Lycanthropy and Me: The First Semester(mlm)

Days 2-10, Waning Crescent to New Moon (Redux)

Is this Serena?

It's Malcolm. Just making sure this works.

Serena stared at the texts. Malcolm, which one was that? Ah, tall black guy. Cane. He had looked familiar for some reason. Maybe it was something about his appearance. Guys all looked the same to her after a while...

Speaking of guys...

Grayson didn't respond to her texts or knocking that morning. They had breakfast together all last week, but it seemed he was already trying to undo that ritual. Yesterday he had claimed to have slept in, today he wasn't answering at all. She wouldn't give up just yet. When Grayson had picked Redwood for college, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get their relationship back on track. With her parents' encouragement, she had settled into the same college and dorm.

In the last two years she had distanced herself to become more acclimated with her 'condition', and in that time Grayson had become all the more childish. But it was time to get his head out of the clouds. This was college after all. It wouldn't be long before they would be out in the workforce, living in a nice townhouse of their own, fulfilling their destiny in uniting the Lee and Song families once and for all.

She looked at her phone again. No answer from Grayson. Malcolm was active.

This is Serena.

That was a simple enough answer, she decided. While Serena didn't believe she would need as much support as the other new students, but she saw no reason to be rude.

So she ate her yogurt and granola alone, went to class, and went about with her day.

You know I think we've met before

Another text from Malcolm had come in the afternoon, just as she had finished her jog. She stared at the phone as she headed back into the Marconi. Past experience had left her wary of messages from other men. Back in high school plenty of people knew Serena and Grayson were involved, but that didn't stop the occasional admirer from trying to get her attention.

I don't recall  --She sent back.

He responded instantly with a series of messages.

On a school tour, I think.

Or maybe she just looked like you

Did you go with your family?

The hazy memory of a tour across the campus came into focus for her. Her parents had been along for the trip, with a semi-distracted Grayson, who showed his sister the campus via phone as they went along. There had been the scent of a wolf, she suddenly recalled, or perhaps a few, caught in the tour group that day. She couldn't be certain how many. Despite how much time had passed since the incident, she was still adapting to her enhanced senses.

I guess I remember.

After a shower, she tried calling Grayson for dinner, to no avail.

Day 4. Thursday, Waning Crescent

Another morning with solitary yogurt, granola, and a good morning text from Malcolm. He had taken to sending the occasional message. It was all polite so far; inquiries about her classes, the weather, teachers. 

It was better than being ignored.

For the last two days, Grayson had skipped out on sharing breakfast with her. Serena decided if he wasn't going to be reasonable, she'd pull out the big guns.