Two Halves Make a Whole (Straight Furry Story)

1.1 - Arriving in America

Echo and I got off of the plane. He was holding my hand; I wouldn't let him out of my sight for one second.

We were finally in the airport after 21 hours of sitting on a plane. Looking out the large glass windows, I could already see the difference between Sydney and New York. The streets were busier, there were quite a bit more people walking, it was noticeably colder outside even though the airport was heated and cozy. We hadn't packed any heat-insulating clothing so I gave Echo my thin hoodie.

"Thanks, Jackie!" He smiled at me, showing his adorable canines and vibrant eyes. He looked so cute in my hoodie. It reached over his arms, as I was maybe a half a meter taller than him. He was genuinely happy, which made me happy.

All I was left in was a T-shirt and some comfy sweats to go against the sub-zero Celsius temperatures. But I was fine as long as Echo was fine. He was the only thing I was concerned about currently.

Once we got outside, I could definitely feel the freezing temperature. It was a very different environment than what we were used to. Echo was amazed at everything he was looking at, being a creative and imaginative ten-year-old wolf.

There were some expensive-looking shops and snowy pathways and very tall buildings. I decided to go to a shop and buy a large jacket for him and me so we could make it to our apartment alive.

The lady working the register—maybe early twenties—seemed surprised when I set the coats (and two scarfs) on the counter and said "Hello."

She smiled giddily. "Ha! You must be from Australia, right?"

"Yep!" Echo responded before I had the chance to speak. The lady, whose name tag read Samantha, a lynx, rang up our purchase, while repeatedly glancing up at me. I looked back and she blushed while looking down at her feet.

Echo excitedly grabbed our coats and skipped through the exit. I thanked her and she winked at me as grabbed the scarves and left. If only she knew how old I actually was. I guess I've been told that I looked like an adult before. I was tall and skinny, broad-shouldered, and had a naturally deep and manly. Having an Australian accent also helped my case.

Echo grabbed his scarf from my hands with his coat already on his small frame. He gave me mine and I put it on. The jacket was puffy and teal, as was my scarf. His was a vibrant orange with a blue scarf.

We decided to grab a meal that consisted of a hot dog, which was overpriced by about five Euros—dollars, maybe? They're about the same—and two drinks. I hailed a taxi and we got in, heading to the building with the apartment I had rented online a day earlier. I sorta knew how things worked here; I did my research and made sure that I wanted to come here specifically, instead of maybe Ontario or Seattle.

The taxi driver asked where we'd like to go with a very thick accent—probably from Boston, if I'm not mistaken.

I tipped him an extra few dollars when the ride ended and got out, latching onto Echo tightly. The building was very tall, at least 200 meters, and dwarfed us in comparison. The rent at the lower twenty stories was cheapest so I ended up with floor 18.

The lobby itself was very fancy. I didn't expect everything here to be so pricey. I asked the large lion working the counter for our key and he gave it to me. We still had our suitcases with us as we headed up in the elevator. We both had one, each weighing about 15 kilos. Mine was filled with large textbooks, books, my pc and stuff for it, a few snacks, personal hygiene things to keep my hair sleek and my fur fluffy and soft, an extra pair of glasses, an Ed Sheeran album, and two backpacks for Echo and I. I had maybe three more sets of clothes before I would have to get more at the shop I saw earlier.