Wildside Haven: A Housepets! Side story

[Amazee Dayzee]

Liked that Marcell is really proud of Evan and how he is handling everything. I can tell that it really means a lot to him.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 20: Birthday

Evan snickered as he sloshed through the road, led by Noah. “Marcell already spoiled the surprise party, you can take the blindfold off.”
Noah laughed. “No, never. You’re leaving it on until we get there. And you’re gonna act surprised. Mom worked hard to put this together for you.”
“All right, all right.” He snickered again. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“It’s a surprise!” He poked him playfully. “I’m not telling you that!”
“Okay, okay, stop with the poking, it tickles!” Evan squealed and swatted in the direction of his voice.
“Oh, does it?” Noah smirked and started poking him more. “Does it tickle?!”
Evan squealed and swatted at him. “Stawp, stawp!”
Noah laughed. “Okay, okay, no more. We’re almost there.”
Evan flicked his ears and listened to the sound of the road. “Oh, we’re at the arcade!”
Noah scoffed. “How did you even…?”
Evan grinned. “There’s a broken pavement brick by the arcade that makes a distinctive sound, and the water’s not as deep there. So I can feel where we are.”
Noah swatted at him playfully. “All right, smartie-pants. Spoilsport. Remember to act surprised when I take the blindfold off, at least. For mom.”
“Fine, fine, I will. Just take me inside, I can’t see anything.” He kicked some water at him playfully.
“Hey, no splashing!” He snickered and led him in. Evan’s ears flicked as he heard the usual hustle and bustle of the inside of the arcade, and he followed Noah’s carefully-guiding hand over to the dining area and to the two-table spread that had been put together for the party.
Evan made a show of acting surprised, and Mrs. Hampton waited until he was done before speaking. “Who blew the surprise?”
“It was Marcell.” Evan admitted sheepishly. “But I’m still happy to see you guys!” He took a seat between Noah and Britt, grinning as they leaned in to squish him. Britt planted a kiss on Evan’s nose, and Noah put one on his cheek.
Chet reached over and ruffled his headfluff, grinning playfully. Marcell and Barbara chatted with Mrs. Hampton pleasantly as a waitress brought over some pizza. It was, as most pizzas found at arcades are, not that great, but Evan ate it happily anyway. The terrible pizza was half of the fun, after all.
After pizza, they ate some fun little cupcakes that Barbara had brought with her. Evan chirruped happily as he bit into his and got frosting on his nose. There was laughing, and Noah and Britt leaned in to lick it off, making Evan turn bright red and causing everybody else to laugh even more.
Spencer showed up just on time for gift-giving, explaining that he couldn’t stay but he wanted to at least stop by and congratulate the birthday boy. He gave Evan a set of knives made for cleaning and preparing fish. It was very thoughtful, and Evan grinned as he inspected the packaging, thanking Spencer and declaring that he would use it almost every day.
From Noah and Britt combined, he received a laptop; he protested until they assured him that it was the cheapest model available, not something they had spent a lot on. Mrs. Hampton gave him a spice rack preloaded with plenty of spices, and a handmade booklet of some of his favorites that she’d made for him over the past few months. He smiled and hugged her happily. In the absence of his own mother, she was as close as he could get. Chet had given him a cover for his stove, so he could use it as additional counter space when he wasn’t using it.
Marcell and Barbara stepped forward and patted Evan on the back. They had a gift for him, and he shook his head, trying to decline it.
“N-no, you take it back and use the money to pay for Marcell’s medical bills…” He insisted.
