Awakening

Chapter 12

Rose awoke to a loud screeching sound piercing her ears.

"Ugh..." Her voice came out raspy and muffled.

She rolled over in her bed and buried her head in her pillow. Her left hand searched for the alarm and after a few seconds she shut it off. Her head felt stuffy and heavy. She laid like that for a few minutes, trying to summon courage for the day ahead. She wanted to scream or cry. Or both. It had been yet another sleepless night. Actually it had been worse than usual. Her dreams had been filled with ice blue eyes. Cold and lifeless eyes. She had woken up in a cold sweat three times. In between the dreams she didn't get much sleep. Her mind too busy trying to process each one. Just as she had drifted off, the eyes would make another grand appearance. She missed sleep so much. She rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. Maybe a warm shower would sooth her restless mind, and heart.

#

"Quiet down and continue with your work!" Rose's normally calm demeanor was fading fast. Her voice reached a pitch not normally found in her class. "What you don't finish in class will be homework." Laughter broke through her warning. Her head snapped in the direction where it originated. It was like she hadn't even spoken.

"Jason! Did you not hear what I just said?" she asked loudly, trying to get the attention of the boy in question.

His back was turned to her. He laughed again, ignoring her question. She almost lept forward and strangled him right there. "Calm, Rose. Calm." she told herself.

She made her way over to him, painfully slow thanks to the crutches, and stood in between him and his friends where they were sitting in the corner.

Loudly and very slowly she spoke to him, as if with a five year old. "Mr. Smith... Apparently you...  have a hearing problem... Luckily I know just the person who can help you... Go ahead... and make your way... to Mr. Steele's office."

Mr. Steele, the head of the disciplinary department, was a short man, but the mention of his name had sent shivers down students' spines for almost ten years. He had served a few years in the army before settling on teaching. His background made him a natural choice for the disciplinary department. He was strict, a stickler for rules and most importantly, conveyed authority. A trip to his office never meant anything good.

"What? No way! I was just joking Ms. James. No need to get all worked up." She could see the defiance clear as day in the boy's eyes. She didn't have the energy for this. Not today.

She gritted her teeth. "Now." Her green eyes narrowed as she said this. She poured every ounce of authority into that one little word.

She saw the fear in the boy before her, felt his body temperature drop slightly. Then he shivered. Maybe she had overdone it a bit. Even humans could, on some level, feel the dominance of lycans.

"I will not be ignored in my own class. Now, go." she commanded.

Exasperated the boy packed his things and stormed out of the class.

Rose sighed as she made her way to the front of the class again. Her head throbbed and she knew a headache was on the way.

#

"So you see, Rose, because of this we had to rearrange the budget."

She was sitting in the principal's office. It was just after 11 a.m. and it was supposed to be her free period. She had planned to take a nap, but she had been summoned for an urgent discussion with the principal instead. Fantastic. She examined the man in front of her. His not-so-secret toupees was sitting very askew on his head. Arms folded over his big gut. A yellow mustard stain on his tie. Wordlessly she stared at him, not sure what he was trying to tell her. She had a feeling it was not good. Probably another thing to add to her growing headache.