Chapter One: A Day In The Life.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Ring. Ring. Those were the sounds that first filled the avian's head. The sound of his alarm clock going off in the early morning. It was six in the morning, pretty early for most, yet pretty late for some. Two blue eyes snapped open as a wing reached for the alarm clock.
Falco Lombardi. 'The Loner', as some called him. Most of the people at the school knew about him though. Quite popular, for someone who preferred being with few people. He, if possible, would only be around his closer friends. He, along with the others, were of athletic builds. The toned muscles weren't massive, since most of them had the 'track-runner' shape. All except for Slippy, who was pretty husky, but they defended their friend from any hate.
Those 'closer friends' consisted of, a small amount, of childhood friends. Fox McCloud, Kane Delnaro, Slippy Toad, Miyu Lynx, Fara Phoenix and Fay Collie. All of them were seventeen, except for Fara, Slippy and Miyu, being only sixteen.
Pulling the covers off of himself, he left his room, heading for the bathroom. A quick smile to the mirror, he removed his boxers, stepping into the shower.
After his cleaning, he stepped back out and wrapped a towel around his waist. Some deodorant, cologne and another grin, he headed back into his room. Drying himself he pulled a new pair of boxers on. He followed up with dark-red jeans and a white, sleeveless, t-shirt. He grabbed his cell-phone off of the dresser, calling Fox on his speed-dial.
Fox McCloud, his childhood best-friend, ever since he was a few years old. He was a tan-furred vulpine, a lightish brown. His story, much like Falco's, is a pretty desolate one. The fox lost his parents when he was younger, living with Slippy, Kane and Falco for several years each.
"Hey. I'm waiting outside. Hurry up, dude. We need to pick up Slippy and Kane before we can stop for breakfast. But, yeah. Did you do the English homework? Twenty-five pages is way too much." His friend's voice came over on the phone, speaking in a lightly agitated tone.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm hurrying," the avian grabbed the pure-white jacket, fitting a wing down the hole. His head was bent at a peculiar angle, keeping the cell-phone hoisted up with his shoulder and head. "What do you mean we had homework? Really? Fuck."
He retrieved the phone from his shoulder, stepping over the clothing piled upon the floor, as he snapped it shut. It found itself into his pocket. The sun peeked throughout the window, into the dark room and shined off of the war-medallion upon the wall. The falcon fit a soft smile upon his beak, gazing at the medallion before leaving his room.
Another wing went through the other sleeve as he prepared himself for his day. Monday. The hated day that started off a week of school.
No sound was inside the home. Since the avian lived by himself, having been abandoned by his family when he was younger. Footsteps soon interrupted the silence. He walked over to the home's door, stepping into his shoes, before unlocking it. A soft click, as he peered out into the dim light.
"You there?" His answer soon appeared in the voice of a vulpine. He stepped out into the cool breeze, shutting the door behind himself. He fished around his pockets, retrieving the keys from within and locking the door. It wasn't a gigantic home, only being a single floor. Outside of the home, the grass was cleanly cut with many trees around.
He began the descent of the small stairs, leading down to the pathway to his driveway. There were only several before his foot connected with the pavement. The smile kept its place upon his face. 'Beautiful out right now. Hopefully, it will stay this way.'
The walk to Fox's '69 Charger, a pure black beautiful beast with one golden stripe on the front, wasn't a long one. It only took a minute truthfully. He rolled his shoulders, passing by another tree. There were several beside the walk-way, giving off massive shadows from their gigantic forms. He felt so small compared to one, but the thought quickly vanished as his wing gripped the handle to the car.
Fox tapped his fingers against the wheel, smiling at him gently. "Morning, bud. Ready for another 'fantastic' week?" Fox McCloud was dressed in a whitish-blue jacket, wearing a red t-shirt underneath with blue jeans. The jeans, being too long for the vulpine, hugged his shoes and ankles. The two hazel eyes watched the falcon.
Falco snorted, sitting down into the leather seat. He slammed the door shut, pulling the strap around himself and, with a soft click, he got into a comfortable position. The two eyes, surrounded by a small line of red feathers, stared outside of the vehicle. "Totally. I'm completely glad that I'ma bomb this report-card."
His friend laughed, already pulling out into the road. "No way, bro. You're making, what, an eighty?"
