Full Moon Howls

CHAPTER FOUR

Wilhelmina had a weird dream. She dreamed about a burgundy wolf, dancing on the University Canteen and advertising wolf pies. And then she was around a crowd. Wilhelmina wanted to puke again so she ran to the forest. But her puking was gone and she continued to run inside the forest alongside the burgundy wolf. And then Wilhelmina was wearing Loveta's dress. Then Lupe was calling her from the face of the forest. Wilhelmina walked back but the Burgundy wolf stopped her, warning her that Lupe will only leave her. Again and again.

She woke up, shaking and sweaty. Loveta was already awake, sewing the dress.

"Good morning." Wilhelmina said.

"Good morning." Loveta greeted back.

Wilhelmina looked at her clock. It's five in the morning. She folded her blanket and entered the bathroom. After changing her clothes, she took her bag and looked at Loveta. She wanted to say something at least.

"D–do you want to eat anything?" Wilhelmina asked.

"No. Go ahead. I have to pass this on Friday." Loveta said.

Wilhelmina suddenly remembered her opinion essay. Lupe's ladder made her forget it all. Wilhelmina marched to the end of the forest at half past five.

She wrote about the Pietà and ate breakfast by her own, greeting Miss Charlotte and her husband. She brought out her phone to call Lupe but she had one message from him.

"Sorry I am unable to continue the Exposure Ladder. We must continue it tomorrow. I have to visit my mother because she became really illl at the moment."

Wilhelmina called him. It rang but no one answered. Maybe he's busy. Wilhelmina didn't call him again. Instead, she memorized the opinion essay again and again. Then she entered the library for more information of the painting.

When she had nothing else to do, she entered the University Church.

Finally, she went back to the canteen to eat dinner. Miss Charlotte has entered Wilhelmina's talking side already, making Wilhelmina comfortable to speak to her.

"Did Loveta eat already?" Wilhelmina asked.

"The prissy girl? No she hasn't eaten yet." Miss Charlotte smiled. "You can pay her her lunch." She gave a bowl of ice cream which Wilhelmina carried to the dormitory room.

"Hello." Wilhelmina said.

Loveta grunted.

"I bought you a bowl of ice cream."

Loveta looked at her again with a look of surprise in her face.

"Er … wow! Thanks Willie. Your doctor really is helping you isn't he?" Loveta put down her needles and took the bowl from her. "Here, let me pay you." she rummaged her desks and threw some coins in the bed.

"Thanks." Wilhelmina said, taking the coins.

"He's handsome right?"

"Who?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Oh c'mon! Lupe Gumaveur! One of my friends said he's brainy too." Loveta said.

"I – think so?" Wilhelmina uncertainly answered, looking at the mirrored wall opposite her.

"You think so? How did you meet anyway?" Loveta asked, trying to eat her ice cream with grace, and yet eating hungrily.

"He just came to me and asked to be friends."

"Why do you think he did that?"

"I don't know."

Loveta shrugged and threw the bowl to the bin. "Ah! Oh my gosh! Look at my face! I have shadows under my eyes! And my hair is so crumpled. My tan skin, oh no. It's so white. And is that a – A PIMPLE!" Loveta screamed and locked herself in the bathroom.

It took a long time before Loveta came out of her room, scrubbing something on her face and pulling out a cucumber. She sliced two pieces and lay herself on the bed, toweled and creamed face. Then she placed the cucumber on her eyes.

* * *

The next day, they learned more about Titian and his paintings. The teacher had called Wilhelmina to answer a question.

"When was Flora painted?"

Wilhelmina stood up but there was something in her throat. She couldn't speak. She know the answer but her face turned red. Every face was turning to her. In the end, Wilhelmina shook her head.

"Anyone else could answer?" the teacher asked.

When they all left the classroom, Wilhelmina's head was bowed so low and is very red.

"Willie!" Lupe called out from the crowd. Shouldering through the crowd, he reached her. "Sory I was gone yesterday. Let's eat?"

Wilhelmina greeted Miss Charlotte and she sat with Lupe around a table, eating cucumber.

"Oh, Lupe! I messed up in class! Recitation grades a lot! And I can't even recite!"

"Which is why we're doing the ladder." Lupe said. "Speaking of the ladder, I added another level. Easier than what I was supposed to let you do."

"What is it?"

"Give a compliment to a passing teacher or student. But while looking at them in the eye. Could you do that?"

"Let's try."

Wilhelmina did try. She said the compliments, but always looked away. And it only confused the students of who she was speaking to. Wilhelmina wondered wether they thought she was a loser or just pranking them.

"I can't!" Wilhelmina told Lupe.

"But your near."

"You saw that student awhile ago? She's probably thinking: 'what's wrong with that loser?' That's probably what they're thinking!"

"Wilhelmina –"

"Maybe she'll be talking about me with her friends: 'hey, did you know? I saw an i***t talking to the wind and saying her dress is nice.' I can't Lupe!"

Lupe suppressed his laughter and Wilhelmina frowned at him.

"Sorry. Sorry."

"Lupe! I need help!"

"Okay! Wilhelmina, just look in their eye and say a compliment." Lupe said. "I'll walk with you."

They walked on the grounds and is about to pass a sophomore student.

"I like your hat." Wilhelmina said, forgetting to smile. The boy didn't answer back. Wilhelmina looked at Lupe.

"You sounded like you wanted to take his hat from him." Lupe told her. "But it's good job. We're improving. Look. The professor is coming."

"Your tie looks good on you, sir." Wilhelmina said with a smile.

"Thank-you." the professor bowed a bit.

Wilhelmina gasped, turning to Lupe. "I did it!"

"You did it! But could you do it without me?" he jerked his head to a strong looking redhead, poring on her phone.

"Your shoes are gorgeous." Wilhelmina told her. The girl stopped, looked at her, to her shoes, then back to her.

"Thanks!" she called in a deep voice behind them.

Lupe caught up and stopped beside Wilhelmina. "See? You could do it! It's easy!"

"Thank-you Lupe!"

Wilhelmina went back to her dormitory room where Loveta was eating ice cream and watching on her laptop.

"Good evening." Wilhelmina said.

"Evening." Loveta greeted back.

"What are you watching?"

"Don't you know yet? There were two boys attacked by a black wolf!"

"When?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Yesterday!" Loveta said. "Open your laptop!"

Wilhelmina opened her laptop. Yes. The CCTV showed the wolf pouncing suddenly with no reason at all. It bit one of the boy's hand and then run away. This happened near Southcoast Dautonoti Village according to a sign beside the boys.

The reporter said that wolves avoid people and that the wolf's behavior was quite surprising. Even their zoologist couldn't understand this unusual behavior.

Then they showed a doctor who said that the boy is fine and the wolf has, fortunately, no rabies at all.

"Weird right?"

Wilhelmina nodded, disgust etched upon her face.