P A R T T W O
“Resentment is like drinking poison
and waiting for the other person to
die.”
― Carrie Fisher.
Chapter Twenty-three
Birds Are A Girls Best Friend
I don't realize just how much I don't want to go back to school until I'm standing at the front gates, staring down the hallway of Westershade High.
The look on my face is probably a cross between horrified and fearful, and I just can't seem to find a reason to stop staring like that until someone bumps their shoulder against mine and pulls me out of my daze.
“I never get tired of seeing that face every time we start a new school year,” Stacey says.
I'm smiling when I pull her into a tight hug. She laughs into my shoulder.
“It's good to see you, too.” she says.
“How was New York?” I ask when we break apart.
She shrugs. “Same old, same old. Mum paid more attention to her work than she did to me and I spent the last three weeks of my holidays tossing up between watching TV and eating myself to death.”
“Sounds nice.” I say.
“Yeah, it was a real family occasion.” she turns back to the school.
“I'm sure your dad's happy to have you back.” I say.
She smiles. “Yeah, he is.”
Two years ago, Stacey's parents split up. She told me it was because their opposing personalities clashed so often that they were miserable together by the end of their relationship. Apparently Stacey had been expecting it for a while, so when the divorce finally happened, she was prepared. Her mother flew off to New York to take up on an offer to become an editor at a very popular publishing company. Her dad, on the other hand, stayed in Westershade and remained the Sheriff of the Westershade County Police Department. Stacey choose to stay with her dad and has lived here ever since.
“And here's Lara!” Stacey spins around to face the approaching girl who's wearing a wide grin and a green jacket spotted with little, multicolored pins.
She beams us with a bright smile and walks straight up to wrap us both in her open arms.
“I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever,” she says and steps back. “Next time everyone decides to drop off the map, a little warning would be nice.”
“Hey, I gave warning,” Stacey says in her own defense.
“I...” I smile. “I had to work.”
“All holidays?” she asks with a raise of one eyebrow.
I open my mouth to speak, then close it and drop my head. “Sorry.”
She laughs. “I'm kidding! We all had our things to do. But before you're completely forgiven, you have to buy me lunch.”
“I do?”
Lara links her arm in mine and smiles. “Yes, you do.”
Avery joins us five minutes later and we head inside the school to pack our books into our lockers. When the bell rings, signifying the beginning of our first period, we break apart and head towards our separate classrooms.
“As some of you may know,” my first period teacher says from the front of the room as she writes her name across the blackboard. She's a fragile looking thing, but has this certain beauty to her that makes her seem kind and lovely. She's new to Westershade High but already she's made a good impression on her students for being so nice.
“A wolf pack has recently migrated into the area,” she continues. “So the authorities are asking everyone to be a lot more cautious around the perimeter of the forest.”
I look up from my notebook at Ms. Treadwell as she drops the chalk back down and turns around to face us with a friendly smile.
They're not a pack, miss, I want to tell her. They're just a shit load of lone wolves flocking here like birds.
I expect her to continue on about the wolves, but she doesn't say anything more. So instead of watching her, I lean my chin on my hand and gaze out at the forest.
“I know the first day of school can be both exciting and tiring, but please stay with me.” she says. “We are going to start off by reading a small passage from Harper Lee's novel–“
I see the bird I've been watching drop from it's tree perch right before it swoops in through the open classroom window to land on the teachers desk.
“Oh!” Ms. Treadwell startles at the appearance of the crow.
While her reaction is a little more civilized, a girl a few rows ahead of me cries out, which earns a few giggles from her classmates. Ms. Treadwell gives a little smile of her own but disguises it with a cautious frown as she approaches the bird.
While everyone is staring at the crow, it's beady black eyes are locked on mine. It's stare has the potential to send shivers down my spine, and it only looks away when Ms. Treadwell steps too close, forcing it to open it's dark wings, caw a sharp sound and take off out the window again.
“Okay,” Ms. Treadwell claps her hands together to regain the classes attention. “As I was saying, we are going to start off by reading a small passage from Harper Lee's novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. You should find a copy at the top of your desk.”
I absently reach for the book while watching the crow slowly fade from sight.
By lunch my stomach is rumbling and the halls are filled with other teenagers talking within their social groups.
