Finnick was at his first day of high school, walking toward his locker. Suddenly a group of female deers walked right to him.
"Aww!" All of the deers said at once.
Finnick growled. He walked around the three deers as they kept cooing at him, trying to mind his own business. He then walked up to his locker. Being a fennec fox, small even for his species, he obviously had one of the bottom lockers. Once he put his books away, his old friend Nick, who had been his friend since elementary school, was there, kneeling on the lockers.
"Aww, are you starting his first day of high school? The little guy sure is growing up!", Nick cooed mockingly.
"Shut up, Nick, you're starting high school too", Finnick pointed out.
"Yeah but I don't look like I'm still in pre-school", Nick pointed out.
Finnick slammed the door and gave his friend a dirty look. Nick then smirked and did something completely unexpected.
He bent down and then, to Finnick's surprise, picked him up.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!", Finnick shouted angrily, "PUT ME DOWN!"
Nick settled Finnick in his arms and put a hand over his crotch. Nick then started walking towards his class while carrying Finnick. Suddenly the other students looked at them.
"Relax Fin", Nick said, "I'm just making things safer for you".
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAKING THINGS SAFER?!", Finnick asked angrily.
"There are elephants, tigers, wolves, buffalos, rhinos, hippos here, you name it, this school has it. They could squash you without even meaning to. I mean, what, you expect them to look down all the time just to make sure they don't step on anyone by accident? Not gonna happen. If I carry you to class, though, then you'll be just fine", Nick pointed out.
"I can take care of myself just fine!", Finnick retorted, "Plus I'm not the only small animal in this school!"
"Yeah but you are the smallest student in the school. Even the other three or four fennec foxes this school has are a head taller than you", Nick said.
"I don't care, LET. ME. GO!", Finnick said, trying to struggle out of Nick's grasp to no avail. Nick just chuckled. Finnick then groaned again.
"Well, you can't carry me all the time. It's not like we have every class together", Finnick pointed out.
"True. And, for moments like that, I got our other friends or friend of friends to agree to carry you", Nick said.
Finnick couldn't believe what he just heard.
"WHAT?!", Finnick shouted angrily, "YOU WENT BEHIND MY BACK AND ASKED OUR FRIENDS AND COMPLETE STRANGERS TO JUST PICK ME UP WITHOUT ASKING ME FIRST?!"
"Well I couldn't ask you if you were okay with this because I knew you'd hate the idea", Nick said.
"Rightly so because this is a stupid idea!", Finnick protested, "I'm a teenage boy, not a baby, I can't just be carried around like this!"
"Fin, we know you're not a baby. I think most mammals will be able to understand that when they see you around every day that you're not a baby. Plus it's not like a student would just bring a baby to high school", Nick said.
Suddenly a group of mixed mammal students walked up to them.
"Aww, he's so cute!", A female teenage impala said.
Finnick growled.
"Why thank you", Nick said.
"Can I hold him?", a female teenage wildebeest asked.
Finnick gave Nick a shocked look.
"You wouldn't", Finnick whispered.
Nick thought about it then smirked.
"Sorry ladies, but not now, we gotta get to class", Nick said, "But maybe later".
Finnick sighed with relief.
Nick walked to homeroom while carrying Finnick. As soon as they got to class, Nick set Finnick down on the smallest seat he could find. Unfortunately, while all of the seats were built to fit mammals of all sizes and shapes, none were quite small enough for Finnick. The smallest seat Nick could find to set Finnick down on was still one where, had Finnick sat down or even stood up on the chair, he could still barely see over the desk.
So Finnick sighed. He got up and unzipped his backpack. Finnick then took out three books and set them down on the chair to use as a booster seat to be able to see over the table. Then Finnick sighed again and sat on the books. Nick, who was sitting next to him, snickered.
"Does Finny need a booster seat?", Nick cooed.
Finnick gave him a dirty look and flipped the finger at him. But he wasn't the only one. Finnick overheard a few other students snickering at him as well. Suddenly Finnick went from angry to just sad. Is this what his place in high school was going to be? The smallest kid in school whose either mocked for his size, treated like a child for it, or both? Granted that's pretty much what his reputation was like in middle school but he hoped that maybe, just maybe, things would be different.
Later on, Finnick had to use the bathroom. He got up and climbed down off of his seat. Finnick then saw Nick about to get up.
