Chapter Four: Slothline

A/N: Just a not for those who don't read the reviews. I did a slight retcon in chapter one. First off, for some reason I put the date at the start of the story way too early. It now starts on Dec 4th. Also, Spoiler Alert, I wrote Chucky as the kid who is the leader that hazes Nick at the Ranger Scouts. I thought he was a beaver. Looking into more details, I found out he's a woodchuck. So, I changed him and his mom's species from beaver to woodchuck. It's very fortunate that I gave him the name Chucky Damwood because that does sound like a name for a woodchuck.

It doesn't really move the story forward, but I don't care. I love the scene in Flash's home. The hotline scene just came to me and I thought it was too funny not to put it in. For those that might be too young to know, hotlines were mostly popular in the mid-80's to mid 90's and were a total ripoff. Enjoy!

It was Friday at 3pm and both Vivian Wilde and Alice Clawhauser were sitting in a car at the school's parking lot, waiting for the bell to ring so the kids would leave.

"Thanks for picking me up." Alice said.

"No problem Viv." Alice replied. "Roger was off today so he loaned me the car. By the way, are we taking the kids home?"

"Nah. Ben promised Flash they'd stop over at his home and visit for awhile. Nick's never been there before."

"Ben told me it's a bit weird. The parents tend to hang off bars on the walls."

"So when they hang out at his place, they really hang out at his place."

"Ha-Ha! Yeah."

Vivian gritted her fangs thinking of Nick's teacher. "I cannot wait to just launch into this woman."

"I hear ya. You give her a piece of your mind and I'll give the principal mine. I don't care if she's got tenure, when I'm done with that principal, she'll be the new janitor!"

Vivian laughed. They then heard the bell ring and all the kids ran out of the school. She then raised her paw for a high-four. "Tag me in partner!"

Alice smiled and slapped her paw. The two stepped out of the car and went inside.

Alice knocked on the door of the principal's office. "Excuse me sir? May I have a moment of your time?"

The moose was looking down at some papers when he responded. "I'm sorry eh? I'm like, totally busy don'cha know? If you have any..." He looked up from his desk at Alice. "Holy smokes! You're Malice the Marauder!"

"I was." Alice chuckled. "I'm Alice, Ben Clawhauser's mother."

The moose shook her hand. "I'm principal Winkle. I'm a big fan of yours! I remember when you were the ZWF women's champion!"

"That was a long time ago."

"Can I get a picture with you?!"

"Sure!"

The principal got is assistant to help him. "Hey Sandra! Can you take my camera and get a picture of me with Malice?"

They took the picture and finally got to business. "So what did you want to see me aboot eh?"

"I wanted to talk to you about my son and Mrs. Damwood. Take a look at these papers she's graded."

Meanwhile, at Nick's classroom. Mrs. Damwood was getting her papers organized and getting ready to leave when Vivian arrived. "Excuse me miss." Damwood said. I'm afraid I don't have much time right now."

"You're going to make time." said the vixen.

Damwood cocked an eyebrow "Excuse me?!"

"There's no excuse for the way you've been treating my son and other predators in this classroom."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Vivian pulled out Nick's test score. "You gave my son a C+ on a paper where he scored 82. He should have gotten a B- minus easy!"

"Seriously? You're wasting my time with that?! Such a minor difference!"

"It affects their grade point average! Nick told me that Stacy got a score of 68 and got a C-. That's a huge difference in score. Then there's this old test Ben Clawhuaser took that his mother showed me. He got a hundred! One..Hundred! And you gave him a B Not an A+ which he should have since it's a perfect score, not even a B+, but a B. What on earth are you doing?!"

"Mrs. Wilde, you have to understand that I have a very different style of grading these students."

"No kidding."

"I'm trying to...encourage the kids who are failing like Stacy, to do better by giving them better grades and lowering the grades of those who have higher scores to...level out the playing field."

" 'Level out the playing field?!' Okay one, you delayed that part which means you were thinking of it on the fly and two, I bet if I were to look over your papers right now that the students who were prey had the larger grades than those who were predators."

"Are you calling me specist?! How DARE you?! You have no proof of that!"

"Then show me the test papers. Or better yet, show me your sons, because if what my son says is true, they are all A+ scores with no scores or marks."

"Th-Those are classified and not for parents to see."

"Like #$% they are! Everyone's kids bring their papers home every day!"

"That doesn't mean you get to see other students papers!"

"Why make it so confidential if you have nothing to hide? Now either you show me those papers or I get the principal involved."

"Wait!...Look...Some species just have a...certain place in their future and it's my job to get them there."

"Oh?! And what kind of future do you think my son has?"

