest. A few minutes passed, but Scott never showed up. Finally shutting the door, the teacher began to go over the day's assignment. Groupwork involving a small research project into peace treaties and prolonged periods of peacetime. Many of the students in the class groaned at the sound of it, but when Rowan turned to the girl to see her reaction, she didn't seem bothered by it.

The teacher soon passed out laptops for each of them, going desk by desk. Stopping just in front of Rowan before finally conceding to give it to him. Ivory wasted no time in getting to work. The girl was a history buff despite giving off the perception that she wanted nothing to do with school. Saying nothing, she pulled up a site on Pax Romana and started reading into it. She hadn't sought the boy's advice and very much felt like she didn't need to.

"Whatcha' looking into?" Rowan peered over toward her computer.

She gave him a stink eye. "What do you care? Just leave me be."

"What's your problem? Are you still sour about yesterday? I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to invade your privacy." The smaller cub tried to stand his ground without knowing the extent of what bothered her.

Ivory huffed at him in frustration. "I don't like liars. You're a liar."

"Is that what this is about? You want to know the truth?" I was curious, okay?" The beagle decided to be up front about it.

The dalmation slowly turned her head back toward him. "Was that so hard?"

"Well, yes…it was. I thought you would be annoyed because I tried to peek. That doesn't bother you?" The puppy boy seemed surprised by her response.

The bigger girl brushed back the longer fur on her head. "Nah, you're just like every other boy. I think it's kind of cute."

"You do? But why?" Rowan was under the impression that most girls valued their privacy.

She poked him on the nose playfully with a smirk. "That's for me to know and you to possibly find out. Now, are you going to help me or not?"

Swiftly, he nodded at her, glad that the awkwardness of the conversation had passed. It wasn't nearly as embarrassing as he thought it was. The topic shifted back to what she had picked, going into the specifics of the Pax Romana. It was a period of time that Rowan was unfamiliar with, even if there was more than enough information on it. It wasn't long before they had enough to work with and began building a presentation on the subject.

 A thought occurred to him as they were working. What would she think if she caught him again? Would she be so calm about it if he were honest?  Not quite, she firmly decided that he would be more clandestine about it this time. He wanted to see her undressed, and no one was going to stop him. All he needed to do was swiftly get into the girls' locker room without being detected, and he had just the tool to help him do it.

The rest of the class was pretty low-key for the two cubs. They hit off a bit, conversing at first about the topic, but soon shifted to a more personal touch. By the end of it, Rowan had learned more about the girl in an hour than he had in the entirety of knowing her. It made him even more fixated on her and even more willing to do whatever it would take to win her hand. But first…he had other things to take care of it.

Rowan went through the rest of his early day like normal. Math taught him another new topic that was way over his head. Scale factors were not something every cub his age got the hang of right off the bat, and he was no different.  Still, he did what he could to understand it and was left with some homework since he wasn't able to finish the assignment in class. He was all too glad when the class dismissed, and he was left now with just music.

The music that day was much more hands-on. Walking into the room, the beagle saw that instruments were set up all about. His assigned guitar had been set on a rack near the back, next to a bass and an acoustic. It appeared they were doing a musical number. The teacher greeted him as he passed by a younger man whom he did not recognize. A pitch black puma man wearing just as dark sunglasses that hid his eyes with a matching leather jacket and ripped up jeans.

Padding back to the guitar, he saw that a lead sheet had been placed there. The notes and lyrics were from a song he was only somewhat familiar with. The tune is from a bygone era, but one that was played often on the radio. Before he could figure out what it was, the unfamiliar man at the front of the room began to talk.

"Alright, cubbies. I'm your sub today, but you can call me Norm. We ain't doing none of that classical nonsense, nah. Today we're gonna be jamming it out to Kiss."

Rowan's face lit up at the thought of it. He knew he recognized the lyrics of the song, but was unfamiliar with where it was from. Before long, the man at the front of the room pulled out an electric guitar and began to do the solo from Black Diamond. It was a song seldom heard on the radio, but the vocals and flow of it were synonymous with the group.  The sub went on a guitar rampage, hitting every note with ease, shredding in front of the entire class.

The whole class ended up being a show off for the young man. Rowan was impressed all the same, even going as far as asking him for lessons sometimes. The man pushed him off, telling him perhaps later. A promise he would certainly hold the man to. When lunch rolled around, everyone in that class was talking about it. That showboaty sub who didn't let them try anything but still stole the attention all the same.

The beagle was sitting with his usual crowd, Dillon and his other friends were there. The conversation soon shifted to what had happened the other day. Revisiting the triumph of the younger cub.

"So what's your plan today, champ?" Dillon asked, ever curious to see how his friend had pulled off the effort.

The dog boy wasn't about to give away his trick. "A magician never tells his secret."

"You're no magician, brah. Come on, tell us how you did it." The older teen continued to goad him on.