"What? Are you gonna carry me while I'm holding in a shit?", Finnick asked in an intimidating tone. "Do you need to open the door for me?", Finnick asked sarcastically.
"No, I was just gonna make sure you got there okay, bud", Nick said.
"Well, I don't need you to make sure so Leave. Me. Alone", Finnick said.
Nick was actually almost intimidated by the tiny fox but didn't want him to know it so he kept on that smug smile.
"Suit yourself", Nick said.
Finnick then started walking and stopped when he realized he didn't even know where the bathroom was. Finnick turned and looked at his goat teacher.
"Excuse me, Ms. Bovidae, but where's the men's room?", Finnick asked.
"Down the hall, take a left, and it'll be right there", Ms. Bovidae said.
"Thanks", said Finnick.
Finnick was walking towards the bathroom.
A few feet behind him was a teenage lioness named Akeelah. She herself was a sophomore walking back towards her homeroom. Suddenly a rather rude camel, still listening to his headphones and not really paying attention to anything, bumped into her as he passed her by and continued walking. Akeelah couldn't believe how rude he was and looked at him, angrily, but then continued walking.
Finnick heard steps creeping toward him. Akeelah saw the camel walk way too close to him. She got scared that the camel might step on him so Akeelah sprinted, pushed the camel out of the way, and quickly picked Finnick up.
"Hey, what's your problem?!", The camel asked angrily.
"What's YOUR problem?! You were about to step on this little guy!", Akeelah said.
"No, what's YOUR problem?! I heard him coming, I was just about to get out of the way", Finnick said.
"Oh. Sorry", Akeelah said, embarrassingly, as she put him down.
"Jesus, I was just walking towards the bathroom, you should be happy I didn't soil myself", Finnick said, annoyed.
"Look, I'm really sorry about that", Akeelah said.
"It's fine. I'm used to it. Everyone thinks I'm just some little thing that needs to be protected and can't take care of himself. Everywhere I go, mammals are either making fun of me or babying me! Even my friends are like that! They went behind my back and all decided to carry me to my classes without asking me if I even wanted that! Like, I know I'm tiny, I don't need help getting around, I can figure out how to get around myself! I mean I've lived for 14 years, they don't think I figured out how to get around things despite my height by now?!", Finnick ranted.
Akeelah sighed, sympathetically. She then got down on her knees to be eye level with Finnick.
"I guess most mammals of all species, whether they be predator or prey, just have an instinctual need to take care of someone they think is weaker than them", Akeelah said. "And you're just one of many who are underestimated because of that. You remind them of a child and, even though they should know better, they see you as a child so they want to protect you like you are one".
"I know but I'm sick of it. In Junior High, I was on the track team and, even though I'm considered one of the best runners on the team, other animals were still afraid to get near me because they're afraid they'll "step on me". They should be afraid of nothing because I'm so fast, I'd get out of the way in no time!", Finnick kept ranting.
Akeelah smirked.
"Maybe you could show me".
"Yeah, but not now, because I really gotta go. It was nice to meet you, though-", Finnick started.
"Akeelah".
"Finnick".
"Hey, before you go, maybe I can escort you to your next class? Not because of your size but because, well, you're new here, right?", Akeelah asked.
"Yeah, I'm a freshman", Finnick said.
"Yes, a freshman. Well, as a sophomore, I know the place a bit better than you. I could show you around and show you where each class is, like one might with any freshman", Akeelah pointed out.
"You do make a good point", Finnick said, "Okay. My homeroom is Room 100. My next class is History, which is in Room 205".
"Ahh I know exactly where that is", Akeelah pointed out.
"Alright Akeelah, you can do that", Finnick said, "I really, really gotta go but it was nice to meet you".
"You too", Akeelah said.
Finnick walked towards the bathroom. He easily pushed the door open and walked in. He then walked to the smallest stall he could find and walked right under it. In there was a toilet that could fit anything from rabbits to regular foxes. He had to jump up while holding it in and sat on the ledge of the toilet seat. He then pulled his pants down and did his business.
Once he was done, he washed his hands in the sink made for small animals (though he still had to use a book to be able to reach it, thankfully he brought his backpack with him) and went back to homeroom. Later on, the bell rang and Flash was waiting outside. Nick and Finnick walked out followed by other students.
"So Fin, you're ride is here. Flash is gonna take you because he says he has the same class you do", Nick said.
