Hiding in Plain Sight

Hoary

I woke up to the sound of Christina Perri, playing "Human" it's pretty ironic that I like it having that I'm not completely human, I know, but I still loved the song. I sluggishly got up and saw Snow, laying peacefully in her bed, I slipped into my white slippers that looked like foxes and moved over to feed her. She wasn't awake, but by the time she was ready to eat, I would be in classes.

I walked over to my door which I'd hung a set of hangers on for my stuff. Walking into the kitchen/dining room, I saw Fen sitting on a stool, eating a bowl of oatmeal.

"Why do classes have to start today?" Fen asked with absolute despair on her face.

"For the same reason we have wars, for stupid reasons." I said, opening the fridge and grabbing my mango yogurt. "Do you know any of the students yet?"

"Only this one guy named Hoary. He's gonna be the class clown, just watch." Fen said, "Hope you don't mind, but I checked your schedule and figured out that all roomees have all the same classes. I talked to my friend Darwin, who just so happens to be rooming with Hoary, and we've got all classes with both of them."

"Well, lucky for Hoary, I like jokers." I said with a spoonful of yogurt in my mouth, swallowing, I asked, "What time are classes?"

"nine thirty." Fen replied, putting her empty bowl in the sink, my eyes drifted to the clock and my stomach dropped.

"It's eight forty-five!" I screamed, I sprinted to my room shouting, "I can't be late on the first day!" I slammed the door to my room.

I wore a flannel, a blood rose beanie, and skinny jeans (which are really hard to pull of when you've got a tail, but I know how to hide it). I put on my normal casual make-up and left my hair down, styling it around the beanie. I grabbed my book bag and ran out of my room, equal to Fen. While I put on my combat boots, Fen put on some tattered, old, black converse. I grabbed my phone, with my awesome case with a Corsac fox on it and left the house, I searched my schedule and attempted to figure out where my classroom was, hoping Fen would lock the door.

***

In the classroom, the first person I saw was a guy sitting on a desk, he wore a black beanie, a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans with fake tails clipped to the belt loop, and some hunting boots.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked casually, raising my hand in a greeting.

"Hey, name's Hoary, what up?" He responded, I almost laughed seeing that Fen had called him a class clown, I guess I had a strange look on my face because Hoary jumped off the desk and stared at me, "Are you choking?"

"No," I coughed and smiled, "I'm Corsac, but call me Cori, pleased to meet you. I've been told you were a class clown."

"Yeah Cori, you can call me that." He said, I say Fen walk in the classroom and her face went straight.

"Hoary." Fen said as if they were long time enemies.

"Hey Fen, what's up?" Hoary asked, smiling as if he'd done something hilarious.

"What did you-" Fen stopped talking and immediately started sifting through her bag, she brought at a small grey canister with a red light that kept blinking faster and faster. "No! You didn't!" Fen screamed right as the red dot went solid and the canister blew up in a thing of confetti, I saw Fen's beanie blow straight off her head. I sprinted over and stuffed her ears in it before the confetti cleared.

"Don't yell." I whispered, "They'll see your fangs." When I turned to see Hoary laughing, I saw just that, fangs. I was wondering if he was one of those weirdos that got surgical implants and then I remembered, Hoary was a type of fox.

"Hey Hoary." I said, "Can I talk to you... Alone?"

"Oh." He laughed, "I see."

"Don't kid yourself." I said grabbing his arm and pulling him into the hallway, when no one was around I stared at him.

"So, you gonna kiss me or what?" He asked, smiling and raising his eyebrows. I figured the only thing to get what I wanted was to give him what he wanted. So I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned in, right before we made lip to lip contact, I ripped the beanie right off his head revealing his curly brown hair and fox ears.

"Why does everyone use beanie's to hide their ears?" I asked myself spinning the beanie around my finger.

"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" He asked laughing, "Cause if so, I want you that I won't go down with a fight."

"Like I said earlier, don't kid yourself. You know, my white hair isn't died." I said, I then took the beanie off and gave Hoary a matter-of-fact look, "First off, Corsac is a type of fox you know, second off, Fen's real name is Fennec because she's like us except a Fennec fox rather than a Corsac or Hoary. And third off, how 'bout you come to my place later?" I asked, "Room 328."

Hoary seemed to come out of some sort of shock and smiled, blushing, "Sure, I'll be there at eight."

"Thanks." I exclaimed, smiling, "Here's your beanie back." I pushed the beanie at him and put my own back on, "Ready?"

"Yeah, open the door." He said, fastening the beanie on his head.

I opened the door to see a bunch of people pointing to the far corner where I saw Fen and a guy with a darker shade orange hair than hers. As I got closer, I saw that they were kissing, and that the guy was wearing a beanie and a bunch of fake tails like Hoary, Darwin was a type of fox, wasn't it?

I tapped Fen on the shoulder, "If I could just interject." I pulled Fen aside and said, "I've got big news."

Once we were out of the room I took a deep breath and began, "You know the beanie's and fake tails that Hoary and Darwin wear? Well guess what, there like us!" I said smiling like a goof.

"What? Really?!" Fen was also smiling like a goof now, "Oh that's so great, cause I really like Darwin! Oh and I hope it's cool that he's coming over at eight." She had a worried expression, as if I'd refuse.

"As long as you don't mind my guest." I said smiling and blushing.

"Ooh! I can see it in your eyes, your falling for someone! Who is it? Do I know him?" She started asking faster than I could answer.

"I'll give you one hint... H." I replied, hoping Fen wouldn't be upset with my decision.

"Hoary?" Fen started with a dazed face but she began to smile and get all goofy, happy again, "Well, there's more to a man than what meets the eye so hopefully the same thing goes for him." She opened the door smiling and we both walked back in with huge smiles.