I hurry down the main hall with my backpack hanging off one shoulder and smile at the people who wave hello. My phone rings every thirty seconds with a new text from Stacey, urging me to get my butt to our lunch table. By the fourth text, I decide to just stop checking them and instead smile every time the little ring tone goes off in my pocket.
Eventually, I give in and grab for the phone. I'm just wrestling it out of my pocket when I turn the corner and a person steps out in front of me.
“Hey there, Park.”
The phone slips out of my hands and I snap my glare up to a face I recognize.
Merida, who's leaning against the brick wall, smiles at me.
The last time I saw this girl was at Nick Turner's party at the end of the school year, nearly two months ago. But she looks the same as I remember – maybe even better.
She's swathed in black from head to toe; black tank top, black jacket, black jeans. Her dark hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and her grey eyes twinkle with mischief. With her hair up the way it is I have a fairly good view of the tattoo on her neck. It's a highly detailed drawing of the face of a red wolf, and it's not as tacky as it sounds. It looks nice against the shade of her naturally tanned skin.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, but it sounds more like a demand.
"I told you I was thinking about living here,” she says and then smiles. "I'm sure Avery's already filled you in on how we know each other."
"Yeah, she has.” I say.
“Let me guess... She told you I was some deceiving little monster that tried to kill her and her brother?” she asks, then shrugs. “That's probably right, but Avery shouldn't be throwing stones.”
“You can't live here." I say, ignoring her comment.
Her smile widens. “And why is that?”
“Because you are a part of a Werewolf gang.” I say, lowering my voice so that no one but us can hear what I'm saying.
“Not anymore.” she says. “Not after those two little Werewolves you call friends killed everyone in it.”
I straighten up in surprise.
I thought Rhys only went after the leader, and I had no idea Avery had taken any part in it.
Maybe Merida's just purposefully over-exaggerating, trying to cause confusion.
It's working.
“Is that why you're here then?” I ask. “To get revenge?”
“Revenge?” Merida throws her head back and laughs.
I blink.
When she's done with her outburst, she looks back at me with a lingering glint of amusement in her eyes. “I couldn't care less about those whiny, back-stabbing dogs I ran with. I'm simply here to... shake things up a little.”
“I think things have had enough shaking,” I say. “I just found out Shapeshifters are running around the world, and that you, along with my best friend, are one of them.”
“Shapeshifter, monster, drama-queen,” Merida smiles. “Whatever you want to call me, I'm here now and I don't plan on leaving any time soon. Westershade is a very interesting little town.”
My phone buzzes against the floor between us and I reach down to grab it. I'm relieved to see that it wasn't damaged when I dropped it. The screen flashes with another text from Stacey.
“It was nice seeing you again, Park,” Merida says, then turns around and saunters down the hallway away from me.
With a sigh, I shove my phone into my pocket and continue walking until I reach the open corridor that passes by the outside lunch courtyard. Crows are littered around the garden, a few magpies as well. They sit perched on seats and brick walls; their black eyes seeming to follow me as I walk by.
Creepy.
No one else seems to notice – or care – about the birds, so I pay them no bother. When I get to the cafeteria, pay for my lunch and return to the opposite sitting area to the one I first passed, I spot Stacey across the yard and weave my way through the groups of students to reach our table.
“Hey guys.”
“Finally!” Stacey exclaims as I sit down on the seat across from her. “Took you long enough.”
“I got distracted,” I say as I pick up my apple and roll it from hand to hand.
Lara is sitting opposite Avery and they are both engaged in deep conversation.
“Where's Noah and Doug?” I take a bite out of my apple.
“They are ...” Stacey's gaze wanders up over my head and she smiles. “They're right there.”
Doug waves at me enthusiastically and slides into the seat opposite Avery and Lara. Noah passes by and leans down to kiss Stacey, before sitting down beside her.
“Mind if I sit here?”
The third, only slightly familiar male voice surprises me. I look up into the face of the boy I met at the beginning of the holidays, the same boy who asked me out for coffee after work, who I later tried to sneak out on.
“No, not at all,” I say and slide over so he can set down his tray.
I swallow the mouthful of apple lying on my tongue and look cautiously at the boy beside me.
He smiles. “Do you remember me?”
“Mmhm,” I take another bite of the apple. “Your name's Carter.”
“It is,” he leans forward on the table as Noah slings an arm around Stacey's shoulders and clears his throat to get everyone's attention. Lara and Avery stop talking to glance over at us.
