That was that – it seemed the fellas for the moment met with a reprieve. Neither Anya nor any of the other little foxes who hearkened the hurtful events of the afternoon came forth in an effort to explain the abomination that had befallen Fifi.
The hurt little vixen did venture home early that afternoon, and while her grandmother could sense something was not quite right, she did not push the issue with the obviously anguished little miss. She knew when Fifi was ready to talk – she would.
Later that evening, Anya dropped by to try and console her harrowed friend. When all else had failed in the past, Anya would always resort to humor to help a bad situation along, and it usually worked. Anya did not approach the subject as a woeful one, but rather tried to make Fifi come to her senses with such witty reserve as ‘That’s what you get when you are nice to moth-eaten reynards!’ And when that old tried and true stand-by didn’t do the trick, Anya unleashed with great fervor ‘He is just an icky boy – I told you – he could never be your REAL friend! They are all stupid and mean-and don’t know how to act. So don’t let what Jules said bother you!’
The more Anya talked, the worse Fifi was feeling. Bless her heart, Anya meant to be helpful to her friend – she truly did. Fifi knew this, but empty words were just not helping. No matter how adverse Jules’ linguistic form had been, it did not make Fifi feel any better having her friend besmirched in such a manor.
Fifi was certainly hurting. It felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. The little vixen just wanted to run off and keep running until all the hurt had gone away. Deep into the wee hours of the evening, she was not feeling much better.
The little fox nary got a wink of sleep, as Jules’ words and her own foolish foibles played over and over in her mind. ‘How could I have been so obtuse to think Jules was my friend after all of those things he said about me?’ ‘Why did he have to say the way he really felt in front of everyone?’ These were the questions weighing heavy on Fifi’s mind. There was one thing for certain – it was not going to be easy going back into the classroom in the morning after everything that had transpired!
Fifi resolved there was only one thing she could do. She had to ignore Jules. Act like she could not care any less if he was right there in Fox Township, or on the Moon! There was no way she was going to let Jules or Edgar, or anyone else for that matter – know just how hurt and let down she had felt by Jules’ betrayal. ‘Operation Ignore Cub’ was about to be set in motion.
Little did Fifi know that Jules was having a hard time getting to sleep as well that evening. As he lay snugly ensconced in his bed, Jules too had been playing something over and over in his mind – what was he going to say to Fifi that very next morning? This was not going to be easy in any way, trying to make things right again with his new ally. Jules knew he was going to look bad in all of this – and rightfully so, he would be the first to reason.
Jules knew he should have been stronger, and not given a toss as to what Edgar or anyone else thought of him for being friends with a vixen. Jules knew he had been weak – and that he stood a very good chance of losing a friend because of it. All of this made for one very sad little cub.
The next morning in Miss Tramatonna’s grade five tier, there was a lot of counter-strategy set into motion. Fifi dove directly into her embattled project with a vengeance, beginning her plan early on in the day, when Jules approached her on a mission to right his wrong. A mission that was quickly thwarted by ‘Operation Ignore Cub.’
‘Hi Fifi!” Jules welcomed, throwing caution to the wind. The plan he had opted to enforce was ‘act as if it never happened.’ Jules resolved himself to go into denial mode, to simply approach the new day and Fifi, as if his antics of the previous afternoon had never taken place. This plan was set to fail well before it even started. It was clear Fifi was not buying anything Jules had to pedal! Any attempts the little cub made to rectify this sticky situation were met with tremendous defeat.
Jules did not know what to do. The little cub tried and tried, and just when he thought there was nothing else left to be done, he tried again – but each attempt was annihilated. This went on for days and days, and before he knew it, a week had gone by, and then another. Slowly – but not in any conscious mode, Jules seemed to be regressing back to his old ‘He-Man Woman Haters Club’ state of mind. It seemed the more he failed at getting Fifi to stand still long enough to listen to what he had to say, the more he gave up trying.
Before long, no attempts were made at all. It was just the easier route to take – and no one was more thrilled than Edgar, who seemed to be the only one coming out of this fiasco smelling like a rose. He was not bothered one bit by any of the on-going drama.
CHAPTER 5
At any rate, with all of it’s flips, flops, and follies – the school term marched on. By the middle part of October, Miss Tramatonna had a surprise for the class. You see, Miss T. had been noticing something very promising in this fine array of kits and cubs – perhaps something more promising than this seasoned academic had noticed in previous years.
Even with all of the dramatics that had met each kit and cub a time or two throughout the year, the teacher noticed that these students for the most part, had shown a great deal of maturity, and were well able to do something more ‘grown-up’ and special for the late autumn celebration that was fast approaching.
It was a normal fact of life each year for the students to have a Halloween party in the classroom. Miss Tramatonna believed this group of kits and cubs were ready for a Halloween dance, as opposed to the usual school-house party followed by door to door tricks and treats. This showed a lot of good will and faith in the students on the teachers part, because Miss Tramatonna not only felt the kits and cubs were ready for a dance – but had the good sense and capabilities to plan the entire even themselves.
