Chapter 29: Sam Reveals All
Sam and I are now walking back to school from the Aerodrome Fields. I feel so tense. I'm on edge after the attack, but also tired from the race. A mixture of emotions flurry around my head as I walk back with a tiger right beside me. As we are about to leave, we hear someone calling for us.
"Sam, Jamel! Wait up!" We turn around to see the husky from our race. It looks like he has something to say.
"Jamel, there's something you have to know. You would have seen Ricky talking to me when we were walking back to get changed, right?" I nod slowly. Sam looks on, a bit curious. "Well, basically... he wanted me to help attack you. He thought that if I joined in as well, others would start, and you would be..."
Wow. Ricky really did not want me to get away with beating him. "Jamel, please forgive me. I should have spoken up or stopped him. I just..." He says as he begins to tear up. Who said that all carnivores are vicious, bloodthirsty monsters? Well, other than that weird alpaca guy from town.
"Uh... Hey. It's OK. I don't blame you. You did the right thing to avoid and ignore him." I think of ways to calm him down. "Um, I think you and the Border collie should have won. You were doing so well." I say encouragingly.
"Yeah... well. I'm still happy to see you go to the District Finals as well. To think I raced against the first herbivore ever to go to a District Final in the history of Werrina! Anyway, I better get back to the track. See you later, and good luck. I'll be supporting you all the way!" He says before he turns around and walks back to the ovals.
"Now, what is it that you were saying, Sam? Something important you wanted to talk about" I look up at Sam while beginning to walk along.
"Oh yes... Now, this is pretty serious, and I hope you don't think of me any differently, but... I'm going to share my past." He said sternly. His past? What could he mean by that?
"Now I understand that there might be a few rumours going around about my shy and very cautious behaviour, something about me being a killer. Well... They're not true... entirely." Entirely? Did he eat meat or not? Is there something else he's hiding?
"I... used to live in a small town called Yillanga, along the southern coast. When I was about nine or ten, there was this massive anti-carnivore movement that swept through... you might remember it" he tells me. I think I do, to be honest. But my parents might have more info on that.
"Anyway, they swept through the towns along the coast, spreading their propaganda. No one thought much about it at the time, until there were mysterious attacks happening around the towns. This group categorised us as "meat junkies" and "uncontrollable killing machines". It really pissed me off" he tells me. I can't imagine discrimination like that, especially labelled as a "potential victim"
"Throughout the entire region, there was only one university. There weren't many carnivores, but they were appreciated for who they truly were. Protesters tried to segregate them, but they were no match for the university... my brother, Ben, was also an advocate for equal treatment too. When he was 20, I was 12 years old... that's when we moved here" he explains. Weird, I never knew he had a brother. "He teamed up with an herbivore; a zebra. She and Ben were so well connected, and no one cared that they were a couple, which we know is taboo in some parts"
I notice he was happy to mention the zebra, but he's having trouble with this next part... here it comes
"O-one night, after a peaceful counter-protest... he went to visit the zebra in her dorm room to tell her about their success, but..." his lip starts to quiver. "H-he opened the door, and she wasn't there... the room was covered in blood, damaged furniture, claw marks on the wall... Ben panicked and broke down on the floor, crying. Some of the anti-carnivore protesters found him, and turned him into police... despite his friends saying he was innocent!"
