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Ms. Wilkenson was nervous, but then she always was when early August came around. As preparations for the next school year started up, she'd receive the list of the squirming 4th graders that would occupy her classroom and her life for the next 10 months. She would have to get the classroom ready, read up on the records of the students to get an idea what she might be in for, and decide on which lessons from the previous year worked or needed to be retooled.

That part of the routine was all very familiar. She had been doing this for five years now, and so was finally getting a handle on the "being a teacher" part. Her personal life on the other hand... she didn't want to think about that. It was the nearly empty folder towards the bottom of the stack that gave her the most apprehension.

Most folders had a school photo and some previous report cards, maybe some reports about classroom behavior, either from the school therapy aid, or maybe the vice principal. Ms. Wilkenson didn't try to judge too much from the reports, but she also needed help to get an idea who might need extra encouragement or more structure.

But this folder for Brittany Hart, the one that was nearly empty, made her the most nervous. More so than the kids that are still reading at 2nd grade level, or the kid that was in four fights on the playground last year. All the folder had as a brief application that the parents filled out when they enrolled Brittany and a pink sticky note that said "Anthrop."

That one world was the source of Ms. Wilkenson's concern. Last year, during the summer, all over the world animal-human hybrids began to appear, and they were soon dubbed anthrops. The where and how was still being figured out, with anything from spontaneous mutation to magic being to blame. Governments the world over were still trying to come to grips with a new sentient species in their midst, upsetting all the definitions of "man."

Last year, the district didn't have any anthrop students, but the school board quickly decided that an anthrop child would be treated like any other student that would move into the boundaries of the district; that is be subject to an endless battery of standardized tests. She had heard some places wanted to create separate schools or simply exclude the anthrops from the district all together.

Ms. Wilkenson shook her head to get it back on track. She sat at her well worn wooden teacher's desk and tried to look at the single sheet of paper in Brittany's folder to try to glean more information from it. About all she could get was the parents had moved from elsewhere (where and why were not stated; she made a mental note to ask that during the first parent-teacher meeting), and the district had requested materials from her previous district. Preliminary test results showed she was about average for a nine year old in math and reading, but naturally the tests said nothing about her temperament, what her interests were-- in other words, what made her a person.

Ms. Wilkenson had to stop herself mentally from using the word "human." The district forms had just barely caught up with including a range of ethnicities, and to add in raft of species would be expecting too much from the mechanisms of bureaucracy. Brittany wasn't human; she was an anthrop, but still a person and should be treated as such. But how much being an anthrop would influence her, Ms. Wilkenson had no idea.

Ms. Wilkenson suspected that no one in the district had any idea either, and she gets to be the guinea pig... figuratively, not literally.

****

As August crawled on, Ms. Wilkenson continued on getting her classroom ready for the 28 students that were to be her responsibility, working on a rough plan for the year to met the state standards and working more in detail on her first couple weeks. Periodically, she'd add or lose a student, as the district did some last minute shuffling because of sudden moves or balancing. The folder for Brittany, however, remained stubbornly in the pile, and very little additional information was added. The only real addition was the finalized test results, which confirmed that Brittany was an average 4th grader, if there was such a beast.

Who this Brittany Hart really was remained a cipher.

The last week of August, the week before class was to start, the school held an open house for new students to get used to a new environment. Mostly it's for the kindergartners and the first graders to help ease the inevitable separation anxiety, but also for a chance for the teachers to gauge the students and meet with the parents. However, students that are new to the district or maybe moving from a private or home schooling environment to the public schools were also encouraged to attend during that week.

That Monday, Ms. Wilkenson headed up to the office to see if she could call the parents of Brittany so she could meet this mystery child and get an idea what she'll have to face. As she entered the office, there was a bit of surprise waiting there. Sitting on a low rattan couch that was used by parents and children alike was a woman in her mid-30s and a smaller figure hidden behind her. That in itself wasn't unusual, so Ms. Wilkenson's eye glided over the pair and focused her attention on Angel, the school secretary.

"Oh, Suzie, I was just about to call you," Angel said, setting the phone back into its cradle, "Mrs. Hart is waiting for you," pointing to the pair on the couch.

Ms. Wilkenson blinked, "Oh?" She turned around and asked "Mrs. Hart? I was about to call you., I'm Suzie Wilkenson..." She looked more closely at Mrs. Hart. Nothing unusual there; the casually dressed and a bit harried look that characterizes most stay at home mothers. Ms. Wilkenson couldn't tell if this she at home because of choice or necessity. Another mental note to ask later...

Ms. Wilkenson offered her hand and the two murmured perfunctory greetings. Ms. Wilkenson then glanced down at the shy figure hiding behind, a tuft of fur peeking out behind her mother's sweatshirt. Mrs. Hart took a well practiced hand and moved the figure in front on her. "This is Brittany. Brittany, here is your new teacher."

