by Klone

The packet is empty. Now what will calm my nerves? What will make me feel safe?

It started as a joke; something fun to do in my spare time. I had nothing to build on, or if there was something, it was small and insignificant. The characters seemed to just come to me, as if they had minds of their own. And at the time, I was glad of it. Stupid situations, pointless puns, just a hobby.

There was one left thank god. A quick draw will relieve my paranoia, even if only for a moment…what did I do to deserve this?

Over time, the characters that I once praised for having they're own 'thoughts' as it were, their own lives; They began to become more real than I had ever guessed they would. They grew within my mind, their conflicts, romances, quarrels…their problems…they're anger, hatred…loathing, loathing of someone I knew well

The bloody thing has burned down to in between my fingers…nothing left. Well, I guess it's just a matter of time.

I had delved too deeply. My characters...what were once my characters…there is no other way to say it; they lived. They left my ideas, becoming spirit, and - fashioning the bodies I had given them, left to seek lives for themselves…it was not long until they realized, that in leaving me, they had taken away from themselves everything they had once possessed…and by extension, I was to blame for their half-lives...for giving them the free will to leave…for acting God.

The door isn't touched, he doesn't need to knock. I hear him behind me, though he makes no sound…

It was him that made the first move. He was the one that figured it out. I had given him a power, and now he was abusing it, I knew it was only a matter of time before he came for me, came for my life. The self-fashioned lord of death, a warden of his own pitiless hell. He made the decision to come for me, to make amends for what I had done to him and his…dare I say friends? Or, should I even think…to him and his love?

He is blacker than the darkness of the room I call home. There is no-one here, nor will there be. I am alone…

"I know why you've come, Joel"

"You dare to speak my name?"

"There is no point in trying to blind myself to the reason why you are here…After all, it was me that did this to you, was it not?"

"Hm…it was not just me you did this to…it was to all of us you did this…"

"I am…truly sorry, my former friend-"

"I was never a friend of yours."

"…you were to me however…"

We stood in silence…Then, I saw the scythe he held…and my heart was gladdened. Tonight, it ends…

"Will it be quick?"

"Only the blow that kills you...your soul will be forever damned to the fires of hell."

"It's more than I deserve."

I out-stretched my arms. He embraced me. I felt the scythe cut into me…I held to him tighter, even as the swirls of black nothingness passed me by

"What will happen to us, my old friend?"

"You will go to where you were before I did this to you…you can go back and have full and happy lives…and you will never remember me, nor what happened during our 'time' together…You will return to where things were before I started to change things…free." And as I said it, and he released his hold on me, he smiled and let the tears he had never wept fall silently onto my dying body.

"I'd like that…thank you…" I closed my eyes as he disappeared into the void I was plunging into…and then there was nothing.

by An Cat Dubh

Choir. [Artie, Angie, Rick, Dave, Thonnen, and Kelly]
Lo! behold the black Wolf, a young lad;
    All is over, and now's the conclusion,
    The end of all Lies, end of Death and Illusion-
What will he tell his beloved, the Cat?

Wolf [Joel]:
I regret every harm I have caused you,
    Every insult, ignoring, and pain;
In my dreams we both walk on the soft dew,
    Or enjoy the soft drops on the rain
In the fields, wild and free, and our minds filled with glee,
    Only us, breathing free and unstrained-
But, egad, as you see, it is only a dream;
    Your visage I shall ne'er see again.

Choir.:
Lo! Behold the brown Cat, standing stirred,
    He is shocked like a boy who is seeing
    A corpse of a man for the first time and fleeing
In shock: what will be his response to such words?

Cat [Matt]:
How your honesty shocks me, dear Joel; indeed,
    I have ne'er heard such honesty come from your tongue!
    Is this some sort of joke I do not understand?
And why now? Of all times, why is now when you need
To express your regret and lament with a lied?    
    Or is this just a part of a dark scheme you planned?
    I do not understand what you meant when you sung
Of the fields, and of being together and freed.

Choir.:
Lo! behold the black Wolf, how he sighs!
    Very deep is his sigh, full of sorrow,
    Sigh of longing; behold, he who shan't see the morrow!
Of what will he speak, he who soon goes to die?

Wolf:
It is certainly dreadful, the hearing
    Of you saying sayings like that.
Now I've nothing to lose; I'm endearing
    This moment. I'm caught, oh, how sad:
So far I have ne'er said a word-(could not dare)-
    Of emotion, affection, egad,
And I cannot bear it-I shan't see your fair
    Visage; how I love you, my Matt!

On the 29th of April, 2010, after his union visit with Matthew Gein, Joel Calley was sent to execution by a firing squad. When he expressed his will to say his final prayers on his own, he was given permission to pray with a shut door, accompanied by two guards. When the three did not come out after 15 minutes, the warden took the liberty of opening the door, revealing the fact the three were absent. No corpses or hints were found indicating the location of any of the three, however we suspect interrogating Mr. Gein could provide crucial hints for finding out Joel Calley's whereabouts.

by An Cat Dubh

PROLOGUE

INTRODUCTIONS WOULD BECOME completely inane once I tell you my tumors are making me see delusions of my past again. You’ve seen me many times, I already know, but frankly, now I couldn’t care less.

You know, as cheesy as it my sound, being in real mortal danger, having simple actions—speech, analytic thought, simple motoric activities such as reaching an item and taking it or simply walking— under the risk of becoming completely impossible (it’s even scarier when you think of it being impossible not because of a physical limitation, but because you simply don’t know how to do them!) can really make a huge difference in one’s perspective. After a while of deep depression, you suddenly accept everything, you start seeing everything as negligible, and yet, you somehow begin to cherish everything—simultaneously. And with all that, you still manage to proceed with your day-today lifestyle. I honestly don’t know how. Maybe I’m just not thinking straight.

I

I JUST REMEMBERED THE first time Joel and I met.

Here I am, in the little playground, at my neighborhood. I started playing with a cute girl I met. We’re building a sand castle, and we’re quite enjoying ourselves. Suddenly we reach a dispute—I want to build guarding towers around the castle, but she thinks it will ruin it and wants to make a beautiful princess looking out the window. I say, "Ew, no!" and we start fighting. Then some other girl comes and they both walk away. The girl I’ve been playing with sticks her tongue out at me, so I get annoyed and call her a "lesbian." She, in return, throws sand at my face. When I finally manage to open my eyes, she’s already busy playing with the other girl and won’t even bother looking at me.

I look at the two of them play, and suddenly I become really sad. Then I briefly look at the sand castle, and then kick it angrily. I can’t stand looking at the thing that made us fight in the first place. I’m starting to think that I could make her a statute of the most beautiful princess ever, out of plain sand. I wouldn’t mind it taking weeks, months, years even—as long as she wouldn’t go. I honestly don’t know why. I almost cry. My lower jaw is quivering and I’m burying my face in my hands.

"Don’t be sad," someone says. I look up and see a little black wolf. "I’ll play with you. My name is Joel."

"I’m Artie," I say, and we start playing in the sand nearly instantly. Can’t remember what we built. Maybe another sand castle.

II

JOEL AND I DON'T ATTEND the same elementary school—he attends the "normal" school at the end of the street, and I attend the Shepardic (that is, "of the Church of the Sheppard," which is more or less like Catholicism) boy’s school at the other side of town. But I can go see Joel whenever I want. He always waits for me at the gate (we both finish at the same time, but the bus takes a while to get to my street). I drop off at his school, and we go hang out in town.

This wolf guy’s quite interesting, really. I don’t know why, but he seems really mature. He talks about a lot of things I’ve never heard of from anyone else: he mentions people like Jimmy Hendrix, bands like "Pink Floyd," films like One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, et cetera. He even told me what "The F Word" that kids in my school get into so much trouble for, even when they only say it accidentally, is.

However, the most notable thing he told me about was that he’d read The Catcher in the Rye. I gasped when he told me about it. The Catcher in the Rye was a book that got completely banned from my school. Nearly anyone caught reading it was on the verge of being expelled. The principal even came to class especially to tell us how dangerous the book was and how we’ll get to Hell for reading it. And here he is, telling me nonchalantly, "I just finished reading The Catcher in the Rye"!

"It’s a great book. I recommend."

"Oh no, Joel, the principal himself said that’s just what Satan wants—"

"And you actually believe that?"

I turn silent. I started thinking about it, and then I recalled how I saw that kid coming out of his office with teary eyes and a quivering chin. When I asked him what’s the matter, he answered, "It’s a secret. Satan’ll eat me if I told you."

"Good. I’ll lend you my copy, but don’t tell anyone."

Only when I finished reading it, I finally understood the real reason everyone told me to stay away from him. I’ve always seen something special in him that made me stick to him, now I understand he was a "quasi-portal" to a new world, far better than my "Pleasantville"-like society I was accustomed to as a child.

(I nearly forgot to mention: The Catcher in the Rye was the reason I got into writing. To this very day, I am very grateful to Joel for showing it to me.)

III

FOR QUITE A WHILE JOEL was like a mentor to me. He taught me many new words (most of which could’ve gotten me expelled), watched "forbidden" movies (not necessarily pornography, also artistic and controversial ones), recommended to me great books, and even got me starting to date girls. After a wile I started finding books and films my own. I was now as much of a rebel as he was.

Then, a few days before I finished elementary, it happens.

My mother, father, little brother and I are all sitting in the dining room and eating dinner. My brother finishes and goes to sleep, so my mother seizes the opportunity and says, "Artie, your father and I wanted to speak to you."

My heart skips a beat, and I ask, "About what?"

My mother sighs and draws a copy of The Canterbury Tales. Not just any copy—MY copy. "We found this in your room," she says.

I always knew this day would come. It scared me, but I was also looking forward to it. Now I must be brave.

"Yeah, so?"

She sighs again. "It’s not just that—we also found The Giver, Marx’s writing, Nietzsche, Orwell, even Salinger."

I’m scared, but I’m doing my best to keep eating with a poker-face.

"We’ve read some of your works," my dad says. I slowly lift my head up in anger. My works are the one thing I allow no one in the world touch. Even Joel only heard some—I wouldn’t let him read them for himself, being too afraid of the idea they’ll be harmed.

"What—did—you—do?"

"We nearly got two hemorrhages apiece," my father continues, ignoring my words. "You use a lot of bad language, you put to words the most deviant feelings, you express dangerous ideas—what’s gotten into ya, Artie?"

I hold my jaws in rage. "What’s gotten YOU?! My writings are my most treasured, most PERSONAL possession!! How on earth could you have such NERVE?!"

"You see?" my father continues. "You never dared to speak like that to us before. Something’s wrong, Artie. Very, very wrong."

"It’s all because of that Calley kid you’ve been speaking to, I know it!" my mother says.

"Good Lord!" my father exclaims in shock. "Is that true, Artimus? Have you been in contact with Joel Calley?"

I look at them both in enormous rage. "Artimus?" my father rushes me, not taking the hint.

"Take a fucking guess, moron!"

My parents both gasp in great shock.

"Artimus Crowley!" my mother says. "Do you realize what kind of sick Devil’s child you’ve been with?!"

"YOU TWO are the sick devils here!!" I yell at them. All of my previous fear disappeared. "You two Goddamn phonies brainwashed me since I was born with all that Shepardic crap, and now, when I finally manage to correct it—and I’m not even making a scene about it—you two dare to CRITICIZE me!! HOW DARE YOU?!"

Suddenly, my father slaps my face. "That’s it, young man. You are officially through with your dinner. Go brush your teeth and go to bed."

I coldly get up, leaving the plate in its place, say coldly, "Thank you for dinner. It was most tasteless," and reach the stairs, where I see my little brother, on the verge of bursting into tears.

"What are you doing here, Max?" I ask.

"I-I woke up to get some orange juice and-and I heard you talking about Canbentury Tails so I started listening in case you’re getting a pet and-and you started yelling and you said the F word and I got scared…"

Here he starts to cry. I embrace him till he calms down, whispering, "Shhh… It’s OK. Mommy and daddy had a big dispute with me but we’ll take care of it. Everything’ll be just fine."

We then go to our respective rooms to sleep. I, however, can’t get sleep for about an hour because of regret. Not about the argument, exposing my brother to it, nor even about lying to him, but because I didn’t expose him to is properly.

IV

I FINALLY GRADUATED FROM elementary and began attending a "normal" middle school. (I told my parents I won’t go to another Shepardic school, and they didn’t insist. We hardly spoke after "that time." )

Luckily, this middle school is the same one Joel attends. It’s quite weird, really, to have so few religion lessons and even learn with girls in the same classroom. But I like it. And the society is incomparably better. Joel introduced me to a few people, most notably Angela "Angie" Jansen and her boyfriend Richard "Rick" Riberio. Both seem somewhat too impulsive (and, I dare say, not exactly as bright as Joel), but they’re nice, interesting people.

There is one thing, however, that is "the rotten apple in the pile"—a group of no-good jerks from my elementary also attend this school. (The Shepardic middle school here is selective—non-religious rebels and all-F academic failures don’t get in. Guess which one got them rejected.) So, instead of maintaining the status quo of having only their own heads filled with nonsense, they decide to be missioners and fill other heads with nonsense, only more violently.

So, one day they come to us during recess across the hallway, singing, "Perspise Cristicula, kay dignasio…" so loudly I think my ears bleed.

"Well, well, well, if it ain’t lil’ ol’ Artie boy!" their leader, an ape named Rocky Faust, says. He used to be in the homeroom class by mine and always hated my guts for getting good grades. Quite often he tripped me or stole a notebook of mine, and I, in return, thanked my teacher very loudly for every A when I knew he could hear.

"The black sheep o’ da herd!" an ant named Ahab Caleb says. He was a year my senior till 4th grade, then we were at the same class. He didn’t dare to harm me, probably thanks to Joel.

Everyone in the gang laughs, and Joel, who was drinking from the fountain, says, "I think it’s better than being a dumb sheep, don’t you think?"

The whole gang gets aggravated, especially Ernest Rome, the real sheep. "Shut up, wolfie," he says.

Joel simply snickers and continues, "You know, it looks like your noble Shepard put a blind sheep to lead you. Whenever it trips and stubs its toe, you all follow mindlessly."

"Don’t listen to that sick wolf," the ape says.

Joel laughs at their faces, and says, "Didn’t expect anything less."

Then he loses it. "Aright, wolfie," the ape says, "let’s settle this like men. Meet us tomorrow at 6 o’clock P.M. at the playground."

"It’ll be my pleasure."

Once they start walking away, Joel adds, "Oh, by the way, it’s ‘Perspice Christicola, que dignacio, celicus agricola pro uitis vicio. Even an anti-Christ like me knows that."

The ape then turns around to hit Joel, but right then the bell rings. He moves his index finger across his Adam’s apple horizontally, so Joel growls and shows his fangs in return. Then the hot-headed herd walks away.

I’ve been watching the whole thing with my jaw dropped in shock. "You come watch too," Joel says nonchalantly.

I don’t even bother shutting my jaw while we head to math class.

V

I’M FEELING QUITE WEIRD, hiding between the branches of the big willow tree at the playground. Oh, here comes Joel! How typical of him, walking with a straight back, hands on his back. Like a real Victorian nobleman.

"We said 6:00, not 6:10!" the sheep says, and I try not to sigh too loud.

"Dreadful sorry," Joel replies. "Shall we commence?"

"Yeah, let’s!" the ape says and snaps his fingers. Oh shit.

"Just a second," Joel says. "You said we’ll settle this like men, right?"

They all look at him, baffled.

"Do men simply go and blindly beat up whoever protests against them, or do they show they’re brave enough to use words and prove their point logically?"

He’s well-aware of his logical failures, but also of the fact that they won’t attempt to find them. And so, Rocky the ape begins:

"Look ‘round. Ya really think all this coulda been made without anyone responsible?"

Joel takes a few seconds, and the whole gang starts to smell their victory, but then Joel asks, "Have you ever looked at an advanced math book? And I mean high-school and university level."