Rowan shook his head. "Nope. You're just gonna have to watch and gawk in awe as I snatch some panties."

"No fair. Well, you promised you'd try to score me Zoe's. Don't hold up on your part of the bargain, yo." The snow leopard playfully slapped him on the back.

The brown furred cub rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll try."

An announcement soon came over the intercom, interrupting their conversation.

"All students reporting to the gymnasium after lunch must report to the field promptly after changing."

This gave Rowan the opportunity he needed to get set up. Surely he could get into the girls' locker room again without being noticed. He knew he would have to use the ring again, but with no one around except the usual doorkeeper, it would be that much easier. Once again, he began to plan how he would pull it off, his mind drifting back to that and not really participating in the conversation anymore.

It was a short time more before the usual bell sounded to end lunch time. The crush and flow of furs was just as bad as it usually was. Cubs of various grades tried to filter through the small openings of the door. Rowan helped to the back as he wasn't so worried about being on time. He had already come up with a plan in his mind, and it was now just a matter of time before he tried it out. Following along with the crowd, he made his way to the gymnasium.

Rowan did not stop by the bleachers; the flow of traffic made it hard for him to step to the side without being noticed. Instead, following along until he was in the very back of the boys' locker room. The place was musty and dank with the stench of funky odors of all sorts. Despite how much the school maintenance sanitized the place, there was no getting rid of it. Most of the students never noticed it as they had gotten used to it.

The beagle shifted to his locker, finding that Dillon was watching him from afar. Keeping a straight face, he tried to stay calm. He knew he couldn't just use the ring with him watching. He needed to wait for the other boys to leave. Retreating into one of the nearby bathrooms,  he remained there a few minutes. A short time passed before he could hear the foot traffic and the clapping of shoes on their way out.

He peered his head out of the bathroom to make sure no one was left. Sure enough, everyone had left, though he could see the usual member of the school administration near the entrance. This was the opportunity he was looking for. Slipping over to his locker, he reached into his pocket where he had stashed his ring the previous day. Taking it out and looking at it, the thing seemed a bit darker than the previous day.

Shoving his hand into his pocket, he felt around for the ring and pulled it out from within. The thing had taken on a new shine to it, looking much more luminescent than earlier. He couldn't help but look at it, noting that his own reflection was bent but that he could still see it refracted over the gem's face. Bringing a single finger to it, he touched it ever so gently, grazing his finger over its sides.

That now somewhat familiar chilled feeling began to course through his body. His body shivered ever so slightly as he tried to wrap his arms around himself to warm himself. Yet, it courses through him even still. His stomach twisted into a knot, making him feel just short of nauseous. Dropping only seconds later as he fell back flat on his bum. A shroud of darkness surrounded the young boy as he tried to re-collect himself.

Rowan clawed his way out of his cloth-enclosed prison. A single flap of the fabric drooped over him as he tried to pull himself out. Sending him reeling back a bit, he tried again but was met with similar failure. Frustration started to build inside him, but he tried again as the fabric pooled over him and caved in his small form, creating an even smaller space. Losing hope, he began to search around for an alternative route of escape.

The cub eventually spotted a small, thin ray of light to his rear. That crack of illumination was more than enough to get him crawling forward. Each movement of his legs pushed him forward ever so slightly, with the fabric continuing to slop behind him. It took a few tries, but eventually there was enough of it that he could no longer cause it to move from shifting his legs back and forth. After several minutes, he was able to find his way out of confinement.

Finding himself outside, he was met by the sight of the expansive sea of tan tiles before him. The grouts between them were dirty, some of them caked with lime or rust. It didn't seem like the place had been deeply cleaned in a while. From afar, he could hear the constant dripping of one of the showers, a leak that he'd never noticed before. Hopping from the sleeve of his shirt, the beagle took a moment to look around and gauge his surroundings.

Just beyond him, he could see the exit from the bathroom to the locker itself. The shift from tile floor to cement made it obvious where he was. Stepping into the locker room, he could see the iron feet of the benches. The encrusted bases of them were caked with grime. A few dried-up balls of gum hung just below each of the seats. Rowan quickly snuck himself underneath the bench, still unsure if he could be spotted, even despite how small he was.

Down the distance of the locker room, he could see the usual member of the school staff there. The large pelican was mostly absorbed in his cell phone, as he normally was during the class activity time. The boy knew this was the moment he was waiting for, sprinting toward the exit. Yet his strides didn't take him nearly as long. By the time he made it to the door, he had to stop to catch his breath.

Rowan remained distant from the bird man. Fortunately, the older male was completely occupied in whatever screen time he was engaging in. Looking to the other side, he saw that the usual member of staff who monitored the girls' locker wasn't there. The cub didn't think much about it and darted across the floor in one quick sprint. Once he was on the other side, he stopped again to catch his breath while peering within the girls' locker room.

