CHAPTER 2
Dreamless.
My eyes opened slowly, the ceiling of my bunk staring back at me in the morning light. That was the first thought that greeted me: the realization of an uneventful sleep. It didn't even feel like I had slept, but merely closed my eyes in some vain effort for that comfort to embrace me.
I lifted my head up off the pillow, realizing I was still in my clothes from the previous day. The last thing I remembered was closing the curtain to my left, the noises of my new roommates quickly drifting from my mind as I laid out on the bed and closed my eyes.
But now I was awake.
I sat up in my bunk, my head immediately bumping against the ceiling as I straightened my back to my full height.
"Son of a bitch…" I growled in English, rubbing my head.
Many of my friends from junior high always remarked how jealous they were of my height, how they wish they could be as tall as the noble Wolfhounds. I'd always smile and humor their praises, giving rides to my smaller classmates, helping them get things off large shelves, all the usual activities taller carnivores participate in. However, whenever they would shower me in compliments, telling me how strong, how proud, how elegant I looked, I'd always be wishing for the opposite.
Being a tall carnivore is a curse.
"Oi Danny, you awake?" Chase exclaimed, the dull thud of the Doberman hopping off the bunk above mine lightly vibrating the privacy curtain.
I cleared my throat lightly, peeling back the curtain before swinging my legs out onto the floor.
"Mhm. Good morning." I said in Japanese with a nod, still rubbing the top of my head.
"That bump of yours reminded me you were down there." Chase laughed lightly, adjusting his glasses. "You're a really quiet sleeper, you know? Mav could take a few lessons from you."
"Sorry… didn't mean to startle you." I said plainly, taking a moment to look around the dorm room.
Everyone else seemed to be out of the room, their respective bunks in various states of disarray, ranging from well kept to looking like a tornado had blown through the room.
"What time is it?"
Chase reached up onto his bed, grabbing his phone. He gave the screen a light tap with his index claw, humming to himself.
"About ten thirty in the morning. You slept straight through breakfast. Pip and Tony wanted to wake you up, but I figured it'd be a good idea to let you sleep in." He said in a cheery tone, setting the phone back onto his bed before taking a small step over to one of the bean bag chairs and sitting down. "Ozzi had let us know you'd probably sleep for a while due to… ah what's the term…"
"Jet lag?" I grumbled, scratching at my face for a moment.
"Jet lag." Chase snapped his fingers.
"Mmm… well I think I'll live." I said with a shrug. "That bunk will take some getting used to…"
"I call them 'head bangers'. Took me a week to not wake up and immediately bang my own head on the ceiling." Chase nodded. "Smaller animals sure have it easy in these things."
I brushed some fur out of my eyes, giving a single nod of agreement.
"Where's everyone else? There's not classes today, is there?"
"Don't worry, it's still Sunday. No classes, but still plenty of homework to do." Chase replied, leaning forward on the bean bag chair. "They're probably in the library working on a literature report we have due tomorrow."
I nodded again, sitting up from my bunk and giving a good stretch. While the bunk itself was spacious, it felt good to stretch myself to my full height. My bones seemed to agree, as a few light crackles followed suit as I twisted my back a few times for good measure.
"A dog after my own heart. Nothing like a morning stretch." Chase smiled, sitting up from his bean bag chair. "I'd imagine you want to wash up?"
I stopped stretching immediately, my eyes growing wide as I whipped my self around, lifting my arms up high to sniff my armpits. Canines are well known for having a rather pungent body odor at times, especially if they have not washed themselves in a while. My long day of travel was not conducive to letting me shower, and I hoped that Chase hadn't noticed any poor smells because of it.
"That'd be a good idea…" I agreed, wrinkling up my nose as I checked my armpits.
"Right then, there's a washroom down the hall to your right. It's only open from six in the morning to ten at night, but it has everything you'll need: towels, species specific shampoo and bodywash, a shower, and a few toilets, just in case." Chase stated, his tone rather studious and instructive as he pushed his glasses up his snout before continuing. "The showers are 'communal', but there are privacy curtains. You can leave the towel on the hangers reserved for our room."
