Full Moon.

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(Michaels POV) 20 days until full moon

I like the night time, I like the dark, the constant cool air and the moon. I'm not considered normal to any standard, there are things that make me especially different that no one knows about, things no one will ever know about. There are things that make me dangerous and I hate myself for it, but more than anyone I hate Tyler, he did this to me and called it a gift then left me for dead. So far this disease doesn't seem like too much of a gift.

I walk into school with that feeling, the one when you don't really feel anything at all you just feel empty. I walk past various 'cliques', then I see them, the epitome of miscreants known just simply as 'the group' they are the group that spend every weekend drunk and at parties. They are all incredibly smart which does my head in honestly, how do you balance being a rebel and being a genius? I look at them all carefully, making sure none of them see me staring, Marina Fey and Calum Hood, the hottest, grungiest couple in school were holding hands laughing (undoubtedly) at something that Marina had said. Then there was Indie and Ashton, the 'best friends' who knew they had feelings for each other but of course would never admit it to each other. Copeland and Luke were the more reserved of the group usually quietly giggling at something someone had said, they have had a 'thing' for about 6 months now but have ever acted on it. Then there was Mandela, she was beautiful, long, wavy, blonde hair and tan skin with bright blue eyes, she was stunning but of course she never noticed people like me, no one ever notices me, because I am insignificant until a full moon rises.

-

I begrudgingly walk into class looking around at all the different types of people in the room, it seems everyone is always categorised, they stay in their lane I suppose you could say, only I don't have a lane. I am plain boring Michael Clifford, no one knows me but yet no one likes me. I look around see that there is a new kid sitting in my seat, anger fills me and I want to tell him to leave and move somewhere else but he is a jock which means he is surrounded by an impenetrable fortress of immobilises, so I simply sigh and look for somewhere else to sit, I feel my stomach drop, there's one seat, next to her, next to Mandela. I walk over to her and look at my shaking hands and manage to croak out a sentence.

"Um Mandela, can I sit here?" I say pointing to the seat next to her.

"Who are you?" and that was the best slap of reality a teenager can get.

"I'm Michael Clifford, we, uh, we've been going to school together since kindergarten..." I explain nervously.

"Oh yeah! You were the first one in our grade to dye their hair! Legendary!" What? Who is this? I always thought Mandela was bitchy and awful.

"So is it okay if I sit here?" I ask again.

"Absolutely yeah!" She chirps, "So there are a lot of rumours I've heard about you Mr. Clifford." She giggles.

"I thought no one knew who I was let alone people starting rumours about me..."

"No silly just because no one talks to you doesn't mean no talks about you!"

"Oh..."

"Apparently the source of these rumours is a guy called Tyler." She says in a hushed voice so no one but her me and Copeland (who doesn't seem to talk) can hear it.

"Ugh I hate him." I say surprising myself with my bitchy tone.

"Ooo what'd he do to you to make you so incensed to even think about him?"

"Make me what?"

"Incensed, livid, furious, angry, mad."

"Oh...he's just, uh, rude." I state, "I've heard rumours about you too Mandela

"Is that right?" She deviously smiles.

And the way the heart draws you to things means that you cannot question the way the brain reacts in certain situations. Mandela was having an effect on me and I couldn't stop her.