A Fox's Love (American Kitsune Book 1) Read online

  For some reason this did not make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse.

  It probably had something to do with that laugh of hers. It really freaked him out.

  Thus, with his stomach twisting and turning, he and Lilian headed off for their next class.

  Scene Break.

  French class was much the same as Math. Lilian seemed to be the center of attention of both boys and girls, though for completely different reasons. And because she was so intent on being with him as much as possible (even to the point where Kevin suspected her of using an enchantment on Madam Bonnet to make her pair them together for the project she assigned), he was also dragged into the spotlight.

  It really wasn't a pleasant experience. Kevin didn't mind being the center of attention in certain instances, like when he was running the 100 meter dash for track and won first place or something. At least for something like that, he would have earned the attention under his own merit. But this? No, he didn't want this kind of attention.

  It felt like people were trying to kill him with their eyes.

  Was this the fabled Killing Intent he read so much about in his manga? How frightening.

  Kevin tried to ignore the glares and do the task they had been assigned. They had been told to decide on a French play or movie, and to reenact a specific scene from it in front of the class. It wasn't really something he was keen on doing. Reenacting a scene in front of class that is, but since everyone else would be embarrassing themselves by doing the same thing as well―not to mention it would heavily influence his grade―he would grin and bear it.

  It wasn't much of a surprise when he and Lilian found themselves differing on what they wanted to do. Kevin wanted to reenact a comedy, feeling that if nothing else, having his peers laugh at him because the skit had him do something stupid would be better than them laughing at him because he messed up. Lilian, on the other hand, wanted to do a romance. No surprise there.

  "Look," Kevin started, "It's going to be much harder to enact a scene from a movie like La Vie d'Adèle than it would be to do one from a movie like Les Visiteur. It's easier to be funny than serious and romantic."

  "But La Vie d'Adèle has a lot of kissing scenes," Lilia defended her choice, as if that was the only argument she needed to win him over. It was in her mind. What male wouldn't want to kiss their mate? "Les Visiteurs doesn't have any kissing scenes."

  "And that," Kevin stated slowly, "is another reason why we should do the one I chose instead of yours." Then, as a last addendum, he added, “and besides, La Vie d'Adèle stars two women, so I couldn't play the part anyways.”

  Lilian crossed her arms and pouted at him. "That's a horrible reason not to reenact the movie I chose."

  "Like yours is any better."

  "But it is better!" Lilian insisted, grabbing the magazine where she had found the movie she wanted them to use for their project in. "Look right here." She pointed at the small lines of text in the synopsis. "This movie not only as a lot of kissing in it, but it's also got over twenty minutes of sex. We have to do this movie, Beloved."

  "We are not doing a sex scene!" Kevin shouted, slamming his hands on the table as he shot to his feet, a megaton blush lighting up his face.

  It took Kevin several seconds to realize that he had just shouted that out loud. He didn't need to look around to see that everyone was staring at him. He could hear them whispering well enough.

  Kevin swayed dangerously as his mind began shutting down. He quickly pinched himself to keep conscious and sat back down before he could black out. He covered his face with his hands, wishing that he could hide from all the people still staring at him. He wished he could bury his head in a hole like some kind of Ostrich.

  We don't always get what we wish for.

  "I didn't mean we would be doing the sex scene in front of the class," Lilian chided her mate as if he had said something silly. "I would hate to have people watching us as we expressed our mutual love and attraction for each other so intimately."

  "What mutual love and attraction?"

  "I was simply mentioning that the movie has over twenty minutes of sex in it," Lilian continued as if she hadn't heard him. Kevin groaned exasperatedly.

  "Why would you even mention it at all?"

  "Ufufufu." Kevin shuddered. There it was again. That horrible, terrifying laugh. "I thought it would be a good idea. You know, so we can have a reference to use for our first time together."

  "WHAT!?"

  "Not so loud, Beloved. You're making everybody stare at us."

