The Sun Is Always Shining
Part 1: Sunrise

 The cool water flowed around him, keeping his body heat in check as he tried to relax. The short coyote lay on his back, floating lazily about the deep end of the public pool with his eyes closed. He could hear vibrations through the water around him, signifying the difficulty that the rest of the patrons of the pool were having with the task of swimming. That's why he stayed at the deep end; the others were not confident enough swimmers to venture out to where he floated. He opened his eyes and righted himself, treading water for a few moments as he looked around. He noticed how empty the pool was for how hot a day it was.
 'Interesting...' he thought, 'I'm surprised that there aren't more people here. Normally this place is bustling with activity.' The heat must have been keeping most of the townsfolk indoors, seeing as how the summer temperature was more brutal than it normally was. Never did he think that their northwestern community would ever get warm enough for that, but now that he was thinking about it he was sure that was the reason. He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall and shrugged, diving under the water and darting forward to the wall of the pool. It didn't bother him much. Unlike most of the community, he and his family had relatively short fur comparatively, seeing as how they were a bit more accustomed to the hotter temperatures. Slightly shorter darkish gray fur did little to help, but the airflow wasn't stopped by it, and hardly ever did he find himself overheating. More often than not, when the weather did start to grow warmer, though, his energy would leave him, and he'd find himself eating more and drinking more coffee to replace the energy he'd lose.
 Hoisting himself up on the side, he leaned back and grabbed his towel off the edge of the chair he had laid it on. He hung it about his shoulders, letting the water drip off of his body. He ran a paw over the white patch of fur on his chest, smoothing it down a little bit. 'Geez Sunnington, where does all your time go. You've only been here an hour.' He glanced up at the clock again, watching the second hand idly circle. Four o' clock. He was supposed to be home by seven. Despite the fact that he had originally planned on spending the whole day in the water, he really didn't feel the same conviction to remain there anymore. 'Guess the summer spirit is having its way with my brain too, this year.' Heaving a heavy sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and let himself drip again for a few seconds, taking a moment to make sure his tailtip was raised off of the grimy ground. He didn't want it getting any dirtier than it already was.
 After making his way to the bathroom, he threw a glance towards the open shower area, pleased to find it empty like the rest of the bathroom. 'I guess there is a good thing about not as many people being out.' He stepped over to the showerhead in the corner of the room and turned on the water, stripping off his dark blue swim trunks  he rinsed. 'Means that there aren't as many people taking up all the warm water in here.' He chuckled to himself with the thought and let the lukewarm water stream its way through his fur, relaxing the muscles in his back and legs. He heard the door to the bathroom swing open and he glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of a tall, slender ferret who looked to be about his age limping into the room. 'Funny, not many ferrets around this area of the country.' Another chuckle found its way out of his throat, a quieter one this time. 'Then again, I'm a bit of an oddity in these parts as well.' He ignored the other presence for the time being and continued washing the pool chemicals out of his fur until he heard another shower turn on. Again he turned to look over his shoulder and this time saw the ferrret standing beneath the cascading water with a paw planted against the wall, presumably to assist him with balance. The ferret's head was bowed and his eyes were closed, the position sparking some curiosity in the back of his mind.
 He had never really got a chance to see a ferret up close, which when he thought about it sounded like a strange thing to think. Suddenly he felt like one of those birdwatchers on TV, observing a new specimen they hadn't seen before. But even so, the boy's body structure and build seemed somewhat different than he had expected. Maybe it's because most of the people around town were otters, wolves, or raccoons; he was just used to a more robust body type with the people he talked to, but he wasn't sure that was it.
 Tall, slender, and lanky, the ferret looked to be somewhat athletic, though the coyote couldn't tell what sport just from the boy's build. If he had to guess, he would say that he was a swimmer, mainly because, well, they were at a pool. That was what most of the thinner students at his school did if they did anything athletic, though he personally didn't involve himself in any organized events like that. As the coyote examined the structure of the boy, he couldn't help but admire how the boy looked as well. He remained covered by a tight black swim suit, the article posing as a strip of black against the otherwise white fur that the ferret had running from the lower part of his muzzle down to the triangles pointing towards the ground on the inside of either thigh. The remainder of the boy's silky looking fur was a light brown, from ear to tail tip and his nose matched the black of his swimsuit.
 After studying the ferret for longer than he needed to, he shook his head and shut off the shower in front of him, chastising himself for staring at another boy like that. Yeah, he liked to meet new people, especially new species that he normally didn't get a chance to meet, but he hadn't even said a word to the boy, and he felt as if he had just been 'checking him out.' His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, so he hid it by walking over to the other side of the room to where the personal drier stalls were stationed. Pausing outside of one, he closed his eyes and shook his entire body, flinging the excess water from his fur in every direction. 'You know you aren't that way, Sunnington, you don't have to feel embarrassed like that. It was for future reference, so you can work your word magic when you inevitably talk to him.' He said to himself, as if he needed to convince himself of the fact. Why he needed to convince himself of something he was sure of, though, brought another pause to his thoughts. After shaking the thought from his mind, he stepped into one of the stalls and closed the door, hanging up his towel over the top of said door. He smacked the low placed start button with his foot and closed his eyes again as the hot air roared to life, rushing through his damp fur. He growled softly and flicked his tail up into the air with a smile, enjoying the feeling as always. He really did love swimming, which was a bit odd for a coyote, but these driers were one of the reasons he enjoyed this pool so much. It was a little farther away from his house than the Firvan pool, but Firvan didn't have driers like Greenwood did, so it was well worth the extra distance. He stood in the drier room until the dull roar of the blowers quieted, the air flow slowing until it stopped and only then did he open the door. The ferret was still in the same position he had been in when the coyote had walked past him, which did spark a small bit of worry in the canid.
 He shook his head again and turned to the lockers, approaching the one he had claimed as his in the many times he was there and opening it. He grabbed his dry clothes out of the locker and looked back at the ferret one more time, the new angle allowing him to see the boy's face. To his surprise, the expression on the ferret's face was one of pain, and he wasn't sure whether it was just the water, or if he cold see a few tears running down the boy's snout. He didn't like seeing anyone upset, or hurt, so this threw his thoughts down the worrying path, which was fairly normal for him. Setting down his clothes, he strode slowly over to the ferret and tentatively placed a paw on his shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. 
 The ferret jumped ever so slightly with the touch and whipped around to stare at the coyote, the taller, thinner boy shivering as he stood against the wall. "I-I'm  sorry... I didn't think there was anyone else in here..."
 'He's not as attentive as I am, I suppose. Either that or he must really be hurt.' The coyote shook his head again with a warm smile. "It's perfectly alright. You just looked like something was wrong. Are you okay?" he asked again.
 A shake of the ferret's head gave him his answer. "I will be, but I need to get home and I can barely stand as it is... one of the little ones out there tripped me and I hurt my ankle pretty bad." He turned his head to look over at the driers, his expression telling the coyote that the boy was avoiding his gaze deliberately.
 He walked back over to his clothes and started to pull on a pair of dark blue boxer briefs as he continued speaking. "Tough break, I suppose. The little terrors never do seem to watch where they're going, unless you scare them too much for them to go near you." He chuckled a little bit and then pulled on a pair of khaki shorts, grabbing his red t-shirt and slinging it over his shoulder. "Don't see many ferrets around here, so they wouldn't be too frightened of you, to be certain." He strode over to the door and smiled back to the ferret. "Name's Vryshall. Vryshall Sunnington, but you can call me Sunny. Nice to meet you."
 The ferret gave a weak smile as he turned to watch the coyote. "I'm Erin Brisit. Guess I'll see you around...?" He didn't seem too convinced of the fact.
 Vryshall laughed again and shrugged. "I'm here pretty often in the summer, so if you come here again then you probably will!" The coyote exited the bathroom with a parting wave and navigated through the eerily empty rec center to the exit, putting a paw up to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he left the building. Something bothered him about leaving the ferret hurt like that and not offering help, and he realized that he didn't know if the boy had gotten a ride to the pool or if he took the bus as well. He let the thought roll around in his head as he walked out to the sidewalk, but then dismissed it, figuring that if the boy rode the bus, then Vryshall would have seen him before that day.
 'Where to now...' He looked around for a second before starting off down the street, spying a small coffee shop a little ways down the road. As he walked, he slipped his shirt on over his somewhat athletic form, straightening it out as he pulled it down over his shoulders. The walk wasn't far, but the heat was taxing even for him, and by the time he reached the coffeeshop he was feeling the energy leeching from his muscles. As he approached the counter, the fox behind the register looked up and smiled. "Heya Sunny, how's it going?"
 Vryshall grinned at the vixen and let his paws rest on the counter, his tail swaying a little bit as he spoke. "Going pretty well, Laura. Just needed a boost after swimming today."
 Laura giggled and nodded, tapping a few keys on the register. "So the usual? Or did you want to try something new?"
 He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and shrugged. "The usual sounds good. Add a little something extra in it, though. Surprise me." He flashed her one of his biggest grins and she giggled again, hitting a few more keys before turning around to make his drink.
 "Something extra it is, I think you'll enjoy this one." Her tail swished back and forth just above the ground as she worked, whistling a little tune to herself. As usual,  Vryshall found himself staring and he shook his head, scolding himself silently. After a few moments, she turned back to the counter and slid a cup across it, all the while smiling at the coyote. "Here you go, Sunny. Have a good one!"
 He smiled back as he grabbed the cup, wrapping one paw around the heat guard and tossing a few bills and change onto the counter with the other. He turned around and waved over his shoulder as he walked out the door. "You too Laura. Take care!" He pushed the door open and continued down the road, spying his bus stop in the distance. As he walked, he sipped gingerly at the coffee, curious as to what the vixen had slipped into his drink this time. As the warm liquid slid over his tongue, he could taste a vague hint of raspberry in the drink and he smiled again, slowing down his pace as he drew nearer to the bus stop. "Always something new..."
  He looked up from his drink as he arrived at the stop and he halted suddenly, seeing the ferret boy from earlier sitting at the stop, holding his head in his paws. 'Well there went my assumptions, now I feel like a jerk. Knew I should have offered to help him out.' Vryshall took the last few steps forward and shoved his free hand into the pocket of his shorts. "Well hey there stranger."
 At the sound of the coyote's voice, Erin whipped his head up and managed a pained smile. "H-hey there Sunny. I didn't expect to see you again so soon." His smile vanished and he turned his head back to stare at the ground between his feet. "You take the bus too?" 
 Vryshall nodded slowly and took another sip of his coffee, shifting his weight to his right foot where he stood. "Yeah, the public transit system here isn't all that bad, and the drivers all know me. It's an entertaining way to travel, I suppose. Didn't think that you did though. With how much I ride the bus I would figure I'd have seen you before now if you did." A strange feeling welled up in him, which didn't surprise him as much as the fact that he just explained his entire thought process to the boy. He never did that, it was part of his 'word magic' that most people experienced when he talked to them. Once more, he pushed the thought away to give it more attention later. He cocked his head to the side and threw a glance towards the ferret's foot. "How's the ankle feeling?"
 Erin shook his head and crossed his arms on his knees. "Still pretty bad. Not really sure how I was able to make it all the way down here." He dropped his head into his paws again and winced, reaching down to rub his left ankle.
 Vryshall frowned and flicked his tail out to the side, staring up the street to watch for the bus. "That's no good. Think you can make it on the bus okay? I can lend a shoulder if you need it." He extended a paw towards the boy as the bus rumbled up the road. "Don't want you collapsing on the stairs now do we?" He chuckled quietly and gave the ferret a smile.
 Erin twitched his ears and hesitantly took the offered paw, pushing down on it to help him stand up from the bench. He winced as he put weight on his foot. "Th-thanks."
 Vryshall tossed Erin's arm over his shoulder and helped the boy to the curb, then up the steps of the bus when its doors opened for them. He tossed his empty coffee cup  into the trash can at the front as he passed and smiled at the driver. "No trouble at all. Not many people around here are as kind as I'd like. The drivers are all pretty cool, but you can't count on most of the other people to help when you need it." He assisted Erin into the first seat and made sure he was fine before taking the seat next to the boy. "So you live just outside town? Or...?" He phrased the question as passively as he could, trying to seem as if he were just making idle conversation. 
 The ferret nodded at the question and sighed. "Yeah, me and my family have a house just over the river. The bus doesn't quite go that far so I usually walk it..." He trailed  off and glanced at his ankle, letting out another sigh. "It isn't far, but it's still going to be hard." 
 Vryshall smiled to himself as he watched the ferret, his tail twitching playfully. "I can help you home if you need it. I wasn't planning on being home until seven anyway." His sapphire eyes sparkled a little as his inward smile turned into an outward grin.
 Erin turned to look at him and his emerald eyes lit up. "W-would you? I didn't want to ask... but I appreciate it a lot!" Vryshall could see the boy's cheeks redden ever so slightly as  he spoke and it made him chuckle again. "So where do you live, if y-you don't mind me asking?" The ferret actually looked excited now, perhaps thinking he had found a new friend.
 Vryshall waved a paw in the air dismissively, but answered the question anyway. "Oh, I live just on this side of the river. Family's house is on the bank. Pretty nice place but it gets really boring there. Not much I care to do at home, so I'm usually away." He gave an exaggerated sigh. "But sister dearest always wants me home for dinner, so I can't let her down, y'know?" He paused for a moment, but the ferret said  nothing. "So you go to Greenwood PS?" He decided to change the subject, hoping to start a real conversation with the boy. He was fishing, trying to find a way to get the boy to open up more than just the shy exterior he was putting on. 
 He nodded and twitched his tail a little. "Yeah, but I don't really know anybody there. I just transferred from the private school in the middle of the year because my mom lost her job and couldn't afford it anymore. It's not as friendly as Firvan Day School though." He looked down again and Vryshall dropped his gaze as well.
 "That's for sure. It's a pretty inhospitable place if you don't know anyone or if they decide you're different." Vryshall shook his head with a grunt. "Bunch of rabid savages is what they are. Most of them don't even know who Lewis Carrol is." He cast a sidelong glance at Erin and caught the ferret giving him an incredulous look. Perfect. The boy looked like a more knowledgable sort than most of the others at the school so he had thrown the name out there to get a response just like that. His earlier trepidation about why he had explained his thoughts all but disappeared as he returned to his normal speaking routines.
 "You've read Lewis Carrol's books? That's incredible! I didn't think that anyone in this town read anything like that." The ferret's skinny tail started wagging back and forth slowly in his excitement. "What else do you do for fun?"
 Vryshall tilted his head up and looked at the roof of the bus thoughtfully, counting out activites on his paws. "Well, I swim, a lot. I do a little bit of writing and drawing but nothing too stellar ever comes of it. I walk around a good deal and just talk to people. Almost everyone in the town knows me, or someone in my family. If they don't, they know someone who does!" He laughed heartily and shook his head again. "I like to talk more than I should, so if I ever start rambling, just give me a nice hard elbow to the ribs." He winked at the ferret, who promptly dropped his gaze to the floor again.
 Erin pawed idly at the floor he was staring at as he voiced another question. "What kind of things do you write about?" His ears twitched slightly.
 "Oh you know, this and that. I write just about everything from poetry to novels, mainly fantasy or science fiction, though I'll occasionally dabble in articles for the paper and a random movie review or the like. Not too terribly exciting if you ask me, but it keeps me busy for the most part." Without thinking, he started tapping his paw against his knee to the music that he had running through his head all day. His mind was working on its own to bring up new topics for him to talk about. "And I absolutely adore music. Normally I'd have some kind of music playing wherever I go but I had to rely on my mental playlist for today." He tapped the side of his head as he said that last bit for emphasis, which made Erin laugh as well.
 "Mental playlist? Th-that sounds handy," he commented. "What kind of music do you listen to?" He kept the questions rolling in this fashion as they passed the time on the bus until the driver caught their attention. Vryshall had fallen far enough into simply answering the questions and enjoying the conversation to realize that he wasn't the one getting information anymore, but was instead giving it
 "Here's your stop, Sunny," the driver said with a smile.
 "Thanks Andy, always a smooth ride." Vryshall said back as he helped Erin to his feet again, supporting him as they stepped off the bus. "Have a good day, man!" The coyote threw the comment over his shoulder to the otter bus driver as the doors closed behind them and the bus drove off. Turning back to Erin, he gave a smile and nudged the ferret's side, motioning for the boy to drape his arm around him again. "You ready?"
 Erin nodded and looped his arm around the shorter coyote's neck. "Yessir. Like I said, it's not far." He pointed over to the hill on the other side of the bridge they were in front of. "About halfway up."
 Vryshall grinned and started walking forward, making sure to hold up the light ferret as they walked. For the first few moments they walked in silence, making slow progress forward as they walked alongside the road over the wide river. After the silence got a bit too much for him to handle, he cleared his throat and spoke up. "So do you have a very big family?" 
 "N-not really. It's me and my parents and my older brother, but he's hardly ever home because of college. It's not a very big house though, so it gets a little crowded even without him there. I have my own room though, so I don't mind it, I guess." He looked off over the side of the bridge at the flowing water beneath, sighing quietly. "I'm not there very often, though. My mom doesn't like me being out as much as I am, but she stresses me out so much that I usually end up down here by the river to clear my head."
 Vryshall nodded slowly and flicked his ears out to the sides of his head. "Understandable. Honestly, parents these days worry about their kids too much. You seem like a fairly responsible lad, so I'm not too sure what she's worried about." He caught the gaze of the ferret out of the corner of his eye and winked at him. "Though I also find myself down by the river more times than I can count when I need to think." The coyote chuckled quietly and looked up, watching the clouds as they drifted lazily across the sky. "It's one of the few beauties about this town."
 He could feel Erin shift a little bit as he nodded his agreement, then felt a bit of heat radiating from the boy's face, imagining that the ferret was blushing yet again. 'This guy is more than just a species oddity here. He seems so frightened and withdrawn from the world. I wonder if it's more than just his mom that stresses him out.' Vryshall's mind began to grind out possibilities with the new fuel for thought as the boy spoke up. "So what about your family?"
 Another laugh sounded from Vryshall's throat as he shook his head. "My family is completely nuts, but I love them. I share a room with my older sister and my two younger  brothers have a room right down the hall from me. My dad works most of the time and my mom left a while back, just after my youngest brother was born, so my sis fills in for that role when she can. We get by pretty well, though the cubs ask about mom every now and again." He smiled wide and lightly nudged the ferret's side. "Remember how I said I know just about everyone in town? Yeah, that comes from my dad. He'll talk your ear off better than anyone this side of the county. If you ask around about the name Sunnington, you'll probably get a smile or a laugh out of whoever you ask." He flicked his tail towards the street with a quiet snort of amusement. "I find it perfectly entertaining to be honest."
 Erin nodded again. "It sure sounds like it. I'm not really the talkative type, usually. I guess I just don't really have anyone to talk to." He laughed quietly and reached up with his free paw to scratch the back of his head. "This is actually the most I've talked since I transferred schools."
 Vryshall shared in the laugh and adjust the ferret's arm around his shoulders, starting to walk a little faster as they reached the other side of the bridge. "Maybe it's a good thing! I couldn't imagine what it would be like to not talk a lot. It's just what I do, all day every day. Even my job has me talking more than your average person." 
 Erin made an interesting noise at the word 'job.' "You have a job? Lucky! I haven't been able to get hired anywhere. What do you do?"
