Attention

16: Monster

"Daphne, you're really annoying. You know that, right?" Sofia said, unprompted. Everyone just silently stared at her as Daphne swallowed a lump in her throat.
 
"Oh, no, I'm well aware," she whispered. Red growled, rather loudly, and everyone looked at her.
 
"Did you just growl at me?!" Sofia exclaimed, half teasingly and half shocked.
 
"Maybe I did." Red snapped. She jabbed her plastic fork through her chicken, through the styrofoam plate, and into the table. The girls blinked a few times as Red yanked the fork from the table and started eating her chicken again. Sofia shook her head and looked back at Daphne.
 
"I was just letting you know, by the way, don't take it too personally - actually, scratch that, you probably should take it personally."

 It was in between classes and the trio was walking together in the halls. "You have to stand up for yourself, Daph, you can't let Sofia talk to you like that." Red said, taking Daphne's hand in hers and squeezing it. Daphne sighed.
 
"No, Red, it's okay. I am really annoying," she said sheepishly. Pinocchio placed his hands on Daphne's shoulder and shook them.
 
"What is wrong with you?!" he exclaimed. "You are not annoying, Daphne. You're perfect," he said in a brotherly tone.
 
"Thanks, Pinocchio." Daphne smiled. Sofia passed them and shook her head, mouthing he's mine when her and Daphne made eye contact. Daphne took a step away from Pinocchio and the boy's arms fell to his sides. Sofia smirked and turned the corner, her friends giggling. Pinocchio looked to them and then back at Daphne, whose eyes fell to her lap. He sighed and hugged her, Red did the same.
 
"Don't worry, Daphne, it'll be okay."
 
Daphne went home feeling rather down, which Puck noticed right away. He grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking away from him.
 
"Marshmallow, what's wrong? You look sad," he said. Daphne shook her head, but she knew Puck could see through her fake smile.
 
"Marshmallow, it's okay, you can tell me," he whispered kindly. Daphne sighed and smiled, then she told Puck everything that Sofia had done during the past two-ish months. Puck listened patiently, and when she was finished, he gave Daphne the tightest hug she'd ever felt. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck.
 
"Thanks for always being here for me," she whispered. Puck smiled to himself.
 
"You don't have to thank me, Marshmallow, it's what big brothers do," he said.
 
Brother, Daphne thought, smiling. We're...family.

The next day, Puck offered to drive Daphne to school, who happily accepted. They parked down the road and he walked her to the schoolyard.
 
"Bye, Marshmallow, have a good day," he said, giving her a quick hug and kiss on forehead. Then Puck returned to his car and Daphne walked down onto the school yard. Sofia rushed over to her.
 
"Who was that who dropped you off?" she demanded. Daphne raised an eyebrow.
 
"Oh, him? That's Robin. Why do you wanna know?" she replied nonchalantly.
 
"Because he's a hottie, that's why." Sofia snapped. Daphne shook her head.
 
"He's seventeen, Sofia, and he has a girlfriend," she said.
 
"That can be changed."
 
"You're so gross."
 
Later that day, Daphne was walking in the halls when she accidentally bumped into the back of Sofia. The brunette turned around, her hazel eyes burning red with anger.
 
"Watch where you're going, you bitch!" she slapped Daphne across the face. Everyone gasped as Daphne stumbled backwards, blinking back tears. She didn't know what stung more: Sofia's words, or her slap. Sofia kicked the girl in the shin, but Daphne didn't fall.
 
"Why were you so close to me anyway?! You're supposed to be at least one yard away at all times!" Sofia exclaimed. Red turned the corner and saw all of this from down the hall. Anger flowed through her veins and she had to surpress the urge to kill everyone in sight.
 
"Hey!" she shouted. Everyone turned to face the small, mute girl. "Leave her-"
 
"ALONE!" the Wolf took control of Red's body and ran over at top speed. She shoved Sofia away from Daphne. The brunette went flying a good six feet before crashing into the wall, making a deep dent and getting knocked unconscious.
 
"AND NEVER COME NEAR HER AGAIN!" Red grabbed Sofia's neck, waking the brunette. Everyone around them gasped in fear, and when Red turned, she saw the terror in Daphne's tear filled eyes. And then, everything seemed to collapse. Red let go of Sofia's throat and everything went blurry. She could barely stand. The Wolf let out an ear piercing scream as Red sunk to the floor.
 
Hair grew out of every inch of her body, and she tripled in size. Her nose grew out into a snout and her auburn locks retreated back into her head until they were the same thick grey fur that covered her entire body. Her nails and teeth turned to razors, and her eyes became an icy blue.
 
Everyone screamed in terror, but were rooted to the spot in fear. The Wolf stood, the top of her head pressing up again the ceiling. The student's feet finally started working and they made a dash for the other side of the hall, but the doors separating each hallway closed and locked. They were trapped in a hallway with no classrooms, with a giant hairy monster.
 
When the Wolf and Daphne made eye contact, both girls almost started crying. Daphne stood in front of the other students, almost like she was protecting them. There was a look of determination in her eyes, like she would stop at nothing to save them.
 
"Daphne, please, it's me!"
 
The black haired girl was shocked to hear her best friend's voice come out of the Wolf's body. She slowly lowered her arms and took a step towards the monster.
 
"...Red?" she whispered. "What's going on? Why haven't you lost control?"
 
"Daphne, you have to believe me-"
 
"Monster!" someone cried.
 
"No, please, I wouldn't hurt anyone! I didn't mean for this to happen!" Red shouted over all the screaming. Then, the door behind her opened. Pinocchio stood there with the principal, Mr. Hamelin.
 
"Red, Daphne. Come with us," the man said. The two girls nodded and did as requested. They walked to the office, and Red slowly started turning back to herself. Mr. Hamelin sat the two girls down in chairs.
 
"We're going to dust the school. Until everyone has returned home safely, you two better start talking."
 
By the end of the day, everyone thought that the dent in the wall happened during a break-in the night before. Nobody except for the principal and three students remembered what actually happened.
 
Red begged and begged for her to be dusted as well, but Mr. Hamelin refused. He said that she had to remember to insure that it wouldn't happen again. Pinocchio pointed out that the Wolf would most certainly do that again given the circumstances, and then he was told to shut up.