Nicole skipped along the corridor of her high-school beside Weston, their arms linked. "It's a new day of school, doo, doo, a new day of school, doo, doo!" They both chanted causing a few students, a mix of Wolf, Meifwa and Human to look over. Tatiana is standing there and she pinches her nose, closing her eyes and mumbles the words: 'The day is only just starting and I already have to deal with this? What did I do my past life that was so bad to deserve this?'
"Okay, stop, stop, stop!" She interferes, walking up to the 'not alone buddies' - Weston and Nicole, promptly halting them. "Is there a problem, T?" Weston questions.
"Yes, and don't call me 'T' either, I hate it."
"?"
"Weston!" Tatiana glares.
"Okay, okay, okay! Were hanging together, I've got it, sorry..." Weston responds, disheartened because his human.
"What? No! That's not the issue, I couldn't care less that you and a Wolf student are hanging out together, heck, the school encourages it as there doesn't need to be a great divide between humans and wolves today anyway. Same goes for Meifwa's too!" Tatiana tells him and Weston raises an eyebrow, seemingly confused.
"Weston - You and your new friend are being noisy so just bring the pitch down a little, alright? Thanks. Also, classes start up in 20 minutes or so from now. I expect to see you in Algebra and then Geography. Don't skip." And she promptly walks away from them, going back to lean against a wall, arms crossed and a foot propped up against the wall. Weston slowly turns away from Nicole, embarrassed. "Wes?" Nicole questions, gently placing her hands on his shoulders, but he pulls away so she looks to Neo who shrugs, giving her a 'don't look at me for help' face.
"Here, just get it over and done with, this then." Neo grumbles a moment later, providing assistance and he holds out a plastic bag that the shop keeper packed their pocky into. "Thanks!" Nicole whispers, accepting it, but halfway in giving it to Nicole, Neo swipes the strawberry pocky out and then shoves the bag harshly into her arms causing her to almost stumble back. Weston turns around, noticing this and appears upset, almost enraged slightly by this. "Well, you have a 'not alone buddy' now so you don't need me then, Nic. See you in class." Neo says harshly, taking off down the hall, eating his strawberry pocky.
He locks eyes with the same guy from before, Louis, Neo's contact who is standing nearby and slinks off with him, two others students also going with them, following, guy and a girl who are likely Louis's lackeys.
"Nicole..." Weston whispers, concern in his eyes as he slowly reaches a hand out to touch her shoulder, but she pulls away upset, tears slipping from her eyes. "I-I'm fine! Here!" She whimpers, throwing the bag with the green tea pocky inside at him after quickly taking out hers, a flavor she didn't want and has no intention of eating.
"Nicole..." Weston tries again, but she pulls away again, trying to hold back her tears more. Weston glances around at every one of his friends plus other random students who are preoccupied by phones, portable video game consoles, tennis balls, soccer balls, yoyo's, makeup, magazines and only Kiki knows what else. "Nicole." Weston tries for the 3rd time, but that pushes her over the edge and she shoves him to the floor, fists clenched and teeth gritted.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Tatiana scolds, looking up from her phone that she pulled out a short while ago to text on. Nicole ignores her. "Nicole! I'm talking to you, turn around and look at me."
Nicole narrows her eyes and bends down, getting into a wolf stance and starts growling like Neo does when his angry. "Hey, hey! Woah, hey, calm down, you don't need to do that1
Just take a deep breath in, okay?" Tatiana begs her. "Oh, shit." Two boys say, coming up together. "Is she okay?" Asks the ginger haired one. "Yeah, I second that!" The raven haired boy adds on.
"No, no I don't think she is, Austin and Hudson... Can you go fetch an administrator, please? I'll try and calm her down till you can bring one here." Tatiana pleads. "S-sure!" The boys choke out together, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Nicole cries out, starting to stand up straight and she unclenches her hands. "Oh, thank my lucky stars!" Tatiana breathes. "Are you okay, what happened? You should apologize to Weston for pushing him." She scolds a moment later after having recollected herself.
Nicole shakes her head and promptly walks away from Weston, pushing past Tatiana. A young light brown haired haired Human with pink strands who's wearing a set of fake Meifwa ears and tail to her uniform is running around, getting on the nerves of a girl with her dark brown hair in a side ponytail and another girl with her ginger hair in two pigtails that are set of girls are seated, reading various kinds of magazines.