 "Oh, I work for the fast food joint right down the road at the drive through window. Such interesting people come through there! It's a lot less boring than you might think." Vryshall's tail started wagging as he spoke. "During the summer I work the morning shift, so I have to get up real early. I don't mind though, it gives me time to do things in the afternoon before dinner and I get free food if I want it. Besides, it pays a little above minimum wage and the people are tolerable. Manager's a jerk, but we don't complain." 
 Erin struggled a little bit after they had started up the hill and he stopped, tugging on Vryshall's shoulder to stop with him. "Hold on a minute. This hill is getting  difficult for me." He winced and bent over at the waist, panting lightly.
 Vryshall squatted down and pointed to his back. "I could carry you the rest of the way if you want. It doesn't bother me any." He gave the ferret his warmest smile as he spoke.
 Erin glanced away and flicked his ears in acknowledgement. "S-sure, that sounds like a g-good idea..." The shyness in his voice came back as he responded.
 Vryshall turned around and stayed crouched down, flicking his tail to the side to motion the boy to get on his back. Erin looped his arms around the coyote's neck and wrapped his legs around his waist before the canid stood up once more, beginning to walk up the hill again. The extra warmth on his body made the heat that much more taxing, but he was expecting it. "There we go. That easier on your ankle?" He chuckled a little. 
 Erin squeaked once as they started moving. "Y-yeah, much better. Th-thank you."
 "Not a problem at all. So which house is yours?" Vryshall started jogging, moving up the hill at a faster pace than they were before. 
 Erin pointed up a few blocks at a short, red brick house with a black tile roof. "That one. N-nothing too impressive, but it's home." Vryshall nodded and trotted up the hill, panting a little bit as the heat started to take its toll on him again.
 As he approached the house, he started to slow down little by little, making his way up the front walkway to the door before crouching down again to let the ferret off of his back. "Here we are. Hope you have a good day!" He turned and started to walk away but Erin stopped him.
 "D-do you want to come in for a little b-bit? You said you d-didn't have to be home for another two hours, r-right?" He looked down shyly as he spoke, his thin tail twitching about behind him in apparent nervousness.
 "Well I don't see any harm in hanging around for a few." He shrugged and followed the ferret in the front door. 
 As soon as they entered the door, Erin called out, "Mom, we have company!" He padded across the gray carpet into a sparsely furnished living room. There were two couches and a lounge chair set up around a fireplace, and a slightly older looking brown ferret sat in the chair reading a book. "Oh, there you are. This is Vryshall, I met him at the pool today."
 Vryshall offered her his widest smile, like he did for Laura earlier that day. "Nice to meetcha Misses Brisit. I live right down the road from you guys." 
 She smiled back kindly and then looked to Erin. "You were limping as you came in. What happened?"
 Erin looked down at the floor and pawed at the carpet as he spoke. "I was at Greenwood and I hurt my ankle. That's really the only reason Vryshall is here, he helped me home." His cheeks flushed red and his tail pressed against the back of his leg.
 Vryshall waved a hand in the air to dismiss the statement. "It wasn't a big deal, Erin. I'm just glad I got to meet someone new! Always a brighter day with new friends." He laughed a little until he realized that neither of the two ferrets seemed to share his enthusiasm. Mrs. Brisit was glaring at Erin and Erin was staring intently at the floor, like he was searching for something to say to his mom that would quell her visible displeasure. "Umm... soo..." Vryshall scratched the back of his head as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying not to be too intrusive on the tension in the room. The air was thick with it and it was almost stifling. 'So this is why he goes to the river. I couldn't live in this kind of atmosphere, though I doubt she's always like this.'
 Erin shook his head and glanced up, forcing a smile as he looked to the coyote. He grabbed Vryshall's paw and padded quickly from the living room, half dragging the confused canid through the house to what he guessed was the ferret's bedroom. "I-I'll have to talk to her later, I guess. I think I'm in trouble again." Erin closed the door behind them and then jumped onto his bed. He lay there, staring at the ceiling much like he had been watching the floor just a few moments earlier. "She's angry that I went somewhere without telling her again. I just wish she'd leave me alone sometimes."
 Vryshall nodded slowly and shoved his paws into his pockets again. Erin had lost his shy demeanor when speaking to his mom just then, and though he didn't realize it at the time, Vryshall would remember it later.  "Yeah, I know the feeling. My sis bothers me about all the wandering around I do too. It can get really old really quick."
 Erin agreed quickly and then let out a soft sigh. "But yeah, this is my room. Nothing spectacular, but it's cozy at least."
 Vryshall looked around the room, his eyes roving from the bare, dark blue walls to the likewise coloured bed, then to the sturdy looking oak desk with a computer tower and monitor sitting at the center of it. There was a closet taking up most of the wall right inside the door, but aside from that the room was fairly empty. No posters adorning the walls, no papers strewn about the desk or dresser, no remnants of a childhood past hanging from the ceiling or on the shelves that should be there, but weren't. It seemed somewhat eerie at first, but then something started poking at the back of Vryshall's mind. He decided that he liked the room as it was, despite what it seemed to be lacking. It held a strange comfort that he didn't get in his room. "Sure seems cozy. I like it. More spacious than my room, that's for certain. Mine's crowded with all of my sister's stuff." He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded in approval, his tail swaying about just above the floor.
 Erin sat up and tilted his head to the side as he pretended to look around the room, but not doing so well at it as Vryshall could tell that the ferret was staring at him. The boy cleared his throat and stammered out a few words. "S-sorry that there's not much to do here, I guess you can see why I'm not around all that much." He lifted his arm into the air and motioned just generally around the room. "This is what I do all day. Usually I have a sketch pad or I'm on my computer or I'm sleeping. It gets really boring really fast."
 Vryshall shrugged and uncrossed his arms again, walking over to one of the two windows in the room and staring out it. "Honestly though, you have a great view of both the town and the river from here. I'm jealous. My house isn't high enough up to get a good look at the town itself. And it sounds like you walk around the river more often than not and it's not boring at all down there, I know that for a fact. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around the river bank, to be truthful. That's kind of, well, where I live for one, but I spend almost every waking moment I'm not in town walking along the water."
 Erin was quiet for a moment, and Vryshall looked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of an embarrassed look that quickly vanished from the boy's features. "Yeah, I guess I just wander different parts of it then you do or something. It is a little strange, though." The room grew quiet again as the two thought over the situation for a moment. 
 Vryshall turned from the window and forced his paws into his pockets as he flicked his tail about idly. "Well, I should probably be getting back to my house, so my sis doesn't have a conniption over me being gone so late. I told her seven but she'll be expecting me back by at least five, and it's..." he pulled out his phone and hit a button on the side, making the screen light up with the time. "Five thirty now. She'll probably be calling me any minute now, freaking out." As if to prove his point, his phone started buzzing in his paw and he chuckled, flipping it open and saying, "Hey sis."
 "Where on God's green earth are you, Vryshall? I thought I told you to be home by five! You're half an hour late already!" His sister's voice was strained, as usual.
 "Okay 'mom.' I already said that I would be home for dinner, jeez. I met a new friend at the pool and am about to head home. I'm just up the hill, so it won't be long." He looked over to Erin, who was watching him carefully and he rolled his eyes, making the ferret grin. "And by the way, shouldn't you be bothering Trin? He hasn't been home in two days!"
 "Let me worry about your brother! He's going to be in enough trouble as it is, I don't need to have you staying out without telling me too!" Her voice cracked and Vryshall could imagine her standing on the back porch, yelling at her phone as she stared at the river. "Get home now!" 
 He shook his head with a smile and chuckled. "If you say so sis. See you soon." He snapped the phone shut with an exaggerated sigh. "She acts so much like a mother, I swear." 
 Erin laughed as well and gave the coyote an interesting look. "So you need to go home?"
 He nodded and walked over to the door. "Yeah, I put her through enough as it is. It was fun though, we'll have to do it again sometime. Maybe even sometime soon!" He put his paw on the doorknob to open it and Erin jumped up and followed him out to the front door, standing on the porch as Vryshall padded down the front walk. As the coyote glanced over his shoulder one last time, Erin lit up briefly and he called out. "Hold on! Can I get your phone number?" he looked embarrassed again for a second before rattling off an explanation. "So that we can plan something easier." 
 Vryshall called out a string of numbers over his shoulder and held up a paw, waving it a little. "See you around!" He broke into a jog as soon as he got to the sidewalk, moving quickly down the hill to the bridge. As he started crossing the bridge, he turned his head to stare out over the flowing water below, letting out a pleased rumble. He hadn't felt this excited in quite a long time. He paused for a moment, suddenly confused as to why he was so pleased with the day. 'I usually feel good after helping someone, but this is different. Strange...' He cocked his head to the side and leaned against the railing of the bridge, thinking for a moment. 'Is it Erin? Yeah he seems like a cool kid, but I shouldn't be that happy for a new friend. Even stranger.' Giving a shrug, he started jogging again. "I'll figure it out eventually." He pushed it out of his mind and simply enjoyed himself. The strangeness of his actions over the day were hardly even registering to him right then, but he knew that they would start to bother him in a few hours, or even over the next few days. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with himself when they did. Even so, he didn't let it bother him, and continued on in his unexplained pleasant mood. 
 It didn't take long for him to get back to his house, which also provided some weird feeling of happiness in him that he ignored as well, and he pushed open the front door with a yell of, "Sis, I'm home!" He glimpsed a flash of green just before he was knocked off of his feet as something quite heavy collided with him. He promptly fell to the soft carpeted floor with a quiet thud, the wind rushing out of him for a brief second. It was his youngest brother, Ceran. "Shhhhh! She's in one of her 'moods' again. Come with me," he whispered, quickly darting off into the next room. Vryshall tilted his head in curiosity but followed the smaller coyote quickly, matching his pace with ease. They made their way through the house to the basement stairs and quicky descended them, closing the door quietly as they entered the stairwell. Once they got to the basement, the young coyote turned and grinned at his brother. "Good thing I caught you before she did. She would have torn your tail off and fed it to you for dinner if I didn't. She is super pissed, man!"
 Vryshall nodded slowly and turned to flop onto one of the two, three person couches in the room, lounging back against the cushions. His sister had a bit of an anger issue, and she took it upon herself to take out her frustration in the way of scolding her younger siblings. She tried to fill in for the role of mother more often than not and none of her brothers really appreciated what she did, normally because all that consisted of is telling them what time to be home and making the curfew as early as possible. They never really obeyed it, but always let her know where they were. "Not surprising, really. She almost bit my head off on the phone when I was half an hour later than she wanted me to be getting home. If she's this upset at me though, imagine how bad Trin is gonna get it." He shuddered at the thought of what the poor kid would go through as soon as he showed up at the house. "Do you know where he went? Last I heard he was going to a movie with Garett and Hall, and then they were going to hang around Hall's house for the night."
 Ceran shook his head and leaned up against the wooden pillar that stretched from the floor to the ceiling at the end of the couch. "He called me earllier today and said he was coming back tonight. I guess he ended up meeting with Brent and Rori yesterday on his way home and decided to go with them without calling Meryl. Bad choice, if you ask me." 
 A nod from Vryshall noted his agreement. "Definitely. She's unreasonable, but she would have understood. Hasn't Rori been out of the country for the past year and a half or something crazy like that?"
 "Yeah, that's what I heard from Trin. I didn't know she was back yet though. I thought she would be gone until you graduated, at least. Where did she go again? Wasn't it like, Russia or something? What was she doing there?"
 The older canid shook his head with a shrug. "I think she was part of some foreign exchange program or something. Might have been relatives. Honestly I can't remember, she didn't talk much about it. Meryl would probably know more, but I really wouldn't ask her about it right now." They shared a laugh at the idea of asking their sister anything at all while she was fretting over a missing sibling. "You should call Trin and have him bring her over. I'm sure we'd all like to see her again too."
 Ceran nodded and pulled a phone similar to Vryshall's from his pocket and flipped it open, punching in a rapid succcession of numbers before holding it up to his ear. He paused for a moment and Vryshall could hear it ringing from where he was on the couch. "Hey Trin? It's Cer. Where you at?" He paused again, listening to the response. "You do realize that Meryl is going to murder you when you get back right?" Vryshall heard a laugh from the other end of the phone. "It's not funny, bro. She is seriously raging right now. We had to take shelter in the basement to escape, you know how she doesn't come down here." He grinned at his older brother and continued talking. "Anyway, you should invite Rori over for dinner tonight. It might serve to lighten the punishment if it distracts Meryl enough. Besides, Sunny and I wanna hang with her too! Stop being so greedy, geez." He heard another laugh from his younger brother and chuckled a bit himself. "Okay. Try and be home soon. Laters bro." Ceran snapped the phone shut and slid it back into his pocket. Letting out a sigh, he sank onto the arm of the couch and leaned back until he was laying out just above Vryshall's head. "Sometimes I wonder whether he really is older than me or not. The things he does..." he trailed off and shook his head. "You know what I mean, Ry?"
 Vryshall nodded in response and reached back, scratching lightly between his brother's ears. "Yeah, I do Era. You're a real good kid though. Trin has this thing where he doesn't like to listen. He'll learn eventually, whether he wants to or not, I just worry that it'll get him hurt before then." He could feel his brother growl quietly from the vibrations that travelled through the couch and smiled to himself. "But it's his issue, so you don't need to worry about it, little brother." He sat up and tugged at his brother's green t-shirt, getting him to sit up as well. "So do you think we should tell Meryl that I'm home? I told her I'd be home soon when she called and she's probably going to freak if I don't show up in a few minutes."
 Ceran laughed and flicked his tail against the pillar. "It's probably a good idea. She's worse than Dad, I swear." 
 They both stood up and this time Vryshall lead the way up the stairs. "Yeah but Dad isn't that bad at all, he'll just talk you deaf if you aren't careful. I think she's like this because Dad isn't all that worried about it. She feels as if there's something missing in the family. I don't blame her, but she needs to relax sometimes." They walked through the first floor of the house to the dining room and Vryshall slid open the sliding glass door that led to the back porch, spying his older sister sitting on one of the glossy finished wooden chairs that sat out there.
 She was staring out over the hill across the river and her tail was drifting lazily across the ground behind the chair. Before she even moved, Vryshall could feel the heat of her anger from the door. Why she got so upset over a few minutes, he never really understood, but he tried to deal with her by himself so that his brothers didn't have to. Ceran especially. He had enough on his plate from their mother leaving, he didn't need to bear the brunt of Meryl's anger as well.
 Meryl must have heard the door, as she jumped from the chair and whipped around in what looked like a single movement, and Vryshall froze in his tracks just outside the door. Her expression was one of exasperation and she was shaking visably. "Vryshall Lyndis Sunnington. Where have you been? You said you'd be right home and that you were just across the river and I've been sitting here for twenty minutes waiting for you. It should have taken you FIVE to get home." Her paws were clenched up into fists and Vryshall dry swallowed past the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. She hadn't ever used his full name when scolding him before, nor did she ever raise her voice like that. Ceran was right; she was really upset. He knew nothing was going to really happen, like always, but he still was worried. "When Father comes home, you are going to have a severe punishment waiting for you." She turned back around and sat down again, the air around them thick with tension from her anger, even with as brief a tirade as it was. 
 Vryshall saw Ceran slip back inside out of the corner of his eye and he took a few steps backwards into the house as well, quietly sliding the door closed once more. He turned to his younger brother, his ears plastered to his skull and his tail curled around his leg. "So, she's really angry." Ceran bobbed his head slowly and let out a quiet whine. "I don't think Dad will do anything drastic, but she's never been that upset before. This is bad." His brother nodded again. "We should, uh, go back downstairs..." Ceran nodded one more time and scampered off to the basement stairs, Vryshall close on his heels. When they got back to the couches, Ceran perched himself on the arm and stared at his older brother, a worried expression across his features. Vryshall placed a paw on Ceran's arm and gave the younger coyote a warm smile. "You okay, Era?"
 Ceran shook his head as he curled his tail about his own waist, starting to shiver a little. "I'm worried about what she's going to do to Trin. Normally she'd just scold him and tell Dad to punish him and nothing would happen. But I'm scared this time she's going to really blow up at him. If he doesn't get here soon, it's only going to get worse, too." His ears flattened much like Vryshall's were. "I'm scared, Ry. Trin isn't going to be able to handle this."
 Vryshall sat on the couch next to him and pulled his brother into his lap, wrapping his arms about the smaller coyote in a tight hug. "I'll handle it, Era. Everything will be fine, I'll make sure of it." His brother shivered a little more before relaxing against him, the young canid resting his head on his brother's shoulder. "You don't need to worry about Meryl either, she just needs to cool down. I'll talk to her after she has; I wouldn't dare try before then." 
 Ceran whined again. "Thank you, Ry. I love her but she's really getting out of paw with this whole 'mom' thing. I never knew Mom but her leaving must have really messed with Meryl's head." 
 Vryshall nodded and gave his little brother a gentle squeeze. "It certainly did. Mom wasn't around for long when I was a cub, only until you were born, but Meryl was really attached to her. I'm a bit worried that she's acting like this though. I'll ask Reverend Noru about it next Sunday too; he knew Mom better than anyone except for Dad."
 Ceran let out a sigh and leaned a little heavier against Vryshall's chest. "I'm glad you're so calm about this, Ry. I'm really worried..." 
 A soft pat on his back drew a quiet growl from the little coyote and Vryshall smiled. "Like I said, don't be scared. Though one of us should warn Trin to not walk in the front door..." He trailed off and slipped a paw around his brother and into his pocket, withdrawing his cell phone. "That would be all bad if he did." He punched Trin's number into the phone and listened to it ring. Trin answered, sounding very pleased with himself. 
 "Jeez man, you two are reminding me of Meryl today. What's up?"
 Vryshall cleared his throat. "So where are you boyo?"
 "I'm in Rori's mom's car, on my way home. Why, what's going on?"
 "Come to the side door when you get here, not the front. Sis is pissed off like you wouldn't believe. It's really bad."
 Vryshall heard Trin snort. "It can't be that bad, can it? She never really does anything of note anyway." Trin laughed nervously at the silence that followed his statement, unnerved by the lack of a reply. "Is it really that bad? I don't think I've ever seen her actually work up the will to do anything herself."
 Vryshall growled low and shook his head, giving Ceran another gentle squeeze as he felt the little coyote start to shiver again. "Just listen to me for once, Trin. You don't want to cross her path right now. Both of us are pretty shaken up from her just scolding me for being half an hour later than she wanted, but still an hour and a half earlier than what I told her. I don't want to even imagine how bad you're going to get it." 
 "Holy... well I'm almost home. You guys are downstairs, right? I'll be there in five." Trin spouted off quickly, finally catching the seriousness of the situation. 
 "Okay, good. See you soon, kid." He snapped his phone shut and threw it on the couch beside him, slipping his arm back around his little brother's torso. "He'll be home in about five minutes. I think he gets it this time." He rested his chin on Ceran's head and closed his eyes. As they sat there, he heard the smaller coyote's stomach growl, which made him have to stifle a laugh. "That reminds me, I almost forgot about dinner."
 Ceran wiggled slightly in Vryshall's lap and the older canid let his brother stand up, then leaning a bit back against the couch. "We still have those frozen meal things that Dad got us at the store last time we went that we hid in the freezer down here." Ceran padded over to the door to the other side of the basement and opened it, disappearing into the dark room. Vryshall heard a few rumaging noises emanate from the room before his brother came walking back to the couch, a trio of thin, blue boxes held in his arms. "I got one for Trin too, cuz he probably hasn't eaten either."
