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20% Chasing Phantom: Phase 1 / Chapter 2: Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Chapter 1

'Dwayne Cadieux! Get down here right now!' an irritated voice called from downstairs.

A pair of amber eyes fluttered open. Fourteen-year-old Dwayne groaned in exasperation as he eyed the alarm clock on his night stand. Half an hour till school started. There was still plenty of time to sleep. He was not ready to get up, especially on a cold Monday morning. The weekend mood didn't exactly get off his mind just yet. He was about to cover himself in his blankets when he heard his mom's voice again.

'Dewey you have five minutes before I blow' she sounded serious.

Sighing, Dewey hopped off bed and ran inside the bathroom. Even when it meant that he had to leave his happy place, he would do anything to keep his mom from blowing. It hurt his ears more than words could describe. He took the quickest possible shower, ran out, and picked some comfy clothes - a black sweater and gray jeans. Before completing his look with a red beanie, Dewey had one last thing to do - turn human.

Dwayne looked at his reflection in the mirror. As usual, his floppy, triangular ears shivered from the top of his shaggy locks of dark brown hair, right above the spot where normal human ears would've been. The round pupils in the middle of his amber eyes were smaller than average and when he grinned, the white fangs on the sides of his mouth were exposed immediately. From behind him, a bushy black tail waved hello at him. Not eager to waste any more time, Dewey closed his eyes and concentrated hard, ordering himself to look human. In a few seconds, his pupils became bigger, his fangs shrunk back, his tail vanished, and his ears melted down to the sides of his head. Last but not least, his claws returned to the size of normal nails. He hastily put on his beanie and ran out of his room.

Allow me to introduce you to Dwayne Cadieux. By now it is pretty clear that Dewey is not your average kid. He knew it himself. His over complicated life gave him a migraine every time he thought about it. He belonged to two different worlds - one for each of his parents. His mother, who he lived with in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was human. However, his father was a different case. He lived in a whole other dimension - a world filled with human tales and characters - and was a werewolf. How they met, Dewey had no idea (he didn't really want to know anyway), but he knew that he was the result - not fully human, not fully werewolf. He didn't have all the abilities of either side. He could change his form at will, but turning canine was much easier than staying human. He had to focus on the human world in order to keep his identity a secret, but it wasn't always easy. He was easily irritated, and that caused his looks to change often. It was hard being different.

Dewey ran outside while putting on some red sneakers. Leaning against the kitchen counter with a dog whistle at hand, was his mother, Louise Cadieux.

Louise (or "Lou" as her friends called her) was, in Dewey's opinion, the most beautiful and brave woman in the whole world. After all, she had a half-werewolf as a son. She was taller than him by two to three inches. She had long brown hair tied in a braid that reached her shoulder blades and dark blue eyes that, at the moment, glittered with annoyance. She wore an olive-green bat sweater with dark blue jeans and light brown ballerina flats - her usual outfit for work in "Chilled Reads", a shop right under their house where people usually came to read while having their favorite beverage. She was 41, but was just as energetic as he was. Louise folded her arms and stared at her son.

'Well?' she asked, a small smile peeking out from the corner of her mouth.

'Good morning?' Dewey replied sheepishly as he gave her a hug. 'You do know that school is only five blocks away right? You can wake me up ten minutes early and I would still make it in time'

'Without taking a shower or eating breakfast? Nice try'

Dewey sniffed the air. A familiar smell came from inside the kitchen. He growled softly. 'Is that pancakes?'

'Dewey…'

'Right, right. No growling'

Lou sighed and pulled away from her son. She thought about lecturing him again, but decided against it. As careless as he seemed, she knew that Dewey knew how to keep his identity veiled. He was smart when he wanted to be, especially when it came to solving mysteries and problems of his friends. She led him to the kitchen and gave him his pancakes.

