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Chapter 8 - November 5, Sunday

The next morning, Sophia woke groggily to the sound of her alarm and the feeling of a full bladder. Once she forced her aching legs to take her to the bathroom, she climbed back into bed and leaned against the headboard, staring at the far wall. Emotionally, she felt utterly spent, but somehow had to find the energy to get to work in two hours. Her elation over encountering the wild, but friendly, wolf warred with her feelings of betrayal and anger towards Candice along with her mixed feelings over her new 'condition'. The knowledge she likely couldn't share two major events in her life with the person she had shared everything with since they were first graders tore at her.

I could have taken you to meet a wolf, Sophia hugged her legs close to her chest. How thrilled you would have been.

Tears threatened to overwhelm her and she forced herself out of bed and set her mind to getting ready for her shift - the first shift after she had been forced to go home just before she had changed.

What if I hadn't been sent home early? She shivered. I would have changed right in the store. I need to start keeping track of the full moon and request those days off.

Sighing at the additional stressor in her life, she wrote a reminder to check when the next full moon was and left it on her desk. After a moment's thought, she added "look up wolves and food poisoning". She hadn't noticed any symptoms in the last day or so, but it still nagged at her. With that, she resumed her morning routine.

As usual, her dad was still sleeping by the time she had left the house. Despite her fatigue and lack of water the previous night, fear of the inevitable questions of what she was doing hiking the hills - by herself in the middle of the night - fueled her rush home. Thankfully, she had beaten him home by twenty minutes, staving off any awkward confrontations. After downing several glasses of water, she had quickly gotten ready for bed and had just turned out the light when her dad came in. She had been too excited to fall asleep immediately and had replayed the unexpected encounter through her mind repeatedly. Alas, her chronic lack of sleep, physical exhaustion and the unnatural stresses put on her body certainly took their toll on her way to work, and the commute took noticeably longer than it usually did.

*Being Sunday morning, the streets of the town were fairly empty and she made it to the store without coming across anyone. Thus, it only dawned on her as she reached the store's parking lot that she was about to interact with people for the first time since her entire world had been turned upside down. Her breath quickened as sudden panic threatened to overwhelm her. *

Someone would be able to see what she now was... They'd out her as a monster and she'd be killed. Or they'd keep quiet and the government would show up in the middle of the night to take her away. Or she'd be caged and turned into an exhibit on full moons.

Hands trembling, Sophia's chest felt like it was going to burst, and she stopped next to the display of firewood in front of the story. She couldn't do this; she needed to run. Someone would see her and know...

Everything is okay, Sophia closed her eyes and leaned against the wood. I checked, no wolf left. If I go in and act normal, no one will notice.

Opening her eyes, she willed herself into the building. There were only a couple of customers visible in the store and none of them so much as glanced at her as she entered. There was one other cashier, an older woman, already working one of the three lanes. The woman turned in reaction to the automatic door closing, dashing Sophia's hopes to make it past unnoticed. Unfortunately, there also weren't any customers in her coworker's lane to distract her. Sophia slowed and braced herself.

"Morning!" Janet, if Sophia remembered correctly, greeted her and then frowned. "You okay?"

Sophia froze and nearly lost her nerve, but managed to squeak out, "yeah, why?"

"You look very tense and a little pale," Janet replied, sounding concerned. "Linda mentioned yesterday that you had gone home sick Friday night. Still feeling a little under the weather?"

Sophia relaxed a little; it wasn't what she had feared.

"I guess, but I'll be okay," Sophia replied more assuredly. "Last night was a little rough, but not as bad as Friday."

"Just so long as you're not contagious," Janet eyed her suspiciously. "I can't afford to be sick with the holidays coming."

Can I make someone else a werewolf..? Sophia swallowed, realizing she had no idea.

"I... I shouldn't be contagious... now," Sophia stammered.

"I'm holding you to that now," Janet said sternly, but stopped looking disapproving.

Thankfully, a customer started unloading on Janet's belt, and she turned to attend to them. Sophia took the welcome opportunity to escape and went in search of the shift manager, hoping it was Linda. To her disappointment, the store manager, Jim, was taking inventory that morning. Bracing herself, she approached him as he counted boxes of cereal. He looked up as she hesitantly approached.

"Ah, Sophia! Feeling better?" he asked cheerfully. "I saw Linda's note from Friday evening."

"Yeah, just a touch of something I guess," she replied with a nervous smile. "Uh, just out of curiosity, what did she say..?"

