When Opposites Attract by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
The days came to pass and the prospect of the weekend became quickly realized. Pent's nerves were increasingly getting the better of him. Something about this felt different to him and yet he couldn't quite put a finger on it about what it was. The fox hadn't talked about it much but the bottom line was he was looking forward to going to Xavier's home. A feeling he had never experienced before, the desire for true friendship.
The morning of Friday came before long and with it the onset of another new day. Pent had been looking forward to the weekend for a few days now. The promise of free time was something he enjoyed just as much as any other kid. Arthur and his troop of misfits were no longer bothering Pent as after the last incident they had been separated. As a result, the entirety of Pent's days at school had been made better.
The alarm went off as it always did and both Pent and his brother arose from bed with an elated groan. The end of the week was always difficult for them, especially for Samaliel who wasn't as eager about going to school. Pent got up first and shook his brother who was still slower about getting up than usual. The cub backed and forth as he showed no willingness to get up. Coughing and sneezing as he writhed in place.
"Uh, oh. Looks like your sick…" Pent said as he noticed the boy's paler disposition beneath his otherwise dark fur.
Samaliel did not respond and instead just groaned before sniffling and wiping his running nose on his sleeve.
"Here…let me get you some medicine." The white fox envisioned himself as a sort of doctor even know he had no true sense of the field.
Pent stepped outside of the room, hoping that he wouldn't catch whatever Samaliel had going on in his body. Making his way to the bathroom where he had some medicine he had stored for such an occasion. The white fox collected the bottle of the stuff, keeping in mind that he still had to go to school. He returned shortly after to his brother's side with the tonic in hand. Pent made his way to the side of the other boy's bunk.
"Alright…turn over and open your mouth." Pent instructed the other boy as he knew he didn't like to be treated like a baby.
Samaliel opened his maw and coughed but said nothing. The older fox poured the liquid into the cap before dousing it into his brother's mouth. The other fox gagged a bit but Pent forced his mouth shut.
"Nope, it tastes terrible but it's good for you. Trust me." He reminded the other cub to be certain he wouldn't spit it up.
Pent looked at his brother and was having second thoughts about going to Xaviers tomorrow. "Would you like me to stay home tomorrow?'
Samaliel groaned and gurgled. "N-no."
"Uh-huh. Just what a sickly little boy like you would say. And what If I insist?" Pent wasn't about to abandon his brother for a playdate with his friend.
The salt and pepper fox kicked to his side and heaved out another deep cough.
"Just get some rest. I need to go to school. I will make you some soup before I go." The bigger boy hopped down and grabbed a change of clothes for himself.
He made haste to the kitchen and proceeded to change while he was making some oatmeal. Time was always tight, especially in the morning, and knew that taking care of his brother took the time he didn't have otherwise. He proceeded to make his brother some chicken noodle soup before eating breakfast for himself. Once he was changed and felt that he was ready to go, he popped back into the room to tell Samaliel where he left the soup.
Pent looked at the clock one more time before he headed out. He knew he only had a few more minutes to catch the bus. The fox picked up pace and rushed out the door. He saw the bus pulling up in front of his yard. The fox ran as quickly as he could. The bus driver saw him and ended up waiting. The kit was pointed to the seats so that the bus driver could get underway. After all the driver knew they were behind schedule but she wasn't about to drive off without a student.
The white cub filed into one of the seats and put his bag on his lap. It felt weird to not have Samaliel sitting next to him and he hoped that he wouldn't catch whatever the other cub had. He peered out the window as the houses in the neighborhood went by. It was a nice day at least and not many clouds were in the sky. He couldn't help but think about if he should still go to Xavier's tomorrow or not.
The bus arrived at school just as most of the kids were going inside. Everyone inside the vehicle was hurried out as the bus driver didn't want to have them late. Pent was the first one out of the bus, bounding toward the school. He was stopped by one of the members of the administration, who didn't want the boy to hurt himself. The fox was assured he wouldn't be late. The school was already aware of the busses lateness and the students were not held responsible when that happened.
Pent went to his first few classes without any problems. Since Arthur and his friends had been removed from all of them, the fox had no issues with any other bully for the time being. It was an improvement that Pent noticed almost immediately. The students were given a few tests, which he was able to ace without much of a fuss. The cub returned to reading yet another book since it was his favorite thing to do in his free time.
It wasn't until Science that he had a new exciting experiment to undertake. Figuring out the velocity, force, and friction of objects against different substances. Pent hadn't explored much in the world of physics but this first taste of it tantalized him for more. Even going far as asking the teacher if he could try other things with the same goal in mind. Of course, the old mouse had no issue with it, glad to see a student with such passion.
Pent worked through the entire class, despite having finished the original assignment very early on. The teacher continued to feed him new things to try and the fox was more than eager to take on whatever was given to him. The class ended in no time, seemingly blowing past in no time. Pent had completely lost track of time and was a bit disappointed when it ended. The teacher reassured him that there would be more on the next day, which restored Pent's excitement.
Lunch soon came to pass and with it, the fox's stomach soon reminded him of the occasion. The fox had been so distracted by science that he'd almost forgotten about it. He was turned away to the lunch room since the teacher needed to eat as well. Told to go hang out with his friends. An issue that Pent wasn't entirely sure he could solve. Still, he reported all the same as he wanted to get something to eat.
Arriving into the lunch room he saw Xavier and the rest of the Lacrosse team sitting together. The chipmunk noticed his arrival and waved him over. Pent immediately smiled, glad that he wouldn't be alone for a change. The fox kit proceeded to wait in line until it was his turn to grab something. Partaking in the specialty tofu selection, which was one of his favorites. Smiling and thanking the cafeteria worker before going back to the lunch room with a spring in his step.
Xavier moved down a bit so Pent could sit with them. Some of the other students nearby looked at the jock who seemed so willing to sit with the so-called nerdy boy they knew so little about. The rest of the team had no issue with it and none of them would have said anything, even if they did.
"Hey, Pent. I'm looking forward to you coming over tomorrow." Xavier smiled widely showing off his buck teeth.
The white fox looked down as if disappointed. "I'm not sure I can come anymore."
"How come?" The chipmunk was surprised at the change in his friend's decision.
Pent meekly started to eat. "Because my brother is not feeling well."
"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better." The smaller boy couldn't help but frown a bit.
The kit nodded softly. "Me too…"
"Can't your parents take care of him?" The chipmunk just wanted to hang out with his new friend.
Pent murmured a bit. "N-no. My parents don't live with us."
"Oh…I'm sorry I asked." Xavier felt very guilty for bringing the issue up.
The white fox played with his food a bit. "It's okay…you didn't know."
"Well…if you ever want to talk to me about it. I'm here for you, alright?" The smaller boy said with a confident smile.
The bigger boy forced a smile. "Okay."
"It'll be okay. I promise. How about I come over instead? "Xavier wasn't really worried about getting sick.
Pent looked up with a renewed sense of hope. "You want…to come over?"
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" The chipmunk wasn't making a big deal out of it.
The white fox stammered. "I…I've never had anyone over before."
"So…I'll be the first. Come on…it will be fun." Xavier playfully shoved Pent while he was sitting down.
The bigger boy wasn't sure how to respond. "But…what if you get sick?"
