The Werewolves Who Weren't

by T C Shelley

  Sam pulled out a notepad with a bored gargoyle on the cover and wrote ‘subjects’, ‘lunch’ and ‘books’ on the page titled ‘School Behaviour’. He was glad that the Kavanaghs made sure he had food for lunch. He liked food.

  More students came in. A boy with black hair peered at Sam as he sat down to Sam’s right. A girl with blonde hair eased herself into the chair in front of Sam. Two girls, both as messy as Wilfred and wrapped in similar jackets, slid in around him. Wilfred pointed at Sam, and both girls inhaled. No, not inhaled. They were sniffing him. Sam looked at the door, and although it was no more than a metre away, the corridor between the other students and their desks seemed dangerous and distant.

  Another twenty or so people entered, sat down, chatted and became quiet when the lady behind the desk stood and shushed them. Sam guessed she was Mrs Grisham, the form teacher; that’s what it said on his timetable.

  ‘Everyone, we have a new student. Would you like to come up and introduce yourself, Sam?’

  ‘No,’ Sam replied.

  ‘Pardon?’ said the teacher.

  ‘Sorry, Mrs Grisham.’ Sam gulped. ‘I meant, no, thank you.’

  The students grinned at Sam, some sniggered, and then they turned to watch the teacher’s face. The three messy students in woollen jackets glared at him.

  ‘Sam, please come out the front,’ Mrs Grisham said.

  ‘Yes, Mrs Grisham.’ Sam got up and went forward, his notebook and pencil still in hand.

  ‘Class, this is Samuel Kavanagh. I want you to make him feel welcome. I know you can. Sam, why don’t you … ?’ She stopped and stared at one of Wilfred’s friends. ‘Amira! Why are you making that ridiculous sound?’

  The messy girl with the pale face and dark hair sat growling at him.

  Mrs Grisham added, ‘Amira, it’s not like you to be unfriendly to people.’

  ‘No, miss,’ she said, but Sam heard a rumble in the undertone.

  Amira and the other messy kids glanced at each other and then back at Sam.

  Mrs Grisham looked at them all. Her face looked like Michelle’s when she said she was ‘bemused’. ‘Go on, sit down, Sam,’ she said.

  Sam did. He studied the messy kids.

  Amira lifted her nose and sniffed the air. Sam sniffed back. The trio smelt like wet dogs. They all glared at him.

  Relief came when the teacher let them out, although Sam had learned nothing except that the cricket team would be meeting in the gym, and all year sevens needed to remember their devices for Drama class. He dashed out of the door, the first one out. Unfortunately, the messy kids followed him too.

  He had History next, and wondered if it would run like the group sessions in the Children’s Services building, but it turned out to be sad stories, which made sense. It wasn’t personal history; it was what had happened to England and the rest of the world.

  ‘We’ll be focusing on World War One, the Great War,’ Mr Heasley said. Sam listened, writing in his notepad anything odd the teacher said or did. Sometimes, when the teacher mentioned someone dying, he had a triumphant look on his face, as if it were a good thing. It was a strange subject, the stories of how humans hurt each other. They discussed things like courage, but overall, it was a bit depressing. Still, Sam listened and read with open eyes and open mouth. The best way to learn to be human was to learn about them and why they did things. He decided the Great War didn’t sound that great at all.

  The end of the lesson came with a she-goblin’s shriek. No one but Sam jumped, like they expected it, and Sam remained seated after the others rushed out. Sam walked slowly to the classroom door. He put his head outside and peered into the corridor, reminding himself Daniel said humans rarely ate each other.

  Outside, in the corridor, the musty-smelling, messy-haired trio waited.

  The girl called Amira glared at him again. ‘Wilfred, Hazel and me all agree you smell odd. Not human,’ she said.

  Sam gulped. Not being human was worse than ‘weird’. If these kids told the services he was off somehow, he might have to leave his home.

  Sam decided he didn’t need a buddy any more and ran down the corridor. He’d find English by himself.

  CHAPTER 4

  Already, day one, and someone knew he wasn’t human. He felt like crying.

  At least he only saw them during class time when there was a teacher present. He’d not seen so much undiluted anger and fear since he’d left the Ogres’ Cavern. In Study Skills, he sat hunched so they wouldn’t pay attention to him, but he felt Amira, Hazel and Wilfred glaring at him from behind. The other kids in class were mostly nice to him, and even they seemed surprised by the behaviour of the trio. Someone said it wasn’t like them.

