Wynter's Bane (On Hiatus)

Chapter 7

Edited with Grammarly: 4/30/2020

The next day finds me at school early, both looking for my locker and getting the proper books I need for my classes that I didn't have yesterday. The metal eyesores are pretty much the same school-wide from what I've seen; single or double row of metal boxes that are most commonly too small for everything you have to put in them. The books get bigger it seems, but the lockers don't.

Combine that with some schools not allowing you to wear coats in the classes even when it's freezing out. Werewolves run hot, so we don't get cold too often, if we do, it's either seriously cold, or we're sick, which is also a rarity. Really sucks when that doesn't become an option to claim to skip the day.

There are a couple of sections of the hallway that have the double row, but luckily I have a full-sized one. I'm not a fashionista, so not like I need the space for clothes, but it's still good to have for extra books. Being a Runt in a Pack of Werewolves, I don't have much of a future in anything wolf related, which means I'm free to look elsewhere.

I've heard of wolves, like Alphas, that their whole lives revolve around Pack and that's it, nothing else. It makes me feel sorry for Markus and Leilan. At max, they only have a couple of years of their teens left, yet they don't get to spend it like humans get to spend theirs.

Some Packs allow their wolves further schooling, especially those who go into politics or seek careers that can benefit the Pack as a whole, like a Lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, things like that. If they show enough promise, the Alpha will even fully pay for it, then they just pay it back to the Pack once they become what they set out to be. If they fail...then other things are set in play for them to pay back what was lost.

Our Pack encourages other fields too, like architecture, husbandry, veterinary sciences, and others, especially since there's been talk of buying a large amount of land somewhere for a group of like-minded Packs to build on. They called it a compound, which doesn't sound suspicious at all, wanting it, us, away from humans. If you ask me, it reminds me of the concentration camps ideal back during WWI.

Many wolves joined the humans for their cause, some say it was because of us that we won it, but numbers numbered into the thousands were lost on both sides, and it nearly wiped out some Packs.

I'm jogged from my head by a touch on my shoulder, causing me to snap out of my reverie. Luckily I hadn't been staring at anyone.

"Did you find Narnia?"

"Narnia was found through a wardrobe."

Kalista smiles gently, brushing the hair on the one side of her head behind her ear.

"In the first book, yes, but in the others, the doorway was found in other things."

Giving a warm smile in return, I clutch a couple of books to my middle.

"I've only read the first one. I've heard there are movies out based on them, but I haven't seen those either."

She beams at me, almost bouncing in place. Her own books weighing down an across-the-shoulder bag that's sitting against her hip. I can also see a small laptop sticking out of the corner of it and my face pales.

"Do we need laptops for class?"

Looking down, she shakes her head and I let out a relieved breath.

"Nah, unless you take Digital Art anyway, then you'd be in trouble."

Before I can respond she steps forward and gives me a hug, which the surrounding filling hallway has some catcalls and whistles to say to. Werewolves tend to be a bit touchy-feely, but you tell that to hormonal human teenagers, see what response you get.

Hugging her back, I release when she does. It did feel a bit awkward...a lot, but it was nice. She's a few inches taller so it wasn't that bad, but, I haven't been hugged in...um...

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a Ru..."

She blushes and looks down, but I just laugh. Looking at me a little sheepishly, I shrug.

"A Runt? Yeah, it's a thing. Not a common one apparently, and an embarrassment, but since I keep holding my own, they keep a roof over my head. Speaking of which, know anywhere nearby that's hiring part-time?"

Kalista's pale green eyes wander to the side for a moment as she thinks.

"Fast food is always hiring, and they aren't supposed to discriminate, but they will give you the crap jobs. I recently filled the theatre position for night crew, but I think I saw a sign up at the bookstore."

As she'd been listing things off it was getting more and more depressing, but as soon as she says that last one, I'm the one nearly bouncing in place. She giggles at me before making plans to go right after school. Before I can shut my locker, she digs in her bag and pulls out a sticker, peeling off the back then placing it directly on the inside door.

I'm about to protest about school property, even though everyone else does it, but then my mind goes directly to how do I get it off to save it. It's a wolf, done similar to a tribal design without actually being labeled as such, wrapped around a large snowflake. Both are outlined in thin black, then a thick galaxy like coloring; a mix of blues with bursts of white to symbolize stars.

She fidgets when I just stare at it, my mouth slightly agape. Swallowing, I blink and look over to her.

"I made it last night. I felt horrible about how things happened and wanted to make it up to you. Do...do you like it?"

When she starts in on a tirade of trying to explain why, I grab her hands, the smile on my face threatening to tear my skin.

"It's beautiful, I love it."