I nodded several times as Chase spoke, taking the time to unzip one of my suitcases, revealing well ordered stacks of clothing and some personal items. On the top of this suitcase was a medium sized pouch containing all my personal toiletries, namely some toothpaste, a toothbrush, and some spray on deodorant.
"You're extremely well organized." Chase smirked, having leaned over slightly to observe the contents of my suitcase.
"Ah, well… suppose its another Wolfhound thing. We like everything to have a proper spot." I stammered lightly, grabbing hold of my toiletry bag.
"I'm much of the same way myself." Chase smiled, giving me a pat on the back. "After you're finished in the washroom, we can grab some lunch and go on a tour of campus if you'd like."
"I'd like that a lot, actually." I smiled.
Chase returned the smile with a rather toothy one of his own before I turned on a heel, my feet thumping lightly against the wood floor as I walked towards the door.
"Oh, wait a minute." Chase stated, walking after me. "You got a pair of slip on shoes?"
I shook my head, looking down at my bare feet and then back at Chase.
"Here, you can borrow mine. You should get a pair from the student shop. You'll get less fur on your feet with them." Chase said with a light chuckle, grabbing a pair of bright orange open toed shoes from his cupboard and tossing them at me with an underhand throw.
I blinked a few times as he tossed them, just barely catching the shoes with my free paw.
"Hey, good reflexes!" Chase laughed.
I replied with a meek smile as I dropped the shoes on the floor, slipping my feet into them. Surprisingly, they fit well. A bit snug around the toes, but overall it seemed Chase and I were the same foot size.
"Thanks, Chase."
The Doberman responded with a friendly, dismissive wave as I turned towards the door, opening it in a fluid motion. I stepped out into the hallway, looking left and then right as I shut the door behind me.
For a dorm hall filled with teenage carnivores, it was relatively quiet. I had half expected it to be quite rowdy, with all manner of sounds and noises emanating from each of the rooms. Perhaps that was just a symptom of it still being the morning on a weekend no less; many of the students who did not having pressing matters were probably still sleeping.
Looking left and right once again, I remembered Chase's directions and heading down the hall to the right. The rubber slip on shoes squeaked ever so slightly as I walked down the hall, my floppy ears twitching with each step, my head turning from side to side as I read out each of the room numbers, hoping that the washroom would have a telling sign near its door.
Sure enough, about six rooms down from my dorm, I found the washroom. It was clearly marked, in Japanese of course; its door was quite large as well. I assumed it was accommodating for every carnivore present on the floor, from the tallest of bears to the smallest of foxes. There was even another set of doorknobs lower to the floor for smaller animals.
I chuckled to myself before opening the door. Immediately, a wave of humidity and moisture hit my sense of smell. I stepped into the washroom, making sure the door closed behind me as my fur began to poof up. Steam clung to the ceiling, a sign that the showers had been used quite recently.
The washroom itself was about as mundane as I had expected. Along the wall to my immediate right was a series of sinks, ten to be exact, nestled in a long countertop and aligned against a large mirror that spanned the entire length of the wall. To the left was the entrance to the showers, as well as four toilet stalls. Several drains lined the floor in its center, and the entire floor seemed to subtly slant inwards toward the drains.
I took a deep breath, the steamy, humid air clearing out my nostrils. I had always enjoyed the comforting feeling a nice, hot shower brought. They always cleared my mind and focused my thoughts, if only for a moment; not to mention they kept my fur from getting too matted and scraggly.
With a content sigh, I walked over to the nearest sink, setting my toiletry bag on the countertop and looking at myself in the mirror. My grey, almost curly fur was getting quite long it seemed. I ran my fingers through it, a few clumps of my winter coat falling into the sink below. At the very least, a good trimming around my eyes would be needed, and a trim around my mouth. I gently tugged at the fur covering my upper lips, its length making me look quite older than I was, I imagined.
