Chapter Text
Before Jax’s eyes opened, he sharply inhaled the musky air before his hand reached up and rubbed his face. Rubbing away the debris in his eye, he stiffened his back and sat up. Able to open his eyes to a heavy squint, he looked out at the gold light sneaking through the old barn doors. He quickly reached back and wiped off the pieces of hay that stuck to his back from the thin layer of sweat under his fur. Many of his sibling’s hay beds were empty and tussled up; they must be outside already. He knew he had to get outside as well before someone came up and forced him to. Itching pieces of dirt out of his fur, he slid off the hay and hopped down from the upper bunker of the barn – ignoring the creaky old ladder. The familiar smell of kicked up dirt and fertilizer stuck to his nose before he even pushed open the barn doors fully. The blinding sun pierced his eyes for a moment, and he blinked away the sting before his eyes shifted to directly outside of the barn.
His father, Jack, patted a cow on the hind as he stood up from the milk stool. The milk cows were kept close to the barn under a shading roof made of wooden planks makeshiftingly nailed together. Jack itched his crooked ear at the base as he turned back and saw one of his younger sons standing next to the open barn door. “Jax” His father started, “finally. Go join your sister.” He motioned his deep purple paw towards a recently-harvested potato crop section, where Jane was pushing a wheel plow across the rows. His father expected Jax to be a little late to wake up – he was from one of the younger litters – but it didn't make him less irritated. Reluctantly, Jax started making his way to the crop section Jane was working in, and grabbed one of the wheel plows waiting for him at the edge. He wouldn't mind the plowing as much if the heat would be a little more forgiving, he hoped he could at least get a straw hat to shield his face like his father, but he knew how asking for things usually went.
He was able to catch up to Jane, starting from the other corner she was making her way to. Jane shouted: “Jax? Oh, finally” She huffed out, “After we get this plowed, we're planting corn here next. The current cornfield will be beets.” She had to shout a little less as they got closer. Right, the crop rotation. Plowing was easily his least favorite job, it always tired out his arms and back really quick, and he was already starting to feel it. Once he was able to finish up his side, his back and arms felt like giving out, but at least not as bad as when he had to do an entire crop section by himself. Some of the youngest siblings had the job of going down each row and planting the new seeds, spacing each seed about 8-10 inches apart to make sure they didn't crowd. Jax put the plow back with the others in a line, and looked to the lake outside the cornfield. He looked back at the barn in the distance, no one would notice if he visited the lake, right? Surely not. They didn't have to plow the next crop block over until later in the day anyway.
Jax hurriedly made his way to the lake with a few glances back to the barn and his siblings scattered across the crop fields – no one was paying any attention. He kneeled down at the edge of the grass where it got more muddy before shifting into the murky green water. He reached down and gathered the liquid in cupped palms, bringing it to his face and rubbing the water into his face. The dust built up on his fur was washed away and replaced with dripping water and a few chunks of algae. Sure, it had a smell, but it cooled him down. Wiping away the water around his eyes with his still-dry forearm. Eyes off the water, he didn't catch a familiar green friend peeking out of the water’s surface, only alerted when they quickly stood and sent water splashing onto him.
“BLEH!!!”
Ribbit stuck out their tongue and sent their arms over their head in a scaring stance that made Jax fall back and let out a voice-cracking yelp. “AGH-!!” instinctively covering his face with his arms, though it didn't take him long to recognize who it was.
“Ribbit! You- haha!” Sitting back up, he leaned forward and splashed the water at the edge up to Ribbit's face as a small revenge, getting a laugh from her. “I got you that time! I told you!” A wide, proud smile plastered their face. Jax always said he wasn't easily scared, and she had finally proved him wrong. A hearty laugh came from their chest as Jax glanced away – that scream was so embarrassing. Ribbit pulled each foot out of the mud as they crawled out of the lake fully and sat on their knees next to him. “Skipping work?” They implied with a grin. “For your information, I just finished work.” Jax countered as he wiped a chuck of algae off his face and slightly shook to get water off of him. “You never ‘finish work’” Ribbit chuckled before falling back to lay down on the grass outside of the mud.
“Well, yeah, I have to plow another crop section later. But that's later.” Jax glanced back at the barn before shifting attention back down to ribbit on the grass. “Your dad would be so mad you're over here.” Ribbit commented without even opening her eyes, taking off her bowtie and wringing out the water before putting it back on. Jax knew they just said that to playfully try to scare him, but they were right. “Yeah, yeah.” He dismissed with a shrug of his hand, looking to his siblings scattered over the fields.
His father didn't like Jax running off to dismiss work by playing at the pond. He wasn't necessarily fond of ribbit, but he had a mutual agreement with their family. Both of their families had been on this land for generations, so there was an understanding of coexistence. Jax’s family doesn't mess with the pond, and Ribbit’s family doesn't mess with the farm. Ribbit had always thought Jax’s father was a bit scary, especially since he didn't like her coming out of the pond to play with his son when they were much smaller, but he gave her respect. No one here knew what true hospitality was. Only tolerance.
Jax’s eyes stayed on the barn and crops for a period of time, keeping watch for anyone noticing his absence. “You should go before someone notices.” Ribbit commented suddenly in a less joking tone. They didn't want Jax getting in trouble. Especially because of them. Jax took a moment, before sighing. “Yeah, yeah. I… I gotta go.” Jax stood up and wiped off the mud that had dampened his overalls. “See ya later tonight, yeah?” He commented as he turned towards the crops. “Yup!” Ribbit assured as they sat up and watched him leave. A bit of disappointment peeked in their chest, but they pushed it down with the reassurance they'd get more hang-out time later.
“Did you finish plowin’?” His father inquired as Jax approached, shaking off the water from his fur – the evidence he was slacking. “No, sir.” He replied as he went straight for the plow again. He knew better, that was a trick question. He had to plow the old cornfield next, and it looks like he's gonna have to do it himself. As he grabbed the plow and dug it into the ground at the edge of the section, he heard a rumbling. He lifted his head to see a familiar deep blue car making its way down the dirt road beside the farm before disappearing into the trees outside of the farm’s property. He knew that car now, it passed every other week. No one came by this side of the country, everyone knew there were only rednecks and green hills this far out. Strange. A yell startled him:
“Jax! Back on the plow!”
Jane alerted from far out, making him lower his head and push the wheel plow forward.