"SKIP SCHOOL?" exclaimed Ben. "Are you crazy? My moms get unhappy if I bring home anything less than a B in any subject as it is. There is NO way I'm gonna do anything that stupid."
"You're right," admitted Nate, who was sitting next to Ben in the front seat. "It was just the excitement of there being a new werewolf in town."
"Thinking of playing the field on me, stud?" asked Alex, reaching up from behind Nate to ruffle his boyfriend's hair.
"No handsome, I'm not," replied Nate, before grabbing his boyfriend's hand and kissing it. "But think about it. A werewolf family moving into Moon Lake, instead of either already living here or a normal being turned into a werewolf?"
"Yeah. That is different," agreed Alex, ruffling Nate's hair again before removing his hand.
"Well, if the family has a kid our age, he should be enrolled in school sooner or later. You guys can find him there eventually," pointed out Eric, who was strongly considering sitting next to Ben up front from now on, so his brother and his lover could have the back seat to themselves.
What Ben Twist didn't tell his friends and fellow passengers was that his mom Samantha got a weird phone call that morning.
Everything had started out normally. His mothers, still in their werecat forms, woke up on the couch where they spent the night together in each others' furry arms to see Ben at the dining room table, having a bowl of cereal and some juice.
"You two must of had some night," he said with a smile, before showing them his cellphone pictures to prove that not only were they asleep when he came home, but that they were purring together in unison.
"Just true love at work," replied Frances, before she kissed Samantha. The other Mrs. Twist was just glad she wasn't in her human form, because she was sure she would be blushing right now.
His mothers went to their bedroom and got dressed for the day, because when they returned and started rustling up some breakfast for themselves, both were in their human forms.
Then Samantha's cellphone rang.
She kept it close to her ear so neither Frances nor Ben could overhear any of the conversation, but he did hear enough of Samantha's replies to know that Tachibana no Akane, the leader of the Skulk herself, had personally called the Town Chancellor. That early in the morning, at home, Ben realized it had to be urgent business, but couldn't figure out what it might be.
When she finished, Samantha told Frances if she still wanted a ride into town, she'd have to hurry, because Samantha had to get to the Town Hall right away.
Whatever was going on, Ben just hoped everything would turn out okay.
MEANWHILE/BACKTRACKING...