This IS My Normal

008

"Where have you been?" my mother asked me. But I didn't respond. Instead, I just ran towards her and hugged her. Never have I ever been so happy to see her before. "What is this for?" she asked me.

"I tried to come home and I couldn't. I was being chased" I admitted. I wasn't too sure what to say.

I didn't know where my dad was and I didn't want him to suspect what was going on. Although, I'm sure he's grown suspicious of the "animal attacks".

"Well are you okay" she asks me as she put her hands on my face to look at me. I nodded my head and excused myself to my room. Where I found my brother waiting for me.

"What do you want Polo? Actually, I don't care. I've had a long night and I just want to go to bed". "What were you running from?" I was headed to my bed and stopped.

"Why?" "Because something weird is happening in this town. And I know you know what". I made eye contact with him as he sat on my bed. "I hear things Em, things I shouldn't be able to." "Okay, Polo, I think it's really late and it's time to go to bed. Get out!" I yelled at him.

He wouldn't move. I had to drag him out. "We can talk about this another time. But tonight, isn't it".

••••

They canceled school for the rest of the week after everything that went down. On the first day back, we had a test. Of course we did. But I liked having the test. It reminded me that something in my life was normal. Even if things that weren't typical could happen in the school, I could always count on the work and the teachers to be constant.

I don't think that's how it was for Scott. About ten minutes or so into our test, he ran out. Followed by his best friend. I didn't follow. I wanted to focus on this test. Not everything about them has to be my business.

The supernatural world is supposed to be fun. There are so many movies, shows, and books written about it. But the fun ones weren't real. Because the truth is, it's not fun. And tonight is the full moon. No, I can't think about that. Just this test is all that's supposed to matter.

••••

I'd like to think I did well on the test. After it was over I didn't worry too much about it. That part of my school life hasn't changed. After a test, out of sight, out of mind. I can't change the grade after it's left my sight.

Even though I didn't follow Scott out of the classroom, I still wanted to know what went down. I saw him and Lydia walk off together. So, I followed them. I was going to enter the coach's office with them, but they shut the door. By the time I approached, I saw them making out.

My jaw dropped. It didn't take a genius to know that Stiles has the biggest crush on her. Why would Scott kiss his best friend's crush? Not my problem.

I did want to go find Stiles. If I couldn't get any info out of Scott because his mouth was busy, maybe I could from Stiles.

By the time I got to their lacrosse practice, I saw Scott launch and the goalie, Danny. Everyone ran up to them. As did I, to grab Stiles.

"What's going on with Scott? Why did he leave the test?" "He uh, he um" he started to trail off. He wasn't looking at me. He was looking at her.

The girl who I've learned isn't ginger, she's strawberry blonde. Stiles hates when people misspeak on it. She was fixing her lipstick.

"Hey, where did you just come from?" "The school? You know, where we all came from". "No but like what part?" "Can you answer my question first" I asked him as I started to get annoyed. "He had a panic attack, now you". "I came from the locker room exit, why?" "Did you uh" he stopped talking to me and started talking to himself, "No no. He wouldn't do that would he? It's got to be the full moon, right?" "Are you talking about Lydia?" "So it did happen? I-I've gotta go." he tells me as he storms away.

••••

I was laying on my bed fighting myself. Forcing myself not to shift. I refused to succumb to this condition. My teacher, Derek, was who we presumed to be dead. If I can't control it, I don't want to shift. I don't want to change.

"It's happening to you, isn't it"? "Get out Polo!" "I know it's happening to you too. But worse isn't it? I told you I can hear things that I shouldn't. And it gets worse one night a month. It's like I can hear everything. As small as an ant walking." "Polo! This isn't the time either" I yelled in an attempt to get him out of my room.

"I've heard Mami and Pa talk about it, Em. I know what we are. They just don't know that I am." "What are you talking about?" "Shapeshifters. We're only half. It's a gene. I've got some of the benefits, none of the shifting. Apparently you shift." "How do you know so much about it?" "Because that's why we moved here. To get away from it. But once you've entered the world of the supernatural, there's no escaping it."

I began to sit up. The pain from fighting the shift had started to go away a little bit.

"You need to shift though." "I don't want to. Every time Scott does he wants to kill somebody." "Do you want to kill anyone? Are you mad at anyone? All of your normal emotions are just heightened. You can't keep denying yourself your own nature." "Well, I'm not mad at anyone. No, I don't want to kill anyone-" "Good, shift". "What? Here?" "No, we'll go to the woods, okay?

••••

"Okay, we're here, now what"? "You shift. Don't hold back". I nodded my head. I closed my eyes and took a deep sigh.

Only a few moments passed. My shoulders pushed back and my chest raised up. My eyes shut and then flashed open. This is what the shift felt like. My muscles felt light. My feet felt like I was standing on air.

"You can feel more, see more, even hear more now, Em. Run faster." "You don't shift?" "I can't. I get the perks without the damage." "Haha" I mocked.

"This is your chance to race, Em. You know, since you've never been quite as fast as me." Polo challenges. "Whatever, you're on" I laughed as pushed him to gain me a head start.