They stopped smiling, perhaps they understood Joel had simply toyed with them by stalling his answer (not a likely scenario; they probably just figured it won’t be such an easy victory).

"I have," the ant says.

"Then you must have seen how complex and sophisticated it gets, right? And God was not involved in the making. Think about it—even had there been nothing in existence, 2+2 would still be 4, even had it not applied to anything."

The gang starts to get pissed, and Joel continues:

"From here we can also get to my next point, and that would be the fact no life-forms were found on any planet besides Earth in the Solar System so far. You see, even if a die has 5,000 sides, 4,999 white and one red, if you throw it 5,000 times, the red side would most likely show up once. Same with the planets—life-forms developed on only one planet out of many. This is what would normally happen without intervention."

Having nothing to say, they clench their fists tightly, Oh, boy. Joel’s going to die.

"Regardless, if you really are doing what your hypothetic ‘God’ wants, why did he let Hitler wipe out so many of you 50 years ago? Isn’t he supposed to be ‘compassionate,’ ‘loving,’ ‘merciful’ and all that crap?"

They seem angrier and even shattered, till one of them, a baboon says, "It was a punishment for pedophilia!"

"That’s nonsense. If ‘God’ wanted to end pedophilia, he would’ve done it far more efficiently. Do you think it makes any sense to kill millions of people, many of which Shepardic priests, as a hint to stop pedophilia? Is ‘God’ some kind of a fucking idiot?"

"Don’t talk like that about God!" a peacock says.

"Yes, every time someone curses ‘God’ one fairy dies. Maybe next time, it’ll be you."

Now they’re seconds from exploding, but Joel continues:

"Now for my final touch-up: tell me, how is it that people wrote about meeting Jesus and seeing his miracles, and their words are regarded as true, historic writings that even get declared as holy, even though almost all researchers say that they were written about 80 years after Jesus died?"

There is a very dramatic silence, and Joel says, "Quod erat demonstrandum: the Shepardic doctrine cannot be correct. Unless you have some other argument?"

That’s the last straw. They could no longer tolerate Joel’s smug pose, his rebellious attitude, his atheism, but most of all—his cold-hard logic. They all dash forward in rage, and the ape says, ‘God damn you, go to Hell, stupid anti-Christ!!"

Then, when they’re about a yard and a half away, Joel reveals the true reason for his posture: he quickly draws a large metal staff, like those you see street-gangsters carrying in the movies, from the back of the inside of his shirt, and hits the one mostly to his right so hard he knocks down all the others. Then he starts kicking and hitting them with the staff with all his strength, singing, "Perspice Christicola, que dignacio! Celicus agricola pro uitis vicio! Filio, non parcens exposuit mortis exicio! Qui captiuos semiuiuos a supplicio! Vite donat et secum coronat in celi SOLIO!!"

They try to attack back, but most futilely. Then they try to escape, and Joel eventually lets some crawl/limp away in shame, but not the ape, a snake and a rat, whom he beats unconscious, saying, "Where’s your ‘Lord Almighty’ now?"

Once they’re unconscious and I double-check to see no-one’s around, I come off the tree and get to Joel.

"Whoa… Joel, what the fuck—"

"Hey, why can theists do it and atheists can’t?"

"But… They are—"

"Unconscious. They’re not dead. I think. Regardless, it was self-defense. And no-one’s gonna know—I’m going to throw this away right now."

Joel goes to throw the staff to the nearby large garbage can. Stunned, all I can say is, "Whoa, Jesus…"

We both turn silent for a moment, then Joel starts to laugh, and I join, embarrassed.

So began the decline of Joel Calley.

The ape did, indeed, die. The snake lost his sight and left school the rat became a cripple and stayed. The sheep became a Satanist and began idolizing Joel; the and left for a convent; and the baboon converted to Islam, became a drug dealer, dropped out of school, joined a street gang, and eventually died of overdose (or was it a street-fight?) after only two months. The others (don’t remember their number, names, or species) got broken limbs and ribs, and once they’d healed, they never returned to the Shepardic Church. They became normal bullies, but they still shivered in fear whenever they saw Joel. As he predicted, none dared to complain.

VI

"HEY, JOEL, WHERE ARE YOU?" I ask hesitatingly as I come in. I’m in Joel’s place now. It’s dark all around and no-one’s in the house, but I still hear a sad piano tune. "Joel?" I ask again, walking towards his room. Suddenly I realize he’s singing something. I can’t recognize it at first, but as I get nearer, I can hear some of the lyrics—"Where did my father go, my father just and right? A pawn in black strikes down a pawn in white. In rooms are weeps and in the gardens no-one’s seen…" I open the door and see Joel standing in front of a photograph of Hanoch Levin, singing with the boom-box in the room.

"Joel, what are you doing?" I ask, but he doesn’t respond. I try again, and he only sings louder, so I wait for him to finish while I take a look at the room. It has only candles producing a solemn orange light. For some reason, all the furniture seems somewhat smaller now. On the room in front of the door there’s the big photograph of Hanoch Levin, with red everlastings underneath it and with Joel in front of it. Besides the picture there’s a little boom-box from which some female singer is singing the same song as Joel, but in a different language. Finally, the song is over. Joel turns off the boom box.

"Joel, what on earth are you doing?"

Joel sighs and looks at me with a sad look. "Did you know Hanoch Levin died just a few days ago?"

I look at him somewhat amazed. "Really? How?"

"Cancer."

We both grow silent for a while. "So this is some sort of funeral you’re having?" I ask.

"Uh-huh. This song I just sung was his poem Checkmate, from You, Me and the Next War."

"O-h, now I understand why it sounded so familiar!"

"Yup." We grow silent again. Suddenly, he says, "Say, wanna help me?"

"W-What?" I am a little startled. That’s quite a funny thing to ask for.

"Help me. Come on, just stand in front of the picture and improvise some obituary."

"I-I don’t know, it sounds kinda weird…"

"Come on, give it a shot."

Hesitating a little, I decide to try it. I slowly step in front of the picture, trying to stop the urge to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation, and start talking about Levin’s biography roughly. I mention his works, talking about their importance, et cetera. Then I mention he was a great writer and his death is a great loss to us all, and go back to Joel’s side.

"How was it?" I ask.

"You were quite good," Joel says.

We turn silent for a few seconds, and then I say, "Death comes to one much faster than he thinks."

"Heh."

We turn silent again, then Joel starts muttering something in an unclear language. "Joel?" I say.

This time, he says quickly, "Qadish."

"Oh…" I say. I wait for him to finish, but quickly lose my patience. "I have to go now, I’ll see you later," I whisper and get out of the house.

Wow, I think this is the most awkward scenes in my life, I think. Joel might’ve just outdone himself, after the incident with the Shepardic bullies a few months ago. Then I start laughing. Heh, Joel has quite a sense of humor, doesn’t he…

VII

WE’RE ALL IN HIGH-SCHOOL now. The sheep left after two years of following Joel and doing his bidding; his family left for Utah (of I remember correctly). Rick and Angie are with Joel and myself in the same homeroom, history and biology classes; Rick, Joel and I all take literature and English together; Angie takes art, I take physics and A-level math, Rick takes chemistry and, for some reason, Joel takes Latin. (I take French and Ricky and Angie take Spanish as a second language.) Can’t recall the rest of our courses at the moment.

Joel still does theological arguments against religious groups in school, getting the name of an anti-Christ and a Dajjal. He doesn’t argue against Buddhists and Satanist, claiming "they’re OK." I think he said the same about pagans, or maybe certain types of pagans.

His favorites, however, are the Jews. I’ve seen many of his arguments (this did not require having to hide on trees, and they almost never descended to physical fighting), and those against Jews were his hardest. They have a very strong reasoning Joel has trouble finding flaws in. It’s something like this:

– All of generation a₁ received the Torah in the Exodus.

– Generation a₂ received the Torah from their parents, as part of a commandment of teaching your children the Torah and of the event at Mt. Sinai. They passed it on to the current generation a_n.

– The Torah says in itself that it was given after the Exodus up to the event at Mt. Sinai wholly and that modifying its text is strictly prohibited, so it couldn’t have been modified, or everyone would have noticed it.

– The Torah couldn't have come to people’s lives anytime between generation a₁ or beforehand of the time the Torah was said to have been given and the present generation a_n, or it would require lying to the entire hypothetic generation a_k that they were taught about the event at Mt. Sinai by the previous generation a_k-1, which was taught the same thing by the preceding generation ak-2, and so on till generation a₁.

– The Torah, as physical writing and not an oral tradition, is mentioned from the Torah itself, through the Book of Jesus Nave and the following books, up to the Book of Kings, which has already been proven as depicting real events, so the Torah even has a recording of being assed in its proven as original form.

Q. E. D.: the Jewish religion is the true laws given by the existing God.

That was, quite roughly, the proof. I'm not going to go into the further points each side made. Joel was quite scared, but they said, "Don’t worry. Only Jews are obligated to do all the 613 commandments. You can get to the next world by doing only 7. You don’t even have to worship God, as long as you don’t worship anyone or anything else." Luckily, he found in the Second Book of Kings an indication of the proof by induction being incomplete, and their argument about Judaism proceeded.

One day I decide to ask him, "Say, Joel, what do you think about the Jews?"

Joel exhales and sits in silence, looking pensive.

"We have a rather complex relationship," he says. "You see, Jews don’t force their religion on non-Jews. Not only that, but they use less demagogy than other religions. Despite seeing themselves as inferior in intellect and intelligence to God, they still see much importance in people using reason."

"Interesting," I say. "But…?"

"But that’s just the problem. The fact they think they are the only ones obligated to their laws is just a form of snobbism and leads to racism. The fact they are so rational makes their demagogy much more dangerous."

"Hmm… Interesting."

"But my biggest problem with them is that other people find them so enlightened and smart, even though they’re basically just really loud. I don’t know if the American mentality and the Roman condemning of ‘bottomers’ are the ones to blame, but if I’m not mistaken, the Jews were the first people who practiced condemning and even execution of gays as a standard norm and the first to practice routine full circumcision. They might just be the ones to blame for me being circumcised and having more trouble dating and having sex with boys."

"Hmm… Inte—w-waitasec!" I say. "You-you’re gay?!"

"Nope, bi. Why, is there a problem?"

To be honest, despite my detesting of religion and dogma, homosexuality always looked "wrong" to me. Maybe it’s because of education, maybe culture, I don’t know. The point is, I’m quite embarrassed.

"Well?"

I just try to digest the idea in silence for a while, then I say, "I’m OK with that. Really." And it’s no lie. "Heh, now I can say I have a bi friend to whomever accuses me of homophobia!" I add.

"Haha, yeah."

His response sounded rather cold. I thought he didn’t believe me (I was OK, but still wasn’t very affectionate towards the concept). I was worried I’d offended him, till Rick and Angie told me he was cold to them, too.

It was only several days later we found out it was because he’d found his father in the kitchen that morning with his neck slashed.

VIII

A YEAR PASSED, AND NOW we’re 11th-graders. Now I’m walking down the street leading to my house, pondering about an argument Joel and I had about a book we’ve read named Battle Royale (recommended if you’ve a strong stomach). The book was about 42 9th graders fighting on an Island to the death for 3 days. Joel and I discussed who’d stay alive last: I said it’s mainly good intentions and just some "practical" thought which makes one win, Joel said the one who survives must be the most ruthless and most fit.

"Nearly everyone was like that on the Island," he said. "And you know just how it turned out."

"What about the final stage?" I protested.

"Blind luck. Not only that, he was outnumbered, and one of them was experienced."

Quite a strong point. Hmm…

"But that’s just the book. What’ll happen in reality?" I asked. Folly.

"Reality would’ve given him a bigger chance," Joel replies. "In reality, he would’ve won for sure." Then he added, "You’ve known me since kindergarten and you’re still so naïve."

All this is now running through my head. I honestly don’t know. This would probably trouble me enough to avoid my sleep.

I walk into a nearby park and sit on a bench, pondering, running various historic and recent events from both sides, but it seems that my side becomes ridiculous upon thinking about the pre-WWII times, the Holocausts and the Holodomor.

Suddenly I look to my right and get startled when I see I didn’t notice the brown & black cat, sitting on the bench, staring blankly at the sky with hollow, glacier eyes. By the position of his hand and the pigeons and ravens eating by his feet, I can figure he was feeding the birds, but went into a depressive daze without noticing the entire piece of bread fell out of his hand.

"Uh… Are you alright?" I try to ask him

He sits unresponsively for a few seconds, then says blankly, "They left me. All of them, from first to last… How… How…"

"What?" I try to understand, and ask again, "Hey, are you alright?"

After two seconds he partially snaps out of it, turns his head to me, says, "Wha…?" surprised, then says, "No, not really."

"What is it? You seem awful. Maybe I can help." (Honestly, I have no idea what’s gotten into me—one second I see altruism as a mortal risk, the next one I’m offering a complete stranger my assistance!)

However, after a few more seconds postponement, he replies, "No thanks. I don’t want to talk about it."

I think a little, then I say, "Well, I don’t know you and I don’t know why you’re so sad, but for some reason you look like you have an amazing will-power, and you can overcome whatever got you down." I honestly don’t know why I said it. But for some reason, I feel he’s really like that.

We just sit there for a while, motionless, then a smile starts spreading on his lips, and he says, "Thank you so much."

I start smiling too. This smile and these words are worth everything. Fuck you, Joel.

"What’s your name?" I ask him.

"Matthew Gein. Call me Matt."

"Nice to meet you, Matthew-Gein-Call-Me-Matt, I’m Artimus-Crowly-Call-Me-Artie."

"Hehe, nice to meet you too, Nice-To-Meet-You-Matthew-Gein-Call-Me-Matt-I’m-Artimus-Crowley-Call-Me-Artie."

We both laugh and begin to chat. He’s very nice and very cute (and I don’t mean that in a gay sense), but he’s excessively naïve and it’s somewhat frustrating. Plus, he’s religious—religious Shepardic. But I honestly don’t want to ruin his mood now.

"Listen," I say. "You know the little theater by the town center?"

"You mean the one that got closed for a few days because of the drugs found there? The one that became a whorehouse after closing time?"

"Yes, that one," I say before he mentions other unpleasant occasions. "The guys responsible were fired, and the manager’s looking for new employees. Wanna come try getting a job there?"

"I’d be glad to," he says, "but I’m kinda shy…"

"Oh well. Pity, You look like a nice guy, But come if you change your mind."

"OK. Waitasec, what’s the time?"

I look at my watch and tell him.

"Oh no! I have to go home! I have tons of homework!!"

"You’re right, I should get going too. See you later, Matthew-Gein-Call-Me-Matt."

"Hehe, see ya, Nice-To-Meet-You-Matthew-Gein-Call-Me-Matt-I’m-Artimus-Crowley-Call-Me-Artie."

IX

FINALLY OVER! WE ALL WALK out of the hall where we just had our graduation ceremony and get into the car. Joel’s driving, I’m next to him, and Rick and Angie are making sounds I prefer not knowing of what on the back seats.

We reach Joel’s place. His mother is out; she took his brother Julian to the hospital (Joel said it broke).

Inside his house there are already Joel’s other guests—a skunk wearing pink I recently saw at the theater, the Satanist sheep who used to idolize Joel, a peculiarly familiar-looking female hamster, and several others. There’s a funny-looking rabbit-wolf hybrid who was flirting with a blushing white kitsune and an amused black cat (who was wearing, for some reason, black 18th-century clothes). He eventually takes the kitsune with a naughty smile to one of the rooms, leaving the black cat to read a little black book (I couldn’t recognize it; it appeared to be in some foreign language), and leaving me to wonder why the wolf-rabbit looked so familiar.

The party was nice. Everyone said "congratulations", the skunk was hitting on every guy present (and groped a few of their asses), and the sheep served drinks. The wolf-rabbit, who came back with the kitsune, laughed for some reason when he saw Joel and developed a long conversation with him, then went aside and began drawing him; the kitsune looked around for someone till the cat said that "Matt’s not here"; and the cat himself looked at everyone with the same amusement the wolf-rabbit and the kitsune looked at him, but shed a tear and hugged me when he saw me. It was awkward, but nice.

