The town was quiet for the most part, a little loud in the main street where a few 20 somethings stumbled awkwardly in seemingly aimless directions. And the town hall was completly abandoned as opposed to the regular life and bustle it had about it. And neither did the library next to it. Murrays house was still a few blocks away, and the rather distracted and intoxicated Carmelita wasn't helping Sly get any closer to their sanctuary.

Murray, after earning enough money through racing and street brawls, had purchased his own home, free from authority it was Sly and best friend Bently's home away from foster home. Murray was probably not the best at house keeping, but that didn't bother Bently nor Sly in the slightest. But Carmelita, Sly didn't know how she felt about mess.

"Ah, shit... I'd better tell him that you're with me, give him a chance to clean up and stuff." Sly said to Carmelita, who had just run off to play on a children's playground set up right next to the High School. "Hey, don't go too far!" Sly called after her.

"Ha ha, come on Sly, this is fun!" Enticing Sly to come and sit with her on the swing next to her.

"Hang on, just let me text Murray okay?"

"Okay..." Carmelita said in a deflated manner.

Yo, I um, ran into some complications...

Of what sort Sly?

The childhood crush type :3

Carmelita? Oh dude is it bad?

You ok?

Yeah, she was with her B.F. and now

she's with me... and the pizza at the

feild playground, by the school.

come and get us?/hang with us?

Sure I'll be there in 5

Cool

Looking up from the phone Sly was surprised to see Carmelita behaving herself. He made his way over and sat down with her. And they swung.

"Hey, do you remember the 7th grade? More so the camp than the whole year." Sly said to Carmelita.

"Uh, yeah, yeah I do, you just climbed trees and swung on the swings when we weren't up on the mountain skiing... right?"

"Whoa that's a... that's a pretty good memory that you've got there... But you forgot the bullied part."

"But you weren't bullied"

"No, 'I' wasn't, but you were pretty mean to my friend, Bentley, all throughout that year. I was just wondering why so?"

"Well I don't fancy talking about it. But my parents were going through a divorce at the time and I didn't know what to do, and i just wanted to have something or someone to feel worse than me I suppose..."

"Whoa, that's a pretty good Psycho analysis of yourself there Doc, do you do counseling sessions?"

"As much fun as that sounds, no, I don't."

"So, what are your plans for the future?"

"Don't laugh but... I want to be a cop. An Interpol inspector, Y'know one of the best."

This wasn't the the first time Sly was surprised by Carmelita today, but he didn't think policing was going to be a well suited job for her. He was thinking maybe a little more dangerous than that.

"Well, good luck with that, you under age drinker, you." Sly said jokingly

"It wasn't even that much, besides a little bit of alcohol never killed anyone... ok maybe it has but thats not really the point. Anyway, what do you want to do?"

"Take over the family business and become rich through my own means with help from my friends."

"And what is your family's business?"

"That is a good question, one I shall not answer at the moment."

"Aw, why not? Is it embarrassing to talk about?"

"Well, no it's more your reaction I may or may not like, I mean, you can be very lively when you're angry, and quite charming when you're drunk. Besides I want to tell you when you become an Interpol agent. Think of it as a reward or a... pleasant surprise."

"Well... I look foward to it Ring-tail."

"So do I, Miss Fox."

The rumble of the engine was audible all the way across the two Soccer fields, Murray was hauling even though Sly and Carmelita were only a short walking distance away. The screeching of tires on the asphalt was quite exciting for Carmelita to hear, growing up where she did, there wasn't really a lot of traffic. This sort of thing was only really ever in the movies and here it was. The van came to an abrupt stop and the door slid open.

"After you miss fox... Your carriage awaits." Sly said motioning towards the van.

"Why thank you kind sir" Said Carmelita giving a small curtsy.

They got in the van and Sly gave Murray the pizzas. Shutting the doors behind them Murray spoke up. "Thanks Dude, where to?" Murray said, before he started up the van again

"Murray, I am appalled by your lack of manners, there is a very, very beautiful girl in this vehicle for the first time and, you ignore her completely?"

"Oh, shit you're right, I don't believe we've been formally introduced, I am The Murray, to my enemies, but to my friends I'm just Murray.'

Carmelita really didn't know what to say. She was anxious as to how to introduce herself to Murray. "So which do I call you?"

"Just Murray for now." Replied Murray casually.