He's sobbing uncontrollably now, but thankfully no one is around. He takes a deep breath and begins again. "When he got to the station, the police sedated him, as the police do when they deal with a "meat-shocked". He was questioned about the body, but he pleaded his innocence..." He pauses to breathe and cry a bit more. "The police didn't believe it, and he was charged as guilty. Now, he's in a Durranga prison"
I think that's all he can speak for now. He starts sobbing again, and I don't blame him. I only notice now a few tears rolling down my face, and I don't know how to console him. He's really beared all of his strength as a large feline to share that with me, a true display of honour and trust. I suddenly remember something that Riley and I spoke about:
"Hey Riley, it says here that tigers are capable of unbelievable affection and emotion. Some tigers have been reported to have been moved to tears in cases such as surprise birthday parties, or even seeing a loved one mildly upset" I said to the curious dingo
"Well, you better hope Sam doesn't get soppy and teary in case you beat him on Wednesday. If so, I remember hearing on a podcast that most large felines can calm down with a hug or a gift. Better have something to give him, because I doubt you'd want to hug him" Riley replies
But I don't have anything to give him. I look over, and he's still crying. I open my arms, and put one in front of his chest, and another behind his back. I tightened my arms slightly, and pulled my body into his. He stops crying to see what I'm doing. I begin to cry as well. It's so cruel, the world that we live in. A world where a carnivore can quickly take away everything from an herbivore's life, and vice versa. We herbivores can't begin to comprehend the actions and emotions behind carnivores, and we fear the unknown of what they might do. Some herbivores want to overcome this fear, and make the carnivores the weak and the oppressed, which is wrong in so many ways. It isn't easy for anyone, which must be why we all try to live and work together as a society. Sam doesn't say anything for a while, until he puts his arm around my shoulder. He sniffs for a bit, before asking me:
"Do you... want to go into town and get some lunch? I don't feel like going back to school" I understand what he means
Chapter 30: The Beasts' Snack
"Hey Jamel, this place has a menu for carnivores and herbivores. Should we go in?"
We find ourselves in the middle of town. There aren't many animals around because everyone would be at work or school. Usually, Riley and I go to the tuckshop owned by the old koala couple and my parents and I go out to a pub on special occasions. Why not try this place out? I check out the menu, and it looks somewhat generic, cauliflower burgers, salads, soups. Still, it looks like a good place.
Sam and I enter, order drinks, and sit down at two stools, facing the window. He abruptly continued his story:
"After my brother went to jail, things got worse for me, my family and other carnivores. Protesters found our house; they threw rocks at some of our windows, mailed death threats. We couldn't handle it, so a month before I started high school, we moved here. And I heard the university gave in and became segregated the following year." He said in a depressed tone.
"What's the name of the activist group?" I ask inquisitively. I'm surprised I've never heard of this happening in our country.
"Toothless Australia. Their main objective is to eradicate, control or weaken all carnivore populations. Ever since we left, things got worse. They target all carnivores left, right and centre, even for things out of control. I heard that one of their members pressed assault charges because they heard a bear's stomach growl." Gee, that seems really unfair.
Sam breathed sharply, and the fur on his arms stuck out. "Whenever I see or hear that name being called out, I just get the urge to grab them all and..." he crushes the can in his hand. I sink into my chair. "I'm sorry Jamel... but they've taken a lot away from me. From us carnivores." He can't win against them either way. He wants to fight the issue, but if he does, he would be seen as an out-of-control monster, hell-bent and driven by blood and meat. There isn't much he can do. I'll need to look into this "Toothless Australia" organisation
"What'll it be, boys?" we hear a voice behind us. A waitress wants to take our order.
"Uh, I'll have the scrambled eggs on toast." Sam says.
"I'll have the cauliflower and beetroot burger please." I say.
"Gotcha. That'll be about 10 minutes" The waitress says before walking off. I turn to Sam.
"Hey, after lunch... do you think we should head back to school? It's just that, you know... our teachers will expect us back by the end of the day." I ask him.
"Yeah... I can't think of anything we could do anyway." He replies. He's tapping his fingers on the table. I look down, and see his large hands, with his sharp claws at the end of them. I gaze at them in interest. I never noticed that carnivores always had to keep their claws trimmed. Riley always keeps his blunt and filed down, but I guess felines grow theirs quicker. Sam quickly pulled his fingers away.
"Oh, sorry!" he exclaimed. "I try to keep them trimmed, but they just grow so damn quickly." He's very self-aware of his image, especially in front of herbivores. Better than not caring about what you look like, I guess.
"Actually..." I say while looking at my own fingers. "I think they look cool. As if your body is showing a way to express your power. They kinda look like Riley's"
"Oh, about Riley... I know that you two are good friends and you share things with one another... I want you to keep my story to yourself. Don't tell anyone whatsoever. Understood?" Sam said. His voice sounded very serious, and somewhat gruff, but still soft and careful. For someone who doesn't know how to talk to herbivores often, he does a pretty good job.