"It's okay. I just want to hang out with you. I can just avoid your brother's room." The chipmunk gave a thumbs up.
Pent thought about it a few more moments. "Okay…"
"Cool. I will have my parents drop me off in the morning okay?" The boy hoped his parents would remember where Pent lived.
The fox smiled a bit wider. "Yeah, cool."
The bigger boy started eating again, not seeming to be as bothered anymore by missing out. Xavier went about talking with his lacrosse buddies, Pent minding his own business again. When he was done, the fox dismissed himself and left Xavier alone with his friends.
"How come you're so interested in befriending him anyways? It's not like he's popular." One of the teammates asked the star player.
Xavier scowled at the girl. "He doesn't need to be popular to be my friend."
"Yeah…but he's a nerd and people are going to notice you're hanging out with him." She remarked again.
The chipmunk got up from the table. "I don't care what people think. He's my friend. Nerd or not…"
The girl
dropped the issue as it didn't seem to be going anywhere. The rest of lunch went like normal with the rest of the lacrosse team talking about nothing specific. Though rumors began to fly about Xavier's new friend and why he was interested in him.
The rest of the school day went by pretty uneventful for Pent. He returned home to his brother who was still resting in bed. Pent checked in on the other cub, touching his forehead to gauge his temperature. Of course, it was still pretty warm. Pent sat at the boy's bedside and fed him some more medicine despite his brother's protest.
"How are you feeling?" Pent asked as he sat on the end of the top bunk where his brother was laying down.
Samaliel forced a smile. "I feel a little bit better."
"You want some soup or something?" The fox felt bad he left the other boy alone.
The salt and pepper boy simply nodded. Pent turned to the kitchen and made him a bowl of soup and returned to his brother at his bedside. The white fox handed it to him. The smaller boy eased himself up and began slurping up the brothy meal.
"How was your day?" Samaliel coughed a bit as he spoke.
Pent shrugged. "The usual…Xavier is going to be coming over tomorrow?"
"Really? That's great…" The smaller boy's smile grew wider.
The white fox scratched his head. "Yeah….I hope he likes it. I don't know what he wants to do."
"Relax…Just be yourself. I'm sure it will be fine." The younger boy squeezed his brother's hand.
The bigger boy nodded. "Okay…I'll try. Get some rest, Sama."
Pent spent the rest of the night thinking to himself about what Xavier would want to do. Except for Lacrosse, he wasn't entirely sure what the other boy was into. Pent had no idea how to be a good host and he was a bit nervous. In his mind, he began preparing all the possible scenarios, most of which were rather negative. He tried to snap himself out of it but a part of him was just used to being taken advantage of.
After Pent ate and got ready for bed, it took him some time before he could sleep. Samaliel's occasional cough didn't help and the white fox ended up having to put earplugs in his ears to cut out the noise. As usual, he peered into the sky, watching as one of the stars streaked by. Not bothering to make a wish but still hoping all the same that for this friendship to be one that worked out better for him.
The next morning came before long and Pent awoke pretty early, even without the alarm going off. He checked in on Samaliel, who was still asleep. The white fox wasted no time in preparing himself for the day ahead. Pent wondered if Xavier liked games like most kids their age but he figured playing in his room probably wasn't the best idea with his brother being sick. Instead, he took out a board game and hoped it would suffice. He brought it to the front room and peered out the window. It was still pretty early but he didn't want to miss out on Xavier's arrival. Pent wanted everything to be perfect.
The fox put out the board game but didn't empty the contents onto the floor. He went about and made himself some cereal and books. Overhearing his brother coughing, he grabbed an apple for his brother and made his way back to his room. The fox saw that Samaliel had gotten up and was sitting up in bed. Pent handed him the apple he was holding.
"How are you feeling, bucko?" The white fox got the small bottle of medicine so his brother could take it.
Samaliel smiled. "A little better….thanks. Good luck today."
"Thanks…Here is your medicine." Pent poured it out onto a spoon and fed it to his brother.
The door knocked and Pent looked back.
"I'll be fine…don't worry about me. Go have fun with your new friend." The salt and pepper fox nibbled on the apple he was given.
The white fox ruffled his brother's head fur and kissed him on the forehead. "Let me know if you need anything."
"I will. I promise." Samaliel pushed Pent back a bit as he figured he could handle himself.
The door knocked again and Pent began to hurry back towards the front door. He hadn't even had a chance to change out of his pajamas. He stood at the door, staring at it a moment before opening it. Xavier stood at the other side, wearing a simple graphic t-shirt, jean shorts, and some old beat-up tennis shoes.
"Oh, my. Did I wake you up?" Xavier couldn't help but smirk at Pent's pokemon themed pajamas.
The fox blushed. "Sorry…I haven't had much chance to change yet."
"It's okay. How is your brother feeling?" The chipmunk said, remembering the other boy's issue.
Pent nodded. "He feels a little better. Come on inside."
"Thanks for having me over." The smaller boy looked around a bit.
Pent's own home was smaller than Xavier's. It lacked much decoration and even fewer pictures. The chipmunk was wholly expecting to find family photos on the wall but found no such thing. It made Pent's home situation even more mysterious to him. But he figured it was probably in bad taste to ask about it.
"Go on and make yourself at home. I am going to change into something else." The fox locked the door behind the other boy and disappeared for a moment.
Xavier proceeded to walk around the house. Noticing the small board game on the floor. It was one he'd never seen before but he figured it was something Pent wanted to do so he tried setting it up with no previous knowledge of it. The white fox returned before long in a grey short-sleeved shirt and nylon shorts.
"You don't want to take your shoes off?" Pent noticed the other boy still had his shoes on.
Xavier looked up. "Oh, sorry. I forgot."
"So…uh…what do you want to do?" The fox just wanted to accommodate the other boy's wishes.
The chipmunk untied his shoes and put them near the sofa. "Whatever you want dude."
"But…you're the guest. I want you to pick." The bigger boy kneeled near the other one.
Xavier reached into his backpack and pulled out a book. "Want to check out this book with me?"
"You want to read with me?" Pent was very surprised that this was what he wanted to do.
The chipmunk shook his head. "Yeah, it's a book my dad gave me to show you."
"You told your dad about me?" The fox finally sat down on the floor near the other cub.
Xavier shrugged. "Yeah. I noticed the book you were reading the other day was about astronomy and well…my dads a space nut…so yeah. He was like…go show him."
"Oh…yeah that would be cool." Pent suddenly felt much better about the prospect of the day now.
The chipmunk sat right next to the other cub and proceeded to scan through the book with him. Xavier had no interest in the subject but Pent couldn't help but gawk at all of the images of different nebulas and star systems that had been documented by NASA. The white fox's eyes lit up when he recognized some of it, even going far as pointing some of them out to the other cub, one by one. Xavier couldn't help but smile as the other boy let go of his inhibitions for once.
They continued to go through the book until there was an article on light travel. A concept that Pent had explored before and had even come up with his theories of. The fox got up to get his little notepad before showing the other boy what he had worked on. Xavier looked at the notepad. Multiple formulas and drawings were on it. None of which he understood. It was apparent that Pent was pretty into it.
"This is pretty cool…thanks for showing me." Pent looked at the clock nearby and they had already spent an hour just looking at the book.
