An hour later or so, the school bell finally rang for the last time of the day. Students burst out of the doors, receiving the lovely weather of the glowing spring afternoon. As he walked outside, Tyler gave a slight shudder. He still felt a bit cooler than usual... the funny thing was, many around him were taking off sweaters and jackets. The lynx slowly reached up, and put a hand against his forehead. It felt surprisingly warm. His eyebrows furrowed with concern at this. *I'm not getting 'sick' am I??* Tyler gave a weary sigh. *Probably...* he thought. *Must've caught some chill or something... well isn't that just great!* Another situation for his father to stress over, in medical terms, a preaching matter for him to lecture Tyler about, for physician experience and reference. Groaning to himself at the thought, Tyler didn't even notice a particular dog fox he passed right on by... "-Hey Tyler!" The call broke the lynx from his thoughts. He turned around, and saw none other than Prince Rockavar standing there. In an instant, he felt both surprised and panicked. Tyler was surprised, for Rockavar of all people, he had not expected to see, and was panicked, because of what had happened between him and Vera earlier, and the thought that if Rockavar knew this, just how badly he could get his ass kicked... "-Oh!" Rockavar... hi," he quickly responded, trying to hide his worries. The fox walked over to him, kind of shaking his head. "-What's up with you, Ty?" I must've called your name about three times, before you finally heard!" You were like... spaced out or whatnot." Something wrong?" Tyler rubbed the back of his neck, decidedly. "-Eh... nothin' much, nyah." Just... lost in thought, I guess." Sorry about that." Rockavar nodded, "-Ah kay, gotcha." The lynx licked his lips. "-Sooo... what brings ya here, Rocky?" The fox was momentarily taken aback, shuffled his feet a little, then replied, "-Well... I was kinda hoping to, erm... maybe catch Vera here, or-" His voice trailed off, and he looked rather embarrassed, as he knew that Tyler well knew that Rockavar wasn't supposed to be "consorting" with Vera, so to speak. "-I mean, you know... just to... talk and... that," he added. The lynx slowly nodded. It was plain to see that Rockavar was still "tripping" over his breakup with Vera... it had "wounded" a part of him, real bad. He just couldn't get over her... he was still holding onto what was no longer there. "-Well... I don't think she's here." She's taking a new bus now, I believe... it leaves the school earlier, so..." Tyler told him. The fox looked crestfallen. "-Oh..." he said, with a definite tone of disappointment and sadness. "I see." The two were quiet for a minute. Rockavar then finally spoke again, "-Well... ummm... I was just wondering... have YOU seen Vera around, today, then?" Tyler froze. "-Why.. what did you hear?" His friend gave him a funny look. "-Err... I didn't 'hear' anything... I was just asking if you've seen her-" The lynx screamed in his head, *-"What did you hear?"?? Where the FUCK did that come from?? You IDIOT! LOOK at what you slipped! Jackass!!* Tyler gave an uneasy smile, trying to cover up. "-Yeah.. I knew that... what I meant, by that was... ermm... well nevermind, not important or anything." Guess I wasn't thinking, for a minute there-" The fox cocked his head, suspiciously. "-Tyler... are you SURE you're okay?" You look kinda... 'flustered' about something." His friend felt his conscience eating him alive. Tyler considered the possibility of telling Rockavar the truth... as insane as it sounded... He felt awful hiding this dreadful secret from his good friend. Rockavar deserved to know the truth, and Tyler owed him as much to tell him that. Perhaps if he came clean with him straight up, Rockavar wouldn't be as angry, and maybe appreciate that he was honest. That didn't sound so bad... But what if not? What if Rockavar was furious, and full of raging emotion, and decided to take it out on Tyler, for what he had done? He wasn't stupid, he knew perfectly well that Rockavar could beat the living shit outta him, if he was mad enough. No one was idiotic enough to try and fight a raging (male) fox with an adrenaline rush... that was as much as a lost cause as trying to defy gravity. And he knew... that this little 'incident' could very well destroy their friendship. Tyler swallowed hard, torn by these thoughts. But in the end, he finally made his decision. "-Okay, okay!" You wanna know the truth??" Well fine... I'll tell you then!" Rockavar looked rather confused. "-What... 