by Christopher Scott Baldwin               Part 1 - The Fight

	Fox Jonathan McCloud looked up at the sky when the school bell rung 
several times. He looked at the school in disgust as he started to go 
inside. Fox really hated school ever since Kindergarden. He always had 
trouble with the teachers and the work. He could never think clearly and 
had trouble listening in class. He didn't have many friends and was 
usually bullyed by all the other kids. And today was even worse because 
it was a Monday. He was already late for class when an 8th grader stopped 
him in the hall and pushed him up against one of the lockers. His face 
was very familiar to Fox he had tolled him threating things before and 
Fox just stood by and obeyed his every command. He was wearing tight 
black jeans, a black t-shirt with a skull on it, a jean jacket, and a red 
bandana around his head. He had a very ugly face for a panther and had a 
very nasty attitude. 
	"Hey! Carrot head I saw you yesterday looking at my girlfriend. I know 
she's sexy and everything but nobody, NOBODY, looks at my girl that way." 
The panther said in a threating voice. Fox bearly blirted out, "I n-never 
even s-saw y-y-your girlfriend before." Thats not what I heard!" the 
panther said in a loud voice. Fox started to say something to him that he 
has never said to anyone before, "I don't even want to look at your 
girlfriend, she's a dirty, ugly, lesbien slut!" That was enough to put 
the panther in an uproar. He punched Fox right in the stomach which was 
enough to knock the wind out of him. He kept kicking him until he heard a 
teacher coming down the hall. He quickly ran away with his money for 
lunch as the teacher saw him laying on the floor screaming in pain. The 
teacher went to his side and tryed to get him on his feet. He slowly 
started to stand up when he saw who helped him. It was Mrs. Ross. She was 
the only teacher Fox really cared for and the only teacher that cared 
about Fox. "Are you o.k?!'' Mrs. Ross said to Fox with a funny french 
accent. "Yeah", Fox barley said. "Do you need to see the nurse?'' She 
said. "No, i'll be fine, but right now I gotta get to science class." Fox 
quickly ran off down the hall to the doorway of his classroom. He 
cautionasly opened the door when the teacher looked at him with an 
ashamed looked on her face. "Where's your late pass Mr. McCloud." The 
teacher asked in a low angry voice. "I don't have it" Fox said. "Than I 
guess I'll have to give you a detention." The rest of the class started 
laughing as Fox was turning red. "Go sit down right away Fox were taking 
notes I suggest you stop being late to class or you'll miss some very 
important info." Yes Ms. Higel." Fox sat down beside his best friend, yep 
you guessed it Falco Lombrari. "Hey, Fox." Falco said in a cheery voice. 
Fox ignored him as he sat down. "Geez, not even a hi back?''. Falco said. 
"Oh, sorry Falco I was thinking about something." What?" Oh, nothing 
important." Oh, okay." The teacher started to begin the lesson. "O.K 
class today were going to be learning about electronics now everybody get 
your textbooks out..." Oh, damn! I forgot my textbook on my desk at 
home." Fox said. "Maybe she wont notice you have one. She never looks at 
the back anyway." Falco said.''I guess your right". Fox said not so sure 
about what Falco said. The teacher continued, "Now I will call on people 
to give me the answers to questions 1-5 in the textbook. How about Mr. 
McCloud." Fox looked at the teacher in horror and just sat their for a 
couple of seconds not able to move. "Well Fox do you have an answer for 
me?" Fox said in a weak voice. "I don't have my book." Well I guess that 
will be another detention with me on Wednsday." The teacher said with a 
sarcastic smile. Fox just sat back with his hands over his eyes. "Hey, 
I'm sorry man. I guess it didn't work." Thats alright Falco. Hey want to 
go to the Van Halen concert tonight? I really want to see them, I heard 
they're coming out with a new album." Sure" Fox said with a sudden happy 
look on his face. Class has ended when Falco and Fox ran out of the room 
and to their next class.