Xavier re-collected the book and stashed it into his bag. "I'm glad you liked it. I don't think I've seen you so excited before…haha."
"Sorry…I didn't mean to bore you." The fox felt guilty all of a sudden.
The smaller boy touched his shoulder. "It's fine, Pent. I'm not bored. "
"Cool. Want to go outside and play?" The white fox figured the other cub would be up for a little challenge.
Xavier cocked an eyebrow. "Play what?"
"Well…can you show me how to play lacrosse?" Pent wanted to take an interest in his friend's sport.
The chipmunk frowned. "I didn't bring any equipment…sorry."
"It's okay. We can play hide and go seek or I can show you how to play hockey if you want?" The bigger boy wasn't sure what else they could do outside.
The smaller boy seemed surprised. "You play sports?"
"Yeah, I like hockey. Do you want to try?" Pent picked himself up off the ground and offered a helping paw to the other boy.
Xavier took the other boy's hand and stood upright. "Yeah, sure."
The chipmunk couldn't believe the bookworm played any sports. He put his shoes back on and walked back over to the door. Pent disappeared for a moment to grab himself some socks before putting on shoes. They went outside together. It was warmer outside than usual. The sun pierced down through very little cloud coverage. The lack of greenery in the area made it even more balmy than in other areas around it.
Pent led the boy to the backyard that was shared between all of the community properties. Some of the neighbor's cubs were out but Pent never bothered with them since they were younger than himself. A small shack was situated in the corner of the grassy area where he and everyone else was allowed to keep their stuff. The white fox pulled out two sticks and handed one to the other boy before collecting a ball so they could play.
"So have you ever played before?" The bigger cub asked the other boy.
Xavier shook his head. "Nah."
"Alright so put your hands on the stick like I am. Since you are right-handed, you will push the stick forward in the same way I am." The fox proceeded to explain the simple mechanics of the game.
The chipmunk mimicked the motions without much of an issue. "Seems easy enough."
"I will play goal. You can try a couple of shots on me." The fox walked back towards the net that had been set up on the rear fence and took the position.
It had been a while since Pent had played goalie before but he figured
since Xavier hadn't played before it wouldn't matter. The chipmunk took a few shots, most of them going well far off the goal but still making it to the fence.
"Try and make shorter swipes with more control on the stick towards the center of it." The cub tried to be a good coach but hadn't done it since he had shown Samaliel.
Xavier listened to him and took his advice, making wrist shots toward the goal. A few of them hit Pent who was easily able to stop them.
"Hang tight for a second, Xae." Pent stopped the other boy and walked towards him.
The bigger boy stepped behind Xavier and took his arms and showed him where to put them, then repeated the motion he had done many times before to shoot the ball. Sure enough, the thing hit the center of the goal.
"Just like that." The bigger cub was confident the other boy's form would be better now.
Pent walked back to the goal and the two continued to play ball hockey. Of course, being the competitive pup that Pent was he allowed no goals. Still, it was apparent that Xavier had made some progress. Once they grew bored of it, Pent walked up to Xavier and patted him on the back.
"You did well. I'm sure you'll score next time." The boy assured his friend.
Xavier winked at him. "Only if you let me, haha."
"Can't play easy on you, hehe. Let's go inside and get some water." Pent put his arm behind the other boy and walked toward the front of the home.
Samaliel had been watching them the entire time. Glad to see the two boys were getting along so well. He'd never seen Pent this way before and it made him happy. The boy hid himself as the two older cubs went by the window. They returned to the inside of the home and both boys wiped their foreheads of sweat.
"I'll meet you in the living room. I'll get us a drink." Pent suggested as he exited the kitchen.
Xavier nodded, remembering to take off his shoes this time before going in home. Sitting cross-legged near the center of the living room and picking up the board game again. It wasn't much longer before Pent returned. The fox took his shoes off on the way back and handed a cup of juice to the other boy.
"You want something to eat?" The fox asked since it was nearly lunchtime.
Xavier shrugged. "Not yet. Did you want to play this board game?"
"I wasn't sure what you wanted to do so I just sort of put it out. I don't remember how to play it." Pent was honest about his inexperience in having guests over.
The chipmunk smiled. "You're funny. Maybe we can just watch television or something, then?"
"Do you like video games?" Pent asked as he was certain that would be the case.
The smaller boy touched him on the shoulder. "You don't have to try so hard to entertain me you know that?"
"Huh?" Pent was confused.
Xavier could sense the other boy was a bit uncomfortable. "I'm having fun just hanging out with you. So why not just do something you would normally do?"
"Uh…" The white fox was at a complete loss for what to do.
The chipmunk wanted to learn more about the other boy. "How about you tell me more about what you like to besides read?"
"I…like to play hockey?" Pent answered the same thing they had done only a few minutes ago.
The smaller boy chuckled. "I mean other than that, silly."
"Um…I like to play with RC cars. " The white fox thought about it much longer than he realized.
Xavier got up off the floor. "Let's do that then. I know you're not used to having people over so I just want you to be comfortable around me."
"Okay…yeah…sorry." Pent felt incredibly stupid and ashamed of himself.
Samaliel burst into the room, still in his pajamas. The younger fox seemed rather uppity from the lack of activity over the last few days. Zipping right past them into the kitchen.
"Guess that's your brother?" Xavier remarked as he recalled the younger cub from the other day.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, let's get some lunch as well. You want a sandwich?"
The chipmunk nodded and followed the other boy into the kitchen. Samaliel was already making himself something.
"You can go ahead and sit down, Sama. I will take care of it. I'm going to make us all something." Pent said as he wanted to take care of his friends and his brother's needs.
The salt and pepper fox gave a thumbs up and covered his mouth before coughing. Xavier didn't seem to mind much sitting next to him. The chipmunk gave him a toothy smile. Samaliel eyed him warily but smiled back. Pent busied himself in making each of them a sandwich, going with the tried and true peanut butter and jelly. Handing it out to each of them before putting an open bag of pretzels and juice boxes on the counter.
"Thanks, Pent." Xavier didn't waste time chowing down on the meal.
The white fox sat across from the other two boys and none of them said much. The meal was rather small so it didn't take them very long to eat through it. Samaliel got up and got a bag of cookies before sharing it with the other two boys. The three of them worked through the chocolate chip snacks in no time despite the bag being almost full. Not seeming to care much about an upset stomach.
Xavier smirked at Pent who had some chocolate on the fur on his snout. He pointed at it. The other cub licked it off and disposed of the empty carton of cookies.
"Isn't there anything you'd like to do?" Pent asked as he was feeling guilty about doing everything he wanted to do.
Samaliel looked at him as he was still in the room.
The chipmunk smiled. "How about we do something with your brother?"
The salt and pepper fox was still in his pajamas and wasn't expecting to be included. "Uh…"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea since he's still sick." Pent protested at the obvious issue.
Xavier hummed to himself. "Alright, well…do you like legos, little guy?"
Samaliel was confused. "They are alright."
"I brought a box with me if you'd like to build that while your brother and I hang out." The chipmunk smiled at the black and white fox.
The smaller cub nodded. "Oh, sure…thanks."
"Alright, that sounds good for him. But what would you like to do?" Pent was still intent on being a good host.
