Paul was in math class taking notes. His math teacher, Mr. Amos, was quietly reading a book while the class was working their Prealgebra exercises. It was quiet, until the doors swung open. The whole class looked behind him and saw a zebra boy wearing a green t-shirt. His stripes were orange in color. The class whispered to each other stuff like, "Who is this? "Did the school already approve of anthropomorphic animals joining our school?" "He's late for school." "He must be one of those bad boys." "Do you reckon that his stripes are dyed orange?" Paul decided to say nothing.
Mr. Amos said, "You, horse boy, are you here for class?"
The zebra said calmly, "Yes, Benny, I'm here for class."
Mr. Amos eyes widened in astonishment. "That's Mr. Amos to you, horse kid!"
The zebra replied, "Technically, I'm a zebra. My friends call me Herbie. You can call me Herbert Coalson."
Mr. Amos furrowed his eyebrows. "Take a seat."
Herbert looked at the class. Some of the kids were already sniggering at his behavior. The zebra spotted an empty seat and sat next to Paul. Paul paled, "Why is it that the bad kids like to accompany me?" Paul groaned to himself.
Herbert looked at Paul, "Mind telling me what the lesson is for today?"
"We're solving Prealgebra equations." Paul said vaguely with his eyes shut.
"Hmm, okay." Herbert said. The zebra boy began writing things down on his paper. As he was writing, he asked Paul, "My name is Herbie, what's yours?"
The human boy said, "Paul Jacob."
The zebra kept writing, "Is math your favorite subject?"
Paul said trying to concentrate, "Y-yes. I also like history class."
Herbie said, "History class is fine, but it is filled with inaccuracies."
"Excuse me?"
"No mention of anthros." Herbie said. "Humans only just began to accept us. Besides, don't you know how many conspiracy theories are correct that historians try to cover up?"
"Like the Illuminati?" Paul asked.
"Uh huh, how about the fact that magicians are telling the world's government what to do?"
Paul shrugged. "I guess."
"Do you like cheese?" Herbie said.
"Why the change of topics?" Paul asked.
"It's lunch time and I want to sit with you." Herbie said. "Does anyone else sit with you?"
"Nope." Paul replied.
"Well, you are having lunch with my company for the rest of your days in 8th grade." Herbie said.
"AHEM!" Mr. Amos shouted. "Herbert, let me see your paper to see how well focused you are." Herbie gathered his papers and handed them to the principal. He looked at the questions and held a straight face. "Okay, you are concentrating. Now please stop interrupting class."
"Aye, aye!" Herbie nodded and returned to his seat. Everyone sniggered at Herbie's mischief.
***
At lunch, Paul was sitting across from Herbie. "So, you live with your grandpa." the zebra said. "I live with my older cousin, Destiny Hearth."
"How old is your cousin?" Paul asked.
"She's twenty. Turning twenty-one July 1st." Herbie said. "How old are you?"
"I'm twelve."
"Same here." Herbie said. "My birthday is November 11th."
"My birthday is November 11th too."
Herbie's smile widened. "Destiny brought us here, and I'm not talking about my cuz."
"Okay, so what are you doing at your place?" Paul asked.
"Not much, I don't have many friends to talk to. They are living in San Francisco."
"I'm from New Orleans." Paul said.
"You mean the place where occultists practice voodoo?" Herbie asked.
"Yes, but I don't practice voodoo. My grandpa does believe in magic and some practices are questionable like using voodoo dolls to cause injury to others." Paul said. "As long as the magic isn't harmful, gramps is okay with it."
"Hmm, I'm a magician who is studying voodoo. You know voodoo is not necessarily an evil thing. Voodoo magic can be used for good or evil. It drives Destiny nuts whenever I try to create zombies." Herbie said.
"You rob graves to make zombies?" Paul asked with wide eyes.
"Nah, I mostly grab dead spiders from around the house. The spells don't work very well though, probably because of how damaged the arachnids are." Herbie said. "I can also do seances. Their is a dead clown I talk to called Tony Tickles. He's a hungry ghost that lives in my house."
"Hang on, you can see pretas?" Paul asked.
"Do you have ghost eyes?" Herbie asked.
"I call it indigo vision." Paul said.
"Tomato, tomato. I have ghost eyes too. So does Destiny." Herbie said. "I have an idea, why don't you come to my house for a sleepover?"
"I can't go to your house for a sleepover. I told grampa that I would come straight home."
"Then I can come to your house. I'll just call Destiny if I can." Herbie called her on his phone. "Yes, it's me, Destiny. I just made a new friend and I am asking if I can have a sleepover with him. Of course, I asked him. Alright, see you tomorrow then." Herbie hung up. "Destiny agreed I can sleep over tonight. She works at night and likes the idea of me sleeping over with you."
"Okay." Paul said.
***
Paul and Herbie left school and walked home. "How easy is it for you to travel on hooves for feet?" Paul asked.
"It's quite easy. My hooves are hard so I don't need any shoes." the zebra boy replied.
They both arrived at Paul's. Phoebe opened the door. "Why, Paul, you've brought a friend."
"This is Herbie. He goes to my school and he's the new kid." Paul answered.
"Please to meet you!" Herbie held out his hand.
"He asked and got permission for a sleepover." Paul replied.
