FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Images of fronts and areas of low pressure moved frame by frame across the screen, but James' mind was not completely on the latest weather headlines. His body was on autopilot, as he quickly jotted down notes on what graphics he would use and what he would say for his forecast. The non-analytical part of his mind, however, was already twenty-four hours ahead of him. The anticipation for his date with Janelle was slowly overtaking him and making his daily routine more of a chore than usual. Even as he prepared himself before arriving at the news station, he questioned if what he wore would be too much for tomorrow night. He had paused in front of the mirror and stared at himself intently to convince himself that he would surely be all right regardless of what he chose and that he wouldn't be underdressed for the occasion.

James' eyes squinted slightly at the sight of some uncertainly in the model runs, snapping him momentarily back to the present. Any kind of doubt about the next evening quickly took a backseat at the new developments in front of him. He took a look at the clock to his right, showing that there was just one hour until air time. Panic set in briefly, as this now meant that he would have to re-do half of his graphics for the newscast. James' hands frantically began typing and modifying his graphics before the deadline. Everything else faded in the background, with his eyes darting back and forth in-between the two screens to make sure everything was consistent. After about half an hour, his work paid off, and everything was FINALLY ready to go. With a sigh of relief, James pushed himself away from the desk and began the final touches to his outward appearance.

"If there's one thing that gets old quickly about my job," he grumbled to himself as he brushed some foundation on his face, "it's the fact that I have to wear make-up on a daily basis."

"Like it or not, this is your life, James" a voice said behind him.

James shook his head and sighed at the comment. "I know...I know. I just wish it were easier to do." He picked up his brush and gently patted a light coat of blush under his eyes."

"Try being a woman. We do this every...single...day for you guys so we look nice for you, and half the time you don't even notice that we do it," the lynx said, as she rounded the corner and entered the room. "Got any space for one more?"

James looked back for a second. "Nadia, you do realize that this counter is over twenty feet long, and I'm the only one here, right?" The fox's attention went back to the mirror to make sure his make-up was on properly. "Besides, what are you doing here? You don't anchor the 5:30 shows."

Nadia huffed at his statement. "I don't anchor them YET." She walked over to the counter and placed a bag on it. "That was a low blow, James...even by YOUR standards."

"What's so low about stating a fact? You tried out for the anchor spots, and you didn't get any of the newsbreak or 5:30 spots." James closed the compact. "I really wasn't trying to start an argument. And besides, what makes you think we don't notice?"

Nadia shrugged and smirked. "It's obvious. All you guys care about are sports and beer. When a girl like me gets all done up for you, it's like going up against a giant with a stick. Trust me. I know a thing or two about getting all done up for dates. I've had plenty of experience." She propped herself up on the counter and sat down. "I'll save that tirade for later. Besides, you seem unusually snippy today, Jim." Her head turned to look at him. "What's got you bothered?"

"I guess it's just nerves, Nadia," he confessed.

"You...nervous? You've never been nervous before a broadcast."

"What? Oh, no! It's not about that at all," James re-assured. He squinted at his reflection to get a closer look at his face. "I haven't been nervous about the news for over a year now." He looked over to the seated Nadia. "It's because I have a date tomorrow night."

"Awwwwwwwww!" Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "My little Jimmy's going on a date! So who's the lucky lady?"

"You realize I'm about six inches taller than you and a year older, right?" He sighed and shook his head. "I digress. Have you ever heard of someone named Janelle Foxton?"

The lynx though for a second, kicking her feet back and forth. "Hm...Janelle...Sorry, the name doesn't ring a bell. Why do you ask?"

"Well, that's really all I know about Janelle," James said. "I figured you might know her or know something about her, since you're one of the most popular girls on campus. Besides, she's in your graduating class too."

"Wait...is she a little taller than me?" Nadia's head tilted up in thought. "Black hair...blue eyes..."

James' eyebrows rose. "Yeah! That's her. You've seen her before?"

