A new school meant new experiences, and with the good came the bad. When the skellyphone rang, he hadn't thought to dread who would be on the other line – he was wondering who would even bother calling someone like him after the stunt he just pulled – but when he picked up and heard his mother, he eeped.

"Oh, you better be afraid, Calder Devon! I cannot BELIVE the trouble you have gotten yourself into!!!!" The kelpie pulled the receiver away from his ear before slowly sinking to the ground. The tone in his mother's voice already made him weak kneed, and he knew he was in for a long lecture. In times like these, it was best to shut up, sit down, and pay attention. It was times like now, with his mouth going dry, that he really wished for more water, but his room was as dry as day and that only made him remember he would remain that way for a long time. A LONG TIME!

His mother flustered, breaking inot neighs and hoof stomps he could hear over the phone. The warped floor boards of their home creaked and moaned as she moved about. Her clomp clomp clomp's working in rhythm to the steady dunk dunk dunk's of the water wheel attached to their house. She was far too fiery of a mare to stay still. She always had been, Despite knowing he was in trouble, the creaky floorboards made him think of home, and he found himself terribly homesick. However, he doubted his mother would embrace him with loving arms and a gentle nuzzle at the moment. She's probably n** his ears off!

He heard her whinny in frustration at the other end and bite his lower lip. This was bad when she got this upset. "Not only did you steal from a professor, but make-up? Why make-up? Your father could buy you all you wanted. You never showed interest in that before? Why didn't you think we wouldn't get you some? Did we raise you so wrong that you have to steal such things from other people? We never taught you that!" She huffed, shouting into the line.
"No. It was for a project. I needed it for something."

"Like what, Calder? Was it worth risking your education? Your future? Your ability to hold your head high in this clan? Do you not know what you do reflects back on us? It makes us look like horrid parents? Tell me, Calder? Did we raise you wrong? Did I not hug you enough, or was it that I didn't n** you hard enough on the keester when you were young?" She huffed, stomping the floorboards again. He heard her kick a chair back – but he knew that was the one that was there for kicking. He heard his father muffle something to her, but she refused to give the phone for him until she was finished.

Calder wished she was finished. He felt sick now.

"Mom. Mom, I'm – "

"And then you get in detention for sneaking out, then while in detention, you try and DROWN a poor ghoul in a vat of boiling, bleach water…." She started, listing his offenses.

"…b-bu-but it wasn't boiling!" He piped in.

"- AND.." She said over him. "…you ASSAULT a PROFESSOR!" She shouted, crying out as she paced some more, throwing he head up and muttering words under her breath as she moved about, going to find the kicking chair that had flung somewhere against the wall.

"I STOPPED MY HOOF!" Calder whined, trying to work his weak defense in vain.

"You hit a respected professor and, from what I was told, a Boogyman no less! I'm surprised she didn't tear you apart. She should have! It would have smacked some sense in that head of yours!"

"But you don’t understand, mom. The ghoul was right there over this MASSIVE cat of water. She was practically diving in herse-"

"THAT DOESN'T MATTER, CALDER! She could have been in a lake gasping for air, calling our your bloody name. You DO NOT drown another student. Anyone for that matter! In fact, if someone was drowning, I expect you, as a kelpie with a pride and mastery of the water, to save them!"

"B-bu-but But I said I was sorry!!!"

"Calder, that's not – " She paused, sighing hard, and the line went quiet.

Then, after a moment, her voice softened, and it held just as much impact as when she was yelling. "That's not it, dear. You're a young stallion now. Soon you'll graduate and be on your own. You can't go about hurting your classmates. It was all harmless fun when you were a foul, but you have GOT to control yourself. Our motto might be 'From wild waters run wild hearts', but that doesn't mean we don't self disciple and restraint. Calder, you must control your urges. A monster that grows up as wild and without any control winds up as a waste for the community – nothing more than garbage. You do not want that, do you?"

He curled in, and shook his head. "No."

"Then you have to keep a tight reign on yourself. You were beyond lucky that the headmistress bothered to give you a second chance and didn't report you. You could have gotten in a lot of trouble. Do you know that?"

"………."

"Calder?" She pressed.

He sighed. "Yes."

"Then we can't be here to watch over your. You are growing up and must be responsible for your own actions. You won't get this lucky again. You have to decide. You either keep yourself in control or………..you give yourself over to someone who can keep you in control."

The gravity of such a statement was heavy on both ends, and he heard his father mutter something. No doubt he was far too emotional to talk.

"I'm going to hang up now, Calder. Be safe, and please, keep yourself out of trouble."

"Yes mom. …………love you."

"I love you too, my little minnow." The line clicked and Calder set the skellyphone back on its receiver. He had some serious thinking to do now.