Side Chapter 5: The Unbearable Weight of Undeniable Cuteness
"Can you guys believe it's almost Rexmas?"
"I know, middle school is a lot busier than elementary school was."
"And a lot less fun."
"You can say that again, right Benny?"
Benny, or Benimaru when called by his full name, looked over at his friends and nodded.
"Huh, oh. Yeah, it's a big change."
The male animals all sat around the table in the common room of the carnivore dorm. Around the table was Trent the racoon, Wylan the… dog of mixed origins, Sujin the ferret, Kole the lynx, and Benimaru the river otter. Trent pointed at Benimaru.
"Oh! Benny! We should totally go to your house tomorrow and play some Turbo Cup! Although we'll need a rando to make it an even six."
Benny raised an eyebrow.
"Why my house? Sujin's place is closer, and bigger."
Kole grinned mischievously.
"But your house is better! It has a better tv and… stuff."
Benimaru was well aware of why his friends really wanted to go to his house over any other house. The same reason why they always were looking for an excuse to visit his home. And that reason answered the door as they all stood outside Benny's home. The door opened to reveal Alexis, Benimaru's mother. She smiled cutely.
"Hello, boys! Come on in, make yourselves comfortable!"
The other boys all grinned as they were ushered in. Benny just sighed, annoyed. He had gotten used to this, but it didn't make it any less… infuriating to him. But the fact remained, Benimaru's mother was adorable.
Alexis wasn't just adorable in the eyes of middle school students. From her high school days up until the present moment Alexis had been a model. She mainly did calendars and magazines, but she had done quite a few advertisements as well. To this day if you visited Splashland Waterpark you'd see a billboard with Alexis in a blue one piece smiling cutely as she slid down a waterslide. She was just the quintessential otter. Soft, round face; big, cute eyes; and a perfectly proportioned body to be both beautiful and charming. The worst part was, Benimaru had inherited her good looks.
He had actually modeled as well when he was a little kid. Usually with his mother for advertisements about family stuff, like clothing stores and candy shops. He had done it up until his classmates had found out about his modeling in elementary school and a few bullies brought some of the photos to school. Everyone had a good laugh at the pictures of him on his mother's lap as they went down a slide from the campaign when Splashland opened their new kiddie pool. Ever since that day, he'd seen his cuteness as a curse.
He got stopped in the hallways by older girls who wanted to take a picture with him for Beastbook. He got laughed out of tryouts for the volleyball team as soon as they saw him, saying that this was too much for such a 'cute little otter.' Benny even had to deal with it from his friends. Constant remarks about how cute he was, and how they wanted him to ask people for stuff because they wouldn't say no to him, and generally making it seem like all he could do was be adorable. He gave the television a flat look as he overheard his friends whispering behind him.
"I swear, Mrs. Alexis is the cutest! Do you think she'd take a picture with me for Beastbook?" Wylan whispered. Sujin sighed.
"I don't know, but I just want to hug her and squeeze her cute little face. Her cheeks look so adorable!"
Trent snickered.
"We all know where Benny got it from. Remember those pictures of him modeling with her?"
"Oh crud! I'd almost forgotten!" Kole laughed as he scored a goal on a now distracted Benny. They were interrupted when Alexis strode in holding a plate of fresh cookies.
"Who wants chocolate chip cookies! Fresh from the oven! And there's some cinnamon ones for you too, Wylan."
The boys, excluding Benimaru, all cheered and excitedly crowded around the female otter. Their excitement was two fold, not only did she bring cookies, but she was also wearing an absolutely adorable apron over her jeans and green shirt. The worst part of it was, Benimaru knew she went out of her way to encourage it. His mother loved to be the center of attention. She adored having beasts fawn over her and tell her she was "cute" and "adorable." She happily gave hugs to his friends and took pictures with them whenever they came over, and encouraged them to come back. It drove Benimaru mad.
(This is why nobody takes us seriously! Takes me seriously! As a species, otters are just seen as jokes! "Smile for the camera!" "Now do one where you're sliding on your belly!" "Look happy!" You know who never gets cast as the hero in action movies? An otter! We're always the poor helpless civilians or cute mascots!)
