Eric watched as Spencer and Frieda were enjoying the affection being given by the Doberman puppies Amanda picked up a few hours ago. Watching as the puppies lick, yip and wag their tails enthusiastically; it was a brief respite from the stress Eric was put through earlier.
At the start of school, Eric was stunned as Principal Andrews informed him that he was being placed into the senior level of classes and signing up for college level courses for his extracurricular work. Being informed that due to his grades and I.Q; Eric was going to graduate high school with special circumstances. That wasn’t the only surprise waiting for Eric. The second was finding out his home room teacher; a math teacher by the name of Jeff Wilson; a were-pig nick named “Fat Piggy” by the student body. The teacher immediately started to single out Eric; thinking he could bully the young were-panther, Jeff Wilson was not only surprised at how smart Eric was; the teacher was also quick to anger, when Eric corrected him on a math problem and out right questioned the veracity of how he graded the work students did. Informing the teacher that the answer in the back of the text book were wrong ; and getting conformation from the principal after Jeff Wilson tried to make Eric out to be trouble maker; Eric knew he was going to be in for a rough year with math.
Yet that wasn’t the only thing bothering him. Eric’s final surprise was being confronted by three were-elephants; calling themselves the tusk brigade, the three tried to intimidate Eric into doing their homework. Eric in no mood to put up with bullshit, flat out countered their threat with one of his own. Shifting into his fursona and flexing his claws; Eric whose is a were-panther made it clear to the three that unlike them, he knows what it’s like to take a life. Not through hunting; but through self-defense. Having to kill an intruder that broke into the Knight Estate last Saturday; Eric knew full well the sickening feeling he experienced in watching said intruders life fade away after shattering his sternum in one swift punch.
“Earth to Eric,” Benton trying to get the young teenagers attention; “are you listening to me?”
I’m sorry,” Eric snapping out of his reverie; “what are asking me?”
“How was your day,” the exasperated businessman trying to be polite and outgoing.
“Stressful and surprising,” Eric sighing; “A day I would happily erase from my memory if I could.”
“If you could,” Benton arching an eyebrow inquisitively; “why is that?”
“I have an eidetic memory,” Eric grumbling; “it’s near impossible for me to forget anything.”
“Does it have anything to do,” Benton watching his daughter and Spencer continue to play with the puppies; “with the person Frieda asked me to look into?”
“Partly,” Eric sitting down on a chair; “but that is not half of it.”
Eric quickly goes into detail, the fact that he was placed into senior level of high school and that he was also taking college courses. Seeing Benton’s eyes go wide as he was stunned by this was proof to Eric that this was not an everyday occurrence; even in Moon Lake.
The person Frieda asked you to look into,” Eric shaking his head; “is my math teacher. A real prick if you ask me. The whole school knows him as Fat Piggy,” Eric looking bemused at mentioning the nick name; “yet don’t speak that in front of him. A student in my math class got a detention just for that.”
“Oh that Jeff Wilson,” Benton smiling; “I remember him.”
“You do,” Eric looking confused; “how so?”
“I was the one who gave him that nick name,” Benton chuckling; “when I was in high school here in town. I thought for sure he would have been fired or made to take a transfer to another school district. So he is still teaching I take it? ”
“Oh yeah,” Eric sighing; “and from what I hear, his teaching method borderlines on the impossible. He tried to give me detention for pointing out that the answer to a math problem he gave me was wrong in the back of the text book.”
“Tried,” Benton chuckling; “you mean you got out if it.”
“After I made it clear to him,” Eric being serious; “that he would have to explain his reason not only to the principal but to my parents as well. Both being teachers mind you.”
“I take it,” Benton unable to suppress a chuckle; “fat piggy didn’t like that?”
“Oh no,” Eric answering; “he dragged me to Principal Andrews office and tried to accuse me of being a disruptive influence to his class. Principal Andrews of course called his argument pure bull shit in the end,” Eric smiling; “even sided with me in the argument about the answers in the back of the text book being wrong. Principal Andrews also made it clear,” Eric adding; “that he is well aware of the various complaints levied against fat piggy in regards to his teaching methods.”
“Fat piggy,” Benton smiling wistfully; “that brings back some memories.”
“Well that is not all of it,” Eric looking back at Frieda and Spencer; “after Principal Andrews talked to Mr. Wilson I had a nice confrontation with a trio of Were-elephants calling themselves the Tusk brigade.”
It was at that moment both Frieda and Spencer looked up; Sensing Eric’s agitation as both girls put down the Doberman puppies and approach Eric.
“Those three idiots,” Frieda growling; “had the gall to threaten Eric as he was in the library today.”
“You saw this,” Benton looking at his daughter.
“More like felt it,” Frieda looking at Eric; “both Spencer and I.”
“We even sensed you shifting into your fursona,” Spencer placing a hand on Eric’s shoulder; “as you went off on them.”
“You felt that,” Eric looking at Spencer; “I know us three have a bond that allows us to sense each other’s emotions. But to know when we shift into our fursonas? That’s new.”
“I’ll say,” Benton still unable to grasp the bond the three have formed; “so how did you handle the bullies?”
“I made it clear to them,” Eric being serious; “that unlike them, I know what it’s like to kill someone. I flexed by claws and started approaching them rather aggressively.”
“Yah,” Frieda looking at her father; “Eric was pissed.”
“If I was there,” Spencer adding; “I would have made them feel pain. Break a limb or two. Nothing stops a bully from going after you,” Spencer finishing; “then showing them that you can defend yourself.”
Benton just nods at that statement. Being a former high school bully himself; Benton still remembers clearly the day Daisuke Tachibana broke his arm after the were-panther decided it would be fun to bully the newest student. Unaware that Daisuke was skilled in several forms of martial arts and a naturally born were-fox. Benton, who at the time was also Moon Lake’s star quarterback; found out the hard way after laying hands on Daisuke. His throwing arm being broken in three places; Benton was forced to quit the football team as a result.
While getting someone to push back was one thing; for Benton the feud that formed after having his arm broken, was having to watch Moon Lake’s football team win it’s first and only state championship. Benton seethed as he watched the secondary quarterback make the winning touchdown; being hoisted into the air in celebration. Benton could never get over the fact that it should have been him taking the team to the championship game.
“Perhaps,” Benton getting up; “we can discuss this and more over dinner. You can tell me what extracurricular courses you are taking. Especially yours Eric,” Benton looking at his daughter and then to the puppies that have clearly stumbled towards her; pawing at her leg and wanting up.