 Vryshall stood up when his brother got to the couch and grabbed the boxes from him, glancing at the text that described the food each one contained. He grimaced slightly at the thought of the frozen food, but it was food nonetheless, so he wouldn't complain. "Did Dad take out the microwave down here? I'd rather not risk trying to go upstairs to make these."
 Ceran shook his head and motioned towards the room he just came out of. "It's still in there, I told him to keep it just in case. Good thing, huh? Didn't think we'd actually need it." Vryshall nodded slowly as he strode forward towards the dark storage room of the basement, reaching over and flipping on a light when he stepped through the door. He hadn't been down here since his dad had cleaned up most of the tools and boxes from when they had moved in years and years ago, and he was pleasantly surprised by how nice it looked now. The tools were all organized and hung up on the far wall and the boxes were stacked neatly against the near one. Tables lined the two side walls, with a space in between the ones on his right for the refridgerator and freezer. Over next to the freezer he spotted the small gray box that was their microwave, and he padded over to it, setting down the frozen meals on the table. Ceran followed him in and pointed at the box in the middle of the stack with a smile. "Can I have that one, Ry?"
 Vryshall smiled and reached over to pat his brother's shoulder. "Sure thing Era, I'll even make yours first for you." He chuckled as the younger coyote started wagging quickly, a smile breaking out over his snout. "Do you mind waiting in the other room for Trin though? He'll need someone to let him in when he gets here." Ceran nodded and darted back out of the storage room. Vryshall watched him go and felt his own tail start swaying back and forth, glad to have a brother like Ceran. The little one was wise beyond his years and had matured incredibly quick for what he'd been through. 
 Ceran had been born the youngest of the family, as well as being the runt of the family. Immediately after the pup was born, their mother packed up and left, leaving Meryl and their father to care for the newborn. He grew up knowing that his mother had left, but it hadn't ever really sank in until the pup had turned nine, and it broke his normally happy-go-lucky spirits for a few years following. In that time, his best friend - the only person that he'd been able to talk to aside from Vryshall - had rejected his company for a reason that Vryshall still was not able to figure out, and the two had went their seperate ways. Upon turning twelve though, his current age, he had suddenly regained his cheerful spirit, much to Vryshall's delight. 
 He and his youngest brother had always been close, and they'd been there for each other ever since the young pup could speak. Everytime the young coyote called him 'Ry,' it reminded him of the day that the two had thought up the nicknames for each other. Most people around town just called him Sunny, but even that was a little too cumbersome for his liking. So his brother one day just shortened his name to Ry, because he had been having trouble pronouncing his full name, and started calling him that. In response he shortened his brother's name to Era, and the names then grew to hold special meaning for each other; their way of expressing the brotherly bond that they shared.
 He shook his head with a smile, bringing his mind back to the present. Turning back around to the frozen dinners, he slid the one that Ceran had pointed to out from the middle of the stack and tore the box open with a single claw, pulling the plastic tray out. Following the instructions on the box carefully, he cut a slit in the covering with his claw and then threw it in the microwave, punching a few buttons until three minutes appeared on the timer and the machine started humming. As he stood there leaning against the table, he found his thoughts drifting back to the events from earlier that day.
 The morning had been fairly normal, nothing too spectacular. He went to work, talked with Jeremy during the slow parts, and then left at around one. He went to the pool, like normal, and swam around for a few hours. Then he met Erin, and his day changed. He thought about how different meeting the ferret had been from any other experience he had. Normally, even when talking to girls, he was calm, collected, and able to map out how every part of the conversation would go. With Erin, though, he had found himself almost stumbling, needing to explain himself; he even almost apologized for his thoughts. That was so alien to him that since he was now thinking about it, it left him baffled. The thought of it alone seemed strange, but knowing that it happened made it feel like a whole different person did it, not him. What was it about the ferret that made him so much harder to react to? Confused, he scrunched up his nose and huffed, closing his eyes. The tall, lean form of the boy, the gentle shyness with which he spoke; it all started replaying over and over in his head and he tried to shake it from his mind. 'What's going on with you, Sunnington.' He ran his paws over his head before resting them on the table again, feeling a strange calm flow over him as he thought. 'This isn't like you, boy. Yes you made a new friend. Was there something different from all the other times you did that very same thing?' He shifted his thought process to when he met all of his current best friends and shook his head again. 'No, nothing really different. Except for you. What's gotten into you.' The expression the ferret had made when Vryshall had said he had to leave flashed through his mind's eye and he headtilted, having not noticed the boy's eyes. They had a somewhat forlorn depth to them at the thought that the coyote had to leave so soon after meeting him. 'He's  nice and all. I wouldn't mind getting to spend some more time with him.'
 The beeping of the microwave stemmed his confusion for the time being and he finally was able to push it from his thoughts, resolving to figure out what was going on with him at a later time yet again. He popped the door of the microwave open and pulled the tray out, then repeating the same process with another one of the meals. "Era, yours is ready!" he called out to the other room.
 His younger brother came bounding into the room with a smile and snatched the tray off of the table, then glancing around the room for utensils. After spotting a box of plastic forks, he snatched them from off the counter on the other side of the freezer and pulled out three, throwing the other two on the table next to the meal boxes. 
 After tearing the plastic covering off the the tray, Ceran flicked his tail towards the other room as he hopped up to sit on the edge of the table. "Trin just got here by the way, and apparently Dad's going to be home earlier than normal too." He glanced over and saw the slightly confused expression that was still on Vryshall's features from the moment before and he tilted his head questioningly. "Everything okay, Ry?"
 Vryshall snapped his head up and gave his most convincing smile, trying to erase the thoughts that kept coming back to taunt him. "Yeah I'm fine, sorry. Just lost in thought I guess." He didn't like lying to his brother, but he didn't know enough yet. Ceran eyed him with an unbelieving glint in his expression, but let the topic drop. 
 "If you say so. Oh, your phone rang while I was waiting out there, but I didn't want to answer it cause I didn't recognize the number. Were you expecting a call today?" 
 He shook his head and made a confused yipping noise. "A call? That's strange, nobody ever calls me but you, Meryll, and Dad. I'll have to check when these are done." The microwave beeped and he replaced the tray with the last one. "Did Rori stop in with Trin?" 
 Ceran nodded as he continued munching on the substance that was supposed to pass as grilled chicken. "Yah, she's out there too, I just didn't stay out there long enough to say hi. I feel bad that we don't have more than frozen dinners to offer her for food. I was hoping we could sit down and have a nice meal with her after so long." 
 Vryshall nodded, giving a small shrug. "C'est la vie, I guess. Bad timing on our part. I'm surprised Trin still invited her in with Meryll being as livid as she is." He shredded the plastic covering of his own meal and grabbed the fork Ceran had tossed onto the table, beginning to tear into what was supposed to be chicken fried steak, but somehow he doubted that it was. As he was eating, he called out to the other room. "Trin, get your behind in here and get your food!" Ceran laughed quietly around a mouthfull of brownie as another coyote, slightly shorter than Vryshall but taller than Ceran plodded into the room. Like Vryshall and Ceran, he had fairly light gray fur, and like Ceran, it was unbroken over his entire body, save for a unique patch of white above his left eye. Vryshall idly rubbed his chest where the white star of fur would be if it wasn't covered by a shirt as he watched his younger brother snatch his food from the microwave.
 Trinis, Trin for short, was the middle son of the family. Trin seemed to take more after their mother than Vryshall or Ceran, and as such they didn't always see eye to eye. He had always been a little inconsiderate when he made decisions, often not thinking past the immediate benefits for himself. He didn't go through the same stage that allowed Ceran to mature beyond his years, but Vryshall hoped that he would soon. Trin needed to do a bit of growing up, but for the time being he still provided a lightness of heart that was much needed in the household. Most of the time, at least.
 "Honestly you guys, you couldn't think of anything fancier for when we have a lady over? Tsk tsk you two. So unclassy." Trin shook his head and stalked back into the other room, motioning over his shoulder. "Stop being hermits too, geez. We do have a guest." 
 Vryshall rolled his eyes at Ceran, who laughed again, and they followed Trin back into the main area of the basement. Sitting on the couch there was a short otter, dressed just as casually as the rest of them; nothing nicer than jeans and a pattern t-shirt amongst the four of them.
 The otter looked up with a smile when she saw the other two coyotes walk into the room and she leapt from the couch, almost tackling Vryshall to the ground. "Sunny! Cer! I haven't seen you two in forever!" Vryshall's tail started swaying back and forth as he embraced the otter happily.
 "Heya Rori! Man, it has been way too long. How was your trip?" Vryshall let the otter go and she repeated the almost tackle-hug on Ceran, getting closer to knocking the lighter coyote off of his feet. 
 "It was great! I'm back on a break from school for the summer, and I'll be heading back over to Russia in the last week of September." She released Ceran from the hug and skipped back to the couch, settling herself down near the arm closest to the wall. "It's been so much fun over there but I'm glad to be home finally. It's nice to be able to speak English again!" The four of them shared a short laugh.
 Vryshall took a seat in the only armchair in the room and leaned back against it, swirling his fork around the creamed corn in the meal tray. He was glad to see the otter again, but he was happier that her presence was seeming to lighten the tension that still hung heavy in the air. After a second of silence, Vryshall remembered Ceran telling him that he had gotten a call and he pointed to his phone on the couch. "Trin, toss me my phone real quick." His brother lobbed the device across the room to him and he flipped it open as soon as he caught it. Pulling up the missed call log, he glanced over the most recent. He didn't recognize the number offhand either, so he checked his contact list. It  wasn't there, strangely enough, and he tried to think of the only people that would have his number and he not have theirs. The only one that came to mind was Erin. Worry suddenly welled up in him for the ferret and he wondered what might have spurred the call so soon after he had left. While he had been looking at his phone, Rori had started telling Ceran all about her classes in Russia and all of the interesting people in her class. She talked faster than Vryshall remembered, but Ceran seemed to have forgotten about their sister for the time being, so he excused himself from the room. As he strode back into the storage room, he pulled up the ferret's number and hit dial, holding the phone up to his ear as it rang. 
 "Hello?" The boy's voice sounded shakier than it had been earlier. 
 "Hey Erin, it's Sunny! Sorry I didn't answer earlier, I was making dinner. What's up?" Vryshall walked over to lean against the pillar in the middle of the room as he talked. 
 "I-it's okay, I was just going to s-see if you wanted to, like, go to a movie or something later in the week. If you aren't b-busy, that is. I d-don't have many friends and you seemed really nice." He could hear a forced happy note to Erin's voice, which ignited a little more worry in him.
 He did his best not to reveal the worry, though, and continued responding in a cheerful voice. "Sure! I hardly ever do anything other than swim and work in the summer so just name a time and place. What movie were you thinking of seeing?" Erin quickly spouted off a list of titles that he had obviously just looked up and Vryshall grinned to himself, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well, which one sounds the most  interesting to you? I'm fairly impartial when it comes to movies, it's more the company that makes the movie for me." He heard a genuine laugh from the ferret and it made his tail start to wag faster than it had been already.
 "W-well, I've been looking to see that old western film that they remaster about every year. I got to see it once with my dad when I was really little, but I wasn't old enough to a-appreciate it." Vryshall could almost see the ferret laying in his bed, playing with the sheets there as he talked, his cheeks burning red like they had been almost every time the coyote had said more than two words to him. 
 "Alright, I've been meaning to catch that one since last year, just never got someone to join me. You'd be surprised at how small a crowd that appeals to in this town." He started rubbing slowly over his chest again, trying to keep his free paw busy so it didn't start twitching. "When were you thinking of meeting up?" 
 Erin's voice started sounding less and less dour as he continued talking. "How does Friday night sound? It would be the eight-ish showing at the Traction Theatre. It's not the closest but it's the best one I've found in the area." 
 Vryshall started to nod slowly, remembering the big theatre from his multiple trips there during the last school year. "Yeah, that one is real nice. Okay, well then did you want to meet at the bus stop at around six? That'll give us time to get there and get snacks and find our seats and everything." The worry he had felt when Erin first answered was starting to fade as they talked, and a smile spread over his features.
 "That sounds great! I guess I'll see you this weekend, then?" 
 "Sure thing. See you Friday!" Vryshall snapped his phone shut and turned around to walk back into the other room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Ceran and Rori staring at him with odd smiles. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
 Rori put a paw over her muzzle and giggled, shaking her head. "Sounds like someone has a date Friday," she commented in a sing-song voice. Ceran laughed with her and his blue eyes shone mischeivously. "Who's the lucky gal?"
 Vryshall felt his cheeks redden and he shook his head. "N-no! That's not it at all! It was my friend Erin, I helped him home today from the pool. We're going to see that classic western movie that I've been wanting to see." He paused his thoughts and scrunched up his nose. He stammered. That never happens to him. He's always so sure of everything he said. He thought he saw Ceran giving him a funny look, but he couldn't be sure and just that quickly it was gone. Suddenly confused, he tried to convince the two of his point. "It's just some guy time to hang out, y'know? I'm not going on a date!"
 Rori giggled again and made a poking motion at him. "Still sounds like a date, but I'll let it slide since you're going with a guy. Just saying though, it sounds real suspicious!" 
 Getting over his somewhat unwarranted embarrassment, Vryshall shook his head again. "I swear to you Rori, it's not a date. You would be the first to know if I got a girlfriend, I promise."
 "You better! I won't have my Sunny going taround dating whoever he pleases! There's tests they have to pass first." She made another motion like she was stamping a paper. "They have to be 'Rori approved' first!" This brought a laugh from Vryshall's younger brothers and he flicked his tail in mock annoyance.
 "Okay, 'mistress' Rori," he teased. "I'll consult you before even considering anyone from now on!" He chuckled along with the others and walked past them to his chair again. "Just don't beat me if I forget, you know how horribly forgetful I can be."
 She scoffed at him with a grin and poked his knee with her tail. "Shush you, you have the best memory this side of the county. I will hold you personally accountable for all of the hundreds of females you woo with your dasterdly suaveness." She made exaggerated movements with her arms as she talked, a bit more animated than she normally would be.
 Trin shook his head at the otter. "Rori, you have way too high standards for Sunny here. He's had, what, one girlfriend? That lasted for a good month at best. He never even invited her over for dinner!"
 Vryshall rolled his eyes again and pointed at his brother. "It was five, by the way, but that's beside the point. The point is that if I had, it wouldn't have even lasted that long. She would have ran in terror when she met you. And that's in the best of circumstances."
 "I'm hurt, Sunny. That really hurts. I'd think you'd have a bit more confidence in your own brother!" Trin adopted a look of fake pain, clutching dramatically at his chest. 
 Ceran threw his fork at Trin. "Oh yes, I'm sure your just dead inside now. Hold on, let me get a dustpan for your shattered feelings." The youngest coyote made a motion as if reading a newspaper. "Today a young coyote of fifteen years died of a broken heart. His older brother insulted his class and he couldn't go on living." Trin scowled at the young pup, which only made him wag faster, pleased. 
 "Oh sure, pick on the middle cub. I see how it is. I'm the victim here!" he made another dramatic dying action and fell sideways onto the couch. Rori leaned over and bopped his nose with a paw, then giggled as he wrinkled his muzzle up. "Hey!"
 The other three laughed again, and Vryshall couldn't help but look up to where the back porch would be if the ceiling wasn't in the way. "I'm almost sad that Sis is always so stressed. She used to really enjoy playing around with me and Rori." He immediately regretted bringing up Meryll, as Ceran suddenly flattened his ears and shoved his paws into his pockets. Trin also adopted a serious look of worry while Rori remained somewhat oblivious to the change in mood. 
 "Yeah, she's such a wet blanket now. I should go and brighten up her day like I used to!" She was met with a chorus of "That's not a good idea, Rori" as she tried to stand up and she looked to Vryshall, confused. "Is something wrong with Meryll?"
 Vryshall scratched the back of his head with a worried whine. "She's kinda in the worst funk I've ever seen her in over Trin being out so long without telling her. It shouldn't be a problem, but... you know how Meryll has been ever since Mom left. She needs time to cool down before anyone tries to even talk to her. I was gonna wait until Dad got home to even attempt it."
 Rori nodded slowly and let out a sigh, crossing her arms. "Well that's no fun. She needs to lighten up! I miss the old Meryll, she was fun." Vryshall agreed with her and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room.
 Vryshall coughed to clear his throat and scratched at his neck a little more. "So uh, yeah. That was a bit of a mood killer. My bad?" Nobody even made an attempt to respond, which made him splay his ears out against his head. They were quiet for a bit longer than Vryshall really felt comfortable with until they heard the sound of the front door closing from upstairs followed by a deep male voice yelling. "I'm home, kids!"
 The three brothers' ears all perked up at the same time and Ceran was the first to dash towards the stairs, the other two close behind him with Rori tagging along at the rear. They clambered up the stairs and darted through the house, all three sliding to a halt when they got to the front door. Three tails started wagging as a stocky coyote, a little bit taller than Vryshall, with matching fur to theirs strode back into the entryway. The older coyote chuckled and the three pups quickly attached themselves to him in a group  hug. "Well, what a welcoming comittee. How are you guys doing?"
 Vryshall was the first to respond as he took a few steps back, his expression morphing from one of happiness to one of worry. "Well... Meryll is angry at me and Tryn. Really angry. I was hoping to talk to her with you about it, but the cubs probably don't want to be around for that, it could get ugly." He tilted his gaze down towards the floor and let out a soft whine, his tail stilling behind him. 
 Their dad nodded solemnly and patted the two younger ones' heads between their ears and motioned Vryshall towards the back porch. "Well then, shall we get this over with? I was looking forward to spending a nice, peaceful night with my kids and I won't have any tension ruining that!" He let out a bass chuckle again and waited until the youngest two released him before nodding towards Vryshall, following the younger coyote to the sliding door in the dining room. He opened the door and strode out in front this time, resting a paw on his son's shoulder when they got outside. 
 "Good evening, Meryl. How has your day been?" he started, acting as if nothing was amiss. 
 Meryl didn't even turn to look at her dad when she answered. "Father, you need to have a word with your two oldest sons. They seem to think it's okay to run rampant around the town with no regards to any kind of time constraints that their elders give them. Trin especially." Vryshall looked up to his dad who gave his son a mischievous look. "However Vryshall on the other hand seems to enjoy lying about where he is. Father, you really need to do something about it this time! I'm tired of them not getting any kind of punishment for when they do something wrong. They're turning into right little terrors!"