“Everyone, this is Carter!” he introduces. “Carter, this is everyone.”
Everyone – besides me – smiles and waves in greeting. Doug just gives him a little head nod. I get the feeling they've already met, maybe even hung out a time or two.
“So...” I start. “How do you guys know each other?”
“We ran into each other a couple weeks ago,” Noah says. “Carter just moved here and we offered to show him around.”
“Is that so,” I smile and turn to look at the boy. He just grins widely back at me.
“Maybe you guys have met each other before,” Noah says and stabs his fork into his bowl of pasta.
“Probably,” Carter shrugs, and then nudges me. “I think we were meant to go on a date once.”
I press my lips together and look up at the others sitting around us at the table.
I notice Lara has started talking to Doug. She's smiling brightly at the boy as he gestures wildly around himself, probably in the midst of telling some story of his that has our friend completely enthralled.
Avery is now sitting silently, staring past me and directly at Carter. She doesn't seem to care if she gets caught, but instead just studies the new boy with a heavy gaze.
I can tell somethings up, and she confirms it when she shoots up out of her seat so suddenly that she makes her lunch tray clatter loudly against the bench.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” she declares and dashes out of the cafeteria.
I grab my bag and catch up with her in the hall.
“What's wrong?” I ask.
She doesn't break pace.
“Avery!” I grab her arm to stop her. “Tell me whats wrong.”
She spins around, flicking her tongue across her bottom lip as she runs a hand through her honey blonde hair. She paces back and forth a step in front of me. It's like she can't stand still.
“I told you!” she says. “I told you that we don't live in packs. They've been extinct for nearly nine centuries! It was the natural evolution of our race, you know?”
“No, I don't.” I say. “Slow down and try that again.”
She takes a deep breath, but it doesn't seem to help.
“Years ago, when the first shapeshifters came into being, only the strongest of our kind were able to shift on will or turn a human. They were old and brave and could fight better than anyone else. So, packs were formed – families that the strongest of the shapeshifters took under their own protection.” she explains. “It was all about survival."
“These people were known as Alphas. They were leaders – guardians,” she says, almost wistfully, with a look on her face like a young girl admiring the stars late at night. “For centuries, thats how all shapeshifter's survived. They banded together in packs and prides of other people like them.”
Avery's smile fades and she looks around us again, her sky blue eyes shifting over each shoulder before returning to me.
“But then things changed.” she says. “Soon, everyone could turn humans and it only took practice to learn how to shift on will. People didn't need protection anymore because they knew how to protect themselves.”
“So, when the need to rely on an Alpha to survive began to fade, the packs split up.” she says. “Some stuck together, but those groups eventually died out, too.”
A student walks passed and Avery cuts herself off. She wets her lips and waits until the other girl is well out of ear-shot.
She looks back at me and leans forward. “Lately, the shapeshifters have been reconsidering that decision."
I frown. "As in... they're considering bringing Werewolf packs back into fashion?"
"Not just the Werewolf packs." she says in an increasingly frantic tone. “All of them. The prides for Werepanthers, the clans for Werejackals. They're choosing Alpha's – people who will lead them all.” she throws an accusing finger in the direction of the cafeteria. “This boy - Carter - he isn't just any Werewolf. He's one of them. He's going to be an Alpha very, very soon, Parker."
“What?” I look away from her, shaking my head and trying to understand what she's telling me. “Why didn't you say something sooner?”
She bites her lower lip. “Rhys and I... we don't plan on joining a pack. We're fine the way we are, so I didn't think there was any point in mentioning it.”
It's incredible how easily this supernatural stuff can bleed into my normal, everyday life. One minute I'm thinking about Lara having a potential crush and the next I'm talking about groups of shapeshifter's planning on gathering together so they can be commanded by something called an Alpha? Impossibly ridiculous doesn't even begin to explain what I think of this entire situation right now.
“So what do we do?” I ask her.
“There's nothing we can do.” Avery replies. “Just act normal and don't say anything about it.”
“Normal.” I repeat, and follow it up with a sigh. “I'll try.”
“Alright, well, I think I'm gonna skip the rest of the day,” she says as she takes a couple steps backward towards the exit. “Make up an excuse for me, will you?”
“Sure.” I reply, but she's already gone.