by Amy Hale
I nodded, thankful for someone willing to stand by me. I pulled her in for a hug and wiped a tear from my eye. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional. I thought this kind of thing wouldn’t bother me anymore.”
She squeezed me and bent down to help me gather my books. “Let’s get to class and get this day over with.”
The following day, the school buzzed with talk of something called the Cold Moon Ball. It was a large celebration that took place every year during the Cold Moon. That seemed cool, especially since this year the Cold Moon and my birthday landed on the same day: December third. I took a flier from a stack sitting near the entryway of the school and scanned the information. I was shocked to learn that the dance itself was a ball held in my grandfather’s house, a charity event people flocked to. To be honest, I didn’t see my grandfather as the charitable type. But it appeared to be something everyone looked forward to, if the excitement surrounding the announcement was anything to gauge by, so I guess his grumpiness didn’t scare off everyone in town.
A shout caught my attention, and I turned to find a freshman named Marty glaring at an older student named Gary. Marty had been hanging chess club posters on the main bulletin board, and it seemed that Gary had been hassling him.
Gary shoved Marty, so Marty shoved back.
In one swift move, Gary put Marty in a headlock. “Stay out of my way next time, you little jerk.”
Marty struggled. “Let me go!”
Everyone witnessed the aggressive behavior, but did nothing.
Jordan Woods jogged past me as I watched in dismay. “Gary, leave him alone. Don’t you have better things to do, man?”
Gary sent Jordan an angry scowl. “Mind your own business, meathead. Marty and I are just having a little fun.”
Jordan stepped forward and grabbed Gary’s arm. “Let. Him. Go.”
He now stood nose to nose with the bully.
Gary released Marty, and the freshman hit the floor as he began to gasp for air.
“Maybe I should let you take his place,” Gary snarled.
I moved closer, wondering if I could somehow help, but also knowing that being the new girl in school, my help may not be appreciated.
Jordan crossed his arms. “If you think you’re big enough, then go for it.”
Gary stared at him for a long moment, then spit his gum on the floor in front of Jordan. “You’re a waste of my time.”
He turned to leave.
“Keep in mind that Marty, and any other student at this school, will also be a waste of your time. If you bother them, you bother me.”
Gary adjusted his jacket and pretended not to care about Jordan’s threat. “Whatever.” He gave Marty one last glare before strolling down the hall, away from the snickering students.
As someone who’d been bullied most of my life, I appreciated what Jordan had done. Marty had Jordan on his side, and Gary wasn’t likely to pester him again. I was going to step up and help pick up the posters Marty had been hanging, but Jordan beat me to it. He gathered the posters and helped Marty to his feet.
“You okay, buddy?” Jordan asked, dropping a hand on Marty’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Marty mumbled, embarrassment coloring his cheeks.
Jordan handed all but one flyer to Marty. “Chess club, huh?”
Marty nodded silently.
“I’ve never learned to play chess. If I join, will they teach me?”
Marty nodded once more.
“Is it hard?” asked Jordan.
“Not once you learn the pieces.” Marty’s fingers flipped the edge of his poster stack nervously.
“Can you teach me? I’d love to at least know the basics before I start playing against anyone.” Jordan’s expression was sincere.
Marty’s eyes lit up. “Sure! I’m free just about any time after school.”
“Awesome.” Jordan clapped Marty on the back. “I’m looking forward to hanging out with you.” He folded the flyer and put it in his back pocket. “See you after last period.”
Marty walked away with his head held high and a smile on his face. True joy formed his expression.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest. I’d already thought Jordan was cute, but this made him angelic. He came across like a knight in shining armor. Except in this weird scenario, I was the dragon he’d normally expect to slay, not fall in love with. I groaned at the thought of him finding out my secret. I turned and stuffed the Cold Moon Ball flier inside one of my notebooks.
“Hi.” A familiar voice spoke softly near my ear.