Now only we are here: Joel, Nicole (the gay skunk), the sheep, Rick, Angie and myself. Joel gets up, says, "Excuse me," puts on a Red Hot Chilli Peppers disk (starting with "Snow"), then goes to another room and gets some lighters and joints. "Gong rats to us!" he exclaims and starts handing them out.

Everyone around takes some and starts smoking, excluding me. I’m too appalled.

"Joel, what the fuck’s wrong with you?!" I shout. "That’s just the kind of thing that got Ezekiel fired!"

"Oh, shut up," he replies. "Don’t be such a pussy. Dave’s not gonna know, and even if he will, so what? He grows bats in the men’s room, for Chrissake!"

"I think he’d fire us all. He won’t take any chances after Ezekiel. I’m going to get fired because of you. Now stop it."

"Open this ass, Joel, so I could FUCK YOU LIKE YOU’VE NEVER GOT FUCKED BEFORE!!" Nicole suddenly jumps on Joel, groping his ass, and Joel pushes him off and mounts him.

"Oh for Chrissake Joel, do you mind?!" I cry.

"You became an obnoxious pussy, you know that?" he says. "What’s gotten into ya, Artie?"

I punch him in the face.

"You know damn well I won’t tolerate that sentence!!" I yell at him. Everyone turns silent in awe (except laughing Rick). Joel licks the blood off the side of his mouth, then looks at me.

"Leave. And remember this day."

"Fine."

I storm out of the house, slam the door, walk to my house, get to my room, shut the door, crash on the bed, and start crying. Damn, I am a pussy.

X

ALRIGHT, IT SEEMS I REALLY can’t avoid it now. There was an important chapter I omitted that took place during my middle school, because I had trouble digesting it.

I was 14 when it happened, a little after that "funeral". I came home from school and said "Hey, what’s up?" to Max, as I usually did. My parents scarcely spoke to me more than what was necessary ever since "that time," but Max still did. I honestly loved him, and I still do. That’s why I let him read my books and even some of my writings (my parents didn’t know about it; I always put my books and my writings in my room, so they couldn’t find them at Max’s). We really bonded, even though he wasn’t into the whole "rebellion" thing, seeing how our parents reacted to mine.

Suddenly he slapped me. I was very surprised; we hardly had fights, and even when we did, they weren’t serious and never descended to physical fighting. If he slapped me like that, something absolutely dreadful must’ve happened.

"Max, what’s wrong?" I asked him.

"Don’t act like you don’t know, you Goddamn moron!" He yelled at me. I was feeling very, very confused.

"Don’t know what?" I asked.

"Still doing this dumbass act?" He insisted and brought his face next to mine, adding, "You’re despicable."

"Goddamit, Max, can’t you just tell me?!"

There was a brief pause for several seconds, then he said, "You honestly don’t know. You honestly didn’t notice dad was DYING of CANCER for THREE MONTHS now. You didn’t notice HALF of the fucking income was spent on his medical requirements. You didn’t even notice he STOPPED WORKING because of depression. Dad passed away today of cancer. Artie, are you fucking blind?!"

Needless to say, I’ve never been so shocked in my entire life. Suddenly everything added up—Max’s angry looks, the aspirin appearing and disappearing rapidly, the moaning and weeping from his room at night…

"I… can’t believe it…" I somehow managed to utter. "I’m so sorry…"

"Save it," Max stopped me and drew a sheet of paper. "Just read this."

This is what it said:

"Dear Artie,

I honestly couldn’t be sorrier. For the past three years, we haven’t spoken to each other at all, except for what was necessary. Many times throughout these years, I wanted many times to apologize and end it all, to go back to being on good terms, and every time pride stopped me and turned me the other way. How I hated Pride, and yet, time after time, I embraced her. At any rate, it’s too late now to try to overcome it.

I’m very sorry, Artie. If there’s a netherworld, I must be weeping there as you read this.

Nevertheless, I hope I can make it up to you, at least partially. I recently found in my bedroom a box full of books I used to read as a rebellious teen: Molière’s writings, Lenin’s writings, some Weimarer Republik era avant-garde books, some E. E. Cummings, even Magnus Hircshfeld’s researches.

I now realize it was very wrong on my behalf to try to make you follow the Shepardic dogma, and also very hypocritical. I truly apologize for that, and I hope giving you these books would make it up for you, at least to some extent.

I hope you’ll forgive me and never forget me,
Your father."

My hand was still enough to read the letter when I started reading, but it trembled so much when I was done I dropped the letter.

"The books are in your room," Max said.

"OK, thanks," I said absent-mindedly. Feeling afloat, I walked in absolute terror to my room.

After less than a year, I was diagnosed with the same type of cancer that killed my father. Because of this, my mother committed suicide on my birthday that year out of depression. Fuck, this is more grotesque, more gruesome than anything anyone could’ve written.

So when I’m told my cancer metastasized and the doctor utters this stupid Geico joke, it’s only natural I attempt to strangle her.

EPILOGUE

"Artie! Ack! What’re you doing?!" My grandmother shouts. Apparently, as part of my hallucinations, I mistook her for that doctor. I snap out of it and leave her, startled.

"Sorry, grandma," I stutter, blushing. She sighs.

"Go to sleep, Artie. You’ve a test tomorrow."

"Yeah, I really should."

"OK, g’night."

"G’night," I say. She gets out, leaving me to ponder. Max and I have been living here ever since our mother hung herself, and I can’t help but wondering if she really knows us. Then I start wondering if I really know Joel. I’ve known him since kindergarten. We were good friends, we had fights, we made up—I’ve known him basically in any way I could, and yet, I’m far from being certain. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I feel like I missed something very major about him in my reminiscing, or perhaps I simply let it manifest far too subtly than I should have. Oh well.

Not all that you’ve heard of here had, indeed, taken place. I have no intent to tell you how much was true, and how much was invented for dramatic reasons, literary reasons, or just hallucinations caused by my tumors. I’ll leave this speculation to you.

Finally, I sit down and start writing this work you’ve just read, but I’m very tired, so I decide to continue in the morning and go to bed. Good night!

by Glory

He would die here, but still he would fight. Thus was the will of God.

This Father Tim thought as he took up Joel’s own scythe in his paws and stabbed the satanic beast with its blunt end, feeling blood spatter all over him and soak his fur. He then held the weapon at chest level, and snapped it in two, an inky enigma flying from its broken parts like blood, as though the vile thing was sinfully alive, and he had caused it grave injury. Feeling himself grow weak, the raccoon knew that the end of their ethereal battle was near, and that he would not be the victor. He sank to his knees, coughing blood into the pad of his right paw.

"If you’re so powerful, why can’t you get the job done without hurting anyone?" he asked, feeling himself grow dizzy as he clutched at his wounds. He looked to the demonic form that still held a vaguely wolfish silhouette with disgust. "There are plenty of people in this world who get powerful and successful without murdering people. Those with power are certainly not the most moral people in the world, but you are just sick." The black wolf pushed himself to his hands and knees; he too soaked through in blood, his shoulder blades jutting where he pressed his paws firmly into the ground that staged their battle.

"What about your friends? Your loved ones?" Tim asked as he began to push himself shakily up again. "Don’t you have any regard for their well being?" the wolf’s voice came to him, distorted by malice, and yet eerily calm.

"I don’t have friends." He said. "I have only tools to exploit and enemies to destroy." The Father was now standing unsteadily, slumped slightly, his hair falling into his face, as he grasped a wound in his stomach from which copious amounts of blood were spurting.

"And what about Matt?" the holy man asked in a near whisper. "Is he no more than that? Just a tool for your thoughtless use?" he saw the wolf bristle, and knew that his end was near. However, he would not die before he planted that last seed of doubt. The seed that could well influence the future of the world he had served in a very big way. "What would you do, Joel, if it came time for you to choose? If you had to choose between your plans and intentions, all of these events you’ve orchestrated for years, somewhere in the backdrop, and Matt? Would you give it all up? Or, is your heart really so black…that you would kill the one person…that ever truly mattered to you…the only person that ever truly loved you?"

Joel rose to his feet and whipped to face Tim with lightning speed, drawing up his arms and smiting the despicable vermin with all the unholy power that was vested within him, obliterating the disgusting creature whose words were anathema to him. He watched as his enemy was torn apart with a rush of satisfaction, but this rush was marred by a feeling far stronger.

Doubt.

If the time came when he did have to choose, he would destroy Matt; annihilate the creature that was the only true threat to the fruition of his plans just as he had done the raccoon. He would never let anything get in his way.

And yet… as Joel turned and began to walk away, for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure…

by Rathe

When their muzzles finally connected for the first time, a symphony sounded off inside of Matt's mind. Joel's strong yet soft black paws held him tightly as the two furs kissed in what could only be described as sheer bliss; at least for the feline. The blood red sun gradually lowered itself past the ocean's horizon not wanting to disturb the two furs in their passionate embrace. All Matt could do was close his eyes as the wolf's left paw left the feline's waist and traveled up his body, cradling the cat's head. The black lupine's right paw found a comfortable spot as it massaged Matt's right lower cheek.

With a meep, the feline's eyes shot open but Joel pushed the cat's head in towards his muzzle, deepening their kiss, and the feline closed his eyes and all but melted in the lupine's strong embrace. After what seemed an epoch, Matt felt a slight pressure at the tip of his maw and opened his jaws slightly to allow in the intruding ribbon of flesh. A low rumbling built up within the feline's chest, close to the sound of a chainsaw. The sound synched with his heartbeat as he let Joel's tongue pervade and explore his maw, occasionally flicking his own tongue up to meet with the lupine. This of course only made Joel more aggressive as he pushed deeper into Matt's muzzle, their tongues sword fighting within the feline's maw, battling for dominance. The dueling organs writhed and wrestled as they tried to wrap around one another and though Matt tried his hardest; he was no match for the tenacity of Joel's tongue.

He ceded as Joel pulled the cat's nearly limp body in close, allowing the black lupine to do whatever he wished with the surrendered feline. Joel did his best to hold back a grin as he was muzzle locked with his feline colleague, and he barely managed to hold in a little chuckle as cat folded like lawn chair. Unfortunately for the two frisky furs, both of them were living and therefore needed a breath of air. And so with reluctance, the lupine managed to break away from the dazed feline, though he still held him up in his strong yet gentle grip. Though the maws were no longer locked in passionate writhing, a strand of saliva connected the two snouts, the strand a symbol of the two furs always being connected. Joel's pink tongue shot out and flicked through the connecting drool, breaking it apart. The tongue flicked over Matt's nose on the return stroke and Matt gave a little blush as Joel's jade eyes pierced right through him. The feline's fiery crimson eyes just stared back and the two found themselves in a dastardly blinking game. As the two stood in silence on the darkening beach, all they could hear were the waves crashing and receding as they dared not to blink. What seemed like hours passed but was in reality mere minutes and both the feline's and the wolf's eyes were tearing up something dreadful as both furs strained to keep them open. Joel tilted his head to one side, looking at his associate in curiosity, a sinister grin slowly spreading across the wolf's ebony visage. Joel blew out a puff of air into Matt's face, causing him to blink.

The brown feline let out a gasp of surprise as he conceded, allowing himself to blink to stop the pain in his eyes as he playfully pushed the lupine back. However, the cat must have pushed harder than he thought as the wolf tripped and started falling to the ground. He caught the cat's paw and he dragged Matt down with him and they fell together landing on the soft damp sand. The brown feline landed atop Joel and the black wolf couldn't help but wrap his paws around the small of Matt's back and immediately roll over, pinning the playful pussy beneath him. Joel straddled Matt's middle and bent down with a black paw on either side of the feline's head, lowering his muzzle to the cat's neck. Matt, meanwhile, tilted his head back in pleasure as the lupine on top of him played him like a violin, licking, sucking and nibbling along the side of the kitten's neck. As the lupine administered said bliss upon his coworker, the sun sank beneath the horizon, leaving the two lovebirds alone in the cold darkness. Joel's penetrating gaze looked up from the wetted fur of Matt's neck and was lost once again in the adorable stare of the feline beneath him.

"It's getting kinda cold out," Joel mentioned tactlessly. "You wanna go inside" the wolf whispered as he gestured his head in the general direction of the hotel the theatre employees were lodged at.

Matt couldn't help but deepen his already beet red blush as he meekly nodded his reply. The wolf didn't waste any time in jumping up and pulling the limp noodle of a lust stricken cat from the wet sand. And the two furs started the short trek back into the hotel's conference room, where they had left the rest of their friends in a somewhat humorous predicament. As the two furs trudged along the damp sand in the fading light, the feline shot out his right paw and caught hold of the lupine's left paw. Joel's jade eyes glanced aside at Matt with a look of "What the hell are you doing?" but as he felt the feline's paw in his, the wolf couldn't help but let out a small smile. He shook his head, realizing that his coworker was hopeless and allowed Matt to hold his paw as they voyaged towards the light which pierced the darkness that was coming from around the hotel doors.

As they emerged into the warmer and chaotic climate of the hotel, the two furs were taken aback at the scene that lay before them. While the wolf and feline were outside debating philosophy, the rest of the theatre employees ganged up on their hapless ursine boss and beating up on him mercilessly. The lupine and feline simply looked at each other and with a role of Joel's eyes, they decided to pass on joining the fray, leaving Dave the panda to the metaphorical wolves. When Matt and Joel finally reached the stairs at the bottom of the first floor, the lupine abruptly let go of the cat's paw. Matt immediately missed the comfort and warmth of his friend's paw and looked up in question at the mischievous wolf, whose eyes were sparkling with craft. A few moments later and Matt realized what Joel was up to as he let out a squeak as the lupine hauled the cat up into both his arms. Joel kicked the door open and carried the feline sprawled out in his arms up the stairwell, seemingly with little effort. The cat couldn't even stifle a chuckle as he was taken aback by the unique wolf's macho display. The angry and harsh sounds of the chaos below were drowned out by the silence of the hotel hallway as the two friends emerged onto their floor.

The lupine shifted Matt in his arms and held him in a fireman's carry over his left shoulder as he dug into his indigo shorts and pulled out the room key. With a flick of his wrist and a green light later, the wolf hauled the feline into his hotel room and unceremoniously tossed him onto the bed that was stationed against the wall furthest from the door. Matt landed with an umph and a thud on his back as he glanced up from where he was at the wolf standing before him. Red and green eyes connected and all that Matt could see and feel were waves of lust that radiated through his body. The little voice that in the past was always saying "no no think this through" had taken a little vacation. The feline had nothing to hold him back from giving in to his temptations, not that he wanted to. Joel could sense what Matt was feeling and without further delay pounced from across the room and pinned the feline down to the bed. Muzzle met muzzle and tongue met tongue as two pairs of paws roamed over each other's bodies. Matt's purring picked up to the intensity of a lawnmower as he felt his shorts started tightening.

"Haahhh" Matt hissed as the lupine copped a feel at the bulge in the feline's shorts. "Ugghh....oh Joel, that feels....huh....uh...so...so good...ugh" Matt finally managed to say as a lupine paw rubbed the Matt's hardening shaft through his shorts.

"Then I'm sure," Joel whispered with a knowing smirk, "that this will feel even...better." In one graceful move, the lupine tugged down both the cat's shorts and his boxers, allowing his pink six-inch shaft standing at attention.

The feline's eyes bulged farther open than the cat thought they could bulge as the lupine's furry paw grazed along the side of Matt's frees standing shaft. Joel smirked as he received the desired reaction and let his paw gently brush along the feline's cock. Matt writhed under the wolf as Joel mercilessly tortured his cock with gentle touches. The sensations ran along Matt's spine and pulsed through his body in waves of pleasure and bliss. The feline could feel his face heating up as the wolf lowered his head down in a gentle kiss. Matt couldn't help but thrust his hips up into the lupine's paw, beads of preseed sticking to Joel's black fur as the feline on the bottom groaned and moaned in a state of bliss.