"What's wrong, Benny? Have a tummy ache?"
Benimaru felt heat fill his face as his mother wrapped him in a smothering embrace and kissed his cheek. His friends all laughed before Trent made a big show of holding a hand to his head.
"I can relate, I have a headache. It's been killing me all day."
Alexis clasped her hands and moved over to him.
"Oh you poor dear! Let me get you something for that. I have some headache pills in the medicine cabinet."
Trent sighed.
"I've already taken some, but conventional medicine doesn't seem to work. I don't know what to do."
Alexis grinned as she understood what he was playing at. She rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on the racoon's forehead.
"Feel better?"
Trent smiled, batting his eyelashes.
"A bit, thanks Mrs. Alexis."
She just laughed as she walked away.
"You boys are so silly!"
With her gone Trent reached up towards his forehead.
"Dudes, I'm never washing my head again. It is not right how adorable she is."
Benny felt his eye twitch as he grumbled.
"Yeah yeah, she's adorable. We get it."
The other boys dropped the topic. They all knew how much of a sore subject this was for their friend. But that didn't stop them from talking about it when they thought he couldn't hear.
As they were getting ready to leave, Benny's mother called from the kitchen.
"Benny, can you come help me please?"
Benny sighed and made his way into the kitchen. Alexis was putting away some dry dishes and handed him a baking sheet.
"Here, can you put this back over the oven? It's a bit hard for me to reach."
"Okay."
Benny did as requested and rubbed his eyes once he was done. He felt a squeeze on his side and huffed as his mother hugged him.
"Thanks, Benny. You're my cute little boy."
"Mom! Can you please stop!"
Alexis seemed taken aback by his sudden ire. She tilted her head.
"Benny, sweety, what's the matter? You've been so grumpy and sad for months now. Is something going on at school?"
"Yes there's something going on! You're driving me crazy!"
She frowned.
"Is it really so bad that I love you?"
"It's not that! It's everything you do when I'm here! The way you act all cutesy and gross when my friends are around! Hugging them and kissing them and all that stuff!"
"What's wrong with that? They like it, and I like making people happy."
"You like being the center of attention! And you just encourage them to tease me!"
"They weren't teasing you. Honey, I think you're reading into this."
Benny stamped his foot and glared at her.
"Oh really? I'm reading into this? I should just be fine with all the crap I deal with?"
"What's so bad that you're going through? Just tell me!"
"Everyone thinks I'm a joke because of my species! Because otters are a joke! And because you're a joke! You spend your life prancing around in dumb costumes just further reinforcing that the only thing otters can do is be dumb, cute little mascots!"
Alexis held his gaze for a while. Benny kept his eyes narrowed and returned the look. His anger dampened as he saw tears begin rolling down Alexis's cheeks. She wiped them away and turned to her dishes again.
"You should go back to school now, Benimaru. You don't want to be late."
Benny froze. Part of him wanted to apologize. He had gone too far. But then the other part of him, the part that was tired of the constant comments about him being exclusively good at being cute, made him turn and leave. Even still Benimaru felt terrible as he made his way back to his dorm, and as such he had trouble sleeping that night.
It was on the last Monday of November when Benny's homeroom teacher made an announcement. The female mandrill stood in front of the class and said,
"As you all must be aware, career day is this Friday. There will be pamphlets on the various available options available today in the main hallway by the notice board. Please choose the career you are most interested in and confirm your intent to spend Friday with them by Wednesday. The signup sheet is by the door."
Benny turned to the two of his friends that shared his homeroom and broke into quiet conversation. Trent whispered,
"How are we supposed to focus on a career after what happened on Friday?"
Kole leaned in.
"You mean with that fox student getting attacked? It's messed up, right?"
One of the other students nearby, a female rabbit added,
"The police say he was protecting his herbivore classmates. I honestly never expected a fox to do something that brave. I thought they were all mean and greedy."
Trent nodded at the rabbit.
"I know. But whoever that fox is, major respect to him. He's a real life hero."
Benny looked down at his fingers. A hero. He'd never be a hero. Otters weren't heros. Even if he did something like that everyone would probably just spin it into "poor cute little otter gets hurt by a mean criminal" or something equally dumb. Kole sighed.