"Got it." I reply. "I guess you won't want me telling anyone about the hug, right?"
"My mates would just laugh." He replied, chuckling to himself. We talk a bit more about school, until our meals come out. The smell of scrambled eggs fills our area, taking me back to when I tried a fried egg... ugh... I turn to Sam, and see his face covered in blood, like in my dream. I'm not shocked, because I know it's all just a dream, but I still look and think, in so many ways, at so many times, in so many locations, he could have killed me so swiftly and simply.
Here it is, an almost 2-meter-tall tiger, an example of a freakishly dominant, strong, unstoppable force; that of which could send fear through the hearts of herbivores and even carnivores alike, sitting comfortably next to a small Blackbuck Antelope, a small antelope, coming up to just his chest, could barely defend myself any carnivore's fury. Two very different animals, quietly having lunch together, in a little café, on the corner of a street, in a small, remote town in Australia.
A chaotic life takes a quiet break.
Chapter 31: Pride and Punishment
"Shit, what time does Period 6 start?!" Sam says while running down the street
"Uhh... I think it starts at 1:50! We have a few minutes left." I say while running behind him. We let time slip from our hands. The last 10 minutes have involved a mad dash back to school, hoping that no one noticed that we were supposed to be back almost 3 hours ago. Darn, why do I have to have P.E next? I'm gonna be so tired during sport. We turn the corner run straight towards the front gate. It looks like the bell hasn't gone yet, and everyone is still in the schoolyard. Some look like they just got back from their events. We enter the school grounds, and a few call out Sam's return.
"Hey guys, Sam's back"
"Look, there's Sam. Wonder how he did"
"I bet he crushed the competition"
A crowd forms around us, still all tense from our scramble back to school. Sam grins confidently and steps forward. "I thought you'd all like to know: Jamel and I will be going to the District Finals in Lavalla!" The crowd around us erupts into an excited cheer and applause, which caused me to step back slightly from surprise. Because Whigata Co-Ed High has less athletes competing compared to Jarijari and Tangouri, we have less athletes that make it to the Districts Final. Of about 200 athletes from our school, only about 30 or 40 make it to the next stage. As far as I know, only a handful from Whigata have ever made it to the State Championships, including Sam.
Everyone is still cheering us on. It's still amazing that two athletes in the same race qualified, but everyone is so happy that an herbivore qualified too. It's the first time ever an herbivore has made it to the District Finals in the state, so there's a big reason to celebrate.
Most of the crowd is fixated on Sam, but I have a few around me, patting me on the back, high-fiving me and just cheering me on. It feels so amazing being cheered on and supported. I thought that the carnivores would have seen me as a threat to their power or some hotshot herbivore who thinks he's invincible. I feel a bit better, knowing that carnivores accept me more. I just wonder how the herbivores would think of me...
Suddenly, the bell rang, and it was time to move off. The crowd dispersed, and I was ready to go to P.E.
Because there are only about 30 herbivores in our entire school and we aren't as fast or strong as the carnivores, all the herbivores have P.E in a grouped class on Wednesday afternoons. We usually do simple, mild exercises and sports, such as cricket and golf, and we learn about balanced diets, and keeping healthy. They're fun and all, but I wish I was in a carnivore class. Though, I respect the rules and understand they are for my safety as well. To make the classes bigger, all herbivores are put in the same class, from Year 7 to Year 12
Coach Harris usually teaches that class, but he would still be at the Aerodrome. I take my bag to my locker, and keep an eye out for Riley. He'd be so excited to hear the news. I wait against the wall, on the lookout for Riley, but I can't see him at all. After a minute or two, Levi shows up, without Riley.
"Oi Levi" I call out. "Have you seen Riley at all today?"
He turns around quickly, somewhat startled "Uh... N-No. I gotta go, I can't be late again you know. B-Bye" He rushed away. Huh. Levi seemed really off, as if he was worried about something. Too bad Riley isn't here. I'll text him after class to see if he's OK.