Taking on such a major project was a big responsibility. The teacher would be leaving everything in the hands of the students, but first she began by choosing the four dance committee captains to spearhead the project. A lot of thought and planning went into picking the four students who would make this a most successful venture – this was certainly not going to be an easy decision to make!
Everything would be up to the students – choosing a party theme, making decorations, picking out refreshments and music – and they would also have to ensure that each and every classmate received and turned in a permission slip to attend the dance. The team captains would also be on the lookout for chaperones and clean up volunteers, to make sure the evening went off safely and without a hitch.
After many hours of weighing out who would be chosen, when it came right down to it – there really was no question in Miss Tramatonna’s mind as to who would be perfect for planning this function. The four students chosen were Fifi, Anya, Edgar, and Jules.
Fifi was chosen, because it was discovered early on that Fox Township’s newest kit had a flair for the creative. The teacher considered Fifi as an old soul, with an artists eye and a poets heart. Anya was chosen for the obvious reason – she was the most social, out-going vixen in class. If anyone could get this party into high gear and get everyone psyched up to attend, it would be Anya. Miss Tramatonna knew with Anya on board, there was sure to be a lot of fun activities planned – making this party a smashing success.
Edgar and Jules were added into the mix, giving this planning committee just the right balance. There were sure to be mega projects carried out, and Miss T. knew Edgar would be a huge help with things, as he would be the team ‘muscle’ who could move and build whatever need be.
Jules was the creatively organized dynamo who could take even just the spark of an idea and run with it. The teacher knew for a fact, with Jules on board – anything was possible, and everything was sure to get done. Never a quitter, Jules was famous for always getting his homework assignments and special projects done way ahead of time.
The afternoon when the four captains-(who come to be known as ‘The Fab Four’ were announced, An
ya and Fifi were ecstatic to be chosen. It was an honor for them. Edgar and Jules? Not so much. Word in the classroom was the fellas did not go into the project willingly. To hear Edgar spin it, he was forced into the whole ‘ordeal’ by pain of bamboo shoots being forced under his fingernails, while helplessly hanging by his feet from one of the woodlands highest evergreens, until he agreed to partake.
If you asked Miss Tramatonna – she would say the cubs were more convinced, rather than forced. For you see, she knew in her heart that out of all the little boy cubs in class, both Edgar and Jules held the strength of maturity-though it was hard to imagine this at times – to lead the rest of the kits and cubs in a good example of team spirit. When put to them in that light, with that line of reasoning, Edgar and Jules could not resist.
Edgar still stuck to his version of the story, but more likely than not – that was only to keep up his image with the rest of the class. After all of the initial hemming and hawing, planning this dance turned out to be loads of fun, not only for the Fab Four, but for everyone in the entire class. Each student had a hand in sprucing up the old barn that was just down the lane from the school. It took many hours and a lot of work, but things were soon cleared away – and it was all beginning to look more and more like a soon to be dance hall, as opposed to the dilapidated barn that had mainly gone unnoticed by the town folk and passers-by for years.
Fifi and Anya recruited many of the girls to make glittery decorations, while Edgar and Jules got a pack of boys together to make scary pumpkin carvings and spooky papier mache’ pinatas. When it came to the picking out and sampling of refreshments from the various sweet shoppes that lined the main road – well the four it was decided, would endure this task themselves. It was mutually agreed that no extra help was needed for this feat!
As the days of planning progressed, and as time went on, the Fab Four got on very well-they actually seemed to be enjoying all the time spent working together. There were moments when it appeared all lines between vixen and cub were becoming blurred.
If you were to spot these four classmates making their way down the village street, or working together getting the barn ready, you would think this was a group of friends – enjoying each others company, and not just a group of students thrown together by the teacher, to carry out a classroom project.
This was not to say that ‘Operation Ignore Cub’ was not still in full motion. Au contraire, it was still very much on in full force. It was hard to do at times in such close quarters – but Fifi still had her heart set on acting indifferent. There was a part of the little vixen that truly enjoyed the time she spent working with Jules on the dance preparations – but at the same time, the whole thing had become bitter-sweet, because Jules’ words still rang very loud and very clear in her mind.
Fox Township’s newest vixen knew she could not let her guard down where Jules was concerned. The last thing Fifi wanted to do was feel the cutting wrath of her friends betrayal again.
This situation was taking it’s toll on all parties involved. For Jules had been slowly eeking his way back to his former ‘kit verses cub’ stance. After all his futile attempts, Jules had all but given up trying to mend fences with Fifi.
Naturally, this amused no one more than Edgar – who loved having his friend back once again after being ‘ripped from the realm of temporary insanity’ as he would put it to Jules. It was official-the kits and cubs were back in their respective corners, and it seemed all was back to the grade five norm once again.
From time to time as the Fab Four were fast on their way to making the most extravagant dance hall that Fox Township’s grade five class had ever seen, Jules would meet up with Fifi’s eyes in a passing glance, and always – Fifi would look away abruptly. She acted as if she hadn’t noticed Jules at all, always continuing on with her work – and at times she would engage in slightly elevated exaggerated conversation with Anya, acting like they were the only two in the room.
