Chapter 93: Suddenly dreamt of Unexpected Allies.
I can't fall asleep.
Not because I'm unable to from the fear and torment that I experienced today, but because I know that as soon as I go to sleep, I'm gonna have a frightening dream, which will make me even more scared of carnivores than I already am.
Mum and I discussed that it would be for the best to have tomorrow away from school with all that's going on. I just hope that Dad's gonna be okay after the accident. How would he be able to continue working at the very place he lost his arm at? Being assaulted by his very own best friend, who never meant any harm to him.
It's very late, and I know that I can't make it to sunrise by staying awake for so long. I have to control and comfort myself. No matter how scary and intense things may seem, I have to just remind myself; it's just a dream. I get a glass of water, and make myself comfortable in bed, and I have to prepare myself for what's to come. First, the dream about being devoured at school, then the one with the hyena at the Aerodrome? I'm still having a hard time trying to figure out what the cheetah one means; perhaps it was just a fever dream from when I was sick.
I slowly drift off to sleep, with nothing in my mind except for the events of today.
Just go easy on me.
I find myself in the hospital waiting room again. I see Mr. Murray, Dad's co-workers, and the police officers questioning them. I think Mr. Murray is telling me something, so I begin listening.
"...they're under a blood trance, and they're struggling to comprehend what is right and wrong. I'm sorry to say, but there was a lot of blood." He says. Huh... that's exactly what he said at the hospital. Suddenly, a police officer comes over.
"Mr. Murray, we have a few questions to ask you regarding the incident. If you would just like to step this way..." the police officer says while ushering Mr. Murray into another room. It seems like I'm all alone now. This is the way the nightmare will unfold. The police will all leave, and I'll be devoured by the other "blood tranced" carnivores.
I look outside and notice that it's very stormy, with rain lashing at the windows, and wind blowing fiercely against the building. Weird... we usually have storms in December, not Aug- FFPT.
Oh. The power's gone out. Great, I think we all know what's going to happen next. I look around the room, dimly lit by the outside; furniture knocking around and shadows moving across the room, but with bright red eyes. I knew that most carnivores could see in the dark, but I never thought that their eyes would glow. Anything to get me even more scared.
The red eyes slowly get up and move towards me. I can hear some of them growling and hissing now. Will this be a slow death, or a quick death?
Then, in the corner of my eyes, I see a door swing open. It's the door that Nalu's Dad came out of with the police. The doorway has a blinding light and another silhouette in front of it. It doesn't look like a snow leopard, but instead something much bigger and furrier. Who could that be?
"C'mon Horns, we're here to save you." The silhouette says. I think I know that voice. I think it's... Abe? The silhouette steps towards me, revealing itself. It IS Abe. What's he doing here? Why is he trying to save me? I hesitate a little bit, then realise my options. A group of bloodthirsty carnivores who don't understand what they're doing or a schoolmate who want to help me.
I quickly move towards Abe, who follows behind me and locks the door shut, saving us from the carnivores outside.
"Abe, you... you saved me." I say while looking at him. It feels weird; he has this bizarre aura glowing around him that just assures me that I'd never get hurt while he's around. I kind of get this same feeling around Sam and Coach Harris.
We walk down the hallway, while talking. I know this is just a figment of my imagination, but I'm slowly beginning to trust Abe even more.
"Jamel, you have to realise that you can't trust every carnivore you meet. But you have to be open to them, or else you won't see who they truly are" he says finally at the end of the hallway. We stop in front of a large door.
"But how do I know who to trust? And how can I make sure I don't get killed?" I ask him. It really feels like I'm asking myself at this point.
"You just have to get to know them, and you'll feel safe around the ones you love" He replies softly. He opens the large door, and I see Sam, Erica, Nalu, Tye and a few others sitting down in a room that looks like the gym. These are the ones. These are the ones that I love and trust. They'll keep me safe, and I'll keep them safe too. I need to hold them very close to my heart, even when things get tough
"Oh, hey Jamel. What's up?" Sam asks in a happy tone
And then I woke up. For once I didn't die.