"But back to the topic at hand, what should I do for career day?"
Trent shrugged as the rabbit started talking to another classmate.
"I dunno, there's a lot of choices. An accountant could be cool, they make lots of money."
Benny pulled a face.
"But isn't accounting super boring?"
Kole rolled his eyes.
"Like you'd have to be an accountant. Benny, we already know what you're going to do."
Benny frowned.
"What? How? I haven't decided yet."
Trent crossed his arms.
"Dude, aren't you going to do modeling like your mom? You could easily make it happen, and get rich for doing next to nothing. You're lucky to not need a real job."
Benny hurriedly stood, glowering at his friends.
"I am not going to be a model!"
And with that, he stormed off. Benny huffed as he strode down the hallway. Some passing girls pointed at him and giggled as he passed, only furthering his anger. He was more than just a cute, goofy otter. And he would prove it. He'd get a real job. A job that was respected. He scanned the various pamphlets laid out in the main hall once he reached it and grumbled.
"Sales? No. Doctor? Too hard and bloody. Lawyer? I don't like lying. Aha! Perfect!"
Benny picked up a pamphlet and skimmed it. With a determined look on his face, Benny returned to his homeroom and signed up for career day. His teacher noticed and read what he wrote down. She frowned.
"Are you sure you want to choose… that as your career day subject? I'm not sure how suitable you are for that job."
Benny narrowed his eyes.
"I'm choosing that one. Final decision."
She shrugged.
"Well, it's your choice. I won't stop you."
And so, come Friday morning, Benimaru joined a handful of other students in front of the nearby police station. The group he was with consisted of a wolf, a lion, two dogs, and a bull. They had all laughed when they saw him. Benny ignored them. This was it. He could become a police officer, and then other beasts would have to respect him.
The group of middle school students shuffled into the building and were met by a serious looking male horse with silvery white fur. He looked them all over, eyes lingering on Benimaru for a while. He nodded.
"You've chosen to learn more about one of the most honorable professions in our society. Our role as police officers is to protect and serve the beasts of this city, no matter their species. We'll be pairing you up with an officer to shadow as they go through their duties today. You must obey them no matter what. Am I clear?"
Everyone gulped and replied with a "yes sir." Benny stood a little taller as he watched the horse begin directing the students where to go to meet with their assigned officer. Benny looked him proudly in the eyes when he reached him. The horse checked his sheet.
"You're Benimaru, correct?"
"Yes sir."
"You'll be spending the day with Officer Beth. She'll be right around the corner there."
He pointed behind Benny, who nodded excitedly and hurried over. He couldn't wait to meet the officer he was going to be spending the day with. He could imagine the serious professional he was going to meet as he hurried to meet them. He looked around the room where he had been directed, eager to meet his assigned police animal. He spun around as a female voice called out,
"Yooooou must be Benimaru! It's great to meet you, I'm Beth."
Benny looked in horror as his assigned officer trotted over to him. Standing in front of him was one of the cutest Shiba Inus he had ever seen. She had orange and white fur with chubby cheeks and a big smile. She giggled.
"What's the matter? Beetle got your tongue?"
Benny felt bitter disappointment well up inside of him. They had paired him with… this. Of course they didn't pair him up with a real cop. This was going to be a total waste of time. Benny tried not to look too unenthusiastic as he responded to her question.
"Sorry, I just… had some different expectations. It's nice to meet you too."
She rolled her eyes.
"What, am I not scary enough for you compared to the captain?"
Benny laughed nervously.
"No, you're fine. So, where are we going first?"
"Well, it's Friday. So I have an important job I have to do. Are you ready to roll out?"
Benny nodded, hope rising in his chest. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he had been too quick to judge.
"Absolutely! Where are we heading?"
Those faint hopes were soon crushed as Benimaru looked up at the building that he and Officer Beth were walking towards. Annoyingly enough they had not taken a police car, but instead had taken the train to get to their destination. And now they were currently walking up the steps of South Prefect Elementary. Benny pulled a face.
"We're going to an elementary school?"
Beth nodded.
"Yep! Every Friday I visit a nearby elementary school to do a presentation for one of the classes. It's part of our community outreach program."
