All around her people spoke with increasingly rising volume. Having so many people talking at once, all of them trying to be heard over the other, caused her eardrums to hurt something fierce. While her ears weren’t as sensitive as a dog’s, they were still better than human ears.
Her “Go Beloved!” sign was conspicuously absent. She would have brought it with her, but didn’t know where it was anymore. She had asked Kevin, but he’d just looked away and said that she must have misplaced it or something.
“But I know I didn’t misplace it,” Lilian muttered to herself, frowning. “I could have sworn I had it in my Extra Dimensional Storage Space. That’s where I put all of my paraphernalia.”
“Lilian?”
Turning to the speaker, Lilian saw Lindsay sit next to her.
“Hey, Lindsay! I didn’t realize you would be here, too!” Lilian greeted her friend cheerfully. She then saw who else was with the tomboy and her face went flat. “Christine. What are you doing here? Don’t you prefer hanging out in your cave to being surrounded by people?”
“I’m not a vampire!” Christine growled. “And I’m here because, because I… I—w-well it’s because…”
“She’s here to support Kevin,” Lindsay answered for her friend.
“Right.” Christine nodded. “I’m here to support Ke-Ke-Ke―no I’m NOT! W-w-w-why the hell would I support that jerk?! H-he’s nothing but a loathsome, foolish little prick who's too taken in with big tits to notice when there’s someone else much better for―I-I-I mean he’s an idiot!”
As Christine’s tsundere protocols activated, causing her to sputter out her usual diatribe, Lindsay continued talking. “That’s also why I’m here. You didn’t think I’d be willing to miss my friend’s last track meet, did you? My support might not mean as much to him as yours does, but I still want to support my friend.”
Lilian smiled at the tomboyish blond. It was hard to believe that she’d hated this girl as little as one month ago. “I’m sure Kevin will appreciate your support. He still cherishes your friendship a lot, and I know he appreciates you.” She paused, her eyes flickering from Lindsay to Christine, and then back again. “By the way, I’ve noticed that you and Christine have been spending a lot more time together. What’s up with that?”
“Ah. Well…” Lilian blinked. Was it just her, or was Lindsay blushing? “I just sort of thought she could use a friend, you know? Christine is so rude and abrasive.”
“Who’s abrasive?!”
“And she’s always scaring people away because she scowls so much.”
“I do not scowl!”
“And she’s really, uh, what’s the word I’m looking for? It’s the one you used a while ago…”
“Tsundere?” Lilian supplied.
Lindsay snapped her fingers. “That’s the one. She’s really tsundere.”
“I AM NOT TSUNDERE!”
Lilian and Lindsay stared at Christine, who squirmed under their deadpan looks.
“W-what are you two staring at? I’m not tsundere.”
“You are totally tsundere.”
“Completely tsundere.”
“So tsundere you make Taiga look like a kuudere.”
Lindsay stared at the redhead. “Who the heck is Taiga?”
“No one you would know.” Waving her right hand in the air, Lilian got back on track. “Anyway, you were saying something about Christine? I think you were telling me why you’re spending so much time with her or something?”
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not even here!”
“Right. It’s sort of like, even though she acts all rude and stuff, Christine is still a really good person, you know? I-I mean…” Lilian noticed that, indeed, Lindsay was actually blushing. “I think she’s really kind of cool and nice once you get to know her, and her clothing is really pretty. Totally wouldn’t wear them myself. Never in a million years. But, still pretty.”
Lilian stared at her friend and her… not-friend with the observant gaze of someone trying to solve a puzzle.
“You… are you two into each other?”
“WHAT?!” Christine shot to her feet. “I am not into Lindsay! She’s just a friend! A FRIEND! I am completely straight and in love with―” Her eyes widened. She looked at the kitsune and the tomboy, who were giving her strange looks.