'truth'?" Tyler hung his head, trying to collect himself. "You asked if I saw Vera today... right?" "-Yeah... why?" "-I did... see her." At lunchtime." I was outside, trying to study for my chemistry test, when she.. burst outside the back doors." The fox's ears perked up, listening attentively. "-Okay... and?" Tyler replied, "-She... she was crying." Rockavar's ears immediately flattened. "-Crying??" Wh... why was she crying?" Was she hurt??" Did someone say something to her?" Who the fuck do I have to kill??" His sudden aggressiveness made Tyler jump a little. "-Nononono!" Rockavar, it's okay!" She's okay!" She was just... upset about... well... it's not important." "-It isn't??" demanded the Fox Prince. "-Not as much as what I'm about to TELL you!" snapped Tyler. Rockavar was a little startled at Tyler's tone, but he muttered, "Fine..." Well then get to it already!" "-Alright, alright!" yelped the lynx, flustered at being rushed along. "Then... well I saw her crying there and... I felt bad, becuz she's my friend and all... so I asked her if she wanted to sit down and tell me about it." Rockavar, taking this situation in, gave Tyler a wary, deciding look, like one that someone would give to say, Bullseye, when he said that he had met some new girl... His friend saw the look, and nearly choked. Finally the fox said, "-Go on..." Mustering up what little backbone he had, Tyler continued, "-Yeah... and so... she told me about it... and... kept saying how it was... all her fault and stuff... and I was just like, no it isn't, and that it was gonna be okay and all..." The Prince slowly nodded, "-Right..." "So ya... and well... see... I told you she was upset right?" And... you know how females have a tendency to be... 'touchy' when they're... emotional?" Like... 'huggy'?" Not even blinking, Rockavar replied, "Yeah... I know." "-And... well... since I was trying to make her feel better and all.. at one point... I kinda... put my arm around her back, on her shoulder... and then... she kinda had a sudden outburst, and... threw her arms around me... and... since I didn't have the... heart to move her off... I kinda just... let her and... still had my hand on her shoulder and was... stroking her hair... thinking it might make her feel more... better, needed or something-" At hearing that Vera, HIS Vera, had been 'touched/held' by another guy, (his friend, on top of it), and she'd done the same to him, a sting and snap of irritable jealously shot up in Rockavar. But he said nothing. "-So I just kept, comforting her, trying to make her happy or something... and... I guess it worked... becuz then she... told me that I was... 'great' and... really 'sweet'... and... and-" Tyler stuttered on his last word, scared to death, to finish. A final urging command from the fox, was all it took. "-And... THEN??" It had come. The moment of final truth. The lynx took a deep breath... and finished. "-And... and then... she... kissed me on the lips." He had said it. He feebly looked to Rockavar. His friend was speechless. His jaw was hanging suspendedly, and his eyes were wide and unblinking. He stared piercingly at Tyler, with a devastated look of what looked like betrayal. His stalling was starting to make Tyler nervous to the extreme. Finally he pleaded, "-Rockavar... I... I know you're probably mad... and-" The fox then managed to get out three words. "-I'm... not... mad," he choked out each word. Tyler blinked. "You aren't?" Rockavar spoke, "-No..." The lynx let out a huge sigh of relief, and started to say something, when Rockavar then barked at him, "-I'M MORE PISSED OFF THAN I'VE BEEN IN MY WHOLE FUCKING ENTIRE LIFE!!" Scared out of his wits, Tyler jumped back, and hit into the wall. "-Rockavar, I can explain!" Pl-" "-Explain WHAT??" the fox yelled in his face. "-WHY in God's name were you KISSING VERA?!?" I can't believe you'd DO this to me!" I thought you were my friend!" But here you are, going around, and stabbing me in the back!" Tyler protested, "But Rockavar-!" "-You know what you can do, Tyler?" snapped the fox, shutting him up. "You can just BLOW my big succulent Royal COCK, for all I care!" With that said, he started to turn tail and leave, in a rage. But Tyler shrieked, "No, WAIT!!" Rockavar!" Wait a second!" I mean... at least I had the guts to tell you the truth!" Isn't