Lily was sat between Mrs Khan and Mr Booth, two of the strongest teachers, with the Principal staring her down from his desk in front of her. Mr Booth seemed wired, no doubt cause she'd punched one of his pack in the face, and Mrs Khan was eerily still as though she was waiting for Lily to try something, anything, to get her out of the office.
Principal Henry Lauren, however, was frowning at her.
"Lily, would you explain to us what happened in the cafeteria during lunch?" He asked gently, and Lily almost buckled under his kind stare.
The Principal had seen Lily in his office multiple times over the past few years since she lost her family. She'd been in here with Aunt Ollie and the school councellor, and whenever she had been upset and hid in the library for a lesson instead of learning Mr Booth always sniffed her out and brought her here, and Mrs Khan was always there to hold her when she cried.
This time, the witch teacher was there was a precaution. The only one of the three with some power to lock her down if Lily suddenly snapped into her creature.
Lily stared at the leather bracelet on her wrist and the deep scratch that went through it. Croft didn't break it completely, but if she kept wearing it now it would eventually break. She almost touched it as she spoke to the Principal.
"I saved Alice, Alpha Andrew's sister in the attack on the pack house on a few days ago." Lily admitted, not looking the teachers. They probably knew already. "My creature came out and saved her. Croft found out, and when he confronted me about it, I asked him to keep my name out of it. I didn't want the attention."
Principal Lauren nodded, gesturing for her to continue.
"He told his Alpha, and his Alpha gave the order to his pack to stick by me?" Lily scowled a little, gently tapping her scratched bracelet.
Mr Booth shuffled in his seat. "The order was to protect Lily Morgan as repayment for saving Alice, Henry."
Lily frowned at his wording, but continued anyway. "I was angry he had told everyone. When he was in the cafeteria, he didn't seem to care that I was angry. I tried to get up and walk away but he grabbed my wrist..."
Lily held up her right hand and waved it at the Principal, showing off the torn bracelet. "He scratched Delta's bracelet."
Principal Lauren sat back in his chair. "Ah," he realised. "And you felt that resorted in a punch to his face?"
"It was probably over-exaggerated." Lily admitted, although her face showed no signs of regret. He tore my sister's bracelet. She couldn't explain the cavern of sorrow in her stomach at her precious bracelet being damaged.
Principal Lauren understood Lily's pain. He'd been there for all those sessions, all those times she'd been called up for skipping class and hiding the tears for her family.
Mr Booth snorted at the admission from Lily which only caused her to purse her lips. She'd said all she wanted, could she leave now? Hide in her room over the weekend and pray that everyone had forgotten her outburst by Monday?
"Did your creature surface when he grabbed your wrist?" Principal Lauren asked, placing his elbows on the table.
"Yes, only for a second though."
Mrs Khan and the Principal locked eyes. "Twice in one week?" Principal Lauren questioned.
"It's rare," Mrs Khan added. The witch was a science teacher, specialising in biology. "Especially from a lack of reveal. No other times has your creature surfaced?"
Lily shook her head. "Not that I can recall no, and nothing like what's happened already... What do you mean by rare?"
Mrs Khan smirked. "You don't pay attention in my class?"
Lily flushed. "I mean, it's rare to have an...outburst, twice in a week?"
"Yes, most creatures have their outbursts in anger or when they're in a specific environment - you've had two cases close together where it's been an entirely different situation each time." Mrs Khan adjusted her woolen cardigan as she explained.
"Werewolves have their outbursts in their environments, based around the chemical pheromones of their pack. Fairies have outbursts emotionally, usually by sorrow or anguish. Vampires, they have hunger or fatigue that makes them act rashly. Witches," Mrs Khan tucked a stray strand of grey behind her ear. "They act in pride or loyalty, defending or attacking."
Principal Lauren waved a hand to Lily. "You're not any of those creatures."
"I know." Lily quickly bit her tongue.
"So with your creature, and how you best control yourself and her, there has to be an alternative approach." He picked up a piece of paper that was next to him, signing something, before handing it over. When Lily read what was on it, she paled.
"We're adding you to every class to maximise your knowledge on control, Lily. We can't have you attacking anyone that angers you, and with your traumatic history, it will be quite easy for students to irritate you." Principal Lauren gently explained as Lily read her new timetable.
"I...every class?" Lily's hands were shaking slightly as she scanned the lessons that had replaced her abundance of free periods. She used to have around two or three a day, but now she had none at all.
All her general classes remained, like History with Mr Booth, and Maths and English. Now though, there were a few more supernatural classes she was forced to attend, and one that replaced her Science and Art classes.
Vampire Science. Fairy Anatomy & Health. Witch Agriculture. Werewolf PDHPE. Elective - Meditation.
Lily felt dread wash through her body and cement her bones. "W-What about the assignments or-?"
