The-AO-Squad: School Wars book #1/chapter9


Chapter 9


Kate waited. She turned her head every now and then, just to get a glimpse of the clock, and thinking that maybe the big hand of the clock will finally reach it's destination, marking the time for lunch!..

Syrita though couldn't help but give a chuckle from watching, which made Kate only give a dramatic 'what?'.

She then turned her head back to focus on the teacher, who was going on about some kind of Daily Devotion...

"And that journal, will be your Devotion journal from now on..." He finished, uncertainty catching Kate off guard as she really didn't hear what he fully had to say. She leaned to Syrita. "W-What?..." She slowly asked, when suddenly the bell rung.

Almost exactly like Kate, every single wolf student leaped to their paws, almost shoving each other over and flipping their desks aside.

"Animals.." Syrita muttered with a smile, her sarcastic tone showing mildly though.

Kate though darted forward, throwing her head over her shoulder to yell, 'I'm One of them!' to Syrita, which made the black female only burst out with a flurry of laughter.

Kate then turned her attention ahead of her, eyes straight, ears pricked, as she galloped down the halls along with the other stampeding wolves.

They rounded two corners, and they headed for a stairwell.

Kate was only following the stampede of other hungry wolves... seeming she didn't even know which way the lunch room was...


Humphrey skidded down the stairwell, his paws slipping a few times but he always picked himself right back up throughout the large crowds of Middle School wolves. Even now, some seventh graders and sixth graders were also piling into the stairwell, but this didn't even seem to slow Humphrey down, as he shoved his way through the wolves.

His heart raced and his eyes gleamed furiously. He couldn't practically wait to tell Kate about his 'hit-and-run' with the Cool Kids back in the beginning of Science class... That's what he had decided to call his incident, seeming it kinda felt like a hit-and-run anyhow...

But wait, could he remember the Cool wolves' names exactly?...

One was... I-Imani, yeah!... And the other was...

Just then loud laughter came from the very top of the long stairwell. Humphrey turned his head to get a glimpse of the oncoming... Cool Kids! They were laughing their tails about something, which made Humphrey feel curious.

Here the Cool Kids were, keeping in style, while the much more immature wolves such as the Lowdown Kids, plus the 6th and 7th graders were running like buffoons to lunch!

Humphrey now tried to slow his pace, trying to seem cool as well, as he now turned a corner to head down some more stairs.

Now... what was that other one's name?... He then suddenly couldn't help but hear the distinguished voices of the Cool Kids from behind.

"Oh, laugh out loud Peyton! He seriously said that?" It was the snobbish tone of Lucy, her voice instantly recognizable...

That was it! Oh yeah, Peyton!

He then wondered if Imani too, was just behind him. He kinda didn't wanna find out, so he quickened his pace, not daring for the Cooler upper classed kids to catch up to him...

Suddenly now, and finally, the stairwell led out to the main open hall of downstairs. The hall was large and even had a small echo to it as the wolves all chattered away, heading towards the lunch room.

Humphrey though, dodged, skidded, and veered past the other wolf students, only wanting to get there faster.

He then turned a sharp corner that everyone else was turning as well, and found himself staring at two long long lines...

He blinked.

I-Is this the lunchline!?... It's huge!

He couldn't stand the thought of waiting in this long line, so he quickly just pushed past everyone and headed to the main entrance of the lunch room.

Tomorrow, I guess I'll have to be more quicker on getting down here... No wonder those sixth and seventh graders were running!

As Humphrey entered the lunch room now, his eyes lit up to what he saw ahead of him! It looked like the hugest room he could have possibly seen! Tables upon tables were just randomly set around the large room. Windows that showed views of the Preschool playground ran along the left side of the whole room. There was even a stage at the very end of the room, able to provide music maybe or plays while the wolves ate! It was all so amazing!

Different smells of food wafted over Humphrey immediately now, and all sorts of unfamiliar looking wolves were just numerously grouped among tables everywhere!

Off to the right side of him, were two microwaves where kids could warm their soups or home-made pizzas up from home at. There was even another hallway that led out of the lunch room from on the far opposite side of the room (next to the stage).

Everything was huge and like royalty!

He then suddenly flattened his ears at the thought of having to find Kate and Syrita through the midst of these crowds.

He didn't like that thought at all...

Suddenly though Garth randomly came trotting up to Humphrey's side, his eyes bright in hello. He had a tray of food in his mouth with a pizza and a side of delicious smelling fries, so he quickly turned and set the trey along his back, not wanting it to be stepped on from on the floor.

"H-Humphrey! Dude I thought I'd never find you or Kate!" he huffed, licking his teeth for a moment after holding that stiff tray between them.

