Taken By A Werewolf

II

"You wanted to see me?"

Indy poked her head around the door of principal Haywood's office.

"Good morning, Indy. Why don't you come in and have a seat," Principal Haywood beamed at her. She was a woman in her fourties, Indy estimated, her blonde hair in a neat ponytail and on her lips a bright red lipstick that made her look all the more like a moviestar and less like a principal.

Indy sat down and waited patiently.

"How have you been, Indy? How was your summer?" she asked her with a piteous smile.

"It was fine. Uneventful," Indy replied.

Principal Haywood nodded like she understood. Judging by her golden California tan, she had been to enough pool parties over the summer to not understand. Indy envied her. If only her life could have been simple like that.

"And how is your dorm? Do you have everything you need, or do you need help with anything?" Haywood continued the mandatory interrogation.

"I'm good, thank you." Indy smiled politely.

Principal Haywood sighed.

"You're such a strong young woman, Indy. I admire you, I truly do. I know that you can take care of yourself, you're very smart and capable, but you're also seventeen. You should go out with your friends, be with people... Every time I see you, you're by yourself. Studying, most of the time."

Indy snorted. "You can't really complain about me studying much."

"That's not what I meant. What I'm trying to say, is that there's more out there than your books. The Valley is beautiful, you should--"

"No offense, principal Haywood," Indy interrupted her, "but the Valley has lost its shine to me. What I want, no, what I need is to get away from here as fast and as far as possible. You of all people know that the one chance I have on that, on something that actually resembles a normal life, is a scholarship. And the only way to get it, is to study hard and maintain a perfect GPA."

Principal Haywood nodded.

"You're very brave, Indy. An inspiration, if I may say so. I do hope to see you succeed, and I can only say that you are on the right path. But as your principal, and also someone you can confide in, will you please tell me if there is anything I or someone else from the faculty can do for you?" She gave Indy something that resembled a sincere smile, but pity was still written all over her face.

Indy swallowed away the lump in her throat. She hated to be the school's charity case, but Haywood seemed like she genuinely wanted to help. And now she felt bad turning her down.

"Actually, Principal Haywood, there is something I could use your help with."

The principal's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes, of course, you name it," she hurriedly said, as if she were afraid Indy would change her mind.

"Could you maybe help me find some extra credit assignments?"

Indy didn't need extra credit with the grades she had, but it never hurt to play it safe.

"Well, as a matter of fact," principal Haywood mused, "I was going to ask Blake Miller this, but I might as well ask you, since you also live on our campus," she smiled.

"A new student will move into his dorm room today, and I need someone to show him around and help him settle in. You'd be excused from homeroom and P.E. for today, but you have to be back in class after lunch. Whenever he has a question about anything school-related, you'd be the one he turns to for the rest of his stay here. Is that something you would want to do?"

"Alright," Indy said, dying to get out of the principal's office. Getting the morning off didn't sound half bad either.

"Well, great," Principal Haywood clapped her hands. She walked to the door and opened it. Indy got up but froze in her tracks when she faced the moody boy from earlier.

"Ares Rhett, this is Indy Johnson. She will be your guide today." Principal Haywood turned to Indy and winked at her.

"He's all yours."

Indy's suspicions were true: the handsome, perpetually frowning new guy was named after the Greek god of courage and war. War she could understand, with that smoldering vexation in his stormy eyes.

Principal Haywood shoved Indy out of her office and closed the door behind her. She wanted to go back in and tell her she wouldn't be needing the extra credit after all, but somehow Indy stood rooted to the spot. She was the subject of Ares' scrutinous gaze and he painted her cheeks pink with his eyes. The boy was intense.