Anthro: Chapter 5

Chapter five of my novel in progress.

CHAPTER FIVE

 

Terra opened the dorm door and found Ashia in a very attractive midnight blue short dress, but the look in her eyes was purely venomous. Her arms crossed and a scowl upon her face.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting here for over half an hour!” Ashia exclaimed tapping her watch.

Terra thought fast.

“Where have you been is what I’d like to know! I was waiting down by the front desk for you to show up until they kicked me out because they were closing for the night!” Terra retorted.

“I said for you to meet me back here when you got the map! Not the other way around!” Ashia exclaimed.

“Not the way I heard it! Besides if I ran all the way back up her to get you, it would take longer for us to get to the dance if we did it that way!”

“That is not what we agreed on at all! You were to meet me here!” Ashia snapped raising her voice sharply.

“Maybe then you just forgot about it! Did that ever cross your mind at all!?” Terra roared back matching Ashia’s tone.

Suddenly a female rabbit from next door peeked out and glared at the two.

“Would you two please keep it down?” she asked angrily.

“NO!!!” Ashia and Terra bellowed in unison causing the girl to race back into her own room terrified.

The two then looked at one another and sighed heavily.

“Only the first day and we have already had an argument, bet that makes us look really good.” Ashia said with a sad smile.

“Yeah, look, let’s just forget about it all okay? It doesn’t matter who was right and who was wrong anyway.  We got a dance to get too and by the way I was just asked by this really cute guy to the dance so I-” Terra began.

“Ah-ah-ah! Not so fast, remember our bet if you will! If Shep looks like crap to me, then you will just have to drop your date and go with him instead!” Ashia reminded and Terra cringed at this.

“Are you planning to hold that over my head all night long?” Terra said with regret on her face.

“Now why would you think that? I feel absolutely offended that you would think that I-” Ashia asked with fake innocence.

“You are aren’t you.” Terra guessed flatly.

“Yes, but only until I see Shep for myself.” Ashia answered with a coy smile.

“Jeeze…well don’t get your hopes up, I have a feeling you’ll be quite surprised with how he looks.” Terra answered with a grin.

“Oh yeah? What makes you say that?”

“Like I said, it’s just a feeling.” Terra finished locking the room door behind her and following Ashia down the hall.

 

The girls exited the Building out the south entrance and stood on the curb of the parking lot.

Ashia took in a deep breath of fresh evening air, “So where does the map say we should head then?”

“Huh?…Oh! Right, the map, hold on here, let’s see,” Terra said quickly unfolding Sly’s map. “Okay, well first we should…err, we should…umm, uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh? What you mean uh-oh, I don’t like how you just said uh-oh, what’s wrong?” Ashia asked looking over Terra’s shoulder at the map.

“Well, would now be a bad time to say that I never really found out what building the dance, was actually…um…in?” Terra said with a worried grin scratching the side of her face.

Ashia starred incredulously at Terra.

“Yes…this would be a very bad time to tell me that you DON’T KNOW WHAT BUILDING THE DANCE IS IN!!” Ashia cried out angrily.

“Look I’m sorry! I guess I just forgot to ask them that before they kicked me out!” Terra claimed going along with her made up white lie.

“You were there for over a half an hour and it never crossed your mind to ask where the dance was being held?!”

“No! No it did not! I’m sorry, now can you please stop yelling at me!?” Terra shouted back stamping her foot.

Ashia cursed into the night and ranted constantly while Terra attempted to look over the map.

Suddenly the sound of footsteps could be heard in the distance and Terra looked up to see someone coming their way.

“Hey look, there’s another student! I bet he knows where to go!” Terra said pointing and she ran to meet the student; Ashia stopped her shouting, sighed and followed after her roommate.

“Excuse me, do you happen to know which way it is to the welcoming ceremony dance?” Terra asked hopefully to the Hyena male dressed in a white tux.

“You mean the Orientation dance?” He answered with a cocked eyebrow.

“Yeah, we’re sort of lost. Any clue where it may be?” Ashia asked hopefully.

The Hyena stared from Ashia to Terra with an inquisitive glance then suddenly a tiny grin crept onto his face and he snorted a couple of times then suddenly burst out laughing insanely, causing the two girls to step back with shock.

“BAH-HA-HA-HA-HAA!!! Y-you want to find the-the AHH-HA-HA!! You mean you don’t know where the dance is!? Is that it? OHH-HA-HA!! This is too rich!  And so-so now y-you  think t-to ask if I-if I-BHA-HA-HA-HAA!! If I would j-just happen t-to know-AH-HA! AH-HA! AH-HA-HA-HA! W-where to-where to go f-for tonight’s dance?! HEE-HEE-HEE! Is that what you thought?!? That I suh-should automatically know this!? HA-HA-HA-HAA!” The Hyena cried out loudly with unstoppable laughter as he rolled on the ground clutching his stomach.

“Um, yeah! That’s pretty much what I just asked! So do you or not!!” Terra yelled over the consistent mirth of the student.

The Hyena abruptly stopped laughing stood up brushed the dirt off his jacket, then cleared his throat.

“I have searched this entire half of the campus and haven’t seen a single sign of where the party might be. My roommate caught me in the same state as you just did so he left me all alone. I was quite sure he knew the directions too. So I’m having just as much luck as you two are in finding the location. So, no, I do not know where the dance is being held. Farewell then, I’m heading back to my dormitory now.” The Hyena said with a major change of character that made him seem to be a whole different person.