Benny sighed. That confirmed it. They had stuck him with a mascot. Of course they had. He was a cute little otter, so they wanted to add him to their collection of mascots with their Shiba Inu fake cop. Officer Beth waved to the female pigeon at the front desk.
"Morning, May!"
The pigeon smiled.
"Morning, Beth. Who's this with you?"
"This is Benimaru. He's shadowing me for career day."
The bird smiled.
"How exciting! Are you having fun so far, little guy?"
Benny gave her a flat look.
"Lots."
Beth clapped her hands and casually strode towards the hallway beyond the front desk.
"Well, we should get going. Nice seeing you again!"
The pigeon nodded, giving Benny a confused and uncomfortable look.
"Nice to see you too."
Benimaru reluctantly followed Beth down the hallway. As they walked, the canine spoke quietly so only he could hear.
"Try to loosen up a bit before we go into the room with the kids. You know, smile and have some fun. I'll ask you some questions as part of my program, and you answer them with the obvious answer of 'ask a police officer for help.' Ready?"
Benny rolled his eyes.
"Whatever."
She grew serious and turned, stopping him in his tracks.
"If you're going to be like this I'll leave you outside. So tell me if you can at least pretend to be excited about this."
Benny huffed.
"Geez! I'll pretend I care! Happy?"
Beth shook her head, but held her tongue. She knocked on a door and from inside Benny heard a female voice.
"Oh? I think that's our special guest! Remember to say good morning to her."
The door opened and a female donkey smiled at Beth as she ushered them into the classroom. Inside at least thirty little kids were looking up at Benimaru and Beth with looks of excitement. Beth gave them a cute smile and waved.
"Hello, everyone!"
The kids responded in unison.
"Good morning Officer Beth!"
Beth adjusted her police hat and gestured to Benny.
"I'm extra excited today because I have a very special guest with me! This is Benimaru, he's going to help me out! Can you give him a warm welcome?"
The kids all laughed and said,
"Good morning, Mister Benimaru!"
Benny felt a bit embarrassed by their stares but did his best to force a smile. One student, a male mole near the front, raised his hand. Beth pointed at him.
"Do you have a question?"
The mole loudly asked,
"Is Benimaru a police officer too?"
Beth shook her head.
"No, Benimaru is a middle school student at Cherryton Academy. He's following me today for career day to learn all about being a police officer."
The kids all "oohed" and "aahed" at that. Beth pushed forward.
"I'm here today to help teach you the best ways to keep yourself and other animals safe. Now, can anyone tell me who keeps others safe?"
One child raised a hand.
"My mom keeps me safe!"
Beth nodded and grinned at the kid.
"Very good! Your mommies and daddies keep all of you safe! But there's lots of other animals who work hard to help you be safe too."
Another hand went up.
"The crossing guard!"
Beth nodded and more hands shot up.
"Police officers!"
"Super heroes!"
"Fire fighters!"
"Teachers!"
"My brother!"
Beth clasped her hands together.
"Very good! As we can see, there are lots and lots of animals who help keep us safe. But did you know you can help keep yourself and everyone else safe too?"
The kids whispered as Beth continued.
"Benimaru, have you ever seen anyone doing something that could hurt other people?"
Benny jolted in surprise, not expecting the question. He gulped.
"Uh… yeah."
"So what can you do to help keep everyone around you safe?"
She looked at him expectantly. He hesitated before responding.
"I can… call the police so they can help."
Beth nodded.
"Very good! If you need help, always remember to call '119' so I or my friends at the police station can come help you. So, let's say you get lost while helping your mother shop. What should you do?"
Several hands raised before Beth picked a child. The student proudly said,
"Call '119' so you can help me!"
Beth gave the kid a big smile.
"Very good! But, what if you're at home and somebody falls and gets hurt? What should you do then?"
Everyone replied,
"Call '119'!"
This went on for a few more minutes. Beth let the children ask her a few questions about what she did before it was time to go. The children waved goodbye as Benimaru and Beth left the room and made their way out of the school. Beth grinned at Benny.
"Not so bad, huh?"
"Yeah, sure."
Beth's expression immediately darkened as they walked back down the street.
"Are you always this much of an asshole or just today?"
