Chapter 2
Truth? Or Lunch?
I unlocked the bathroom door, took a deep breath, and walked out. The crowed was thick, so I was able to blend in very quickly, and well. I was like a hunter wearing camouflage in the middle of a forest with these so called 'friends.'
My school has about 1,000 students that attend. About 400 of those teenagers are ninth graders. And a tsunami of them was invading the lunchroom. Like always. I sighed and rolled my eyes at their stupidity. If those people would just wait a minute to get into the cafeteria, no body would get hurt.
I bumped into lots of people‚ and was practically killed trying to get my locker open. Too many people liked to shove in this world.
My typical locker routine;
I turned the knob left to 28.
PUSH!
I messed up on my combination. So like everyone else, I restarted the combination. Turn left to 28, turn right to 16.
PUSH!
And yet again, I messed up on my combination. Great. I turned the knob to restart yet again. Turn left to 28, right to 16, and left again to 48.
Third times the charm, right?
I was actually able to open my locker, yea! I sighed a sigh of relief as today it only took me three times to open my locker.
"Damn it! Watch it freaks!" I said as a kid pushed me into my locker, causing me to slam my head into the door.
I put my books into the locker, and grabbed my lunch.
I let out my frustration by slamming my locker door shut as hard as I could. After my ten second melt down, I headed for the lunchroom.
I scoped the crowd looking for my posse. I can usually find them pretty easily, as long as I can find Brittany.
And like always, I found Bri nearly immanently.
She was wearing her hippy outfit. (or at least that's what I call it.) She had light blue jeans with holes in them (her swift cheese pants), and a tie-die tee shirt of red, purple, and white. A bandanna was placed fabulously atop her head of green and patterned flowers. Her peace sign earrings glistened in the sun. No makeup was on Bri's face. She was naturally gorgeous, so why waist her day on applying unneeded makeup? She kind of, actually, looked a little weird and unmatched.
"Heh. Bye Angela!" Bri said before she turned her attention to me. Angela swished some blonde hair out of her face before leaving.
It was a typical Tuesday, on Tuesday, Bri hung out with some blonde chick named Angela. Apparently, they were the 'best of all friends.' Not that I care or anything.
"Hey!" I said with a smile. I pushed some of my black and brown hair out of my face. I acted like some kid had pushed me, accidentally nocking me off of my balance, and bumping Angela out of the way 'casually.' It's complicated, I know.
"Hey! Where were you? I was worried that you had gotten suspended again!" She said in absolute shock. Bri being the drama queen she is, could have just dropped and cried at my feet to show her sympathy for me. But Bri remained somewhat calm for a Brittany: freaking out a little, tears dwelling up in her eyes, and walking back and forth, nonstop.
I giggled. Again? I have only been suspended...lets see...twice this year! "Nope," I popped the 'p' when I spoke. "Me ain't gunna be suspended for at least a couple weeks!" I laughed. "I promise...sorta"
Bri laughed. "True. I have that promise on video." She then started to pull out her phone to show me.
I reached for her hand and said 'no.'
"Ok...then. Do you still remember that day?" She giggled.
That day was so horrible, how could I not forget it!?
"Hah! Yes! I remember that Goose!"
Goose is what I call Brittany. I don't know exactly why I call her 'Goose' though. It started in third grade, and just never left her.
I chuckled and walked into the lunch room. I plopped down at my posse's lunch table. The one closest to the lunchroom door, but furthest away from the snotty, know it all boys. They seem to always be so nosy, and weird. Always getting up in your conversations, and begging for Cheez-its.
All together, there was six of us. Brittany, a girl who is overly dramatic, Leah a smarty pants, Devon the mischievous devil, Cal the suspicious one, and Zach the Tack, as in really funny and happy. Together, it was awkward, but we always made each other laugh. We loved each other and have known each other since third grade.
Zach sat down next to me. His dirty blonde hair all messy from PE. The green eyes piercing threw you. He stood tall, 6'1. "Hey!" He said biting into his tuna sandwich. I snapped out of my daze and turned back to reality.
"Gross! Tuna, again!?" I giggled.
I flat out hate tuna!
"Yeah!" he said nodding his head, and his mouth full of tuna.
I cringed at the horrid smell of tuna and peas. I turned and faced Cal, who was in front of me. "So...how's life?" I giggled.
"Good!" He said. Cal had dark brown hair and baby blue eyes. Freckles rained across his face in many colors. He had a fun personality, and was very active. Cal stood 5'8 and seemed to grow every week, little by little.
"Good!" I said. I gazed around at my friends. They were talking and having a good time. What could ruin this happy moment?
Since everyone else was unwrapping their lunch, I decided to do the same. My stomach growled at the thought of food. I hadn't eaten in over eight hours at least. I skipped breakfast, and had a late dinner.
I unzipped my burgundy lunch box. I pulled out my peanut butter and banana sandwich.
When I lifted up my sandwich, what I found underneath disturbed me most.
A letter.
Dear my Queen,
Follow the clues. Did you not get that? Anyway, your friends aren't who you think they are. Queen, listen, I am going to kill you if you don't move to the Magic world in the next 68 hours, understood?
