Eric and Julie slowly stretched out their arms and their backs as they made their way out of the school. Some of the rumors that had been overheard during the day were still on their minds as they made their way down the concrete steps toward the sidewalk, but for the most part, both agreed that it was probably nothing and that it'd go away in a day or two, particularly given how some high school rumors started, spread, and stopped. It was something that tended to be pretty typical and was expected to pass as it normally did. The stretches were in simple preparation for the walk home, since Nate, Alex, and Ben had football practice for the Thanksgiving Game. In theory they could ride the buses as well, and they were lined up on the street in front of the High School's front doors, but Eric happily took Julie's hand as they prepared to walk home, as it was a way they could have extra time together as they made their way to their respective homes at the end of the day.
They'd just made it to the sidewalk when they heard the loud blare of a car horn coming from the parking for the High School. Both of them looked up to see an older Ford Bronco sitting at one near corner and it's lights flashed for a moment as Julie and Eric made their way forward. The windows weren't tinted and that enabled them to see who the driver was, Spencer Lawson, a female were that was at least a year older than the two freshmen and had some interest in Eric, and from some of the few conversations they'd had, Julie had some wonderings if Spencer had interests in her too. Neither of them really knew what kind of were Spencer was, though they could pick out some scents that mirrored Nate's werewolf scent and Martha, Frances, or Samantha's werecat scent, but there was also a third strong were-feline scent in there that they didn't know. It raised some private wonders on what kind of were Spencer was. Eric had seen her on occasion in the hallways, but thankfully today she'd been busy with something else or hadn't noticed him, as there hadn't been one of the semi-awkward attempts at flirting with him.
Spencer waved again as they walked along, leaving both to shrug and approach the vehicle. There might have been somethings that had Julie suspicious with regard to Spencer's forward and obvious attraction to Eric, and perhaps to her as well, but she hadn't been aggressive and had even offered to be "friends with benefits," whatever that meant. In this the two of them made their way forward.
"Glad I could catch you," Spencer commented as she hopped out of the driver's side of the Bronco, though leaving the engine running.
"Is something wrong?" Julie wondered slowly as they got closer.
"Well... not really," Spencer answered, deciding not to get into a chapter and verse discussion on were reproduction, as from what her parents had told her, the Middle School in Moon Lake had one elective class in Eighth Grade that they ran that focused a lot on were-behaviors which covered a range of things, usually in preparation for a young were's first transformation if they were born a were to help them deal with their instincts and raging hormones as they reached age to take on their were-forms. In this, Spencer figured that she didn't need to get too detailed that some of her behavior had been due to her being in heat, especially when she did like both of them and did truly want a friends with benefits relationship with both of them, and given some of the committed storybook style of love that she'd noticed Eric and Julie used in reference to each other, Spencer also figured some of that would take some convincing that would take time. And right now, that wasn't even her real mission.
"But there is something that I'd think I could use some help with," Spencer commented slowly as she looked to both of them.
"Help with what?" Eric wondered.
"A friend I made last night," Spencer answered slowly, "he's a werewolf... but for some reason his parents won't let him get vaccinated in order to come to school."
Both Eric and Julie blinked in surprise at that. Eric's wondering at why someone wouldn't support vaccinations. They prevented communicable diseases, and while those diseases might not kill a healthy adult, the young, the infirm, or otherwise weakened could be vulnerable. Eric had even read some articles that diseases like Measles, Mumps, and Rubella DID kill a fair number of children before the vaccinations for those diseases were developed. He'd heard his parents talk about some parents not supporting them over accusations of the vaccination causing Autism, though he could never understand why someone would think a non-fatal condition was worse than a potentially fatal one.
Julie blinked in surprise because Moon Lake didn't have a private school system that could get around the regulations regard immunizations that school districts required. At times there were some debates on that in Moon Lake, as while many of those childhood diseases could be dangerous to young normal humans, they weren't a threat to weres, and thus weres didn't need the vaccination. But because of the records that had to be kept for public school systems, Moon Lake's school district had to follow those rules and require the vaccinations, even if Moon Lake's weres didn't need the vaccination.