"Hey Jamel, heard you did great in your race today." I turn around and see Don, as tall and scary as ever, clutching his books in one hand. Except... No, he isn't that scary now. I saw him take on a crocodile, which any herbivore would get scared looking at, but... I'm not as nervous around him now. I suddenly have the courage to always talk to him. I make my way to my locker as I talk to him.
"Yeah, Sam and I qualified for the District Finals! We can't believe it!" I proudly claim. I better not get too boastful.
"Well, congratulations! This would be a big day for you. Just go into Lavalla and show them what you're made of" He calls out. I put my bag in my locker and we both head to our classes; meanwhile Don pats my back a couple of times. Looking back, it must have been a combination of fatigue after my race, my weak legs, bad foot placement, or a very strong pat, but I trip straight over. A few carnivores who aren't in class yet stopped to look. I look up at Don, who's coiled back in shock, his arm raised towards his face.
Oh no... It's just like the hyena; he's going to attack me!
On the ground, I shuffle back quickly against a wall, startled and in fear.
"Jamel, wait. I'm sorry, I forgot my strength..." Don begins to call out panicked.
I interrupt him in fear, against the wall. "G-get away from me, don't touch me!" I yell at him. I hear a few gasps. Oh no... that was really, really bad of me to call him that. A mixture of emotions shows on his face. A tear rolled in his eye, then he pouted at me angrily, before storming off towards his class.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Don, wait!" I yell down the hallway. But it's too late. He's already turned the corner and left to go to his class. I stand up and dust myself off. So much for a great day. Some carnivores come up to me, and begin to call me out.
"Hey, you think you can just treat him like dirt because you're special?" one of them says to me.
"Please, wait... I don't know what came over me... I've never treated anyone like tha-" I begin to explain.
"You're Jamel, aren't you? That famous racer who only made history a couple of hours ago? You beat a couple of carnivores in a foot race, and suddenly you're the King of Carnivores?" He gets more aggressive.
"No, please. I was recently..." I try to talk
"Act like that in a town like Lavalla; you probably won't even make it to the race before someone devours you." He says before walking off. A shiver coursed through my body. I've never been to Lavalla or a town as big as it. I hope it's not dangerous. By now, everyone has made their way to their class, and I'm all alone. Riley's gone, Levi's acting weird, and Don is pissed off at me, not to mention a few carnivores. At least the herbivores would have my back, right...
Right?
Chapter 32: Grabbed by the Horns
I make my way to the gym entrance, where I see my herbivore classmates waiting to go inside.
"Oh, here he comes. Wouldn't you be doing the carnivore P.E classes?" I hear someone call out. I don't know what his real name is, but everyone calls him 'Murray'. He's a bull, also in Year 10, and quite a large one at that. I know that his dad does some heavy lifting at the pasteuriser that my dad works at.
"I'm just trying to do something I enjoy" I reply back. He walks up to me. He's only a bit shorter than Sam, but I'm not scared of him, he's an herbivore, so there's less intimidating.
"Why don't you just sharpen your teeth and hang out with them? It seems like you have more fun with Sam and Riley. You don't even care that a bloodthirsty tiger is behind you all the time now" He spits back at me. They still believe Sam's rumour. I want to tell them about Sam, but I promised him that I wouldn't. At this point, a few more herbivores are crowding around and backing up Murray.
"Look. I just want to do something harmless that I want to enjoy, okay? I'm so sorry if this annoys or offends you, but I see this as a way for herbivores to be seen as powerful, courageous and determined to do anything. I mean... Is it so bad that I want to compete and be the best I can?"
"You're displaying yourself, showing off as a target. You'll be running one day with the carnivores. All it takes is their nose and predatory instincts to kick in and then the next place you'll be running is down a carnivore's throat." He said, antagonising me. Before I had a chance to respond, the gym doors open, and we see Mr. Jarman ready to take us inside. Looks like he'll be Coach Harris' replacement today.
"Hello students" He says from the door. "Would you all be able to quietly move inside and set yourselves up today? Jamel, I'd like to see you quickly."