I looked up to see Jordan smiling at me.
“You gonna go to the ball this year?” he asked.
“I . . . I don’t know. I’m just now learning about it.” I tried not to let the butterflies in my stomach make my voice shake.
“It’s pretty fun. We go every year.” He chuckled. “I’m surprised you don’t already have the inside scoop, seeing as your grandpa runs it.”
I smiled. “Yeah, you’d think I’d know all about it already.”
“You should definitely go.” He continued to smile at me.
“Okay, maybe I will.” Am I flirting? Oh God. I’m actually flirting.
His grin widened. “Maybe you should go with me. I mean, I’m an old pro at this. My mom has been taking me since first grade. I can show you around the event and help you learn the history behind it, if your grandpa hasn’t already explained it to you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Yeah, that might be fun.”
He looked down at his shoes, then back up at me. I thought I detected a slight blush. Adorable. “Great, it’s a date then.” His smile was wide. I nodded, and he waved as he began to walk away. “Talk to you later, Zoey.”
“Sure,” I mumbled.
Within seconds, Miranda appeared at my side. “Oh my God! You are going to the ball with Jordan? That’s so awesome!”
My mouth fell open. “How did you know? He just asked me. And how are you always next to me so quickly?”
She smirked and looked around, then leaned in. “Vampire. We’re fast and have great hearing. It’s awesome, until you hear a fight. Or your parents doing it in the next room.”
“Ew!” I laughed.
“I know. Some things you can never un-hear.” She shuddered.
I smiled again. “Have I told you how much I adore you, Miranda? ’Cause I do.”
She flipped her blond hair off her shoulder and stuck her nose in the air regally. “Of course you do, daahling. Everyone adores me.” We both burst out in laughter.
I rode through the rest of the day on a cloud of happiness. Not only did I have an amazing best friend, but I had a date. With the cutest boy in school, no less. A small part of my mind wondered if it was some kind of cruel prank, but I couldn’t let fear or negativity cloud my ability to at least attempt to have fun.
I said goodbye to Miranda on the front steps of the school as her mom pulled up to the curb. My dad had texted me to say he was running late, so I decided to hang out on one of the benches at Cook’s Corner Park across the street—a nice quiet little spot under a tree that provided a magnificent view of the block but still gave the feeling of privacy. The park itself was beautiful, with vine-covered arches, stone paths, and a bronze fountain as the centerpiece. I couldn’t wait to see what it was like in the spring. The spot I’d chosen allowed me to leave the snowball fights and noisy students behind, and I could imagine settling down in this spot with a good book when I had some free time.
I sat with my back to the large elm tree and pulled my phone from my pocket. The signal was really spotty at the moment, but I could kill time with a solitaire game. I’d just made my first play when I heard voices from behind me.
“Oh look, it’s Zoey the emo girl,” snarled Katy.
I frowned. Not now. Not when everything else today had been so nice. I turned around on the seat and saw Katy and two of her friends standing there.
I didn’t like confrontation, so I tried to think of ways
to keep this encounter from going south. “Hi. Am I in your spot? I can move if you’d like me to.” I tried to form a friendly smile.
“Oh, I’d like you to move all right. All the way back to where you came from in Freakland.” Her smile was cruel and sinister.
I stood to walk away, and one of her friends ran around me to block my path. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I looked up at her. She was several inches taller than me and quite a bit larger overall. If I had to guess, I’d say all three of these girls were athletes.
“Listen, I don’t want any trouble.” I tried to sound polite.
Katy stepped next to her friend, further blocking my path. “Then maybe you shouldn’t be flirting with Jordan Woods.”
“Jordan?” I asked. “I barely know him. I’ve only talked to him a couple of times.”
“But you’re going to the Cold Moon Ball with him,” Katy said.
“Well, he did ask me today, and I said yes.” I paused. “Is he your boyfriend? If so, I swear I didn’t know.”
