Chapter 14 : Discusssion on a Bench
Judy's starting to be really pissed about that whole situation. The teasing, she can handle. That they'd go after Gideon too is a whole other matter.
Plus she didn't find a moment to really talk to him. That too is weighing her down.
It's already twice she had to step in a stop him from doing something drastic and stupid, which only served to cement her into the beauty that tamed the beast in the mind of her peers.
There's a little part of her that likes the metaphor, but another quite larger that is growing tired of the number of innuendos she's hearing all day.
The other problem is the bigots, and the disgusted looks they give them. Sometimes, it's hard to believe they're in the twenty-first century.
"Don't listen to them." Says Bobby. "They used to think me and Sharla were dating because we're both dorks."
"I'm not a dork !" Reacts Sharla. "I'm really cool."
Judy and her cougar friend shoot her a perplexed look. "Sharla, we're dorks." States the bunny. "Bobby's the dorkiest, with his vests-"
"My vests are very cool." He grins.
"-his shirts and his red ties. And he's a music nerd. You're the ultimate bookworm with your plaited dresses and your white shirts and you weird internet history, and I'm still Judy on duty."
"Speaking of duty, have you talked to Gideon about this ?" Bobby asks. "The rumors I mean ?"
Judy shakes her head. "Not yet. I should, it's starting to really get to him. I don't think any of us really wants to think about it when I'm tutoring him. Besides, he already has a hard time focusing, I don't think I need to add that distraction on top of it."
"Hey."
It's a free period and Gideon is sitting on the most remote bench in the courtyard, trying and failing to understand his last physics lesson when he's interrupted. It angers him a bit, because he really hoped he could get it without Judy's help. It's not that he would resent not being able to do so, but it would impress her if he could… Maybe.
Lifting his gaze, the tod sees a rather tall cougar, that has to be about twice his size, he recognizes as Bobby Catmull. The feline is always wearing his vests and ties, which makes him look like a pompous asshole, but he rarely acts that way.
"What ?" He asks in an icy and dangerous tone. He has had it with mammal coming up to him and implying he's dating Judy. Not only that, but some of them used really creative terms that disrespected her, and he really can't have that. The fact that the feline seems a bit scared of his aggressive tone is also a bit satisfactory, but also makes him feel guilty.
"Erh… Well… I wondered if you wanted to hang out for a bit. We both have a free period, so…"
"Why ?" Gideon asks dumbfoundedly. Why would one of the mammal he bullied in middleschool want that ? Especially since they haven't talked in two years.
"Because you're friend Judy, and I'm friend with Judy, and I think that maybe we should try-"
The tod gives him a long look and Bobby loses his words. He's way taller than the fox, but somehow, the smaller predator still scares him a bit.
"Listen… I know this is weird that we're talking. It's weird to me too considering everything, but I think that whole situation with the rumours about you and Judy dating needs to be resolved."
"That ain't your business." The tod states in a voice he tries to keep neutral, but is still tinted with anger. "What do ya care ?"
"She's my friend."
Gideon thinks on it. That's a good reason. He wants to resolve the situation too, for her sake more than his. He doesn't like how they give her looks or talk behind her back when they think she or he can't hear them. "I still don't see what we can do, though." The tod admits, and the cougar takes it as his cue to take the sit next to him.
"Maybe we could brainstorm."
"Brainwhat ?" Whatever that is, it doesn't sound pleasant.
"Erm… You, know throw out ideas and see which stick."
"I dunno… I ain't very good with ideas. Even Travis is stumped. I mean, come on, who'd think Judy would want to date me ?" The fox shrugs derisively, still wishing the cougar would just leave him alone. "If they're stupid enough to think that, they gotta be more thickskulled than I am."
"Judy doesn't seem to think you're stupid." Remarks Bobby.
"She ain't always right. Anyway, we ain't datin', and I dunno what I could say to change other people's mind. I mean, if we were datin', we could just break up and that'd be the end of it." He finishes by turning his gaze back to his notebook, hoping the cougar will take the hint and move away.