"Just that you looked feverish and she sent you home," Carl replied, sounding a little surprised at the question. "No need to worry, it happens. Just so long as it doesn't happen too often. Oh, and she mentioned you had borrowed a work uniform."

"Oh, yes, I washed it and brought it with," Sophia confirmed, hoping he wouldn't notice her relief.

"Ah, good, just leave it in the break room and I'll take care of it," Carl replied, looking back at his clipboard, before snapping back to looking at her. "Oh, please keep a better eye on the till; you were seven dollars off last week."

"It... won't happen again," Sophia answered contritely, and Jim nodded before going back to counting.

Despite the reprimand, Sophia let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding as she hurried away. Everything was going surprisingly well so far. She flinched as a customer came into the aisle as she headed towards the breakroom, but he didn't so much as slow down as he pushed his cart past. Still, she couldn't help feeling conspicuous, but maybe everything would be okay. No alarms had been raised and no one had leveled any accusations. Feeling a bit more confident, she clocked in and started her shift.

Despite her earlier fears, the shift went by smoothly, and she was just a few cents off by the end of it. A couple people who had seen her Friday asked if she had been okay, but no one displayed the slightest awareness that the girl at the register had sported fangs and fur less than two days before. Even Janet seemed to forget Sophia's flustered arrival and chatted a bit about the older woman's grandson and how excited she was to see him at Thanksgiving. In fact, the shift went so well she'd have considered it one of her best ever any other just the week before. However, after everything she'd gone through in forty-eight hours, she was more than happy to just survive it.

After a shower and early dinner, she went to her room with the intention of doing homework and finding answers to the questions she had left that morning. There was also the task of agonizing over attending school in the morning, where the entire student body had no doubt watched the video. Then there was certainty of her confrontation with Candice, which terrified her most of all. Her anger still burned when she thought about how Candice had betrayed her. She dearly hoped Candice had a damn good explanation.

However, before getting to all of those, the adrenaline that had held her exhaustion at bay for most of the day wore off.

Just fifteen minutes, Sophia sank down into her bed. Then I'll be ready to tackle everything.

The next thing Sophia knew her alarm clock was dutifully beeping to wake her for school. Thus, Monday started in a frantic rush to do what homework she could and then get out the door at the last possible minute. So consumed with trying to get to school on time, she entirely forgot she was supposed to be dreading the day until she was entering the building with the rest of the stragglers.

As she entered the building, she was relieved to see the halls were still full and students were still congregating and talking about the weekend. However, that relief quickly faded as she saw several students show recognition as she walked by. A number of individuals not so subtly smirked as they recognized her, and a guy mockingly howled as she passed to the guffaws of his friends. Cheeks burning, she quickened her pace, and the warning bell came as a relief even though she still had to put her things away. Students began heading to their classes, sparing her any more humiliation.

That was until she reached her locker which had been covered in wolf stickers. Fighting back tears, she did her best to ignore the stickers and opened her locker. A couple of pieces of paper fluttered out. One had "Dogs don't belong in school, bitch!" scrawled on it. Crumbling that one up, she grabbed the other and immediately recognized Candice's neat handwriting:

I'm so sorry! Can we please talk later? -Candice

Sophia stood there a good moment staring at it, hope surging. Candice was apologizing? Maybe this wasn't her fault afterall and they'd go back to being best friends! She could bear the insults and bullying as long as she still had Candice. Wiping away a tear that had made it down her cheek, Sophia folded up the letter and finished hanging up her bag and coat. She hurriedly grabbed her materials for math and closed her locker just as the final bell rang.

"Class starts at 7:30, Ms. Jones," Mr. Pindlewood scolded Sophia as she slipped into her desk. "Not 7:31."

Several students snickered, but a glare from Mr. Pindlewood stifled them. Sophia barely heard the teacher or the kids though, her mind was still on the letter. In fact, she completely failed to register that Mr. Pindlewood had asked the class to pass up their weekend assignments. It took the boy behind her tapping her with his sheet of answers to get her to realize she was supposed to be doing anything. Hastily, she handed his paper forward before rummaging for her own homework.

Naturally, her assignment ended up on top when Mr. Pindlewood came to collect them. The teacher frowned as he looked at her obviously incomplete homework. With multiple assignments to do that morning, she had managed to do only a few of the problems. He glanced at her before placing the gathered assignments on his desk and starting his lecture. Her positive feelings faded into anxiety.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Pindlewood requested she stay a bit longer after class finished. Why he had taken such an interest in her in particular, she wished she knew.

