Beginnings (The Trifectus Series - Book One)

by Logan Byrne

The next morning all the news stations talked about was Brittany’s death. It was a vicious attack and we hadn’t seen a werewolf attack on a mortal in years. Every big station played over and over the details and pictures from the scene. It was disturbing to say the least. I saw pictures of her lifeless corpse covered by a tarp. Apparently her body hadn’t been moved yet. It was disgusting.

  I had even more protection on my way to school. They took me in a large SUV, and I had an extra guard in the car with me. I pulled up to the school to see guards outside checking identification of every person that went in or out of that school. They were treating us like criminals. As if we were some lowlifes who committed this act and they were trying to find the one who did it.

  I went inside and saw James standing by my locker.

  “Did you follow them last night?” I asked him.

  “Yeah, nothing checked out,” he replied. “They were near us when the attack happened.”

  “Why would they be so scared then?” I said. “I mean and then this happened later on. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Maybe they know who did it. Maybe there are some people in their pack that went rogue and they are worried someone might find out that they know.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I said. “I kind of wished it was them, though.”

  “Why do you say that?” he asked.

  “Then at least we would know and we could do something about it. Now there are just rogue wolves running around the city terrorizing people. We are helpless.”

  “No we aren’t,” he said. “We are already looking into it.”

  I smiled and hugged him. I was just glad I didn’t go last night. I might not be hugging him if I had decided to show up.

  “All students report to the auditorium in a timely manner,” Principal Trudy said over the intercom. “We are holding an assembly for events that have happened recently.” We all made our way to the auditorium. Kids were shoving each other to try to get in and get the best seats. Everybody wanted to sit next to their friends. I got a seat next to James in an upper row. As more students sat down, the assembly started.

  “Recent events have called for drastic measures for our school,” Principal Trudy said. “Last night we lost a member of our family. Brittany Cornington lost her life last night in Founder’s Park. We are hoping for swift action in her case and hope that whoever did this comes to justice. We also have the entire Cornington family in our prayers and hope that they will be able to cope as they grieve for the loss of their daughter. If anybody wants to sign a card, we have one in the office that we will be sending to them.

  “Because of these events,” the principal continued, we’ll be taking new security measures here. Firstly, you may have noticed that there are more guards here. This is because of the increased threat of an attack happening here on school grounds. Brittany’s attack was something that should have never happened and we want to make sure the people responsible aren’t able to come and do it here. Secondly, everybody that comes in or out has to be checked. Your information will be sent to a database telling us if you are in the building or if you have left. This is so we can make sure we know of everybody that is here. Every entrance and exit has guards that are doing this procedure. Thirdly, we will not be having any gym or extracurricular activities outside. We feel it is too much of a threat and we cannot make sure everybody is safe at all times outside. We simply do not have the manpower to do this. These new rules and more like them are subject to change at any time. If anything happens, we will promptly address it and let you all know. Now, here with something to say is Mr. Garret.”

  Mr. Garret was one of the school’s guidance counselors. He was a short, stocky man who was partially balding and had thick-framed glasses.

  “Good morning, students,” he said. “I know the tragedy of Brittany’s death has caused heartache for a lot of you. My staff and I are available during all school hours and after hours by appointment for your convenience. You can also get a pass from class if this is really bothering you and you need to speak to a counselor right away. We will help with any grief you may have. We hope we can help ease the minds and hearts of everybody that needs it.”

  “If you have any questions please feel free to come to the front office,” Principal Trudy said. “Classes will resume on their normal schedules, so please disperse in an orderly fashion and make your way to your classes. Thank you.”

  Everybody started to push and shove their way out like a bunch of crowded wildebeests in a room full of hungry lions. I finally made my way out of the auditorium and waited for James. I couldn’t find him and people were getting restless so I decided just to go to class. Because of the assembly, I had history for my first class of the day. I was just happy I got to bypass math altogether and go to a class where I could sit and act like I was interested while I thought about everything that happened.

  When I walked into class, half of the class was already there. I took my seat and started thinking. I needed to talk to James’s family. I wanted to see what they could do about these werewolves. They needed to stop them from hurting anybody else.