     As the student walked away Terra and Ashia both stood stunned in place at what had just happened.

     “That…was…weird.” Ashia explained scratching the side of her head with her finger.

     “Y-yeah, very…odd” Terra replied quietly.

     “Although, I do recommend you keep heading east! I’m sure you might run into someone who does know the answer to your question!” The Hyena student called back though the darkness to the two girls.

     “Oh! Well, Thank-!” Terra began but Ashia quickly covered her mouth.

     “Let’s not get him started again, shall we?” Ashia whispered to her.

Terra nodded silently and followed Ashia, attempting to read the map in the fading evening light as they walked.

 

Shep looked to his watch once more and then to the dark path ahead of him hopefully but still there was no sign of either his or Sly’s dates in sight.

“Dude, the more you check that watch won’t cause the girls to arrive any sooner.” Sly said from the bench off to the side.

“Can’t help it, I’m always like this before a date!” Shep explained as he began to pace nervously. “How the heck you can just lay there like that!”

“ I just have good Karma.” Sly stated bouncing one leg off the other.

“Karma? That stuff is just a bunch of bull!” Shep scoffed.

“Ooh, bad move, never diss the Buda, man.” Sly replied dropping himself onto his back on the bench, his bright orange and white tail swishing over his heels casually.

     Shep grumbled as he checked his watch again “Shut up.”

Sly attempted to count the first few stars that appeared in the night sky above; six…seven…eight maybe more, he soon lost interest and instead watched the setting sun disappear behind the other buildings stretched across the campus. He sighed solemnly and put the side of his head on his palm to catch the last rays as the sun vanished.

Suddenly two furry white palms covered his eyes from out of his blind spots.

“Hmm…well either the world has fallen into eternal darkness, or someone is behind me wanting me to take a guess on who they are.” Sly asked with a grin.

“I’d go with the latter of the two if I was in your place.” The familiar voice of Terra said from behind Sly.

Sly pulled back the hands from over his eyes and rolled off the bench.

“No fair, you looked!” Terra said smiling as she crossed her arms on the bench backrest.

“Your voice gave yourself away.” Sly said pulling Terra by the arm around from behind the bench.

“Yeah, figures. So, how long have you been waiting for us, hmm?” Terra asked and it wasn’t until then that Sly noticed Ashia emerging from a space between the hedges a bit further down the road.

“Eh, not too long, so ready to go?” Sly answered checking a silver antique pocket watch quickly.

 “Not just yet, I want to see how Ashia will react to the new and improved Shep. Play along” Terra whispered with a wink as Ashia arrived beside the two.

Sly introduced himself to Ashia who smiled pleasantly; Terra knew Ashia was thinking about their bet, if Terra lost, Sly would be Ashia’s date for the night instead! A hard lump formed in Terra’s throat as the two began to strike up a conversation.

The lump quickly vanished when Terra realized Ashia had suddenly lost interest in talking with Sly as she looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Shep.

Ashia gasped silently in astonishment as Shep turned around attempting straighten out his black blazer.

“Err...Ashia are you-ow! What was that for Ter...Oh.” Sly whispered stepping aside, he now understood why Terra had smashed his foot under her heel as Ashia headed towards Shep.

Shep looked up and blinked with surprise as he saw Ashia.

There a moment of peaceful silence as the two starred at one another, a small almost romantic gust of wind blew between the two, their hair catching up in it. Another minute or so passed before the two walked towards each other until there was no more than a foot between them.

“Hey.” Shep acknowledged first.

“Hi.” Ashia answered simply.

“Uh-I’m Shep-er, I mean Shawn, my names Shawn.”

“Yeah, ah! I mean um…I’m Ashia, Ashia Karsune.”

“Ashia, that’s nice. I-I was w-wondering if-um-you would like to go to the dance, together? You and me I mean.” Shep asked holding out his hand for her.

Ashia smiled and put her hand in his. “I’d like that.”

“Isn’t that great Sly?” Terra said with a loving sigh, leaning her head on Sly’s shoulder.

“Yeah, it is, I’m glad for them.” Sly agreed nodding.

Sly helped Terra up from the bench as Shep and Ashia came up to them.

“Well then, I guess it’s off to the dance then?” Shep asked holding Ashia’s hand beside him as he put his other arm behind Sly.

“Well let’s see, suits? Check, dates? Check, directions…” Sly asked hinting at Terra.

Terra quickly stuffed the campus map into Sly’s back pocket then joined hands with him again.

“Check! Alright then, we’re all set, the party awaits!” Sly finished, wrapping his free arm around Shep’s shoulders and starting the four-person walk line down the street.

 As the new friends headed off, a hidden figure sat perched upon a nearby roof corner, starring down at them, its thick rounded glasses gleaming in the light of the approaching moonlight. It watched the group until they were mere specks in the distance before spreading its thin, leathery wings out and swooping off into the night.

Author's Note

Corrections, advice, reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!

3/27/11 Update:
I'm pleased to see that I've received quite a few views on my story here but unfortunately still no reviews or criticisms. Again I would be most pleased to see someone even offer minor input of any kind! In hopes of getting this I will be adding another chapter to the list and see what comes of it. Please make an effort to review or say something so that I can further improve my work!