"Hi. Finnick. How. Are. You. Doing. Little. Guy?", Flash greeted.
"Flash?! I won't make it to any of my classes if I'm with him!", Finnick pointed out.
Flash went to having a smile on his face to having a look of sadness when he heard that, rather quickly for his species.
Akeelah then walked towards him. When she walked towards them, both Nick and Flash were surprised while Finnick just had a smug smile on his face.
"Ready for me to show you around, Fin?", Akeelah asked.
"Besides, she promised to show me around so I think I'll be just fine", Finnick said smugly.
"Finnick, you befriended a-", Nick started asking.
"A lioness? That's right", Finnick said smugly.
"Hi, my name's Akeelah. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?", Akeelah asked.
"Nick", Nick said rather uncomfortably. "How do you know Finnick?"
"We met in the halls, not too long ago", Finnick said.
"Are these your friends?", Akeelah asked.
"Ehh, kinda", Finnick said.
"Hello. My. Name. I-", Flash started.
"That's Flash", Finnick said quickly.
"M Flash", Flash ended right after he said that.
"Anyway, I'd stay to chat but I think we gotta get going", Finnick said, "Are you ready to go?"
"Are you sure? I'd like to meet your friends a bit more", Akeelah said.
"Akeelah, we got all day. But class is in 5 minutes and it's upstairs, I think we should go", Finnick said impatiently.
"Well, if you say so, Fin", Akeelah said, "It was nice to meet you guys".
"You too", Nick said quickly as Flash was saying "You".
Finnick and Akeelah then started heading towards class.
"Too", Flash said.
"Ehh, I give it a week", Nick said smugly.
"Nick, They. Can't. Be. Dating. That. Would. Be. Impossible", Flash said.
"It's called a joke, sweetheart", Nick said.
"Oh. Right.", Flash said, "Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha."
"We'll work on it", Nick said.
Finnick and Akeelah were walking up the stairs. Finnick was closer to the left side of the staircase, near the handles, because he figured he'd be less likely to be squashed that way as most students walked in the middle of the staircase.
"So, just to let you know the gym is on the lowest floor. The floor you were just on is the 1st floor and the floor were going to is the 2nd floor", Akeelah said.
"Thought so", said Finnick.
"What class do you have next?", asked Akeelah.
"Gym. Though you told me what that's on. After that I have Math, then Lunch, then English, then Intro to Science and then, of course, we go home", Finnick said, smiling towards the end.
"Good. After Gym, do you want to eat lunch together?", asked Akeelah.
Finnick suddenly got embarrassed because he wasn't quite sure if he wanted Akeelah to really get to know his friends.
"Oh, you don't need to do that, I'm sure you have your own friends", Finnick said.
"Of course I do but they wouldn't mind if I sit with someone else", Akeelah said.
"Well, if you're okay with it, I guess it's fine", Finnick said.
"Great! I'll see you at lunch. By the way, just to let you know, the even numbered classes are on the left side of the building and the odd numbered classes are on the right side of the building", Akeelah said as they walked to Finnick's class.
They then walked to Room 205.
"Thanks. I'll see you at lunch", Finnick said.
"See you at lunch", Akeelah said, "Bye now".
"Bye", said Finnick.
Akeelah then walked away and Finnick got to class. He had a similar routine as homeroom, he had found the smallest desk but even it was slightly too big for him so he had to sit on a book to be able to see over the desk. Again the students snickered or cooed at him, which he couldn't help but roll his eyes at.
Once History was over, Finnick walked out and was surprised that none of his "friends" were there to carry him to gym. He then figured that Nick must've told everyone about the lion. But they weren't exactly wrong that he was in danger of being squashed, so Finnick made sure to walk along the walls so that wouldn't happen. Finnick then walked all the way down to gym.
At gym, the P.E. teacher, who was a polar bear of course, basically just talked about what they were doing for the whole semester. He spent so long talking about it that the only physical activity they had time for was jogging. And, being the fast fennec he was, Finnick had no problem outrunning everyone. While the P.E. teacher in his elementary and middle school were all a bit cautious to have Finnick do many of the activities due to his size, they had no trouble having him run, which made gym Finnick's favorite subject as it was the one subject where he got to outshine his fellow students.
After gym, Nick, Honey Badget, and Flash were all waiting for him.
"Ready to eat some barely digestible cafeteria food, bud?", Nick asked.
