Undercover Panther

Chapter 4. Defence

The rising sun woke me for my second day of school. I guessed it was about five in the morning so I rolled over and lazily grabbed my phone. It indeed said 5:42 am. Class started a little before nine so I had plenty of time. My phone had a low battery so I planned to take it to the library to charge after I had eaten and washed.

Still clad in my flimsy nightwear, I exited the cottage and shifted into a lioness, using the tawny pelt to my advantage over the desert-like foliage. I didn't have to do much searching until I came upon a large hare, it was totally unexpected so no real chase was required and I managed to devour it within seconds. Dragging the carcass into a nearby hedge so nobody would suspect anything, I made my way to the river. It was deep enough that you could swim but shallow enough that your feet would always be able to touch the bottom, in cat form of course. I had the time of my life, chasing fish, diving from rocks and just lazing in the warm water. But finally I had to get out to dry, so I shifted into my human self and brushed my teeth. I plastered myself on a rock to sun dry since nobody was around to see my nakedness.

Some time later and my black locks were thoroughly dried out so I shifted into some high waisted blue jeans with a black bra and a tye-dye midriff top that went from dark blue to light blue. All completed with some ballet flats and a fashionable belt. I only had the waters reflection to peer into and once I was happy with the results, although my hair was slightly ruffled but I could sort that later.

I grabbed my bag from the door where I left it and headed into town. I got to the library at eight sharp and greeted the old librarian, not that she even saw me. I dug out my ratty old charger and placed it in the plug socket. It was one those cheep ones where you have to position it just right for it to work so I spent the better half of five minutes wrestling my phone and only stopped when it gave a satisfying 'ping'. My hair was probably a rats nest from the humid atmosphere so I walked into the toilets for a access of an actual mirror and brushed my waves out with a crumbling hair brush I found at a 99 cents store. Only having half an hour at the library, I reluctantly took my half charged phone and headed across the other side of town towards school.

It wasn't a very large town but it took walking time all the same. I had stopped at a set if traffic lights, along with a dozen or so other people. A man stood impatiently in front of me, dressed in a tailored suit and slicked back hair. His wallet was just visibly sticking out if his pocket and he was too preoccupied ranting something about fluctuating sales to his phone that he never noticed me taking it. As I had done so many times before, I covered my hand with my body so no good samaritan could see, and using my fore and middle finger, pry it out. Only when he didn't notice could I finally breathe. Despite doing this my entire life, some people were as sharp as a knife and didn't take kindly to pick-picketers. Light flashing green, the stampede of pedestrians crossed, giving me the opportunity to split off and lose the business man. Safely around the corner, I flipped open the expensive leather material and took inventory. two one-hundred dollar bills and three fifties would suffice so I slipped them into my pocket. I didn't bother looking at the ID, giving me reason to feel guilty. I dropped the wallet in a bin and carried on my merry way, happy I would he able to eat at lunch and maybe buy a little extra for Cassidy.

I was spot on time for school and took my seat for homeroom just as everybody else followed suit. My mouth was agape when Gabriel strode in with an air of confidence around him, and I remembered myself just as he sat next to me. He must have been the person to point out my scent in the first day... I presumed

"How was your first day at EastValley high?" He asked

"Uneventful." I stated

"That's a shame. There's usually a ton of action." Because there are werewolves roaming the school, I scoffed.