By the time I got to the cafeteria with my lunch almost everyone else was already there. It was Friday, the end of our first week, and even though we'd only been back to school for a few days almost everyone had found their groups or formed new ones.
Kaylee and Paige were sitting together off to one side of the lunch room, and a half dozen tables away I spotted my little sister sitting with Cerys and Melanie. Lots of other familiar and not-so-familiar faces were spread around the cafeteria, in groups or alone, enjoying their lunch break.
For a moment I wasn't sure where to go or who to sit with. I really didn't feel like putting up with Kaylee and I didn't want to get involved in whatever she and Paige were discussing, so I wasn't going to join the two of them.
I thought about my other friends as I looked at the second group. Nina and I were already pretty close as sisters, and we lived together so we already talked a lot and spent time together. I wouldn't have minded getting closer to Melanie though, since we patched things up in June she and I were a lot friendlier. And we had a lot in common.
For that matter I also kind of wanted to get closer to Cerys too. Not just because I thought she needed more close friends but I always sort of admired her before, when she was the bold brash Touhou witch. On the other hand I knew she still had a lot of personal stuff going on because of her family. Plus they were both getting to know Nina better, and I didn't want to get in the way of my little sister while she was making friends of her own.
All that stuff meant I was still by myself though, but I wasn't too upset about it. So I started looking for a place to sit, and that's when I spotted a certain bunnygirl sitting alone in the far corner.
I headed over there and asked, "Hi Kenzie, mind if I join you?"
"Hey Cass!" Kenzie smiled, "Have a seat! How are you doing, how was your summer?"
I thanked her as I sat down across from her. Then as I got out my sandwich and a bottle of water I shrugged, "Summer was ok. Busy I guess? Some good stuff happened, some bad stuff happened. How about you, how's things? You still like being a bunny?"
"Being a bun is still as awesome as ever," she replied with a grin. "And summer was pretty good for me! My legal name change and all that stuff went through, so all that's taken care of now. And my parents are mostly used to me being part bun too. They still get a bit weird when I turn all the way into a bunny, but they've stopped freaking out about it. Mostly."
Then she made a face, "I still have to be careful around my little sister though. Kimmie actually caught me once last month when I was a bun, and it took me like four hours to escape."
"Wow," I replied, and it was hard not to smile. "What'd she do with you for four hours?"
Kenzie sighed and rolled her eyes, "Lots of pets and hugs and cuddles. She pulled me into her bedroom and closed the door so I couldn't get out, so I was kind of stuck there until she had to go to the washroom. That's when I finally managed to get away."
"I told our folks about it afterwards," she added. "That my little sister trapped me and wouldn't let me go. They told her not to do that, but also kind of blamed me as well since it wouldn't have happened if I didn't turn myself into a bun."
"Aww," I frowned. "Sorry your folks aren't more supportive of your right to be a bun."
She nodded, "Yeah! The worst part is Kimmie's just started grade nine, so now she's going to school here too. I try and avoid her because she started teasing me about being smaller than her. She's even got some of her friends doing it too. I like being small, but it kinda sucks being in grade twelve and having grade nine kids picking on me."
I nodded but didn't respond right away since I had a mouthful of sandwich at the time.
Kenzie continued talking though so we didn't have to worry about any awkward silences in the conversation.
"So how come you aren't eating with your friends today?" she asked. "Actually never mind that, is that new girl really your sister? How come she wasn't at school before? I didn't even know you had a sister."
After a gulp of water I replied, "The sister stuff is a long story. I guess the short version is Nina's my long-lost sister? I didn't know about her till a couple months ago, then we were reunited and now she's part of the family."
The bunnygirl frowned, "Huh. That's pretty wild. So how come you're not hanging out with her and your other friends? Or don't you get along with your sister?"
"We're actually really close," I explained. "But she's in grade eleven, along with Cerys and Melanie? And I figured they looked like they were all doing their own thing so I didn't want to disturb them. And I saw you here all alone again so I thought maybe I could keep you company?"
