The Phoenix and her Flame

Chapter 1

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I groan as my alarm goes off.
I reach over and hit the button. Or try to anyways.

SMASH!

Oops. I guess I'll need a new alarm clock.

Again.

A loud voice suddenly rings out from downstairs.
"Akaelya! Get up or your going to late for school!"
I groan again. Ugh, school. Or as I like to call it, hell.
I'm always teased at school about my "delicate situation" as my mother says.
Easy for her to say, she shifted right on time, just like everyone else.
Everyone else but me, of course.
I hadn't shifted on Anikias day.
I was now considered untouchable by practically everyone at school but my small group of friends.
Gods, I don't know what I would do without them.
They were still kind to me, despite me being a 'kincaid', or non-shifter.
They defended me from The Pack.
The Pack is this huge group of wolf shifters in the school that bully anyone that they feel "unworthy".
So really, everyone outside of The Pack.
"Akaelya! Hurry up!" My mother calls again.
I groan again.
At least it's Friday, so I won't have to go back to prison for 2 days after this.
I slowly open my storm blue eyes and sigh as I drag my body out of bed and start to dig through my disaster zone that I call a 'room' for clothes to wear.
I decide on my typical comfy jeans and random t-shirt look that I have pretty much every day.
I attempt to brush out the long, brown mess of a mane of hair that's attached to my head, with little success.
It still looks like I had an early battle with a squirrel and lost.
I give up and grab the detangling spray I keep on hand at all times next to my sink.
20 minutes later- yeah that's how long it took to brush my hair- I run down the stairs, jumping the last few steps.
"Akaelya, where have you been? I called you 20 minutes ago! You are going to be late!" My mother scolds me as I run around the kitchen grabbing cereal, milk, and a spoon, while simultaneously trying to pull socks on.
"Sorry, I need a new alarm clock" I say sheepishly.
"Again?" Now it's my mother's turn to groan.
"You'll have to shovel that in if your going to make the bus, young lady!" She exclaims, looking at the clock.
I do too, and realize I have exactly 2 minutes to eat, get my stuff together and get out the door if I'm going to make the bus today.
Gosh, how time flies when you're having fun.
Note the sarcasm in my voice.
I attempt to screech in alarm with food still in my mouth.
I continue to scarf down my cereal as I run around scrambling, looking for my messenger-style, plain brown bag.
I swear, that brown is better than camo at hiding.
I spot it and throw the strap over my shoulder.
I practically throw my bowl into the sink as I run past.
I hear a loud honk outside, letting me know that the bus is waiting.
I yank on my jacket, seeing how it's snowing outside, jump into my black fur mukluks, and rip the door open, yelling goodbye to my mom as I sprint to the bus.
I live in the middle of absolute nowhere, so of course my driveway is practically a mile long.
I get on the warm bus, completely out of breath, and start walking to my lonely seat.
A foot suddenly shoots out, and before I can stop, I'm on the floor.
Laughing erupts all around me.
In my rush, I forgot to lift my feet.
This actually happens every day. I get tripped, The Pack laughs, and I get up and go to my seat.
That's right, some of The Pack is on my bus, and I swear they were sent here from hell as my personal demons.
I roll my eyes, get up with my head down, and keep walking.
I collapse in my seat, already dreading the day.
*****
I open my locker, shoving my backpack in and grabbing the supplies I need for my first few classes.
I suddenly feel someone brushing the dirt from the bus floor off of me from behind.
"Jeez, Kay! Again? You have got to stand up for yourself sometime!" I hear a feminine voice exclaim.
"I know, I know" I huff as I hand my best friend Tiffany my books to hold while I take off my still-filthy jacket and shove it in my locker with my backpack.
Tiff is one of the few girls who don't treat me like a piece of dirt in this school.
Then some of the kids who do walk by.
"Hey Loser! Get some!" I hear and just manage to close my locker in time to protect my stuff from some UFF, or Unidentified Flying Food, splattering all over my locker.
