-Middle-Small Middle School, Between Periods-
Chet Chilla walked through the hallway to his next class, his sunglasses resting on his face. He had his usual tiny, easy grin on. He turned his head slightly to click his teeth at a marmot he knew, and then-
"Ugh!"
"Augh!"
He ran straight into Heather Mine, a white stoat that was one of his better friends. She glared at him and bared her teeth as he picked himself up.
"Oops, guess I should have watched where you're going, Heth," Chet wiggled his brow, offering his hand to help Heather up.
"Don't 'Heth' me, Chet!" Heather smacked his hand away. "You and those cool glasses of yours!" Heather got to her feet. Chet took off his glasses and put them away, his eyes confused. There was an intensity to Heather's expression that he'd never seen on her before. Her slinky body hunched forward a bit and her fists clenched and released a few times.
"I-I'm sorry, Heather, I didn't mean to-" Chet started.
"I want you..." Heather panted in fury, "to FIGHT me!"
Before Chet could protest, Heather leaped for Chet and tackled him to the ground. Kids all through the hall gasped.
"Fight! It's a fight!"
"Heather's on Chet!"
"Who's winning?"
"Chet's not fighting back!"
Heather punched at Chet over and over, and Chet, letting loose yelps of pain, did his best to block her blows. Several landed on him, and Chet's teeth clenched. Heather looked furious, even though Chet wasn't fighting back.
"Hit her! Show that pred!"
Chet didn't know if that was another kid or his internal voice. Even though he was a prey, he exercised and did trick routines often. It would have been extremely easy to get caught up in the fight and hit her back. He was sure he could do it. He was sure he could beat her. Heather drew back her right fist for another blow.
"Rgh!"
Chets hand clasped over Heather's fist and gripped it. Her left fist shot out but it wasn't her dominant paw; Chet gripped it as well. Chet grunted, his teeth showing as he kept tight hold on the vibrating hands, trying to keep them still. Heather bared her sharp, stoat teeth.
"Heather!" Chet shouted in alarm. It looked like she would lunge.
"Yes, that's quite enough, young lady," an irritated-looking male sea otter administrator said, grabbing Heather by the neck and midsection and dragging her back. "Both of you, we're going to the principal's office." Heather's body flailed in anger, but the large sea otter held her fast.
Chet snapped on his sunglasses and tried to keep an even expression as gossip and stares were aimed at the two kids as they headed off.
-Middle-Small Middle School, Lunch Period-
The next day, Chet sat down alone at lunch. He look off his sunglasses and stared blankly at the bland-looking cafeteria food on the tray before him.
"Chet!" The voice of Larry Wilde-Hopps called out to the chinchilla. Chet looked up to see the gray squirrel quickly sit next to him. "Chet, what happened!?"
"Well, you saw the video the kids took, right?" Chet grumbled. "I got into a fight with Heather."
"Yeah but, it just showed the fight," Larry said nervously, unpacking his lunch his mother made him, "what started it?"
"Eh, I ran into her, Lares," Chet barely grinned, "sound familiar?" Larry gave a nervous laugh. That was how he had been "formally" introduced to Chet.
"Oh, and she just attacked you right after?" Larry's eyes squinted. "That sounds a bit extreme, even for her."
Chet sat still for several seconds. His face was blank. "It was like, I wanted to run into her. Wanted to just... y'know, give her a little something to think about. You know what a... you know how she is. She's mean and rough. Thought she should get a feel of that for a change." Larry listened to this, unbelieving. There was something off about Chet's voice.
Larry's eyes widened. "Chet that... that's not like you."
"Yeah, well maybe it is, huh?" Chet tugged at his coat. "We've barely known each other for half a school year, and Heather's known me a lot longer. So, who do you think knows more, huh?"
Larry didn't respond. He started eating his sandwich.