Barbara sighed and gave Evan a hug. “It’s very thoughtful, but we’ll manage. Medicine is much cheaper here, and everything’s pretty much paid for anyway. Besides, you don’t need to be worrying about that. It’s your birthday, and you’re FAR too young for that. Take the gift, dearie.”
He put his ears back and let Marcell put the package in front of him. He opened it and blinked as he pulled out a journal. Marcell patted his back. “I thought you could use it to help you organize your thoughts. Like you do when you talk to your mother’s answering machine.” He gave him a weak smile, and Evan turned to give him a hug. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” He put out his arm to let Barbara into his hug.
A few minutes later, everybody moved over, and Evan compared notes with Noah and Britt on how to put webbed fingers through the holes on bowling balls. Britt thought they should just roll the ball; Noah thought the best way was to do the thumb only so you had something of a grip without the webbing getting too much in the way. Chet butted in with his own opinion, that the holes should be redrilled so they were connected and there was space for the webbing to slot in. Evan thought that sounded like an accident waiting to happen if it didn’t slot back out as easily.
Chet reluctantly agreed.
As the older folk decided to go for a second round of bowling, Evan suggested they reserve an escape room and roam the arcade while they waited, an idea that everyone thought sounded fun.
There was about a half hour wait for the employees to set up the escape room, so Evan funded a quick ski-ball tournament. They all played a round of ski-ball: Evan versus Chet, and Noah Versus Britt. Then the winners, Chet and Britt, played versus each other, and the winner, Britt, got all the tickets. She grinned and teasingly joked that she was going to get the lava lamp from the prize counter by the end of the day.
Then, they were called for their escape room. Evan grinned and went in with all three of his friends. This particular room was a murder mystery; there were clues around the room left by the murderer on how to escape alive, or else they were all to die.
Evan laughed when Chet tickled him with a prop feather, giggled when Noah somehow got a clue stuck to his back, and cheered as they left the room with ten minutes left on the timer.
“That was great!” He grinned. “I think I love these things. Too bad they only have one more that I haven’t done.”
Chet grinned. “Oh, I’ve done them all already, but that doesn’t mean I remember the solutions. Sometimes it’s fun to be only slightly helpful when you know the answers, too.”
Noah slapped Evan on the back. “You’re a natural at this!”
Britt opened her mouth to say something, then paused, looking over back at the bowling section. “Um… guys…” She pointed, looking upset.
Evan looked over and his ears went back. He paled. There were paramedics wheeling someone out on a stretcher. He couldn’t see who it was, but with Barbara right behind, it didn’t take much to figure it out. “Oh no…. Marcell…” He started quick-stepping over.
Mrs. Hampton was chattering urgently to one of the paramedics. “We were bowling, it was his turn, and he just… collapsed. Went right down like a ton of bricks.”
Evan stepped up quickly. “That was Marcell, is he okay?” His ears stayed back as he looked from the paramedic to Mrs. Hampton.
He felt tears prickling at his eyes when Chet, Noah, and Britt caught up. They hadn’t answered his question. They didn’t have to, he could tell from the looks on their faces.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Wow that sucks that it looks like Marcell passed on during Evan's party and I can't imagine what Evan is feeling. I wouldn't honestly be surprised if it is because of this he decides to NEVER celebrate a birthday again.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

