I know you a bit more

By the time Matthew was back in the room, Wyatt had fallen asleep again. The gator looked at the lamp by the bedside and walked closer to turn it off. He adjusted the sheet on the sleeping shepherd and stared at the bruised face of his friend. Despite his previous talk with Wyatt, he wasn’t convinced of the latter’s claim of it not being his fault. He was a reptile himself; he knew much about the inequalities of the system towards the “scalies” as they so badly called the reptile folks. It was a hard cultural aspect of society; he grew up to. People being scared when he would walk in the streets; mothers holding their children’s hand tighter when he would simply smile too much…it was unfair. Eventually, reptiles rose to be more self-conscious around people from other species and some even grew spite. When Matthew and his family got to live in this apartment, there was one thing they had noticed. The neighborhood was solely composed of reptiles. Back then, Matthew didn’t care much of where he was, his father had passed so they moved back to his hometown to live with his mother. It wasn’t in his mind to question why there were only reptiles in the area. Yet, he would often notice some older boys pick on mammals that would dare cross this part of town. The tension in the city rose so much that there was absurdly high level of police patrol in this part of Eastpave. The problem just burned hotter…Police cars were vandalized; their offices would be covered in thrash. Eastpave mayor wanted peace and if having police there, solely composed of mammals’ agents or bird folks, was a bad, she made it worse by having some reptile as police officers and lieutenants. Those “blue scales” as called by the reptile community were considered hypocrites, seeking their own peace by bowing their neck to the mammals which clearly had the upper hand in the world. There was one kin in particular that was worse when it came to the tension between the two groups, it was the dog kin.

Around a year after Matthew’s family got in Eastpave, a child was shot to death in his parent’s house by a dog kin police officer. The reason advanced by the officer was that the child was too close to a knife…the child was 7 years old Komodo dragon who happened to be in the kitchen to cut himself some apple slices when police blew the door of their apartment and put his father down for “drug dealing”.

The affair escalated and the mayor tried to muffle the situation. Other reptiles who lived in other parts from that area knew the story but then again…what could they do? They didn’t have power, and those of them who had wouldn’t risk their life or that of their loved ones. So, quite rapidly, the affair of the young Komodo went under the carpet…but the rage of the folks went to extremes…till then they never chose violence against people, simply on infrastructures but with the young child killed by 5 bullets from a dog officer…there was no holding back. Dog kins normally friendly towards everyone would only fear and avoid reptiles ever since that day. Those of them who crossed that part of Eastpave would get roughly manhandled. Matthew, despite anything, knew that…yet he still let the shepherd alone.

There is a saying “An oak and a pine are different but they are both trees to each other”.

That was a thing his father would tell him. Even if Wyatt or Lauren were not reptiles, he still considered them like people…and as close as they got for these few days, their fur, their features grew out of his mind, he solely saw them as individuals with heart and soul…That conception of close people had led the gator to be misled in judgment, not everyone saw things as he did. A mistake is a mistake, whether it was intentional or not, this one had almost cost the life of his friend…Matthew looked down at the shepherd and closed his eyes for a second. This world made no sense to Matthew. People would fight people for people…it was a never-ending cycle, one community would hurt the other and get retaliation and so on…The gator thought as he went to change his clothing, for more comfortable sleeping clothes. He hesitated for a moment and didn’t put a shirt on. He sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced back to Wyatt sleeping on the other side. Matthew looked down at his own hands holding a shirt. He sighed and his gaze filled with pain. Society was wicked, actually, no, the people were. The gator put the shirt on and lied down giving back to the shepherd. He looked at the closet before him and his eyes would blink few times before he let himself fall asleep.

.

.

.

Wyatt’s mind drift back to consciousness as he woke up. He blinked few times then stared at the ceiling for a moment. He tried turning but he winced in pain as he was hurt on the sides. He stopped and moved only his head; he looked around searching for the gator but he was nowhere to be found.

Wyatt was still feeling sleepy but not much, he rose up to a seating position and looked for his phone. He remembered the attackers looking for it but not finding it. He was confused and his eyes noticed a slight light coming from the side. He looked on the beside desk, next to the lamp, there was his phone lighting from a notification and on top of it was a small yellow paper. Wyatt extended his hand and grabbed both. He looked at the time, it was still pretty early, around 8 AM. He focused on the paper.

“Morning Wyatt, I had kept your phone and wallet while you were sleeping in the car. I am out, I will be back in a few, depending on if you even wake up LOL”

Wyatt chuckled at that silly comment before resuming his reading.

“Mom is at home on Sunday, so she is probably awake too. I made you something to eat, just ask mom”

Wyatt was about to put the note down but he noticed something was written in the back.