"How d'you think the Chilla got to be the boss of all of us, right?" Chet put on his sunglasses. "Not by being soft, I'll tell you that. Anyway, see you later, Lares. I got some stuff to do." Chet adjusted his coat again and walked out of the lunchroom; his food barely touched.
Larry didn't pursue him. He didn't know what was going on, or what he could do.
-The Wilde-Hopps' Aardvark Rise Apartment-
"Jeez, mom, again?" Larry groaned as he lost to his mother in a round of Super Bash Bunnies.
"Oh, did I win?" Judy's voice had a teasing, mocking edge as she leaned her head over towards Larry, her bunny ears lolling.
"Can we put items back on?" Larry asked. "Dad always lets me play with items on."
"That's because your father is a... coward!" Judy said loudly.
"Heard that," Nick muttered from elsewhere in the apartment. Larry stifled a laugh.
"Larry, you see," Judy tapped Larry on the shoulder. "You have to earn your own victories. You can't expect something to just randomly fall into your lap that will give you the upper hand! It's like that in real life, too, you know! I had to work really hard to get where I am today."
"Yeah but," Larry cocked an eyebrow, "this is just... a video game." Judy laughed, grinning widely.
"I guess you're right, Larry," Judy shook her head, opening the options menu. "We can play some rounds with items on. But don't think that's going to help you too much against me!" Larry's expression started to grow distant. Judy's softened a bit. "Am I teasing you too much, Larry?" She smiled in apology.
"No no, it's just, I was thinking about Chet," Larry admitted. "He got into a fight with Heather, and-"
"He got into a fight?" Judy was immediately concerned. Larry nodded and pulled out his phone.
"Yeah, one of the kids in my math class showed this to me," Larry pulled up the video and Judy squinted her eyes to see it on the small, squirrel-sized phone.
"O-oh, he's not fighting back," Judy tilted her head, somewhat surprised.
"Yeah, but he said he started the fight," Larry shook his head, "I don't believe him."
"You think he was lying to you?" Judy wondered.
"Yeah, he was acting a bit funny at lunch today, and his voice got a little weird," Larry explained.
"Oh, just like you, poor kid," Judy smirked, smooching his forehead, "you can never get away with lying either. Your voice gets so high. I think you got that from me, not that I mind too much!"
Larry gave a wry laugh, then his expression melted back down to a slight frown. "Why do you think he's lying to me about this?"
"People lie for all sorts of reasons, Larry," Judy sighed. "Most of the time, it's to protect themselves. But... with Chet, I don't know. He could be doing it for another reason. Maybe to protect someone else."
"Heather?" Larry was confused. "I mean, Chet's a nice guy, do you think it was her fault...?"
"Could be," Judy shrugged. "In any case, in situations that are delicate like this, you should be cautious. I know you love to know the truth about everything, and I admire that about you, but you might want to let it be. If you push too hard in a situation, you might find it getting away from you and out of your control. Chet might get angry at you if you keep pressing him."
"Okay, I'll leave it alone," Larry nodded.
-Middle-Small Middle School, Bus Loop-
Heather Mine had finished her ten-day suspension, and the day she returned to school, she approached Chet as he was looking to get on his school bus to go home. Chet flinched as he saw her.
"Hey, Heather," Chet called out flatly.
"I'm sorry, Chet," Heather said evenly.
"Huh?" Chet cocked an eyebrow. "For what, the fight? Naw, Heather, I started it."
"What?" Heather was incredulous. "No, you didn't."
Chet's teeth started to show, but he swallowed his expression and just frowned. "I totally did. I wanted to push you down and see you at my feet. Show you who was boss for a change, huh? You're so... mean sometimes, Heather! I wanted you to get a taste of how that feels." Chet was sneering.
Heather looked absolutely nonplussed. "You did not, you liar."
Chet blinked as his explanation totally missed its mark.
"You want to know why I got into a fight with you?" Heather gave the tiniest of smirks, folding her arms. Chet didn't respond. He flinched as Heather drew closer and started whispering into his ear. Chet's pupils shrank.
