The Chronicles: Green Night

Lunchtime

I was a bundle of nerves as I walked into the cafeteria. The place was packed with students, so I was very grateful that Lucas was with me, silently thanking the universe for his presence. Finding Anna's table in the middle of this huge cafeteria would've been an impossible task for me alone. Seriously, why is this cafeteria so big?

Lucas chuckled as he entered the sea of students and remarked, "I see Anna over there, dealing with Adam's antics again." You really cannot miss her screaming voice. Maybe I could have found her without Lucas.

As I walked towards my only beacon of hope, I was greeted with questioning looks from the other students. Only then did I realise what I was probably looking like. Totally confused and lost in thought, I tried to pull myself together, holding on to Lucas' shirt.

The last thing I needed was to look weak and shy on my first day at school. A school full of supernatural beings who were probably already trying to analyse me to see if I was an easy target.

Trying to keep up with Lucas, I soon found myself in a whirlwind of bodies being pushed from all directions. In the chaos, I managed to lose sight of Lucas, and thanks to the bodies bumping into me, my grip on his shirt was lost as well.

In my desperate search for Lucas, or at least Anna, I bumped into someone and my own clumsiness sent me crashing to the ground. I swear I could feel my spine snapping from the impact - it was so painful.

"Watch where you're going!" a deep voice growled, and I stifled a groan as I massaged my aching behind. I realised the guy was still there, apparently waiting for me to get up. I took a deep breath and vowed not to start a fight on my first day, although that was easier said than done.

"Sorry about that, but the swarm of students knocked me around," I apologised as I scrambled to my feet, my eyes meeting the unsettling gaze of someone with crimson irises.

Oops, I thought to myself. I must be in hot water here. The guy had a mess of bedhead black hair, sun-kissed dark skin, and was wearing the quintessential bad boy outfit - a leather jacket and ripped jeans. A little too cliché for my taste. As I secretly sized him up, I noticed that he still hadn't said a word, just stared at me.

"I, uh... I should go find my friends. Bye," I tried to get out of the situation. I wasn't sure which supernatural category this guy fell into, but his aura and those red eyes screamed 'dangerous'. He couldn't be a vampire, because I didn't see any daylight jewellery, and the sun's rays were pouring into the cafeteria.

As I turned to leave, this disturbing man suddenly lunged at me and grabbed my left hand. Instinctively, I twisted and landed a blow on his arm, forcing him to release his grip.

Well done, Francis, I mentally scolded myself. Good job avoiding fights, especially with a supernatural being. His eyes grew even redder, if that was possible. Preparing for a fight, I braced myself for his next move. But just as he took a step forward, Adam stepped in, blocking his view of me. He looked quite angry from the look on his face.

I never thought I would be so happy just to see Adam, but I was wrong. The moment my eyes met his well-built shoulders, I let out a sigh of relief and nearly fell, thanks to my legs shaking.

"Leave him alone, Marcus. Go back to your horny gang," Adam warned Marcus, I assumed. The stereotypical fuckboy gave me an enigmatic grin as he looked over Adam's shoulder, completely ignoring the seething werewolf in front of him.

"Thanks for the help, Adam, but I think I can take care of myself. Still, I appreciate the backup," I told Adam, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from lunging at Marcus. That's the thing about wolves – they can be quite temperamental. And the last thing I need is to be responsible for a fight between supernatural beings on my first day at school.

"I know, but it's best to avoid him. He's an incubus. Come on, let's go to Anna's table before she thinks I've kidnapped you or something," Adam suggested, keeping eye contact with Marcus, who was still wearing that creepy grin.

We left the creep behind as we made our way through the now slightly less chaotic mass of students. But no matter how far we walked, I could still feel that creepy grin following me.

This was my first encounter with an Incubus, which is probably why I was unable to recognise who he was at first, but now, thanks to his strange behaviour, I was beginning to get a feel for the odd aura that surrounded him.

At least one good thing out of this weird interaction.

"It was nice to meet you, Francis!" Marcus called after me with a mischievous smile as he strolled back to his group of friends.

"Wait, how did he know my name?" I asked Adam in astonishment as we approached our table. Adam sighed and shook his head.

"He probably knew about a new student joining our school and immediately looked up your name. Incubi can dig up information quite easily, especially with a female receptionist."

"I see what you mean," I replied as we approached Anna and Lucas. Anna jumped out of her seat when she saw me, waving her arms like a drunk.

"Where have you been, Francis? I thought you'd run away!" she exclaimed as we sat down at the table.

"I had an eventful encounter with an Incubus that left me with no appetite," I replied, my words piquing Anna's interest.

"That explains the mixture of shock and fear that Lucas and I were feeling," she murmured.

"You know, I was going to look for you, but your faithful watchdog insisted on doing it himself," Lucas quipped with a laugh, directing a playful jab at Adam. I tried not to laugh at Adam's subsequent scowl.

"Give it a rest, Lucas," Adam replied with a scowl.

"Could someone tell me how many supernatural beings attend this school? So I can recognise them the next time we bump into them," I asked after most of us had finished eating.

"Well, there are the incubi and succubi, and you already know our friendly neighbourhood werewolves, then there are the vampires, and I think some smaller groups of other fey creatures," Anna began, her brow furrowed in concentration. Lucas lowered his head as he considered the count.

"Yes, five of them to be exact. I only know that one of them is a nymph, the others are very private and don't really interact with others, they tend to stay close to humans. Since we have been here we have only had to deal with two of these groups, the sex-deprived, as I like to call them, and the vampires. And believe me, you can easily spot the bloodsuckers, they are always accompanied by an entourage of their vampire groupies," Lucas replied with a slight grin.

"It's good to know I'm in the midst of a supernatural melting pot, especially the vampires. I'm sure they're very friendly vegetarians, aren't they?" I remarked sarcastically, remembering my escape from home.

"Believe me, Francis, the vampires at our school are some of the least worrying supernatural beings around. In fact, they're quite friendly, at least to us," Anna assured me with a grin.

"Of course, who wouldn't want some stylish daylight rings for unhindered globe-trotting?" Lucas chimed in, laughing at Anna's confidence.

"I hope you're right," I mused, pondering the possible consequences of living with vampires and the other creatures at school.

The rest of the school day was uneventful, apart from the clichéd "tell the class something about yourself" routine.

After another three hours we finally left the school and waited for Suho to drive us home. I was surprised at how peaceful the car ride was. Suho kept up a regular conversation with me, even asking me about my first day at school. Maybe he was getting used to me, and maybe one day we wouldn't have to try to kill each other. At least, I hope.

Following dinner we all retired to our beds. Lys informed me that my first journey was about to begin. I asked her about the destination, but she only revealed that it would be in Europe and that I'd be travelling with two other coven members. I prayed it wouldn't be too crazy an adventure. Maybe a simple trip to Italy, translating ancient texts or attending a ceremony - that would be perfect. And then some sunbathing on the beach.