  I started thinking of trying to befriend Derek and Cara. I really didn’t like either one of them, but I knew they were key to figuring this out. They knew who was behind it. They knew the rogue wolves that had formed their own pack and started to hurt innocent people. I quickly squashed that idea, though, when I remembered how Cara had treated me at the nurse’s office. She wouldn’t even talk to me now that I was with James. She knew I would only be up to something and she wouldn’t trust me. It would just be a colossal waste of time that I could instead spend planning with James’s family.

  After class was over, I made it a mission to find James. I wanted to go over his house as soon as possible so we could plan our next moves. I went to his locker to see him putting on his jacket.

  “Where are you going?” I asked him.

  “Home. I need to talk with my family about what we should do.”

  “I was just going to talk to you about that,” I said. “I want to come over and help.”

  “I’m not sure if that is a great idea.” He frowned. “I don’t want you getting involved and getting hurt. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said. “And besides, I want to spend time with you alone.”

  “I still don’t know,” he said, grabbing my hand.

  “I’ll be fine. Just let me come over tonight.”

  “Fine. I’ll pick you up with Emma at five. It won’t all be fun, though. We have a lot of serious work to do.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’m ready for it.”

  He smiled and kissed me before walking away. I stood there smiling before turning around and walking off. The taste of his cool lips still lingered on mine as my lips started getting warm again.

  At lunch they had a memorial service for Brittany. There were pictures and flowers up everywhere, and you could go light a candle or sign a card for her family. People talked about memories of her and everybody cried. It was weird to see so many people distraught over her death. Most of them were people she didn’t care about at all. People who she teased or made miserable were crying as if their grandmothers just passed away. The power she had over these people was stranger than words. I didn’t understand it.

  During the memorial, I saw Cara standing in a back corner away from everybody else. She was partially hidden behind a pillar, but I could see her clearly. She was looking around nervously. She had a guilty look on her face and also looked like she was paranoid, as if someone was following her and she was hiding for her own safety.

  Then Derek showed up and spotted her in the corner. He went to her and she ran into his arms and clung to him. Why was she being so weird? Was somebody following her? Were the wolves from the attacks students here, targeting Derek and Cara, people who didn’t want to join their group?

  As I watched them, the bell rang for lunch to be over. When I walked away, they w
ere still in the corner talking about something. From their expressions, it was clear that whatever it was they were talking about was serious. I wished that I could hear them.

  I had gym next and for once I was happy. Derek and Cara were in my class. We had badminton today, which is something I hated to do. It was bigger than Ping-Pong but smaller than playing tennis. What was even the point of it? I could never hit the birdie over the net and at my old school I always got stuck with some old racket with wires poking out everywhere.

  In the locker room, I chose a locker down the row from Cara. We didn’t have assigned lockers because there were so many kids at the school. We had to bring locks with us and take whichever lockers we could find, which made things better when you needed to get close to someone.

  A couple of Cara’s friends came up to her but she wasn’t that chatty. She tried to act busy so they would go away, but I knew it was all an act. While she got dressed, she kept looking over her shoulder. You would think there was a ghost following her around and she was just waiting for the point when she turned around and it was right in front of her. She had a look of terror in her eyes.

  When I went into the gym, I saw Ariel, Greg and Taylor waving at me. I went over to them and decided to be on their team.

  “All right class, today we are going to be playing the game of kings: badminton,” Mr. Callahan said. “You will be placed into teams of four and we’ll be having a tournament to see which team is the best. We will play in brackets until the final two teams meet. Whoever wins doesn’t have to run laps tomorrow!”

  We were able to pick our own teams today, which meant I could learn more about Cara. I decided to ask my friends more about her.

  “Have you guys noticed that Cara has been acting weird lately?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she has been really withdrawn,” Ariel said.

  As she said that, Cara was trying to bounce a birdie on her racket. She kept dropping and fumbling it.

  “She can’t even balance the birdie,” Taylor said. “She never has a problem with badminton. She’s the best player in this class.”

  “What do you guys know about her?” I asked casually.

  “Well, she came here around three years ago,” Ariel said. “Soon after she was here, Derek came too and they started dating almost instantly. She’s been on the cheerleading and dance teams, and is most probably the best female athlete here.”

  “Yeah, nobody knows where she came from, though,” Greg said. “I tried to talk to her when she first moved here but she was pretty reserved about everything. It was almost like she was trying to hide something.”