Just as his head snaked around the corner, a woman's shoe raced only a near centimeter from his head. The suddenness of the movement of the rush of air made his heart race as he was all but certain it was going to hit him. Yet, the footwear grazed just over his small form. The woman continued right past him without even noticing, going over to shoot the breeze with her friend across the hall.

It took a moment for the boy to recollect himself. That harrowing experience had left him reeling. Taking a slow breath, he tried to calm himself.  After he had finally settled, he began making his way into the girls' locker room once again. Continuing at a slow but persistent rate toward the back. That familiar pink and turquoise duffel bag was sitting on the bench. He was all but certain it was Ivory's. Now it was just a matter of time, he told himself silently.

Rowan took a spot underneath the bench, taking a load off while he waited. Finding himself bored before long, he had little else to do. It was a short time before he began to hear voices echoing down the halls. The cacophony of chatter was a mixture of both boys and girls as they made their way into the basketball courts and just beyond them. As the cub heard the sounds, he perked up, looking towards the door for any signs of Ivory.

The altercation showed up several minutes later. The girl's fine polka-dotted fur made her stand out rather easily among her peers. She was also one of the taller girls, with her lanky features being shared only by other girls who hadn't quite filled out their bodies. Rowan could hear her voice, even among the sounds of other ones he didn't recognize. The girl was chatting up a storm with her friends, though the beagle couldn't make out what they were conversing about.

Breaking off from her friends, Ivory finally made her way over toward the area where she had put her things. Seeing her head this way made the boy's heart race, but he knew he had to relax, so he didn't slip up like before. Calming himself, he tried to sit right along the side of the leg of the chair. Believing himself to be mostly concealed, the cub only peered his head out from underneath the bench.

Ivory swiped a towel from the inside of her bag. Wiping her forehead over twice with it before patting it over her short fur. She didn't sweat much, but the activity that day had been harder on her than usual. Reaching down, she began to tug at her shirt, pulling it off in one swift movement. Rowan couldn't help but look up at her. She hadn't quite developed a chest yet, but it was the first time he'd seen her like this that close up.

Tossing the shirt into her duffel bag, she took an elongated breath. As he took in every centimeter of her body, he noticed her fur was somewhat messy. Not caring much, he watched as Ivory leaned over a bit
 as he shoved off her gym shorts. The nylon fabric snaked down her legs in a matter of seconds. It was more than stretch enough that she didn't need to take off her shoes to take it off. Rowan gawked at the girl in her panties, the pink fabric, but only a few meters from him.

The girl moved her clothing to the side from where she'd thrown them on her duffel bag. Briefly reaching inside to find her change of clothes. A bright green graphic t-shirt and cut-off jean shorts that were very much all the rage for girls in her age group. Rowan still stared at the girl with his mouth open agape. From around him, he could hear the clip-clop of shoes as some girls were already headed out.

A moment passed as she wove to one of her friends, exchanging in a brief but playful banter with one of her friends. Shuffling both of her feet and kicking each shoe off one by one. Rowan watched as one sailed right toward him. Ever closer it came as in a panic he tried to get clear of it. Clipping only his tail, the ring he was wearing rubbed against his body as he tumbled. The cub's body made no sound, but he was now no longer under the protection of the bench.

Rowan panicked as he realized he was in the open. His body was starting to feel warm again as one of his legs fidgeted. Looking at the ring, it had taken on an ever brighter glow. Energy now coursed through his whole body as he tried touching the ring a few times. But that sensation never went away and only got stronger with each passing moment. Beginning to feel dizzy, his eyesight blurred as his stomach dropped. His body shot up right beside the other girl as he returned to his normal size.

The dalmation stared at him, her undressed form now even closer to him. It took a second for the beagle to recover, stammering as he covered his nether regions to shield what little vanity that remained.

"You…again? How did you do that?" This time, she had seen the whole thing play out and was left dumbstruck.

The smaller boy murmured a bit. "Uh…magic?"

"That was no magic trick. Tell the truth or I'll scream." Ivory seemed even more annoyed than the previous time.

Rowan quickly interrupted her as he showed it to her. "Fine…I can explain. My dad made this, and it helped me get in without being seen."

"A ring? Are you serious? That thing looks like a toy. You're lying, aren't you?" The dalmation didn't believe what he was telling him.

The brown furred boy started to panic as he tried to explain. "No, I swear. It made me little and I snuck in here without being seen. You gotta believe me."

The girl wasn't entirely sure what to think of the claim. Looking at him, she saw that he was afraid, but it didn't seem like he was lying. Still, she wasn't exactly sure how to react, even if what he was saying was true. Yet in the back of her mind, she came up with a plan. Perhaps she could manipulate the boy and get something she wanted for him. A wicked smile crept across her face as she inched toward him,

"Fine, give me the ring if that was true." Ivory held out her hand paw expectantly toward him.