"Vanilla, stop it. You're being a pain!" The brunette scolds and then the wannabe Meifwa comes over and clings onto the other side of her magazine, beginning to pull it towards her. "Hey! Stop it!" The brunette girl yells, standing up straight from sitting on a bench, revealing how tall she really is. Taller than the wannabe Meifwa anyway.
"This is mine, let go, Vanilla!"
"But I want to read it now! You said I could in a minute." She pouts.
"You can when I'm done!" Her friend growls back, reclaiming her magazine as she's stronger and holds it above her head where the wannabe Meifwa can't reach it.
"I don't know why you want to read this anyway, it's a sports magazine, not a trashy fashion and gossip rag. If it has any fashion inside, likely it will be sports bras. But I don't know yet do I as you won't let proceed with, reading it in peace?!"
"Vanilla, why don't you bring your own magazine in one day rather than wanting to read mine and Quinlain's all the time?" The twin-tailed ginger looks up from her own magazine that's about astrology.
"I can't afford it!" She pouts in response.
"Save up then! A penny saved is a penny earn-" The twin-tailed ginger begins. "I know, I know! You don't to act like my mum." The wannabe Meifwa whines.
"Vanilla, can you not ask your parents for some money or see if any of your many sibling's will lend or even generously give you one to keep?" Quinlain questions. Vanilla looks slowly towards the floor, sniffing and Quinlain sighs, handing her, her sports based magazine.
"Alright, I'm sorry. Here." She says. "I may have a sibling, but he's just one little brother and he like never asks or even just takes my stuff. I know what it's like for you. You have seven others sister, one's that are all actually Meifwa's as opposed to you who was unlucky enough to luck out on the Meifwa gene and your parents are have another baby on the way. A girl...
Money's tight and you're stuck feeling like the runt of the litter still, yeah? The only way you get new clothes is from your sisters handing you all their old clothes that they have grown too big for am I correct?" Quinlain states. Vanilla nods softly, blinking back tears and she wiggles her fake from side to side, slowly looking to the floor.
"Thank you, Quinn. I appreciate it, I'll return this to you before the afternoon bell at the end of the day."
"Uh-huh. Yeah, you better." Quinlain shoots back, turning around to face her other friend. "Don't think you're borrowing mine now, I'm not done yet." She growls, keeping a death grip on her magazine about Astrology.
"But Lucy! Sharing is caring!" Vanilla smiles. "So I've heard. Ugh, fine, here!" Lucy grumbles, throwing Quinlain her magazine that it plasters it's self against her face. "Thank you!" She smirks, snatching the magazine from her own face and sits down to read it, her expression dropping when she realizes it's Psychic Monthly... While Lucy sits there bored and her face in her hand when a person runs past quickly into the girl's bathroom next to them.
She drops a blueberry pocky box on the floor. "Ooh, pocky!" Vanilla squeals, picking it up and throws Quinlain's magazine in the air that lands on Lucy hair, open. She huffs and doesn't pull it off.
"Hey, you dropped this!" Vanilla calls out into the bathroom. "Keep it, I don't want it!" The owner calls back. "I feel sick like I'm going to throw up!"
"Okay!" Vanilla smiles, turning around as she tries too nimbly open the box. "Give it here, I'll open it and share it, but a majority of it is mine! You wanted our magazines so badly, remember?" Lucy snaps, taking the box from Vanilla and slaps Quinlain's magazine back into Vanilla's hands. Vanilla pouts. "Don't pout. You got what you wanted, remember? You're being silly now, this pocky is ours." Quinlain grumbles, accepting a pocky stick from Lucy and then Vanilla is given one followed by Lucy taking the rest for herself mostly except for a few extra that she hands to Quinlain additionally while Vanilla only received one.
Nicole slowly sinks down onto the cold tile floor against the wall and she pulls her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, slowly rocking on the spot, tears streaming down her face.
"I wish my Dad was here, I want my Dad." She whispers as she pulls out her phone and her eyes fill with tears more seeing 30+ messages from Cheeky Monkey.
Crap, I forgot about him...
---
Kitty: CM?
Cheeky Monkey is typing...