The wolf paw tightened around the shaft, much to Matt's delight, and started to slide up and down, using the precum as lube. Joel's muzzle went back to its earlier work of nibbling alongside of the cat's neck, sending little sensations of pleasuring to mix with the bigger sensations of the paw job. Matt bucked his hips harder into the wolf's sliding paw as Joel picked up speed, bringing his friend closer and closer to the point of no return. The cat's purring vibrated through the two furs' bodies, and only heightened the sensation that Matt was feeling as he neared the edge of his orgasm. However as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Joel's paw stopped on movement shy of Matt reaching his orgasm and the feline looked at him in a "What the Fuck" expression. The wolf simply grinned and winked at him as he crawled down the still writhing feline's body until his muzzle was level with the cat's slippery prick. The feline realized what was about to come and laid his head back and closed his eyes.

Joel tongue flicked out and ran along the under side of Matt's meat, giving the wolf a taste of the feline's juices. With a smack of his maw, the wolf's tongue curled around the rigid shaft, causing the feline to yelp out in agonizing ecstasy. Not wanting to torment the over sexed kitten any longer, the wolf engulfed the full length of Matt's shaft into his muzzle, tasting the salty sweet taste of the kitten's precum. Matt gasped out as his eyes opened and Joel got to work. However, it was only tow bobs of the lupine's head later when the feline squeaked out an urgent, "I'm cumming, I'm cumming." And then his prick pulsed and he shot strand after delicious gooey strand of spunk into Joel's eager muzzle. The lupine expertly swallowed all of the seed, milking the cat for all he was worth as Matt laid there panting, purring, and squirming in bliss as his now tender cock was still being tormented in Joel's muzzle.

The feline's flaccid phallus fell from the lupine's muzzle and a little bit of seed fell onto the bed sheet below. Joel crawled back up to the feline's face and kissed him deeply, allowing the feline to get a taste of his own juices. At the same time, Joel used his paws to work his own shorts and underwear off. After that was accomplished and the two furs were still locked in the cum engaging kiss, the lupine's paws roamed over to where Joel had set up the bottle of lube earlier that day. Matt's eyes were closed and he was oblivious to Joel's actions as the passionate kiss turned into a tongue wrestling match. The lupine spread the cold liquid along his shaft and gave his cock a few pumps to get it all lathered up. The wolf broke the kiss with Matt and the cat glanced down to see what the wolf had in store. With a questioning glance into those lust filled green eyes, Matt flipped over so that Joel could have access to his tail-hole.

"Is this...is this going to hurt?" Matt asked hesitantly as he felt something cold smeared across his exposed pucker.

"I'm not going to lie to you. For your first time there will be a great deal of pain, but I'll try to be gentle." The wolf grabbed the feline's tail by the base and moved it out of the way. With his other paw he positioned his lubed up crimson wolf meat at Matt's tail-hole and pressed forward slightly so that his tip penetrated the cat's outer ring.

Matt hissed as he felt the foreign object inside of him but he bit his lip because he didn't want the wolf to stop. "Pain?" the cat muttered to himself. "I can handle a little bit of--YAAAGH." Matt had to push his head into the pillow to stifle his scream as Joel started pushing in and spearing the feline upon his member. Joel stopped and tapped the cat on the shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked as the feline's head came a little way out of the pillow to answer.

"Ye..yeah. Just give me," the cat winced, "a little bit of time to get used to it."

The black wolf rolled his eyes and sighed. "Are you telling me you've never had anything up your tail-hole before?"

The cat had cinched his eyes closed and gave a slight shake of his head.

Another deep sigh came from the lupine as he began to pull out from the back of the cat's rear entrance.

"Wait wait," Matt squeaked out at the new feeling that shot through his spine. "What are you doing?"

"You aren't ready for this. You should practice with a dildo or a digit or something before committing to anal sex" Joel said as he continued pulling out. "Otherwise you won't be prepared for when it happens."

"STOP!" the feline roared out and Joel, taken aback did as he was commanded. "Joel," the feline said with a couple of pants. "I want you to fuck me. Don't worry about what I'm feeling; just do it. If I don't get the first time over with, then I'll never be able to enjoy it."

The lupine's green eyes penetrated through the feline's back. "Are you sure you want me to continue?"

"YES already. Just fuck me!"

The lupine didn't need any more incentive and with a smirk he thrust the rest of his length into the feline's bowels in one go. Matt bit his lip as the wolf's cock hit something inside of him and sent a frigid blast of sensation into his stomach. The feline's cock became rock hard again as Joel pulled almost all the way out, leaving the tip in and then lurched back in, massaging the cat's prostate. The wolf's black furry sack swung and collided with the feline's similar brown sack. As the wolf continued to pull out and thrust in, the pain within Matt receded and was replaced with subtle waves of building pleasure that started in his stomach and worked their way up into his chest. When Joel finally picked up a rhythm of fucking the cat beneath him, the feline's tail started twitching about, a sign of the cat's pleasure. However, as it continuously swatted against the lupine's muzzle it irritated him. Without any warning, the wolf bit down at the end of the cat's tail to hold it from flicking anywhere as he stuffed Matt full of his wolf meat.

After what seemed like half an hour of fucking, the wolf buried his cock all the way into the cat and unleashed a torrent of wolf cum that flooded Matt's bowels. The sensation of being filled sent the feline over the edge and he shot off once again into the bed sheets underneath him. Joel collapsed on top of the cat, his cock still buried inside, and the cat collapsed on to the bed, bringing the wolf with him. And the two furs laid there, drifting off to sleep in each other's embrace. As darkness overtook the pair, they laid contented, each for their own reasons.

by Yami

David Innitou is a very eccentric little Panda, known for not being too bright, and for many double standards. Due to his small stature, he was blessed with an advantage point when it came to the ladies. If there was one thing that drove David Innitou wild, it was a tall woman. His attraction to the vertically blessed was so grate, that David even married a Gazelle. David was very happy with his marriage, but it was not enough for his wife, who left him to study wild life in the Amazon. Unfortunately, she was lost to Amazon River, never to be seen, or heard from again (at least in the official records and report.) David has spent his lonely, middle age life; focus on managing a theater concession stand, and the deviant employees that run it.

Every day someone is killed, molested or victimized in some manner or fashion by his employees, and he is the one who has to clean up their mess. In David's eyes, no one is more of a deviant, cutthroat of a slacker then Joel Calley. The black wolf has caused David more headaches then binge drinking, and kicks in the head from women he tried to up skirt, put together.

Despite this, David has kept Joel when every other half-sane manager would have fired the wolf twenty times over. Just last week Joel even filled the artificial butter dispenser with medical waste from a cosmetic surgery hospital. Fifty people had consumed what use to be Star Jones' left buttocks, before Artie discovered four drums filled with the rest of Star Jones in the kitchen. David was given the order from his superiors at corporate, that he would have to dismiss the wolf, if these shenanigans keep up. David hung the phone up on the hook, and pinched the bridge of his muzzle rubbing softly with his eyes closed. He got up out of his chair, and proceeded for the door. When he exited his office, he was caught off guard to the sight of Joel whipping a chained wolf/rabbit. This was the final straw, as he ordered the black wolf into his office. The wolf/rabbit sighed with relief, as Joel went into David's office. That was until it realized it was still chain to the wall.

David groaned with frustration as he hoped in his chair, and searched in his desk for something. Joel stood there, arms folded and a predatory glare. Joel turned his head, and stared at a stack of magazines. All had tall women on the covers, obviously David's fetish. In the corner of Joel's eye, he saw David writing on a clipboard with a displeased face. Joel turned his attention to David who finished writing, and then Joel was handed a small packet of papers with a pink slip stapled together. The packet was a job directory that listed websites and agencies. However, what caught Joel's attention more was the Pink Slip. Everyone knew what a pink piece of paper given to you by a manager meant. Joel growled as he slammed his fist on David's desk, clenching the now crumpled packet and slip tightly in his hand.

"What the hell is this shit!?" The black wolf bellowed at the panda. David stood up on his chair, only barley eye level to Joel's chest, glaring at Joel." What do you expect is going happen to a deviant screw up like you!" the panda shouted angrily." I've managed this theater's concession stand for eight years now, and I have never had to deal with such debauchery as your working here has brought!" David climbed up onto his desk, shoulders back and chest out. Joel withdrew his fists, still clenching the papers tightly in his hand. David stepped closer, and then prodded Joel's chest with his index finger, staring up into the wolf's carnivorous eyes." I have only put up with you, because you could get the shadier work done, and not think twice about it." David pressed his finger harder into the wolf's chest, the apron absorbing much of the pressure." The higher ups have had it! They will not pay to fix your messes any longer! Since you started to work here; customer complaints have skyrocketed, lawsuits are at an all time high, our insurance premiums have increased eightfold and the walls and carpets have had to be washed, shampooed or replaced 20 times in the last two years alone because of you!" David pushed harder, causing Joel to lean back a little, but still glaring at David with just as much anger." You come into work 9/10 times drunk and/or high, you leave the break room a pigsty and even rented it out as a Thai Message Parlor. It took them TWO WEEKS to figure out that I was there to kick them out, not for a happy ending!" David inhaled, a little red in the face from yelling, but he soon resumed." And I'm pretty sure you're the hooded masked figure who keeps urinating on all of my car door handles!"

David breathed heavily, practically hyperventilating as he kept his finger pressed into Joel's chest. The two stood there, and just glared at each other." Is that all?" Joel finally said, as if what David had just preached had no bearing on the wolf. David withdrew his finger, balled his fists up, thrust his hands downward, leaned in on the tips of his toes and growled through his now clenched teeth." IS THAT ALL!?!?" the panda said with rage, and disbelief at the raw nerve of this wolf. Joel swiftly leaned in, and dropped his fist back onto the desk. He was now eye-to-eye with David, his teeth showed, as he looked right at the panda." If not for me Artie would have your job! You'd be that mouse's popcorn buttering fool day in day. Never again would you feel the convenience of sitting in this nice comfy office!"

Joel's eyes narrowed as he leaned in more, a speechless and mortified David leaning back with his mouth open. Joel's lecture was not over yet, he had more reality to lie upon the panda." The littlest beep causing you to shudder, a chill runs up your spine as you feel like your heart is being squeezed. Your mind floods with images of working the cash register, the sudden feeling you need to give someone change plaques you. The anxiety you would feel from a busy crowd, an ever-growing sense of Claustrophobia. The feeling of the walls and endless sea of faces are closing in on you. Little by little, until finally, you're swallowed up!" David was inches away from stepping back, and falling off his desk. Joel then climbed up, and leaned in more like a wild beast ready to pounce." The whining, complaining customers, never satisfied, never knowing when to shut up with their stupid questions and demands! Are you open? More butter, less cheese, what do you mean you're all out?" Joel slammed his fist "I ordered a small not a large!" and then Joel got closer." Kids screaming, crying and carrying on that they want this, or they want that. The parents trying to say no, and after yelling and screaming at the kid for 3 minutes, they fold and get the kid what they want!"

Joel did not say anything for a moment, as he tilted his head to the side, still staring at the panda clutching his chest in fear." And the most annoying and stupid thing you have to deal with is the manager" Joel said, with an expertise manner." Always demanding the most ridiculous, monotonous and tedious of things from you." The wolf said as he grabbed David, preventing him from falling off the desk." Tuck in that shirt, put out that cigarette, mop this mess up, smile to the customers and clean the bathrooms!" Joel lifted David up a few inches, causing the panda's shoes to slide and hang a little. David still eye-to-eye with Joel felt as if Pandora's Box itself has been jimmied open. Joel sat David back down, and the panda's legs gave out. This caused him to collapse onto his rump, still held by the wolf." The register comes up a penny short, and it's like the end of the world. Heaven forbid you should accidentally give a person an extra penny, or miscount a hand full of sticky change from some brat, who probably has a pocket full of suckers stashed away." Joel pushed David down against the desk, the panda pinned by the disgruntled wolf." This hell goes on 40 hours a week, just for a paycheck that taxes and benefits takes 15% out of before you even see it!"

David laid there, Joel pinning him with ease. David was breathing hard, eyes wide open as Joel stopped pinning David by the chest, taking his wrists, and pinning them on either side of the panda's head. Joel hovered over David; the panda could feel the heated breath of the furious predator. Joel hovered there without a word, the wolf eyeing the scared panda carefully. David's reactions seemed to excite Joel just a little. The look and smell of fear was erotic to the satanic wolf. Joel leaned in, his nose taking in and recognizing one of the more primal emotions for all known creatures. Wolves are predators; they hunted by exploiting these primal emotions. Joel's instincts became enamored with this scent of fear, desperation and anxiety given off by the small panda. David was unnerved even more; as Joel's hot breath came down on the nape of his neck. David mistook the look of primal lust in Joel's eyes, for that of a predator ready to kill.

David thought his life would pass before his eyes any minute, believing Joel would surly kill him. After all, he has seen Joel kill multiple customers at a time. Joel leaned in, and David closed his eyes, prepared for his throat to be torn out. However, this was not the case, as David then felt Joel's lips on his own. The Panda opened his eyes, widen as his pupils contracted. David's body stiffened as Joel separated his lips with his forceful tongue. David managed to turn his head, Joel's tongue slipping out of his mouth, and skimming along his right cheek." What the hell do you think you're doing!?!?!" the panda shouted, closing his eyes and wishing this to end. Joel grabbed David's face and forced it back in place. David open his left eye, and he could see the sinister smirk on the wolf's lips." I'm fired right? Well then you can't tell me what to do anymore, so I'll do what I want." David's face lit up in anger as his right hand broke free. David tried to punch Joel, who caught the small fist and pinned it back down." You're sick!" David said with detest for the wolf.

David's comment had no effect on Joel; Joel was ever the more eager to continue his torture of the panda. Torturing an endangered species should make up for eating a vegan burger, which had not suffered a day in its non-life. Joel grinned at the small helpless panda that lay underneath him. No more need for dialog, he was going to use, and abuse David until he was satisfied. David tried to kick Joel, but Joel moved slightly and easily avoided it. Joel used his knees to pin David's feet, and managed to pin both of David's hands with one hand. With his free right hand, Joel popped off one button after another on David's shirt. The panda's soft white chest fur slipped through, where the shirt gave way. Joel pulled David's shirt apart, leaned down, and took one of David's nipples into his maw. David closed his eyes, trying to get to his happy place, but not being able to escape. Joel's tongue rolled over, and around David's rapidly hardening nipple. Joel nibbled some, causing David to gasp in pleasure. David blushed, not believing he was enjoying this, or that he let it audibly escape. Joel tugged with his teeth, and then released the erect nub, standing back some to look at it. The fur around the nipple matted down with saliva, and the nipple stood out noticeably. Joel grinned as he set his sights on the other nipple. Opening one eye, blushing furiously, David watched as the black wolf licked, nibbled and tugged at his nipple. David was panting, trying to control himself, and think straight thoughts, but failing. David let out slight gasps as the wolf molested his nipple. Joel went back to the previous nipple, and switched back and forth several times.

Satisfied with David's panting and gasping, Joel decided to take things up a notch. As he reached down and began to wrestle with David's belt. He used his thumb to lift the leather, and then inch the golden buckle pin out of the third notch for David's belt. David winced as Joel unfastened his belt, and then began to fondle his pants crotch. David tried to keep from getting aroused, but he was hardening faster then he could try to control. Joel began to pull down on the panda's pants, and sticking out of the hole of David's boxers was a chubby 4 inch member. Joel pulled down David's boxers, and started to fondle David's testicles. David looked down as his erection, it distorting his view of Joel's hand, but he could feel it clear as day. David panted getting more and more aroused, enjoying Joel's hand teasing him. David closed his eyes, accepting his situation and wanting to enjoy his manhandling, only to have Joel stopped.

