Thoreau - Chapter 54: Chapter 54

"You all know you look like creeps, right?" Arch smirked as we joined our friends at our usual lunch table on Monday.
"It'd be even creeper if they knew you all had boners right now," Wayne added with a chuckle.
Knowing I'd missed something, I stopped rooting around in my lunch box and looked at the guys. Grey's fingers picked at the frayed sleeves of his hoodie, Azure's hand rubbed his chin, Elijah's black eyes burned golden with his wolf, and Bridger's tongue ran back and forth over his bottom lip.
None of them said anything, but they were all staring at something across the cafeteria, and I wondered what was wrong with them.
"What's going on?" I asked with a pout. I hated feeling left out! "What are you all staring at?"
"Your thicc best girl friend and her sexy bitches," Azure told me with a wink.
"Thick?" I frowned and stared at him.
"Thicc," he dragged the word out with a smirk. "I swear, if that girl was any curvier, she'd have to change her name to Hourglass."
"That would be a dumb name." I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"She sure is a whole lot of she-wolf to handle, Az," Wayne snickered.
"If you think she's too big for you, you probably don't have the right equipment for the job, anyway," Azure grunted.
"I meant her personality, not her size, douche, and I am not interested in using my equipment to pick peaches, hers or any girl's."
"Yeah, I know. You and Arch like bananas," Azure said with a snort. "Or should I say eggplants?"
I didn't like eggplant. Papa had made eggplant parmigiana one time, and I tried a bite, but it was yucky. I ended up spitting it into my napkin and he never made it again.
I did like both peaches and bananas, but not as much as strawberries, and was about to open my mouth to say that when Spring advised me not to because the guys weren't really talking about fruit.
Then what are they talking about? I asked with confusion.
Briar and her friends, he told me. The boys think they look, um, extra appealing today.
I didn't understand how looking 'extra appealing' connected with eating fruit, so I decided to take a look myself as the guys bantered. Briar and her friends weren't eating any fruit that I could see, but the four of them did look extra appealing today. Their hair was styled in fancy designs, they had make-up on, and their clothes were different from what they normally wore.
"They look lovely today," I said as I turned back.
"They do, indeed," Bridger told me with a grin, "but someone must have stolen Briar's pants. Her fine chunky ass keeps peeking out of that shirt she's trying to use as a dress. Then there's Ayla's shirt. It must have shrunk in the wash. It's so tight, you can see all of her fucking big tits—"
"Bridger!" Arch barked. "Little ears!"
"Oh. Sorry, Reau. Um, Ayla's fucking big breasts—"
"It's the word fucking, not tits, you fucktard!" Arch slapped Bridger on the back of his head with a scowl. "And now you made me say it twice!"
"You shouldn't talk about them like that," Grey said in his calm way.
"It's what's going through all your minds." Bridger rubbed the back of his head and rolled his eyes. "Why is it wrong to say it out loud?"
"Dude! Do you think they don't talk about us that way?" Wayne frowned at Grey. "All that girls gossip about is how many abs we have and how long our dicks are and shit like that."
"On either side, it's vulgar," Grey murmured. "Besides, I can't look at Leilani or Princess Rhys and think about, uh, asses and, um, breasts."
"Going to get even harder than you are now if you do?" Archer grinned and elbowed him in the side.
"Well, yeah," Grey admitted, his cheeks tinging pink, "but also because it doesn't suit them. They always look elegant, even when they're dressed in sexier clothes."
"Which is why they get overlooked by the dogs who drool over Ayla and Briar," Azure retorted with an eye roll. "Not that those two do anything but enjoy the yapping, but still, big booties and melons will always get a guy's attention before elegance."
"Not true," Grey argued. "Every guy isn't attracted to that."
"Bones are meant for dogs," rumbled Elijah's voice, which we rarely got to hear. "Meat is meant for men."
"Don't call Leilani and the princess bones," Grey told him. "They're gorgeous and sweet and funny and—"
"And which one do you have a crush on?" Bridger teased him.
"They are gorgeous," Azure laughed as Grey's blush deepened, "but queens like Briar and Ayla will always overshadow them."
The four of them continued to bicker, Wayne and Arch throwing in an occasional comment to egg them on, but I stopped listening. My brain had gotten stuck on Bridger's first comment about Briar's fine chunky ass and finally finished processing it.
"Wait a minute!" I shrieked and jumped to my feet. "Someone stole my best girlfriend's pants?!"
