Chapter 3

Rounding the corner, Fish pointed at large doors with a bunch of kids already inside. "So THATS the gym..." Aorta said, attempting to force her brain to remember. Fish nodded and ran up to the doors. He pushed one open and let her walk in. "Thanks buddy.." She remarked walking past him into the gym, stopping at the crowd.

Fish ran in up to Chicken Little, Abby and Runt letting the door slam behind him.

"Fish, what took so long...?" CL asked. Fish blubbered something quietly. "You're locker got stuck..?" CL questioned akwardly. Fish nodded, not wanting to admit he was around Aorta. It was bad enough he was teased because he had to wear a helmet.

Luckily for him, it was that exact moment the coach walked out, throwing a rubber ball up and down in his right paw. "Ok teams! You know what to do! Dodgeball!" Immediently, the class split up into two teams. Chicken Little and company quickly went with all the unpopular kids, while Aorta wandered to the other side. She was stopped short, however, by a swift jab in her stomach. Doubling over in pain, she looked up and saw Foxy Loxy.

"Oh, soooo sorry.. but you seem to be on the wrong team.." She sneered, Goosey Loosey looming behind her. Aorta growled and stood up, cracking her knuckles violently, then shook her head. "Whatever, you snot.." She growled at Foxy. She stomped to the other team and hid in the back while Foxy and Goosey giggled to themselves.

"Man, I like Foxy when her brainwaver jiggers were messed up.." moaned Runt. Chicken Little and Abby nodded while Fish turned around and stared at Aorta. 'Its no fair she just arrive and is already being picked on..' he thought. Looking around to make sure his friends weren't watching, he snuck away to go next to her.

She looked up when he arrived. "Oh, hello.. come to make fun of me too...?" Fish gasped and quickly shook his head, making his helmet crooked. After arranging it, he blubbed something about Foxy to Aorta which made her crack up into silent fits of hysterical laughter. However, their laughter was cut short when a ball whipped past them. "GET THE NOOB!" Shouted Foxy.

Everyone on the opposing team turned away from everyone and aimed at the poor wolf. Fish didn't know what to do or how she would handle this. A sudden whoosh of air and grunts from students told them they fired. Fish began dodging with some catchy Michael

Jackson-like moves, but stopped to look at Aorta. He expected her to be out already but to to his enormous surprise, she was deflecting the balls right back at the players with her fists and feet. Her hits seemed fast as lightning and her timing was pretty damn good.

Feeling relieved, Fish jumped back in the game, grinning evily. After about 20 minutes of straight dodging and tagging, only four people remained. Fish and Aorta against Foxy and Goosey. Drenched in sweat, Aorta clutched two balls, while Fish only had one. Most of the balls were on Foxy and Gooseys' side. The rest of the class watched, holding their breaths.

THWANG! Foxy was the first to fire. Aorta threw a ball at Foxy's missle and the two rubber balls collided in the air, making them bounce backwards. Aorta caught her ball while Foxy was taken by utter surprise. The ball bounced off Foxy's head, making her stumble and trip over her bushy tail. She fell down onto her posterior hard as everyone on the unpopular team burst into gales of laughter.

This angered Foxy.

The mad kitsune got up and ran toward Aorta, her clawed paws in fists. She lept into the air ready to arieal attack the Halloween-ish wolf. Aorta growled. Enough was enough! It was just a dumb game! She took a few running steps and lept up to meet Foxy. However, before either one could reach each other, the coach ran forward and grabbed them by the scruff of their necks. "I NEVER... YOU TWO..." He was fuming mad at the two of them. Aorta's tail drooped along with her ears while Foxy shot a look of pure poison at her ex-target. Fish was shocked. This was the first time Foxy was actually caught for something!

Coach then put the two down but kept a firm hold onto their collars. Muttering under his breath, he escorted them to Principals office. Everyone cheered when they left but Fish. 'Aorta simply attacked in self defense!' he thought angriliy. 'Ahh..' Said a nasty voice in the back of his head. 'She still aimed for a fight!' He quickly shook that thought off.

Runt ran over and happily exclaimed "FISH! Wasn't that AWSOME! Foxy's DEFINATLY going to get a few detensions! So is that other girl, but who cares. No one cares about her at al-"

BAM!

Runt staggered backwards, bruised slightly but certainly shocked. Fish had just punched Runt in the gut as hard as he could muster. A new emotion flooded over him, and it certainly wasn't his jovial side. Its was hatred. 'HOW DARE YOU!' His mind screamed. 'I CARE ABOUT HER YOU-'

"FISH OUT OF WATER!" A booming voice rang throughout the gym. The coach was back and due to the large ammount of steam billowing out of his ears, he must have saw Fish's swing at one of his best friends. "YOU! OFFICE! NOW!"

Fish inhaled some water and suddenly was bewildered. 'Why did I just attempt to hurt my friend..?' Was all he could keep asking himself down the hall to Principal Fetchit's office. Stopping outside his door, the coach stopping right behind him, Fish had no other choice. he slowly opened the door and walked in.

Back at the gym, Chicken Little, Abby and Runt dominated a corner for themselves.

"Abby, why do you think Fish hit me..?" Runt wimpered, massaging his side.

Abby sighed and shut her eyes. "Isn't it obvious..?"

"What is?" CL and Runt asked.

"Fish is in love."

"WHAT?" CL and Runt exclaimed, jaws nearly hitting the floor.

Abby continued. "Why ELSE would he be zoned out in classes, or switched to pumpkin flavored fish food, or doodling pictures of him and Aorta?" There was no answer from the boys, until..

"Abby...?"

"What Runt?"

"Can you imagine the children..?"