White Crush

Part 1-

What fresh hell awaits me today, thought Liam as he coasted his electric scooter up to the sidewalk outside the cafeteria.

He enjoyed riding his scooter since it afforded him a means to get around without having to walk that far. To say he was short was an understatement. Liam was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and at 3’6” was easily the smallest students at the school. He had to take two steps to equal even one of the average sized kid steps. However, he did not let this size difference dampen his spirit...most days. This was already his Junior year in high school, yet he was regularly a target of ridicule. There were plenty of other students who liked to indulge in their alpha behavior and pick on those smaller than they were. Liam’s school had quite the variety of species, but most kids were able to slip under the radar. The corgi’s size made him somewhat of a rarity, and thus proved to be too good of a target of opportunity. He sincerely hoped today would be mild.

Because of the regular spray of insults leveled at him, Liam had few friends and none of them close. He did not blame them. He likely would feel the same way if he were in their position. He could not fault them for avoiding the splash damage when the shit came pouring down. So Liam learned to develop a thick skin and a carefree demeanor, lest his tormentors sense they were getting to him which would fuel the barrage further.

As Liam folded up his scooter and walked across the broad steps leading to the multiple double-doors, he caught snippets of conversations floating about.

“Hey girl, you ready for the tryouts this Tuesday? I heard…”
“Oh my god man did you see that crash at the races? The way that car skidded out of control…”
“Ugh, who does she think she is wearing that blue dress? With those shoulders she looks like…”
“...and then the guys says, ‘I wouldn’t even fuck her with your dick!’ Hahaha, oh man that’s when I lost my shit…”

The usual high school banter from the different cliques scattered across the landing. Liam’s finger pads had just touched the door when he caught, “Man, where was that guy Saturday night when I was getting wasted at the party? He’s juuust the right height to set my beer on his head.” The eruption of laughter caused Liam to fold his ears back out of frustration as he pulled the handle of the door. “That’s not the only thing he’s just the right height for,” slipped past just as the door closed shut. Liam uttered a quiet grunt and walked off past the cafeteria and down the hall to his locker. 

The halls were sparse with students at this time of morning. Liam liked it this way since he did not have to dodge around all the foot traffic in the between class rush. He arrived at his locker and took a moment to spin his combination into the lock. Once again he was reminded of his height as the handle was just about level with his nose. Liam pulled out his small foldable step stool and used it to reach the upper shelf of the locker. It was not quite out of reach, but it saved him from having to stand on his toes and fumble around pulling out his textbooks.

The corgi carried a backpack that was nearly as big as he was. How he managed not to get stuffed into it on a regular basis was a perplexing mystery to him. He shrugged and proceeded to chuck all six of his texts, a couple of spiral notebooks and his favorite apron into the bag. Liam preferred the burden of carrying his heavy backpack around all day than trying to navigate the halls to his locker after every class. With his ‘portable’ locker, he often found other routes and shortcuts between classes to avoid the (sometimes literal) stampede that was the ten minutes between classes.

Liam once again roamed the hall trying not to be noticed by the occasional group of people catching up on gossip, or chatting about what they did over the weekend. Finally, he arrived at home room and took his seat near the wall two thirds of the way back. He pulled out his favorite book and flipped open the table of contents.

Because of the constant hail of kids picking on him, Liam had channeled his frustration into a creative avenue which had become one of his greatest passions: cooking. He had steadily gained in skill and knowledge, and now was one of the top students of Mrs. Thrindy who held the position of home economics instructor for the last decade or so. Liam had known her since 7th grade, and had become one of the hardest workers she had seen in many years. 

Liam scanned the book and turned to the meal planning section, knowing that this year they were not going to focus solely on single dishes, but an entire meal. They were only into the third week of the school year, but he found the prospect of planning and preparing a full meal exciting. He could not wait until they got past all the usual book prep and class notes, and got into the actual kitchen. Liam whiled away the remaining 30 minutes until the first bell rang imagining roasted turkey dinners and mouth-watering pot roasts with fantastic side dishes.

“Eight!” Alison said as she grunted with exertion and stood up from the squat.

She slowly sunk down into another squat, feeling the heavy bar settle onto her square shoulders. The polar bear sucked in a quick breath and grunted again as she hefted the bar loaded with 450 pounds.

“Nine!” she uttered with determination.

She got distracted for an instant as she saw a bead of sweat gather at the tip of her nose. Alison gave a quick puff of breath to dislodge it, and sank down into her final squat. A quick intake of breath and she again grunted with the lift.

“Ten!” she exhaled out  triumphantly. 

The large polar bear shuffled back a step or two to line up the bar with the stand and swiftly let it down with a resounding clang. She stooped out from under the heavy weight, and got more than one or two envious looks from some of the other lifters in the gym. She was not the only female working out in class, but she was definitely in a class of her own. None of the others in class could come close to lifting the same amount of weight. Well, maybe the big moose Maverick could manage something close. But Alison chuckled to herself and thought, no way he can do three sets though.