CM: Thank, Kiki! Finally! Where have you been?!
Kitty: Sorry. First day of school, I got distracted.
CM: ...I understand. It can be tough.
Kitty: Thank you.
CM: Is everything okay?
Kitty: Fine. You?
CM: Fine, just fine. Why wouldn't it be?
Kitty: I don't know...
CM: Is something up? You can tell me if you want. You know that, I've always listened. We've been friends for years.
Kitty: Thanks for the offer, but no. I'm ok.
FC: Alright, but if anything changes, you can text me. Even if it's at 2:00 A.m, Kit-Kat! I'll be there for you.
Nicole just sits there, staring at the screen.
CM: Kitty? Are you there?
Kitty: I'm here.
CM: Something is wrong, tell me.
Kitty: CM...
CM: Anything, I'm here for you.
Shu: I'm exhausted.
CM: Oh... Well. If that's the case, go to bed earlier then you silly spud! Don't stay up, navigating caves, stocking supplies and activating ruin gates for us to pass through with me.
Kitty: But you need someone who's got your back, always.
CM: Sleep is more important. I'll be fine without you, I can hold my own.
Kitty: In other words, you'll spend all your coins on potions that you chug down in one battle and then you have no potions or coins left.
CM: Haha, good point! xD
Maybe I do need you, but I can just not play till you want to play. We both did save at the same checkpoint.
Kitty: That we did.
CM: Kit-Kat...
Kitty: Yes?
CM: Do you ever have times that you... No, it's stupid.
Kitty: And you tell me nothing I say is stupid. What is it? Spit it out.
CM: We've been friends for years, yet know nothing about eachother.
Kitty: What do you mean? We know plenty about eachother, CM. We know eachothers deepest, darkest secrets.
CM: Not all of them... But go on.
Kitty: True, but... CM, I don't understand what you're getting at.
CM: It would be strange if one day we met, saw eachother via a web-cam service or even called eachother on our cells.
Kitty: You're right, that is weird thought. Are you saying you want too...? Take our friendship further than just text messages and our game?
CM: No. I'm just being nostalgic. Do you want too?
Kitty: I don't know, CM. Maybe another time...
CM: Sure, I understand.
Kitty: Other than some nostalgic thought, why bring this up after all these years when we've been perfectly content just playing our game and talking like this to eachother for years?
CM: I just get lonely sometimes, Kitty. Military school. This is more or less my 1st year back or so in a proper school. High-School at that.
Kitty: And you're having trouble, making friends? Being social?
CM: I guess you could say that. Have you made any friends?
Kitty: One.
CM: That's good!
Kitty: I guess were both a bit numb and feel closed off to the world, huh?
CM: Yeah.
Kitty: Will it get better for both of us?
CM: I don't know. Only time can tell.
Kitty: You're right.
A few minutes pass and Cheeky Monkey doesn't text back, causing Nicole to fill with panic.
CM is typing...
CM: Kitty?
Kitty: Where did you go?!
CM: I'm sorry, but now you know how it felt to leave me hanging yesterday without as much as a 'goodbye'. Anyway, something weird just went down...
Kitty: Weird, how?
CM: Some lady come onto my school's grounds. It was too weird to tell. School administration rushed to escort her off the property after giving her a brief talking too which involved threatening to call the cops.
Kitty: What did she want?
CM: I don't know. It happened and was over in a matter of seconds.
Kitty: Well, hopefully, she doesn't come back then anytime soon.
CM: I hope so too. I feel like maybe an ex-husband has custody or something was the scenario.
Kitty: Likely.
CM: Look, Kit... I need to go now, sorry. Class is due to start soon, I don't want to be tardy.
Kitty: No issues, go ahead. Mine is too.
CM: Cool, bye. I'll catch you later, online in: Enter The Realm?
Kitty: Bye, CM. Maybe, I'll text you later about quest planning.
---
And Nicole turns her phone off, putting it away when she hears the bell for her classes go and the chatter of the girls she ran past outside, drift away, but she doesn't move from where she is. Class can get stuffed, she thinks to herself. Minutes drift by and it's long enough now that she has surely been marked as absent surely. Nicole just sits there and cries with her hand, clutching her phone to her chest.
After too long, Nicole looks up upon, hearing some voices just outside the bathroom. "I'm worried!"