Everyone moves inside, while Mr. Jarman and I stay out for a bit longer. He then quickly moves over to me and bends down to my eye level.
"Jamel, Mr. Harris told me everything, are you OK, are you hurt?" he said in a panic. I guess it's for the best that he hears about the attack.
"I'm fine, Mr. Jarman... I was only pushed." I reply
"You weren't 'only pushed', Jamel." He replied in a gruff tone. "If Sam and the others were a second later, you would have been seriously injured, or worse." I never once stopped to think how lucky I was for Sam, Kevin and everyone else in the locker room to be there to save me.
"It's the ugly truth, Jamel, and I'm sorry to break it to you, but as an herbivore, you can't always assume you'll be safe. Especially one of your size."
Maybe I'll need to be more cautious in the future. No matter where I go, what I do, I can't assume there will be someone like Sam or Coach Harris to stand in and miraculously save the day. He's right. Even though I tried to stay away from and avoid the hyena, I was still attacked. And there might be similar events in the future if I continue to act careless. I hang my head down in shame and look towards the ground. My body is washed by guilt and regret; I don't really feel like doing sports anymore.
"Also, Mr. Harris doesn't want you to spread this hyena story around. You should tell your parents, and he can talk to them." I still look towards the ground. "I wouldn't recommend overexerting yourself anymore today, so I arranged for you to study in the library for this class." I slowly look up
"Thanks, Mr. Jarman. I'm sorry about how I behaved, I'll be more cautious in the future" I say silently.
"Oh, one more thing I forgot. Congratulations, of course. The first herbivore in all of Werrina to get to the District Finals, you're gonna get a reputation for yourself AND Whigata!" he exclaims. I guess there is something to be proud of from today, I'm forgetting about what's important. He turns back to start the class without me, as I make my way to the library. I know exactly what I'm gonna study in this time, but it might not exactly be school related... I make my way back to my locker, get out my books to take a few notes and then go to the library. I set myself up in the computer lab, open my notebook and write a heading at the top: Toothless Australia.
Chapter 33: Inspiring the Canines
www.toothless.wer.org.au
Toothless Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation based in the Derri Region of Australia. Our main focus is to control and weaken the carnivores across all of Australia. For too long, herbivores have been the submissive, and the oppressed of the great beasts that are carnivores. We hope to turn this around, and see that a revolutionary turn of events unfold, where we rise up against carnivores and take back all that they have taken from us...
I'm sorry, I can't read on. This is absolute madness! I'm reading the website's main statement, and this is just disgusting. It's a crime against the animal kingdom. How is killing off all the carnivores going to solve our problems? I've lived my entire life understanding that carnivores are a little rough around the edges, but are a great asset to our society. They're strong and fast, and I look up to some of them. We even help them out, offering our products, such as eggs and milk. Maybe for every 100,000 carnivores, there's one or two who can't control themselves, and feel the urge to satisfy their hunger with something more...
"Uh... hey Jamel?" I hear someone call from behind. I panic and quickly close the tab, turn around and see... Tye? I didn't think he had a study period now... he should get to class.
"Uh... yeah... what's up?" I reply, unassured. I'd expect him to run a claw up my back or growl softly in my ear to get my attention.
"I just wanted to check that everything was OK. You didn't hurt anything, did you?" he checked. Is he tricking me?
"No, I'm fine. Thanks for helping me out. You really saved me, and I owe you one." I say, remembering what Mr. Jarman and I spoke about.
"I just want to also say congratulations for qualifying to the next round. Hopefully we can train together... my Javelin score was the second-best. I also wanted to say thanks" he says. Thanks? For what? So he can brag to some girl about how 'he saved an herbivore'?
"Because you've inspired me. No offence, but I never considered "herbivore athletes" to be a thing, and you weren't what I expected. I know, I've been a bit of a dick to you, and the other smaller animals, but I saw that hyena and knew that I didn't want to be like him. Go ahead to inspire more herbivores... fingers crossed, I could be competing with them next year, you know. And if you win the State Championships, you'll be doing it for all animals in Werrina" Tye says. He looks over his shoulder, and sees some other students arrive.