"A kid wouldn't get vaccinated?" Eric asked with a raise of his eyebrow.
"Yeah, his name is Morgan Barr," Spencer answered, "and since most childhood diseases aren't a threat to weres, his parents felt he shouldn't have to get vaccinated..."
"But Moon Lake isn't big enough to have a private school system in town," Julie said slowly, "which means he'd have to go by what the state of Washington requires for vaccinations to attend public school."
"Yeah," Spencer answered, "and he even said it's left him a bit lonely... particularly during the school year. People's curfews get earlier, they have homework, and stuff like that. Which doesn't sound quite right to me... I mean people should get to hang out with people if they want to, but unless it's the summer... he really can't."
"That sounds rough," Julie commented, "but I'm not sure there's all that much we can do about it. I mean... if the Barr family doesn't want to provide for the vaccinations to allow him to attend school, there isn't that much that would change things. Particularly if Morgan is still free to attend social settings outside of school."
"He's had some access to things like that... but I don't think he's really formed much in the way of good friends that might come to visit or go visit them or hang out with outside of regular pack meetings and big group activities in the summer," Spencer answered, "and I was thinking he could use some friends. And since you are willing to be friends with me... I figured you could help him. Give him some friends on a personal level. You know... hanging out and doing typical teenage stuff."
Julie gave a short cringe for a moment before she answered, "Well... I'm sure that we could arrange a meeting some time and that Eric and I can be friendly... but true friendship is going to be something that's fairly tough. I don't think I've ever met him... even during the summer..."
"And my family only just moved here just as the school year started," Eric added.
"He still struck me as shy and nervous when we met last night," Spencer answered, "Like he wanted friendship... but wasn't seeming to really get it. It couldn't hurt to be friendly..."
"Well... I suppose we could try sometime," Eric said slowly.
He was a bit surprised by this, but some of the discussion was actually quite welcome. It wasn't as though he didn't like Spencer, as she had seemed friendly, but she had been very forward in their first meeting that he didn't expect. At the time, he wasn't sure on what to do as he'd been wrestling the misunderstanding with Arthur Curtiss at the time, but with that since solved, he knew that whatever sexual offer that Spencer might have would only be accepted if Julie shared the interest, and at present he didn't think Julie did have that interest. In this, if Spencer had a new friend, that would be good for everyone. Though Eric really didn't know enough about all the ins and outs of Moon Lake to know anything about the Barrs, and thus couldn't make any real judgement. Common sense, however, made sense to offer Morgan Barr a friend if he truly needed it.
"Then come on!" Spencer spoke, came forward and began to usher both Eric and Julie toward the Bronco. She opened the door as they arrived and shuffled around so that neither Eric nor Julie had any real escape route.
"Where are we going?" Julie asked, "We have homework!"
"To Morgan Barr's," Spencer answered, "and I have homework too. We'll visit and let him meet some people beyond just his pack... and I'm sure he has some homework too. He said he is home schooled. And it's something he likely needs."
With that, Eric and Julie both ultimately accepted the offer, seeing as they had agreed to meet this werewolf at "sometime." Julie was a bit disappointed that she was set in the backseat while Eric was given the front seat, but if this was to actually help someone, it wouldn't be worth getting upset over not having Eric by her side in the backseat. So long as Spencer recognized their engagement, she wouldn't have a problem with the new were. Spencer happily moved back around to the driver's side and climbed in behind the steering wheel while Eric and Julie both buckled in. Neither of the weremers had seemed truly uneasy, which was a step up from what had gone on between her and Eric earlier and the main drive in her heat seemed to have also gone down. That worked well, and she'd get a chance to give Morgan a shot at some friends beyond just those that were in his pack.