Melissa was pleased to find Trevor waiting for her at the front doors to the high school as she arrived. He looked rather comfortable and almost relaxed as he was waiting, which she took as a sign that he didn't get in trouble for being late in getting home yesterday.
"So... I hope you didn't get in trouble?" Melissa asked hopefully as she came up to Trevor.
"Nope," Trevor answered, "I told them we were working on our homework and that it took a bit longer than expected."
"Not telling them we drifted off watching a movie?" Melissa wondered with a small smile as Trevor opened the door for her. Trevor's answer to her first question was truthful in a way, but it didn't exactly tell the entire story.
Trevor managed a small smirk and said nothing as Melissa walked in and he followed her in. His parents hadn't been mad at him, as his mom had seemed to approve of Melissa after their meeting. His dad wanted to meet Melissa, but he seemed to also trust his mom's judgement on Melissa. In that Trevor had found things to be fine with the worst that he'd gotten for being late was a reminder and instruction to pay more attention on school nights.
The rest of his family's wants could probably settled with a family dinner, inviting both Melissa and her father. Harold Jenkins' higher protein requirements as a weretiger wouldn't be that much of a problem. In his transformed state, Trevor might be more of a herbivore, but that was more due to the fact that when he changed, his teeth altered to fit a bull's head. In that, he physically couldn't eat meat very well, as cattle hadn't evolved to eat meat. That didn't, however, mean that werecattle in their human forms didn't eat meat. In that they were still human and still omnivores. He knew that some werecattle, particularly those that were born Normals, like his mom, still enjoyed having beef from time to time. As such, they could arrange for something that Harold could eat and demonstrate that were-society was not some sort of caricature of the animals they turned into.
"Well," Trevor finally spoke before the two had to briefly part to go to their lockers, "It worked. We're still on for tonight, right?"
"Right," Melissa smiled happily, "after school... I'll make some sandwiches and collect some snacks and get cleaned up. And then you can pick me up... say... fiveish."
Trevor nodded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The morning classes went fairly well, and thankfully for Melissa, most of the rumors over Virginia McCoy's fight with Alice Decrux had died down. Some were still floating around, but most of what Melissa had heard in the background related more to Halloween and an upcoming wedding. As she walked to one class, she over heard male teen, a year younger than her with brown hair and bright blue eyes talking to another male classmate about how eager he was to go to the Halloween Dance. Melissa thought she saw the teen's eyes actually twinkle as he talked, but Melissa had to continue on and thus couldn't be that certain.
The other thing that Melissa overheard related to a wedding and that seemed to swim around those seemed to remind her of Megumi, the females especially so. Melissa guessed they were werefoxes, but in the time between classes she really didn't have the time to figure that out. The conversations on this wedding appeared to be excited, nervous, and even eager. That struck Melissa as something curious and as her third hour study hall period started, Melissa figured she might get some explanation on that from Megumi. She met up with Trevor outside the library and made their way in, and found their group gathered around the same study table they all met with. Melissa soon found out that Megumi was talking about some of that stuff too.
"So you have to go?" Alice asked.
"I don't think so... but the whole Skulk is both eager and on edge over it," Megumi answered, "and Grandma is going, so I might have to go as a family duty..."
"Is this about this wedding that I've been hearing about?" Melissa spoke as she and Trevor approached and sat down.
Megumi looked up to her and nodded, "Yes. Tomorrow Jennifer Harper marries the other Harold Jenkins."
Melissa blinked at the wording of "other Harold Jenkins." Her dad had told her some things about his meeting with a Henry Jenkins at the hospital after his first transformation and medical examination to make sure he was healthy. It confirmed that there were others with the same last name as her and her father, though whether or not the two families were related was unknown. The biggest coincidence was that Henry Jenkins had a son named Harold, who had grown up in Moon Lake. In this, Melissa ultimately figured that to many in Moon Lake, her father would be the "other Harold Jenkins" because he was new to the town.
"But why all the mixed emotions?" Melissa asked, "aren't weddings supposed to be happy? And why does every werefox seem to be interested?"
"The Skulk is interested because Jennifer Harper was clawed by the rogue vixen Yvette Smith and insuring her happiness is the way the Skulk can repay its debt of shame for her being clawed by a rogue," Megumi explained, "but there is some difficulty as that apparently someone from her past has laid claim on her and won't take "no" for an answer."
"That isn't right," Melissa stated.
"It isn't," Alice agreed.
Melissa glanced to see Trevor, Rob, and Jason also nodding in agreement.
