They met Stella in the cafeteria and no one brought up Winnie's week-long absence from school again, which she was grateful for. With her free coffee, her friends caught her up on what happened while she was gone. Which apparently was a lot.
"Oh, you missed Miss Bowers' flipping out on the drama students for using her projector without permission and the Delaney's have been on edge for who knows what reason," Gabriela informed her. "Elijah keeps getting into fights with his teammates and Noah keeps getting in between them which gets him in trouble too. At least that's what Addison says. Apparently, the tension between the siblings and the cousin is palpable."
Gabriela looked to Winnie for a reaction and she frowned. "What?"
"I just thought you'd want to know, since everyone seems to think it's because of you."
Winnie stopped mid-drink and narrowed her eyes at Gabriela. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Well," Gabriela drawled, "half the football team saw you hit Elijah and then you didn't show up to school for a week and suddenly Noah and his cousin can hardly be in the same room together." She played with a curl, not making eye contact with Winnie anymore. "People kind of put two and two together and now they think you're Yoko Ono."
"Which is ridiculous," Miles retorted but when Winnie looked at Stella, she nodded regretfully.
"Sorry babe. People obviously don't know for sure but now that you're back, it'll all just become idle gossip again and people will move on like people do."
"Unless it's true."
Miles sent his sister a dark look and she held up her hands in surrender.
"Why would people care anyway? She's just another minion who didn't make the cut. No offence," Miles offered and Winnie sighed. As if having one target on her back wasn't enough, now she had to worry about people thinking she sabotaged the small town's two best football players.
"Hey, I for one think it's great. The social order has been upset and there's no one more qualified to change the rules than the new girl. The perfect Trojan Horse. Everyone else has been influenced in some way by the Delaney's influence, even us," Gabriela explained when all of her friends turned their blank expressions on her.
The bell rang for first period. "I say you keep that adorable temper of yours in check and you can destroy them from the inside," Gabriela continued as they left the cafeteria.
Winnie couldn't tell if Gabriela was joking or not. "Given this a lot of thought, have you?" Winnie asked and Gabriela smiled.
"It's the romantic in me," she joked.
"Gabriela, déjalo ir," Miles snapped and his sister huffed, dropping the subject.
They split up for first period and Winnie and Stella headed for AP English. Stella talked to Winnie about an event she was going to and wanted Winnie to go dress shopping with her. She was sure Stella had mentioned it to her before, but her mind was on other things. Like Werewolves.
"Win? You listening?"
No. "Yes."
"So, are you up for it? Gabby and I have been looking for a fourth member for forever. Miles comes along now and then, but he's even broodier than you, so we need some fresh blood."
"Sure, sounds fun." Stella didn't look convinced but seemed to have a great gift for knowing when to just let things go. Stella's eyes suddenly moved to a spot over her shoulder and Winnie risked a glance in the same direction, finding Noah making his way to his seat. When she turned back, Stella was looking at her curiously.
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A Bit of Wolf in Her
خارق للطبيعة"She slept with wolves without fear, for the wolves knew a lion was among them." - R.M. Drake. Winnie Miller wanted nothing more than to spend her last year of high school away from the thing she feared the most. But when it shows up on her doorste...
