Thank you all for the reviews.
I'm not sure I should call those chapters, it's more snippets and scenes.
Anyway, it'll go somewhere eventually.
Chapter 3 : Skipping Class
"Do you even try to take notes ?"
Judy's reviewing Gideon's history homework, which makes her want to bash her own head in with the corner of the desk. He got some names and dates right. And managed to not have any of the former correlate with the latter.
"Well… I mean, If ya do, I just have to copy-"
"It's not how it works ! I can't do all the work for you. I can't- I'm supposed to help you, but you also need to study in class and when you get home !"
The fox narrows his eyes at her. "I study."
"Yeah ? And what's your process ? Flash cards ? Copying your own notes over and over until you memorise them ? Do the books exercise until you get everything perfectly ?"
He's still glaring at her, when she points at digit at him.
"You don't do any of that, do you ? It's not enough that you skipped a quarter, what are you even doing here if you're not going to work ?"
"I don't have time-"
"Don't have time ? What do you do that takes up so much of your time ?" The fox glares at her in anger, which only furthers Judy's frustration. "I can't help you if you don't want to help yourself."
His fur bristles, his expression souring, morphing into one she knows well. Instinctively, she stands up, suddenly afraid that he'll lunge at her. Instead, he slams his notebook shut and drops it into his bag. "Forget it."
"Gid-"
"I said, f-f-forget it ! Leave me the fuck alone !" He shouts, standing up and leaving the room.
Judy sighs. Well, good riddance, she guesses. If he's not going to try, she might as well find someone that will actually appreciate her help. Putting her own notebook into her bag, she imitates him. At least now she'll have more time to herself.
"Have you seen Gideon today ?"
Judy's about to leave school when she hears Mrs Catmull's voice. The feline is coming her way with her bag hanging from her shoulder.
"No Mrs Catmull. I haven't." She says truthfully, though a ball of guilt installs itself in the pit of her stomach. She hasn't seen him for more than a week and hasn't even thought about it in that span of time.
"Ah..." The cougar seems a bit distraught. "I guess… He skipped class again."
"I'm sure he's okay."
The feline shoots her an indulgent smile. "I'm not worried for him… I mean, I am. I'm sure he hasn't run onto any trouble, but he should be more…" She trails off, scratching her forehead with a tired expression.
"Is everything alright ?"
"Yes. It's just that after what happened last quarter, I hoped he'd be able to turn a new leaf, but he needs more help than he gets, that's all."
"What happened last quarter ?"
"That's… Not something I can talk about." Answers the feline. "He might tell you eventually, but you shouldn't press him to do so."
The bunny frowns. Skipping a whole quarter would mean an expulsion for anyone else. If the fox was able to remain in school, it probably means something happened. But what ? And if he really does need help, why would he reject it like that ? Pride ? Stubbornness ?
"If he fails this year gain, I'm worried he might get expelled." Huffs the cougar with sadness in her eyes. "He really doesn't deserve that."
If it had been middle school, Judy might have disagreed, but now, she's not so sure. The fox might have looked angry, but it didn't feel really directed at her… "He's trying his best, Mrs Catmull. I'm sure he was just ill and that's why he couldn't come." She lies. "I'll go to his place and give him my notes so he can catch up." States the bunny, if only to make the counsellor feel better.
"It's so nice of you, Miss Hopps. I'm glad I asked you to tutor him."
That last sentence is another hammer blow on the nail of her guilt. The bunny quickly walks to her bike, and rides away toward the edge of town. She isn't going to go to Gideon's house first though. She knows he used to smoke with Travis near the old reservoir, and it's exactly where she expects to find him.
From where he's sitting, the tod can see a small flower patch. It's violet coloured, and it's kind of pretty. It's bit silly, but he likes looking at it. It helps calm his nerves when he's in a bad place. That and the cigarette he's smoking.
