Parallels

Chapter Twenty-Four: Judged By A Jury Of Their Fears

Trying to calm the pacing red fox, Luka pipes up. "Theo, you need to get some rest, you're going to have a panic attack..."

"Luka," I reply, trying to calm down, "I can't, believe me, I'm a living panic attack...I've tried to calm down, I'm trying..."

"We all are, Theo, but please, for everyone's sake, try harder?"

"I've got to grow up, I know, I'm sixteen and I still act like a kit..."

"Theo, dear, that's not his point," Mama says from where she's sitting over by the windowsill, the light glowing through her ears and making them look pink.

Sighing, my tail making itself known around the base of my legs again, I take a seat next to Jenna on her bed. She's asleep, but when I move a little, her eyes flit open and she frowns.

"You look rough, Theo," she says, sitting up and looking me straight in the eyes, something about her gaze fixing me to my spot.

"No shit, Jenna," I say. "Aw, crap, I didn't mean for it to come out like that... you're not kidding... um, if you don't mind me asking, what's today? I mean the date, what day is it?"

"March twenty-seventh, Theo..."

"Geez, how the heck did I forget that... damn it, Alaina's birthday was three days ago, yours was months ago, your brother's too-"

"And mine's today," Casper says, making himself heard for the first time in forever... damn, I get even more now why everyone calls him Ghost...

"Are you alright there, Casper?"

"I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die..."

"Casper, you're going to be fine, we're all going to be fine, alright? We've got six days to go, and we're going to be just fine, alright?

"If we're lucky, Isaac, absolutely... I'm not going to leave you... you're my... you're my..."

"Brother, I know," Isaac says, smiling and letting out a breath. "We're family here, all of us, and Mr. and Mrs. Maranza are going to take care of us... or can we call you Mama and Papa too?"

"But what about-?" Mama starts to ask, and Isaac shakes his head. "I need to move on, Mrs. Maranza.... And I know I'm probably not speaking for my sister when I say this, but she was my mother and I loved her, I really, honestly did, but-"

"You didn't fit the pelt she wanted you to wear?" Julie asks, and Isaac nods. "Can I pet you?"

"What?" Isaac asks, flinching back. "Why? Last time...."

"Isaac, I mean this seriously, you're a good guy, you need to relax, here, can I at least try?"

"Fine..." Isaac huffs, going to sit next to Julie, and she smiles, ruffling his headfur.

"Heya, bro," she says, smiling, fighting back tears, "ready to go on this adventure of ours?"

"Yeah... so how many mammals are we? There's me, Alaina, and pups... That's four."

"And Theo and me," Jenna says. "And all of us, that makes ten."

"Plus my mate and I," Chase says. "Twelve."

"And me and mine," Tony says. "Fourteen."

"And Luka and I," Marina says. "Sixteen."

"And don't forget me," Julie says. "Gods, we're seventeen, not counting you two, counting, there's nineteen of us... two cheetahs, one dingo, two snow leopards, seven wolves, oh, and seven foxes, yeah, we're gonna need a bus or something, and I don't mean the freaking ambulance kind."