I will try and visit more my queen.
~Red Fox.
I choked on my food. Kill?
Who is this psychopath? Not Joseph, not my dad, or mom. Who? Who is this 'Red Fox?'
Cal and Bri noticed me chocking and parted my back.
"What's wrong, dude?" Cal and Zach said at the same time. They laughed after the coincidence.
I ignored them and shut my eyes for a moment trying to process the letter.
"I could die!" I thought.
When I opened my eyes again, the note was gone. Vanished. I held my sandwich instead.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." I said pushing away my friends' comfort.
"Hey guys? Can I ask you an honest question? Its a little silly." I said in a small voice.
My posse nodded. They giggled too.
"Yeah." Cal said.
"Sure thing, darling." Leah said.
"Yeah, anything." Devon said with a smirk.
"OK...do you -- believe -- in -- werewolves?" I asked in a small voice. After the words had ex caped my mouth, they were off and running throughout my friends' ears. I blushed and looked at my feet in shame.
"I know -- it's stupid." I said quietly.
My posse froze. Hardly breathing. Not blinking. Not moving. Some blushed and looked down.
"Yeah...thank God it's friday." I said to myself.
Cal looked as if he was concentrating on something. Brittany looked like she was calling, or listening for someone.
"Cal...Leah...Zach...Devon...Bri? Everything OK?" I asked worriedly.
"He's coming." Cal said in a whisper voice.
"Who?" I asked to a zoned out Cal.
Bri nodded. "He is. I can sense someone with a very evil mood." Brittany just stayed sitting still with her hands on the ground, Cal doing the same. Their faces were blank. Unreadable.
Leah looked a bit scared, but confident. Her face read worried, with a hint of bravery. Devon's face still had a smirk from earlier. He literally looked frozen.
I cleared my throat. "Yeah I'm still here." I said in an annoyed voice. I was really annoyed that no body was listening to me.
I felt some sort of trans or adrenalin go threw my veins. I felt courageous, brave, strong, and powerful; as if I was invincible. I could do anything! Mess what I felt like, if that's a feeling.
A bright light flashed before me. Blinding me for moment, also causing every ninth grader in the school to shut up and look at my posse.
Before I could say anything, Cal and Brittany had transformed into a half wolf and half human thing. They had wolf ears, wolf fangs that held down their bottom lip, Cal had sideburns, both had silvery blue eyes. Brittany was like more grey-ish in color, and Cal was more white. They looked extraordinary, but absolutely horrifying.
All I could do was stare in horror at my friends; no my monster friends! They looked scary. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.
Everyone in the cafeteria screamed and ran out. Leaving the room empty.
As I was caught up in the commotion, a hand grabbed me and pulled me into a pitch black hallway. I couldn't see anything. Nothing!
"Who, who are you?!" I said kicking, and punching the figure.
The figure wailed in pain as I bit his forearm.
"Stop!" He said in a deep voice. Zach.
"Zach!" I said embracing him. "What are we doing?!" I asked in a worried manner.
"Red Fox." He simply said. "He's coming so we need to warn the others. He is very dangerous!"
"Hey, I've been getting letters from a Red Fox." I said. "He seems so nice!"
Zach stopped mid center, causing me to stumble into him. "Seriously?!" His voice was...excited?
"Yeah."
"Tell me every word, better yet, gimme the letters!" The dark figure jumped up and down.
"I can't. They vanish after I read 'em."
"Hmmm...." Zach was in deep thought. "Tell me all what you remember with the letters and stuff."
"Well..." I began as we started walking again. "They just kept saying-" I paused. "Bri and Cal are werewolves, aren't they?"
Zach stopped yet again and placed his rough hands on my shoulders. "You can't tell anyone."
"Why? Practically every ninth grader has seen those two jerks!" I exclaimed.
"We will erase their memories of all of us. Cal, Leah, Bri, Devon, and you an' me. We will be nonexistent to all."
"But...but what about my other friends, and family?" I asked with my voice crackling. I love my family more than anything, I don't want to loose them. It would kill me. Or I would kill myself.
"They, being your family, are werewolves too. And as for your friends, I could erase your memory of them too, I know the pain. It's hard to say goodbye." He said and we started walking again.
"How do you -- know the pain of saying 'goodbye'?" I asked.
"I've been relocated 6 times in the last ten years. Do you know how many friends I've made, but then had to say goodbye to?" he snapped.
"No...Why have you been relocated so much?"
"Well, when a werewolf reveals their true selves, a werewolf, the humans cant live with that information..."
I decided to shut up now and keep walking.
We walked for at least twenty minutes before Zach opened a door. The heavy door seemed to grunt, and breath heavily as we pushed it open. The door stuck at first, but Zach used super strength to push the door open.
Bright lights blinded me for a moment. The sun against the white snow, God it was gorgeous, but bright. I couldn't stop looking at the bindingness.
"Where are we?" I asked rubbing my eyes. I still couldn't see.
Zach grinned. "The magic world, Desminic."