Rowan shook his head. "No. It's mine. Can't I do something else?"

"You're going to do everything I tell you, or I will alert the coach." She knew he had little other choice.

The beagle sighed. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"You're going to play a trick on Dillon. He's petrified of ghosts, so I want you to play the part. If you do a good job, I'll make it worth your while." The taller girl gently touched his chin as if to entice him further,

The puppy boy seemed shocked by the request. "Worth my while how?"

"I'll take you on a date to K-town." K-town was the Korean quarter of the city.

The smaller cub's face turned into a smile. "Really?"

"Only if you play along. I know you like me. Rumors get around fast. You in or not?" The dalmation released his chin.

Rowan softly nodded at her. "Deal."

"Now scram and stay hidden. I need to get changed. No peeping or else. My friends are waiting for me." The bigger girl shoved him to the back to a place where few went, so he wouldn't be seen.

The dog boy's heart was racing at a kilometer a minute. The whole thing had lasted only a short while, but already everything had changed. But now he had another problem. How was he going to scare, Dillon? Certainly, he could use the ring to that effect…but how? Already, he was planning his moves as he waited for the locker room to empty. Finally, padding his way out only to return and gather his clothes from the other locker room.

Once all the girls had left the locker room, Dillon made a quick rush to the other side to grab his stuff and change. He didn't want to miss the bus, especially since he knew the snow leopard would be there. He figured if he could get the other boy to let him come over, then he could scare the other cub. The thought that Ivory would never actually know if he did it or not never occurred to him, but he was a sucker for the girl.

After changing and slinging his bag over his shoulder, he sped out to the school yard, finding that the familiar cheese wagons were already waiting. Scanning through the numbers, he saw that his route was already waiting. A few of the other buses near the front of the line were already heading out, so he started to run even faster, thinking that he might miss it. Just as he entered the bus, old Hilda gave him another death stare.

"Get on and sit down." She said with the usual sharp tone in her voice.

A hiss sounded as the door behind him shut, and the tip of his tail nicked just as it did. Yet he knew better than to say anything. The woman had a short temper and even less tolerance for cubs. The fact that she was a bus driver would befuddle anyone she told. Rowan shuffled into his usual seat, where he found Dillon. The boy gave him a playful grin.

"That was sick, yo." Of course, the older boy had seen his successes through the peephole.

The smaller boy scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, but I still didn't score the prize."

"Yeah, I know, but she is totally into you. Her eyes were all over your junk, brah. How did you do it?" Dillon asked the same question from earlier.

The brown furred cub waved his finger playfully. "Not gonna tell, so forget it."

'You're no fun. Did Mrs. Morris give you guys the scale number assignment, too?" The bigger cub changed topics since he would get nowhere with it.

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"You wanna come over and work on it together?" The feline was just as bad at math as his friend was.

The younger boy cracked a smile. "Sure, let me text my parents. They won't mind as long as I'm home before dinner."

Rowan grinned as he took out his phone. He didn't even need to ask the boy; everything was working out much better than he planned. Quickly fingering a text to his mother, who responded but a short time later with the expected response. Sharing the information with the teen, the snow leopard was all too happy to have him over to help, even if the other boy wasn't great at the subject. But for the beagle, this wasn't about the assignment. Already, he was planning how he would scare the other boy.

The big cats stopped a few after Rowan's own. They soon pulled into the small community where the teen and his family lived. Dillon's house was slightly larger than his own, as he was the younger of two children. His sister, several years older than he was, had moved out the previous summer to attend university. Her room was being used as an entertainment center, even if the girl's belongings and decorations remained mostly in place.

Dillon's house was among a few others in the same duplex style. Two-story abodes, with each of them having a balcony and a shared backyard between them. The yard, though small, had a swing bench in addition to a tree house that the boys' neighbors had built for their younger children. The lawn and garden in front of it were well kept with freshly trimmed bushes and pruned flowers that made it all smell rich with a decadent aroma.

The teen motioned for Rowan to follow him. Leading the younger boy to the front door, where a small welcome mat had been placed. Letting him inside, Dillon didn't even bother to take his shoes off and padded toward the rear of the house. His room was smaller than Rowan's, filled with all sorts of baseball memorabilia from his favorite team. Several signed posters and faux pennants lined the wall, with the younger boy only recognizing a few of the players.

Digging into his bag, the older boy took out the assignment from within. The balled-up piece of paper showed very little thought had been given to where it had been put. He unwrinkled it and straightened it out on the small desk in the corner of his room. Finally tossing his bag to the side and kicking it to his rear with one swift movement of his leg.

"Come on, let's get this over with. Once we can finish, I can beat your butt in the new Mario Kart." The feline was just as big a gamer as he was.

