Going home, I decided to pass the time until the next day. Things were starting to pick up. I saw Tokac, Murgred and Metrec hanging out by the parking lot goofing off. If I wanted to, I could get Tokac. Agamos, Aenos, Michius and Cesus were on the track. I decided to go hang out with the centaurs. I needed to raise the reputation with the group if I wanted any friends. They were just walking laps around the track. I joined them and asked if there was anything that they needed at the moment. Aenos just smirked and said "Agamos and I were thinking about taking care of our grooming. Cleaning out the hooves and brushing and all that. Want to help us with that? It would be very helpful." Agamos just bashfully nodded. Michius said "Well, if you're asking me, I have to go get something from a dodgy part of town. Demi-humans don't go there as much. I might need some backup." Cesus looked at me and let me know he would me like to help him kill those anti demi-human activists without letting the others know it. "I will get on it soon. Grooming day starts after school. Get ready guys." I told them.
Helping Agamos and Aenos out with their grooming was pretty fine. We met after school and we went to the park. I was given a small, dull blade as well as a comb and a bristle brush. Aenos smiled as he gave me his front left hoof to start on. He said "Thanks for helping out. We've needed to do this for a while." I had to use the blade to clear out the junk from the hooves and shoes. There were dirt, mud and pebbles. I finished the first hoof with some difficulty. Aenos was not a feral horse, so it was not like he was moving away or being difficult. He still needed to be supported to keep his balance. It was heavy. I had to be firm and focused in order to get them clear. The other 3 hooves were just as difficult. When I was done, he began to trot about the area before coming back. "I feel like a new man. You did a great job." he told me with a smile. I said "Think nothing of it." I looked at Agamos and a shy blush was tinting his face pink. He gave me a hoof and quietly said "Thanks." I got to work on him. They were both pleased with my work. Next was combing out their tails. They liked it more.
If they were happy before, brushing their coats made both of them like putty in my hands. I was very pleased with my work. "If this is how you got a centaur girlfriend, I do see why she gave you the time of day." Aenos said as he looked at me. I shrugged and said "Yep. It was one of the reasons." Aenos came up to me and said "Thank you." It was the second time and he looked more confident here. I nodded. He nodded back and went to Agamos. If things were good, I was ready to leave. As I said my good-byes and began to leave, Aenos called out to me. I turned and he said "Want to go get something to eat? I can pay for you, if you want." I smiled and said "I would really like that." I then followed them to a restaurant. They ordered very large salads with apple slices. I ordered some meat and potatoes. We made some small talk until the food arrived. The centaurs gave me weird looks when it was put in front of me. "Are you really going to eat that!?" Agamos asked as he held his nose. Aenos was just looking straight down at his salad. "Humans are omnivores. We can handle it." I said.
As we finished and the food was paid for, we left the restaurant. I looked at them and asked about what Michius wanted and where it was. They looked back at me and shifted uncomfortably. "Sunny. There are a lot of people in that area that don't like demi-humans. Some even get beat up by humans or worse if they are found there after dark." Agamos told me. I had an idea that was the case after all I saw. Neither of them knew what it was that their friend could want from there. "Well then. I will be there to back him up and keep him safe. You don't have to worry about it." They pulled me into a hug and wished me well. I had to be on the very tips of my toes and strain, but it was still nice. When we broke the hug, we all went our separate ways. I went to school the next day and told Michius that I was able to go with him after school. I went to practice and had a great time. Michius was also done his practice session and I was ready to go with him. "Let's go." he said and led the way. I could tell the moment I moved into the rough area of town. There was a certain vibe to it. I could see humans.