  “Maybe she’s ashamed of her past,” Taylor said.

  Greg shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”

  Mr. Callahan blew his whistle for the tournament to commence. We weren’t matched against Cara’s team first, but I knew we eventually would be. Ariel, Greg and Taylor were actually very good at badminton. They were able to keep us above water and beat the first team we played.

  “Great job, guys!” Ariel said enthusiastically. “I know we can beat the second team just as easily.”

  The second team we faced was horrible. They only got the birdie over the net twice, and Taylor constantly spiked it over the net for an easy win. I barely had to do anything.

  Our third team was definitely a huge step up from the second team. There were two football players on the team that gave them a huge advantage. Both of our teams played vigorously, but we ultimately won.

  I looked at the chart Mr. Callahan had for the final game, and saw that we’d be facing Cara’s team. I knew I was ready for this. I was finally going to be able to check her out closely. Maybe I would be able to find out something about her that I could tell James and his family later. Maybe she would mess up somehow and give something big away.

  We started the game against her team. We would get a point and they would get a point just as fast. The game was neck-and-neck and each team only had short periods of time when they had a one-point advantage. We were evenly matched; it would be hard to win.

  I kept my eyes on Cara almost the entire time. She was tired, which was unusual for her. She had a paranoid look on her face that couldn’t even be described. Almost as if she feared that a giant hand was going to rip through the ceiling and take her away. She acted as if she was expecting something big to happen.

  As the timer started winding down, we needed to do something to win. That moment came sooner than expected. A girl on the opposing team hit the birdie up in the air. Everyone watched as the birdie made its way through the air, right at me.

  “Hit it,” I heard Ariel say.

  I jumped up and spiked the birdie as hard as I could. I spiked it right at Cara. The birdie flew down with force and hit her in the forehead and landed on the ground. The timer buzzed and my team went nuts. We had won the tournament and I was the sole reason.

  While I was happy we won, I was more confused than anything. Why didn’t Cara hit the birdie back? She was far more athletic than I was, and I knew she could’ve easily spiked it in my face.

  People came and patted me on the back as I gave a halfhearted smile. I was happy to win, but I knew it didn’t mean much if the other person didn’t even try.

  Mr. Callahan had us walk around the track after the tournament was over. I walked with my friends while people congratulated me on the spike.

  “I still can’t believe you did that!” exclaimed Ariel.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe she didn’t get mad,” said Greg. “Usually she is so defensive she would’ve blown up.”

  “I was surprised too,” I said. “Maybe she’s just having a bad day.”

  I knew she was having a really bad day. She walked around the track alone and looked distraught. I really wanted to talk with her and help her out, but I knew James wouldn’t want me to. I had to bite my tongue and hold out until I saw him later.

  After gym, everybody got to go home. Principal Trudy said she didn’t want the full day because of what happened to Brittany. It didn’t seem right to her to just go on like nothing happened so she wanted us to go home and reflect on the day. I had no problem with this. I wanted to come up with a plan of my own for later tonight.

  “Oh hi, honey, I got a call you would be coming home early,” my mother said as I walked in the front door.

  “Yeah, everyone went home early because of what happened to Brittany,” I said.

  “How are you feeling about that, sweetie?” my mom asked as she hugged me.

  “I’m okay,” I said with my face squished against her chest.

  “I made some chocolate chip cookies to cheer you up.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I sat down to a plate of fresh cookies.

  My mother had been very warm with me lately. She used to push me away, though not as much as my father. They both came from broken homes and didn’t really know how to deal with me. It was like dropping a baby monkey in someone’s house and expecting them to know how to care for it.

  I had always wished that I had a better relationship with my parents. They were good people, even if they weren’t always there for me. My father was a decorated hero, depending on what you think a hero is, anyway. I guess if you think someone who slaughters and imprisons innocent people is a hero then he’s your guy.

  My mother was a housewife who surprisingly wasn’t at home a ton in the earlier years. She had her friends she would go out and play card games with. I have memories of her bringing me with her and giving me some toys as I sat on the ground playing with my imaginary friend Molly. Sometimes I wished I could go back to those simpler days.

  “I’m going to Emma’s house tonight again,” I said. “We are going to study for a big history test.”

  “Okay, dear, that is no problem. Do you need a ride over there?” my mother asked.

