-Alexis, come down this instant! You're going to be late for school and you know how angry your father will be!                                                                          

- I'm coming, mom!                                                                                                                 

In two more days, I  will be ten years old. My parents promised me that on that day I would have a party like never before seen in our pack!        

 - Alexis!                                                                                                                                       

- I'm coming! I'm coming! What's the rush? The bus won't leave without me! I am the pride of the school and the pack! I won the most important competition among the packs...and not only in my age group, but I also beat the fourteen-year-olds! I told her while hugging her.                     

- I know dear! But you know how your father reacts! He is still the Beta of this pack. He has standards to maintain.                                                            

-  Yes, I know! "Standards are what guide you in life and help you to become better!" I answered, imitating my father.                                                         

- Do I sound that scary? I heard a grumpy voice.                                                     

I was startled when I heard the voice, and I looked at my mother who could barely control her laughter.                                                                                             

- Well dad! Not really, but... I looked at him with a playful smile on my lips .... you sound much more frightening! I said running towards the door.                                                                                                                                                

- Hey, come back here! I heard him trying to control his laughter while trying to sound serious.                                                                                                   

- I can't dad! The bus is waiting for me and you know I can't be late for school! I replied laughing.                                                                                                  

I arrived at the station on time. I got on the bus and headed toward the only free seat.                                                                                                                          

"It's just  my lucky day!" I grumbled unsatisfied when I saw that the free seat was right next to Max, knowing that it was not just a coincidence: me and Max are sworn enemies.                                                                 

-  Well! Well! Look who the cat brought me today! I heard him saying.       

- Max, let her be! I heard Ryan say.                                                                                  

- Shut up, Ryan! Or maybe you like that freak!                                                       

I decided not to let his words affect me. I only had two days left until the big party and Max will swallow his own words when he sees that he won't be invited.                                                                                                                              

- Max, there is a saying, "He who laughs last, laughs better!"                         

- What do you mean, weirdo?                                                                                          

-You'll see!                                                                                                                             

Max, being the alpha's son was the only one who dared to call me weirdo, without being punished, but only scolded. He named me weirdo or freak because of the color of my hair and complexion; while most of the pack members had brown or fair hair and olive complexion, I was the only one who stood out with her black hair, blue eyes, and white complexion. Yes, that was me: "The black sheep!" as I liked to call myself. The other one, who had black hair, but not as black as mine, was Max.                          

I sat down on the chair, ignoring the comments that Max kept making. I preferred to think about the party that will take place in two days and that will be the coolest party that our pack has seen. Dad was preparing a surprise for me, but I already found out what it was about.                           

However, after the great war, in which our species almost annihilated themselves trying to prove that one is stronger than the others and must rule them all, we reached a consensus: we will accept each other, but we will try not to intervene in the affairs of others.                   

For this reason, it was decided that there should be a free zone between our territories, where the unwanted, abused or those who no longer wanted to be part of a category of creatures could take refuge without being in danger of being hunted and killed.           

Honestly, I didn't understand why someone wouldn't want to be part of a community. We were led by a Council in which every four years another representative of each species had to help maintain the peace.                   

The council was led by two witches, and this decision was taken because the witches preferred not to get involved in the war, although in the end, seeing that there was a risk of killing each other to extinction, they intervened and stopped the war. Suddenly, I heard the screams of my colleagues and realized then that the bus was moving chaotically and that the driver was shouting that the brakes were not working and that we had to hold on.                       

"Really! These can not be happening! I'm going to be injured right before the party! And I will have bruises!" was the only thing I could think of.                

After a few seconds that seemed like centuries, the bus had stopped, and all my colleagues were looking at me in horror.                   

-What? What happened? Why are you all looking at me like that?                      

-I've told you she's a freak! You didn't want to believe me! I heard Max say.               

- Alexis, you don't remember what happened? my best friend Rayna asked me.                  

- No! I answered her honestly.                         

- Alexis, you were the one who stopped the bus. I don't know how, I don't know when....all I know is that now you were sitting next to Max, who kept talking about you, then the driver shouted to hold on and prepare for the impact, and in the next moment, you were outside and stopping the bus. How did you do that?                     

- I do not know! Honestly, I do not know! I just thought I was going to get bruises and cuts at my party. I looked at all my colleagues on the bus and saw horror in their eyes.                  