"Come on Mrs. Wilde! He's a fox! He'll never be mayor or president! The only government job he'd ever get is at the post office! Why give him hope for a bigger future than what he'll have? Keep his dreams realistic."

"...I..I can't believe you right now. My son is a wonderful child and can be whoever he wants to be! We're not so poor that we can't give him a good future you know?"

"Really?Because you didn't give him a toy or any money to donate to the toy charity drive. I assumed that you were like Stacy and too poor to donate."

Vivian was shocked to hear the teacher's words. "Wh-What?! I gave him ten dollars plus a bit more for tax to buy a toy for the charity!"

"And you actually believed him?! Please. Nick is a typical fox. Sly and shifty. Like I said before, he's not cut out to be successful, but that doesn't mean he can't get by. He could be a truck driver or a retail worker...or even a grocery clerk! They're union y'know? A low class job for a low class species."

Vivian finally stood up. "You...horrible...monster! My son can grow up to be anything he wants to be, only people like YOU keep holding him back! You make him wear blinders for a test he scores higher on than the mouse you accuse of him copying from! You hold back his grades for no good reason outside of your own prejudice! Every fiber in my being right now wants to slap your stupid face off, but then I'D look like a savage just for sticking up for my son! This is the kind of life we have to lead! We have to tiptoe around a-and play nice and by the rules so prey don't fear us and yet, we STILL get screwed! Well today's your turn Mrs. Damwood! Right now, Alice Clawhauser is having a chat with your principal about the scores her own son has been getting and I think when he sees your papers, you'll have a lot to discuss about!"

Damwood sneered and looked defiant. "Mr. Winkle won't care and he certainly won't believe some fat cheetah!"

It was then that the principal got on the PA system. "Mrs. Damwood, please come to the principal's office eh? Oh! And like, bring all your recent test papers too. We have a lot to discuss aboot yer job."

A look of dread and fear came over Mrs. Damwood. "...Oh no!"

Mrs. Wilde just smiled. "Oh yes! Dead woodchuck walking. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet up with my friend."

Vivian left the classroom and met Alice back in the car. "So I imagine you had a good talk?"

"Oh yeah!" Alice replied. "Turns out he's a big fan of my old wrestling persona."

"Ha-Ha! Great! Shall we go then?"

"Hold up. We may just hear some music to our ears in just a few minutes."

Just two minutes later they heard some screaming coming from the principal's office. It was Mrs. Damwood's voice from afar. "What do you mean I'm demoted?!"

Vivian and Alice started to laugh as Damwood kept on yelling to the principal. "Pre-School?! I don't wanna babysit those little pant-wetters! Noooo! You can't do this to me!"

Vivian and Alice kept on laughing as they drove the car away from the school grounds. "Some justice served!" Vivian said. "At least she can't hold a toddler back."

"I just wish I could have put her in a choke hold." Alice replied.

Happy with their result, the two drove off to do some Christmas shopping. However, one thing stayed on Vivian's mind. "What did my son do with the money I gave him?!"

Meanwhile...

Nick and his friends, Flash and Ben are saying goodbye to Stacy. "Thanks for sharing your lunch again!" Stacy said.

"You're welcome." Nick replied. "Mom made an extra half-sandwich just for you. See you Monday!"

"Wait!" Ben said. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Nick smiled. "No I didn't forget the goodbye kiss. Me and Stacy talked about it and we found a solution to our kissing problem." Nick bent down and puckered his lips. "High lips!" he said.

"High lips!" Stacy responded and she jumped up and gave Nick a quick kiss on the lips. "Bye honey!" Stacy said as she left into the tiny city.

"Bye!" Nick replied. Ben applauded Nick as he walked by. The fox looked at him with a smirk. "I make kissing look cool." Nick had to admit, this "fake relationship" was getting easier and easier for him to maintain. What he refused to admit to himself, is that he kinda liked it.

"So where are we heading to next?" Nick asked.

"My...home." Flash replied.

Ben explained. "We promised Flash we'd hang out at his place. Remember?"

"Oh yeah." said Nick. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've been there before."

"It's ummm...unique."

Flash knocked on the door to his house. "Mom...grandpa...I'm...home!"

About ten minutes later, the door slowly opened. Flash's mom answered the door. "Hello...honey. Come...on...in. Are these...your...friends?"

Flash and the kids entered. "Yes...mom." The sloth boy turned to his friends. "Make...yourselves...at...home."

Nick looked around. "This is nothing like my home." the fox replied. There were bars branching off all over the walls and ceiling. They were padded and looked like tree branches. The only thing normal was the couch which Ben explained was mainly for guests.