She took a few minutes to put away the heavy discs and straighten up her area before heading to the locker room. The polar bear was not drenched, but had worked up a nice warmth and needed to scrub her fur with a damp towel for a few minutes. She was momentarily alone in the changing room, and took a second to glance in the mirror. Alison used to consider herself comfortable with her body. After puberty hit and she went through her growth spurt, she filled out to an astonishing bulky size of 6’8” and 350 pounds. By polar bear standards, she was average size and barely stood out in a crowd of her hometown. But here in the city, this school was much more diverse. She literally stood out everywhere she went, even standing a few inches taller than the star stallion basketball player Iven.

Alison turned this way and that way, eyeing her wide hips and enormous rump. By contrast, there was not much up top to look at. She frowned at the tiny sports bra squishing her A-cup breasts to virtual flatness. She heaved a sigh, slumped her shoulders and went back to her locker to get changed for next class.

Alison tried hard not to let her mind flash back to the incident last year. She had only been a student here for two months, but by that time some of the prettiest girls targeted her as an outlet for their angst. They teased Alison for the lack of breasts and the size of her backside. This often led to secondary insults about her weight. The bear attempted once to argue back that she literally stood head and shoulders above the other girls, but when her explanation fell on deaf ears she got flustered. Alison started to shuffle back from the confrontation and accidentally pushed over a medium sized lion. The group of girls gasped in shock as the bear whirled around and stood stock still with a bewildered expression. 

“Damn girl! You gotta warn a guy before you unleash that badonkadonk on him. Like fer real...BEEP BEEP BEEP!” the lion grinned and yelled out.

The group of girls burst out laughing at the lion’s joke. Someone shouted, “YEAH! LIKE A DUMP TRUCK!” This caused the now gathering crowd to erupt in laughter. Alison’s tear filled eyes darted around the crowd before she shouldered her way past them and off to a deserted bathroom stall to cry. Hence her derogatory nickname from then on was ‘dump truck.’

The bear finished getting dressed and stuffed her workout clothes in a duffle. She kept a stash of protein bars in her locker as well, and grabbed one to munch on before heading out the door. Alison wanted to avoid being hungry when it came to the home ec class. She heard they always had leftovers, and did not want to get in the habit of eating all of the treats they had from the other cooking classes. Besides, the more sweets she indulged in meant more reps when it came time for the next workout.

Alison did not fancy the idea of being placed in a home economics class at the beginning of the year. She later learned from other girls in the class that it was expected of the females to be able to develop cooking skills for the stereotypical mother role. The polar bear had no such expectations. Although she was from a rural town in Montana, it was just as common for the father to be the ‘stay at home’ parent. The main industry in those parts was logging, and Alison grew up watching women work just as hard as the men cutting and processing trees. She had fully expected to take a summer job learning to chop and haul lumber, but the unexpected move derailed that plan. Her parents were real estate agents and felt that moving to a more urban locale would provide them greater financial stability for the future.

With only two weeks notice, Alison found herself uprooted and transplanted in the Missouri side of Kansas City. She managed to coast through the remainder of her sophomore school year, but did not really establish any friendships. Certainly the ‘dump truck’ incident did not help the situation either. The bear hoped that she would be able to get by in her classes until she figured out a plan for her future.

Alison made it to class a few minutes before the bell rang. Kids were still milling about, speculating on when they would actually get to start working in the kitchen. Since the class was only expected to spend a day or two a week in the classroom, there were no assigned seats. Alison scanned the room for a likely spot to sit and did not notice Liam slip into the room and scamper towards the back. The final bell rang and the kids that had not already found a desk dispersed into the room. 

The bear made her way down the rows of desks, still looking for an opening. Just then Mrs. Thrindy came in and said, “Please find your seats everyone so we can get started.”

Alison quickly eyed the desk next to Liam and paced over. She quickly muttered, “Mind if I take this seat?”

Liam had his nose buried in his cookbook, and as a way of response he shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a free country,” he muttered half to himself.

“Thanks,” she replied.

Alison slid her duffle under her chair and and sat down. The desk creaked under her as she settled into place. This was enough to draw a quick sideways glance from Liam. His eyes darted down to her thick thighs, then up to where he expected her head to be. Since she was so tall, he actually had to turn his neck to point his eyes up towards hers.

Alison gave a friendly smile at him before turning her attention to the teacher. Liam did a quick double take, wondering how he never noticed there was an enormous polar bear in the same class as him. After a few seconds, he also turned his attention forward.

“Okay class, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Time to break out the apron’s and get our hands messy! If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you where you will begin prepping and cooking meals over the next few weeks.”

The class erupted in cheers, and there was a great ruckus of students shuffling into the adjacent classroom. Alison stood up to follow but noticed that Liam hung back and was still seated as the throng of other kids pushed their way through the door.

“Are you coming?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute. This is not the first cooking class I’ve had.” He slowly hopped out of his chair and started to pull out his apron and cookbook.

Alison nodded and said, “Oh, I see.”

She hesitated between wanting to see the other room and curious what Liam was going to do. She eyed the last few students pushing through the door.

“I don’t know anything about cooking. I even suck at making toast,” she muttered.

Liam gave her a small chuckle and said, “Ah, don’t sweat it. Nothing to it really, you just follow the recipe.” He saw that she still hesitated. “Better hurry up or you might get stuck with a crappy workstation.”