“PS: There are some clean towels in the drawer of the cabinet in the bathroom, as long a new toothbrush. Help yourself in my closet for clothes. See ya”

There was a tiny smiley at the end and Wyatt shook his head with a smile. He hadn’t noticed his tail was wagging. He sighed and went up.

.

.

.

Lauren crawled out of her bed with a grunt and a light headache. Her hair was messy and the eyebags under her eyes were from the lack of sleep. She had somehow managed to not get discovered by her mother but the latter forced her to get back to their home house. The coyote walked towards her bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

Lauren: “Could be worse I guess”

She said to herself before refreshing her face a bit with some water, then brushed her teeth. She went out of the bathroom and reached for the door, she stopped when she could hear the voice of her mom already rising so early. She sighed and went back to sit on her bed.

She grabbed her phone and saw few texts notifications from various groups she was put in. She just ignored them and put her phone down. She lied on her back and stared at the ceiling, brushing off a lock of her hiding her left eye. She could hear her mother’s voice loud downstairs and she shut her eyes trying to block out the noise with her hands but to no avail. She glanced on her side and could see her PC was still on, breathing on her desk. She rose and walked to it.

She sat then noticed the few photos on her desk she had found yesterday when she was finally cleaning her room. She took one of them, she could see herself as 8 years old with her brothers and a friend of theirs. She smiled and remembered that friend’s name. Soon, she remembered her high school years, about her favorite class, her favorite spot to be alone and also a girl that was a good friend of hers. She remembered the girl having a shirt that she liked very much from a band she was a fan of.

As she thought of that, she rose from the chair and went to the bed, she picked up the phone to put some music. While browsing, she saw there was a notification from an unknown number. Curiosity settled and she clicked on the text. She sat on the edge of the bed as she read.

“Hey, it’s Ji-Hyun. Simply reaching out cuz my last number doesn’t work anymore and you might have texted it thinking I was just ignoring you.”

Lauren leaned forward with her phone and smiled a bit before replying.

Lauren: “Oh that’s nice.”

She then scrolled down her other conversations and saw a group chat from her high school and someone had announced they were pregnant and some had cheered. Lauren rolled her eyes before a text made her phone ring. She saw it was the raccoon. She read.

Ji-Hyun: “You’re up early, was I wrong with my reading of you?”

Lauren chuckled and texted back.

Lauren: “You can’t read me, I am random”

Ji-Hyun: “(*sending a sticker*) I guess. I was wondering what you had on for today?”

Lauren could still hear her mom shouting and sighed before looking back at the text and smiling. She sent a sticker of girl twerking in a hallway.

Lauren: “I am free as the wind”

Ji-Hyun took a minute then replied with skull emojis.

Ji-Hyun: “So, would you like to hang out? Just chilling”

Lauren thought then replied.

Lauren: “Where to?”

Ji-Hyun: “There is this bookshop near the Maria Lake in the North of town, quite cozy and quiet, could be nice to talk surrounded with knowledge”

Lauren: “That’s nice, so what time?”

Ji-Hyun: “How about around 11 AM?”

Lauren: “Sure, but I don’t know the place”

Ji-Hyun: “I will pick you up, where do you live?”

Lauren hesitated, nice and kind aside, he was still a stranger. She thought then remembered that her mother would make a scene.

Lauren: “How about you come pick me at the Old Road Mall, I have some stuff to buy there, nothing big”

Ji-Hyun: “Okay, then see you”

Lauren smiled and sent a sticker before putting her phone down. She then remembered she wanted to play a game on her PC but seeing that it was already something around 8 AM, she wouldn’t have time to get ready. She knew it would take some time to get ready. She smiled then put some music on her phone and started dancing in her room while grabbing a towel and headed to her bathroom.

.

.

.

Wyatt was done with his shower and borrowed some clothes in the dressing of Matthew. He found his hoodie he had let the gator keep and wore it then had issues finding something to wear down, he found some shorts that fit him and had an omni exit for tails so he wouldn’t worry having his butt to be out. He looked at himself in the bathroom then smiled tooth fully. He chuckled then walked out of the room. He was met by two little gators running in the hallway and when they spotted him, they rushed to jump on him. Wyatt almost fell but caught his balance before holding the twins.

Aiyden, the one gripping currently at Wyatt’s arm said with a grin.

Aiyden: “You are stronger than I thought”

Anthony the one who was still on the ground and tugging at Wyatt’s hoodie spoke.

Anthony: “Are you staying home?”

Wyatt looked at them and soon, a voice rose making them all turn to see Matthew’s mother with her arms crossed.

