Hey, an explanation is in order. I tried to keep up with the whole not uploading once a month thing. I'm sorry about that. I want to do well this semester in college so I have to tend to grades more than hobbies. Thank you all very much for your patience for those of you who are still reading. I am truly grateful for your patience.

-MalMetal

CHAPTER 29: Something New Reminds Me of Something Old

Juno sat outside the Headmaster's office. His secretary's constant typing of his keyboard grated on the wolf's nerves. Her fingers twitched in frightening anticipation of what this surprise meeting would produce. She knew yesterday's events were sure to be up for conversation, the thought of relying on Pina's video for assurance gave her little solace only a little.

"You shouldn't worry." The wolf's eyes move to the receptionist. "The Headmaster addresses problems like your first thing outside of school hours because he has something good to say. He calls it "good day insurance." At the same time those words were spoken the Headmaster walked into the lobby of his office.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was running behind a little bit. Step inside my office please." The old lion motioned with his hand.

"Mr. Micha, did you get a call from the board?"

"Not a single word," Micha whispered back to his boss.

"Ah… I see." The Headmaster felt his heart sink a little as he entered his office visibly unsettled. He sat across from the girl after offering her a seat. Juno's anxiety flared up in her chest more than she could show outwardly. She watches her Headmaster blow wind from his muzzle in an attempt to compose himself enough to wear his mask. He takes a rag from his shirt pocket and cleans his glasses, firmly reestablishing himself as a present actor in the room.

"Again, I apologize for the wait and my ill professionalism. I haven't had the greatest morning. I'm sure you know why I have called you here?"

"Yessir, it's about the incident yesterday?"

"Yes, your classmate Pina came forward with evidence of what happened. Your defense of another student and an herbivore at that. First I want to personally thank you for doing what is expected of any Cherryton student, defending those who cannot defend themselves. Secondly, I had a good feeling about you since your performance at the Meteor Festival. You've made friends all across campus, and for good reason. Carnivores and herbivores alike find you trustworthy. This video proves the lengths you're willing to go even if you have to harm others to protect others, herbivores or otherwise. The three students responsible for the assault yesterday are going to be suspended with the possibility of expulsion. As for you, I have a proposal." Juno's ears perked up and her heartbeat upped its pace.

"A Beastar represents the qualities that you have displayed, for that I want to elect you to be a candidate for the position. Not only is this because of the video and your actions but the former candidate's recommendation." Juno felt annoyance bubble up in her chest. Louis steps down just to push her into place.

"I did a survey last night, your professors see you quite positively as well. Now my question to you is, will you accept my offer?"

"Yes, I will. Thank you for this opportunity." The Headmaster stood to shake the wolf's hand, she left his office shortly after and the Headmaster saw her off.

"Did she accept?" Micha asked. The Headmaster just nodded a bit solemnly.

Juno stopped a short way down the hallway, her class didn't start for another hour or so. She absorbed what happened just now, her dream tickled her nose. Follow through is all she needs now, yet more than annoyance breathed inside her. A distinct dread she is not foreign to in any fashion, three conflicting emotions make a strange cocktail of stress that leads Juno's fingers to her phone. She pulls up her mother's phone number, hesitation stops her from calling.

"What am I doing? I've earned this. I did everything I needed to do. So why am I…" Juno's thoughts and words trail off with her head tilting slightly.

Juno called her mother. A few rings. A hope for the sound of a voicemail overtook her anxiety.

"Hello, Junie! How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling good. How are you?"

"Wonderful, your father and I went out for dinner last night at a new restaurant that opened downtown. I know you'd love it!"

"That's great mom. I called because I have something to tell you."

"Hm?"

"I… I got it." I'm Cherryton's new Beastar candidate."

"Oh my goodness! Juno, this is so amazing! I knew you could, oh let me tell your father! We're going to be there this weekend for sure! I knew it! Oh, I knew you were the only one for this!" Juno's mother could be heard telling her husband of the news.

"Juno, I'm so proud of you." Juno's father said. "You're truly special. Truly you are." The pride tickling Juno's ear did little to warm her heart, still, she forced a facade.

"I'm happy I could make you proud."

"You've worked hard for this, now you can take a step toward becoming the real thing alright? We'll see you this weekend." Juno's father said.

"We love you, Juno!" Juno returned the love to her mother and listened to the phone line cut off. Inexplicably, a tear fell from her left eye, she dried it, allowing for more to follow out of both in a stream she couldn't hope to stop until a short while later. Slowly, she's able to control their flow. She could not understand why they started in the first place. Juno gets to her feet, seeing nothing but an empty hallway all around her. Soft white lights overhead left her feeling completely alone, she hated these feelings swirling within her chest. Breath by breath, thought by thought, beat by beat. Doubts of her place kept building. Pride from her parents and Louis' endorsement. What had she truly done for herself? Tears appear once more until a hand dries them.

Juno looks up to see Sheila looking at her with kind eyes and a soft face. Her hands wipe away her tears and her arms pull Juno into her chest. Sheila's hands ruffle her fur a little bit, her nails lightly scratch her head.

"Wh-why are you here?" Juno asked.

"I'm supposed to meet a teacher this morning, then I saw you."

"Awfully… convenient." Sheila chuckled at her friend.

"Yeah, it is. Tell me what's going on." Juno backed away from her friend drying her eyes.

"I got the Beastar candidacy like I wanted. Except Louis… Louis stepped down and vouched for me to be the next one."

"He's giving you another thing you want? If I were you I'd wonder if he had a crush on me."

"Sheila."

"Kidding. I understand you're angry and a bit frustrated but that wouldn't have you in tears would it?"

