werewolf

I've never really gotten to enjoy the moon at its fullest. I am always nowhere to be found, as all of my friends like to sit under the stars. You would think after doing it for so long, I would come up with better excuses than, "I forgot something in the library." 

All my friends are going out into the forest tonight, they hope to catch sight of a unicorn or a centaur. The forest is off limits for that specific reason, and also that there are dangerous creatures. Like me. 

Of course, my friends don't care how dangerous it is. Actually, Charlie might, but he just goes along with whatever Oliver and Cyrus do. Oliver and Cyrus don't care about rules, or danger, they just do whatever they want. And they get away with it somehow. 

I quickly learn at lunch time, that Cyrus was feeling a little under the weather so he decided to not go out on the exercision. I wouldn't be either. Maybe this time I could come up with an excuse saying I caught what Cyrus has. 

It is three hours to the full moon. I have to been escorted at one hour till. Oliver and Charlie are going, they somehow buy my story, and go out together. I hope I don't cause them any danger, I could never live with myself. 

I sit on my bed with a few textbooks, studying for exams. But my mind is preoccupied with what could happen to my friends out in the woods. 

"Hey Theo," Cyrus' words make me jump. "Why are you so tense Carter?" I shake my head. Cyrus likes to sneak up on me a lot. Soon he's going to make me have a heart attack. 

"Sorry, just worried about Oliver and Charlie," I respond closing my textbooks. They weren't helping me at all. 

"They're going to be fine Carter, you don't have to get all jumpy." Cyrus said sliding onto the bed, next to me. He likes to call me 'Carter' which is my last name, and he knows it makes me a little annoyed. 

"Have you turned in that essay yet?" I ask him, pushing the textbooks off the bed. 

"No," He shakes his head. "I thought you were going to do it for me."

"Very funny," I say to Cyrus. "You know it's worth a quarter of your grade!"

"Exactly!" We both burst out laughing, and I can instantly tell that Cyrus is faking being sick. I slowly sober up. 

"Cyrus, I can tell that your not actually 'under the weather'," I give him a stern look, one I use on Oliver and him every time they get in trouble. 

"Yeah you caught me," He says a bit sarcastically. I'm about to ask why, but he beats me to it. "I wanted to make sure you were okay tonight."

"What?" I ask Cyrus, a bit confused, and worried. 

"After two years of being friends, you don't think I've noticed a pattern? Theo, it's obvious why you always have to leave the night of the full moon. And why you skip the school day after it. You haven't been that good at hiding it." I take a breath. So he knew. He. Knew.

"How long?"

"Since the second," He hugs me, and I hold him back, knowing I am not as alone as I thought.