Chaos vs Claire

MONDAY
It was a lovely spring day in Acme Acres, lively and thriving and cheerful. The air was crisp and clean and bathed in the sounds of the school yard. Most of the students of Acme Acres took their lunch outside on such a day, basking in the warmth of the sun and the fresh air beset upon the school yard. Chaos, of course, could only watch longingly from the interior of Professor Wile’s Office. Even if it was by choice as a Teacher’s Assistant, confined to the dimly lit little office was a steep price to pay, so one could hardly blame the boy for slacking off. Instead of organizing the file cabinets, dusting the office, grading the essay papers, revising the elder coyote’s schedule and making a fresh cup of coffee, the coyote puppy was leaning against the window with a dazed look in his eyes- the longing, love struck, legato look a boy tended to drift into when puppy love blindsided them out of nowhere on spring days like today.

It was the same type of look that Chaos got every time his gaze drifted across the dazzling, alabaster spikes of hair that belonged to Claire La Mouf. It was the mohawk, that stood out about her the most- first and foremost. The bright white pristine stripe of her that ran from her nose all the way down to her tail- no longer accompanied by a blue bushy coat of soft, silky fur, Claire was shaved to a pink, shiny naked- and she loved it. She paraded around without a care in the world, regardless of the name calling, the students, or the sudden rush to get as many kids into Sex Ed as soon possible from the faculty. She was a rebel to some, a trouble maker to others, and a trendsetter to a certain few, but to Chaos Coyote, she was the end and beginning of all of his days. It was by far the worst kept secret in the entire school: Chaos had an unapologetic crush on Claire and there was little he could do to hide it. He caught himself leaving little black puppy nose prints on the dusty window of Wile’s office and sighed. It was the third time he’d paused in his work to gaze out the window and he was finding it harder and harder to pull away.

He was completely entranced by her and even though he couldn’t sit with her at lunch like he wanted, he could still watch…just for a little while- just until the professor returned with more tasks and busy work to do. Just long enough for his heart to get it’s fill of what it needed for the day. He gave a quiet sigh, resting his head on his hands and yelped in surprise when the blind suddenly snapped shut, leaving the room illuminated with the dim little study light over the desk. Wile was standing over him with a quiet little jeering grin crossing his lips. The puppy felt the fur heckling on his shoulders. Something sinister was about to happen, and Chaos wanted no part in it. The pup took another step back, peering up meekly at the glowering canine standing over him, arms crossed with one set of bony fingers wrapped around the cord to the window.

“You know…Chaos…” He began, taking a step forward and slowly opening the windows blinds to peer out at the students having lunch; one student in particular. “I’ve been pondering your next assignment, and I think you’d benefit a great deal from a…different motivation. “ The cunning coyote chuckled cruelly. Chaos felt his ears wilt- he already knew where this was headed…


He certainly wasn’t himself- Claire could tell immediately when she passed Chaos in the hallway between classes. She was always happy to see him and he always had a cheerful word to share with her however brief- but today he didn’t even glance towards her when she approached. Also, he was repeatedly banging his head against his locker, so there was that too.

“Ummm, Mon petite coyote?” Claire asked softly. A pet name she’d chosen for him- and even if he didn’t know what it meant, it was one that he found enduring. With one final thump of his head against the locker in front of him, the coyote rested with a sigh.

“I have to catch you by Friday.” Chaos sobbed quietly, his voice downtrodden and heavy with remorse. Claire tilted her head curiously, and took a cautious step towards the eccentric coyote.

“Moi?” She asked and the boy nodded with another heavy ring from the iron locker he was resting against. Claire waited a touch longer before she realized that was the cause of his concern. Gently, she smiled and reached out to pet him on the shoulder.

“Oh, iz zat all? Do not worry about it.” She said with a cheerful giggle and turned to meander off to class- only to be stopped by Chaos, who dashed in front of her with a pleading look in his eyes.

“C, Claire! Don’t you understand? Professor Wile E. has told his prize pupil to…to….TO CATCH YOU! To bring you back for his supper! I have to catch you!!” Chaos whined. Claire giggled quietly and leaned in slowly, her face twisting into a sinister smile, and she let her lips brush against the base of Chaos’ ears. A little secret. Just between him and her.

“Well... Can, you, catch, me?” She whispered, and pecked the boy on the cheek before turning to skip towards class. She clutched her books to her chest, beaming happily while counting off in her head. Right now, Chaos would have recognized the challenge. He’d be stewing and fuming that she didn’t think he could catch her, he’d be furious, but still clever enough for a surprise attack. He wasn’t too far away. The mouf grinned slightly and she continued walking and paused. 5...4...3...2...

“Oh! Tres Bon! Ze Quarter!” The skunk girl squeaked, bending low to pick up the quarter- as Chaos sailed by overhead, crashing in a heap into a large number of lockers. The skunk gave a quiet grin and blew the dazed puppy a kiss. “Bonne chance!” She giggled, and skipped merrily down the hall.

Tugging himself free of the mangled heap of lockers, Chaos drew a deep sigh, drumming his fingers against the floor. A lazy eye followed as Claire skipped away from him and he gave a snort. This was going to be more trouble than he thought- but then, girls usually were.