That seemed to motivate the polar bear and she shuffled her way through the door. The new room was filled with various work spaces which included a generous countertop, a working sink and dishwasher, a large oven, and of course an assortment of utensils. The requisite plates, bowls, pots and pans were stowed in the space under the countertop. For most students, this was the first time they had seen this room.

Alison walked over to the only remaining station not already occupied. It seems all the other had managed to pair up and were already examining the various cooking implements they were expected to need and use. She glanced around nervously, not knowing what to do other than stand there and wait for instruction. She then watched as Liam, apron on and tied, entered and made his way to the teacher. They had a brief conversation and Liam smiled and nodded his head.

The corgi was glad he had a quick chance to mention to Mrs. Thrindy that he was interested in entering the cooking competition this year. She was happy to hear the news and promised to provide him with more details by the end of the day. He turned back to face the working classroom, expecting to find a spot with whomever was unlucky enough to need a partner. He was slightly surprised to see the large polar bear standing alone at one of the stations toward the back of the room. He also noticed the slightly lost and panicked look in her face as she glanced around her, imagining what horrors the unfamiliar might unleash on her.

He could not help but smile at the situation. To Liam, this was a familiar studio where he crafted all manner of culinary delights. It seemed the polar bear was in luck. There really was not a ‘bad’ station as he had told her a few minutes ago, but he had an idea to try and make her feel more at ease.

He walked confidently over to the station she was at and said, “Oh sweet, you got the good table! Thanks for saving it for me.”

Alison laughed nervously and shuffled her feet. “Um, you’re welcome?”

Liam’s ears barely stood above her waist, but he extended his hand up at her. “I’m Liam. Looks like I’m your cook partner for the rest of the year.”

Alison reached out and gently engulfed his hand in hers. “Alison. Just let me know if I get in the way.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” he said with a grin. When Alison frowned down at him, he quickly gave her a friendly elbow and replied, “I’m just kidding. I’m going to help you learn to cook!”

The polar bear’s frown slowly turned into a smile. “Really?”

“You betcha! You’ll be making the best quiche in class before you know it.”

“Cool,” Alison replied, and the pair grinned and nodded at each other.

“Okay class, let’s go over a quick review of the rules of the kitchen that we learned last week.”

Mrs. Thrindy walked around calling on different students as they went over the guidelines. She all but ignored Liam as he proceeded to get out a few bowls and mixing utensils. Since Liam had already been in this class numerous times, she gave him quite a bit of leeway. Alison was genuinely surprised.

The bear watched for a moment as the corgi arranged everything on the counter with practiced ease. The countertop was just about level with his chin, which made it challenging for Liam to reach the center. Alison was again surprised when Liam seemed to whip out a step stool from nowhere. He reached over and grabbed a couple of measuring cups and one of the bowls and started to walk over to a pantry across the room. The corgi got to the edge of the workstation and noticed Alison’s eyes were glued to him.

He grinned and gave a quick jerk of his head in that come with me type of way. Alison glanced around, mentally taking note that the teacher was now demonstrating the different shapes and sizes of bowls. She pointed at herself in silent question to the corgi. He nodded quickly and even gave a tiny hand wave to confirm that she follow him.

Alison quietly slipped past the counter and walked over to where Liam was sorting through ingredients. He deftly measured out flour, salt and baking powder into his large bowl. The polar bear leaned over his shoulder and watched him work.

He whispered up at her, “Take this bowl back to the counter and bring back the slightly smaller one.” She nodded and returned a few seconds later.

Liam proceeded to gather half a stick of butter and a small carton of milk from a refrigerated shelf.

“Okay, let’s get started,” he said and led her back to the table.

From there he quietly instructed Alison in how to make a batch of biscuits. By the time the dough was the right consistency he had her get some extra flour for kneading. Liam was a good coach and soon had Alison rolling out the dough, cutting them, and putting them on a baking sheet. From time to time someone in class would notice the pair, but quickly lost interest when the teacher described some of the mouth watering meals they would attempt later in the year.

By the time Liam’s timer went off, the class had ten minutes left. Just enough time to pull out the biscuits and let them cool. Liam kept imparting instructions as he walked Alison through the best way to use a spatula for sliding the golden morsels off the tray. The final touch was to brush each of them with melted butter. At this point the whole class had their noses twitching. He gave a thumbs up to Mrs. Thrindy.

“Well okay! As a welcome to class treat, Liam, with the help of Alison, has prepared a batch of biscuits. They will pass them around as we wait for the bell. Please remember to look at your cookbooks for next week when we start learning how to prepare side dishes. I’ll be around if anyone has questions.”

After all the biscuits were gone, Liam regrouped with Alison at the workstation. She was looking around the class seeing the delighted way everyone was munching on the fresh food. Liam was already starting to clean up.

“Did you remember to grab one of those for yourself?” he asked the bear.

“What? Ah, no, I forgot.” She sighed.

“Well, lucky for you I snagged one. Want to share?” He broke said biscuit in two and held out half.

“Are you sure? You’re the one who made them.”

Liam had already taken a bite, but replied out of the corner of his mouth, “No, we made them! Go on, try it.”

Alison did as requested and took a small bite. She closed her eyes as the taste filled her mouth and she made a deep mmmmm sound. She then proceeded to cram the rest in her mouth and chewed with relish.