Dewey was ready to eat. He opened his mouth but was interrupted by the deafening sound of an air horn from outside. Even after the hundredth time, Dewey fell off his chair in surprise and landed hard on the floor. He looked up at Lou, who was trying hard not to laugh.

'Ava's here' she said as she pulled him up.

'You think?' Dewey grabbed his breakfast and headed towards the doorway. Before he could open it, Lou rushed towards him and crushed her son in a tight hug. Startled, Dewey's eyes widened and his pupils shrunk for a microsecond before returning back again.

'Have a great day, Dewey. And remember to be-'

'Careful. Got it' Dewey opened the door. Standing in front of him with an orange airhorn, was his best friend Ava Hart.

As always, Ava's outfit choice blinded him in greeting. She wore a bright yellow crop top hoodie over a black tank top along with radiant cobalt blue high-waist jeans. Her long brown hair was tied into high pigtails with fluorescent pink ribbons that matched the ankle boots she wore. Her thin frame, pale complexion, and bubbly rosy cheeks made her look like a life-sized rag-doll. With her small, round face, button nose, big green eyes, and her really short stature, she looked too cute to be a ninth grader. She was easily mistaken for a fifth grader. But Dewey knew that anyone who made that mistake never committed it twice. Despite her adorable and delicate features, Ava knew how to kick, punch, scream, and throw brilliant tantrums. She could look at someone with so much intensity that they immediately forget about any plans of mockery. Ava knew how to show who called the shots. Most of the time, people tended to forget how strong and savage she was, and when they did, Dewey partially enjoyed the fireworks that came afterwards.

'You're late' she pouted, her eyes looking angry. 'Again'

'Yeah I know. But when your house is just five blocks away from school, you'll become easy going too. Want a pancake?'

'Hmph' she smiled as she took one and helped herself. She checked the black colored watch around her right hand. 'Personally, I would like to be punctual. Especially on the last day of school. If I'm punctual, I won't be held back and waste a few minutes of summer'

'So the fifth grader learnt a new- OW!' Dewey and his leg screamed in silent agony as Ava's kick came at it like a thousand bullets.

'Don't call me a fifth grader' his friend replied calmly. She took his hand and pulled him across the street towards the school. They spent the rest of the walk in unusual silence.

Dewey sensed that something was wrong - maybe it was problems over at home again. Even though she had a lot of strength on the outside, her inner strength outweighed it. At her home, no one cared if she went missing. They wouldn't notice it. No one was there to ask how her day was, or what she did. Her parents acted as if she only existed when she was right in front of them. Therefore, she spent most of her time with him and his mom. She was practically family. However, because she was human, Dewey couldn't reveal his true looks to her. He was partially glad about that - Ava was a little obsessive over "the supernatural" and could be unpredictable.

The silence became unbearable. Dewey decided to try his luck.

'So…' he placed his words carefully, wondering why he was so scared of his best friend. 'How are things back at home?'

'Nothing new' Ava looked up. She kept her expression guarded, but inside, she really wanted to share all that happened that morning. "Mr. Easy going Cadieux" was as close as a brother. Mrs. Cadieux welcomed her anytime. But what she really needed was attention from her parents - especially her father. All they wanted was her to win. Failure was not an option and she was severely punished if she had any. Talking about her troubles and worries were banned. Complaining was restricted. The only time they took any notice of her was when she won something. A simple "good job", and the matter was forgotten. Hanging out with Dewey and reading books about the unnatural was so much better and reassuring.

She eyed Dewey. He looked a little ticked off, possibly upset that she didn't share information. As smart as he was, he was innocent too. She knew that she was his only friend - and vice versa. Dewey looked at her with a pleading look like, please tell? She didn't understand how he did it - maybe it was her eyes playing tricks on her - but every time Dewey pleaded, his pupils became slightly bigger - like a puppy's. Annoyingly irresistible. She sighed and, to Dewey's delight, started speaking.

'Remember the test we had the other day?'