  “She is going to pick me up at five,” I said.

  “Have fun and don’t study too hard!” she said, laughing.

  I smiled as I went up to my room. I wasn�
��t planning to study hard at all. I didn’t even have any classes with Emma. I took a shower and got ready for James and Emma to pick me up. I counted down the minutes until five o’clock. I just wanted to get this over with already. I was determined that I would get something done about this problem.

  I went downstairs at five to the doorbell ringing. I opened the door and Emma was standing there with a huge smile on her face.

  “Are you ready?” she asked.

  “Bye, mom, I’m leaving,” I yelled.

  “Bye, honey, be back by ten!” she yelled back.

  I closed the door and Emma and I walked out to the car. James was behind the wheel and he smiled as I got in.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “I’m great now,” I replied, smiling back.

  We started the drive to the Sullivans’ house. It was a long drive, but gave me the chance to talk with James and Emma.

  “Did anything good happen today at school?” James asked me.

  “Well, we had a badminton tournament in gym,” I replied. “I hit the winning spike for the tournament right at Cara. It hit her in the head.”

  “Are you serious? Didn’t she attack you?” Emma asked.

  “Not at all. She just didn’t do anything. Not even an evil stare. Just took it and moved on. She’s been acting really weird lately. Very jumpy.”

  “I noticed that,” said James. “I’m not sure what has her spooked.”

  “I think she knows one or all of the people that took part in the attack on Brittany. She’s been looking over her shoulder a lot, as if she is waiting for them to get her,” I said.

  “We will talk to Troy when we get home,” James said. “He knows a lot about werewolves and what might be happening.”

  We pulled up to their house a few minutes later. I could see his family shuffling about through the large windows and couldn’t help but smile. I was finally back with them: my second family.

  We walked up to the front door and Rosa opened the door and pulled me in for one of the biggest hugs I have ever received.

  “I’m so happy you’re back, dear,” she said to me, smiling.

  “I’m very happy to be back here,” I replied.

  As I walked in everybody greeted me with open arms. They gave me more love and affection both of the times I met them than my own parents had given me in the past ten years.

  “Come sit down,” Rosa said.

  We sat down and immediately started talking about everything that had happened.

  “We’re very worried about the state of things in the area,” Remey said. “We’re not sure what action to take. We don’t want to stress our relationship with the pack in the area.”

  “Remey’s right,” said Troy. “We’re already on shaky ground with them. We have to be completely certain that they are behind what’s been going on and nobody else. If the people committing these acts aren’t from their tribe, we will face bad times.”

  “I saw the body of that Brittany girl come in today,” Lucas said. “It was definitely werewolves like they said. They left her face intact, but everything else was gnawed away.”

  “I’ve hunted stray wolves before,” said Troy, “but never a pack of them. I’m not sure how powerful or dangerous they are. We don’t get power in numbers like them. We could be no match for them at this point.”

  “I think Cara knows something about them,” I said.

  “What do you mean?” asked Maria.

  “She’s been very jumpy lately,” I said. “Almost like she’s waiting for someone to attack her. She hasn’t been aggressive towards anyone and is always looking frantic. I think she and Derek know something they aren’t telling anyone.”

  “This may be true,” Remey said. “We will have to keep an eye on them and see if they make any contact with the pack. They might be giving them information or supplies so they don’t get killed. If the new pack is too strong or fearless and they know they couldn’t win, it would be easier for them to give them what they wanted.”

  “Can’t we just confront them?” I asked.

  “No,” Troy said. “Doing that is too dangerous. We’ve been on shaky terms with the werewolves for a few years. Ever since the government got more controlling and unstable, we’ve been hiding. If we had any kind of attacks or confrontations with each other, it would be devastating to us. The wolves get to shift, meaning they are safe as long as they aren’t in human form. They can go out into daylight the next day and nobody would know who they were. We don’t have that luxury. If we make ourselves known, we’re stuck unless we have some elaborate ways to conceal our identities. We’ll still be the same height, weight, and will look the same. All it takes is some cameras to capture our images and we’ll be hunted. It’s too dangerous.”

  “I didn’t know it was that complicated,” I said.

