Risk Part 1

Fornotia fluffed her hair in her mirror, trying to make sure it was perfect. Tonight was a big night, she had a date with one of the most popular boys in her school. Her makeup had to be perfect, flirting had to mastered and the art of dressing not-too-sultry-but-not-schoolgirl had to be perfected. She twirled around in her yellow dress that offset her fluffy orange and white ringed tail and hair. Like the sun, she loved the way it complemented each other.

"Fornotia?"

Fornotia looked back and saw her father at her door. "Hi dad."

"Honey, I hear you have a date with Yohertavich tonight," her father began, "I really would appreciate it if you cancelled."

"Cancelled?" Fornotia scoffed. Cancel the date she has been dreaming about? "Are you kidding? I'm not cancelling my date. Yoher is the dreamiest guy I've ever met and he picked me. He actually picked me to date. He only goes out with the cutest girls and he picked me."

"There's a reason." Her father grabbed her hand gently. "Things are happening with these waryes. Things that are bad, and honey, I don't want you mixed up in it. You need to date a normal warno. Understand?"

"No way, you don't get it, he's-"

"I guarantee you're not the cutest girl he's ever seen," her father said roughly. "He's dating you because he can't date many others. Times are

changing and his easy life is about to get hard. Yours doesn't. Now stop being stubborn. You're not going out with him."

Fornotia glared at her father. "Mother said I could and you don't own me." She pushed past her father to the door. Honestly. What a mean thing to say. What could be so bad that her father would condone such an act?

Her anger all but melted away as the doorbell rang. There he is! She fluffed up her dress once more and opened the door. She smiled affectionately. His pants were tucked in and he wore a white muscle shirt with a simple jacket.

He looked even better than her but what did she expect? He was always popular for a reason. "Hi, Yoher."

Yoher winked. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, definitely, and quick." Fornotia closed the front door.

Yoher seemed to catch onto her eagerness. "Did someone say something to you?"

"Oh, it's my dad." Fornotia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about him, he's just anxious."

"Yeah." Yoher bowed his head. "He's right to be. I'm different."

"There have been plenty of different guys and I like your slick tail-I mean-Oh!" Fornotia covered her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that, I mean, I wasn't looking to-"

"Nah, nah, I get it." Yoher laughed as he wrapped his arm around her. "So, you think my skinny silver tail is great. Yeah. The whole school used to love it." He brought it forward and the silver still seemed to glisten in the moonlight. "Things change. Well, at least someone still likes it." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. "Usually, I took girls out to Dixana's for a bite to eat and then go play over at Yonders,

but, um?" He rubbed his foot against the ground. "I'm not allowed there anymore."

"Really?" Fornotia rubbed her lips across the top of her teeth. "Did you get in trouble?"

"No." Yoher looked over at her. "Waryes aren't allowed there anymore. We're not allowed in as many places."

"What?" Fornotia didn't understand. "How come?"

"Well? Scientists can prove that . . ." Yoher rolled her eyes. "Fine, look, it's just a date. I want to go out and have fun like I used to. There's no reason to think we're gonna get married or have children, we're just dating. So, I mean it doesn't really matter, right?"

"Well, I guess not." Fornotia didn't like the way he acted. Was he hiding something? "I just asked why."

Yoher looked at her tail a moment. "Don't think little of me, but, you've got a really gorgeous tail too," he chuckled. "Orange is my favorite color."

Fornotia giggled. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I always wanted an orange-ringed tail." Yoher looked at his again. "Mine has no volume. Just silver and sleek." He

glanced at hers again.

"Well, I like silver and sleek. I don't think it's boring." Fornotia wiggled her tail a little anyhow . Oh by the planet Pagnia, am I talking tails with him?

Yoher seemed to catch on too. "Uuh, well, so let's get going. I think Tyders doesn't have a policy. You want to go there?"

Tyders. Fornotia tried not to sound disappointed. Fast food wasn't her idea of a great date, but it was Yoher, and for some reason he was being rejected everywhere else. "Okay, Tyders is fine."

When they arrived at the eating station, they both sat down in the booths. The air smelled warm and crisp that night, the wind was being playful with Fornotia's tail and hair, blowing them softly. When the food came, Fornotia smiled before biting into her meal. She gulped it down but tugged on

Yoher's shirt. "Hey, aren't those your friends?"

Yoher didn't seem as pleased at her announcement. "No. We don't speak anymore." He put his hamburger down. "Say, Fornotia, do you wanna go someplace else maybe?"

"Fornotia!"

Fornotia looked to the left of her and saw a group of her friends. Her eyebrow furrowed as they came over to interrupt her date. Couldn't they just watch from a distance? The chances she'd ever get to date Yoher again were slim.

"Fornotia, you should go." One of her friends tugged on her arm and looked over at Yoher. "I mean, we need to talk to our friend for awhile, okay?'

"Not okay." Fornotia pulled her arm away. "I'm on a date here."

"Fornotia, I think you should leave with us," her friend insisted again. "What do you guys think?" All her other friends nodded their heads. "Trust me, let's go."

"No, why are you acting like this?" Fornotia scoffed.

"Because I could have a soulless child."

Fornotia looked over at Yoher. "What?"

"That is what they call it. I shouldn't have done this." Yoher put his hands on his head. "One minute I'm the king of the school, everybody likes me, and invites me to everything.

Next, I'm nothing but trash. My friends won't talk to me, and I'm not allowed inside anywhere. Only reason I even get to go here is because Tyders son is like me." He shook his head. "Sorry, Fornotia. You better go. I know you wanted to date me to get with the popular groups, but that's not gonna happen."

"Come on Fornotia, you heard him." One of her friends tugged on her shoulders.

Fornotia tugged herself back again before being released. "No. What do you mean a soulless child?"

"Waryes are having kids that, well their tails aren't silver, it's . . . " Yoher closed his eyes.

"Fornotia, if he has a kid, it's gonna be like the devil. There's no changing his genes, warnos need to stay with warnos," her friend insisted again. "Please, come with me and the group."

"I'm just dating, stop going so psycho." Fornotia stood up and stood beside Yoher. "Maybe a walk by the beach instead?"

"Are you sure?" Yoher asked. "There's no way for me to ever be like you. In fact," he chuckled oddly, "your popularity is going to plummet if you hang out with me."

"I don't care. I wasn't dating you for popularity," Fornotia said as she held out her hand. "I liked you, and I still like you. I don't care about your genes, okay? I mean, what are the chances anyhow, you know? Let's go out and have some fun."

Her heart skipped a beat as Yoher gave her the smile that melted any girls heart. The smile he used to have on him almost all the time about a month ago. "You know what?" Yoher stood up and offered his hand. "I think you're really my kind of girl."