Just as she was walking through the hall wanting nothing but to go outside, Elara saw the cheerleaders with the new students. For some reason, she stood there and watched them. The cheerleaders were obviously trying to be nice and offering to show them around. The new guys looked annoyed at the intrusion but kept quiet until Cindy touched one of them, the one with grey eyes.

The guy grabbed her hand and twisted it "Don't you ever touch me again you bitch! You hear me?" Cindy held back the tears as she nodded quickly.

"Hey!" Elara jogged to them pushing him back "Leave her the fuck alone you jerk!" she noticed Sean was standing right there with them and didn't even bother to defend Cindy. A girl he dated for a while.

How pathetic is that?

The new guys all burst into laughter and 'grey eyes' towered over her, she looked so tiny next to him.

"What did you just say to me?" he snarled at her.

Elara wasn't the least scared "I said fuck off!" they had a staring contest for a few seconds before 'grey eyes' spoke again.

"And if I don't?"

Elara was so angry and so frustrated but looking into those grey eyes seemed to calm her. Her breathing evened and she felt in control of her emotions again. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling it had to do with his eyes. Maybe it was their color?

"Well, since you're new here, you might not know that we don't tolerate bullying in this school. So I suggest you just apologize to Cindy who was just being nice as a member of the welcoming community and beat it. Or, you could explain to the principal why you were bullying someone who was welcoming you to this school." She said with a smile.

'Grey eyes' looked at her narrowing his eyes and his gaze dropped to the wound on her shoulder. She had removed the bandage and was wearing an off-shoulder top. The bite mark was as visible as daylight. She noticed something flash through his eyes and his composure changed, relaxing a bit.

'Grey eyes' bit his lower lip and was about to say something when he shut up and looked at the cheerleaders. "I'm sorry girls, thank you for the invitation but Sean already showed us around." The new guys looked surprised as if it was the first time their friend apologized.

"Anything else?" he asked Elara who had a triumphant smile plastered on her face.

"Come on girls, let's give the guys some space." They walked away and Elara looked at Cindy who was rubbing her wrist "Are you okay Cindy?"

"Yeah, thanks Elara, you're the best." She smiled and they left her standing in the hall looking after them.

"He's an ass isn't he?"

Elara turned her attention to the person addressing her and noticed it was the new girl. She was tall, with long brown hair and grey eyes. She was strikingly beautiful.

"Ass is an understatement" Elara huffed and rubbed her shoulder a bit.

"It was brave of you to stand up for those girls. You're feisty, I like it. Are you a cheerleader as well?"

"Oh, thank god no" Elara laughed "I'm not really. He was just acting like a cocky bastard, I hate cocky bastards."

The new girl let out a small laugh "Yeah, my brother can be a cocky bastard sometimes, but deep down he's a nice guy."

"Your... Oh, shit" she blushed looking away.

"Yeah... he's my twin brother. He hates it when girls touch him. Especially when he doesn't know the girl."

"Oh, okay, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, he deserved that and he might know it since he backed down. He never backs down. I'm Nora by the way."

"I'm Elara, but you must already know that since I'm the talk of the town these days."

"Yes, I heard a few rumors" Nora smiled warmly at her "nice meeting you Elara."

"Same" Elara looked at the time and sighed in relief "Great I still have a few minutes to breathe fresh air," she said pushing the doors open.

"Can I join?"

"Sure, why not" they walked outside and Elara closed her eyes breathing in and out, oblivious to the fact Nora was watching her and studying her.

"So, what brings you to our boring town Pine Hill?"

"Oh, I've been in Pine Hill my whole life. I'm new to this school yes but I'm not new to town."

"Really? I never saw you before. Why would you change school now?"

"We live up north, behind the forest. I had to change schools thanks to my idiot of a twin who got expelled. We used to go to the private school on the West side of Pine Hill. He was a bully and a cocky bastard as you called him." Nora smiled.

"I mean, that explains why he's here but not why you're here."

"That's pretty simple, my parents made me change school because of him. And then our cousins transferred here as well because they didn't want to study there without us."

"If that happened to me I would be pissed."

"Trust me I was" She smirked "I even almost broke his nose" they both laughed as they head back inside. "What really happened to you?"

"I'm supposed to say I was attacked by a mountain lion" Elara shrugged "But it was a wolf. A huge black wolf with cold blue eyes." She didn't know why but she felt comfortable talking about it with Nora, even though she was still a perfect stranger. "He still haunts my dreams".

"A wolf huh? What were you doing alone in the woods?"

"I wasn't alone. I was with another cocky bastard who is now friends with your arrogant brother. He just lied about it for some reason."

"Which one of them?" Nora seemed really interested and even though Elara found it odd she found herself telling her.

"Sean," she said pointing at him. He was leaning against the wall with Nora's brother and a few other guys and just on cue he looked up and locked gazes with her. She stuck out her tongue at him and turned her attention back to Nora.