Xavier winked. "I want to race RC cars with you."
"Sure, okay…." The fox felt like the other boy was just trying to pacify him.
The brown-furred cub exited the room and came back with a small box of Legos for the younger cub. He felt bad the boy was sick and figured he'd like the gesture. The younger fox's tail wagged happily as he took the toy to go play with it.
"Thanks, that was nice of you. You didn't have to do that." Pent smiled widely.
The smaller cub nodded. "It's cool. We have tons of boxes and no one even touches them anymore since my sister moved out."
"You have a sister?" The white fox seemed surprised the other boy hadn't mentioned it.
Xavier looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, she's in college now. They were hers but she hasn't touched them in years."
"Oh, that's cool. So wanna go race now?" Pent asked as he was eager to get to his hobby.
The chipmunk smirked. "You're on foxy. Loser has to run around outside the house barefoot."
"Totally…" Pent led him towards his room where Samaliel was already at work building the Lego set.
The white fox went into his closet and collected two RC cars along with their controllers. Xavier looked around the room, noting it was much cleaner than his own. The few decorations on the wall made it apparent who they belonged to. A periodic table on one side of the room and pictures of various superheroes on the other. Without knowing to be sure, Xavier had a feeling he knew which were Pent's.
"Here…this is the XCR. It's the newer model of the two we have. Let's head outside to race." The white cub handed off the car and its controller to his friend.
Xavier followed him back outside to the front of the building. Pent already planned in his mind that the two big trees in the front yard would serve as markers for the track. He explained his idea to the other cub.
"So yeah…Let's do a few laps. Let's say 3. The first one to finish lap 3 wins?" Pent said as he flipped the switch on his controller.
The chipmunk smiled. "You're on foxy…I'm gonna beat your socks off…literally."
"Three…two…one…go…" The fox signaled the start of the race and with it, both of the cars hit off with the whirring of their engine.
Xavier had raced RC cars in the past and had a good idea enough of how to work the little machines. He expertly curved the corners and banked the turns with blazing speed. By the completion of the first lap, he was well ahead of Pent.
"Come on foxy, don't go easy on me…" Xavier figured that had to be the case.
Yet, Pent had given his friend the newer device knowing his wasn't that fast. He was far from a sore loser and had overestimated his ability. They continued through the track making loops around the third and fourth turns towards the completion of the second lap. By this point, Pent had caught up a bit, but it was nowhere near enough to provide him comfort. Xavier continued to speed in front of him, clearing an easy victory on the final lap.
"Hah, I win!" The chipmunk turned around, forgetting that the little rc device hadn't been turned off.
A crash soon elicited as the small car slammed into the tree. Parts flew everywhere as it came to a rather calamitous end. Xavier felt his heart sink. In his mind, he knew all too well what had just happened. He turned around to be certain.
"Pent…I'm so sorry." He said as he saw the other cub try to collect the pieces of the broken toy.
The fox forced a smile. "It's okay, Xavier. I'm glad you had fun."
"Are you sure? I broke your car…I didn't mean to…really!" Xavier said as he ran to the boy's side.
Pent tried not to get angry about it. "It's okay…I think I can fix it…maybe."
"Sorry, Pent…I feel really bad. Is there any way I can make it up to you?" The chipmunk looked at the broken car which was a shell of its former self.
The white
fox stood up. "I promise…it's okay. I'm not mad."
"Alright…" Already in his mind, he was working on a plan to pay the other boy back for the damages he caused.
They returned inside shortly after. Pent put the parts to the broken car on the counter to look at later. Looking at them once more Xavier couldn't help but feel even more guilty.
"I'll take care of this later…did you want to play the board game?" Pent asked as he had no other ideas of what to do.
Xavier looked up from the broken toy. "Would you be alright if I went home?"
"Oh…are you bored? Yeah…that's okay." Pent looked a bit disappointed.
The chipmunk shook his head. "It's not that…It's just…I have to take care of something today and I forgot about it."
"It's fine…I understand. I had fun. Thanks for coming over." The fox tried to be upbeat but part of him thought he screwed up.
Xavier collected his things and got his shoes back on. "See you later, Pent."
And so the chipmunk left on his own accord. The guilt weighed heavily on his mind. The only thing he thought about for the next few days. Even going far as stopping talking to Pent because he was ashamed of what he had done. The white fox took things rather personally, considering himself all too alone again. Certain that he was destined to be without friends for the rest of his life.
A few weeks passed and Pent had almost forgotten about his so-called friendship with Xavier. Life had all but returned to "normal" for him. The constant state of being shut into whatever book interested him but remaining engaged in school. A vicious circle that had dominated the young cubs life to this point. That was until one Thursday morning when he would discover the reality of the situation.
Pent was getting ready for school with his brother. Both boys were all but ready and Samaliel was well past healthy enough to return to school. His ailment had long dissipated in the past and he had returned to school. The radio was blaring that morning as Pent wanted to see what the weather was up to since it had been rather sporadic lately. He wanted to be sure they needed a rain jacket or something similar.
"Coming to an Imax near you…The story of our Universe…the stars…the skies above. Take a journey through the lens of the Hubble telescope into a world seldom seen by non-expert eyes. Take a voyage you will soon not forget."
"Oh, Pent. That sounds like something that would be right up your alley." Samaliel remarked upon hearing the advertisement.
Pent got excited at hearing about it. "Yeah, it sounds cool. Do you want to go?"
"No…that's not my thing Pent." The younger fox didn't want to sit in front of a documentary for hours.
The older fox frowned a bit. "Aw, okay."
"Why not ask Xavier to go?" The salt and pepper fox suggested an alternative.
The white fox shook his head. "I haven't talked to him in a while."
"Oh, why not?" Samaliel was surprised since they seemed to get along so well before.
Pent shrugged. "I dunno. I think he was upset he broke our RC car"
"Well…why not ask him and break the ice again?" The younger fox wasn't about to let this go.
The bigger boy hummed. "Do you think he'd go?"
"I dunno but it's worth a shot to ask, right?" The salt and pepper boy wasn't sure Pent would go through with it.
Pent nodded. "I guess."
They continued getting ready for school until everything was ready. It was getting colder out since it was closer to winter now so both boys wore a bit thicker clothes. Though the cold bothered neither of them. Once they were ready, they made their way to the bus. The leaves were beginning to turn and many of them were already falling to the ground. It wasn't yet fall but it was apparent that the change of seasons was in the air.
The bus churned its way to the school, sputtering along as it often did. The students on board, already restless from the first quarter coming to a close. Many of them were eager for winter break even though the thing was still months off. Pent looked out the window past his brother outside. His mind was slightly occupied with considering if he should even bother to ask Xavier or not.
By the time they arrived at school, Pent had made his decision that he wouldn't bother going. Something he didn't bother telling Samaliel. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone to something alone and he figured it wouldn't be the last. The two fox brothers parted ways at the front of the building with Pent making his way to the front of the school. He looked for a spot to take a load off to read and eventually found an open outcropping of trees on the left side of the school.
The white fox eased himself against the tree and slid down. His tail slid out to the side of him, making a muffled thud as his butt hit the floor. Pulling out another book to start, this one is a fiction novel about parasites and symbiosis. Several pages in and the light he was using to read was blocked out. He looked up at a figure, the fur's body blacked out by its own shadow.