Brittany wasn't exactly what Ms. Wilkenson had expected. Most of the anthrops she had heard about were fully anthropomorphic animals; they certainly were the most visible, leading the various political and protest groups. Brittany, however, looked like an ordinary little girl with sandy brown hair and a middle complexion. What was unusual was her large ears that were covered in light brown and gold fur, golden eyes, slightly pointed teeth and a definite bushy tail peeking under her Hello Kitty t-shirt.

Ms. Wilkenson tried to not show any fear, squatted down and said gently, "Hello, Brittany. I'm Ms. Wilkenson. I'm glad to have you in my class."

Brittany blurted out, "I'm a coyote!" Normally, when a child would make such a statement, it was because they were in the middle of play. However, in this case, Ms. Wilkenson suspected that the statement had some basis to reality.

Mrs. Hart said apologetically , "She got teased a lot at her other school..."

Ms. Wilkenson got up and brushed over the embarrassment for the moment, "Why don't we go to my classroom so the two of you can see it?"

The group left the hall and went down to where the fourth grade classrooms were. Occasionally, Ms. Wilkenson could feel the curious eyes of the other teachers, parents and visiting students follow this odd looking group as they passed. 'No wonder Brittany is so defensive,' she thought to herself. As soon as she got to her classroom, she closed the door so she could have a little privacy.

She got some chairs of Mrs. Hart and Brittany could sit comfortably. Fortunately, all the chairs had holes in the back, so Brittany's tail could easily slip through.

Ms. Wilkenson settled in at her desk, took a deep breath and decided to leap right in. "I'm very glad you both came because I want to get to know you both better. I received very little information beforehand, so I wasn't sure what to expect..."

Mrs. Hart and her daughter shuffled uncomfortably in their seats. "Honestly, I wanted to make sure that my daughter would be better treated at this school. We had a lot of problems at the last school we were at, and the teachers and administrators seemed unwilling or unable to help us. My husband got a job offer in the area, so were glad that to move, if to give Brittany another chance. Honestly, we had seriously considered even home schooling her before he got the job offer. Last school year was rough..."

Ms. Wilkenson unconsciously tilted her head, "What happened?"

"Well, it started in July of last year when we woke up and discovered that Brittany had suddenly grown a tail overnight. The ears and eye color came a little later. Her friends in the neighborhood didn't know how to react and many of them started to avoid her. At school, it just got worse. Before, she was rather well liked, but last year..."

"They'd pull my tail and call me 'dog girl' on the playground," Brittany chimed in. "I'm no dog, I'm a coyote, but they wouldn't listen..."

"She got sent home a couple times for trying to bite one of her tormentors, " Mrs. Hart added, almost apologetically. "It also seems like she has heightened hearing and smell, so places like assemblies or the cafeteria are uncomfortable for her. I tried telling her teacher last year, but she wouldn't do very much. I couldn't get much help from other parents, either."

Ms. Wilkenson considered this for a moment. "If I told you that I'd prevent all the problems you faced last year, I'd probably eventually disappoint you. Brittany will be the only anthrop in the school, so there is a possibility of her getting teased at some point during the year. That doesn't mean that it is something that I or the school will tolerate. We can try the cafeteria here, but if that doesn't work, I will see what else we can arrange. Believe me, I look at Brittany and see a person that is learning and growing, and I want to with you and do everything to make sure she has a chance to do so."

*****

The first day of school was here. The last of the summer heat was lingering in that early September morning as the kids streamed out of buses and cars for the start of another year. Brittany's mother dropped her off on the first day, mainly to prevent any incidents before school.

Ms. Wilkenson brought up the concerns Mrs. Hart had with her principal, Mr. Terada, and he let the entire staff know Brittany was to be treated like any other child in the school. Incidents of teasing or harassment were to be reported and the instigators were to be disciplined appropriately.

But now was the moment of truth. Before school, the kids all gathered in the gym. This was prevent kids who arrived early from running all over the place and allow the teachers to do final prep without being interrupted. However, since this was the first day, most of the teachers had prep done, so it was mainly getting the kids used to the new routine.

Ms. Wilkenson stood at one side of the gym watching the kids sitting and talking and running about in the bleachers as Mr. Terada directed kids inside. She could spot some of her kids from last year back in the stands. A few even came over to say hi and exchange a few words. Anxiously, she scanned the bleachers to look for Brittany. Ah, there she was, the hood of her sweatshirt up, hiding her ears, and sitting in one corner. Ms. Wilkenson also spotted another student in her class who has severe hearing loss, but he seemed to be getting along with a group of boys playing some sort of noisy game. A cluster of Spanish speaking students, including a couple that were in her class, were gathered in another corner talking animatedly.

Mr. Terada sounded his bullhorn that he favored in such situations. "May I have your attention, please!" He then began to direct the various grades to their appropriate areas. From there, the students were finally sorted out into their classrooms. A few, who had made early visits, knew who their teacher was, and quickly began to gather around. Brittany kept her hood up and stood close to Ms. Wilkenson as soon as they were told to move out of the stands.