The wolf grinned looking at the blushing panda, which looked at Joel with pleading eyes. Joel reached behind himself, and removed his apron one handed, and pulled out a small tube from the apron's pocket. Joel removed his left hand from restraining David, and unscrewed the tube's cap with it. Joel palmed the cap, and squeezed a yellow cloudy substance onto two fingers. David recognized is as being obviously a lube of some kind. Joel recapped the tube, and hid it back into the pocket where he found it. Before David could register what was about to happen next, Joel began to spread the lube on the panda's anus. David tried to lift his rear away, but Joel anticipated and followed. Next David winced, as Joel probed his anus with a finger. David tried to pull off, but Joel was not going make it easy. Joel trusted the lubed finger lightly in and out of the panda's tight virgin hole. David squirmed the whole time, as Joel just kept thrusting and wiggling the digit. Before long, Joel added a second then third finger. David was panting hard; looking exhausted and was very close to losing it.

Joel grinned looking down at the small panda, having forced it to succumb to the pleasures he can provide. Joel removed his fingers, and unzipped his pants. The wolf pulled out his throbbing member, and David closed his eyes in fear of what was to happen next. David felt a pressure at his tail hole. It was hot and pointy, prodding for entrance. Joel's member pressed in, and sunk into the panda's warm hole. With a few short strokes, Joel was up to the root inside David. The small panda whimpered in pain, trying to focus as he drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness. Joel wasted no time, and was not going let David get use his size, as the wolf began to thrust back and forth with precise movements. The small panda gasped as he felt alternating strokes, and the feel of Joel's testicles slapping against his buttocks. Davis clenched his teeth, tearing up some. Joel's knot started to become noticed, as it battered the panda's outer anus. Joel's buttocks flexed with each thrust into the tiny bear, his tail swaying back and forth. Slowly David could feel the pain go away, as his rectum loosened around the hot canine member filling it.

David arched his back some, and let out a groan of pleasure. The feeling of fullness, the sheer animalistic nature of it all, he was in heaven. He was now moaning in bliss, thrust into, thrust out of, prodded and pocked David was delirious with pleasure. His raging panda erection was throbbing with each heartbeat, and leaking pre-seminal fluid. Joel was getting close to orgasm, as the wolf growled deeply in his throat. Joel then began to focus on David's prostate, and rabidly hammered it. David could not help reaching down and pawing himself off. He jerked with his right hand, and fondled his testicles with the left. He could feel Joel's knot brush pass his knuckles, it felt hot and slimy against him. He looked up at Joel's face, the wolf was growling deeply, then he howled. With one last hard thrust, Joel began to orgasm. David could feel Joel's wolf semen squirt and gush into his bowl, and fill him. Making a strange squeaky sound, the panda let loose a giant gush of white creamy seed. David covered his bare belly and chest with his panda seed.

Joel removed himself from the panting panda. David was exhausted and about to pass out. Joel put his member away and zipped himself up. Joel stared down at the pitiful site of the Panda covered with his own seed, and leaking the seed of another man. Joel headed for the door holding his apron, and turned around once more." Is there anything you'd like to say before I leave, and you pass out?" David managed to turn his head and look at Joel, his eyes tired and straining." You're re-hired," the panda said before passing out." I thought so." Joel said as he tied his apron back on, and left. Walking back down the hall, Joel looked over to his prisoner." Now where were we?" Joel said as he picked up a whip, and a frightened Wolf/Rabbit struggled to get out of its bindings.

by Windthor

Windthor Prius walked down a street sometime near midday, his paws resting in his pockets and his guitar still strapped to his back. His pants were slightly disheveled and one of the strings on his guitar was broken, but other than those and the fact that he was about three inches taller than when he’d left home four years ago, his pants several inches above his ankles, he didn’t look much differently than the day he’d gone to that nude beach.

As he walked, he took in his surroundings. There were a few buildings nearby, some trees, all at their beautiful autumn colors. He liked the fall season. It was warmer than winter, yet cooler than summer. As he walked by a movie theater, he stopped dead, turning his head to the glass doors. Through them, his eyes found green ones, the black lupine that was behind the concession stand was staring at him. Windthor didn’t look behind him to see if he was mistaken, because he knew he wasn’t. Turning fully to the rather empty theater, apparently it was a slow day, he watched as the black lupine jerked his head, and Wind nodded, walking around the building towards the back.

“I’m taking my break now,” said Joel to his panda manager Dave, who was on top of his desk, reading a Playmale magazine.

“Fine, be sure not to leave a joint on the ground again.”

Opening the back door five minutes later, the lupine stepped out, spotting the white canine he’d seen earlier leaning against the wall, his wings folded tightly to his back. Joel edged along the wall, in the blind spot of the camera that was perched on the back wall some ten feet above them. The winged canine didn’t look up, his arms crossed over his chest. Joel pulled out a self-rolled joint, lighting the end with a chrome Zippo. “You smoke?”

“No, but I’ll take one,” replied Windthor, and Joel reached into his pocket again, handing over a second joint of marijuana and offering the lighter. “Don’t need one,” he added, taking a slight breath and puffing it out, a small spark of flames lighting the tip. Joel blinked, but otherwise didn’t show he was surprised.

A long silence followed, the two similarly built furs taking long drags of their joints, coughing out the toxic clouds occasionally. “So,” said Joel, not looking to the slightly taller winged canine, “what’s your story?”

Windthor glanced sideways at the equally unique lupine, pressing the smoldering tip of his joint against a scale on his elbow, the heat making it fall off, and dropped it on the ground, flipping the reflective scale to Joel, who caught it. “I’m a unique being, I guess. But you already know that, don’t you.” Joel examined the scale, not looking at Wind. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

Perhaps twenty minutes later, Wind and Joel were both sitting down, still in the camera’s blind spot. “…And I grabbed her by the throat. She begged me not to kill her, and as I closed my enlarged paw around her, nearly cutting off her air, I suddenly realized what I was doing and dropped her. She sat on the floor for a few minutes, coughing. I left after that. I haven’t been home since then.”

“And when was that?” asked Joel, taking another drag of his joint, which he somehow managed to keep from burning all the way down as Wind had.

Windthor sighed, closing his eyes. “Four years, three months ago.”

“And you let her live.”

“She’s my mother. I wanted to kill her, but…” He sighed. “I never want to kill anyone. I’d take it as too much of a burden.”

“I never let it affect me,” said Joel, leaning back against the wall. Wind leaned slightly against the lupine. Joel shifted slightly, pulling his shoulder away. “Nothing personal.”

“I understand.” Wind placed his guitar on his lap, strumming the remaining strings. “The highest string broke last week.”

“I have an extra string if you want back at my dorm,” said Joel. “For now, just play what you can.”

Wind nodded, playing a soft, smooth melody, almost a lullaby that made Joel’s tail twitch. “I’m no Trent Reznor.”

“Hell no. Reznor wouldn’t play a lullaby.” This made Wind chuckle slightly. “You do play pretty well, though.” After a moment of listening to Wind play, Joel asked, “When did you lose your virginity?”

At the sudden question, a note twanged and Windthor looked up. “Which one?”

“Both.”

Windthor straightened up, looking up at the sky. “When I was sixteen, each of my triplet step-sisters were all in heat at the same time. I was only just in sexual maturity at the time.” He sighed. “Four years and three months ago, the morning of the day my wings came in, I had decided to go to a nude beach that was less than two hours’ walk from my house. Ever been with a hermaphrodite?”

“I’ve been with a transvestite,” replied Joel, looking at the white scale again.

“I was with three that one day. The third was the one who took my anal virginity. She was a dragon as well. She saw my wings come in and I saw them in the mirror. I left without another word and ran home as fast as I could. You know the rest.”

Joel nodded, then looked up as the door opened, a brown striped feline poking his head out. “Joel, Dave is—Oh.” The feline blinked at the white canine. “Um—Hi.”

Windthor waved, offering a small smile. Joel stood. “What about Dave, Matt?”

“Umm… He said your break was over ten minutes ago and that you should get back to your damn post, now.” The feline, Matt, blushed as Joel took his paw.

“Matt, meet… Um, I’m sorry, I never got your name, pup.” Windthor stood up as well.

“Windthor Prius. Junior.” He held out his paw to them, and they took it in turns, shaking it.

“Joel. This is Matt.” The black lupine nipped at Matt’s ear, making the feline blush even deeper.

“So that’s why…”

“Yeah, that’s why I said nothing personal.”

“Never thought you’d be the monogamous type. Then again, I’ve only known you for less than half an hour.” Joel scoffed a little and turned to Matt again.

“Tell Dave I’ll be back in a minute.” Matt nodded and went back inside, and Joel turned back to Windthor. “I don’t cheat, but I do like to share.” The lupine pulled out a small slip of paper and a pen, writing on it. “Here’s my address and my dorm number. Come by in a few hours when I get off work.”

***

Perhaps two hours later, Windthor stopped at a door in the long white hallway. “237. Here’s the place.” Reaching out, the canine knocked twice. A shuffling behind the door told him someone was there. The voice was a clue as well.

“I’ve told you, Matt; you don’t have to kn—Oh.” When the door opened, the scaled creature that opened it blinked at the taller fur. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else. Can I help you?”

“I’m Windthor, a… A friend, I guess, of Joel’s. Is he here?” asked Windthor, looking around. “He gave me the address and room number…”

“Joel lives here, but I think he’s still at work. He doesn’t usually get home until another hour or so.”

“Oh, well… Mind if I stay and wait for him?”

“’Course not, come on in. I’m Roland le Fay, Joel’s roommate.” The pangolin opened the door wider and Windthor stepped in, looking around after shaking Roland’s paw.

“Windthor Prius. Er, Junior.”

“Oh, you go to the college?”

“No, that’s my name. Windthor Prius Jr. Are you an artist?”

Roland’s clothes were stained with several different colors and Wind saw an easel as well. “Yeah, I’m majoring in the arts.” The pangolin walked over to the easel, where he was painting a large landscape of some tall mountains with a lake reflecting them. “Are you a musician?”

“I’m no Keith Richards,” said Windthor, shrugging.

“Bah! Thank the Gods you’re not!”

Windthor sat down on one of the beds. “You’re not a fan of the Rolling Stones?”

“Bah!” he scoffed again. “Have you heard their music?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much why I mentioned Keith.” The hybrid strummed the remaining strings.

“Pheh.” The pangolin went silent and returned to his painting. Windthor started to play his guitar but after a few moments, Roland turned to him. “You mind?”

“What?” asked Windthor, looking up.

“I’m trying to paint, here.”

“What would you prefer?”

“Perhaps something classical.” Windthor rubbed his chin a bit and after a moment, he started playing Ode to Joy. “Heh, maybe something a bit more challenging.”

“I’m missing a string, so challenging things won’t be possible.” He strummed a chord, then perked up an ear. “That reminds me, Roland said he had an extra string somewhere?”

“Yeah, look in the closet.” As Windthor stood up, he heard the pangolin mutter, “The cat’s already come out of it.”

After a moment of rummaging and finding everything except the string, these things including but not limited to several differently shaped dildos, a ball gag, and three pairs of handcuffs, he finally managed to pull out a guitar case, opening it to find a rather nice guitar. “Oh, cool…” He picked a few strings, then found a spare high pitch string and put the case back, going to work at putting the string on his guitar.

Once he managed to get the string on and tune it, he smiled, strumming it a little. “Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, if you please.” Windthor looked up at the pangolin, who smiled. The hybrid nodded and looked down at his guitar.

“It’s a bit hard to play on a guitar, but I’ll see what I can do…”

It was several minutes into the song when Roland spoke again. “Your music inspires, I must say. I’ll probably be done by my next class.” He stood from his easel, walking over to Windthor and sitting on the bed next to him. “Who taught you to play the guitar?”

“I taught myself. This guitar was my step-father’s before he died. I’ve been playing since I was six years old.” The pangolin nodded a bit, watching the hybrid play a moment before standing up again.

“Hey, you wanna play a game? We’ve got an Xbox and Gears of War.”

Windthor wrinkled his nose slightly. “I’m not a fan of massive blood-and-gore shooters, even though the chainsaw bayonet is pretty cool.”

“Well, that’d pretty much all Joel likes.”

***

Joel held the brown and black striped feline’s paw as he walked down the hall, stopping at his door. “Oh, just so you know, we’re probably gonna have a threesome before the day is over, if the other isn’t already here and having sex with the artist and being extremely quiet about it.”

Matt paused from reaching out to the door handle, his eyes wide and his face beet red. “W-what? When did I agree with this?” Joel turned the handle of his door and walked in, pulling Matt with him. “Couldn’t we listen at the door to make sure we’re not--Nyaa!”

The sounds of gunshots and chainsaws filled their ears once they walked in, spotting the canine and the artist playing Gears of War. “So yeah,” Windthor was saying, “I’ve been on a journey for the past four years to find my father.”

“You didn’t bother to go back to the place where he’d raped your mother in the first place?” asked Roland, grunting as he decapitated Windthor on the game. “You’re better at this than Matt.”

“I’m still eight kills behind you.” Windthor looked up, spotting Joel and Matt, the feline blinking at the hybrid. “Hello again,” said Wind. “Getting my furry ass kicked by a French guy, can you help me out?”

“Sure,” said Joel, taking Windthor’s place and letting the canine stand, stepping to the other bed with guitar in paw. “Matt, you know Wind.” Matt nodded as he watched the hybrid sit on the bed and start playing again, the song he played much better than the one he’d played back at the theater. “Found my spare string, I see.”

When the sounds of the game were at their loudest, Matt sat next to Joel and leaned to his ear, still watching Windthor. “What’s so special about him?”

“When I first saw him outside the theater,” said Joel, chopping Roland in half, “he turned to me first and our eyes met. He’s a unique being on a journey to find himself. I just thought it common courtesy to give him room and board for the night. Plus, he’s not a bad guy to look at.”

“Why did you say what we’d get in a threesome with him?”

“I said we’d probably have a threesome before the day is over. From what this guy told me, he’s had sex with just about everyone he’s stayed with for the past four years. Something about his dragon genes.”

The phone rang and Roland answered, holding the phone between his cheek and shoulder. “Hello? Hey, Nicole. Hm? Oh, no, I’m just playing Gears. Yeah, sure. Alright, see you there.” Once he hung up, he glanced to Windthor, then to the screen again. “That was Nicole. He’s going to a restaurant and asked me to go with him. Nothing fancy. He said that I could pick him up when I finish the game.”

It wasn’t long before the last decapitation sent the pangolin packing. Once he was gone, the lupine put the game up, turning to Windthor, who was still playing his guitar. As Joel opened his mouth, Wind spoke first. “Just because I’ve had sex with everyone I’ve met doesn’t mean I want to have a threesome with you.”

Joel raised an eyebrow. “I was gonna ask where you got the guitar, dragon-boy.” Matt, meanwhile, sighed in relief, rubbing the back of his neck. “But if you wanna take that route, why don’t you?” The feline blinked a bit and looked between the two.

“Because I’ve had sex with everyone I’ve encountered, Wuffy. Sex is great, but when you’ve had sex every night for the past four years, it gets old. I try not to stay in one place more than one night, but it seems that since I’m sterile and since I’ve had sex with countless others, it gives everyone the right to rip my pants off.”

Matt blinked at Windthor a moment. “Wow. I’ve only ever had sex with Joel, how many have you been with?” The canine slowly looked up.

“Someone different each night for the past four years, kitty. Once or twice I encountered someone from my past, but other than that, all the furs I’ve fucked were complete strangers. Up to this point, Joel had been silent, but now he spoke.

“You’ve had sex with everyone you’ve met, why are we any different?”

“Because you two are monogamous. I know you said you like to share, Joel, but it looks to me like Matt doesn’t.”

Matt blushed at Wind’s thoughtfulness, but Joel rolled his eyes, standing up and removing his shirt. “Matt, get undressed.” Matt blinked and looked to Joel, blushing ever deeper. “You heard me. If he’d rather not have sex, then we at least should give him a show for the road.” Windthor’s eyes widened as Matt looked at him, the feline blushing still as he slowly removed his clothing, the lupine not bothering with modesty as he revealed his already semi-erect length, the dark red color contrasting slightly with the rest of his black-furred body. He waited patiently, idly stroking himself as he watched the feline pull his pants down, glancing to Wind, who was blinking at both of them. “If you want to join in, feel free. Matt, if he does choose to, don’t think about me.”

