The Lion and The Stag: Part 1

by Jason Buckland

laughter “you got me come on let’s get to class old miss Tobin is sure to be looking at the clock hoping for us to be late” Connor grumbles and the two of us start to make our way around the corner to the hallway leading to our class and find heading down the hallway Luke and his posse he and his friends seem to get great joy out of making my life harder. Heading down the hallway I try to blend in with the rest of the crowd vanishing in the group but obviously not very well as I hear him shout “Hey Thomas are you trying to hide from me” he shouts his voice mocking the crowd falls silent as he shouts my name. Someone behind me pushes me forward and the students in the hallway part so I’m stood alone with the five of them staring down a few feet from me. thy walk towards me like a drilled platoon and Luke starts to circle me and I don’t move keeping my head high not wanting to look afraid although I can’t suppress my shivers. I don’t say a word as he circles me. Luke is much bigger and stronger than me having the zodiac of a bull with the physic to match. I can’t help but cry out in pain as he grabs hold of the fur of my tail and pulls “oh sorry I thought you had something on your back, oh wait you do because you’re a freak” he laughs not letting go continuing in his circle pulling me around with him forcing e to look at all the faces gathered round all sorry all sympathetic but no one says a thing all intimidated all afraid no one but my friend Connor “Hey man let go that’s not cool” Connor says stepping out from the crowd Luke holds his free hand to his heart and looks pulls a face of hurt “I was only trying to help him be normal like everyone else. Why don’t you go clean out your stable horse boy” he laughs even though it is quite possibly the worst insult I have heard “I said let. Him...go” Connor says again saying it slowly emphasising the words his friendly voice replaced by one of anger. “You threatening me horse? Tell you what fine I’ll let him go but at lunch today you and me are going to have ourselves a little square off” Luke laughs letting do off my tail and the group walk off and everyone returns back to their conversations like nothing happened “You shouldn’t have done that. Not for me” I say to Connor horrified by what just happened “I would rather he embarrassed me rather than hurt you” “No. he’s not going to embarrass anyone anymore other than himself” Connor says voice sounding confident. “But Connor…” “No buts this time too long have I stood by at your request and watched him torment you.when he hid your clothes in p.e and you had to spend the rest of the day as a stag even in class and when he would knock you over on the track when you would bullet in front of him. No he won’t get away with it anymore” Connor says sternly leaving no room for argument as we head into the first class of the day. Zodiac studies the class I loath. “Now then as everyone is sat down I’ve decided that today we are going to learn about the few zodiacs that don’t exactly follow the standard laws.” Mr Barry announces as we sit at our desks and my heart sinks. I had been dreading the day we do this since the day I read it in the book. “Firstly who would like to tell me the three basic laws? Ah Connor maybe you would tell me” Mr. Barry says and Connor looks at the teacher blankly “This was your homework last night to learn Connor didn’t you learn it” Mr Barry says not amused. It’s not the first time that Connor hasn’t done his homework

  “the three basic rules of zodiacs are. Zodiac are only a person’s other half and have no influence of behaviour of appearance, zodiacs are determined by the person themselves not by parent’s zodiacs…” Connor says confidently but fades at the last one “Zodiacs are for life and you can only have one” I add bailing out my friend and Mr Barry turns his gaze to me. “Thank you Thomas although I’m sure Connor would have got the answer eventually. Since you are so eager to talk maybe you would like to tell me one of the two zodiacs that would break one of these laws?” he says and I’m sure he’s expecting me to say my own zodiac since we just started but I’m prepared “I believe that the lion is one” I reply and Mr Barry looks at me almost disappointed I hadn’t said the stag “You would be correct Thomas the lion is one of the four that break the rules those with a lion zodiac would often have a mane of hair round there neck along with a tail. Sometimes even growing fur over there entire body. Maybe someone else could give me the other one” Mr Barry says loudly addressing the class “The stag is one isn’t it?” some says hesitantly behind me and Mr Barry smiles and my gut drops. I hate Mr Barry he seems to dislike me for some reason but I don’t have a clue why “Very good Kate the stag is indeed one of the four that break the laws.” He says looking straight at me his light blue eyes so cold a shiver runs down my spine “Anyone with the stag zodiac breaks the first law like the lion they have a tail but they also grow a small pair of antlers from there head” he says gaze still locked on me “Maybe is you wouldn’t mind Thomas you would stand up and show the class” he says and I slowly rise from my chair standing up but he’s not satisfied with going that far “Come on up to the front Thomas so everyone can see” he says. Gulping I start to walk towards the top of the room and stand there facing the board with my back turned to the class but I can feel their gaze boring into my back. Some snigger, some gasp and I feel humiliated “As you can see the tail is perfectly in tune with the human body emerging from the base of the spine.” Mr Barry continues talking about me as if I’m some sort of science experiment gone wrong. I tune out to the rest him as to say not wanting to know my mind thinking about what to do about Connor. I can’t let him go out there. If it was just Luke maybe but I know it won’t just be Luke he’ll surly have his gang with him all of them just as big as they are. I have to find a way to stop this “Thomas you can sit down now thank you” he says dismissing me and walking back to my seat everyone keeps their gaze on me and I’m sure they are all thinking what a freak I am. “ sir do any of the zodiacs break the rules?” a girl across the room asks who I’ve only seen in passing a relatively quiet girl called Lucy that is often sat alone at lunch she has her dark hair tied up in a ponytail showing her lightly tanned flawless skin. “Not that we know of no Lucy. Like we said earlier the zodiac if defined by your personality so you parents wouldn’t have that powerful and influence and if someone had more than one zodiac they would have to have almost a split personality” Mr Barry explains smiling
“Sir why does the appearance of those people change” a boy at the back of the class asks “I’m glad you asked actually joey and the answer is that those two zodiacs are only attributed to people with the most powerful and pure personalities” he says a smirk on his face as he does and it’s almost a mocking smirk. The gaze of everyone in the room turns back to me and this time they are not looking at me with disgust but with a strange sense of wonder. The bell rings and everyone packs up to leave eager to get out the door if its only for a short break going to the next class wanting to get the next class out the way for lunch. As Connor and I walk down the hallway people turn and whisper to their friends the