"Yeah, whatever", Finnick said.
Akeelah joined in.
"Hey Fin, Nick, Flash, Umm-", Akeelah said.
"Honey", Honey said.
"Nice to meet you", Akeelah said.
"Likewise", Honey said, "So you're Finny's girlfriend?"
"More like babysitter", Nick joked.
Honey laughed while Flash slowly started laughing.
Finnick groaned. "What was the point of training my voice to get deeper if everyone's just going to make fun of me anyway?"
Everyone started walking.
"I dunno, I guess you just wasted your time", Nick said, rubbing it in. Finnick just rolled his eyes.
They went to the cafeteria. Finnick was on line. He climbed up to get a tray. Suddenly one of the lunch ladies looked at him angrily.
"You can't do that, young man".
"How am I supposed to get a tray then?", Finnick asked.
Akeelah, who was behind him, took a tray.
"Hey Fin, we can share a tray", Akeelah offered.
Finnick sighed.
"Fine", Finnick said then jumped down back to the floor.
Akeelah got food for both herself and Finnick. Before going in, Finnick had already set down a book so he could see over the table. He got on his book while Akeelah sat down next to him, while Nick was on the right side of him. Finnick quickly took his pizza, applesauce, and milk. He ate his pizza and drank his milk but didn't touch his applesauce. Nick couldn't help but notice this.
"What? You're not gonna eat that?", Nick asked.
"I'm full, okay?!", Finnick said defensively.
"Aww, C'mon, eat your applesauce", Nick said.
Nick then took the applesauce and opened it. He took a spoon he had, scooped up some applesauce, and directed it towards Finnick.
"Here comes the choo-choo train!", Nick said in a babyish tone.
"Nick, don't you dare", Finnick warned.
"Choo-Choo!", Nick said as he started heading the spoon towards Finnick's face.
Finnick then swatted the spoon out of Nick's hand, to Akeelah and his friend's shock.
"Wow, why are you so grumpy Finnick?! Do you need your diaper changed or something?", Honey asked mockingly.
Finnick got really angry at this. He leaped on the table, walked towards Honey, and looked her straight in the eye.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!", Finnick asked angrily.
"Aww...Is...The...Little...Guy...Cranky?", Flash asked mockingly.
Finnick couldn't believe it. Flash wasn't really one to come up with barbs and yet even he was making fun of him.
"YEAH BECAUSE YOU IDIOTS WON'T STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!", Finnick shouted. He then leaped off the table and walked away.
Akeelah looked at him sympathetically.
"Should I go talk to him?", Akeelah asked.
"Don't worry, he does this all the time", Nick said. "He's just really sensitive. But he always gets over it "
"Really, really sensitive. Almost uncomfortably so", said Honey. "It kinda bugs me honestly. I know he's our age, and I understand why he's so frustrated about everyone underestimating him or treating him like a baby or whatnot, but can you blame them? He's so small, it's hard to not want to protect him".
"Yeah, I love the guy and just want what's best for him. Sure I'm always teasing him but that's just how I am, I tease everybody", Nick said.
"Agreed", said Honey.
"I...wish...he...would...calm...down...honestly", Flash said.
Akeelah sighed. She then got up and started walking away from everyone else.
"Wait, where are you going?", Honey wondered.
Akeelah walked out and saw Finnick sitting on the floor, crossing his arms, looking angry. Akeelah bent down and looked at him.
"Hey there", Akeelah said.
"Hey", Finnick said shortly.
"How ya feeling?", Akeelah asked.
"Wondering if I should get new friends", Finnick said.
"Please, your friends aren't that bad", Akeelah said, "They love you".
"They sure find a weird way to show it", Finnick said angrily.
"Friends tease each other all the time. One of my best friends, Stripes, is a zebra. We're always making jokes about a lion and zebra being friends."
"Do these jokes get as physical as literally being picked up or having a spoon with applesauce in it while someone goes "Choo-Choo"?", Finnick asked, annoyed.
"No, but I've seen teasing get almost that physical before. They didn't mean anything by it, they were just trying to joke around with their friend", Akeelah said, "You know Nick likes to joke around".
Finnick sighed.
"It's not him, it's not Honey, it's not Flash, it's everyone!", Finnick ranted, "I just wish someone would treat me normally for once".
Akeelah put a paw on his shoulder.
"I do", Akeelah said. Finnick smiled.