'Yeah. What about it?' Dewey asked, the curiosity inside him building higher by the minute.

'I got a five out of ten'

For the first time that morning, Ava removed her left hand from the pocket of her jeans. As usual, it was wrapped in an orange and magenta bandage. The sight grated on Dewey more than he could put the feeling in words. Ava didn't have to be perfect. She may not be amazing at studies, but she was brilliant at anything outdoor related. She self-taught herself to shoot arrows, run faster, and overcome any obstacles with effortless grace. She was number one in athletics, but her parents didn't seem to acknowledge that.

'Beatings' she said in a small voice.

'Ava, again? That's not fair. It's-OW!'

Without warning, a deafening sound exploded in his ears. It sounded like a million nails clawing at a chalkboard. A screechy, wailing noise that kept going on forever. Dewey fell to the floor and pressed his hands against his ears, trying to drown out the sound. His head throbbed. He could feel his looks slipping away. He shut his eyes just in case they changed. His ears bled and his mind screamed and begged for it to stop. No doubt it was his worst enemy - a dog whistle.

Ava knelt down beside him. Oh boy, she thought. Another thing she didn't understand. Dewey had the ability to hear dog whistles - dog whistles. She knew that the noise hurt his ears. She knew that he despised it. Ava scanned their surroundings, looking for anyone with a dog whistle. From the second floor of Dewey's house, a chubby old man was blowing on one. He wore a checkered bathrobe in different shades of green, baggy black pants and pink unicorn bunny slippers. With his gray electrocuted hair and his large nose, he looked as menacing as a guy in bunny slippers could get. It was Mr. Lofie Paan - or as Ava and Dewey called him, the Bread (since he looked like one) - the owner and tenant of the Cadieux house as well as the café - the main reason why Mrs. Cadieux worked.

The Bread stood by the front door of his house. He knew that Dewey couldn't stand the noise. But he didn't really care. He loved making the two friends suffer as much as he could after they covered his car in silly string two years ago. Mr. Paan despised all children, but he especially couldn't stand those two. Dwayne was easy to get rid of. He was polite towards everyone. He could be clever when he wanted to, but that time never came. He was too good-hearted - too introverted and covered with his own thoughts. Ava was a problem. She attacked without thinking. Not even he could match her sharp-tongue.

So lost in the feeling of seeing the boy get his ears torn, he didn't notice Ava march across the road and towards the front door again. Her cheeks flaming hot and her green eyes burning with rage, she looked ready to slap the old man.

'HEY!' her shrill voice shattered Mr. Paan's thoughts into a million pieces. He turned his head sharply in her direction. She looked up at him, the fire in her eyes not dying.

'Can't you see that he's getting hurt? Or are you that heartless? What did we do this time? All we're doing is taking a nice walk to the last day of school, and you ruined it. What are we going to say when we go late? Oh! And by the way, Bread, I think two years is more than enough time to make us suffer for spraying your tiny Tweety-bird sized car with silly string - silly string - you know, the stuff you can easily remove? Making my friend over there go deaf is too much to be excused as revenge. When I come up there, I promise that there will be no escape for you. Do. You. Understand me?' Ava talked so fast that Mr. Paan was left stunned. He had never been talked to in such a manner. It was clear that the young girl in front of him was serious - Ava had put up with his annoying personality for way too long. Behind her, on the other side of the street, her best friend was slowly getting up and walking towards them, rubbing the sides of his head carefully.

Dewey felt embarrassed and humiliated. He loved that Ava had stood up for him, but he knew that he would have to get her away from him before things got ugly - the sooner the better. He grabbed Ava's arm and dragged her away from the house, giving the Bread an apologetic smile. Sure, he wanted vengeance, but now was not the time. Ava didn't seem to understand that. As he lugged her along the way to school, Ava waved her fist at their neighbor while making faces and screaming as loud as the whistle.

