‘Haha. Serves you right for staring, Rez.’
Lynx laughs at me and walks into the open classroom. I trail after him, exasperated for being called out, and notice I’m the last one to class. Everyone’s already seated and talking to their friends.
“Come in. Come in and have a seat. Stop procrastinating. I have a class to teach,” a man grumbles. I look over and do a double-take as I walk further into the room. In front of the class is the same disgruntled face as the man that was yelling at me in the picture outside of the door. Hmm, now that’s interesting.
Hurrying, I make my way to the back of the class, taking the only seat available, before pulling out my materials and bracing myself for my first upcoming lecture. There’s already a syllabus lying on my desk, and taking a quick look around, I notice that the other students have one as well.
As the class gets started, it’s blatantly obvious that I’m the new student and know nothing about politics, supernatural or otherwise. After the teacher calls on me for answers that I apparently should know if I’m here, he continues my humiliation. At one point Professor Snotty Pants makes us break into pairs. “Okay, now everyone pair up and complete the assignment on the board.”
When both people on either side of me turn away, I look around for a partner, but everyone seems to have one already. I perk up when I see another girl without one. We make eye contact, and she sneers, moving her desk next to a couple already looking over their books. She says something that I can’t hear, but all of them look up at me and smile. They aren’t nice smiles either.Riiiiight.There’s no point in complaining or asking for help from the professor though. He’s already done his best to ostracize me like I have the plague.
‘You don’t need them, Rez, I’ll be your partner.’Lynx helpfully volunteers before he curls up around my neck and helps me with my assignment, knowing most of the answers, surprisingly. It’s hard to concentrate though, since I keep feeling eyes on me. Giving in to the paranoia, I peer out between my curls and notice heads looking my way and dodging back to whisper within their groups.
‘Thanks for helping, Lynx,’I tell him.
‘No problem Rezzi. It reminds me of old times,’he states.
‘I don’t know what I would do without you,’I confess. A group of girls giggle next to me, and I automatically shrink into my seat.
‘Well, first of all, you would fail this damn class without the all-mighty Lynx. Second, you would probably crawl in a hole because of what those bitches are saying,’he states.
‘So you noticed?’
‘How could I not? Remember? Sensitive ears,’he says while rubbing his tail over my ear to get his point across.
‘Do I want to know what they’re saying?’
Without hesitation, he nuzzles against my neck. Damn. It must be bad. Before I can ask anything else, a bell chimes and everyone packs up their belongings to leave. I slowly gather my materials together and start for the door with my head down, when I run into a body that suddenly steps in front of me.
Peeking up, I’m met with a monster. This brand of terror comes in the form of a tall and skinny guy. His face is made up in sharp angles, with eyes that are a bright blue, and he could maybe pass as attractive if it wasn’t for the cruel smile gracing his face.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I apologize quickly, backing up and moving to the next aisle when he mimics my movement. “Excuse me,” I say, grinding my teeth now. Looking back up at his face, black veins start crawling across one side of it, and that smile has turned to a sneer.
“You smell like a human,” he says, licking his lips before they curl.
Are you fucking kidding me? This is why I’m being harassed?“And you smell like B.O. You don’t see me keeping you from your next class because of it. Though you probably should skip the next period to shower.” I go to step around him, but he reaches out for my arm to stop me. Before he can make contact though, Lynx is there. Taking on his namesake’s form, he stands between us, growling and snapping at the guy. Lynx finally shifted back into his lynx form, which means he’s gaining more of his magic.Thank God!
‘Fuck off, Asshole.’
A look of shock graces the monster’s face as he backs up and walks out, giving me one last look before leaving me in an empty room. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and Lynx rubs up against me in comfort. Feeling relieved, I lean down and give him a huge hug and a kiss on the snout.
‘Thank you, Lynx.’
‘No problem, Rezzi. I told you I would be your knight in shining armor,’he says. Lynx has always been there for me whether it was big or small. Yes, I could handle myself and often had to as a mixed child growing up as a minority, but it was nice having Lynx as a backup. I have no idea what all I’ll be getting into with this school, but it’s a relief to know he will be here with me.
The next class ends up running the same: whispers, pointing, and general annoyance. Thankfully, I don’t have anyone trying to touch me or corner me this time. When I walk into Shifter Survival, the last class before lunch and Specials, I almost walk back out. Miss Strawberry and her shortcakes are in here, taking up one side of the classroom. Of course, I couldn’t be graced with another torturous class with unfamiliar faces, I’m not that lucky in life. I’m almost wishing for the snickers behind my back, instead of the outright scowls and hostility they’re throwing my way.
“Rez! Over here,” Moni yells and waves me over. The first real smile of the day finally appears on my face, that is until I bypass the harpies.
“Oh, look, it’s the human trash bag,” the blonde barbie says loudly enough for the whole classroom to hear and snicker along.
“I’ve been called worse things by better people,” I reply and take sick satisfaction as a look of confusion crosses her face. Done with the day already, I sit down next to Moni, and Lynx hops up onto my tabletop. His vast lynx form effectively blocking me from the onlookers.
A tall, burly man, with a full neat beard and shaved head, marches into the room and sits on the edge of the desk. The groan of the desk filters through the classroom, halting all sounds. Even though he takes the appearance of a laid back professor, leaning on the desk with his arms and legs crossed at the ankles, you can tell he’s a beast of a man.
He scans over the group with a scowl, and when he reaches me, he pauses, “No Familiars in my class!” He barks.
Okay? Damn! It’s not like I knew.The fucking asshole didn’t have to call me out in front of the whole class like I was a naughty child caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I try to hide the hurt that he causes and look at Lynx with sympathy.
