The Red Fox: A Romance (2 page)

“
Oh, mercy. I hope you're not hungry. The food here tastes like microwaved cow manure.”

Jay rubbed his stomach. “Sounds scrumptious.”

“
Like that, is it? OK, sicko, let's go.”

As they walked to the cafeteria Jay noticed people staring, some pointing, as they walked by.

“
I'm telling you now, you're going to be a popular one with the ladies here.”

“
They're pointing cause they think I'm a pervert,” Jay replied. “Thanks to you.”

“
Nah, bro, they want your ass. And that's a good thing, considering the Senior's Mid-Year-Ball is on Friday. And in Jacksonville High, it's
legendary.
”

“
Why's that?”

“
Because it's the biggest party of the year, that's why. All the Seniors are all spiffed up, with no exams in sight to spoil the fun. It's starts with a dance, and if the legends are true,” he dug his elbow into Jay's side, “it end's in an orgy.”

“
Really?”

“
Well, according to
my
expectations, it will!” He gave the new guy a wink.

Another fantasy, Jay thought. He really liked Rick, but wondered if he was able to separate his wild imagination from reality.

“
Is it compulsory?”

“
The orgy—for you, yes.”

“
I'm talking about
the Ball
.”

“
For you, still yes.”

“
Why
for
me?”

“
Because you're the new guy, and you got that skinny James Dean look about you. So I'd put one and one together and say you're going to get all the action.”

Rick saw two girls staring from a distance and called out. “Forget it, girls. He's batting for the other team.”

Jay nudged him with his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“
Trust me, if they think you're gay they'll want to get into your pants of twice as fast.”

“
Do they think
you're
gay?”

Rick smirked at him. “65% of them
know
I'm not gay, if you catch my drift. Still got the rest of the year to get through the final 35%”

“
Dream on.”

“
I'm serious. My bedroom is like a merry-go-round. I'm honestly thinking of installing a revolving door. It's
that
busy.”

Jay just laughed. He was pretty sure Rick was still a virgin. He knew a virgin when he saw one. After all, he had been one for 17 years and counting.

As they walked into the cafeteria, Jay scanned the room. He was looking for
him
. He didn't know who he was, just his type, and he wanted to do all he could to avoid him. The bully. The big shot with a temper. Life had been hell in his last school because of
him
. Never again, Jay promised himself. This time he wouldn't put himself in the firing line. This time he would just keep quiet and get through his final year of school fear free.

After a minute he found him. He was sure it was him. Bullies all looked the same; it wasn't just the physical look, it was something inside them; they all had a nastiness to them, a hardness Jay had learned to spot out of bitter experience.

“
Who's that guy?” he asked Rick.

“
That's Berkley. Football All Star. Royal Jack Ass, too.”

“
And the girl he's talking with?”

“
Girl? You mean
robot
, right? That's Lucy. Track and field champion. She looks the goods at first glance, but don't be fooled. She's a machine. A
mean
machine. I do believe she's the one who smacked you out of the locker room earlier, correct?”

Jay nodded.

“
They call her the Terminator. Do
not
get on her wrong side. The girls in the school are terrified of her—and so are most of the guys. Present company included.”

At that very moment Lucy lifted her hand and pointed directly at Jay. Her face looked like a bear robbed of her cub.

“
Oh, no. This looks bad.” Rick saw the fire in Berkley's eyes. “'I think the Terminator just squealed on you.”

“
What?”

A moment later Berkley began storming towards them. They watched his large frame tumble in their direction, and then, without a word, Berkley picked up jay and slammed him against the wall.

“
Hey, New Guy! You've got some nerve walking into
my
school and drooling over my naked girlfriend!”

“
I didn't see Lucy naked, I promise. It was all an accident,” Jay blurted out.

Berkley stared at him, revolted at the thought. “She's not my girlfriend, jerk-off!”

This was bad. This was exactly what Jay didn't want to happen. Day One and
he
, just like the last
he
, had Jay pinned against a wall. A whole year to put up with this. Jay felt his heart sink back into hell—but then, just out of his view, he heard someone come to his rescue. It was a female voice.

“
Put him down, now!”

He turned his head to get a better view. It was the Red Fox.

“
She's
my girlfriend, numb nuts.” Berkley said.

“
Ex
-girlfriend.”

She walked up and pulled Berkley's arms back. Jay's feet landed back on the floor. “And he
did
see me naked. He saw
everything
. That's something you'll never see again. You hear me? Can you get that into your thick head?” She reached up and knocked on his forehead, making a mockery of him in front of the entire class in the cafeteria.

“
Leaf, let's talk about this, outside.”

“
We've talked enough.”

Berkley drew closer to her. “I miss you. I'm sorry for what I did. Let's go outside to talk.”

Leaf exhaled loudly. She glanced for a split second at Jay and then back to Berkley.

“
Fine. One
last
talk.” She stormed out of the cafeteria.

Berkley followed her, forgetting all about Jay—for the time being, anyway.