“Good huh?” Liam laughed at the expression on her face.

“You make stuff like this all the time? Oh man, it’s sooooo good!” She licked her fingers of remaining crumbs.

“Just wait, that’s only the start.”

The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment. Liam starred up at her and was amused by the way she licked her lips.

Alison noticed and looked around, “What?”

He smiled at her and said, “Nothin’. Maybe I should have made more?”

She smiled back and said, “Nah that was just right. Besides, wouldn’t want to ruin my dinn-”

“Hey short-stack!,” an orange tabby, Martin, called from the next table over. “Guess it’s only natural you should get stuck with the biggest girl in school!” This got a chuckle from the few people standing around.

“Better keep an eye out, wouldn’t want her to step on you.”

Alison, fuming from the insult, glared at the tabby.

Liam looked over his shoulder and said to her, “Don’t pay attention to that furball, he’s just jealous ‘cause he’s only going to get a C this year. He couldn’t cook his way out of a wet paper bag.”

The polar bear snickered at the corgi’s comment. Martin saw her and thought she was laughing at him.

“Oh, hey dump truck, you think that’s funny huh?”

Alison pointed at Martin and growled out, “Don’t call me that you little shit!”

She took a step in his direction, but Liam intervened and put a hand on her arm.

“Seriously, don’t waste your energy on that jerk. He’s just trying to get under your fur.”

The display startled Martin and he nervously took a step back. When Alison did not advance further, his expression turned smug and he waved a dismissive hand.

“I got better things to do than listen to you clowns. C’mon guys let’s get out of here.” Martin’s clique followed him out into the hallway, leaving the pair staring after them.

Liam turned back to Alison and shook his head. “That guy...serious asshat.”

Alison’s face burned with embarrassment at the use of the nickname. Liam had of course heard the rumors of how the polar bear got the nickname, but he was too polite to ask her about it. He already had enough to deal with from the insults flung his way every day, and did not feel like going down that depressing road with another person feeling the same way. He decided to abruptly introduce a new topic.

“So what cooking experience do you have? I like to know what I’m working with,” he said with an exaggerated grin. Alison stared at him for a second, but caught the gist of where he was going. 

She replied, “Are you going to be my sensei now?” The two laughed before she continued. 

“Well, honestly...not much. I mean I can make a mean bowl of cereal. But like I said before, somehow I manage to mess up making toast. I mean, it could not be any simpler, right? Put the bread in, push the button, ding, toast!” She looked at him and firmly shook her head no.

“Ah, I see,” Liam said with a look of contemplation. He clapped his hands together, “Clean slate! That’s a good thing. It means you don’t have any bad habits or techniques to unlearn.”

“Oh!” she said as her expression brightened.

Liam stood in front of her with hands on hips and said in a gravelly voice, “To the ways of the chef, you must open your mind. How to master cooking, teach you I will.”

Alison laughed and was going to respond with some equally cheesy response, but the bell rang. 

“Oh shoot! I need to grab my bag and get to my next class. See you next time? Bye!” She waved as she shuffled into the other room.

“Seeya!” Liam called after her with a wave of his own.

The students settled into a regular routine as a few more weeks of the school year passed by. Liam was happy to see Alison in the cooking class, since it gave him a chance to share his passion and become an unexpected tutor for his new classmate. It also gave the pair a chance to air their grievances about their respective situations; Liam for being small and Alison for being large. The two made an unlikely pair, but became fast friends.

Slightly into October, Liam emerged out of the locker room into the gym of his P.E. class. Much to his surprise, he saw Alison across the floor at the far end waiting with the girls for their coach. He normally dreaded participating in the class, since he was either the last to be called on for teams or was the last to finish whatever physical task was given from the boy’s coach. He smiled and waved as high as his arm would go to get the polar bear’s attention.

She clearly stood at least a head higher than all the other girls in the group, and her face lit up when she saw the corgi. She waved back enthusiastically, which caught the attention of a trio of girls. 

“Oh my gosh, that is soo adorable!” a slim gazelle said to the other girls, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “The ‘truck is apparently friends with corgi mcshort-stuff over there.” The girls tittered with laughter, as the gazelle rolled her eyes, “Can you imagine those two together?”

“Ya, one misplaced step and she’d turn him into a pancake!” the dalmation said.

“No, she has to be super careful not to sit on him! With an ass that big, she wouldn’t even notice,” the mink said.

Alison managed to overhear the last comment, and her smile faded as her hand fell back to her side. She caught the quick look of confusion from Liam, as he was still looking her way. Before she could give him a signal, a loud whistle blew as the boy’s coach called his group together. Liam turned his attention away.

Alison felt her face flush and considered saying something to the girls, but the girl’s coach showed up and got them in line. The separate groups went out different exits, but they all ended up at the track together. Both of the coaches took turns explaining that they were going to be running today, much to everyone’s disapproval. They were quickly grouped together in different packs, which would rotate between short and long events.

Alison disliked running, but given her strength could tough it out. Liam on the other hand was pushed to the limit nearly every task he performed. Because of his size, his speed was greatly reduced but he made up for it with determination. He did not want to be judged for his size alone, and made great efforts to keep up with the group he was with.