Maybe I should dye my fur sometime…
Most Wolfhounds had a grey coat, speckled with lighter and darker shades throughout. Both my father and mother had light coats themselves, leading to me inheriting an overall light grey coat, with a few hints of darker shades usually developing around my eyes and mouth. I took a moment to unbutton my collared shirt, pulling it up over my head and setting it on the counter. Save for a small tuft of white fur on my chest, the grey was never ending.
No doubt I'll be mistaken for a grey wolf…
One would think the floppy ears and rounder muzzle would be telling enough to give other animals pause when first seeing me. But even back home, many would first assume I was a grey wolf, perhaps a mixed breed at least. It's not a classification I am ashamed of having, as it seemed to have deterred a fair bit of bullying other dogs experience. I am often told to be proud of the heritage I share with wolves. Afterall, they are the ancestors to all dogs. Without them, the dog species would have never come to exist.
But…
I sighed heavily; my eyes still fixated on my own face in the mirror.
This face… this body… it's all artificial…
"Are you okay?" A reserved, yet deep and almost commanding voice asked to my right.
My heart skipped a beat as I jumped slightly, my head whipping towards the source of the voice: a Grey Wolf. He was two sinks down from me, his posture somewhat hunched over as he appeared to have just entered the washroom, a small bag of personal items sprawled out on the countertop. He held a large toothbrush in paw, his head hung low.
"Sorry… did not mean to startle you." He said calmly, his eyes unmoving as they remained fixated on me. "Are you a new student?"
"No, it's fine." I chuckled softly, rubbing the back of my head. "I uh… just didn't hear you come in. I just arrived yesterday. I'm Danny, from room 700."
The Wolf's right ear flicked lightly upon hearing me speak.
"You're across the hall from us, then." He said, turning back to the mirror to begin brushing his teeth.
He must be from room 701…
I watched as he brushed his teeth, observing his mannerisms closely. This was the first Grey Wolf I had seen in several years. My junior high had had a few upperclassmen that were of the species, but they all graduated shortly after I had arrived. His scent was unmistakably that of a wolf, but his mannerisms, the way he seemed to move and conduct himself as he brushed his teeth, was very… odd. It was reserved, self-conscious, his arm movements quite slow and methodical as if he was thinking about each of them before. Many carnivores tend to move in exaggerated ways when amongst other carnivores, often flashing their teeth excessively when speaking, making little effort to hide their imposing features. But this Wolf seemed to be acting as if there was an herbivore in the washroom with us. He was holding himself back.
My train of thought was cut off when the Wolf spat into the sink.
"It gets busier in here during the school week." He said, still carrying the same tone of voice: a reserved carnivore. "It's best to be quick."
I blinked a few times.
"Right, right." I said with a sheepish smile. "Thanks for the advice…"
"Legosi." He said with a nod, turning back to me after he had packed up his personal items.
"Thanks, Legosi." I replied, returning the nod.
Legosi the Grey Wolf checked that his bag was zipped up before walking towards the door. His movements as reserved as his tone, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall, closing it behind him.
What a strange wolf…
"How're you doing there, Danny?" Chase snickered as the two of us stepped out into the mid-morning air.
"Do we really have to wear suspenders?" I groaned, fiddling with the elasticity of the pair of suspenders I had clasped onto the pin stripe pants.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to them." Chase continued his snickering, certainly having a blast watching me get used to the school uniform. "In the summer months most students wear our polo shirts, so you won't have to worry about suspenders then."
"I'd rather wear the polo right now and be cold…" I sighed, finally having gotten the suspenders adjusted to allow me to stand up straight in relative comfort.
"Lighten up." Chase smiled. "You don't look half bad in the uniform."
"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes at the compliment.