Principal Lauren interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "The previous assessments are optional, however if you want to be up to date with the class then I'd suggest going back over the texts at least - all upcoming ones are now assigned to you."
Lily's mouth hit the ground. "Are you serious?"
"As serious as a punch to a werewolf." Principal Lauren said. Mr Booth shifted on his seat again, the werewolf teacher suddenly wary.
Principal Lauren raised an eyebrow. "No disrespect, Sebastian."
Mr Booth shut his mouth. His name's Sebastian? How normal. Lily thought dimly before brushing it aside. She was staring at her timetable when a realisation struck.
At least I have classes with Karen, Claire, and Jack, maybe I can sit with them again?
Lily looked at her class for Friday afternoon, almost groaning when she realised it was Werewolf PE this week. Next week was Witch Agriculture, but she would have to go into a class where she would be surrounded by the pack of the wolf she punched.
I'm so screwed.
"You'll be taking the rest of the day, think of it as your suspension from school." Principal Lauren explained, no doubt seeing the shock on Lily's face. "Your aunt has been called and she's been filled in on the situation."
"I hope you like homework Lily, because you now have three terms worth." Mrs Khan tried to joke but Lily only sighed in response. She went to stand but the Principal cleared his throat again, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.
"We're not done." He pushed a blank piece of paper towards her with a pen. "You attacked another student, which we do not condone in this school. While you have been given a suspension for the rest of the day, you will hand write a letter of apology to Mr Croft."
"What?!" Lily bit her tongue down again. "An apology?!"
"You punched him in the face Lily."
"He scratched my bracelet!"
The Principal matched her glare with one of his own. "He doesn't know the value of your bracelet, nor of it's story. To him, he was punched in the face because he touched your hand - you could have easily spoken to him instead." He jabbed the paper on his desk. "You will write this letter, hand it to Mr Booth, and he'll pass it on to Mr Croft, okay?"
Not okay. Lily thought bitterly but just nodded instead, biting down the sarcastic words wanting to pour out of her throat. Mr Booth seemed a little smug that Croft was having some of his dignity returned, and Mrs Khan was smiling gently.
"I'm going to enjoy having you in my witch class Lily, I think you'll learn a lot." Mrs Khan rested a strong hand on her shoulder. "I have no doubt you'll be making friends in no time."
Lily almost laughed at that. Friends? She was lucky with Jack, Karen and Claire, but she'd be almost stupid lucky if she found anyone else that would tolerate her presence. She was a lonely introvert with an unknown supernatural bad-ass dousing her in a sea of anger issues - she was a barrel of fun.
Principal Lauren nodded to the door. "You can leave when you've grabbed your stuff from your locker. We'll see you Monday, Lily."
And with that she was suddenly standing outside the office with her new timetable in hand.
Lily looked back at the door where, without a doubt, the three teachers were talking about her - a dangerous creature who lacked the knowledge of what she was.
Shaking out her timetable she made a move to go towards her locker when a shiver went down her spine, the curling red hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Her gut twisted and instinct told her not to move.
Someone was behind her.
Lily's neck was stiff as adrenaline flowed through her mind calmly. It could be Jack, who looked like she was looking for her before she entered the principal's office, but the devious witch would have said something by now. Was it Isaac? Looking to pick a fight with her after her cafeteria outburst? But he would have already said some stupid insult.
She heard footsteps echo, just the lightest brush against the wooden floors. Her fist clenched, the other still holding her busy timetable. Her breathing picked up as her heart rate did. Her stomach churning like a stormy sea, she slowly turned her head a notch.
The footsteps stopped. Lily swallowed the lump in her throat and turned around. Her creature hadn't surfaced at the threat but...she didn't feel threatened. She just felt like she was being watched.
But no one was there. It was just the corner of the corridor before it rounded off. The random fern stuck in the corner, the basic grey walls of her school.
There was no one there.
Lily's instinct was still swimming through her body, aware she was being watched.
Eyes narrowed, scanning the clearly empty corridor, Lily made her way back to her locker to grab her things. Her back was still rigid on the way there, like a pair of eyes was still following her every move.
She punched in her code and grabbed all her books and her bag, prepared for the tonne of homework she'd just been given. Three terms full? She almost couldn't believe it. Lily knew some of the students envied her empty timetable, but now Lily was jealous of theirs. No more free periods, five full days a week, jumping into classes she had no preparation for?
It's almost like the universe was trying to turn her into an extrovert, a busy body, and pushing her to make friends. Lily smiled to herself at the thought. Nice try.
As she walked out the school doors, ignoring the few stares she got from the window. Lily didn't see the too-curious look Croft gave her. She focused on walking out the gates with her bag, ready for the walk home.
She tried to forget that watchful pair of invisible eyes but it felt as though they followed her out the gates, only dropping when she turned out of sight.