PREVIOUS CHAPTER >>> https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46073216/
FIRST CHAPTER >>> https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46071305/

I don't really have a schedule for releasing these chapters, but I do want to release 4 and 5 together the way I released 1 and 2 together. I could've released this chapter a little earlier than I am currently releasing it, but I wanted to comb through it a few more times and edit based on a lovely critique I got on the first two chapters. To the best of my abilities, anyway. :P

GENRES and THEMES: Slice of Life, High School, Found Family, Teen, Wholesome, 1950s Setting, Friendship, Relationships, Themes of Identity, Sometimes Comedy, Sometimes Drama, Mostly Just Chill

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Chapter 3 - Day One
As the first day of Storytelling Club commences, Felix must come to terms with having to spend time around a certain orange tabby.

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Felix had nearly crashed into an enthusiastic Sarah on Tuesday morning. She'd come bouncing on her heels, bearing great news about her Storytelling Club. A last-minute sign-up to the club on Monday had given it the clear, and Sarah had stayed up late into the night, enticed by all the possibilities. But the lack of sleep certainly hadn't dampened the hyena's enthusiasm for story.

The news had been exciting to Felix, but thoughts of that upcoming afternoon got lost in the mundane swirl of classes. Mundane, that is, until Ancient World History rolled around. Ten minutes into the class, Principal Grimmark himself strode into the room. An immediate hush swept over the students.

"Ironclaw... a moment," the lion rumbled.

The sturdy old badger approached Grimmark with her head high, twirling her pointer in one hand. "Yes, sir?"

Grimmark gestured out the door with one elegant swoop of his paw. "Mrs. Olsen's fallen ill; her class this hour was left without a substitute. Your class has room to spare?"

"Yes." Ironclaw nodded. "Very well. Bring them in."

Moments later, much of the freshman class strolled into Ironclaw's room and snatched up whatever seats remained open. To Felix's disappointment, that included the desk behind him.

A familiar scruffy orange tabby sauntered his way up the narrow aisle and took that very seat--- the open seat closest to Sarah. Of course. Felix rolled his eyes. Ever since Sarah had picked up his books last week, that kid had been trailing her--- distant enough to avoid the danger zone, but close enough for Felix to realize he was around where he hadn't been before.

And he'd certainly been around. Sitting nearby at lunch; passing by Sarah's locker before every class, whether he needed to use that hallway or not; "accidentally" tripping on his shoelaces if she happened to be looking his way. The guy was smitten, but nowhere near brave enough to talk to her. Felix couldn't help but find the tabby's presence irritating.

Class proceeded as usual. For the first five minutes or so, Felix scarcely noticed a difference. The kid squirmed around quite a bit, but his movement wasn't distracting. Felix breathed a quiet sigh of relief; this could have been worse. Much worse. He knew when to count his blessings.

Though... perhaps he'd counted too soon.

Foil paper crinkled behind Felix. Within seconds, chewing. He glanced past his shoulder. Sure enough, it was the orange tabby, chowing down on a candy bar. In class. Felix sighed. Was it so hard to wait until lunch?

Felix twisted all the way back, wearing his sternest frown. He glared hard at the kid, who stared back, jaws going, innocent baby blues peering over that proper little pink nose of his. Felix raised an eyebrow. "Really, man?"

The freshman shrugged and swallowed. "I'm hungry."

Felix grunted and turned back to front. He could be patient. It was just a candy bar; the kid would be finished soon, and the rest of class would be bearable. So he'd thought.

But after the candy bar was gone, the kicking started.

THMP THMP! Left side, right side. Repeat. Repeat again, on measure.

Felix tried his best to focus on Ironclaw--- to ignore the constant bumping beneath him. The kid had been sitting still before; maybe he would sit still again?

THMP THMP!

Felix's tail began to twitch. He growled an irritated sigh. Patience...

THMP THMP!

Felix bit down hard on his lip, grinding his fangs harshly against it. He looked up at the clock.

THMP THMP!

Only half an hour until lunch. Half an hour. Felix rumbled a terse chortle. He could stand half an hour. Just a little while longer.

THMP THMP!

Felix rapped his extended claws over his other handpaw as his tail lashed. The tension rose even higher. I can handle this... I can handle this... I can handle this...

THMP THMP!

Felix snapped. He whipped around and glared hard at the startled freshman. "Do you mind?" the tomcat hissed. He pointed down at the other cat's shoes.

The kid pulled his legs back, eyes wide. "Sorry!" he squeaked. "I didn't think it was bothering you!"

"Didn't think it was--- ugh..." Felix turned back around, now thoroughly miffed. As if the lashing tail wasn't a dead giveaway.

"But... the desks are so close! I need to move around somehow!"

"Have ya tried sitting still?" Felix rumbled back.

"I can't!" the kid hissed.

"You can and you will," Felix replied, turning back around. "It's distracting when you---"

"Mueller, Peddington..." Felix whipped back to front. Ironclaw glared at them directly, tapping her pointer stick over her large index claw. "Do I need to separate you two?"