The wings comforted the falcon's eyes, rubbing at them as his friend groaned. "A fifty. A freaking fifty."
"I wouldn't worry about it," he stopped mid-sentence, turning down a different road. This one, hidden by the tall homes, cast a dark shadow across the road. They were en route to Slippy's home and Kane's. The two lived, at least, a few minutes away from the two friends. "'cause you're doing great in the other classes, right?"
The avian nodded his head, eyes drawn to the radio as he switched amongst the stations. "Yeah. Except for Math. Math and English are the devil."
"Don't you mean the devils?" Fox asked, glancing at his friend as they stopped in front of the large, three story home. Slippy's father was a scientist, making much of Corneria's machinery. Since Slippy and his father lived by themselves, since his mother died when he was born, they truthfully didn't need all of the room. But they would house any of their friends, whenever it was needed. All in all, the Toads were good people.
He stopped, turning the sound down low. "No. They're like twins, man. Like. . . Twiiins." He couldn't help but give a chuckle at Falco as he imitated one of the jocks. Bill Grey. The chronic-stoner, football athlete. Bill had been childhood friends with the entire group, once being a close friend. But once he joined the football team, he started doing drugs and fell away from the others. Turning into a gigantic douche, or jerk as some would rather say.
Another tapping against the wheel as Fox waited for Slippy to get to the car. The trio waved Beltino Toad, Slippy's father, goodbye. The toad got inside the back of the car, strapping himself in. "Whew. Sorry, guys. Woke up a bit late today. Fox, Dad also wanted me to give you some credits for the ride." He pulled the twenty-credit piece out of his pocket, handing it to the vulpine. Fox looked over at the toad's innocent golden eyes, the group watched out for him since he was prone to being bullied.
Fox frowned. "No thanks, Slips. I'm fine on money, keep it for Amanda. Alright?" Falco smiled at the two, leaning back in the seat. Amanda was Slippy's girlfriend, being equally as smart and of the same species as him.
"Are you two love-birds finished? Lets get a move on." Never being the patient type, he urged them on. Fox flashed his friend a smile, heading down the road.
Slippy laughed, nodding and putting the credits back into his pocket. "So, how easy was that homework? I didn't even have to try." The frog gloated, his carefree, happy go-lucky smile in place. He was and is, the smartest kid in their classes. The entire group, getting lucky and talking to some of the people in the main-office, had all their classes together.
The green-toad wore brown shorts, ending after his knees, with sandals and a large-basketball jersey. Some would think it'd be ironic, that Slippy would love sports, but wasn't an athlete. He loved them more then the rest of his friends, who would rather listen to music or just hang out with their friends.
"Slippy. That homework wasn't easy," Fox said uneasily, his eyes focused upon the road. His best-friend cast a wary glance at him, a feathered brow raised up. "I had to call Fara for help. Who assigns twenty-five pages for homework in the first place?"
"I agree," Falco spoke with an agitated glare at the toad. The vehicle turned down the road, taking a sharp left. Passing a vehicle before parking into the two story home's driveway, they waited for Kane. The vulpine placed a paw upon the center of the wheel, signaling several honks for their friend.
The dark furred vulpine, with a light tint of purple, stepped outside. The door shut behind him as he walked towards the vehicle. He wore dark-blue, faded jeans and a black hoodie. Two studded wristbands and a collar were evident on the fox. The hood was up over his head, the two purple eyes staring out under them.
Kane walked to the side of the vehicle, getting inside the back. Sitting down beside Slippy, he strapped in and nodded at the others. "Morning, dudes. Got payed Friday, so breakfast is on me." Slippy gave a happy-cheer. "Erm, I think I might change my mind now."
Kane still had both his parents, unlike the other three. He lived with them still, planning to move in with Falco once they both were eighteen.
Fox pulled the car out of the driveway, heading towards the local diner. It served a breakfast-bar, early in the morning. It was the group's favorite place to be, since they loved they way it was designed. It resembled a 'Back In The Day' restaurant, ran by Fara Phoenix's parents.
On the subject of Fara Phoenix, she was currently Fox's girlfriend, having the two meet on a field-trip to Papetoon, a planet on the outer rim of Lylat. She was a fennec vulpine, who on this particular day, wore a dark-green shirt and blue-slacks. As the four entered the restaurant, Fox waved at her with a large smile upon his muzzle.
