Saved By A Wolf

Clara just finished narrating to her friend Anna what had happened to her the day before, and how a wolf-like creature had saved her from the hands of Steven and his minions. She also made it clear that she was planning on reporting Steven to the school authorities and even goin further than that, reporting him to the government authorities.

"I know you are really angry, and you want to make them pay for what they did to you, or rather what they wanted to do to you, but don't you think that's too harsh?" Anna said, clearly not supporting Clara's decision.

"Harsh? You call standing up for oneself harsh!" Clara replied, almost shouting, which made the whole class, including the teacher, glance at their direction.

"Keep your voice down, will you?" Anna whispered, her tone filled with concern.

"Is everything alright, Clara?" Miss Jane, the biology teacher asked, her attention on Clara and Anna.

"Everything is alright, sorry Ma, I just got a little bit excited, that's all," Clara said apologetically, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Okay, well, I do like my students paying attention to my teachings while I am in the class," Miss Jane started with a warm smile, but they got the message. Miss Jane continued with her teachings.

"We will continue this discussion another time," Clara whispered angrily to Anna, her tone sharp with frustration.

Adams sat on the staircase with his girlfriend Ella and his best friend Noah, who was also with his girlfriend Patricia.

"Baby, I was wondering whether you will be coming over to my place this evening after school. You know it's been a while, and I am thinking we need to spice things up a little," Ella said with a seductive smile while playing with a strand of her hair.

"Sure, babe, I would love that. I am definitely coming," Adams said excitedly, his tone filled with eagerness, as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Guys, I hate to be the party pooper here, but we have a very important game this evening in case you have forgotten, Adams," Noah reminded him, his tone serious and urgent.

"Oh shit! I totally forgot about today's game," Adams exclaimed, and he knew immediately that Ella wouldn't be happy about his next statement.

"I...I am sorry, babe, but I think we have to do this another time," he said, trying his best to put up a sad look, but he really loved playing basketball with the boys.

"But baby! This isn't fair. You always choose basketball over me," Ella said naggingly, her tone laced with irritation.

"You know that's not true. I love you so much. I mean, it's just a game, and I can leave it if that would make you happy," Adams said, looking like he was in the mood for some sweet talk, his tone trying to be convincing.

Noah coughed loudly, interrupting him, and he gave Adams a look like 'What the hell are you saying?' But Adams ignored the signs of his friend and continued speaking.

"...I can leave basketball and football, anything in fact, to be with you. But of course, that would make me less popular, and I might no longer have many friends, and you might lose some of your friends also. That doesn't really matter, right? Because we will have each other, right?" Adams said, looking like he was in the mood for some sweet talk, his tone firm and convincing.

"I love you, baby....You know what? You can go for today's game. In fact, I would be there to cheer you on to victory," Ella said, her voice now full of excitement and support, and she gave Adams a hot kiss, her passion for him evident.

Noah breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He knew that without Adams on the school team, they didn't stand a chance against their opponents, The Tigers. His body relaxed, and a smile broke out on his face.

In fact, Noah was so happy that Ella agreed to let Adams play in today's game that he kissed his girlfriend Patricia on the lips unannounced, feeling a rush of affection and joy.

“What's that for?" Patricia asked, stunned but pleased.

“Nothing, just that you are so beautiful and I love you," he stated, admiring her beauty and feeling grateful for her presence.

Some hours later, Anna and Caleb were in the school library. Caleb was there to read, while Anna was there to try to get his attention. She faked a broad smile, trying to show him she was interested in his books.

“...interesting, really amazing," Caleb thought aloud as he stumbled upon something that caught his attention in the book he was reading. His tone was filled with awe and wonder.

“Do you know that sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins? They can do this by slowing their heart rates. Sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes while dolphins need to come up for air after only ten minutes in water. Isn't that just amazing?" Caleb said, his excitement palpable.

“Really, what other fun facts are in that book? Do you know that mosquitoes are cousins to rats?" Anna said sarcastically, her voice dripping with cynicism.

Caleb stared at her, his eyes wide in disbelief, then back at the huge book in front of him. His tone became more defensive.

“That's just ridiculous. It's not possible. I mean, a mosquito is an insect while a rat is a rodent, so I can't see the connection or relation," he said, his frustration evident.

