Seven

AVENA

It was the first day of school.

I was dressed already in a cute top, loose jeans and boots, curled my hair nicely, with my jacket and backpack in my hand. Aunt Mona informed me that Philly would be dropping and picking me up daily. I got to know everyone except uncle Gray usually ate breakfast together. They said he liked having a quiet morning, meditating or training. Devina and Caro made food for everyone always and I swore they were skilled chefs.

Everyone wished me good luck, and soon enough, I was getting into a truck, and we were heading out.

We had a quiet drive to the school which was at the heart of UPC since Philly wasn't much of a talker. Although he answered every single question I had to ask.

We pulled over in front of the huge building which had CRESCENT CLAW HIGH SCHOOL boldly written. There was a symbol of a crescent-shaped moon and a wolf's claw in the centre, visualizing the name.

I got off, waved Philly bye and stood staring at the entrance as he drove off.

"AVENA?! OMFG IT'S YOU AVENA!!" I heard some girl shout from a distance. And soon, she ran to me, her high platforms stomping away as she ran.

She had doll-like eyes and multiple piercings, and her hair was hot pink, matching her floral dress and platform. She grinned at me. "It's me, Sera!"

My eyes widened, "Sera?" I asked in surprise. "I know you looked familiar. You just look... different. Good different." I said as we hugged.

"And you look prettier. I've missed you so much, you have no idea!" She squealed.

I used to hang out with Sera a lot when we were younger in school. And as much as I wish I remembered more, that was all I could.

"Omg Avena, I doubted the rumors at first. But you're here. When you left, no one would talk about you and I was afraid of your uncle. Rumours said he kept a shotgun and hunted whoever came close to your territory. Omg, I'm so happy," She blabbed, almost forgetting to catch her breath before hugging me again.

I laughed at how cute she was. I had forgotten what it felt like to actually have friends while I was away. And this new feeling was nice.

"I'm glad I'm back too. Although I don't remember much, I still missed here."

She nodded with a pout and grabbed my arm. "First things first. Let's get your schedule at the reception." she told me leading the way. She was one hell of a talker and I honestly couldn't recall if she had always been like this when we were younger.

We got to the reception and I entered inside while Sera waited outside.

"Good morning Ma'am.. I'm uh.. here for my schedule." I told the black-haired lady with rimless glasses who sat behind the desk.

"Okay."

She typed in some words without looking up at me and printed a paper out. She took a quick glance at it and peered at me through her glass; I didn't fail to miss the little surprise on her face before she hid it, clearing her throat.

"Lunaria pack huh?" She asked.

"Yes Ma'am," I replied. "I just kind of got back."

"Haven't had a Lunaria pack member in years," She stated as she handed my paper to me. As I tried to collect it, she didn't let go. "I see you are a good combat fighter but you have a problem with shifting and controlling your abilities. I would say you pay keen attention to your shifting and transformation classes and your specialized courses." Her eyes told me she wasn't joking, almost intimidating me, but I held her contact, not looking away once. It seemed to impress her because she smiled and let go of the paper.

"Stay out of trouble and don't turn back if the kids whisper. You're special." She said, her smile warmer now.

I smiled back at her standing up, "Thank you Ma'am."

I left the office and went outside, Sera was waiting for me, a big lollipop in her mouth.

"The receptionist was so nice. I was surprised." I told her as she handed me a lollipop too and she started to lead the way to our class.

She took out hers and nodded, "Yup. She's from the Ironclaw pack. They're the nicest people ever. We have a few exceptions, though, but I mean, compared to other packs, they're the nicest. Half of scholars here are also from the Ironclaw pack."

"Hmm," I replied nodding. "I see."

On our way, I learnt that every senior took the same six major courses and then the last course known as specialized courses were the only one we had to choose differently depending on what rank you were preparing for.

That meant I was to keep on seeing Isaac in class as well as Marco and others. But on the other hand, I was glad to be there with Sera. At least I wouldn't be lonely like I was back at the Ville.

We headed to our first class just as three girls walked up to us. The one in the middle had long black hair and looked pretty with the loud makeup on her face, while the two behind her were identical blonde twins.

"Uh, these bitches." Sera commented with an eye roll.

They stopped in front of us, an obvious fake smile sitting boldly on their faces. I disliked the aura coming from them. They reminded me of Blondie and her mini-mean group.

"You're Avena who just returned?" The one in the middle spoke up first in a high-pitched voice and when I nodded, she drew me into a tight hug

"Welcome, welcome to Crescent Claw High!'

I studied her, wondering if it was genuine, and when I opened my mouth to speak, she raised a hand up, signalling me to stop."Hey clown," She referred to Sera before turning back to me. Sera flipped her off.

"I'm Linda," She continued. "This is Hannah and Harper. Nice meeting you. Make sure your Nyxian legs stay clear of our way." She concluded, her smile dropping dramatically from her face as she turned and strutted into the class, the twins following her.

Sera huffed, eyeing her," Told you she was a bitch."

"I see that now." I replied.

I looked up to see Isaac and his friends walking towards us.