I cried a lot writing this chapter but maybe I'm just emotional but anyway

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Chapter 21: In Passing

Evan stared at the clean tile floor as he listened to the nurses chattering. He’d thought he would be sad, or worried, or upset, but he just felt… numb. He slumped in his seat and watched his toes press against the cold floor.
He reached over and took Barbara’s hand, giving it a squeeze. The waiting room was quiet, only the quiet murmuring of people and the smell of cleaner filled the air. He could hear the distant beep and hum of machinery, punctuated with the occasional hiss of someone’s respirator.
Barbara patted his hand as if to comfort him, but he knew she was mostly trying to comfort herself. He leaned over into her and gave her shoulder a little nuzzle. He didn’t know what to say. There wasn’t anything he COULD say.
After what seemed like an eternity, a nurse came and spoke quietly to Barbara, and she walked away, led down the hall by the nurse. Evan put his ears back, watching her go. That couldn’t be good news. Once Barbara was out of sight, he put his head back down and focused on the floor again, trying not to think about it. Trying not to think about anything.
He didn’t know how long he sat there, staring at the floor. His eyes weren’t seeing the floor, and his ears weren’t hearing the quiet sounds of people worrying about their loved ones. He wasn’t even there, his mind floating somewhere else entirely, lost in a sea of sorrows. He snapped out of it when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up. A nurse smiled sadly at him. “Marcell wants to see you. He hasn’t got much time.”
Evan nodded and stood up, a hand going to his cheek. His face was wet. He put his ears back and scrubbed it dry on his sleeve, putting on a brave face as she led him down the hall to an intensive care bed. Marcell barely looked like himself, all full of tubes and wires, but he smiled up at Evan when he walked in.
“My boy, come here.” He reached out with a weak hand and took Evan’s hand. “I’m sorry I ruined your party, my boy. That wasn’t very polite of me. It was supposed to be your day.”
Evan choked back a sob and a laugh at the same time. What an interesting sound that made. He leaned in and hugged the hare, whispering in his ear. “You don’t have to apologize, old man. It’s not your fault.”
As Evan backed up, Marcell put a hand up and wiped away a tear from Evan’s face. “What’s this? Crying on your birthday? Shame, shame…” He held out a finger and ran a finger from his other hand down it twice, scolding gently. “There’s no tears on such a happy day.”
Evan choked back another sob and forced a smile. Marcell gave a weak smile of his own. “There, that’s better. That’s a boy.”
Evan put his ears back. “Please don’t go… I’m not ready for you to go.” He looked up at Barbara, on the other side of the bed. “WE aren’t ready for you to go.”
Marcell nodded and reached out for Barbara’s hand. She took his hand readily and gave it a squeeze. “Ah, yes, we often aren’t ready, when the time comes. But it’s not a sad thing.” He lifted his free hand and put a finger under Evan’s chin to pull his eyes up to his face. “I’ll be fine, my boy. It’s simply my time.”
Evan pulled his eyes away. Marcell looked terrible. He didn’t want to remember him like that. He wanted to remember him as the happy, energetic hare he’d met after wandering into his shop, all those months ago.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, and squeezed Marcell’s hand. “I… I’m going to miss you.” He couldn’t stop the sob that forced its way out of his throat. He swallowed. “You were like the grandfather I never got to meet…”
Marcell gave a weak smile. “And you were like the grandson I never got to teach.”
Evan sniffled and closed his eyes, picturing Marcell as he was months ago. Fatter. Healthier. “I…” He stopped. He didn’t know what to say. What COULD he say?
Marcell gripped his hand. “Alas, parting is such sweet sorrow, that I must say goodbye, until it be morrow.”
Evan gave a half-sobbed laugh. “Really? You wanna go out with Romeo and Juliet? You nerdy old man.”
Marcell laughed as best he could and patted Evan’s back. “If it’s good enough for Juliet…”
Evan smiled at him weakly. “I’m partial to Lewis, myself: ‘This is where I go on alone.’”
Marcel smiled and patted Evan’s hand. “Reepicheep. A brave warrior. A good choice.” He was quiet for a moment. “And now it’s your time to be a brave warrior, for me.”

