Chapter 8 First Month Arc

• Bertha's POV
• It’s freezing this morning, and honestly, I should’ve just stayed in bed. School? Nope, not today. But, of course, that’s not how life works when you have a roommate. Ugh. Cara, bless her soul, has no concept of quiet. Is she naturally clumsy? No. She’s just pure chaos in human form whenever she’s up before me. All the banging around she does isn’t an accident—she’s doing it on purpose to get me up without actually waking me.
• “Okay, okay, I’m up,” I groan, rolling out of bed.
• She’s perched at our shared desk, brushing her hair with way too much energy. “You sleep like you are preparing to die, you know.”
• “Really?” I squint at the clock on the wall. “I still have ten minutes to sleep before I even need to think about getting ready. You should’ve let me snooze.”
• “Ten minutes isn’t going to change your life,” Cara shoots me a smirk as I drag myself to the desk for my face wash.
• “I beg to differ. I only need five minutes to get ready.”
• “Sure, and I’m the queen of slugs. At least we’ll still have a head start to school.” She stands and grabs her bag. “I’ll be waiting outside. Don’t take too long.”
• ***
• The school’s just as gloomy as ever—big, old, depressing and not the place I want to be right now. The ivy-covered brick walls do nothing to make it more inviting, especially with all the bare trees scattered around the courtyard. I tighten my coat and wish I could’ve stayed in bed.
• As we get closer to the stone steps, Ethan and Dean come jogging up, their breath visible in the cold air.
• “Took you guys long enough,” Ethan says, grinning like an idiot. “I was starting to think we wouldn't go into class together.”
• I roll my eyes, “Yeah, yeah, thank Cara, she’s basically a walking alarm clock.”
• Cara punches me lightly in the arm. “Hey, I’m just trying to help you out.”
• Dean chimes in, shaking his head. “Wish I could move into your lodge. My dog wakes me up every morning. It’d be nice to have a human alarm for a change.”
• “Sorry, Dean, no room,” I reply with a smirk. “Looks like the dog will have to do.”
• Laughing, we head up the steps and into the building. The hallways are just as packed as usual with students bustling around, grabbing or stuffing things from and into their lockers or talking in small groups. Most of them are humans, completely oblivious to the fact that some of the people around them are werewolves. It’s funny, really, how easy it is to blend in.
• I spot Matilda and Talita leaning against their lockers, chatting with their group. They stop talking as soon as they see us, giving us the usual cold stares. Matilda flips her hair and turns away.
• Cara sighs, “Yep, the jealousy is real.”
• “Say what?” Dean asks.
• “Said nothing,” Cara replies.
• “No, you said something,” Dean insists.
• “It's not important Dean, forget about it,” Cara says nonchalantly.
• We push through to get to Literature class. The room’s already half-full when we walk in. I drop into my usual seat next to Cara and pull out my notebook.
• Mr. Holman strides in, looking as tired as the rest of us. “Alright, class, settle down. Today we’re continuing our discussion on Mystical Folklores. Open your textbooks to page sixty.”
• Mystical Folklores. It’s always kind of awkward to sit through these lessons. Humans think it’s all just fiction, and yet here they are, surrounded by the very creatures their stories are based on. Mr. Holman starts talking about old legends, about werewolves, witches, vampires. The usual stuff, except most of it is exaggerated or just plain wrong.
• I glance over at Ethan, who’s sitting on the other side of the room. He catches my eye and gives me a small grin as if he wasn't as oblivious.
• I chuckle.
• Mr. Holman’s in the middle of describing some old tale about werewolves and witches working together in ancient times when Cara leans over. “If only they knew about us and Agnes,” she whispers, barely hiding a smirk.
• I nod, trying not to laugh. The humans eat this stuff up, hanging onto every word like it’s some grand mystery. But for us, it’s just everyday life.
• As the class goes on, I zone out a bit. Mr. Holman’s droning about another old myth, and I’m just waiting for the bell to ring. Finally, it does. The room instantly fills with noise as everyone starts packing up.
• “Finally,” Cara mutters, stretching as she stands up.
• Dean comes over, tossing his bag over his shoulder. “Sports next, right? Are you guys ready?”
• “Definitely,” I say, feeling a bit more awake and alive. “Time to actually do something fun.”
• With that, we head out, ready to burn off some energy on the field.
• After a few minutes, we’re all out on the school field, warming up for sports. Around me, students are stretching, racing, and exercising.
• To my left, I spot Talita and Matilda already on the cheerleading sidelines, chatting with their group. They’re part of the cheerleading squad for the Sharks rugby team, and as usual, they look like they own the field. Their team’s full of the ‘it’ girls, the ones who always think they’re better than everyone else.
• Cara and I belong to the Bear team cheerleading squad. Both teams are equally competitive but the Sharks have won us twice in the last two friendly games. Not that it bothers me. I don't care about losing the friendlies so long as we win the actual competition.
• “Ready to show them up today?” Cara asks, adjusting her mini skirt.
• “Always,” I smirk, pulling my hair back into a tighter ponytail. “Let’s show them what we’re made of.”
• We fall into position on the field, waiting for the Rugby teams to start their drills. As we stretch and practice a few basic moves, I can’t help but glance over at Matilda. She’s doing the same thing, her eyes darting our way with a look that can only be described as competitive disdain.
• As the teams run through their plays, the cheers start up. It’s the usual routine: chants, claps, and dance moves to boost team spirit. But something feels off today. I’m nailing my routine, but every time I glance at Matilda, I catch her glaring at me, her movements sharper, almost too perfect.
• At one point, she whispers something to Talita, and they both glance my way, smirking.
• I get back to the routine, but everything just feels… off. My focus is slipping, my moves are slower than usual, and I believe I'm missing the steps. The chants, the cheers, they all blur together as my mind starts to drift.
• Cara’s voice snaps me back. “Bertha! What are you doing? You’re totally off step!”
• I freeze mid-routine, realizing I’ve completely missed a cue. The other girls are glaring, and Cara’s looking at me like I’ve lost it.
• “What’s going on with you?” she hisses. “You’re losing focus.”
• “I... I don’t know.” I swallow hard, feeling a chill run through me that has nothing to do with the weather. “I think... I think Friedrich is here.”
• Cara’s eyes widen. “Friedrich? You mean—”
• “Yes,” I cut her off, my heart racing. “My mate. I can feel him.”
• And suddenly, everything makes sense. The weird tension, the sense that someone’s watching me. It’s him. He’s here.
• But why now?