Weredragons

A Transfer Student

A dull ringing sounded in her ears. It interfered with her crazy dreams; cloaked figures approaching a lost and forlorn person on the ground. The same dream that she had had the past few days. The waking up always made everything hazy. She opened her eyes and looked around her bare room. A few shelves were strung along the wall, a bed and wardrobe in a corner. Not much for what she paid to live here, certainly not like her clan's motherhome. Recalling what it looked like made her feel homesick, and she lost her taste of staying in bed. At least I can go get something to eat, she thought, hurriedly snapping on her fur-lined slippers and bearskin cloak. Her alpha father had told her that it was colder in Los Angeles than at home, and already she felt chilled through the walls.

The clock on the wall downstairs was chiming 8:00. By the looks of a hurried breakfast, it was obvious that the sour folks that she temporarily lived with had already left, much to her relief. An upset weredragon is better left alone for her first day at a new place.

For the 122 years of her life, Frosta hated being different. At home her father, the Alpha Droma, leader of the weredragons, made her stand out from common weredragons, because of her high lineage. In Los Angeles there was no other weredragon, so far as she knew, and she didn't like having human friends. Last time she got into a big fight. They also didn't understand how to organize a country, and did not understand why one person commanded the rest. Personally, Frosta did not know what life would be like without an Alpha Droma.

She tossed some eggs and meat onto a plate. She wolfed it down, even though she preferred raw meat. The eggs she ate raw as she thought about what tomorrow would be like. Her Alpha had instructed her to go to school at the nearest all girls school. Frosta knew it would be awful(from personal experience), but instructions from your Alpha are threatening commands, even though he is her father. Frosta really hoped that the children in Los Angeles were better than those in Luxembourg. Those European children had been real bullies. That was not to say that they bullied Frosta after the first day of school, but she had seen many smaller children pushed around. It didn't seem like those in LA would be much better, what with their rich houses and all, but there was at least a chance.

It had been talked about all over the schoolyard for weeks. Rumors were going around that a teenager was transferring to their school, and from Europe.

"I wonder why she's with that family," a girl might say to her friends, "they're never at home."

"Who says she wants others around? She might be a loner."

"I'm just saying it's all sort of mysterious. A teenager comes straight from Europe without her family, goes to one of the most expensive places in California, and stays in a home where no one talks to each other!"

"What I think weird is that she's not even European."

"She's not?"

"That's what the rumors are saying. I guess we won't know until she comes here."

The school bell rang and the students headed for their classes, just as Frosta came. She also went into a classroom for her first class and sat down at the back, putting down her notebook and pencil. The teacher began by introductions.

"Frosta, would you like to come up and introduce yourself?"

"Um, okay." Frosta stood up again and walked to the front. "Hi everyone, my name is Frosta Droma, I'm in my senior year, and am a transfer student from Luxembourg."

"Wow," the teacher remarked, "Luxembourg. That's in Europe, right? Can you tell us something about your family there?"

"Oh, my family doesn't live there. We live in Normandy."

"Do you not like the school there or something?"

"My father said I should go to different places, learn stuff there."

"Alright, I'm Melissa Roberts, but you can call me Miss Melissa, and this is the chemistry class. You may sit down now. Since you have changed in the middle of the school year, you may tell me if we are going too fast and we'll try to slow down a little."

Frosta sat back down. "Oh, no, that's not necessary."

"Alright. Class, does anyone know how to draw a Galvanic Cell?"

The lunch bell rang. Frosta sat inside the cafeteria, eating four chicken wings and a gallon of tap water. Even though her mother had taught her to eat foods other than protein, she still detested it and hoped she would never have to during her trip to America. The chicken wings were a little cold, so she tuned in the flames in her mouth and heated them as she ate. Weredragons like to catch their food and eat it cold, or have it hot so they could not smell who killed the prey. Frosta drew back from her thoughts as a girl and her friends came over. It was obvious that they did not want Frosta there.

"Hi, Frosta, I'm Janet. Since you haven't been here long enough, I suppose you wouldn't notice, but this is where my friends sit. Please move or we'll have to bring the teacher over." She smiled, as if she expected that information to startle me. Really? Frosta thought, Do other kids take her words seriously?

After a few moments she saw Frosta wasn't intimidated. Her smile changed to a frown. "Didn't you hear me, Bonjour? Get out of here, or we'll make you."

Now it was Frosta's turn to smile. She leaned back against the seat, grinning. "Go ahead. Try to make me. I'm stronger." All weredragons could be slick and smooth-talking, which is dangerous in some cases. She could persuade the teachers if necessary later.

Meanwhile, Janet was fuming. "Oh really, Smartie? You may have gotten the teachers to like your fake attitude and brilliance, but I've been in LA longer and my friends and I know this is our table!"

Frosta was really calm. "Look, let's make a deal. I'll talk with your friends. If they convince me, I'll give up the table. If I convince them, I guess I've got it."

At the offer, Janet looked pleased. "Fine. I'll give you until the end of lunch to give it the best you've got." Janet walked off.

Frosta turned back at the group of girls, studying them. In a moment, she knew what needed to be done. "Come, sit down. Let's talk this over." She said in her sweetest, most convincing voice. She took out a coin and spun it skillfully. "Now. I understand your frustration. You've been having a great time at high school, with your best friend Janet Crisp. She leads you in all the organizations, parties, and talks the most at lunch. One day-

A girl stepped in. "Hang on. Janet is not the leader. I am, Nancie Stick." The girl left her eyes on the coin, still spinning. Frosta smiled at how easy this would be if they fell for that old trick.

"Alright Nancie. I see you enjoy my coin."

"It's still spinning."

"An old family trick. It would work better if the table was flatter."

Nancie kept her eyes on the coin, but pointed to a table near the window. "We'll stay over there. The table is much better."

Frosta stopped the coin and gave it to them. "Fine. Take that table and this coin, I'll take this table."

Without another word, they called to Janet and walked over to the other table. Frosta grinned. If humans fell for weredragon coins that easily, there's no telling what sort of news would perplex them. Frosta noticed that another girl was watching them. When Janet's friends left, she wandered over to Frosta's table.

"Hi, I'm Clara. I like how you dealt with those girls. How'd you do the coin?"

Frosta chuckled. "My name's Frosta. It's actually really simple. Here." Frosta tossed her a weredragon coin. "Flick it." A weredragon coin can only emit magic if the user is the one controlling the spell, so Frosta had no worries with it. Clara and Frosta parted ways as the bell rang, Clara tossing the coin back to Frosta.