LIVING WITHOUT THE WOLF.

I was feeling really odd the next morning. On one side, I had this kind of void inside me, and, on the other one, I was feeling well... good with myself. I really wanted to kick myself for letting Wally go, but when I remembered he would be reunited with his family, and all the good times we had, the bad feelings became a lot easier to tolerate. And, one day later, I received Wally's first e-mail, informing me he was at home; from that day, we e-mailed each other almost daily.

When I returned school, after the winter break, the first thing I did when I arrived at the parking lot was stretching my neck, trying to find him... I needed almost one minute to remember he wasn't around any more. Margot spotted me, and, of course, she realized what I was doing.

"Ruby, you know he isn't here, but in Yellowstone. You told me he e-mailed you yesterday, remember?" Margot told her friend. Both females were using last-fashion jackets because the snowy weather.

"I know... by the way, he asked me about you, and sent you salutes, as always." Rhubella told Margot. The avian sighed.

"Tell him that I'm fine, and I hope he is okay as well. Look, Ruby, I know you miss him, but you must accept he's gone." Margot told the rat. Rhubella sighed.

"You're right, Margot, but guess I really became used to having him around. The moment I arrived at the school, my first thought was "Where is Wally?", you know?" Ruby admitted. Margot looked over her shoulder, and pointed to something behind the rat.

"I see him. He is walking next to those guys from the band, right behind the one with the drum." Margot said. Ruby turned back, and saw a group of Perfectos holding instruments and walking through the campus, with a thin human dressed with a red and white stripes sweater and hat, and wearing glasses, right behind the guy Margot mentioned. Ruby slapped her own forehead in frustration.

Can you say "recurrent gag"?

"Funny... but, you know what's even funnier, Margot? That, despite the fact I miss him a lot, I know I would feel terrible if he wasn't with his family. We only owned him because he allowed us to do it, and knowing we made him possible to go back with his loved ones, it makes me happy." Rhubella told the avian. Margot sighed.

"That's not funny, but weird, Ruby. You really got influenced by Wolf, you know that? If I didn't know you better, I would say you like him, and not just in the friendly way." Margot told the rodent. Ruby blushed.

"N-no, Margot, you are wrong! I miss him the same way I would miss you, or Percy! Wally was... is one of my best friends, and I care a lot about him, even if I needed a lot of time to realize it." Ruby said, looking down. Margot sighed, and placed a hand/wing on the rat's shoulder.

"Ruby, it's fine. I know you and Roderick had been a couple for years, but he hadn't been a great boyfriend lately... actually, not even a mediocre one. Is natural you feel attracted by a good looking guy that cares about you, and makes you laugh, even if he's not on our social level. Trust me, if Drake wasn't, at least, trying to compensate me for all his mistakes, maybe I would had dumped him a while ago, and tried some luck with Wolf. I'm the one who told you he was handsome the first time we saw him, remember?" Margot told her friend. Ruby chuckled.

"Nope... you said he was "hot", Mallard. And, actually, even if I denied it... I agreed with you since then. He is the best guy I had ever met." Ruby said, sighing at the last part. Margot chuckled a little, and then grabbed the rat by her arm.

"Okay, enough of that. He is now with his family, and you two still keep contact, so stop feeling sorry for yourself, and let's go to attend our stuff. We have to greet the new girl that got the basketball's scholarship, remember?" Margot told her friend. Ruby smiled, and walked alongside her friend.

The new girl was a gorilla, a bluish gray one, wearing a torn up shirt and baggy pants, that arrived school in a motorcycle. As many guys that got a sports' scholarship, she wasn't exactly rich, but since she was a good athlete, that detail was forgiven, and could hang around with the wealthiest toons around. You'll see her on the next basketball season, and believe me, she is good.

Ruby and Margot gulped a little when they saw the female ape jumping down the motorcycle. She wasn't as big as a male gorilla, but she surely had muscles, and was almost as tall as the rodent and the avian, one standing on the other's shoulders. She wasn't using the school's uniform because of the weather, one of the few reasons the school allows the students to dress freely; the ape obviously wasn't feeling affected by the climate, but she was taking any possible chance to dress as she liked.

"Ruby... you're the team's captain, so... I guess you should be the one introducing us." Margot said, walking a step back. Rhubella sighed.

"Thanks for the support, friend. Okay, here goes nothing." Ruby said, and directed to the ape. She decided that the best way to approach her was Wally's way, as polite as possible, but trying to show no fear.

"Hello. My name is Rhubella Rat, and I'm the basketball team's captain. The bird looking at us with fear on her eyes is my friend, Margot Mallard. Welcome to Perfecto Prep..." Ruby said, extending her paw to salute the ape. The gorilla looked down at her, and shook her paw, trying not using a lot of strength.