Matt nodded, now sitting nude on the bed, hugging his knees to his chest in an effort to hide himself as he watched Windthor, the guitar on his lap hiding the growing bulge in his black denim jeans. The feline glanced back to Joel, who was sitting on the bed now with a bottle of Astroglide, pouring some on his paw and rubbing it over his erection. As he did this, his eyes occasionally looked to Windthor, whom he knew was getting aroused by all this. Only a matter of time. The lupine motioned Matt to go over to him, the white canine watching as Matt obeyed, crawling over Joel, who turned him over so that the feline’s back was to him, lifting his tail up. Matt moaned softly as Joel rubbed some of the personal lubricant over the feline’s exposed tailhole, pressing a finger in gently and making Matt arch his back.

Windthor gulped slightly, his pants feeling very uncomfortable as his arousal grew, watching as Joel pulled his feline lover onto him, the tip of his thick length popping into Matt’s rear, possibly deliberately making it drag across the striped feline’s prostate, since Matt’s back arched and his own, rather petite length grew, the cat’s scarlet eyes occasionally glancing to Windthor as he watched. Joel was going slowly, teasing his canine guest, making Matt bounce gently on the lupine’s length.

The hybrid couldn’t take it anymore, standing up and unbuttoning his pants, letting them drop to the floor. The striped cat’s eyes widened as he watched the canine place his guitar on the other bed, stepping up to Matt and Joel and crawl up onto the bed, his own thick length twitching in Matt’s face. The feline looked over his shoulder at Joel, who nodded to him, thrusting a little faster up into his feline lover, making Matt moan and turn back to Wind, who smiled. Matt looked down at the canine’s length, wrapping his fingers around it with a deep breath. As the feline flicked his sandpaper tongue across the sensitive tip of Wind’s length, he looked up with his large red eyes, catching Wind’s head fall back slightly in pleasure. Encouraged, Matt opened his mouth and took the tip of the canine’s length into it, purring softly as he bounced slightly faster on Joel. The lupine took a moment to change position, getting onto his knees and placing Matt on his side, lifting up his left leg to place on his shoulder as he thrust into his feline lover.

Matt moaned loudly, his voice slightly muffled as his mouth engulfed Windthor’s length. “Gods,” groaned Wind softly. Joel’s ear twitched as he thrust slightly faster, his hips slapping against Matt’s rear. The feline bobbed his head quickly, his free paw reaching down to wrap his fingers around his own length, stroking himself quickly as he felt his climax rising. Joel could feel it, too, grabbing Matt’s tail and placing it into his mouth as he dropped the feline’s leg, grapping his hips as he thrust deep into his bowels, making Matt moan loudly as Windthor placed a paw on the back of his head, bucking his hips as his canine knot started to form, Matt’s soft paw stroking over it.

Pretty soon, all three of them were groaning loudly, their movements making the bed creak loudly. Matt was the first to go, his back arching as his thick cream sprayed out onto the bed, making him moan loudly around Windthor’s length. The canine grunted, bucking his hips as his own seed spurted from the tip of his own shaft, coating the inside of Matt’s mouth. The feline swallowed as much as he could, a good bit of it dripping onto the bed as Wind pulled away, sitting on the edge of the mattress as he watched Joel pump away, his eyes closed as he held the end of Matt’s tail in his maw.

It was several more minutes until Joel finally finished, pushing deep into Matt’s tailhole as his thick seed filled the feline, sending Matt over the edge for a second time, this time his seed spraying out onto Wind’s face, making him laugh. Matt blushed and moaned softly, collapsing onto the bed as Joel slowly removed himself, his length popping out as he sat back, sighing. “Told you we’d probably end up in a threesome, Matt.” The feline didn’t answer as he rolled over on his side, curling up and purring as he quickly fell asleep. Windthor smirked.

“Wore out already.” The canine stood and went to pick his pants up again, slipping them on. “You need to work on him a bit more, Joel.”

“Well, he did come twice.”

A few minutes later, both the lupine and the canine were sitting on the bed again, Windthor playing his guitar and Joel playing Halo, Matt still curled up asleep with a blanket over him for modesty. “What was it you said before you were thrusting yourself into Matt’s mouth?”

“Quiet, you.”

by Z. Wolf

Nicole double-checked the whole house again, just in case. His dad was away on a weekend business trip, and Cecil was asleep on the sofa. Perfect, he thought to himself, smirking and slipping into his bedroom. He quietly closed and locked the door. Tonight, he was going to have some much-needed “alone” time, and he had his mind set on getting it. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, turned it off, and tossed it onto his bed.

As he slipped his shirt off, Nicole caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He stared at his slender midriff, which on more than one occasion he’d been told was one of his most attractive features. He examined himself in the mirror for a bit, and giggled to himself a little. He slowly undid his shorts and let them slid down to his ankles, then kicked them into a corner. He looked in the mirror again, and saw a sexy skunk boy wearing girly panties. He blushed a little this time, and his tail started to swish back and forth as the panties started to bulge a little. It’s time, he thought as he turned away from the mirror and slid the panties off too, smiling broadly as he did.

Nicole blushed more and smiled as he studied his reflection, he shaft sticking out a good seven or eight inches from the rest of his body, and his fuzzy sac hanging rather loosely just below. He murred softly, as he strode to the closet and opened it. He began to dig around in a box in a back corner. Not even Cecil knew about this box. It was Nicole’s own secret stash of toys, things he’d bought with money his father had given him. This box had everything in it: dildos, vibrators, cuffs, collars, leashes, gags, masks, ropes, hoods, whips, chains, and even an e-stim unit. It surely was a collection that probably made Joel’s look tame. He dug around a little, then found what he was looking for, a nice string of beads for his hole. He smiled as he ran the beads through his paw, feeling the size of each sphere with his fingers and noting how each one was bigger than the last. Yeah, he thought, this’ll be perfect.

The skunk sat on the floor and leaned against the wall with his legs spread. It had been a while since the last time he pawed, and he wanted this to be epic. He took the biggest bead on the string, and pressed it to his hole. He started panting as the sphere pushed into his hole and stretched his sphincter. He gasped softly as it finally popped into place, but he knew he could take more. He slowly pushed a few more beads in, gasping and panting each time a new one popped into place.

After the fourth or fifth notch, Nicole felt the big one on the end rubbing against his prostate. His first thought was, Oh yeah, I forgot about that, immediately followed by, oh god, I’m so horny… This second thought filled his mind as his cock throbbed before him, and he slowly wrapped his paw around it and started to stroke off, trying feebly to keep the volume of his moaning and panting down. He closed his eyes and let his head roll back as he panted heavily. He started to hump into his paw a little, making the beads in his hole move and stimulate his prostate. The skunk whimpered softly in pleasure as he felt his orgasm building. He moaned louder and squirmed as he felt the pressure build, until finally his balls pulled in a little and he let loose all over his chest and stomach. He arched his back and gasped as he milked the last strands from his throbbing member.

As the orgasm subsided, Nicole leaned back against the wall, smiling and panting with his eyes closed. He felt great right now, and murred loudly to himself in the afterglow. Once he’d caught his breath, he slowly pulled the beads out of his hole, grunting and moaning each time he pulled a bigger sphere out. After the last one plopped out, he sat there panting again. A couple minutes later, he stood up and pulled his panties back on. He turned to look in the mirror again as he covered his flaccid shaft, blushing at he dried cum on his torso. Then something caught his eye in the background. He spun to look, and had a jaw-dropping realization: he’d never closed the shade in his window.

He ran over to see what had caught his eye, and got there just in time to see a black wolf running off. Nicole sighed and closed the shade, then turned out the light and crawled into bed. Fuck you, Joel, was his last thought as his mind drifted off into dreamland.

by Klone

“Oh no... Oh no... oh no, oh no, oh no... ”

There may have been better to choose, but right now I was trying to play it cool. The popsicle in my mouth was helping with the more literal side of that, and a good thing too because it’s hard to stay carefree and easygoing when your boyfriend, and two of your other friends discover your vast and concise library of alternative pornography. At least I could blame all the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment on the fact I was laying upside down with the bedside wall providing a comfortable place to rest my, admittedly rather tired - though for what reason I have no clue - feet.

Joel had been right of course... it was particularly fun, and somewhat arousing watching Nicole completely cockblock Marcus, although the after show party of watching Joel make exceedingly quick excuses and running from the room at full speed, tail between his legs that really made the day - now evening - memorable. I must admit, I’ve never seen that puppy move so fast, or in fact look that scared... apart from that one time where I... hehehe, that’s a story for another time.

As it was, Nicci and Roland made their excuses and left, where I was confronted with a conundrum: Do I attempt to console my, though he may not look it, rather charming roommate, or do I challenge him to some more Mortal Kombat. Joel was hopeless, I mean, Sub-Zero shouldn’t be able to uppercut anyone’s ass, yet somehow Mr. Real-Gamer got his health bar so totally screwed...

“Marc... you wanna play some MK?” My question had intended to be an olive branch of sorts, but the glare in the bear’s eye didn’t seem to be buying into it. Downcast, I lowered my ears, and in turn my head, rubbing my arm gently. Whenever a time comes where I feel I need to say something encouraging or reassuring, I always end up taking the wrong approach. Forget it being the first time that had happened, I can’t even remember that moment... none-the-less, he angrily threw himself down on the floor and grabbed the controller. Technically it had been mine originally, but I wasn’t about to split hairs. Throwing the now useless popsicle stick into the trashcan, I flopped on my stomach and picked up my own. Mileena? Really? Oh well, I may as well try.

The third round signified a whitewash for me, and even though Marc threw the controller down and practically flounced over to his bed, still not a word had been exchanged between us. Head in hands, I heard him mutter little things like ‘Stupid game’ or ‘Stupid skunk’. It would appear that stupid was word of the day. Better than normal then; most of the time it was ‘fucking stupid’. Tentatively I sat up and padded my way over to him, settling down beside him and – in what I hoped was what would be counted as a ‘manly gesture’ – squeezed his shoulder gently. “Don’t worry about it, Nicole gets everyone the first time... sometimes he still even gets me... ” Oh boy was that an understatement.

However, the only sound I received from him was a grunt of acknowledgement and a sort of half-hearted shrugging off which I promptly refused to acknowledge. Launching in, I tried to be as tactful as I could. “Listen... he’s a really nice guy really... he’s just a little... you know... ” Embarrassed at the word, I spoke softer, “... slutty, I guess... I mean, really, he wouldn’t do that normally... really... nice... mmmf... ” The look of utter contempt I was currently receiving slowing me to a stop. I looked away and let go of him. Muttered apologies spilled from my mouth, but he just turned and pressed his face into his hands, breathing slowly and deliberately. It took him a while to speak.

“Cat, you can see I’m rather pissed off right now. I’m trying to keep it cool but if you’re going to give me bullshit, then dear god, I will put my fist in your face so hard not even the best surgeon will know where your muzzle once originated, and where they now have to put it.” I shrank back in terror... he’d never been this angry before; sure he’d gotten heated, but he’d never treated me like that. Quietly, I curled my tail around myself and played with it idly, waiting for him to calm down.

After a good few minutes of slow internal deliberation, he lowered his hands, sighed and pointed at the door. I knew what he was saying, he’d said it to me before: Get out while you still can, and I won’t be tempted to kill you. Almost with relief, I snatched my Macbook from the bed, stuffed it hastily in my carry-all, picked up my cell phone and hightailed it outta there. An angry grizzly is never a good thing, less so one that was angrily denying that what had gone on that afternoon had ever happened. I should know, I once was that guy...

From here I had two choices. I could go to Joel’s place and have wild sex all night, but seeing how my ass was still sore from last night’s antics, I would rather not. That left me with phoning around asking for a room. The first number to come to mind was Nicole’s... bad move. I called everyone else I could, but most of them made up silly excuses. With a defeated sigh, I hit the call button.

“Hey Nicci, it’s Matt”

“Oh hey, sup? Missing me already, hunnybunch?” I grimaced at the term. But seeing as he was my last chance...

“Well, Marcy kinda... threw me outta the room... He’s still pretty angry about earlier on today and really he just doesn’t want me getting hurt... he really is a nice... sorry I’m drifting. Anyway... I need a place to stay for a couple of nights, so... ”

“Why can’t you just stay with Joel? I’m sure he’d be fine with that” Knew it.

“I... wanna stay with someone different for once?” Man that was lame.

“He fucked you so hard your ass is still sore, didn’t he.” Stupid Nicole!

“... yeah.”

“And you think I won’t sex you up? Fiiine, I’ll be waiting for you. You should be glad I’m not with Roley-poley tonight, or you’d be outta luck, mister!” And with that he hung up. I sighed and set out from the campus. Thank god he’d at least picked up, the boy was notorious for never being able to answer for having so much sex... okay that’s a lie, but he still never picks up.

Turned out it took nearer twenty minutes for me. Guess I’m not used to walking these days, something I need to address at some point. Whatever my state, I knocked and waited. It didn’t take long before a scantily clad skunk opened the door and ushered me in with the promise of hot coco. A few minutes later and we had settled down on his luxuriously large bed, with steaming mugs of chocolate, when the topic turned to what had happened once the rest had left. No point in lying, I told him what had happened. Time passed on with idle chatter of course, as all slumber parties do, before he said what I was dreading would come up.

“So, a lil babyfur, huh? Tell me more!”

“Oh no... ” Embarrassed, I looked away, trying to focus on anything other than him at that point. It’s not fair, they should never have looked at those pictures... I should never have had my Mac out anyways, I should have known what they would do if they saw it... meanies... hey are those... ?

“Nicci... a-are those... beads?” They’d obviously been used recently too... ew.

“Oh they’re not mine, they’re Roland’s, I’ve just borrowed them. I mean, look how big they go!” Double ew. I really didn’t want to get a closer look, but he was very much insistent. And... my do they ‘go big’. Almost queasily I can remember him telling me that the biggest one on the rather long ‘line’ had a diameter or almost 5 inches, but that he’d never managed to get them in that far. A good thing too, I mean goodness, that thing was a monster. I’d hoped he’d dropped the subject, but to no avail, for not 5 minutes later he pressed me for the explanation once more. Well, a change of subject had failed once, so this time I tried deterrent – face a-glowing throughout.

“N-Nicole... I’m really not comfortable talking about this... c-can’t you drop the subject?” I’d hoped I was polite and sensitive about it, knowing just how easily upset the feminine boy could be. Perhaps not compassionate enough, judging by the hurt expression and girly movement donned the hand-to-chest-with-sad-expression move. I believe they’re planning on putting it into the next Pokémon game. It’ll be a one-hit kill move. I thought how best to comfort him, deciding on one course of action, and shuffled closer to him in what I hoped was a caring gesture. I wasn’t entirely prepared for his next move.

“But kitty... I’m one too... ” I blanched. Staring at him in stunned disbelief, I drew back from him, words escaping me. When my voice returned, it was shaky, but defiant.

“Nicole... th-this... please don’t joke about this... ” I’d spent years without anyone to share my secret, and regardless of how much of a lovely person he might be, I really didn’t want the first person I would share this with to be him. He was not to be deterred however and I found my wrist grabbed and pulled towards him so our eyes were but a mere few inches away from each other. He raised his free paw and placed a finger to his lips and then in turn to mine. Focusing on balancing I could do nothing about it, instead pulling away, almost horrified at his sudden seriousness from the normally free caring and easy going skunk. Rather than speak, he chose action.