that what 'friends' do??" Rockavar stopped for a minute, to scoff scornfully, "-Yeah... just so you don't get in as much trouble, as if I heard it from someone ELSE instead!" Tyler was momentarily stunned by this, but managed to recover his wits to continue. "-Don't you SEE?" This is why I HAD to tell you, myself... because I KNEW it would hurt!" Rockavar looked at him, absolutely bewildered. Tyler's mouth dropped. "-Ok... that sounded SO much better in my head... let me rephrase that!" But the fox had heard enough. "-Oh, would you just SHUT-UP!!" he yelled. "I don't need to hear any fucking more!" Bottom line is, you and Vera made out!" You two, my friend and my girlfriend.. you both betrayed me!" Tyler swallowed. "-Rockavar... in... in 'slight' fairness... it wasn't ALL that wrong..." His friend shot him a dangerous look. "-Oh REALLY?" How so??" "-Vera... isn't... she isn't your 'girlfriend' anymore..." Suddenly, Rockavar's angry face was replaced with crestfallen look, like he'd just been slapped. The truth in Tyler's words... had never really hit him... not fully sunken in... not even when Vera had told him they were over... The bomb was now dropped, and his soul left in complete ruin. The fox slowly echoed, "-She... she's not... my girlfriend..." Feeling ready to keel over, he numbly stumbled back, leaning against the wall, for support. "-I'm... I'm sorry to tell you like this, Rocky..." said Tyler. "But... I thought you knew... and... someone had to tell you..." You have no idea how I feel right now, about this... honestly." The fox lowered himself to the ground, to sit. Tyler had never seen him look so meek, vulnerable and lost. Finally, Rockavar told him, "-No idea how YOU feel right now??" Well... I can assure you... it's fucking 'sunshine and rainbows' compared to how I feel right now!" He turned away, tightly biting his lip. "-I... I know it's just been barely over a week or something, but I... I just... I can't..." Rockavar's voice was trembling. "-I miss her so much, man." He took a quavering breath, and held his head between his knees, shaking with bitter emotion. The lynx lowered his ears, feeling more guilty than he already was. "-Aww man... Rocky... come on.. it's okay... it's not your fault... just... let it out." Feeling Tyler's hand on his shoulder, a sudden rocket of anger rushed to Rockavar's brain. He swiftly flung Tyler's hand away. "-Don't you fucking touch me, you prick!" he snapped. "-Rockavar, I was just trying to help-" "Yeah, just like you were 'trying to help' Vera!" And what would that be doing?" 'Helping' her undo her BRA??" Tyler tried to explain, but Rockavar wouldn't let him. "-You know what... you told ME some 'truth'... now why don't I reciprocate?" You want some 'truth' about you??" How's this... did you know that you CAUSE more trouble than you FIX!" Fucking homewrecker!" Hurt by the accusation, Tyler spluttered, "I didn't mean to!" I swear!" Rockavar, can't you please let me explain-!" "NO!" the fox yelled. "I've had enough of what you have to say!" I just wanna-!" He stopped, and shook his head. "-I've heard all I need to hear... and all I have to say is... you and Vera... I... I can't believe I ever trusted either of you..." If I knew you were gonna..." He grit his teeth, trying to hold back a tear. "-So... so just... FUCK YOU BOTH!!" he screamed at Tyler. With that said, he stormed out, absolutely enraged and spirit-broken. That time, Tyler didn't try to stop him. He just stood against the wall, frozen with shock. He felt a cold, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Because of what had happened, he had done what he feared. Completely destroyed their friendship... forever.
He tried calling Rockavar that night, but for obvious reasons, the fox refused to answer. The guilt-shaken lynx couldn't sleep all night, thinking about it. The situation continued to plague Tyler's thoughts with guilt and remorse, all into the next day, making the hours seem even longer and more painful. But also that day, something else was bothering him. Something even worse...
He tried calling Rockavar that night, but for obvious reasons, the fox refused to answer. The guilt-shaken lynx couldn't sleep all night, thinking about it. The situation continued to plague Tyler's thoughts with guilt and remorse, all into the next day, making the hours seem even longer and more painful. But also that day, something else was bothering him. Something even worse...
