The final school bell of the day rang at the same time it always did, signaling for students to pack their bags and head home for the day. In one of the classrooms, Connor Ross was doing exactly that. He was ready to spend more time with Ryan today, as he had become really close friends with him over the past few days. As he finished packing up his books, Connor looked up and saw Ryan waiting for him by the classroom door. He quickly grabbed his bag, slinging one strap over his shoulder, before approaching Ryan.
“Day’s finally over,” Ryan said casually. “About time, right?”
“Yeah, I was getting kinda bored halfway through our last class,” Connor replied. “So, what do you want to do today? Should we go to your place?”
“We can go to my house later,” Ryan said. “I actually want to introduce you to some friends of mine. They’re both smaller Weres that you should consider.”
“That’s cool. Where are we meeting them?”
“Just outside,” Ryan said, escorting Connor through the front doors of the school. He quickly scanned the small crowd of people before pointing towards the large flagpole a few feet away. Standing under it were two young men. The first one had on a grey hoodie and jeans, with a mess of wild black hair on his head. The second one wore a green hoodie and a pair of black sweatpants. Unlike the first boy, this one had his hood down so everyone could see his reddish-orange hair.
Ryan proceeded to lead Connor through the crowd of people towards the two boys by the flagpole. When they emerged from the crowd, Ryan called out to the pair.
“Hey! Tim! Felix!”
The two boys turned as Connor and Ryan approached them. When they were in front of the pair, Ryan said “Thanks for coming, guys. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, it’s no problem man,” the red-haired boy said. “I’m happy to help out.”
“Same here,” the black-haired boy added.
“Alright,” Ryan said with a nod. “Connor, this is Tim…” He gestured to the black-haired boy. “...and this is Felix.” He gestured to the red-haired boy.
“Nice to meet you both,” Connor said. “I’m Connor.”
“Nice to meet you Connor,” Tim said. “Ryan told us that you were looking at becoming one of the smaller Were species that Moon Lake has to offer, so he came to us for some help. I’m a Wereraccoon, and Felix over here is a Werefox.”
“Those both sound pretty cool. What’s being a Wereraccoon like?”
“It’s a bit hard to put into words,” Tim said, scratching the back of his head. “We don’t have a pack or pride like the canine and feline Weres do, but we’re not antisocial either. We tend to be pretty active at night, so Wereraccoons have great night vision. Oh, and before you ask, no, we don’t go digging through trash cans.”
“Alright,” Connor said before turning to Felix. “And what’s it like being a Werefox?”
“A lot of fun actually,” Felix explained. “You see, the Werefox of Moon Lake are part of a group known as ‘The Skulk’. It’s kind of like how Werewolves have their own packs. Every once in a while, there’s a meeting where we all socialize with each other and just have a good time. Werefox are also usually very attractive, both human and Were forms. It’s not hard for us to find soulmates, if that’s the kind of stuff that you’re into.”
“That’s interesting,” Connor commented. “Both species sound really interesting. I’ll definitely think about it.”
Connor didn’t want to say anything to their faces, but he didn’t think that either of those species would be a good fit for him. While Wereraccoons and Werefoxes were both smaller Weres like the Werewildcat, he didn’t feel as interested in becoming either. And while Connor knew that he faced the risk of a permanent change in his sexuality, he felt like it was something he was willing to risk if it meant being like Ryan…
“Thanks for talking with Connor for a bit guys,” Ryan said, snapping Connor out of his thoughts. “Now he’s got more choices on what to become.”
“No problem,” Felix said. “I gotta get home now. See you guys later.”
“Yeah, I gotta get going too,” Tim said. “I’ve got a lot of homework I need to do.” And with that, the two boys walked off, leaving Connor and Ryan alone at the flagpole.