Were-Geek

3.)

1.)

I woke to the sound of my alarm clock blaring and for a second I thought I was back home in bed, that it must be the first day of school because my alarm clock was set and band camp was over. But then I remembered and sat up, looking around me, as if making sure it was all real. I touched the soft black blanket and sheets and pushed the dismiss button on the top of the clock. The room looked solid and realistic. Still no dream. This was real life.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, whatever awaited me I would be prepared. With that I opened my eyes and smiled, then got up and walked into the bathroom where I washed my face and brushed my hair and teeth. I checked my shoulder one last time in the mirror and gaped at it in open wonder. It was healed. The only thing left were scars and I didn't care about the disfigurement to my skin as some people might. I'd always thought scars show an active life. "Or a life of werewolf attacks," I said to my reflection, running my fingers over my skin.

I shook my head head and with a sigh I turned and left. I hoped that i could remember the way back to the kitchen and it turned out, I didn't need to. I could smell it. I was suprised I could smell it from so far away, it had taken us quite a while to get to my new room from the kitchen. I should not be able to smell it from so far.

With a shrug that was definetely more to make myself feel better than anything, I accepted my newly enhanced sense of smell for what is was and headed back to the kitchen. I was starving.

2.)

They were mostly there when I arrived. Logan seemed to be missing. The others looked up as I walked in. They were all eating. Amy at the table with a bowl of oatmeal, Dillan browsing through the fridge and Luke with a bowl filled to the brim with cereal and milk. Luke smiled through a mouthfull of fruity pebbles at me and I had to stifle a laugh. His eyes shone and I moved over beside him. He swallowed and showed me where everything was, helping me get a spoon, a bowl and the cereal and milk. Then I poured my own heaping bowl of pebbles and took it to the table, sitting across from Amy who was looking at me with fire in her eyes. I ignored the look. It was amazingly easy, too easy but hey, I'd lived a harsh high school life. I was a blunt and brutally honest person, some people didn't like it, therefor I was used to mean looks.

Suddenly Logan walked in, my back was to the door so I didn't know at first until Dillan greeted him as he made his own bowl of oatmeal. He sat down with a sigh beside me, running his hand through his hair. "Hi," he said glancing at me. I nodded my head and spooned more pebbles into my mouth.

I had felt silly at first for wearing these clothes, like a kid playing dress up, but seeing everyone else in them made me feel better. Sort of like the first time I had put on my marching band uniform, I had felt so young and awkward. But then I'd seen the rest of the band in it and I felt the first feeling of belonging. A feeling that only grew through the years until the comradery was so thick between the rest of the band and me that you could see it.

My eyes teared up and I leaned back trying to appear relaxed while I was really staring at the fluerescent light above the fridge. The light worked to take the teary eyes away but not the pain in my heart. So, I used my handy tactic of focusing on someone other than me.

My gaze fell on Dillan. I observed the muscles under his tight shirt.Muscles he could only have aquired through a lifetime of work. There was absolutely no one at my school like that. And every single one of them was like that, even Amy. I decided I wanted to get some like that. Though I wasn't off to bad start. I was pretty strong from chopping wood year-round and carrying it. Also my saxophones were pretty heavy and I had to carry those around constantly.

Dillan sat down with his bowl and Luke followed, so it was guys on the side one girl at each head. I wondered who sat here before me and if I was offending anyone by sitting here. Oh well, they could deal with it if they were.

"So, El, how did you like your room?" Dillan asked, turning to face me, his dark brown eyes alluring.

I shrugged, "It was great. Much better than..." I frowned, not sure how to say that. If I should say my room at home. Because they were pretty much making it clear I couldn't go home. And...I shook my head, clearing it and shrugged. I ducked my head, hiding behind my bangs and stuck a spoonfull into my mouth. We ate in silence for awhile after that until Luke said,

"So what are we doing today?" everyone looked up at him and he raised his hands in mock surrender, "Hey don't all gang up on me I just asked a simple question." I smiled, not because what he had said was funny but because he had included me in all. Or had he? My smile faded as my brow furrowed. Hmmm.

"I don't know?" Amy said "what do you guys want to do?"

Okay, now I was uncomfortable. She didn't look at me as she asked them and I didn't know if I would be a part of whatever they did or if I would just be left to my room like a kid. I hated that feeling. Hated, hated, hated it.

I ground my teeth together but decided not to go off on them yet. My tirades were known to be rather intense and I didn't want to embarass anyone.

I stood up and went to wash my bowl and spoon. I put the milk back in the fridge to as I passed it and listened as they talked about what to do. Finally they agreed on going to see a movie. Logan said they should train but Luke refuted with the fact that they trained every single day they desrved this free day. Then Dillan said, "We may never get another one," and everybody sobered up immediately, looking down at their laps.

"What? Why?" I asked, confused, drying my hands on a dish towel. Amy looked up with a glare,

"Because Wolf, we're on the brink of war and us Hunters are the only ones trying to stop it. It's got it's upsides this job, but the downsides far outweigh the benefits, like a 75% chance of death everytime we leave," I paled and she smirked at me. I slowly set the rag down, hiding my shaking hands behind me.

'And you want to go out to see a movie?" I questioned.

"Duh," she said "pleasure has it's costs,"

"not death" I frowned.

"For us it is," she glared. Luke abrubtly stood,

"Amy leave her alone. She did nothing to you. you of all people should know how strange and terrifying this is for her." I was surprised at his seriousness. Evidently they were too if I could read anything from their gaping mouths. Amy looked away, not meeting my eyes. Luke continued,"so El will come with us to the movie, we will do as Lee said and do our best to accept her and help her through her new life. Understand?"

Everyone but Amy nodded with mirrored expressions of stun and amazement, "now let's go," Luke said.