Just as Nick was in the middle of the living room absorbing all of this insanity, an upside-down face popped down in front him, startling the poor fox. "AAH!" Nick shouted,

It was Flash's grandpa and he was hanging upside down from the ceiling fan. "Hit...the...switch!" The old sloth asked.

"What switch?!" Nick asked.

"The...one...over...there...on...the wall."

Ben jumped down off the couch and ran over to the switch. "I got it!"

He flipped it and the old sloth started to spin around slowly while hanging upside down. "Wheee!" he shouted.

Flash's mother was upset. "Now …..dad...I …...told you...not...to...hang...off...that!"

"Don't...spoil...my...fun!" said the old sloth.

The mother sloth looked over at the kids. "Would...you...like...a...snack?"

Nick just shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."

Mrs. Lightning handed Ben and Nick a branch with some leaves on it. "It's...red...cecropia. …...Enjoy."

Ben munched on it, but wasn't too happy. Nick chewed a bit of the branch and spit it back out. "Blech!"

"You don't like it?" Ben asked.

"It's bark is worse than my bite."

As they were chatting. Flash's dad came through the door. "Honey...I'm...home."

Mrs. Lightning went over and hugged her husband. It took about ten minutes for them to get unstuck. "How...was...your...day...at...the...DMV?" asked Flash's mom.

"Oh...the...usual. The...day...just...flies...by."

"That's...nice...dear."

"Where's...my...work...phone?...Gotta start...my...second...job."

"Second job?" Nick asked.

"Yes." said Flash. "My...dad...makes...extra...money...working...a…...hotline."

"On the phone?"

"...Yes."

Flash's dad turned on the TV to a low volume, hung off a padded bar sticking out of the wall and hit a button on the phone waiting for a call. Within moments the phone rang and the sloth picked it up.

"Hello...This...is...Santa's...workshop...hotline. ...Five...dollars...the...first...minute...99 cents...each...additional..."

"Minute! I get it!" said an excited boy on the other line. "Hurry! This is costing my parents money!"

"...minute...This...is …...Jingles...the...happy...elf."

"I'd like to talk to Santa!"

"Do...you...have...your...parents..."

"...permission?"

"Uhhh...yeah? Kinda?"

"Good!...I...will...get...Santa...Paws...on...the...phone...in...a...moment."

"Please hurry!"

"Please...hold."

Flash's dad put an elevator version of "Jingle Bells" on. Then, he slowly walked into the kitchen and got a cup of soda. He slowly drank it down and used the cup to help echo his voice on the phone. Nick was fascinated watching the whole thing.

"Ho...Ho..."

"...Ho. This...is...the...one...and...only...Santa...Paws...Who...may...I..."

"...ask...is...calling?"

"This is Billy Purrton! For Christmas, I'd like a..."

"Have...you...been...a...good...boy...Billy?"

"Shouldn't you already know that?"

"Santa...is...not...psychic."

"Oh, well in that case..."

"But...I...have...my...ways."

"URRRGH! Now, for Christmas, I'd like..."

"Before...you...give...me...your...Christmas...wish..."

"...list, …...there...are...many...factors...to...consider."

"Oh my gosh! C'mon!"

TWO HOURS LATER

Flash's father was just finishing the conversation. "Don't...worry...Billy. ...I'll...make...sure..the..."

"...elves...see...your...list...too."

"Okay Santa! I really gotta go! I'm glad my parents won't receive their phone bill until after the holidays. Thanks again!"

"Merry...Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you t-"

"And...A...Happy..."

"For gosh sake!"

"...New...Year."

"Yeah bye!" The boy finally hung up

Ben noticed that as Nick was watching he had a tear in his eye. "Are you okay Nick?"

"SNIFF! This is the best scam I've ever seen in my life! It's beautiful!."

"What scam?! It's perfectly legal."

"That's what makes it so great! Anyway, it's getting late Ben. I still gotta get those presents from the Goodwill store."

"Okay!" Ben jumped off the couch and gave Flash a hug goodbye. Mrs. Lightning asked Nick a favor. "It's...getting...dark...in...the...living...room. Could...you...pull...the...middle...cord...on...the..."

"...fan...to...turn..."

"On the light." Nick finished. "Got it!" The fox cub pulled on the cord which surprised Flash's mother.

"Not...that...one!"

"It was too late. The fan started going faster. Grandpa was still hanging off of it and enjoying the speed. "Wheeeee!"

Ben explained. "It's the other cord that turns on the light! Now you gotta pull that cord two more times to stop the fan!"

"Okay!" said Nick. He pulled the fan cord one more time, but it snapped off. The fan was now going full speed with the grandpa sloth hanging from it. "OH NO!"