"I was looking for you." Xavier's voice spoke to him.
The fox peered up and shielded his eyes. "Oh, hey Xavier. It's been a while."
"Yeah, sorry. It's been sort of weird since I broke your RC car…I just couldn't come to terms with myself." The chipmunk knelt in front of the other cub.
Pent smiled. "It's okay. I promise it's fine. It doesn't matter…it's just a toy."
"Nah…it does matter. So…I got you something." The chipmunk reached behind him and pulled out a small box.
The bigger boy seemed surprised. "What is this?"
"It's the XDR. It's the next-generation RC car from the one you have. They didn't have the one I broke…so I bought this one instead." The cub held it out, expecting the other boy to take it.
Pent felt a bit overwhelmed. "Wow…I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything. I felt guilty after I broke your car and so I asked for extra chores to save up for it." Xavier had a huge smile on his face.
The white fox leaned forward, hugging the chipmunk purely out of instinct. "Thank you…"
"…Pent?" Xavier wasn't sure of what to think of the sudden show of affection.
Pent had a small tear of joy dropping down his face. "Sorry…I just have never had someone be so nice to me before."
"It's okay. Go on and take it. It's yours." The chipmunk continued to try to get the other boy to take it off him.
The fox hesitated before his next words. "Hey….Xavier?"
"Yeah?" The smaller cub decided to sit down next to his friend.
Pent murmured a bit. "I was wondering…would you like to go to the Imax with me?"
"The Imax? I don't think I've ever been to Imax before." Xavier thought about it and didn't recall ever going.
The bigger boy smiled. "It's cool. There's a ton of neat exhibits, an exam hall, an observatory, a gallery…"
"Haha…you seem to like it there huh?" The chipmunk had never seen Pent excited about going somewhere before.
The white cub nodded. "Yeah…and there's a movie they are showing that I want to see and I was wondering if you wanted to go?"
The chipmunk murmured to himself for a second. "You want to go to a movie with me?"
"Yeah, sure. Why not? It would be fun. I'll buy your popcorn if you want." Pent couldn't help but feel nervous but he wasn't sure why.
Xavier thought about it a few seconds more. "I need to ask my parents."
In truth, Xavier wasn't sure how he felt about going to a movie with a boy. He needed to talk to someone about it and it sure wasn't going to be his parents.
"Cool, okay." Pent finally took hold of the box and looked at it again.
The chipmunk watched him take it. "I hope you like it."
"I love it. Thanks, Xavier." The fox stashed the thing away in his bag.
Xavier picked himself up. "I'll see you later, alright?"
"Sure, okay." Pent waved to him.
The brown-furred boy was a bit confused by the other boy's invitation. The idea of going to Imax with his friend didn't seem to be a bad idea. But the thought of sitting down with another boy at a movie seemed odd to him. Had he just been asked out on a date? He didn't think so but he decided to ask one of his friends what they thought about it. Xavier knew it would have to wait, so he decided to follow up on it at lunch.
The first part of the day went by pretty normally for both boys. Neither of them had tests today so it was a fairly easy day for them. Pent's literacy class was finally assigned a book that the fox was interested in. A change that he was wholly surprised in. Math began a new unit on distortions in geometry and how to calculate them. The fox found he was able to figure it out without much fuss.
In Science, Pent was tasked with another unit on Physics. This time going over force and opposing force. Almost a review of the similar unit they'd already gone through on friction and inertia. The fox found himself to be even more intrigued by the study, insisting that he could do the activity on his own. The teacher of course gave him more leadway than others as he liked when Pent was exploratory.
When lunch rolled around, Pent found himself back in the cafeteria. He wasn't expecting to meet up with Xavier so he ended up sitting alone. Santiago found him instead and the two caught up since it had been a while since they last spoke. The chipmunk in the meanwhile kept in the rear of the cafeteria so that Pent wouldn't find him. He needed some time to talk to one of his long-time friends.
Xavier's friend was a girl in the same grade as he was. Someone whom he thought himself to be romantically interested in. The two hadn't formally dated yet and the whole relationship had remained platonic despite the chipmunk's intention. The girl was a transient rabbit who went by the name of Sasha. One who was well known within the more popular circles of the school as an "in girl".
Xavier sat down next to her. The rabbit had already begun eating and didn't give him a second thought since they knew each other fairly
well.
"Hey, Sasha. How are you?" The boy asked to be friendly.
She gave him a side-eye. "What do you want, Xae?"
"Why so hostile? I'm just being nice." The chipmunk backed off a bit.
The rabbit looked back at her food. "I told you I'm not interested, so beat it."
"I'm not here about that. I already promised you I wouldn't ask again." The boy began eating since they didn't have much time.
The girl chewed loudly as if she didn't care. "So…what do you want then?"
"I wanted your opinion on something. Do you think you could help me out?" The boy sipped on the milk carton he had been given.
She eyed him warily again. "I suppose. What is it?"
"Well, one of my friends invited me to a movie and I'm not sure I should go." Xavier skipped out the detail that it was a boy that invited him.
The rabbit shook her head. "You're so hard-headed sometimes. Do you know that? Why is that a problem to go to a movie with a friend?"
"Because…it's a boy?" The chipmunk whispered into the girl's ear, not wanting anyone else to hear him.
She slapped him on the side of the head. "So what? Do you think he's trying to be romantic with you?"
"I don't know?" Xavier started eating again.
Sasha shook her head again. "I think you're overreacting."
"Cool, thanks. I appreciate it." The chipmunk thought about it again. It did seem odd to him to think that Pent would have romantic intentions already.
The remainder of lunch went by pretty quickly as it often did. Xavier had already decided to himself that he would take up Pent's offer. No longer worried about his previous concern. Deciding instead that the girl was right. He decided to share it with the other boy later that day, forgetting all about his white lie to delay the issue.
The gym class was nothing special for either of the cubs. It was just a simple routine today of warmups and laps around the school. Nothing any of the students hadn't done before. More of a time sink than anything else as the coach hadn't come up with a real activity for the day. Many of the students copped out early as they couldn't keep up running the entire duration of it. Those few who did ended up walking instead.
At the end of the day, Xavier decided to wait in front of the school. The lacrosse team beckoned them to join him for some pizza but he told them he was busy. They left without issue, in no position to question what he was doing. He proceeded to wait for Pent, uncertain when the fox cub would show up. Seeing his friend's brother before seeing the older fox himself.
Xavier stood right next to Samaliel, making sure that Pent would have to stop by him before going home. It wasn't much longer before the young white fox appeared from the building. Chatting it up with the science teacher again. His brother chuckled at him as it was far from the first time Pent had been socializing with people far older than himself. When the boy turned around, Pent noticed Xavier and Samaliel standing together.
"Oh hey, Xae and Sama." Pent waved to both of them.
Xavier waved back. "Hey, Pent."
Samaliel was curious why the chipmunk had shown up but figured Pent had asked him about going to Imax with him.
"Did you ask your parents yet?" The white fox looked at the brown-furred boy.
The smaller cub stammered. "Oh…uh not yet."
"Do you think they will let you go?" The bigger boy was hopeful that would be the case.
