One

Tasogare sat hidden among the stage props and set pieces backstage. Having hit his breaking point, he quietly cried, hoping no one would find him. Tina, his assigned partner for the short dialogue project refused to work with him, and no one else would accept being a replacement. That, along with the suspicious, cautious stares from everyone was enough to bother the normally soft spoken student. He heard the muffled tones of the class talking out in the house, the rhythm indicated they were concerned about something big, something too important to just let go. Tasogare was also afraid, but his fear was more personal than what his class felt toward him. Eventually, the sounds died down as the class went to work on their latest production.

"Tag, you still back here?" Mr. Matthews, the teacher asked, his tone filled with concern. "Come on out so we can talk." His voice was stern, but not in the scolding way.

"Sir?" Tasogare crawled out of his hiding place, trying to wipe the tears away with his short sleeve. Not succeeding, he faced his teacher as he was, a bit sullen, nervous, and very uncertain. "This is about Friday isn't it?"

"Yes, but first, are you all right?" Mr. Matthews concern deepened. "You look absolutely miserable, were you crying?"

"Yes sir." Tag replied, shifting his gaze to a scratch across the floor. "I tried to apologize to John, but he won't let me get near him."

"You know I wasn't here Friday, so I don't know what really happened, and what everyone's telling me just sounds impossible. I do know that John says you shoved him, he has the bruise to prove it, and Ms. Harding wants a word with you about it too. I also know that John isn't the only one who's afraid of you all of a sudden, the whole class is." Mr. Matthews observed. "You of all people, the shy kid." He added, nailing his point.

"I should go then, and face the music." Tag sighed. "I'll pop in later to let you know what goes on, but I'm probably going to be suspended for this."

"The office aid is waiting for you in the house." Mr. Matthews said plainly. "Break a leg." He offered as Tag pushed through the curtain.

Tasogare strode swiftly across the stage, and hopped off the apron. He seemed to float over to where the student, who was the volunteer office aid, stood waiting for him. Tag nodded politely at the aid who looked surprized to see Tasogare walking toward him. Tag hung his head upon seeing the familiar face of a friend waiting for him. He didn't want to have to explain his situation, not to anyone who had gotten close to him.

"Hey D. I didn't know it was you." The aid said with wide eyes. "You're too quiet to cause trouble."

"It's a long story, don't ask." Tag said as the two headed out into the corridor, and toward the office. "And why do you call me 'D' Henry?"

"Tasogare means dusk." Henry answered. "In Japanese."

"I'm not going to ask." Tasogare joked. "You find the strangest bits of info at times."

"It's a gift." Henry returned the joke. "What did you do anyway?"

"Don't worry about it, it's my problem to handle." Tag dismissed the question as they came to the office door.

Henry went in first, stopping in the lobby to talk with the secretary who got up and stepped into a side room. Tag took a seat, feeling it was what he was supposed to do. He folded his hands in his lap, hung his head low, and waited. Henry looked at his friend for a moment, then returned to his duties as the office aid. tag remained silent, nervously waiting for a conversation he didn't want to have. His wait wasn't long, as the secretary came out of the office and looked right at Tag.

"Mr. Evans, the Principal will see you now."

Tasogare stood, and walked stiffly, like a man with a death sentence. He never looked up from the floor, even after stepping into the office and hearing the door close behind him. He moved quietly to one of two chairs set in front of a metal desk, taking a seat in one without having to be told. Ms. Harding, the Principal looked up from the file she was reading, closing it without a sound.

"Mr. Evans, do you mind if I call you Tasogare?" Ms. Harding asked in a stern, but friendly tone.

"Call me Tag, everyone else does, including teachers." Tasogare replied, still hanging his head.

"Okay, Tag. I got a very bizarre complaint from the substitute teacher about you shoving another student. I also spoke with John this morning, and he confirmed it." Ms. Harding began to work on the situation. "What can you tell me about the incident?"

"I did shove John, and won't make excuses or try to justify it." Tag replied in a low, tense, rumbling tone.

"Why did you shove him?" Ms. Harding asked. "He told me he had a nasty habit of picking on you, was that it?"

"Ma'am, it's not that simple." Tag looked up, his deep golden eyes held restrained terror, and guilt. "His practical joke went too far, and almost ruined this." Tag reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out an amulet. "It's a treasure from my real family, and I didn't like it being ripped off my neck."

"That answers one thing, now would you mind telling me why John, the sub, and the other students I talked to about it so far all tell me you not only shoved John, but turned into a large cat first?" Ms. Harding didn't sound convinced at what the others had all said. "I've never heard such wild stories, but John had claw marks on his shoulder."

"That is not something I can effectively tell you about." Tag shook his head. "Even though I want you to understand, I just can't."

"I can tell you're upset, but I have to know everything that went on to make a fair decision." Ms. Harding said firmly. "I can't send you back to class yet, so at least try to tell me."

"I can't explain it in words, but I can show you something about me that few people know." Tag sighed heavily, having chosen to give in and give the Principal the truth. "Could you lock the door first, I don't want the truth to leave the room."