"You were late and didn't complete the weekend's assignment," the teacher began, clasping his hands on his desk. "What happened?"

Just how do I explain my weekend? Sophia shifted her feet as she stood at his desk.

"I..." Sophia stammered. "I was sick again over the weekend."

"But not too sick to work?" Mr. Pindlewood arched a bushy eyebrow. "And I heard about the Halloween party. Looked like you had fun, perhaps a little too much fun."

Oh no. Panic gripped Sophia.

"Look, with as much as you've gone through, it must be hard not to be tempted to let go once in a while," his tone was gentle, but with an undertone of disdain. "Especially with such means so readily available."

He thinks I've been drinking... Sophia nearly dropped her books in astonishment.

Mr. Pindlewood paused and leaned back, "Sophia, I want to help you, but only you can choose to let me. If you ever feel ready for it, please know I'm here."

Sophia's arms and legs felt like jelly, and it was all she could do to carry her books out of the classroom. The world felt like it was crumbling around her. Not only were her peers mocking her, but the teachers now thought she was drinking or doing drugs! She wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else than school. Right then, the memory of being alone with her wolf companion, flashed through her mind and she seized it desperately.

*It had been so peaceful that night, and she had been so happy. The wolf wouldn't judge her or make her feel like something was wrong with her. Being with him had been comforting, and she dearly wished she was back there now. She held her books to her chest and lightly ran her fingers over her shirt as she thought about what his fur had felt like. In only a few more days, she'd be able to experience it again. The tightness in her chest dissipated and her breathing slowed. *

*"Hey, Wolf Girl!" a male voice roughly drew her out of her daydream. *

She stopped and turned in the direction of the voice to see a muscular guy in a letter jacket looking at her.

"You do a damn good impression of a wolf," he grinned. "Could you do that howl again? That was so cool!"

Suddenly, Sophia found herself the center of attention as several nearby students turned to watch.

"That would be awesome!" another student seconded enthusiastically.

*Sophia turned a deep crimson as the crowd gathered. Several were quickly readying phones expectantly. *

"What..?" Sophia squeaked.

"Howl, like you did in that video," the boy repeated.

"I..." Sophia stammered. "I..."

The expectant audience pressed closer, and she suddenly felt like she was being suffocated. Turning suddenly, she pushed her way through the crowd of students.

"Aww, don't be like that," she heard the boy call, joined by boos from several in the would-be.

Trying to make herself invisible, she threaded her way through the mass of students. She was ready to dash out of the building, but knew that would just bring more scrutiny and trouble down on her. Instead, she made for the girl's restroom and ducked into one of the stalls, latching it. Her breath coming out in ragged gasps, she sat on one of the toilets and drew her legs up to her chest and clung to her books. Closing her eyes, she tried to quiet her breathing and get a hold of herself.

I can't do this... Despair welled up in her and a tear rolled down her cheek.

She put her hand against her mouth to stifle a sob. Another wracked her, and another. The warning bell came and still she sat trying to find the strength to get up. Even muffled, her crying would have been easily heard by anyone in the bathroom. Mercifully, no one came in, leaving her to cry in peace. The final bell rang and she was, once again, late for class. Another minute ticked by, and then another. Finally, five minutes after the last bell, she calmed down enough to leave her hiding place.

At the sink, she washed her face and examined herself. Her eyes were a little puffy, but she hoped it wasn't too obvious. Finally, she opened the bathroom door and cautiously checked the hall. Seeing no one, she quickly covered the last dozen yards to her locker, grabbed her text and tried to look inconspicuous walking to English class. It wasn't too far thankfully and no one stopped her.

Class was underway when she slipped in of course, and Ms. Linden stopped to look at her.

"Sorry, bathroom," Sophia managed, giving a nervous laugh.

"Well, see to it it doesn't happen again," the teacher admonished disapprovingly, but she resumed as Sophia found her seat.

Feeling the eyes of the class on her, Sophia focused all of her attention on opening her notes and then stared straight ahead for the rest of the class.