"I gotta go, sorry. Best of luck in Lavalla!" He says before rushing off out of the library. Wow. That was truly spoken from the heart. He's very happy to be living alongside with herbivores now... which is what Toothless doesn't want. Okay, for the sake of Tye, Sam and all the carnivores I care about, I'm going to find out as much as I can about Toothless Australia!
The next hour and a half flew by, with strenuous studying and researching into Toothless Australia; looking through their history, interviews with campaign members and even politicians on their work. There are even carnivores that work with them, who go on "hunger strikes", where they refuse to eat meat for weeks. They probably do it to show that the average carnivore is a meat-eater, but that's not true.
Even worse, it seems like they're targeting rural towns, like Whigata, saying that carnivores deserve to be in large, overcrowded, poverty-stricken cities, but herbivores can live peacefully in the rural centers. They'll go around to agricultural towns across the nation and protest against "carnivores stealing our products, such as eggs, milk and wool". A lot of the leaders and higher-ups seem to work with politics. I've heard these politicians are pro-segregation and I'm actually surprised they haven't been attacked yet. There are statistics on his page that seem a bit out of proportion. 78% of all carnivores acquire a taste for blood before the age of 15? 98% of all carnivores have admitted to thinking about killing and devouring an herbivore, and 82% of all carnivores admitted to having dreams about devouring their herbivore peers?
There's no way any of those can be right! If those stats were true, I would have been picked off by a carnivore within the first week of school. I check the time, 3:23PM; two minutes until the bell. I begin to pack up my notes, when one of the library ladies comes over.
"Hi Jamel. I received an email from Mr. Harris. He wants to see you in his office after school." She says. Hmm... I wonder what he could want. The bell goes, and I make my way to his office in the gym. As I'm walking there, I get a few more carnivores congratulating me. I enter the gym and begin walking towards his office in the back. I see pictures framed along the wall of previous students and athletes, from the 1970s, all the way until now. I look along until last year's photo. Pictured is Sam, Erica, Coach Harris and a few other carnivores at the District Finals in Lavalla. I guess there's still room for an herbivore to make that wall. I suddenly hear the door at the end of the hall open. It's Mr. Harris, and he looks very pleased to see me. Mr. Jarman is also there, sitting down
"Ah, Jamel. Come in, come in. Let's just have a friendly chat." He invites me in. I make my way inside his office, and seat myself. His office is neatly decorated, with a few trophies, medals and sport equipment around. He has newspaper clippings of the school tacked on the wall, as well as the framed pictures of previous high-achieving students.
"Well, Jamel. The school community is absolutely ecstatic that you finished in 3rd place today and qualified for the District Finals. You must be proud of yourself." Coach Harris tells me.
"Oh yeah. I can't wait to go again in Lavalla." I say excitedly.
"Now, just a few things I want to talk to you about. One, that hyena who attacked you, has been temporarily suspended from his school, and no charges are to be laid." He mentions. No charges? But I was assaulted. If he went any further, I would have been killed. "This is solely because he is a minor, though he will undergo intensive therapy to correct his behaviour." I guess that seems fair. Animals like Ricky would have a long way to go in controlling their emotions.
"Second, I was wondering if it would be alright if you could spend some time after school tomorrow to be interviewed by the local TV station. They'll probably ask simple questions, and you'll become the face of Whigata Co-Ed High." He says with a gleam in his eye. I have a feeling this is also just a publicity stunt for the school, but why not?
"Yeah, that should be fine." I say sheepishly.
"Wonderful. I'll be outside the gym at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Make sure you're in school uniform, of course and looking your best. Everyone would love to see you there." He says "Other than that, you may head off. I'm also holding a meeting tomorrow for all the qualifiers in the gym as well." He adds as I go to stand up.
"Thanks, Coach!" I say at the door.
"Jamel, just remember; we're all proud of you, no matter how you perform. Congratulations again, and best of luck in the future." He adds on a final note.