Chapter 94: The Recovery Day
I look up at my alarm clock and see 9:34AM. I panic for a second and then remember that I don't have school today, which reminded me of Dad. I just hope he pulls through okay. He still has to recover from the surgery and learn how to use his arm again. And the mental trauma that he has to deal with would certainly make things hard. For once it isn't raining outside, which is good.
That dream was really bizarre. It makes me question who I should really trust, but why was Abe in the dream, telling me who to trust? Maybe Abe isn't such a bad guy after all, but maybe there's someone else I know who isn't trustworthy.
Riley's been acting pretty sketchy the last few months. I know he can't help it because of his medication, which is supposed to cause weird side effects for a few weeks. Actually, come to think of it, Riley started taking the medication in May. It's been three months and he still hasn't recovered like Levi has. Maybe there's something else going on that I need to figure out.
I stumble out of bed and hear voices coming from the living room. I walk over to investigate and find two men in suits sitting at the table. One of them is Mr. Rudd, the hyena that met with Mum and Dad earlier on... the other is a stork, who I've never seen before. Maybe Mum is being informed on what's happening. I decide not to interrupt them and have my shower instead.
The thought of a "blood trance" is also kind of scary. To think that if I cut myself one day and started bleeding, then the carnivores around me wouldn't be able to control themselves and possible kill me... at least, I think that's how it works. How strong does the scent have to be for a carnivore to lose control?
I then get dressed and meet Mum in the living room; both Mr. Rudd and the stork are gone, so I guess everything has been sorted.
"Morning Jamel" she says while sipping some tea in front of the TV. She still seems a bit down, for obvious reasons. But I guess we have to be there for each other.
"Hi mum. Mind if I sit with you?" I ask her.
"Yeah sure, bud." She replies. "The man you saw before was a legal officer who worked with Dad's Pasteuriser, and Mr. Rudd, our supervisor. They were letting us know that we can get compensation for Dad's accident." She added. I looked at her confused.
"Basically, the pasteuriser will give us money while Dad isn't able to work, to ensure that we don't go poor" she cleared up. "As I already mentioned, your father and I can't join you in Lavalla, but we wish you the best of luck." she added. I'm a little sad that they can't come to support me, but I think it's good that she decided to stay back and help Dad. But at least I still have Sam, Coach Harris and everyone else to cheer me on.
"And then when Dad recovers, he'll need to find a new job, right?" I ask Mum.
"No, he'll go back to working at the Pasteuriser. He's expected to make a full recovery Jamel, he isn't going to have a disability for his entire life." She answers for me. I look at her, confused yet again.
"But how could Dad go back to working at the Pasteuriser, with the mental trauma of being attacked by his own peers?" I ask her.
"I'll be going in this afternoon to talk to him about all that, but he seems adamant on going back to the pasteuriser. I don't know why, but I can ask him. Did you want to join us?" she offered.
"No thanks. I wanted to try and get on top of all my homework today. Maybe on the weekend when I have more time." I suggest.
"Okay, bud. I understand. I'll tell him you said hi, he should be awake from his surgery by now." She says.
I hope we're all awake for what's about to happen. Because I doubt things are going to get better.
Chapter 95: Don't they all know?
I spent most of my day off doing a small amount of homework, but I couldn't focus on my schoolwork, so instead I watched a few movies, and practiced some push ups, so Coach Harris wouldn't jump all over me for not doing them properly. I can't imagine how everyone at school would treat me now, considering that they'd know about what happened to my father. When carnivores want us to feel safer, they usually avoid talking to us, so I bet that I'll go through the rest of high school without a carnivore ever talking to me again.
And to be honest, I am a little scared of carnivores now. I now understand that carnivores can so easily injure us herbivores without even realising it. I heard about last year, in some boarding school, an anteater had his arm torn off by his own friend, a black panther. If it could happen to them, it could happen to me, from anyone else in my training sessions. If I'm gonna go back to school on Thursday, I need to be cautious and aware of what can happen.
I wake up, have a shower, get dressed, and the usual on Thursday morning, but I ask Mum for a lift into school. I just have to ignore everyone, like they'll ignore me. I can't just expect carnivores to talk to me straight away, so I'll just keep my distance until they want to talk. It might be a few days, but I'm sure I'll be fine.