Crawling over to his bedside table, he opened the top drawer to its fullest. I gasped. I had wanted to disbelieve him, but that was pretty much impossible now. A small stack of... very thick diapers, talcum powder, pacifiers, a bottle, even a little picture book sitting on top of... I couldn’t see, but Nicole was busy pulling everything out so I could get a closer look. Eventually revealed to me were duct tape (which I was assured was merely for added security), and last but not least the staple plushie, a little bunny which he picked up and cuddled tightly. I stared, confused at his openness and scared of his intent. I curled up and tried to make it out that it was just a dream. Perhaps if I closed my eyes and said something three times... you know, like that film? I chose the phrase ‘This isn’t real, and I’m still in my dorm room’. Breathing in, I started my little chant.

“This isn’t real, a-and I’m still in my dorm... ” I heard Nicole giggle. That jerk, he was loving this wasn’t he. I heard rustling behind me and jammed my paws over my folded ears, hoping to block him out. Again I repeated my phrase. The giggling grew louder and I felt the bed shift noticeable beneath me. Shaking, I repeated the phrase a third time. The movements stopped. The rustling ceased. I let out the breath I had held without notice and willed myself to look. Lowering my arms, I gathered myself together and cracked open an eye.

A cry. Stumbling backwards. Falling off the bed. Staring at Nicole in horror, I watched him laugh that sickening noise of success he pulls at the most opportune of moments. Naked, was he, save from a very thick diaper, in fact, so much so that he could barely close his legs. Pacifier perfectly centered in his chuckling muzzle, the plushie tightly held to his flat chest, he grinned at me smugly. Speaking through the obstacle in his mouth, his words resounded in my head.

“Matty, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

“You... you... ” I couldn’t speak. Things were going too fast. I had to stop and think. I had to... my Macbook! I could escape in the internet and forget everything for a while. I started for my bag, but the skunk reached down the side of the bed too quickly. I launched myself after it with reckless abandon only to fall to the floor with a loud bump, and a female-sounding “Oww!” of pain. I looked up at him again. He was still giggling... what a complete jerk... what an absolute... I felt the tears coming too quickly – I didn’t want to cry! I wasn’t the little baby he thought I was... I was a big boy now! I didn’t need to cry anymore. I...

The tears came. I huddled into myself and sobbed softly, back pressed against his bed. Nicole seemed to know that he had gone too far now, because he instantly launched himself off his pedestal and sat in front of me, looking concerned and asking what was wrong, and why I was crying. All I heard was the loud crinkle of his diaper, and I sobbed a little more, pulling my knees up to my chest, crossing my arms around them and sobbed into my kneecaps. Numb, I felt him pull me into a soft, warm embrace. Out of habit I motioned to cling to him but... no! He wasn’t Joel... he didn’t care... he was just a stupid little skunk slut that just wanted to get the best of me, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. I shrugged him off, turning away from him. Why on earth was I crying so much... I didn’t even know why...

The next thing I was aware of was the boy in question lifting my head gently and with a soft smile placing a pacifier in my mouth, and the plushie in my hands before pulling me back into the embrace I had previously shrugged off. I wanted to spit the dummy out, throw the bunny away... but some primal instinct awoke within me. I leaned into him, sniffling quietly, sucking on the pacifier as best I could, finding it, accompanied by the reassuring toy in my arms and Nicole’s quiet shushing in my ear and rubbing of my back, able to calm me down easily and completely. When I had stopped crying, the skunk drew back, and with a gentle paw – and a gentle smile, brushed the remainder of my tears away.

I looked away, ashamed of myself. This was wrong... I shouldn’t be allowing him to comfort me... but he was so gentle and with strength I wouldn’t have associated with him lifted me back onto the bed, sitting down next to me. His diaper still crinkled beneath him, but I tried not to pay attention to it. There was silence for a while. I sat up again, leaning against the headboard, still defensive and holding that plushie for dear life. When he spoke it was soft and understanding.

“This is the first time you’ve ever seen anyone else in a diaper in real life, isn’t it?” I nodded. “And it’s the first time anyone’s learned about your lil thing, huh?” Another nod, and a muffled whine. “And it’s the first time you’ve met anyone into it as well... ?”

I shook my head. It was the first time physically... but not the first time ever. Nicole, intrigued now pulled the pacifier from my muzzle gently, ushering another sound of sadness from my lips. He smiled and hastily shoved everything back into the drawer, then crawled over and sat by my side, wrapping an arm around me and squeezing me gently.

“C’mon Matt... tell me all about it... I promise I’ll get you another hot chocolate if you do, and I’ll tell you about me as well, okay?” I considered this for a long time. It had been my little secret for a long time now... was I really ready to let anyone else know? My best kept secret... in the open. Better kept than even my newfound sexuality... well, here goes nothing.

“...okay... ”

Ten minutes later and here I was, still sat on Nicci’s about to open up about one of my most touchy subjects to the last person I ever thought I would. I took another sip of the warm drink – He’d made this one especially good for me, his way of saying sorry I guess. There was a tang to the back of it I just couldn’t quite catch... maybe I’ll think of it later.

“I still wet the bed when I was ten... I know it sounds really silly, but I just couldn’t control myself. I was bullied a lot in school... and I suppose it got to me enough to make me bed-wet. I guess my mom was the one who suggested it, cos she was always the one who had to change my sheets... she was always so nice about it... but I guess it started bothering her. She went to my dad and asked him to go out and buy some diapers... just ones to use when I was asleep, you know. I was still at school, so when I came back I was shocked to find some pull-ups lying on my bed. I got super angry and shouted at my mom for even thinking about it... she got angry too and called my dad. He said if I wasn’t going to co-operate then he’d treat me like the baby I was acting... I didn’t get it and just shouted back at him... my dad’s so strong, he picked me up and put me across his knee... I kicked and screamed the whole time he spanked me, but he wouldn’t let go... it was so sore... when he did eventually let go he ordered me to put my pull-ups on and be happy he didn’t ‘enforce further punishment.’

“That morning I woke up really, really wet... honestly, I had no idea just how much I wet during the night... I was really embarrassed and threw them in the trash as fast as I could... showered, had breakfast, went to school... it was as if it had never happened. I kept it as secret as I could... my friends never would have understood... anyways, it seemed to work so I kept wearing them at night... it went on for months. Everything seemed fine. Mom was happy, dad was too. It was never mentioned really... we just accepted that it happened, and it did. I guess I was happy too, I didn’t have to worry too much about wetting the bed anymore. My grades improved slightly too, though I don’t know if had anything to do with the pull-up.

“Then one day I woke up and I had wet a whole lot... enough for my diaper to leak and soak the bed... and I mean really soak it. Mom assured me it wasn’t a problem, but when I got back from home that day Mom had been out to the store and bought some real diapers. Guess she’d decided to play it safe rather than wait for it to happen again. She told me they’d hold a whole lot more, and it wouldn’t happen again. That night it was difficult to find a comfy position to sleep... my goodness they were so thick... I couldn’t even close my legs anymore. When I woke up though, they were wet, but no-where near as full as the pull-ups I had used. The tapes also held it super snug against me though, so I was quick to get it off and shower. I got really interested in them though... I mean c’mon, they were so thick... if anyone caught me in them they really would have thought they were baby diapers...

“I suppose over time I just got used to wearing them. I only ever wet in them though, and only ever wore them at night. Never had any accidents during the day, didn’t ever get caught. When I went to slumber parties I always made sure I was the last to sleep, first to wake up, and always at the other person’s house. It went on for about a long time... then my parents decided it was time to get me back outta them. I tried to protest about it but they kept saying I’d been in them way too long... eventually they got me outta them. Amazingly enough, I didn’t wet the bed that night... guess my body had only linked wetting with being in diapers... so I never had that problem again... ”

I’d managed to talk pretty fluently and without too much trouble throughout it all. I took a little moment to have another drink of that hot chocolate... still couldn’t grasp exactly what that flavor was... maybe after the next rest stop. Nicole was sitting listening intently; I’ve never seen him look so focused before in his life. When I looked at him shyly, he smiled and nodded me on.

“Well... I really missed my diapers... I’d been wearing them for nearly a year at night so when they took them away I slept restlessly... but I went on as if nothing had changed. I was more tired, but people thought that it was just normal kitten behavior. Eventually I stopped wishing for them and just got on with things... a couple of years later though... and I... ” At this point my face grew hot and I looked down in shame. Nicole giggled at me.

“You discovered masturbation, huh?” Nodding sheepishly as he let out something of a girlish ‘Aww!’ I took another swig.

“Cinnamon!” I hadn’t expected to say it out loud...

“Geeze, did you only just realize?” Again, a sheepish nod. “Yeah, I put a touch in... for luxury. Anyway, go on.”

“My dad had recently bought me my first personal computer... and I was just browsing some sites... and I found my first... you know... ” He giggled again... stupid skunk...

“Was it gay or straight?” He knew my answer, I didn’t need to speak it. I hid my face as he laughed gleefully. “Aww, lil Matty get turned on by gay porn when he was just a lil kiddy?” I threw a pillow at him. He just laughed it off. “Anyways, continue.”

“Well... I tried to pretend it hadn’t happened... but a coupla weeks later and I was crawling through websites... it was... new and really, really good... eventually I got really interested and started looking for stuff like ‘diaper porn’ and ‘diaper sex’ and really anything including the word diaper... didn’t take me long to find... there’s so much stuff... and I really thought I was the only one, I really did! Well, that week I used my allowance to go and buy diapers... gosh I was so embarrassed... the cashier smiled at me though, probably thought I was just a bed wetter... I looked really young when I was 14. Well, I brought them home, hid them away, and when I knew my parents were asleep... well... you can guess what happened...

“Things went on from there... I joined some websites, some forums... did some really quiet torrenting... I started talking to people who were into it too... and all the while my... my fetish just got bigger and bigger... finally downloaded an IM client and started talking to other people more... guess I was just as shy online as I am sometimes-“

“ALL the time!”

“... in real life.” I finished my chocolate and thanked the feminine boy for it. I grabbed the bunny plush again and cuddled it tightly. This was the part I really didn’t want to get into...

“There was this guy... He called himself Killi online... he was really nice. He started talking to me after I joined one of the Teenbaby groups. He was so nice... we play role-played quite a lot... he started calling me his brother... it felt really nice cos I’d never had a brother before... we got really close, and I guess I loved him, you know, how a brother would only... I was still straight back then, and he knew it... anyways, the mucking about turned into heavy RPing, and diaper play... he helped me expand my fetish... helped me get to know myself...

“Then one day he... he told me he loved me... and that he meant more than just... ya know... and I... told him I couldn’t ever love him like that... he got really upset... we had a really long conversation that lasted until well into the earlier ours of the morning... I told him at the end of it I still wanted to be his brother... but after he signed off he... never came back... online... ” I sniffled again... the memory was a painful one to recount.

“Oh kitty... ” Nicole moved back beside me and cuddled me into him... I hardly even thought about pushing him away... it felt nice having someone holding me... anyone... “So, what happened then?”

“I was in high school at this point and, well, I’d rather not go into what happened then... I was in a very heavy state of denial for the entirety of high school... and it eventually cost me all my friends... ” I nuzzled gently at the skunk... he really was very warm and cozy...

“I tried to put it all behind me for going to college... everything except the diapers... they’ve been about me since I started... but I can’t do it nearly as much as I would like because of Marcus... even when he’s out on his long trips at night, I still can’t pluck up the courage to, you know, get my diapers out... I’m always scared he’ll walk in on me... and... well, that’s the whole story... ” I trailed off with a sigh, and scooted a tad closer to the boy... I knew I really shouldn’t... but he was the first one I’d ever told my story... and I needed that moment...

“Well, guess I should repay the favor, huh?” I nodded softly. “Well, it’s nothing as special as yours really. I was the high school slut, and I was with this guy for a little while who was into diapers. I’d tried a whole bunch of other things too, so it’s wasn’t too hard to try that too. Guess I just liked them, and it got a place on my list of kinks. S’all there is too it really.” I sighed. I should have known he’d have gotten into it from one of his myriad of boyfriends.

“Well... I feel kind of silly all padded up like this on my own... care to join me, cutie?” I hated it when he used that word... I’m really not as cute as everyone makes out to be... at least I don’t think I am... Joel only ever uses the term when he’s being silly... everyone else seems to use it with full sincerity. I still don’t believe them. Rather than make this known, I just whined and scooted a little closer. Nicole chuckled and ruffled my hair a bit. “Attaboy... ”

He gently pulled away from me, getting me to sit up as he reached under his bed and drew out a very large plastic changing mat. It was, of course, pink. Once again, he opened that drawer of goodies and pulled out a diaper and the talc, picking up the pacifier I’d left on the top. He placed it in my muzzle ever so gently and helped me off the bed and onto the changing mat. I lay down and suckled at the soother gently as he spread the noisy diaper out in front of me. Though I fought against it, I felt an erection oncoming and, going crimson, lowered my paws to my crotch, trying to hide it. The skunk just giggled at me, taking no notice, other than to tell me that if I kept my paws there, they’d get stuck inside my diaper... that got me to move them...

“Wow... must say kitty, you’re well endowed for a subby... I’d want that thing inside me!” I kicked at him but he dodged it. What an absolute meanie... told me to lift my legs and I did... I felt him slide the padding under me and my member twitch with anticipation... then a very generous amount of talcum powder being literally poured over my crotch, and underneath onto my rear... his paw was so gentle as he reached under me to make sure I was completely covered in talc... he pulled a little quip about how he ‘couldn’t have the baby kitty getting diaper rash’ at which I merely mewled... he might not know it, but I was in sheer heaven... I’d always wanted to be cared for like an infant again... and here I was now.

Ever so softly, he pulled the front of the diaper over my front and slowly taped me up. He was enjoying this more and more each moment, even I could sense that. And I was as well, as the feeling of him taking me up was sending me into shivers of pleasure. Goodness... my kink seemed to have grown with the lack of availability... and the added stimulus of sharing this experience with another was causing my ‘little problem’ to get more insistent. Now fully taped, he slowly ran his paws down the front of the padding, outlining my fully stiffened member... god he knew how to make a boy moan, as I did without a second thought... I wanted to protest... I wanted to push away... but it felt so good and he was so gentle with me I could barely bring myself to wiggle away from him.

It seemed he took pity on me, because his paws never moved from my padded front. Instead, he slowly rubbed and massaged at the front of the diaper, pressing through just enough to send waves of pleasure through my body. I whined in ecstasy... too long had my fetish gone unchecked, it both enthralled and enwrapped me in its needy lust for release. I moaned through the pacifier, against my will I bucked up towards the source of the living fantasy, causing the one above me to giggle and continue his workings with an increased earnest. We both wanted me to have the release I now craved... and we both knew it wouldn’t take long.

The skunk gently ran his claws over my prominent outline, sending a new feeling of almost direct contact up and through me. I mewled and kicked gently outwards, gasping for an end to the torturous pleasure he was subjecting me to. I could feel orgasm, so close I could almost touch it, but just out of reach... he was deliberating holding back so that he could see if I’d go all the way with this... well, to hell with it, I may never get to do this again...

Finally, when he gently massaged my encased balls, I felt it. I moaned and bucked up against him, unable to hold back anymore as, finally, with a high whine, I came – hard – into my padded prison. God did it feel good... I was in diapers... with Nicole... and he was making me... and it felt so good! It was one of the most powerful orgasms I’ve ever had, an echo back to the first times I ever spilled, all those years ago... and through it all he continued to massage every drop out of me! I moaned and gripped the mat as best I could, I couldn’t think of anything except diapers... and Nicole putting me in them, and everything that had lead up to that moment of complete bliss! Eventually though, the sensations subsided, and I sighed, relaxing deeply after the intensity of pleasure. The skunk giggled and lay down beside me, propping his head up on an arm and smiling down at me. It took a while before I opened my eyes...

I had expected it, but I didn’t realize how intense it would be. Guilt. Waves and terrible pangs of guilt swept through me like an ice out to snuff the fires of passionate pleasure from which I had only just roused myself. I blushed and sat up as best I could... that padding really was thick... turning away from Nicole and cuddling into myself. The skunk obviously got the message, because he laid a paw on my shoulder and squeezed it gently, echoing the movement I had used on Marcus earlier that day.