They started on the assignment and began working through it. Relying on the internet for a walk-through more than the worksheet. The explanation on the sheet was far from sufficient for the purposes of doing it. It took them a while to figure it out, troubleshooting only the first two answers and relying on their process for the rest of it. Already halfway through it, they were bored with the assignment, as in their mind it was taking too long.

"You want a snack?" Dillon asked as he stood up from the office chair.

The smaller cub licked his lips a bit. "Yeah, have you got any pretzels or chips?"

"Probably. Be right back." The snow leopard made his way out of the room and into the hall.

Rowan watched him leave and then peered his head out to make sure he wasn't coming back for at least a little while. This was the chance he was waiting for. Reaching into his pocket, he gently touched the ring and forced it onto his finger. The gem reverberated with that now all too familiar chill that made his paw clasp from the sudden temperature change. His body shaking as it spread through the rest of his body.

The cub looked again down the hall, taking a  few steps back toward the bathroom to close the door to make it look like he was using it. He wrapped his hands around his body, huddling up as his stomach began to churn. His stomach falling before he found himself surrounded by darkness. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to get rid of the sudden daze he was experiencing. Reaching around to clasp the fabric in hopes of finding a way to dig himself out.

Rowan found a small hole through his sleeve that led out. The thin ray of light extended from outside that helped him navigate the small folds in the fabric. Quickly as he could, he snaked his way out from within. Rolling out from the cuff of the sleeve and down the pile of fabric. Looking up at the fabric, it was then that he realized it was out in the open. Trying to push it, the fabric folded over and captured him once again.

Digging himself out from underneath, the beagle decided to just leave it be. Searching around the room, he gazed around surveying for anything he could use to scare the other cub. Nearby, a single shoe lay on its side, the thing slid just underneath the bed. Not believing he could move it, he simply ignored it. Eventually, his eyes landed on a few balls that had found their way under the bed. There seemed to be quite a few of them.

Dillon returned a few minutes later with a bowl of popcorn. "Hey, I'm back with popcorn. Where are you, yo?"

There was no answer to his question, but peering over toward the bathroom, he saw it was closed. Certain that the other boy was probably using it, he decided to let the issue go. Sitting back down at the desk, he got back to work on the assignment. Rowan could see that the older boy was focused on what he was doing. Pushing in a singular effort, he shoved a tennis ball toward him. The ball falling just short of where Dillon's paws were.

The grey-furred cub shifted himself in his chair a bit, angling to look toward the bathroom. No sounds were coming from it, but he still suspected nothing. The teen's foot shifted right alongside that ball as he looked down at it.

"How did this get here?" The snow leopard asked aloud.

He kicked it to the side, but just as he did, a baseball rolled toward him. "Another one? Where are these coming from?"

Dillon kicked the ball a second time, and still another rolled toward his foot. "Another? What the heck is going on?"

The teen looked around as he was starting to get freaked out. Just as his head was frantically searching, he saw another one roll out from under the bed. This aroused his suspicion, and immediately he got up. Rowan noticed the sudden movement and quickly moved behind the teen's shoe so he wouldn't be discovered. Dillon peered underneath and saw nothing except that shoe, a few other balls, and the pile of clothing that his friend had left behind. Yet it didn't occur to him that it wasn't his own.

Returning to the assignment, ball after ball rolled and bumped him just barely on the foot. Each one is raising his level of concern ever more. It had been several minutes by this point, and again he looked over at the bathroom.

"Are you in there? Something freaky is going on in here." The older boy asked, and still there was no answer.

Dillon got up yet again, this time heading toward the bathroom. Trying to open it, he found it unlocked. But within, there were no signs of the other cub. His heart started to race as fear began to set within him.

"Dude, if you're playing a joke…this isn't funny." Dillon was starting to panic.

Rowan rolled out the last of the balls as the older boy watched them. His eyes grew further. He wanted his mother now. Quickly darting out of the room as he went to look for her. The younger boy chuckled as his little ruse had worked much better than he had planned. Stepping out from under the bed, he could see no signs of the other boy. Giving that ring another rub or two before it returned him to his normal size.

Re-dressing himself, he found the other boy hiding in a closet. Dillon's parents hadn't gotten home from work just yet. Reconciling with him and letting him on his trick, but not giving away how he did it.

"That was hilarious. I scared you out of your pants." The beagle said with a grin on his face.

The bigger boy scowled at him. "Yeah, yeah…whatever. You better not tell anyone else about this."

"I won't, but you gotta admit it was a little bit funny." Of course, Rowan fully planned on telling Ivory the next day at school.

Dillon rolled his eyes. "I guess so. I don't know how you did it, but you sure got me good, brah. Just don't do it again…haha."

It wasn't long before they got back to work, finishing their assignment just in time before Rowan's parents came to pick him up. The beagle collecting his things before wishing him goodbye. It had been a long day, but everything had gone according to plan. The rest of his night would be a quiet one, sharing dinner with his family and toning things down to head to sleep. Lying there after his usual hygiene routine, he was convinced it was just a matter of time before he knew for sure if Ivory would hold her part of the bargain up or not.