  Sam avoided the Sniffers all day, but they seemed determined to corner him. He made sure he moved with the bulk of students so he was never alone, and tagged along behind Nick and his friends at the breaks. The Sniffers waited for him after every shared class and a couple of times he’d had to run for it, slipping past them to get to the canteen. They smelt of threats and battle, although Hazel would shake when she saw him.

  Maybe Bladder had been right. People didn’t like him. Sam didn’t think he’d ever fit in, and he hoped they weren’t planning on eating him.

  They all wore jackets, just like Bladder said. Maybe not leather jackets. Sam thought he’d ask Bladder what happened if they danced.

  After school, Nick met him at the school gate and Sam sighed as he saw the Sniffers glaring at him from the benches.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Nick asked, following his gaze.

  ‘They don’t like me,’ Sam said.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Those three. The Sniffers.’

  ‘Yeah, I know them. They’re normally quite easy-going. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe at home. What makes you think they dislike you?’

  ‘I have no idea. They keep sniffing at me.’

  Nick put a hand on his shoulder. ‘New schools are hard for everyone. Don’t worry, you’ll make friends and those kids will calm down.’ Sam looked at Nick’s face. The words sounded comforting, but the line between the older boy’s eyes deepened.

  When Richard and Michelle asked him how his first day went, he didn’t want them to worry, so he said ‘fine’. They needed to tell the Children’s Services everything, and Sam would much rather the service people not hear about this.

  Michelle kissed him. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll make friends soon.’

  She’d known. How had she known?

  The Sniffers were at the gate when he arrived at school the next day. They stood back from the gathering students, but Sam watched as Amira took a deep whiff of him and gave such a low growl only Sam could hear. He was sure, had he been alone, she would have attacked him. Ogres gave those types of grumbly pre-battle growls.

  In class, Amira glowered under her dark fringe, her face pale and her eyes too bright. Sam wondered whether she was sick. Hazel and Wilfred peeked at him and looked away.

  When the bell went for break, he fled out of the class and straight to Nick’s table in the canteen. It was nice to have a place to hide.

  Nick frowned. He had encouraged Sam to make friends in his own year group, and here he was, heading towards Nick for the second day. Sam hoped Nick wasn’t annoyed with him being with his friends.

  All Nick asked was, ‘Hey, Sammy, you OK?’ He shoved over so Sam could squeeze in between him and Isaac. Nick didn’t seem angry.

  Sam looked up. The Sniffers had followed him into the canteen. They saw him stuck between the bigger kids and glared.

  ‘What’s wrong with them?’ one of Nick’s friends asked. ‘They’re normally quite sweet.’

  ‘The Sniffers don’t like me.’

  One of the girls laughed. ‘Sniffers? What an interesting name. Normally, everyone likes the –’ she giggled – ‘Sniffers and they like everyone. Always doing favours for people. They’re very helpful. If you ask them to go get something they will.’

  ‘Did you say so
mething to them?’ Nick whispered. ‘Or do something a bit … odd?’

  Sam cringed. ‘Odd’ meant the same as ‘weird’.

  ‘No,’ Sam replied. He hadn’t done anything to upset them. It was his smell. He didn’t smell right. He could hear a low rumble in the backs of their throats which no one else would have heard.

  Then Daniel flew through the door, hitting his wing on the way in and landing against the far wall with an oof. Sam groaned. Sam was always happy to see Daniel, but it was awful timing. He was at school, in the canteen, surrounded by hundreds of people. He pulled out his mobile phone, and Nick stared at him too, shaking his head. ‘Sam, no, you don’t want to make that call now, do you?’

  ‘Sorry, Nick, I have to.’

  Sam marched towards Daniel and stabbed randomly at the face of the phone. He put the phone to his ear. Nick nodded. That meant he looked normal.

  Daniel slid down the wall so he was head height with Sam. As his legs stuck out, a girl carrying a full plate picked her feet up and stepped over Daniel’s ankles. She stared at the ground as if wondering why she felt the need to do it.

  ‘I’m having a hard time right now,’ Sam said.

  ‘Me too. My wings are all over the place and it’s time for me to go. Just thought you should know. It’s my last day down here until retraining is over.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Sam said.

