3 Chapter 3  Does school drama ever end?

Once third hour finally ended I stalked my way to the lunchroom. Dreading what awaited me more and more with every step. I could see what would happen as soon as I walked in. Eyes like cameras would all be on me waiting for Bruce or maybe one of the other bullies, like Adam to do something. I could see them too, waiting one on each side of the door. Bruce the school quarterback would most likely be holding a trash can waiting. Not to just dump it on me but to put the whole thing can and all on my head. Adam standing on the other side with some vinegar or other rancid smelling liquid to douse me with. If that wasn't enough to stop me in my tracts my mind went to other places. Thinking about more distant events, like meeting my wolf fiance.

While I am thinking what could happen. I have walked right in front of the cafeteria. I stood there frozen by fear of what could happen, not just when I walked through the doors in front of me. But when I meet my future husband. 

What ifs flow through my head. What if he doesn't like me? What if I don't like him? What if it's a one sided dislike? What if we hate each other? What if we have already met but one of us left a bad impression? That last one would explain why my mom would not tell me his name.

What if she doesn't know it? How are things like arranged marriages set up in the first place? As I stand in front of the lunchroom thinking hard about all of this, I don't see Benny standing in front of me. 

"What's wrong? You have your I am in trouble how can I get out of it face on," Benny says jokingly. 

"I have to tell you something but I don't know if I can," I replied sheepishly. 

In a demandly worried way Benny asked "What's going on? You know you can tell me anything. I am always here for you."

"First I need to eat and get away from this place. Then I need to understand it myself. Only then can I tell you ok?" I put just as much demand in my voice as I dare. I don't like him trying to tell me what to do all the time. At the same time I want him to know that I appreciate his worry. 

"Are you okay right now? If your answer is yes then I can wait until you're ready to talk. If your answer is no then we will get food and talk right now." He states as he looked into my eyes. As if he can just look for what's bugging me there and fix it for me. Just as he always has. 

Suddenly I am back in the 5th grade right after my dad died. I am at school crying in the corner. 

"Cry baby, Cry baby someone call the doctors. Tell me to send the waaambulance." chant Bruce and Adam as they stand in front of me.

"Go away! Someone Help me please," I called out but it was recess and no teachers walked this part of the playground. That's why I had chosen to hide there, but before I knew it, I was blocked in by the biggest bullies in school. 

"If you guys are going to pick on someone, pick on someone your own size." Benny says with his fist raised. 

"You wanna fight losers, you and her are the only kids in the whole school who lost your dads. But as I understand you lost the rest of your family too hun." Adam says in a mocking tone.

"Loner, loner got no friends. Loner, loner got no family. Loner, loner gonna die alone." Bruce chants with the same tone he used to mock and torture me.

Next thing I know Benny is on top of both of them in full fox form, growling like a rabid dog. I blink again to make sure of what I am seeing. His fox is almost all black. The only touch of color on his fur is blood red on his paws and the tip of his tail. 

"Ben..Benny? Is that you?" My voice is still shaking from crying. 

In response to my question he sits and tips his head to the side asking me a silent question. "How do you know what I am?" 

I was about to answer when I saw a teacher coming over and Benny sitting there on top of two knocked out but barely bleeding kids. He had been careful but he was also blinded by rage so his teeth had dug in a bit more than I am sure he realized.  

"Run, Ben run go get out of here. There is a teacher coming this way. Run before they see you are a fox not a dog and that they are knocked out not just playing." I demanded using all the push I had at my expense. 

He wagged his tail to show that he understood. Then jumped over the fence and into the woods. Right as the teacher began to run yelling for backup.

Benny had risked everything to save me. From that day forth Benny was family. He lived with us until he got a job then he made enough to go back to his family's house. The house as he tells me has been in his family for over a hundred years. 

"May?" Benny's voice snaps me back to the president. 

"What?" I asked.

"If you want to get food we gotta go now." He sounds worried but not stressed. 

"Ok let's go." I reply as my stomach answers with a loud growl. Lucky me that we took long enough that anyone waiting to ambush me gave up for now. After school Benny drove me home in his beat up Pick up truck. 

"You made it through the day, good job." He says trying to lighten the mood. 

"I haven't made it through it yet," I still have to face my mom I thought to myself. 

"What do you mean?" Benny ask catching what I didn't say

"Mom and I had a fight last night and it's not over." I say sadly.

"Well if you need a place to stay or hide for a bit my doors are always open to you." He tells me, trying to be reassuring.  

"Thanks, I gotta go. Little ears will be home in an hour and I don't know how long this could take. Thanks for the lift and the offer, I will see you tomorrow." I inform him as I put on a strong face. "Time to face my mother and my problems."

"Alrighty just don't go head to head with your mom okay? I have seen her fight and I don't think you'll win." Benny laughs as he pulls out of the driveway

My mind flies to the day he's talking about. Benny and I've had been playing in the woods. Just like any other day not thinking that there was anything wrong or any danger near us that we couldn't handle. We were in the shooting range of both his home and mine. We were so young we didn't know how to scent Danger. We barely knew how to change on command, so our parents thought it was for the best. When out of nowhere two wolves showed up. Fangs bared claws bloody with whatever they just killed. Benny and I both screamed at the same time. we both started to run towards my house, it being closer than his. My mom came flying out the door. Already in Fox shape ready to fight. My dad right behind still in human form but wielding a metal baseball bat

 The Wolves who had foolishly followed us seemed to be expecting my dad. Changing their course from chasing us to battling them. My mom stopped seeing that we were not being chased by something we'd picked a fight with. We were being hunted. Her rage grew to such a high level that her fox form changed. Into a bigger tougher, nastier version. She was not backing up my dad this time. Instead he was backing her up, because she was ready to kill if she had to. 

She flew off the back porch onto the first wolf. Digging her teeth deep into his neck. Then releasing and jumping in the same motion, out of the way of his fangs. Another leap landed her on the back of the second wolf. She sank her claws so deep that he couldn't shake her off. It looked almost like a fox riding a bull at the rodeo. 

The wolf howled in pain and frustration. My dad not missing a beat took the bat to the head of the other wolf. The bat bent with the force of the hit. The first wolf fell to the ground out cold. My dad readied another swing, mom jumping off the second wolves back at the last second. Dad's swing hit home and the second wolf crumpled to the ground. The fight was over in seconds but the memories would never fade. 

Snapping back the present I turned toward the house. Thoughts of epic fights still lingered as I passed the small garden out front. Before I enter I wonder if this too will be an epic fight to remember.

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