To Grow

I observed Summer as she strutted down the hallway like the alpha of a pack. Hm, alpha. Interesting how humans named stuff just like that. It did make life easier, though, because everything had a name and was categorized into some sort of group. I wasn't completely blind that Summer was using me to make everyone fear her. This was how I grew up, where pack tactics and such were used. It seems like even humans, who prided themselves on their intelligence, couldn't abandon this side of their brain. 

I reached into my pocket to make sure the packaged box was still in it. It still was. I was really curious just what was in it though, to warrant such protection, but I couldn't really make out anything from it except for the scent of paper, and some chemical smell. Maybe it was the ink? 

I followed Summer as she strutted into the cafeteria, cutting across to the front of the line with no one protesting. They were all scared stiff of me. Humans really were too weak. Back in the Fingard forest, I was the one being scared stiff usually, but here, I was the one everyone feared. It really makes me wonder just how the humans had managed to drive back even the strongest monsters in the deepest parts of the forest.

Oh wait, this is a learning institution. A place adolescent humans are sent. Surely the adults would be much scarier, though the teachers, the 'adults', also weren't much to look at. They were probably the weaker adults sent here to be punished, maybe.

Nevertheless, I grabbed a tray and made sure to load up on food behind Summer. I'd realized that lunch was the only time I could really go hunting, because during the morning and night everyone was scattered at various places, but during lunch was when everyone was more or less at the same place, or at least in the vicinity.

I shovelled spoonful after spoonful of 'food' into my mouth. It wasn't really bad, but it was too...cooked for my liking. Huh. I was really getting used to human food. I could remember before when just the thought of it had disgusted me to no end. 

I flinched as a wave of heat spread through my body. Ah, it looks like the heat was beginning, but I should be fine as long as I didn't shift into either form. I winced as I imagined shifting into either form in public while in this state. I paused my hand. Why would I care about others' opinions? When did I start caring? This time, not only my hand, but my whole body froze. What's happening to me? Could it be the long term exposure to humans had made me start to think like them? Would I one day be as weak and feeble as they are?

No, no I'll never be like that. I'll never become as complacent as they are, as unguarded and cowardly, I promised to myself. I'd never let my edge be smoothed over by this fake 'peace', when places like the Wastelands and Fingard forest still existed.

"Storm?" Summer said, snapping me out my thoughts.

"Hm?" I responded. I resumed my eating. The food was lukewarm now, which was just gross. Food should either be warm or cold. Never in between. It reminded me too much of hurriedly shoving meat into my mouth as I prepared to run from larger predators that'd steal my kill.

"You sorta froze there, you okay?" Summer asked, her face in an expression of...concern. That was new. First time someone except Em had shown me that face.

Before I could answer, I froze again as I caught Em's scent drifting and mixing into the cafeteria. It was also getting steadily stronger.

I can't see her, not in this state! I couldn't believe I'd been so distracted that I hadn't even noticed her entering!

"Hey Storm. You okay? You were acting sorta weird yesterday," Em said, sitting beside me as she plopped her tray down. I stiffened as her scent drifted into my nose. This was bad bad bad. Even I knew enough that acting on my impulses would not only hurt Em, it'd also ruin her reputation. I shifted further from her, but stayed even if everything I wanted right now was to run away as far as I could. But my promise to Summer held, and I did need her help to court Em the proper way, and not the ways I knew. 

"Storm?" Em said, concerned. She began reaching her hand out towards my shoulder, and I tensed even more.

"Hey Storm, remember that...project we were doing?" Summer suddenly said, halting Em's arm. I jolted up from my seat and said, "The project. We. Will be late." I began walking towards the tray return section as Summer slowly began standing up to follow me after mouthing a "Sorry" to Em.

I quickly left once I'd made sure Summer was behind me. I could smell her amusement as clearly as the light of day.

"You've got it so bad," Summer chortled. "You're going to be absolutely whipped." Whipped? What did that mean?