  Kevin rubbed his face with his hands. She had no right to say that. This girl was bringing them attention just by existing!

  The argument soon started again, albeit, without Kevin yelling out in shock this time. The two soon realized neither was going to change their position. Kevin wanted a comedy and Lilian wanted her romance.

  Eventually, they settled on a compromise. The two decided on a romantic comedy called Hors de Prix. Of course, they would still have to choose a scene, which was bound to cause headaches, but at least they had managed to choose something before class ended. Sometimes you had to be grateful for the little things.

  After French was Physics, which went much the same way his other classes did. Then Social Sciences where Professor Nabui kept staring at Kevin and Lilian with a confused frown, as if he were trying to figure out why one of his students, and Kevin of all people, had such a beautiful girl clinging to him.

  Kevin couldn't blame his teacher. He had been wondering that very same thing himself ever since Lilian had come into his life. Surprisingly, Professor Nabui didn't say anything, thereby not forcing Lilian to use her Kitsune magic to coerce him into allowing them to sit together.

  After Social Sciences was Gym. The class he had been dreading the most, which was an unusual turn of events since he normally liked Gym. Of course, he normally didn't have a girl hanging off his arm as he walked to class. If his last four classes were a disaster, then this class was going to be a catastrophe of such epic proportions that people would probably be talking about it for years to come.

  It should be noted that aside from having a very over-reactive imagination, Kevin could be very pessimistic when he wanted to be.

  "KEVIN SWIFT!"

  Of course, he had a reason to be pessimistic in this instance. And that reason was stomping towards him with an expression on his face that was demanding an explanation.

  What would he be explaining? The answer was hanging off his arm.

  "You've got some explaining to do!" Yeah, he had been expecting it would start with something like that. "What's this I hear about you and... and... and..."

  Kevin watched as Eric trailed off mid-sentence the moment his gaze landed on Lilian. His perverted friend's eyes glazed over and his mouth dropped. He looked like he had been struck dumb.

  Kevin sighed. "Eric, this is Lilian. Lilian, this is Eric, my best friend and the biggest lech you're likely to meet."

  Lilian took a single glance at Eric before pretty much dismissing him. Kevin was certain that her, "Nice to meet you," was said just to be polite because the boy was his friend.

  Not that Eric seemed to care. Without a second thought, the tall teenager was in Lilian's face, causing the girl to lean back in shock as his nostrils flared like a horse. A large blush spread across his cheeks and it was clear to any potential witnesses that the boy was about to make an ass of himself in front of the new girl.

  “You have the largest rack I've ever seen! Please let me shove my face in between those ginormous titties!”

  With his free hand, Kevin palmed his face and rubbed it tiredly. How his friend honestly expected to get a girlfriend when that was his pickup line was beyond him. It was like Eric wasn't even trying to get a girlfriend, but only see how often he could get slapped.

  Maybe his friend was a masochist?

  "No thanks," Lilian sniffed disdainfully. "I would never let you do something like that to me, ever."

  Kevi
n thought he saw cracks form on Eric's body. And was his skin turning gray? Kevin couldn't be sure, but he was almost positive it looked like the boy was being turned to stone.

  "But... but why...?" asked Eric, a look of despair etched onto his face. He looked like his entire world view had just been shattered. Kevin's friend could be a real Drama Queen when he wanted to be.

  "Because I don't like you." Lilian's blunt proclamation elicited a wail of despair from the boy, who slumped to the ground in a state of desolation. "I already have my Beloved," she continued, not seeing the way Kevin paled at the words. She looked at the boy like he was an annoying bug. "The only person I would ever let do something like that to me is my Beloved."

  "Your... Beloved?"

  It was only after hearing these words that Eric seemed to notice something he had missed, or simply forgotten upon noticing the gorgeous female in his presence.