Samaliel couldn't help but smile. Glad his brother had gone through with it.
Xavier nodded. "Yeah, I think so. When did you want to try to go?"
"Um…I guess tomorrow since you haven't asked your parents yet." Pent thought about it for a moment.
The chipmunk smiled and flitted his tail. "That sounds good to me."
"Cool…well you have my number so just let me know okay?" The white fox's tail was wagging behind him noticeably.
Xavier gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, see ya later Pent."
The chipmunk parted ways from them, leaving the two brothers alone. Samaliel patted the bigger boy on the back.
"I'm really glad you asked him today. I wasn't sure you would…" The younger boy began walking towards the bus.
Pent nodded. "I hope he can go."
"Me too…I'll cross my fingers for you." The salt and pepper cub was hopeful it would work out.
The two proceeded to go home. Discussing Samaliel's day since it hadn't been as good as Pent's. One of the cub's friends fought with him, though it didn't escalate to a physical confrontation. Pent assured him it would be fine. Of course, the younger boy wasn't certain that would be the case. It took some convincing but eventually, the salt and pepper cub fears were put to rest.
When they got home, the older fox showed off his new RC car, The look on Samaliel's face was one of shock when he found out that Xavier had replaced it. The two even went as far as racing the new vehicle and the older one that hadn't been wrecked. Samaliel came out in front as he used the brand-new car. But by the time they finished, it was well past dinner time.
As Pent was making dinner for the two brothers, he felt a vibration in his pocket. The fox pulled out his phone to look at it.
"My parents said I can go to Imax with you…but I'm not letting you buy me popcorn!" An emoji followed Xavier's text.
Pent felt an immense sense of excitement as he responded. "Haha…okay…see you tomorrow at school."
The older brother informed the younger one at dinner who was happy for him that his new friend could go to one of Pent's favorite places. Samaliel was glad that Pent finally had a friend and that it didn't seem fake for once. The older boy on the other hand was dealing with a sense of nervousness. He wasn't sure why but it was like he had butterflies in his stomach. Pent tried to ignore them, saying nothing about it.
The next day at school went painstakingly slow for Pent. The only thing on his mind was going to the Imax with Xavier. Thoughts of the exhibits he had seen before flew through his mind in every single class. He was able to finish his work but it was still distracting to deal with both thoughts. Occasionally he thought about Xavier and whether he would like Imax or not. The entirety of his being wanted him to share the same enjoyment Pent did.
When the day came to a close, Pent was the first one to burst out of his seat. An anomaly that seldom occurred except for when Pent had hockey practice. Yet, even despite all the foot traffic the white fox was one of the first ones out of the building. Going by the largest tree in the entire school lot in hopes of catching Xavier so they could go straight to the Imax. The same sense of nervousness filled him with a bit of dread.
Pent had already purchased tickets for both of them, for the entirety of the museum. He had used much of the money he had in savings to do so. His paw in his pocket fingered the two pieces of paper as he waited. Soon Xavier appeared from the school accompanied by one of the other members of the lacrosse team. Immediately the fox waved him over, yet Xavier did not seem to notice him.
The white fox decided to walk up to him. The chipmunk walked faster, seemingly avoiding him and all eye contact. The smaller boy picked up the pace until he was out of range of Pent. It was then the cub realized that he'd been stood up. The gut feeling of dread and disappointment soon came over him as he bottled up his emotions and just stood there. Had he fallen for another trick? The fox couldn't help but feel helpless again.
Pent decided to go on his own. Crumpling the ticket he'd bought for Xavier and throwing it on the floor. The white fox proceeded to walk to the Imax, which was some distance from where the school was. Samaliel noticed his brother drop the ticket. He knew full well his brother had bought the thing and rushed to pick it up before it blew away. Quickly returning to look for Xavier who had hidden himself in an alcove of trees with the same member of the lacrosse team.
Samaliel approached them with an angry scowl on his face. "What's your deal?"
"What do you want, pipsqueak?" The other member of the lacrosse team answered Samaliel.
The salt and pepper fox brandished his fangs. "Beat it. I'm not talking to you."
"What do you need, Sama?" Xavier knew full well who it was.
The younger cub stamped his foot. "I thought you were going to the Imax with my brother?"
"I changed my mind." The chipmunk crossed his arms defensively.
Samaliel shook his head. "You can't do that…Please…my brother's been looking forward to this all night."
"I don't want to go on a date with your brother." The older boy was upfront with his primary concern.
The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Are you serious? My brother has never had a friend before and you think he's trying to date you?"
"He's never had a friend before?" Xavier had no idea this was the case.
Samaliel almost yelled. "No, never...you're the first person to ever be nice to him."
"Wow, I had...no idea." The brown-furred boy suddenly felt incredibly guilty.
The younger cub folded his hands, pleading with the other boy. "I'm begging you...please go with him. He's been looking forward to it."
"I don't know...I still think it's a bad idea." The older cub was still conflicted.
Samaliel rolled his eyes. "Guess I was wrong about you too then."
"What do you mean?" Xavier watched as the salt and pepper cub reached into his pocket.
The younger boy pulled out the ticket and showed it to Xavier. "You didn't want to be his friend. You don't care about his feelings."
"It's not just about him. I have to think about myself. I know you care about him but the bottom line is...I don't feel comfortable with it." The chipmunk tried to be honest with the other cub.
The smaller cub forced the ticket into the older boy's paw. "I understand that. I'm not going to pull your leg anymore. It's your decision."
The older boy watched as Samaliel walked away. He looked at the small slip of paper with
his name scribbled on it."
"What's into him? Why does he care so much?" The teammate asked the star player.
Xavier looked at them. "It's Pent's brother."
"Well, you going to listen to the little punk or are we still going to get ice cream?" The other player tried to pressure him into making a decision.
The chipmunk crumpled the ticket and put it into his pocket. "Shut up."
"You've changed since you met that kid, you know that?" The teammate continued to try and pester him.
Xavier shook his head. "Go screw yourself. I'm leaving."
"Don't forget. I'll tell all the lacrosse team you're hanging out with the nerd again if you go..." They shouted to him as he left.
The chipmunk mumbled telling himself that he didn't care but didn't bother to respond out loud. Xavier decided that the teammate wasn't his friend and had convinced him of something that wasn't true. Mounting the bike he was holding, he immediately began heading in the distance of the address on the ticket. He decided he would catch up with Pent and take him up on his invitation. Hoping that the other boy hadn't yet arrived at the Imax just yet.
Pent was still walking towards the Imax. He hadn't gotten very far from the school since it hadn't been that long since he left. The fox felt alone again, wishing that Samaliel had come with him. The cub still going forward with it as he wanted to see the new exhibit at the aquatic center in the main complex. Telling himself it would be worth the walk and that he could catch the local bus back home.
As Pent was making the third turn towards the Imax center, he overheard a voice.
"Hey, wait up!" Xavier called to him at the top of his lungs.
The fox looked back seeming surprised. "Xavier?"
The chipmunk sped forward as fast as he could on his bike, eventually catching up with the other boy.
"Yeah...sorry I'm late. I made the wrong decision but I changed my mind." The smaller cub tried catching his breath.
Pent had no idea what he was talking about but he didn't care. "Cool. I'm glad you decided to come."