As their friend headed for the kitchen, to speak with the others, the trio sat down in one of the booths. The restaurant was mainly empty, not having many customers inside. But who could blame them? It was only six thirty on this Monday morning.
Falco fiddled with the plastic utensils, waiting for their friend to return. Four plastic menus fell onto the table in front of them, as a hand smacked down onto the table. "Good morning!" The three looked up, staring at the joyous collie. Fay.
Fay, being the 'Cheerleader' of the group, was always in a happy mood. She was in the restaurant's work outfit, consisting of pure white clothing and a gray apron. A 'spiffy', as Fay labeled it, red bow sat upon her head. She gave them a smile, leaning forward. "What would you three like this morning?"
The toad began his order, consisting of a large meal. Fay nodded eagerly as she jotted them down upon a notepad. She turned to Falco, the creepy smile still there, as he awkwardly stared. He felt uneasy under her eyes, always, always watching him. . . Ahem.
"Uhh, yeaaah. I'd like some. . . Pancakes? I guess?" He looked at the other two, hoping for a suggestion. Nothing came up. Fay nodded, looking at Kane.
"Erm. I-I. . ." He crumbled under the piercing stare. "I'll take some. . . Pancakes?" He muttered weakly. There was something wrong with this girl. She nodded, bouncing up and down, as she left them. Falco and Kane both gave out a sigh of relief, slumping down in the red seats.
Footsteps echoed out as the scent of food came to the three. Their muzzles watered, waiting for their orders to arrive.
Kane bit into his muzzle, watching the slim figure walk their way. Miyu Lynx, the woman that was the vulpine's true desire. She wore the same outfit as Fay, but instead of a large bow on her head, she had a large golden earring in the left ear.
In each hand was a large black tray, holding up their breakfast. She gave them a light smile, setting it down upon the table. Slippy gave another cheer and took his own food, already starting to eat.
"Geez laweez, wanna slow down?" The feathered brow of the falcon twitched, showing off his irritated glance. The lynx gave a small giggle, smiling at the avian. Falco grumbled under his breath, grabbing his food and ripping off a piece of the pancake. Kane let out a small sigh, getting his own plate as Miyu went back behind the counter and into the kitchen.
Fox returned a few minutes later, sitting down beside Falco. "So. Enjoying yourselves? We're going to wait for the girls to get ready, then we can head on over." This caused several disturbances amongst the four.
"What's the hurry? It's not even seven yet, Fox. We have plenty of time before we need to get to school. I hate waiting, but this can be an exception. School doesn't even start for another hour and a half." Falco pointed out, pushing his plate to the middle of the table to join the other two's. The vulpine shrugged his shoulders, casting a glance over at the counter. He flashed Fara a quick smile before looking back at the others.
"Professor Peppy wanted to see us, remember?"
The group exchanged looks, not remembering such a thing. With several reluctant sighs, they agreed to go with Fox. "You better hope this is important, Foxie Brown." Falco said quietly, his piercing gaze startling the vulpine. His friend wasn't usually serious what so ever. The tension in the air soon dissipated, the cocky grin going back onto his face. "Heh. Got'cha. I'm sure Peppy just wants to shout at us for 'Loitering in the hallways' again."
The four began to talk amongst themselves, making jokes and speaking of memories about getting in trouble.
Twenty Minutes Later. 7:18.
The group leaves Fara's Restaurant, ready for meet with Professor Peppy at their High-School: Corneria High.
Fara, Miyu and Fay walked out of the door. Dressed in their formal wear. Fay and Miyu both wore blue jeans and multi-colored t-shirts. The two, being close friends, insisted on wearing the same outfit that day.
The four others followed after them, getting into Fox's vehicle. The two cars pulled out of the restaurant, heading in the direction of the school. Thunder sounded out in the distance, followed by the soft patter of rain drops. "Great. Rain." Falco's voice was lined with sarcasm, hinting at his misery. The two vulpines felt the bird's pain.
"I, personally, love the rain. It makes me feel at home." The toad was filled with joy as he stared out of the window. They didn't understand their friend some times.