Benny almost tripped at that comment. He spluttered.
"W-what?!"
"I asked if you were always this much of an asshole or just today."
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!"
She spun and jabbed her finger into his chest.
"It means why did you sign up for this if you're just going to whine and pout the whole time?"
Benny frowned.
"I didn't sign up for this! I wanted to follow around a real police officer! Not some dumb mascot who spends her days playing police for children and posing for posters!"
Beth glared at him.
"You're a real piece of work, you know that? Do you just like insulting everyone you meet? Does that make you feel good?"
"Don't pretend like you know me! And I don't insult everyone I meet!"
Benny hadn't even realized that he had gotten up in her face until she grabbed him and pushed him down onto a bench. She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look her in the eyes.
"Oh, I don't know you? Well let me tell you what is plain to see from spending less than a day around you. You're a self absorbed, spoiled little brat who has a chip on his shoulder and thinks he's cool because he pretends to hate everything. When really you're just insecure and think you deserve to be treated differently than you are. Let me guess, you think everyone should respect you more? You probably get pissy with your friends when they mention any insecurity you have, and I bet you treat your parents shamefully because they try not to let you act this way. Well? Am I wrong?"
Benimaru felt a weight settle in his stomach. All his bluster had been extinguished in an instant. All he felt was embarrassment and something else. Maybe just a little bit of shame. Beth crossed her arms.
"Listen, you've got two choices. You can decide to stay a little punk your whole life and everyone will eventually get sick of you and leave, or you can grow up and realize that the world doesn't revolve around you. Do you understand?"
"…."
"Do you understand?"
Benny nodded, unable to look at her. He wanted to be upset. It was no place of hers to tell him off like this. But… he hated to admit that she was right. If he looked back at the way he'd been acting he really was a… terrible person. He hadn't even realized how bad he had become until now. He had called his own mother a joke, he had yelled at his friends, and then he had said that Officer Beth wasn't a real police officer. What was wrong with him?
(All this because I don't like being cute? What's wrong with me?)
Benny was about to say something when Beth's radio flared to life.
"Calling all available units! We have a car accident at the corner of Park and Beech street. Two cars involved, multiple injuries reported."
Beth grabbed her radio, expression serious.
"This is Officer Beth. I'm two blocks away. Heading there now."
The radio crackled before the dispatcher continued to speak.
"Understood. Ambulance is fifteen minutes out. Establish a perimeter and help direct the EMTs."
Beth looked down at Benny.
"I have to go. You can stay here if you want."
And with that she turned and sprinted down the street. For such a little dog she was surprisingly quick on those stubby little legs. Benimaru watched her for a second before following. He had dismissed Beth too quickly because she was cute. But maybe she wasn't just a mascot. She was running headfirst towards an accident with all the intensity of a real police officer.
Benny rounded the corner of Beech Street and saw the mangled wreckage of two cars. Beth was already moving among the wreckage and calling out orders.
"I need everyone to stay clear! Make a path for the ambulance!"
Benny stood on the edge of the crowd, hesitant. What was he supposed to do? He could see a male pig with blood trickling down his face in one car, seemingly unconscious. In the other a female cat was slumped over the steering wheel while a child screamed in the backseat. Beth immediately went to the car that held the child. She knocked on the driver side window.
"Ma'am! Can you hear me! Roll down the window."
The cat didn't seem to move. Beth ran to the passenger side and looked in before taking out her flashlight and smashing the window. She cleared out the glass and reached in, trying to open the door. But unfortunately it seemed that the door was no longer working. She scanned the crowd and saw Benimaru. She waved him over. Benny gave her a bewildered expression and pointed to himself. She nodded vigorously and waved him over again. Slowly, hesitantly Benimaru made his way towards her, fearfully avoiding the wreckage. Beth grabbed his hand and looked him in the eyes.
"I'm going to climb in there to check on the kid. If I can I'll remove his carseat and hand it to you with him still in it. I'll need you to gently set it down over there, and make sure it is moved as little as possible. I'll also need you to help calm the kid down. If he's hurt he could hurt himself more by struggling and flailing. Once the ambulance gets here, direct them to the kid so they can check him. Can I count on you?"
