Ch. 1: Matching Eyes

Think Before You Speak

Sharla had nearly had a heart attack when she walked into her house and found a fox in the kitchen. And it wasn't just any fox but the old schoolyard bully Gideon Grey. Sharla hadn't been this close to him since middle school, she having temporarily left Bunnyburrow to study for ZASA during highschool.

She had been back for only three days and now the boy who had plagued her childhood with insults and pushes was in her house.

The fox jolted when he heard her bleat of surprise and had whirled around with bristled fur, Sharla saw his right arm was in a sling.

"Sharla, you're home!" her mother, calmly standing beside the fox, smiled at her. "Perfect timing. Gideon and I were just about to get some fresh baked cookies out of the oven."

Sharla could only blink.

.

Gideon had seriously considered running away when his parents informed him he would be taking anger management classes. He didn't need anger management classes, especially not from some sheep.

Mrs. Clover was a far too optimistic sheep who insisted on one on one classes, that way they could form a "bond" and "connect". It made Gideon want to vomit.

This was completely unfair and all because he had fought with a pack of bulls. He had already gotten his arm broken during that scuffle. Hadn't he suffered enough?

It was his third day with Mrs. Clover (class was on every Friday), and she was blabbing how the cookies she was baking was a metaphor for change. A sudden bleat had had him turning around to see a vaguely familiar sheep his age.

"Sharla, you're home!" Mrs. Clover cooed happily.

Oh, she blinked. Now he remembered she was one of his old victims, she had disappeared during high school, he hadn't realized she came back.

Mrs. Clover walked over to her daughter and quickly explained why the fox was here. Bored of the two sheep he turned back to looking at the cookies through the oven. Being raised by bakers cooking had always calmed him.

He did not need anger management.

.

"Come eat cookies with us," Mrs. Clover whispered to Sharla. "You'd be a good influence on him."

The quiet sheep moved her eyes to the hooves that were interlocked with her mother's. The Clovers were a flock of snowy white wool. Sharla was the only black sheep. And she doubted she'd be any kind of influence on Gideon, the stocky fox looked like he had forgotten the two sheep were there.

"I'm not..." Sharla began but in the end she couldn't say no to her mother's hopeful expression, "Sure, Mom."

Her mother ushered her to stand by Gideon while Mrs. Clover pulled the finished cookies out of the oven. Sharla had instantly tensed up when she was placed next to her old bully, so close she could feel his body heat. She swallowed and forced herself not to step away.

.

Gideon wasn't surprised to see Sharla tense up once she was placed beside him. And he wasn't bothered by it either. In fact maybe he could go home early if Mrs. Clover saw how uncomfortable he made her daughter.

"Try one, both of you," Mrs. Clover encouraged once the cookies were on a plate.

Both teenagers picked up an oatmeal cookie, Sharla softly blowing on it before taking a tentative bite. Gideon however, took a moment to examine his cookie, noticing the burnt edges and how crumbs fell though he barely moved it.

He took a small bite and wasn't surprised to find that the cookie tasted terrible. And he had no qualms with telling Mrs. Clover that.

The sheep didn't so much as blink at the bluntly rude comment, but Sharla turned to him with a scowl. "No it isn't! They taste good to me!"

Gideon turned his head to meet her eyes and the smaller sheep flinched but stood her ground.

"That just means yer taste is as bad as these cookies," he replied dryly.

If sheep could bristle Sharla would be doing just that.

But her mother's sudden gasp brought their attention back to her. She was staring at them with a strange grin, "You have the same eyes!"

Gideon fought the urge to look back at Sharla to confirm him as he had never paid attention to her, or anyone's, eye color.

"They're exactly the same," Mrs. Clover was still gushing. "You know what that means, it means your kindred spirits!"

She took Gideon's paw and Sharla's hoof and for a horrifying moment the fox thought she was going to make them hold hands.

"Just because we both have blue eyes doesn't make us kindred spirits, Mom," Sharla said, expression awkward.

"Oh yes you are," Mrs. Clover would not be proven wrong. "I can see it, you're both so alike."

Gideon could've gagged, but then the grip on his paw tightened.

He looked at the older sheep who eyes were just a trace harder, "However, Gideon you need to work on thinking before speaking. Hurting someone's feelings doesn't benefit anyone."

Gideon opened his jaws to tell her what he thought of that, but in a blur of movement Mrs. Clover shoved another cookie in his mouth, silencing him.

"There you see," she smiled sweetly while the fox coughed, "You'll find it's not so hard to keep that handsome muzzle shut."