Chapter 5

ABBY

After the whole drama with Cara, rumors were spreading like wildfire throughout the school that I was some kind of forbidden creature. I tried to ignore the rumors about me, but they were everywhere. People whispered that I was some sort of creature, a werewolf or something even stranger. 

I mean didn't people have better things to do with their lives than poking their nose into others business.

As the day went on, the rumors only got worse. Someone wrote mean words on my locker, calling me a monster and a freak. 

There was no way I was going to escape this bullying.

I heard someone whispering about me as I walked down the hallway. "Hey, watch out for Abby," they said. "She's not human." It was just a passing comment, but it hit me hard. I felt like I was being singled out and ostracized for something that wasn't even my fault.

As if the rumors and mean words weren't enough, Tiffany decided to take it upon herself to make my life even more miserable. She came up to me during lunch and started teasing me about my "animal side."

"So, Abby," she said, smirking at me. "What's it like being a werewolf?"

I felt my face turn red with anger and embarrassment. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset, so I tried to brush it off. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, forcing a smile.

Tiffany just laughed. "Oh, come on," she said. "We all know you're not human. So what's it like having all that fur and claws and stuff?"

I felt my blood boil. I wanted to lash out at her, to tell her that she didn't know anything about me or what it was like to live with my abilities. But before I could say anything, I felt a surge of anger and frustration welling up inside me.

Suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up from the lunch table and ran out of the cafeteria, tears streaming down my face. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I couldn't stay there a moment longer.

As I ran out of the school, I felt the wind whipping through my hair and the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I knew that I needed to get away from the other students and their cruel words.

I ran and ran, my heart pounding in my chest, until I found myself in a quiet corner of the school grounds. I collapsed on the grass, my breath coming in ragged gasps, and let the tears flow freely.

As I lay there on the grass, feeling completely defeated, I suddenly heard someone calling my name. It was Ashley.

“Abby, Abby, where are you?" she shouted, her voice filled with worry.

I wiped my tears and tried to compose myself as best as I could. When she finally found me, she looked at me with concern etched on her face.

"Abby, what happened?" she asked, kneeling down beside me. "I saw you run out of the cafeteria and I got worried."

I wiped my tears away and tried to compose myself. "It's nothing," I said, my voice shaking. "Just...people being mean again."

Ashley's expression darkened. "What did they do this time?" she asked.

I told her about Tiffany and her taunts, and the mean words I'd found on my desk and locker. Ashley listened intently, her expression growing more and more angry as I spoke.

"Don't worry, Abby," she said firmly. "I'll sort this out. No one should be treated the way you're being treated, and I won't stand for it."

“You know it's not their fault, I can as well be a freak like they called me”

“No you're not a freak, neither are you an alien, you're my twin sister and I love you just the way you are,” she gave me a small smile.

****

The next day at school, I was still feeling a bit raw from everything that had happened. As I was walking to my locker, I saw Trevor waiting for me. He had a hopeful look on his face, and my heart sank. I knew what was coming.

"Hey, Abby," he said, stepping in front of me. "Have you had a chance to think about my proposal?"

I sighed, feeling a knot form in my stomach. I had hoped that Trevor would drop the subject, but apparently he wasn't going to let it go that easily.

“Trevor, I'm sorry, but I can't say yes," I said, looking down at the ground.

Trevor's smile faded. "Why not?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"It's just not the right time," I said, hoping that he would drop the subject.

But Trevor didn't seem satisfied with my answer. "Is it because of the rumors?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

I looked up at him in wariness. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I've heard some people talking about how you're not human," he said, his eyes searching my face. "Is that what this is about?"

I felt a chill run down my spine at the mention of the rumors. I had been hoping that Trevor wouldn't bring them up, but it seemed like they were following me wherever I went.

"Trevor, I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

Trevor shook his head. "Come on, Abby, don't play dumb," he said. "If there's something going on with you, I want to help. But I can't do that if you won't tell me the truth."

“There is nothing wrong with me, I'm fine” I said, my voice barely above a whisper

But Trevor didn't look convinced. "Abby, I don't care if you're a werewolf or whatever," he said, taking a step closer to me. "I just want to be with you. Can't you see that?"

I took a step back, feeling a sense of panic rising in my chest. I didn't want Trevor to get hurt because of me, and I didn't know how to make him understand that.

"Trevor, please," I said, my voice pleading. "I can't talk about this right now. I need to go."

I turned and ran away from him, feeling his eyes on my back as I fled.