The Wolf Boy

One Big Blob

The big kitchen in Gulf's house always  seemed to be full of loud, active ten-year-old girls. Gulf had twin ten-year-old sisters and Gulf's mae had worked out that, if the twins were going to get invited anywhere, then she had to invite their friends back.
A lot.
But today Gulf was lucky. The big kitchen was empty and Gulf's mae waiting with a plate of crispy pork basil chilli and the teapot all ready to fill.
"How did it go, dear?" she aked, her voice worried, as soon as Gulf walked in.
"Oh-you know," muttered Gulf. "OK. "
"Did those horrible kids start on you again?" Gulf's mae poured boiling water into the teapot. Then she turned around and gave her son a big smile as if she could make everything all right.
"Well - they shouted out a few things when i walked into school. About me being off last term and everything. But i ignored them-"
"Well done - that's the way!"
“-and they left me alone after that. "
" So it was OK, then? "
Gulf thought of the silence of the day, no one talking to him, no one seeing him.
" Yeah, it was OK," he mumbled.
" And how are those nice boys Mild and Boat? "
"They're... they're fine."
"You'll have to ask them back one day soon. I'll tell you when the twins are going to be out, eh?" The Gulf's mae pushed the plate of crispy pork basil chilli towards her son. Gulf remembered about the Lay's and he knew he should say no. Then he thought - my first day at school's been so bad I can't even tell Mae about it, and so he put out his hand and grabbed his plate.

Upstairs in his room, Gulf stripped off his school uniform and dumped it on his chair. With just his undershirt and boxers on, he turned around to look at himself in the full length mirror on the wall. What was it that cow May had said? That he was a big blob with four strings stuck on the corners. He stood and looked hard at his thin and lanky arms and legs. His shoulders and middle were all wrong. They didn't go with his arms and legs at all. He hated his tummy. It was hidden by a layer of fat. And his face was chubby. His mae had said that the baby fat would disappear but it never did. May was right. He was just one big blob.
Gulf grabbed a baggy sweatshirt and jeans and put them on quickly. This was his out-of-uniform. These days that was all he wore. Before all the trouble at school he'd dressed a bit Goth. He didn't wear anything to make him stand out, just black jeans with black hoodies and silver chains and stuff - but he loved it. Then even that had got him teased. "Gulp thinks he looks scary in black! Ooh, i am scared! " Lek, Ploy, Jade and Kla sneered, when they saw him in town.
"I'll take more than that, to scare us, darlin'!"

That night Gulf had a dream about the wolf from the Kwangjai Woods. He was standing, watching it as it circled his bullies. The wolf was growling and snarling, and Lek, Ploy, Jade and Kla were terrified.
Lek, the leader of the bullies ran away, but the wolf followed him.
Then it jumped and bit his shoulder.

Gulf woke up the next morning, with his head full of the dream about the wolf - his wolf.
There's something in me that's like the wolf, he thought. That's why I dreamt about it. I'm going back to thr woods tonight, to see if it's there.
After he'd had his breakfast, Gulf went to the fridge. He knew wolves liked meat, so he got out some off the cooked pork wrapped it in tin foil and slipped it into his huge hoodie pocket.

The school day passed much as yesterday had done. No one spoke to him except when one of Puifai's clones told him to shift because he was blocking the corridor.
As soon as school finished, Gulf went to the woods. If his mae knew what he was planning she would have skinned him alive.
He turned the path that led him to the clearing in the trees, but he couldn't see the wolf and crow anywhere. He walked all around the clearing - it was almost a complete circle. I bet wolves meet up here, he thought. He was enjoying making himself feel scared. A little path that he hadn't seen yesterday led out of the clearing on the other side. Gulf hesitated for a moment and then stepped onto it.
This path was even narrower than the  other one. Branches hung right down overhead and he had to push them aside. The late sun slanted through the trees and made the shadows look darker. This is stupid, he thought. I could get lost. Mugged, raped. No one comes here on their own to search for a wolf. No one.

Suddenly, he froze. He'd heard a rustling noise, right near him. His eyes swivelled around. He scanned the bushes and brambles on both sides of the path.
Something was moving, something hunched and dark, low on the ground. Gulf's heart thudded. He could hear breathing. It was coming closer.