"I take it this guy is the reason the Skulk's been on edge?" Rob asked.
Megumi nodded, "but Grandma has told me we have things well in hand for security measures and have been getting help from outside the Skulk, so things should be good there."
"Well, that's good," Melissa commented, "You tell your grandma that I hope things go well with this wedding."
Megumi nodded. With that, the conversation began to move to other subjects and more toward Halloween and other plans that Melissa knew were already in the works.
"So, what do you and Trevor have planned for Halloween?" Alice asked elbowing Melissa, "Are you going to the dance?"
"Dance?" Melisa asked.
"Moon Lake has a Halloween Dance every year," Jason commented, "the school has been the originator of the idea, but the city government has also picked up on it and has supported it on whole town wide idea. In a way it's rather fun in that you see weres in their fursonas and in costume. If out of town Normals show up, it's then made up as a costume over a costume and based off a series of books written by a Moon Lake native."
"Sounds interesting," Melissa said slowly.
"So... what are you and Trevor going as?" Alice asked, "Or are you going? Will you be a were by then?"
Melissa glanced over to Trevor who looked almost as embarrassed as she did.
"We haven't gotten that far, yet," Melissa answered, "We have a plan for a date this afternoon/evening, but not much beyond that."
"Going out to dinner?" Megumi asked looking between Melissa and Trevor, making Melissa blush.
"Sort of a picnic dinner at a quiet spot," Trevor answered, "Not much more than that."
"Are you sure?" Alice inquired with a smile, "couldn't there be plans for more than just dinner."
Melissa couldn't help but let her cheeks flush a bright red. Trevor was certainly attractive and a part of her could honestly see herself with him for the rest of her life. It was that thought that had been a factor in her decision to become a werecow to be with him. There were other reasons too, but for the moment there was no set plan for that. Melissa would take the prescription of werecow birth control pills that she and her father had picked up at the hospital, just in case something happened that pushed that along, but for the moment, her plan was more to simply date with Trevor and make sure that he was the one to be with for the rest of her life before taking that step.
"Just to talk and enjoy the peace in quiet," Trevor answered, noticing Melissa's uneasiness with Alice's prodding.
"No fun," Alice answered.
"It'll happen when it happens," Melissa finally managed, "Since my dad is the family were now... I want my time... I want it to be special and romantic. Not just rushing into something. After all... if it turns out that Trevor isn't the man for me... or I'm not the woman for him, I don't want to rush something that would have the potential to prevent us from at least being friends."
Trevor nodded in acceptance with that. In a way, it seemed to be replaying his own parent's courtship. His mother's choice to be a werecow might have been more based on her past as a "ranch girl," but her courtship with his father went beyond that. From all the stories his parents had told him, Trevor knew his parents loved each other, and he honestly hoped to show Melissa that he loved her. Based on the dream he had, he hoped it was a prophecy dream in the sense of showing they would prove to be right for each other. If Melissa chose to be a different were, he would accept that and do his best to make it work, though he did privately hope she would become a werecow, as his growing love for her gave him the wish to make Melissa's entrance into were society a special moment for the two of them.
"Makes sense," Jason commented, "but what about Halloween. Are you two going to the dance?"
"I really don't have a costume," Melissa admitted.
"You don't necessarily need a costume to go to the dance," Jason commented, "a lot of people DO go in costume... but some, be they Were or Normal, just go to hang out and either dance or simply enjoy a good time."
Melissa looked to Trevor, who shrugged. Eventually she did answer, "Well... we might indeed go. Will you guys be there?"
"Yeah," Alice answered, "I'm going as Jessica Rabbit."
Jason blinked and looked to her, but said nothing for a moment. Eventually he did speak, "I'll be there as a Jedi Knight."
"I'll be there as a police officer," Rob answered.
"I was thinking on going as an angel," Megumi commented, "bright, pure, innocent."
"Except on April Fool's Day," Rob snorted.
Melissa watched as Megumi and Alice traded smirks, indicating that there had to be something that had gone on the previous year that both Megumi and Alice were involved in. She guessed it was a prank of some kind that had to have gotten Rob pretty good.
"You can't prove I was the one who pranked you," Megumi smiled, "and you did laugh in the end."
Melissa chuckled and then looked to Trevor, "Would you like to go?"
"Sure," Trevor commented, "I had been planning on going... now... now I suppose I can have a date."
Melissa found herself smiling at that. Perhaps they could talk about how to handle the dance later that evening.
"Are you going in costume?" Rob asked.
"That's a secret," Trevor answered.