The next morning arrived with the usual sound of the alarm clock buzzing. Rowan hopped out of bed much more excitedly than usual. Already on his mind, he was thinking about how Ivory would react. A very small part of him doubted she would go along with it, but he was going to try to make her hold up her part of it. Shuffling into the kitchen, he made himself a quick bowl of cereal and fresh fruit.

His mother popped her head in the kitchen to give him a quick kiss on the forehead, but quickly rushed out as she had to go to work. But Rowan didn't need to be told about missing the bus today; in fact, he was looking forward to it. After he cleaned up and changed into some casual wear for school, he quickly sped out to the outdoors. Yelling to his father, he let him know he was headed to school and left for the bus.

From the front yard, he could see Dillon peering out through the window. Not seeming his usual cheerful self. In fact, he was still looking a bit sour about what had happened the previous night. Seeing that frown through the window made Rowan feel that much more guilty about it. Strolling onto the bus, the driver seemed surprised that he wasn't late for once. Though he didn't notice her reaction to him as he passed her by, ignoring her to head right for his usual seat.

Rowan made his way to the seat, noticing immediately that the snow leopard was still avoiding his gaze.

"Are you still sour about yesterday? Look, I'm sorry I scared you." The beagle was starting to feel bad about it.

The bigger boy huffed. "I wasn't scared."

"Oh, boo-hickey, you weren't scared. I'm sorry, okay? I promise I won't do it again." The younger cub just wanted to make it up to him and wasn't sure how.

Dillon rolled his eyes at him. "Whatever. Just don't tell anyone about it."

"I won't. I promise. Do you forgive me?" The brown furred boy held out his hand to his friend.

The feline playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Duh, Brah."

The younger boy smiled, glad to see the other boy back to his usual self. Going back to talking about nothing specific, but never staying on the same topic for long before eventually shifting to girls.

"You gonna sneak into the girls' locker room again?" The grey-furred boy couldn't help but ask.

Dillon thought about it a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, I'm gonna ask Ivory out today at lunch."

"Huh? You think she's actually interested in you?" Dillon was surprised by the change of tune.

The boy smirked as he knew he had a trick up his sleeve. "Kind of. She didn't seem that creeped out by me peeping on her, even after she realized I was there."

"Brah, you're crazy, but I like your style." The teen gently shoved him again.

Before long, the bus pulled into the usual roundabout in front of the school. A drizzle had begun to trickle down, so a member of the school's administration was outside hurrying the students inside. Rowan and Dillon parted ways and waved to one another. Fingering that ring in his pocket, the beagle was certain he wouldn't need it that day. As he made his way toward history class, he began to think about how he would win the girl over.

Arriving in the class, he found the dalmation girl sitting alone. Her eyes drifted towards him, and in that moment, they met. Rowan assumed that Scott was still out, and he was going to take advantage of it, even if he wasn't sure the group assignment was being continued.

"Hey, dweeb. Did you do it?" Ivory had a fiendish smile on her face.

The smaller boy hesitated a few seconds before answering. "Yeah, he was pretty sour about it. He was still upset this morning. I feel kind of bad."

"Ah, don't be such a dork. He'll be fine. Looks like I owe you a trip to K-town. Are you free this afternoon? I already talked to my parents about it?" She continued to chew loudly on a piece of bubble gum.

Rowan got a bit nervous but was still excited about the prospect of it. "Probably, but I have to ask my parents about it. They should be cool with it as long as I'm home before dinner."

"For sha. It's a date then. Don't be late." The lean girl got out her notes from the other day.

The class started before long, and sure enough, they were to continue the group assignments during periods of peace. Yet, already in the boy's mind, he was running all of the possibilities that could happen, both good and bad. Even still, he wasn't going to back out. This was what he wanted all along, and it was his big chance to get with the girl of his dreams. Reaching into a pocket, he sent his parents a text under the desk, asking permission so he could know for sure if he could participate.

It was a short while later before they answered, and Rowan felt the buzz of his phone in his pocket. Looking at it between classes, the cub cracked a smile. The deal was sealed, his parents were alright with it, and he was set for his very first date. Now it was just a matter of time before he got to spend time with the girl of his dreams. Yet, nerves began to set in as he had never done such a thing before.

The school day flashed by rather quickly that day. The combination of anxiety and excitement for him made it go by much faster than usual. When gym class rolled around, Rowan actually participated that day instead of sneaking again into the girls' locker room. He didn't want to ruin the chance he had with Ivory. After all, she had given him mixed signals about what she thought about it, and he didn't want to risk it.

