It’s the first night in this hostel – I wake up to find myself in someone’s arms. My body rolls in bed instinctively to pull out of the cuddle but it seems tight on me so I open my eyes and glance at the ceilings. I heave a sigh of relief when I don’t see anyone cuddling me anymore – I’d slept on the tiled floor and my wolf reacted to that. I notice that my roommates are snoring still but some of them sleep with only an eye shut. Going to lectures is no longer my main interest – it’s finding who my mate is and being involved in my world better than the human world.
I decide to experiment on my roommates’ groceries. I tiptoe till I get there. As I almost get there, I swat a fly trying to distract me but it alarms one of them and I return to my allotted space. I sight a bag of garlics separated at a corner and my interest is drawn there. I remember during my studies that garlics affect vampires. I guess these girls have made it much available because of vampires’ bully.
The clock ticks during my observation but I can’t clearly see what it says. I climb a stool beside the wardrobe and peer at it – 6:00 AM. I wiggle my body and intend to prepare for school before any of these girls wake up. When I enter the restroom, I see a dirty bathtub, a broken wine glass with blood stuck at its tip. I show disgust at it but I cover my nose with my palms.
In twenty minutes, I am done. I scrub my face with my towel and spread it on the shower. When I return to the room, I roll my eyes at all of them and put on the school’s uniform. The clock ticks again and they are yet sleeping. I kick Rose on the ass but she doesn’t budge.
“It’s time!” I holler but no one budges, except for Annabel who only rolls in bed.
“Annabel? Are you awake?” I move towards her. I can’t enter the school’s premises alone, not even for the first time. She pats her bed, nudging me to have more sleep.
“It’s time!” I holler angrily but she ignores it and snores into a much deeper sleep. I perch at the edge of her bed, glaring at all of them with the intention to injure them. As soon as the clock ticks, two hours after I woke up, they wake and scan the room like some ignorant human. They are amazed to see me in my uniform, dressed completely. Each of them walks to their boxes to prepare for class.
“You all will get your asses kicked today.” I remark, patiently waiting for them to be done. Rose sniffles hard, trying to display a flimsy excuse of being tired because of the transformation yesterday.
“Hey Sophia.” She waves at me but I don’t wave back. “We’ll meet you outside.”
“Who owns this filthy towel?” Annabel screams from the restroom. I run towards her and snatch it. She lowers herself in the tub when I enter without knocking on the door first. But, is she a male? What could she be hiding? I shrug at that and leave with my towel.
We stand ready, qualifications securely packed, draped over our shoulders.
Rose sniffles, “The gathering is in a few minutes, let’s go, guys.”
“How distant is the school from here?” I ask them.
“If we trek, it will take at least thirty minutes but if we choose the second option, just a few minutes is required.” Jessica states as we move out of the room.
“What’s the second way?”
“Turning.” Jessica responds. She shifts immediately and vanish out of sight. Annabel and Martha follow suit but Rose doesn’t go.
“Let’s trek together.” She suggests.
“But it’s late.” I anxiously object.
“Just let’s go.” She exclaims, and we take to our heels. We run to school as though we are being hotly pursued. Our human strength start to diminish as we hold to ourselves, breathing heavily. Shortly thereafter, a taxi driver halts his vehicle beside us and gestures for us to board. I tell him that I don’t have a dime to pay – Rose tells him that as well, but he offers to convey us freely. I look at him before I discover the face is familiar.
“Sophia? It’s Ben. Get in quickly!” He encourages as I urge Rose to get in. We both get into the car before I realize I’m in the midst of vampires.
When he drives inside the school’s park, I see varieties of building and encryption on them. My eyes run straight to one of the buildings with an inscription – SHIFTING ROOM.
It assures me that paranormal beings are rampant here. Rose with me alights from Ben’s car and after a word of gratitude to him, we run to the school’s premises, searching for the lecture room. It looks like the gathering for today has been canceled. We finally sight the classroom and we walk in. Not long after, a lecturer walks in and fixes his gaze on me immediately.
“Who are you?” He points at me and asks. I shudder and turn to Rose for an answer. She attempts to stand but the lecturer stops her, telling the whole class he demands an answer from me.
“She’s a new student here.” Jessica replies from the rear seat.
“She’s so daft to ignore a simple question?” The lecturer barks at Jessica and moves towards me. I push back the table and attempt to stand up and leave the class but a male student holds me back and forces a smile on his chin since I don’t get his hands off.
Now that the lecturer is at a stone’s throw to me, he repeats the question, “what is your name?”
“I am Sophia.” I finally mutter and have my seat after the male student loosens his grip on me.
“From which pack?” He curiously asks but I remain mute.
“Meet me after this class.” He says, and flips through a textbook, whispering as he thinks of what to lecture.
“Meet me at my office.” He instructs, and signals to the class president to ensure it. He flips through the textbook and whispers to himself, ruminating over the next topic to lecture.
He shrugs and reaches for the textbook when it falls, “See you next week.” And he walks out of the class, disinterested in the day’s lecture which rather excites the students.