“Are you telling me that even though Kevin and I are now dating, you still have a crush on him?” Lilian shook her head. “That’s… shouldn’t you try and, I don’t know, find someone else?” she asked, not condescendingly, but out of honest curiosity. “I don’t mean to be rude, but Kevin is my mate, and he’s finally returning my feelings. There’s nothing on this entire planet that could ever take him away from me.” There was a very brief pause as Lilian tilted her head. “And I don’t think Kevin wants to take the harem route, so you’re kinda out of luck there, too.”
Christine’s face morphed into an icy shade of blue. This time, it wasn’t because she felt embarrassed, but because she was angry.
“Just because he’s yours now doesn’t mean he’ll stay with you forever. He’s a fifteen year old boy. They’re prone to falling in and out of love every other week.”
Lilian shook her head. “You don’t understand anything.”
Christine’s eyes narrowed. “And what am I supposed to understand?”
“It would take way too long to explain, and I don’t feel like repeating information that was already in the last book.”
Christine and Lindsay blinked.
“What?” Lindsay looked nonplussed.
“The hell are you talking about?” a flabbergasted Christine asked.
“Let’s just enjoy watching my mate beat everyone here, okay?” Lilian ignored her friends’ questions, smiling at them before turning back to the track field.
The meet was about to begin.
***
Coach Deretaine marched in front of Kevin and the others, back straight, chest out and hands clasped behind his back. He reminded Kevin of a military sergeant about to drill his troops.
“Okay brats, listen up! This is the big one. The last track meet of the year. We’ve done well so far. This year we’ve had more success than any other year. However! I don’t want any of you to become complacent just yet. Just because we’ve done well doesn’t mean we can afford to become lax. I expect all of you to give twice the effort today that you’ve given for every other day…”
Kevin zoned out as Coach Deretaine continued his spiel. He’d heard this speech, or others similar enough, so many times that he could have probably quoted it by heart.
His gaze traveled to the bleachers. Even without her banner, spotting Lilian amongst the crowd was simple. All he had to do was look for her vibrant red hair. She was sitting with Lindsay and Christine, which brought a smile to his face. It was nice to know that his friends had come to support him.
“Swift!”
Kevin focused back on his coach.
“Yes, Coach?”
Coach Deretaine stared at Kevin, his eyes harder than diamonds. “You can make googly eyes with your girlfriend later. Right now I need you to stay focused. I’ll be counting on you out there.”
Several giggles broke out amongst the female track members. Kevin blushed. “R-right.”
“All right!” Coach Deretaine barked. “Let’s shows these pansies who’s top dog around here!”
“OORAH!”
The track meet soon started. As per the usual, women’s hurdles was the first competition. Kevin and his friends sat down on the bench and observed the girls while they raced. He ignored the comments from his friends about which girl’s boobs bounced the most and instead focused on his own thoughts.
Perhaps not so surprisingly, most of his thoughts were centered around a certain fox-girl and what they would do after this track meet. He didn’t know what the plan was, but Lilian had apparently prepared something special for him.
“Ufufufu, I would wish you luck, but I know you don’t need it. You sho
uld also know that I have something fun planned for us after your track meet. Please look forward to it, ufufufu.” As Lilian giggled in the middle of the hallway, several people who were standing next to them began slowly backing away.
Those had been her words right before the track meet. He assumed she had made plans for some kind of celebration and had asked Kotohime to gather ingredients for a feast, which explained why the maid-slash-bodyguard wasn’t present.
On a side note, even though Kevin loved Lilian, he still thought her laugh was creepy.
“All right, Swift! Chase! You two are up! Show those lousy, good for nothing bastards who's boss!”
Kevin sighed at his coach’s potty mouth and stood up. He and Chase made it to the track field, where several other runners also stood, waiting for the race to begin.
“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” Chase told Kevin as he stretched. “You might have gotten a lot faster somehow, but I’m still going to beat you.”
“I thought you had nothing to say.”
“Tch!”
Everyone got into position. Kevin knelt down, eyes and mind focused on his goal with laser-point precision. His breathing slowed and his mind became calm. This was the last track meet of the season, so he wanted to make it count.