"Tiffany Bongo Ape, but everyone calls me T-Bad, so I recommend you to do the same." The gorilla said in a tough girl's tone, but a lot friendlier than Ruby expected. The rat relaxed a little.

"Okay, T-Bad, since we are going to be teammates, and I'm a top girl in this school, I guess it's my duty to show you the place, and give you some pointers." Ruby told the ape. The gorilla nodded, keeping a slightly surprised look.

"Sure... you know, I had heard some stories about this place, but you seem to be a good girl. Everybody says this place is filled up with snobs, bullies, and hot-heads that doesn't even give you the time of the day without looking at you with disgust." T-Bad told Rhubella.

"Well, actually, yes, I'm a little snobby, and I had done some bullying and other really mean things you don't really want to know, but I'm trying to quit that. If I could stop smoking, that can't be so hard." Ruby shrugged.

"And the fact you're big and strong enough to crush us without any effort is a good extra reason to be polite with you." Margot said to the primate, finally joining the conversation. T-Bad chuckled.

"So, you have a tongue, uh? Well, maybe I'll like this place after all." The large ape said, and then the rat and the avian started guiding her through the school. Since it was the first day of the new semester, the classes were supposed to start a little later than usual, so they had plenty of time. A little later, the trio saw a group of Perfectos that seemed to be surrounding someone. Ruby and Margot, who got a good idea about what was going on, frowned.

"Hey, is that usual around here?" T-Bad asked. Ruby sighed.

"Yes, especially when the semesters start. You see, since every semester there are new students, the old ones have this territorial-like need to tease them and show the newcomers about who is the boss. I doubt any of them would like to play hard on someone your size, but any other guy, well..." Rhubella told her. She was feeling a little guilty, since, before knowing Wally, she usually joined these groups as well. Margot started explaining the rest.

"The thing can be well planned and calm, giving the guy a little psychological torture before starting the physical one... as we did with a poor guy last semester," the avian said, looking down for a moment, "or like this one, beating him from the moment he arrives."

"Well... either my diet needs more carrots, or they aren't teasing a guy, but a girl." T-Bad commented. Because of her height, she had a better view of the whole mess.

She was right. Usually, girls are teased by girls, and boys by boys, especially when a large group is involved, but this time there was a bunch of boys messing with a girl, a light brown Persian female cat with dark brown face, paws, and tail tip. She had blue eyes, and long dark hair, and, under her blue jacket, who was slightly open, she was wearing a white shirt that seemed to have puffed sleeves. She was also wearing a purple skirt, gold jewelry, a blue chakra stone on her forehead, and was covering her hair with a purple veil.

"Please, guys, what's wrong with you?" The pretty feline told her attackers. Gunbo, who was leading them, approached her, with a sly look on his face.

"Is very simple, dear. You are new here, and we want to be as friendly as possible... which means you have to be friendly with us, especially with me. Otherwise, well, this school can be a pain to attend if you don't have someone to cover your back." Gunbo told the feline while rubbing her chin. The cat moved her head, disgusted.

"I don't need to stand this! I come from a very rich family, just like yours, but it seems you hadn't received a proper education. Now, let me go, okay?" The cat, angry, yelled at the hybrid, and tried to go away, but Gunbo stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"You have an attitude. I like it. Maybe this can be funnier than I thought." Gunbo told the girl. The other guys chuckled, while the feline got a scared look.

That was all I could stand. The moment Gunbo started playing hard with her, the only thought in my head was "What would Wally do?", and you know what that means.

"Party is over, Gunbo. Let her go, NOW!" Rhubella growled at Gunbo while marching towards the group. The guys gulped, while Gunbo only gave her a challenging look, and the cat looked at the rodent with begging eyes.

"What's the problem, Rat? Since your dog is gone, you want a cat now? You really got used to have a pet, right?" Gunbo said to the rat. Rhubella smirked.

"Oh, but I still have my dog, Gunbo. I just allowed him to go, but he remains on my service. Touch me, or anyone under my protection, or Margot's, and he'll be here in a matter of minutes, ready to kick your tail as he did the last two times. Oh, I forgot! The last time he made YOU kick your own tail, or, more precisely, beat your own face. Your dentist made a good job, by the way." Ruby told Gunbo, keeping a challenging position as well. Gunbo growled at her, but the rat wasn't intimidated.

"Hey, Gunbo! If you want a date so desperately, why don't you try with our new player?" Margot said, moving next to Ruby, while the gorilla moved right behind them, cracking her knuckles. All the boys, even Gunbo, got a scared look.