It rained at the funeral. It seemed fitting; Evan realized as he held the umbrella for Barbara that it was the first time he’d seen it rain since his arrival in Wildside Haven.
He watched Marcell get lowered down into the ground and wiped away a tear. He was barely holding it together.
There weren’t very many people at the funeral, just a few regular customers, Evan and Barbara, the Hamptons, Spencer, and a few others.
Evan and Barbara lingered long after the others had headed into the chapel for the reception, staring down at the mound of wet dirt, rapidly becoming mud, that had covered Marcell. Evan let Barbara lean on him as she sobbed, grieving her husband of nearly fifty-four years. He did his best to hold it together for her, but a few tears slipped free and dripped to the ground.
Finally, he put a hand on her back, handed her the umbrella, and stepped forward, into the rain, and set an offering on the fresh grave. Romeo and Juliet, of course. He stepped back under the umbrella and took it back from Barbara, putting his hand back on her back and leading her inside.
Once she was safely escorted home by some other loved ones, Evan found a quiet corner of the chapel and curled up on the floor, finally letting everything out. He didn’t know how long he lay there, out of sight of everybody, ugly crying his heart out, but it must have been a long time, because almost everybody had left when he finally crawled out of the tight space he had hidden himself in. Noah and Britt were sat on a pew, quietly waiting for him. He felt like they knew where he’d been and what he’d been doing, but they didn’t say anything as he sat between them.
They sat in silence together for a long while, and then Noah patted Evan’s back and stood up. He slept on the couch at the Hamptons’ house that night and walked home in the morning, watching tiny ice crystals break up in the road as he pushed through them. At home, he lay back on the couch and stared at the ceiling, and at the pile of his birthday gifts that was still sitting on the table where he’d left them once he’d gotten them home. Even though it had been nearly a week, he hadn’t felt like putting them away. The journal from Barbara and Marcell sat on top. He rolled to face the back of the couch and closed his eyes.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I can actually feel the devastation that Evan is going through from my computer screen I must admit. This was a really sad chapter but I thought it came out very nice.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 22: Grief

