A Furry Faux Paw by Jessica Kara

Author:Jessica Kara [Kara, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Page Street Publishing
Published: 2022-04-23T00:00:00+00:00

10

IT FEELS LIKE DAYS SINCE I left my hotel room instead of just over an hour. It smells fresh and amazing. I dump the satchel on my bed, then collect all the hair stuff into the trash since we left in a hurry, and tidy up the bathroom sink from my makeup. I stop to admire myself in the mirror. Happiness rushes me at the sight of my pink pixie head and the ears and tail—a little of my real self showing on the outside.

I refold and stow my few clothes into the drawers because why not? They’ll smell nicer coming out of the hotel dresser than being stuffed in my bag all weekend.

I pick up the TV remote, then put it back down. The quiet is good, and voices floating up from outside make a nice ambient noise. So I turn and flop, burying my nose in a crisp, cool pillow.

“Hnnnnng.” Mauve knows what I’m doing. I know what I’m doing. It would be easier to find a hundred more things to do in this sparse (comparatively), pretty room than call my mom. I flop over to my back and dig out my phone.

First, a quick check on Insta. My makeover pic has almost one hundred hearts already. I respond to a couple of comments, then swipe over to Twitter. Whoops, so many messages. I tuck a knee up, swinging idly, then stretch out my leg and then the other while I reply to tags and DMs. A few people are asking about their badges, so I set up a definite time I’ll be back with the things.

I need to call Mom—like, now.

I stare at the phone so long that it fades to a sleep screen.

Maybe I should stand up for this.

With a grunt, I roll over, shove off the bed, and cross to the window. When I lift the phone, my hand is trembling, but it feels separate. It’s as if my core is calm but my hand is taking all the stress. I lean against the wall near the window and tap Mom’s face.

There’s no going back now.

“Hey, sweetie.”

“Hi, Mom.”

A pause. “Is everything okay? You don’t sound good.”

The tremble has crawled up my arm to my throat. “Yeah, no. I mean, I’m fine. I’m really great actually, but I lied to you.”

I suck in a breath. It’s quiet on the other end, and then her chair creaks back. “Maeve, what is going on?”

A trio of different canine fursuiters romps down the sidewalk. A girl procures a stick from under a dogwood and tosses it. The dogs go nuts, falling over each other to chase it. Freaking adorable.

But it doesn’t help me at all.

“I lied to you.” I have to say it again, to clear my conscience. “I’m not with Paige—well, she’s here, but I’m not in Little Tree. I went to the furcon. I’m in Olympia. Dad has all the hotel information, and it’s amazing, Mom, I really—”

“What?”

Hearing shock before anger, I think, throws me off. If

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