Lycanthropy and Me: The First Semester(mlm)

Day 37 Tuesday. Waning Crescent

Day 37 Tuesday. Waning Crescent

With two tests down and one paper submitted Hunter was feeling completely lost. He wasn't even sure what he knew anymore. Thursday he had one more midterm to take and he would be lucky if he could remember his own name after that. Friday he would not be resting, however. He had already agreed to meet with Tom and Grayson to further plan out the break-in.

"Bummed out?"

Hunter stopped staring at the library's cracked ceiling and looked at the person sitting across from him. She was a woman of indeterminable age, surely older than him, but not of retiring age. Her shoulder-length hair hung over her shoulders, and her caramel skin was accented by shimmering eye shadow dark red lipstick. She leaned forward as she spoke, arms crossed and resting on the table, like she was going to tell him a secret. The quality of her business suit suggested she was making good money, but doing what? Few members of the staff wore formal attire and even fewer of them directly spoke to students between classes.

"Yeah....?" He finally responded.

Who was this woman? Hunter immediately thought of his deal with the interim dean, Eric Namm. Namm had acted as a liaison between him and an unseen 'board' that had only contacted Hunter directly through a set of shady e-mails filled with words like 'discretion' and 'cooperation'. The whole affair gave him a 'Friends close, enemies closer' vibe. Maybe she was affiliated with them?

"What's wrong? Tests got you down?"

Hunter shrugged. "Tis the season to be stressed out. Ah, I like that. Maybe I'll use it as a greeting around finals. They're right before Christmas after all."

"Ouch." She winced, closing one eye. "Sounds like a drag."

"Eh. Could be worse. Could be much better though."

Her eyebrow raised with sudden interest. "Teachers on your nerves?"

Hunter was cautious. "Not anymore."

"Do tell."

Nope. Discretion. "Nothing to tell. I'm fine now."

"But why?" Her tone was harsh as she tapped her nails against the desk, the facade slipping.

It was Hunter's turn to raise an eyebrow as she pulled out her phone and leaned closer.

"Let's not beat around the bush." She flashed the phone at him. His meltdown in Lugosi's class was playing out on the screen. "I know this is you. I also know that no complaints were filed, no statements have been made, and this thing is disappearing from sites left and right. It's quiet. Too quiet." She presented a business card. "Mona Singh, channel 8. This school is covering something up, and I intend to find out what."

Hunter stared at the card in disbelief. Being watched by the school was one thing, stalked by Abner was another, but now a reporter had tracked him down? He looked up at the ceiling again.

Dear Lord, He beseeched a higher power. My life was so simple before I came here. What is this den of madness I have fallen into? What is your plan for me?

His phone vibrated. He had a message from Grayson.

His apartment is 2G, right?

Hunter quickly replied. Yeah, why?

No response. Why did Grayson ask that? What was he doing? They had already agreed that the plan was dangerous. He couldn't possibly--

"...They have to have something on you to keep this quiet." He realized the reporter was still talking. "Holding your grades hostage maybe? Whatever it is--"