"You're welcome. Now then, behind us is the male carnivore dorm, obviously. It's one of the four dorm buildings on school grounds, the other three being the female carnivore dorm, and then the male and female herbivore dorms. They are the only truly segregated areas of the campus, so make sure you pay attention to which one you're entering."
While Chase had been speaking, he had made a grand motion to the building behind us, my own body turning around to look up at the veritable tower, and the three other ones near it. They each formed a square in their placement and seemed to sit on the eastern edge of the campus.
"Last thing I'd want to hear about is how a dumb foreign carnivore walked into the herbivore dorms." Chase smirked.
I rubbed the back of my head, wincing at the mere thought of what Chase had suggested.
"Walking along this way," Chase motioned to our left. "Will take you to most of your classes, the auditorium, cafeteria, and the club houses."
I turned back to look at our dorm building for a moment, and then looked back to Chase, noticing that he had already begun walking towards the other set of buildings. In a few short strides of my own, I began walking alongside him.
We first passed by one of the herbivore dorms, made obvious by the sudden feeling of being watched.
"That's the male herbivore dorm to our right," Chase explained, looking to our right. "Seems you're drawing a lot of eyes…"
The fur on my back bristled. I craned my neck to the right, noticing that most of the herbivore students who were out and about seemed to be looking me over. Hushed whispers, quick glances, it was the whole package.
A living hell…
"Jeez, I don't think I've seen them get so worked up before…" Chase exclaimed softly. "They're acting like they've never seen a dog."
"More likely they are trying to figure out if I am a wolf or a dog…" I groaned softly, pinching the bridge of my snout. "They never think to just come over and ask me."
"I'd have thought the floppy ears would have disqualified your 'wolfishness' out of the gate." Chase gave my left ear a light tug.
"You would think, hm?" I nodded, hunching over slightly. "Suppose it's nice to know some things don't change."
No doubt I would be the first Wolfhound many of the herbivore students would have seen. First reactions were always governed by two factors: do they think I am a dog, or a wolf? Despite being carnivores, many herbivores seemed to be more partial to interacting with dogs. Perhaps it was the general sunny disposition many of the dog species seemed to have. Or maybe it was our 'friendlier' looking mannerisms. Perhaps it was simply for the inherent fact that dogs are considered more intelligent amongst carnivores that makes them seem so amicable.
Whatever the case, whether an herbivore saw me as a dog first, or a wolf first, usually governed how well the interaction proceeded.
"Well, you won't have to worry about introducing yourself that much. Word travels fast amongst the herbivores, so you'll be well known in no time." Chase said while giving me a light nudge with his elbow. "I doubt they'll give you a hard time anyhow, what with you being a carnivore and all…"
"The classes aren't segregated, right?" I asked, letting out another sigh of relief as we moved past the dormitory area, the path now being flanked on either side by lines of trees, the next building fast approaching.
"Mhm. Completely integrated school space. Cherryton is actually one of the few boarding schools in the city that still isn't segregated. Herbivores and carnivores, working and learning together. Even some of the clubs are integrated, the most notable being the drama club."
Both of my ears twitched. As we continued walking, stepping into a larger courtyard area, I turned to look at Chase.
"A-are you in the drama club?"
"Me? No, I'm not. They're quite selective in who they let in. Rumor has it all members are 'scouted' and only invited to join…" Chase stopped walking abruptly, turning on a heel to face me. Behind his wire framed glasses, I noticed his brown eyes squint.
"You were scouted for the drama club, weren't you?"
I stood looking straight at Chase for a moment before turning my head to the left, my shoulders sinking lower.
"I-it's not a bad thing, is it?"
"A bad thing?" Chase let out a laugh. "Your naivety is very refreshing, Danny."
I turned back to Chase, scratching my head lightly."
"So…."
With a light punch to my shoulder, and another laugh from Chase, I had my answer.
"It's not a bad thing, Danny. Far from it, it's quite a prestigious honor here at Cherryton. The performances of the drama club put on always make the school newspapers, and even draws the attention of the outside world. What position are you going to work in the club?"