Evan watched the water run past his feet, kicking gently to scare away the fish. The street rippled and bubbled and babbled merrily.
For some reason, that made Evan mad. He gave a grunt and slammed his foot down in the water, splashing and getting some dirty looks from passersby. Behind him, the bookshop’s door had a sign on it- “Closed indefinitely.” Short. Precise. Cold.
He glared at the water as it continued to go about its way like always, sparkling in the sunlight. Normally, he thought it was pretty. But today, it just made him angry.
He’d forgotten this morning, gotten up, brushed his teeth, and started to leave for work like he always did. He’d been halfway there by the time he remembered. He’d still finished walking in and stood staring at the door for a while before sitting on the curb and soaking his paws. His tail curled over his hip and into his lap.
He was mad at everything today. He didn’t know why, but he was. He was mad at the water for going on as if nothing had happened. He was mad at the sun for still shining. He was mad at the shop for being closed, as if he could have walked in and Marcell would be there behind the counter like always.
How dare they?
He blinked as the thought entered his mind. Yes, that was it. How DARE they? How dare the sun shine, the water babble merrily, the light ripple playfully off the road? How DARE they go on like always when Marcell was gone?!
He kicked the water again and pounded a fist on the sidewalk. Why did it have to BE this way?!
There was a gentle sloshing next to him, and some ripples interrupted the street’s normal flow pattern. Another set of paws appeared next to his, and he felt someone sit next to him. He looked the other way.
The other person didn’t speak for a while, just sat next to him in silence. Then, “He’s not here. You know that he’s not here, he’ll never be here.”
Evan squeezed his eyes shut until the tears stopped threatening to come out. “I don’t care. I told him I’d be here every day, and I’m going to be here every day.”
Spencer put a hand on Evan’s shoulder, and Evan shook it off. Spencer sighed. “I know, it’s hard.” He didn’t put his hand back on Evan’s shoulder, but he did scoot closer. “I’ve lost people I loved, too. It’s never easy.”
Evan didn’t answer. The street kept babbling away. Evan wished it would shut up. He kicked it a third time, glaring at it.
“It won’t help.” Spencer leaned back and looked at the sky. “Well… maybe a little. But mostly you’re just gonna annoy pedestrians.”
“I don’t CARE. I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t. Freaking. CARE.” Evan pounded his fist on the sidewalk again, then shook it out. That hurt a bit. “Why?! Why did he have to go? Why did it have to be HIM? Why did it have to be NOW?!” His eyes were full of tears again. He wiped them away angrily.
Spencer watched him with a sad expression of understanding. “I know, I know. Let it out.”
Evan put his ears back and slouched. “It’s… It’s my fault. If I hadn’t gone into that puzzle room, maybe… maybe he would still be okay…
Spencer shook his head and patted Evan’s back. “There was nothing you could have done, and you know it. He was sick, he had been sick for a long time.”
Evan’s eyes filled with saltwater again. “No, I could have… I don’t know… maybe I could have gotten the ambulance there faster, they could have given him some medicine sooner, something, ANYTHING…”
The road babbled on. Spencer sat with Evan quietly. “Do you really believe that? They called the ambulance as soon as he collapsed, even if you had been there, do you really think the ambulance would have gotten there sooner? Do you really think even if it had, it would have helped?”
Evan slumped over and put his ears back. If he really looked, he could almost make out his reflection in the rippling water. “... No… not really…” He lifted his paw out of the water and watched it drip, then let it drop back in with a splash. “I just… I wish I could have done SOMETHING. Anything. I wish he was still here.”
“Me, too, kiddo.” Another voice sounded behind them. Evan turned around and looked up at Barbara. She was holding two lunch bags. She sat down on Evan’s other side, soaking her paws and passing Evan one of the bags, offering the other to Spencer. “I made lunch and was walking it over out of habit before I remembered.”
She leaned against Evan. “You having a hard time, too?”
Evan nodded. “I was… on my way to work when I remembered. I just…” He never finished his sentence, letting it trail off into the street drains. He started to unfold his lunch bag and look inside. “... Egg salad… his favorite.”
Barbara nodded. “He always ate it when I made it for him, even when he wasn’t hungry. Even… near the end.”
Evan nodded quietly. After a moment, he looked up. “He mentioned once that you had a son. Did… does he know?”
Barbara was quiet for a few moments. “I… gave him a call. Left him a message. I don’t expect him to call back.”
The three sat in silence for a long while. Evan ate his sandwich quietly. It occurred to him partway through that it had been a couple days since he’d eaten. He just hadn’t felt like it, so he hadn’t.
Spencer was the first one to break the silence. “I’m terribly sorry for your loss. Both of you. I didn’t know him very well, but I can tell he meant a lot to you.”
Evan nodded. “I… miss him. He used to tell me stories, give me advice. He told me once that… how did it go.. It was something in latin… about not being ignorant as long as you’re willing to learn…”
Barbara nodded. “Solum ignarus es si discere nolueris. It was the motto by which he lived his life. He was always looking to learn new things, even in his final days.”
Evan nodded. “You are only ignorant if you are unwilling to learn. I remember, he had it printed all around the top of the bookstore.” He smiled forlornly and looked back at it. “He really loved that place, huh?”
Barbara nodded. “Before this place, he had it set up where we lived. He shipped the whole inventory down here when we moved so he could set it back up, even though he knew he wouldn’t be running it for very long.” She gave a weak smile. “He had it rebuilt, exactly to scale of the old shop. I guess he wanted it to feel like home.”
Evan gave a little laugh, forgetting his sadness for a moment. “That sounds exactly like something the old man would do. Crazy old hare.”
A clock chimed, and Barbara stood up. “I.. have to go back to work. But Evan? He wanted you at the will reading.” She reached down and patted him on the shoulder. “He named you in it.”
Evan blinked. “Me? But… he barely knew me. I’ve only been here a few months.”
Barbara smiled a little. “But he knew you better than you think. He knew what kind of books you liked to read. He knew what made you laugh.” She patted his back. “And he knew that you would miss him.”

