The Damned

School

Nix POV

School starts today.

I get dressed in black slacks and a blood red button down.  I pull on my leather ankle boots and head downstairs.  I go to the kitchen, grab a granola bar, and wait for Nina.  Roughly five minutes pass before Nina comes downstairs.

“Ready?”  She asks grabbing a sparkling water from the fridge.  I get off the barstool, pick up my backpack, and follow my sister to her car.  We listen to music as we drive to school.  When we arrive, I go straight to my locker.  I grab my sketchpad and textbook for my first class out of my backpack.  I set the rest of my books on the top shelf, hang up my bag, and close my locker.

As I am walking to my first class, I run into a firm chest.

“You okay?”  I recognize that voice.  I quickly glance up.  Sure enough.  Darian Darkas, aka the most popular boy in school.

‘He has nice eyes.’  Isla says.  I look and see that his eyes are a beautiful, rich blue with a darker blue ring around the iris.  I mutter an apology and quickly disappear into the crowd.  I hear him yell for me to wait but I ignore him and continue to my class.  I get into the classroom and go straight for the back corner by the windows.  ‘Why did you duck away so quickly?’  Isla wonders.

‘He’s the most popular boy in school and I’m an outcast.’  I tell Isla.

Darian POV

“You okay?”  I ask the beautiful girl that just bumped into me.  When she quickly glances up, I can see the color of her eyes, which are a beautiful silver.

‘Wow!’  My wolf, Xavier, says.

‘Yeah.’  I confirm.

“Sorry.”  She mumbles lowering her face again.  She scurries into the crowd.

“Hey, wait.”  I holler after her while picking up a piece of paper left in her wake.

“Dude, what was that all about?”  My best friend, Lucian, asks.

“Not sure.”  I reply.  “She was pretty though.”

“What’d she drop?”

“Don’t know.”  I look at the folded piece of paper.  I unfold it and it’s a drawing.  A really good drawing.  A very realistic lion’s head.

‘That’s fantastic!’  Xavier is full of opinions this morning.

“Dude, that’s amazing!  Do you think she drew that?”  Lucian asks.

“I think it’s a good possibility.”  I reply.  I fold the sketch back up and stick it in my notebook.

Nix POV

As class starts, I begin sketching a rose.  Early on in my school years, the teachers discovered that I learn better if I sketch while they teach.  Ever since then, I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA.

Math class ends and I make my way to my first art class this semester.  I happen to be in three different art classes this semester.  Three art classes, one math, two English, one history, and one herbology.  And of course, there’s a lunch thrown in there too.  I get to the art studio and start setting up my station.  This first art class is all about clay.  Class begins and I am just itching to start a project.  This past spring I took Clay I and, so, now I’m in Clay II so there isn’t as much teaching needed this semester.  Mrs. Muir gives us our first project.  I get my sketchbook and begin sketching ideas.  The first project of the semester is to take our favorite animal and transform it into a human.  Today I’ll simply sketch my ideas.   Then tomorrow I will begin working with the clay.

Class ends and I head for my first English class.  The teacher, Mrs. Tucker, hands out personalized notebooks at the start of class.  She informs us that along with the stories we’ll be writing this semester, she wants us to keep a journal.  She says that the entries can be anything we want; stories, thoughts, activities, whatever is on our mind.  At the end of the semester, she’ll collect them to give us notes on our writing, but not grade them.  Mrs. Tucker goes on to tell us that at the beginning of each week there will be a topic on the board that she wants us to write about sometime in that week’s journal entries.

Fifteen minutes into class, the morning announcements start.  The first announcement welcomes everyone back.  Lunch today is hot ham and cheese sandwiches, curly fries, and your choice of applesauce or ice cream, plus all the other extras that cost extra aside from the meal price.  I don’t usually get the meal.  My lunch is usually something I put together myself the night before.  Like today’s lunch is a banana, an orange, and four homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Announcements end with wishing everyone a good year.  Class then picks up as in there was no interruption.  While Mrs. Tucker talks about our first assignment, I open my journal.  Inside is a quote.

‘Be the CHANGE you wish to see in the world.’  Mahatma Gandhi

I smile.  Mrs. Tucker remembers one of my favorite quotes she taught us last year.  Our first assignment this semester is to write about a true life event we’ve had but add a twist of fiction to it.  I have no idea what to write for this first one.  I don’t have a lot of interesting events, certainly none worth writing about.

I start working on the sketch I started in math class while Mrs. Tucker talks about the different writing styles.

After this class, I have herbology and then lunch.  Herbology today is mostly text book talk, so, I sketch.  I get to my locker and grab my lunch.  I make my way through the cafeteria and out the big double doors.  I head for the tree line and sit beneath one in the shade.