Grace: “Come on now boys, leave Wyatt alone and go take your breakfast.”

They giggled then let Wyatt alone before rushing to the kitchen meanwhile Wyatt walked to Grace and smiled.

Wyatt: “Morning, auntie”

Grace: “Morning sweet cake, sorry about those two little ones, they are very energetic”

Wyatt chuckled then spoke.

Wyatt: “It’s okay, they are nice kids”

Grace: “When they want (*sigh the smile*) let’s get you something to eat. Did you take your medicine?”

Wyatt looked away for a second and spoke.

Wyatt: “Huh, I think I fell asleep before I could even take them”

Grace: “Okay, feeling any dizziness? On a scale from one to ten, how hurt do you feel?”

Wyatt scratched his neck.

Wyatt: “To be honest, not much of anything” She frowned a bit then asked.

Grace: “Are you under any other medication?” Wyatt hesitated but it was better to be honest to a doctor.

Wyatt: “Yes, SNRIs…”

Grace’s face went from a frown to shock then compassion. She spoke with concern.

Grace: “I am sorry… amongst the pills you have to take there must be some pain relievers that last long…even if you don’t feel pain, you still have to take it easy.”

Wyatt: “yeah…it’s fine, thank you, auntie”

Grace could see the boy’s expression was the same she could sometime see on the face of her son; it was the feeling of hiding what they hurt about. She didn’t feel like prying would be welcomed and simply smiled.

Grace: “You fancy pancakes? Matthew made some for you before leaving”

Wyatt: “Who doesn’t?”

Grace chuckled then beckoned him to sit with them. Wyatt sat and they savored the breakfast. The twins were arguing over some jelly to be passed on the table and Grace had to serve them herself then she sighed. Wyatt chuckled a bit then spoke.

Wyatt: “Come on little ones, stop making your mother’s morning a chore”

Grace: “You are a sweetheart. Sometimes, I feel like my Sunday is momday you know”

She laughed then saw Wyatt had a bittersweet smile.

Grace: “Is everything alright?”

Wyatt: “Oh? Yeah, yeah, it’s nothing, I was just thinking. Where’s Matthew?”

Grace looked at the children then smiled to them.

Grace: “hey kids, how about you bring breakfast to grandma in her room and help her with that?”

They beamed and ran with food towards their grandmother’s room. Grace then turned to Wyatt and he felt tension in the air.

Grace: “Today is my husband’s birthday. He died few years ago”

Wyatt’s face decomposed and he felt sorry. Grace spoke while running her hand on the other to the ring still to her finger.

Grace: “Every year, He goes to the graveyard of town, taking his day to care for his father’s tomb.”

Wyatt: “I am sorry, Auntie”

Grace: “It’s okay…of all of us, Aaron suffered the most from that loss, he shut down completely for years…to be honest I thought I was losing him as well but when since he started college, he is being happy again…you are the first friend to visit in years, he must like you a lot”

Wyatt felt his face flushed and he smiled awkwardly. Grace still looked at her hands before speaking.

Grace: “If you want, I can drive you there so you could stay with him, I don’t like him staying there alone…but I can’t go with him either, I can’t (*cracking voice*) I am sorry, it’s been very hard and I just wished I could be there for him but I can barely make any time for my children…”

Wyatt: “Auntie, you are being too hard on yourself…Your son loves you, I know it…you might nor realize it but you are doing so much already. It must not be easy be a doctor, let alone provide for such a big family…you are a hero and a model, so don’t think it too much…your loss affected you more than you think but it doesn’t define you, I think, your son needs you more now…you are his family”

Grace: “But…the ki-“

Wyatt: “I can stay here to look after them, I did babysit when I was in high school”

Grace widened her eyes then smiled warmly.

Grace: “I understand why he likes you now, you are good soul”

Wyatt scratched his neck and smiled awkwardly.

Wyatt: “Not really, I am just saying what I think”

Grace: “And you think good. I will go change and go with my son…thank you Wyatt, thank you a lot”

She smiled and rose to go her room, Wyatt smiled and felt warm. He had forgotten, the sensation of having a caring mother and he could feel that Grace was giving all she could already and it must have been hard for their family…Wyatt then looked at his phone. 9 AM. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, he hoped that Matthew was okay…he wished he could be there for him and then he remembered about his own loss, his brother’s birthday was far in April and his mother’s was last month…He didn’t visit their tombs for the same reason Grace, a pain that hasn’t healed…a loss that you feel like never happened if you close your eyes tight enough…but he knew he was just scared, scared to have to let go…scared that he would forget them…he felt his eyes water and stopped his thinking before sniffing. It was Sunday…