She smiled, then changed the subject again, "So what do you think of Ms. Fields? I know it's only been a few days, but she's not bad right?"
"She's no Miss Hawthorne, which is a big plus as far as I'm concerned," I replied with a smile. "I think it's too early to say if she's any good, but she seems nice so far?"
Ms. Fields was our new English and Creative Writing teacher. She was still sort of getting herself settled in to being at a new school and meeting all her new students and everything. I figured it'd be another week or two before we got to see what she was really like as a teacher.
Kenzie frowned, "I always thought you liked Miss Hawthorne? Except I guess stuff changed back in June? Is it true you're the reason she left? I've heard a few other students saying you got her fired. Or your parents did."
Nobody outside of Club Luna and my family knew the details of what really happened, but the whole school knew something happened at the start of June. Having an ambulance show up to treat an unconscious injured student in one of the classrooms was impossible to overlook. And the fact that they had to wheel me out of the school on a stretcher then take me to hospital meant pretty much everyone knew something serious happened.
The fact that it happened in the English and Creative Writing class just made it even more unusual. Like if I'd got injured in the machine shop or even the science lab that might have at least made sense.
I shook my head, "No, me and my parents didn't get her fired. Is that what people are saying?"
"Pretty much," Kenzie nodded. "My big ears aren't just for show, even though everyone thinks they're fake. Like part of a costume or something? But I hear all kinds of things."
"And you seem kind of happy she's gone right?" she added. "Others see that and think it proves the point, that you got her fired."
That made me roll my eyes, "I didn't even think of that. But yeah, I'm glad she's gone. And you're right, I used to like her? I used to think she was nice. Then last June I found out it was all just an act."
The bunnygirl frowned, "What do you mean? How was it an act?"
I couldn't exactly tell her how May Hawthorne kept the fact that I wasn't human a secret from me, and how she was basically treating me like an object or puzzle to be examined and solved. Or that she used that to manipulate a werewolf student into distrusting and disliking me when I was trying to make friends with her.
There was something else I could say though, that I knew would upset the bun as much as it did me.
I lowered my voice as I responded, "Well for one thing despite all her talk and how she claimed to be an ally and stuff, I'm pretty sure she's transmisic. Like when she found out about the plushies like yours, all she could talk about was getting rid of them. She kept saying they were dangerous and it was too risky letting trans people have magic transitions and stuff."
Kenzie made a face, "Seriously?! Being a bunnygirl is the single best thing that's ever happened to me! And she wanted to take that away?!"
"Yep," I nodded. With a grimace I added, "Kaylee did too at first, but I think I convinced her why the plushies were good and folks shouldn't interfere with them."
She frowned and glanced to where Kaylee and Paige were sitting, before looking back at me again. "Is that why you're not hanging out with her anymore? Did you two break up?"
"Yeah we broke up I guess," I shrugged. "Not just because of that, a bunch of other stuff happened over the summer as well."
"Aww. Sorry to hear that," Kenzie replied with a sad look.
She'd already finished her lunch by that point and was starting to get fidgety, so I figured she was getting ready to dash off again. She didn't though, and from the look of it something else just occurred to her.
"Wait do you suppose that's why those plush toys disappeared from the vending machine?" she asked with a frown. "I went back to get another one around the end of June, and found they were all gone. They haven't come back again either, I keep checking for them whenever I go grocery shopping with my mom."
I grimaced as I thought about that big box in my closet, but so far nobody else knew about it and I wanted to keep it that way. So I kind of half lied, "I don't know if it was Miss Hawthorne who emptied the machine? For that matter, nobody seems to know where those things came from in the first place."
"Why'd you want another one?" I added. "I thought you were happy being a bun?"
Kenzie looked a little guilty as she admitted, "I wanted to get one for Kimmie. I thought maybe she'd stop teasing me if she turned into some cute little animal as well."
"Do you think she'd want that though? She's cis right, so all she'd get out of it would be fuzzy ears and a tail. And I get the feeling most people probably wouldn't want that," I replied with a slight frown.
