Omega

Chapter 3

 Well, it was official: new students sucked! Now I understood why I had a less than warm welcome. I quickly showered grateful my physical education was right before lunch so I could eat immediately after; Combat always worked up an appetite. Also I wanted to grab a chocolate bar and drown my sorrows in my epic fail of Project Befriend New Kids. I was still fuming by lunchtime. The courtyard had been packed with students. It was a nice day outside which was a relief. If it had been rainy, this day would have gone down as the worst day of my life. Just because I could, I glared at the two freshman wolves that ruined the cafeteria earlier in the week, deeming it inaccessible for the rest of the month. In the cafeteria, I could at least sit in a far corner with my best friends and sulk. I looked for my friends when I spotted Daciana’s big Greek hair in the crowd. I followed it to my friends sitting at a picnic bench arguing quietly between them. Daciana gestured wildly spraying sunscreen on her never-burning skin. She seemed to think because she was Unshifted, her skin had forsaken her Greek ancestry and would not heal fast enough if she didn’t protect it. Logan’s normally toffee skin was tinted with red as he gripped his bald head. Normally, I would listen in to know what I was about to face, but I was too peeved to play referee. All arguing, however, ceased when Logan saw me making my way to them. He stumbled off the bench to me and grabbed my shoulders in his hands.

“Are you okay? Logan asked conspicuously checking me over for what I didn’t know. When he appeared satisfied, he backed away discreetly looking around. I nodded sitting down and getting my lunch. Logan had a way of being overprotective; it was due to his Enforcer blood. What still had me confused was the anxiety everyone seemed to radiate today. I just radiated aggravation. All my plans had been shoveled into the gutter and no one would tell me why. It was quite depressing, if not also infuriating.

“No, the question is, are you pregnant?” Daciana demanded with such a straight face that I could never tell whether or not she was joking. The thought that she wasn’t constricted my throat as the soda I drank poured down it. I coughed and sputtered still trying to grasp the idea that she may be serious, but took it as a joke to be on the safe side.

“Why in the world would I be pregnant?”

“I heard you showed Fàelàn around the school this morning,” Daciana stated as if it was obvious.

“You showed him around!” Logan pressed.

“Not just showed him,” Daciana continued, “She volunteered for the job.”

Logan seemed more vigilant to make sure I was unharmed. Daciana’s firsthand knowledge of Fàelàn peaked my curiosity. “What’s with that guy? He kind of strolled in like he was the greatest thing since sliced bread and actually propositioned me before my first period.”

“Well, you did volunteer. You should have known what you were getting yourself into. Fàelàn’s known for being…” Daciana paused trying to find the politically correct word for man whore. “Insatiable. He will mount anyone the red head doesn’t give a black card.”

I looked to where Daciana was nodding to see my three favorite people (note the irony) gathered together in the courtyard. There was a wide circle of free space around them; those who neared them veered away as if a domed force field had encompassed them.

“It figures they would be friends,” I mumbled. At least, I was not presumptuous. I grouped them perfectly. Cain stood stoically to the side as Fàelàn took in his fill of the female population while the Bard spoke dynamically about the sandwich he held in his hand. I studied Cain still trying to figure him out, not knowing whether to feel relieved or even more irritated. He behaved the same way with his friends, leaning comfortably on the wall near him, silently, hands in his pocket without his book. “And that one has to be the worst! Standing there like peasants are crowding his thrown!”