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 23: The Reading of the Will

Evan adjusted his tie and sighed, putting his ears back. It was a clip-on; he didn’t know how to tie a real tie. He checked that his dress shirt was tucked in, then looked down at his slack shorts- just a pair of slacks with the legs cut off at the knee, which was the style here because of the watery roadways.
He didn’t want to go, he realized. In fact, he would have given anything for the event to be canceled. It was a will reading, so a cancellation would mean reading the will was no longer necessary, which would mean Marcell was still alive.
After a few moments of looking at himself in the mirror, he sighed, hung his head, and left his apartment. He paused on his way down the stairs to let some of his neighbors past, and they gave him sympathetic pats on the shoulder. It seemed almost everybody in the building knew, though as to how, he wasn’t sure.
He paused on the sidewalk again and stared at the water as it flowed. He loved the sound it made, the babbling and splashing. After a few moments of watching the water sparkle in the sunlight, he realized he was stalling, and stepped down into the waterway. He shivered a little bit, then put his head down and started walking.
The walk to the courthouse didn’t take nearly long enough. Evan flicked water off his feet and tail as he stepped onto the sidewalk, looking up at the building. A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned around to see Barbara, smiling gently at him. “Hello, dear.”
She looked tired, sad, and overall exhausted. Evan suspected she wasn’t sleeping well. “Hi… I was just…”
“Stalling? Me too.” She nodded sadly. “I don’t want to go in. If I go in, it’s real, and if it’s real, then I have to accept that he’s gone.”
Evan nodded. “I… I’m sorry. For… your loss. I know it isn’t my fault, but.. It still feels like I could have done something.”
Barbara smiled weakly and put out her arm. “Well… shall we go in?”
Evan stared at her arm for a moment, then hooked it with his own. “... Yeah… delaying won’t change anything… it’ll just… prolong the inevitable.” He started to walk, going at her pace, letting her lead. The elderly otteress had him wait back while she stepped up to the counter to speak to a receptionist, then they went through a metal detector and into a conference room, where a lawyer and a few other animals were waiting. Evan didn’t know any of them; they were all older, closer to Barbara’s age. He felt out of place there.
After a few minutes of checking his watch, the lawyer cleared his throat. “I guess that’s everyone that’s attending.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder. “This is the will reading of Marcell Phillips. If you are not here for that, you are in the wrong place.” He waited a few moments to see if anybody left, then opened the folder. “This is the last will and testament of Marcell Phillips, last updated two weeks ago on the… twenty-third of August.”
He cleared his throat and pulled out a sheet of paper. “To my good friend Richard Havenshire, who helped my darling Barbara and I move into our accommodations all these months ago, I leave my toolset and grill that he admired so much.” He set aside that paper. Evan could see that there was a lot of information on it, but he assumed that it was probably just instructions for the lawyer.
He pulled another sheet of paper from the folder. “To my dearest Rachel Auritz, I give my signed copies of the below listed book series. May you enjoy them as I have.” There was a list of series that Evan hadn’t heard of that took a long time to read off.
And so the reading went, one sheet of paper for each set of items Marcell had left behind. There were only a half dozen people in the room, so it didn’t take too long, but it was long enough that Evan nearly zoned out, staring at the table. He wondered how many of these people were happy to receive the items left to them. He knew that even if anything was left to him, which he considered unlikely, he would rather have had Marcell, regardless of what it was.
“To my darling wife Barbara, I of course leave the remainder of the balance of our joint account, all of my love, and the remainder of my belongings found in the house in which we spent our final days together. I loved you dearly, and you made me a very happy man for well over fifty years. I look forward to our meeting again in the Hereafter, just not too soon. May you live many more years, and find happiness even in this world without me.” The lawyer set that page aside and cleared his throat, looking at Evan.
Barbara nudged Evan to get his attention, and Evan looked up. The lawyer looked at Evan, taking one last sheet from the folder. “This last bit was just added a couple weeks ago, young man, and it pertains to you.” He held up the paper, adjusted his glasses, and began to read. “To my dear employee, Evan Hill. As I write this, I know this will be my very last month on this earth. I only hope to survive long enough to attend your birthday party, as I do so love a party. I have only known you a very few months, and there is much about you that is still a mystery to me. However, I find myself drawn to your love of books and eagerness to learn, as it reminds me much of myself when I was younger.
“I leave to you my shop and all its contents, that you so lovingly organized for me so well. However, this leaving comes with a stipulation- you should only accept it should it be what you want. Do not accept on the grounds that you think it is what I would want; I would not want you to take on the responsibility of running a shop if it was not something that made you happy. Should you choose to decline or, indeed, if you should accept and then find that running the shop does not give you joy as it gave me, I would like the shop’s balance transferred to your personal account, and its inventory donated to the nearest library, to be enjoyed by as many as can read before it falls into pieces.
“I regret that I will not live to see the type of man you will become. I know that whatever you choose, you will do great things. I loved you as I would love my own grandchildren. I wish you fare well, and godspeed.”
Evan choked on his breath and did his best not to tear up. The lawyer nodded and closed the folder. “That is all. I’ll give each of you my card so that if needed you can contact me.”
He took out some business cards and passed them around. Everyone else left swiftly, but Barbara stayed behind with Evan, rubbing his back soothingly. The lawyer paused on his way out to crouch down to Evan’s level and speak to him softly. “You don’t have to decide right away, but I do recommend it be somewhat soon. Call me when you have made a decision. I’m sorry for your loss.”
He patted Evan on the arm, gave Barbara a hug, and left them there to collect their thoughts. Evan sat there, stunned and surprised, unable to really collect his thoughts. Marcell had left him the shop. The shop he’d brought with him from wherever he’d lived before. Evan realized suddenly that he didn’t even know where Marcell and Barbara were from.
He lifted his head and looked up at Barbara. He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t seem to expect him to. She nodded and patted his back. “Ready to go? I can see you need some time to think.”
He stood up and nodded. “I gotta get out of this monkey suit and into the pool. I need some serious thinking time.”

