Rated: PG-13
Language: English
Categories: Poetry/Romance
Series: Halloween High
Title: In-Season?
Summary: Coach Lucan has been acting unusual lately, and Emily and the gang want to know what's wrong. So who better to speak to than the resident school..'nurse'? But the answer may not quite be one they had expected..*
*Remember those one-shots the summary talked about? This is one of them, but of course everyone's pretty much in-character as they would be in part of the story itself. It isn't actually in the series; I just felt like writing this.
**And in one fell swoop, I had to kick the rating up a whole level. ARGH.

In-Season?

"So, you're saying Coach Lucan is what?" Wolf-Fang shrieked as quietly as possible, hoping not to catch the other teacher's attention and turning a bit green at the thought. Those were images he certainly had not wanted, unbidden as they were. "So, wait, I'm a werewolf too; why aren't I acting weird, too?"

"Simply put, it's because you aren't yet fully mature in your species, despite your age by normal standards." came Dr. Sane's response, smirking ferociously at the track star. "As it is now, he's only just entered that phase - practically a beginner at this."

"Practically?" Emily inquired, blinking. "Well, she had the answer now to why the coach was acting off lately. Now she just had to make more sense of the smaller details.

With this, Zekiel put in, "Yeah; either he is or he isn't. If this is the first year, then sure. But if it's the third or fourth, couldn't he be considered-"

"Stubborn children and their inquiring minds." the scientist chuckled gleefully. "He's been in-season a few times since we met upon our arrival to the staff, not very long ago. My best recollection is, it's been seven years."

"How is that 'practically a beginner'?!" Missy squeaked, cheeks flushed.

Glancing down the hall at the werewolf's retreating back, whose tail swished uneasily, Dr. sane's smirk became more sly as he debated on the wording of his reply. "He has had no replies to the signals so far. There aren't many other mature male or female werewolves around anymore, thanks to those pesky humans and their horror movies sparking so much hatred for them. And not very many outside of your species can read those subtle signals, either." His eyes trained on Wolf-Fang for a passing moment, but then slid back to his collegue. "Typically, based upon behaviour patterns, I'd say he doesn't usually even realize he is giving off any symptoms for it. All he seems to notice at that time is that he's gotten more...jumpy, or anxious."

"Alright. Well with that bit of TMI," Zekiel began, "I think we're happy to know nothing is wrong with him, so we're gonna go."

"Yeah." Emily acquiesced. "We just were worried something might've been up."

"He's fine, if a bit lonely." the blonde stated, grinning as he shooed the students from the hall toward their next classes.

The man turned his attention back to the other end of the hall, where the green-eyed werewolf was staring hard at the floor as he spoke with the potions/spells professor.

When their conversation ended and he began to walk off, Dr. Jackle shuddered a bit and glanced down to his slightly shaking hands. His eyes lifted to stare conspicuously after the P.E. teacher, his hands nervously clasped behind his back now.

The bell rang, and the violet-haired professor spun in place, entering the classroom to begin this period, leaving Dr. Sane alone in the hall. His grin became a rather secretive and smug smirk as he tapped his chin thoughtfully with his index finger. "Perhaps, this year, that can all be rectified.." he whispered to himself, and he turned to begin his class as well.