 Their dad laughed heartily and shook his head, guiding Vryshall to stand in front of his sister as he followed directly behind him. "Meryl, dear, I don't punish them because you're being far too strict. Sunny here is going to be eighteen and a senior in high school. Do you really think that he doesn't know how to be polite and well behaved? Do you ever leave the house and talk to the people around town? Let me explain something to you. Sunny takes after me. When I was young, I was wandering around the town, making friends and talking to whoever I came across when I was a cub! Seven years old, I was. Y'see, kids these days are smarter than you give them credit for. Now I understand your worry with Trin; he is a bit of a rebellious little thing. But at the same time, you aren't their mother, nor are you my wife. You need to remember that you're their big sister. Think of the example that you're setting for them. I have no worry about Sunny being out and about. He's a great lad and knows more than I did when I was his age. If something happens, there's more than enough people who know both him and me that I would know within minutes. But the chances of that are miniscule at best!" Meryl sighed and gripped the arms of the chair tightly, closing her eyes as her dad  continued. "Now with Trin on the other paw..." He started pacing back and forth across the porch. "He was out for much longer than he had originally said yes. Normally I wouldn't have an issue with this. However! He is not as aged, nor as sharp as the other two, and doesn't always make the best decisions. As such, he is going to be more limited in his prospects for wandering, despite how he may argue. I agree with you on that issue. Even so, remember, that is for me to decide and not for you. I am your father as well, and you would do well to remember that you're still young. Have some fun once in a while." He paused his pacing and motioned towards the door where the other two boys and Rori  were watching the trio outside. "Your old friend Rori is over again, and you're too busy sitting out here stressing out about things that don't concern you to enjoy her company!" Meryl's gaze dropped to the ground, but her dad wasn't finished just yet. "Now, I'm not asking for you to apologize, I'm asking you to change. These boys may not have a mother, but I'd rather they have a good big sister to look up to. I know you took Heather's leaving really hard, but look at what she left. We have a successful, happy family together, and there isn't anything that she can do to change that. If she ever comes back, I want her to regret making that decision all those years ago, don't you?" Meryl nodded slowly and sniffed, Vryshall catching the glint of a tear rolling down his sister's cheek in the dying daylight. "I'm sorry this is so direct and harsher than usual, but it has been getting slightly out of paw. This is my house, and I want you to be happy here. That means you aren't allowed to stress yourself out over every little thing that your brothers do or don't do. Okay?" A nod came from Meryl and she stood up, padding off the side of the porch into the yard, disappearing around the side of the house. Their dad heaved a loud sigh, shaking his head. "I figured she'd take it hard. Honestly, she was doing her best, just not at what she needed to be. Oh well, she just needs some time to think." He herded Vryshall back inside to the other three who were staring wide-eyed at the two as the entered. As soon as the door closed, Ceran snatched Vryshall's arm and pulled him over to the living room, away from the other three, who began chattering happily, talking about Rori's trip again.
 They sat down on the couch and Ceran again perched himself on the arm. "What happened out there? It didn't look like you even got a chance to say anything."
 Vryshall nodded with a kind of knowing smile. "Well, it is dad you're talking about. But no, I didn't need to. Dad just kinda laid everything out on the table and set her straight, said we needed a big sister, not a mom. I've never seen dad act that seriously. To be honest, it was kind of humbling to see how well he can explain a situation to someone. I've only ever heard him tell stories or chat about random pieces of information that don't really have any significance, y'know?" 
 Ceran tilted his head and flicked his ears in acknowledgement. "Yeah, that's just what he does though. I remember when dad told me about why mom left back when I thought it was my fault. Do you remember that? Man, it feels like forever ago, now."
 "Yeah, it sure does. You were totally different back then, though." He chuckled and poked his brother's knee, who promptly stuck his tongue out in response. "You've matured so  much since then, I hardly feel it fair to call you a pup anymore. And then I remember you're still twelve, and I do anyway." They both laughed. Vryshall settled a little further  into the couch, feeling his eyelids droop. He shot a glance towards the clock on the wall above the fireplace in the room and headtilted, confused. "How long were we sitting  downstairs?" The clock said nine o' clock, and he only just realized how dark it had been getting outside. 
 Ceran shrugged, letting out a quiet yawn. "Longer than I thought too, I guess. Do you work tomorrow?" Vryshall answered with a short nod, yawning likewise after his brother  had. "Shouldn't you be getting off to bed then? I know you like to get to sleep early on work nights." He nodded again and stood slowly, stretching his arms out above his head. 
 "I'll go let Dad know I'm off to sleep and say goodbye to Rori. You have fun, okay Era?" He gave his little brother a tight hug and then padded out to the dining room, where Trin, Rori, and his dad were all sitting around the table talking. "Hey guys, I'm heading to bed. Have to be up early for work and all of that nonsense. Was great to see you again Rori."
 The otter jumped to her feet and moved over to embrace Vryshall, wagging slow as she did. "I'll see you again real soon, okay Sunny? Don't be a stranger!" He gave one more nod and padded out the other side of the room, making his way to the end of the hallway at the top of the stairs and finally collapsing onto his bed. After pulling the covers up over his form and shedding his shirt and shorts, he fell into a fitful rest.
 The week seemed to drag on, with work being slow as ever each morning. He skipped his normal routine of going to the pool and instead met up with his coworkers Jeremy and Mico after their shifts. They walked around downtown, drifting in and out of stores. Jeremy would drag them into card shops and game stores and constantly pester them about games that they needed to play, though Vryshall couldn't say that he was that interested in any of them. Sure, they seemed fun and the few games that Jeremy had convinced him to play in the past were great, his mind was just elsewhere at the time. His friends started bothering him about it and poking fun that he was daydreaming about girls, but he paid it no mind. That's just how they were. No, his mind was drifting forward to the weekend. He was anxious to see the ferret again, though if asked about it he wouldn't have been able to explain why.
 Thursday night rolled around soon enough,and he excused himself from the dinner table after only managing half of his food.
 Ceran followed him upstairs and into Vryshall's room, taking a seat on the desk chair while Vryshall sat on his bed. "Everything alright, Ry? You look like something's bothering you."
 Vryshall shook his head, stripping off his shirt to relax in the warmth of the room. "Just anxious is all. Going to see a movie tomorrow with a friend and I don't want to go to work tomorrow. This week has been exhausting. That and Meryl hasn't been back since Monday night. I guess I'm a bit worried about that too."
 Ceran bobbed his head in a nod. "Sure has. Though it's only a few weeks into the summer. I know I'm still getting used to not having school. And yeah, I think Meryl is staying with one of the relatives to cool down, if I heard Dad right. I'll ask him later." He kicked his feet against the wheels of the chair. "So who you seeing the movie with? Mico? Bret? Jeremy? Ansil?" 
 Another shake of the head. "Naw, the kid I met at the pool on Monday. Helped him home after he hurt his ankle. We talked about hitting up "Days of the West" at Traction." 
 "Ooo, I've been wanting to see that! Can I come along?" Ceran's tail started to wag.
 Vryshall's voice caught in his throat for a second, but he quickly regained it. "I don't think that's such a great idea, Era. Dad would be upset if I took you to an R rated movie without him."
 "Aw c'mon. He wouldn't care. Please?"
 "Not this time. I'll get Dad to take us before the end of the summer though, okay?"
 "Okay, I guess. Tell me all about it though, 'kay?" The younger coyote's ears perked back up and he smiled. 
 Vryshall yawned, resting back against the bed. "Sure thing. I'm gonna get to bed early again though, work in the morning and such." 
 Ceran padded from the room, nodding. "Alright, sleep tight Ry."
 Vryshall wriggled out of the rest of his clothes after his brother shut the door, then pulled the covers over him. Sleep came quickly for him, though his mind continued to wander.
 His dreams were filled with swimming, which wasn't unnatural for him. He was knifing through the water of the river outside his house with his normal ease, the rush of the water going past him and through his fur as exhilirating as any time he'd done it while awake. This time though, he got the sense that he wasn't alone. Pausing his movement close to the far bank, he looked to his right and saw, to his surprise, the ferret boy gliding through the water upstream with a smile. He straightened up and waved before continuing forward, reaching Vryshall's side in a few seconds. 'Hey Sunny, isn't the water great today?' The boy's voice was confident and sure, unlike he'd heard it being before. 
 Vryshall smiled back at the ferret and stretched, reaching his arms up over his head. 'Sure is, warmer than it normally is. Still just as refreshing though!' 
 Erin nodded vigorously and then grinned, turning back around and waving him forward. 'Follow me, Sunny! I want to show you something.' He dove under the water and sped  downriver, Sunny matching his speed and movements as best as he could. As he swam, he noticed that the ferret wasn't wearing swim trunks, and gave a confused rumble. Realizing that he was staring at the boy's body, he felt his cheeks redden and he turned his focus towards keeping up with the swift ferret. Erin soon stopped and surfaced, pointing towards the bank. 'Look Sunny! I found this little cave here. It doesn't look like anyone else has ever been here before!' 
 Vryshall followed the boy's finger and noticed the cave etched into the side of the stone bank there. 'Curious, I don't think I've ever seen that before.' Erin was already out of the water and he was bouncing excitedly on the bank, waving him forward again. 
 'Come on! Let's check it out!' He dashed into the gloomy darkness of the cave and Vryshall again did his best to keep up with the boy. His eyes struggled to adjust to the  darkness, which did seem stranger still as he usually had excellent vision in the dark. Shaking it off, he pressed forward until he felt Erin's paw on his chest. 
 'I think this is the back. Isn't this cool though? Nobody can see us here, and I doubt they could hear us either! It's the perfect place to get away from everything.' Vryshall blinked, still trying to see in the strangling darkness. He felt the need to sit, and pressed his back against the smooth rock wall. He slid down until he felt the cool stone beneath him, shocked to feel the coolness permeating his fur instead of having to go through his shorts. Leaning his head back, he felt Erin's body heat grow closer, until he felt a paw on his knee. 'Sunny?' The boy's voice was softer, a hint of the nervousness returning to it. 'Isn't it nice in here?' The coyote felt Erin slide up next to him, the paw remaining on his knee. 'So cool and relaxed, it's easy to just get away from everything, isn't it?' Erin then leaned over and rested his head  on Vryshall's shoulder, surprising the coyote. 'I'm really glad you're here, with me...' Erin's soft voice trailed off into the blackness. 
 Vryshall snapped awake and rubbed at his eyes quickly, blinking multiple times as he tried to make sense of what just happened. The soft touch to his knee, the confident  affection the ferret showed, how good just that simple touch felt; he shivered, trying to shake it from his thoughts. The confusion from Monday arose in his mind and he blinked a few more times. 'Erin, Erin, Erin. What is so special about that ferret that he keeps tearing apart my brain without even being here.'
 He reached over and snatched his shorts from the day  before, sliding his phone from the pocket. 'Five thirty. Perfect timing, I suppose?' He heaved a sigh and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, grabbing a new pair of shorts from one of the drawers under his bed and tugging them on before slipping out the door. Moving quickly and quietly around the house, he toasted a bagel for a quick  breakfast and grabbed his keys and wallet, then strode out the front door, closing and locking it behind him.
 He whistled to himself as he walked out to the bus stop, just as the bus pulled up. He got on and nodded to the female squirrel who sat behind the wheel, flashing a smile before he planted himself in the first seat. The squirrel was one of the less talkative drivers so he didn't bother trying to start a conversation like he normally would. Instead he just sat, quietly looking out the window until the bus rolled up to the stop right outside of his work. He stepped off the bus with a curt nod and a call of, "See ya later, Marta!" as well as another smile. He dusted off his shorts and strode into the restaurant where he worked and waved to his coworkers, who all seemed to have not gotten any sleep whatsoever. 
 Throughout the morning work was incredibly slow, with only one or two people coming through to order in the first four hours of the day. He passed the time with idle conversation and by messing with the radio station that was playing over the building's speakers. Even so, the hours seemed to drag on forever, and he found himself thinking back to his dream. The only guy he'd ever shown real affection towards was his brother, so the thought of another male showing him any was strange and alien to him. He shivered at the feeling the gentle touch had given him though, frustrated with himself for not being able to place it. Thinking on the dream however, brought up his plans for the evening. He had to figure out what to do with himself until later that evening, and honestly he didn't have a clue. 'Maybe I'll go down to the river,' he thought. It'd been a while since he had gone for a swim down there, and the flowing water usually helped him clear his head.
 Just as he was starting to lose himself in thought, he got hit in the face with a towel and his coworkers laughed. "Sunny, stop daydreaming about the fox at the coffee shop." The raccoon who threw the towel snickered and pointed over his shoulder in the direction of the rec center when Vryshall tried to tell them that he wasn't. "Every day that you go to the rec center, someone sees you stop by that same coffee shop, and I guarantee you it isn't for the coffee. There are much better places for it around, and some are even closer to the bus you take. Don't deny it!"
 Vryshall sighed and shook his head, curling his tail up into his paws as he spoke. "I go there because that vixen makes the best coffee this side of the river. Yeah, I know, she's a looker alright, but she isn't my type in the slightest! You would know that, Jeremy, if you ever bothered to talk to her." He stuck his tongue out at the raccoon and growled teasingly. The others laughed and Vryshall joined them with a short chuckle, checking his phone for the time. "Well, I'm off for the day. You guys have fun, or whatever it is you do after I leave." He slipped out of his apron and walked out the front door. Like normal, his timing was perfect and he arrived at the bus stop right as the bus rolled up. He walked up the stairs and said his hellos to the driver, sitting down to once more stare out the window. He was definitely looking forward to the movie that night, and along with his  excitement the strange exhiliration rose in him again like it had on his way home that Monday. 
 The bus trip went by faster than he was used to and he disembarked the bus with a bit more speed to his step than earlier. He bypassed his house and made his way to the bridge, finding the path he had started wearing down alongside the railing. He followed it down to the river's edge and glanced around, not seeing anyone. Letting out a happy sigh, he stripped off his shorts, shirt, and boxers, and dove into the water. As he crashed through the surface of the water he gave a pleased rumble, the cool rush of the current washing over him bringing a new energy to his limbs. Despite that, he reached down and grasped one of the larger rocks at the bottom of the river, holding tight to it and straightening out his body, letting the current point his feet downriver. Only when his lungs started screaming for air did he launch himself back to the surface, adjusting his normal motion to tread water to compensate for the current. He lay out on his back and stuck his hands behind his head, staring up at the clouds as he slowly drifted with the current. After a while, he straightened up, a thought occuring to him. He ducked back under the water, spinning around to propel himself downstream with the current. After a few powerful kicks, he stilled his body, simply letting himself drift under the surface. The water swirled around his body, buoying his spirits and calming his mind. He could always count on the cool, refreshing current of the river to bring peace to his thoughts.
 After he felt he had drifted far enough, he planted his feet on the bottom and pushed himself up to breathe. He looked around at his surroundings and found them strangely familiar. As he turned to his right he saw the same cave that he had dreamed about. He froze in place until he had to plant his feet on the river bottom to avoid drifting further downstream. Seemingly in a daze, he started to move forward towards the cave, staring into the inky darkness. As he padded almost silently into the cave, he could hear Erin's voice tease through his head. 'Come on Sunny, let's check it out!' He shook his head and started running upriver along the bank, confusion still rampaging throughout his mind. He pushed himself harder, straining his muscles to the limit before he leaped off of the bank into the river again, tipping his body into a dive. As soon as he plunged into the cool water again, he did his best to force the confusion from his mind, trying to straighten his thoughts. Aggravation welled up in him in place of the confusion as he swam, his muscles burning with the exhertion. He surfaced three times for air before he made it back to the bridge, panting heavily as he stepped out of the water. Moving away from his clothes, he shook himself off to be as dry as possible without a towel. He then pulled on his clothes again, finally managing to bring his own mind back under control.
 'What is going on with you, Sunnington? This isn't like you. Letting a boy get to you like this, it's not normal. What's happening to you?' He let out an exasperated growl and shook his head, pulling out his phone when he felt it buzzing. He noted the time before he answered and sure enough, it was Erin, right on time. "Hello?"
 "Hey Sunny! Are you at home?" The boy's voice was lively and cheerful, unlike his previous nervous and shy demeanor. 
 "Naw, I'm actually under the bridge, just got out of the river. I can meet you at the bottom of the hill if you want." 
 "Really? I'm already halfway across the bridge, I think I can hear you." Vryshall heard a laugh come from above him and he chuckled a bit himself, shaking his head. 
 "I'll be right up." He snapped his phone shut and climbed up his path to the sidewalk, waving to the ferret when he saw him. "Hey there Erin." His tail started to wag when he saw Erin smile. 
 Erin waved and broke into a jog, quickly closing the remaining distance between them. "Hiya Sunny. How's your day going?" 
 He answered with a shrug, opting not to tell the boy of his dream. "It's going alright. Just your average day. Nothing too special." Vryshall noticed that the boy's fur seemed slightly damp, as though he had hurried through drying off from a shower.
 Erin nodded quickly and started walking over to the bus stop, Vryshall taking the hint and moving alongside him. "Yeah, I hear that. Summer can get so boring sometimes." He laughed softly.
 "That's for sure. So how's your ankle doing? Not giving you trouble anymore, I'd hope." He pointed to the ferret's ankle in reference, trying his best to keep the conversation going.
 A grin spread over Erin's muzzle and he waved a paw in the air to dismiss the statement. "It's fine now, just needed to get off of it and rest for a while. So I hope you didn't get in too much trouble when you got home Monday night, I didn't mean to keep you." 
 The strangely alien confidence that suffused Erin's voice kept tugging at the back of Vryshall's mind, and he tried to ignore it. "Naw, nothing serious. I got a stern talking to but I cleared it up with my dad and things were fine. Everything alright at the Brisit household as well?"
 "Huh? Oh yeah, mom was a little upset at me but whatever. I'm not too worried about it. She knows I'll be out late tonight so I don't have to worry about it. She's a bit of a hysterical hippo at times but it's all out of care, I know." He shrugged, leaning up against the the shelter at the bus stop. "So you had work today, right?" Vryshall nodded. "I'm still jealous that you got a job, I've been trying to get one since I turned sixteen, but I've got nothing but 'We'll call you' as a response. It gets a little aggravating, y'know?"
 This Erin seemed like a completely different person than the one he had met earlier in the week. The way he talked was more sure of himself and even his posture radiated confidence. The change reminded him of the Erin in his dream, but he was able to keep the thoughts that followed that one at bay.
 Vryshall flicked the pole with the bus stop number with his tail, glancing up the street. "Yeah it took me a while to get the job I have, but it was worth it. My dad  helped, honestly. He's good friends with the regional manager and he put in a good word for me. If you wanted I could see if my dad could help you find a job too."
 Erin lit up with an even wider smile than before. "That would be awesome! You'd really do that for me?" The coyote nodded and Erin started wagging a little. "That's so cool. I'm tired of having to ask my mom for money to do things. Not that most of what I do requires it, but still." Vryshall caught a quick glance from the ferret before he looked over towards the river. "How's the water today?" The sudden change of subject caught him slightly off guard.
 "Oh, it's really refreshing, as always. A little warmer than it has been, but that's normal as the summer goes on." He pawed slowly over his shirt, straightening it out over his chest. "Lost track of time there, though, as always." 
 Erin laughed, his tenor voice ringing out like a bell. "Yeah I know the feeling. Hours flow as if they were carried on the current, whisking time by without a second thought. I actually found myself down there a little earlier in the day myself, just sitting in the shade. Before I knew it, it was five thirty and I couldn't believe it. I swear I had only been there for like, an hour at most."
 The nagging at the back of his mind finally proved too much for him to handle and he blurted out, "I'm sorry, but I'm really confused right now. You seemed so shy and frail last time we talked and yet now you're talking to me as if we've known each other for years." He clamped his muzzle shut as soon as he said it, shifting his gaze to stare out across the street, feeling his face burn in embarrassment. Here he was, explaining his thoughts again. 'Stop fussing over it, he's just a little different than your other friends. Not sure how, but there's something there, I'm sure of it.' 
 To his surprise, Erin simply laughed again, the pleasant sound slightly easing his discomfort at his lack of subtlety. "That was a pretty bad day for me. I had a lot on my mind and I couldn't enjoy the day, y'know? A preoccupied ferret proves for pretty bad conversation, if you didn't know. Managed to work out a few things that needed to be and recovered from an injury. Not bad for a few days of relaxing."
 Vryshall inwardly let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head in response. "I can't say I've known enough ferrets to know that." The rumble of the bus saved him from further embarrassment as they stepped up to the curb. 