The two vehicles pulled into the parking lot, going into their reserved spaces. Only the teacher's vehicles were parked around the lot. Since most teens, that could drive to school, would get there late.
The group exited their vehicles, rushing towards the doors to the school. Locked. Falco let out a groan, slapping forehead with his hand. "I hate today."
The group continued looking for an entrance. The rain poured down harder as the group took refuge underneath the canopy, already soaked to the bone. And then the voice called out,"Over here!"
It could only belong to Professor Peppy, the science teacher and flight-instructor of the High School. The gray furred hare wore a long, white lab-coat and brown pants, with a lavender shirt. He waved them over, wanting them out of the rain. Partially so they wouldn't catch a cold and because he didn't like to get wet.
"Fox, my boy. You look like your father more and more everyday." Peppy sported a large smile, with his hands on his hips. Fox smiled awkwardly, piling inside with the others. The large glass doors shut behind them as they walked down the hallway. The lights were bright, causing some of them to cover their eyes to get adjusted to it.
They continued on for several minutes, turning down into the laboratory. "So, what's this all about, Professor?" Miyu asked, causing a few of the others to agree. Peppy smiled, stopping in front of his desk and turning to face them.
"Excellent question, students. I wanted you all to be here for something incredibly important. Go ahead and take a seat." They did so. Falco, Kane and Slippy sitting in the back. Fox and Fara sat in the front, while Fay and Miyu sat to the right side of the room. There were six large, black tables, with four brown stools at each one.
Falco tapped his wings against the top of the table, not paying much attention to the old hare. "Professor. This is cool and all, but what are we really here for?" His friends glanced over at him, the same question boiling inside their own minds.
"For. . . You heard it here first, a pop quiz!" The hare's excitement faded when the group sighed, slouching down and looking around with bored looks. "What's wrong?"
Slippy was the only one who, in all honesty, cared about the lesson. He wanted to be a mechanic, or scientist, when he grew older. "I dunno, Professor Peppy. But lay it on us, we'll handle it." His smile grew wider as more sighs went out.
Peppy turned back to his desk, grabbing the papers off of the cool, black table top. He walked amongst the room, distributing the tests and pencils to them. Falco glanced amongst the room, getting Kane's attention. "Psst, Kane."
". . . What." The black furred vulpine glanced at him, trying to keep from meeting Peppy's stern gaze.
"Did you study?"
"It's a pop quiz, how do you study for that?" He responded harshly, biting down on the eraser of the pencil. He hated it when people did such things, but call him a hypocrite.
Falco leaned forward, looking at his paper. The fox was writing down gibberish. He whispered silently to himself, mainly vulgar insults to everything in existence. Falco started writing down his own answers, making up different formulas and random things that popped into his mind.
Miyu glanced over at the trio in the back. Her eyes lingered upon the avian, feeling her thoughts creep to a dangerous place. Fay nudged her gently, meeting the collie's gaze. "Focus on the test, Miyu." Her voice was different, using a harsh tone instead of her light joyous one.
Fay watched her friend work, feeling her own mind crawl dangerously towards certain thoughts. She loved her friend. Not like a sister or a close-friend, but actual love. Some would say it was sick, while some would say it was beautiful. But love was love for the collie.
Kane watched Miyu out of the corner of his eyes, hoping it was him she watched. He'd known the lynx for as long as the others, always trying to impress her whenever possible. It usually ended up in disaster, as he failed in his attempts. But a fox could try, right?
Slippy felt heat go to his face, thinking of Fay carefully. He had fallen in love with the canine, thinking of her instead of his own girlfriend. The toad couldn't believe that he'd even think of cheating upon Amanda, but the man could dream.
Falco sighed in frustration, finishing his test with gibberish. He glanced over at Fox and Fara, not understanding why the two were in a relationship. Falco couldn't stand the possibility of being in one. He had grown up, mainly, alone. He was a 'Lone-Wolf' and had planned on always being one.
He flipped the paper over, placing his pencil upon the desk. He glanced over at the clock. 'Seven forty-three. Hopefully today won't crash and burn.' Falco shut his eyes and waited for the others to finish.
( Yes, I'll be using Kane from my other fan-fiction. It's a slow start, but it will get better as it goes on. Please review and tell me your thoughts of it so far and on anything I could do better currently. Thanks for reading. )