Humphrey though was equally excited to see him! "Garth!? I-I don't know where to sit, or even where Kate is at all!..." he admitted, looking around as some Nerdy looking Kids passed by them suddenly.

Garth shrugged. "I kinda can't find Lilly either..." He confessed as well, his head jerking every which way to maybe get a glimpse of his mate.

Humphrey waited, still looking around now. Garth was great, but he needed to find Kate!

Humphrey then suddenly got another whiff of Garth's pizza and fries and couldn't help but ask him, "H-How did you get in that long line?"

Garth tipped his head before answering. "Oh this kind female wolf named Kinzi let me skip her for some reason... She seemed really nice" Garth explained, his eyes nodding that the female who still stood in line, ordering her food.

Humphrey paused, confused at this.

Kinzi?... B-But she's a Prissy Kid! Why would Garth be...well... accepted by her!?

His gaze then fell to the ground, wanting to ask Garth more on Kinzi when suddenly Garth raised his voice to a howl. "Hey! I see Lilly! She's over there, see her!" He held a paw up in direction Lilly now stood in from afar.

She appeared to be chatting with Michelle and Bailey at the moment...

This made Humphrey feel a slight hint of sudden horror and yet also jealousy.

Wait... Michelle? A-And Bailey too!? Those ARE the Prissy Kids! How are Lilly and Garth making friends with them?...

Humphrey couldn't take it anymore, he had to ask. "Hey Garth?" Humphrey began but the red-brown male wolf rushed off towards his mate, his form disappearing into the crowds, his tray back in his jaws again...

Humphrey sighed before turning his head around more to look for Kate. He'd also have to tell her of this news...

Suddenly though Christy trotted passed him, her eyes content on a table from afar.

He then rushed after her, not even thinking on what he was doing. I mean, at least she was familiar to him...

"C-Christy!" He called, causing for the blonde-bronze female to turn her head around towards him. "Oh, Hi Humphrey" she greeted around her try which was also clamped in her jaws like Garth's was.

Humphrey's gaze fell to the floor. "W-Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, to sit with my friends..." She simply answered, a look of concern quickly filling her eyes. Humphrey's ears though drooped at this. "O-Oh... Well have you seen Kate?" He then hopefully asked.

Christy pondered for a second before slowly nodding.

"M-Maybe?... I think she's with Syrita over there, at the table in the corner" Christy nodded her head to the far back corner to the right, near a microwave and close to the hallway which was beside the stage.

Humphrey nodded quickly.

"O-Oh thanks!"

He then hurried off, quickly now spotting the golden female wolf that he called his mate and the familiar black female wolf named Syrita that were now taking their seats.


"Do you have somewhere to sit?" Michelle asked, her orange-gold fur shimmering within the lights above.

Lilly casted her gaze to the floor now, her heart sinking. She didn't wanna seem like a fail in front of Michelle, or Michelle's friends. Because truth be told, she didn't have even the slightest idea on where to sit, much less with who.

Suddenly though, as if saving her from answering the humiliating question, Garth came pounding up, halting as he neared Lilly's side.

"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you" Garth fussed as he then gazed as Michelle and the other couple of Prissy girls that now took their seats at the table.

Garth shied a bit. The whole table was of Girls!

"Uh... Hi ladies" he slowly spoke, not knowing how to put his sudden awkwardness.

Lilly though didn't seem to care what the other girls thought of her mate. She only replied back to Garth now. "I was looking for you too... But then I found Michelle" Lilly nodded at the still awaiting female, a look of unamusement pressed against her face.

Garth nodded.

Lilly then though knew she'd have to answer some time... it was now or never.

"A-Anyways..." She began, turning back to the impatient Michelle. "N-No... I-I... actually w-we have nowhere to really sit" she finally admitted, embarrassment quickly seizing.

Michelle blinked, a small moment of awkward silence passing between Garth, Lilly, and the Prissy wolves.

Suddenly, next though a beautiful looking, brown female wolf mixed with a few colors of bronze and gold spoke from her positioned seat, her eyes warm and sympathetic.

"Then how about you sit with us today" he advised nicely.

Lilly perked her ears up. It was as if she could breathe again... like she had been holding her breath under water for hours now and finally resurfaced at this wolf's kindness.

Garth though was the first to speak. "O-Oh thank you, ever so much" he smiled, quickly taking the end seat.

"No probs. I'm Mckinley (Mah-kin-lee)" The nice wolf then stated, turning back to her lunch with her friends at the other end of the table.

Lilly smiled before taking her own seat.

Mckinely eh?... Well she seems very nice... and...

She looked around.

Maybe all the Prissy Kids are nice... or will become nice... yeah... maybe we'll become friends!


Thanks again for reading so far. Next up is chapter 10! :)