Darian POV

“I’m telling you, dude, this upcoming birthday is going to be awesome.”  I say to Lucian as we move through the lunch line.

“Well you are turning eighteen.”

‘Yeah.  This birthday we get to find our mate.’  Xavier says.

“Yeah.”  I smile to both Lucian and Xavier.  “You must be excited for your birthday too.”

“I am.”  He smiles.  I pay for my food and wait while Lucian pays for his.  We walk outside and sit at one of the tables.  All of our usual friends join us.  Nina sits down beside me and she suddenly reminds me of someone.  I rack my brain.  The girl from this morning.  The one who scurried off after bumping into me.

‘Maybe they are sisters.’  Xavier suggests.

‘No.  That doesn’t seem right.  If the girl were Nina’s sister, she’d be sitting with the second table of pops.  But I don’t see her.’  I reason with Xavier.  I look around the terrace.

‘Maybe she’s at the inside table of pops.’  I continue searching.  When I sweep my eyes back to the table, I see something in the shade of the trees.  I look closer and it’s the girl from this morning.  ‘Why is she eating by herself?’  Xavier wonders.  She looks up at me and I quickly look away feeling slightly embarrassed at being caught.

Nix POV

I look up from my sketch and see Darian looking at me.  I look long enough to see him snap his head around to look at his friends.  One of which being my sister.

‘I wonder why he was looking at us that way.’  I say to Isla, but she stays silent.  I close my sketchbook and lift myself off the ground.  I make my way to the doors of the cafeteria avoiding Nina’s table.

I get inside, throw my trash away, and head for my next art class just as the bell goes off signaling the end of lunch.

As I set up my workstation, I feel a hand on my shoulder.  I look up and over my shoulder to see Darian’s best friend, Lucian Whitlock.

“Hi.”  He smiles down at me.

“Umm.  Hi.”  I fumble.

“My name’s Lucian.”

“Yeah.  Everyone knows who you are.”  I say hoping it didn’t come out snarky.

‘You could have been nicer about it.’  Isla remarks.

‘Sorry.’  I say to her.

“Fair enough.”  He smiles.  “So, what’s your name?”  He finally asks.

“Oh.  Yeah.  Sorry.  Everyone calls me Phoenix or Nix.”  I stammer out.

‘Way to go.’  Isla comments.

‘Yeah.  I know.  But why is the second most popular boy in school talking to me?’

‘Who cares?  He’s cute.  Not as cute as Darian though.’

“So, you truly are an artist then?”  Lucian breaks me from my conversation with Isla.

“It’s my passion, but why do you say it like that?”

“You dropped one of your sketches when you ran into my friend.”

“Which one?”  I wince hoping it’s not one that I’ve been redoing and erasing a lot.

“The lion’s head.  It was incredible.  So realistic.”  Lucian smiles.  Just then the bell rings, so, Lucian takes the seat next to mine and class begins.  This art class is all about painting.  As Mrs. Muir begins class, Lucian looks over and even sitting he’s taller than me.  Of course, it’s not hard to be taller than me because I’m only five-foot-two.  Lucian is probably close to six-foot-one.  He smiles at me.

‘What is with him?’  I ask Isla.

‘I don’t know, but again.  Who cares?’  Isla says.  He’s not eighteen yet, so he can’t be smelling the hint of a mate bond.

Anyway.  Back to class.  Mrs. Muir wants us to start on our first project.  Each of us must choose a famous artist, research them, and mimic one of their pieces.  She gives us the rest of class to think of an artist and converse with classmates.

“So, what artist are you going to go with?”  Lucian asks as soon as Mrs. Muir releases us.

“I’m not sure.  Good thing she’s giving us until tomorrow to pick one.”  I smile.

“Yeah.  That’s lucky for both of us.”  He smiles in return.  “So, what year are you?”

“Sophomore.”  He nods.

“So, you’re sixteen?”

“I will be in December.”  Why is he so interested?  I’m an outcast.

“Siblings?”

“Two older.  One brother and one sister.”  I reply.

“Either of them still in school?”

“My brother is in his second year of college and my sister is in your class.”  I say.

“Who’s your sister?”

“Nina Delaney.”  I reluctantly reply.

“Wait!”  Lucian’s eyes go wide.  “You’re a Delaney?!”

“Yes.”  I say looking down.

“How is it we don’t know you?”

“Because I like to keep to myself.”

“Oh.  Well, there’s nothing with that.”  I look up.  He smiles, so, I smile in return.

