>when you told your friends you wanted to be a teacher, they were all more than happy for you
>when you told them where you'd be teaching they spent an entire day trying to talk you out of it
>not that you could blame them, it wasn't the best of schools
>it was in a rough area, and it was 90% anthro
>you'd heard about what happens to humans in anthro communities
>it wasn't anything good
>at least the job pays well
>either way it was too late to back out now
>today was the first day of school
>there was a few minutes before class started, so you took some time to look over your class roster again
>you feel something on your shoulder
>another teacher is looking at the list of students
>it's a little unnerving since he's standing in the hallway while you're in your classroom
>giraffes are weird
"You've got that girl in your class?" he says, laughing
>you ask him what he means by that
"You'll find out. A bit of advice, make sure you keep her at arm's length at all times. It'll be for the best."
>he leaves the room as the bell rings signalling the start of the day
>all manner of animals begin to file into the room
>time to sink or swim
 
---

>it takes several minutes for the noise to die down
>these kids were obviously still full of excitement from the summer
>you try and gain control, but it's useless
>a loud roar tears through the chatter, and afterwards the room is dead silent
>a lion with a brilliant golden mane turns and glares at the other students
"Shut the fuck up, man's tryna teach."
>you clear your throat
"Thank you. Let's take attendance."
>you call out each of the students
>all of them are present save for one
>it was the girl the other teacher had pointed out
>cutting school wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but the first day?
>no time to think about it now, time for teaching
"Hello everyone. My name is Mr. Anonymous. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the school year. I hope we can all get along."
>none of the students respond
>some of them look at you like they're sizing you up
>this wasn't going to be easy
>luckily the day goes by without incident
>as you leave you're stopped by another teacher
"Hey, how'd you like your first day in the jungle?"
>you're pretty sure that was racist
"It's alright. It just takes some getting used to."
>she laughs
"Better get used to it quick. Word of advice; don't be afraid to break your foot off in their ass. Gotta establish dominance fast or all kinds of shit can go wrong."
>she points to the scar over her right eye
>and the glass sphere that resides where her eyeball used to be
>you shudder at the thought of one of your students taking a chunk out of you
>then you remember the absent student
"I have this girl in my class. Her name's Claire Whitfield. What can you tell me about her?"
>the woman's face twists with anger
"She's a problem."
>she storms off without saying another word
>you're pretty sure you know less now than when you started
>oh well, tomorrow's a new day
 
--- 

>three days go by without Claire coming to class
>you're more than a little worried
>you decide to ask the class about her
"Does anyone know where Claire is?"
>the room suddenly fills with various murmurs
>the students look at each other, the smaller ones look almost fearful
>this doesn't bode well at all
"Never mind. Let's get back to class."
>maybe she was put on your roster by mistake
>as if on cue the classroom door flies open and a student walks in
>she was tall, with grey fur
>her arms were covered in scars
>one of her ears looked like it had been bitten off
>she was clearly used to fighting
"Are you Claire Whitfield?"
>she looks at you
>you suddenly want to crawl into a hole and die
>she takes her seat without answering your question
>off to a great start already
>as the day goes on you notice that the other students are suddenly more well behaved
>are they afraid of this girl?
>sure she was a little intimidating, but you were sure she was a nice girl once you go to know her
>you look at her in her seat
>she has her head down, sleeping
>you should reprimand her, but something something sleeping dogs
>another student flicks a piece of paper at her
>it bounces off of her head
>you tell the student to cut that out
>the student ignores you and does it again
>Claire's eyes snap open
>she leaps from her desk and pounces on the small animal
>her jaw clamps around his arm as she thrashes violently
>the other students back away from her
>some pull out their phones and start recording
>a few of them are laughing
>you run up to the two and try and break them up
>Claire swipes at your stomach with her claws
>you feel something cut you and your shirt is stained with blood
>the girl lets go of the boy's arm and storms out the room
>you run off to find a nurse

