Chapter 7 : Jog and Bolt

"What is he doing here ?" The ewe hisses to her friend as she starts warming up. Next to the field, a bit removed, sitting under a tree with book sprawled on the ground and note book on his folded legs, sits Gideon. He seems focused on what he's reading, not particularly paying attention to the two females.

"Studying." Judy answers.

"Can't he do it at home ?"

"For whatever reason, he's going to have to skip the two next tutoring session. If he has a question he can ask it, that way."

The sheep shoots her a dubious look. "Well, when you tutor someone, you're serious about it. I'd never have thought he'd accept to wake up an hour early just for that."

"He was actually the one that asked to come."

"During your training sessions ?"

Judy smiles. "Not specifically. It's just the only moment we both have free time. I thought he'd reconsider, since you're here too."

- 1 -

By now, Sharla has stopped making the leaps in progress from the beginning. It's a bit frustrating to notice the slowing of her progress, but she had seen it coming. She's glad that she's training with her best friend, because otherwise, she'd probably have given up a while ago. The idea that she'll probably have to find a sport club in college instead of being able to share this with her best friend feels sad though, but it's in a couple of years so she doesn't dwell on it.

She's a bit lost into her jogging pace when she sees Gideon trying to wave at Judy as she passes by, only to let his paw fall down when she fails to notice him. Sharla tends to get in the zone when she runs, but the bunny sometimes looks completely hypnotised.

"Do you need something ?" Sharla asks, jogging on spot while the fox stares at her in surprise.

"Uh… Well, I blocked on that e-e-equation." He answers. "I'm just waitin' for her to-"

"You forget the minus signs, here and there." The ewe cuts him matter of factly, pointing at the page.

His feature darkens a bit. "Oh."

"Also your graphic is wrong and you swapped the x and y data there."

The tod hunches and shoots her a familiar aggressive look which makes her back off.

"I was just trying to help, sheesh !" She reacts in a tone she wishes didn't sound as frightened.

- 2 -

"I think I'm going to go home."

Judy's eye widens as she catches up on Sharla around the field. "What ? Why ?"

"I don't really comfortable with him here."

The bunny shoots a look to the fox who looks like he's wracking his brain on a mathematics exercise. "Did he say something to you ?"

"I just tried to help him… And he shot me a look."

"A look ?"

The black sheep groans. "Oh come on. A Gideon look. An 'I'm gonna hurt you' look. You know what those are."

The bunny in fact knows too well what those are. He shot a good amount of them over the years, as well as a few since she started tutoring him. He never did good on that unsaid threat, though (Except the time he shoved her, but that doesn't count).

"He's not going to do anything."

"Doesn't mean I like having him here."

Judy inwardly groans. "Have you tried telling him ?"

"Since when does he listen to criticism ?"

This is starting to get slowly tiring. She got enough from her parents when she told them who she was tutoring. Now Sharla's going to make it difficult too. "What did you say to him ?"

"So now it's going to be my fault ?"

Judy yanks down her own ears and groans loudly. "I know he can be a bit difficult, okay ? I just want to know if you said something to him."

"I just pointed out his mistake." Sharla answers defensively. "Like we would do each other."

"Ah… Well, he might not have liked your tone."

"My tone." The young sheep parrots.

"Yeah. It's important to be really diplomatic. I'd rather push him in the right direction and let him discover where he went wrong. That usually goes way better."

"Well, excuse me for not knowing that."

"Okay… He's being an idiot, you're upset. I'll tell him to stop glaring at you, and you don't have to talk to him. And then we can resume training, okay ?"

"I guess." Mutters the ewe. "But I still don't like him being here."

"That's why I'm going to talk to him." Judy states, before jogging up to the fox. "Hey Gid. Need some help ?"

"I'm okay fer now."

When the doe doesn't leave, he looks up at her with an interrogative expression. "Wot ?"

"Erh… Could maybe, uhm… Ease off on the glaring toward Sharla ?"

"I ain't glarin' at her." He says defensively. "I don't even wanna talk to her, she's the one that came wid' her stuck-"

"Gideon !" She cuts him before pinching the bridge of her nose. "Listen, I understand that you don't like each other. But she's my friend, and so are you, so please don't talk like that about her."

"Yeah, right, cuz' she doesn't talk like 'dat about me." He sneers.

"When it happens, do you think I just let her ?"

The fox looks away as his shoulders sag. "No."

"To be honest, I'd rather have you two be friends-"

"As if that'd happen."

"But I'll settle for you two ignoring each other."

"Guess I can do 'dat." He mutters.

"Good. By the way, you might want to give a second look to that graphic."

The tod rolls his eyes and groan as she skips away.