Mum parks just outside the school gate, and turns to me. "Hey bud. If you get through until lunchtime and don't feel comfortable at school, just call me and I can pick you up, okay? It's alright; dad is receiving the best care at the hospital, and no one expects you to be super close to carnivores today. Just take your time, alright?" she says to me. She kind of understands how I feel. I'm sure she's having trouble going back to work and dealing with the carnivores there.
I step out of the car and say goodbye to Mum. Here I go... the first day of what could be a different life for me. I see Levi walking into school, he wouldn't be the best to talk to anyway, so I'm sure he'd try to ignore me.
"Hey Jamel, were you sick yesterday?" he asks. I feel timid, I thought they'd try and make me feel better by ignoring me.
"Umm... I umm... Uh... yeah." I say. I thought they'd be nervous around me, but I guess I'm nervous around them. No wonder.
"Well, hopefully you'll be alright by next week. It's not long now until you go to Lavalla." He says. He's right, only six more days until I leave. If I'm gonna be a nervous wreck around carnivores, then I need to get myself sorted by Wednesday, otherwise I might not be prepared to race. Three months of training, and being pushed to the limit by Coach Harris all wasted from my fears.
"Yeah, hope everything clears up..." I quietly say to him. He then goes off to some of his other friends. I just need to keep away from everyone for now. I don't know who I can trust through all this.
"Hey Jamel. I just wanted to say thanks for the scratch mat from Tuesday. My claws got a serious workout last night after school. Here, take a look" Sam says from behind me. I turn around, and see Sam, showing off his claws. Am I dreaming or something? I'd never thought that Sam would show his claws to anyone, let alone me.
"Uh... they're pretty big and... sharp" I say with a shaky voice. I can feel a bead of sweat form across my forehead, and my body quiver from fear. Sam quickly realises what he did and moved his hands behind his back. I slowly shuffle off in fear and paranoia.
"Wait, Jamel! I'm sorry, I just wanted to show you, I didn't realise what I was doing." He says while trailing behind. I guess no one does know about what happened to my dad, and I don't know how I feel about it. I walk past my locker and move behind one of the portable classrooms where there's no one around. I then slump to the ground, leaning against the wall with my head in my knees and begin to cry.
After a minute, Sam catches up to me, and sits down with me.
"Jamel, please, I... I'm really sorry for what I did. I just thought it would be okay to show you my claws, but I didn't realise what I was doing." He said. I think he's on the verge of crying as well. I slowly move my head up, and take a deep breath.
"No, Sam. It's not your fault. On a normal day, I would have just said something nice about your claws. But today... Do you know why Mr. Jarman wanted to see me on Tuesday at lunchtime?" I ask him. He shakes his head, as I notice tears forming in his eyes.
"I actually thought that everyone would know by now but... my dad had his arm torn off at work by a carnivore co-worker. Ever since, I've just been really... cautious around carnivores, because I know that it could happen to anyone at any time. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come to school today either."
I look up at Sam, and he's taken a step back. Carnivores at our school know to give anyone space if they're emotionally distressed, especially herbivores. But I look into his big, feline eyes and see that he's in distress too. He's freaking out at the very thought of him making me feel uncomfortable.
"I... I... I'm so sorry." He said quietly.
"He's in the hospital now, recovering, but I'm just a little tense at the moment." I say. Suddenly, I feel something inside me open up. Like a large, sudden realisation. "But, as I talk to you about it, I feel a bit more comfortable. You're someone I can trust, who I know would never turn on me. You make me feel safe when we're around." I tell him. He slowly moves closer to me, and I don't feel scared of him anymore.
Did this whole experience, with my dad being injured by carnivores, make me appreciate carnivores even more?
Chapter 96: The Attacker's Son
The bell rings, and Sam and I move off to our classes, after talking for a bit more. We're both excited and nervous for Berriwan and Lavalla, which is good to hear that I'm not the only feeling that way. The day went pretty well, and I never felt scared or nervous around any carnivores. I guess whatever opened inside of me helped me feel better about myself and reaffirmed what I always thought about them.