Grandpa Dennis saw Herbie. "Pleased to meet you, Herbie! I'm glad Paul is being more assertive about making friends. I think having a sleepover is a great idea. Welcome!"
Paul grabbed a sleeping bag from his closet and laid it on his bedroom floor. "I hope this is a good idea."
End of Chapter
Mr. Amos said, "You, horse boy, are you here for class?"
The zebra said calmly, "Yes, Benny, I'm here for class."
Mr. Amos eyes widened in astonishment. "That's Mr. Amos to you, horse kid!"
The zebra replied, "Technically, I'm a zebra. My friends call me Herbie. You can call me Herbert Coalson."
Mr. Amos furrowed his eyebrows. "Take a seat."
Herbert looked at the class. Some of the kids were already sniggering at his behavior. The zebra spotted an empty seat and sat next to Paul. Paul paled, "Why is it that the bad kids like to accompany me?" Paul groaned to himself.
Herbert looked at Paul, "Mind telling me what the lesson is for today?"
"We're solving Prealgebra equations." Paul said vaguely with his eyes shut.
"Hmm, okay." Herbert said. The zebra boy began writing things down on his paper. As he was writing, he asked Paul, "My name is Herbie, what's yours?"
The human boy said, "Paul Jacob."
The zebra kept writing, "Is math your favorite subject?"
Paul said trying to concentrate, "Y-yes. I also like history class."
Herbie said, "History class is fine, but it is filled with inaccuracies."
"Excuse me?"
"No mention of anthros." Herbie said. "Humans only just began to accept us. Besides, don't you know how many conspiracy theories are correct that historians try to cover up?"
"Like the Illuminati?" Paul asked.
"Uh huh, how about the fact that magicians are telling the world's government what to do?"
Paul shrugged. "I guess."
"Do you like cheese?" Herbie said.
"Why the change of topics?" Paul asked.
"It's lunch time and I want to sit with you." Herbie said. "Does anyone else sit with you?"
"Nope." Paul replied.
"Well, you are having lunch with my company for the rest of your days in 8th grade." Herbie said.
"AHEM!" Mr. Amos shouted. "Herbert, let me see your paper to see how well focused you are." Herbie gathered his papers and handed them to the principal. He looked at the questions and held a straight face. "Okay, you are concentrating. Now please stop interrupting class."
"Aye, aye!" Herbie nodded and returned to his seat. Everyone sniggered at Herbie's mischief.
***
At lunch, Paul was sitting across from Herbie. "So, you live with your grandpa." the zebra said. "I live with my older cousin, Destiny Hearth."
"How old is your cousin?" Paul asked.
"She's twenty. Turning twenty-one July 1st." Herbie said. "How old are you?"
"I'm twelve."
"Same here." Herbie said. "My birthday is November 11th."
"My birthday is November 11th too."
Herbie's smile widened. "Destiny brought us here, and I'm not talking about my cuz."
"Okay, so what are you doing at your place?" Paul asked.
"Not much, I don't have many friends to talk to. They are living in San Francisco."
"I'm from New Orleans." Paul said.
"You mean the place where occultists practice voodoo?" Herbie asked.
"Yes, but I don't practice voodoo. My grandpa does believe in magic and some practices are questionable like using voodoo dolls to cause injury to others." Paul said. "As long as the magic isn't harmful, gramps is okay with it."
"Hmm, I'm a magician who is studying voodoo. You know voodoo is not necessarily an evil thing. Voodoo magic can be used for good or evil. It drives Destiny nuts whenever I try to create zombies." Herbie said.
"You rob graves to make zombies?" Paul asked with wide eyes.
"Nah, I mostly grab dead spiders from around the house. The spells don't work very well though, probably because of how damaged the arachnids are." Herbie said. "I can also do seances. Their is a dead clown I talk to called Tony Tickles. He's a hungry ghost that lives in my house."
"Hang on, you can see pretas?" Paul asked.
"Do you have ghost eyes?" Herbie asked.
"I call it indigo vision." Paul said.
"Tomato, tomato. I have ghost eyes too. So does Destiny." Herbie said. "I have an idea, why don't you come to my house for a sleepover?"
"I can't go to your house for a sleepover. I told grampa that I would come straight home."
"Then I can come to your house. I'll just call Destiny if I can." Herbie called her on his phone. "Yes, it's me, Destiny. I just made a new friend and I am asking if I can have a sleepover with him. Of course, I asked him. Alright, see you tomorrow then." Herbie hung up. "Destiny agreed I can sleep over tonight. She works at night and likes the idea of me sleeping over with you."
"Okay." Paul said.
***
Paul and Herbie left school and walked home. "How easy is it for you to travel on hooves for feet?" Paul asked.
"It's quite easy. My hooves are hard so I don't need any shoes." the zebra boy replied.
They both arrived at Paul's. Phoebe opened the door. "Why, Paul, you've brought a friend."
"This is Herbie. He goes to my school and he's the new kid." Paul answered.
"Please to meet you!" Herbie held out his hand.
"He asked and got permission for a sleepover." Paul replied.
Grandpa Dennis saw Herbie. "Pleased to meet you, Herbie! I'm glad Paul is being more assertive about making friends. I think having a sleepover is a great idea. Welcome!"
Paul grabbed a sleeping bag from his closet and laid it on his bedroom floor. "I hope this is a good idea."
End of Chapter
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Multiple characters
Size 500 x 300px
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