Bobby's eyes widen. "You could !"
"If we were datin', yeah..."
"No ! I mean, you could break up ! Like, play it as if you were dating and break up ! So that people would stop bugging you about being together because they'd think you've broken up !"
The tod can't help his eye from twitching as his brain is tries to catch up with what the feline is spewing at him. "Tha's a lot of break up." He utters.
"Break up !" Bobby adds with a wide grin that shows his fangs. "But I think that could work. Maybe you should suggest that to her."
"I'll talk to her about it." States the fox. "Now, I need to keep working on this." He adds, pointing at his notebook, in tone that clearly means he's starting to be fed up by the discussion.
"Do you need help ?"
"No." He shoots back a bit drily. "I… I gotta figure it out on my own."
Bobby is about to point out that Judy's tutoring him, and that it can't really be called "Figuring it out on his own.", but decides against it. The fox is still rather anger prone, and he has other things to do than to start a shouting match.
Gideon, for his part, decides to try not to let the feline's presence phase him, and plunges back into his notebook. Vectors can't be THAT hard, it's just arrows pointing in directions, goddamit !
- 1 -
Judy and Sharla exit their history class, talking about a few points in the politics of the old country. The reasons behind the rodent alliance, their failed attempt at conquering their neighboring countries (seriously, how could mice and hamster hope to fight against wolves and bears ?).
They both reach the courtyard, scanning it for Bobby, who they find sitting on a bench, next to a Gideon who is putting away his notebook.
Seeing them approach, the vulpine slings his backpack over his shoulder to leave.
"Where are you going ?" Asks Judy.
"I'm leaving y'all alone." He answers, somewhat perplexed by the question.
"You don't have to leave." The doe states.
Gideon shoots her a dubious glance, before his gaze roams over to Sharla, who he sees shrinking under it. It's subtle, but he can see some fear in her eyes.
"I have somewhere to be." He mutters, before rounding her. "See ya."
As he moves away, Judy turns to Bobby. "Did you say something to him ?"
"Like what ?" Reacts the cougar.
"I don't know…"
The bunny feels a bit… Weirded out by the situation. Gideon and Bobby sitting together is an odd situation, and the fox leaving just like that afterward… Well, she'll just talk to him about him during their next tutoring session.
"What were you two talking about ?" Suddenly asks Sharla to the cougar.
"Oh… Stuff." He shoots a quick glance to Judy who doesn't notice it. She's too focused on Gideon at the moment, actually. Maybe she should invite him to hang out with them, but she's not one hundred percent sure Bobby and Sharla would be okay with it. After all, he used to bully them too. The doe has seen how much he has changed, and gotten an apology from him, but as far she knows, they didn't.
This certainly isn't their best tutoring session. Gideon seems distracted throughout, and gets most of the work they do wrong. Of course, as her tutor, she expects that he actually needs her help, and failing is okay. But as their session goes on, the fox seems more and more upset. It sometimes happened when they weren't studying during detention, and when it did, he simply left to take a walk outside. Now, though, he can't, and it seems to be taking a toll on the vulpine.
Finally, the two hours are up, and the vulpine seems to rush to pack up his things before leaving the room. The bunny's surprised when she sees him waiting for her in the hallway, she had half expected him to leave school without saying good bye.
"Jude, can we talk ?" He asks in a hushed tone. That gets one of her eyebrows to rise, and she follows him to a more secluded part of the school.
"I s'pose ya heard the rumors ?"
The bunny nods. Of course she heard the rumors. Hell, she made sure to be in his vicinity most of the time to keep him from doing something stupid about them. "Yeah."
"And, uh… What do ya wanna do about it ?"
The bunny shrugs. "They're rumors. They'll die down eventually."
"What if they don't though ? I mean… I'm never fightin' anymore, but they all see me as the big bad fox. What if they all keep seein' ya as… Erh…"
"Your girlfriend ?"
