Chapter 5
Things were a little bit different at the wolf table during lunch today. It was Tuesday, and we had gone out to hunt for Tyler only yesterday.
I was going to find Tyler; one way or another. I mentally slapped myself. Stop thinking about Tyler, and think about your pack's feelings for once!
"Guys, I'm really sorry... that is never going to happen again," I said to them, picking at my salad with a white plastic fork.
"It's fine, Lyric," Ezra reassured me. "You don't have to keep apologizing."
I just sighed and stuffed a piece of lettuce in my mouth. I couldn't stop thinking about him! His looks, his charm...
My train of thoughts were de-railed when I heard a loud crash. Glass breaking. I spun around, worried. There was an innocent high schooler lying on the floor, blood oozing from some major cuts and wounds.
Broken bits of glass surrounded him on the floor, and the cafeteria sneeze guard was broken. There were kids screaming, other kids passed out, teachers scrambling everywhere and cell phones being dialed.
Zac ran over, ahead of the rest of the pack. "How did this happen?" he demanded.
"I don't know!" a girl pleaded. "It just exploded, an-and it hit my friend!"
Zac rushed past all of the bystanders, and forcefully yet controllably shoved the teachers out of the way, kneeling down next to the boy.
He pressed his hand onto the victim's forehead, breathing slowly. Zac's eyes closed as he focused. He was trying to heal him.
Zac's eyes popped open, and the victim had no reaction. He shot me a concerned look, and got up to walk over to me. "Lyric," he whispered in my ear. "Try."
"What?!" I whispered back, loudly. "Are you insane? I can't heal--"
He hissed under his breath, and I obeyed, groaning quietly. I knelt down next to the boy, and put my hand on his forehead. I closed my eyes so I could ignore all of the weird stares. I didn't know why Zac was making me do this - I didn't have healing powers! Mind you, he didn't either.
I gasped as a shock ran through my fingers. I couldn't get my hand off of the kid's face though. I wonder what this odd scene must look like to everyone else. If I did end up healing him though, it didn't matter, right?
"Eek!" I pulled my hand back, and there was steam rising from my palm. I stuffed it under my cardigan. Short, erratic breaths escaped the boy's mouth, and I gasped. I ran back to Justin, and he put his arm around me. I was close to shrugging out of his grasp, but decided not to. The poor boy just wanted some attention; and I mean, it's not like he was ugly or anything. All the girls used to fawn over him - me included - before most of us were shifted.
He sat up, and stuttered out, "E-e-mmaaa."
The girl from before - the one that told Zac what happened - ran over to him and enveloped him into a hug, tears escaping her eyes, blood soaking her clothes.
She helped him up, and had her arm around his shoulder as she helped him limp out of the cafeteria. Aw, I thought. Such cute friends.
I glanced up at Justin, who still had his arm around me. His cheeks reddened and I nervously jumped out of his grasp.
"Okay, students! Nothing to see here!" the Principal announced, and everybody made their way back to their tables - except me.
"Shit," I murmured, speed-walking my way to the hall. I bit down on my lip; my hand burned. I was two seconds away from saying something even worse when Maria grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
"What happened back there?"
I just shook my head, and I knew I was crying now. I needed to get my hand under some cold running water. I swear my flesh was burning off.
I turned on my heel and flew into the bathroom. From the corner of my eye I caught the rest of the pack running after me, but I didn't care.
"Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shit," I swore repeatedly. The water was freezing on my skin and it burned. What the hell happened? Well, I wasn't sure, but I knew one thing. I just freaking healed someone.
Jocelyn, Maria, Rose and Cher burst into the girls' room. "Lyric, are you okay?" Cher asked. She looked pretty shaken up.
"NO," I replied, only focusing on my hand. It was fire red, and the edges of my skin looked burnt. They were peeling up.
"Crap! Why the hell isn't this working?!" I demanded.
I heard the door swing open. Oh, perfect. Now I get to freak out even more people.
Instead of seeing a high school girl though, I saw a sixteen year old boy. An Alpha wolf, that is. This was a girl's bathroom...
"Zac!" I shouted.
"Sorry, girls," he apologized. The four ladies just nodded their heads and murmured inaudible responses. Zac came to my side and wrapped his arm around the right side of my waist. His other hand gripped mine - the one in the sink - and I swore.
"Oh. My. God," Zac whispered, and I was pretty sure I was the only one that heard it.
"What?" I whispered back. "You know, other than the reason that my hand flesh is burning off because I touched some stupid kid's face! "
"No." Zac let go of me, and ran a hand through his hair. He looked... what? Frustrated? Upset? Mad? Scared?
"The glass. It 'exploded'. Your hand got burnt when you healed him."
"Yes, all trued," I agreed. It did seem weird.
"That's not just everday stuff, guys! The... the elders..." Zac trailed off, thinking.
The elders? What did this have to do with--
"They're trying to warn us," Zac concluded. "They've found out about Tyler, and they don't like it."