  “It’s fine,” Troy said. “If things were the way they were in the past, we could go ahead and confront them. We aren’t even sure where they are hiding. They are most likely in the woods somewhere and we can’t go in there. They would smell us the second we came in. Some packs even have spotters that hide near prime locations to catch people coming in. We might as well wear flashing lights and have air horns.”

  “The best thing we can do is try to figure out where they will strike next,” Michael said. “If we can plot the area they confine themselves to, we might be able to spot them and stop something. They don’t seem to necessarily be bent on mindless destruction. They seem to want a human to target. If we clear the humans out of the area, we will stop the attacks and they’ll leave.”

  “Maria and I can lay the smack down on some of them,” Elsa said. “We are some pretty tough women.”

  “No,” said Remey. “We need you to stay here in case of an emergency.”

  “You think that because we are women we can’t handle getting dirty?” Elsa said.

  “Not at all, Elsa, you know that,” Remey said. “I think every guy here can confirm the fact you women could easily take us down. We need you here to safeguard the house and Juliet. If she’s taken, she won’t be able to defend herself like you girls can.”

  “Why would they take me?” I asked.

  “Because of your father,” Michael said. “He is the prime target for the werewolves. He has leashed and slaughtered many werewolves in the past thirty years. No pack in this country or the world likes him in the slightest. They know they could target his daughter and do to him what he has done to them over the years. Kill you.”

  “I won’t let it happen,” James said. “I love her.”

  “I know you do,” said Rosa. “We will protect her. She might be mortal, but she is one of us and we love her. She’s a part of this family.”

  I smiled as Rosa looked at me. They were so loving and kind to me. I had never felt more accepted. I just wished I were like them. I wish I were changed so I could actually help. But I wasn’t able to do anything against the werewolves. I was powerless.

  “I still think that Derek and Cara had something to do with everything,” I said.

  “I know you do,” said James. “I’ll try to talk to him at school and make him tell me. Innocent lives are at stake and I’m not taking those odds.”

  “Just be careful with what you say,” said Troy. “We don’t need any kind of fight in public. If he shifts or you use any of your powers, it is all over. Don’t sacrifice us all to be the hero.”

  What Troy was saying was true. If things did get out of line then we would lose everything. They would have to leave town and I would be alone. I couldn’t let James get too out of hand when he confronted Derek. I knew Derek wouldn’t like even talking to James, and I had to make sure they didn’t kill each other in the process.

  “I won’t hurt anything for us,” James said. “I know he’s dangerous. If he does shift anywhere near that school, many people could get hurt. I won’t risk that happening. I don’t want to fight him.”

  “Good,” said Troy. “We’ll continue our patrols
and see if we can find anything else out. Maybe Derek and Cara will meet up with them somewhere and we can at least find out their human identities. If we do that then maybe we can tip off the government to who it is.”

  “You want to actually do that?” asked Elsa. “Why would you even risk us? If they traced the tip then we could all go to jail. Is that what you really want?”

  “I’ll do it from a pay phone,” Troy said. “They won’t even know who gives them the tip. If we have these people arrested then the attacks will stop. We won’t have any problems and everyone, both mortal and non-mortal, will be safe. It’s the best choice.”

  “Fine, but you better not be stupid,” Elsa said with her arms crossed.

  “Do you think they will come after me?” I asked.

  “It’s a possibility,” said Lucas. “They might know who you are and want you because of your father. The werewolves aren’t known for being reasonable, especially in their forms.”

  James rubbed my back as Lucas said that.

  “We will keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you,” James said.

  “I wish I was like you guys. I wish I was a vampire,” I said.

  “It’s a hard thing to be,” said Remey. “I was a normal guy once just trying to live my life. I was an artist in France learning from the greats. I had my whole life ahead of me when I was bitten. I didn’t even want it back then. I really didn’t know anything about vampires.” He sighed. “I was walking along a dirt road at night when a man approached me out of the darkness. He asked for some money but I had none to give. He got restless and attacked me. I tried to fight him off as best as I could but I wasn’t strong enough. He eventually bit me and changed my life forever.

  “I stumbled down the road until I got to my apartment,” Remey continued, his face grim. “I knocked things over trying to get in, and I could feel the pain. His toxins were in my body and were attacking all of my cells. I didn’t realize at the time what was happening, that I was turning undead and leaving my mortal life behind. I had a few years by myself while I learned about my new abilities and myself. I tried to research it as much as I could to get a handle on what had happened to me.

