So, everything happened way too quickly. Absurdly so. The events were sorted in Mark's mind, but still . . . it was a lot to take in.
He'd been sitting at his desk, minding his own business, when suddenly, two things had happened at once. As a green and gray wolf had begun to approach him and make an accented introduction (hooray, good interaction!) he'd been . . . well, he wasn't entirely sure of the appropriate term. Rebuked? That would work for now. He'd been rebuked by the hooded figure he'd sat next to, who turned out to be a white wolf with intense eyes (boo, bad interaction!). Before having his phone slapped out of his hand by the same creature. As most of the students in the class turned to look, Mark barely registered a "Hey!" coming from somewhere in the room, so in surprise was he. In all seriousness, his blood had turned to ice. Something was very wrong here.
And in the wolf, he'd seen a look. Something that pinged inside of him, silently calling out, a memory. He knew the look on the wolf's face, and it wasn't anger, even though that's what he was supposed to think. Instead it was . . . Mark hadn't been able to place it or where he'd seen it before the situation became even worse. A gray fox suddenly appeared - Mark thought he'd glimpsed the creature in the back of the room when he'd entered - and challenged the wolf.
"Am I the only one who thinks that might've been an overreaction?" he'd asked. No, no you were not. Judging from the expression of the accented fur who'd introduced himself earlier, he thought it was an overreaction as well - as did some in the class, including the silently watching teacher - and why the hell didn't she do anything?!
But even more alarming was the expressions from some of the other creatures in the room, all canines, Mark noted. Their faces said that they didn't think it was an overreaction. Many of their expressions had ranged from silent but obvious approval, all the way to something akin to glee, during the initial threats from the wolf. With the added pressure of the gray fox, they all looked threatening.
Something was very, very wrong here.
"Now, I'm going to assume that your bitterness is either from a hard-earned hangover or some bigotry over the fact that this fellow isn't a canine," he'd continued, "now, I don't usually butt into others' business, especially when it's the business of an intimidating canine... but don't you think it's too early in the school year to be making enemies? Especially for no good reason? I know who you are, Gauge. Most everybody at this school does. This otter would've been tipped off within a couple days to stay away from you, if the hoodie and the attitude weren't enough."
What the hell? Stay away from him? What kind of messed-up place was this, a school where it was MARK'S fault for going near the wrong fur?! He hadn't even said a damn thing to him!
To back up for a second, Mark had known, while on the other side of the country, that species bigotry occurred in greater strides on this side of the nation. Still, though, Mark had been told about greater strides. NOT what was going on before his eyes. As his mind raced through these thoughts and he stared on, truly unsure of his place or what to do in the situation, the hooded wolf spoke again.
"Just gave him some early tutoring. I don't think our little private lesson was any of your business Rocket. Or did you forget the last time you butted in?" He smiled wickedly, displaying a full array of sharpened teeth. Whatever look Mark had seen earlier (and he would determine what look it had been) was gone now, replaced by threatening glares from underneath the edge of his hoodie. He wasn't sure of what incident the wolf was referring to, but he thought he saw the fox tense up out of the corner of his eye - but maybe he just imagined it. The wolf continued, "so you mind leaving, home-dog? I'd hate to have to make another visit."
Then, the situation gained a new level of complexity as a furred dragon with an attractive face and kind smile turned around to them. Mark hadn't even seen him come in and sit down - being a bit preoccupied with, you know, everything currently happening - but he sat two seats in front of Mark now and apparently wanted to get involved, too. As he spoke, he handed Mark back his phone, which Mark accepted shakily.
"Hey, you guys! I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop I swear, but um . . . you know. Here you go. Is... is everything okay, you guys?" Nah, Mark was pretty sure everything was not okay. So was the gray and green wolf, if his expression was any indication, as he nervously flicked his eyes between the different participants, giving what seemed to be pleading looks to the furred dragon.
The hooded white wolf spoke up again - he'd been identified as Gauge, although Mark was certain he'd forget the name like he normally did - and made it abundantly clear he wasn't fooling around. "You're another wolf. You best be on your way wolf. Before I really lose my patience. We'd both hate that now wouldn't we" he spoke in the midst of growls and other threatening motions. At this point, the entire classroom was either watching or pretending to not be watching. Either way, nobody spoke. The dulled noise of the classroom had faded entirely.
So, Mark was in a purely fascinating predicament now. He wanted few things more than he wanted to be out of this situation, to get out of this in any way as quick as otterly possibly. Like any creature, he'd a refined sense of self preservation, a reasonable need to protect his own as much as he could. And the white wolf was making him real scared right now.
Mark wouldn't describe himself as a coward. Truly, he wouldn't. He believed that, given the chance to, he didn't know, run into a burning building to save somebody, or something, he would. Yet this situation before him . . . was something else entirely. Just because he didn't think he was a coward didn't mean that he wanted to get hurt in any fashion, something he was becoming increasingly sure was going to happen. Hence why he wanted to get right out of this situation.
"How about you butt out too. You're all size, no bite. Why don't you go sneeze and light your own ass on fire you cross-bred lizard. You guys better watch each other's backs. A knife handle can suddenly appear in one if you don't. Now leave me be and get the crap away from my space."
Still though, this guy was really pissing him off. In the midst of his confusion, fear, and embarrassment, the blue-cold rush of anger was starting to fill him, threatening to overtake his sense of logic. 'Cross-bred lizard'? Who the hell did this guy think he was? Besides, there was only one of him, right? If Mark let him have a piece of his mind (not a physical piece of anything, mind you, he wasn't nearly that angry), he figured he'd have enough support with the others at his side to avoid anything serious. Right?
Yet he remembered this morning, and how all those around the fox whose foot he'd stepped on had turned to look, had seemed threatening. He remembered how wolves were pack animals, and how vicious packs that fought any who were not of their own were known to form outside of family, how most wolves in, well, lesser living situations - as this one appeared to be - ended up in such situations. He remembered how-
"Oh. And nice boots blender bred. Your boyfriend pick em out?"
Alright, that was it! This little shit wasn't gonna get away with anything more. He was being a downright ass right now. As the wolf went to sit down, Mark clenched and unclenched his fists, gearing himself up mentally for what was about to come. Distantly, he registered somebody, probably the gray and green fox saying something, but this Gauge wasn't about to just get away with all that because he'd bared his teeth and made these little threatening remarks.
"Why don't you just shove it, huh? I don't care how 'threatening' you are, I'm not gonna put up with that shit you just spewed, and neither should they. Leave him," Mark gestured towards the dragon, "alone, you bigot."
Moments later, Mark was suddenly reeling from what had just happened. Quite suddenly, he found himself standing up, fists clenched, body language aggressive, mouth spouting off fighting words. He'd never been an aggressive child, ran a calm life intruded upon by quick moments of mild anger that swiftly burned away because he told them to. Now, however, these rational thoughts took no place in his mind, so supremely pissed was he at the wolf before him. There was so many damn emotions running through his head right now, and yet, the most prevalent was a profound sense of waiting for what was about to happen.
Something was very, very, very wrong here.
Topic: Pellicius High School, 4200 Hanso Lane (Read 14626 times)