Benimaru gulped.
"I-I don't have any training in this sort of stuff…."
Beth's expression softened and she gently squeezed his hand.
"Benimaru, I really need you right now. I can't do this alone."
Benny's lip trembled.
"I-I'll try…."
Beth nodded and crawled through the window. Benny watched as she got into the back row of the car and sat beside the screaming child's car seat. Beth slowly peaked into the car seat and smiled cutely.
"Hi there, little buddy. I'm Beth. I'm here to help you. What's your name?"
The kid noticed her and his screams decreased in volume to loud sobbing.
"M-my n-n-name… is… P-Paul-l-la."
"Hi, Paula. Why are you crying? Do you have a boo-boo?"
Paula kept crying.
"T-there w-wa-was a-a loud n-noise. A-and n-n-now my b-belly r-really hu-urts!"
Beth gave the small kitten a warm smile and gently began unattaching the booster seat she was in from the car. As she worked she spoke in a soothing voice.
"I'm sorry your belly hurts, Paula. Some nice doctors are on the way to help make your belly stop hurting. I'm going to pick your seat up and my friend outside is going to help me get out of this car."
Paula pressed her palms over her eyes.
"W-where's M-mommy! I w-want m-my M-M-Mommy!"
Beth wiped a few tears off Paula's face and began to carefully move the seat.
"I'm going to get your mommy in a little bit. She just needs to make sure you're okay first. I'll bring her to you as soon as I can."
Paula weepily nodded and Beth began the slow process of handing the car seat out the broken window. It was clearly difficult to avoid jostling the child, but Beth managed to hand her to Benimaru with no serious hiccups. Absolutely terrified, Benimaru held the seat like it could explode at any moment and set it down, crying child still inside. Meanwhile Beth was making her way back up to the passenger seat and was checking the female cat for a pulse. She gave Benny a thumbs up before crawling back out of the car.
"Alright, the ambulance should be here soon. Good work with the car seat, Benimaru."
Benny nodded before growing pale. He pointed at the car.
"She's moving… Beth, she's moving!"
Beth wheeled around as the female cat stirred and let out a groan. She blearily opened her eyes and began turning about.
"Paula… Paula? Paula where…."
Beth crawled back inside.
"Ma'am! Ma'am! Please stay still!"
"My baby! Where's my baby!"
"Paula is fine! We got her out first. But I need you to stay still for me until the ambulance gets here."
Benimaru heard shouting from behind him and the telltale sound of sirens. He headed away from the car and towards the noise of the ambulance. He saw two EMTs rushing towards the cars. Benny waved them down.
"H-hey! Uh, the police officer said to have you come here! There's this kid who's hurt!"
The first responders nodded and followed Benimaru as he led them to the car where Beth still was. Benny yelled into the car,
"Beth! I got the ambulance crew! They're here!"
Beth nodded.
"Great job. Now, let's get this woman some help."
With the ambulance there to take over, Benny was soon back with the bystanders. He felt shell shocked by this. He had had no idea what to do, but Beth had stayed calm and handled it like a pro. He really had been wrong about her. She was as real as it got. Once everything had been taken care of, Benimaru walked back to the police station with Beth. The dog rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Listen, Benimaru. I want to apologize. I shouldn't have been so harsh earlier."
Benny held a hand up.
"No, I needed to hear that. I hadn't even noticed how awful I was acting until you called me an asshole."
Beth smiled.
"It takes one to know one. I was like you when I was a kid. Mad at the world for not taking me seriously. Then mad at my commander for not giving me the serious assignments. But then I realized how important it was for me to be the face of the police. Kids don't need a scary officer, they need someone they feel safe asking for help. That's something you and I can do that nobody else can. We have something that most beasts don't have, an intrinsic trust with others. Rather than be upset that other animals find you approachable, learn to use that to help people. Now, I've preached enough for one day. Take care, Benimaru."
Benny nodded and held out his hand.
"Thanks for everything, Beth."
Beth accepted his handshake and tipped her hat to him. As he turned she asked,
"Where are you headed now? Going to go look around the police station? I can ask someone to show you around."
Benny shook his head.
"No thanks. I need to stop being an asshole and apologize to my mother!"