Chapter 2

~Nick~

Nick strolled up to the porch of the town house, paper bags in hand sunglasses still on his face. He waltzed up to the tall, townhouse door and opened the doorknob with his elbow, sliding into the dark living room. A television played in a nearby room – presumably Grandma's; she was the only one with a room on the main floor.

"I'm home!" He yelled through the house, travelling to the kitchen and placing the bags carefully on the dining room table. The fluorescent light fizzed and screamed as he switched it on, a signal that it was time to replace it.

A scurrying sound resonated from the stairs as a young fox flew down the steps and went to hug him. He raised his eyebrows as she squeezed him but said nothing.

"Grandma's been worried sick," Emmeline said, popping her hip. "You shouldn't stay out this late."

Nick shrugged. "I just got some groceries. I wasn't out that late."

She rolled her eyes. "Besides that, I need help with my homework." She sat down at the table and pulled some papers closer to her.

"What's the problem?" Nick pulled up a chair next to her and took off his shades, rubbing his eyes.

Emmeline pointed to question number four. "Well, you see, it SAYS that the sentence needs to be fixed, but I don't see anything wrong with it. And besides –"

"Who got these groceries?" The two turned around to face a woman, her once beautiful coat now dull and brown, and her figure turned less than flattering. The sour expression on her face didn't help at all, either. "Nick? I assume that's why you were out so late." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Nick smiled at her. "Nice to see you, too, Grandma." He turned back to Emmeline's grammar assignment while the old fox sat down at the table and picked up the newspaper. "Now, you see, Emme, this isn't a complete sentence because it's only a phrase. You have to have both a subject and a predicate, and this –" He was cut off yet again.

"What is it with young people nowadays?" She lowered the paper and gave Nick a square eye. "Back in my day, there was none of this inter-species marriage and all that. It's just wrong."

Breathing, Nick ignored her. "This phrase has the subject. You need a predicate. Since the 'bike' is the subject, tell us what the bike is doing in the sentence." He got up from his chair next to Emme. "I'm making dinner."

"This isn't even a recent thing. It's been going on for years and years, ever since the prey have started taking all our jobs and trying to do things small folk can't do. But in my time…"

"Do you want blueberries or strawberries in your salad, Grandma?" Nick clenched his teeth and tried not to snap at her. He knew that her discrimination of other species would never falter. She didn't realize that it was now perfectly normal to inter marry in species. Something about 'keeping the system clean'.

Grandma frowned and thought for a moment. "Raspberries. Now as I was saying, we need to keep the bloodlines clean." There it is.

"I'm putting raspberry vinaigrette on it, is that alright?" Nick was trying his hardest to be complacent, but it was very difficult with her behavior.

She nodded. "Yes. Anyways, I keep thinking that someday they're going to outlaw it again like they did when I was a little girl but…"

"Here's your salad." He slammed it down on the table, and she jumped a little.

"You're going to break my plates!" Grandma yelled.

Mom's plates, Nick thought in his head, but didn't say out loud. "I'm going out tonight. You can make your salad by yourself, right Emme?"

"Sure thing, Nick! Right after I'm finished with my homework." Emmeline beamed up at him.

He smiled. "Good. See ya'll tomorrow." Nick grabbed his glasses and straightened his tie, sauntering down the living room and out the door.