In unison, Felix replied "Yes, ma'am," while the tabby replied "No, ma'am." To Felix's dismay, Ironclaw did not tell his restless desk neighbor to find somewhere else to sit; she merely turned back around and continued her lesson on ancient Egypt. Felix shared a desperate glance with Sarah, who shrugged in response.

At least the little cat had tucked his legs underneath and wrapped his tail around his heels to keep from kicking Felix's chair. Felix sighed, cooling back down. The kid wasn't trying to be a nuissance. Felix felt a bit guilty for snapping at him; goodness knew the younger cat had to deal with all sorts of other kids who weren't nice to him. But Felix still didn't want to spend any more time around this guy than he had to--- whether for the tabby's sake, or for his own sanity.

At least, he thought, after today, he wouldn't have to put up with this silly orange cat for another second.

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At 3:00, Felix and Sarah trudged up the tallest hill of Harvey Park. The August weather whisked a comfortable breeze through Sarah's loose raven ponytail. Her deep blue hair scarf fluttered behind her, rippling like ocean waves. Felix squared his shoulders and pulled his weighty bag further over his back, puffing a sigh; he'd catch up with her eventually.

Sarah turned around and began to walk backwards, smirking quizzically. "Come on, running back. I know you can move faster than that," she teased.

Felix picked up his pace, chuckling. "You're putting me to shame," he joked.

The hyena grinned. "This is so... exciting, you know?" Sarah turned back around and jogged over the top of the hill, leaving Felix behind.

He trudged up after her; the tomcat couldn't help but smile for her enthusiasm. Sarah stood by the giant oak, one hand on its broad trunk. She inhaled the fresh air. "Aah. This spot is perfect."

Felix strolled up beside her, hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Great spot," he agreed. The oak's thick canopy provided a comfortable shady spot to sit down, relax, read, or chat with friends. The hill had quite a view too; it rose up a grassy stretch, just short of the playground, and overlooked both sides of the park. Even the school was visible in the distance. Felix smiled, wistful. "I used to come up here to read a lot during summer."

Sarah tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"I used to read on the slide when I was younger. After rainy days, when there weren't too many kids on the playground." He slipped off his backpack and plopped it in the grass. "But one day I left my book up there for a few minutes, so I could go swing. Some other little kid went up there and pushed my book down the slide, right into a puddle." He chuckled, lowering himself down between two large roots--- a perfect little nook in the middle of that massive trunk. "After that, I only read up here, in this very spot."

Sarah kicked off her shoes and sat down beside Felix, loosely folding her black-spotted legs. "You'll have to tell me more of your life stories," she said, wrestling off one little sock. She tossed it away to join her shoes, beaming. "I like hearing them. I bet you've got some stories about sledding on this hill, too. Looks like a great spot for it."

Felix nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Oo! We should do that! Once it snows." Sarah yanked off her other sock. "We didn't have any big hills in Ravenfield. I've never been sledding, but I've always wanted to try it."

"Well... I outgrew my sled years ago," Felix admitted, rubbing his neck. "It's been in the garage since I was twelve. I thought about selling it, but..." He shrugged. "Sentiment, I guess."

"You could always get a new one," said Sarah.

Felix chuckled. "Nah. Can't spare the allowance." He took a peek down the hill, in the direction of the school. Then he checked his wristwatch. It was 3:05--- already five minutes past when club was supposed to begin. His whitestruck brow knit. "There's supposed to be three of us, right?"

"Yep," answered Sarah, scooting back toward the oak. "There has to be, or we wouldn't even be here to talk about it." She settled down close to Felix, bare feetpaws now stretched out in front.

Felix's frown tightened. "Well, they're late, whoever they are."

Sarah sighed. "We'll give them a few more minutes," she said, toying with her pencil. "It's only day one. Maybe they got lost."

Felix sat back, sighing. He supposed he could wait a few more minutes. He and Sarah waited, silent with expectation for that mysterious third clubber. This kid sure was taking his or her sweet time, Felix thought. He knew he shouldn't grumble--- Mom had scolded him about his bad habit enough times to get that through his head--- and he really was grateful to spend some time alone with Sarah, friend to friend. But showing up to club on time couldn't be that hard, could it?

Another five minutes passed. After checking her watch, Sarah finally smiled at Felix and leaned back against the tree. "Well... it looks like it might just be you and me."

Felix sighed. "Yeah... yeah, it just might."

Seconds later, Felix heard pawsteps pounding through the grass. Heavy panting, too. Both he and Sarah peered down the hill. A familiar scrawny figure ran toward them, bookbag slung over one shoulder as he huffed and puffed along. "Sorry I'm late!" he called out.

Oh no... not him. Felix didn't think he could handle doing club with that kid. That little cat had done nothing but make a pest of himself, and he certainly didn't seem the type to be into creative fiction. Yet here he was, pounding his way toward them, hollering at them with that high-pitched, ear-grinding voice of his.