'I will have justice! I will sue you! And when I do, you will wish that you had never even met me! I will-' Dewey covered her mouth in exasperation as he stopped in front of the school gate. Whenever Ava's temper exploded, it could go on forever.

'OK, Ava. You can calm down now' he tried, still placing his hand over her mouth. Ava glared at him with those intensely bright green eyes. Whenever she made such expressions, Dewey was reminded of the dragons that lived on the other world. He glared back, putting all the ferociousness he could muster into his eyes. The last thing he needed was for Ava to create a scene on school grounds. They were already labeled as weird. Dewey would rather be invisible than be teased. The staring competition was interrupted when he felt something wet on his hand.

'Ew! Ava, that's disgusting' Dewey removed his hand from his friend's mouth. 'What is wrong with you?'

'The real question is, what is wrong with you? Why didn't you stand up to the Bread? Paan isn't gonna get beaten by himself, you know'

'You know who he is to me, right?'

'Just because he's friends with your mom and basically the only guy there is to give you a home doesn't mean you can't speak up. That's just an unfortunate part of your life. You can still get justice!' she urged.

'It was just a dog whistle' Dewey realized how dumb he sounded.

'Just a dog whistle? Next time, I'll let him get you'

'You wouldn't'

'Try me' They both exchanged smiles. Ava punched his arm playfully as they headed inside the building and to their classroom.

Five classes flew by in a blur. Finally, the time had come. Only forty-five minutes left until school was officially over. Fortunately, it was English class - Dewey's favorite - so he didn't fall asleep as easily as other classes.

Ava sat next to him by the window. Using black permanent marker, she doodled different emojis on the sides of her boots. She put her head on her desk and secretly made a "bored-to-death" face. She took out a book from her backpack - one from Harry Potter - and began reading. Both friends were on a mission to see who could finish the entire series first.

Dewey didn't know why Ava was so bored. He enjoyed every moment of English class. Miss Phoebe was an amazing teacher. With her sleeveless white dress, denim jacket, and her black knee-high boots, she looked so casual, just like her personality. She didn't take any lessons that day, and had asked the class to enjoy some quiet time with their favorite book before they started the summer. Dewey buried himself under his own book and allowed himself to become lost in another world. It reminded him of his second home - a place full of magic unlike anything mankind had ever seen or experienced. Dewey could relate to the characters. Hiding your true colors was never easy. They eventually show anyway.

Ten minutes.

The whole class was on its toes now. Each of them silently put their books in their backpacks.

Five minutes.

Dewey glanced at Ava, who looked outside with longing. She silently mouthed a countdown ceremony.

One minute.

The entire class, Miss Phoebe included, fixed their eyes on the clock stuck to the wall. The anxiety and excitement grew.

Ten seconds.

All hands went for their bags. Dewey braced himself for what was going to happen next. His ears prayed for less noise this year.

The bell rang. Everyone stampeded towards the door, screaming as loud as possible. Dewey waited for five seconds after they left before making it out himself. He looked around for Ava. Unfortunately, she found him first. From the bottom of the stairs, a paper ball went sailing neatly on to his beanie before falling on the ground again. Dewey went up to her, brushing past the crowd of kids, hearing bits of conversation on the way.

'So where are the tickets?'

'Let's celebrate over at my house!'

'We should totally surprise her. Imagine her reaction'

'Just one last selfie?'

'You didn't bring the tickets?'

Ava dragged him along towards the gate. She wanted to escape as quickly as she possibly could. No more homework. No more stress. What could be better?

Dewey felt something get caught on his right leg. Before he could react, he fell face flat on the floor. Ava turned around, immediately searching for the cause of the interruption of her summer plans.

A young man the same age as Dewey stood with his leg stuck out. He was dark with curly black hair and round brown eyes. He wore a white t-shirt, gray denim shorts, and black basketball shoes. His annoying smile gave out his entire personality. It was Clyde Kedge. If Dewey hated someone more than the Bread, it was most probably him.

