Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 28: Pt. 2

"Is everything okay?" The front door slammed and Kathie rushed into the room, followed by Dhrys. The vampire immediately went to Ananya's side, but the younger girl didn't reciprocate his touch. "Bayor, what the fuck did you do?"

"I...I didn't mean to..."

"That's what everyone says, but you sure as hell meant to do something." Dhry's dark eyes narrowed menacingly. "You were going to hurt Ananya."

"No! No, I wasn't...I could never!" January Bayor's lips quivered.

"If it means getting rid of vermin like us, then you would," Kathie said with a disparaging smile. "You see us as nothing but insubordinate to you, and giving that pitiful excuse won't help your case."

"It's not an excuse!" January Bayor argued. "Banastre really did--!"

"Get out." Dhrys interrupted her, and when January Bayor didn't move, he unsheathed his fangs and a dangerous red glow overtook his body. "Get out!"

Scrambling to her feet, January Bayor shot Ananya one last, pleading look, but before Ananya could speak, she ran out the door, leaving behind her gun and the mess of plastic bottles.

"What a bitch," Dhrys cursed. He knelt to observe Ananya's arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Officer Bayor didn't hurt me. She wouldn't have," Ananya murmured. She looked down at Dhrys. "You shouldn't have egged her like that. What happened to her family was real." Though I can't blame Oscar. Banastre held an iron fist over him too...She hesitated.

"It might have been, but she was crossing the line," Kathie scoffed. "She's biased, Ananya, just like you said."

"I know, but I shouldn't have been so harsh..."

"Oh, quit feeling guilty over it. You were right to be angry. She was cursing you out, calling you shit and all that," Kathie snapped. "Dhrys, clean this mess up. Ananya, come with me. We'll get ready for that festival in town and forget about Bayor. I'd say to report her, but we all know that City Hall won't do anything about it."

"Of course, they won't," Dhrys said. "They don't care if they lose anyone in the tenth district. We're practically dead to them."

Ananya's lips pursed. "Right..." She followed Kathie wordlessly, and in her mind, she thought about January Bayor's parents. Oscar was right there...she kept thinking. And he did nothing...

~****~

Bourdier was dressed up in an array of lights, ranging from dark red to bright pink, and they flashed haphazardly around the town square. Streams of honey-colored light bulbs hung along the lampposts, entwined with streamers and strings of metallic banners. Confetti was thrown across the floor and a large stage was erected in front of City Hall with a patient podium.

The night sky was sparkling and veils of gray drifted across the moon. The dance floor was partitioned into three sections; one for the tenth district, one for the werewolves, and one - the largest space - for the residents of Bourdier (or the elite, as Kathie would call them). Of course, not everyone followed the partition rules, and the majority of the tenth district and werewolves interacted with one another. A few Bourdier residents joined them, but many kept their distance, murmuring amongst themselves and casting sidelong glances at Oscar now and then.

Ananya stayed at the back of the crowd, chewing on a bowl of Oreos as she observed the liveliness of the party. Her thoughts were still trapped in the past, lingering on her argument with January Bayor. She didn't notice when the music dimmed and was only brought back to the present by the screech of the microphone.

"Residents of Bourdier and Werewolves of the Yuen Pack, thank you all for joining us today on this special occasion," Mayor Dafowick began, approaching the podium. Behind him, Ananya noticed Oscar, who caught her gaze and waved. She smiled and waved back at him.

"As you may be aware, we have had a troubling past few weeks with the unfortunate lives that we have lost," he continued. "But thanks to the aid of our dear friend, Alpha Oscar Yuen, and his pack, we have captured the person responsible for these uncalled attacks and will be punishing them accordingly." He stopped when the crowd cheered. "Yes, yes! We have solved this case. But, we didn't do it on our own. The werewolves of the Yuen pack also deserve praise." He paused again, and Ananya thought that his words would be met with silence, but instead, an uproar arose, cheering and hollering, and when their voices died down, Oscar took the stage.

"I understand that while this is a celebratory occasion, a few of you are still cautious about our kind," he said, meeting the skeptical gazes of many. His eyes settled on Ananya and a smile graced his lips. "However, Mayor Dafowick and I have come to an agreement that this animosity between humans and werewolves should come to an end, and we have decided to put one foot forward and establish an alliance between my pack and Bourdier. I understand that our history is not the best, but I will not make the same mistakes as my predecessors. From this day forward, we are no longer enemies, but friends."

There was a pregnant pause. Eyes shifted and words were whispered among many. Ananya caught Dhrys's eye and shrugged, but before she could say anything to him a cheer erupted from the crowd, startling both of them. Many humans - most from Bourdier itself, the people who had resented werewolves - voiced their approval and the music blasted abruptly. Almost immediately, the partition had dropped, and humans mingled freely with wolves, who seemed taken aback by the sudden display of approval. While a few were still anxious and stayed behind their lines, many joined in the fun, welcoming their new allies. 

"This is...sudden," Dhrys said and slid beside her. "I was expecting a riot."

"So was I," Ananya mused. "I didn't expect them to agree so easily. I wonder what changed."

"I'm not sure," Dhrys said. "But it's not a bad thing, I guess? I mean, I wouldn't say that it's unwelcome, but didn't everyone in Bourdier dislike werewolves? Weren't they afraid or something?"

"They were, from what I remember," Ananya agreed. She squinted through the crowd, trying to see if she could catch a hint of ulterior motives, but she found none. "It's...interesting, don't you think so?"

"It is," Dhrys said. There was a bitter edge to his voice. "It's a bit annoying, honestly. They've accepted the pack easily, but when it comes to the tenth district, they still treat us like we have the plague."

"Not all of them." Ananya gestured to the corner where the buffet was, where the delinquents from earlier in the day were chatting with schoolboys from Bourdier High School, an elite private school. She noticed as well a familiar young teenager running about with a group of pups. "Hey, I know that girl!"

"Hm? Which one?" Dhrys studied the crowd.

"That one." Ananya pointed to the girl. "Oscar saved her from the theater fire a few weeks ago. Do you think that's why they're not afraid anymore?"

"It could be," Dhrys muttered. "That's the girl from the fire? She looks fine."

"Just because she looks fine now doesn't mean that she wasn't hurt before." Ananya glared at him. "Why aren't you partying? Don't you like these kinds of events?"

"I do, but I'm not about to be chased with pitchforks and stakes," Dhrys stated dryly. "They may have accepted werewolves, but they still hate vampires. Like I said before, it's always the tenth--!"