On Friday morning Ronald woke up before his alarm clock went off. There was a legit reason for that: he was too nervous, and excited, to sleep any longer. During that day’s free period he would have his first tutor lesson with no other than Farrah Livingstone, the one and only. Ronald was so excited he wanted to vomit.
His morning routine was done in a blink of an eye and then he stood behind the front door, staring at the clock on the wall and waiting for it to tick tock forward. He didn’t want to be at school one hour early. He waited, waited and waited. The time crawled forward and just when Ronald was in the toilet, his phone started peeping, telling him he could start walking to school.
Ronald had a reminder on every day for when he needs to leave to school because otherwise he would leave too late and then the teachers wouldn’t be happy with him. He needed the reminders, no exceptions.
He peeked outside and when he didn’t see anyone, ‘anyone’ meaning Ramsey Barlow, looming around, he left the house yelling goodbye before he remembered that he had been alone in there.
The walk to the school didn’t last as long as it usually did which was no surprise, really. Ronald took large leaps instead of walking normally. He was pumped, so excited to start the school day already.
“You look awfully happy”, Lucas commented immediately when he walked in the classroom and sat down next to Ronald. “Can you stop smiling like an idiot?”
“I really can’t”, Ronald said, grinning widely. “Let me be in a good mood.”
“Certain girl has nothing to do with your exceptionally good mood, right?”
“Pfft, nooo.”
“Uh-huh.”
The class started and the boys closed their mouths and concentrated on listening. Or Lucas concentrated and Ronald triedto concentrate. He mostly failed. He couldn’t sit still, he was moving all the time, looking around, sighing and it was driving Lucas nuts.
“Dude”, Lucas hissed. “Calm down and sit still. The free period won’t come any faster no matter how much you disturb my studying.”
“Sorry”, Ronald muttered and put his hands on the seat and sat on top of them, trying his best to stay put.
The school day was boring until the lunch time rolled in. After lunch would be their free period so obviously Ronald was too nervous to eat. He took one bite of his sandwich and then he dropped it on the table and said, “I can’t eat.”
“If you ain’t gonna eat that, I will”, said Lucas who had already eaten his own sandwich. Ronald pushed his sandwich closer to his best friend who took it and started eating.
“Just try to seem smarter than what you actually are”, Lucas said, patting Ronald’s head. “She will get annoyed with you if you’re your dumb self.”
“It’s not my fault I’m not good with numbers!” Ronald groaned.
“Yes, it’s your parents’ fault”, Lucas agreed and then he lowered his voice. “Speaking of old people aka adults, have you seen a certain someone?”
“Barlow? No, why?”
“I was just wondering”, Lucas said. “You do know tonight’s full moon?”
“No, I did not know that”, Ronald said, “but it’s whatever, right? No need to think about it.”
Lucas nodded and then pointed behind Ronald. “Your tutor is waiting for you.”
Ronald turned around and saw Farrah waving at him by the cafeteria’s doors. He waved back and then turned to Lucas.
“Okay, wish me luck!”
“Break a leg”, Lucas said, more or less sincerely.
Ronald rolled his eyes, stood up and walked towards Farrah. She smiled and motioned Ronald to follow her. They walked ahead and Farrah told him Mrs. McCarthy had promised they could use her empty classroom for studying.
“Cool”, Ronald said, feeling a knot in his stomach. Why did he have to be so nervous? It was just tutoring. With Farrah. “Did she tell you any specific topic I suck at and need help with?”
“Yes”, Farrah said and smiled charmingly. “She said, and I quote, ‘Ronald needs help with everything, starting from the basics. I trust you, Miss Livingstone’.”
Ronald looked mortified.
“How nice”, he muttered.
“It’s fine, Ron”, Farrah assured him. “Not everyone can be good with numbers. And I’m an excellent teacher, you will learn in no time!”
Ronald smiled. “Thank you for this.”
“It’s my pleasure, really.”
They stepped inside the empty classroom, Ronald turned on the lights and Farrah chose seats for them. She took her textbook on the table and Ronald mimicked her.
“Shall we?” Farrah asked.
Ronald breathed deeply and nodded.
After tutoring Ronald wasn’t necessarily that much smarter but he had realised a few things which could come handy in the future. Farrah hadn’t lied, she was an excellent teacher. Very patient and very organized. She helped Ronald a lot but there was still a lot to do before Ronald would be in shape to pass all his math exams.
“Same time next week”, Farrah said as they left the classroom. “Also we should meet on the weekends too, probably, because there’s so much things to learn.”
“Sure”, Ronald said. “How about tomorrow?”
“Yes, that works for me. I’ll come around four if that’s okay with you”, Farrah said, flipping her hair off her face.
Ronald couldn’t believe it, Farrah was coming over to his home! He quickly agreed with her and told her his address then they both had to get to their classes.
The rest of the school day Ronald was one big ball of happiness, not that he wasn’t that even before the tutoring. Lucas joked a little bit about Ronald’s mood but nothing major or worth remembering; Ronald let the words go in and then out just as fast.