---
 
>an elderly looking sheep is wrapping bandages around your stomach
>she laughed when you told her what happened
"That's your own fault. You should know better than to try and break up a fight."
"What, was I supposed to let Claire rip that kid's arm off?"
>she keeps wrapping bandages
"Mmm Hmm. Some of those kids are just born violent, but they know better than to kill somebody."
>the old sheep was right
>the wound on your stomach was just a few shallow scratches, only enough to intimidate you
>if Claire had wanted to she could have torn your stomach open
>teaching here wasn't going to be easy
>the nurse finishes patching you up and sends you on your way
>when you get back to the classroom the students have already cleaned up
>you can hear the choked off laughter
>you decide not to dwell on it and sit down at your desk
"Where'd Claire go?"
>a student spoke up
"She went home."
>of course she did
>whatever, back to teaching
>at least nothing happened for the rest of the day
>once the bell rang you sat down at your desk and tried to catch up on your work
>emphasis on tried
>you find yourself distracted by the dog in front of you
>the way her tail swishes back and forth is kind of hypnotic
"Claire wanted me to tell you she was sorry."
>that's... progress?
"That's good, but I need to talk to her. Do you know where she lives?"
>her ears droop
"She lives on the street. I only see her every now and then."
"Are you two friends?"
>she nods
"We used to live together when we were kids."
"If you see her, tell her to come see me, okay?"
"Okay Mr. Anon."
>she tilts her head forward expectantly
>you don't know what she wants
>oh right, dog
>you reach out and pat her on the head
"Good girl"
>her tail wags happily as she leaves
>well, at least one good thing happened today
 
---
 
>it's an entire week before you see Claire again
>she wait's until school is out to come and see you
>she looks just as angry as ever, like you fucked up or something
"I'm sorry for hurting you."
>she says that, but she doesn't look sorry at all
"It was my fault anyway. More importantly, why aren't you coming to school?"
>she shrugs
"I don't want to. I can't stand being in one place for so long. I need to move around."
>you can't understand her at all
>it must be a wolf thing
"I won't say I know how you feel, but you need to come to class. If you miss too many days you'll fall behind and you might end up getting held back."
>she rolls her eyes
"So? I can learn more on the street than I can in school, and it's not like anybody gives a shit if I'm here or not."
>you sigh
"I'd like it if you were here. I enjoy having you in my class."
>her eyes narrow
>she turns on her heels and storms out the room, slamming the door behind her
>what the fuck just happened
>you thought you were doing pretty well
>you bang your head on your desk
"What did I do wrong?"
>you weren't expecting someone to actually answer you
"You didn't do anything wrong, she just doesn't trust you."
>it was Claire's friend
"What do you mean?" you ask her
"It's hard for her to trust people, especially men."
"Because of how she grew up?"
"Yeah. I used to be the same way. Living on the streets changes people. Makes them hard."
>hard is the last word that came to mind looking at this girl
>she was always attentive in class, had perfect grades, and was generally a delight to be around
>you wished all of your students were like her
>she even gave you good advice
>that earned her another head rub
"Thanks. I'll think of something. Enjoy the rest of your day Lucille."
>she smiles and leaves
"You can just call me Lulu. Have a nice day Mr. Anon."

---

>to your surprise Claire actually showed up to class today
>she makes an attempt to pay attention, but keeps falling asleep
>the way she snaps awake only to drift off is ridiculously cute
>but the more you look at her the less you like what you see
>her fur is splotched with blood, and patches look burned
>her arms and legs are covered in scars
>and even though she's asleep she's visibly tense, like she's ready to attack at a moment's notice
>you can't imagine what made her like this
>the students are all working on their assignments so you have a moment to relax
>you look at the stack of graded papers on your desk
>Claire's grades are as good as Lulu's
>if she came to class regularly she'd be an honor student
>but really you just want her off the streets
>you'd heard what happens to kids that live out there with no one looking out for them
>you really don't want to see Claire end up like that
>after class ends you call her over to your desk and hand her a stack of her work
"You really are an amazing student."
>for a second she almost looks embarrassed
"T-thanks."
"I really wish you'd come to class more often."
>she just laughs at you
"You're like a broken record."
"I mean it."
>she takes a long look at you before turning around and leaving
"See you tomorrow, maybe" she says casually
>you can't help the smile on your face
>finally you feel like you've gotten through to her

