I : The Picture

Careful when you operate so close to the heart,
So easy to be broken and we all fall apart.
Don't say it's such a shame, we throw our hands in the air.
Cause we can find the meaning, but we can't find the care

It takes...
What a shame...

We were born to love and not hold back!
But we don't know how...
We were born to love and not hold back!
But we don't...
What exactly are we waiting for?
What sensation are we hoping for?

Dear Future - "Born"

June 26th, 2038

To him, it was simple yet endearing cliché. A small photo tucked away in his wallet; a little eight by ten of himself and Jenna sitting on a park bench, smiling happily at the camera that he held in front of him. The scene was one that he could never have recreated as he'd draped his arm over her shoulder, but at the last moment before the camera flash, Jenna decided to plant a kiss on his cheek. The wide-toothy grin that he wore in the photograph was one he could never replicate on command. Examining the small photo made him chuckle as he took it out and flipped it over, revealing a date written out in bold ink, June 13th. It had been almost two weeks since it was taken, but for Wolf, it felt like only yesterday.

He was laying on his bed, Jenna resting on his chest, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart. To her, it was a tune that she could never tire of hearing. It brought her a sense of security, like there was nothing that would stand in the way of her companion. It was this very heartbeat that had probably lulled her to sleep. She wasn't sure how long it was for, but eventually, she did awaken to that very same sound. She let out a relaxed sigh as she reajusted herself, noticing that Wolf was looking at the photograph. "That was a great day, wasn't it?"

Wolf smiled. "Yeah, it really was," He replied. "What a way to celebrate graduation."

"What about the party the night before?"

She was speaking of the graduation party that was hosted by the Cornerian Hills Sports Pavilion. Within the course of a few hours, the fitness club had been transformed into a teens paradise, with a beach theme to go with it. Quite fitting for the summer to come, but for Wolf, it was just a final goodbye to nearly all of the friends he had made in the past twelve years. However, one still remained...

"Well, it was nice of the pavillion to host a great party and all, but in the end, I can safely say that spending a few hours with you was a helluva lot better."

"I'm flattered." She responded mockingly, bringing forth laughter from both of them.

"Aw, come on! I really meant that."

Jenna nuzzled herself back into his chest. "I'm sure you did."

Wolf placed the photo back into his wallet before tossing it, quite accurately to the nightstand. The time that followed was spent in eachothers arms, in silent meditaion as they appreciated the other's company. Although he enjoyed the moment as it lasted, the young grey wolf looked around his room for a moment and saw a cluttered mess of clothes and books, causing him to chuckle lightly. Had he tidied up the place a little, he would see that the room was very much like any other teen's. A small dresser stretched between two windows on his left side, a television with a cabinet to hold movies and such was situated in front of the television, a desk cluttered with papers and such was right next to it, and right next to his nightstand was three large bookcases, holding an assortment of books and miscellaneous items. However, one thing that stood out from other people he knew was the fact that on the other side of the room was a long shelf which housed his prized pewter dragon collection. At the age of seven, his Uncle Jared sent him one for his birthday, and would continue to send him between two and three a year until his death when Wolf was fifteen, leaving him with twenty three in all. With Jared working at the company who made these, Wolf was able to reap the benefits.

"How much money do you think those are worth?" Jenna questioned as she eyed one of the sculptures, it was a silver dragon perched atop a crystalline structure; it's menacing red eyes stared directly at hers. Wolf knew that they would all fetch a pretty penny nowadays, since a good majority of them were out of production for years.

"All of them?" She nodded back in approval. "Probably a few thousand credits…"

"Wolf," She sat up, looking a bit concerned. "You could use that money for the academy!"

Wolf sighed, Jenna was of course referring to the Cornerian Flight Academy, located an hour West of the city. However, being the most prestigious flight school in the Lylat System, the tuition rate was the same as the success rate of its graduates, extremely high. Of course, like other schools, there were programs that helped aid students with room and board, but in all respects, it was mostly meant for those who were financially sound. Wolf loved his collection, and he knew that they would not cover the expenses. However, it was obvious that in the future, this money would be helpful, as he was in search of employment. He could keep that money safe while he saved more up from each paycheck.

"I will someday," he assured her. "they really mean alot to me, and it's not easy to let go of something you cherish." He felt a bit selfish for saying that. Sure, they had been handed down to him from a now deceased family member, and they did add some life to the room, but in the end, they were just sculpted money, collecting dust on the shelf. "Look, I'm going downtown on the first, so maybe I could make a stop at the pawn shop?"

Jenna smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me. I just don't want you to think I'm pressuring you into doing this."

"Hey, you may have given me the idea, but the final decision will be mine and only mine." He outstretched his arms to allow her to embrace him. Her fur was both warm and soft, unlike his own which had a more rough coating to it, bringing forth a highly pleasurable feeling of comfort to his entire body. If he could stay like this forever, he probably would. It was these kinds of moments that he wished could last longer than they did, but he took them all with open arms.

"What if those can't pay for everyth-"

"Jenna," Wolf interrupted, placing a a finger on her lips. "you worry too much. Sometimes it's better to just put your feet up and let things happen as they come." He pecked her forehead gently before going back to the relaxing state he was in before. However, it didn't last as long as before, as a thought came to mind. "You know, you haven't told me what you'll be doing this fall yet..."

"Well, I'm not really doing anything. I'm not sure about what I want to do for a living...at least for now..."

"Well that's what community college is for. Figure out what you want to do there, then transfer to the big ones to get your degree."

Jenna rolled off of Wolf and sat up on the edge of the bed, looking over towards him. She felt uneasy, as if pressured to give a response. "Ugh, I guess you got me there."

"No worries," He said reassuringly. "All that means is that we'll be able to see each other more." Wolf waited for her smile to come back, which only took a few moments. He returned the smile and got up to go to the bathroom and relieve himself. The thin walls gave an insight to Jenna's movements around the house, he could tell that she was in the living room now, probably sitting on the couch, as her movements had stopped. As he finished, he let out a sigh of relief as he zipped up his pants, hastilly washed his paws, and went into the living room, where as expected, Jenna sat on the tan leather sofa. Her face was riddled with uneasiness, which puzzled the young lupine.

"What's wrong, Jenna?" He approached her. "Did I say something?"

"You said that sometimes you need to just relax, but you know the situation your father is in. I don't see him often, but whenever I do, he's definitely not in the best of spirits."

He understood what she meant. His father's demeanor was nothing like it normally was; the calm and collected Verne that Wolf knew had been replaced with a stressed and exausted one. All it took was his daily expressions to see the change.

"I worry about him too Jenna," The lupine sighed frustratingly. "I know that things aren't going well, but what the hell am I supposed to do?"

Jenna got up from the couch and put herself within an inch of his muzzle. She stared straight into his deep purple eyes, which were doing the same, and spoke softly. "Isn't it obvious? Be there for him. Even if it means something as simple as socializing, it'll show that you're gonna help him through this." Her upset demeanor had faded and was replaced with a smile. "I really hope that things will work themselves out for both you and your fathers sake." She leaned closer and gave him a kiss. Wolf was aware of this, but his mind had floated off into his own world.

I hope so too…