Part way through the class, the groups were given a rest break. Alison knew that staying limber was key in situations like this, since she regularly worked out. She was going through a routine of stretching her hamstrings when Liam trotted up. The bear could clearly see his fur damp with sweat, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

“Hey masterchef, how’s it going?” she asked.

“Still breathing,” he said with a grin. “Stretching huh? Maybe I should do that too.” He sat down in the grass across from her.

“Sure, it’s never a bad thing.” Liam nodded, but was content to sit and rest.

“So when did you get this class? I don’t remember seeing you in here before?” The corgi absently looked around at the other kids.

Alison reached out and lay across one leg, grasping her foot. “Oh, yeah. I got switched to this class for the rest of the year ‘cause it turns out I never took American Lit in junior high. I did not want it to screw up my weight lifting classes, and the only opening was in the afternoon when my regular P.E. class was, soooo....here I am.” She raised her head and gave him a grin before bending over the other leg.

Liam laughed lightly and said, “Man, you are flexible.”

“Nah, this is nothing,” she replied. “This is just to stay warm before our next run.”

The corgi groaned and tossed his head back, “Ugh, don’t remind me. It sucks cause it feels like I’m running twice as far as anyone else.”

The polar bear chuckled and said, “Sure, but at least it’s not like carrying two people on your back.” She pointed at her solid figure and winked at Liam.

He grinned wide and tossed up his hands, “Okay, okay. You win.”

“Like you had a doubt,” she replied coyly. The closest coach blew her whistle.

“Okay, listen up! You group there,” she motioned to a group of about 20 kids standing around, “go over to the sand pit and wait for me. The rest of you,” she motioned to the rest of the kids sitting on the grass, “up and at ‘em! On the track, I’ve got you running laps for the next 10 minutes! Let’s go!! *Phweeeee!!*”

Alison stood up and held her hand out to Liam, “Guess that’s us. C’mon we can run together.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”

Liam took the offered hand and was surprised when she pulled him to his feet with little effort. There were still stragglers as the pair stepped onto the track and started jogging along. The two quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm. Liam could get about two quick strides to every one of Alison’s relaxed pace.

Between them, they gasped out a broken conversation while plodding along. They did not talk about anything in particular, just commenting on whatever caught their attention. Most of the way around the second lap, the pair had wandered to the edge of the track to make way for groups that had a faster pace. Liam was on the inside, a short pace behind Alison, when suddenly he saw a shadow cross over him. Before he could react, one of the regular track members landed in front of him and kept running.

Apparently, the long legged cheetah, had hoped over Liam like a hurdle without even breaking his stride. The feline disappeared down the track at a blistering pace, but Liam and Alison could hear his laughter drifting back to them.

The corgi gasped and growled and muttered, “Asshole,” between breaths.

A few minutes later, Liam noticed too late the staccato beat of running feet behind him and found the cheetah had once again jumped clean over him. However, this time Jefferson turned around and ran backwards a few paces in front of Liam.

“Man, I wish hurdles were always that easy to clear!” the cheetah said, taunting the short canine.

“Go chase your tail! Can’t you see I’m busy?” Liam grimaced but kept up his pace. Alison’s pace faltered a bit, but she quickly matched Liam’s steps.

“Hey, tell ya what, if you can catch up to me I’ll give you a piggyback all the way to the locker room?” The cheetah was not even breathing hard, trotting backwards a few yards away.

Liam’s ears folded back with annoyance, but he made no move to increase his pace. “Fuck off, Jefferson!”

The cheetah laughed at the retort, and gave the corgi a double flip-off. “Suit yourself!” He quickly turned around and ran off at astonishing speed.

Alison trotted next to Liam for a few paces, not sure of what to say. She could see him clench his jaw, but he still maintained his pace.

Finally he uttered, “Fucking...jerk off...asshole!” She nodded in agreement.

Just before they were rounding the goal post that marked the finish of the second lap, Alison got a strange look on her face. Liam caught her look out of the corner of his eye.

“What the heck?” she muttered.

Before she could look behind her, she felt a hard smack on her rump. She yelled a startled, “Oh!” and stopped in her tracks.

Liam took a second to come to a halt, and by the time he turned around saw Jefferson jogging back across the field with his arms held high as if he just crossed the finish line.

“Did you see that, Chris? You owe me a soda! She didn’t even flinch!” The boys he yelled to laughed at the cheetahs antics.

“Bet she didn’t even feel it under all that flab!” one of the other boys called back.

Liam’s ears folded back in annoyance, but when he looked over at Alison, an angry growl welled up within him. She stood motionless, still wearing the shocked expression on her face, her hands idly wringing the tail of her shirt. The corgi knew there was no way he could catch the cocky cheetah, and knew he would have to let this one go. He took a deep breath in, blew it out slowly, and walked over to Alison.

“Are you okay?”

Alison was still in shock that the boy had groped her. Add to that the smack on her rump, and she was left in a state of confusion. She felt Liam place his hand on hers, which broke her out of the trance.

“Alison,” he said softly, “are you okay?”

The sincere tone of his voice, and the sudden vulnerability she felt, melted the tough facade she usually held.