---

>Claire comes to class every day for a month
>she's more attentive in class and can actually stay awake now
>something's definitely changed about her
>she seems happy
>of course that didn't last
>Monday morning you find that she's gone again
>after that she doesn't show up for three weeks
>the class is filled with nervous whispers
>you call Lulu up to your desk
"What's going on?"
>she looks at you like she can't understand what you're saying
"Don't you watch the news?"
>you shake your head
>she pulls out her phone and pulls up a news article
>a kid from a different school was killed in a shooting
>they say it was crossfire from a gang shooting
>twelve years old and he's just another casualty
"That kid was Claire's friend. She'd been taking care of him for a while."
>you feel a lump in your throat
"Is that why she's been gone?"
"Yeah. She's all torn up about it. I don't think she'll be back for a while."
>a million thoughts are racing through your head 
>but the one that stands out the most is one you'd never think to do
"Do you know where I can find her?"

---

>this is a bad idea
>this is a fucking terrible idea
>a human alone in a nice anthro neighborhood is bad enough, but you're traipsing through the ghetto without a care in the world
>you can feel eyes all over you
>you can see claws being unsheathed, hands moving towards hidden guns, predators licking their lips in anticipation
>you need to find Claire and get the fuck out of here
>this is around where Lulu said she hangs out
>it's an abandoned building
>you can see several thick orange extension cords running into it
>welp, too late to back out now
>you take a step into the building
>and are immediately stopped by two animals
>they're huge, with orange and black striped fur
>their arms are thick like tree trunks
"The fuck you want?" one of them spits at you
>to your credit, you don't piss yourself
"I-I'm looking for someone."
>the other one looks you up and down
"Izzat right? Only one reason a skinner comes round here. Prob'ly tryna get some ass. I heard humans are freaks like that."
>you protest
"That's not it. I'm a teacher. I'm trying to find one of my students."
>they both start laughing
"Man, you must think we're retarded or some shit. You really think we gon' buy that?"
"Matter of fact, we need you to pay tax if you gon' walk through our hood."
"What?" you ask, dumbfounded
>of course you fail to notice the third animal sneaking up behind you 
>something hard hits the back of your head and you're knocked on your ass
>you can feel your body being pounded by fists and feet
>every blow is like getting hit by a brick
>a fist flies into your unprotected face and you black out

---

>when you wake up you feel something wet on your face
>you slowly open your eyes and see a cracked ceiling
>looks like you're inside the building now
>you look over and see Claire licking your face
>that doesn't help the immense pain you're in, but you appreciate the gesture
"What happened?"
>she looks at you
"You got the shit beat out of you. What were you thinking coming here?"
>you try sitting up
>something's broken
"Looking for you. I was worried about you."
>her ears stick up
"Why?"
"Heard about what happened to your friend. Wanted to see if you were all right."
"I'm fine. I don't need you worrying about me."
>you cough into your hand
>that's a cracked rib
"No way you're fine. I know how close you were with the kid."
>she scoffs
"Remind me to tell Lulu to keep her mouth shut."
>her frustration slides off her face, replaced with a weary sadness
"I know I should be used to it by now, but it still hurts. If there was one guy I thought would be safe from this shit it'd be him. It's not like he didn't get shit on enough. Parents left him, no one to call family, no home. Even so he was the sweetest boy I ever met. Always smiling, never a bad word to say to anyone."
>it's as if the walls she built around herself start to crumble before your eyes
>tears fall down her face, and soon that turns into full blown sobs
"I told him I'd keep him safe."
>she punches the floor so hard she breaks the wood
>it breaks your heart to see her like this
"I'm sorry. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you."
>she glares at you
"What would you know about it?"
"More than I want to."

