Lance stood in the doorway like a lost child.
"Hey, I was just curious about the uh…" he swirled around a finger as he looked around. "…the uh, the fox lady, and the scary lady."
I sighed
"Zenith is just a friend of mine," I answered, then gestured toward Jashen. "And she's just an annoying animal. I'm gonna take her to the pound soon."
Lance forced an awkward laugh. "That's uh, that's funny. Eh-hehe." He fell silent as he scratched behind his neck. "A-anyway you should probably head back… to class."
"I'm trying to, she's holding me prisoner," I answered. "It's like every woman I meet has it out for me."
"I do not! You're making things up!" She turned toward Lance. "He's trying to leave me in this empty house alone for hours. Like I'm just a piece of furniture."
Lance nodded. "Yeah, I think that's a little messed up."
I stepped forward. "What am I supposed to do? Can I sneak her into the academy?"
Lance shook his head. "No, not really. You could get into some serious legal trouble."
I glared at Jashen. "See."
Jashen crossed her arms and turned up her nose. "Well, you're not leaving me here alone."
Lance raised his voice to get our attention. "If you want, my wife has a café and could use some help."
"You have a café?!" Jashen exclaimed.
"You have a wife?!" I exclaimed at the same time.
Lance smirked with pride as he placed his hands on his hips. "Yeah, her father left it to her. Also, we met way back when, and got married about a year ago."
I frowned.
For some reason, I felt deeply betrayed by this revelation. Like when you find out your favorite idol has a husband and a kid.
Just blindsides you.
"Oh, can we go to the café? Now? Please?!"
I ignored Jashen, mostly because I was still wallowing in the darkness of betrayal. I mean we shared a room for crying out loud.
That used to mean something back in my day,
"What else have you been hiding from me, Lance?"
Lance raised an eyebrow. "I haven't hidden anything?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Right…"
Lance glanced at Jashen with genuine concern and confusion. Jashen sighed.
"He's just like that, you get used to it. So, can we go? Mr. Lance?" Jashen's tail wagged eagerly. "Pretty please?"
Lance cleared his throat. "Yeah, of course. If it's okay with you, Lafayette?"
I shrugged. "Eh, it'll be good to get her outta my hair for once. Just keep a leash nearby."
Jashen punched my shoulder. "Meanie."
I glanced at her. "On a more serious note, I need that money back. You might lose it, or eat it. Your brain is the size of a walnut so it's really a toss-up as to which."
Jashen scoffed as she leaned close. "Here, come take it."
She extended her hand with the coin pouch. I stepped forward to reach for it, but she pulled her hand back at the last second.
And kissed me, a long, air-sucking kiss.
"Mhm. That's worth more than a million gold."
She licked her lips and grinned.
I scowled. "It's not, give me my damn money."
Jashen walked away with a skip in her step. "Come on, Lance! Let's go to the café!"
Lance awkwardly looked between us, before he mouthed sorry and followed Jashen out the door.
I stood there.
My hand still extended and my lips damp with animal drool. I couldn't even begin to describe what I felt.
So I wasn't even going to try.
I just sighed, licked my lips, and exited the house with the map in hand. I closed the door behind myself and returned to the academy.
As I walked down the street, I received a range of strange looks. From drivers on their carts to people on the sidewalk.
I knew why. I was a young teenage boy walking around in his socks and boxers.
But I didn't even care to feel shame.
"Goodness." One woman placed a hand over her chest as she stared at me.
"Rough day?" Another asked as I walked past.
"Kids these days." Another grumbled.
I ignored them all and just walked.
Eventually, I reached the academy gates. The guards looked down at me with wide eyes.
"You uhm, you alright kid?"
"My house is empty, and my partner just ran off with my mentor after stealing my money. Would you be alright?"
The guard's expression softened. "That's… that's messed up. My apologies." He stepped aside and I dragged my feet past him.
You could argue that I took advantage of that man. But technically I didn't lie, I just left out a little context so I wouldn't be grilled.
— — —
After getting dressed I dragged myself through the day. Bell after bell I just existed.
Until finally it was time for lunch.
I sat in my usual spot and stared out the window. I kicked my feet as I thought about this morning.
"Who has you smiling like that?"
Reinhardt sat down with a curious expression.
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Reinhardt gestured a hand at my swinging feet. Then at the soft smile on my lips. "You look so happy, you never look happy."
I tried to drop my smile but it came back time and time again. It felt like trying to bend a steel pole. "I'm not smiling."
Reinhardt smirked. "You can't fool me, man. You've been smiling since homeroom." He leaned forward. "Come on, tell me."
I looked away and quickly massaged my cheeks. "Shut up. I'm just happy about my independent study, that's all."
Reinhardt tilted his head with his own smile.
"Come on, don't pull my leg. You're practically smitten. Who is it? Tell me, I can keep a secret."
I sighed, still unable to kill my smile. "I'm just visiting a café. Alright? That's it."
Reinhardt crossed his arms. "So you're smiling like that, for coffee?"
"Yep."
"I know that's bullshit."
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing. I guess." Reinhardt groaned. "You're so confusing. You say one thing, and then you do another. And then you insist that nothing has changed. There has to be a word for this."
My smile grew.
Reinhardt stared at me with boiling frustration.
— — —
After lunch, I made my way back into the city.
By following the map Zenith gave me I was able to locate the café with ease. But when I got there, I saw a massive crowd outside the building.
"There's a woman with a tail in there!"
Someone shouted.
"That can't be right…"
Another grumbled.
"I wanna see her!"
Some jumped to look past the crowd and into the shop windows. My heart tightened as I rushed towards the crowd.
"Hey! Get away from that building!" I shouted as I raised a palm charged with water. Upon seeing me the crowd quickly gave way with raised hands.
"Woah kid, don't shoot."
I ignored them and looked past the large windows to see Jashen in a maid's outfit.
She was serving customers with a warm smile and chatting with them. The customers looked enamored with her.
From kids to old men.
I slowly lowered my waterball as the pressure relaxed in my heart. The crowd slowly gathered around me.
"She's beautiful, ain't she?" One man said. "I ain't ever seen anything like her."
I glared up at him. "Yeah, and she's mine, so don't even think about it."
The man chuckled softly. "Of course not, kid. But ya gotta admit, it's not every day you see a fox woman."
I rolled my eyes and pushed into the café.
The moment I spent inside a bell chimed over the door. As the smell of coffee and pastries hit my nose, I locked eyes with Jashen.
She looked at me with a knowing smile. But she didn't approach me, she just kept working.
Lance stepped from behind the counter and waved me back.
I followed him into a side room. There was a woman inside, standing over a grinder. She was small, with deep brown eyes and long brown hair.
"Hey honey, did someone try to touch Jashen's tail again?"
Lance shook his head as he took over the grinder and gestured a hand at me. "No, it's just Lafayette."
The woman whipped around. "The boyfriend!"
"I'm not her boyfriend," I answered. "Anyway, I'm here to pick her up."
The woman crossed her arms. "Is that so? Well, I'm not letting my best friend get dragged off with a man she doesn't know."
"What? How are you best friends, you just met?"
"You heard me. Now unless you mean to tell me you misspoke, you can see your way out."
I raised an eyebrow.
The audacity of this woman.
I looked past her and at Lance. "Lance, can you get your wife? She's—"
Lance looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "Her name is Anna. And no, I won't get her. She's done nothing wrong." He turned back to his work.
I blinked.
Anna smirked. "So, boyfriend?"
I sighed deeply. "Something like that."