She nodded. "A few times around campus, but I have. Can't say I've spoken to her, though." Her gaze went back to James as she continued. "She usually hangs out with a group of about four or five other friends. Also, if I remember correctly, she's on the college dance team, since I've seen her in the uniform once. She seems rather outgoing."

"Well, I guess that's something to go on. It's better than nothing," James quickly interjected. He looked down at the counter. "I'll be direct, and be honest with me. Do you think I stand a chance based on what you've seen of her?"

Nadia blinked at his question. She looked at him for a second, as she though of a response to his sudden question. "Well, if you want me to be honest, I will be. My answer is this: I don't think so." A mix of stunned, puzzled, and annoyed came across James' face at her answer. She continued after a brief pause to examine his reaction. "Let's face it, Jim. You're pretty introverted. Every time I came into your suite to see the other guys that live with you, you're always in your room, and you never come out. No one ever sees you at the bar, and God knows that you're incredibly shy." She sighed. "You're not that exciting or interesting at first glance. To top it all off, you don't have a very good record with asking girls out." She chuckled. "I mean, you struck out with me TWICE. That's not something to be proud of. I don't know how many other times you've gotten shot down, but it can't be a small number."

James' right hand twitched at her last remark. He remained silent as he packed up his things and began to make his way out the door. "Thank you, Nadia. I appreciate your honesty, but you're last statement was out of line. If I may, let me clarify what a low blow is, since I don't think you're aware of what one looks like." Nadia narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"You said before that you had a lot of experience with using make-up, because you have a lot of experience with dating. I think you need to reconsider your statement. There's also another reason why guys wouldn't give a damn about how you look on a date: They're too drunk to notice or care. Then again, I don't consider anything in your myriad of one night stands to be dates. Besides, you never pursued any of those guys outside of whatever bed or couch you woke up in, right?" Nadia's eyes widened with shock. She couldn't believe what James was saying, especially given his usually level-headed demeanor. A cold sweat overcame her, as her mouth silently quivered the words, 'Excuse me...?' as he continued.

"Tell me...how many times has one of your 'dates' NOT ended with one or both of you completely plastered? You probably can't remember half of them after your fourth drink, so Lord knows how high the real number is. For that matter, how many of your escapades didn't end with you spreading your legs for the first random tool that caught your eye? Do you have any clue at all? Do you think having sex with a guy will make him love you? You must be incredibly inept if you think that will work. You know what? Here's a concept for you to try: How about NOT trying to screw someone for attention for a change." Again, he paused and let his words sink in. Nadia's eyes widened even further as he touched a few tender nerves in her mind.

"Don't you give a damn about yourself? Are you proud of your hit list? God, I don't even want to think about the list of guys you've fucked and left. They must be a real bunch of winners, given your strict standards of excellence. It's a wonder you don't have at least a few STDs. Have you ever thought about that?" There was continued silence. "That's what I thought. I think what you need to do is take a long, hard look at your definition of a 'date', and maybe then I'll take your advice. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a forecast to deliver." With that, James turned off the main lights, exited the room, and silently walked to the studio.

In the now dimly lit dressing room, a stunned Nadia remained seated on the counter. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of everything James had just said to her and the realization that everything he said was true. She thought about the two times that she had declined his advances and how he was the days after. Then, one by one, her past flings went by her mind, with each one ending in the same manner. Slowly, a tear began to fall from her eye and down her cheek.

"Wow, James," she said softly. "THAT was low..."

---

"...and that will do it for today's edition of News 7. For James Kitsune and Trevor Mason, I'm Daniel Harris. Have a good night."

The video on James' computer stopped, and the fox sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Eh...that wasn't too bad of a show for me," he said aloud to himself. "At least I didn't get tongue-tied like I did last week. God, that was embarrassing..."

The suit he wore for the evening's broadcast was laid out on his bed in a neat manner. Usually, his clothes would be strewn about the room, but this was his favorite suit, and James had every intention on using it in some manner for his date the following night. Relaxing in a white t-shirt and jeans shorts, James thought about the afternoon and what he said to Nadia earlier. A ping of guilt overcame him, as he replayed what he said to her in his mind. "Maybe I was too blunt," he mused. "Then again, she had it coming. She needed reality to slap her in the face eventually."