She shrugged, "I know she wouldn't want to be a bun, but I've heard her say a few times she was jealous of me for having magic. And I heard her tell one of her friends she wished she could be a cat. She likes kitties, that's her thing."
After a brief pause I responded, "I might know where to find another one of those plushies. I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do. If I can find a spare cat plush toy for your sister, I'll let you know."
A wide smile appeared on her face as she asked, "Seriously? That'd be really cool! Thanks Cass!"
"No promises," I reminded her.
Kenzie nodded, "I get it. And I appreciate you looking into it for me Cass. And now I have to go, all this sitting around's getting to me. See you in class!"
"Bye Kenz," I grinned as she hopped up and took off out of the lunch room.
I spent the rest of the lunch break by myself, then when it was time I headed to Ms. Fields' class for Creative Writing. Kenzie was already there at her usual seat in the far back corner, while I took my favourite spot in the back corner nearest the door. Kaylee arrived a bit after me, and like always she sat at the front near the teacher's desk.
When the bell rang our new teacher took her place at the head of the class and got started with the day's lessons. And at first I found myself comparing her to May Hawthorne, rather than listening to what she was saying.
Ms. Fields looked older than her predecessor, she was probably in her late thirties. Her blonde hair was curly and hung down to her shoulders, and she dressed kind of 'business casual'. She didn't wear jeans or sneakers, but she didn't wear dresses or fancy shoes either. Today she was in a pair of black slacks, her shoes were black flats, and she had a pale pink blouse on. Height-wise she was a bit shorter than Paige, maybe about the same height as Brooke. And her figure was kind of average for someone her age. She wore some subtle make-up, and her looks were kind of average too.
So far she hadn't talked much about herself yet, so I had no idea if she was queer or straight. Or what her views were on queer stuff, like if she was going to turn out to be queermisic or something. I hoped not, but I was a bit wary until I knew for sure.
Eventually I started paying attention, and listened in as she gave us all our first real writing assignment of the year. She wanted us all to keep a daily writing journal, we were expected to do a minimum of five hundred words every single day for the next thirty days. It didn't have to be about anything in particular, like it didn't have to be one long story. It didn't even have to be thirty short stories. She just wanted us to write, to get into the habit of writing every day.
Then my last class of the day was gym, and for the first time in years I'd actually decided to stop skipping that class. Paige was surprised when I showed up in the changing room, then got into my shorts and a tight t-shirt and running shoes.
The weather was nice out so the teacher had us all outside running laps around the field at first, and Paige was surprised again when I had no trouble keeping up with her.
"I didn't know you could run like this Cass!" she commented as we sort of jogged alongside each other at the front of the pack. "Have you been working out in secret or something?"
I smiled, "Yeah, that's exactly what I've been doing."
It was a lie, and I was positive she'd know it. Anyone else listening to us probably wouldn't realize it though. The truth was I'd accidentally discovered I was stronger than I used to be, and eventually figured out it was thanks to my demonic body.
In addition to having a lifespan measured in centuries or millennia, I was never going to get sick, I was really hard to kill, and if I did get hurt I'd heal really fast, and finally I was a lot stronger than I looked.
That was one of the reasons I'd finally decided to actually come to gym class. I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt, or other students ganging up on me in dodge ball, or the teacher giving me a hard time for being slow or weak. The other was I no longer had any reason not to show off my body. I hadn't had to worry about dysphoria since last autumn, and all my excess shyness and modesty were gone too as of the start of summer.
In fact the only thing I had to worry about in gym class was not showing off too much. Like I had to keep my demonic strength a secret. So after a lap or two at Paige's side I pretended to get tired and let myself fall back as if I needed to catch my breath.
Eventually the teacher had us go back inside to the gym, and the second half of the class was all sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and whatever other kinds of 'ups' were necessary for the athletic kids to show off while the teacher made the out-of-shape kids feel bad about themselves.
Which reminded me why I didn't like our gym teacher. Even so, I was a little surprised to find myself wondering if maybe Mr. Sanderson might be the next teacher to quit under mysterious circumstances.
