With Fire and Ice

Chapter one, in which a new student arrives

The school I went to when I was seventeen was a small building at the outskirts of the city. Some of us pupils would call the building modern, while others would call it old. Personally, I didn't care. Sure, the walls were all but falling apart yet the interior new and shining, but it just didn't matter to me. The people were boring, the classes were boring, and my life lacked taste.

No one cared about me, and I didn't care about them.

There weren't that many hybrids in this part of the world, but if you knew where to look you could find them. It seemed like a lot of them flocked to this school, including me, but we rarely got any new students in the middle of the year.

Which was why the wolf hybrid sitting next to my desk startled me. All hybrids are different, just like normal people, and this one had furry ears in the same dark color as his hair. I couldn't see any more details from my position. He gave of an aura of danger, even though he sat perfectly still, hunched over and reading his book in peace.

Without missing a beat I walked over to my desk. Throwing my backpack to the ground I fell into my chair –mindful of my tail of course- and pushed some hair away from my face.

The newcomer didn't do as much as twitch an ear, and I grinned. He passed the test.

I sketched for a bit, tuning out the sounds of the classroom around me and disappearing into my own world. My own peaceful world. The only place where loud sounds, mean people, or a fucking dark future couldn't disturb me.

But Jay could, that bastard.

He groaned. "Seriously? Another hybrid?"

I looked up at him through my bangs, but did nothing more than roll my eyes and shake my head. Some people are so closed-minded. The boy next to me didn't look up from his book.

Jay, upon getting no reaction, sneered and dug through his pockets. Moments later something hit the wolf hybrid in the back of the neck.

And then suddenly flames were licking up his arms. I gaped. Hybrids are a minority, and elementals, too, but it's even rarer to have them combined.

I thought-

The hybrid interrupted my thoughts. "Don't. Tease. Me." He forced the words out between clenched teeth, and my eyes widened slightly when he stormed out of the door.

A tail. He had a black tail.

I ran after him.

*

"Hey."

The boy started and spun around, facing me with the oddest expression. It was as if he'd been caught and tried to react too early; his face was a mixture of surprise, anger, and poorly-concealed fear. His hands were still burning, and his wolf like, yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion.

I swished my tail back and forth for a bit, as if to show him that I meant no harm. There was a moment where he didn't react at all. I feared that he didn't understand, the body language of a wolf might be very different from the one of a fox, after all, but then the fire died out and his ears perked. "What do you want?" he growled. His voice was gruff. It sounded like the one of an animal.

His whole appearance gave the feeling of 'ready to fight'. Looking away from his brown military boots and faded blue jeans, it was just something about the way he held himself. Guarded. Careful.

I don't answer his question. "Are you okay?" For all I know, the rock hit something it shouldn't have. I couldn't smell any blood, but my smelling wasn't the best. I leaned my hip against the concrete wall next to me, crossing my arms in the progress.