"Judy ! Look at this !"

The vulpine rushes inside the room they use to study. He's grinning from ear to ear, and she thinks it's the first she's actually seen him like that. He almost shoves the test in her face, and she has to pry it out of his paw to look at it properly. He has sixty-seven on his math test, which while a passing grade would make her fairly disappointed in herself if it was hers.

"Not bad."

"No, but look !" He pulls on the first page, revealing that the second one is in fact another test. It shows a seventy-one on a geography test. That's still not a grade she would be really happy about (though he parents certainly wouldn't have any ground to complain), but it's outstanding considering where the fox is coming from.

"Woah, Gideon… I… This is fantastic."

"It's thanks to you !" He states.

"I just helped. You're the one that did it, you know ? I'm really proud of you."

Something happens on his face. Something really weird. Like a mix of happiness a sadness. For a couple of seconds, he seems to hesitate with something, opening his arms, and then putting them back on the desk. "I'd never have done it without you."

Judy beams. Though he has worked hard, it's good to have her own efforts recognized. Then she sees his face fall a bit.

"So… If I get passing grades… Does that mean we stop stu-stu-studying together ?" He asks hesitantly.

They could, if the bunny was confident that he would keep improving if he kept working hard. Judy trusts that he's capable of it. Then again, it's a risk. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm not going away until you consistently reach eighty in all topics."

"Ah… Well, uh, try not to be too annoying okay ?" He's trying to sound decisive, and Judy simply pulls out her own notebook with veiled smile.

"Alright. Now, let's see if we can bring this sixty-seven to an eighty."

The tod's smile wavers as he sits down.

"Oh my gosh, Gideon, are you okay ?"

The vulpine has just entered the room, and has a rather large dressing above his left eye. It's a tad red too.

He shoots her a look of incomprehension before patting at what she's looking at. "Oh this ? That's nuthin'."

"Nothing- Did you fight ? Who did that to you ?"

"I didn't fight." Quickly answers the fox. "A bolt hit me in the head."

"A… Bolt ?"

He nods. "Yeah, funny story. I wos trying to get the wire drawing machine to stop getting stuck. Basically, ya need to stop the reel, bash'em on the side real good with a wrench or some heavy thing, so that they unjam. Well, they unjammed alright. So did one of the bolts that keep the rolls in place. Flew right off at me head." He finishes in a smile, pulling of the dressing and revealing his shaved skin as well as half a dozen stitches.

The bunny puts a paw to her mouth.

"Heh, don't worry, it glanced. Caught me sideways. Doesn't even hurt."

"Okay- Wait. No. Stop. Bolt, wire drawing machine, reels… What are you talking about ?"

The fox suddenly looks embarrassed. His gaze shifts as he goes to sit next to her. "Well… Uh… I'm talkin' about my job."

"Your job ? You have a job ?"

"Yeah… I mean, Ma's salary ain't enough for the house and Hailey, so…"

"But… What about your dad ?"

Gideon stiffens, his left paw going to his right arm as a reflex. "He ain't here."

"Do you mean he's-"

"He ain't he-he-here !" The tod repeats, more forcefully, turning to her. But it's not only anger she sees. The tod looks… Haunted.

"Gideon-"

A notebook is slammed on the table. "I have trouble with the Steinbuck material." He states, and Judy understand there's absolutely no way she'll pull anything else out of him on the topic.

- 1 -

The vulpine stretches, his joints emitting a few pops as he does so. He managed to understand most of his lessons, and is pretty satisfied with himself.

"You're doing really good." The bunny declares. "Does your head still hurt ?" She had to give him an aspirin halfway through their session, because he had a hard time concentrating. After that, he was fine.

"Nah."

"Are you going to be okay with it a work ?"

The fox gives her a smile. "Actually, I ain't working this weekend. They gave me a few days to get better. Tha's actually pretty convenient."

"Ah… Do you want more sessions ?"

"Oh, hell no !" The tod reacts. "I mean… I… I actually wanted to use the time to relax. Don't have much in terms of vacations these days." He adds In an embarrassed mutter.

"It's okay, I get it. But why did you say it was convenient ?"

"Monday's my birthday. I can't really do anythin' on a school day, but I'll hang out wid' Travis this week-end. 'Been a long time since last time. 'Cause we both work."

The bunny nods. If Gideon has been working as much as she thinks, he does deserve a vacation.

"Say, wanna come ?" The tod suddenly asks. "Ya don't hafta if ya don't wanna. I mean, you must be pretty tired of me wid the tutoring and shit- No forget about it, it's a shit idea."

"I'll come."

"Really ?" He reacts, surprised. "You really don't have to-"

"Gid, I'll be there."