  His eyes traveled back and forth between Lilian and Kevin several times, finally spotting how close they were to each other, and the way Lilian's hand entwined with his friend's. Not to mention the way she was leaning up against him. And Kevin didn't doubt for one second that Eric had not managed to see the way his arm was being pressed into the valley of Lilian's cleavage.

  Three. Two. One.

  "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?"

  Chapter 13: Disastrous Meetings and Greeting

  Kevin tried to ignore the way his best friend was despairing as they continued walking to Gym.

  "I can't believe it.... doesn't deserve her.... damn bastard... kill him... I'll murder him dead!"

  It was very hard to ignore his best friend when said best friend kept muttering what sounded like insults and death threats under his breath. Kevin didn't even need to look at the tall, lanky boy to know that Eric was glaring daggers at him. If the words being spoken weren't enough to inform him of this fact, there was the feeling of DOOM emanating from his friend that Kevin was becoming intimately familiar with did.

  Just how his best friend could blame him for what had transpired was beyond him. It wasn't like he had done anything to make Lilian love him over Eric. He didn't even want her love! How could his friend possibly think this was his fault?

  More and more people joined them as they got closer to the locker rooms, adding to the number of glares Kevin received from the male population of his school.

  "What the hell is going on here?"

  "Swift's got himself a girl?"

  "How did a guy like that bag a babe like her?"

  "Arg! I'm so jealous, I wish I could just strangle him!"

  The not-so-soft-whispers around them were very hard to ignore. That last threat in particular made him gulp.

  He looked down at the red-haired, green-eyed girl attached to his arm, taking note of the satisfied smile she wore. She looked completely at peace with the world, like she didn't even hear all the threats being directed his way or feel the glares at their backs. How Lilian remained so oblivious to everything that was going on around them was something that Kevin didn't think he'd ever comprehend.

  "I don't get it. Are they a couple?"

  "They do look pretty close, don't they?"

  "You should have seen them in Math. According to Christy, that girl was calling him “Beloved”."

  "Woah, Kevin Swift with a girl. Unbelievable."

  "Does that mean he's off the market?"

  At least the girls weren't glaring at him, though they did seem to be in a minor state of shock. He wasn't sure how to feel about their words. Should he be embarrassed that they seemed to think he and Lilian were a couple (it was kind of hard not to think that with the way Lilian is clinging to you, Kevin)? Insulted that they were so surprised he had a girl clinging to him? Or confused because he had no clue what they meant by “off the market?” What was he, some kind of trinket to be sold on a whim?

  Whatever the case was, he did his utmost to ignore them as well.

  "I'm surprised by how bold he's being. I remembered the last time I saw a girl even talk to him. His face got so red I thought his head might explode."

  "I know, right? It was so kinda cute though."

  Insert feminine giggling here.

  Needless to say, ignoring the girls as they spoke was a lot harder than it looked.

  When they finally reached the locker rooms, which seemed to take much longer than it should have, Kevin looked down at the girl cozying up to him. She looked so content with her head on his shoulder that he almost felt bad about what he had to say next.

  Actually, that was a lie. He couldn't wait to get this girl off his arms. Maybe then everyone would stop with all the glaring and staring.

  Good luck with that, Kevin.

  "Lilian, you have to let go of me now."

  "What?" Lilian raised her head to look up at him. "Why?"

  Kevin raised an eyebrow. "How about because we have to get changed into our gym uniforms and you aren't allowed to come into the locker room with me?"

  "Huh?" Lilian tilted her head to the side. All around them, several sharp intakes of breath could be heard from the male population that had been previously glaring at him. A glance around the room would have shown that every boy there was now staring at Lilian with red hued cheeks. Unlike Kevin, this was the first time these people had been subject to how cute Lilian looked when confused. "Why not?"

  Kevin twitched, once. Was this girl serious?

  "Because this is the men's locker room," Kevin explained as patiently as he could, gesturing to the room they were in front of. Standing by the doorway, Eric was glaring daggers at his friend. Kevin ignored him for now. "Girls aren't allowed inside."