"I'm… not sure." I chuckled lightly, straighten my shoulders. "I received the invitation after my junior high's opening night performance of MacBark. I was only a supporting character in the play, but I'd assume they'll put me in as an actor…"
"Well congratulations. You'll have to let the rest of the guys know as well." Chase smiled. "Let us know whenever you get an acting role too."
I returned the compliment with a small smile of my own.
"Thanks, Chase."
With his standard, friendly dismissive wave of his paw, Chase turned around, motioning to the large building we had stopped before.
"You'll get pretty familiar with this building, especially since you'll be a star actor. This is the cafeteria, auditorium, and library building. The entrance to the cafeteria is along the side of the building, while the entrance to the auditorium is out front. There's a few of the larger lecture halls in this building as well, and a skybridge connecting it to the school's main building, which is just to our left."
I remained silent for a moment, looking the building over. It bore a similar architectural style to both the main schoolhouse and the dorm buildings, though it had added flare with the addition of large marble columns around the main entrance. The skybridge seemed to connect both buildings via their second level.
"I'd give you a tour of the school itself, but they keep it closed on weekends." Chase shrugged. "You up to grab a bite to eat? It's about lunch time, and I'd bet the other guys can join us."
I looked back to chase and nodded.
"Lead the way."
Like most schools, a cafeteria is a hub of activity. All manner of sounds, sights, and smells can be found within its coveted halls.
Cherryton was no different.
It was my first time seeing such an integrated space. Carnivores and herbivores, both small and large, all walking, talking, and eating together. I had half expected to find most students segregating themselves, keeping to their respective peers, but it seemed to be that the majority actively sought the company of their opposites. Societal boundaries seemed to be crossed without a second thought in this school's cafeteria.
Before Chase and I had sat down at a one of the many tables, he had been kind enough to give me a run down on how the school meals function: three meals a day are served, every day of the week. There is two separate menus for each month as well, both tailored to suit a carnivore diet or an herbivore diet. He said they usually do a good job alternating the meals offered, catering to everyone's tastes, but admitted that if you don't like what is being offered, the school store stocks some pre-made meals supplied by a local grocery store.
"Oh hey, here come the rest of the guys." Chase said, giving me a nudge as I prodded the bean steak curry with a fork.
I looked up from my food tray, giving Tony, Ozzi, Mav, and Pip a friendly wave as they approached. The three of them, save for Ozzi, let out a collective sigh as they took up the remaining seats at our table, each of them setting their trays down before taking off their backpacks.
"We FINALLY got that report done!" Tony, Mav, and Pip exclaimed together.
"You all took your sweet time with it." Chase teased, scooping some of the curry into his mouth.
"It would have gone by quicker if you or bookworm here had let us look at your reports!" Mav grumbled, pointing to both Chase and Ozzi respectively before digging into his own meal.
"You will never learn if you keep wanting to cheat." Ozzi said plainly, taking a moment to neatly order his utensils.
"Good to see that you're awake, Danny! You sure did sleep like a rock!" Tony exclaimed, beaming an ear to ear smile at me before he began to eat.
"Though if you sniff that curry anymore you may as well kiss it." Pip chuckled.
I sat up in my chair, giving a light shrug as I scooped up a portion of the curry.
"I've never had a curry before now…" I stated before slurping up the portion, swishing the food around in my mouth before swallowing.
"Well? What do you think?" Pip asked mid-chew, bits of curry splattering onto the table.
"It's good. Reminds me of a bean and rice risotto my grandmother makes, though spicier."
"The spice is the best part, bro!" Mav said cheerfully before taking a large bite out of a piece of bread included with the meal.
"Debatable." Ozzi interjected. "The savory-ness of the sauce is paramount."
"It's curry, Ozzi, it's supposed to be spicy." Mav shot back after swallowing his bite of bread.