"Okay then, Murray, I'm Carmeli-"

Carmelita was cut short by Murray. "You're Carmelita M. Fox, possibly the ex girlfriend of Rajan the spice mogul, Childhood bully to one of my best friends, and childhood cru-" Before Murray could finish Sly had covered his mouth. Flustered Sly turned to Carmelita. "Murray knows who you are. Bentley and I filled him in on everyone that we know." Carmelita smiled. "Oh, I hope you don't know too much about me... that wouldn't be good." Sly looked over to Murray attempting to signal him to not to let out more information on Carmelita. "Anyway, lets just go to your place Big guy, i'm wanting to get a decent sleep, first day back in hell tomorrow." Murray realized the time. 11:35, Knowing that Sly gets very cranky when he's tired decided that was best. "Okay buddy, back home." The van roared to life and the asphalt gave way. Carmelita was shot back into her seat and then jostled forward as Murray shifted gears. She got flung into Sly's side. Grabbing hold of her as to stop her from jostling arround, Sly looked to her and smiled. "Hey, don't worry, you get used to it after a while, just relax, I've got you." Sly's heart was pounding, he knew that the ride would be over in a matter of seconds now. The van came to a stop. Carmelita regained her bearings, she knew this street and she knew the next house down from Murrays. It was Rajans house. No wonder why Murray knew so much about her, she'd been past his house so many time's it was ironic, she never noticed.

"So here it is... Our secret hideout, our sanctum sanctourum, our white room, our state of the art... Thunder-dome!" Exclaimed Murray, with his arms outstretched as if he was a announcer for some sort of competition. "Well, not as crazy as any of those locations, it's really just a house." Sly said coolly to Carmelita. Murray deflated drooping his hands to his side releasing a loud sigh. "Way to kill a mans bravado Sly... You're so mean, I think I'm gonna start crying." Said Murray in a sarcastic tone.

"Aw, Sly you big meanie, apologize to Murray, this clearly is the epitome of man hood, the best example of your metamorphosis into adulthood. The Man Cave!" Said Carmelita, joining in on the joke with Murray, much to his surprise maybe she wasn't as bad as he and Bentley thought.

"Ugh, fine, Murray I'm sorry, the house is a fortress of total awesomeness." Said Sly, feeling defeated by the pair of them. "Now hurry up and get us inside, I'm wanting at least some sleep before school."

"Okay, okay, don't kill me." Said Murray, insinctivley unlocking the door. "i'm sorry there wasn't time to make your bed Carmelita, but your room is the second on the left."

Sly hearing this pulled Murray aside. "Dude, what the hell? That's my room!" Murray only smiled. Sly wouldn't fit in Bently's bed and Murray took up all of his, all that was left was either the couch, which was far too cold to sleep on or his bed with Carmelita. Sly couldn't help but smile. "Murray, you magnificent bastard, thank you so much."

Sly knocked on the door not to intrude on Carmelita getting changed. "Come in." Carmelita chimed from behind the door. Sly opened the door and stepped into the room. There on the floor was his martial arts garb, and his black belt. "Would you care to explain this, Sly?" Carmelita said quizzically, she was in his bed and by the foot of the bed was her clothes. "I know that this is your room, and that everything in here is yours... except for me and my... dedicates. So tell me, whats with the pajamas and the fancy belt?" Sly was taken back by this, she was in his bed, and questioning him on hs martial arts choice.
"Well, that's a karate Gi, there's also Muay Thai gear, Chinese kenpo and Japanese Jujitsu clothing equipment." Said Sly, slightly embarrassed by this.
"Well that's a lot of disciplines, I myself do Karate, i'm just a beginner though, could you teach me something?" Sly though about this proposal considering that not only was it that she, his childhood crush wanted to spend time with him. He had to wonder what was it really going to be his payment? "Sure, only if you let me sleep in the bed with you tonight, I promise to not try anything with you while you're asleep."

Carmelita considering the pay off from one night made her choice. "Sure, but you have to sleep in your underwear as well." Sly removed his shirt, revealing his chiseled upper torso. "now your pants" Carmelita reminded him.

"I'm getting to that! Don't rush me" Sly snapped back. "Sorry, I've never really done this before, I'm kinda nervous, besides, I'll probably fall asleep before you can do anything." Sly said causing him to blush.
"I hope you live up to my expectations, ringtail." Carmelita said alluring Sly, and enticing him to the bed.
"Wait Carmelita, you're drunk and don't even know anything about me. This isn't right, I don't want you this way." Said Sly, staying true to his morale code. Carmelita realized what she was doing, she'd gotten out of a high maintenance relationship not even an hour earlier. Coming to her senses "What if we have a pillow wall in between us, i mean it is a double bed after all..." Carmelita suggested. Sly taking a moment to consider this. "Sure, that seem's reasonable... As long as you don't take advantage of me." Sly said with a slight smirk glancing over at the fulstered Carmelita. "pwssh, in your dreams Ringtail!" Both of them bursting out in laughter immediately. "Seriously though, I really need some sleep." Sly said in a break in the laughter. Sly and Carmelita started to build the wall in between each other. Sly and Carmelita finished building, and lay in the bed.

