Chapter 145: Best Friends Forever
Two buddies just chilling together.
Today is International Raccoon Appreciation Day and it is fitting that since I started this story on this "holiday" in 2018, I should post the last chapter today.
"Keep thy friend, under thy own life's key."
– William Shakespeare
The lanky-looking fox leaned back against the car's hood while he watched the sun setting over the climate wall. Nick Wilde had left his dark blue blazer inside the vehicle and had loosened his blue and green striped tie, allowing some of his creamy white chest fur to poke out where his snowy white dress shirt was unbuttoned. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and he had unfastened his shoulder harness, allowing his tranquilizer gun holster to hang loose. Lazily he reached up and removed his mirrored sunglasses, taking time to tuck them carefully into his shirt pocket.
The car he was leaning on was a somewhat worn-out dark gray Furred Tarsus unmarked police car. It was a replacement for the newer vehicle that he had previously been driving until it had been destroyed while trying to apprehend some criminals.
"Just why did you and Officer Hendricks think that you could have blockaded those car thieves on Ash Street?" Chief Bogo asked. The large bull in the dark blue police uniform leaned back in his chair while he glared at the fox in the blue blazer, then over at the nervous young uniformed rookie lion, and finally up at the uniformed rhino who towered over the other two.
"It was a standard roadblock procedure…" Nick began to defend himself and the officer.
"Not when the car the thieves were driving was a stolen MONSTER TRUCK!" Chief Bogo yelled. His outburst had caused the rookie to slightly jump and make a small whimper.
The large truck's massive tires had flattened the top of the detective's sedan and smashed the hood of the lion's larger police SUV when it rolled right over them. "Yeah, maybe that wasn't one of my best ideas?" the fox admitted with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Unlike Hendricks, Nick was used to the large bull yelling at him for one thing or another.
Chief Bogo just glared at the fox and the lion for a few more moments.
"We did get the car thieves," Nick finally pointed out while trying not to smirk.
"That was another of your boneheaded stunts, you might have been killed! Having Officer McHorn throw you off the overpass into the passing truck's bed was reckless and dangerous! Just what were you two thinking?"
"I was wondering how far I could throw Wilde and what to tell you if I had missed," McHorn rumbled out in a casual matter-of-fact manner.
"But I did get into the truck's cab and wrestled control of the steering wheel long enough to…" Nick began.
"YOU DROVE THE TRUCK INTO THE RIVER AND IT SANK!" the bull yelled, shutting the fox up.
Chief Bogo stared at them for a few more moments and Nick could hear the lion give an audible gulp. Setting his hoofs on his desktop, the bull finally continued in an almost nonchalant manner. "Hendricks, you have parking ticket duty for the next few days. Wilde, you and McHorn just need to get out of my office."
McHorn opened the door, allowing the detective and the rookie cop to exit before speaking, "See, I told you that he wouldn't get that mad."
"Yeah, things might have gone better if I hadn't missed that turn and drove off into the water," Nick replied.
"Hey, why is it that I got punished with parking duty and you two just walked out scot-free?" the lion grumbled.
"Because you are still the rookie!" Nick answered while he followed the rhino down the stairs. "Someone had to be the fall guy and that is just the way things go. Don't worry you will just love parking ticket duty."
"And Wilde should know, he was an expert in writing tickets when he was a rookie," McHorn chuckled. "He couldn't keep his yap shut...come to think about it, he still can't."
"Here!" a slightly shorter raccoon said as he handed the fox a cup of iced coffee, interrupting Nick from his musings. He too had removed his suit jacket and was standing there in his slacks and light blue dress shirt. The raccoon carefully untied his red and black checkered tie and tossed it into the car next to his discarded taupe-colored suit jacket.
Sniffing the drink, the fox's right eyebrow rose slightly when he caught the scent. "Pumpkin spice? Really, Jake?"
"Hey, it's that time of year! Everyone looks forward to when autumn officially starts and they begin selling the pumpkin spiced drinks again. Besides, they were out of blueberry flavoring at the store."
"Pumpkin spice…pfft!" the fox playfully stuck out his tongue and mockingly grimaced after he took a taste of the drink. The iced coffee was actually refreshingly cool and tasty, a much-needed treat while standing in the afternoon heat of the Canyonlands.
"I happen to like pumpkin spice!"
"That figures, you never had the sophisticated palate for good coffee."
"If you don't like my coffee, then why do you keep coming to my house and using my coffee maker?"
"Because Marie made you buy that fancy coffee machine and it makes one of the best cups of Joe in Happy Town."
"Hey, Marie has good taste. After all, she married me!" Jake boasted.
"Only after I talked her into taking your sorry tail back after she dumped you," Nick chuckled.
The raccoon was going to protest, but then he realized that the fox spoke the truth. "I like good coffee too!" he said instead.
"Jake, you would drink mud and think it tasted good. You and Captain Huntersnout are the only two animals I have ever met who think that the mucky swill that comes out of the vending machine down at the police station tastes good."
"You don't like your drink? Fine, I will just walk all the way back down the road and get you another one without the pumpkin spice flavoring!" Jake huffed out.
"You don't have to do that, I was just joking," Nick said even as he reached over and lovingly ruffled the fur between the raccoon's ears. "This is actually very good, thank you."
The two friends just quietly leaned on the car's hood next to each other while they watched the sunset.
After a few minutes, the fox gave the raccoon a mischievous grin. "How do they treat a pumpkin spice addict?" he suddenly asked.
"What?" Jake asked in confusion.
"I asked you, how do they treat a pumpkin spice addict?"
"Don't start with the stupid jokes, fox!"
"With a pumpkin patch," the fox laughed even as he gave Jake one of his infamous smirks.
The raccoon tried not to grin when he gave out a little groan, but he couldn't help himself.
They sat there on the car's hood while they contently sipped their drinks.
"It's kind of nice out here in the late afternoon, once things begin cooling down," Nick finally commented. "You have to admit that the sunset is spectacular, especially the way the sunbeams highlight the browns and reds on the canyon walls."
"Red sky at night, a sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning," Jake quoted.
"Is that some old Raccoon saying?"
"Nope, I used to hear the seals say it all the time in the bars and dives over on River Street when I lived there."
"Well, I am glad that you gave up that old life after you got out of jail and went legit."
"I'm just glad that they didn't send me back to the big house for decking you that day on Herd Street."
"Yeah, punching a cop was not a smart thing to do even though I had deserved it for that hustle I pulled on you years earlier."
They were quiet again while they watched the stars come out in the darkening sky above them.
"Jake, I sure am glad you are here with me tonight," Nick suddenly said.
"You know that I will always be around when you need me," Jake replied while he swirled the ice in his drink.
"I know and I will be around when you need me."
"Is this when we are supposed to link our pinkies and say besties forever?" Jake joked, causing the fox to chuckle and shake his head. He was surprised when Nick put his paw out with his small digit extended. "I was just kidding!" he quickly added.
"Come on, coon."
Jake slowly extended his paw and they locked their small digits together. "Besties forever," Nick said with a grin.
"Yeah, you bet," Jake replied smiling back at his best friend. The fox suddenly pulled the raccoon into a brief hug for a few moments before they went back to sipping on their iced coffees.
They were quiet once again. The fox and the raccoon were just comfortable being in each other's company while they watch the world slowly pass by.
"Hey, Nick," Jake said after a few more minutes.
"Yeah, buddy?" Nick replied.
"Just how long did that tow truck driver say it would take for him to get here? It seems like we have been stuck here for hours!"