- Horror! They should be grateful to us! I heard a voice say.                        

- What the Hell? I was freaking out.                      

- Who are you? I knew I would shift, but not before I was eighteen. I've read about werewolves who shifted earlier, but they were sixteen not nearly ten.                         

- Alexis, your eyes are red! Are you feeling o.k.? I heard Rayna asking me.                           

- Red eyes? What the hell is happening to me? Wolves don't have red eyes! What I am? A white rabbit?                          

- Nope! We are not rabbits! We are, how should I say it without scarring you more? Red eyes, high speed, super strength ... Yep: we are a Vampire! I heard the voice say again.                       

 - No. We can not be this! I shouted desperately, hoping no one else heard the voice.                    

 I looked around, tears streaming down my cheeks. I looked at my colleagues and I saw fear and terror in their eyes, I looked at Rayna and I saw pity and something else I didn't know what it was, I looked at Max and I saw his contemptuous look that seemed he said to me "I told you that you are a freak!".        

I looked at them for a few seconds and then ran towards the house.                     

- Alexis, wait! I heard Ryan yelling behind me.                                                              

 I didn't want to be with anyone. I needed to be alone, not to see anyone. Upon arriving home, I entered as quickly as I could, fearing to make eye contact with my parents. I didn't want them to know that I was a freak. I entered my room and locked the door.                             

- I'm a freak ... I whispered slowly looking in horror at my reflection in the mirror....black hair, white skin, and red eyes. I am really a freak!                        

- Stop that nonsense, kiddo! You are not a freak! I heard the voice telling me. You are a vampire, a special one considering that I appeared a few months earlier. Strangely, this happened. If I appeared sooner, it means that you were in danger of death, and...                    

- Shut up! Shut up! I don't want to hear you anymore! I screamed.                                  

-Because of you, I will be considered a mega freak!.....No one must know of your existence!.... Yes! No one will know of your existence!                              

-That's it! This is the plan....you are not real, you do not exist....you are a bad dream, a nightmare!                              

 - Call it as you want it, Alexis! But whether you like it or not, we are together from now on. By the way, my name is Leya and, if I'm going to judge myself by vampire standards, I look pretty good for a young woman of a few hundred years. I don't understand why I was sent to attend a ten-year-old, but...                    

- Shut up! I don't want to hear you anymore! Because of you, I don't have friends anymore! I'm sure of it!                       

- And....? If they won't accept you, they will never be your friends. What do you say, shall we go drink some blood? she asked laughing.                        

- No! No! No way. I'm doing these you...freak!                

- Stop calling me a freak! I repeat myself, I'm Leya, a young vampire of a few hundred years, and I have to take care of you from now on. I have a strong feeling that someone or something, I don't know who or what is after you and wants you dead.                     

- Leave me alone! I don't want to hear you anymore! I said bursting into tears.                     

- OK kiddo! I'll let you rest! If I had to guess, I would predict that we will have hard days, but....we will take them one by one. Nighty night sweety!                             

I sat down on the bed, letting sleep take over my body, hoping that everything that happened today was just a bad dream from which I would wake up the next day.                                                                                                      

- Alexis! Wake up sleepy! You will be late for school! I heard my mother calling me.                  

-Oh yes! It was just a bad dream! I said to myself as I ran down the stairs.                         

- Alexis! What did you do to your hair? I heard my father asking me.                     

Who allowed you to dye it?   I thought it was quite clear that I would not allow you to change your hair color!                      

-But, father ..... I did not do such a thing. Really!                           

- Alexis, do you take me for a fool? Look!                           

- No, dad! I didn't dye it! You know I will never disobey you! I stuttered while he was dragging me towards the mirror.                               

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the horrified look on my mother's face and heard her say: "Oh Goddess, why does she have to suffer for all of us?!" I wanted to ask her what she meant, but right then I saw my reflection in the mirror: my hair, once as black as ebony, was now white as snow, and my eyes were red. With tears in my eyes, I turned towards him.                                      

- Daddy! Please ...... I saw his face turning white as a paper, while he was looking into my eyes. I saw horror and anger filling his eyes, and for the first time in my life, I heard him saying to me: "Stay away from me, you freak! You are not my daughter!"