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

Chapter 24: What I want

Evan sipped his apple cider, comfortably seated in his seat at the very back of the coffee shop. He could see Noah, working, chatting, and laughing with his coworkers. He wondered if he could have that, if he accepted the bookshop, and maybe hired a couple employees.
Or, he could not accept the shop. Get a job somewhere else, and have fun with those coworkers.
Did he even want to have coworkers? What if he got coworkers and he didn’t like them? Or worse, they didn’t like him? But if he didn’t, wouldn’t he get lonely?
He sighed and put his head in his hands. Why was making decisions so hard?
He thought back to what Chet had said, back in the secret cave in the Deep Dive. “Don’t worry about it so much, just do what you want.”
He let his head thump on the table and put his hands on the back of it, scrubbing his fur with his fingers. “But I don’t KNOW what I want, that’s the problem…” He groaned to himself.
“You look like you’re having a hard time.” Britt’s voice sounded from next to him.
He lifted his head to look up at her. “Oh… Hi, Britt. Yeah, I just… Marcell left his shop to me, and I can’t decide if I should accept it, or let the backup option kick in, have all the books donated to a library.”
She nodded and sat down across from him. “I see… It’s that making decisions thing again, isn’t it? Because of… not being allowed to choose anything growing up.”
He gave a little nod. “I don’t… I can’t decide. This is a really big choice! It could affect the rest of my life!” He put his hands up in the air.
Britt stared at him for a few moments. “Can you picture yourself as an old man selling books to snotty teenagers?”
Evan blinked. “... What?”
Britt shrugged. “Can you imagine being old and still running that bookshop? You’re having a hard time making the decision because you’re picturing yourself, as you are now, doing it. And you’ve BEEN doing it, so you can’t decide. But can you picture yourself LATER doing it, after you’ve had years of experience? Dealing with not only the fun, nice customers, but the mean ones? The ones who are mad at you because they didn’t like the book they bought, who want a full refund after reading the whole book, or who are mad because you sold their kid a book they didn’t approve of?”
Evan tilted his head. “I… never thought of it like that.”
Britt nodded at him. “Most people don’t. Do you think you could keep loving books after dealing with all that, day in, day out, for years?”
“I’m… not sure.” He thought about it. He’d dealt with a few of the customers she’d described already; they’d taken him to the end of his wits. Explaining to a hedgehog, over and over again, that he couldn’t give a full refund for a book that had been read in its entirety, but he could buy it back for a partial refund; explaining to a woman that it was her job, not his, to vet the kinds of books she allowed her children to purchase; the people who brought back a book and complained that it wasn’t what they expected it to be. They were tiring, draining in a way that the happy customers couldn’t restore, even the ones that came back to gush about how much they enjoyed their purchase and couldn’t wait for the next one in the series. “I… don’t think I can.” He admitted, finally. “I don’t think I can do that for that long.”
“Then you have your answer. Let the bookstore close.” She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. “Barbara will understand. The shop was Marcell’s dream, not yours.” She gave him a little smile. “Besides, now you can do what YOU want to do. Become a professional swimmer. A writer. A librarian. Something else entirely.”
He groaned and let his head thud loudly on the table. He heard nearby conversations stop for a moment, then resume. “That’s the problem. I don’t KNOW what I want! How am I supposed to decide something like that?!”
“So don’t decide.”
He lifted his head and looked at her. “... What?”
“Don’t decide. You’re only eighteen, you have time. Try stuff out. If you don’t like it, move on. You don’t have to stick with things you don’t like. If you have a job and you hate it, find a different one. Quit doing the one you hate.” She paused to sip her frozen coffee beverage. “Nobody’s going to MAKE you stay at a job. Even if you can’t really afford it, which I know you can, you can still look during your free time. Yeah, maybe you’ll have to skip out on leisure activities for a while, but if you find a job that doesn’t leave you drained from having to pretend you like it all day, then you won’t NEED your leisure activities to feel like you’re having a good life.”
She gestured at Noah. “Look at my brother over there. He loves it here. Free coffee, he gets to talk to people all day, and everybody here appreciates his jokes. You think this is the first thing he tried? He worked at a sandwich shop before. He loved the food there, but the work environment was toxic, so he left. He still goes back for the food sometimes, but you can enjoy the food without having to deal with working there.”
Evan hesitated. “... The place with the bagel sandwiches? That he brought me when he came to hang out in the laundry room way back when?”
She laughed. “Yeah, that’s the place. The food is phenomenal but the manager sucks. I worked there for a bit, too, before I started attending college.”
Evan looked at her, tilting his head. There was another problem he could use the method she had taught him with. He pictured himself as an old otter, walking alongside Noah, or Britt. He could see them as friends, easily, but when he tried to picture them kissing, or doing anything romantic, it just didn’t feel right, for either of them. He liked them, sure, but he didn’t think they were the ones he wanted to wake up next to forever. He filed this away in his mind.
“I guess you’re right. I don’t have to do things I don’t like doing… Well, for the most part. Taxes are kinda necessary, for example.”
She laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit. And for smaller choices, don’t sweat it. If you don’t like the food you get at the restaurant, just don’t get that food again. I don’t know why people make it so complicated.”
He smiled at the analogy. He knew neither of them was talking about food in this case. It was just a general example. If you don’t like something, don’t do it again, go find something else to do.
“I’ll tell you what I want to do now… I want to go to the arcade and kick your butt at air hockey until Noah gets off work and joins us, and then I wanna do that third escape room. They’re really fun and I wanna do it again.” He smirked at her.
“Oh, you think YOU are gonna kick MY butt at air hockey?” She laughed and stood up. “Oh, you are SO on! Let me just go tell Noah.”
He grinned and watched her walk away. This was nice. Him, and his two friends. Not trying to decide which of them to date. Just letting them be his friends instead.

[GingaDensetsuAleu]

It's the final chapter today. I'm so glad you all took this journey with Evan, and I hope to one day return to the watery roadways of Wildside Haven to tell more stories! Thank you so much for reading!