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By the time I got to the cafeteria with my lunch almost everyone else was already there. It was Friday, the end of our first week, and even though we'd only been back to school for a few days almost everyone had found their groups or formed new ones.
Kaylee and Paige were sitting together off to one side of the lunch room, and a half dozen tables away I spotted my little sister sitting with Cerys and Melanie. Lots of other familiar and not-so-familiar faces were spread around the cafeteria, in groups or alone, enjoying their lunch break.
For a moment I wasn't sure where to go or who to sit with. I really didn't feel like putting up with Kaylee and I didn't want to get involved in whatever she and Paige were discussing, so I wasn't going to join the two of them.
I thought about my other friends as I looked at the second group. Nina and I were already pretty close as sisters, and we lived together so we already talked a lot and spent time together. I wouldn't have minded getting closer to Melanie though, since we patched things up in June she and I were a lot friendlier. And we had a lot in common.
For that matter I also kind of wanted to get closer to Cerys too. Not just because I thought she needed more close friends but I always sort of admired her before, when she was the bold brash Touhou witch. On the other hand I knew she still had a lot of personal stuff going on because of her family. Plus they were both getting to know Nina better, and I didn't want to get in the way of my little sister while she was making friends of her own.
All that stuff meant I was still by myself though, but I wasn't too upset about it. So I started looking for a place to sit, and that's when I spotted a certain bunnygirl sitting alone in the far corner.
I headed over there and asked, "Hi Kenzie, mind if I join you?"
"Hey Cass!" Kenzie smiled, "Have a seat! How are you doing, how was your summer?"
I thanked her as I sat down across from her. Then as I got out my sandwich and a bottle of water I shrugged, "Summer was ok. Busy I guess? Some good stuff happened, some bad stuff happened. How about you, how's things? You still like being a bunny?"
"Being a bun is still as awesome as ever," she replied with a grin. "And summer was pretty good for me! My legal name change and all that stuff went through, so all that's taken care of now. And my parents are mostly used to me being part bun too. They still get a bit weird when I turn all the way into a bunny, but they've stopped freaking out about it. Mostly."
Then she made a face, "I still have to be careful around my little sister though. Kimmie actually caught me once last month when I was a bun, and it took me like four hours to escape."
"Wow," I replied, and it was hard not to smile. "What'd she do with you for four hours?"
Kenzie sighed and rolled her eyes, "Lots of pets and hugs and cuddles. She pulled me into her bedroom and closed the door so I couldn't get out, so I was kind of stuck there until she had to go to the washroom. That's when I finally managed to get away."
"I told our folks about it afterwards," she added. "That my little sister trapped me and wouldn't let me go. They told her not to do that, but also kind of blamed me as well since it wouldn't have happened if I didn't turn myself into a bun."
"Aww," I frowned. "Sorry your folks aren't more supportive of your right to be a bun."
She nodded, "Yeah! The worst part is Kimmie's just started grade nine, so now she's going to school here too. I try and avoid her because she started teasing me about being smaller than her. She's even got some of her friends doing it too. I like being small, but it kinda sucks being in grade twelve and having grade nine kids picking on me."
I nodded but didn't respond right away since I had a mouthful of sandwich at the time.
Kenzie continued talking though so we didn't have to worry about any awkward silences in the conversation.
"So how come you aren't eating with your friends today?" she asked. "Actually never mind that, is that new girl really your sister? How come she wasn't at school before? I didn't even know you had a sister."
After a gulp of water I replied, "The sister stuff is a long story. I guess the short version is Nina's my long-lost sister? I didn't know about her till a couple months ago, then we were reunited and now she's part of the family."
The bunnygirl frowned, "Huh. That's pretty wild. So how come you're not hanging out with her and your other friends? Or don't you get along with your sister?"
"We're actually really close," I explained. "But she's in grade eleven, along with Cerys and Melanie? And I figured they looked like they were all doing their own thing so I didn't want to disturb them. And I saw you here all alone again so I thought maybe I could keep you company?"