Ms. Wilkenson took a moment to consider. As her class started to get into a semblance of a line, she quietly bent down and asked Brittany to remove her hood. Ms. Wilkenson noticed that she also wore a longish shirt which obscured her tail, but the students behind her were already curiously looking at it and whispering to each other.

Brittany shook her head "They'll make fun of me."

"Brittany, I want them to accept you for who you are. If you hide, they can't do that. I like you and I'm sure that they will to."

Brittany still refused, but even in the subdued murmur of the gym, she could tell her class had already spread the buzz about Brittany's unusual appearence. Ms. Wilkenson decided that here might not be the best time, but it'll have to come soon. She turned her attention to the rest of the class, made sure her class was in some order before following the previous class through the hall to their classroom.

As soon as she got to the classroom, she directed the kids to hang up their coats and backpacks and go to the seat that had their name on it. As soon as the last child was in, she then shut the door. Brittany was still standing to the side nearing the reading area, her sweatshirt hood still up. With a slight sense of dread of what might happen next, she went up to Brittany and asked her to hang up her sweatshirt and backpack in her assigned spot. Most of the class had already found their seats and were fidgeting at this point or talking to friends nearby or across the room, so Brittany finally relented, gave a sigh and hung up her things.

The desks were arranged in arcs so that she could move around fairly easily and have them easily form groups when necessary. She decided to place Brittany on the end near her desk so that she make sure she wasn't getting bullied or teased.

"It's a freak!" unfortunately were the words that greeted Brittany as she made her wait to her seat, shouted by a boy from the opposite side of the room. Brittany's ears noticeably drooped at the words. This unleashed a flood of voices of surprise and contempt.

"That'll be enough!" Ms. Wilkenson had to raise her voice to cut through the commotion. The noise subsided, but there were lots of glances to Brittany's side of the room. Ms. Wilkenson took a breath. "I normally don't start off a year like this. I usually start by greeting each one of you to my classroom where you are all welcome. I think you are all capable of accomplishing your goals, and I'm here to make sure you get to those goals and push past them.

"So, we have a student that looks different in our class. Wouldn't you say that each of you look different from anyone else? Is that a reason to tease? May I remind you that one of the rules that we have here is teasing because of how someone looks, acts or speaks is not allowed in this school."

Ms. Wilkenson took a breath and looked around the room. Brittany was still trying to hide in plain sight, her head down and her tail curled around a thigh. Ms. Wilkenson continued, "I want to get to know each you better, and, more importantly, I want you to get to know your classmates."

She turned to the large piece of paper that she had posted on the white board. "Normally, the first thing I have my class come up with what rules they feel are important for everybody in the classroom. However, I will write the first one." She then wrote on the paper, "Be respectful." Ms. Wilkenson then proceeded to fill out the rest of the sheet with input from the class.

*****

After the tumulus outburst to star the class and the year, things in Ms. Wilkenson's class settled down to a more normal pattern. There were still glances over at Brittany's side of the room and Brittany was still pretty withdrawn. Recess was a welcome respite, and she didn't have to go out this time for duty. After leading the kids out to the playground, she went back to her room to prepare for the next part and catch her breath. She didn't expect it to be easy for Brittany, especially after last year, but Antonio's outburst didn't help much.

However, when she opened the door, she noticed a small grey figure huddling in the back of the coat rack. It was Brittany, hiding with her sweatshirt hood up so she wouldn't have to go out to the playground. Ms. Wilkenson took a breath, and went up to Brittany. She knew the reason, so there was redundant to ask Brittany why. So, Ms. Wilkenson just stated factually but gently, "You didn't want to go out on the playground today?" Brittany faced her, dried tears on the side of her golden eyes, and just shook her head. "Well," Ms. Wilkenson smiled and continued, "if you had asked me, I would've let you stay in today. But, you know, even coyotes have to go out and play occasionally..."

Brittany's ears perked up a little. Ms. Wilkenson gently led Brittany over to the reading area. The appearances of anthrops had been so recent that it hadn't prompted a great flood of anthrop children's literature, but she did find a number of Native American themed and animal books that had coyotes in them. That was the best she could come up with until she got to know Brittany a little better about what her interests were. Ms. Wilkenson gestured to the collection of books, "Why don't you read a book here for now?" Brittany eagerly grabbed a book about wild canines and started looking at the pictures and reading.

Ms. Wilkenson was a bit relieved and amused when she glanced over at Brittany a little later to see her tail wagging slightly. 'In some ways, she's easier to read than some of the other kids that I have,' she mused. Ms. Wilkenson looked over her roster. 'I'm going to have to take Antonio aside as well later on.' Today, it was Brittany and Antonio. Tomorrow, who knows? Eventually, she'll have devote the time to each of the kids in her class for this difficulty or that infraction.

So she has a coyote girl in her class. That doesn't make her any more difficult or special than any of the other 27 students.

Ms. Wilkenson turned back to review the next lesson to make sure that those 28 bodies were excited about learning. From each other, if need be.