What the Hell?!

“Vio!” I hear my name being called, it sounds distant. “Vio!” There it is again, I wish whomever it is would just let me sleep. “Vio Starling! Detention!” Thud. I wince as a heavy book is dropped next to my head, effectively waking me up. Then I realise what was said, detention. Oh shit! Mr. Hamilton looks pissed. I told Mum that I should have stayed home today. Urgh and I just know that he is going to grill me after class… not good. The poor guy is human, and he does not need to see me wolf out on him.

 Oh right, I didn’t mention that I’m a shifter huh. Well I am. My whole family is, it’s great the only down side is that I just had my first shift on Saturday and here we are on Monday with me at school of all places. This is not smart, must remember to tell my Mum that. Ok so here’s the thing for the first month after our first shift we are still settling into our new body and learning to control the wolf instincts. So short temper for one thing, very little control of our wolf when we lose our temper. This is not cool. Actually it gets worse, most shifters have their first shift in childhood sort of about age five. Me I’m 17! It’s not unheard of, but it’s not common either. So on top of all the other settling ‘pains’ I also have to deal with my teenage hormones and general bad mood making it so much easier again to get pissed off.

Bringing me back to the problem with Mr. Hamilton, I was sleeping and he woke me up. Never wake up teenagers! But then add in that I have really only just had my first shift, that’s like asking for me to kill him accidentally and it will be all Mum’s fault for making me come to school. A month from now and I would be totally in control and not have to worry about going wolf accidentally, all he would have to fear is my teenage wrath. Man I really just can’t shut the internal monologue can I?

Thank goodness that’s the bell maybe I can sneak out with the others. “Vio, don’t forget you need to stay after class.” Shouts Mr. Hamilton as everyone scrambles up from their desks. I sigh heavily and just stay seated, I know he wants me to come to him but I really don’t feel in the mood for his ‘I’m the teacher, I control you’ games. I watch him as he starts looking for me where he expects me to be as he didn’t see me sneak out, but I’m not next to his desk. Finally he looks up to see me still sitting at my desk. He huffs and comes to sit at the desk beside me.

He drops a small slip of paper on my desk, I raise an eyebrow. “It’s your detention slip, you need to get one of your parents to sign it and bring it back tomorrow, if I don’t have it by noon I will call them. You will be in detention on Wednesday until four pm.” I growl slightly, trying not to let him hear it. Mr. Hamilton however did see my lip curl and flinched slightly. “What’s going on with you today, Vio? This is not like you; you never sleep in class, let alone the attitude.” I sighed, damage control time. “Mr. Hamilton, really I’m just really tired from the weekend, my family and I had an event that we couldn’t afford to miss. Truthfully I had tried to explain to my Mum that I need a day off. But what with her being a teacher and all, of course she wouldn’t let me stay home.” I had to lie about the ‘event’ but I couldn’t exactly tell him that the reason I’m short on sleep is because I went through a painful first shift and it took a long time to shift back.

Surprise flashed across his face at the mention of my mother. “Your Mum is a teacher?” He asked. I sighed, truthfully I’m surprised this is the first time we are having this conversation. Mr. Hamilton is always surprised about my brilliant English marks (he’s an English teacher), when in all my other classes my marks are average. “Mr. Hamilton my Mum is an English teacher at Burns Academy, actually she’s HOD.” I mumble the last part.

I look at the clock wondering what class I’m supposed to be in right now, I gasp I’m supposed to be in math and I’ve been sitting here with Mr. Hamilton for half the period. “Mr. Hamilton?” I ask in a strangled tone. “Yes Vio.” “Mr. Hamilton, it’s halfway through math!” He looks at me shocked and then at the clock. “Shit!” he muttered so quietly that if I were human I wouldn’t have heard him. “I’ll write you a note that you will actually need to take to both the teacher and the office because you will already be marked absent. The office would put you down as wagging. But I’ll make you a deal, because you’ve stayed this long and I’m sorting your attendance, stay to the end of the period and I’ll tear up that detention slip. I haven’t logged it yet, so you and I are the only ones who know about it.” He says. He sounds almost like he’s begging, but why. Oh who would know I’ve never understood teachers. Thank goodness it’s last period, I can go home and yell at Mum for getting me in trouble by not letting me stay home. We sit quietly for the rest of the period and as soon as the bell rings I’m out the door.