Sly woke up at the sound of the alarm going off. Turning to his right, he turned it off. Now sitting up and rubbing his face, Sly looked to his left to see that the pillows were nowhere to be found on the bed and Carmelita Pressing herself up against him. Sly got out of the bed properly looking at the time. 7:00. Carmelita began to come to. "Hmm? Oh, Sly, good morning..." Remembering the previous night and Sly's request. "Oh I... I got cold, and you were so warm looking and and..." Carmelita was stammering for words trying to explain why she was so close to Sly. "It's okay Camelita, I don't mind a beautiful girl cozying up to me... for warmth of course." Smiling at the nervous girl. "Hey Murray's making pancakes for breakfast if you want some... I mean, he always makes them for me whenever I'm around here." Carmelita was suprised as to how courteous Sly and Murray were, she enjoyed pankackes, she hadn't had them in years though. "Oh hell yeah! I'd totally love pancakes!" Over hearing this Murray called out from the depths of the house "You better be changed and on your best behaviour kids, The Murray is making pancakes! Awesome pancakes!"

"well then sleeping beauty, get changed then come and get some god like deliciousness in you! Don't take that out of context." Sly called out behind him as he danced out of his room to a senseless rythm. This made Carmelita laugh at the idiocy of her mornings companions.

"So... Sly, how'd it go buddy?" Presed Murray.

"well... I made a wall of pillows between us, but she was cold so she threw all of them off of the bed and fell asleep on me." Sly said trying not to come across as too happy about his perdicament. "But yet, she just got out of a long relation ship. And i'm not too keen on fighting Rajan later on today." Murray was nearly offended by Sly's remark. Fighting was Murrays job, lest Sly forgot. "Sly! I'm an underground street fighter, I've beaten 30 guys to inches within their lives in nothing but a towel. Hell, you were there when I did it!" The sudden change in murrays attitude took Sly off balance. "Yeah I was big guy, but Rajan dosen't fight like you or me. He's a spice mogul Remember?" Murray took Sly's words in. "I've never fought a spice mogul before, sounds fun" Murray said with a smile on his face. "You aren't talking about fighting my facebook unoffically broken up with boyfriend are you Murray? Because if you are, he lives next door, you can hit him when he least expects it." Carmelita coo'ed down the hallway as she aproched. "Mmm, those pancakes smell amazing Murray."

"Yeah man, they smell awesome. Come on and let us eat!" Sly proclaimed as he scooped up 5 and shoveled them onto his plate, which he then swapped with Carmelitas. "Good to see you're looking out for our guest first Sly." Murray said looking at the young Raccoon. "Honestly Murray? She's the first girl here in a long time, we've got to make sure she feels welcome."

Suddenly memories of Sly's previous girlfriend Neyla came flooding into mind, the one who not only destroyed him emotionally and phsycally. She also put Sly into a deep depression through the summer, a long and uneventful summer. A summer that Sly had dedicated to training, and the results as seen by Carmelita had paid off. Even after over 3 months Sly still flinched at the sound of her name, he didn't hate her, he didn't love her either. He missed her and now after 3 months of not seeing her, he's going to plunge right back into awkward comfrontation with her current boyfriend, Arpeggio, a rich flightless bird, head boy and the foster brother to Sly and Murray's friend Bently. Sly and Murray had a unrivaled hate towards Arpeggio. Not only was he waving Neyla infront of Sly as some sort of prize, but also the fact he was head boy. Arpeggio was a massive ego maniac, as soon as the word spread about Sly hating him, he tried to play it off, but in all truths of the words, Arpeggio was scared shitless of Sly and his abilities. To Arpeggio, Sly was a phantom curse. Sly knew this and so, Arpeggio surrounded Neyla and himself in his gaggle of younger impressionable students, nearly impenetrable by Murray and Bently would get lost in the crowd. Only Sly could navigate this. "Sly! It's time to go! Get your shit together already!" Murray shouted in his ear. "Oh, crap really? I didn't blank out about you know who again did I?" Murray just shook his head. "Arpeggio really fucks me off man, but I can't fight those little dudes, they're innocent. It'd be a shame to tear their hopes of a proper education to shreads." Sly admired the nobility and honour Murray had, considering how he was a street fighter.

"Well then, lets go now, I'm ready for hell... pretty sure I am at least." Sly said to his companions for the morning.

*Authors Note:

Hey, just letting you guy's know I'm gonna be uploading more of this as soon as possible, check back in maybe a week or two. I will continue doing large chapters. And the education system is the same as the one here in new zealand, it's kinda screwy. The towns also based off of my home town.