Chương 27: Tonights Conference

In the chemistry room, Larch's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, are seated opposite Mr. Smosh, chatting away. Mr. Smosh calls Larch a highly driven student. Honestly, I'd say he's exceptionally motivated.

"We were hoping he might go easier on himself." The glow from His BMW headlights lights up a cluster of trees by a field. A tiny hoop dangles from a branch. A bear bottle tumbles from Larch's grasp onto the grass. With his free hand, he grabs a ball using his lacrosse stick and hurls it toward the hoop. It flies past, missing its target.

"He's always been tough on himself. We figured that came from being adopted." Mr. Wilson mentioned that to Mr. Smosh. Larch grabs another ball. He tries again. And misses again.

"I believe I get it. He's never met his birth parents."

"Exactly. It's that urge to satisfy others. The one who always goes above and beyond. The longing to make someone feel proud. A person he has never laid eyes on." Balls keep flying in, one right after another. A few graze the rim's edge, yet none manage to slip through.

"Well, from an outsider's view, something has clearly cranked up his drive to succeed quite a few notches." A beer bottle hurtles through the air, spinning wildly before crashing into the hoop and the tree.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but he appears almost... consumed." With a sharp inhale through gritted teeth, Larch sinks to his knees. He remains there, hands buried in the earth, staring down his shortcomings.

Ms. Ramsy, the English instructor, takes a seat across from Scara's parents.

"So, allow me to say right off the bat, there's quite a lot to discuss about Scara." Mr. Hall turns toward Mrs. Hall, who is soon to be his ex-wife.

"Didn't I call this one?"

"Here we go. The usual total meltdown."

"What's the matter? Is it her grades? Trouble focusing? Odd behavior? Just give it to us straight, what's the issue?" Mr. Hall poses the question to the teacher.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware of any issue. Not at all..." Back in her room, Scara is perched at her vanity, gazing blankly at her reflection.

"In terms of academics, Scara ranks among the best students I've encountered. Her AP classes push her GPA past five. Honestly, I'd love to have her IQ assessed." Mrs. Ramsy shared this with them.

"You can't be serious?"

"Absolutely. And in social settings, she shines with remarkable leadership abilities. She's a true leader. I'm not exaggerating: I believe she could one day become a Senator." Scara starts putting on makeup. Applies foundation, blush... Eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara... When every lash is set, she inspects her immaculately styled appearance. She grins at her reflection, the mask back in place.

Inside the coach's office, Valentine lingers while someone shuffles through papers on a desk, eventually glancing up with a puzzled expression. That's Coach Moon.

"Right, right, Churro. Wait, I figured that was his surname. You gave your son the name Churro Valentine?"

"No, that's simply the name he prefers to go by." The coach hesitates, still staring ahead as the paper remains motionless on the desk before asking, "What's his actual name?" Valentine taps a finger on one of the documents resting on Coach's desk.

"How do you even say that?" The coach inquired.

"That was the name of his mother's father."

"You must have truly adored your wife." He remarked playfully.

"I did." The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. This took the coach by surprise.

"Oh. Well. This has suddenly turned incredibly awkward!"

"Shall we move on to the conference part?" Valentine asks.

"Absolutely. So, Churro. Great kid. Zero ability to focus..." Churro sits on the floor of his room, folders and files fanned out before him.

"Super smart. Never takes advantage of his talents." the coach explains. He sifts through the files, one marked: Tale House fire. The pages read: Electrical malfunction, eight family members deceased. Arson?

"How do you mean?"

"For the final question on his midterm he detailed the history of male circumcision." Valentine fidgets uncomfortably in his seat.

"Well, that does have historical significance, right?"

"I teach economics."

Mr. Smosh waits in his seat as Aqua Croft chats on her mobile. Her grip on the phone tightens as frustration begins to boil over.

"Where the hell are you? Get to the school. Now." She hissed through clenched teeth at her son. She hangs up and glances upward, offering a sheepish smile.

"Shall we begin? These days, Crimson's thoughts seem to drift elsewhere... And so does his body. In my view, it might be tied to what's happening at home."

"I'm not certain what you mean by home situation?"

"Simply put, there's no strong male role model around. Boys rarely open up to their parents, especially at this stage.

"Well... We don't chat as often as we once did." She clarified. In the car, Willow drives, noticing Crimson's constant restlessness. He keeps glancing at the clock. And at the speedometer. His foot taps rhythmically.

"Crimson is one of my most intriguing students. You can tell there's something different about him. Something special." He explained to Aqua.

