Strong with a K

Contradiction much?

A/N: Picture on the side of mural. Just the mural. I don't picture her room like that, but if you do feel free to keep that in mind.

Contradiction much?

My head leaned against the cold wood of the closed door with a sigh. With eyes closed, lips turned up into a small smile, and peaceful silence surrounding me in the quiet house, I let the events of the day sink in.

But with reminiscing on the day came the realization that I essentially let some people in, which was a first for me. That I allowed them to see even a fraction of who I really was had me second guessing myself and the smile slowly receded from my lips.

I was reserved. I didn't have friends, at least not close ones and not by my own volition. I'd never became close with anyone so quickly, and Derek and Paige had been the one and only exception. This town was a new start and I was already straying from old habits, yet I still had the urge to push the two far far away. Letting people in came with a cost because once they'd seen you, once they knew you, that made it all the easier for them to get inside you and mess you up.

I sighed taking a peek out of the small window, conveniently placed right next to the front door, to see Derek staring straight at me . He waved his hand in greeting, a large smile on his face as I quickly moved out of his sight. I heard his chuckle, waiting for the heat to leave my cheeks before I looked out once again. All I saw was his retreating back as he bounded down the stairs, a bounce in his step, turning left and continuing on his merry way. I wouldn't be surprised if he was whistling a small tune as he went. He looked that happy.

Maybe it's because of you, my subconscious whispered teasingly. The small smile returned to my mouth, replacing the previous frown, at the thought and it was like I could feel one of my protective walls crumble around me.

I let the cloth of the curtain slip through my fingers, falling back into its place over the window as I made my way up the stairs.

I pushed open the door to my room reveling in the serene sight. My own personal woods.

This was the only thing I'd asked for when preparing my new room and Alan had more than delivered. My bed sat directly against the wall of the mural providing me with a sense of freedom and excitement yet also tranquility and calmness. It didn't make sense when I thought about it, but my dad did always say the forest did something to me. And maybe he was right.

The scene was bright, happy, peaceful...undisturbed. Sunshine shone through the trees covering the forest floor and all its inhabitants. There were no beings lurking in the shadows nor deadly monsters prepared to catch their prey. It was just...the sun and the trees and the flowers and the sky.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. -Aristotle

The words were expertly and beautifully printed alongside the mural. Reminding me that though the world seemed dark, there was still light. Though I was a werewolf, I was still good inside.

I'd memorized the quote during one of my study sessions initiated by my father. Mr. Henry Allain, Professor of Mythology. Ironic only because he was what he preached, an alpha.

My dad was a serious guy, a know-it-all, an esteemed mentor and teacher, leader of his pack. He wished for his children to follow in his footsteps, gain whatever knowledge they could whenever they could. He'd tried to imprint the philosophy on my older sister, Ella, but it never took root. She hated him and refused to be tied down.

And then came me, his daughter that loved holing herself up in her room away from everyone. I guess he figured why not learn while being an anti-social recluse. So that's what I did. Instead of playing outside with friends and peers, I spent my days reading college textbooks, taking in as much information as possible to please my father. His happiness was an important factor to me at the time. Not anymore.

I'd stopped during the divorce. Stopped reading, stopped memorizing, stopped caring about what he wanted, or at least that's what I told myself. Yet even though I was done with the textbooks, this saying lingered behind. The reason being that when I felt myself being swallowed by that big, lonely, dark abyss, it brought be back. It'd become my mantra on a full moon to avoid being pulled in by the need to rip something apart.

It calmed me, so I was in control. I wasn't a monster. I was the light, and nobody could take that from me.

I moved to my bed, throwing myself up and landing in the middle of it, taking a moment to appreciate the warmth and comfort before grabbing my bag and beginning the 3-hour worth of homework assigned to me by my oh so lovely new teachers.

Gotta love being the new kid.