“No,” scoffed Katy. “He’s not my boyfriend, but don’t get any ideas that he’s yours, either. You don’t belong here, and you don’t belong with him.”
I frowned. “Listen, I don’t know what I did to make you upset with me, but if you’d—”
Katy interrupted me with a hard slap to the face. Stunned, I didn’t know how to react. I’d been called names, screamed at, and teased mercilessly, but I’d never been physically assaulted before.
Katy laughed. “Did I smack some sense into you? Or do I need to do it again?”
Her friends laughed, and I took a moment to catch my breath. My face stung, and I worried her attack had left a mark. I closed my eyes, trying to control my emotions. My eyes began to burn as the tears filled my lashes. I will not cry in front of her. I will not give her that satisfaction.
I turned around to wipe my face, knowing that she and her goons were just as likely to strike with my back turned. I didn’t care. I had an intense need to rein in my slowly building anger. Anger and heartbreak were emotions familiar to me, but this time something felt different. My hands began to shake, and when I opened my eyes, the world seemed slightly dimmer. I glanced down at my still trembling hands and saw my fingernails begin to grow into claws.
My hearing instantly amplified, and I could hear the three girls whisper behind me.
“What a crybaby. She should run home to mama,” said one.
I heard another breathe out a shaky sigh.
Katy chuckled. “Let’s give her something to really cry about.”
The crunch of snow sounded the alarm that Katy was moving. I heard the sounds of something being picked up and then more crunching. My instincts kicked in, and I ducked just as a large pebble-filled snowball flew past me and hit the tree. I stood, ready to turn and defend myself, but terrified of what I might do. I started to panic. Not here! Not now! I knew my dragon was once again trying to protect me. I appreciated it, and to be honest, a part of me wanted to see these girls running away in fear, but I knew this was not the right answer. Not at this time. Not when I didn’t yet know what I was capable of or how to control it.
Salvation stepped up in the form of my father. “What seems to be the trouble here, girls?”
I closed my eyes and forced my hands to relax, slowly feeling my claws retract.
Katy spoke for the group. “Nothing, just having a snowball fight.”
I heard the other girls murmur in agreement.
“Ah, well, I think it’s time we all moved on, don’t you?” His calm voice had an edge to it that held anger as well.
The three girls said nothing as they walked away. Dad placed his hands on my shoulders. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
I nodded, but couldn’t yet find my voice.
“Are you sure?” He turned me to face him.
I looked up, letting the tears spill down my cheeks.
He gave me a small smile. “I see you’ve had a new experience with your dragon. I’m just sorry it happened at the hands of those horrible girls.”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me protectively. “Yes, you will. You’ll be better than fine.”
I hoped and prayed he was right.
At dinner that night, Mom asked me about the incident with the girls.
“Do you really want me to rehash it?” I asked.
“I don’t want to know about the girls. I want to know about you. What happened to you? Did your vision turn cloudy?” Concern laced her voice.
“It did for a little while.” I picked up my spoon and tried to use it as a mirror. “Do my eyes look weird or something?” I gasped and dropped the spoon. “Did they change like Grandpa’s did?”
Dad nodded. “A little, but they are normal now. My vision always becomes cloudy just before my eyes change. It happens quickly now, but in the beginning, it was a slower process.”
At that moment, I was so glad I hadn’t turned around during the assault. My eyes already seemed a little odd to people, with their mostly gray coloring. I could just imagine what Katy would have said or done if she’d seen dragon eyes instead of human.
“Once your vision clears, it becomes very sharp. You can see for miles, most of the time. Your hearing is also intensified.” He smiled, giving me the impression he enjoyed that aspect of being a dragon.
“My hands . . . my fingernails changed, too.” I held them up, as if they could still see the evidence of claws that had retracted hours ago.
Mom frowned. “Did those girls witness any of this?”
“No, I kept my back turned to them.” I put a forkful of macaroni and cheese in my mouth.
