Fire Proof

Chapter Twelve

I grip my new backpack straps tightly in my hands as I watch Jupiter run off with Mason into the school building.

Since the school is just for the pack, it's one building with a classroom or two for each grade. Jasmin explained that to me last week when we were shopping for school supplies.

Update: I do not like shopping that much.

It seriously drained me and just made me feel down the rest of the day. Why can't the wolves live simple, like we did in The Caves?

"Hey, Azari!" A deep voice exclaims as an arm swings around my shoulders. I immediately tense up, but soon relax as the warmth from Bryce's closeness sinks in.

"Hi." I reply quietly.

He settles down and a frown crosses his face. "You okay?" I shrug and he moves to block my view of the building with his body. He puts his hands gently on my shoulders. "Hey, it'll be fine, okay? I'll be with you the whole time."

I nod and take a deep breath. Bryce offers his hand and I gratefully take it. He gives me a small squeeze and then leads me into the school.

I honestly wasn't expecting what I see.

They all made school sound so exciting and wild and crazy. The reality was just long corridors lined with doors and milling with students. Many of which pause to sniff the air and shoot me weird looks. I do my best to ignore them.

"Azari!" An excited squeal comes from down the hall. And then Kiara is in front of me, her blue eyes bright and a huge smile on her face. "I'm so glad you're here! Are you ready for your first day?"

I give her a small shrug and inch closer to Bryce, the stares were starting to bother me. "I mean. . . I-I guess?"

She clasps her hands together excitedly. "Great! C'mon, I'll show you the classroom!" She grabs my hand and yanks me away from her brother, dragging me through the mass of people.

"Wait, but-" I start to protest, but she pays me no attention. I sigh, so much for staying with Bryce.

A few minutes and a flight of stairs later, Kiara finally comes to a stop in the doorway of a room. Peeking in, I notice there are much less people in there than out in the hall.

The room is set up with fifteen tables all facing the wall where the door is. A big desk is in the other front corner and a big white board stretched across the length of the wall. The back wall is lined with windows and the side of the room has one big bookshelf. Posters hang on the walls, telling me stuff I don't understand.

Kiara brings me to a table and plops down, gesturing for me to do the same.
I hesitantly do so, putting my bag on the floor.

Several minutes go by of students slowly filling in the empty seats and lots and lots of eyes staring at me as they go past. I've now moved to staring at the lines in the wood of my table, counting the minutes that tick by. Five. Six. Seven.

When I get to eleven, a man with a flat black bag walks in and welcomes everyone with a cheery voice that makes me cringe.

"Hello everyone! As you all know, today is Monday, Pack History Day!"

The whole class groans and I am one of them. Great, so now I have to sit here and listen to him talk about the history of their pack. I sigh, this was going to be a long day.

🔥 🔥 🔥

A loud ringing sound erupts through the room and I jump. Kiara giggles.

"Relax, it's just the bell!"

"The bell? For what?"

"To signal the end of the lecture. Now we get to have lunch and then we head to the field!"

I stand up and grab my things — not that I used any of it anyway. I mostly just zoned out for the three hours of history. Three hours of stuff I didn't really understand! No thank you.

With Bryce at my side and Kiara in the lead, we leave the classroom and head down the corridor until we reach a room triple the size of the classroom. Long tables are set up with connected benches. A line has formed to the side up against the wall, but I wasn't able to see what the line was for. I'm soon to find out though, as Kiara pulls us to the end of it.

"This is where we get food. Then we'll eat one of those tables before heading outside to the field." Bryce explains.

I nod to show that I heard him. "What do we do on the field?"

"Usually we play Cricket or Soccer or something."

I'd played Cricket, but I didn't like it very much. In the Caves, we usually played games that included our powers like Electric Tag, which was my personal favorite.

"Okay." I say, responding to Bryce's answer.

The line for food is moving fairly quickly and soon, we have our food and have found a place to sit.

I only eat a small portion of what I grabbed, I think I'm just anxious about the field. I also keep glancing behind me and around the room. I get the feeling someone is watching me and I don't like it.

Bryce squeezes my hand, "You okay?"

I nod, not meeting his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine."

I flash of blue out in the hallway catches my attention and I freeze, focusing on the food court entrance.

I stare for several moments before I see it again, this time it's clearer. It looks like. . . hair? I swear it's a swish of blue hair, but none of the wolves here have brightly colored hair, and if they did, I doubt it's natural like a Dragon's is.

Like a Dragon's is.

"I'll be right back." I tell my friends, hopping up and rushing towards the door. I don't hear their response.

I enter the hallway, peering in the direction the flash of blue disappeared to.

"Hello?" I whisper-called. I was answered with silence.

And then she was standing at the end of the hallway, dressed in a brown and blue leather outfit, her long blue hair loose down her back.

"Aislee?" But when I blinked, she was gone.