"You think so?"

"Definitely. But he's also going through difficult changes. He just needs a little more attention. A guiding hand through this crucial stage in his development." The lights of passing cars flash over Crimson's face. One after another. In one quick moment, however, his eyes flash back, becoming reflective as he turns his head up.

"Willow Ash..."

Mr. and Mrs. Ash sit with a worried Ms. Ramsey. Today, it was their slot for the parent-teacher meeting.

"A remarkably kind girl. She adapts quickly despite all the relocations." the teacher remarked.

"We realize it's tough on her. But it's an unavoidable necessity. I must follow the opportunities that come my way."

"Necessary or not, I'd brace for a bit of... How should I phrase this... Defiance." This prompted both of them to exchange a glance with the teacher.

"We value your worry, but our bond with our daughter is strong. Quite transparent and truthful."

"I'm glad to hear that. And do tell her I wish her a speedy recovery." She offers a smile as the Ashes share a surprised expression.

"She wasn't in class?"

"She didn't attend school. I verified with the office." The conference has wrapped up. Ash rises to his feet, and his wife trails behind him. Willow steers the car into the school's parking area. They spot a throng of parents streaming outside.

"I doubt it'll be as bad as you think." A single door swings open, catching the attention of many. It's Aqua Croft, visibly seething.

"Your Mom?" As he slinks down in the seat...

"I'm dead."

Parents and teachers step out of the school building. Valentine, Mr. and Mrs. Hall, and the Wilsons are among them. The Ashs, in contrast, hurry over to their vehicle.

"Willow, picking up your phone would make negotiating your grounding terms much simpler. I'd call me back before your punishment escalates to epic levels." Ash spoke into the phone with a rude tone. He hangs up and looks at his wife, who is also on her phone.

"Kate hasn't heard anything from her either."

"She never does this."

"Um... pardon me." They spin around to see Aqua approaching, having caught their words.

"You two aren't Willow's parents, are you? I'm Crimson's mom. And I regret saying this... but he's ignoring his phone too."

"I wouldn't be proud of that since he basically abducted my daughter today."

"How can we be sure that skipping the day wasn't your daughter's idea?" She asks. On the other side of the parking lot, Crimson and Willow exit her car as Aqua spots her son.

"Where on earth have you been?"

"Uh... No place."

"No place meaning you skipped school?"

"It's on me. It's my birthday and we were just..." Willow tried to explain but was interrupted.

"Willow. Get in the car." Ash and Willow's mother push through the crowd. He turns to fix his stare on Crimson when a scream bursts out. He spins around as chaos breaks loose. He looks up, eyes wide with terror as a big, swift thing weaves between the parked cars. People scatter, trying to dodge it. There's a yell, a shriek. Cars swerve and honk as a shape races through the lot. Crimson's sharp senses activate, all sound fading as he locks onto the patter of padded paws on concrete.

"What's that?" A car lunges forward, slamming its brakes too late...

"Willow!" He seizes her around the waist, sweeping her clean off the ground and drawing her back as though she were featherlight. She stumbles onto the sidewalk, dodging the careening vehicle.

"Come on!" With her hand clasped in his, he drags her away from the throng. The silhouette darts between parents, teachers, and administrators who are scattering every which way. Valentine unclips his holster just as a frantic parent in an SUV jerks out of a parking space and plows straight into him. Valentine crashes to the ground. The SUV comes to a screeching stop. The driver leaps out to assist. Disoriented by the pandemonium, Aqua scans for Crimson. He spins around, catching the sound of his name.

"Mom? Mom?" A teacher bumps into her, making her fumble and drop her phone. It slides beneath a parked vehicle. As Aqua kneels to retrieve it between the tires, she spots the legs of a huge, beast-like creature loping by. Terrified, she presses up against the car and holds her breath until it moves past. Ash catches a glimpse of the four-legged animal in a blur. With brisk, steady strides, he rushes to his car, unlocks the passenger door, and wrenches open the glove compartment.

Across the parking lot, a crowd of parents screams. They find themselves trapped with no way out just as a gunshot echoes through the air. Every single person drops to the ground instantly. Ash gently lowers his weapon. He moves forward slowly. Peeking out from behind a car, Willow watches her father closely. While the rest of the parking lot is in sheer panic, her father remains perfectly composed and unshaken. As if this is all routine for him.

Gasping for air, Crimson rushes out from behind an SUV and ends up right next to Ash. The two of them walk toward the wounded animal. It's obviously not an Alpha werewolf... Instead, it's a mountain lion.