“Good. Glad to hear it.” Her brows furrowed, causing the slight wrinkles she often complained about to deepen.
Dad looked at Mom. “It’s okay, Bianca. She has a good head on her shoulders. She has the instinctual dragon wisdom. She’ll handle things in the right way.” Dad gave me a wink and took a bite of his own macaroni and cheese.
“I’ll do my best.” I tried to sound enthusiastic for Mom’s sake. Dad was excited, Mom was worried, and I was completely confused and overwhelmed.
“So, I assume that is just a small part of what happens when a human changes to a dragon?” I tried to sound nonchalant, although I really felt like wigging out.
“Yes. You were experiencing the beginning stages of that change.” He gave me a sad smile. “This should be something you are excited about, like a rite of passage. But instead we live in a world where we have to hide these things.”
I nodded again, feeling a lump in my throat. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be excited about being a shifter. Especially if my being different painted a large target on my back.
Maybe this explained why Grandpa was so grumpy all the time.
Chapter 5
“The ceiling needs painted.” That was the first thing I said to myself as I opened my eyes Saturday morning. I didn’t know why that thought popped into my head, but as I gazed upward, all I could think about was the dingy white color. Maybe this was how my brain tried to find something totally mundane to focus on. Goodness knows I’d had enough excitement to last me for months. I’d hoped to sleep in, but groaned when I turned my head to the side and saw the clock said seven a.m.
I had planned to spend my day relaxing with a book and otherwise doing a whole lot of nothing. I could have still followed through on that, so I stretched and shuffled to my bathroom. I flipped on the light and glanced at myself in the mirror, then I screamed.
Mom and Dad were in my room within moments.
“Are you okay? Where are you? What happened?” Dad shouted.
I stepped out from the bathroom and saw Dad with a baseball bat, ready to do battle. “This happened. What is this?” I asked as I held up a handful of hair.
Dad lowered the bat, and Mom’s mouth formed the word “oh” without actually saying it.
“That’s pr
obably one of your special traits,” Dad said as he walked toward me. “I think it looks kinda cool.” He touched my hair. “Isn’t this all the rage right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s popular to color and highlight your hair all kinds of crazy colors, yes. But I’m not sure this is the same thing.” I stepped back into the bathroom and gazed at my reflection. My raven-black hair now had streaks of iridescent white dispersed throughout. The contrast was almost blinding. I turned my head and noticed that the light sparkled off the white strands. It reminded me of a pearl, with the subtle colors chasing the light as I moved.
Mom stood in the doorway. “It’s rather beautiful, once you get over the shock.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” My mind reeled with the mockery that would come my way at school on Monday. At least I had the weekend to adjust to it. “Do you think I could dye it back to black?”
Dad’s voice carried from my bedroom to the bathroom. “You could try, but my guess is that it won’t take.”
“Oh joy,” I said. “One more reason for me to stand out.”
Mom smiled at me. “One more thing that is uniquely you and completely breathtaking.”
I had to refrain from rolling my eyes yet again. She was my mom. She had to say stuff like that. Instead I smiled back at her.
“Thank you.” It’s the only response I could muster.
By the time lunch rolled around, I’d found myself sitting in a booth at Whisper Falls Inn, thanks to my mom’s orchestrations of a “surprise” visit from my best friend, who screamed with delight when she saw my hair. My black hoodie was my new best friend now. I would never take it off again.
“Take off that hood, Zoey!” Miranda whispered at me loudly, for the third time.
“No way,” I growled. “I’m not ready to showcase this mess to the whole town. I’m still getting used to it myself.”
Miranda crossed her arms and tapped her fingers with impatience. “It looks freaking amazing. I might see if my hairdresser can replicate it.”
“You lie,” I muttered.
“Seriously.” Miranda crossed her finger over her heart. “I’m a little jealous actually. I’m usually the first one to try new styles, but Mother Nature helped you scoop me on this one.”