“Not really,” she said in a tiny voice.

Liam saw her eyes gleem with wetness. She stared down at him, afraid to show so much emotion when they had only known each other as friends for such a short time. Liam recognized this as an opportunity and slipped his hand into hers, knowing that a show of support was what she needed right now.

“Come on, I’ll walk with you back to class,” he said and led her toward the building.

“Thank you,” she said barely above a whisper.

“Hey, what are friends for?” he said with a smile. “Forget about those ass-clowns, they’re all cowards anyways.”

Alison nodded, but did not comment. 

The school year continued much in the same fashion, with either of them experiencing the random act of aggression. The pair found solace in each other as a way to be supportive and not let the other sink into depression. Alison enjoyed the attention Liam gave her imparting his knowledge in the ways of cooking, and Liam enjoyed having a friend he could let his guard down with.

The holiday break was upon them before they knew it, and Alison let Liam know that she would be visiting relatives in her hometown for the entire three week stretch. Liam used the time to catch up on homework, and research recipes for his meal plans. He was looking ahead to the cooking competition, and hoped Alison would be able to go with him for support. He did not realize how much he came to rely on his new friend as a way to vent his frustrations as well as share his joys. Liam found he could hardly wait for classes to start up again.

After school resumed and everyone fell into the usual routine, Liam filled Alison in on the plan for the competition. It was due to occur the second Saturday in April. The first round would be regionals, in which the top 5 finalists would have a ‘bake off’ on the following Sunday. First and second place winners would then advance to state finals in St. Louis, to compete for a coveted internship with a yet to be revealed four star chef.

“So it’s still a couple of months away,” Liam said munching on the last of his lunch, “but it’s never too soon to start planning out recipes.”

“What have you got in mind?” Alison asked as she took a bite of her apple. Liam noticed she always had an apple for dessert.

“Eh, I’ve got a few ideas. Maybe you can help me narrow it down to a couple?”

“You mean be your ‘food tester’?” she teased and took another chomp of apple.

“I promise you won’t regret it,” he grinned.

“Well, if your competition level dishes are even better than your home ec dishes...I’m in!”

“Sweet!” Liam said and gave her a high five.

The two finished up their lunches and slowly wandered around the school building. Their conversation has faded for the moment, and each seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Alison made several small glances at Liam, trying to figure out how to introduce the thought on her mind. Liam caught her eye but she quickly looked away. He was beginning to recognize her mannerisms and could tell she wanted to ask him something.

Liam smiled at her and clasped his hands behind his back. “Something on your mind, my young padawan?”

Alison gave him a playful, but gentle, bump with her hips. “No...well, kinda...maybe, yes.”

“What’s up?” he asked more casually.

The bear fidgeted with her hands and found she was a little nervous approaching the topic. “Do you ever go to school functions? Like sports games...or, you know, dances...and stuff?”

Liam looked at her questioningly, “Nah, not really. Most of the time I try to not think about school.”

Alison seemed a little deflated and said, “Oh, right. I see.”

The corgi turned the question around and asked, “How about you? Do you like going to games and other stuff?”

“Well, I did...I mean in my hometown. It was a fun way to hang out with friends.” Alison sighed before continuing. “But here...well, you’re the only friend I have. I only get to talk to you for a little bit every day. I guess I just miss that social interaction.”

“Oh,” Liam said.

It had not occurred to him that Alison had feelings of isolation. The two had briefly talked about her move to the city and new school, but usually he was too caught up with his own struggles to see that is friend was struggling as well.

Alison continued. “The reason I brought it up was the junior prom is May. I was hoping to go, but it can be a little awkward going alone.”

Liam nodded and replied, “Yeah I understand. That kind of stuff has never been on the radar for me. I don’t think I’d go, not with the competition coming up and all.”

Alison sighed again and said, “Yeah, I hear you.”

Liam saw the sag in the polar bears shoulders and realized that she was hoping he would ask her to the dance.

“Hey, listen. It’s not usually my thing, but I’ll think about it, okay?”

The bear’s face brightened and she smiled. “Okay, thanks!”

Liam suddenly snapped his fingers. “Hey! You know I just now realized I’ve never given you my cell number. I don’t typically keep my phone on me ‘cause I don’t want it to get busted if some jerk decides to jump me.”

“Oh, right! I totally forgot about mine too,” Alison said. “Yeah, I usually leave mine in the locker since I can’t have it out when I’m in the gym.”

Liam glanced in one of the classroom windows and caught the time. “We still have like 10 minutes before the bell. Let’s go to my locker and exchange numbers.”

“Sounds good, masterchef!”

The next week found the pair working together on a cooking assignment. The classroom buzzed with activity as the students were busy putting the finishing touches on their respective dishes. Liam was occupied chopping some rosemary and fresh oregano to season the meatballs he kept an eye on. Meanwhile, Alison tended to the pot of homemade marinara. The corgi turned the meatballs and saw they were browning nicely.

“How’s the sauce?” he asked the bear.

“I think it’s ready,” she replied. “You want to give it a taste?”

He grinned over his shoulder, “Nah, I trust you.”

He tossed the dash of spices into the simmering pan and turned the heat down. He quickly used a spoon to ladle the hot juices over the meatballs to keep them tender.