  A trio of kids passed Sam and Daniel, unconsciously ducking and weaving to avoid the angel’s wings.

  ‘Did you feel that?’ one asked. The group stared hard at Sam as if he’d done something.

  Daniel half-smiled at Sam, then pointed behind him. ‘Why does she look so angry at you?’

  Sam turned. Hazel, Amira and Wilfred were at the food counter. Amira stared at him, a snarl forming on her face, but Wilfred and Hazel looked beyond him, staring up and to his left. Right into Daniel’s face. Both their mouths opened a click, and their eyes glowed, reflecting Daniel’s light. Then Wilfred did something Sam had never seen a human do in public. He’d seen Richard do it to music as he wandered the house, and then there was Mrs Roberts next door who wore headphones and did it while gardening in her backyard, but never out the front. So maybe Wilfred could hear music too. Sam listened but couldn’t hear anything.

  Daniel lifted one eyebrow and looked at Wilfred and Hazel. ‘They can see me. That’s very odd, you know.’

  Wilfred wiggled his bottom. It seemed unrhythmic and unmusical. Sam had seen someone else do it exactly the same way. It wasn’t Richard or Mrs Roberts though.

  Amira put her mouth to Wilfred’s ear. Sam’s gargoyle ears heard her whisper, ‘Wilfred, stop that!’

  Wilfred pointed directly at Daniel. ‘But the angel … it’s so beautiful.’

  ‘Angel? What are you talking about?’ Amira forced the boy’s arm down. ‘You’re so untrained. You’re not in the least bit ready for upright school. Hazel, help me.’

  ‘I can see something too. A light,’ Hazel said. ‘Can’t you?’

  ‘The wall is glowing, but …’ Amira looked around the room. Sam guessed she was trying to find the source of the light.

  Wilfred grinned and wiggled again.

  ‘Wilfred, we’ve got more important things to deal with,’ Amira said.

  Sam realised he might have been the only one to overhear the conversation, but he wasn’t the only one watching Wilfred. A few other kids stared; some were giggling.

  Wilfred watched Daniel’s face, looked at Sam, then back at Daniel. The angel put a hand on Sam’s shoulder and smiled. Wilfred smiled in return at both Daniel and Sam.

  ‘Wilfred!’ Amira dragged the scruffy boy out of the canteen door, glaring at Sam every step of the way. Hazel smiled in the angel’s direction, Daniel waved his hand at her, and she stopped, peered at Sam and sniffed again. Her eyes smiled as if she were remembering something pleasant. Amira growled, pulling at Wilfred, who continued grinning, his tongue sticking out between his teeth.

  Hazel turned from the sight of the angel with slow reluctance and followed the other two through the door. They disappeared outside.

  ‘That doesn’t happen too often,’ Daniel said. ‘They must have very sweet souls.’

  Sam frowned. The Amira, Wilfred and Hazel who had spent the last two days snarling at him weren’t people he’d describe as sweet souls. Not with all the growling, the whimpering and … Wilfred’s wiggling bottom? Who had he seen doing that before? He tried to remember.

  ‘It’s time for me to leave,’ Daniel said, disrupting the thought.

  ‘When will you be back?’

  ‘Maybe not for a long, long time. They haven’t really said.’ He hung his head and put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

  ‘I’ll miss you, Daniel.’

  Daniel didn’t reply. A tear glittered on his lashes, which burned Sam’s eyes, and the angel swallowed a sob. Daniel hugged Sam, then kissed him on the top of his head, taking some time before letting him go. Then he flew from the canteen, hitting his wings on the door on the way out, making unhappy noises and using words Sam was more used to hearing from Bladder.

  Sam returned to the table. ‘That was weird,’ one of Nick’s friends said.

  Sam felt his stomach turn. He hoped he hadn’t embarrassed Nick. It would have looked weird being hugged by an angel.

  ‘Well, Wilfred is a bit odd,’ the girl opposite said. ‘He’s kind though. He was at my little brother’s school last year. He always stuck up for the smaller kids. And Dougy says Hazel’s adorable, and he doesn’t say that about any other girl. I think it’s puppy love.’

  ‘What about Amira?’ Sam asked. She was the one who always growled at him.