"WoaaaOaaaaaOooAAAH! Yelled the old sloth as he spun around at high speeds. Finally, he flew off and landed hard onto the couch.

Flash's mother was worried. "Dad!...Are...you...okay?!"

All that the grandpa could say was "...Again!"

Nick slowly backed out towards the door. "I think that's our cue to leave Ben. Sorry guys! We'll get out of your fur."

About an hour later, Nick had arrived home with the large box of Brick-o toy blocks and a cheap necklace for his mother that he bought with money from his bunny bank. He used his key to open the door slowly. He peeked around. "Momma! You home?"

"In the kitchen!" she replied.

Nick quickly got in and ran to his room. On his way there, he tripped and the box of Brick-o's fell. The tiny bricks stayed inside the box, but it made a loud crashing sound when it toppled. Nick quickly scooped everything back up and ran to his room.

Vivian opened the door a crack to see little Nick with a plastic bag and a large box he was putting in his room. He seemed to be acting suspiciously. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

"F-Fine!" Nick replied. His voice squeaked high as he was in a bit of a panic.

Vivian was now suspicious. "You were gone quite awhile."

"I was at Flash's house. That alone should explain everything."

"True...I talked to your teacher today. I have some good news."

Nick could hear his mother approaching and quickly locked the door to his room. "Oh?"

"Well for one, she's not your teacher anymore."

"AWESOME!"

Vivian tried opening the door and couldn't. "Nicholas Wilde, what are you up to?!"

"N-Nothing! I'm just ummm...changing my clothes!"

"Hmmm...One thing your teacher did tell me is that you didn't donate anything to the toy charity."

A shudder went down Nick's spine. "Oh! Um...about that."

"You didn't give her the money!"

"I couldn't buy it until after school. I'll give it on Monday!"

"So you bought a toy for charity?"

"...Yes! I can honestly say yes."

"...Good! I'll have dinner ready right away."

After dinner, Nick was busy in his room trying to make a house for Stacy. He had a large, flat piece for the base, but was having trouble with the rest.

However, he had to stop and use the bathroom. He came back and worked on the brick-o home again, but forgot to lock the door. As he was working on the house, he knocked over the box and it came crashing down again and the pieces spilled out.

"What was that?!" Vivian said.

"N-Nothing!" Nick replied as he tried to scramble over the spilled brick-os to get to the lock. "OW!" He yelled as he stepped on the sharper edge of the plastic bricks.

Vivian opened the door before Nick could reach it. She saw the spilled brick-os on the floor and the partially built house. "I knew it! You lied to me!"

"No I didn't!" he shouted.

"Oh really? Then why are there spilled brick-os all over the floor?! You said you bought it for charity!"

"It's true!"

"LIAR! You lied to me to spend money on a toy for yourself!"

"No! I'm building the toy for a charity case!"

"For who?! Why?!"

"I...I can't say. I made a promise not to tell anyone."

"Is that so?! What a made up story! You just bought your own Christmas gift. And no dessert tonight!" Vivian started to tear up. "I'm so disappointed in you! You're proving that horrible teacher right! Just wait till your father finds out!"

She slammed the door on her son's room. Nick was left weeping with a broken heart. He felt mother lost all faith in him. All he could do was wipe his tears and keep working on the house.

Deleted Scene

I already wrote this scene out, but I felt it was dragging and it was important not to have Vivian ease her suspicions a bit so her outrage was more warranted. Still, I hate to leave it go to waste.

"Dinner time!" shouted Nick's mom. The fox cub left the Brick-o's behind and ran out to the kitchen.

The two sat at the kitchen table and Nick struck up a conversation. "So she's really gone?"

"Not exactly. From what we could hear of her yelling at the principal, she's gonna be a pre-school teacher."

"Ha! Chucky's not gonna like that. He depended on her for his good grades."

"That was wrong of her. She's only a first grade teacher. She wouldn't be there to cheat for him next year. Now, everyone will get the proper grade to match their score."

"Cool!...Stacy's gonna fail, isn't she?"

"Not if she works harder at her grades. You do okay. You should be her tutor!"

"I guess. Mom? How can Stacy and her mom be poor? Mice use up such little resources!"

"Mice have a vastly different and independent economy from us Every mammal starts off with a different minimum wage depending on the size of their species. Have you ever been to that elphant ice cream cafe?"

"No."

"Don't bother their prices are insaane because they use a up a huge amount of ice cream and one elephant behind the register makes more in a day than your father makes in a week. It's the only way things even out. That's why there can be poverty even with mice. Do you understand?"

"Kinda."

"...You're not lying to me about that toy are you?"

"No! I'd never lie to you!"

Vivian cocked and eyebrow at her son and he got the message. "Well...'never' can be subjective,"