"Calm down, Winter." Raven said. I was outside my house waiting for the driver. I was wearing a gray sweater and blue shorts and, of course, my hat. I've only been waiting for about five minutes, but I've already felt like throwing up. "Calm down?! Raven, this is my last chance to see my friends for who knows how long!" "Yes I know. I'm sure they'll come, but you must be calm." I sigh and sit on my suitcase. Dad and my sisters were inside. They didn't want to see my off, because that would mean goodbye and I understand. "Hey Boo!" I turn and see Patty running up to me. "Patty!" She tackled me in a hug. "I would have been here sooner, but I had to pick up these." She said. I noticed she had a box in her hand. "Here. This is for you. I open the box to find it full of cookies. Their my going away present to you." Patty said. "Thanks!" I give her another hug. "Patty!" I look around and see Mike and Frank panting. "Geez, your fast!" Mike said, pushing his hair out of his face. "You couldn't have waited for us?" Frank demanded. "Nope! You guys are slow!" Patty giggled. "Frank!" "Mike!"

I give both of them a hug. "Hey." Mike said, smiling. "Hi." Frank said. "Uh, I got this for you." Mike handed me a narrow box. "Oh, what is it?" I ask. "Open it." I opened the box and saw it was a gold locket. "Mike, this is so pretty!" I say, taking it out of the box. I open the locket and see a picture of all of us eating ice cream. On the other side were silver engraved words that said: This isn't goodbye. It's just goodbye until next time. "Oh Mike, thank you!" I give him another hug. "No problem. It's actually something I meant to give you last year for you birthday, but I forgot." He said. "Oh gee, thanks." I say sarcastically, putting on the locket. "I have something too." Frank said. He gave me a small pouch. Curious, I open it and find sea shells. They were in different shapes, sizes, and color. "I got them when I went to Hawaii. Frank explained. I thought you might want them since you've never been to the beach." This was true. As weird as it sounds, I've never seen the ocean. It was a bit of a dream of mine. "Thank you Frank." I say, giving him a hug. "Aw, come on guys! Patty whined. Your making my box of cookies look bad!" She fake pouted. I laugh and pick up my box of cookies. "Patty, I like your gift best of all! Nothing beats food!" Patty laughed and shot the boys a superior look. Frank and Mike smiled, amused. Suddenly, a limo pulled up and stopped in front of us. The driver's door opened and a man in his forties came out. He looked around and spotted me. "Winter Leaves?" I hesitate and then nod. He opened the door. "Right this way." I pick up my suitcase and give everyone one last hug. "Come back soon." Patty said. "Be safe." Frank said. "Never change." Mike said with a sad smile. I nod and get into the car. The door closed, and the man got back in the drivers seat. The car started and I looked out the back window. Frank, Mike, and Patty were standing in the driveway, waving. I watched them until they disappeared in the distance. I turn back around and rub my necklace. Their right. I think too myself. This isn't goodbye, it's just goodbye until next time. . .

                                Right?

"Miss Leaves?" The driver asks, after two hours of silence. "Hmm?" "Are you ok?" He asked, worried. "Well, let's see. I begin. I'm leaving to go compete for some guy I don't even know, I had too say goodbye to my friends, I don't know when I'll be back, and I really want to eat these cookies but I don't know which I should eat! But other then that, ya I'm just dandy!" The driver was silent for awhile and then burst out laughing. "What?" I ask, confused. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh but your cookie situation rather forced it out of me. As for that problem, I suggest you take a bite out of each kind of cookie. It's what I would do." "Oh." I say, looking down. "Thanks I guess." "You know, you really have nothing to be afraid of, dear." He said. "Most girls your age would kill for the chance you have." "I know. But," I struggle for the right words. "Am I supposed to be grateful or something? I mean, I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for any of this!" "I never said you had to be grateful." He said, looking back at me with a small smile. "I simply said a lot of other girls would love too be in your shoes. If you can't be happy that you get this opportunity, then at least be happy that no one other then you got it. If you're friend was in your shoes right now, for example, what would you do?" I. . . I suppose I'd wish it was me instead." I said, uncertain. "Exactly." He said. "You'd wish you were in this situation rather then her."

I remained silent. "Raven, you have anything to say right now?" I asked. She remained silent and I couldn't feel her. Dang it, where is she?! I sigh and open my box of cookies. It was full of different kinds like, chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, fudge, and cinnamon. I select an oatmeal one and take a big bite. As I ate, I looked out the window. The world was whizzing by at top speed, flashes of green and blue. Before I know it, I've fallen asleep.

"Miss Leaves? We're here." The drivers voice startled me awake. "Where am I?" I ask, groggily. "We are at the castle, Miss Leaves." The driver says, helping me out of the car. "Already?" I ask, shocked. "About time." Raven retorted. "You've been asleep for hours." "Shut it, Raven." I growl at her. Then I look at the castle. Oh. My. Goddess. It-it was- I- you know what? I'm not even gonna try to explain what it looked like.