  Lilian looked at the door to see that, yes, it really was for males only. If the fact that all the males were going through that door and the females were going through another didn't tell her this, then the sign hanging above the door with the male stick figure most definitely did.

  Her shoulders slumped.

  "Oh..." Lilian looked truly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to join him in the locker room. Kevin wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel bad or not. "I was hoping I would get to see you do a striptease for me."

  Definitely not.

  Kevin choked on his own saliva at her words, his face exploding with red. A wail of despair echoed from Eric, and several other people who had heard her comment tripped over...something...no one really knows what as there was not a speck of dust on the ground. Anyways, they tripped and fell flat on their faces, their feet kicking straight up into the air, twitching.

  Yes, they were in the traditional pose that all anime characters end up in when surprised. The Facefault. When shocked or surprised, often by an absurdity or non sequitur, the listener may fall over onto their face, their limbs contorted into a twisted mass above their heads. Usually, this happens when the character or characters in question hears something so incredibly stupid that it literally floors them. This is a very infamous pose that any Otaku worth their salt should know.

  Kevin looked at Lilian, mortified. This girl... she really didn't know the meaning of the term “too much information” did she? Did she even have a filter for that mouth of hers?

  Of course not. You should know this by now, Kevin.

  "Just..." Kevin tried not to let himself be affected by her words. Or at least appear to not be affected. It would have been more convincing if he were not blushing up storm. "Just go into the girls locker room and get changed. It's right over there." He pointed to the door several feet away that had a sign with a very basic silhouette of a stick figure in a dress hanging over it.

  Lilian sighed, clearly not wanting to do what he was asking of her, but deciding to comply nonetheless. "Alright," she looked up at him imploringly. "I'll still see you in class, right?"

  "Yes," Kevin just barely managed to contain a sigh. She was awfully needy whenever he was involved. Was this natural for Kitsune? "You'll still see me in class."

  "Okay."

  Before anything else could happen Li
lian grabbed both of his hands in a tight grip that he wouldn't be able to break out of. Kevin had just enough time to widen his eyes at the action before she leaned up on her toes and gave him a short peck on the lips.

  It looks like she learned her lesson from this morning and kept his hands from being able to move so he could not use the Secret Hand Blocking Technique. Smart girl.

  "I'll see you in class."

  Kevin watched as Lilian walked over to the women's locker room. She paused to take one last longing look at him before entering. As she disappeared behind the door, Kevin's shoulders slumped. That girl really was going to be the death of him.

  With Lilian now gone, he turned around to enter the men's locker room and get changed as well.

  He didn't get very far before an arm clamped itself around his neck without warning. Forced to double over as he was pulled into a headlock, Kevin soon found a set of knuckles grinding against his scalp.

  "Ouch! Wh-what the―!? Eric!? What are you doing!? Let go!"

  "I'm the one who should be asking the questions here, bastard!" Eric shouted. He kept a firm hold on his so-called best friend. "What the hell is going on here!? Who was that babe!? How does she know you!? And why the hell was she getting all cozy with you when someone as amazing as me was right in front of her!? Huh!? Hu―oof!"

  Kevin “tsked” as he retracted his elbow from his friend's gut. With Eric now holding his stomach instead of holding him in a headlock, the young man was free to walk into the locker room.

  "There's nothing to tell. She's just some girl I'm helping out, that's all." Surprisingly enough, what Kevin said was the truth, even if he left a lot of important information out of his small summation of their relationship.

  "Don't give me that bullshit." Eric straightened up as if he had not just had the wind knocked out of him by an elbow and quickly caught up with his best friend. "Hot girls don't just kiss you because you're helping them. Seriously man, what the hell is going on?"

  "I don't know what to tell you," Kevin sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Sighing that is. It made him feel old. “If you don't want to believe me, that's fine, but it's like I said, I'm just helping her out with something. She's just a little... erm... affectionate because I'm helping her. That's all.”