Hours later Hunter awoke again. The New Moon was still in effect. There were no aches or pains. He felt blissfully normal.

One quick shower and lumpy oatmeal breakfast later he was in class. The lecture went smoothly as his professor broke down the basics of lesson planning for a young audience. Hunter scribbled notes throughout the entire class. It seemed that becoming a teacher had more obstacles than he thought. Still, the idea of crafting lessons sounded like fun.

With his classes completed, he walked across the lawn towards the Green building. There at the bottom of the hill, he could see a group of students lining up outside.

Among its other amenities, Redwood offered free rides off campus for its students and faculty. A set of vans made multiple stops between the nearest bus depot and the campus. He figured now was as good a time as ever to replace his phone case. The school had yet to comment on his broken window. At the same time, he had yet to figure out how to tell his mother. A jaunt into town to distract him wouldn't hurt.

He took his place in line, one earbud in, mumbling along to verses too quick for him to repeat. His heartbeat quickened suddenly, and his fangs pressed against his lower lip. There was a familiar scent of aftershave, bacon, and--

Something nudged his shoulder. "Hey."

Hunter flinched. He turned around slowly. Standing behind him was the one and only Grayson Lee, the one that didn't have pure intentions.

"H-Hey." Hunter replied with a crooked smile. He glanced up at Grayson through his shades. "Going into town?" Hunter asked. Obviously. He chided himself mentally. Get a grip Hunter. You've got no moon to blame this time.

"Yeah. Gotta pick up some stuff."

The line moved as a van filled with students. Hunter found himself in front of the van doors. The van only had room for one more passenger. It was a tight squeeze but he could do it. The van door was being held open by a sleepy-eyed student. "You coming?"

"I..."

He had an out now, a way to escape this awkward situation. But did he really want to?

"I'm good."

The door closed with a slam. He stepped back from the curb, bumping into Grayson.

"Oh hey. Again."

Another van pulled up. This time Hunter headed to the back row. Maybe he could find something to say to Grayson back there. As Grayson and another girl slid into the back row Hunter's eyes immediately went to the window. This time they were fully clothed. No rain, no tight bookcases. Both times he had been not just Hunter, but a little canine. As much as it annoyed him he couldn't help but wonder, what would the wolf say in this situation? He tried to summon its thoughts.

Round Three.

"So, are you really going into town, or are you following me?" Hunter asked. He regretted it as soon as he said it.

Grayson's eyebrows shot up once more."You caught me." He smiled. "Can't get anything past you, can I?"

With the van now full, they headed off the school grounds. Redwood was a twenty-minute drive away from civilization, and Hunter and Grayson spent that twenty minutes discussing all the issues they had with the school.

"Why can't we get brand name cereal?" Hunter complained. "We have flatscreens and laptops for rent, but I can't have Lucky Charms?"

"Brand name food? Ha. Next you'll want more than two bars of wifi. It takes so long to stream anything that I keep studying just to pass the time."

Hunter laughed. "I don't know, that might actually be a good thing."

Grayson's wore a look of mock concern. "But what if it's on purpose." His gaze went off into the distance. "What if that was their plan all along...Keeping us isolated from the real world with only textbooks and homework for entertainment. Naturally, our grades would go up, and make the school look even better. It's brilliant."

Hunter couldn't help but smile at his theatrics. "That's it. You've cracked it. But be careful, you don't want them to overhear you."

Grayson nodded. "You're right. They might take it out on my tuition."

"You sure? I don't' think it can get much higher..."

There was snickering throughout the van. Their ride came to a stop outside a large shopping center. The structure was a large selection of shops connected by an outdoor plaza. The wide array of stores made it a popular hangout for locals, as well as a rest stop for passerby.

Hunter hopped out of the van. The shopping center was bigger than he expected.

"This place is huge."

Grayson stared at a large kiosk. "There's like one of everything here. Ooh, there's a Target." He looked back at Hunter. "You wanna go?"

"Sure."