She smiled, then changed the subject again, "So what do you think of Ms. Fields? I know it's only been a few days, but she's not bad right?"
"She's no Miss Hawthorne, which is a big plus as far as I'm concerned," I replied with a smile. "I think it's too early to say if she's any good, but she seems nice so far?"
Ms. Fields was our new English and Creative Writing teacher. She was still sort of getting herself settled in to being at a new school and meeting all her new students and everything. I figured it'd be another week or two before we got to see what she was really like as a teacher.
Kenzie frowned, "I always thought you liked Miss Hawthorne? Except I guess stuff changed back in June? Is it true you're the reason she left? I've heard a few other students saying you got her fired. Or your parents did."
Nobody outside of Club Luna and my family knew the details of what really happened, but the whole school knew something happened at the start of June. Having an ambulance show up to treat an unconscious injured student in one of the classrooms was impossible to overlook. And the fact that they had to wheel me out of the school on a stretcher then take me to hospital meant pretty much everyone knew something serious happened.
The fact that it happened in the English and Creative Writing class just made it even more unusual. Like if I'd got injured in the machine shop or even the science lab that might have at least made sense.
I shook my head, "No, me and my parents didn't get her fired. Is that what people are saying?"
"Pretty much," Kenzie nodded. "My big ears aren't just for show, even though everyone thinks they're fake. Like part of a costume or something? But I hear all kinds of things."
"And you seem kind of happy she's gone right?" she added. "Others see that and think it proves the point, that you got her fired."
That made me roll my eyes, "I didn't even think of that. But yeah, I'm glad she's gone. And you're right, I used to like her? I used to think she was nice. Then last June I found out it was all just an act."
The bunnygirl frowned, "What do you mean? How was it an act?"
I couldn't exactly tell her how May Hawthorne kept the fact that I wasn't human a secret from me, and how she was basically treating me like an object or puzzle to be examined and solved. Or that she used that to manipulate a werewolf student into distrusting and disliking me when I was trying to make friends with her.
There was something else I could say though, that I knew would upset the bun as much as it did me.
I lowered my voice as I responded, "Well for one thing despite all her talk and how she claimed to be an ally and stuff, I'm pretty sure she's transmisic. Like when she found out about the plushies like yours, all she could talk about was getting rid of them. She kept saying they were dangerous and it was too risky letting trans people have magic transitions and stuff."
Kenzie made a face, "Seriously?! Being a bunnygirl is the single best thing that's ever happened to me! And she wanted to take that away?!"
"Yep," I nodded. With a grimace I added, "Kaylee did too at first, but I think I convinced her why the plushies were good and folks shouldn't interfere with them."
She frowned and glanced to where Kaylee and Paige were sitting, before looking back at me again. "Is that why you're not hanging out with her anymore? Did you two break up?"
"Yeah we broke up I guess," I shrugged. "Not just because of that, a bunch of other stuff happened over the summer as well."
"Aww. Sorry to hear that," Kenzie replied with a sad look.
She'd already finished her lunch by that point and was starting to get fidgety, so I figured she was getting ready to dash off again. She didn't though, and from the look of it something else just occurred to her.
"Wait do you suppose that's why those plush toys disappeared from the vending machine?" she asked with a frown. "I went back to get another one around the end of June, and found they were all gone. They haven't come back again either, I keep checking for them whenever I go grocery shopping with my mom."
I grimaced as I thought about that big box in my closet, but so far nobody else knew about it and I wanted to keep it that way. So I kind of half lied, "I don't know if it was Miss Hawthorne who emptied the machine? For that matter, nobody seems to know where those things came from in the first place."
"Why'd you want another one?" I added. "I thought you were happy being a bun?"
Kenzie looked a little guilty as she admitted, "I wanted to get one for Kimmie. I thought maybe she'd stop teasing me if she turned into some cute little animal as well."
"Do you think she'd want that though? She's cis right, so all she'd get out of it would be fuzzy ears and a tail. And I get the feeling most people probably wouldn't want that," I replied with a slight frown.