Felix prepared for the worst.

The tabby reached the tree and planted his hand on it, leaning his full weight (which wasn't much) into the trunk as he panted, his fluffy, spotted face now red as a beet. "Made it!" he huffed. He clutched at his stomach, still breathing heavily. "Oh man... I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Felix rolled his eyes. The hill wasn't even that steep.

The kid caught his breath, then eyeballed the area. "Sir... Miss." He nodded to both Felix and Sarah. Then his expression, formerly cool and casual, turned sour with some unpleasant realization. "Hey... where is everyone? Am I early?"

"Actually, you're late." Sarah chuckled softly. "Are you in the right club?"

"Yeah," Felix chipped in. "This is everyone."

"Oh." The orange cat shifted his weight onto his opposite foot, pawing his right ear. "So, this isn't... Storytelling Club?"

"Oh no, it is!" Sarah burst. She sprang to her feet and held out her paw to the still-mortified tabby. "My name is Sarah, and this is my friend Felix. We thought we were gonna be the only ones today."

The young cat, now flustered, hesitantly reached out one large, bony orange handpaw to shake, as if nervous to touch a member of the opposite sex. Sarah took the initiative and shook his paw, beaming. "We're glad you came."

"Uh... thanks." The tabby cleared his throat. "My name is... Liam. Liam Peddington."

Boy, if that didn't sound like an uptown name, Felix didn't know what did. It was certainly not the sort of name he'd expected from such a skinny, shabby-looking fellow. Shabby, with the exception of his perfectly-shined brown shoes, which stood out against his otherwise thread-battered and ill-fitting attire. Felix half-wondered who'd bought him such snappy kicks.

Sarah smiled. "All right, Liam. What brings you to Storytelling Club?"

Liam rubbed his ear, gaze falling. "Well, someone told me this club had a lot of people signed up for it. That's why I joined. I just wanted to hang back and goof around. I'm not a writer." He sighed morosely and sat down on the grass. "Guess I'm stuck here now."

Sarah and Felix exchanged worried, irritated glances. Sarah spoke first. "O...K. Well... do you at least like to read?"

Liam shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Favorite books?"

"Ummm..." Liam's brow knit. "Fairy tales? Comic books? Yeah... yeah, I do like comic books." A smile lit up his face.

"See? You do have an imagination," said Sarah. She sat down across from Felix and Liam, handpaws folded in her lap. "It's a start."

Liam began to rock back and forth, crushing his handpaws together so tightly that his pink fingerpads turned white. "So... what's next? Whaddo we do here? Ooh!" He threw his paws apart and smacked them back together again. "Next time we should have snacks!"

Felix couldn't fault him there. Any after-school activity needed to involve snacks.

"Let's have our first meeting first," said Sarah. "Then we can worry about next time."

"Oh! Yeah... right." Liam cleared his throat. "You're right, of course."

But Sarah thought about it for a moment. She picked up her little notepad and her pencil. "Actually, let's get that out of the way first. Ideas for future meetings." She scribbled down 'snacks'. "Felix? You got any ideas?"

"Uh..." Felix shrugged. "We could do a chat about science fiction. Take trips to see new movies, and... I guess, discuss how good the writing was."

"Oooo! I like it! I love movies," Liam squeaked, bouncing up and down. "We can even get popcorn! I'll pay!"

"We'll probably save that for a later club, once we all know each other a bit better," said Sarah, pencil going. "I've got some thoughts of my own... just let me write those down..."

"OK... OK." Liam squirmed... and squirmed. And played with his shoelaces. And his sleeves. And his ascot. And his tail. And picked at the grass--- all within the couple of minutes it took Sarah to jot down a few thoughts. He let out a sigh. "Saaaaraaaaaah..."

"Just a few more things, Liam. It won't take all day."

"It's already taken all day!" Liam groaned. "I'm bored!"

"Patience, Liam. Do you know the word?" Felix raised an irked eyebrow.

Liam groaned even louder and collapsed into the grass, arms spread apart. Felix bit down a growl. Liam should've signed up for the Drama Club instead; he'd done nothing but put on a show thus far. He certainly wasn't making himself useful.

"Why don't you make some suggestions instead of whining?"

"Hmm..." Liam seemed to think Felix's recommendation over, drumming his handpaws on the ground. "We should bring blankets next time; this grass is kinda scratchy. And we should have chalk."

Felix folded his arms, eying Liam questioningly. "Why chalk?"

"So we can play sidewalk games after club!" Liam shot back up, beaming brightly at Felix. "We could play hopscotch, or shuffleboard... um. Do you guys know how to play shuffleboard?"

Sarah shook her head. "Liam, we're here to talk about creative writing. Not to play games."

"I know! I said after club! We can hang after club's over, can't we?"

Felix cringed at the thought.

Sarah blinked. "Uh... sure."

Liam rubbed his paws together, grinning. "Great! I love it already!"

Felix couldn't have disagreed more.

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