"Woah." Was all I managed to say. "Yep." The driver smiled. "I was like that too when I first saw the castle. Beautiful, isn't it?" I was able to nod. The driver chuckled. "You know, it's rather rude to continue calling him "The Driver". Raven commented. You should ask him his name." "Oh yeah." "Hey, um, What's your name?" I asked. "Really? After six hours of driving, you finally asked me?" He gave an amused chuckle. "It's Greg. Greg Hedges. Nice to official meet you, miss Leaves." He held out his hand. I shook it. "Nice to meet you, Greg." I say, smiling. Greg smiled and got my suitcase out of the car. "I'll take it." I hold out my hands to carry it. "Are you sure?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "It's no trouble, I can carry it for you." "No, it's fine I'll take it." I insist. He shrugged and handed me the suitcase. "Thanks." "No problem miss Leaves. Also, don't worry, I put your cookies in the suitcase. Shall we take you to where the other selected are waiting?" "Sure."

Greg took me into the castle and led me down its vast marble halls. After what seemed like forever, he finally opened a large pair of mahogany doors into a large room full of girls. The noise was enough to make anyone want to turn tail and run away, not to mention all the different scents. I took a step back from the crowd, wondering if I can just run away and go back home. Sensing my fear, Greg smile encouragingly. "Don't worry, miss Leaves. You'll be fine." I force a smile and nod. Then taking a deep breath, like a soldier walking onto a battlefield, I walked into room full of girls. A collection of smells hit my nose like a wave. Cheap perfume, sweat, anxiety, hope, and many other smells mixed together. I take a few breaths and try to focus. I pull my suitcase behind me as I make my way through the crowded area. I find some chairs in the corner with not a lot of people around it. I go to a chair and sit down, sighing. I close my eyes and try to collect my thoughts. This is a good thing. With all the girls here, I'm bound to be dismissed and go home. I hear someone approach me and open my eyes. A girl with light brown hair in two low pigtails, freckles, and pale skin met my eyes. "Uh, hi." She said, timidly. She wore a green sundress with black sandals. "Hi." I say back. "I hope you don't mind." She said, gesturing towards a chair next to me. "Oh no, go right ahead." "Thanks." She sat down and I caught a whiff of her scent. Poppies and honeydew. Not bad. "I'm Poppy." She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you." "Well, that explains the smell of poppies." I think, mildly amused. "Winter. It's nice to meet you too." I say, shaking her hand. "Winter huh? That's a nice name. Don't meet to many Winters." She giggled. I couldn't help but smile. "So. . . Do you know what's gonna happen now?" I ask. She shrugged. "I think there going to make us introduce everyone to one another. And we'll probably have to meet the lady in charge of us." "Wait. We have to learn  fifty other girls names?!" I say, shocked. "Technically, forty-eight but yeah, basically." I groan and cover my hands with my face. Forty-eight names. I'm never gonna be able to remember all of them. I think miserably. I open my suitcase and pull out the box of cookies, wanting something to take my mind off things. I zip up my suitcase, put the box into my lap, and open it to select a cookie. I grab a chocolate chip one and munch on it. I feel someone watching me and look up. Poppy was watching me eat the cookie, looking very much like she wanted one too. "You want one?" "Huh? Oh no thank you, I'm not"- she was interrupted by the growl of her stomach. I laugh as she goes red with embarrassment. I offer her the box, making sure that she sees all the cookies in their sugary glory. She hesitated and then grabbed two fudge ones. She crammed one of them into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, the gave me a sheepish grin. "Thanks, I needed that. I haven't eaten all day." I chuckled, my mouth full of cookie. For a while Poppy and I ate cookies and talked. Apparently, Poppy had come all the way from New York. She was an only child, and had a mother, father and turtle named Mr. Swirly. I was in the middle of telling her about my sisters when a certain smell caught my attention.

It was unlike anything I've ever smelt before. It made my heart quicken and my wolf, Raven get excited. It's hard to describe. It smelled like rain and hot chocolate, with something bitter underneath it. It was an odd smell but not an unpleasant one. I frown and sit up, trying to locate it's source. The scent was gone now. It had disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. My frown deepens as I look at the girls around us. It didn't seem like a girl's scent. "Winter?" Poppy's voice snapped me out of it. "Huh? What?" I ask, stupidly. "Are you ok?" She asks. "You kinda spaced out there." "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I just-" BANG!! The huge doors shuttered as something slammed into them. BANG! BANG! BANG!!! With each "bang" the doors threatened to burst off there hinges. All the girls began panicking, some even screaming. "What the heck's going on?!?" One of the girls screamed. "Ladies, ladies, calm down!!" A man yelled. I assume he was a butler or something considering he was wearing a suit. "I assure you, everything is fine!" He yelled again, trying to regain order. The doors banged again, but this time there were also words.

"LET ME IN, DAMN IT!! LET ME SEE HER!!"

For some reason, this voice made my heart quicken. "He's here!"
Raven howled happily. "I can sense him! " "Raven, what are you talking about?!" I demand. "I WANT HER!! LET ME IN!!!" The voice yelled, accompanied with more banging. There were more voices behind the doors, frantically trying to calm whoever was banging on the doors down. "I WANT HER!! SHE'S MINE!! LET ME SEE HER!!!" The banging continued, until finally it seemed like doors would break all together. But then the banging suddenly stopped. There were loud curses and fighting noises, but it seems like whoever was banging on the doors was being restrained and dragged away. Finally, everything was quiet. "What in the name of Goddess was that?" Poppy asked, amazed.

That, Raven said happily.

                       Was our mate.