At recess and lunchtime, I still sat with Ollie and Syd, which was fine. Sam saw me and said that he wanted to talk to me after school behind the buildings again. He might want to clear a few things up with me. When the final bell rang, I went to my locker, put my stuff away, and went behind the buildings. Sam followed soon after, having a locker nearby.
"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I ask him.
"I'm just waiting on someone else; they shouldn't be too long." He replies. I hope he didn't tell anyone about what happened to my dad. Minutes go by, and almost everyone has left the school grounds to go home. Suddenly, someone pops their head around the corner.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" they say in a young, squeaky voice. I turn around to see Nalu, and he's a bit shocked to see me. "Jamel... uh... hey." He added. I look at him in both surprise and for some reason, a bit of anger. His Dad tore my dad's arm off, so I'm allowed to feel some negative emotion, but... why anger?
"Hey. How's your dad holding up?" I ask him. He seemed distraught the last time I saw him, covering my school shirt with my own Dad's blood.
"He could be better, but the police aren't getting involved, which is a relief" he says. He seems oddly happy about this. "Jamel... I'm really sorry about what happened, and I hope your dad does get better. I felt really bad about what happened between our dads, but I hope that they and we can continue to be friends" he says.
He seems a bit sad now, and I bet he even feels a bit guilty as well. My feelings of anger go away, but I still question why I felt that way.
"I forgive you Nalu. It wasn't your fault, and I appreciate your courage. I hope we can be friends too" I reply. He smiled weakly at what I said, but I can tell that there's a bit of awkward tension between us. Hopefully everything can clear up over time.
"Thanks. I gotta get to training now. Thanks for helping me out, Sam" He says before he dashes off to the gym. I look back at Sam, a bit confused.
"Nalu told me the exact same thing at lunch time as you did, and I thought the only way you can feel normal again is by him apologising to you and asking for forgiveness. Did it work?" he asked.
"Well... I do feel a bit better now. Thanks Sam, you really know how to cheer me up" I say. I guess I was right to appreciate him as a carnivore, because he seems to be really good at being nice and careful around herbivores.
Chapter 97: The Canine-Feline War
"Jamel, this might sound kind of weird, but I want to learn everything I can about herbivores. How you live, what you think of us, what you like to do, how to be polite around you guys. I feel like it would be useful to know when I'm older." Sam tells me. We're now walking home, through the streets. Because it's cold outside, everyone hurries back home to get warm, but Sam and I aren't in any rush. We see only a few others out in the streets, which is fine.
"I'd be happy to tell you all about us, Sam. It might teach me something as well, and we might be able to learn off the others at Berriwan" I say. Because herbivores in Whigata are considered a minority, we aren't always aware of what's socially acceptable for carnivores and herbivores in other places, as well as our rights. For all I know, in Lavalla, they might think I'm getting pushed around too much by my carnivore friends.
But whatever happens, Sam and I must stick true to our pact that we made. As long as he promises to protect herbivores from any harm, I promise to stop any harassment that carnivores receive, just because of who they are.
Sam and I continue our walk down the street, and we talk a bit more about the week ahead of us. I can't wait to meet new herbivores at Berriwan, as well as check out the school. I can't imagine life at a boarding school. We turn around the corner and get a bit of a surprise.
"Hey Jamel." I hear a familiar voice call out. It's Riley, he looks a bit tense. I recall that I didn't even see him in History today, so he must have been having some more problems.
"Uh... hey Riley. Were you off sick today?" I ask nervously. He isn't wearing his school clothes, and I doubt he had time to go home and change so quickly.
"No, I skipped school today. My mind feels like it's breaking" he said in strain. He really looks unhealthy.
"Umm... you should probably go to a doctor, Riley. You don't look so..." Sam offers.
"SHUT UP!!" Riley interrupts. I step back in fear, and Sam moves partially in front of me. I guess he really knows how to defend me. "You two are the reason I feel this way" He cries out. "Ever since you started avoiding me, Jamel." I get defensive.
"I started avoiding you for my own safety, ever since you bit my damn hand last term. I know about the PIS medication, Tye and Levi told me about it" I call out.
"He bit you?" Sam said in disbelief.
"These "piss meds"... I try to take them Jamel, okay? But they make me feel like shit every day. I only take them when I'm feeling good, but they make me feel EVEN WORSE!!" Riley said, ignoring Sam.
