The Wolf of The Woods

Chapter Three: Back to school

A/N: Annnd the art for this chapter was done byyyy...
me, again, yeah I know I can't help myself :/
-

It was a week later now. Dan was back in his treehouse, snoring soundly as it was late at night.

He hadn't stopped thinking about that stranger he'd met while out shopping. And his mind kept reliving the encounter over and over and asking multiple questions as to why he'd seemed so genuine and nice. He thought about his appearance: tall, dark haired and pale. And those eyes, those eyes had been mesmerising.

Eventually though, he came to the conclusion that he had been thinking about the boy way to much. He didn't even know his name for God's sake, and it wasn't like he'd ever see him again.

The sun was starting to rise now, a dim light beginning to peek through the curtains as Dan began to stir. The silence of the surrounding forest was broken by birdsong which erupted into a chorus of chirps.

Dan didn't need an alarm to wake him up, a particularly loud sparrow perched on his windowsill joining the melody and he soon awoke.

Yawning sleepily, he pulled his body into a stretch and rubbed his eyes. Now that he could see clearer he looked around the room, he hadn't bothered to wash up in days and the smashed plate still lay sorrowfully on the floor.

He glanced up at his moon chart - seventeen days till the next full moon, Then his eyes fell upon the school uniform hanging from his door; his face fell.

Today was the day.

Rising halfheartedly from his bed he began to get ready. He pulled on his trousers and buttoned up his shirt, rather carelessly, and walked over to the sink.

He brushed his teeth with a toothbrush he'd stolen a while back (Hygiene is still very important, even for someone without a proper home you know) and peered at himself in his cracked mirror.

The bags under his eyes had grown a considerable amount and his hair was a complete untameable mess.

Spitting out the toothpaste quite suddenly and turning away from the mirror he reached for his bag and opened the door. After traipsing down the ladder and taking one last look up at his home, he set off in the direction of school.

-

A few hours later he was sat in a dull, dusty old classroom, hardly listening to what was going on.

It just so happened that his very first lesson was, in his opinion, the very worst lesson: maths. He stared motionlessly at Mrs Lewis, his teacher, with a look of utter boredom in his eyes as she spoke.

She was tall, thin and boney, her slightly crooked nose was shriveled and pointy; her eyes were squinting either side of it. Thin mousy hair drifted down to her shoulders in a rather colourless brown shade, framing her face which appeared to have a positively foul expression.

'Class' she addressed them, sharply 'today we are going to be doing Pythagoras theorem'
she looked around the room and scowled as she heard the moans and groans of Dan's classmates.

'Hehhem' she coughed pitilessly and continued. 'as you very well know your exams are coming up, your first being in 18 days time and...'

Dan's eyes widened. Eighteen days time? That was the day after the full Moon! Could this day have gotten any worse? He'd already encountered the renowned school bully Seamus this morning, who had tripped him over in the corridor and sneered at him.

He already knew that this test was going to be a complete shambles. He wouldn't change back until sunrise, and spending the night running through the woods as a werewolf always left him feeling so tired. Oh he couldn't bare to think of how atrocious it was going to be.

Still trapped in his thoughts he let out a loud sigh. Suddenly regretting this instantly as the whole class, and Mrs Lewis turned to look at him.
'Is there a problem Daniel?' she asked.

'I er, no miss' he replied, staring at the floor. He could hear Seamus and a few others laughing behind him.
'Good' she continued, edging closer to him 'Because if there is...'

'Um excuse me Mrs lewis'
Mrs Lewis froze and looked up, there was another teacher standing in the doorway.
'Yes Miss Graham?
'Well I have a new student with me here today, and he appears to be in your class' Mrs Graham beamed.

She was the total opposite to Mrs Lewis in every way. She had round, plump figure and a jolly face, on which there perched a pair of round spectacles. She stepped forward and beckoned to the apparent new student to follow.

'Class, this is Phil Lester' she began 'He only moved down here recently and...'
Dan gasped as he looked at Phil, he looked just like...

But this boy couldn't possibly be...

Dan looked into his eyes and they shone a glistening greeny-blue. It was him. The stranger he'd met before.