"Oh, your GONNA get some if you don't leave her alone!" Tiffany threatens.
"Oh yeah? You and what army?" I turn and see some of The Pack laughing at Tiff.
I almost laugh at their stupidity.
Suddenly Tiff growls loud enough for the entire hallway to reverberate with it. I see her eyes change to glowing yellow out of the side of my vision.
"I don't need one to kick your asses! Now get. Out of here." She barks. Literally, she barks it. Her voice is only half human.
The Pack members whimper, hang their heads, and scurry out like rats.
See, Tiff is really the only one that The Pack are scared of. She shifted with everyone else, with one major difference with her animal.
Usually, there are only small to medium animals nowadays, with the occasional large one, and there are hardly any endangered species shifters.
Tiff, however, became a timber wolf, and those things are HUGE!
Usually none of the pack mess with her, with the exception of today, because they know she is superior to her.
And boy, does she know it too.
"Girl, just cause you're a kincaid, does NOT mean you can just let them bully you like that! Stand up for yourself for once!" She sasses me, and boy, can that girl sass.
"You know it won't do any good. They will bug me 'till the day I die" I snap my fingers, imitating Tiff's sassiness, and we both laugh.
"Now come on, we're gonna be late for class!"
*******
Classes seem to fly by that morning. I have math and ELA in the morning with Tiffany and 2 other girls from our little troupe, Kano and Riley, then social with just Tiff and Kano.
In the afternoon, I have art with Riley and another troupee, Mailee and finally choral with our final trouper, Leia.
I finish all my work early in my classes since there isn't much today, and basically just sit there and talk with my friends and wait for the bell to ring each class.
Lunch finally rolls around and we meet in our usual spot in the cafeteria.
I see the usual cliques- The Pack-everybody knows them, or at least about them, bullies, jocks >wolves•dogs< ;
The Aviaries- a group of smart, athletic kids, who are actually pretty awesome and really nice, although some of them are kind of airheads, everybody likes them >birds< ;
The Felines- often seen grooming themselves or each other, shoulder to lean on, very cuddly people, but some can be selfish >cats< ;
The Sunny's- often seen lounging in the sun, usually having fun, nice to hang out with, laid back >reptiles<;
The Mermaids- really stuck up, 'pretty', sing a lot, very mean, often seen around the Pack >amphibians<;
There is, of course plenty of other animals, but they all found a group that they fit in with.
And then their is us.
We are the odd ones out.
Sure, we could fit in somewhere if we wanted to, but we all knew we'd just gravitate back together again.
I'm the only kincaid in the entire school, so without them, I'd be alone.
Tiffany is the only dog in our 'troupe' as I say. She has mocha skin, the darkest brown eyes, crazy black hair, and attitude enough for us all.
Mailee and Riley are the birds. Mailee is chinese, and has shoulder length black hair and a perfect complexion. She is exactly how I picture a human raven. She is definitely the brains of the operation.
Riley has long, naturally platinum blonde hair, and is always listening to some kind of music and dancing to it. She has snow white fair skin, and her eyes are deep indigo, green, and blue, with flecks of gold, matching her peacock form (yes, she has a male peacock form). She is probably best looking girl in whole the school.
Kano looks hawaiian and has beautifully long, rich, dark brown hair. She has a really tan complexion, and is as graceful as her brilliantly coloured tropical fish form.
Leia is a kind soul, but she can be fierce when she wants to. She has flame red hair, and jade green eyes to match. She is a tiger, that's for sure!
And then there's me.
I'm a kincaid. A human. I have no outstanding features, except maybe that I'm really smart. I have long brown hair with a flame-coloured streak I have in it, and storm blue eyes. Freckles cover me like the smallpox.
Everyone calls me a 'good girl', but most people know that good girls are just bad girls who don't get caught. Yeah, I still need to work on the bad girl side though.