*Thankfully, Ms. Linden didn't ask Sophia to remain behind and no one spoke about it. Still, she happily left the classroom as quickly as she could, avoiding eye contact with Logan as she did. This was definitely not a day she wanted to speak to him or even make eye contact. Her exit from the classroom went unhindered, and she was beginning to think she'd actually make it to her locker before the warning bell when she saw Jane and her toadies coming down the hall. *

Sophia tried to duck to the side, but too late. Jane saw her and a predatory grin appeared on her face. Jane noticeably altered course towards Sophia. Sophia, in turn, picked up her pace to try and get past Jane as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, Jane deliberately took a wide step as Sophia was trying to slip past, catching the latter's left foot as it lifted. Sophia lost her balance and fell, her things spilling everywhere.

"Whoops," Jane mocked as she passed. "I didn't think the school allowed animals in it. They should really do something about it; I nearly tripped over one!"

*Pain seared through Sophia's right knee and hands. Her anger flared too, but when she turned to look, Jane was already a ways down the hall, laughing. Sighing, she got back to her feet and checked herself over. Aside from some pain in her hands and knee, she wasn't hurt, just embarrassed and angry. Seeing there was nothing she could do about Jane, she set about gathering up her things. *

The papers she had neatly organized in her English folder had fallen out and flown all over the hall. With the aid of a couple of sympathetic students, she was able to collect everything she had lost. Unfortunately, she saw a few papers had been stepped on and were marred by shoeprints. Gritting her teeth, she continued on towards her locker.

Wait until I find you on a full moon, Jane, her rage smoldered as she walked. Then I'll show you just how much of an animal I can be!

Perhaps deterred by her obvious rage, no one else bothered her as she covered the remaining distance to her locker. Opening it, she angrily put her English material away, her book slamming loudly against the back. Snatching her materials for history, she was about to roughly close her locker when she heard Candice's voice.

"Sophia!" Candice exclaimed. "I've been looking all morning for you!"

Sophia whirled towards her in surprise, "Candice?"

"I left a note," Candice told her. "I guess you didn't see it..?"

"No, I saw it," Sophia replied sharply. "I've had a very rough morning, thanks to you."

Candice winced, "I'm so sorry! Pretending to be a wolf was supposed to be fun for you! I didn't mean for you to get hurt!"

Sophia felt herself go cold, but her voice rose, "you invited me to the party as a prank?"

"No! No!" Candice's eyes went wide. "That's not it at all! I was trying to help you make new friends! You've been so busy and depressed, and I was talking to Racheal and Patty a few weeks ago."

Candice continued, nearly tripping over her words, "And Patty was showing us a picture of a wolf she had seen over the summer... And I told them about the pelt. And... and... Racheal is really into Indian legends and told us about the local Indian legend... And I mentioned you really liked wolves and thought you'd really enjoy hearing it... And Patty said I should invite you to meet them and suggested Halloween. And I told them how depressed you were and Patty suggested I borrow the pelt..."

"So you thought getting me to wear a wolf skin, act like a wolf and putting a recording of it on the internet would make me happy?" Sophia broke in sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"No!" Candice protested. "I didn't know about the video until after you messaged me Saturday!"

"Well, your new friends have ruined my life," Sophia bit out.

"I got Patty to take it down right away!" Candice exclaimed. "You've just been so sad and alone. I just thought it would be great if you met my new friends and they could be yours too! Patty made a mistake! She's really sorry!"

The ache in Sophia's knee flared as she shifted her weight.

"Oh, she's sorry," Sophia replied sarcastically.

"She's really not so bad once you get to know her!" Candice said defensively.

"How can you defend her?" Sophia's voice rose. "How can you stay friends with her after what she did to me?"

"Because she made a mistake," Candice replied, sounding hurt. "I know you're angry, but I'm not going to just stop being friends with her!"

"Oh, right, you're Candice and make friends with everyone," Sophia shot out and immediately regretted it.

Candice gasped and then shot back, "maybe if you were interested in something besides wolves, you'd have more friends!"

Sophia's heart sank, "oh, so being friends with the Wolf Girl is too embarrassing for you. Well, maybe I like being a Wolf Girl."

"There's more to life than wolves, Sophia!" Candice exclaimed in exasperation.

The image of her wolf friend flashed through Sophia's mind, they're better friends than you at least!

"You know what?" Sophia asked acidly and raised her voice. "I don't care. Awoo! Come see the Wolf Girl!"

Several students looked towards the pair in surprise.

"Sophia, please!" Candice glanced around nervously.

"I guess you did teach me something about friendship," Sophia told Candice, her voice heavy with bitter disappointment. "And that I can have more friends than just you."

"Sophia..." Candice protested, her voice barely above a whisper.

Just then, the warning bell rang, and Sophia turned and stalked off.