"That's low, Riley. You need to take that medication everyone's safety, including your own. Look at what you've done; you lost your best friend, as well as attacked him. You gotta take care of yourself, or else you'll hurt someone for real, and end up in jail, or worse." Sam hissed at Riley. I notice that when carnivores get angry at each other, they don't try to hide it. I take a few steps back as I notice Sam and Riley getting increasingly angry.
"I bet this is what you wanted. You moved here from some other town because of some herbivore you devoured, and you want Jamel to be your second course. Everyone has rumours about you, Sam. But they all link you devouring some innocent herbivore" Riley says. Wow, that was too harsh. He turns me. "Jamel, do you really want to stand behind a monster like him?" he asks with a smirk on his face.
Before I can reply with anger, I notice Sam's ears twisting back and his tail his lashing side to side. I look ahead and notice Riley, still smirking. He wanted all of this to happen, and now Sam is going to lose his cool because of me. I feel so dumb, I don't want any of them to fight, but I can't do anything to stop this now.
Without hesitating, Sam lunges at Riley, with his hands and teeth out. They're really gonna fight, here on the streets.
Chapter 98: Losing my Social Circles.
Sam jumps on top of Riley, but I peek over Sam's shoulder and see Riley biting into his forearm. Riley's biting with a lot more force than he did on my hand... Sam uses his other arm to punch Riley's jaw, causing him to let go. Riley then flips Sam over and pins his arms down.
Just as he's about to make a move, a car comes screeching around the corner. I look inside, and see Riley's parents. They definitely don't look happy.
"RILEY, YOU GET IN THIS DAMN CAR RIGHT NOW!" his Mum calls out from the driver's window. Riley's Dad gets out of the car, and peels Riley off of Sam, holding him from his neck scruff.
"First you skip your medication, then you wag school, and now you're FIGHTING TIGERS!?!" his dad screams at him. Riley's dad turns towards me, and goes all red. "Oh... hi Jamel. Are you hurt, is everything okay?" he asks. I nervously nod my head. "You should both get back home, pronto" he says while dragging Riley into the backseat of the car.
The car then sped off down the street; I could hear Riley's parents yelling at him until they got too far away. I quickly move over to Sam and look at his arm. It's mostly marks, but I see some of Riley's teeth managed to cut into his skin, causing him to bleed.
"Sam, you're hurt!" I call out. I quickly reach for my bag, grab my scarf and wrap it around his wound.
"Jamel... please. It was nothing..." he replied quietly.
"No, we can't let him get away with this. He had no right to accuse you of..." I said.
"I said, LET GO!" he says, while pushing me back. I fall over on the ground, as he towers over me. He looked serious, as his eyes constricted into the thin slits. That usually means that a feline doesn't want to be bugged.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I quietly say to him.
"Yeah... sure." He says back, walking off. After gaining my courage and bravery throughout the day, I had it all shattered by my two best friends fighting. There's no way Riley wants to even see me now, and Sam isn't gonna want anything to do with me. The Berriwan trip is only gonna make things more awkward, so I probably should keep away from him, to prevent making things worse.
I dust myself off, and make my way back home. I'm sure Mum would be wondering where I am. Did I really lose my two friends today? Will they forgive me? I was only trying to help Riley out with his medication side effects, but now I'm not so sure that he is taking the medicine. And I never wanted Sam to get in the way of things, because I know about his past.
I make my way home, trying to avoid bumping into anyone along the way in case they happen to have troubles with me as well, make my way up to the front door, walk inside and flop onto the couch.
"Hey Jamel, is everything okay?" I hear Mum say behind me. I forgot that she wasn't going to work today. I guess it's time for me to explain it all. She'll understand me, I'm sure of it.
While I start crying, I tell her about Riley's PIS Medication, as well as Sam, who she still hasn't met. I then told her about the fight that just happened.
"Oh Jamel... As long as you're okay, that's all that matters" she says. Maybe I shouldn't have dumped all this extra emotional weight onto her.
"But I lost two of my friends today. What if they never want to talk to me again?" I say.
