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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Big Wolf on Campus, as much as I'd like too… but I don't.

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* When Death Returns *

It was a bright a sunny Friday morning as Merton awoke from his bed. He stretched and yanked the blankets off as he remembered… today was his 18th birthday! He jumped out of bed in joy thinking of all the fun he was going to have, and what kind of surprise his friends were going to give him. He got dressed in his favorite black pants, and pulled a black long sleeved shirt over his head. He fixed his spikes and ran upstairs for breakfast hoping to see his parents and Becky with some kind of present. When he got to the top of the stairs he headed for the kitchen but no one was there. A little disappointed he decided that his parents were probably just in a rush to get to work so he grabbed his bag and headed for the hearse. When he got to school he spotted Tommy putting his books into his locker.

"Hey, Tommy!" Merton yelled across the hall anxiously.

"Hey Buddy, what's up?" Tommy said sleepily

.

"Oh nothing much…" Merton said trying not to sound to obvious.

"Hey Dawkins!" Chuck yelled from down the hall. "We need you on the field! Were going to do an early practice."

"Oh, yah sure Chuck. I'll be right there!" Tommy said, now facing Merton, " Um, I gotta go, I'll see you at lunch?"

"Uh, yah sure. See you at lunch." Merton said.

Merton and Tommy shut there lockers and started to walk there different directions, when Tommy stopped and turned around.

"Hey Merton! I almost forgot…" Tommy started to say

Merton spun around hoping, and waiting for Tommy to shout happy birthday .

"Yah Tommy?" Merton said happily.

"Do you have my history book because mines missing?" Tommy said.

"Oh. Um, no sorry. I'll keep an eye out for it though." Merton said as he spun around disappointedly.

"Ok, thanks!" Tommy yelled as he began to walk with chuck.

~At Lunch~

Merton sat down next to Lori at the lunch table hoping that maybe he would finally get the happy birthday he'd been longing for all day.

"Hey Lori! What's Sup?" Merton said as he began to dig into his lunch.

"Oh nothing, I'm just worried about this assignment that we have to do for English." Lori said doubtfully.

"What do you have to do? Maybe I can help you on it." Merton said still eating his lunch.

"Oh we have to write some essay on the most exciting day of our lives." Lori said, still pouting.

"That doesn't seem too hard! Just pick one of the little adventures the three of us have been through together! Man I wish my homework was that easy!" Merton said as he looked amazed that Lori could be so stumped on such an easy homework assignment.

" I know is sounds easy, but though we've been through so many exciting adventures, and had so much fun kicking different creatures butts… it's not like I can tell anyone what we do in our spare time!" Lori shouted, but still trying not to make a scene.

"Well sorry! I was just trying to help." Merton said trying to look innocent.

"I know. I'm sorry Merton but I'm just under a lot of stress right now. I'm going to go because other wise I might bite your head off. Bye!" Lori said as she got up and walked out of the cafeteria doors.

"Bye!" Merton shouted back.

"I don't think she heard you" Tommy said as he came up behind Merton.

"I guess not. He where have you been? Lunch is almost over." Merton said questionably as he raised his eye brows.

"Oh, well practice ran late so chuck, the team and I went out for pizza." Tommy said as he grabbed his stomach. "I think I ate too much." Tommy said smirking.

"Heh heh that's funny" Merton said sarcastically.

"What? Are you mad at me because I went out for pizza without you?" Tommy said, starting to get annoyed.

"No! Well yes, but no…" Merton said, a little confused.

"Well which one? Yes you are mad at me or no you aren't mad at me?" Tommy said.

"It doesn't matter! I'll see you later at the factory?" Merton said, trying to hold back his anger.

"Yah sure, after school ok?" Tommy said.

"Yep, after school it is! Tell Lori too ok?" Merton said

"Yah sure… were is she by the way? She's usually here." Tommy said as he raised his eye brow.

"Oh, she has an English assignment and she's not sure what to do for it so she left to think or something like that." Merton babbled, unsure of what he just said.

"Oookkk…" Tommy said, still trying to figure out what his friend had meant.

"Well I'm going to head for class. Bye!" Merton said as he too headed for the cafeteria doors.

"Bye!" Tommy shouted after him.

~The Factory~

Merton was sitting at a small table still waiting for Tommy and Lori to show up. School was over at 3:00 and it was now 5:00. He'd been there for 2 hours. His friends had ditched him, forgotten about him, had better thing's to do, and of all day it had to be on his birthday! Merton quickly gulped down the rest of his cherry slushy and headed for the factory doors. He started to walk down the street still feeling down for what his friends had done to him. They hadn't even said happy birthday. Nothing. Not even a peep. Then he finally realized. Maybe they didn't show up at the factory because they were planning a surprise party! Merton got so excited that he ran all the way back to the lair. He ran don the stairs and then opened the door getting ready to be surprised. He whipped open the door and…….

Nothing. No one was there. No Tommy, No Lori, No Becky, No Parents. Everyone had forgotten about Merton's 18th Birthday. Merton now angry and sad at the same time grabbed his coat and slammed the door behind him. He was so angry that he decided that he need to walk around and cool off. He wasn't going to let everyone forgetting his birthday bring him down. It was his day to feel special. His day to feel like everyone cared. Even know they obviously didn't, that wasn't going to stop him from being happy! He started walking through the park when he heard Tommy and Lori's Voices coming closer. Merton decided to hide behind the bush and hear what was so important for them to ditch him like that.

"Tommy, don't you think we should at least call Merton and tell him were not coming to the factory." Lori said, feeling kind of guilty.

"I know we should but we always go to the factory and Merton's always with us or at least me, and to tell you the truth I'm a little peeved at him. Today me and the guys went for pizza at lunch and he got all mad at me because I didn't invite him." Tommy said with and angry look on his face.

" Tommy, I know Merton can be a little annoying at some times but he's your friend and he probably was just feeling left out and besides are you sure he was angry?" Lori said with a sweet smile.

"Well no I'm not sure he was mad at me, but it sure sounded like it to me. I dunno maybe I took it the wrong was. Besides, I guess no he's going to be mad at both of us." Tommy said with a shy look on his face.

"Why will he be mad at both of us? You're the one who didn't want to go to the factory and didn't want me to go because you wanted to talk." Lori said with a sharp snap.

"I know it's just that if we were even going to try and meet up with him now and say that we were just late getting there its too late." Tommy said, with what was now a guilty as charged look lapping over his face.

"Why what time is it?" Lori said.

"Well right now its 6:02pm and I told him we would be there at 3:00 so I guess were more than late…" Tommy said still looking guilty.

"Maybe he's at the lair. We'll just talk to him and say that we're sorry." Lori said with a small little smirk crawling over her lips.

"Yah your right. Come on, let's go!" Tommy said now rushing out of the park.

Merton then crawled out from behind the bush now not even sad that his friends had totally forgotten about his birthday, but instead he was furious that Tommy could even say that about him. And to think they were actually going to lie to him and tell him that they were just late, when really they blew him off on purpose! Merton decided that since he couldn't go back to the lair that he would just stay at the park. He sat down on a near bench and just let his mind wonder off into space… until something grabbed his thought form behind him…..