In the suite, some of his roommates could be heard joking around and talking about various topics, while James remained in his room. Most of the time, they would be talking about drinking or who they were going to try and get in bed next. Those topics never appealed to James, and if anything, he would close his door and turn up his music to drown them out. This evening, however, he was feeling lazy and decided to put up with it. A few minutes later, his ears perked up at the sound of the suite door opening. Slightly curious, he looked out his door to see who it was.

To his surprise, it was Janelle with one of her friends from earlier that afternoon. His eyebrows rose at her sudden entrance. She was carrying a tray of cupcakes, which she placed on the table in the dining area. "Hey Willie," Janelle called. "Amara and I have the cupcakes we said we'd make. You still want some?"

"Of course I do!" he responded as he came out of his room. Willie was the R.A for James' floor, whose room happened to be right next to his. The black bear came out of his room and took two of the cupcakes right off the bat. "Wow...these look great! Thanks, you two."

"No problem," Amara said. "Janelle and I were bored anyway, and when we read your away message, we decided to give it a go."

One by one, the other members of the suite came over and took a cupcake as well. The only one who didn't come out immediately was James, who still watched Janelle from his room. 'I didn't know she could bake,' he thought. He looked at her one more time and then shifted his gaze to the cupcakes. The vanilla frosting on her baked goods was too much of a temptation as it was, not to mention that it went with another opportunity to talk to Janelle. Without thinking, James got up and walked over to her. He stopped just short of the tray where Janelle was sitting nearby. She simply smiled at James, who weakly smiled back out of shyness. Finally, after a few seconds of silence that seemed like an eternity, James spoke.

"Can I have one?" James immediately kicked himself for saying that, of all things, to the girl that he liked. 'Damn it! What kind of greeting is that!? I couldn't even say hello to her! Way to go, moron...'

Janelle giggled at his innocent question. "Sure, go ahead. There's plenty for everyone, James."

Relieved, James smiled more confidently. "Thanks, Janelle." He took one of the large cupcakes and took a bite. His eyes popped open at the taste. "Wow...these are amazing! You must be really good at baking."

"Actually, I have to confess. They're from a box. It's the fun-fetti variety of cupcakes." James looked to see the specks of color in the cake. "Still, I'll take full credit for following the instructions on the back of the box." The two of them laughed at her little joke.

"Either way," James assured, "they came out really well. They turned out so well, in fact, that I'm going to have to ask if I can have a second one!"

Janelle laughed. "By all means, have as many as you like. There's no cupcake limit here."

The ensuing hours went by in the blink of an eye. Janelle and James spent the time sitting next to each other on the couch and talked about anything and everything that came up in their minds. Everything else faded away in James' mind, and all that was there were him, Janelle, and the couch they shared. As the evening wore on, a smile continued to form on his face. Janelle couldn't help but notice that he smiled through the whole conversation with her, which in turn put a smile on her face as well.

"You're a pretty nice guy, James" she said. James simply smiled and blushed a bit at her compliment. "You're a lot of fun to talk to. Honestly, I'm surprised that you're single. A guy like you is hard to find. You must be pretty popular with the ladies..."

A pair of voices could be heard nearby. "Popular? You obviously don't know James well." It was Ryan and Henry, two of James' roommates and fellow members of his class. James groaned silently at their comment.

"He's been single for as long as I've known him," Henry said. James' palm found its way to his face at the badger's statement. "Then again, it's not like he tries. He was my roommate last year, and I can count the number of times he ventured out of our room on one hand."

"Thank you for that, Henry," James grumbled. He leaned back into the couch. "I'm sorry, Janelle, but what he said is true."