'Got any summer plans?' he asked innocently.

'You mean, other than orchestrating your end?' Ava shot back. Clyde ignored her.

'I don't understand one thing about you, Chewy'

'It's Dewey - and only my friends call me that'

'Does it look like I care? Anyway, I don't understand why you - topper of the class, teacher's pet, A-grader outdoors - hide behind this pipsqueak all the time' he successfully dodged a lethal kick from Ava.

'She isn't a pipsqueak' Dewey's eyes darted around, alarmingly conscious of the students that had gathered around him. Great. A grand show to end school with a bang - he had to pick on them today of all days.

'She's not?' Clyde grabbed Ava by the pigtails and forcefully brought her close to him. Ava's face went red. She wished she could strangle the guy, but doubted she could reach that high.

'Then what do you call this mouse?' He grabbed Ava by the hood and lifted her up, hanging her on the top of the fence. He rolled up her left sleeve and exposed her bandaged hand, careful not to get close to her face. Ava kicked and screamed, but Clyde was unfortunately as strong as she was. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Dewey step forward and laughed.

'Don't worry, Cadieux. I'm not going to do anything to you. I'm just having a little bit of revenge for a specific incident that included my hair and whipped cream. I'll be light on her - she's a girl after all. And I'm a nice guy - I won't hurt little girls'

'I have no regrets' Ava grunted, trying to free herself from the fence. She gasped as Clyde grabbed her unveiled arm and began twisting it slowly. Dewey could see that she was fighting back furious tears.

'Clyde, you have three seconds to stop' Dewey mentally beat himself up for being stupid. He didn't even have a plan. Still, he recalled how Ava went and told off Mr. Paan for hurting him. He didn't want anything to happen to her.

Clyde smirked. 'Really? Well, you have three seconds to do something before I do. Go ahead, smart boy. Take your best shot. Save the damsel in distress' he twirled a few strands of her hair.

'I am not a damsel in distress' Ava successfully kicked his side. Clyde rolled up his sleeves and began his countdown.

'One'

Dewey's mind worked overtime. He had to get Clyde away from Ava. Failure and humiliation were not an option. He scanned his surroundings, trying to find something that could help.

'Two'

His eyes rested on Clyde's arm. For the first time in his life, Dewey experienced red-hot anger. He hated Clyde. He hated the way he treated him and Ava. He wanted to get even. He wanted vengeance. He wanted to make sure that Kedge would never even look at him or his friend for as long as he lived. Dewey didn't understand why or how, but he followed the thoughts. Completely hypnotized by his new emotions, he focused on his target. He knew what to do.

'Three'

The audience were on pins and needles now. Something was going to happen - they could feel it. They eyed Dewey and Clyde, making bets with one another and predicting who would win.

'Times-'