It's Neo.
"Don't worry, Neo. We'll just look around a little longer and if we can't find her then I highly suggest that you go to werewolf class as you should and I'll alert school faculty. We can check the surveillance cameras for her, wind em back if we have too" A voice speaks up. It's Tatiana.
"I don't know..." Neo trails off. "Neo, go to class." She orders him. "Alright, alright. Fine." Neo grumbles, walking away. He doesn't get far down the hall when he hears Tatiana let out a high pitched squeal. "The fuck?" He wonders, turning around, but he has to quickly jump aside, seeing the principal and his werewolf classroom teacher slip past him, followed by the school nurse. He follows in hot pursuit and when they come to a standstill, he's shocked to see Nicole on all fours, growling, but not in the way he does inside the girl's toilet.
"Nic!" He chokes, going to approach her when Tatiana steps in his way. "Leave it, she's angry! And that's a girl's bathroom so please don't go in there to begin with it." She begs him and then several doors open from other classrooms, Human and Meifwa students filing out.
"Not alone, buddy!" Weston worries, but his held back by his friends. Quinlain, Vanilla, Lucy, Austin and Hudson. "Oh, this is the friend that you made, you just told us about." Quinlain speaks up, giving Weston's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "She ran passed us earlier."
"Oh, her..." Vanilla whimpers. "She's a Wolf."
"School faculty will handle it, a-lot of wolf students kick off. She isn't the first and she won't be the last." Lucy interrupts. "Austin, she gives me the impression of being more Human than Wolf for some reason..." Hudson whispers. "Really, little bro?" Austin grins, ruffling his brothers hair to Hudson's annoyance.
"Yeah, she does give off that impression now that you mention it..." Weston states. "I thought all Wolf students had ears and a tail." Vanilla add's on. "They do, maybe she just hides hers though considering this isn't the 1800's anymore?" Lucy answers.
"Nicole." Lacey speaks up, checking her watch. "It's 10 minutes past the start of class. I had your teacher call me from the front office saying that you or your brother had not turned up. I know this is only your second day and being in a mainstream school after being home-schooled for a long time can be scary, but this educational Institution has rules that we expect you to abide by.
You did sign a form saying that you would follow all school rules and staff directions, but if you cannot do that, then I'm afraid you will need to come to my office and we will need re-evaluate your place here."
"That's her brother?" Quinlain gasps, gesturing to Neo. "Yeah. He's not a huge talker though, somewhat grumpy even." Weston tells her. "He looks nothing like her." Austin whispers. "Not all sibling's look related, Austin." Hudson tells him.
"Not that I would know about anything like that..." Vanilla hisses. "Oh, quit being so salty just because your family have problems." Lucy says, elbowing Vanilla in the ribs who let's out another small hiss, directed to her. Nicole lets out a low growl, gritting her teeth. "Her teeth aren't even sharp..." Tatiana says under her breath.
"They've never really been sharp! Somehow I just got the sharp teeth, guess my genes were stronger in the family's, haha..." Neo laughs, worried.
"Hmmm... If you say so then, Neo." Tatiana shoots back. "Ein, Tatiana, knock it off, this isn't helping." The werewolf teachers say to them. "Come on, let's step back. Let the adult's handle it." Tatiana urges, laying her hand on Neo's arm.
"Don't touch me you, disgusting human. I can smell your perfume, it's so strong!" Neo growls, retreating away from Tatiana who looks mildly horrified at being insulted and just steps away too, but from Neo also.
"Nicole, what's wrong? We cannot help you if you won't let us. Please, stop growling." Lacey explains, trying to approach her, but she's hisses more, taking a few steps back. "Can you try talking to her? You are the werewolf teacher, Gavin." Lacey requests to the werewolf teacher.
"Oh, alright." He says, managing to step into the bathroom and Nicole has backed further into the corner of the room. He bends down, sitting on his knee and holds a hand out for Nicole to sniff. "Nicole, why don't you come to class and we can talk about what's bothering you, upsetting you."
Nicole doesn't say anything and let's out another small growl. "Nicole, the Principal is right. We cannot help you if you don't let us. What's happened? Has someone bullied you?"
"I don't want to come to class."
"Why not?" The teacher asks.
