Argus walked away, leaving Harlan standing alone with the other boys. He sniffed again, then turned to the left and saw that the boys in that direction all had their backs to him. He turned right and saw Jake MacKinnon glaring at him. Harlan gulped and found that his throat had suddenly gone dry.

Jake MacKinnon was the school bully. Or perhaps, had been the school bully was more accurate. He’d picked on Harlan and others in the school for months, until Noble had figured out a way for Jake and Harlan to settle their differences without the pack’s secret being discovered. Harlan had given the bully a beating in a darkened boys’ change room, embarrassing him in front of the school and putting an end to his constant teasing, hopefully for good. But looking at him now, Harlan just knew Jake was thinking about revenge.

Harlan swallowed again and decided to head over to the refreshment table and buy himself a soda to soothe his dry, sore throat. Water would be better for his thirst, but buying a drink would give him something to do while he stood with the other boys. As he walked past Jake, careful not to look the bully in the eye, one of Jake’s friends made a barking sound, an obvious reference to Jake’s favorite nickname for Harlan: “Dogface.”

Harlan did his best to ignore them all. If anyone had a dog face it was Jake MacKinnon, whose surly look reminded Harlan of an angry mutt. The thought of someone calling Jake MacKinnon “Muttface” made Harlan smile.

“What would you like?” asked the girl behind the table. Her name, if Harlan remembered right, was Kiera Kennedy. She was in his computer class, but she had never spoken to him before. She had long black hair, a kind and pretty face, and a smile that seemed warm and genuine.

“What do you have?”

“Ginger ale, diet cola, cream soda, and root beer,” Kiera said.

“Diet cola, please?” Harlan asked.

“That’ll be a dollar.”

Harlan handed her the money and watched Kiera empty a can of cola into a plastic cup. “Thanks,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling at him as if…well, as if she knew who he was and she sort of liked him.

Harlan couldn’t believe it. No girl at Redstone Secondary had ever smiled at him like that before, and this girl, Kiera, was way too pretty to waste her time on him. In fact, Harlan was sure none of the girls at the school even knew he was alive. Harlan gave Kiera a slight nod, then quickly turned around to see if anyone was dancing.

But before he got all the way around, Harlan bumped into someone and half his drink spilled onto the floor.

“Oops!” said a voice, followed by laughter.