Clyde couldn't finish his sentence. Dewey jumped on him and pushed him aside, a fresh burst of energy and strength assisting him out from nowhere. Clyde's eyes widened as Dewey tackled him to the floor. Dewey couldn't help but feel satisfied at the sound of Clyde's head hitting the ground. All he needed to do now was to leave a small but unforgettable mark. His head spun. He heard Ava yell, but it seemed so far away. Dewey saw red, his ears whistled. The last thing he felt was his teeth sinking into something soft.

~~~~~

'So, I did what?' even after hearing it a hundred times, Dewey couldn't believe it.

'You bit him,' Ava said simply. Inside, she was freaking out. Her best friend - usually gentle and polite - bit someone. She recalled hanging from that stupid fence, witnessing a new side of Dewey - a side that was probably caged and untamed. The way he pounced on Mr. Hoodie Hanger Kedge with a hungry look in his eyes was unsettling. It was something she would have done, yes, but no one expected Dwayne Cadieux to do so. It occurred to her that her best friend wasn't normal. She glanced at him. Dewey's eyes were fixed on absolutely nowhere in particular. He looked worried and ready to pass out. Ava wasn't surprised by the fact that he was exhausted - taking on Clyde and his mountain of ego was a tough job. His hands trembled as he fingered the letter that was later given to him by the principal himself.

'You alright?' she asked as gently as she could. She didn't want to get bitten.

'Hmm' Dewey's eyes moved towards her.

'Thanks, by the way'

'For biting someone?'

'No. For helping me'

'What is mom gonna say?' He looked ready to burn the envelope.

'She might think it's summer excitement'

'Oh really?'

'Maybe it was the heat. I told you you shouldn't wear that dumb beanie all the time'

'Uh-huh'

'You know what?' time to bust out the theories.

'What?'

'You could be a werewolf' Ava immediately regretted saying it. Dewey's head spun in her direction so fast it might as well have snapped.

'What?' she defended herself - Dwayne was not in a good mood today. 'You hear dog whistles, like a wolf does. You bit someone, like a wolf does. You pounced and attacked like a wolf. You look human. So, the only conclusion is that you're a-'

'Werewolves don't exist. I am not a werewolf' Dewey slowed down.

'Oh, come on. They do. You've seen the reports of sightings. You've seen them in Harry Potter' she got on his back. Being short and looking like a kid had its advantages.

'Harry Potter is just a book series' Dewey adjusted Ava on his back, hanging his backpack on his arm like an oversized handbag. She put her head on his shoulder.

'But-'

'Ava!' Dewey's expression gave a clear message, drop it.

'Fine' Ava decided to let the matter go. The poor guy looked ready to cry.

None of them talked until they reached his house. Dewey put her down and opened the door to his mom's café.

'Hey Dewey?'

'Yeah?' he turned around impatiently.

'You might wanna tell your mom to check on you at full moon'

'Ava, stop!' he called back in irritation as he went inside.

Dewey dreaded every step he made towards his mother. She stood by the counter, enjoying her own cup of coffee. He hated to ruin her day, but remembered what his principal had told him.

If I don't get a call from her by tonight, I will tell her myself.

'Dewey!' Louise came over to her son. She sensed something wrong, but decided to let him explain.

'How was your day? You look exhausted'

'Can I talk to you?' Dewey's eyes flitted all over the place, the sick feeling that had settled in his stomach was not leaving anytime soon.

'Sure' Lou pulled him to a small room labeled "DO NOT ENTER" in red. Inside was a small staircase that led straight to their house and a mahogany cupboard sealed with a lock. She gestured for him to sit next to her on the floor. Dewey sat heavily on the ground. He took off his beanie and changed his looks. Then, with his heart beating like thunder, he gave the letter to his mom and buried his head under his arms. After an unbearable moment of silence, Lou managed to speak.

'Dewey, you-'

'I know' Dewey didn't show his face - he couldn't. He had no idea why he bit Clyde, or where all those thoughts came from. It was all a blur. His head hurt just by thinking about it. He was close to tears. Feeling overwhelmingly abashed, his mouth had a loss of words.

'I'm sorry' he sighed. Part of him knew why he had the tendency to bite. Unspoken, but it couldn't have been clearer.

Lou felt mortified. She slowly stood up and lightly brushed the long tail that came from behind him. Dewey looked up. Lou managed a smile. She couldn't look upset. She knew her son like the back of her hand. He wouldn't go attacking everyone he met.

'I'll talk to the school. Try not to do that again, OK?' she asked softly. 'In the meantime, you can visit your father. Say hi to him for me. Oh, and give this to your friends'

She handed a packet of Oreos to him. Dewey didn't understand why she was taking it so calmly. But she had his full trust. Dewey nodded and stood up, watching Lou open the door and enter the café once more. He extended his claws and picked the lock of the cupboard. Instead of a back panel, a bright light glowed from inside. Dewey stepped inside, closing the doors behind him as he entered a new world.


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