Alison raised her spoon and blew on it for a quick taste. “Mmm, mama-mia! Good stuff.” She also turned off the heat and slid the pot over to the side.

“Don’t forget to keep stirring it, you don’t want it to get lumpy until we have a chance to add the meatballs,” Liam coached.

“Oh, right! Thanks for the reminder.”

The corgi chef deftly drained the meat, and transferred them to a serving dish. He brought the dish back to Alison’s side and instructed her in the best way to ladle out the sauce so it not only covered the meat, but also gave the tray a “prepared” look to it. Just as Alison finished the last ladle full, the stove timer went off.

“Garlic bread is up! Do you mind grabbing that?” Liam slid the meatballs and sauce over to the side where the finished dish would be served from.

“I’m on it,” Alison said and quickly pulled the tray out.

The slabs of bread sizzled with slathered butter and garlic. She made short work of offloading them from the tray into a towel lined bread bowl. She slid the basket into place next to the meatballs and squeezed Liam’s shoulder in excitement.

Of course the pair were one of the first groups to finish. They straightened their area as the rest of the students plated their finished dishes. Some had prepared various pastas, while others had made some manner of vegetables. Only one other pair had prepared a meat dish. Liam and Alison had the meatballs, but Martin and his partner-turned-girlfriend Tina had made baked salmon. Tina, an ocelot, seemed to possess a fair amount of cooking skill from what Liam had seen. However, her attitude was just as smug as Martin’s when it came to the corgi and polar bear.

After all the dishes were presented, and the class went through the routine of shutting off all the stoves and burners, Mrs. Thrindy had everyone line up buffet style and they all gave each other a round of applause. The class proceeded to sample all the dishes and were encouraged to give feedback to each of the cooks. For the most part, it felt like a Sunday family meal. When everyone had finished their plates, the instructor doled out the kitchen chores to be done. She split the dishwashing, counter cleaning, reprovisioning and straightening amongst the pairs. Liam and Alison had pulled some of the counter cleaning detail.

The pair were putting the finishing touches on the last countertop. Alison momentarily turned away and did not notice Martin creep up behind Liam. The tabby silently laid down a greased cookie sheet just behind the corgi, then motioned to his partner in crime.

Tina first made sure the teacher was not in the room, then called out, “Hey Liam, can you come here for a second?”

Liam started to turn around, “Yeah, just a sec-ooff!”

The corgi tripped over Martin’s outstretched foot and fell forward onto the sheet. He shot across the floor like a hockey puck. Alison heard the commotion and turned back around in time to see Liam go crashing into a stack of pots lined up against the next counter over.

Martin stood up and pointed in glee. “Strike! Haha, did you see that T? Perfect aim”

The pair of felines were busy laughing, much to the amusement and confusion of the rest of the class. Neither of them noticed the precarious stack of pots teetering on the edge of the countertop, threatening to fall onto the dazed corgi. Liam was just starting to sit up from amid the scattered pots on the floor, where he held a hand to his banged head.

Alison saw what was about to happen, and surprised herself with speed she didn’t know she had. She took a couple of bounding steps toward Liam and dove into a crouch, landing just in time to shield him from the shower of pots. Although it was not that far a fall from the top of the counter, the pots clanged and bonged as they bounced off of Alison’s broad back. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the corgi.

After the pots had a chance to bounce around and make a huge racket, the entire class fell silent. Alison slowly uncurled from her position no worse for wear. Liam shook his head and looked up at her.

“Thanks, I owe you one!” The bear smiled down at him for a brief second before she stood up and brushed down her apron.

She slowly turned to Martin, and the tabby froze where he stood. The bear’s eyes were wide with anger and her thin black lips curled back slightly. She silently closed the distance to where Martin stood rooted to the floor. Alison literally towered above him. With fists clenched at her sides, she bent down to almost touch her nose to his and spoke through clenched teeth.

“I should wring your scrawny little neck for that stunt! How dare you pull something like that! Liam could have been seriously hurt. You’re lucky he wasn’t, because then you would be seriously hurt.”

Martin was transfixed by Alison’s fiery eyes. She raised a single claw and poked him in the chest...hard.

“I don’t know what kind of sick thrill you get by picking on other people, but trust me when I say that you better find a new hobby.”

The tabby started to shiver as Alison leaned close to his ear.

“If you ever lay a finger on him again,” she said in a menacing whisper, “I will break both your legs and you’ll have to learn to walk all over again.”

At that, Martin involuntarily wet himself. Tina seemed to gather her composure and quickly dragged the dazed and embarrassed tabby from the room. The rest of the students who had witnessed the event stared at the angry polar bear.

She glared at them and said, “What are you looking at? Get back to work!”

Alison angrily tore off her apron and leaned on the counter.

Liam came up beside her still rubbing his head. “You didn’t have to do that for me. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”

“It’s okay. Hey, can you help me with something? I just remembered we should get more soap for the dishwasher.” The corgi followed her back into the small stockroom.

Liam came to a halt behind her. When she did not move for a few seconds, he started to reach for her.

“Alison?”

He heard a small sniff and saw her shoulders shudder.