 "Well now you do!" Erin stated very matter-of-factly. As they sat, Erin brought up another topic, this one a little easier for the coyote. "So, you said that you read Lewis Carrol. What else would you put on your 'reccomended' list?" After a moment of thought, Vryshall rattled off a list of mainly fantasy books with a few novels of science fiction interspaced between them. As he was naming them, Erin would nod here and there, seeming to approve of the books. "I can't say I've read or even heard of all of those, but they sound fun. I actually haven't had a good book in quite a long time. Been a bit more focused on my art I suppose." 
 "That's right, you did say that you draw. Maybe sometime we could share a few pictures?" Erin adopted a slightly nervous expression for a brief moment, but Vryshall was able to catch it before it disappeared.
 "Uhm... I guess so. I've never showed anyone anything that I drew. I mostly just keep it to myself or throw it away. It's nothing special, really."
 "Aww come on. I'm not terribly proud of my scribblings either but it's just for fun. I've been dying for someone artistic to come by that I can bury in drawings for their  opinion." He chuckled, feeling the natural ease of the conversation returning to him. 
 "Alright then, if you insist. I can't promise anything helpful but it sounds fun."
 Vryshall glanced out the window and noticed that they were close to Larua's coffee shop. He pulled the cord to signify a stop and grabbed Erin's paw. "Hold on, I want to show you something. Do you drink coffee?" Erin nodded, a confused look covering up the blush that had showed up. "Good. This place has this vixen who makes possibly the best coffee this side of the river." He half ran off of the bus, Erin managing to keep pace behind him as they walked over to the coffee shop. As they approached the door, Vryshall finally realized that he was still holding Erin's paw and he dropped it, flicking his ears in annoyance at the now familiar strangeness to his actions in regard to the ferret. Pushing open the door, he shoved the thought again to the back of his mind and smiled wide at Laura. "Hi Laura!" 
 She returned the smile as they walked up to the counter, placing a paw on the surface. "Heya Sunny. Who's your friend?"
 "Oh, this is Erin. We're on our way to the movies and I decided to stop in for a quick treat." He winked at her and she giggled quietly.
 "What can I get for you then?" She pressed a few buttons on the register and tilted her head along with the question. "The usual again? Something extra?"
 "Hmm... I'm feeling caramelly today, got something for that?" She nodded. "Alright, and..." He turned to Erin. "Anything you don't like?"
 "Caramel sounds really good, actually."
 He turned back to Laura and held up two fingers. "Make it two then."
 "Of course!" The vixen turned around with a smooth sway of her tail, whistling the same tune that she always did as she went about making the two drinks.
 Vryshall turned once more to Erin and gave him a grin, hooking a finger over his shoulder towards Laura. "This girl is pretty amazing at making coffee, like I said. I don't know whether it's the beans she chooses, or simply because she's that good. Either way, I really think you're going to enjoy this."
 "Well I can't say I've ever had a bad cup of coffee in this town, so I won't deny you that accomplishment at least."
 Laura interrupted their talk by sliding the two cups across the counter, giving the two a wide, cheerful smile as they thanked her. "You're far too kind, Sunny. Enjoy! Made extra special delicious just for you!" Vryshall chuckled and slid a five dollar bill back across the counter before turning to walk out the door, waving over his shoulder.
 "Talk to you later, Laura!" Erin tagged along behind him, a silly grin plastered across his features as he sipped gingerly at the drink. 
 "Mmm... that is fantastic! You weren't kidding, Sunny." Vryshall could hear a few soft squeaking noises from the ferret as he sipped his drink, making the coyote grin as well. "So, off to the theatre now? Or did you have something else in mind?"
 Vryshall shook his head and pointed down the road. "If you don't mind walking, it's probably going to be faster than waiting for the next bus. We still have plenty of time so it shouldn't be an issue."
 "Sure that's fine with me." They continued walking down the road, passing by the occasional restaurant and shop along their left. 
 After a few moments of quiet, Vryshall piped up to break the silence. "So what was your favorite subject in school?"
 Erin tilted his head to the side in thought and slid his free paw into the pocket of his black shorts. "I was quite partial to English, though History was a close second. None of my teachers really stood out, sadly, so I couldn't really tell you why. I guess I just like learning the ins and outs of the language I speak, maybe so I can wax eloquent at random intervals!" Erin lightly jabbed the coyote beside him with his elbow.
 The large words definitely did bring a smile to the canid's features, seeing as how most of his friends had some strange addiction to some form of science. He never really got a chance to talk to people in length who enjoyed Language Arts as much as he did. "Fantastic! I'm fond of English myself, possibly due to the fact that I write in my spare time, but you never know. I talk a lot, so I gotta know what I'm saying, right? Usually people just think I'm a natural speaker but I've put a lot of time into what I know." Erin nodded, and they continued chatting back and forth about their English teachers over the years and their favorite essay topics.
 The long walk to the theatre flew by in what seemed to be minutes and Vryshall looked up to the sky with a smile. It was nice to finally be able to talk to someone with a different schooling history than he had. On top of that, to find someone who shared his passion for language was a special treat. His mind drifted down the roads that branched off of that, and he found himself smiling wider. 'He really is an oddity. I like it.'
 Bringing his thoughts back to the movie, he strode up to the window and bought two tickets for them, refusing any attempt Erin made to pay for his own ticket. "Don't worry about it, the movie is my treat. Consider it a thanks for the excellent company. I don't get to do this often." Erin tried to argue but Vryshall dismissed every arguement the ferret brought up. "If you must, you can buy the popcorn. Honestly though, I have no issues with it. It's not like I'd be spending my money on anything else but coffee and I could probably do with less of that in my diet." He chuckled to himself, holding the door into the theatre open for the boy. 
 They got a medium sized bag of popcorn and Erin got himself a drink as well, claiming that it was necessary for the proper movie theatre experience. Vryshall disagreed and pointed to the glass case with the candy as they walked by, arguing that you needed a nice box of sours and a lemonade to truely enjoy a movie on the big screen. They shared a laugh as they entered the already dark theatre, moving quickly to their seats as the opening trailers started rolling. Vryshall did his best to keep quiet throughout the movie, but the two ended up making sarcastic comments back and forth and giggling like school girls at the other's jokes during the entire thing.
 As they walked out of the theatre, Erin tossed the now empty popcorn bag into a trash can outside the door. "That was a lot more fun than I remember it being."
 Vryshall agreed with a smile. "Definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Good choice, Erin." The ferret started wagging proudly and Vryshall caught a glimpse of the blush he hadn't seen all day cross his cheeks. "Next time I get to pick though!" 
 Erin stuck his tongue out teasingly and let out a quiet giggle like he had in the theatre. "If you say so." He stopped a few paces away from the curb and turned to the coyote. "So what did you wanna do now? I don't really feel like going home just yet, if you had something else in mind."
 "Honestly I'm at a bit of a loss. It's about ten thirty now, and Dad doesn't care how long I'm out on non-work nights. Feel like going for a late night river visit, I guess?  That's where I go when I don't know what else to do." They paused the conversation as a bus rolled up to the curb and they got on. After sitting down, they resumed talking. "Have you ever been swimming in the river at night?" Erin shook his head and Vryshall felt his ears perk up and his tail start to twitch. "Oh you're really missing out. The water is a little colder than normal but it's easy to get used to and it feels absolutely amazing! Plus you can see the moon from under the water and it's just... breathtaking. Good thing too, seeing as how you'd be holding it." He glanced out the window, catching sight of one of his other paths down to the river. They weren't that far from his house, either, so they could walk the rest of the way home afterwards. He pulled the cord for a stop and again grabbed the ferret's paw as he raced off of the bus, fairly excited to get down to the water. "This is a shortcut!" he exclaimed as the ferret ran swiftly along behind him, arm extended out behind him as he continued to hold onto Erin's paw. They dashed through the soft grass down until they were standing on the riverbank, the moon shining  brightly overhead.
 Erin nudged the coyote gently. "So uhm, only one issue. You don't have swim trunks," he pointed out. He then explained, due to the questioning look he received, that he had been relaxing by the river early in the morning and hadn't changed, still having his swim suit on beneath his clothes.
 Vryshall paused, realizing that he wasn't used to swimming in the river with someone else. Usually he didn't bother with a swim suit, as nobody else was ever around. He slipped his paw away from the ferret's and he decided that he didn't really care much at all either way. In a few swift movements, he stripped off his clothes and dove into the middle of the river, letting out a pleased bark as he surfaced. "Don't worry about it. Nobody ever comes down here, especially at night!" He called up to the ferret. Swimming in a quick circle, he barked again, watching Erin out of the corner of his eye. The boy retreated down the bank a little bit and Vryshall lost sight of him, then saw a shadow dart over head before he was hit with a splash. Erin's head popped up a foot or so to his right and they grinned at each other. Vryshall pointed downstream and motioned with his head, sinking under the water and propelling himself off of the rocks in the direction he had pointed. He spun around on his back to look back as he drifted, surprised to see the ferret twirling through the clear water right behind him. 'Challenge accepted,' he thought to himself, spinning once more to right himself. Tipping his nose above the water, he inhaled, then dove back under once more. He flicked his tail to the side, curling up into a ball as he sank about a foot. As Erin rushed by, he uncurled quickly, launching himself after the ferret. He grabbed the boy's shoulders and spun him around once, twirling in a barrel roll himself. After the spin, he twisted his body, paddling just enough to corkscrew under the ferret, his chest just barely missing a rock that jutted up from the riverbed. A rush of adrenaline surged through his limbs from the near miss and he pushed himself to the surface, taking a gulp of the fresh air. Erin broke the surface remarkably close and he felt the boy's tail brush against his leg. 
 Erin took a few deep breaths before turning around and giving that shy smile of his at the coyote. "W-wow, I don't think I've ever been that outclassed in the water before. How much did you say you swim?" 
 Vryshall scratched at the back of his head as he felt his cheeks heat up. 'I guess I was kinda showing off, huh?' "Well almost every day after school, usually about four times a week and then every day during the summer. Been doing that since I was..." He thought for a moment. "Seven. Ten years of swimming." 
 Erin whistled quietly, shaking his head. "That's way more than I've even thought about swimming." He twisted his hips and swished his tail back and forth under the water, causing ripples to move out in circles around him. "This is really fun though. It's... so much more relaxing with someone. Thank you, Sunny."
 Vryshall looked up and caught the gaze of the ferret, his eyes shining bright green in the moonlight. The coyote felt a strange warmth creep up through his body and he flicked his ears out to the side, sinking down a little bit in the water again. "Anytime, Erin. Honestly I haven't had this much fun in the river since..." He hesitated, realizing that the last time he swam with someone else in the river was with his at the time girlfriend. It hadn't been at night and he had worn a swim suit then, and thinking back it wasn't quite this exhilirating. Clearing his throat, he finished his thought. "A few years ago, actually." He tore his gaze away from those sparkling emerald eyes, instead staring up at the moon. The lie weighed heavily on his mind, and he did his best to ignore it. His voice dropped in volume as he spoke again. "It's a really nice change of pace, to be truthful."
 Erin drifted a little closer to him and followed the coyote's stare into the sky, likewise lowering his voice. "Isn't it? And it's such a beautiful night, too..." Erin's voice trailed off and Vryshall felt the boy's tail brush lightly along his, stiffening a little but then thinking, 'Why not. It's a nice night, he's a nice kid, and it isn't everyday you get to spend swimming with someone like him.' He gave a content rumble, letting the pleasant warmth spread over his body from the soft touch to his tail. Without thinking, he grabbed Erin's paw in his again and gave it a soft squeeze, his eyes drooping closed halfway as he stared into the sky. Minutes seemed to drag on for hours as they tread water in the middle of the river, watching the moon for no particular reason. 
 Vryshall suddenly yawned and blinked rapidly after he closed his muzzle again, withdrawing his paw to his  side. "I wonder what time it is." Erin turned to look at him, giving a shrug. Vryshall also turned his head, meeting the boy's eyes again and for some reason he couldn't hold the gaze. He had to look away, and for another unknown reason he started swimming towards the shore. 'Why is he looking at me like that? It's really unnerving.' He could hear the ferret close behind him and he climbed up on the bank, noticing that they were right near the cave he had found earlier that day. He sat on the bank and shivered a little, flattening his ears. 'Those eyes...' He looked over at the ferret and saw him standing silohuetted against the moonlight, the position sending another shiver up the coyote's spine. 'What in the world is going on with me? This isn't like me at all. Pull yourself together Sunnington.' He tilted his muzzle back down and he hugged his knees to his chest, resting his muzzle atop them.
 Erin spoke up, his voice remaining as quiet as it was in the river. "I don't want to go home, tonight. It is far too pretty out here to ever go back to that..." He shook his head, sending a few water droplets through the air. "How do you ever leave, Sunny?"
 Vryshall offered a weak smile, curling his tail around his feet. "Sometimes, I don't. I've spent more nights than I can count lying out under the stars. Once in a while my youngest brother would come out and keep me company, and way back when I was a cub, my older sister would bring a blanket out and sit with me till I fell asleep." 'Those times were different, though,' he wanted to say. 'Then I had been trying to get away from my problems. Now...' He glanced up at the tall ferret, watching the boy's cheeks redden as he obviously felt Vryshall's gaze. 'Now I'm sitting here with a ferret who I think has been hitting on me most of the night.' The words flowed through his mind so suddenly he hardly had a chance to register the thought. 'Good God, he has been hitting on me, and I've been letting him. Worse, I've been responding to it.' He dipped his muzzle between his knees and squeezed his eyes shut. The same confusion that he felt earlier that day in the river returned in force, turning his head into a maelstrom of emotion. Then he felt Erin's paw on his shoulder and he looked up, seeing the ferret's gentle smile as he leaned over. 
 "You alright, Sunny?"
 "Y-yeah. I'm okay." With the touch on his shoulder, he felt the storm of thoughts whirling about his mind taper into a tiny trickle, then stop completely. Just a touch, that simple contact, and his worries faded away.
 Erin patted his shoulder and motioned upstream. "Come on, we should probably get dressed again if we aren't going to swim more." Vryshall nodded and rose to his feet, following the taller boy back up the river bank to where they had shed their clothes. They dressed quickly, and Vryshall felt his mind calm even further, even allowing him to smile genuinely towards the ferret.
 "Do you still not want to go home?" Vryshall's throat tightened up a little bit as he spoke. 
 "Not even in the slightest. I feel so at home out here. It's been a while since I got to actually be myself without consequence." Erin was staring up at the sky again, his posture reminding the coyote of his dream the night before.
 Here was this ferret, with eyes of gleaming emerald, who took time out of his day to be with him, a fairly plain gray coyote. Something about this didn't seem right, all of a sudden. Vryshall couldn't place it, but it was chewing at the back of his mind. He'd never thought of anyone like he did Erin. His voice was soothing, his smile made him happy, and he had the strangest air of calm about him. 'I sound like a love-struck school girl,' Vryshall told himself. "What's stopping you from being yourself every day?"
 Erin's loose, relaxed posture stiffened at the question. "Most people I've met don't really like me." He sounded hesitant, as if he wanted to say something else entirely. "I have to act differently around everyone at school, my extended family... But out here it doesn't matter. Out here, I'm just me." He stretched his arms out over his head, his light blue shirt lifting up just over his waist. As he brought them back down, his body relaxed once more, the lean muscles showing faintly through his light brown fur.
 "How could anyone be mean to you? You're so gentle and nice and fun." He shook his head, trying to keep his thoughts from wandering down a tangent. "If people would stop and actually get to know a person before throwing their words around, this would be a much better place." He sighed, sitting back down on the grass.
 "You'd be surprised what some have the capacity for, Sunny..." Erin lay down on his belly next to the coyote, resting his chin on his paws. "Life isn't always like it is right now. Too bad, really." The ferret flicked his tail over to rest atop Vryshall's and the two boys yawned almost simultaneously, belying the lateness of the hour. 
 Vryshall rearranged himself to lie on his belly next to the ferret, mirroring his position. "I think that it is quite possibly bed time." Erin laughed quietly, nodding his agreement. "And this particular patch of grass has become unnecessarily comfortable." Erin nodded again and let out another yawn, closing his eyes. Vryshall rolled over onto his back and slid his paws under his head, likewise closing his eyes. The cool night air drew in around him until he fell into the dark arms of sleep.
 'Sunny, is something on your mind?' Vryshall heard Erin's voice and his head snapped up, taking in his surroundings at a glance. He was in Erin's room, sitting in the boy's desk chair. 
 He forced a smile and shook his head, his tail flicking against the chair as he spoke, giving away the intensity of what was filling up his brain. 'No no, it's nothing important.' He lowered his head again, feeling the weight of his lie grow heavy on his conscience. 'Just was thinking about yesterday, is all.'
 Erin let out a quiet giggle and nodded, sitting on the edge of his bed. 'I had a lot of fun yesterday... Today too! You're a lot of fun to be around, Sunny.' Everytime Erin said his name he cringed inwardly, his heart beating fast in his discomfort. Erin's smile slowly disappeared as he watched the coyote, scooting a little closer to lay a paw on Vryshall's knee. 'You sure you're alright? You've been acting strange ever since that first night down at the river a week ago.'
 Vryshall clenched his fists at his thighs and shook his head again, trying to keep his thoughts from tumbling from an open muzzle. Failing to do so, everything came out at the same time, sounding quite jumbled. 'I just- You- and I'm confused-' He found himself unable to complete a full sentence to respond so he simply clamped his mouth shut with a huff.
 Erin's voice lowered and he moved all the way to the end of the bed, taking Vryshall's right paw into both of his. 'I'm going to guess,' he started. 'That you figured out  something new about me.' Vryshall nodded. 'Does it bother you?' This time a shake of his head. 'Then what's the problem?' The simple logic pierced through the coyote's clouded mind and let him regain control enough to push all the worries and doubts he had about the ferret away. 'I don't hide it very well, do I?' 
 Vryshall shook his head, resting his other paw around one of Erin's. 'That you don't. It hit me that night and I guess I needed... a little light on my own thought process to make sense of everything.' He gave the paw a squeeze and moved from the chair to sit on the ferret's bed. Erin turned his head to look into the coyote's deep blue eyes, his own emerald orbs shimmering happily. He leaned in towards Vryshall, who moved to meet him halfway. As they're muzzles pressed together...
 Vryshall's eyes shot open as his heart raced. Another dream about Erin. He lay where he was in the grass for a moment, letting the rest of his senses catch up to his sudden return to wakefullness. He was faintly aware of a warmth against his side and his brain finally was able to register what he was seeing. He and Erin had fallen asleep on the bank of the river and he guessed that it had gotten a little cooler than usual that night, as Erin was curled up with his back pressed against Vryshall's side.
 A smile spread over the coyote's muzzle as he closed his eyes again, trying to calm his pounding heartbeat. He let the dream play over and over again in his mind, picking apart every detail with the utmost care as he did so. 'It's only a dream, Sunny.' He said to himself. 'But dreams do hold a grain of truth in them as a seed, so what is this one saying?' He started making a list of all the possible reasons he would be dreaming of the boy next to him in that way and each one was a little more uncomfortable to think of than the last. He opened his eyes and glanced down at the ferret, uanble to help but smile again. The boy was so sweet and friendly, but then again, he'd known people like that before. He tried to place a name to who else he'd met like Erin but found that he couldn't. Pushing that thought away, he focused on placing traits to the boy. After compiling another list in his head, he mentally categorized each of them, meticulously making as many categories and subcategories as he needed.