The boy was confronted about his recent absences over the last few days. His coach forced him to do a few laps around the court as the other boys played in a basketball game. Only allowed to join them after he had done 3 run arounds. It was hardly difficult, but annoying all the same. Rowan was all too glad when he finished, finally joining in on the competition and even scoring a basket. High fouring Dillon, who ended up being the most valuable player that day.

After retiring to the locker rooms, Rowan saw some of the other boys peeping through the usual hole in the wall. Gawking at whatever girl they saw on the other side. When they asked him if he wanted to join, the beagle declined the invitation, much to their surprise. The mention of the girls made him a bit nervous. It was just then that he realized that he was only a short while away from his date with Ivory.

"What's wrong with you, brah? How come you don't wanna peep?" The older feline couldn't help but be curious.

Rowan fiddled with his fingers in his hands. "Because I have a date with Ivory and I don't want to ruin it."

"You do? She actually said yes?" The grey-furred boy was more than surprised at this.

The younger cub nodded softly. "Yeah, she did. We're going to K-town after school."

"Sweet! Good luck, yo. I hope you land that fish." The teen playfully slapped him on the back.

The brown furred boy murmured. "Thanks."

"Are you alright?" Dillon picked up something different about his friend's demeanor.

The beagle shook his head. "Just a little nervous."

"Just try and relax. When I went on my first date, I just pretended she went in her underwear, and that helped calm my nerves." The older boy chuckled at the recollection.

The smaller cub looked over toward him. "Really?"

"Yeah, try it. If nothing else, it will make you laugh." The snow leopard slowly walked away as he returned to talk to his other friends.

Huffing, the puppy took a deep breath, telling himself that everything would be fine. Finally getting up to change back into his casual stuff. It wasn't that much longer before the final bell rang for the day. The usual hubbub of dismissal soon followed. The sudden crush of students making their way through the small corridor leading out of the lockers. But Rowan remained close to the back, keeping a slow but steady breath so he could steel himself.

After he had made his way through the halls of the school, he pushed his way outside. Just outside the front doors of the building, he gazed around searching for Ivory. The familiar lanky girl waved to him upon seeing him. A light smile was clearly apparent on her face. Asking himself the question on his mind, was she looking forward to this? He certainly hoped so as he took one more slow and steady breath before making his way over to her.

"What took you so long, dweeb?" Ivory said as she placed her hands to the side.

The smaller boy shrugged. "There were a lot of people. I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Nah, just giving you grief. Come on." The dalmation offered her hand to the other boy.

Taking her hand in his own made butterflies float around in his stomach. That unfamiliar feeling made him even more nervous.

 She peered at him and stared. "Relax, dork. I'm not going to bite you. Just enjoy yourself."

"I know…it's just…" Rowan had never been out with a girl before.

The girl chucked. "It's your first date, isn't it? Just pretend I'm one of your male friends then. I promise it's no different."

"Sorry, okay…I'll try." The boy couldn't help but smile as the floaty feeling in his stomach became even worse.

She gripped his hand even tighter, almost as if offering her support to the other boy. That confident smile on her face was just as smug as it was reassuring. Taking another careful breath, he tried to relax and settle himself once more as they started to move through the school yard. As they walked together, some of the other kids stared at them. Never had they seen the pair together, and already rumors would start to fly.

Ivory led him away from the school, following down the sidewalk to the middle of town. Feeling a bit less nervous now, the beagle had a bigger smile on his face. The girl was nowhere near what he expected. In fact, she seemed more into this than he was. Making their way through a few back roads and side streets until they found their way to the outskirts of "Korea-town", the well-known Hangul sign hanging over the entrance to it.

K-town was a small segment at the center of the city. Several kimchi and other restaurants lined the sides of the streets, with some street vendors yelling at patrons. Some of them spoke the local tongue, but others spoke in their native Korean tongue. The smell of barbecue and grills could be smelled in the air as the open market was lively with activity. A few stage performers were doing a fully costumed rendition of the most recent "Demon Hunters" tune.

"Come on, Ejae and her crew are slamming it up." Ivory didn't much care about the fact that it was costumed actresses.

The smaller boy didn't have much of a chance to react before he was tugged away to the stage. The actresses on stage were banging it out to the "Golden". The song was upbeat and rhythmic, with many of the people dancing in the audience. Rowan had never heard of the group before, so he wasn't familiar with the song. The bigger girl shuffled in with him toward the tail end of the crowd. Settling in as the girl started to sing along with it, getting much more into it than he ever would.

"Isn't this awesome?" She asked between two lines of the song.

The boy smiled at her. "Yeah, the music is really catchy."

"Dance with me, dork." The girl snapped him up into her arms.

Rowan felt his whole body swept away before she released him. "Follow along."

The girls' dance moves were just as fluid as the makeshift stars on stage. It was almost as if she had choreographed all of this with her. Sensual movements of her arms and legs, throwing them back and forth. Snapping with her hands with every beat of the song. Waving toward him, only to take the cub back in her arms. Guiding him through much of the same movements. The whole experience was surreal, and he couldn't help but melt into her very touch.