“Hey now... Joel won’t mind... he doesn’t wanna know about your silly babyfur antics so he probably won’t ask... he’s a good puppy really... and if he does find out and gets angry at you, I’ll sort him out with a little ‘therapy’” I nodded gently, but it didn’t stop my feeling of deepest contempt with myself. I should never have let him pad me up... but it felt so good...

I got back up on the bed, pulling him with me. It was that movement that reminded me of the two hot cocoas I had consumed. I groaned and looked at Nicci blushing. He had a look of success on his face... stupid skunk, I should have known. I closed my eyes and willed myself to let go... pretend he wasn’t there and that I was in my dorm without Marcus being there... it didn’t take too much thinking as within seconds, I felt myself start to wet... and it seemed like it was going to be a big wetting. I stood in silence, waiting on it to finish, feeling the padding swelling, and getting heavier, and heavier beneath me. I heard Nicole gasp somewhere at the back of my mind.

When I opened my eyes again, I had quite literally flooded the thick diaper. It wasn’t full, but it wouldn’t manage another wetting. I flopped down on the bed and mewled quietly, the bulging thing squishing audibly beneath me amid the sound of crinkling. When I looked at Nicole he had a camera in hand. I blushed and tried to grab it, but he wasn’t having any of it.

“C’mon Matt! You look so darn cute In that thing... and it’d only be for my private collection... I swear!” Sighing, I lay down and blushed up at him. I guessed a few pictures wouldn’t harm me, and for once it seemed like he was being sincere about the whole ‘private’ thing.

“Only if you promise they’re just for you... okay?”

“Yes, yes kitten. Now look cute for me!” I went a deeper shade of crimson, but wiggled about on the soft pink sheets and raised my paws up to my chest in as baby -like a fashion as I could muster. One blinding flash later, and he was all done. Whining I turned onto my side, looking at the clock. 11pm? No wonder I felt tired.

“Hey, Nicci, can we sleep sometime soon? I have class tomorrow... ” an all-to-prominent yawn interrupted me. The skunk giggled once more.

“Of course sweety, but you’re sleeping padded tonight.” A whine of acknowledgement escaped me, and I reached for my bad in which was contained a sleeping bag. But before I could reach it, Nicole had picked it up (He’s damn fast) and placed it back on the floor, just out of my reach. I looked at him confusedly as he continued to empty the bed of everything that could get in the way while sleeping.

“Hunny, this is a king-sized bed, and I’m sure you’d rather sleep here than on the floor. Don’t worry; I won’t try any funny business.” Believing him, I guessed he was right. Now that he mentioned it, I really didn’t want to move... I would gladly just sleep right here, at this very moment... I felt the boy gently lift me and pull the covers back... unsure when I actually closed my eyes, I just let him move me. Sliding the covers over me, he quickly nipped to the other side of the room and turned off the lights. Obviously an energy saver. I was hardly complaining, I was seconds away from blissful sleep.

At that moment, I thought about everything that I had already. I had a caring family... I had a loving boyfriend... I had a decent College life... but the problems that came with that... I hadn’t told my parents about my sexuality, Joel was a handful at the best of times... Marcus was probably still angry... there were so many thing I had to do, so many things to make right... I remembered Jeremy... I remembered Killi... I remembered everything that had lead up to this moment... and right then, nothing seemed to matter. Right then, I was the little baby I’d fantasized that I could be one day... and that’s all that mattered to me.

Dimly, I felt him slip under the covers and cuddle up to me... he really was very warm... arms sliding around my waist as he hugged himself to me, his warm breath on my neck. This was not like being with Joel... in a way, it felt more intimate... more secret... and all the more gentle. Vaguely, I heard him wish me a good night’s sleep, but I knew he didn’t have to. This was something that was just for us... two little babyfurs just being close... Joel wouldn’t understand... this was something he and I could never do. But my worries, my fears, and stresses, they were gone for now. Nothing mattered to my right now than that moment; the moment where I could finally fulfill one of my best hidden fantasies. For the second time that night, I was in heaven.

What happened in the morning, and then on after... well... that’s a story for another time.

by Z. Wolf

Matt

I gotta hand it to Joel. For someone who doesn’t normally comfort people, he’s pretty good at it. I don’t remember a lot from last night, probably because I was so enraged at my dad, first for raiding my computer, and then for kicking me out of the house. I remember packing as much stuff as I could into my duffel bag and book bag, and walking to Joel’s house in the rain. His mom let me in, but I didn’t tell her exactly what happened. Then I went to Joel’s room and told him what happened, but then he just lectured me about putting a password on my computer. Not what I needed at that point. I kinda flipped out on him, I think, and scratched his face, but I don’t think he cared, because the next thing I remember is being cradled in his arms, crying into his chest. I think we fell asleep like that, too.

The next morning was a little better. I was still upset, but Joel seemed different. It was like he actually cared for once. Mrs. Calley made sandwiches for us for lunch, cuz it was around noon by the time I woke up. We ate in silence, except for the radio, which was playing a song by some chick who was popular back in the 80’s. When we finished, Joel spoke.

“So, uh... you wanna go see a movie or something?” he asked. “My treat.”

I looked up at him, smiled a little, and nodded. Then we both stood up and went out to his car. I guess I just assumed he’d go to the theater we work at, but he went a different way. I didn’t bother asking where we were going instead. A few minutes later, we were on our way to see a movie called Stonewall: The Musical. I said I didn’t want to, but Joel insisted: “Trust me, kitty. You’ll love it.” I just sighed and went along with it. We got our popcorn, drink, and of course Skittles, then went in to find seats. I guess things were going ok, until I saw who was sitting to my left...

Jeremy

I had to get out of the house today. Things just hadn’t been going well with my mom. Lately she’s been constantly on my case about why I don’t have a boyfriend. She keeps asking me if I’m seeing anyone or if there’s anyone I’m interested in or stuff like that. It gets annoying after the eighth time in an hour. So I grabbed my keys and drove to the nearest movie theater.

As I drove, I thought about what she said. I had to admit, she had a point. I hadn’t had a steady relationship in years. In fact, I’ve never had one at all. The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize... The first person I had ever really wanted to be with was Matthew Gein, and he turned me down for some religious bullshit reason.

“Damn it!” I swore out loud. The thought of that damned cat brought back memories... memories I hadn’t thought of in a long time. And they only served to make me even more pissed than I already was. If I ever saw him again....

I didn’t quite get to finish that thought, because that’s when I pulled into the movie theater parking lot. As I walked towards the lobby, I glanced up at the sign to see what was playing. One title caught my eye: Stonewall: The Musical. I remembered hearing about it, something with gay people. I figured why the hell not, and went in to get my ticket. I made a quick stop at the snack bar for a pack of Skittles and a drink, then went to get a seat. As I was absorbed in a preview, a motion to my right caught my attention. Well, speak of the devil... and a satanic wolf. Go figure.

Matt

“Joel... please,” I whispered. “Just switch seats with me... it’s not that big a deal.”

“Obviously it is a big deal,” he whispered back, “otherwise you wouldn’t act like your life depends on it.”

He had a point, but I wasn’t about to let it go that easily. “Just... Let me out, I um... I have to go to the bathroom.” I didn’t wait for an answer before standing up and stepping over him, then, as inconspicuously as I could, ran out. I went into the bathroom, and locked myself in a stall. I had no idea how long I’d been in there, but it must have been pretty long. After a while, I heard the door open and someone walked in. I stood as still as I could, and waited. The door never opened again, and the room was silent. I blurted the only thing I could think of.

“I’ll be right out.”

“Take your time.”

The response made me freeze again. The voice wasn’t the same as the last time I’d heard it, but I still recognized it. “Jeremy...”

“Nice to see you again too, asshole.”

Jeremy

“Jeremy, I didn’t know you’d be here...”

“Just shut up, Matt. I don’t wanna hear it.”

I took a few moments to come up with something to say to him that accurately summed up what was going through my head. But the more I thought about it, the less I had to say and the more I did want to hear it. I guess it was time to play “20 Questions.”

“How long have you been with him?” I asked, trying to make my voice as cold as possible. I could hear his ears folding back, and I knew he was blushing. It was funny, up until that day, I’d always thought he looked really cute when he blushed. Not anymore.

“You mean Joel? Um... I guess it’s been a little over a year now... Something like fourteen months.”

“And how many before him?”

A pause. “None. Joel’s my first. Look, Jeremy...”

I cut him off. “Why?” As much as I hated to admit it, my loathing for Matt was starting to lessen. “What changed between then and now?”

Matt

I took a deep breath. “Jeremy, the best answer I can give you is that, well, I guess I just wasn’t ready for it when you asked me... I was afraid. And since my dad’s such a fanatic about Church, that was the first thing I could think of. But when I met Joel, he showed me that I was wrong, and that it’s ok for me to be in love with another guy...”

“So you started going out with him?” Jeremy asked.

“Yeah...”

“You know what people say about him on the streets, right? I assume you’ve heard the rumors? They say he killed his twin sister when he was just a baby, and they had to put him in the psych ward.”

My mouth hung open. I’d had no idea that people were saying stuff like that.

“So what about it, lover boy?” Jeremy continued. “Is your ‘knight in shining armor’ a killer?”

“He... he didn’t kill his sister...” I stammered. “Jeremy, I’m not comfortable talking about that...”

“That’s fine,” he said. My ears perked up. Suddenly he didn’t seem like he had when he came in... he didn’t seem angry anymore. I decided to take a venture and come out of the stall and come face to face with my former best friend for the first time in years.

Jeremy

I have to admit, I didn’t expect Matt to come out of the stall so soon. But when he did, I was blown away. Except for the brown fur and dark stripes, I would never have recognized him. His hair was much longer and he was wearing a T-shirt for some 80’s metal band. But what was most surprising to me was the red choker collar around his neck. I felt my face flush as my mouth hung open, and I saw him blushing too. That and the little jingly bell on the collar was probably the cutest pose I’d ever seen him in.

“My god Matt... you look so different...”

“Jeremy...?” he asked tentatively.

“Yeah, Matt?”

“Can... can we maybe be friends again?”

That question caught me off guard. “Uh... I... I don’t know... Could you at least let me think about it for a day or two?”

He nodded, then pulled out his cell phone. “Why don’t we exchange numbers, then?”

“Sure.” I gave him my number, and he gave me his.

“Oh, and um... don’t call my house...” His voice trailed off, and his ears folded back as his head went down.

“Why? What’s going on?”

Matt

I told him what had happened the night before. It made me feel really bad, because as I was telling Jeremy what my dad said to me, I remembered what I had said to my best friend years ago. I had sounded just like my father did last night. As that realization hit me, I leaned back against a wall, and put my paws over my face in shame.

I looked up when I felt his paw on my shoulder. The look on his face wasn’t what I expected. Instead of anger, he had a look of concern. As our eyes met, he slowly moved closer to me, and wrapped his arms around me. I soon found I had done the same to him. We hugged each other for a long time, and I took a couple deep breaths to keep from bursting out in tears. He was my best friend; how could I have been so stupid to push him away like that?

“It’s ok, Matt,” he whispered in my ear. “I understand now.”

Jeremy

My mouth hung open as he told me about his dad freaking out and kicking him out of the house. I always knew Mr. Gein was a piece of work, but I never thought it would come to that. But then again, I’d always Matt was straight.

As Matt went on with his story, I saw a lot of similarities between what his dad had said and what Matt had said to me. Apparently, Matt saw those similarities too, and he put his head in his paws and leaned against a wall. All at once, I understood why Matt had acted that way back then. And with this new understanding, there was only one thing I could do. After years of holding a grudge against him for breaking my heart, I had to forgive Matt.

I put my paw on his shoulder to comfort him. He looked up, and our eyes met. In that instant, I think he knew what I was thinking, and I started to wrap my arms around him. I felt his arms going around me, too, and I smiled. Something told me I wouldn’t need a few days to decide whether or not we were friends again.

“It’s ok, Matt,” I whispered in his ear. “I understand now.”

Matt

It felt so good to be in Jeremy’s arms like that. I closed my eyes and held onto him tightly, wishing I hadn’t been so mean to him years ago. But from the way things were looking, it seemed to me that I wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.

I slowly moved my head a little, and blushed deeply as I felt his lips brush against mine. I felt him tense up a little, but neither of us pulled away. We stayed like that for a while, and then he pressed his tongue against my lips. I was deciding how to respond and the door opened. We both jumped and snapped around to see who it was. I should have figured. Joel.

“Joel, this is Jeremy...” I stammered.

“I didn’t know you two were still seeing each other.” Just the sort of sarcastic remark Joel would make. But Jeremy didn’t know that.

“We haven’t seen each other in years,” he said as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“I know,” Joel replied. “Matt told me. Glad to see you two kissed and made out.” Jeremy scowled a little, but it took me a minute to figure it out.

“Hey!” I said, blushing deeply. I punched him in the arm.

“Anyway, the movie’s over already. Better get moving before we get cited for loitering.” He didn’t wait for a response before turning and going out of the bathroom. I turned back to Jeremy and blushed a little.

“Can I call or text you later or something?” I asked

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be around all day.” He hugged me again. “It was nice seeing you again.” He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

“Yeah, you too. Maybe we should hang out sometime...?”

“Sure, but... could you not bring Joel? Just you and me, at least till we get all caught up...” He blushed deeply, then got a serious look on his face. “How can you love him? He’s a total asshole.”

I grinned and giggled a little. “You get used to it,” I said. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Joel: “Leaving now. Come out with your hands up and your pants down.” I blushed and giggled a little as I showed it to Jeremy. He giggled too, and took my phone from my hand, typed a reply, then handed it back to me.

“I guess I gotta go, then. Talk to you soon!” We hugged one last time, then walked out together. Somewhere between the theater lobby and Joel’s car, I looked at my phone to see what Jeremy had sent to Joel: “Cockblocker! D:< <3Jeremy” I giggled and smiled as I got into Joel’s car.

Jeremy

As I drove home, I couldn’t stop smiling as I thought about getting back together with Matt. Mom would be thrilled. She’d always liked Matt. Then I wondered what the other guys would think. Paul, Liz, and Macy had all gone away for college, but we still kept in touch. We even got together when we could. I wonder how they’ll react when I bring Matt along next time...

There was just so much going through my mind, and the anticipation was so high that I as soon as I got home I went up to my room and actually had to write everything down. Then my mom called me down for dinner. I hardly touched my food as I excitedly told her what had happened that day. Things got better between her and me very quickly. I guess today wasn’t such a bad day after all.

Matt

I was still smiling when we got back to Joel’s house, and I bounced as I told Mrs. Calley what had happened. She was happy, even though she didn’t quite understand how important this was for me. Not that it matters, anyway. I was just so happy that Jeremy and I were friends again. I bounced into Joel’s room and flopped down onto the bed, smiling up at the ceiling. Then Joel came in and stood over me.

“Did that help?” he asked.

I blinked. “Huh?” I sat up and turned to face him. “What do you...wait.... YOU did this!?” I raised my paw to slash the other side of his face, but he spoke up.

“Wait. Just listen.”

I sighed and lowered my paw.

“All I did was get Jeremy to go to the theater. That’s it.”

“So... in the bathroom...” I thought about it for a moment.

“That was all you and him. I had nothing to do with it.”

“Then that means...”

He said it just as I was thinking it. “You really are friends with him again.”

It took me a minute to realize what had happened. Joel had brought Jeremy to the theater. He knew he’d recognize me and that there would be a confrontation. But he hadn’t known what the result would be. He actually did something to help for once.

I sprang up and hugged Joel tightly. After that, things happened fast. We made out for a while, and that lead to what may have been the best sex we’ve ever had. Then we just lay in bed, holding each other. He fell asleep a lot sooner than I did, but I didn’t care. I had a lot to think about at the moment: I was staying with my boyfriend because my dad kicked me out; I reconnected with the best friend I lost years ago. The more I thought about it, the more I smiled. So what if my dad didn’t want me? There were plenty of others I could go to. I guess today wasn’t such a bad day after all.