 'Stop making distractions, Sunny.' The voice penetrated his list making and he almost jumped. 'Why do you insist on avoiding it?' He let out a quiet sigh, flicking his ears back against his head. He was avoiding the thought that continued to push itself forward. 
 'Is Erin gay?' He shuddered almost unnoticeably at the statement, forcing himself to keep the thought centered. He had noticed that Erin seemed a bit more comfortable around him than he used to, though that could be just because he had that effect on people. Erin also was showing signs much like he noticed in a few of the girls in his school when they talked with him. He knew that the girls were fond of him but he never talked to them about it; he never felt a need to. Then there was all of the previous night.
 Now, he was very close with his brother; he didn't have any issues sharing certain tame kinds of affection with another boy. Given he wasn't used to it being with someone outside of his family, but he could make the connection if the need ever arose. Maybe Erin was the same way? 
 'You don't really think that, do you?' 
 He shook his head, letting out another sigh. He had only just met Erin, and already he was in this much turmoil over a friendship. That never happened to him, so everything about the situation was a new experience. No question though, the warmth of the boy pressed up against him helped keep his mind at ease and he had quite enjoyed the entirety of the previous night. The coffee, the movie, swimming; it had all been way more fun than he ever had with any of his friends, even some of his oldest ones. He felt more at home with the ferret around and the boy's presence eased the troubles of his mind when they arose.
 'Not even Era can do that, you know.'
 'I know, but that doesn't mean anything.' He looked back down at Erin and tilted his head. 'Does it?'
 'You already know the answer to that.'
 He brushed a paw over his chest flicked the tip of his tail in aggravation. Yes, he did know the answer, but that didn't stop him from questioning it. But at the same time, laying here, the tall, lean ferret tucked in against him, he could find very few questions that had any merit at all to them. His other paw twitched as he reached an arm around Erin, watching the boy's pleasant expression soften a little further with the touch. He remained asleep, but he rolled over, resting a paw on Vryshall's chest. The coyote smiled again, placing his paw over Erin's. He definitely enjoyed the ferret's company, and in his mind he thought that maybe he enjoyed it a bit too much.
 Everyone he knew was straight, and that's what everyone expected of him. If anyone found out that he was hanging out with Erin- 'No. I don't care about them.' He interrupted his own thoughts quite fiercely. 'I am not that shallow, and Erin deserves better than that, whether he is or isn't. He is my friend, and I'll stick to that for as long as it's true.' With that statement, his resolve hardened and the confusion melted away, leaving him with a strangely satisfying sense of peace. 'Besides, even if he is, it's not like I would date him. I'm not gay.'
 A shiver crept up his spine as he thought that, and he heard his questioning voice laugh at the statement. 'Are you absolutely certain?'
 'Shush, I am definitely certain!' 
 'If you say so, Sunnington.' The voice went quiet and didn't speak up again that morning. Satisfied, he leaned his head back and stared up at the sky, the morning light starting to break over the horizon. The emerging sunlight splashed brilliant colors across the lazy clouds, and the sheer beauty of the sight took Vryshall's breath away.  Lightly nudging Erin, he attempted to wake the ferret, succeeding after just a few brief seconds. The ferret yawned and flicked his tail, refusing to move his head from against the coyote's chest. Vryshall didn't mind, but instead pointed up at the sky. "Erin, look. Isn't it breathtaking?"
 Erin tilted his head a little to stare up at the sky, moving it to rest on the coyote's chest instead of beside it. As he repositioned himself, Vryshall slipped his arm around Erin and the boy let out a quiet, pleasant sounding sigh. "It's beautiful..." he heard the ferret whisper. "I don't think I've ever really watched the sun rise before. It's definitely," he turned back to look up at Vryshall, his cheeks flushing before he looked once more to the sky. "Enjoyable."
 Vryshall nodded his agreement, his tail twitching against the ground in his happiness, his troubles of earlier all but forgotten in the moment. Minutes dragged by as the two stared at the sky, basking in the orange glow of the morning. Neither of the two made any attempt to shift position or move any part of them, content and comfortable laying there with each other. 
 After what seemed like hours, Vryshall's sharp ears heard what sounded like footsteps in the grass approaching them from behind him. Tilting his head back, he stared in the direction towards his house, the world appearing to be upside-down from his position. He saw Ceran walking along the river bank, most likely looking for him since he hadn't come home or called the previous night. When the little coyote saw his brother, he broke into a smile and quickened his pace, shoving his paws into the pockets of his green cargo shorts when he reached the two.
 "You look comfortable," He teased at the two, causing both of them to try and hide their embarassment. "So I'm guessing it was another night under the stars, then?" Vryshall nodded and Ceran plopped down onto the grass beside them. "Sounds fun. How was the movie? Dad said that he won't take me to see it because I'm too young."
 Erin put a paw to his muzzle to stifle a laugh, and Vryshall grinned. "He's right, though. You wouldn't understand some of what happens in the movie between certain characters. Plus it's a little more violent than it leads you to believe, and I don't think it would be appropriate for someone your age, though you'll probably be able to appreciate it sooner than Trin will." Erin stifled another giggle and Ceran tilted his head.
 "Still, I wanted to go see it this year. You never know, it might not come back next year!" He gave an expression of mock sadness and Vryshall reached over to pat his brother's shoulder. 
 "It'll be there next year, I guarantee it. It's been in ever since I was a cub and even before that. You'll see it, Era, I promise." He perked his ears up, suddenly realizing that he'd never introduced his little brother to Erin. "Oh, Era, this is my friend Erin. Erin, this is my youngest brother Ceran." He paused, then chuckled as he realized how much their names sounded alike. 
 Erin tilted his head back to look at the young coyote upside-down, giving him a warm smile and a little wave. "Hiya, nice to meet you."
 Ceran wagged quickly smiled back, flicking his ears forward. "Nice to meet you too! Oh, and by the way Ry. Meryl called Dad yesterday. She's gonna be staying with Aunt Freli for a while. She wouldn't say how long." He leaned over and elbowed Vryshall lightly in the ribs. "Sounds like you'll have the room all to yourself for a good long time." Vryshall thought he saw the young coyote wink at him, but he could tell for sure from his angle. "I'm guessing you guys haven't eaten, have you?" The two shook their heads, followed by a duet of growls from their stomachs, causing Ceran to let out a laugh. "Come on, Dad made way too much breakfast for just him, Trin and me. And I'm sure he would love to meet your new friend." Ceran scrambled to his feet and started padding back upriver, calling over his shoulder, "Oh, and Dad's particularly loud this morning, so be prepared."
 Vryshall groaned, laying his head back down against the grass. "Always when someone comes over. It's never just, y'know, a normal day. No, it's always right before one of us brings someone over that he gets really talkative. Lasts for days. It's like he knows." He closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to get up from his spot. Erin seemed to have the same dilema, but he managed to pry himself away from the comfortable position against the coyote. With the warmth of the ferret removed, he found it easier to get up, the compulsion to remain seeming to lessen the very instant Erin stood. Vryshall jumped up to his feet and immediately stretched his arms out above his head, arching his back until he heard a few quiet pops from his spine. Letting out a pleased woof, he turned to look at the ferret, who was mirroring his stretch, albeit the ferret seemed a bit more graceful than the coyote while he did so. Vryshall started walking up the riverbank when Erin lowered his arms, and the ferret tagged along behind him, the two walking in silence.
 They made it back to Vryshall's house relatively quickly, leaving the beauty and the closeness of the morning behind them. Vryshall led the ferret in through the side door into the basement, showing him briefly around the finished room before taking him upstairs. As soon as he opened the basement door, he heard his dad's voice boom out from the dining room. "And he returns! How was your movie, Sunny?" As Vryshall entered the dining room with Erin, Vryshall's father gave a short laugh. He was sitting at the table with Ceran sitting next to him. "Well then, who's this? I can't say I've seen him around town before, and that's saying something! Come on boy, don't be shy!" 
 Vryshall rolled his eyes at Erin, who giggled quietly before answering. "M'name's Erin, sir. Erin Brisit. My family lives on the other side of the river."
 The elder coyote took a drink from the mug in his paw and then placed it on the table in front of him. "Brisit, eh? I think I've met your father once or twice through my job. Tall, slender fella like yourself, right? Where does he work?" 
 Erin dropped his gaze to the floor. "Yeah, that sounds like him. He works with the City Council on projects all over the town. He isn't home most of the time though; He's very dedicated to his job." 
 "So that's where I met him. My company worked with City Council a few years back on the Greenwood Rec center. We added the personal driers in the pool locker rooms and did a complete makeover of the entire building. I work with a contracting business, you see. It was a really stressful project to be honest. I swear we had to redraw plans at least twelve times before the councilmen found it to be satisfactory. Some people, eh? At any rate, that place needed a lot of work done to it, and you guys should be thankful that they came to me about it. Although, it's no surprise they did. When you have someone who helps manage one of the largest contracting companies in the county living in your town, it's hard to ignore the pull of giving back to the community by hiring them. I know that Sunny here really enjoys those driers at the pool; those were my idea by the way. They don't have them at the Firvan pool, but then again, it's mostly aquatics that frequent that one so the council didn't see the need to add the driers in there too. I remember when I was little, I had always wanted to have something like that in my house, but my parents thought I was a little, well, out there because of it. I don't blame them though, I was a little ahead of my time as a kid." Mr. Sunnington continued rambling on about the pools and his childhood as Vryshall motioned Erin over to the kitchen, making up two plates of the eggs and breakfast meats that were sitting out on the stove. He handed a plate to Erin and grabbed some utensils, carrying them over to the table before giving a fork to Erin to eat with. They were able to finish their meal, wash the plates, and have Ceran help them put away the remaining food before the elder coyote finished his narrative. The only reason he stopped, too, was because he had absentmindedly looked at the clock and interrupted himself. "Woops, looks like I ran out of time. Gotta head to work. Nice meeting you, Erin!" He got up and rushed out the front door, grabbing a briefcase from beside the door on his way out.
 After Mr. Sunnington left, the house fell strangely quiet until Vryshall let out a loud laugh. He turned to Erin with a broad smile. "See what I told you? He just never stops."
 Erin nodded, a little wide eyed at the amount of talking he had just been witness to. "I have never, in my life, heard that many words come out of one person's muzzle in that short of a time span. I-" He stopped, shook his head, then looked at Vryshall, and his expression made Vryshall laugh even harder. The ferret's eyes belied a little bit of fear, but his facial expression held hints of shock, amazement, and horror. "I honestly don't know how to react. Speechless, I think is the word. I can hardly even tell anymore." He glanced between the two huge smiles of Vryshall and Ceran, shaking his head again. "Can we like, not talk for the rest of the day? I think the daily quota for words has been exceeded." The three of them shared one more laugh as they sat around the table.
 Vryshall crossed his arms as he sat and he looked over at the clock as his father had. "Wow, I can't believe it's only nine am. I'm telling you, ever since my last visit to the pool time has been going by slower than ever. Not that I mind, it's just a little unsettling at times."
 Erin nodded as he leaned back in the chair slightly. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The only time I feel like things go at a normal pace is around the river. Like the flow of the water keeps everything moving properly, or something." 
 Vryshall cocked his head to the side thoughtfull. "Y'know, you're right. Even with all the fun we were having last night it felt like it was at a normal pace once we made it to the river. Maybe it's "The River of Time" that we've been destined to protect." Erin laughed loudly at that and Vryshall grinned.
 "That's crazy, Sunny! We couldn't protect an entire river by ourselves! Even if it was "The River of Time" Erin said the entire thing with a playful glint in his eye.
 Vryshall winked at the ferret as soon as he caught Ceran's confused stare. "Oh, most definitely. I wouldn't expect you to think so. It just so happens that God himself has commissioned an entire legion of fish to serve as our eyes and ears? Haven't you ever heard them talking to you when you swim?"
 Erin caught the wink and brightened up, seeming to react positively to the question. "Y'know, now that you mention it, I think I have. Just those little fishy voices that you think are just the water rushing over the rocks? Fish have the strangest way of talking, I guess."
 "They sure do. Though they do have some of the most interesting things to say that you've heard in the longest time! Some of their stories would blow your mind. I spent a week listening to them once, and I wasn't bored for a single minute!" Vryshall chuckled at the confused look that Ceran gave him and Erin.
 "Wait, wait. Talking fish? River of Time? What's going on?" Ceran interrupted the two of them with the exasperated exclaimation.
 Erin turned to the young coyote with a look of shock. "Didn't you know? The river in this town is a very special river. As long as it flows without impedence, the flow of time will remain stable and constant. Sunny and I were told about it in a dream and we were designated the roles of being its protectors! The fish in the river keep an eye out for trouble while we aren't there though. You didn't know?" Ceran shook his head and Erin put on an expression of complete surprise. "Really? I thought everyone knew about the river fish. There's been stories of how they've saved cubs from drowning or helped right row boats at the wider parts of it. They'll tell you things too, if you listen real close." Erin nodded  meaningfully and Vryshall had to do his best to keep from laughing.
 Ceran's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Seriously? That's incredible! To think that all of these years I've been living next to a magic river! That's so cool. Maybe I should pay more attention when I'm swimming. I wanna hear the fish too!" Ceran bounced up a down a few times in his seat, excited to talk to the "magical river fish."
 Erin and Vryshall shared a laugh between themselves at how well they had been able to put the story together, and a quiet settled over the three. Then, Erin's phone buzzed and he jumped up from the table, stepping into the living room before answering. Trying to be polite, Vryshall stayed in the dining room, but his sharp hearing let him hear what the ferret said even from there. "Hello?" A pause. "Yeah, I know Mom. I'm at Vryshall's house, I stayed the night." A sigh came to his ears from the other room. "I'll be right home." Next was the sound of a phone snapping shut, and Erin walked back into the room. His expression was not as bright as it had been a moment ago when he left the room, and he leaned against the door frame leading from the living room into the dining room. "I have to go home for now. But if you're okay with it, I could come back tonight, or maybe tomorrow?" 
 Vryshall nodded, giving a sad smile when he heard that Erin had to leave. "Most definitely! We can go swimming again tonight if you can make it."
 "That sounds like fun. I'll see if Mom will let me." He let out another sigh. "She's mad that I didn't come home last night." He turned and Vryshall stood up, showing the  ferret to the front door. "I'll call you later tonight, okay Sunny?"
 "Sure, talk to you then. Take care, Erin!" The ferret walked out the door and Vryshall closed it behind him. Vryshall felt a strange pit form in his gut and he cocked his head to the side, shaking his head to clear his thoughts after a moment.
 Ceran padded up to him and bounced lightly on his toes. "I like him! Can he come over more often?"
 Vryshall laughed and patted his younger brother on the head. "I like him too, Era. If I can help it he'll be hanging out with us quite often. There's something about him..." He let his thoughts trail off and Ceran tilted his head in question. Vryshall dismissed it with a flick of his tail. "Nevermind. It's nothing."
 The younger coyote tilted his head the other direction and ignored the second statement. "What about him? Huuuh?" He sounded like he was seven years old again. "You like him, you said."
 Vryshall turned his head to hide the flush of red that came to his cheeks. "Yeah, he's really fun. He's a good friend." He didn't like lying to his brother, but he wasn't sure about his emotions himself, so it would have to do for now.
 Ceran shrugged and padded up the stairs, presumably to go to his room. "Uh huh, I'm sure that's it. I'm gonna go draw, see ya later!" Vryshall stood at the bottom of the stairs, incredulous. Did his brother just insinuate that he had a crush on Erin? No, he couldn't have. Vryshall shook his head to confirm his own assumption in his mind. 'No, Ceran wouldn't think that. He's too young to know what it looks like.' He resolved that his brother was just na?ve at his young age. Why was that the first thing that came to mind though? This question he didn't have an answer for.
 He trudged up the stairs to his own room, taking a seat at his computer and flicking the mouse to turn the screen on. He pulled up a blank text document and stared at it for a few minutes, then opted to turn on some music first. Even with the rhythm keeping his thoughts in line, he couldn't write anything. Growling in frustration, he threw himself on his bed, snatching his journal from his nightstand. He grabbed at the pencil beside it, flipping the book open to the first blank page. The music flowed through him and his thoughts began to pour themselves out onto the paper through his paw. His pencil nearly floated over the page, scrawling out words faster than he normally would be able to. His thoughts about Meryl, Ceran, and Erin - especially Erin - began to form themselves on the previously blank pages. The ferret boy that dominated his thoughts day or night, the boy whose touch made him calm beyond fathomable reason. What was it about him? What made him different than everyone else? He couldn't figure it out, so he wrote. He wrote until the words stopped flowing and his tension had melted away. He looked at the clock on his phone and blinked. Six hours had gone by. He stared at his phone for a few unbelieving seconds. He really just made six hours fly by as if they were a second. That was new to him. He took out his sketch pad and started pawing through the pages, looking through his previous works of art. He didn't look for long, as he heard his brother knock on his door. 
 "Hey, what's up Ry?" Ceran padded into the room and sprawled out on Vryshall's bed. "You've been holed up in here all day. Something on your mind?"
 Vryshall shrugged and lay out next to his brother, tossing his sketch pad back onto the nightstand where he got it from. "Honestly, I didn't even realize that much time went by. I was just writing."
 Ceran nodded and let out a yawn, resting his head on the soft pillow at the head of the bed. After a few minutes rolled by and neither said anything, Ceran lifted one eyelid and stared at his older brother. "I'm not dumb, you know. Erin really likes you. You can see that, right?"
 Vryshall's voice caught in his throat and he felt his cheeks redden again. He hadn't figured that his brother was sharp enough at his age to catch those kinds of signs, and he had been purposefully avoiding those kinds of thougts himself. The fact that it was Ceran who was saying it to him did shock him though. Managing to find his words once more, he flicked his ears back. He resolved to confide in his younger brother, like he had let the little one do with him years ago. "Y-yeah, I know. That's what I was writing about, I guess. I picked up my journal and just started writing." He sat up against the wall and held his journal close to his chest. "I've been so confused about that boy. Just him being around makes my head... spin? It's such a strange sensation, I really don't know how to describe it. Completely different from Teri. It doesn't make any sense to me. I've had these dreams about him, and I can't get him off my mind. Whenever I see something, it either reminds me of him, or it leads my thoughts in a circle that ends up down the same track."
 Ceran nodded again, then nosed against Vryshall's shin, staring at his brother upside-down. "Why don't you talk to him about it? He seems like a really smart guy. He'd be able to help, I'm sure."
 Vryshall shook his head and grimaced. "I wish it was that easy. I know it seems like it would be, but I don't know how to even bring it up, which makes me yet more frustrated. You know how I am about talking to people."
 "So, he tongue-ties you?" He gave Vryshall a deviously playful look and stuck his tongue out. "He's perfect for you."
 Vryshall froze for just a second, then playfully pushed his brother off the bed. "H-hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
 Ceran gave a mischeivous yip and rolled over to the other side of the room, jumping to his feet. "You heard me. Just you watch, I called it." He stuck out his tongue again and giggled. "You'll see. You'll be great together."
 Vryshall gave a strained whine and threw his pencil at his brother. "Stop saying that Era! You know me better than that!"
 "Yeah okay, whatever you say Ry." Ceran padded out of the room after tossing the pencil back and let out another laugh. "I'm tired though, Dad isn't going to be home for a while either. I'm gonna take a nap."
