First Shift

Ch. 8

Kye! Why the hell aren't you at school? - Gwynn

Why are all the wolves absent? - Samantha

Why don't you text back?- Gwynn

Kye were are you? Are you ok?- Samantha

I watched as more and more messages appeared in my inbox from both Gwynn and Samantha. Razia had ordered that no one was to leave the compound and no one was to have any contact with the humans from town. "Stop driving yourself crazy," Ember said. She was sitting on the other side of the couch, the rec room was packed with wolves all bored from being trapped in the compound. It had been three days since the Razia's announcement to the pack about the vampire she thought was behind the murder of the townie. "I'm not driving myself crazy," I told Ember as I watched my phone light up with another text. I shoved the phone across the coffee table and turned to look at Ember. Skye and Ryan had disappeared like every other wolf over 16 to go and look for the vampire. Carson had left 10 minutes ago to go take their little brother Sage to get something to eat. "I'm tired of being stuck in here, I said to Ember. All the wolves under 16 were on house arrest allowed only to be in the rec room or in the cafeteria. "Deal with it,." Ember said looking up from the book she was reading. "Besides where would you go school? You should get used to being here after your birthday you won't leave as much and for the first few months you won't leave at all," Ember said.

Ember was always straight forward and sometimes her words cut like a knife. "I know! I just don't like being cooped up in here all day," I said. The wolves who came back did so at dawn and left at noon some didn't return and stayed out all night and day. The pups hadn't left the rec room for three days unless it was to get food and when night came three older wolves stood guard. "How much longer are we going to be trapped in here?" I asked exasperated. "Until Razia decides otherwise," Ember said cooly. I would never understand how everyone was able to just obey orders and push aside their own desires.

***

On Wednesday most of the wolves returned and we were released from the rec room. Razia had a brief pack meeting and announced that they had found and killed a rouge vampire who was fresh out of the ground and admitted to killing the girl. Razia warned everyone to be careful however because most new vampires are bound to their makers and a newborn who killed only did so if the maker was irresponsible or a killer themselves.

"Kye!" Gwynn yelled as she barreled down the hall. "Where have you been?" I tried to answer her but she just kept trailing on. "I'm sorry about Friday I didn't mean to freak you out ok? I just...." She stopped a blush creeped up her neck. "Gwynn I wasn't ignoring you because of what happened stuff was just going on in the pack." I told her. "You mean about Jessica? It has been all over the news but why didn't you at least text me back. Samantha said you weren't replying to her either we were scared that something happened. "I shook my head and started leading her down. The hall to our first class so we wouldn't be late. "I can't say much about what happened but everyone is fine." I told her.

She stepped into our English class. Samantha was already there and just about jumped out of her seat when I entered the room behind Gwynn. I took my seat next to hers and I was assaulted with almost identical questions as Gwynn asked.

After Samantha and Gwynn got enough answers out of me and were satisfied I wasn't ignoring them the day continued like normal and I feel back into the rhythm of the school. The only thing that was odd is sometimes I would see or hear something and memories would click into place. When I first came here I had about 2% of my memories before the accident and now after just two weeks (nearly three) of being back I had about 20% of my memories.

"Kye" Gwynn said and tossed a piece of paper at me. I ducked and glared at her she had been throwing things at me all day to get my attention and it was starting to get annoying. "What!" I asked exasperated. "Hey, don't yell at me! You're the one who keeps getting a glazed over look," she told me. "I don't mean to," I told them. "Were does your head go when you zone out like that?" Samantha asked. We were in the last class of the day and everyone was just relaxing and talking with their friends. Our teacher was absent and the sub just handed out a worksheet at the beginning of class before he hid behind the computer screen.

"I don't really think I go anywhere I just lose focus of everything." I answered Samantha.the bell rang cutting off Samantha's reply. Chairs scrapped against the floor and everyone flooded out into the hall and the throng of students. People were pushed and trampled until you broke free and escaped the crowd. We made it to Gwynn's locker and she grabbed her bag. Gwynn was one of the few kids who actually used their locker most avoided them and just carried their bags to class.

The halls had emptied somewhat as Gwynn grabbed her things and our path to the buses was less crowded. "Kye?" Gwynn asked."yeah". Gwynn had stopped in the middle of the hall so I turned to look at her. She gazed at me sadly and didn't meet my eyes. "Will you ....I mean after your birthday...." Gwynn trailed off. "I think she is trying to ask if after your birthday is it going to be the last few days?" Samantha finished for her.

I looked between the two and guilt blossomed in my stomach I now understood why the other wolves didn't go out of their way to be friends with everyone else. "Not entirely," I told them. Emotions passed across both their faces to fast for me to read. Gwynn looked sad however I couldn't read the expression on Samantha's face. "What do you mean?" Sam asked. "I won't be able to leave the compound for a couple of months it differs depending on how long it takes me to keep my instincts under control. After that I can leave but only with an escort. I should be able to text and everything though so that won't change," I explained to them.

"You're going to be a prisoner in your own home?" Gwynn asked. "It isn't as bad as it seems and it is for everyone's safety including my own," I told them. "Just don't forget about us," Gwynn said before she disappeared into the crowd towards her bus. "See you tomorrow!" Samantha said before she left to walk home. I climbed on my bus and took my seat next to Ember. 'Why was everything always so complicated for me?'

***

The next few days passed way to quickly for me I had already missed more than half a week of school and before I realized it I was on my last week of school. My birthday grew ever nearer and as each day fell away I felt more and more as if a death sentence was looming ever closer. Before I knew it, it was the Thursday before my birthday I was running out of time.

-A/N sorry for not updating for a while with school starting I haven't had a free moment. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. This chapter was a little rough I was working through writers block.