Chapter 34: Historic Acts in Whigata
As soon as I got my bag from my locker, I remembered to text Riley, wish him a happy birthday and see if I could come around to give him his present. I got him a couple of rice cakes, plus a small bag of baked banana chips, because I know how much Riley likes hard, crunchy food. I send him a text as I got my bag from my locker, but I don't get a response. I begin to walk towards Riley's house. He lives only a few streets away, so it's not a hard walk. By the time I get to his house, I still don't get a response.
Hmm... maybe he's sick, which is unfortunate on what's supposed to be the happiest day of the year. I decide to walk the extra length home, and set myself up for a bit of homework. Mum and Dad aren't home yet, so I have this afternoon to myself. Suddenly, I get a response from Riley:
"Hey Jamel, sorry I didn't respond in time. Yeah, I am a bit sick, and I've been feeling tired lately, so it might not be the best idea if you come over. I know you had a present to give, so if you feel like it, just drop it off at the doorstep. Sorry again that I couldn't be at school today. I heard you qualified as well, congratulations. I should be OK to come to school tomorrow."
Hmm... I hope he'll be OK. I have time to drop off the present, though it isn't wrapped. Oh well. As I leave my house and make my way to Riley's I get that same feeling I had last week... where someone was watching and following me. I look around, and I only see a middle-aged horse reading a newspaper. I guess there's nothing threatening about that, but the feeling still lingers along. Like last time, I ignore it and focus on the destination. I reach Riley's house and see both of his parents' cars in the driveway. Weird, Riley's parents usually work late. I hope he isn't that sick that he needs to be taken care of. I leave the banana chips and rice cakes on his doorstep, and quietly walk away. That feeling still lingers around me. I hurry back home to do some work, and see Mum and Dad back home. I enter, and see them both standing there with a small present by the dinner table.
"Hey Jamel! How d'you do today?" Dad asks me inquisitively. They both look on, quietly awaiting my response.
"Oh, darn! I forgot to text you after the race. I finished third, which means I get to go to the District Finals in Lavalla!" I call out in excitement. Mum and Dad celebrate with me, but I need to tell them about what happened today with the hyena. They both spend a lot of time with carnivores, and know that I do too, so they'd understand that I'm still safe from harm. And they'd feel a bit more better knowing that Sam was there to help me out.
"Mum, Dad" I say nervously. "There's something you need to know about today..." I add as I begin my story.
~~~
"Oh dear... I hope you stay away from him" Mum says, a little bit scared.
"I don't think I'll ever see him again. I'm so thankful that Sam and the others were there to help me, and I know I'll be more cautious in the future. I'm sure you might not understand what really happened..."
"Jamel, we were in high school during the early 80s." Dad says. "Before the Bicentenary Act of 1988, we were unprotected from carnivores." My dad stated, a bit disappointed. I think back to what the old koala said at the tuckshop. About when he was younger, herbivores could only defend themselves by what they said.
"And we were told to 'toughen up and get used to it'. We were herbivores in a carnivore-majority town in the middle of nowhere. We told our teachers and parents, did what we could, but we didn't have much progress." My mum added. Toughen up and get used to it? We're herbivores! We can't just fight back, we'll be torn apart.
"I had a... herbivore friend who was a bit small and weaker than the others. In Year 8, he was picked on by older students, and they sometimes... made obscene, threatening comments to him. One day, he couldn't take it any more, his family was already packing to move to Durranga. They had enough. We all did." Dad said. A tear formed in his eye, and his voice cracked. That sounds so dreadful. The room was silent for almost a minute.
"But... slowly, things got better after 1988. We didn't go to university, but we were treated a lot better in the workplace. Maybe it was a maturity thing, maybe it was the new law, we don't know. But we are so happy that, despite this one-time attack that should not happen again, you are still comfortable around carnivores. Even the big ones, like Riley and that tiger you were talking about." Mum added.
"Yeah, we'll talk to Coach Harris, and he'll talk to you about what'll happen in the future" Dad says. The rest of the night was pretty normal, as well as excited. I also told Mum and Dad about the news interview tomorrow, and they seem pretty excited for me. After dinner, I did some more homework, and finished off with a bit more research on Toothless Australia before going to bed.