  “A few years later, in London, I met Rosa.” He smiled. “She was a lovely woman, a professor on a research trip with her university. We fell in love and I finally told her what I was. She was fascinated and wanted to be just like me. I gave her the bite because I loved her, and I was alone. Nobody understood me and I didn’t know of any other vampires out there. We’ve been together ever since. You have to leave everything you know and love behind when you become like us, Juliet. Sometimes I wish I was never bitten, sometimes I wish I’d lived a normal life.” He stared at Juliet and shook his head. “You aren’t ready for something like this.”

  “You’re never ready,” said Troy softly.

  “If James is to ever give you the bite, it has to be the right moment,” said Rosa. “I know you are probably caught up in the moment being in love with him but you need to remember it isn’t easy. Your friends and family will vanish and you will start to be hunted. You are safe as a mortal. When you turn into one of us, you have to constantly look over your shoulder to see if someone is there with a rifle and handcuffs to take you away.”

  “I didn’t know it was so difficult or dangerous,” I said. “I want the bite someday, but I can wait until it is the right time.”

  I looked at the clock and noticed it was getting late.

  “It’s almost time to take me home,” I said sadly.

  “We should get going in a couple minutes,” said James.

  “We love having you over,” said Rosa, smiling. “You are more than welcome here any time.”

  “Thank you, Rosa,” I said, smiling back.

  We got up and said our goodbyes. I felt sad when I left them. Now that my visit was over, it felt like I was going back to my prison cell. I just wanted to grab my things and stay with all of them forever.

  James, Emma and I walked out to the car and got in as I waved goodbye. The others smiled and waved as we started to drive off into the distance.

  “Did you have fun?” Emma asked.

  “I always do when I’m with you guys.” I sighed. “I just wish it didn’t have to end.”

  “Me either,” Emma said. “James, you should just give her the bite.”

  “Now, Emma,” he said, frowning, “you know that I can’t do that.”

  “I know, I know. I am just trying to be optimistic here.”

  Being around James and Emma was always an adventure. They bickered just like real siblings. You would never know that they weren’t related at all. Coming from an only-child home, it was refreshing to see two siblings interact.

  We pulled up outside my home and I felt sad. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted James to just hit the gas and drive away. I knew it wasn’t an option, though. I got out of the car and said goodbye through the window. They both looked sad to see me go.

  I walked up to the front door and opened it to see my father, as usual, watching the news.

  “Where were you tonight?” he asked.

  “Didn’t mom tell you? I went to Emma’s house to study.”

  “You know your mother, she never tells me anything. Always the last to find out what is going on around here.” He nodded toward the TV. “Did you hear the news?”

  “No, what happened?”

  “The government caught some androidians that were planning another bank robbery. It was just a small group of them: a bunch of outcast vigilantes looking for justice. A group of outcasts from an already outcast group. Isn’t that ironic?” he said, chuckling.

  “Yeah,” I said, rolling my eyes and walking away.

  I couldn’t believe what this world was coming to. It seemed like we were against everyone. Four races locked in a battle for control. How long would it be until another group took control? I wasn’t sure, but I hoped that it wasn’t anytime soon.

  The next day I got up and sat on the foot of my bed. I was miserable without James. It seemed as if whenever he left me I felt like I couldn’t go on. As if my spirit and energy had been sucked right out of me.

  I went to school that day hoping that everything would get resolved. I wanted Derek just to admit he knew who these people were so we could get it all over with. I was sick of acting like a scared little kitten hiding in the corner. I wanted justice for what was happening and I wanted it now.

  James was standing at my locker when I got there and he looked a little nervous.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I am going to try to talk to Derek today. I just hope it all goes well,” he replied.

  “I’m sure it will. Just be nice to him and maybe he won’t get aggressive.”

  “It’s hard to be nice to someone who is my enemy.”

  “Well, your people used to be friends many years ago. Maybe you can help bridge that gap again.”

  “I don’t think so,” James said. “Not after everything they’ve done. I’ll try talking to him at lunch and I guess we will see what happens. Just don’t come near me at lunch because I don’t want you getting hurt in case something happens. I’d be devastated.”

