Wolves of Secrets 3: Family Values

Fallen

Koko had to force a pleasant smile onto her face as she walked around the school cafeteria, making sure there was no risk of a food fight breaking out. She noticed a few students pushing the food around on their plates and not eating, but she didn't blame them. No one liked school lunches, especially recently. As the teacher made her rounds, Koko frowned when she saw the pack sitting at their table. They were making a tower out of their beans and sandwiches and other bits from their lunches.

The only ones not sitting at the table were Harumi, Lloyd, and Zane.

Harumi was sat with the other cheerleaders and Koko wasn't sure where Zane was. Everyone knew that Lloyd's mother and uncle had taken Lloyd out of school for the week. They were taking him to look at a college not too far from the city. It was no secret that the blond teen was struggling to decide what to do once he finished high school. He should be back in school tomorrow. Koko hoped that the trip would help Lloyd make up his mind soon.

The sound of the group gasping as the tower nearly fell brought Koko back to reality.

Even though they looked like they were having fun, Koko couldn't allow this and approached the table.

"What are you kids doing?" She asked kindly but with stern eyes.

"Making a tower, what's it look like?" Cole replied as he poured a few more beans on top of the tower.

"OK, why?"

"You don't expect us to eat this stuff, do you?" Jay asked in disbelief. He lived in a junkyard and he had seen more edible-looking food in the piles of trash.

"They keep giving us these horrible cheap foods and they're all past their sell-by date." Kai pointed out as he held up the wrappers for their sandwiches which were indeed out of date.

"Only by a few days and we've got to save money." Koko tried to reason, but that went out the window what Zane stormed in with a face like thunder.

"They have canceled my piano lessons!" He snapped in distress and Koko sighed. All of the students knew about or more accurately been victims too, the new budget cuts the school had recently had to make thanks to the council. They have had to cancel after-school clubs like Foreign Languages, Photography, Mathletes, Robotics, Chess, and Book Club. Even a few sports clubs such as swimming and tennis had been canceled as well.

"Look me in the eyes Koko, and tell me this is fair." Morro scowled at the teacher, but Koko could say nothing to ease their anxiety and walked away. Nya gave Morro a light glare for snapping at Koko and followed the teacher into the hallway.

"Miss. Koko, wait! What's going on with all these budget cuts?" She asked and after a few moments of deliberating, Koko sighed heavily and turned to face the teen werewolf.

"The council have stopped paying for the school's after-school music lessons three months ago." She admitted, regret and sympathy clear in her eyes.

"So who's been paying for the instructors?" Nya asked, but the teacher's silence was answer enough. "You?!"

"Yes, but I can't afford to do it anymore." She replied sadly, feeling that she had let her students down.

"You shouldn't have to pay in the first place!" Nya cried in Koko's defense. "Tell the council you've cut everything you can and you're done, it's not like they can throw everyone out in the street." She laughed, but it faded to horror at the uneasy look Koko gave her.

"They're planning on moving some of the students in your grade somewhere cheaper." She said with a bit of venom in her tone at the people who made that decision.

"Where?" Nya asked, almost scared to do so.

"Granite Hills High."...

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