Misshapen

Chapter 1

"Azazel, none of us care what bloodline you have," I say. He glares at me ferociously, throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

"I couldn't care less whether or not you give a damn about me."

It's a lie, but I let it go.

At lunch, I catch Uchie throwing out her string beans.
"I thought you weren't a carnivore," I say, and she jumps and snarls before realizing it's me.
"I'm partial to meats," she says, her patient voice telling me that she told me this before. "I don't have the willpower to nibble at bloated seeds today."

"Tough time in Geometry?" I ask kindly, remembering the pass-remarkable girl that Uchie mentioned the other day.

"Geography," she corrects me quietly.

"Oh."

"It's okay. And yeah, it was that human again. Pakki, am I...am I featherbrained?"

"Not by the Lord of Darkness!" I shoot back heatedly. "Uchie, your grades are better than any of ours, if that counts for anything."   I start walking towards the doors, and Uchie follows with shuffling steps.

"You and Azazel don't even try, though. Klyde tries, but she's young. I want to do well, Pakki, and be knowledgeable. It's so hard with humans on my tail all the time," Uchie confesses in her shaky, mumbling voice.

I study her face. Mouth pulled into a straight line, and orange eyes framed with dark circles, dull and vapid. Featherbrained, my ass.  How dare that girl say something like that to Uchie! 

"I'll get her back for that," I hiss. 

"Pakki, don't," Uchie answers nervously, but I'm already leaning on a locker and chomping conspiratorially on a string bean.  Uchie stares, looking terrified.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Klyde asks, bouncing down the hall to watch my enthusiastic chewing with awe.

"I'm going to add another human to my portfolio..." I don't get to finish describing my plot because Klyde suddenly grabs one of Uchie's hands and one of mine, pulling us into a tight circle. Her eyes are big, and I'm surprised when I can't read them. Klyde glances over her shoulder - another astonishing move from the naive little girl - and leans in.

"Two kids got taken out of class by the exterminators today."

"The exterminators?" I blurt in shock, and Uchie's clawed hand immediately covers my mouth.

The exterminators are a branch of the police that focus solely on those with tainted bloodlines. People like Klyde and Uchie have to walk on glass every day for fear of being swooped down upon and taken away. If one member of their bloodline errs, the whole family suffers. It rarely happens anymore - there were only four students who were taken out last year - but the fear is always lurking at the back of our heads, laughing, sizzling like the boiling water down in Hell. If I'm being honest, though, it's not as bad for full-bloods like me. In the government's opinion, at least my family hasn't messed with humans.

Those perfect, unsullied humans.

I grip Klyde's hand harder than I meant to, and she pulls away.

"I'm so worried for Azzie."

Uchie and I involuntarily turn to look at the other. Klyde is so sweet and selfless, and it's an unspoken reality between Uchie, Azazel, and me that she must be protected at every turn.