“Hey, are you-”

The polar bear suddenly turned around and knelt before him. Liam could clearly see tears in her eyes. He quickly took a step forward and hugged her neck, speaking softly into her ear.

“Hey, hey...shhh...everything is okay.”

“Oh my gosh, Liam! I was so scared that you were hurt. I was shaking with anger and for a moment I thought I might actually hurt that stupid dumbass!”

Liam ran his hand up and down the back of her neck. Alison clutched at him and cried softly on his shoulder.

“Shh...I’m fine. Just a little bump on the noggin. I’ve actually had much worse.”

She nodded and slowly released her grip on him. After a moment she regained some of her composure.

She looked sheepishly into his face and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go all drama queen on you.”

He smiled and brushed a tear off her cheek. “Wow, I’m impressed. Tears for your sensei.”

She sniffled and giggled. “Oh stop it.”

He looked into her eyes. “Seriously though, thank you for watching out for me. I really do appreciate it.”

Liam leaned over and kissed her cheek, leaving Alison blushing.

He grabbed her hand and said, “Come on. We need to finish straightening up so we’re not late for next class.

“Okay,” she said and stood. She followed Liam out the door, wiping the last tear from her eye.

After that day, Liam started to see the signs that had been there from the beginning. The way Alison found an excuse to hold his hand, or touch his arm. He guessed that Alison was developing a crush for him, and he had to admit that he had feelings brewing for her as well. It was a little strange since the corgi only had two girlfriends ever, and neither of them lasted for more than a few weeks. He was unsure if he was ready to go down that road one more time, but somehow he knew it would be different with Alison.

The incident in cooking class had made the pair’s bond stronger. Alison was sure that gossip spread, and while she was with Liam most people did not even give them a second glance. She just wanted to decrease the stress he felt while at school, which also gave her a chance to forget about her own stresses.

The following week, Liam trotted up to where Alison sat for lunch. It was unusual for him to be late, but it happened occasionally. He obviously had good news based on the size of his grin and the speed of his approach.

“Hey, Ali! Guess what? I got confirmation of my official entry into the cooking competition!”

She let out an excited whoop, “That’s awesome, Liam!”

The corgi sat down and quickly started in on his lunch. Alison was already mostly finished, but watched him with a happy smile.

“Hey, speaking of which, I thought I’d come along to cheer for you.”

“Oh, sweet! That would be cool, thank you!” He took a large bit of his sandwich and continued, “Always nice to see a friendly face in the crowd.”

The two conversed about his cooking strategies, and speculated about what kind of other student competition he would be faced with. Before they knew it, the bell for class rang and they had not even cleared away their lunch. They had to rush back to their respective classes, but Alison could not recall ever seeing Liam so happy.

She received a text later that night from the corgi, and replied back as she got her clothes together for the next day.

L: Hey Ali-bear, sorry I made us late today after lunch.
A: No worries, history was boring anyways.
L: So just letting you know, don’t pack lunch tomorrow. I’ve got it covered.
A: Aw, you’re sweet. Thanks!
L: See you then! Nite!
A: Have good night! 💜

Alison was excited to see what surprise Liam had in store as she sat at their usual bench. It was a perfect day, slightly warm but with a cooling breeze. She waved as Liam rounded the corner of the building and approached.

“Hey there, Ali-bear,” Liam said, using the new nickname he’d given her a couple of weeks ago.

“Hi! Can I help with anything?”

“Nah, it’s just a simple spread, but it’s also an idea of what I can do. I’ll expect feedback after we’re done.”

“You got it, chef!”

Alison’s mouth watered as he brought out each dish. The main course was a quiche with broccoli and mushrooms, baked into a golden flakey crust. He also brought a container of roasted asparagus spears, and for dessert a vanilla flan made from scratch. Liam served her a large portion of the quiche, which was still warm. She dug in with enthusiasm and showered her friend with praise.

“Oh my goodness, Liam! This quiche is amazing.”

“Glad you like it,” he grinned at her and ate his own portion.

The two carried on enjoying the meal, commenting on the flavors or techniques of preparation. Between the two of them, they completely finished the quiche and vegetables. Liam made a small flourish as he uncovered the flan and produced two spoons, intending them to have the dessert together.

“My lady,” he said handing her a spoon.

“Thank you, sir,” she said taking the spoon.

They relished the sweet treat and Alison absently laid her hand on Liam’s arm. He recognized her subconscious expression and felt it was an appropriate time.

“So I’ve been thinking...,” he started.

Alison took another spoonful of flan and replied, “Hm, about what?”

“How would you feel about being my date to prom?” he asked and raised his eyebrows.

The bear nearly spit out her spoon in surprise, but recovered and gulped down her dessert. “Are you serious?” Liam nodded and grinned.

“Oh, Liam! YES! I would love to go, thank you!” She reached out an arm and hugged him from across the table.

“Cool! Now I just have to figure out what to wear,” he said with a laugh.

“Don’t worry about that my dear, you get to go dress shopping with me. Gotta make sure we match after all!”

Liam mock rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What have I gotten myself into?” He could not keep a straight face after a few seconds and the pair burst into laughter.

“Trust me, it will be fun,” she said.

“I can’t wait,” he replied and helped her finish the flan.