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Chapter 25: Decisions

Evan took the last few books off their shelves and packed them gently into a box, turning and stacking it on the dolly to be carted out. The library was only a few blocks away, and would appreciate the donations. A worker came and took the dolly, leaning it back and then rolling it away and out the door, leaving the bookshop officially empty. Evan walked through it one more time, running his hands along the empty shelves, and smiled sadly at Barbara. “Well… that’s that. Marcell’s New and Used Books is officially out of business.” He took out his ID card and swiped to clock out for the last time.
Barbara nodded and looked around the shop. With all the shelves empty, the magic was gone- instead of the place of untold adventure and mystery Evan had come to know and love, it was instead an empty shell, a place of melancholy and dust. He checked that the front door was locked tight, then walked with Barbara into the back. It was just as empty here- the only box left was a small box of books that Evan had decided to keep for himself.
Barbara shook Evan’s hand, then gave him a hug. “Don’t be a stranger, Evan. Just because you don’t work for my husband anymore doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.”
Evan grinned and hugged her back. He realized she was wearing the same outfit today that she had been the first time he’d met her, a skirt and the top of her swimsuit. “Of course. We’re gonna meet up at Deep Dive at least once a week to catch up and go swimming together. There’s still so much left to explore down there!”
He grabbed his box of books and set it outside the back door, watching Barbara place her key on the desk before she also exited to the small alleyway outside. Evan smiled forlornly at the empty storage room, locked the door, and closed it. It clicked shut, closing the door on the bookshop once and for all.
There was a moment of silence in the alleyway, then he picked up his box, said goodbye to Barbara, and started off toward home.
In order to avoid damaging his books, Evan walked on the sidewalk, quickly acclimating to the hot pavement on his pawpads. He crossed the overhead bridge over the street and up the walk to his apartment building, smiling when another set of hands took the box from him. “Oh! Hi, Noah!”
He opened the door for the river otter boy and watched him carry the box through. He helped him into the elevator and smiled. “Not still upset that I decided not to date you, are you?” He nudged him playfully. “You looked pretty heartbroken.”
Noah snickered. “Aw, how could I be upset with such a cute face? Besides, maybe one day you’ll change your mind and be my boyfriend. Or my brother-in-law.”
Evan laughed. “Wouldn’t it be awkward if you had to tell your niece or nephew about the time you pulled their daddy under the lake and gave him a li’l kiss?”
Noah snickered. “And it was one of the best underwater kisses I’ve ever had, too.” He followed Evan out of the elevator and to his apartment door.
Evan swiped them in and held it open. “Just set that anywhere. I haven’t bought a bookshelf yet.”
Noah stepped in and found the wall, slowly lowering the box along it until it was on the ground. “Oof… that thing’s HEAVY. How were you carrying it for two blocks? I barely managed an elevator ride!”
Evan smirked and made muscles at him. “I am Hunk. Hunk STRONK!” He spoke in a deep, gravely voice reminiscent of a certain green superhero.
Noah laughed at him, looking around, then blinking at the table. “Oh… Your birthday presents.”
Evan flinched. “Oh… right… There’s been so much going on, and I wasn’t really in the mood to take care of that stuff, so I just kind of… left it.” He sheepishly poked at the pile with its thin layer of dust. After a moment, he pulled the computer box out of the stack. “Wanna help me set up the computer you got me?”
Noah grinned and nodded. “Sounds like fun to me. I’ll get you set up on some game software, you can get back into some video games.”
They spent the next hour or so setting up the computer and installing software, joking and laughing with each other all the way. After that, Noah had to go home, leaving Evan alone.
He played with his computer for a little bit, then looked up at the pile of his birthday presents. “I should probably put that away…” He said out loud to no one in particular. He’d gotten in that habit lately; talking to himself when no one was there.
He stood up and started putting things away. The knives from Spencer got washed to wash off any manufacturing residue, replaced in their protective sheaths, and put in the drawer, along with the sharpener they’d come with. The spice rack from Mrs. Hampton slotted nicely into a spot along the wall from where Evan generally prepared his meals, and the book of recipes got a spot of honor between the sugar jar and the flour jar, where he’d put his other cookbooks.
The stove cover from Chet was slightly too big, but it filled up the gap between his stove and the counter, so he put it on anyway.
All that left was…
“The journal from Marcell and Barbara…” He mumbled to himself, reaching for the book. He opened it up to flip through it, starting at the back. Just lined paper, like any other journal. When he got to the front, he froze, staring at it. Writing. Marcell’s handwriting.
“My dearest Evan, Congratulations and a very happy eighteenth birthday! May this journal help you guide yourself to wherever you want to be! Love, Marcell and Barbara.”
Evan stared at the signatures at the bottom of the page. He smiled and hugged the journal to his chest. He remembered the advice Marcel had given him over the few months he’d known him- “If you find a person you love, hold them tight, but not so tight they can’t do their own thing.”
“You’re worth more than begging someone to be part of your life. If they want to be part of it, they’ll make it work.”
“It’s important to like what you do.”
Marcell’s words echoed in his mind, and he set down the journal, making up his mind. “I’ve made a decision,” he announced to the empty apartment, then picked up his phone.
He dialed. Mom’s voicemail picked up. “Hi, mom. It’s me. I’ve decided I’m not going to call you anymore. I’m not gonna beg you to be a part of my life. If you want to be in my life, you know how to reach me.” He hung up before the voicemail could. He had to admit, it kinda felt good.
He put down his phone and turned to his computer. He opened it up and downloaded some free text editing software. After a moment’s thinking, he patted the journal, set his hands on the keyboard, and typed.

“Evan Hill looked up at the gate and took a deep, nervous breath. His whiskers twitched nervously, and his tail thumped in nervous anticipation. He’d heard so many things about Wildside Haven. Behind him, he heard the bus pull off. No going back now.”

The End

[Amazee Dayzee]

I truly enjoyed this story and thought that it was really interesting and a good look into the mind of someone who doesn't mind being transformed! the whole story was really great to read!