“We can just get whatever?” she asked. I nodded. “We don’t have to pay?”
“Nope. Get as much as you want.” She shook her head in disbelief and filled her tray with what looked like one of everything.
The dining room was filled with identical looking students. Everyone had their uniform on. For the first time I really felt like I was a part of the crowd. We were all in this together. I caught sight of Gracie’s multicolored wings on the end of one of the long tables. Even with a room full of hybrid-like supernaturals, she was easy to spot. Hudson was already sitting with her.
“You’re welcome to sit with us, if you’d like,” I told Willa. “Do you know other people who are coming to the academy?”
“No, I don’t. You don’t mind?”
“Not a bit.” We sat down and I introduced her to Gracie and Hudson.
“Happy Birthday, Hudson.” I slid him over a muffin I’d gotten from the cafeteria and stuck a candle in. He laughed.
“Thanks.”
“Seriously, it’s your birthday?” Gracie asked. “Have you shifted yet? Oh, that’s right, we haven’t had class yet. What a silly rule. Do you feel more powerful? Like your magic is crazy? I sometimes feel like my magic is acting up. Faeries have elemental magic, you know. I’ve always done best manipulating earth, but lately my magic has been all over the place.” I remember my mishap with the candle. When she took a breath Hudson chimed in.
“I haven’t shifted yet, at least not since the last full moon. I don’t really have a choice then. When do you all have shifting class?”
We all pulled out our schedules. “Looks like first thing,” Hudson said, comparing everyone’s papers.
“Great, we all have it together,” I said. “So Hudson, figured out any special magic yet?”
“Just the typical werewolf stuff so far. We have enhanced senses and physical capabilities in our human forms. We can also speak telepathically to other werewolves, but that’s it. I don’t know what being an animage will change for me.”
“I can’t imagine not being able to do magic,” Willa said. It was the first time she joined in the conversation.
“I’m hoping I’ll actually get to do some, soon.”
A sudden peal of laughter came from a group of students seated a few tables from us. I glanced up to see Kylee and Arielle in a gaggle of students, including Drew, all glancing over their shoulders and laughing. Kylee met my eyes and winked. I had a sinking feeling they were laughing at me. Willa, Gracie, and Hudson had all fallen silent.
“Come on,” I said, standing up. “Let’s clean our stuff up and go. We only have a half hour before our first class starts, better find out where it is.” We exited the cafeteria without any further outbursts from the peanut gallery. This school was my new start, and I wasn’t about to let Kylee and her new crew ruin that for me.
It didn’t take us long to find the gymnasium. I was surprised to see when we walked in there was already someone sitting against one of the gym walls also waiting for class. She was covered almost from head to toe with black tights and a black cardigan added to the regular uniform. The black contrasted strongly with her pale skin and red hair that hung down to pool on the floor beside her. She glanced up as we came in and smiled. Her front canines were disturbingly pointed.
Gracie tugged on the back of my shirt. I glanced over my shoulder and she mouthed, “Vampire?” Her eyes were as big as saucers.
“I know! But it can’t be, right?” I whispered back. I looked at Hudson and Willa, but they just shrugged. We piled our stuff together against the wall near the girl and sat down. Sitting proved to be difficult in the school uniform. I started to sit cross legged but remembered just in time I couldn’t really do that in a skirt. I tried sitting with both my legs to the side, leaning on one arm. No dice. That was uncomfortable and awkward. I finally settled for sitting like the vampire girl, my back against the wall and my legs straight out in front of me.
I still felt exposed, so I pulled my bag across my lap. It would have to do. Willa was having the same problem I was. Gracie, on the other hand, floated to the floor with her legs to the side, leaning on her arm like I had tried to do. She made it look so easy. Her butterfly wings opened and closed sanguinely behind her. Faeries.
I looked over at Hudson in his uniform of red pants instead of a skirt. He was able to sit down however he wanted.
“These uniforms are sexist,” I muttered, glaring at him. He shrugged and grinned at me.
“Hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t pick ‘em. I don’t mind them, though,” he said with a wink.
“You wouldn’t,” I told him with an eye roll.
It wasn’t long before other people started to fill the room. The palms of my hands were getting sweaty as I waited, which was ridiculous. There was nothing for me to be nervous about. I wasn’t even shifting. I didn’t really know what I was going to be doing in shifting class for a month before my birthday.
Nine o’clock came and the sound of a bell gonged through the gym causing most of us to jump. A short, well-dressed man marched into the room through a side door. Unlike most of the teachers, he looked like a regular human. The gentle murmur of voices that had been drifting through our group stopped as everyone turned their attention toward him. When he faced us, I was delighted to see he had a massive handlebar mustache.
“Good morning, class. I am Professor Atkins. This will be your most important class for the next two years. You must learn to master your shifting abilities, and the magic that comes with
