BatIM Steps of the Survivor

Chapter Eleven

(Author's note and slight edit: Trigger warnings for this chapter: stabbing and character death. Apologies to anyone who hadn't been warned prior to this edit, I will do better in the future. Best regards and enjoy the story.)

The following week arrived rather soon, and with that came Boris's first day of school. The wolf was a little beyond nervous, as was Jade. Though she managed to get the wolf enrolled, there was only so much one almost-fifteen-year-old could do on her own.

In preparation for the coming of school for the wolf, Jade had done her best to get him supplies, letting him use an old book bag- which had happened to be the same one she took to the Trials. Of course, it had been cleaned up after the fact of the studio. Next, she had gotten him a whiteboard and some markers, so he would have the ability to speak to those who didn't know sign language. Lastly, the two of them had decided on getting him a sweater. The one he decided on was light purple with a yellow heart on the chest.

For getting these last items, she had talked her mother into it via leaving a note on the table. As it turns out, her mother was willing to help... just... distantly. Very emotionally distantly.

Boris adored his new sweater, having hardly taken it off since he got it. From time to time at night when Jade couldn't sleep and instead checked on the wolf, she could catch him hugging himself and smiling in his sleep.

This was enough to off-put the pain of her mother's cold distance and near-wordless interaction.

Snapping out of her thoughts of the recent past, Jade shook her head slightly. She and the wolf were in the process of making sure he had everything he needed, his whiteboard being packed into his bag at the moment since both of them knew sign language.

"Are you nervous for today?" Though Jade already knew the answer to this question, she asked because she cared.

The wolf nodded, his ears lowering slightly with the reminder of the anxiety.

"Everything is going to be okay, I'll be right with you," Jade reassured with a soft smile. "There's no monsters to hurt you there. I promise."

She earned a soft smile from the wolf, showing that he felt reassured by her words.

The two finished packing Boris's bag in a pleasant silence. They made sure everything was organized in a way that Boris could know where everything was without having to do too much digging.

The time to depart soon arrived, and that they did, walking up the road to wait on the bus. Jade did not have her music on at the moment, since she had something much better. Boris.

The wolf seemed to be bearing the cold morning much better now that he had his sweater to help fight off the chill.

Once getting to the bus stop itself, the duo proved to be the first ones there, waiting together in silence due to a lack of subject material to talk about.

Soon, the neighbors who also used that stop to get to school arrived as well. Boris nervously waved, trying not to cower under the strange looks they were giving.

The previously pleasant silence soon became awkward. Jade gave him reassuring pats on his shoulder, but that didn't fully alleviate the wolf's nerves. It just kept his slight tremors mostly still.

When finally the bus arrived, Boris took Jade's hand as she approached to board it. Though most weren't paying attention to those boarding, Boris was definitely given strange looks from the fellow students, all total strangers to the wolf.