"... No, it's my parents. After I told them about becoming a candidate I couldn't stop myself from crying. I couldn't tell if they were good or bad tears… it's so confusing and I hate it." Juno felt her face again, her cheeks were puffy. "I don't want anything in my life handed to me when I know I can earn it, your advice helped me take the opportunity in front of me but I can't just act like it's how I want everything in my life to go, I want- I want to make the opportunity for me." Sheila's hand lands on Juno's shoulder.

"You've done more than enough to earn your place as the club ace and your candidacy. I've seen you firsthand and so has everyone else. I get your frustration about how the window of opportunity gets opened. That just means you have to make the most of what you're given, that's how you make it yours." Those words warm Juno's heart.

"You're always here to tell me what I need to hear."

"Of course, as your senior…" Sheila lightly pinched Juno's left cheek. "I can't let my adorable underclassmen be down in the dumps. I'm always here for you Juno."

"Thank you, so much." Juno's words were wobbly on the verge of tears.

"You are too cute, Legoshi really is a lucky guy."

"Sheila, shut up!" Sheila stuck out her tongue playfully, picked up her bag, and went on her way.

"I'll see you during club time later. Don't think too hard about all of this heavy stuff, you've got midterms in your future." Juno watches Sheila turn a corner, both smiling brightly. Even so, Juno could not help but become trapped by her previous dilemma throughout her day.

Jack opened his eyes from his midday nap. He swung his head down to see Legoshi who was reading a textbook. He studied him for a short while. The focus on his friend's face was almost calming to him, he quickly pulled his phone from his bed and snapped a picture of his friend. The sound from his phone alerts Legoshi who looks at Jack with slight annoyance. Jack puts on a cheesy smile before losing his balance, Legoshi pushes his shoulder using ample force to flip him. Jack softly lands on his feet, his eyes wide in surprise. He turns to his friend who'd gone back to reading without much fuss.

"I'm beginning to think you're some sort of superhero."

"Not at all."

"What are you reading?" Legoshi turns himself so his feet are off the bed and shows Jack the book's contents.

"It's a book that covers common misconceptions and lesser-known facts about species as well as a special section near the end. That's what Gohin told me not to look at until I finished seeing what I wanted to in the earlier sections."

"Mind if I read with you?"

"Skimming sure, I wasn't reading everything, only stuff that I wanted like this here. It says howling at the moon for dogs is just as healthy for their mental state as wolves because of us being canidae."

"If that's the case how are you better than me at it?"

"Because wolves are more primal, you know that."

"Oh… right." Legoshi petted his friend's head to make him feel better and looked at another section.

"Hey, look at this section about brown bears. It says that brown bears tend to drink honey to calm their emotions or nerves and is… "often used to pacify side effects of muscle suppressant medication."

"Muscle suppressants?" Jack looked to his friend who read a bit further on the page.

"Muscle suppressants are meant to stop brown bears' prey drive and carnivorous impulses. Their large musculature prompts higher blood flow which leads to hormones' increased presence in the body, culminating in a higher temptation to fall into more primitive behavior." What Legoshi read gave Jack pause.

"So your friend has to deal with suppressing his strength all the time?"

"Yes… Gohin told me a little about this before but not in this much detail." Legoshi's eyes softened. "It's common for a lot of carnivores who have eaten meat to take medication similar to it, Gohin gives medicine to some of his patients."

"That's not natural. Jack responded lightly.

"No, it's not. It's necessary though." Legoshi turned pages ahead, reaching a section about Komodo dragons. Legoshi and Jack read the myths surrounding them including their poisonous breath that somewhat alienated them from society. All Legoshi could think about was his grandfather. Moving throughout the book further a section about aquatic life interested them for a short time so too did a section about insects. Every piece of reading invites learning, inviting a new perspective on some species written about.

"There's so much information in this. Could I borrow it sometime?" Jack asked.

"Sure, I don't have to return anytime soon, just don't read it anywhere except in here."

"Thanks, now turn to the next section!" Legoshi flipped the page at his friend's request, and both were greeted by a page header seen nowhere. Written in big, bold letters, spread across two-page headers colored in black.

"The Psychology of A Devourer?" Jack's voice shook a little bit, and Legoshi started to read alone. Words like isolation, behavioral changes, and self-harm stuck out to him. He read the first two pages before Jack turned away at the sight of the third. Pictures of mutilated victims and carnivores covered in self-inflicted. Jack closes his eyes and turns away. Legoshi continues to read almost feverishly, the information he is ingesting scratches only the surface but from scratching that surface he understood enough. The bodies of victims linger in his eyes' reflection. His fingers feel a picture of a dead alpaca on a dissection table. He sighed before closing the book and setting it off to the side.

"I put it away."

"How can you do it? How can you look at stuff like that and feel nothing? It's all so horrible. Have you seen stuff like that in the Black Market?" Legoshi let Jack's questions rest firmly on his shoulders. The extent of his desensitization remains unknown even to him. He straightens his posture and clasps his hands together.

"I don't know what to say that would make you feel better. All I know is that this stuff makes me sick to my stomach and I want Tem's killer brought to justice." Jack's ears hung on every word, a sense of shame washed over him before he turned to see Legoshi's saddened face. Legoshi, lost in his thoughts, is found by Jack's soft hand between his ears.

"You've been so serious lately and you look so sad too. For as much as you've changed, that's always a constant with you. I hope that one day I'll recognize you as you for smiling instead." Legoshi's eyes lit up.

"You always get that glint in your eyes too when you're happy instead of smiling!" Legoshi wrapped his arm around Jack's and hugged him.

"Thank you." Jack wrapped an arm around Legoshi, smiling brightly at the wolf.