The song ended before long with its usual poppy flair and flashing lights. She held her hand out and then threw it up, still holding it up with her hand. The street lights just beyond them shone down upon them as if they too were stars.

"Come on, dweeb. Let's go get something to eat before your mum gets worried." The girl didn't ask his permission as she felt like she didn't need it.

She led him back a ways through a small corridor that led into one of the Kimchi shops. The smell of spices and various sauces could be smelt lingering in the air. One of the restaurant's owners waved to her. It was apparent she had been to the place before. Sitting down in the first spot she found, she patted the spot next to her, urging the boy to join her. No longer quite as nervous, Rowan plopped down right next to her.

A waiter eventually showed up, taking their order. She chose both of them. Nabak for herself and Baechu for her new friend. She figured it would be something he would like since it was the most popular variety of the dish.

"Enjoying yourself, dweeb?" She asked casually, trying to pass the time while they waited.

The smaller boy softly nodded. "Yeah. I've never been to a Korean place before. What is it like?"

"It's very spicy, but I assure you it's quite delicious." Ivory slung her arm around the beagle.

Rowan couldn't help but lean into her, giving in to his inner desire to be closer to her. Everything seemed to be going well for him. They talked amongst themselves, learning more about each other. The Dalamation found herself enjoying his company more than she expected. He wasn't like the other boys. The cub had even started to relax and be himself around her, and his personality was starting to rub off on her. It wasn't much longer before the food showed up.

Both of them dug in without delay, and the food was rich with flavor. With each bite the boy took, he had to drown it down with water. It was a bit too intense for him, but it was delicious all the same.

"Too hot for you? Don't be such a wuss." The white furred girl chuckled at him.

The boy blushed at her joke but didn't let it bother him. "Would you want to do this again this weekend?"

"No, I wouldn't. Sorry." The Dalamation smirked at him with hidden intent.

Rowan frowned at her. "But why? I thought you were having fun?"

"You're right, dork, I am. But we can do something else instead." The bigger girl held him a bit tighter against her.

In that moment, the boy couldn't have been happier. She had just agreed to another date with him. While she wasn't his girlfriend quite yet, he was that much closer. He didn't care what she had in mind so long as he got to spend more time with her.

Slinging his arm around her as well, he smiled back. "You're on, goof."

As they finished their meal, Ivory couldn't help herself but take the boy's hand in her own. A smile cracked across his face as the waiter came back with the bill. Pulling some money out of his pocket, Rowan paid for the meal with his allowance. Shocked, the girl couldn't believe he would do this, but she certainly wasn't about to complain. Despite her own premonitions about going out with the boy, she had enjoyed herself. A smile on both of their faces as they finally got up to leave.

Just outside the restaurant, the boy stopped to text his parents to let them know he was ready for them to pick him up. Reminding them of where he was before he was whisked away by Ivory to a more secluded place. She backed him into a corner, and his heart raced as he didn't know what to expect. The two cubs' eyes looked into one another's, the dalmatians' piercing yellow pupils only mere centimeters from his.

She leaned forward, landing a single peck on his cheek. A light red flush ran across his face as his heart stopped for just that moment. Was she his girlfriend now? He couldn't be sure, but that was certainly the case. Ivory squeezed his hand again, seeming to be all too happy to be in his company. The phone in his pocket vibrated, but he ignored it. In that moment, only he and the girl he admired were in the world, and nothing else mattered.

As they emerged from the alley shortly after, still paw in paw, the smaller boy's head was in the clouds. Eventually, Rowan checked his phone to find that his parents would pick him up at the closest main street crossing. Even offering to take Ivory home, so long as she gave them the directions. Of course, the grandmother agreed even if she could call her own parents to pick her up. After all, it was an excuse to spend just a bit more time with him.

Exiting from K-town, they made their way to the street crossing in question.  Standing there waiting, Ivory was very much in his personal space, and he certainly didn't mind. Everything had gone great for him, much better than he ever anticipated. The girl he had dreamt about being with for so long was now his, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't much longer before the beagle's mother showed up to pick up the two cubs.

They filed into the back seat together. The boy's mother immediately picked up on something different about her son. The look on his face and the closeness of the girl next to him were all too telling. Even if they weren't quite an item yet, it was evident they were closer than just friends. A smile crept across her face, but she stayed silent. Telling herself the boy would tell her when he was ready.

When it came time for her to go home, Rowan and Ivory's hands lingered in one another. Their gaze was still tied in between one another's vigilant gaze. It was as if two long-lost lovers were being torn apart. Yet on that day, things had forever changed between them. Fostering a relationship that would change their lives forever. A change that both of them would not just embrace but welcome as they discovered their true emotions for each other.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Voyeuristic views Part 1", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "1", "rating_name": "Mature", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "1" }