"Come back, Reau," Arch called as I ran toward the girls' lunch table.
"Fucking hell, Bridge! You know he takes everything literally!"
I heard my boyfriends, but ignored them as I grabbed Briar's arm and pulled until she stood up.
"Briar Shamika Tate!" I screeched. "Who stole your pants? Who?! Why didn't you tell me! I will get Zio Leo to catch them and punish them!"
She blinked at me a few times, then opened her mouth, but I had wiggled out of my hoodie by then and tied the sleeves around her waist so the back hung down and covered her tushy.
"No one stole my pants, Reau," she huffed. "It's called a dress!"
"All the boys are staring at your tushy because it's so short!" I squeaked.
"Good!" she laughed. "I want them to! That's why I wore it! They're always parading around half-naked in front of us during fighter practice or gym class, so we decided it was only fair to give them blue balls for a change."
That didn't make any sense to me. We didn't have any blue balls in gym class. They were all red and white, the school colors.
"She can wear a short dress if she wants to, Reau," Ayla added.
"Of course she can. She can wear whatever she wants—" I started to agree, but then looked at Ayla and gasped again. "Bridger was right! Your shirt really did shrink in the wash!"
Circling around the table, I pulled off my t-shirt and carefully stretched the neck so I could slip it over Ayla's head without it touching her tight braids. She squirmed around and seemed to be fighting with the fabric, so I grabbed the hem and held it down to help her out.
Maybe she doesn't know how a t-shirt works?
"You just put your arms through the sleeves," I advised her. "There are no buttons."
"She knows what a t-shirt is," Leiliani giggled. "It's so gentlemanly of you to offer your clothes, Reau, but you're going to be cold the rest of the day now. Better take them back."
"I am proud to help my friends, even if it means I'll be cold."
"Little brother," Briar put her hands on my bare shoulders and turned me around to face her, "thank you, but we don't need your clothes."
"But the boys are saying bad things about you because of yours!" I protested.
"Sounds like a them problem," Princess Rhys raised one eyebrow, "not an us problem."
"It is," I agreed with her, "but I don't like hearing it!"
"What 'bad things' did they say, little brother?" Briar demanded.
"You have a fine chunky ass!"
"I already know that, but thank you for the compliment. Now, what did your guy friends say about me?"
"You have a fine chunky ass!" I repeated, slapping my fingers into my palms as I grew more and more agitated.
She stared at me for a moment, then her eyes widened before she grinned. Grabbing my hands, she squeezed them three times.
"Baby, that's not a bad thing."
"It's not?" I blinked at her. "But even Grey said it was vulgar, and Binda always told me that you shouldn't talk about private parts in public unless you need to see a healer. That's why they're called private parts."
"Oh, Goddess. Where to start?" she muttered and let out a deep sigh. "Grey and Binda are both right, but I don't mind someone calling my ass fine, and I know it's chunky. Even though it might be considered vulgar, it doesn't bother me. Besides, everyone says something vulgar once in a while."
"It's okay to do that?" I checked. "Because Dad and Papa told me it's bad manners to be vulgar, and I want to be a good boy."
"You are a good boy. You always were, and you will always be, a good boy."
"Thank you, best girl friend!" I squealed and squished her in a tight hug.
"Reau? What else did your friends say about us?" Leilani asked me.
"Yeah!" Ayla chirped. "Be our little spy and spill the tea!"
"Spill what tea?"
Releasing Briar, I looked around. Had I accidentally knocked over someone's drink? I didn't see anything unusual, though, only my hoodie that Briar must have laid on the table. Before I could tell her to hand it back since I was really starting to get cold now, Princess Rhys waved her hand at me.
"Never mind the tea, sweetie. Just tell us what they said."
Girls are so confusing sometimes!
Only sometimes? Spring chuckled. You mean all the time, little one.
I shook my head, making my curls bounce all over the place, but let it go and answered them.
"They were all staring over here and I asked what they were looking at and Azure said you four and called you sexy. So I turned around to look and agreed with him. I said you all looked lovely today—"
"Aww! Thank you, baby!" Ayla stood and gave me a hug, which made me happy.
"It's the truth." I shrugged and smiled. "Then Bridger said Briar's tushy was fine and chunky and that you had big breasts, Ayla!"
"Is that all?" Princess Rhys asked with a little pout.
