Surviving Specter High: Werewolves 101

7 ~ Vampire Pumpkins

The sunlight beamed through the diamond-lead window of my tower, cascading fragmented light against the hardwood floor. With that much light, the dust bunnies living in the crevices were much more noticeable. If this was going to be my living space for the rest of the year, I seriously needed to find some time to clean. And redecorate.

When I crawled out of bed and looked out the window, students were already walking across campus. Satyrs galloped down the sidewalk, and werewolves ran on all fours with shredded backpacks. The pink sunrise blushed across the mountainous horizon, so the view was fantastic.

My friends were probably heading to the cafeteria for breakfast, so I threw on a baby blue sweater, a cream-colored skirt, and white leggings. Lastly, I slipped on two wool-lined moccasin boots to keep my legs warm. Now, I was ready for my second day at Specter High!

Taking my backpack, I flew down the spiral staircase and unlocked the door to the outside. It felt so nice to be out of that stuffy tower and to breathe in the fresh air. My throat felt a little scratchy from the dust, so I strolled down the sidewalk in the direction of the lunchroom.

Students piled through the massive door and into the hallway, so I slipped past the crowd and sidled against the edge of the wall to stay clear of the hoof zone. Luckily, I made it to the cafeteria in one piece, and lunch ladies were serving hot trays of breakfast.

"Oh, Miss Brown!" a chirpy voice called out.

I turned around and saw Ms. Milky clopping in my direction on her glittery turquoise hooves. Had she painted them with nail polish or something?

"Oh, good morning, Ms. Milky." I casually waved.

"Good morning. I just came to inform you that from now on, I will provide you with your special human meals for breakfast and lunch." She then handed me a blue slushie and a damp paper bag with the Squishy Burger logo—aka, the greasiest fast-food industry on earth.

"Oh, for me?" I forced a smile.

She peppily nodded. "Mhm. We hope it's to your liking."

Squishy Burger used the lowest quality ingredients on earth, so was it really considered "human food?" Oh, well. Rusty was eating kibble, so I guess I couldn't expect too much for breakfast. Once again, I sat down at the empty table in the far back of the room.

"Millie!"

The sound surprised me, and I looked up to find Rusty rushing my way with a Styrofoam container of food.

"Oh, morning, Rusty!" I cheeped.

He sat down in front of me with a serious expression. "Don't call me that. It makes me feel like an old jalopy."

"Aw, but I like it."

His face turned red, but he quickly changed the subject, "Anyway, that's not the point. Why didn't you tell me they locked you in a crappy tower?"

"Well, they didn't lock me in it. They gave me a key."

"Ugh, that's just wrong. I mean, can't you live with the fairy girls or somethin'?"

"They said it was for my own protection against the 'gang wars.'" I quoted the air with my fingers.

"Gang wars? We're not at war. We just hate each other. And sometimes we beat each other up," he muttered.

"Exactly."

His shoulders fell. "Ugh." He then popped open the Styrofoam lid, and as soon as I smelled his "breakfast," I nearly hurled. The acrid smell of canned dog food made me lose my appetite. He dipped a spoon into the shredded meatloaf drowning in gravy.