"Guys, please don't spend this whole lunch arguing about the food again." Chase sighed.
"I'm not arguing…" Mav grumbled as he returned to eating his curry.
Ozzi smiled ever so lightly before he returned to eating as well, taking small, decisive bites.
"What was the report about?" I asked, popping the top to the carton of milk the lunch had come with.
"Oh! It was a 'literary analysis' on the themes of the tragedy MacBark! We had just finished reading it this past week! I liked it!" Tony piped up excitedly, having been the first one to finish eating his meal.
My ears perked slightly at the name; already certain what Chase was going to mention, I cast a quick glance over to him, his expression confirming my suspicions.
Don't you dare…
Mav let out a "meh" as he returned to eating his curry.
"The way that Snakespeare guy wrote it was such a headache to read though. Felt like I was having a stroke…"
"Danny's pretty familiar with MacBark, you know. He was an actor in a performance of it his junior high put on." Chase stated with a grin in between bites. "And he'll be in the Cherryton Drama Club."
A brief, fleeting silence fell over our table, before the rest of the guys began handing out congratulations.
"Hey! That's great, Danny! You look the type!" Tony exclaimed in his expected energetic tone.
"Who'd you play in your production?" Ozzi asked, looking up from his tray.
"It wasn't that big of a role… I was Barquo." I smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head.
"Hey, that's a pretty significant role, Danny." Chase interjected. "You were basically MacBark's foil."
"Yeah, no wonder you got accepted into the drama club! Must have been a good performance." Pip nodded in agreement.
I shrugged lightly, setting my fork off to the side and pushing my tray forward slightly, taking to leaning back in the chair.
"Guess we're going to witness the rise of the next Louis, guys." Mav snickered lightly. "Maybe even the first foreign Beastar of the school, too!"
Everyone else at the table joined in on the laughter, save for me. My left year flicked lightly at the name and the term as I sat up in my chair, an obviously confused expression on my face. Chase, amidst his own chuckling, noticed my expression and turned in his chair to face me.
"Ah, sorry Danny, you probably have no clue who or what that is right?"
I nodded my head.
"Well…" Chase was cut off mid-sentence by Pip.
"Louis is a 'Richy Rich' type guy, a Red Deer third year. He's the star actor of the Drama Club, and practically has every single girl in this school wanting to get in his pants… Man I wish that was me…"
"As crude as that sounds, Pip's basically right." Chase continued with a sigh as Mav and Tony had another good chuckle. "He's got serious acting chops and will most likely become the next Beastar of the school."
"So what's a…" I began to ask before being cut off by Mav.
"The Beastar is just some honorific title used by the boarding schools in the area. Sort of like an 'honor roll' student. Each year school staff chooses a student who's exceptional at bridging the societal gaps between herbivores and carnivores in a show of unity." He explained. "I think it's a scam, really. Just your standard political bullshit."
"There has not been a Beastar for almost five years now, however." Ozzi added, having finished his lunch.
"Well… that's interesting." I shrugged lightly. "Does it come with any perks, or is it just an award for exceptional students?"
"I bet it looks good on a resume!" Tony nodded.
"You hear of any thing similar back home, Danny?" Chase asked as he leaned back in his chair.
I immediately shook my head.
"Never have… though I went to a relatively small school in the country, so… maybe it's a thing in the cities?"
"Mmhm. Well, either way, you'll have to give us the inside scoop into what Louis is REALLY like." Mav grinned. "Guys like that always put on a mask in public. Hell, they're almost like some carnivores in that regard."
Putting on a mask…
"Anyhow, want to head back to the room, bros?" Mav asked with a content sigh, noticing that everyone's trays were devoid of food.
Everyone, including myself, nodded in agreement. We each sat up from the table, pushing our chairs back and taking our trays in hand. As I followed the guys to the trash area, I took one last look around the cafeteria, my focus being drawn to the carnivores specifically.
A mask…