 "Hold on! How did you even know that was even the reason to begin with?" Vryshall decided to see if he could figure out how the young coyote saw through his normal facade.
 "Easy. You stammered." With that, the door swung shut behind the short coyote, leaving Vryshall alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to be alone right then, though. He wanted his brother to come back, explain what he was talking about, why he said those things. Letting out a quiet sigh, he sunk down onto his bed again, curling into a ball against the wall and headboard. He closed his eyes and let the turmoil in his mind whisk him off into a dark land of rest. 
 He didn't sleep for long, though, as the vibrations of his phone on his bed woke him from his dreamless slumber. He groaned as he uncurled from against the wall, staring at the lit up screen of his phone before realizing who it was. He flipped it open and spoke. "Hey Erin. What's going on?"
 "Not much, Mom's a little miffed but she was just worried about me. I told her that I'd be out again tonight and she says it's alright." He could hear the smile in the boy's voice.
 He smiled himself and yawned, rubbing at his eyes. "Awesome, I'll be watching for ya then. Anything else you wanted to say?"
 He heard a pause before Erin spoke again. "Did you just wake up or something? You sound tired."
 "Oh, yeah. I guess I fell asleep for a nap a little bit ago. Ceran said some weird things and I needed to sleep on them or something. It's kinda foggy right now, brain's still waking up too."
 "Okay, makes sense. So what have you been up to all day?" 
 Vryshall sat up and yawned again, scratching at the back of his head. "I was being lazy around my room and writing, mostly. Nothing exciting, no stories or anything. Just clearing my head."
 "Sounds entertaining at least. I've been listening to my mom blather on about responsibility before I managed to escape down to the river. Will you meet me down here? Or did you wanna go somewhere else?"
 "Umm... I'll be right down to the river. Right under the bridge, okay?" Vryshall got up, grabbed his swim suit, and started walking down the hallway to the stairs as he spoke. "Shouldn't be longer than five minutes."
 "Righto, see you soon!" Erin hung up and Vryshall snapped his phone closed. He waved to Ceran as he dashed past the younger coyotes' room, then bounded down the stairs and out the back door. With a leap off of the back porch, he slid down the steep bank down to a flatter part of the ground. He woofed happily, racing upstream towards the bridge. By the time he got there, he already was able to pick out the brown furred head of the ferret floating about in the water, and he stripped off his clothes as he ran, slipping on the swim suit in his paw before leaping from the shore.
 The two swam together for hours and as the sun went down, they moved up onto the bank, watching the natural beauty of the sunset. They spent the remainder of the night talking about school years past and each other's writing until they fell asleep on the bank like the night before. This night was free of troubling dreams for the coyote, and the two passed into the land of dreams on the soft grass.
 This was how they spent the next few weeks. Every morning Vryshall would head off to work, each day in a better mood than the last. After work, Erin would call and the two would talk through Vryshall's bus ride home and for an hour or so after that. Vryshall would head to his room and either play games with his brother or write in his journal. After dinner, he would head down to the river and swim with the ferret, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Vryshall didn't let any of his confusion bother him any more and he was able to keep it all holed up in the back of his mind so as to not interrupt his good times.
 One week went by, and then another, the time seeming to flow by like the river that Vryshall spent every night in. Erin had settled into the routine as much as Vryshall had and they were able to almost finish each other's sentences at times, spinning stories off of the other's comments like it was nothing. Every Saturday, Vryshall would invite Erin over for dinner and then they'd head up to his room and draw together, talking the night away until they fell asleep.
 The third friday of this routine, however, Vryshall found himself in another of his strange dreams.
 'Erin?' Vryshall looked around his room and tilted his head in confusion, not seeing the ferret. 'Erin!' He called out again. Something stirred on his bed and he turned around quickly, spotting the ferret sitting up from where he had been laying under the covers. 
 'Everything alright, Sunny?' Erin yawned and rubbed at his eyes. 'I'm right here, like I have been all night, remember?'
 Vryshall felt his heart catch in his throat but he smiled, genuinely, and he padded back over to his bed. 'Yeah, guess I just had a bad dream and forgot where I was.' He slipped under his sheets and nestled into the bed, laying his head on his pillow inches from the ferret's. He pressed his nose against Erin's and sighed contently. 'But you're here, so it doesn't really matter, does it?'
 Erin giggled and pressed a paw against Vryshall's chest, stroking softly over the bright white star of fur in the center. 'I guess it doesn't. How did you sleep?'
 'Mmm... I slept like a baby, as always. You make a great pillow, you know.' Erin giggled again and curled up slightly, pressing his head against the coyote's neck. 
 'As do you, silly coyote.' Erin sighed happily like Vryshall had earlier and slid a paw down the canid's side. As the scene faded into blackness, the ferret's voice reached his ears one more time. 'I love you, Sunny.'
 Vryshall shot bolt upright in his bed, his heart racing. He hadn't had any dreams in such a long time, he'd thought that he was free of their baffling grasp. What was stranger, he didn't feel upset or aggravated about what he had seen or heard in his dream. He was more surprised than anything, but he wasn't disturbed as he had been the times before. He tried to shake the images from his mind but they kept playing over and over in his head. He didn't have work this morning so he had time to think it over, for once. He snatched his journal from his nightstand and wrote down every detail he could remember from the dream. After he finished recording, he started detailing his emotions and feelings that the dream had sparked in his mind. Every little thought that crossed his mind was written down in that leatherbound book, captured forever in his private journal. He spent the  majority of the morning writing, as he couldn't think of anything else to pass the time.
 After about four hours, however, the quiet of his writing was interrupted by his brother knocking on the doorframe. "Knock knock, Sunny. How's it going?" He strode in without waiting for an answer and flicked his tail at the empty bed on the right side of the room. "Been writing again?" Vryshall nodded and the younger coyote padded over, jumping onto the end of Vryshall's bed. "So you had another dream, then?" Vryshall nodded again, still not sure of what to say. "What did I tell you, Ry. You two are meant to be. But neither of you have made any kind of move, it's getting boring." He yawned, stretching his arms over his head.
 "Era, I told you. I don't swing that way." Vryshall poked his brother in the side with his foot and chuckled. Over the weeks he and Erin had been sharing, Ceran had been making sidelong comments here and there, insinuating that Vryshall was merely trying to woo the ferret boy. 
 "I still don't believe you, Ry, but you can keep telling yourself that," Ceran teased at him with a singsong voice, making faces towards the older canid. "So is he coming over to dinner again tonight?"
 "Of course, doesn't he always? He loves dad's cooking, somehow. I'm not sure what he sees in it, but I'm glad someone actually enjoys all of his food." The two laughed for a little before Ceran started kicking his feet against the side of the bed. 
 "So, what did you want to do until dinner? It's only three right now." 
 Vryshall shrugged, racking his brain to think of anything past the topic of his dreams. "I don't know, honestly. Erin's going to be here in an hour so we can do a little more drawing before dinner, but I've got no idea what to do until then." Ceran nodded, his expression telling Vryshall that he was trying to think of something as well. They sat quietly in the dark room for longer than either had anticipated, and right as Ceran opened his muzzle to say something, they heard the doorbell ring. "That's probably Erin, he's early." Even so, the older coyote dashed excitedly to the front door and swung it open, his tail wagging quickly behind him. "Hiya Erin."
 Erin smiled as he readjusted the strap of his bag that he had hanging from his shoulder. "Hey Sunny. How's your day been?" He padded into the house and turned around, leaning up against the wall.
 "Same as always, pretty boring until now. You doing alright?" Vryshall motioned up the stairs and followed the ferret up to his room. 
 "Sure am, as always." The two lay out on Vryshall's bed and Erin withdrew his sketch pad from his bag. "So what did you want to draw? We kind of exhausted the whole scenery and landscapes last weekend."
 Vryshall grabbed his pencil and shrugged, rolling over onto his back with a sigh. "Not sure, honestly. I feel kind of like drawing something for Ceran, but I wouldn't know what that would be."
 Erin shrugged as well and started sketching something out on the page he had opened his sketch pad to. "Well, I don't know what to draw either so let's just see what comes of it." 
 They lay there for a while, drawing the first things that popped into their minds and after a few hours the page was decorated with strange symbols, half drawn faces of alien creatures, and fast moving rivers crashing over a rocky slope. Neither of them were really happy with what had come of the time but it gave them a chance to talk, like they always did. They talked about the upcoming school year, movies that were coming out, and family. Erin's mom had cooled down with trying to keep a tight reign on the young ferret, as long as he was staying with Vryshall. She had come to have a liking of the charismatic coyote, which didn't surprise either of the two boys in the slightest. It was the norm for most anyone that he met. 
 Vryshall heard his dad call them down for dinner, and Erin followed him down the stairs to the dining room. Mr. Sunnington was in the kitchen, the sleeves of his blue button down shirt rolled up as he stood in front of the stove. "Another night of delicious chicken alfredo. A bit different than last week's recipe though." Vryshall grinned. His dad was a great cook, though some of his recipes were a little outlandish. Most of the time he made something that sounded like it would be amazing, and then turned out to be something that looked like it would crawl off of their plates at the first opportunity. He made a special effort to cook something tasty whenever Erin came over, so they were always guaranteed an edible meal. Mr. Sunnington dominated the dinner conversation, as usual, but Trin and Ceran threw in a sarcastic comment here and there throughout it. Vryshall and Erin stayed quiet for the most part, the coyote trying to keep his thoughts sorted from the occurances of the morning. Erin seemed to just be enjoying the company of the coyote family, as he'd laugh at the jokes the others told and made the occasional statement about how good the food was.
 Dinner went by quickly and the daylight outside started to fade into twilight as the evening progressed. Erin leaned back in his chair and looked to Vryshall with a questioning gaze. "So, what did you wanna do?"
 Vryshall thought for a moment and then motioned out into the hallway to his left. "Did you wanna come see some of my writing? If I can bear the embarassment of its horribleness, that is." Erin nodded vigorously and the two stood up. Vryshall led the ferret through the short hallway and up the carpeted stairs at the end, turning the corner at the top of the stairs. They continued on to his room, closing the door behind them and leaving them in the dark. He flipped a light switch and his ceiling lamp flickered to life, bathing the room in a soft, yellow-white glow. "Have a seat, make yourself at home. I'll have something ready for you in a few." Vryshall grinned at the ferret before taking a seat in his desk chair.
 Erin returned the grin with one of his own and sat himself on the edge of the bed. "You know, you were right. This is a little less spacious than my room. It's bigger, for sure and you'd  have more room than me if it was just yours, I'd bet." He looked around the room a little more, glancing over the posters and pictures that adorned the walls. "Is she going to move her stuff out, or do you think she's coming back?"
 Vryshall shrugged and turned to his computer monitor, smacking at the mouse to wake the computer up. "I think she's going to move out, but you never know. It's been weeks since she left for Aunt Freli's house, hopefully she'll decide soon. She has a lot of stuff for someone who claims to be nonmaterialistic. Honestly, I never did believe her when she said that, though." As he spoke, he logged into his account on the computer and started browsing through a few documents. "Man, I need to reorganize this junk. I always tell myself to and then I end up just writing something new and adding it to the list." Erin moved closer and peered over Vryshall's shoulder at the list he spoke of. 
 With an impressed whistle, Erin shook his head. "How do you write that much on the computer? I can't seem to feel the flow as easily as writing with pencil and paper. Brain to paw seems easier than brain to keyboard."
 Vryshall shrugged, pulling up a few documents before responding. "Honestly, I know what you mean. I used to only write in the traditional method, but after I started learning how to type it was so much faster to type it out than write it, and I can be an impatient 'yote when I have an idea." He scrolled through the pieces of writing that he pulled up and pushed his chair back, standing up when he was clear of the desk. "There's a few pieces that I wrote a bit more recently. One's a story I started at the beginning of the spring and the other is an article that was in the paper this past May. If you still wanted to read them, that is." He  moved over to the bed as Erin took his place in the desk chair, pulling it closer to the computer to read.
 "I sure do," he said with evident enthusiasm. As Erin read through the documents, Vryshall turned to lay out on his bed, closing his eyes and mentally reading through his writings as the ferret did. He took a chance and had pulled up the only story that he had ever written that had an undertone of romance, hoping to see a favorable reaction from the boy. As the seconds ticked by, Vryshall became more and more nervous about Erin's reaction to his writing. The only person he'd ever shown it to had been Ceran, but he didn't know enough about English to give any kind of feedback other than "I like it!" He grabbed a pencil off of his nightstand and started twirling it between his fingers, trying to occupy his thoughts as he waited. After becoming bored with the spinning, he snatched his journal that the pencil had been laying on, beginning to read through his latest entries. He turned back to one that was dated June 18, quite a few pages back from the most recent ones. As he read through the month old entry, he realized that it had been his reflection on the only romantic relationship he'd been in. Closing the book quickly with a blush on his cheeks, he returned to simply twirling the pencil.
 Finally, Erin turned around with a smile adorning his slender muzzle. "That's really good, Sunny. I'd like to see more come from that story of yours." Vryshall's ears perked up and he smiled back at the ferret. "And I remember my mom talking about that article close to the end of school. She had said that it was written by a student at the public school, but she never read a name off to me. That's so cool that it was yours!"
 Vryshall's tail swished quietly behind him over the bed, his eyes shining happily. "Yeah, that was me. I didn't think that anyone actually read it, though. It was just something I threw together on my dad's company's latest project." He scratched the back of his head and looked over towards the ferret. "But you really like the story? I wasn't sure what I was doing with most of it, but I guess it's been turning out alright."
 Erin nodded quickly. "Better than alright. You have great attention to detail and the interaction between the characters is smooth and flowing. You can almost feel the tension between them during the more intense parts. It's very well written." The boy's motions were slightly animated and his voice held a twinge of genuine excitement. "You're a really good writer, you know."
 Vryshall felt his cheeks darken slightly at the compliment, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I guess so, I never really thought as much. It's just something I do to pass the time. Didn't really have plans on making it something to focus on. I planned on going into some kind of planning and management, like my dad."
 "Well I'd give this serious thought, Sunny. This is one of the best things I've read from someone our age, and even from people older. You could go really far with this kind of talent." Erin's voice held honesty and admiration in every note, and Vryshall couldn't help but look up into the boy's smiling eyes. "I mean it, Sunny."
 "I appreciate the compliment. It means a lot." He scratched at the back of his head again as he curled his tail into his lap. "Honestly though, you're the first person to read that story other than Ceran, and he couldn't really appreciate it at his age. He liked it, don't get me wrong, but he's my little brother, he's not gonna say it's bad." He laughed nervously and started brushing his claws through his tail.
 Erin sat on the bed next to the coyote, placing a paw on his knee. "You should write more of it, and if you want I can help with ideas if you need it. I feel more like writing myself after reading it, it's been so long." Vryshall dropped a paw down to cover Erin's and he leaned forward slightly, pushing the chair over to the other side of the room. 
 "Well if you're in any of the same classes as I am at school, then you'll probably get to see me writing more. I usually don't write anything during the summer months. There's not enough going on to keep me occupied while I write. My best thoughts and ideas come when I'm thinking about something else, like school or work, but work less so. If I do anything with writing in the summer it's only ever to edit a story or article that really needs it." He shrugged, trying to sound as nonchalant about it as possible, despite the fact that it really bothered him. He loved writing, and he couldn't stand the fact that he couldn't write anything of merit outside of the school year.
 Silence fell between the two, and Vryshall scooted back away from the edge of the bed, leaning up against the wall. Erin looked back at him, then down at the floor, then over at the opposite wall of the room. He, like Vryshall, was trying to think of something to break the awkward quietness that hung in the air. As the silence became more pronounced, Erin cleared his throat, having apparently thought of something to say.
 "So, uh, did you get an assignment from school for the summer?" 
 Vryshall nodded slowly, turning his head up to look at the ceiling. "Yeah, like always. They wanted me to read a book about some historical figure and write a report on him. I really don't feel all that into getting it done, but I guess I have to." He sighed quietly, closing his eyes. "I really don't get what those assignments are for. We're supposed to be able to relax over the summer. I mean, it's not like it'll be hard when I finally get around to it, it's just annoying, y'know?"
 Erin lay back on the bed, leaving his legs hanging off the side as he rested his head in the center of the bed. "Yeah, I know what you mean there. We were told to have a paper about some significant event that happened in our past ready when we started school again. I can't even begin to think of what I should write about." 
 "Well, what about moving? Didn't you say that you've only lived in the town for like, four years or something? Usually moving to a different town is pretty significant." Vryshall wish he hadn't brought it up, as Erin's expression soured as soon as he heard the first question.
 "That isn't something I like to think about," was his curt reply. 
 Vryshall flattened his ears and nodded. "Sorry I brought it up." Silence materialized between them once more and Vryshall found himself brushing through his tail again. He clenched his paws around the fur and sighed, trying to calm himself from going through the motions of his nervous habit. He wanted to ask so many questions about Erin's past, what it was like, what made him into who he was now, and he realized that just talking about writing had reignited his love of building backstory to a person. It was one of the things that made him talk so much; the more he talked to someone, the more they shared about their lives. Erin, on the other paw, didn't really reveal all that much about his past, so Vryshall was hesitant to bring up anything that would spur that kind of conversation. Besides, they'd only just met recently, and they had already gotten closer than he had with anyone else in that small amount of time. He didn't want to push his luck any further. 
 Erin broke the silence again; this time he let out a quiet sigh, laying his paws above his head next to Vryshall's leg. "I like your room better than mine. It seems so much more inviting, I guess. And I love your bed. So comfy and warm." Vryshall let out a soft laugh, resting his paw on top of one of the ferret's. 
 "I dunno, I thought the same about your room, honestly. I guess it's just because it's somewhere different than you're used to."
 Erin shook his head and looked up at Vryshall. "That's not why I think so." His cheeks reddened slightly but he would give no more insight into his reasoning. "I just like it better." Was his response when Vryshall tried to pry deeper. Accepting the vague reasoning for now, he resolved to ask again in a few days, maybe Erin would be a little more open by then. Ceran's words crept into his head but he managed to keep his composure this time.
 Vryshall slid down against the wall until he was laying mirroring Erin's own posture, giving a quiet yawn. "Man, I can't think of anything to do right now. Sorry about that." 
 "Oh don't worry about it. It's nice to just sit and relax here with you." Erin smiled over at the coyote and Vryshall found himself once more unable to hold the piercing emerald gaze, having to divert his eyes up to the ceiling again.
 Vryshall decided to take a chance and say something that he normally wouldn't, but he hesitated for a second after taking a breath before speaking. "I know the feeling, Erin. I've had more fun hanging with you than I've had with anyone in the past aside from Ceran." Erin's tail started wagging quickly and Vryshall could hear it brushing against the side of his bed. The ferret didn't respond, though, and so Vryshall thought quickly for a topic that wasn't so awkward and difficult to talk on. "So, do you usually go to Greenwood to swim?"
 Erin closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, I'm usually at Firvan. I know an otter lifeguard there who's been teaching me how to swim better. Every now and again though, I like to take a break at Greenwood. But people don't really like me there, so it's not often." 
 Figuring that it wasn't something the boy wanted to talk about, he skipped over that last comment when he replied. "What's the otter's name? And why do you need to be taught how to swim? You seemed like you were a fairly amazing swimmer down at the river."