Ronald thought that nothing could ruin his mood as he walked back to home, did his homework, showered and ate with his mother and father and then went to bed. He was in such a good mood that falling asleep was hard. Not to mention the full moon that shined right behind Ronald’s window and made the whole room bath in silver light.
He was too lazy to get up and pull the curtains in front of the window so he just stared at the moon as hours passed by and the house went quiet as his parents went also to sleep.
Then Ronald felt it.
Burning pain inside his whole body. It came out of nowhere and it hurt more than anything he had ever felt before. He sat up on his bed and tried to breathe but it felt impossible. His throat was on fire, it felt like someone was choking him and he felt like dying.
He stumbled out of his bed and all he could think about was that he needed air. He ran with much difficulty to the front door, opened it and stumbled outside, trying to catch his breath while holding back a scream of pain.
It felt like someone had set him on fire from the inside, but at the same time it felt like someone had put him into one of those torture devices that pulled your hands and legs apart and stretched your whole body. He felt bulling, burning and as if someone was trying to crawl their way out from the inside of his body.
Just when he couldn’t handle the pain anymore as he fell to his knees and he opened his mouth to scream, someone grabbed him by the shoulder, put a hand to cover his mouth and said, “Not here.”
Ronald felt like his eyes were on fire but he turned his gaze anyway and saw Ramsey Barlow hovering above him. Ramsey lifted his finger up, moved it in a circle and suddenly Ronald felt like someone had pulled him harshly and when he looked around he wasn’t in the Quinn’s front yard anymore.
He was in the woods.
Momentary shock passed quickly and the pain came back like an annoying pimple. Ronald started screaming and hyperventilating. He couldn’t look around anymore because it hurt his eyes but he heard Ramsey’s voice somewhere near. He couldn’t understand what the man was saying, quite frankly he wanted to just yell ‘SHUT UP’ at him but he couldn’t get a word out of his mouth. He was too busy whining, screaming and then he felt how his bones grew longer in a blink of an eye and it hurt. He could feel his body transforming, his clothes expanding and then breaking and he knew what was happening. There was no denying it anymore.
Soon where there had been a slender, pale boy kneeling in pain was now a werewolf stooping, and then it flipped its head back and howled.
Ramsey Barlow stared at the werewolf, a green fire playing around his hands, ready to strike if the werewolf would attempt to harm him.
“Good doggie”, Ramsey muttered, eyes never leaving the werewolf and fire never once dying down in his hands. Then the werewolf looked at Ramsey with its red eyes, growled, turned around and started running away with all fours. Ramsey sighed, lifting his finger up.
“They always have to run.”
His morning routine was done in a blink of an eye and then he stood behind the front door, staring at the clock on the wall and waiting for it to tick tock forward. He didn’t want to be at school one hour early. He waited, waited and waited. The time crawled forward and just when Ronald was in the toilet, his phone started peeping, telling him he could start walking to school.
Ronald had a reminder on every day for when he needs to leave to school because otherwise he would leave too late and then the teachers wouldn’t be happy with him. He needed the reminders, no exceptions.
He peeked outside and when he didn’t see anyone, ‘anyone’ meaning Ramsey Barlow, looming around, he left the house yelling goodbye before he remembered that he had been alone in there.
The walk to the school didn’t last as long as it usually did which was no surprise, really. Ronald took large leaps instead of walking normally. He was pumped, so excited to start the school day already.
“You look awfully happy”, Lucas commented immediately when he walked in the classroom and sat down next to Ronald. “Can you stop smiling like an idiot?”
“I really can’t”, Ronald said, grinning widely. “Let me be in a good mood.”
“Certain girl has nothing to do with your exceptionally good mood, right?”
“Pfft, nooo.”
“Uh-huh.”
The class started and the boys closed their mouths and concentrated on listening. Or Lucas concentrated and Ronald triedto concentrate. He mostly failed. He couldn’t sit still, he was moving all the time, looking around, sighing and it was driving Lucas nuts.
“Dude”, Lucas hissed. “Calm down and sit still. The free period won’t come any faster no matter how much you disturb my studying.”
“Sorry”, Ronald muttered and put his hands on the seat and sat on top of them, trying his best to stay put.
The school day was boring until the lunch time rolled in. After lunch would be their free period so obviously Ronald was too nervous to eat. He took one bite of his sandwich and then he dropped it on the table and said, “I can’t eat.”
“If you ain’t gonna eat that, I will”, said Lucas who had already eaten his own sandwich. Ronald pushed his sandwich closer to his best friend who took it and started eating.
“Just try to seem smarter than what you actually are”, Lucas said, patting Ronald’s head. “She will get annoyed with you if you’re your dumb self.”
“It’s not my fault I’m not good with numbers!” Ronald groaned.
“Yes, it’s your parents’ fault”, Lucas agreed and then he lowered his voice. “Speaking of old people aka adults, have you seen a certain someone?”
“Barlow? No, why?”
