Who Cares (jc/o2l) [UNDER EDITING]

Who Cares: Chapter 8

Connor's POV:

Woah, Kian got a date with Olivia. I thought she would've freaked and rejected him because he's a cheetah, but I guess not all faunas are conceited bullies like I've seen.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go get my lunch." I say, giving a nod towards the food line. I walk off, deep in thought about Kian and Olivia, a weird sensation of jealousy running through me for a second before I shake the feeling from me. Obviously too deep in thought, I bump into someone. They topple to the ground and I almost do the same but catch myself quickly.

"Hey, watch where you're goi-..." My words fall short when I see the person, but she's not just anyone. She has got to be one of the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I remember seeing her around a few times, someone who I liked to "admire from afar", I guess you could say.
"Ah, um... sorry about that." I quickly say to her, offering a hand. She's rubbing her head - from the collision, no doubt - before glancing at my hand. For a second, I see a burning fire in those sparkling brown eyes of hers as she opens her mouth to snap something back, but the flame is quickly diminished when she sees my face. Her own face pales and she scrambles to her feet, giving an awkward laugh.
"I'm fine." She says quickly, avoiding eye contact. I waste no time taking her in. She's just a little shorter than me, with beautiful, long, red hair and brown eyes that I wish she would show me right now. My eyes drift to her beautiful ears and tail, and when I look closer to see what she, I'm quickly surprised to find that she's a-

"Oh my god! You're a snow leopard!" I say in a low, strangled kind of voice as I tear her away to a more secluded area. She gives a panicked 'deer caught in headlights look', and by the looks of it she doesn't want anyone to know about it either. Her ears ans tail are dyed, but it's washed out more than I think she realizes.

She slaps a hand over my mouth and looks around. Her hand feels warm and soft against my mouth and I can't help but relish in the feeling. When she notices there's barely anyone around, she removes her hand and sends me a sharp glare.
"You're a snow leopard?" I ask in a whisper, her glare growing slighy more intense which makes me squirm under it.
"What, you gonna tell everyone so I can get bullied?!" She snaps quietly, and I'm taken aback by her fiery attitude, but when she looks away, I see the pain in her eyes.

I put my hands up in reassurance.
"Woah, calm down. I... I know what you're going through. We can really be accepted into modern-day society." I say, trying to meet her gaze and get the message across that we're one in the same.

When my words finally sink in, her head snaps up and her eyes are the size of saucers.
Before I can say anything more, she averts her gaze shyly, as if on instinct.
"It's not fair..." I barely hear her murmer, and I inhale sharply.
I grab her chin, push it up and say, "I know, but the best you can do is hold your head up high, show your beautiful face to the world and scream out, 'I don't give a shit about what you think', it's your life and I'll be damned before someone takes that away from you." By the end of my little speech, she's blushing profusely and she's opening and closing her mouth like a cute little fish. We stay like that for a while, just getting lost in each other's eyes, before I realize how awkward this must be and take my hand away. "So... uh... what's your name babe?" I ask, clutching my hands by my side as they itch to come into contact with her again. "C-Codi." She replies in a flustered daze. I grin slightly at the effect I know I have on her, before giving her a small salute.
"Well then, Codi, I guess I'll see you around." I give her a small nod and spin around, food long forgotten as I sit back down at our table.
I can't stop the smile that breaks my face when I do so.

Viola's POV:

When Connor comes back - strangely without his lunch, might I add - I start thinking a lot. I think about how happy I am for Kian. Olivia must be really nice to accept him as a cheetah. I can't help the little spark of hope I get when I think she might to talk to me. The stirring need inside me to be accepted by Kian's date runs through me, and I hope she does accept me. I need a friend in this group who's a girl.