She gets a nod as an answer.
"As far as rumors go, it's a bit tame… I mean, the anatomical questions are… Well, yes it's annoying. But what can we do about it ? It's not as if we could say anything that they would believe."
"We could… Erh… Break up." The fox mutters. "Bobby suggested it. 'Cause… erh, well… If they can't believe we ain't together, they could believe we were breakin' up…" He trails off, before erupting in a strange laugh. "I mean, come on ! Bunny and fox, that can't work out ! Shit, me and ya… That'd be weird… Wouldn't it ?"
"Y-yeah… I mean, that could never work." The doe answers with a wavering smile.
"How can they believe that ?"
"Exactly. It's… Erh… Really idiotic." Huffs the bunny.
"Buncha morons. Worst'n me." He adds, not meeting her gaze. "So… If we break up… Like fake break up… When do ya wanna do it ?"
"It could be whenever, I guess, but we'd need an audience." Answers the bunny. "But what would be the reason, though ? I mean, if people start asking question, we should have something ready as an answer."
"I dunno…" There are a few ideas that come to his mind, of them are related to the way his father treated his mother, and he really doesn't want any of them be thrusted upon him. "Ya could say… Erh…" The tod is wringing his brain trying to find something they could disagree on, but not something too bad either. Maybe something in their past. "Like, maybe you could say that… Ya didn't wanna date someone that thought ya couldn't be a cop. I mean, ya can. Ya totally can ! But I used to think ya couldn't, so, that ain't unbelievable."
It's a sound idea, but Judy doesn't like that it would put the break up on him. Then again, it would mean that she would be the one breaking up with him. That she would still accept to tutor him wouldn't make it look like she was using it to remain close to him. Yes. That could work.
"A-are you sure ?" Judy asks. "I mean, I'm pretty sure it would work, but… It would put it all on you."
The fox waves his paw dismissively. "Ain't gonna be the first time I'd be wrongly accused of sum'tin. Least this time it's fer a good reason."
That line throws her right back at her discussion with Travis. "I don't want people to… I mean, it wouldn't be fair to you." She says in a voice she wishes wasn't wavering. "I don't want others to think you're a bad mammal."
"They already think that. Won't make it any worse. 'Sides, I don't care what they think about me. I just can't stand that they're dicks to ya too."
The hug she gives him is a bit sudden, almost makes him jump. "You're a really good friend, Gid."
"Well… I'm tryin'. First time I am, actually. I just hope I ain't makin' a mess of things." He answers in a mutter.
"Is that why you left in a hurry the other day ? Not the part about you trying to be a better friend, but this whole break up thing ?"
Gideon shrugs. "Nah. Just… Felt awkward talkin' wid Bobby. It's obvious enough Sharla doesn't like me. Didn't wanna make y'all feel like ya had to put up wid' me."
"Maybe, you could, erh… Try to apologize ?"
He looks at her dumbfoundedly, before his expression turns to dubious. "Ya think that would make things better ?"
"Well… Maybe ?"
"Listen, I… I don't hate her, or Bobby, okay ? Thinkin' of it, there's only one mammal I think I hate. But if 'dat mammal came and apologized… Even wid' that I ain't sure I could ever forgive him. Why would that be different with her ?"
"Because you changed."
The fox opens his mouth and closes it back down. Yes, he did change. But what's the difference ? He still bullied her, and everyone else. It's the whole reason why he was alone until Judy started tutoring him. That she forgave him was already incomprehensible until he realised she was the best mammal he ever met. But Sharla and Bobby… They have no reason to make an effort and he couldn't really blame them over it.
"How does that make a difference ?" He mutters.
"It just does. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, okay ? I simply want my friends to like each other."
"I'll think about it." He simply huffs. "Listen, I really gottta bounce, so about the break up thing…"
"We can plan it out another time, don't worry."
"Okay… See ya."