A few paces from him sits the water reservoir where the local farmer pump their water to grow their crops. He and Travis go swim in it, once in a while, but never threw any garbage in it. He remembers too well the story his father told him long ago, of having his back tanned for having done that exact mistake. That lesson stuck with him to this day.
The tod zones back in as he hears the sound of a bike approaching.
"Whatcha doin' here ?" He asks.
Judy brakes as she passes near the abandoned cement shack that stands near the reservoir. The voice came from above her, and she can see the fox sitting on the roof, one of his arms around his knees while the other scratches the moss growing on the concrete. Only his eyes are turned down, his head locked by a neck brace.
"I was looking for you."
"I thought I told ya to forget it. I ain't studying with you anymore."
Putting her bike and bag down, the bunny walks around the small building, easily finding the pile of old tyres the fox used to climb up. Soon, she's standing near him, wondering what she could say.
"What happened to you ? I thought you were skipping class, but-"
"As if ya cared." He mutters, drawing on his cigarette, before noticing the look she gives it. She's obviously not approving.
"Maybe I do. Did you have an accident ? Why didn't you tell the school."
"Not yer business."
"It is when it makes you miss on your tutoring."
"Or when it makes ya miss on yer nice extra-curricular credit." He retorts.
Judy almost rises to the bait. Almost. She keeps her mouth shut, though, she doubts anything she could say would help.
"Why dontchu find someone else to teach to ? I'm pretty sure everyone'd fight to get a chance to work with the great Judy Hopps."
"You need help."
The vulpine shoots her a look. "That's your big thing, huh ? Helping mammals ? Protectin'em ?"
The bunny thinks back of the years she spent shielding her friends from him and Travis, as well as trying her best to be there for her siblings. "I guess."
His gaze wanders away, both arms going around his knees. "Well, ya can't help everyone."
Tentatively, Judy goes to sit next to him, and sees him scooting away. "What happened to you ?"
"I skipped class."
The doe shakes her head. "I mean, the first quarter. I don't remember even seeing you in town."
"I was… Away." His voice breaks a bit.
"Where ?"
"Away."
"Gid-"
"Yer just losin' yer time, you know that, right ? I'm just a dumb fox that can't get anythin' right. Just fucking things up over and over."
"You're not dumb-"
The vulpine snorts. "Oh don't sell me that shit. You know I'm dumb. You've always thought it, like all the o-o-others. You thought I wasn't worth anythin', didn't you ?"
"Gid-"
"Don't try to deny it. Everyone thinks that. Even he- Let it go, okay ? Become a cop or whatever you gonna be. I'll work at the steel mill like me dad. At least I'm not dumb enough that I can mess that up too."
She can't even blame him for saying that. He was always a no good dumb fox to her, mostly acted the part too. But seeing him so dejected like that, ready to give up… It sits wrong with her.
"I thought that. Yes. Maybe you were dumb but I was- I'm just a kid. I can't remember how many stupid things I did. But you still should try to get your high school degree-"
"And what would I do with it ? Sure, ya'd help me now, but then, what ? You'll go to college or whatever, and I'll still be stuck here."
"You could go to college too."
He stares at her for a few seconds, before exploding into laughter. "Me, in college ? You're even dumber than you look ! I'm failin' classes I've already taken once, what would I do there ? Be a janitor ? Shit, I'd rather drown myself than see the likes of you look down on me all day."
The bunny sighs. He's right when he says he isn't college material. But he can't just drop out of school and work, can he ? What about his future ? What if he discovers his calling just to be stuck, never to be able to reach it. The bunny gets up and extends her paw toward him.
"I might not know what you'll do with it, but you'll be better off with your degree than without. Better to figure out what you want while at school than while stuck on a job, isn't it ?"
The fox doesn't answer, and doesn't take her paw, but still stands up. His gaze doesn't fall on her either, he simply gets down from the roof, the doe following him.
"I'll see ya at school." He mutters, putting out his cigarette against the shack's wall before mounting his bike, a rusty old thing has probably been in use for half a dozen decades.