Hidden Fox

Eight

Finding a spot to park was not as easy as the drive over. I circled the parking lot seven times before I finally could pull into a space. Granted, it was up front, but still, it made me more stressed than I wanted to be.

I slammed the door shut and clicked the button to lock the vehicle behind me. The horn shouted once to tell me it was locked. As I walked towards the campus, I dug out my phone from my pocket, quickly looking up where my first class was located. It was for the study of all things nature and natural, located on the second floor of the Bioscience building.

Basically, we went over the syllabus of the semester, and it sounded like we were going to talk about things I already knew just from exploring the woods in my fox form.

That was actually how the entire day went. And the following day. Each of my classes were an hour or so of introducing the professor (and the students depending on the size of the class attendance), the topics to be discussed, the syllabus, and how things would be run and how our grades would be presented. It made for a boring week, but at least we were starting off easy.

As the week went on, I noticed myself stop looking for wolves. I wasn't quite sure if I was intentionally keeping an eye open for my mate or if I was just subconsciously keen on meeting other wolves and making friends. Every time I came to that conclusion, I had to remind myself that even if I met wolves, they wouldn't know I associated with them, and that would make it all the more difficult to even know if they were wolves at all!

I pressed a couple fingers to my temples, rolling them around as a wave of anxiety washed over me. I shouldn't even be stressing about that!

It was halfway through my second week on campus when anyone really talked to me at all. I had just walked into Intro to Biology — I was taking it to see if a future as the pack doctor peaked my interest; it hadn't yet — and taken my seat when a girl with a heart shaped face and brown eyes took a seat next to me. I stared at her for a second, barely registering the fact that someone was suddenly occupying a seat that had stayed empty for nine days.

Her dark hair swished over her shoulder as she turned to look at me. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

"Go for it." I took out my textbook slowly, the only thought running through my mind was: Werewolf?

"I'm Everlee, by the way."

"April."

She got out her textbook too, slapping a notebook and pen on top. "So, April, how do you like Bio so far?"

I choked down a laugh, not really understanding where this girl had come from, or why she had chosen to sit with me today. "Not my favorite, if I'm honest. But it's okay, I guess. You?" I tried to keep the conversation flowing, but it seemed awkward. Maybe I was just awkward.

She chuckled, "It's actually my favorite class I have. But, I have been excited for this class all summer."

I eyed her, "Have you been in this class every lecture?"

"Yeah, I sat in the back, but you looked kind of lonely here off to the side every day so, I figured I could join you."

"Well, thanks," I smiled, "I think."

"You're welcome! I think." We both laughed. "What are you studying?"

"Unsure. Just trying a bit of everything."

"I'm working towards pre-med. Kind of why I'm so excited about biology. I sort of work under a doctor now."

My eyebrows shot up. I was surprised that she was already working with a doctor, she looked young. Werewolf? my mind screamed again. I shoved it away, not everything revolved around a pack. Besides, just because I stopped so attentively searching for them didn't mean one was going to fall right into my lap!

I liked that while she was working hard at something and already seemed a leg-in to her career choice, she didn't boast about her successes, she merely shrugged it off humbly, more interested in moving the conversation along.

"Wow, that's pretty cool! How did you end up already studying under a doctor?"

She hesitated, a red flag that caused my brain to instantly pull up an image of a wolf. I forced it away, again. "I-uh-family friend. Known him for years." She managed to get out before turning to her notebook, scribbling something down. I pretended to ignore her stammered answer.

Thankfully, the professor strolled into the room right then, a laptop in one hand and coffee in the other. "Morning students!" He sang cheerfully. A greeting we all chorused back. I was grateful for the distraction, for every time I glanced at my neighbor, I conjured up ways she could be a werewolf.

But other than the things she had said that seemed like subtle clues, I didn't have anything to go off of. I had been surrounded by wolves since I was born, the only humans I interacted with were schoolmates and there weren't many I considered even acquaintances growing up. I had no definite way of determining a wolf from a human when two were standing right in front of me. Wolves could smell each other, but I was essentially a human with the ability to shift, my nose did nothing for me.

The entire period we were nice to each other, and I was actually happy to have found a friend in one of my classes. We decided to be study partners for the semester and exchanged numbers. I found myself blindly passing through the rest of my classes, only really looking forward to Biology, even though I could care less about the topic. Biology meant getting to spend time with the only friend I had somehow made.

It was the end of week three of the semester before I really hung out with her, though. I was sitting alone in a rounded booth at the cafeteria, munching on a deli sandwich I had bought, when Everlee popped out of of thin air and sunk herself down on the cushioned seat. A boy sat down next to her, both were across from me.

I put my sandwich down. "Hey!" My eyes flicked to the boy, hoping she would say something about him. I didn't recognize him, I didn't think he was in our class.

"Hey, April!" She was always cheery. "This is my, uh, boyfriend. Andrew."

I blinked, not missing her slight hesitation to say boyfriend. Uh! Stop it, not everything means she's a wolf! "Hi, Andrew." I said aloud.

"Hey." He seemed to be studying my face. Finally he looked at his girlfriend, taking her hand in his. I lowered my gaze, taking another bite of my sandwich.

After the moment of slight awkwardness, Everlee and I brought up an easy conversation about our biology homework. We chatted away for I wasn't even sure how long, but I felt bad for Andrew; he looked bored out of his mind. His eyes kept circling the room, almost as if he were looking for someone specific, but he was also so nonchalant about it, it was hard to be sure.

I discovered that Everlee was eighteen, fresh out of high school. And Andrew was 20. They had been dating since Everlee was sixteen. Which, coincidentally, was the same age that wolves tended to meet their mates. Shut up! I urged myself sharply. Everything they said were giant gestures pointing to the fact they were wolves, but none of it was proof enough for me to bring it up.

Even so, you can't bring it up anyway. I reminded myself. Parents rules: you're a human.

Eventually we had to split to our next classes. I packed the wrapper of my food up, balling up the paper to prepare to toss it in the trash on our way out. Everlee slung her bag over her shoulder, keeping her hand locked with Andrew's.

She waved goodbye when we had to part, "I'll see you in Bio tomorrow!"

"See ya, Freckles." Andrew called, a smirk playing across his lips as Everlee tugged his arm.

I brought a hand to my cheek. That must have been why he was studying my face, he was acknowledging the light freckles that covered my cheeks and ran across the bridge of my nose. I'd always hated them, covering them up the second I was old enough to use makeup. They must have been more prominent today from walking around in the sun these past few weeks.

I couldn't tell if the nickname was mocking, or if it was endearing. Maybe he just couldn't remember my name. I shrugged it off, swinging the door open to my final class of the day.