"It's not for me, I don't want to be in it. It's not me!"
"Nicole..."
"Can I just change classes? Do Science, Maths, everything like that!"
"Are you saying you don't want to embrace your wolf side? You want to live like a human instead?"
"...."
"It's okay if that's how you feel. There has been Wolf students here who have wanted nothing more than to feel like they fit in with Humans and tried to completely push down their Wolf side down. It's not entirely healthy, but it isn't uncommon and then we have Wolf students who want to be a Wolf so badly and will not even consider the prospect of mixing with Humans."
"...."
"Nicole, you need you to make a decision or were going to have to make one for you. This school would encourage you to give Werewolf class a chance though, okay?"
"I don't want too."
"Nicole, please. If not, at-least stand up on two feet like a Human, okay? You either come to Class as I'm asking you or you need to go with Lacey to her office. They are the only two options that we can give you."
"Please don't expel her!" Neo cries out all of a sudden. "Relax, it will take more this this to expel a student, Neo." Lacey tells him, bending down to him. "And do me a favor, can you apologize to Tatiana for what you said while you're interrupting me? I understand your nose is sensitive, but how would you like it if she said you smelled, hmm?"
"I wouldn't like it." Neo answers back.
"Exactly." Lacey says to him.
"T-Tatiana..." Neo says through gritted teeth. "Yes, Neo?" Tatiana responds.
"I'm... I'm sorry for insulting you."
"Thank you, Neo. I appreciate it."
And then Neo and Tatiana glance over to the bathroom upon hearing shuffling feet to see Nicole standing upon two feet. The teacher has helped her up and is holding her arm. "So class?" He questions and Nicole gives a soft nod, stepping into the hallway with him.
"Good decision, Aphmau. I was concerned this situation was going to escalate in us having to call an ambulance, but luckily it hasn't. Thank you, now if you will excuse me... I was actually in the middle of a meeting with a Lawyer who came into my office suddenly so I really need to go back to him." Lacey says, hot-footing it away. "Alright, everyone! Back into class." Teachers starting ordering and the school nurse leaves, heading back in the direction of her office.
"Wait!" A female voice calls out and Nicole alongside her teacher, Neo, Tatiana the Prefect and Principal Lacey turn around to see Quinlain standing in the middle of the hallway. "Quinn! What are you doing?" Vanilla cries out from being amongst the rest of her friends, squished. "Yeah, I second that!" Austin adds on.
"Principal Lacey." She speaks up.
"Yes, what is it, Quinlain Rodgers?"
"I feel extremely uncomfortable with how my fellow student, Nicole is being treated."
"How so? Explain."
"You shouldn't force her to be a Wolf if she doesn't want to be and I understand having to give things a chance, but I feel like why bother, you know? I wasn't born yesterday and I recall actually seeing a Girl run out of Werewolf class in tears before passing out from a panic attack.
She's the same girl and now here we have her, hiding out in the Girl's bathroom, not wanting to go to Werewolf class on the 2nd day of the school-term and the Nurse is with you on standby.
I was afraid you were going to sedate her or something. That is something no one deserves. She is in High school and if she has flat out stated that she wants to be taking Human classes, why can't she do just that?
You aren't going to get anywhere with her."
"Because she was born a Wolf!" Neo fires out, growling all of a sudden, on all fours himself, causing Quinlain eyes to widen. "Neo." The Werewolf teacher says and he stands up again, straight on two feet.
"Wolf or not, if she just wants to try and be Human, let her." Quinlain shrugs. Lacey sighs, running her fingers through her hair.
"Your opinion will be taken into account, Rodgers, but now I must ask you to return to class. The school will handle Nicole's behavior according to the policies and procedures handbook. This Institutions guidelines that were written when the City established us one year ago due to the population boom."
"Quinn, let's go back into class. There's nothing more you can do here." Vanilla whispers coming up beside her and gently holds hands with Quinlain, dragging her back into their Human classroom. Everyone else disperses.
"Well, now that all this is over, I will go. I saw flipping Louis and his friends out back of the school, smoking when they should be in class before Neo needed me." Tatiana says under her breath, heading outside at the end of the corridor, urgently while Neo with the Teacher who's holding onto Nicole's arm still, heads towards their class - Wolf class.
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