Class comes to a close and I head for my locker.  I grab my textbook for Greek Mythology class with Mrs. Zutler.  During this class, I decide to start a new sketch rather than work on the one I began this morning.  I start to sketch an underwater scene.

Darian POV

“Dude!”  Lucian says as he comes up to me in the hallway.

“What?”  I ask.

“She’s a Delaney!”  He exclaims.

‘I’m officially confused.’  Xavier says.

“Who’s a Delaney?”  I am just as confused as Xavier.

“The girl who bumped into you this morning.”  He says as we make our way to study hall.

“Seriously?”  I am astonished.

‘Now it makes sense why Nina reminded us of her.’  Xavier mutters satisfied with himself.

“Wait.”  I say.  “How do you know this?”

“She’s in my previous class.”

“What’s her name then?”  I ask curious.

“She says everyone calls her Phoenix or Nix.”

“Which makes me think that that’s not her real name.”  I think aloud.

“My thoughts exactly.”  Lucian agrees.  We arrive at study hall and I pull out the girl, Nix’s, sketch.

‘That would make an awesome tattoo.’  Xavier says.

‘Agreed.  On the right shoulder blade.’  I agree.

‘Yeah.  That would be awesome.  We could get it on our birthday this year.’

‘Totally!’

Nix POV

After Mrs. Zutler’s class, I head for English Lit with Mrs. Tucker.  This year we will be reading Dracula, A Tale of Two Cities, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Count of Monte Cristo.  I have read these books before but I’m excited to see what Mrs. Tucker’s takes are on these books.  Mrs. Tucker starts class and I continue the sketch from Mrs. Zutler’s class.  It’s strange to think that the two most popular boys in my school saw one of my drawings.  And, based on Lucian’s reaction, they both like it.

After Mrs. Zutler’s class, I head for my locker and put my books in there and grab my sketching supplies.  I head for the studio and take my usual seat.  Mrs. Muir starts class two minutes after the second bell rings.  Our first project for the semester is to make a black and white comic strip.  Like all my other art projects, this one is due September 15th.  I begin brainstorming.  I figure most of the class will probably do something with wolves, so, I decide I’m going to make a comic strip using red pandas.  They are my favorite after all.

Class ends.  I go to my locker and gather my things.  I then meet up with Nina.

“You ready?”  Nina asks.

“Yup.”  I say.  We head out to her car.  Once home, I go straight to my room and begin working on my comic strip.

Darian POV

After school, I hop on my yellow Yamaha.  I drive home.  When I get home, my mother waits for me in the living room.

“How was the first day of senior year?”  She asks.

“It was good.  I have a drawing that I would like to show you.”  I say and pull out the beautiful girl’s sketch.  “I am thinking of getting it on my shoulder blade when I turn eighteen.”  I hand her the picture.

“It’s wonderful.  Who drew it?”

“Nina Delaney’s younger sister.”

“Ah.  Phoenix.  It’s so life like.”  Mom smiles.

“Indeed.”

“Well then you had better make an appointment.”

“I’ll call tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”  Mom says.  I go into the kitchen with my backpack and sit at the kitchen island bar.  I pull out my Chemistry book and begin the homework.  I read the first chapter then answer the questions at the end.  Chemistry and Calculus homework are both done before dinner is ready.  Dinner is roast beef, mashed potatoes, and carrots.  The same meal I’ve had every year on the first day of school.  After dinner, I go up to my room and take a shower.  I get into my pajama pants and crawl into bed with a book.  I read for over an hour.  As soon as I put my book down and settle under the covers, I am drifting off to sleep.

My wolf runs at top speed.  I love the feel of the wind in my fur.  As I run, I suddenly stop at a lake.  Xavier is very thirsty.  He laps up some water and then races off again.  I come across a beautiful white fox.

‘Looks like a vixen.’

‘Wish I knew who she was so I could mind link her.’  Xavier says back.

‘Wait.  You think this fox is a shifter?’

‘Do you know of any other foxes on this island?’

‘Fair point.  If this fox is a female shifter, than the prophecy will soon bear fruit.’  I reply.

‘Quite possibly.’

The fox and I have a stare down until she blinks and runs away.  I run back to my house and shift back into human.  I put on my basketball shorts and head inside.

I startle awake thinking about the fox and how the prophecy may be fast approaching.  It’s only the middle of the night, so, I go downstairs and fix myself a protein shake.  I hear my mom up and moving about.  Soon, her footsteps sound coming down the stairs.

“What are you doing up so late?”  She asks as she comes into the kitchen.

“I honestly don’t know.”  I lie taking a drink.  I finish my drink and go back upstairs to my room.  I crawl under my blanket and fall asleep.