---

>all kinds of memories come flooding into your mind
>awful shit that you wish you could forget
"I used to teach at a different school, one for humans. There was this one kid in my class. Great kid, only nine year old that was actually excited to go to school. Wasn't the smartest kid, but he tried his best. Seeing him smile was always the best part of my day."
>Claire's ears droop
"What happened?"
>your face twists with disgust
"I'm sure you heard about it. Whole city heard about it. Turns out the kid's father was some kind of gang banger. Had beef with a rival gang. Of course pops was out of the picture, so they figure they'll get their pound of flesh out of the kid. A couple guys see the kid playing outside, lure him down an alley, and they shoot him. Ten times."
>Claire's hands are over her mouth, her eyes wide
"Oh my god. That was your student?"
"Yeah. I was in a bad place when I heard what happened. I quit my job, didn't leave my house. I was all fucked up."
>Claire puts her arms around you and squeezes you tight
"I'm so sorry. That's horrible."
>she's so soft you forget that you're still injured
"I'd be lying if I said I was over it. That's why I came to find you. I know what it's like, what it does to you."
>you drag yourself to your feet
"I've gotta get out of here."
>you go for the exit, but feel Claire pulling on your arm
>Claire is looking down at the ground, her ears flat against her head
"You can stay a bit longer, can't you?"

---

>if someone told you this morning that your day would end with you on a dirty mattress with one of your students trying to get into your pants you would have laughed in their face
>but after Claire dragged you to a bed and mounted you you've got no choice but to accept that this is reality
>her tongue is inside your mouth
>her hands are slowly caressing your chest
>you're pretty sure you could cut steel with the hard on you've got right now
>but something about this just doesn't feel right
>not that Claire isn't attractive, but she's barely legal, and also your student
>and nailing an emotionally distraught girl on a filthy mattress in an abandoned building was never on your bucket list
>you grab her hands and lift them away from your body
"What's wrong?" she asks
"Let's stop."
"Why? I want to do this."
>she's nervous
>it's plain as day that she's forcing herself
"Do you really want to? And even if you did, I don't. I don't want you thinking I just got close to you so I could fuck you. I'm not that kind of person."
>she sighs with relief and collapses next to you
"Thank god. That was way too weird."
"No shit. What were you thinking?"
>she whines softly
"I don't know. No one's ever been so nice to me, and I panicked. I thought guys liked that kind of thing."
"Some guys yes, but not all of them. I like you, but in a completely platonic way."
>you pet her head
>she moves closer to you and nuzzles your neck
"It it okay if we just stay like this?"
"Sure"
>feeling Claire's warm body against yours you slowly drift off to sleep

----

>it's a week before you see Claire again
>you're not worried though since she said she'd come back
>of course in typical fashion she bursts through the door in the middle of class
>you go to greet her, but end up gasping in horror with the rest of the class
>she looks even more beat up than when you first met her
>there's a long scar across her nose
>her stomach is wrapped with bandages
>her right arm is in a cast
>and her left eye is gone
>the classroom is filled with nervous whispers
"What happened?" you ask
"I'll tell you later" she says as she takes her seat
>you tried to regain your composure and teach class normally
>at hte end of the day Claire is standing in front of your desk like always
>but there's something in the air now
>it feels heavy
"What's with those injuries?"
>she shrugs
"After you left I found those guys that beat you up. Decided to give them a piece of my mind."
>you don't know why you get so angry
"Are you crazy? You fought three men alone? They could have killed you!"
>she starts laughing
"I won didn't I?"
>you sigh
>this girl is insane
"But, there's another reason why I came here" she says, sounding more serious.
"What?"
"I came to say goodbye. I won't be coming to school anymore."
>your heart sinks
"What?" 
"I'm leaving. I need to make a change."
>she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded up sheet of paper
>you take it and look it over
"The army?"
>she takes the paper back from you
"Yeah. I figured this is something I should do. It's funny, when I was a kid I thought the only way I'd leave this city was in a box. But there's a whole world out there, and I want to see it."
>you don't try to convince her to stay 
>if she thinks this is what she needs then you have to support her
>but god damn it still hurts
"I'm gonna miss you."
>she uses her good arm to wrap you in a crushing hug
>you forgot how strong she is
"I'm gonna miss you too. You really were a great teacher."
>she gives you a small kiss on the cheek and turns to leave
"Oh, tell Lulu I'm sorry. I really wanted to see her graduate. See ya."
"Goodbye Claire."
>you sit back down in your seat, your head in your hands
>just like that she's gone
>the following days days passed by like normal
>then they became months
>then years
>and even though you never saw her again, you know she's doing just fine
>wherever she is, she's living her life to the fullest