  ‘She’s on the Student Care Committee. Mrs Kelava says she’s the best listener they’ve got. A real good soul.’

  Sam sank. If they were so nice, why didn’t they like him? What was wrong with him? Even Daniel had liked them.

  Nick looked at him and winked. ‘Try not to worry about it, Sam. They’ll come around. Even the neighbour’s dog has stopped barking at you all the time.’

  Sam stared at the door, and then it came to him in a rush. Maybe he was wrong, but he thought of wiggling bottoms and knew exactly where he’d seen the same thing. Then there was that lovely homey smell they all gave off, even though they didn’t like Sam’s scent. And Wilfred could see Daniel. Other than Beatrice, he didn’t know any humans who could see angels.

  Even if he was wrong, he had to risk it. He’d never make other friends wandering around worrying about Amira growling at him and them following him everywhere. Besides, it’d be nice to know someone who saw Daniel as well as he did.

  If he was right, then they were good souls. The best. For the first time, it was Sam who rushed after the Sniffers.

  CHAPTER 5

  By the time Sam caught up with them, the Sniffers had turned the corner of the building towards the basketball court. Amira shook her head at Wilfred, and Wilfred hung his like he had been scolded.

  ‘But I did see it,’ Sam heard Wilfred say. ‘Just because you can’t, doesn’t mean it’s not there.’

  Amira growled. Deep in her throat. Sam smiled. He recognised the sound now.

  ‘You saw the light too, Amira,’ Hazel added. ‘And if an angel’s with him, then surely … he can’t be a monster.’

  Sam raced towards them. ‘Hey!’ he yelled.

  The trio swivelled to face him.

  ‘What do you want?’ Amira snarled.

  Wilfred wiggled his bottom again and grinned at Sam.

  Sam took a dangerous step forward. ‘You know, you’ve made coming to school almost as hard as being in the monster world.’ Sam took another pace closer. ‘And you’re right, I’m not human, not totally, but I don’t think you are either,’ he said. ‘You said I didn’t smell human, but …’ He counted one finger. ‘Your ability to smell is better than human.’ Second finger and third fingers. ‘You can sense angels, and you, Wilfred, wiggle your bottom when you see them.’ He inhaled their musky aroma.
‘At first I thought you smelt like Hoy Poy because you had pets, but it’s not that at all, is it? It’s cos you’re like Hoy Poy.’

  ‘Who’s Hoy Poy?’ Hazel asked.

  ‘That’s my neighbour’s dog.’

  Amira rammed him, making him stagger. She grabbed his collar and pushed him to the wall, hissing low, so no one else could see or hear them. ‘It’s our job to protect humans, so you shut your mouth, you monster.’ She looked around to see how close the other kids were. She was angry all right, but from under the anger came the strong, dank whiff of fear.

  Wilfred grabbed her wrist. ‘No, Amira, he must be good. He talks to angels.’

  Hazel’s dark-golden eyes glowed. ‘Yeah, I’m pretty sure too. That light felt nice. No, not nice. Good. It makes sense he’s good too.’ Beige-blonde hair bounced around her shoulders, catching the sunshine, and she smiled warmly at Sam.

  Sam stared straight at Amira. ‘You smell like dogs, because somehow you’re like me. You’re a mix of something. Like you are dogs.’ Even as Sam said it, it sounded ridiculous. They were obviously human.

  Amira pushed him again.

  ‘Amira!’ Hazel yelled.

  Sam fell to the asphalt with a heavy oof. If he’d been a normal boy, it would have hurt.

  ‘I didn’t mean to; I didn’t mean to.’ Amira’s heart-shaped face paled. Fear and anger. Sam saw them again, both flaring in her dark eyes. The irises grew, covering the whites in a shiny black. Human eyes didn’t do that.

  Sam kept talking. ‘Dogs don’t like me at first. Hoy Poy didn’t, because I smelt wrong to him.’

  Amira burst into tears.

  ‘He won’t hurt anyone.’ Wilfred pulled at Amira’s blazer. ‘He’s a mixture of something odd, but he won’t hurt anyone.’

  Sam sat on the ground, waiting for Amira to thump him. Her dog smell got stronger. ‘You smell funny too. All musty. I thought you’d been rolling around with dogs, but it’s more than that.’

  Amira whimpered. ‘He’s a monster. We’re supposed to protect humans from monsters.’