Chapter 35: Spat at the Ground
I'm dreaming again. Let's hope this time won't be as violent. It looks like I'm back at the Aerodrome and racing. It's the last lap, 200 meters to go, it's neck and neck between Ricky, myself and... Sam? I look ahead and there's no one racing in front of us or finished. Wow, we could all come really close here. I just keep on pushing, hoping that I don't fall behind. We've already made the Top 3, but it would be amazing if I won.
100 meters to go, and Sam pushes ahead hastily, leaving Ricky and I behind. 50 meters to go, and Sam has already crossed the line. Ricky comes right beside me, sticks out his leg and trips me right over, I hear him chuckling as he speeds away. Someone would have to have seen that. Another racer, spectator or teacher would have called it out and disqualify Ricky. I quickly pick myself up and cross over the line, once again in third. Sam and Ricky don't look too pleased for me.
What is going on? When I finished, Sam was so ecstatic for me. If he had the confidence, he would have come running over and celebrate with me; instead he's... talking to Ricky? About what? And no one disqualified him either, despite a very obvious trip-up.
Everyone else eventually finishes and they don't seem impressed that that an herbivore beat them. We go through the announcements again, and are eventually sent off to go change. We all enter the change room; shouldn't be too long until Tye and the others show up. I move to the back of the room, and keep a close eye on Ricky. Everyone else seems to be in a bad mood, so I'll need to check on them as well. Soon, the room goes quiet and Ricky comes over. I'm still tying my shoes, so I only need to stand u—
He grabs me by my right horn, and throws me to the ground with force. I look towards the others, and they look on in amusement. Why aren't they—
Ricky's boot goes flying into my jaw, keeping me pinned down. I roll over onto my back to protect myself from anymore hit, but he quickly brandishes his sharp claws, digging them into my shoulder blades.
Ouch! I scream out in pain, and the room's echo rings in my ear. He slowly drags his claws down my back, and I feel every inch he moves. I look over to the others. None of them even look shocked or surprised. They just watch on, laughing and jeering at me.
Once he moved all the way down my back, he grabbed for my horn and flips me over onto my back. I feel my blood coming out of my back and forming a small puddle around my body. Sam slowly walks over... just in time, mate. While he stands above my head, he spits on me, as I slowly suffer in my own puddle of blood. I can hear everyone else laugh as they leave the change room.
Hello? Anyone around? I'm left here, semiconscious, without any help whatsoever. After about a minute, I hear some voices coming from the door. It sounds like Tye and the others from the Javelin event. The voices get louder and clearer as they approach until they stop. I can't turn my head, because it hurts to move my body.
"Sam obviously left his mark here." I hear Tye's voice. He and a few others walk up to me, and they come into my field of view. One of them bends down and dips their fingers in the pool of blood that's growing around me.
"Dibs on the legs, the rest of you can have the scraps" Tye calls out as he chuckles sinisterly. Everybody else is surrounding me now as I begin to blackout from blood loss...
I wake up in a pool of sweat. Another nightmare? I guess I have been repressing my instincts a lot lately, and Ricky's attack wouldn't make my conscious feel any safer. But I know that I'm gonna safe for Lavalla.
I'll be safe... and ready.
._./|\._. Dreamtime Story 5: Herbivore P.E ._./|\._.
Riley: Hey Jamel, I've been meaning to ask... what are your gym classes like?
Jamel: We kind of just play games, similar to the ones we did in Primary School.
Riley: Really? At the moment we're doing rugby. Every class, the bigger guys tackle me down.
Jamel: I've always wanted to try something like rugby. It looks amazing on TV, but you'd need a lot of strength, right?
Riley: Yeah, I think it's best if you just stick with something a little slower paced, instead of rugby. You'd get flattened in a second.
Jamel: Maybe I should just enjoy some dodgeball for the time being...
Riley: What about non-contact sports, like tennis or cricket?
Jamel: Well, I could give them a try...