She shrugged, "I know she wouldn't want to be a bun, but I've heard her say a few times she was jealous of me for having magic. And I heard her tell one of her friends she wished she could be a cat. She likes kitties, that's her thing."
After a brief pause I responded, "I might know where to find another one of those plushies. I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do. If I can find a spare cat plush toy for your sister, I'll let you know."
A wide smile appeared on her face as she asked, "Seriously? That'd be really cool! Thanks Cass!"
"No promises," I reminded her.
Kenzie nodded, "I get it. And I appreciate you looking into it for me Cass. And now I have to go, all this sitting around's getting to me. See you in class!"
"Bye Kenz," I grinned as she hopped up and took off out of the lunch room.
I spent the rest of the lunch break by myself, then when it was time I headed to Ms. Fields' class for Creative Writing. Kenzie was already there at her usual seat in the far back corner, while I took my favourite spot in the back corner nearest the door. Kaylee arrived a bit after me, and like always she sat at the front near the teacher's desk.
When the bell rang our new teacher took her place at the head of the class and got started with the day's lessons. And at first I found myself comparing her to May Hawthorne, rather than listening to what she was saying.
Ms. Fields looked older than her predecessor, she was probably in her late thirties. Her blonde hair was curly and hung down to her shoulders, and she dressed kind of 'business casual'. She didn't wear jeans or sneakers, but she didn't wear dresses or fancy shoes either. Today she was in a pair of black slacks, her shoes were black flats, and she had a pale pink blouse on. Height-wise she was a bit shorter than Paige, maybe about the same height as Brooke. And her figure was kind of average for someone her age. She wore some subtle make-up, and her looks were kind of average too.
So far she hadn't talked much about herself yet, so I had no idea if she was queer or straight. Or what her views were on queer stuff, like if she was going to turn out to be queermisic or something. I hoped not, but I was a bit wary until I knew for sure.
Eventually I started paying attention, and listened in as she gave us all our first real writing assignment of the year. She wanted us all to keep a daily writing journal, we were expected to do a minimum of five hundred words every single day for the next thirty days. It didn't have to be about anything in particular, like it didn't have to be one long story. It didn't even have to be thirty short stories. She just wanted us to write, to get into the habit of writing every day.
Then my last class of the day was gym, and for the first time in years I'd actually decided to stop skipping that class. Paige was surprised when I showed up in the changing room, then got into my shorts and a tight t-shirt and running shoes.
The weather was nice out so the teacher had us all outside running laps around the field at first, and Paige was surprised again when I had no trouble keeping up with her.
"I didn't know you could run like this Cass!" she commented as we sort of jogged alongside each other at the front of the pack. "Have you been working out in secret or something?"
I smiled, "Yeah, that's exactly what I've been doing."
It was a lie, and I was positive she'd know it. Anyone else listening to us probably wouldn't realize it though. The truth was I'd accidentally discovered I was stronger than I used to be, and eventually figured out it was thanks to my demonic body.
In addition to having a lifespan measured in centuries or millennia, I was never going to get sick, I was really hard to kill, and if I did get hurt I'd heal really fast, and finally I was a lot stronger than I looked.
That was one of the reasons I'd finally decided to actually come to gym class. I wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt, or other students ganging up on me in dodge ball, or the teacher giving me a hard time for being slow or weak. The other was I no longer had any reason not to show off my body. I hadn't had to worry about dysphoria since last autumn, and all my excess shyness and modesty were gone too as of the start of summer.
In fact the only thing I had to worry about in gym class was not showing off too much. Like I had to keep my demonic strength a secret. So after a lap or two at Paige's side I pretended to get tired and let myself fall back as if I needed to catch my breath.
Eventually the teacher had us go back inside to the gym, and the second half of the class was all sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and whatever other kinds of 'ups' were necessary for the athletic kids to show off while the teacher made the out-of-shape kids feel bad about themselves.
Which reminded me why I didn't like our gym teacher. Even so, I was a little surprised to find myself wondering if maybe Mr. Sanderson might be the next teacher to quit under mysterious circumstances.
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