"Hitch a ride on my bike. We can make good time. I have pegs to stand on, so you can just hold onto my shoulders." The boy pointed back to the pegs on the back part of his bike.
The white fox nodded. "Okay...the movie is starting soon so that sounds good."
Pent rotated himself so he was at the back of Xavier's bike. He'd never hitched a ride before and it made him a bit uneasy. He hesitated a bit.
"You okay?" Xavier questioned the other boy since he didn't immediately hop on.
The fox shook his head. "Just nervous...sorry."
"It'll be fine. I promise you won't fall." The smaller cub tried to reassure him.
The kit took a slow step forward before putting his first foot on the peg. Taking hold of Xavier's broader shoulder brought him a sense of comfort he wasn't expecting. Soon joining in with his other foot and holding on tight with both hands. The chipmunk didn't wait at all before starting. The breeze of the day brushed against their fur as they blazed along the sidewalk. They were already pretty far along and the rest of the way didn't take very long.
Pent and Xavier arrived at the Imax theater where the chipmunk came to an abrupt stop. He had allowed enough people in the past to hitch a ride on his back so the work he had to put into it didn't bother him.
"Alright, we're here." Xavier waited until Pent got off and proceeded to lock up his bike.
Xavier produced the ticket he had been given by Samaliel, showing it to Pent. "You're brother gave me the ticket you bought for me."
"Oh...he told you I bought it?" Pent blushed a bit, he was going to come up with some other reason for having two tickets.
The chipmunk nodded. "Yeah. It's cool...but I'm buying us a bucket of popcorn."
Pent smiled and nodded. "Okay. Come on...let's go, slowpoke!"
Xavier chuckled as he watched Pent bound forward toward the entrance of the building. The smaller cub looked around them and noticed some of the lacrosse kids had followed him. He took a deep breath as he followed the other boy, wondering if he was making a mistake. The thought remained in his mind for the remainder of the night.
They proceeded to the inside of the building. The ticket booth purveyor at the front took their ticket and pointed them toward the left side of the building. Pent didn't need to be told where the theater was. He had been their plenty of times before and knew the whole place like the back of his paw. Eventually, they found their way to the snack stand. Unlike movie theaters, the place was mostly empty so they didn't have to wait long to get to the front of the line.
Xavier made sure to take the lead in the line, sticking his hand into his pocket to get out a few dollars for popcorn. Pent thanked him as he paid for it and the other cub smiled as he took the bucket they were handed. The chipmunk looked back at the window behind them, noticing that they were still being watched by the other kids. He was glad that he didn't have to see them in the theater.
"Come on, Xae...I don't wanna miss the intro by Niel Tyson Grasse!" Pent tugged on Xavier's hand, urging him to come along.
The chipmunk had no chance to protest as he was whisked away. "Who?"
The white fox did not attempt to answer the other boy. The cub instead darted forward toward the door of the Imax. Xavier had never seen this side of Pent before and found it somewhat refreshing compared to his usually reserved nature. They arrived at the theater, which had already been darkened as the movie had just started. The deep tenor of the astrophysicist echoed through the room.
They found their way inside. The glow from the screen illuminated much of the room. It appeared that the place was mostly vacant. A sight that brought Xavier as he was certain they would be discovered. Pent tugged on him again towards one of the middle rows. The white fox took a seat first and Xavier made sure to put a space between them, putting the popcorn in the middle so it wasn't questioned.
Pent's eyes were soon transfixed on the screen in front of him. Xavier wasn't entirely sure what to expect from it. The intro for the film soon ended and the feature began in full. Pent watched as the stars and constellations passed by in front of him. A true sense of wonderment and joy filled him. So much that he'd forgotten about the little bucket of popcorn that Xavier had bought them to share.
Xavier watched the first 15 minutes of it and yawned. He checked on Pent who seemed happier than a clam to him. The chipmunk was bored. He had no idea the film was a documentary but after thinking about it, it didn't surprise him that Pent was into it.
"I'll be back...I'm gonna run to the bathroom." In truth, Xavier just wanted to get out of the theater.
Pent nodded and said nothing. He was much too interested in the movie to worry about his friend. Xavier made his exit from the theater. The halls were mostly empty. Looking back out the window, he found that the other members of the lacrosse team had left. At least he didn't have to worry about them for now. He made his way to the bathroom and toward the mirror that was inside of it.
Looking at himself he saw he was a bit sweaty from the bike ride but had cooled down a bit. He began to straighten out the fur on his head since it seemed to be sort of messy. He just wanted to burn time. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. A notification from a text message from the same kid on the lacrosse team. He sighed as he had an idea of what it said.
"You're such a sellout. Go hang out with that nerd. Don't talk to me again." The text read as he deleted it and didn't bother responding.
Xavier washed his face with water and slicked back the fur on his head, removing the remainder of the sweat. The cool water on his fur made him feel a bit better. He sighed deeply and sat on one of the lids of the toilet. Doomscrolling for a bit on his phone, checking some of the usual social media posts that he frequented. Finding that on the lacrosse team page that the kids were already talking about him again.
A sense of dread filled him. He'd been on the lacrosse team for ages. Despite the turnover with players, he had known some of them for what seemed like forever. Yet every single post was about how he'd become a nerd. How nerdy he was for hanging out with Pent, dismissing all of his ability on the field. He had been used to being popular but now it was apparent that was no longer the case.
Xavier began to cry as he realized the brevity of his situation. The overwhelming emotion of the moment was too much to bear for him. He very much felt that he'd made the wrong choice. Wanting nothing more than to turn back and erase Pent from his life. He didn't want to be a nerd, not now...not ever.
"Are you okay?" He heard Pent's voice on the other side of the stall.
The fox had come to check on his friend as it had been several minutes since Xavier had gone to the bathroom.
The chipmunk sniffled. "I'm fine...just leave me alone."
"What's wrong? Do you not like the movie? We can leave if you want." Pent didn't want to just make this about him.
Xavier wiped some of the tears from his face. "It's not that...you wouldn't understand."
"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry...." The white fox wasn't sure what was going on.
The smaller boy scoffed at himself. "I don't want to be a nerd."
"You're not a nerd...We can leave if you want. I don't want to keep you here if you don't want to be here." Pent continued to struggle to relate to him
Xavier thought to himself for a moment. "But what about the movie? You seemed so excited about it."
"It's fine. The movie can wait. I just wanted to hang out with you. We can do something else. What do you want to do?" The white fox tried to connect with the other boy.
The brown-furred boy looked at his phone again. "I'm not sure...maybe I should just
go home."
"Maybe if you want....we can go to the skate park instead?" Pent made an offhanded suggestion that he normally knew was associated with "cool".
Xavier looked up from the floor. "You skateboard?"
"Well...not exactly but I know how to do some stuff on my rollerblades." The white fox tried to be humble about his skills.
The chipmunk slammed open the door, feeling slightly better about the situation. "Oh, heck yeah. I had no idea. Let's go, dude."
Pent smiled warmly, glad that the other boy wasn't going home. The two exited the bathroom before making their way back through the Imax main hall. The fox regretted not being able to see the new exhibit but he tried to not show his disappointment. All he wanted was for Xavier to hang out with him.