"Okay." Ms. Harding sounded curious, and confused, but she got up, walked over to her office door and locked it. She returned to her seat behind the desk quickly.

"Now I need you to promise me you won't freak out and start screaming, no matter what you see." Tag took a tense breath and let it out again slowly.

"All right." Ms. Harding assured. "Show me what you've got."

Tasogare stood up, and ran his fingers through his thick hair. The gesture was somewhat nervous, but it also shifted the hair enough to uncover the two pointed cat-like ears which Tag was holding as flat as he could against his head. He let them pop up and open fully, which seemed to elicit a startled gasp from Ms. Harding. Tag sighed at the reaction. "I have a tail too, but for obvious reasons I won't show you that." Tag reached back to unfasten the amulet. He set it on the desk carefully, and walked to the chair. What took a seat was not Tasogare, but a rather startling black lion. It shook it's mane then yawned.

"Oh!" Ms. Harding was very shaken by the sudden appearance of a lion in her office. "Tag, is that really you?"

"It is." The lion's mouth moved, as if it was speaking. "Ma'am I know I look intimidating, but I'm not dangerous." The lion Tag shrank in the chair, not looking very courageous or fierce like one expects of lions. "Please, just don't be scared." He started to cry, which was a very unsettling sight to see large tears rolling down a lion's cheeks.

"Tag, I'm not scared, I'm surprised." Ms. Harding assured. "I'd like you to stop crying and calm down okay."

"I'll try." Tag took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He got up, and approached the desk, by the time the lion got there, it was Tag, looking much like a human with lion ears. He replaced the amulet, and returned to the chair, fixing his hair to hide the ears again. "The amulet keeps my power in check. That's why I transformed Friday, it was removed. I only wanted to push John away from me, not hurt him."

"Well, I should suspend you both since you admitted to shoving John because he was bullying you." Ms. Harding thought out loud. "But, I'm not sure how to handle this lion thing."

"Please, just call it a mirage, a trick of light, a drug induced hallucination, but don't tell anyone what I am." Tag's tone was begging. "I'll take the suspension, I'll accept being expelled, anything."

"I won't, who'd believe me if I did?" Ms. Harding assured. "You don't want this to get out do you?"

"My parents don't even know." Tag responded. "I'd like to keep it between us."

"All right. I promise I won't tell anyone. Now, about that suspension. I don't want to have to do it, but fighting is prohibited on school grounds. I think a week should be sufficient for you. Since John was the bully I have to suspend him too, but he wasn't the aggressor."

"Ma'am, I don't need to know how you're going to handle John, it's not my business." Tag sounded relieved. Are you done with me?"

"Yes Tag, the suspension starts tomorrow, so go get all your assignments for the week with what's left of last block." Ms. Harding spoke sternly "Here's your pass, and see if Megan is in, have her help you."

"Thank you ma'am." Tag got up and marched to the door. He unlocked and opened it quickly.

Megan was organizing a file cabinet when Tag stepped out into the office lobby. She looked up and smiled at him in a friendly way. "Henry told me you were in here. I'm sorry."

"I got suspended for shoving John. Ms. Harding wants you to help me collect my assignments for the whole week." Tag, uncomfortable, stared at the floor.

"Okay, lets' go. You can tell me about it on the way." Megan closed up the drawer and followed Tag out of the office.

They walked in silence for a while. Tag didn't want to tell Megan anything, so he waited for her to ask. Megan was uneasy, cautious about being with Tag, and wasn't good at hiding that. her nerves mae tag nervous so the silence remained until they came to the stairwell.

"What exactly happened Friday?" Megan asked. "What was it I saw?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." Tag shrugged.

"Tag, I saw you and John when I picked up the attendance sheet Friday. I saw the whole thing." Megan said sternly they came to the top of the stairs. "You turned into a lion with black fur, and literally pounced John."

"Sorry, I can't help you. I was suspended for shoving John, not 'pouncing' him." Tag looked down the corridor, picking out the door he needed.

Tag?" Megan stopped him with her tone. "You jerk!" She slapped him hard enough to leave a red hand impression on his cheek. "That is the closest you've ever come to calling me a liar. I know what I saw."

Tag was shocked, he put his hand on the stinging cheek and looked at Megan with tear filled eyes. He mouthed the words "I'm sorry." but nothing came out. He hung his head very low, and reached up and knocked on the classroom door before stepping in. After a moment, he came out with a book and sheet of paper. He didn't look at Megan, but continued in silence toward his next class.

"Tag, I'm sorry." Megan said kindly. "Please, look at me."

Tasogare lifted his head to gaze into Megan's worried blue eyes. He didn't say anything, but turned on his heals, and began a fast pace toward the classroom.

"Tag, stop!" Megan called sternly. "If you don't want to tell me fine. I'm just worried about you because you're my friend."

"If I told you the truth, you'd be afraid of me too, and I don't want that." Tag said with regret. "I value our friendship too much to let a small secret ruin it."

"You can tell me." Megan insisted. "We've always told each other secrets before."

"Not here, not now." Tag conceded. "I promise I'll tell you another time."

"I'll hold you to that." Megan said.