"Jamel, trust me, they'll come around. Besides, it sounds like they weren't fighting you. They were fighting over you. This Sam guy still appreciates you, and I'm sure Riley will come to his senses eventually. They'd be under a bit of stress from the Lavalla Race and the PIS Medication" Mum explains. I guess she's right, but I can't help but feel as if they both changed from this. It was wrong of me to assume that Sam was once a vicious predator, and it was wrong of me to ignore Riley for so long.
But I'm sure things will get better, they just have to. Especially considering that tomorrow comes another training session after school.
Chapter 99: Bright Bear and Timid Tiger
The night drifted through slowly. Mum and I enjoyed dinner in front of the TV together, before I went off to do some homework and then off to bed. Friday at school wasn't too bad, and I found out that only Sam and Nalu knew about my Dad's incident. Even Murray didn't know anything about it, which was nice of Mr. Murray. I also tried to socialise with carnivores to try and fully convince myself not to be afraid of them, after Dad's incident and the fight from yesterday.
I noticed that underneath Sam's school shirt, he had his arm bandaged up from when Riley bit into him. I guess he doesn't want anyone to see what happened. The final bell goes, and everyone heads home to enjoy their weekend, except those who are going to Lavalla next week, because we are having one final training session, which is supposed to be very gruelling and tough. We all enter the gym, get changed, and as we re-enter the gym, Coach Harris is already yelling orders. He gets to me, and smiles deviously.
"Jamel... 40 push ups, get to it!" he yells. 40? I couldn't even do 30 on Monday, how should I be able to do 40?
"Abe, you can do sit ups for warm up." Coach Harris adds. I see Abe then walk off to do his sit ups with his friends. "Oh Abe, could you do them next to Jamel?" he adds.
"Why?" we both ask at the same time. Things are a little awkward between Abe and me. I know that Abe has improved since I discovered his use of blood to improve his performance a few months ago, but I guess he feels uncomfortable around me because he doesn't want me to get hurt. I want to just clear everything between us and start off fresh, but I guess today is the time to do that.
We both set ourselves up on the gym floor and begin our exercises. 1, 2, 3... I still don't understand why Coach Harris wanted me and Abe to work next to each other. 9, 10, 11, 12... usually we just go to the other side of the gym and do out workouts separately. 17, 18, 19... He knows about what happened to my dad, so I guess he also wants me to feel a bit more comfortable around larger carnivores. 28, 29, 30, 31... Maybe this is what the dream was telling me about, when Abe saved me from the carnage in the hospital. Maybe Abe is someone I can truly trust and would protect me. 39, 40, Done.
Wait a minute.
I actually finished 40 push ups? Wow, I didn't even realise until I was finished. I stand up, proudly, and notice my tired arms and legs. I make eye contact with Abe, and he talks to me.
"Wow Horns. You actually did 40 push ups? Good job, I'm impressed." He said. I guess he really has changed.
"Well done, Jamel. I knew you could do it if you put your mind to it." Coach Harris says from behind me. We then move into our training and exercises, as normal. I'm partnered up with Sam because we're both doing long distance running. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday, so things are a bit quiet between us. His bandage is showing now because our P.E shirts have short sleeves. I notice Nalu talking to him
"Ooh, Sam. What happened to you?" Nalu said while pointing at Sam's bandage.
"Uhh... well, I was cooking something last night, and some oil splashed onto my wrist. I'm keeping it bandaged up for now." He says hesitantly. I then walk up to them both.
"Nalu, shouldn't you be training in your group now?" I ask him.
"Sorry Jamel, you're right." He said in a naïve tone. He then walked back to his group.
"Jamel, I don't want to talk about last night right now. We'll talk later" Sam snapped at me.
"Sam, come on. I don't want to lose you as a friend. You're a great guy, and..."
"Jamel, I said later." He replied. The look on his face reminded me of last night when he silenced me after trying to cover up his arm with my scarf, and it's enough to silence me again
I'm gonna need that scarf back now that I think about it.
Chapter 100: The Questions are Answered
Our last training session comes to an end, and Coach Harris wants to talk to us at the end. We all gather on the bleachers to hear what he has to say. He mainly talks about how proud he is of us, but also that he has an announcement.