They returned outside where they re-mounted Xavier's bike. Pent was still uneasy about it but was a little more comfortable about it than the first time. Xavier didn't feel nearly as bad now. The thought of doing something he thought cool cleared up his mind of most of the negativity that swirled within. Fortunately for both of them, the skate park was but a short distance from the Imax.
Xavier pushed them along to the skatepark, making quick work of the distance as his excitement had gotten the better of him. For whatever reason he wanted to show off to Pent. The idea of showing him how "cool" he was, somewhat appealed to him. They drove down the main street towards some of the backyards. Eventually coming to a more urban area filled with concrete and metal slabs.
Xavier brought them to a stop at the park's bike rack. He waited for Pent to get off before locking his bike up.
"Go grab us some rentals. I'll be right there." Xavier suggested saving some time.
The white fox nodded, glad that the other boy was in good spirits again. He had been there before with Samaliel and was familiar enough with it that he knew where the rental store was. A small shack was set aside at the entrance of the skating area of the park. Its door was always open during the day. Pent looked up, the sun was beginning to set. He knew they wouldn't have much time.
The kit proceeded inside and grabbed a skateboard for Xavier before getting a pair of inline skates for himself. No one guarded the stuff, it was an honor system that the city had set up. Very few took advantage of it and even fewer exploited it. Pent returned soon after, finding Xavier staring at his phone again.
"Come on...dude. Let's go have fun." Pent just wanted to see Xavier enjoy himself.
Xavier put down the phone and nodded. "Yeah, okay."
The chipmunk took the skateboard from his friend and waited for Pent to lace up. Once both boys were ready, they kicked off toward the main part of the skate park. The smaller boy was the first one to take the initiative. Dipping down into one of the bowls and coming out the other side before landing a kickflip. Xavier considered himself pretty good despite not practicing as much as he should have.
"Oh, that was cool!" Pent remarked as he hadn't seen the trick before.
The boy winked at him. "Just wait...I'm just getting warmed up."
Xavier dipped down again and rolled around the bowl in a full circle before coming out in a 360 rotation and landing on his board flat.
"Woosh..." He said proudly, feeling confident his friend would be impressed.
The fox was stunned. Even his brother hadn't done that before. "That was cool."
"Come on...show me what you got, foxy." The chipmunk folded his arms and waited for him to do something.
Pent nodded. He wasn't big on tricks but he knew a few things. Backing up to gain speed before jumping over the bowl and entering into it from the other side. Emerging from Xavier's side going backward, kicking up his feet before touching them and landing back on the floor with a loud thud.
"Nice!" Xavier was surprised that Pent had any skill despite knowing he played hockey.
Xavier tried to follow up with something he hadn't done before. A full velocity grind in reverse rotating at both ends. Heeling up on one of both ends of the metal pipe. But came short and his board fell flat as he couldn't keep up the speed necessary.
"Go on and try again." Pent wanted to see him do whatever it was.
The chipmunk didn't need any encouragement to try it again. He wasn't one to give up easily. After a few more tries, he was able to just barely get it. Pent clapped at him, continuing the cheer him on. The two boys continued in the same manner until it started to get dark. The setting of the sun made things harder to see, even with the large light overhead. But the moment the sun had fallen out of sight, they both knew it was probably time to go home.
They had been there a little over an hour and both boys had worked up a bit of a sweat. Xavier sat down on one of the benches and grabbed one of the water bottles that were left around before throwing one to Pent. The fox joined him on the bench, untying his skates so that they could be returned. Both boys had huge smiles on their faces despite being rather tired.
"I'll be right back." Xavier took Pent's skates and his board and returned them to the little shack.
When Xavier returned he had taken his shirt off, wiping his forehead with it. The cub wasn't worried about his school uniform getting messy. He poked Pent who wasn't paying attention, still looking the other way. Pent turned around, greeted by the sight of the shirtless cub. The white fox was unprepared for this. He'd never seen Xavier shirtless before. His body was matted with sweat, showing a bit of his lithe form.
"You ready to go?" Xavier didn't notice that Pent was staring at him.
Pent shook himself out of it. "Oh, uh...yeah. Let's go home."
Pent wasn't entirely sure why he had stared at Xavier. All he knew was that Xavier's body was different than his own. Xavier decided to drop Pent off first since he was the one with the bike. They were closer to home now than they would have been otherwise. Despite being a bit tired, he was able to get the fox home in pretty good time. They arrived pretty late, well after the setting of the sun. The streets were dark except for the illumination of street lamps.
When they stopped, Xavier didn't bother to get off his bike and let his friend off.
"I had fun today. Thanks for hanging out." He remarked with a look of contentment on his face.
Pent nodded. "Me too."
Part of Pent was still disappointed about the whole Imax thing but he wasn't about to admit it. After all, he had enjoyed himself all the same.
"See you tomorrow, alright?" The chipmunk rearranged his bookbag on his back.
The fox gave a thumbs up. "Yeah."
With that, Xavier kicked off. Pent watched him tread into the distance. The boy's tail wagged behind him with glee as he trotted off towards his home. Samaliel was eagerly awaiting his return, still uncertain about what Xavier had decided. The white fox walked into his home and was greeted by his brother within moments.
"How was Imax?" Samaliel did not yet know about Pent's change in plans.
Pent shrugged. "We didn't go. I don't think he liked it."
"Oh? Did Xavier show up?" The salt and pepper fox felt hopeful that was the case now.
The older boy nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have you to thank for that. He told me you gave him his ticket."
"Well, I gave him his ticket but ultimately he had to make the decision himself. Still…I'm glad he showed up. I wasn't sure he would." Samaliel hugged his brother.
Pent hugged him back. "Thanks, Sama."
"Gee, you smell…what the heck did you two do?" The smaller cub pinched his nose.
The bigger boy chuckled. "We went to the skate park. Nothing special."
"As long as you had fun, I guess. Go take a shower. I left leftovers for you on the counter." Samaliel said before departing from the other boy.
Pent nodded and put his bag by the door. Retiring to the shower and looking at himself in the mirror. His fur was just as matted down as Xavier's was. He knew he needed to bathe. Quickly turning on the spicket and stepping in to wash himself. The constant growling from his stomach made him go pretty quickly. He made sure to wash everywhere so he didn't smell bad anymore.
When he was done, he wrapped his naked body in a towel. He had forgotten a change of clothes but figured it wouldn't matter since he and Samaliel were the only ones home. He stepped into the kitchen and found that his brother had made him a vegetable shepherd pie. It was one of his favorite meals and he couldn't help but smile. The fox made himself a drink while he waited for it to heat up.
Once the food was done, he stuffed his face. Pent was more than hungry and hadn't realized it until he got home. Looking at the clock it was much later than he thought. Already time for bed he thought. Already he was eager for the next day. Looking out the window into the sky above. It reminded him of the first few minutes of the movie. Not mattering as much to him now. He got to spend much of the day with Xavier and that made him happy.
Pent clutched a plush to his chest. His heart was happy. He'd never experienced true friendship before and it was all very new to him. He wanted to spend more time with the other boy, wondering what else he was into. Already planning new ways to have fun with him. He smiled as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into a deep slumber. Dreams soon took over his mind. Thoughts of himself…and his new friend.