A gunshot rang out. Kevin blasted off the ground and tore across the track. He pushed the muscles in his legs. Harder. Faster. His arms swung, his legs strained, his chest tightened. The world around him blurred.
80 meters…
Several people tried catching up to him. Kevin saw them out of his peripheral vision.
60 meters…
Kevin ran faster. Pushed himself harder. He wouldn’t be beaten here!
35 meters…
The world came to a crawl. Time seemed to slow down. Several people on either side of him tried to race ahead, but he refused to let them pass him.
5 meters…
His chest became unbearably tight. His breathing turned ragged. His lungs burned like never before as he rushed across those last five meters.
And then it was over.
***
Lost in her own euphoria, Lilian had completely forgotten herself.
“WHOO! Way to go, Beloved!”
She stood on the bleacher to better see her mate run the one- and two-hundred meter dash, watching as he blitzed past his fellow runners. A few people kept pace, but it wasn’t long before Kevin pushed himself harder, slowly widening the gap between him and everyone else.
Sitting on the bleachers beside her, Lindsay watched her with a face that seeped amusement. Christine just looked repulsed.
“Ugh, could you shut up and sit down?” The Yuki-Onna groused. “Seriously, fox-skank, everyone’s staring at us.”
Lilian cast a mild glare at the goth tsun-loli. “Then don’t sit near me. I don’t care about these people or what they think. My mate is out there doing something he loves doing, and I am going to show my support whether you like it or not.”
“W-whatever,” Christine scowled, but didn’t say anything else. Lindsay shook her head.
The tomboy had noticed the distinct differences in personality between Lilian and Christine—aside from the whole “tsundere” issue, which she still didn’t really get. Lilian was bright, cheerful, and always looking forward to each new day with excitement. Christine, in contrast, was kind of dark, easily irritated, and generally anti-social. Perhaps that explained why Lindsay had been so surprised to discover that Christine, for all her irritable behavior, was actually really nice.
“Ah, there you are!” a voice with a horribly fake Spanish accent said. Lilian’s body shuddered from head to tails. “My Preciosa de Flor! How I’ve missed you these past few moons!”
Lilian turned around, Lindsay and Christine following her gaze. Several seats up stood the weirdest-looking boy Lindsay had ever seen. He had large, pompadour style hair and wore what appeared to be a matador costume. The neon pink and obnoxious blue of his outfit contrasted horribly with his bright blond hair and olive colored skin. He looked like a Spanish bullfighter who had picked a fight with a tie dye filled spray hose and lost.
“Not you again,” Lilian groaned.
Juan ignored her. “My dear, my love, my sweet más bella flor de loto!”
“Would you stop it with the internet-translated Spanish already!” Lilian paused to draw breath. “And I am not your love!” Another pause. “And for the love of Lord Inari, stop calling me flour!”
Lindsay wondered who this guy was. Sitting by her side, Christine’s eyes had widened in horror. The yuki-onna stared at Juan like he was an eldritch horror born from the transient nightmares of HP Lovecraft.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” Juan continued. “Every day since last we met, you have been all that I can think about.”
Lilian’s face turned green. “Um. Ew. That’s just creepy.”
“My heart, it has ached without your presence to fill it with your sweet apetecer.” Juan held both hands to his chest.
“Yeah, well, my heart hasn’t been aching at all. Not until you showed up at least.”
Lindsay watched, partially amused but mostly creeped out, as this strange guy continued spewing corny lines that sounded like something from a Harlequin romance novel. Actually, thinking about it, those lines might have been even worse than the corniest, trashiest romance novel around.
Juan sighed, looking ready to swoon as he stared at Lilian. “Ah, you are like a ray of bright sunshine caressing my skin, ma hermosa de flor.”
That seemed to be the final straw for Lilian. Her already green face turned even greener and, before anyone could say another word, the beautiful vixen rushed off.