"I just got off the phone with Berriwan Grammar College, and they told me that on the first day that we arrive in Lavalla, AND on the sports day, we will be visited by none other than Mr. Ryan Selman himself" Everyone erupts into discussion and excited talk amongst themselves, while I'm a little confused. I lean over to Erica ask her who Mr. Selman is.
"I'm surprised you don't know Jamel. He ran in the Olympics from 1996 to 2008 in the 1500m race for Australia. He won a bronze in 2004, and also founded the Werrina Athletics Competition." She explained.
"He's also a really big advocate for herbivore rights and encouraging them to do sports. I bet he'd want to meet you, Jamel" Tye leaned in to add. Wow sounds like a real big deal. I'd be honoured if he came to see me race.
"Alright, if there's nothing else to say, then I guess I'll wish you all a happy weekend. Keep on top of your training, and make sure you're all ready for Wednesday." Coach Harris says before dismissing us. We all get up out of our seats to leave, but I walk over to Sam, who'd want to talk to me now.
"Sam, wait up!" I call out to him as I follow him to the school gates. He stops and turns around, we're alone now.
"Jamel... I'm not mad at you or anything, it's just... I have a few questions" He told me. Questions? What about?
"Uh... right. Well, ask away." I hesitantly ask him.
"You said that Riley bit you a few months ago? What happened?" he started off with. Oh boy, those kinds of questions.
"It was in our history class, around about when Riley started his medication, and before I noticed him acting unusual. I was waving my hand to shoo him off, and he bit down onto it. It didn't bleed or anything, but it did bruise up." I told him.
I'm then reminded by what Mr. Jarman told me after in the sick bay. "Carnivores usually have trouble at this age...; tough hurdles, weird developments..." This makes me think; what if Sam is also beginning to develop these feelings? If I were to ask him now, he'd go mental and get very defensive, so I'll need to do some investigating.
"Another thing... and please be honest with me... before you knew about me and my past... what did you think of me?" he asked. Oh boy... I don't know how I can answer this one.
I take a deep breath and a step back as well, for good measure. "There's a rumour amongst the herbivores that... you moved to Whigata after attacking a devouring an herbivore in another town. They think it's why you're so quiet around herbivores and also very good at sports" I say bashfully. I feel my legs tremble as I say it. I'm so nervous, telling this sweet, innocent tiger that I used to think of him as a killer.
Sam's face turns into surprise and guilt. He slumps down to the ground, and sits leaning against the fence.
"Jamel... I avoid herbivores for their safety and mine. I know that as I get older, I'm gonna have a hard time controlling my instincts as a carnivore. I'm having a bit of trouble now, to be honest. But, after what happened with my brother, Ben... I just have this feeling that some herbivores are out to lock me up as well." He explains. I don't know what to say now... Do I comfort him and assure him that's not the case? Should I convince the other herbivores that they were wrong about him, without exposing his past?
"I want to go to Berriwan to see what others think of me. I want an herbivore to look at me, and not assume that I've done something very wrong. It's hard for herbivores to trust large carnivores, as you'd know." He says. But I don't know. I've lived in Whigata my whole life, and I've always been around carnivores, who I have to trust. If I was afraid of carnivores, then there would be no way I could live in a place like this.
Chapter 101: The Unknown Before Me.
Sam and I talk a bit longer, before I head off. I'm excited to meet this Mr. Selman guy. I bet he's looking forward to meeting me too. It's Saturday morning, and Mum has taken me to the hospital, where Dad is resting up after his operation.
"The doctors say it was a success and I should be able to return to work in about six weeks. I'll be able to come home and recover from there after three more weeks. They also say that by next Thursday, I should be able to feel my fingers again, and after two weeks, I can move them." He says. He sits comfortably in his large hospital bed. He seems so calm, considering that he was attacked only four days ago.
"It's a shame you won't be able to see me race. I was looking forward to having some support." I said.
"Well, you'll have your friends and schoolmates to cheer you on. Everyone's really happy for you" Dad reminds me.
"Yeah, and it seems like you've made quite a few friends this year, thanks to your training" Mum adds. "Come on, it's time to let your father rest for a bit longer." She also mentions. I check the clock, and we've been out for almost an hour.
