Needle in a Haystack

The Beginning

Emily slammed her locker shut and heaved a sigh that blew the whisps of hair out of her eyes. She adjusted her glasses higher up her nose and hooked her backpack over her shoulder making her glasses slide back down.

Her eighteenth birthday was going just great. Not only was she a broke teen with a full set of classes. Not only was she

a rogue werewolf because her mother had broken up with another boyfriend, getting them kicked out of another pack. Her father had texted that morning wishing her a happy birthday, and letting her know she was on her own. As an official adult, he had no more obligation to her. it felt like a slap in the face.

He had told her for years that if she ever needed anything, she only had to call. She'd never once called. While she loved her father dearly, his choice of women was difficult to tolerate.

The previous New Year's celebration came to mind and Emily shifted her heavy pack. 'What was the woman's name?' she thought.

'Eye-ee-sha,' Ember thought back, intentionally stretching the syllables.

Emily giggled and caught a few strange looks as she walked to her class. She was still fifteen minutes early, but she hadn't finished the previous days calculus homework. As soon as she walked in she took the first desk and pulled out her supplies.

"Do you always come to class this early?"

Emily jumped and knocked her book to the ground. Mr. Drake, her history teacher, had his feet up on his desk and his hands folded in his lap. The name did him justice. Solomon Drake wasn't the only shifter in the school, but he was the oldest. He was the strictest teacher and the enforcer of The Accords for the southwest region. She could almost see a tendril of smoke rise from his nostrils as he stared at her.

She reached down and picked up her book, settling back to doing the last of her homework.

"You're supposed to do that at home. Not in my classroom."

Emily didn't glance up. She sighed heavily again, shoulders sagging. She flipped the book closed and started to put her things away. As she pulled out her history book for his class, she heard his shoes hit the ground and his chair squeak.

"You just earned yourself detention," he growled right next to her face. She jumped again, but managed not to throw her book this time.

'For what? The bell hasn't even rung,' Ember grumbled. Emily coughed to cover the smile that threatened and flipped to the correct page.

It was a relief when Amy waltzed in and plopped down in the desk next to her.

"Hi, Mr. Drake," she beamed at their teacher, who rolled his eyes taking his seat again, and immediately turned to face Emily pulling a wrapped package from her considerably smaller backpack. She presented it like Vanna White while singing happy birthday.

"Stop that," Mr. Drake barked and she mercifully fell silent before anyone else walked in.

Amy still shot him side eye before plunking the present on Emily's desk. Emily eyed it like it might explode, but snatched it off the desk when the door opened again.

Right as the first bell rang Derek walked in trailed by his Entourage. He stopped at the teachers desk, set an apple on it and ran his free hand through his hair like a supermodel posing for the camera. Amy and Emily shared a knowing grin before dissolving into giggles that got lost amid the chattering students now filing into the room. By the time the isles started to clear Amy sobered up.

"Open your present or I'm gonna sing happy birthday again."

Emily sucked in a breath and immediately started coughing. She pulled her water bottle out of the side of her backpack, but ended up choking on it to.

"Excuse me, Mr. Drake. May I have the hall pass to go get cleaned up?" she croaked, eyes streaming.

He eyed her stoically, fingers steepled, elbows resting on his desk.

"The bell hasn't rung yet miss Pickerling. I suggest you hurry," he said softly, raising an eyebrow. Emily darted out of the room as quickly as she dared. She couldn't expose herself as a shifter without causing psychological problems for her mundane classmates. Some people had abilities that helped gaslight mundanes, but Emily was never comfortable with the idea of lying to people.

As she splashed water on her face she did her best to avoid looking in the mirror.

'It's not shameful to be tired,' Ember stated, bringing up an old argument.

With another deep sigh Emily looked in the mirror and thought, 'It is shameful to be fat,' morosely. She felt Ember's growl rattle through their head.

'We are not fat. We are sturdy,' she sniffed.

"Tomato, potato," Emily said, and realized to late that she wasn't alone.

"Oh em gee Pickle! You are such a freak!"

Nicole's pinched voice carried over the stall door. Ember did a quick scan for any of Nicole's cronies, but it was only the two of them. The stall door slammed open and Nicole came out rubbing her nose delicately around several piercings, already checking her makeup in the mirror. She didn't even look in Emily's direction as she pulled out her lip gloss and started applying it liberally. Emily took the opportunity to grab a wad of paper towels and beat a hasty retreat, wiping her face along the way.

With Ember's help they made it back to the classroom before Nicole even left the bathroom.

Emily settled into her desk as the bell rang and breathed a sigh of relief. She was doing her best to pay attention to the lecture, but worry began to grow in the back of her mind that Nicole hadn't come to class. It wasn't the first time she skipped class, but seeing her alone in the bathroom was odd. She was part of Derek's Entourage, and as such had a group of girls to call on at any time for any reason.

Halfway through the lecture, the Principal walked in followed closely by Nicole, who was sobbing openly, loudly, and holding the side of her face. A deep purple bruise was peaking out of smeared makeup under her fingers.

"It was her!" she shrieked, pointing at Emily with her free hand.

Emily froze, shocked to her core. The whole class seemed to hold their breath. Every shifter knew exactly what this meant, but no one spoke.

The silence stretched until Nicole whaled and crumpled to the floor crying, "Do something!"

The room erupted into chaos. Amy shouting that Nicole was a liar, Nicole's cronies shouting that Emily was a menace.

Mr. Drake put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loud and long and shrill until everyone fell silent. Then he started handing out instructions.

"Principal Skinner, please take Miss Del to the nurse. Class, you will finish this chapter tonight and write one paragraph summarizing the fall of Alexander the Great. And you," he said pointing at Emily, "principal's office, and bring your backpack."

Everyone else started at their books, but not a page turned as Emily got up. The door hadn't even shut before the classroom erupted again, but Drake didn't stop so Emily had no choice but to follow.