Running with Wolves

Chapter 94

Liam and I walked into the school, Scotty somehow got Liam to go to school and me to go with him. Mason walked up,
He said" Okay. Not bad so far. This might be easier than we thought."
Liam said" Maybe." We started walking, I could feel the stares we started getting. Liam started listening to them,
" Just block it out."
" They know."
" Just rumors. They don't know anything." Corey walked up,
He said" They know everything. Two sophomores on the lacrosse team were there last night."
" Yeah, but it was late, it was pitch black out, and there was fog on the road."
" It was a clear night. Full moon. And a well-lit intersection."
Liam said" I have to get out of here."
Mason said" No. If you leave, these rumors never stop. You gotta just convince them that you're a regular kid."
" I'm not a regular kid."
" Look. Remember what Scott said? Be Clark Kent."
" Clark Kent turns into a guy with a red and blue outfit and a cape. I turn into a monster with claws and fangs."
Corey said" Then just get through the day without shifting."
Mason said" Look, Liam, people are saying that Brett and Lori died in a car accident. We know the truth. They didn't just die." I looked at them, and nuzzled Liam's arm," Liam, tell Riley it's gonna be okay." They looked at me, Liam sighed, my eyes were flickering.
Liam said" Riley, it's gonna be okay. You know I'd never let anything happen to you." My eyes stayed normal,
I mumbled" It's Gerard. You won't have a choice."

We were walking down the hall,
Corey said" Overheard Nolan talking to Gabe."
Mason said" You're spying on them?" " Since he stabbed me? Yeah. Nolan's gonna try to get you to shift. He needs proof and he wants everyone to see it."
Liam said" So what's he gonna do?!"
" I... I don't know. That's all I heard." We stopped,
Mason said" Could you stop obsessing about what people are saying?"
Liam said" Nolan's coming." I grabbed Liam's hand and pointed at the guidance office. Liam lifted me up and we hid there,
The guidance counselor said" Mr. Dunbar."
" Oh. Sorry, uh... uh, I thought we had an appointment."
" Not that I'm aware of."
" What I meant to say was I wanna make an appointment."
" Great. When?" I looked around the room, books of supernatural?
" Now if you're available."
" I'm kind of in the middle of something." Liam put me down and sat in the chair," But I guess it can wait."
" Oh, so, uh... I'm having a lot of issues. Um, lots of issues. Big issues."
" I know. I heard a rumor going around." I sniffed the air, I could smell a little of Gerard's scent, it isn't hard to miss.
" What... what kind of rumor?"
" Some kids are giving you a hard time?"
" Kinda."
" I'd like to help. But you're gonna have to be honest with me, Liam. I need to know who's harassing you."
" Why?"
" I think I could give them a little direction."
" They're already directed. At me."
" I won't condone bullying of any kind. You don't have to think of it as turning them in. You're just helping them be better classmates. I'm gonna need their names." I saw scratch marks down the side of her neck, I tilted my head slightly.
" What happened?"
" Excuse me?"
" The scratches. Uh, how'd you get them?"
" Oh, un, from a branch in the woods." She's lying." Why don't we get back to you?"
" What were you doing in the woods?"
" Running."
" From who?"
" Whom."
" Hmm?"
" From whom. Not from who. Whom is grammatically correct." One's an incident, two's a coincidence... three's a pattern. She's the new hunter, she's the one who killed the hellhound in the woods... she's the one with Gerard. His student. Liam grabbed my hand and we walked out, I looked at Liam.
I said" It's her. She's the student." Liam nodded, and pulled out his phone,
He said" Text Scott." He lifted me up into his arms as we continued walking," Tamora Monroe. Text that to Scott, okay?" I nodded, texting Scott the name." Riley, how'd you know before I told you?"
" One, the books. Two, she smelled a little like Gerard. Three, the scratch marks. One is incident, two's coincidence, three's a pattern."
" Okay."

We walked into their next class,
Mason said" So our guidance counselor is a werewolf hunter? I'm never asking for guidance again." Mason sat down, Liam and I walked to the other desk, Liam sat down, and the girl moved." Maybe she forgot something."
Mrs. Finch said" Is there a problem, Liam?"
Liam said" Um, no. Not with me."
" Who will let Liam join their group? Someone otter than you two. You all have one minute for someone to volunteer or the whole class fails the day's lab." Liam turned to Mason and Corey,
He whispered" This is just making it worse."
Corey said" Well, it's about to get worse-worse."
" Why do you only show up when there's bad news?"
" The entire lacrosse team is looking for you. They're blocking the exits."
Mason whispered" Why?"
" They're gonna try to make Liam shift in front of everyone."
" That definitely can't happen."
Liam whispered" Well, what are we gonna do?"
Mrs. Finch said" All right, Liam, looks like you're not winning any popularity contests so why don't you work alone. And I'll decide whether or not I was bluffing about failing everyone."

Mason was holding my hand as we maneuvered through the hallways, trying to get out. Corey and Liam invisible behind us.
Corey whispered" Hurry it up, please?"
Mason said" Yeah, okay." We turned and saw more lacrosse players at the door. We turned again, then another duo of players blocked us, then a duo came down the stairs.
Liam whispered" This is crazy."
Corey whispered" We can take them." I gulped,
Mason said" All right, okay, turn around, turn around, turn around." As we saw Gabe, we turned around and saw Nolan." Oh. Hey, Nolan." Nolan threw powder and Corey and Liam became visible. Gabe threw Liam to the ground...

Gabe threw Liam into a classroom,
Nolan said" Get up! Get up!"
Gabe said" What are you trying to hide, Liam? Your eyes? Open your eyes." I whimpered, Nolan punched Liam,
Mason said" Hey! Hey! Let him go!" Liam held up his hand for Mason to stop, I whimpered,
Nolan said" Are you just going to let us do this to you?" Gabe punched Liam, I started breathing heavily. No, no, no!," You know you can take us. All you have to do is change."
Liam said" The sun..."
" What?"
" The sun... the moon, the truth..."
" What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Gabe said" Who cares?" Gabe punched him again, I squeezed my eyes shut. Don't go aahhoo. Don't go aahhoo... I heard Gabe punch Liam again. I opened my eyes, and saw Liam on his knees, Mason was trying to get to him. Liam was groaning loudly, come on, Liam! You've got it! You've got it!
" You're fighting it. But you can't hold back forever." Then Mrs. Finch came in,
Mason said" Do something."
She said" Sometimes it's... it's best to let them work things out on their own." She walked away, Gabe grabbed Liam's head and kneed his chin, I wanted to turn wolf and growl at them, for hurting Liam. I wanted to do something to help! They started kicking him, tears were running down my face,
" Hey!"
Then Coach yelled" What the hell is going?! Back off! Hey! Get to the principal's office! Now! What the hell is this? Get out! All of you! I can't stand to look at your faces!" The students left, Mason and Corey went to Liam." Come on, come on, come on! Let's go." Coach walked away,
" I can't believe you did that."
Liam said" Clark Kent, right?"
" Yeah. Clark Kent."

Mason said" I know what you were doing."
Liam said" Trying not to shift."
" No, you took that beating because you think you deserve it because of what happened to Brett and Lori."
" Maybe I do."
" You took a beating, but you didn't deserve it."
" I know I didn't kill them. A hunter did. And she has a name."
" Yeah, and she's also got new recruits too. See, Nolan's not the only one you gotta worry about now."
" You mean Gabe?"
" No, I mean, like everyone. Nolan didn't just want you to shift in front of everyone to show them that you're a werewolf. He wanted to show everyone that you're the enemy."
" That we should be hunted."