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Auburn found herself on chair duty after Confession. This meant she was to put away the hundreds of chairs in the hall by herself. Not that she minded. The councilors always made this out to be a punishment, but she always enjoyed it, comparatively. Things could have been worse: she wasn’t scrubbing anything, she wasn’t lifting heavy things, and she wasn’t on the island. While the councilors wanted it done quickly, Auburn managed to stretch it a little more each time, and what should have taken an hour often took her two. Of course, some noticed more than others.
Auburn pushed a stack of chairs into darkened alcove, along with the rest of the results of her work. She took a moment for herself, leaning against the chairs before she went back out. The little alcove got darker, and she carefully turned to see what was blocking her light. Alex and a few members of the Glee Club waited, hands in their pockets, watching her. Auburn flexed her fists, eyeing the Glee Club and turning into a defensive stance.
“Hi,” Alex said, masking his intentions with rank cheerfulness.
“Alex,” Auburn said.
“What are you up to?” This was conversational, pleasant, bubbly.
“Oh, just stacking chairs,” Auburn answered. She tried to step around the group, but one of them pushed her back hard. She stumbled, and he advanced, throwing her against the wall. Auburn let out a cry, cut short by the air rushing out of her body. She gasped, sinking to the ground. Alex stepped forward.
“I mean,” he said, the cheerfulness suddenly gone from his voice, “what are you doing? There’s talk about some sort of rebellion.”
Auburn gasped a few times before she could answer. She climbed to her feet. “Rebellion?”
“You’re playing dumb,” Alex said. His ears slicked back, and it was the first time Auburn had seen him this way. It was as horrible as she had imagined.
“Aww,” Auburn said, rubbing her shoulder. “That was a really indirect way of calling me smart, but I’ll take it.”
Alex grunted, and another member of the Glee Club stepped forward. He pushed Auburn against the wall and held her there. Alex stepped forward.
“You know what I mean,” he said. “What’s this about a mutiny?”
“A mutiny?” Auburn said. “That sounds exciting. Who’s going to mutiny?”
“You, according to our sources.”
“Hmm.” Auburn looked away. “That sounds like a lot of work. Are you sure you heard right?”
“I’m tired of this,” Alex said. He nodded to his thug, who tightened his grip on Auburn.
“Yeah,” Auburn said,” me too-”
Alex punched her across the face. Auburn fell off her feet, held up by Alex’s thug. She struggled to stand, and looked him in the eye.
“That wasn’t necessary,” she said.
“Then talk about the mutiny,” Alex said.
“Oh hey!” Auburn said, lighting up. “I just realized something.”
Alex grunted.
“I bet you had to give a lot of hand jobs to get to be the councilors’ lap d-”
Alex hit her again. She slumped over, but didn’t scream. Again, she struggled to get to her feet.
“Care to entertain a question?” She asked, her voice weaker.
Alex shrugged. “What?”
“Who’s your source?”
Alex looked back over his shoulder. Jens stepped out from behind the knot of Glee Clubbers. Auburn stared at him, slumping a little more. “Jens?” She managed to squeak out.
Jens couldn’t look at her. Auburn mumbled something to herself.
“You get it!” Alex said, brightening. “So, tell me about the mutiny.”
Auburn mumbled again. Alex leaned in.
“What was that?”
Auburn lifted her head. She looked up at Alex, trying to hide the shame behind her eyes. She gave a pained sigh. Alex could help by smile.
“Please,” Alex said. “Go on.”
Auburn spit in Alex’s eye.
Alex stumbled back, letting out a surprised yelp. Auburn cackled. “Right in the eye! Eat it!”
The wolf wiped his eye with the back of his hand. “You bitch.”
Auburn giggled wildly, hanging from the thug holding her. “What else do you want me to tell you about?”
The wolf mumbled the the Glee Clubbers, and they all stepped forward, cracking their knuckles. Alex lifted his fist. Auburn made sure she could look him in the eye before he struck her.
There was a loud crack, and one of the Clubbers collapsed to the ground, holding his head. Alex spun around, catching a stick to the face. He tried to defend, but another blow came, striking him between the ears. The Glee Club scattered, dropping Auburn to the ground. She struggled to her feet, helped up by familiar hands.
Frank looked her over. “Auburn…”
She smiled and leaned against the fox. “You made it off the island,” she said.
“Are you okay?” Frank asked. He brushed the swelling under her eye. She recoiled, wincing at his touch.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks.” She took a moment to survey the hall. Toby waited a short distance away, holding a stick. He watched Auburn and Frank, his ears twitching, listening to all corners of the hall. He looked pale, his fur dirty. He slouched, leaning against a chair for support. Heavy bags lay under his eyes.
“Hi, Toby,” Auburn said. Toby looked at her, and his tail gave a short wag.
“Okay, that was kind of adorable,” she said.
“He’s sick,” Frank said.
“Sick?”
“Like throwing up and stuff,” Frank said. “He feels really hot, too.”
Auburn frowned. “Let’s go to the nurse, then.”
“Like it’s that easy,” Frank said. “I’ve never gotten them to help me before.”
“Still.”
Frank turned to get Toby. Auburn pulled him back. “What happened at that Confession?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said.
“Frank,” she said, “they’re going to keep trying to make sure we can’t talk to each other. We need to keep low. They know about the plans.”
Frank looked ill. “They know?”
“Well, at least the Glee Club does. It sounds like Jens knew more than I thought.”
Frank frowned. “I should have hit him more.”
“Frank,” Auburn said. “I need you to be safe, because if I’m not around, you need to do this.”
The fox nodded. “Okay.”
Auburn gave him a quick hug, nuzzling her cheek against the soft fur on his. “Go get Toby to the nurse.”
“You’re not coming?”
“I have to finish,” she said.
“What if Alex comes back?”
Auburn shrugged. “What if.”
Frank hit Auburn on the shoulder. He turned to Toby and guided him out of the hall to the nurse’s office. Auburn returned to her chairs, their shadows growing shorter in the morning sun.
[g]
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I just have one thing to say: Auburn is a badass.
” Alex could help by smile.” couldn’t help but?
Also — I just realized where the next generation comes from.