“Scuse me.”
Lindsay watched as Lilian shoved her way through the crowd and jumped off the bleachers, heedless of the nearly fifteen foot drop. She, Christine and Juan all rushed over to the railing, and were just time to see the redhead run into the women’s restroom.
“I wonder why she was in such a hurry?” Juan pondered out loud, causing both Lindsay and Christine to stare at the boy like he’d just offered them a packet of used condoms. The young man turned to them, his hair bouncing with the motion. “Do you think it was something I said?”
***
“Hey man, good job today.”
“Nice work, Kevin.”
“Man, you were fast, dude.”
Ever since the track meet had come to an end, Kevin had been congratulated by just about everyone on his team. He would admit that it felt nice to have so many people appreciate and respect the effort he put into running, but it also made him feel more than a little awkward. His head seemed almost ready to burst, and there was this inexplicable feeling in his chest, a most bizarre warmth that caused him to feel elated and uncomfortable.
“Ha ha! You should see how red your face is!”
As Chase pointed and laughed at him, Kevin felt his face, which had already been fit to fry eggs on, burn hot enough to put the sun to shame.
“Be quiet,” Kevin snapped. “You’re just jealous because I beat you in both the one-hundred and two-hundred meter dash.”
“Hmph! Whatever.” Kasey Chase crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. “All that means is I have to work harder to beat you next time. Nothing more.”
“Keep thinking that. Maybe one day it will come true.”
Chase scowled at Kevin, who pulled down his eyelid and blew the older boy a raspberry.
After taking a shower, Kevin donned his normal clothes; faded blue jeans and a dark orange T-shirt. He laced up his sneakers and was about to make his way outside, when several members of the track team intercepted him.
“Hey man, we’re all about to head over to Katherine’s house to celebrate,” one of them, a tall guy Kevin thought was named Ian, said. “You wanna come?”
Kevin was startled for a moment. Although he got along well enough with the other track members, they were all older than him. He and his friends were the only so
phomores on the entire team, so while everyone was nice, the older members tended to exclude them from their after track activities.
“Uh, thanks, but Lilian and I actually made plans tonight. Sorry.”
Ian chuckled. “Spending some time with your girl? I completely understand. Your girlfriend’s a fox.”
Kevin felt wry amusement at that comment, even as his cheeks heated up. “You’ve got no idea.”
Heading outside after saying goodbye to his friends and the other track members, Kevin went to meet up with Lilian.
Unfortunately, Lilian wasn’t alone.
“I told you to stop following me.”
“Now don’t be like that my más eróticamente maravillosa harina. There is no need for such harsh words. Not when it is just the two of us.”
Kevin stared at Juan as he annoyed and harassed Lilian. The two were standing in a hallway off to the side, and he correctly concluded that Juan had intercepted the redhead on her way to the lockers. The boy stood before Lilian, keeping her from passing by moving to block her way every time she tried walking around him.
His right eye began to twitch.
“Lilian.”
Juan turned in his direction, and Lilian used that moment to slip past the big-haired boy.
“Kevin!”
Despite having been prepared for it, Kevin was still in no way ready for Lilian’s pounce, which was so powerful that he had actually christened it with a name. He called it Lilian’s Secret Technique: Pnevma Pounce.
Lilian jumped on him with all the strength of an oni on steroids. Only Kevin’s increased strength, gained through hours of grueling training with Kiara, kept him from crumbling like a house of cards.
A pair of legs locked around his waist, forcing Kevin to place his hands on Lilian’s shapely bottom so she wouldn’t fall. He barely had time to grunt before his mate began a coordinated assault on his mouth.
Kevin tried to keep up with the girl’s raw, undiluted passion, but he still lacked the ability to put up much of a fight. All Kevin could do was ride out Lilian’s latest lip-lock and hope his legs, which already felt like they were turning into jelly, didn’t fail him.
“Whew! Look at those two kiss!”
A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4) Page 6