Anna shook her head and dropped it on the table, feeling dejected and hopeless, wondering what she needed to do to get his attention.

Just then, Clara made her way into the library. As she spotted Caleb and Anna at a table, she quickly waved at them and walked over to them, her face glowing with warmth.

“How are you doing, Caleb?" Clara greeted, her voice filled with genuine interest.

“I am doing awesome, thanks. So many things to learn," he said, adjusting his eyeglasses, his eagerness for knowledge evident.

Clara helped herself to a seat and could see that Anna looked sad, her eyes downcast and her posture slumped.

“Are you alright?" she asked, her tone gentle and comforting.

“I am good, never felt better," Anna forced a smile, trying to hide her disappointment.

“So, Caleb, what are you reading?" Clara asked, curious and intrigued by his passion for learning and animals.

“Well, it's kinda a study of animals, you know I have a thing for animals," Caleb said, his voice animated and enthusiastic.

“Really? I didn't know that you had a thing for animals," she said, her surprise evident.

“Well, I do. You know, animals, especially mammals, communicate, interact, fight, and reconcile. They have friends, even friends amongst friends, yes, I mean best friends. Also, enemies, the worst kind. They mourn their dead and, according to some philosophers and historians, some even meditate like some form of prayer," Caleb said, his fascination with the animal world evident.

“Wow, that's kind of interesting...but do any of the chapters of these books by chance talk about wolves? I'm not talking about any kind of wolf, I'm talking about giant wolves," Clara said, her tone filled with curiosity, but also a hint of excitement. Caleb's eyes popped out, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he gazed at Clara, wondering why she was suddenly interested in wolves.

Principal's office

Mr. Phillips was seated at his desk, head facing the TV, watching the local news with a look of horror on his face. Apparently, a teenage girl by the name of Natasha Brown was killed by some kind of animal last night. According to the news, her death was caused by an animal, even though the exact animal hadn't been identified yet.

The principal was disturbed and deeply troubled by this news, his mind racing with concern for the safety of his students. However, he got distracted when he heard a knock on the door.

The door opened, and a student walked in. It was Mathias.

“Mr. Phillips...you sent for me," Mathias said, his voice trembling with fear.

"Yes, I did. Have a seat, young man," the principal said, trying to sound reassuring.

Mathias took a seat, and Mr. Phillips gazed at him intensely, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and compassion. Mathias hadn't completely healed from his wounds, so he still had some traces of bruises and cuts that Steven and his minions had inflicted on him.

"Mathias, you know why I called you here, right?" the principal said after a long gaze, his voice heavy with sadness and disappointment.

"N..No, I don't," Mathias said, playing dumb, but his eyes were darting around the room anxiously, as if searching for an escape.

"Okay, I will tell you then. I heard you were a victim of sick bullying, and I would like you to tell me the student or students responsible for this barbaric act so they can receive the punishment due to them," Mr. Phillips said, his voice firm but gentle.

Mathias thought of telling the principal everything that happened, but he knew Steven would hurt him again if he did, so he denied everything, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You are wrong, sir.... I wasn't a victim of any form of bullying," he said, his face bent to the desk, his shoulders hunched defensively.

"Raise your head when you are talking to me, boy," the principal demanded, his voice stern but not unkind.

Mathias gently raised his head, and Mr. Phillips could see the fear in his eyes, his heart aching for the boy's pain.

He stood up from his chair and walked around the desk to meet Mathias, his movements slow and deliberate, as if trying to convey a sense of safety and comfort.

Gently, he touched Mathias on the shoulder. "No one will hurt you here. You can tell me anything, you know that, right? I am here to help you, but I can only help you if you help me help you. Do you understand? So, tell me who did this to you?" he said in the calmest way possible, his voice soft and soothing.

The words were really close to coming out of Mathias's mouth, but something stopped him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt as if he was about to break down in tears.

"I tripped while riding my bike, and that's how I got the bruises," Mathias said, his voice barely audible, his eyes avoiding Mr. Phillips's gaze.

The principal didn't want to press him further because he knew he was very scared of the students who had hurt him.

"Very well then, if that's the story you choose to tell me, you can go," Mr. Phillips said, and with that, he went back to his seat.

"Thank you, sir," Mathias said, then stood up, in a hurry to leave.

"Mathias!" Mr. Phillips called out before he could leave the office.