Jules usually countered with amplified and very much over emphasized banter with Edgar – always on a topic he knew would annoy the kits, like how ‘icky’ vixens were. There were other moments, on more than one occasion, that both Jules and Fifi wanted to say something to one another – but nothing ever came of that.
If it seemed to Edgar that Jules was getting just a little too chummy with the vixens, or if it seemed Jules was working overly hard at trying to get Fifi’s attention, he would quickly jump back into ferocious reynard mode, reminding Jules in an ever so subtle way, that Fifi at any moment could be looked upon as his girlfriend by ‘some of the other fellas.’ And he would not want his friend to go through all ‘THAT’ again.
This threat particularly came to light one afternoon when the Fab Four were very nearly done with setting up and decorating. Jules had gone waaaaaaay up to the highest reaching beam in the old barn, to hang some of the spooky papier-mache’ spiders the fellas had made, so they would hang down over the dance floor. All of a sudden, while trying to position one of the spooky frights, Jules slipped and fell nearly five feet to the ground!
This was a scary moment for the little cub to say the least! Jules was shaken – but alright. The precocious little fox ended up falling onto some bales of hay – but not without gaining a few cuts and scrapes along the way. As he lay stunned in a pile of hay for a brief moment or two, Fifi-without giving any thought at all of any repercussions – rushed to see if her ally was alright.
‘Operation Ignore Cub’ had been thrown completely out of the window. ‘Are.....are you okay?’ asked a concerned Fifi, who was visibly shaken after witnessing Jules’ fall. Trying to regain his bearings, Jules looked up at Fifi with a smile. ‘I’m alright.’ He assured. At that very moment, Anya who had been tidying up the outside of the barn, and Edgar, who had been up on one of the lower beams, came to see what was going on, after hearing all the commotion of Jules’ fall.
‘OH JEEZ!’ Edgar started right in at first sight of Jules on the ground, with a concerned Fifi standing over him. ‘Don’t tell me – you’ve fallen for her again!’ Well, with those few words – it just could not be helped, Jules and Fifi burst into a fit of laughter that each felt would never stop, as they both remembered that almost same exact comment Jules had said Edgar would have made, that day he fell to the floor at Fifi’s.
This dynamic duo’s laughter was contagious where Anya was concerned. She couldn’t help it. She really had no idea what Jules and Fifi were laughing at, but it didn’t matter – Anya got caught up in the joyous moment. It was so nice to see Fifi so light and carefree once again.
Edgar on the other hand, immediately became dark and withdrawn. He did not like where this thing was going, and he in no way held back his look of disdain. Through the tears of laughter – something happened – Jules noticed Edgar growing more and more angered. He could almost see the venomous words forming on his pals tongue. Before anything could come of his friend’s fiendish transformation – Jules steadied himself up off the ground, commenting ‘We have a lot of work to get done.’ And it was back to business – and back to Edgar’s blissful ‘kit verses cub’ modus operandi.
Fifi once again felt the distance in Jules’ cold tone – and that one laughter filled, light-hearted moment they shared, seemed to vanish just as quickly as it came about. Reality had set in once again.
CHAPTER 6
Finally it was here! ‘D’ Day had arrived. It was the day of the dance, and all the planning and preparations had come together and were at full force. Everything in a word was – MAGICAL! The transformed barn turned glittery ballroom dazzled. And both the little foxes and adults alike sparkled as each made their grand entrance into this late autumn fete. The costumes were nothing less than awesome! Not one bit of creativity was spared by students or teachers and chaperones.
You could certainly see that a lot of thought and planning had gone into the making of every costume that passed through the entry-way. Fifi was the most enchanting princess, complete with a glistening tiara and scept
er, while Anya came decked out as a gypsy-armed with her trusty tambourine.
Edgar and Jules came as -what else ?-bacon and eggs. The teachers and chaperones even got in on the act. Miss Tramatonna took the stance of a prima ballerina, while Principal Hertfordshire was a pirate, complete with wooden leg and stuffed parrot on his shoulder.
The transformed barn was packed with a sea of wonderful costumes. There was everything from a professional race car driver, to a doctor. A police officer, to the obligatory creature from the darkest sea, and everything in between. The night with all of it’s festivities turned out to be everything the students had hoped for – and more.
Miss Tramatonna noticed one thing early on, however. There seemed to be a parting of the sea going on right there in that festive, glittery, transformed structure. It seemed the room was divided. There was a line drawn between kit and cub. The girls were having a grand time talking and playing games, while the boys seemed preoccupied with all other things like food – and when they thought no one was looking, shooting marbles.
Quickly trying to rectify this curious situation, Miss T. jumped up on the stage platform, commanding the attention of all the students.
‘Class-we are all having fun tonight – but I’ve noticed there is just one thing missing. This is a dance, and there is no one dancing at this dance!’ The teacher cheerfully tried to encourage, but there appeared to be no takers on that night.
One lone student took a stand, as Greta, an adorable little fox all decked out as a pumpkin, dropped the facts of the evening on Miss Tramatonna. ‘The boys won’t dance with us!’ she said.
All The Little Foxes Page 5