Janelle smiled again. "How is that a bad thing? If anything, I like staying in and just relaxing when I can. Pleas don't be ashamed of that."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"Too bad you're still a virgin, Jim!" Ryan proclaimed. The weasel laughed at his comment, with Henry joining in with a few chuckles of his own. James, however, sunk deep into the couch. His face turned bright red in embarrassment, and both of his hands covered his face. He couldn't believe that Ryan had done what he did and with Janelle sitting right next to him no less. The fox wanted to disappear at that moment. A sick feeling came across his stomach.

Janelle looked over at the now very embarrassed James. Her smiling face changed to that of concern and compassion at the sight before her. "Is that true, James?" James simply nodded his head without making a sound or moving his hands, while the laughing duo's chuckling slowly started to die down. Janelle gave a look to them, silencing them completely. As the silence began to overtake the room, Ryan and Amara went to the weasel's room and Henry went back to talking with them, leaving Janelle with James in the common area.

The vixen looked back over at James, who was now sitting up but slouched over with his head hung low. He didn't make a single sound or move a single muscle. His breathing was the only sign that he was still alive. "James?" Janelle said in a concerned tone. The grey fox didn't respond. He continued to look down at the floor. "James, please talk to me," she pleaded.

"Aren't you going to laugh about the fact that I'm still a virgin?" James shot back. His head turned to face Janelle; a scowl was revealed to her gaze. "Everyone else does...they find it hilarious." His left hand clenched into a fist. "They make me feel like there's something wrong with me. I can't count the number of times I've wanted to beat the living shit out of someone for what they say." In an instant, his fist came slamming down on the low table in front of them. "Why is it so wrong to have standards!?" He sighed deeply after his outburst. "That's why I stay in my room. I don't want to be the butt of everyone's jokes anymore. I'm tired of it." Slowly, James' head turned back to the floor. His face relaxed to a saddened expression. "So? What do YOU think? Am I a loser because I haven't gotten laid yet?"

A warm smile came across Janelle's face, and her eyes reflected genuine compassion. She placed a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently. James waited impatiently for her to respond. "Do you want my honest opinion?" He nodded. "Well, I think you're a real man for that."

"Really?" James asked, his head turning back to face her. It was Janelle's turn to nod this time. "You're the first person in a long time to say that."

"I'll just have to tell you again, you're a real man for the fact that you've been waiting. If anything, I've been losing hope in finding a guy that still held on to such a sweet sentiment." One of James' eyebrows rose at her comment. Her initial reaction to his little secret was unexpected enough, but to hear that really made him curious. He quickly dismissed any curiosity as Janelle continued. "I think I can renew those hopes now that I've met you, James."

A small but visible smile came across James' face once again. "That really means a lot, Janelle. Thank you." Janelle returned his smile, and the two simply stared at one another for a minute. For the two of them, everything else faded to nothing, and all that was left was them sitting on the couch. James quickly became lost in Janelle's cerulean eyes, and his newfound feelings for her grew deeper.

A voice soon cut through the moment, snapping them both back to reality. "Hey Janelle, let's get going. We've got class tomorrow."

Janelle blinked twice, and then she looked over to her friend. "Oh, yeah...you're right. We should get going, shouldn't we?" She looked back over to James. "I'm sorry, James. I don't mean to cut our conversation short." The vixen grabbed her now empty tray and stood up. James got up right after her and walked her to the door. "I had fun just getting to know you," she said with a smile.

"So did I," James answered. "This just made tomorrow evening a lot easier for me." He laughed at his comment, while Janelle chuckled as well. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to be rude."

"Don't worry at all. I thought that was cute," she said.

James blushed a bit, causing Janelle to giggle again. "Well then, I hope I can keep that up." He scratched the back of his head, which was one of his ticks when he became shy. "So then...I guess I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"I'm still ready for it," Janelle responded with a smile. She leaned over to him and kissed his cheek. "Have a good night, James." With that, Janelle turned and walked through the door.

James was left in the dining room with a smile on his face. He stood in place for a few seconds and stared at the doorway. He chuckled softly before walking back into his room and turning on his TV. Just like the time when she tapped his nose before leaving, he could still feel her kiss on his cheek long after she left.

---