We leave the hospital, after bumping into a few more of Dad's workmates, who were sending him flowers. They and Mum talk for a little bit, and it's crazy to think that the last time I saw them; they were in this very same waiting room, covered in blood, and potentially dangerous to me. After everyone then moves into Dad's room, Mum and I head back home, and continue our day. I do a bit more homework and finish all my assignments that are due this week. In some subjects, I've been given extensions, because I'll be in Lavalla for a school event, but I'll still need to work on them then.
Monday and Tuesday came along, and everyone at school seemed a bit happier than usual. A few wished me good luck, which is a good sign. I guess the whole school really is getting behind me and supporting me for the big race ahead. I think I remember there being news stations that came down to cover the District Finals, so I could be making a good name for Whigata.
I only saw Riley a few times throughout the two days, and when I did, he'd just ignore me, or walk off. I saw Sam a few times as well, but I didn't get the chance to talk to him. I did see him talking to a few herbivores, which is good to see. It means that he's getting more confident around us, which he's had troubles with.
Then, the big day came. I had everything packed the night before, including my good running shoes, and some school supplies to do work. Mum also made sure that I had my school clothes as well, and my books on carnivore behaviour that Coach Harris gave me. I guess they could come handy as well.
The bus doesn't leave school until 11AM, so I could sleep in a bit this morning. I wake up, and get dressed in casual clothes, before I see Mum in the kitchen.
"Hey Jamel, you'll be driving past my brother's house in Yorta. They said that they have a surprise for you in the front yard" she says. A surprise? What could they have in their front yard, other than their weird collection of garden gnomes? Yorta is a town halfway between Whigata and Lavalla, roughly the same size as here. From what I do know, they have a more even carnivore to herbivore ratio, so life's a bit different there.
At 10:40AM, Mum takes me to school, with my bags all packed and ready to go. I'm really nervous, but also excited to see Berriwan. I heard a rumour the other week that school cleaners are actually robots, designed to completely destroy any sign of dirt or mess. It sounds like a really big, prestigious, high-class school.
We get to school, and see a large bus, ready to take us all down to Lavalla. Everyone looks really excited to go. I see Erica and Tye, and talk to them for a bit. They seem pretty calm and collected about the trip.
"This is my third District Final. Hopefully I can get into the State Finals this time" Tye tells me
"I think I'll be able to finally beat everyone this year at hurdles. I remember meeting this other girl last year, and we really had a great time" Erica also added.
"Alright everyone, gather around." We hear Coach Harris say behind us. Everyone huddles around him, in front of the bus. "We'll be leaving here in five minutes, and we'll be taking a quick lunch break in Yorta, which is halfway there. The bus trip is about 4 hours long, and we should be expected to get there around 4PM. You can now make your way onto the bus; smaller students sit at the front, larger at the back." I quickly say goodbye to Mum, as we head towards the bus door. I guess this really is goodbye for now. I've never spent so long away from home before, and herbivores like to keep in close contact with each other.
I eventually get on the bus, and sit with Tye. He's good company, and I can always talk to everyone else around me as well.
I look out the bus window, as we begin to take off, seeing Mum wave goodbye.
I'm so nervous, but I can't wait to see what lies ahead of me in Lavalla.
._./|\._. Dreamtime Story 12: Alpine Adventure ._./|\._.
Erica: Did you guys hear about all the snow they're getting in the Eastern Mountains at the moment?
Jamel: I saw a few pictures of it in the papers. Didn't you live in the snowy mountains, Nalu?
Nalu: Yeah, I lived in Parlak Village. It's a few kilometres from the ski resorts, and I keep in touch with family and friends there.
Erica: So, you've been skiing before? I've always wanted to try it.
Nalu: I did snowboarding... I'd always go up there on the weekends. It's so amazing, but it can be a bit tricky. My uncle's been to resorts in Canada, Japan, France... he's even gone into a few competitions.
Jamel: What about skiing? It looks so cool; I'd love to give it a go.
Nalu: Never tried it, but I have heard that it can be lots of fun.
Jamel: Maybe someday I could give it a try... it's pretty far away though
Nalu: I'd be happy to take you up the mountain one day. My uncle has loads of room up there, thankfully