"Well, Grey told them not to talk that way, and Bridger and Wayne disagreed and said you girls talk about the size of their dickies, so why shouldn't they talk about your private parts?" They giggled when I said dickies. "Anyway, Grey said Princess Rhys and Leilani always look elegant, no matter what they wear."
"Aww!" All four let out loud squeals at once, and I clamped my hands over my ears. That was painful even with my special earplugs!
"Sorry, Reau." Ayla, who still had an arm draped around me, rubbed her hand up and down my back. "Hey, you're getting all goosebumpy. Put your hoodie back on before you get any colder. Your boyfriends already look upset that we're hugging and touching you—"
My head turned and my eyes flew to Arch's face, then Wayne's, and discovered she was right.
"—and I'm sure they really don't like us hugging and touching you when you're half naked."
"Oopsie!" I giggled.
"Curls!" Wayne shouted, and everyone in the cafeteria spun to look at me. "Stop stripping for your best girl friend, put your clothes back on, and get your little bubble butt over here to your boyfriends!"
Lunging across the lunch table, I scooped up my hoodie and wiggled into it, then realized I'd put it on backwards. With a giggle at my silliness, I pulled my arms back out and turned the fabric around quickly.
"You know," Princess Rhys tittered as I hurried to shove my hands into the sleeves, "if I didn't know the situation, I would have so many questions about that sentence!"
"Goddess!" Leilani laughed. "Can you imagine if Briar were mates with the three of them?"
"Oh, hell no!" Briar boomed. "One of them would die before we even got home, one wouldn't survive the mating part, and the other one—"
"Is there such a thing as dominant mommy's little boy?" Ayla interrupted around her giggles. "Like dominant daddy's little girl, only reverse the roles?"
"Even if there is, I can't mate my little brother!" Briar declared with a scowl. "Eww! Eww! Eww!"
"Hey, I know what that's called!" My eyes widened and, jumping up and down, I shouted, "It's called incest!"
"Hush, Reau!" Leilani and Princess Rhys chorused as everyone looked our way again, and I realized I'd been too loud.
"And who taught you that word?" Briar demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
The look she gave me let me know I was going to answer her one way or another, but I had no problem telling her exactly where I learned that word.
"Remember when I asked you what to do with your tongue during a soul-sucking kiss? You told me some ideas and I asked you where you got them."
"I remember," she said slowly.
"Well, lately I've been thinking a lot about what mating will be like, and on Saturday, Arch and Wayne took me to see their old alpha houses to pick which one we want to live in. We decided on Arch's and plan to start moving in after Wayne turns eighteen and—
"Baby brother, get back on track. What does that have to do with what we're talking about?"
"I'm getting there! Picking out our house made me realize that they know so much more about living together than I do!" I pouted. "I mean, I didn't even understand why they call me little bottom sometimes!"
Briar gasped and her jaw dropped open, but Ayla laughed so hard, she fell on Leilani's shoulder, and Princess Rhys covered her red face with her hands. Ignoring them, I continued with my explanation.
"That's when I decided I didn't want to wait any longer for Papa or Spring to give me more specific details about boy-to-boy mating. I went to the public library on Sunday and asked Mrs. Bennett for some of the books you'd returned recently so I could educate myself," I said with a big grin.
"No, you did not!" Briar's bright blue eyes showed some kind of emotion I couldn't name.
Horror, little one, Spring suggested with glee. Stark, utter horror.
Waving one hand at him. I said, "Yep! I sure did! The one I read last night had twin brothers who were lovers—"
"Reau!" she bellowed. "Tell me you did not read that book!"
"Oh, yes, I did! And let me tell you what! Neither Spring nor Papa needs to give me any specific details of how boys mate with boys! Now I even know what it means when Arch says I can top them if I ever decide I want to!"
For no reason at all, the four of them suddenly screamed at the same time, and I ran away from them with my hands over my ears.
Girls! They may be soft and lovely, but why do they have to be so unnecessarily loud?!
During English class, my friend Grey surprised me by saying he was going to come to work with me after school!
My friends and I were going to meet up at Roger's Diner after work to celebrate Leilani's birthday. She'd turned eighteen on Sunday and had a celebration with her family, and today we wanted to treat her to dinner.
At first, Grey was going to catch a ride with Briar to the medical clinic where his dad worked and just hang out there until it was time to head to Roger's. However, when his wolf found out the plan, he demanded to go to work with me instead.