"O-oh..." Chet said distantly. "Okay."
"So, that means it won't happen again," Heather nodded, then smirked. "At least, not for that reason anyway."
"Wow, I kinda can't believe you told me that, Heth," Chet blinked.
"You know me, Chet, I'm always straightforward," Heather gave a smug look. "And I know you. You wouldn't have started that fight in a million years. You couldn't hurt me. You don't have the guts. You don't have the guts to hurt anyone."
Chet felt as if she had hit him in the stomach again, but this time, with her words. "I hope you're right about that. The Chilla ain't perfect, you know. Sometimes he might need a good smack or two." Heather shook her head in distaste.
"And you should know why you're like, the leader of our little gang," Heather pursued. "Don't you? You have that, uh... what's that word that means something to get people to like you...?" She made beckoning gestures with her hands.
"Charisma?" Chet offered, smirking and standing up proudly.
"Yeah, I think that was it," Heather chuckled. "Anyway, I hope I don't need to tell you not to tell anyone else about why I attacked you that day."
"Nope, definitely not," Chet said nervously, then he grinned a bit. "Hey, since you did attack me then, does that mean-"
"No, and don't say another word about it," Heather smirked dangerously.
"Got it!" Chet laughed, heading for his bus.
-Tiny-Turbo Indoor Go-Karting-
Nick and Judy watched Larry and Chet running a few laps in their small go-karts. Both of the kids seemed to be having fun, and Nick was surprised that it looked like Larry was the more aggressive driver, even pushing Chet's car out of the way once to get ahead, and cornering tightly. At the end of the experience though, it looked like both boys were laughing.
"Shame we're too big to get on the course," Judy grinned. "I'd tear it up."
"Oh, I know," Nick grinned nodding. He flipped through his phone at some of the video he'd managed to capture of the two driving, just to confirm it was there. Larry and Chet removed their helmets, heading over to the former's parents.
"That was so fun, Lares," Chet exulted, and Larry nodded rapidly. "Thank you for taking us out for this, Mr. and Mrs. Wilde-Hopps!"
"No trouble at all, Chet," Nick grinned.
"Hey uh, I heard from Heather that you two made up?" Larry asked Chet.
"Oh yeah, we're good now, brody," Chet nodded with his eyes closed.
There was a small pause as they returned their gear. "You didn't actually start the fight, did you?" Larry looked at Chet, his voice slightly accusing. Judy held a finger up and her mouth opened, but she didn't say anything.
"Nah," Chet grinned. "I had almost managed to convince myself I did, but naw. It was an accident on all accounts. Heather was just a bit high-strung that day, that's all." All three of the Wilde-Hopps seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief.
"That's good to know," Larry said, then added more after a short time. "I'm... glad you didn't actually want to hurt her."
Chet's smile vanished. "Yeah. ...Listen, brody. If I ever do hurt someone on purpose, especially you, I want you to stop being friends with me."
"W-wuh?" Larry chirped in surprise.
"Cause if I did, I wouldn't... deserve to be your friend," Chet said lowly. Larry gasped a little.
"Woah, uh hey, guys!" Nick waved his hands, his fox ears flattening. "That's enough of this heavy stuff, huh? C'mon, we still got some time left in the afternoon, don't we? How about... we go get some ice cream?"
"Ice cream sounds great!" Judy nodded, also wishing to lower the tension of the situation.
"What!? Ice cream? Sweet!" Chet agreed. "What's your favorite flavor, Lares? Mine's cookie dough!"
"Uh, I actually am not that sure yet," Larry chuckled. "I think I get a different flavor every time I go."
"That might be my fault," Judy giggled. "I'm always telling him to 'try everything'."
Larry held up his fist. "You're a cool guy, Chet. You're my buddy and bro, too, 'brody'. Glad we're all still friends."
Chet gave a small sigh, then fist bumped him firmly. "Yeah, Lares. Me too. I'm real glad."