 Erin laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I'm not bad, but I want to get better. And the otter's name is Kera. She's really sweet and always super nice to me. I don't get that too often so I spend as much time around there as I can, even if I'm not swimming." He stopped and adopted a very thoughtful expression for just a moment before continuing. "I think she'd want to meet you. She tries to run my life sometimes." He laughed again, taking his paws down from above his head and resting one on Vryshall's knee again. The touch made the coyote shiver briefly, but he didn't make any move to shy away from it. 
 "Kera... the name sounds familiar. Does she have a brother?" Vryshall scratched at his chest as he tried to build a tie to the name that just evaded his grasp.
 "Yeah, she does. I think his name is Mico. I haven't really met him though, he doesn't come to the pool when I'm there." 
 "That's where I know the name. Mico has the late morning shift at my work. He must have mentioned her name in conversation once or something. I knew I had heard her name somewhere." Vryshall gave a silly grin.
 "Small world, huh? With all of the people you talk to, I'm surprised I haven't met you at least once before the pool the other day."
 Vryshall pawed a bit more at his chest and shrugged. "Yeah, it kind of baffled me too. I never thought that there was someone in this town who I haven't at least seen around before. But I guess I still have work to do!" He gave a soft chuckle, patting Erin's paw with his own. "But in any case, I'm glad you decided to go to Greenwood. Makes my job that much easier!"
 They smiled at each other and relaxed on Vryshall's bed, the warmth and peacefullness of the surroundings starting to press itself down onto Vryshall. He yawned widely, blinking a few times after his muzzle snapped shut. "Wow, how am I still tired? I slept for like, nine hours last night. And besides, it's only, what, seven thirty? Eight?" Erin shrugged and matched his yawn with one of his own. "It must be the bed. Every time I lay on this thing I end up taking a nap, I swear."
 Erin let out a quiet giggle. "Sounds like it could get a little aggravating."
 "You bet it can be. I could be trying to draw or do homework or something and I lay down for a different angle on the work or to get more comfortable and-" he smacked his right paw against the bed, making a dull 'thump' noise. "I'm out. Every time." He yawned again, then rubbed at his eyes with his paws. "But a nap does sound kinda nice right now..."  Erin nodded his agreement and closed his eyes once more.
 Vryshall grunted once as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, staring at the light in the middle of the ceiling with distaste. Forcing himself to stand, he walked over to the light switch on the wall and smacked at it. The room was plunged into darkness, but Vryshall's eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. He padded back over to his bed and crawled over to lay against the wall, giving a playful bat at the ferret's shoulder as he passed. He caught a grin from the ferret before he was pushed back, his back being pressed against the wall. "Oh so now you're awake. I see how it is." Vryshall grinned in return, scrambling up to his knees with a friendly growl. Erin stuck his tongue out and scooted back, his body blending in with the dark surroundings save for the white stripe under his chin. "I can still see you, boyo." Vryshall teased.
 Erin lunged forward, knocking the shorter coyote onto his back as the ferret planted a paw on both of Vryshall's shoulders. "Gotcha." He grinned as his tail started wagging again, but Vryshall wasn't ready to give up just yet.
 "Sure about that?" Vryshall arched his back and forced himself up, allowing him to move out from beneath Erin's paws. He rolled onto his side, using the size of his bed to get a bit of distance between him and the ferret. Before he could gather himself, though, Erin jumped on him again, pinning him in exactly the same way as before.
 "Yes, I am sure about that." The boy's grin grew wider and he applied a little more weight to his paws than he had last time. Vryshall found himself unable to push up like he did before. He growled again, this time in slight frustration as he halfheartedly struggled against the taller ferret. Honestly, something about being pinned down like this didn't bother him as much as it normally would. He knew he wouldn't be able to reverse the position against Erin, as the boy was slightly bigger than he was, plus it seemed like he knew what he was doing better than Vryshall did. So, he gave a sigh of mock exasperation and relaxed back against the bed, a slight smile adorning his muzzle.
 "Alright, you win." He flicked his ears back as he felt the weight on his shoulders lessen, but Erin remained perched atop his midriff. The pressure didn't bother him any, as the boy weighed about as much as Trin did despite his height and he and Trin used to wrestle every now and again. "You're good though, I never lose a bout of friendly wrestling."
 Erin grinned and straightened up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kind of have an unfair advantage though. I was on the wrestling team for three years in school, so I know most of the little tricks to win." Vryshall could barely see the boy's face, and was just able to make out a faint tint of red in the midst of his snowy cheekfur. They caught each other's gazes and held them for a second, something clicking in the back of Vryshall's mind as he stared into those deep emerald orbs. 
 'Sunny.' That voice in the corner of his mind once more broke into his thoughts. 'How's that whole "I'm not gay" thing coming along?'
 He groaned inwardly, trying to ignore the voice. 'Not now, please? I kind of have more important things to worry about.' 
 'Mmm... somehow that doesn't sound true at all.' But even so, the voice went quiet once more. 
 He closed his eyes and let his paws rest at his sides on the bed. Without thinking, he let out a soft sigh of frustration and Erin tilted his head in confusion. "You okay, Sunny?" A note of true worry was held in the quiet question. 
 Vryshall snapped his eyes open and forced a smile, trying to fool the boy. He hadn't been thinking straight and had let his thoughts show through his expression, he guessed. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind is all." He resisted the urge to bite his lip, trying to keep the smile on his muzzle.
 Erin's eyes seemed to flash as a glint of disbelief found its way into his gaze, and he poked gently at the coyote's chest. "That's not what your eyes say." The ferret narrowed his own eyes and leaned in a little closer. "You've been acting strange since yesterday, and on top of that, you've been trying to hide it from me." Vryshall flattened his ears, his heart starting to pound heavily in his chest. Erin was sharper than he had thought, or else he just wasn't as good at hiding his thoughts as he had originally believed. "Now if something's been bothering you about me, you can talk to me. I know we only met a few weeks ago, but you're possibly the closest friend I've had in my life, or at least that's what I'd like to think." The ferret's ears pressed against his head like Vryshall's were. "I don't like being lied to."
 Vryshall looked away from the hurt eyes of the boy and let out a distressed whimper, not wanting to bring the topic of his musings up to Erin, not yet. It was too soon, he didn't know enough about what he was feeling to be able to describe it well enough to himself, let alone anyone else. "Erin..." He tried to put his confusion and worry into the boy's name, but he didn't feel as if he did. "Would you believe me if I said I didn't really know what was wrong?"
 "Sunny, I doubt there's anything you can say that I haven't heard before. And no, I can't say I would. You present yourself as having way too much together for me to think that." His voice remained low, quiet, just a hair above a whisper as he spoke. "Try me."
 A soft sigh slid from Vryshall's muzzle and he brought his head back up, forcing himself to hold Erin's convicting gaze. "I've never met someone like you before." Erin's ears twitched and the boy nodded, but stayed quiet. Vryshall continued. "You're confusing to me. I don't know how to think around you. Something," he paused, searching his mind for the right words. "Something has been gnawing at my brain about the way you act around me. It's, well, different than anyone else." Erin nodded again, and his lack of any kind of expression didn't help Vryshall at all. "I've rolled it over in my head, checked it against everyone I've ever met, and nothing makes sense."
 This time Erin did respond. "You're talking but you aren't saying anything. How am I different? What have you noticed? And more importantly, is it an issue?"
 Vryshall shook his head and had to clear his throat before resuming, trying to speak around the nervous lump that appeared in his throat. "You were so nervous the first day we met, and honestly, I can understand that. But then suddenly the next time I saw you, you became so sure of yourself and we were able to talk and have fun like the oldest of friends. I mean, you're really fun, a good friend, and I don't care what the reason is, but you're just so darn confounding to me I can hardly stand it."
 "That's not what's bothering you though, is it?" 
 "Partially. I-" He stopped himself mid thought, trying to regather his emotions as they would scatter and jumble everytime Erin saw through his normal wordplay. He wasn't used to dealing with someone who knew as much, if not more about speaking than he did. "You are different from any of my other friends. It isn't a bad thing, though. I'm able to relax, have fun, and not worry about the world around you." He started to hear the voice from earlier in the back of his mind, telling him what he should say. "You're sweet and playful and good with words and fun to talk to. Nobody I know is like that. It's refreshing. But..."
 Erin tilted his head slightly, a sad, but noticeably playful gleam replacing the one of disbelief. "But that's not an answer to my questions."
 Another sigh. "No, it's not. It doesn't bother me; I know that much. It just confuses me. I don't know how to handle it, to be honest. I tried to think it through and figure everything out but it all kept coming back to the same thing." 
 "Sunny, focus. Stop dancing around what you're trying to say and just say it."
 Vryshall squeezed his eyes shut, gathering his courage to be able to even ask the one question that he asked himself weeks before. "Are you gay?" Vryshall cracked open an eyelid to watch the ferret's reaction. Erin closed his own eyes, slowly, and slid back from his spot on the coyote's midriff. He sank back against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest. Vryshall sat up and flicked his ears out to the side of his head, letting out another quiet whine, this one in worry. 
 Erin shook his head. "I figured that's what it was. It always is." Vryshall tilted his head in confusion. "I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out. You got it quicker than most, but I guess it doesn't surprise me. You're good with words and so I'd imagine you can figure people out easier than others. But it always comes down to that." He let out sigh of his own. "Yes, I am."
 Vryshall had already gathered that he was, but even so, hearing Erin say it still made him freeze in place. He had tried to prepare for this, and despite having all of his thoughts ordered and ready, he was left speechless. He opened his muzzle to say something but no words came out, so he moved a little closer and reached out a paw to the ferret. Erin didn't see the paw and he squeezed his knees a little tighter against himself. Even in the darkness, Vryshall could see the boy shiver. Once more he opened his mouth, and this time his voice didn't fail him. "Erin, look at me." Erin opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze at the coyote. "Didn't you hear me? It doesn't bother me."
 Erin shook his head again, his voice lowering in volume more. "You say that now, but it always changes."
 Vryshall moved closer still and placed his paw on the ferret's shoulder. "Please tell me how, Erin, anything that anyone else has done applies to me? I'm not your average person, you know. I noticed it from the first day we went swimming, and I didn't stop you, did I?"
 "I really want to believe you, really I do. But-" 
 Vryshall interrupted him with a warm smile. "But nothing. I'm not lying." Erin looked into the coyote's dark blue eyes for a long moment. After seeing what he needed to, Erin let go of his knees and threw his arms around Vryshall's neck. Vryshall paused, surprised by the sudden action, but he curled his arms around the ferret's back, holding him gently. He could feel the boy shaking and then he felt a wet spot against his shoulder. Erin was crying. Flattening his ears, he softly patted the boy's back, trying to comfort him while being quite confused in his own right. He hadn't planned for such a severe reaction from Erin, and as such he was unprepared to do anything at all.
 Erin was able to compose himself enough to lean back from the embrace, removing his arms from around the coyote. "I-I'm sorry, Sunny." He wiped his eyes and smiled, dropping his paws to rest in his lap. "I should have better control of myself than that, but I-I'm glad you don't mind." He let out a nervous laugh and looked down at the bed. "I guess I'm not used to it not being an issue that I don't know what to do with myself."
 Vryshall nodded and smiled in return. "I understand, Erin. You really don't have to worry about it. I'm not going to like, lynch you or something. You're my friend, that's all that matters." Erin smiled wider and his tail started to wag again. 
 "That's... really relieving to hear, honestly." His eyes were shining like they had been in the river a few weeks before. "Thank you, Sunny."
 Vryshall's own tail was wagging rather contentedly and he gave a quiet, happy bark. "Of course! How could I not? You're really fun to be around. Wouldn't want anything like that to change, y'know?" Even with that part of the maelstrom in his head sorted out, something was still nagging at his brain. It didn't seem as pressing now, though, so he was able to ignore it for the time being. 'Give it time, Sunnington. You'll figure it out with him.'
 After another long silence between them, though this one not as unpleasant as the last, Erin jumped off of the bed and stretched his arms above his head, letting out a quiet squeak as he did so. "You wanna come to the river with me? I want to show you something." Vryshall tilted his head, shrugged, then got up off of the bed and walked to the door. They both snatched their swim suits from their bags before they left the room. Erin tagged along behind him as they walked downstairs through the house. Ceran wasn't anywhere to be found so he shrugged again, taking Erin out the front door and locking it behind them. The sun was just barely floating above the horizon and the twilight glow made the world seem as if it were frozen in time. 
 "River's this way." Vryshall started off of the porch over to where he would always walk down to the water's edge. The slightly worn path was as always easy to find and the two soon found themselves standing on the riverbank. "What did you want to show me?" Vryshall glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to find that Erin wasn't there anymore. He saw the boy's clothes on the grass and guessed at what Erin did before he heard the splash from the river. Grinning, he followed suit and soon was swimming next to the ferret in the cool water.
 "This way, it's downstream a little ways." Erin sank beneath the water and darted forward, Vryshall following along behind him with ease. The coyote closed his eyes as he swam, letting the current carry him along as he kicked, coming up for air only when his lungs started to burn.
 After a minute or so, Erin turned and swam over to the bank, hoisting himself up onto solid ground again. Vryshall again followed, but then stopped dead mid step. They were right in front of the cave he had first seen in his dream. Erin was standing in the mouth of the cave and waving him forward. "Come on, it's right in here!" He called. Vryshall slowly walked forward, padding quietly into the cave as water dripped from his fur. "This is where I come to every time I need to think. Nobody else ever comes here, so it's really isolated and perfect for getting away. We always came close to here when we swam but I never was able to work up the courage to show you my little hideaway." Vryshall nodded, the entire scene just unfolding in front of his mind's eye as if he were dreaming again. They strode forward into the total darkness of the cave, and like in his dream, he walked forward until he felt Erin's paw on his chest. "This is the back." Unlike his dream, however, Vryshall was able to see quite clearly in the gloom. With his bright emerald eyes and the shockingly white stripe of fur down his front, Erin stood out in the against the gray walls like a firework against the night sky. The ferret leaned against the wall opposite Vryshall and looked down at the floor, his expression telling the coyote that there was a reason Erin brought him here.
 "It looks like it's you who wants to say something this time, Erin." The boy nodded in response and took a deep breath.
 "That's the reason I brought you here. I have a bit of a confession to make and I needed the calming atmosphere. I haven't been totally honest with you either." He took another deep breath and Vryshall could see the boy's paws shaking against his legs. "I saw you the day you came here; the day we went to the movies. I was too scared to get your attention and you were too preoccupied with your thoughts to notice me in here. I guess you were so lost in your mind that you didn't hear me cross back over the river." Vryshall nodded. It wasn't hard to believe, as he had been really oblivious to most of his surroundings that day. He started to say something but Erin held up a paw for him to stop. "That's not all, though. The pool wasn't the first time I saw you, either." He shook his head and clenched his paws into fists to stop them from shaking. "I've watched you come down to the river to swim for the past year or so; ever since I started coming down here to get away from my family. I knew you lived around the river, though what part I had no idea, and I guess I had been kinda hoping to run into you by accident." He took yet another deep breath to steady himself. "But I've been too shy to say anything until you talked to me at the pool. That moment made me think 'Maybe he's different. Maybe he'll like me. Maybe I have a chance.' And I got excited. I wanted to say so much to you at the pool, and then you left so suddenly. Then again at the bus stop and as we walked back to my house. So many things ran through my mind that I just didn't have the will to blurt out. All of my feelings and emotions jumbled together in my mind and I could barely speak. The reason I was able to be so confident and composed that Friday is because I had worked out that I needed to just be myself and see what happened." Erin's voice broke and he paused his monologue for a second, composing himself once more. "The first time I saw you was my second day at the public school. At lunch you were eating at the middle table with a crowd of people around you, talking and laughing with you. I wanted to come over and join, but I was too shy. I would see you around school, but I could never catch you alone so I would hang back out of sight." He let out a quiet sigh before continuing. "That article you showed me in your room? I've read it before. I've read every article you've had in the paper even before I was in the public school. When my mom showed me the first one and mentioned that someone from Greenwood High had written it, I was amazed. Someone with that kind of talent in the same town as me? I wanted to meet you more than anything. But then my shyness got in the way until I got hurt at the pool." He let out a soft, nervous laugh. "I guess you could say that I've had a crush on you since before I met you. Then we started hanging out and we became friends and I was too nervous to ask you about it. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything like that, so I kept it to myself. Didn't want to compromise any of the good times I had with you, y'know? I wanted to make sure that you didn't have an issue with me being how I am before I sprang it on you, too. Even now I feel like it's too soon, but I had to come clean about it. I couldn't stand it anymore." He snapped his muzzle shut and shook his head. "That's all."
 Vryshall blinked a few times, unsure of how to respond. The boy that haunted his dreams and filled his thoughts day or night just confessed to having a crush on him. He couldn't believe it. He covertly pinched his arm behind himself to make sure he was still awake and that this wasn't just another dream. He winced with the sharp pain. No, he was awake, and this was one hundred percent real. "Erin, I-" his words caught in his throat and he tried to get around them but found himself unable to speak. He pressed his back against the rock wall of the cave and slid down it until he was sitting on the cool ground. Ceran had called it perfectly. He brushed his paws over his head and tilted his muzzle down, trying to order his mind enough to manage a few words. Was this really happening? Of course it was, he knew it. It was just so surreal that he could hardly believe it even though he knew. He had to say something, anything, just to let Erin know that the feelings were reciprocated, but nothing would come out when he tried. 
 Seeing the coyote struggle to speak, Erin dropped his gaze and grabbed at his arm. "It's okay if you aren't comfortable with it, or you think it would be too awkward to still be my friend. I just thought you deserved to know how I feel." 
 Vryshall nodded and cleared his throat, finally finding his voice again. 'This is it, Sunnington. You know what to say this time. He's different than Teri. He's Erin. He's not just a nice kid, he's your best friend. Say it all; say it like you mean it.' "You've got it all wrong. I wouldn't ever not want to be your friend, Erin. I'm just so confused about this whole thing, like I said. I-" He looked up at the ferret and felt a calm fall over him. The words he needed to say leapt to the forefront of his mind and all nervousness disappeared from his thoughts. "Since the day we met at the pool, you've almost constantly been on my mind. I dreamed about this cave the day before you saw me here, and I wasn't really sure about my feelings until just now. I've said you're different, and I like it. You're smarter than most of my friends. You're easy to talk to, know what you're saying, and are able to hold my attention even when you're quiet. You are the only person I've ever met who's been able to leave me speechless, and even Ceran was able to spot it before I could. I mean, I knew how I felt, I just couldn't bring myself to admit it. I keep seeing us together in my dreams, not just as friends, but something more. I guess you could say that I fell for you as well. You're the first person I've met out of everyone in this town that has garnered this kind of a reaction from me. The first time I've felt so sure about saying this to someone. The first time I've actually even said this to anyone, to be honest." Erin nodded and moved a little closer. "I never imagined it would happen with another boy, but here we are." He laughed, the sound echoing around them in the cave.
 Erin crouched down in front of Vryshall and lowered his voice, resting his paws on his knees. "Do you mean that, Sunny?"
 Vryshall nodded, a smile breaking out over his muzzle. "Yeah, I really do. I've never been so sure about anything else in my life." Erin let out a quiet squeak and threw his arms about the coyote again. This time Vryshall was prepared for it though. He embraced the ferret warmly, giving the boy a gentle squeeze of affection. They held the hug for a few moments, and when Erin leaned back to his crouching position, an odd thought occurred to him. "You know, my dad used to always tell me, 'The sun is always shining for a Sunnington.' I never really knew what he meant by it, but it makes sense now. No matter what happens to me, I can always see the bright side of it. The sun always shines through."