"Huh figured. Sean Smith and Nolan have been friends since they were toddlers. They are best friends actually, and yeah Sean is an ass. I'm sorry you were attacked."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. I need to go to class, I got math now, what about you?"

"Me too! Lead the way."

Elara was focused on the lesson when she heard her backpack fall to the floor. She leaned down to grab it and as clumsy as she can be, she managed to drop all the books from it on the floor. The teacher glared at her shaking his head before resuming his lesson.

Elara started gathering her books and frowned when she spotted the book about African witches. I didn't pack that. She was about to take it when Nora grabbed it and immediately threw it back on the tiled floor.

"Shit that burned!" she whispered.

"What?" Elara grabbed the book and packed it "what happened to you?"

"Your book, it burned my hand."

Elara rolled her eyes not believing her "It's just a book it can't burn you."

She sat back in her place and tried to get her focus back on the lesson but couldn't. She remembered how the book came flying at her face the day before. And she remembered putting it on her nightstand and here it is in her backpack. She looked at Nora who was still eyeing the backpack rubbing her hand. Maybe it did burn her. To say Elara was confused would be an understatement.

When the bell rang, Elara gathered her stuff and ran out of the classroom. Nora followed her and kept calling her name but Elara ignored her as she looked for Sophie and Laura. She finally found Sophie leaning against her locker.

"Sophie! Where have you been? I didn't see you at lunch break." Sophie didn't respond, she seemed to be staring in the distance "Sophie?" Elara frowned and shook her friend a little.

"Yes, no...What?"  She looked around confused "when did I get here?" she asked Elara.

"I don't know, I just got here, but you weren't in biology this morning and I didn't see you in the cafeteria at lunch break. Where were you?"

Sophie tears up shaking her head "I have no idea El".

Elara took her in her arms and hugged her "It's okay, don't worry". The truth was Elara was worried. She knew she might be losing it but she had a reason to be. As for Sophie, she hadn't lived through any trauma her entire life.

"Hey, girlies! Oh, you traitors are having a hug without me?" Laura joined the hug and froze when she realized Sophie was crying. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you later, let's get her out of here." They managed to get their friend out of the building. Elara took Sophie's keys, "you'll follow us in your car?" she asked Laura.

"No, the cute nurse dropped me off this morning. Where are we going?" She asked climbing in the back seat.

"Let's take her to my house, Grandpa is probably out." Elara closed the door after helping Sophie in and was walking to the other side when she hit a really hard chest. She groaned clanching her hands ready to lash out at whoever it was she ran into.

She looked up about to tell him to watch where he's going when she was met with a pair of beautiful grey eyes and the storm inside her seemed to calm down.

"Watch where you're going 'tiny'!"

"Tiny? Did you just call me tiny? What are you 5?"

He just chuckled "Not my fault you're tiny, now is it?" he smirked crossing his arms.

"And it's not my fault you look like Hulk!" she shoved him away and quickly climbed in the car before he had time to say anything back to her. She honked a couple of times before he decided to move away and let her drive away.

"Hulk huh?" Laura laughed "You two are so cute."

"He called me tiny!" she waved her friend off "I'm not tiny."

"You may be tall but compared to him you are tiny. And your slim figure doesn't help much."

"Jeez thanks! Whose side are you on?"

"Yours of course." Laura rolled her eyes "I heard how you defended Cindy. I'm proud of you El."

"He shouldn't have hurt her..."

When they got to Elara's house, they decided to have a picnic lunch in the garden. Her grandpa had cooked a nice chicken alfredo, and thankfully it was Sophie's favorite. While Laura sat the napkin and plates outside, Elara worked on snacks and desserts. Sophie was still quiet, she hadn't said a word since Elara found her by the lockers.

"Looks like grandpa knew you were coming" she grinned giving her a plate.

"Girls I'm fine really, I think I just need to go home."

"Home! But we did all this to spend time with you. Now sit and eat and then we'll get to play dress up, it's your favorite." Laura grinned eating a piece of chicken.

"It's your favorite Laura" Sophie giggled "Fine I'll stay but no dress-up games!"

"Why were you crying earlier? Anyone upset you?"

"No Laura. I think... I'm blacking out. It's like I'm in a trance doing god knows what and when I wake up I can't remember a thing. It's been happening a lot since my birthday."

"Your birthday was two weeks ago, why didn't you say anything?" Elara sat her plate aside and took Sophie's hand in hers "Did you tell your mom?"

"I didn't want to worry you guys. Sometimes I would just wake up in the middle of the woods. One time I woke up at school, and another at the old haunted mansion, that was scary." She let out a heavy sigh "Yes my mom knows, and she wants me to visit my grandma in New Orleans, saying it would help."

"Why not get the help you need here? Why fly all the way to New Orleans? Are you going?" Laura was horrified.

"Well I told her I wasn't, but if this keeps happening I think I will."