"I do not think you will get paid since you do not work there," I told Grey with a worried frown.
He was my friend and I liked hanging out with him, but I didn't want him to expect to earn money by coming along with me. He didn't have an after-school job like the rest of us; instead, he went to tutoring three days a week and volunteered at the day care the other two days and on Sunday afternoons.
"I don't need to be paid," he said as he shook his head. "We're just going so Matthias can get some extra pets. I swear he lives for them."
We both laughed.
Even though he was a very mature wolf, Matty was well known for wanting pets all the time. He kind of reminded me of Alpha Ash, a grown giant of a man who loved cuddling and hugging and playing with pups, and Matty had told Spring several times now that he was jealous of all the love my wolf got from the old folks.
"Well, he will get lots of pets for sure tonight!" I crowed. "So many people wanted to pet Spring yesterday, I was afraid that all his fur was going to be rubbed off!"
That made both Matty and Spring chuckle, and Grey grinned.
So after math class, my boyfriends walked me and Grey to Briar's car, where I was surprised and happy to see Princess Rhys already in the passenger seat.
I really liked the princess. She was always so nice to me, and I loved her hair! It was shiny rose gold, and I had a piece of it that she gave to me when we first met! I made a ring out of it and wore it every day next to my magic ring, the one my zias made for me in case I ever found myself all alone during an emergency.
"Oh!" Grey stumbled a little, which made me grab his arm to make sure he didn't fall.
His cheeks were pink and his eyes wide as he stared at the princess' profile, and I wondered if he didn't like her.
But why? I asked Spring. Do you think he believes the rumors that elves are stuck-up and look down on other races? Because neither of those are true!
No, little one, Spring chuckled. He doesn't believe that at all.
Then what's going on?
Try to guess, Spring said with a smile, then shut up, and I knew it would be useless to keep asking him.
I was really good at keeping secrets, but Spring was the best secret-keeper in the world. Wayne said you couldn't pry a secret out of him with a crowbar, but I would never let him try to use a crowbar on my wolf!
"Grey? Don't you like the princess? Or is it Briar?" I asked him because that was much safer than me trying to guess.
"I like them both well enough," he admitted.
"Which one do you like better?" Arch asked with a smirk. "Bones or Hourglass?"
"Don't call them that!" I scowled at the same time Grey said, "She is not bony."
"Ah, so it's the princess you have a crush on," Wayne giggled.
"Give me kisses and go away, boyfriends!" I told them as Grey's cheeks burned red. "I don't like you teasing my friend!"
"Aw, Reau, I'm fine." Grey patted my shoulder. "I just don't like spending a lot of time with girls."
"Why not? Girls smell good and are soft and pretty and nice!"
"At least the ones you're friends with," Arch snickered.
"As if we'd let him be friends with a mean bitch," Wayne also snickered.
"I said to give me kisses and go away! We are all going to be late for work!" I stomped my foot, but lifted my face for their kisses.
Once they had each kissed me senseless, Arch grabbed one of my elbows and Wayne the other and half-carried me the rest of the way to Briar's car because my eyes were still spinning.
After we greeted the girls and my boyfriends left, Grey and I settled in the back seat and I narrowed my eyes at him as Briar started the car.
It's obviously okay to not like girls, I linked him as Briar and the princess chatted with each other. You can like boys or both boys and girls—
I like girls, Reau. He sighed and turned to stare out the window. I just think that the more time I spend with them, the more they'll realize how dumb I am and either tease me or ignore me.
You are not dumb! I made an angry face.
Reau. I am in the lowest, slowest classes. I need tutoring three nights a week. Of course I'm dumb!
I am in most of those classes with you! That doesn't make us dumb! My angry face turned angrier. Needing a helping hand to understand isn't a bad thing. That's what Dr. York says. Everyone has something they struggle with. For Arch, it's his temper. For Wayne, it's his anxiety. For us, it's learning, and that is okay.
You're right. He turned back to me and gave me a little smile. I just get scared that my mate might reject me because I'm not smart enough to go to college, which means I won't get a good-paying job to support her and our pups.
Maybe she'll support you.
Reaching over, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it three times since I couldn't hug him while we were seat-belted in place.
I'd noticed that most of my male friends weren't huggers. They exchanged fist bumps and high fives, but nothing closer to a hug than a handshake that included a shoulder bump. Elijah and Bridger eventually got used to me wanting hugs, although they both asked me to give them a warning first, and I'd only dared to start hugging Azure - with his wolf's permission - the other day.
