TUESDAY

Chaos gave a hot little snort of annoyance, racking and re-racking his brain for every brilliant and masterful scheme he’d watched in his professor’s predator and prey classes. There had to be something there- something to put to applicable science to snare Claire. He’d positioned himself under a tree for the better half of the school lunch break, musing quietly to himself while quite busily devouring a single apple.

“Now…erm…let me see…There has GOT to be something to catch that naked skunk…” Chaos bemused thoughtfully. His ears perked at a sudden voice that pitched itself from the other side of the tree. A familiar voice.

“You could use ze bear trap…oh, wait, no no, zat is far to barbaric! Oh Oh, I know! You could use ze Burmese tiger trap! Oh, wait, no, ‘ow would you get zat done before lunch is ovah? Hmmmm zis ees truly ze, ‘ow you say, pickal?” The voice giggled quietly. Chaos didn’t seem amused.

“Claire…” He huffed quietly. The girl’s head poked it’s way from around the side of the tree and she flashed him an award winning smile.

“Oui, Oui, zat is who you are trying to catch. We know zis, we just must figure out ‘OW!” She grinned. Chaos crossed his arms.

“Look, I don’t need any help from YOU to try and catch you ok! This is hard enough as it is.” The puppy snorted and Claire gasped at her chest, as if she’d been shot in the heart.

“Y…you do not want my ‘elp? I…I thought you liked me…” She whimpered, forcing the boy to instantly regret his verbal lash.

“N, no no, Claire, I DO want your help, I just can’t…I mean the assignment is…” He sputtered in nervous response. The skunk flashed him an apologetic smile, and rested a paw on her hip, making an empty gesture towards him.

“Ze assignment is to catch me, no? I cannot see why you cannot just catch me now?" She squeaked. Chaos shook his head with a grim sigh.

“It’s not that easy Claire. There needs to be a plan in place. Blue prints -a cunning trap and I need to- GOTCHA!” The spry coyote squeaked, leaping towards Claire in the midst of his sentence. He was no fool- prey was in front of him and all he had to do was distract her- so he was vehemently surprised when he wound up with a mouthful of grass and the skunk girl standing a few feet away from him; paws behind her back, looking at the coyote curiously.

“Too slow.” She quipped dismissively. He leapt again from his prone position, quick to try again, his haunches spring loaded for bursts of speed- more grass.

“Swing and ze miss.” She giggled. The boy gave a hot snort of agitation.

“Stop that!” He barked, climbing to his feet. Claire did her best to look hurt once again, wounded violently by the irritated canine’s words.

“Stop what? I thought you did not want me to ‘elp you catch me. Now you are telling me not to simply stand ‘ere! First it ess don’t ‘elp, then it ess ‘elp me, now don’t ‘elp me! ‘Ow can you catch anysing if you do not know what it ees you are after?!” She giggled, and delighted at the hot jet of steam that spouted from the boy’s ears.

“Claire, I’m doin’ my best not to hulk out here but…”Chaos warned and the skunk gave a quiet tsk and leaned in quietly, wrapping her arms dangerously around the boy’s shoulders.

“Awww, are you afraid I would not like you when you are angry? No, no, I sink you are VERY cute when angry…” She whimpered, watching the crimson flush of anger in his face turn to a crimson flush of something else. She leaned closer, her breath dancing delicately with his own. He started to sputter something- but she cut him off.

“You know, I ‘ave no doubt you will catch me…” She whispered quietly, leaning in closer, his fuzzy chest pressing against hers with a violent thumping of his heart. “You’ll probably need ze way to keep me occupied….keep me busy…keep my mind on somesing else while you spring, your, trap…In fact…all you ‘ave to do …is…” She tilted her head, lips pursed gently, her eyes closed, his heart pounding steadily. She was so close he could smell the Doritos she’d had for lunch.

BRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGG

“LUNCH ESS OVAH! See you in class Chaos! Bon Chance!” She grinned with a waggle of her hips as she strut away, dropping him to the ground in a blurry haze of dancing hearts.

“Bon…Chance…t, to you too…” The love stuck puppy whimpered and rolled onto his back, resting his paws in his lap.

“Cruel and unusual punishment. That’s what this is. Cruel and unusual punishment.” He sighed.