“I was just wondering”, Lucas said. “You do know tonight’s full moon?”
“No, I did not know that”, Ronald said, “but it’s whatever, right? No need to think about it.”
Lucas nodded and then pointed behind Ronald. “Your tutor is waiting for you.”
Ronald turned around and saw Farrah waving at him by the cafeteria’s doors. He waved back and then turned to Lucas.
“Okay, wish me luck!”
“Break a leg”, Lucas said, more or less sincerely.
Ronald rolled his eyes, stood up and walked towards Farrah. She smiled and motioned Ronald to follow her. They walked ahead and Farrah told him Mrs. McCarthy had promised they could use her empty classroom for studying.
“Cool”, Ronald said, feeling a knot in his stomach. Why did he have to be so nervous? It was just tutoring. With Farrah. “Did she tell you any specific topic I suck at and need help with?”
“Yes”, Farrah said and smiled charmingly. “She said, and I quote, ‘Ronald needs help with everything, starting from the basics. I trust you, Miss Livingstone’.”
Ronald looked mortified.
“How nice”, he muttered.
“It’s fine, Ron”, Farrah assured him. “Not everyone can be good with numbers. And I’m an excellent teacher, you will learn in no time!”
Ronald smiled. “Thank you for this.”
“It’s my pleasure, really.”
They stepped inside the empty classroom, Ronald turned on the lights and Farrah chose seats for them. She took her textbook on the table and Ronald mimicked her.
“Shall we?” Farrah asked.
Ronald breathed deeply and nodded.
After tutoring Ronald wasn’t necessarily that much smarter but he had realised a few things which could come handy in the future. Farrah hadn’t lied, she was an excellent teacher. Very patient and very organized. She helped Ronald a lot but there was still a lot to do before Ronald would be in shape to pass all his math exams.
“Same time next week”, Farrah said as they left the classroom. “Also we should meet on the weekends too, probably, because there’s so much things to learn.”
“Sure”, Ronald said. “How about tomorrow?”
“Yes, that works for me. I’ll come around four if that’s okay with you”, Farrah said, flipping her hair off her face.
Ronald couldn’t believe it, Farrah was coming over to his home! He quickly agreed with her and told her his address then they both had to get to their classes.
The rest of the school day Ronald was one big ball of happiness, not that he wasn’t that even before the tutoring. Lucas joked a little bit about Ronald’s mood but nothing major or worth remembering; Ronald let the words go in and then out just as fast.
Ronald thought that nothing could ruin his mood as he walked back to home, did his homework, showered and ate with his mother and father and then went to bed. He was in such a good mood that falling asleep was hard. Not to mention the full moon that shined right behind Ronald’s window and made the whole room bath in silver light.
He was too lazy to get up and pull the curtains in front of the window so he just stared at the moon as hours passed by and the house went quiet as his parents went also to sleep.
Then Ronald felt it.
Burning pain inside his whole body. It came out of nowhere and it hurt more than anything he had ever felt before. He sat up on his bed and tried to breathe but it felt impossible. His throat was on fire, it felt like someone was choking him and he felt like dying.
He stumbled out of his bed and all he could think about was that he needed air. He ran with much difficulty to the front door, opened it and stumbled outside, trying to catch his breath while holding back a scream of pain.
It felt like someone had set him on fire from the inside, but at the same time it felt like someone had put him into one of those torture devices that pulled your hands and legs apart and stretched your whole body. He felt bulling, burning and as if someone was trying to crawl their way out from the inside of his body.
Just when he couldn’t handle the pain anymore as he fell to his knees and he opened his mouth to scream, someone grabbed him by the shoulder, put a hand to cover his mouth and said, “Not here.”
Ronald felt like his eyes were on fire but he turned his gaze anyway and saw Ramsey Barlow hovering above him. Ramsey lifted his finger up, moved it in a circle and suddenly Ronald felt like someone had pulled him harshly and when he looked around he wasn’t in the Quinn’s front yard anymore.
He was in the woods.
Momentary shock passed quickly and the pain came back like an annoying pimple. Ronald started screaming and hyperventilating. He couldn’t look around anymore because it hurt his eyes but he heard Ramsey’s voice somewhere near. He couldn’t understand what the man was saying, quite frankly he wanted to just yell ‘SHUT UP’ at him but he couldn’t get a word out of his mouth. He was too busy whining, screaming and then he felt how his bones grew longer in a blink of an eye and it hurt. He could feel his body transforming, his clothes expanding and then breaking and he knew what was happening. There was no denying it anymore.
Soon where there had been a slender, pale boy kneeling in pain was now a werewolf stooping, and then it flipped its head back and howled.
Ramsey Barlow stared at the werewolf, a green fire playing around his hands, ready to strike if the werewolf would attempt to harm him.
“Good doggie”, Ramsey muttered, eyes never leaving the werewolf and fire never once dying down in his hands. Then the werewolf looked at Ramsey with its red eyes, growled, turned around and started running away with all fours. Ramsey sighed, lifting his finger up.
“They always have to run.”