-==-

Em sat in confusion as Storm basically ran from her. Along with Summer, the infamous fuck girl and bully of the school. Also Storm's dorm mate, as she'd heard from passing students. Were the two of them in a relationship now? Em felt a bit hurt that Storm hadn't mentioned even one word of it to her, even though she'd unilaterally declared them as friends.

Em shrugged as she dug into her food. It was bland, but it wasn't that bad actually. She'd known Storm was really weird, so she guessed that her being weirder then usual was probably normal, right? Though Storm hadn't even acknowledged her...that sorta hurt. Her new ponytail was pretty, though. Em sort of wished Storm had looked towards her, because she hadn't gotten a clear view of her features since she'd been looking away from Em like she was some bright light.

When she'd finished her food, she returned the tray and began wandering around. There were still a half hour until the first bell rang, so she could afford some wandering around. 

As she was walking past an empty room, she heard the sound of some muffled gasp. She stopped, and was about to continued when she heard another muffled scream. She hesitated. Maybe someone was stuck inside? She slowly pushed open the door and saw one girl sitting at the far corner of the room. As Em walked in, the door began shutting close behind her. The girl quickly stood up and began running towards Em while shouting, "The door! Don't let it close!" But by the time Em had understood and processed the information, the door had already shut behind her. The girl still tried the door, and let out a groan of frustration as the door remained closed. Oh, it's locked on the inside, Em realized belatedly.

"Ughhhh not again. I've been locked in here of ran hour already!" The girl yelled, jumping in frustration. "Whatever. I'll just wait for the teacher to come back."

"Why were you here in the first place?" Em asked, curious.

"I was helping the teacher with something when he left and left me here. Ugh he didn't even notice that the door was locked on the inside," The girl groaned. "Anyways, who're you? I don't recognize you."

"I'm Em," Em answered. "And you are?"

"Aqua. Ugh I hate my name. Of all names I had to be named Aquamarine," Aqua said. Em felt a sense of kinship immediately with her.

"Me too! Em's actually short for Emerald," She said.

"Oh wow. Yeesh. I can't tell which one's worse," Aqua winced. "So what grade are you in, anyways?"

"10. You?"

"Hey, I'm also in grade 10. How come we've never met before?" Aqua said. To that, Em shrugged.

"Well nice meeting you. I guess we're stuck together until the teacher returns," Aqua shrugged then sat on a desk. Em also sat down, and together, they waited in silence. That was, until, the door was opened again.

"Don't let the door close!" Em yelled, while Aqua also yelled at the same time, "The door!" 

Thankfully, the person standing there was Storm, so with her fast reflexes she propped the door open. Em honestly barely recognized Storm without her customary messy mane like hair that covered her face almost completely. Em couldn't help but marvel at Storm's newly exposed features. Her eyes really were beautiful. Before Em could compliment her face, Storm scowled and grabbed Em's arm and dragged her away from Aqua. Aqua, meanwhile, was distracted by trying to reach the door before it could close again. She managed to slip through before the door shut again. 

"Storm! Why'd you grab me like that?" Em said, slightly offended by the rude way Storm had dragged her. Sure, she'd been compliant, but that didn't mean Storm could do just anything!

Storm didn't say anything except to continue glaring at Aqua. She shrunk under her gaze and muttered, "Uh, I'll get going now." And promptly left quickly, though for some reason she never looked away from Storm until she was well into the distance.

"Storm!" Em yelled again. Finally, Storm looked towards her and muttered something. Em couldn't really hear, so she said, "What?"

"What were you doing in there?" Storm said, bending over so they were eye to eye.

"What?" Em said, confused. "We were just sitting."

"Then why's her scent all over you?" Storm said, her voice low and dangerous. Em froze. Storm had never talked to her like that before.

"Let's all calm down here," Summer said, suddenly appearing from behind Storm.

Em was completely confused now. "What's going on here?!" She asked.