  “I won’t, I promise,” I said while looking into his eyes.

  The bell rang as I pulled him in closer by his shirt and kissed him. I never got tired of feeling his icy lips against mine.

  I got my things out of my locker and walked to class. I was nervous and antsy all during my classes that day. All I could think about was what might happen. What if Derek went crazy and somebody else got hurt? I was the only one who knew that something was going to happen. It wasn’t as if I could just warn everybody ahead of time that there might be a werewolf versus vampire fight at lunch today.

  Finally, the bell rang signaling lunch. I wasn’t even hungry. I felt it wasn’t worth buying lunch anyway in case something happened. I went into the lunchroom and sat down at my usual table, not too far away from Cara. I waited for them to show
up.

  I first saw Derek walk in and sit by Cara. Cara still looked a little shaken up, but better than before. They talked for a couple minutes before I saw James walk in.

  I watched as James slowly made his way over to their table. They looked up and stared right as him as he stopped at their table.

  “Derek, we need to talk,” James said.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Derek replied, crossing his arms.

  “What do you know about the attacks? I know you have something to do with it.”

  “What are you talking about?” Derek scowled. “You better leave before something happens.”

  “What will happen?” James said, putting his hands on the table and leaning forward. “Are you going to shift and attack me? Feel like going to jail today?”

  “Just get out of here, James.”

  “Not before you tell me what you know. I know you know these people. We have the information that says you do.”

  Derek stood up and approached James.

  “Listen, buddy, I don’t know anything,” Derek said. “Even if I did, which I don’t, I wouldn’t tell you. I wouldn’t betray my people like that.”

  James stood his ground. “You are betraying them by letting a few of them kill and terrorize innocent people that aren’t a part of this battle.”

  After James said that, Derek lost control. He pushed James back. “I’m telling you now to walk away and don’t come back over here.”

  James retaliated by pushing Derek back harder. Derek flew back, slamming against the brick wall.

  “Don’t push me again,” James said.

  Derek recovered and lunged at James, throwing punches. James fought back harder; he grabbed Derek and brought him down, slamming his head into the tile floor. As they fought, many of the kids in the cafeteria were yelling and chanting them on. Cara was screaming for Derek to stop, and I stayed in my seat just as James had told me to. I could see the raw power between these two, and I knew it would be dangerous to get involved.

  As the fight went on, I was stunned at how aggressive James was. He had cut Derek open and started doing things to intentionally hurt him. He wasn’t holding back and I didn’t like it. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. He didn’t seem as if he had any self-control at all. I was scared thinking of what he might do to me if he ever got mad.

  After a few minutes of fighting, two teachers came and broke up the fight. Derek and James were led away to be disciplined and cleaned up. They both had bruises and cuts all over their bodies.

  James looked at me as he was being taken away. He had a disgusted look as if this was all my fault. He was blaming me for what had taken place. I never wanted him to get violent with Derek. I just wanted to know if they were involved and what we could do about it. James could’ve walked away when he was pushed, but he didn’t. He didn’t have any self-control. He wasn’t the man I thought he was.

  I didn’t see James for the rest of the day. I had no idea what had happened to him. I worried they found something out and were arresting him. They both could’ve been arrested for fighting in the first place. I thought about James for the rest of the day until it was time to leave.

  I got in the car and saw Emma as I was driving away. She looked distraught, as if something bad had happened. She cried and waved as my car drove by. I felt horrible. This was my entire fault for suggesting it in the first place.

  On the way home, my phone beeped. It was Marcus.

  “Hey Juliet,” he wrote.

  “Oh, hey Marcus. How are you?” I replied.

  “I’m good. Miss talking to u,” he said.

  “Miss talking to u 2,” I replied.

  I really did miss talking to Marcus. I bet Marcus never would’ve fought Derek. He just would have let it all go and walked away from the fight. Marcus was like that, though. He was more passive and didn’t like confrontation. Sometimes I wished that James had a little bit of that inside of him.

  I got home and nobody was there. I sat on the couch and immediately started crying. Why did things have to be this way? I thought I knew James but I clearly didn’t. I cried so hard, my eyes must have been beet red. I knew what I needed to do. James wasn’t the man I thought he was. Things needed to change and they needed to change fast. I had to do something drastic.

  Chapter Seven

  Break