"Oh, yes. If you want to date me, well, my interests are music, motorcycles, and sending the guys that make me anger to the nearest hospital. ANYONE IS INTERESTED?" T-Bad said, growling at the last part. All the boys escaped in a panic dash, except Gunbo, who just released the cat, and tried to keep his coolness.

"Well... I guess I should go now... see you later, girls." Gunbo said, and started walking away, trying to show bravery. Ruby had an idea, and couldn't resist the impulse of using it.

"GET HIM, WOLF!" Rhubella yelled in a commanding tone. Gunbo jumped because of the surprise, and then ran away.

"You're not the only one who still expects to see him suddenly appearing here, right, Ruby?" Margot told her friend, chuckling. Rhubella just shrugged, while the ape laughed. Even if she had no idea about why the rat yelled something about a wolf, the scene was funny enough. Rhubella approached the cat, who was sighing in relief.

"Thanks a lot for your help. I had no idea there were so rude guys in this school." The cat told Ruby. The rat placed a paw on her shoulders.

"You're welcome. They didn't hurt you?" Ruby asked. The feline shook her head, and Rhubella continued. "Good. Now, listen carefully. By personal experience, I can tell you this place is filled up with really nasty toons, so you have only two ways to survive here. One is to be as mean as them, so they can accept you in the group."

"But, I can't do that! I was raised to be a lady, not a bully, or a jerk, like those guys! And I have full intention to remain that way." The cat told the rodent. Ruby smiled at her answer; as Wally, she seemed to be a nice toon, with the difference she was a rich one.

"Okay, then you have to use the second option. That is hanging around with a well-known student, at least for a while, so you can learn your way around here, and have some protection. Of course, you might need to do a couple of favors to said toon, but it's the most suitable solution." Rhubella told her. The cat rubbed her chin.

"And those favors would be...?" The cat said, suspecting the rat was planning making her a personal slave. Ruby shrugged.

"Mainly, being her friend, and inform her about where you bought those wonderful clothes!" Rhubella said, in an honest tone. Margot nodded.

"Then... I guess that option suits me well. Oh, by the way, my name is Saphira Purrsian." The cat said, offering her paw. Ruby shook it.

"Rhubella Rat. The duck behind me is Margot, and King Kong's relative is T-Bad, a newcomer, like you." Ruby said, pointing behind her. Saphira joined her paws to do a respectful vowing in front of the other two toons, and the avian and the ape nodded. A moment later, they were walking together through the campus.

"Your friend is always helping the newcomers?" T-Bad asked Margot in a whisper, while Ruby was talking with the cat. Margot chuckled.

"Usually, no... but I guess she'll make an habit of it."

Saphira and T-Bad hung around with Margot and me during the whole semester. After a while, Saphira was respected by the other guys even when we weren't around; as I imagined, she was a nice girl, and we visited her house several times. After a couple of months, we even helped her get a boyfriend, a newcomer from India, named Rajshun, a tiger; he can act a little mean at times, but, since he and Saphira got together, he actually started being a little friendlier. Plus, he doesn't tolerate Gunbo, and this tiger is a very good fighter, so the hybrid finally desisted in his attempts to get Saphira for himself. You didn't saw him playing in the Acme Bowl because he doesn't like football at all, and he and Saphira preferred to have a nice date without anyone else around instead of going to the stadium.

T-Bad, well, she really could be a little tough at times, which explained her nickname, but we liked to have the ape around; actually, she is kind of funny. And it never hurts to have some muscle on your side; one day Nigel was particullary annoying, she grabbed him by the neck and tossed him through the classroom's window... and he landed outside the Prep! He is fine now, but he still walks a little funny. Since Margot moved to Saint Canard, these girls are the only Perfectos I still have contact with.

And what was Roddy doing during all this time? He hardly spent time with me, or even talk, during the whole semester! He was too busy planning new schemes to get even on Buster and his classmates, and, since I became more interested in helping my new friends to adapt to the Prep, I stopped helping him, which explains why I didn't give any of you girls a hard time during those months.

And, of course, I kept contact with Wally the whole semester. We phoned sometimes, but, since Wally always wanted to pay for the calls, we usually used the web. At times, we could expend hours chatting on line, mainly on his free days. When he commented me his birthday was in April, I sent him, as a gift, some old series in DVD I could find for him; Fangface, Dynomutt, Classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and so. Besides being a nice present, he used them to practice some impersonations and tricks. Actually, I bought some of the books he got for the school, and since, thanks to him and his updated homework, I had some free time, I started reading them as well.

Of course, despite all this, I still missed him a lot; that's why I commented today at class that I could had used a trick like yours, Gosalyn, during the semester... to see, hear, or even touch him again.

(AN: Thanks a lot to mammal-mage for designing the new characters used in this chapter)