Part 2 - The Cafeteria
	This was the only time in school when Fox had a little freedom from his 
schoolwork but today was diffrent. Today lunch was going to be the worse 
period he had in his life. "Hey, Falco you wouldn't have any spare change 
would you?" No I'm sorry dude. Why?" Well Chaos {the panther} stole my 
lunch money this morning and now I'm broke. Sorry he did that to you. 
Maybe if you ask the lunch badger if you could pay her back she'll let 
you pass." Than Falco looked at what they were serving for lunch. "I 
don't think its even worth it though man there serving that tough meat 
and tapioca for lunch" Falco and Fox made a disgusting face but they both 
got what they had to get. When it was Fox's turn to hand in his money at 
the lunch lady he tried to explain to her what has happened and she just 
took his lunch away and told him to bring money next time or your not 
getting any. Fox walked off depressed as Falco tried to say something 
that would cheer him up. " Hey, dude it wasn't even really worth getting 
it anyway." Fox shrugged his shoulders as they sat at a table. Fox and 
Falco were talking about the usual stuff. Girls, school, sports, music, 
etc. when the worse thing that could ever happen to him happened. "Hey 
Falco I'm going to see if I can sneak up there and get a free milk. Falco 
bid him a good luck as he was trying to chew the nasty meat he got. Fox 
sneaked up behind the badger and grabbed a milk. On his way back he was 
running trying to back to his seat without anyone suspecting him of 
taking a milk. Fox took his eye off where he was running too when he 
bumped into somebody. They both fell to the floor on their backs when 
everyone started to laugh. Even Falco started to chuckle. Fox quickly got 
up to see who he accidently knocked over to find that it was big bad 
Chaos himself! He looked at Fox with fire in his eyes he jumped up 
grabbed Fox by the shoulders and backed him up against the wall. He 
started to beat the living crap out of him while the teachers were trying 
to stop him. He was biting kicking and punching him so hard he lost 
control and started crying his eves out. Thats when Falco jumped in and 
tackled him into one of the tables. He punched Falco in the mouth almost 
knocking out his teeth. He fell to the ground in serious pain. Chaos 
quickly went back to Fox who was bleeding to death and spit in his face 
several times. By that time 4 teachers were holding him back. Mrs. Ross 
went over to Fox who was beat up very bad and helped him to the nurses 
office. Falco followed them.

Part 3 - The Lecture
	
	While in the nurses office Fox was given an ice pack some bandages 
around his arm and leg and a simple checkup to see if he had any serious 
injuries. Luckly it was just some minor bruises. Falco was the same way. 
Fox was lying down in the next room when his father, James McCloud came 
in to pick him up. "Fox, your father is here to pick you up!" Fox slowly 
came out when his father went into shock. "What the hell happened to you 
Fox!" James said almost dropping Fox's book bag. "Don't worry Mr. 
McCloud. Luckly its only a few bruises and a black eye. He's luckly he 
didn't break an arm or leg." The nurse said. "Who did this to him!" James 
asked still staring at Fox. "It was caused by one of our students because 
of a cafeteria accident." "Well I'm going to have a long talk about this 
with him." James said taking Fox by the hand like he was a 5 year old. 
The nurse gave him a slip allowing him to leave with Fox legally. They 
were driving down Raccoon Ave. when Fox spoke, "Dad, it was my fault that 
I'm like this. I pushed somebody down accidently and he got mad at me for 
doing it. It was my fault. No it wasn't your fault Fox. When will you 
start to have a little self-confedence. There is no reason why that kid 
beat you up like he did. Has he bothered you before?" Fox nodded 
slightly. "Then we'll have to talk to the kids parents or even the school 
about it. And if somebody bothers you like that don't be afraid to come 
to me. Okay? Okay." Fox said looking out the window. His dad was right he 
always blamed himself for everything that went wrong with him. But for 
now on it's going to be diffrent. Fox is finally going to stick up for 
himself. And he is going to start tomorrow right before school.

This is the first chapter to my intresting story about Fox's life as a 
child. Stay tuned for Chapter 2 {Part 4,5,6} in a couple of weeks. Bye 
for now.