Tiago stared at the table, heart pounding. The noise of the lunchroom sounded like the roar of the ocean.
“You don’t have to do this,” Aiden said.
The world got a little more focused. Well, at least Aiden’s face did. “Yeah, I do.” Tiago had made his decision, and he was sticking to it. He looked over at Dylan, who looked almost as concerned as Aiden.
If Aiden and Dylan could accept him even though they knew the truth, maybe other people would as well. And even if they didn’t… Well, the only two people who really mattered would stick by him.
Tiago drew in a shaky breath and stood.
“Hey.” His voice didn’t come out very loud. “Hey, everyone!”
The noise faded. So many eyes watching him. Sweat trickled from his armpits and dampened the small of his back, the smell of his own fear thick in his nose. “What that warden said yesterday…” Tiago cleared his throat. He felt Aiden watching him, Dylan too, but he couldn’t look at either of them. Tiago was afraid he’d do something awful like start crying if he did.
“It’s true.” Gasps and murmurs. Shocked faces staring at him. You never fit in anywhere, so why should this place be different? “My parents hunted humans. I hunted humans. And we ate them.” As the voices grew louder, Tiago spoke over them. “But I was just a kid, doing what my parents told me. I came here because I didn’t want to do that anymore. I want… I want to be like you.”
A sea of faces: confused, surprised, angry… The weight of their judgment felt crushing. Then he spotted Maggie, and things turned surreal as she smiled and gave him two thumbs-up. It was so odd he wanted to laugh.
“I haven’t broken the treaty since I ran away, and I never will again. I swear.” He saw another familiar face, this one carefully neutral. Mr. Johnson stood near the far door, gaze fixed on Tiago. “The wardens gave me a chance, so I hope you will too.”
Tiago sat down, his arms and legs shaky.
Aiden reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “That was so brave.”
If only Aiden was okay with coming out. But Tiago knew that brief touch was as much as his boyfriend dared.
“Good job, Cat Boy.” Dylan smiled.
Now everyone knew the truth, and it was up to them how they reacted.
* * *
After lunch, Tiago headed to Practical Senses. He was tempted to skip, but that was the easy way out. He’d already made the decision to tell the truth and face the consequences.
On the bright side, the nights were getting warmer. The endless winter was finally on the way out.
Tension rippled through the other students as Tiago stepped into the clearing. Some wouldn’t look at him while others stared. The mingled scent of their nervousness hung in the air. When Tiago got close to the kids, a few of them shuffled away.
You knew this would happen. Just suck it up and deal with it. Though a little part of him hoped it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe things would get better. People were mostly treating Dylan okay, even after he almost got expelled. Maybe it would just take time.
“I can’t believe they let him walk around,” one girl said to her friend. She was obviously being loud so Tiago would hear her. “Why haven’t they arrested him yet?”
“I don’t want to go to school with a murderer,” her friend said.
Tiago had thought when he came here that he could finally be himself. No more hiding that he was a werejaguar, and while there were only a few of his kind around, at least all the other kids were something other than human. Or their families were.
Now he knew what Dylan felt like. An outcast in a town full of monsters.
But Tiago had to believe that was better than lying and hiding. He couldn’t be afraid of being exposed because it was already out there. No one could hold this over him.
A girl took a few steps closer—Lillie, he thought her name was. A harpy. Her other form was fierce, with big wings and wicked talons, but in her human form she looked kind. She gave him a shy smile. “I’m not scared of you.” Her cheeks turned a little pink.
Ah. He’d noticed her giving him looks all year. Should he tell her? But she was trying to be nice, and he didn’t want to shut her down. “Thanks.”
A boy walked into the clearing. The same age as Tiago, but big enough to fit in on a college football team. Nathan was a werehyena and seemed pretty okay. How would he act now though? Tiago had been in pairs, groups, and teams with all these kids since he’d come to Shadow Valley, but now they were treating him like crap.
With his hands stuffed in his pockets, Nathan came over and gave Tiago a nod. “Hey. That was some brave shit.”
The tension around them dropped a degree or two.
Tiago smiled just a bit and returned the nod. “Thanks, man.”
The teacher called for their attention. She gave Tiago a long look, and he wondered if she might toss him out. Then she took a breath and pulled out her attendance sheet.
Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.
The teacher started putting them in groups. “Tiago,” she called, pointing to a group of three.
“No way,” one of the boys said. The others shook their heads, eyes wide.
Will I have to deal with this for the rest of high school? Tiago reminded himself that it had been his choice, and maybe this was the price for being honest.