Part 9- What's going on?

"Mari are you ready to go?" I hear gran shout up the stairs.

"Yeah, be down in a second." I said back as I double checked that I had everything I needed. You may be wondering where we are going. Well, today is the first day at my new school, sadly. I guess I have Harper to look forward to though.

I get in the car and we drive off down the street towards the school. It looked nothing like I pictured, it's way bigger than my last school. From the outside it looks pretty massive with about 4 floors and a side garden and blacktop.

"Alright have a good day, love you." This feels a little weird, dad never bothered to drive me to school, come to school functions or really care about my education. He did the bare minimum and went to the conferences so this is a 180 switch from Missouri.

"Love you too, see you later." I said as I walked towards the school. As I walked towards the main office my nerves were starting to build. I got my schedule and locker assignment and left, I'm just gonna try to stay to myself until Harper shows. That was until I realized that first period was about to start and I had no idea where my class was.

"Excuse me, do you know where room 226 is?" I tapped don their shoulder and asked the closet person to me. The person turns towards me and I was surprised how did I not recognize him.

"Cas?" I asked

"Mar Mar? I heard there was a Marlene in town but I just thought it was a coincidence." He said and we hugged. Cas is the boy that use to live next door to the house in Missouri. We're use to hang out all the time as kids, my mom was friends with his before she went missing, or left I don't really know what happened anymore. It's nice seeing him again he was my first friend ever even before Harper.

"So what did you need?" He asked getting back to the question I asked.

"Oh um, can you show me room 226?"

"Sure, follow me." A see were walking he takes my schedule to see what other classes I have.

"Oooo, chemistry with Mrs. Delcotta, you're gonna hate that."

"Why?"

"Her class isn't the best, and she's just a hard teacher in general."

"Well, maybe she'll like me. You never know."

"Ehhh, we'll see. Don't get your hopes up." We finally get to the class

"Here you are."

"Thanks, see you later?"

"Definitely, we have the same lunch period see you then." He says then walks towards what I'm guessing is his class. I walk into he classroom and was greeted by the teacher.

"Hello, My name is Marlene Hendrix." I say trying to be quiet and not cause attention.

"Hello dear, class this is Marlene, would you like to say anything about yourself Marlene."

"Um, not really sorry." I say

"Okay, take a seat." I go to sit down and one kid lifts up his head. Chris? Did not expect to see him I thought He went to the other school.

Class is going on as normal and I get a note on my desk.

"Hey I didn't know you went here." I read it and look around to make sure the teacher isn't looking

"Could say the same about you." and the bell rings. I pick up my stuff and make my way out of the class room. We end up having a few more classes together one being the one right before lunch. We talk and walk, just talking about more random things like the previous night. He actually asked me on a date for Saturday night. I said yes, I was actually starting to like Chris. We reach the Cafeteria and look around for Cas and Harper. I say my goodbye to Chris and walk over to Cas' table and call over Harper.

"Harper, Cas, Cas, Harper." I introduce them and they greet

"You walked in with Chris Harvings?"

"That's his last name?" He gives me the look that says 'just answer the question' "Yeah, why."

" Just didn't think you would like him like that."

" I don't we're just friends."

"Sure"

"Oh go stare at the jocks." Cas has always been open with his sexuality so saying this wasn't a problem.

"Gladly."

"Wait Chris harbinger is the same Chris as carnival Chris?"

"I guess so" I shrugged it off

"No girl, the rumors about this guy is not good."

" Not good? How? "

"Supposedly playing his bass isn't the only thing that he does in his spare time." Cas rejoined the conversation

"What does he do?"

"A lot of illegal stuff, drugs, gets in a lot of fights, stuff like that."

He was pretty banged up the other day but he said he got jumped I don't wanna believe rumors so until I get proof my opinion stays unchanged he's a nice person.

"I'm sure it's just rumors." And with that the rest of lunch was just filled with chatter we dropped the topic.

I after school I talked to some school clubs and sports teams about joining and I got the tryout dates plus some acceptances to the clubs. By time I was walking home it was getting dark. I texted my grandparents to tell them I'm on my way and then sped walked all the way home. I was a couple blocks away near where Chris and I met a couple nights ago when I heard talking.

"Do you have connections with the girl." I heard in the alley. I slowly looked over and it was the dream man and Chris.

"Yes sir, I actually think she likes me."

"Good, whatever you do, don't mess this up, the Lykaios', her kind, are supposed to be extinct I thought we finished this with the last one."

"Yes father, I won't let you down." They started to walk away from each other so I sped walk down the block and into my grandparents house.

Father? My kind? Extinct? What was that all about? The last one? Are they talking about my mom? They killed her? Why do they want me dead? Chris is apart of this? What was he doing with the dream man? This is too much.

I'm stuck in my thoughts the rest of the night. I barely even eat the dinner granny made. Barely slept either I just couldn't get this off my mind. Then I remembered the date, I can't go now that I know this. This is all to much and with just 2 and a half hours before my alarm went off I was to exhausted to stay awake anymore and my head plopped down onto the pillows, comfortable and soft, slowly sailing me into a dreamless darkness that was welcomed to take all the thoughts, the ones prodding at my skull banging and begging to be let out giving me a headache, away.