Jay didn't see the Red Fox the rest of the day, not until his final class.

He was sitting up the back, with his head in his book. Since the events in the cafeteria he had hardly looked up. Even in the hallways between classes he had kept his head low, and silently prayed to the gods he wouldn't bump straight into Berkley.

Five minutes after the class had started she arrived.

“
Leaf, you're late—again.”

She didn't answer the teacher. Jay watched her walk to the back of the class and plunk herself down at the vacant desk next to his. He looked up at the teacher. A balding, middle-aged man with bad teeth. The way he was grinning was just plain creepy. What was he so proud about?

When the final bell rang, the whole class burst into a rapid scurry for the exit. The room was quickly vacated, except for two students.

Jay remained seated. So did Leaf. He turned to her, and said, “I'm really sorry about today. I was told it was the Art room, really.”

“
And,” she asked, “Did you see any Art there?”

The question shocked him. “I—I saw a—”

“
A Red Fox?”

He leaned back in his chair. His cheeks exploded brightly.

“
Yeah, a Red Fox.”

She stood up. It seemed that she was about to leave when she paused. Someone, or something, had grabbed her attention outside. She shifted her gaze from the window back to Jay.

“
And,” she asked, “did you see its den?”

“
Sorry, what?”

She drew closer and placed her right leg onto his desk, causing her skirt to climb high on her thigh, only inches away from her panties.

“
Did you see where the Red Fox lives, in the bushes, in his hiding place?” she asked.

Jay stared at the center of her skirt.

“
Imagine it,” she said. “Picture it, dream about it—”

She placed her leg back on the floor, and smiled, but the smile wasn't directed at him. She was smiling out the window. Jay turned to see who the recipient was. As he did, every part of him went numb.

Leaf collected her things and left the room without another word. Outside the window Berkley was fuming like a bull, a wild beast with blood in his eyes. He tapped on the window, blowing his frustration between his teeth. He mouthed the words 'dead man' while running his finger slowly across his neck.

Jay jumped up, grabbed his things and raced out of the classroom. Berkley burst into a sprint, racing around the building and up the stairs. He expected to plow right into his prey, but New Guy was nowhere to be seen.

He pounded his fist into the nearest locker and exited the way he had come in.

They stood in the dark, completely silent. She had pulled him into the janitor's closet as soon as he came out of the classroom. It was a tiny room, only meant to hold a few mops; they barely fit in there. At first she had placed her hand over his mouth. Once she saw he understood what was happening, she lowered her hand to rest on his shoulder. He had instinctively wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The Red Fox was pressed hard against him.

“
Do you think he's gone?” she whispered.

“
I don't know. Is he a low, mid, or high level psychopath?”

“
Mid.”

“
Then I think we should stay in here at least a few more minutes.”

They couldn't see a thing. They could only feel.

Her hand was soft. Her body firm. Her breath warm.

He felt her lift her hand from his shoulder and place it on his cheek. She slowly slid her fingers across his mouth and gently rubbed his lips; one of her fingers penetrated his mouth and rested on the tip of his tongue. Her other hand was on his waist.

“
You're shaking,” she said.

“
There
is
someone trying to kill me, you know?”

But that wasn't why he was shaking.

“
What was all that in the classroom?” he asked.

“
An act. I just used you to get back at him. I didn't plan it, but when his stupid block head walked past the window and looked in, I couldn't help it. I had to make him pay,” she whispered.

“
Oh, great.” Jay's legs were weak with fear. “Makes sure they use that quote on my tombstone.”

“
He's a dirty cheat and a liar!”

“
He's
going to make my life miserable from now on.”

She stood on her tippy toes. Her moist lips were just a fraction away from his.

“
I'll make it up to you.”

Jay swallowed hard.

The next moment someone outside violently sprang the door open and light invaded the dark room. Jay put his hand over his face. His heart exploding with dread.

“
You're getting action in the janitor's closet on your first day? . . . You're bad, man.”

He lowered his arm and saw Rick grinning at him.

“
Don't worry, Berkley's gone.” he said. “I watched the whole thing from the end of the hallway.”

Leaf stepped out into the hallway. As she walked past Rick he looked down and stole a peak at her behind. He turned back to Jay and shook his head. “You're bad, man. Bad ass bad.”

The three of them stood alone in the hallway.

Leaf turned to Rick, “What were you doing watching us anyway?”

“
I got to patrol these hallways for an hour every afternoon. He pointed to the small School Captain badge pinned to his shirt. “Duty calls.”

“
Stalking
calls is more like it,” she replied.

“
OK, fine. I admit it. I was keeping an eye out for the new guy. God knows he needs someone looking out for him. Your boyfriend nearly ripped his head off at lunch.”

“
He's—” she moved closer to Rick and lifted her knee into his crotch, “
not
my boyfriend.”

Rick howled, although it was more for theatrical reasons. She hardly used any pressure. She had done worse to others, much worse.

The Red Fox didn't seemed fussed. She twirled once and began to stroll down the hallway.