Atty and Grey were huggers, though, Grey more than Atty. I never saw them hugging any of our friends or each other, but they liked to hug me and encouraged me to hug them. I couldn't figure it out, and Spring finally gave in and explained that they saw me as a cute puppy wanting cuddles.
Even though I wasn't a puppy, I was cute, so I decided not to worry about it and now I just enjoyed their hugs!
You think the Goddess will give me a sugar momma for a mate? Grey shook his head with a soft laugh. I guess it's possible.
After he told me what a sugar momma was, I covered my mouth with my free hand to smother my giggle.
What kind of job are you looking for, Grey? Spring asked him.
I don't know. I don't have any special talent or skill, and while I love working with the pups at the daycare, I don't want to do that for a career.
Have you thought about being a diplomat? Spring's eyes brightened and his ears perked up. Beta Emerson was telling Kon that the alphas are looking to build a diplomat corps to handle some of the out-of-pack load. A lot of what they're called to deal with could be handled by a representative who can act as a neutral party to broker a truce, moderate a disagreement, negotiate terms, and witness treaties being signed.
That sounds interesting, Matty chimed in. We'd get to travel a lot, but still be part of the pack, and we'd be serving an important role.
You wouldn't have to move away from your family, and you could still link the alphas or whoever is overseeing the diplomats, I added. Plus, I bet the alphas would pay you a nice amount!
What's required to become a diplomat? Grey asked. Do I need a degree? Like I said, I can't take another four years of school.
No degree, and you've already got everything you'd need, Spring chuckled. The ability to read a room, play peacemaker, and stay calm. Like your father and older brother, Beta Crew, you radiate tranquility. Plus, you're a mid-level fighter, have a mid-level amount of moon power, and are mid-level dominant. Not intimidating enough to trigger or challenge a ranked shifter, and yet strong enough to make anyone else back down or at least think twice before trying you.
Ha! Just representing Five Fangs is enough protection! Matty yipped and bounced around with excitement. Grey! Let's talk to Dad about this! I think it's a good idea!
I'll need to know more details, and I have a bunch of questions, but yeah, it does. Grey squeezed my hand and grinned. Thanks.
It was all Spring, not me. Still, I smiled back. I hope it works out and it ends up being something you like!
As Grey and Matty linked Dr. Myers, I asked Spring why Dad had thought Bubble would be a good diplomat. If what my wolf said was true, Bubble was far too dominant and powerful. Plus, he might be able to stay calm, but Chime Karma?
Radiating tranquility was not something that came naturally to a thunder dragon.
Chime Karma is getting increasingly agitated because they can't find their mate, Spring told me, and Kon is having a hard time controlling him. It doesn't help that Kon is also getting increasingly agitated for the same reason. Beta Em thought it might be an idea to get him thinking about a career after college.
I thought he was going to play professional football like Coach Hall. I frowned. Bubble didn't tell me he changed his mind!
That's the current plan, but can you imagine an out-of-control dragon away from the pack with no keeper or luna to calm him? It isn't going to work out unless Kon finds a way to lock Chime Karma down tighter or they find their mate.
Poor Bubble. My bottom lip rolled out in a pout.
And how is Kon going to keep Chime Karma fed? Find magic shops near every arena he's playing in and ask if they have any leftovers? Can you really see that working? 'Excuse me,' Spring tried to imitate Kon's deep voice with its Italian accent, 'do you possibly have a bit of magical debris? A smidgeon of spell detritus? Sorry to be a bother, but my dragon's famished.'
Then he showed me an image of Kon holding out an empty soup bowl as he stared down at a faceless woman.
"Please, stregha (witch), may I have some more?" pretend-Kon said.
As Spring dissolved the image with a snort, I thought about everything he said and had just finished thinking when Briar pulled into the parking lot at the old folks' home.
Yes, Spring, I said with a grave nod, I really can see that working! Now all we have to do is help him find his mate and he'll be set!
Because finding a mate is so easy to do. Spring rolled his eyes.
No, it's not, I disagreed. If it was, he would have already found her himself!
Sweet Mother of All Shifters, my wolf muttered, give me patience.
Yes, me, too, Moon Goddess, I said solemnly as I joined him in his prayer. We will need a lot of patience to help Bubble Konnie find his mate!