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Wolf's trembling fingers moved to her mouth before her teeth bit down on her nails.
She was standing in front of her closet, trying to pick out an outfit for her first day of school. She wanted to be completely prepared before going to bed, in hope of making the morning easier for her.
She also hoped that it would hide how nervous she was.
She'd never been to school before. She had no idea what to expect. The little lessons with Lio was nowhere close to the real deal. There would be kids - hundreds of kids, and teachers. Wolf imagined that they would be loud and push her around in the hallways. She would struggle to find her classroom and be late and get in trouble.
Kipo had been to school before, when she lived in the Clover. She knew what to expect and she was looking forward to it. Wolf couldn't do that.
She had no idea how to fit in with kids her age. She would probably end up alone, like usual. Ugh, why did she have to go to school?
Wolf sighed to herself.
She had no idea what clothes to pick. Nothing seemed to fit. Most of her clothes were hand-me-downs from Kipo, and they were colorful and girly. Was that the impression Wolf wanted to give? Was it the impression she should be giving?
Everything was too complicated!
Wolf closed the closet, deciding that she didn't want to stare at it any longer. She left her room, hoping that drinking some water would help her clear her head. She made her way to the kitchen, opening a cabinet where she knew that the glasses were. After months of living with the Oak's, she'd started taking food by herself more and more, no longer afraid to follow her hunger cues as they came.
As she drank, she heard footsteps nearing the kitchen. Turning around, she found herself staring at Benson.
"Oh, hey, Wolf!" he greeted, recieving a nod in return. "I was just gonna make a sandwich." He took a spot beside her, putting a slice of toast in the toaster. "How are things holding up?"
Wolf didn't know what to reply. She and Benson didn't hang out much. He mostly spent his time outside with his boyfriend, as well as other friends. Still, she decided to be honest with him. It couldn't hurt.
"I'm... Nervous..." she started, fidgeting with her hands.
"What for?" Benson asked, looking at Wolf with worry in his eyes.
"For school," she replied, not meeting his eyes in fear of judgement.
"Oh. So I'm not the only one then?"
Wolf's head snapped towards Benson in shock. He was smiling at her, silently reassuring her that everything was okay.
He nodded at her. "Yeah, I'm nervous too. I haven't been to school before either, and I'm not sure if I'll make it."
"I thought you said that you had been to school before?" Wolf asked in confusion.
"The Fanatics school? Yeah, no, that was only to teach us how to fight Daves. I never went to a real school," Benson clarified.
Wolf was shocked, but also relieved. She wasn't completely alone in her worries, and she had someone to talk to about it.
Benson pulled out a chair and sat down on it, looking up at Wolf with his head turned to the side. "You know, it's completely okay to be nervous. This is new to us, and new things hasn't always treated us very good. The key is to not let it hold us back."
A smile grew on Wolf's face. Benson was right. Throughout her entire life, she'd let fear hold her back. She didn't have to do that anymore, because now, she had people standing behind her, cheering her on.
Benson waved her over. "Come here." He pulled Wolf into his lap to hug her, and Wolf relaxed in his arms, closing her eyes. "Everything will be okay. Kipo and I are going with you tomorrow, and then we'll go out for icecream."
Wolf nodded against him, letting herself be held as her worries washed away. She was going to make it through her first day of school, especially with Benson by her side.