MID MORNING CHAOS

 Just as I expected, the minute we walked through the doors of Silvercrest academy, we were met with stares and whispers.

Some people even had the courage to point.

“I am seriously about to kick someone’s ass.” Kat spoke before growling at a group of girls who were staring. They immediately scrambled in fear.

“Just ignore them.” I told her remembering Aunt Sarah and Uncle Victor’s advice.

I had spent so much of my life keeping my head down that I was used to it by now. People would always talk, it was inevitable. My job was to not care or at least pretend not to.

A bunch of freshmen came running past us almost knocking me over. Kat held me steady just in time.

“Hey, pups! You’ve been changing for all of two minutes, do you want me to come over and teach you what an actual grown werewolf can do?” She called out after them, clenching her fists.

“Maybe the halfling should learn something about balance.” One yelled back causing all of them to burst out laughing before they ran off.

Kat looked like she was about to chase after them but I gripped her hand. “It’s not worth it.” I told her

Kat huffed as she glared in their direction. “I beg to differ.”

“Think happy thoughts.” I told her. Judging by the look on her face, ‘happy thoughts’ were probably tearing someone’s head off.

“Okay... plan B.”

I grabbed her hand and led her in the opposite direction.

“We should probably get our books from our lockers before the assembly.” I told her as I scanned our new schedule.

“What do we have first?” Kat asked.

“History of Werewolf and Human Relations with Mr Tanner.” I responded.

Kat and I have the same schedules each year with a few exceptions considering she takes more advanced physical classes that would help her get into the AAP. Classes I could never take.

I’m not as strong or fast and my reflexes aren’t as lightning quick as the rest of the Werewolves here. Disadvantages of having a werewolf mother and human father. Hence the title, 'halfling'.

Kat leaned against my locker. “I kind of like Mr Tanner. He’s the only theory professor around here who doesn’t make me want to doze off after the first five minutes of the lesson.”

I giggled. 

I liked Mr Tanner as well, he was one of the only four ‘halflings’ that existed in the Silvercrest pack. Well, I guess there were only three of us now that Roman was gone.

Mr Tanner is the only professor here who doesn’t just tolerate me. We’re more or less the same so I guess he’s more empathetic to what I go through.

“Oh no, Wicked Witches of the West alert” Kat muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Her eyes focused on something behind us and there was a sneer on her face.

I didn’t even have to turn around to know who she was talking about.

Their names were Courtney and Bea, and they have had a special type of hatred for me since the minute I got here.

Sure everyone pretty much recognized that I didn’t belong here, I was an obvious outcast but then there were these two rays of sunshine. I really had spent my life thinking mean girls were just cliches from TV. Courtney and Bea proved me wrong every time I had an encounter with them. And trust me, they had been many.

In my first week at Silvercrest academy, they cornered me in the bathroom and pretty much shoved me to the floor, taunting me about being a halfling. 

I have a feeling they would have done much worse if Kat hadn't shown up and started yelling up a storm attracting the attention of other people.

They might have not liked me but there were strict rules about harassing other werewolves in the Silvercrest pack. Even halflings.

I looked in their direction, they were surrounded by their group of friends laughing and goofing off. Even I had to admit that they were obnoxiously gorgeous. It was such a shame that such beautiful people had such ugly hearts.

“Let’s just go.” I told Kat as I slammed shut my locker. 

“Yeah, we should. I can only be around so much fakeness for so long before I start to break out.” Kat spoke in an unnecessarily loud voice.

I froze and fought the urge to slap my forehead.  

My dearest cousin and her love for provocation.

I turned around and surely the two girls were glaring in our direction.

"Nice going, they're heading over here." I told Kat. And indeed, the two girls had walked away from their group of friends and started heading in our direction.

Kat clenched her fists. "Let them come. I'm not afraid of them."

Oh Kat, my dearest, stupid, Kat. I knew she was more than capable of taking them but it’s no secret that Bea and Courtney are more than able of holding their own too. But I, on the other hand, stood no chance at all.

I figured the best course of action at this point was just to get Kat as far away from this situation as possible. I quickly grabbed her hand and spun around. I was determined to drag her away if I had to and I begun to as well before-

Splat!

Oh. No.

I had bumped right into someone, causing them to spill the bottle of water they had been holding all over the shirt of the person standing right next to them.

No! No! No!

Everyone had stopped to stare at the scene before us.

My hands flew to my mouth. "I - I am so sorry." I blurted out.

The eyes of the boy who was now wet narrowed his eyes at me in anger. They glowed a bright green and I could tell his wolf was threatening to jump out. The boy he was with quickly held him back.

I could tell people were coming closer, surrounding us from all corners.

Really Crystal? Of all people to cause an accident with...

Micheal and Joshua Melrose. The alpha's twin little brothers. They were basically like princes around here.

"What did you just do?" A voice shrieked. As if this couldn't get any worse, Bea and Courtney had made their way to the front of the crowd. They now stood in front of the twins with their arms folded across their chest.

"You are going to pay, halfling." Bea growled.

I wanted to shrink back at that moment, I wanted a hole to appear and swallow me up. So much for keeping my head down.

Kat took a step forward. "Oh come on, Beatrice, It was obviously an accident!" She yelled in my defense.

"Like hell it was." Courtney spoke up as she sized up Kat. "For all we know, this was a hate crime."

A hate crime? I just bumped into the guy.

Kat let out a humourless laugh. "Hate crime? Clearly you don’t know what that even is.”

“After what her little boyfriend, Roman, did, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did this on purpose.” Courtney snapped.

If people had forgotten my association with Roman before, they definitely remembered now. I tugged on Kat’s arm. I needed to get out of here before I broke down.

“Shut up, before I make you.” Kat yelled.

I quickly gripped Kat's hand and pulled her back before she could do anything. Courtney growled, her eyes glowing a lighter blue as well.

"Hey cut it out, Court." One of the twins finally spoke, diffusing the tension. It was the one who had been holding the water bottle. I honestly couldn't tell them apart to know which one was Michael and which one was Joshua.

He stepped forward and got in between Kat and Courtney, shielding the angry blonde from us. I still gripped Kat's hand though, in case she tried something.

He stared right at me briefly before looking away.

"Everyone! Go on with your business!" He yelled as he started waving people away. "I can assure you, Josh is okay. My brother just took a mid morning shower, that’s all. If anything, he's much cleaner than he was before." He surprised me by snickering.

"Oh you think that's funny, jerk?" The twin, I now knew was Josh spoke before playfully shoving his brother. "You're lucky that wasn't grape juice. God knows you've ruined enough of my clothes!"

"That was one time! Let it go already, Joshy."

"Do. Not. Call. Me 'Joshy'."

"What are you going to do? Tell on me?" Micheal taunted.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Josh had pounced on his brother.

"Arg! Guys! Not again." Bea yelled before going in to break up the fight.

The crowd started cheering. For a minute I was too stunned by this turn of events to react but then I decided this was our chance to make our escape. With everyone being distracted by something else.

I pulled Kat along and we disappeared into the crowd.