They walked past a myriad of shops and shoppers. The weather was cool but pleasant. The two walked at a regular pace. With full control of his legs, Hunter was able to walk alongside Grayson. It was a good feeling. On his darker days, Hunter would stay inside to avoid lagging behind his friends with his crutches. They would often look back or walk slowly to keep tempo with him, which only made Hunter feel like a burden.

If Ashley lived for Full Moons, Hunter lived for New Moons. Days he could spend riding his bike or taking long walks. Days he could ride the train or climb the stairs. Days he could hang out with his friends and not worry about getting lost in a crowd.

They stepped into the department store. Hunter flashed his disability card before sitting on a motorized cart.

"I always wanted to ride one of those." Grayson admitted.

"Hop in." Hunter patted the metal cart attached to the front. "I'm sure your butt can fit in here." As he drove forward, Grayson walked alongside him. "Been looking at my butt, huh?"

Hunter felt his face heat up. He rolled his eyes to play it off. "Yeah, whatever."

They trekked deeper into the large store.

"So, What're we here for?" Grayson asked."Or are we here for nothing. That's happened to me a lot in this place. But then--"

"You come out with a bunch of junk you don't need?" Hunter surmised.

"Every. Single. Time." Grayson replied, exasperated. "It's like they brainwash you with that bullseye, I swear."

"Another theory huh?" Hunter looked up at him as he drove the cart. "You're gonna have a lot of people after you if you don't stop."

"It's too late for me." Grayson crossed his arms, stopping to pose. "I have to let the people know Hunter. I have to share these secrets with the world!"

They continued to wander until they eventually made it to the food-related isles. Grayson stopped in front of a row of mini muffins.

"What's wrong?" Hunter stopped the cart. "You look like you just saw your Ex."

"Kinda." Grayson pulled on the strings of his hoodie sweatshirt. "I used to eat this stuff all the time. My parents made me stop."

Hunter gave him a look of skepticism.

Grayson continued. "I mean, in their defense, I was a pretty heavy kid. I didn't see anything wrong with it, but my Grandparents overfed me. A lot."

Hunter looked at the boxes of baked goods. "Well, you're okay now...?"

"I guess." Grayson sighed.

"You don't sound like you're alright."

"I'm not," Grayson admitted. It was a weird thing to suddenly talk about, but he supposed he brought it on himself. "When I was a kid my Dad was always coming home late, and my Mom was in the middle of a campaign. They were pretty stressed out at the time. Which stressed the rest of us out--My grandparents, my sister and me. We all live together. Anyway, whenever things got rough I would eat. When I started packing on the pounds, my parents realized I had a problem."

"So they locked the fridge and made me keep a food journal. Even with that, they would ask me the same questions all the time, 'what did you eat today?', 'What's in your backpack?', 'Where did you go to eat after school?'. It was really annoying. My Grandma used to sneak me stuff, but then they got mad at her. So I stopped eating so much. But even years later, they treat me the same way. My mother still asks what I'm eating or when I'm exercising. It's like to her I haven't changed at all."

He continued down the aisle.

It definitely wasn't a revelation Hunter had been expecting. He tried to digest it the best he could. Just as his Lycanthropy was hidden in plain sight, so were many other afflictions.

Hunter didn't move. "Grayson."

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to get something?"

They were both quiet for a moment.

Grayson looked at the colorful boxes. His inner turmoil was clear from the look on his face.

"Yeah." There was hesitation in his voice.

"Just one thing." Hunter replied. He wasn't sure what Grayson needed to hear, but he knew he needed to hear something. "It's not like you're going to eat the whole box."

"Right." Grayson still didn't sound confident.

"Or...Not." Hunter eased the cart forward. "You don't have to if you don't want to. No pressure."

Grayson cracked a smile. "You sound like a therapist."

Hunter shrugged, unsure of what to say next.

Grayson gave the boxes another glance. "Not today." He decided. "But I appreciate that you asked."

"Anytime. If you want I'll keep some twinkies stashed away for a special occasion."

Grayson rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks." He continued to walk. "I think I'll settle for some granola for now."