Furry Hands

11

"The verb 'defenestrate' seems to date back to exactly 1618. In that year, disgruntled Protestants threw two governors out of a window. Defenestrate comes from roots that mean "do something down from a window."

Mr. Morse was lecturing to Ryan's Second Period European History Class. It was hard for Ryan to stay focused.

There was this image in his mind and it was something between a daydream and a puzzle. He saw a wolf that was so pale that it was practically white. It just had a few thin fringes of black along its spine. Actually 'it' wasn't the right word. He could picture her underside and see she was female.

Ryan could almost smell her. He didn't have the word for it but she was musky, like certain perfumes or some of the larger mammals of North America. He wanted to be close to that scent.

Then Ryan snapped back. "This is all kinds of wrong. First, I shouldn't have a crush on a mindless animal. Second, I have a girlfriend already."

Then a voice whispered to him. "What's the harm if it's just in your head? Miriam probably thinks about other guys too. It's not unfair. You don't have to tell her and she doesn't have to know.