Chapter 4

Another bell rung and the running foot steps outside had stopped.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She sighed heavily and took her hand off of mine and crossed her legs.

"Wow this is a lot harder then I thought it would be," she said, quietly and cleared her throat. "Lets go outside and do this now," she added, quickly opening the door to the bathroom. I followed her unable to do anything else, I couldn't just leave her and go to class late. What would I say? The 'I'm new here excuse' isn't going to fool every teacher. I didn't even have my bag with me.

We walked out into the empty hallway. The sound of her heeled flats echoed in the distance. She brushes her hair back behind her ears and didn't look at me when she asked, "Do you believe in magic?"

"As in?"

"I guess like miracles," she said, shrugging. Is that really what she was trying to say?

"I guess, why?"

"Even after your parents died?"

"Yes." What are you getting at Cassandra? Didn't we get of the subject of my parents?

"What if I told you were apart of something - magical?"

I paused, turning to her and stopping before we made it outside. "I'm not sure."

Cassandra definitely didn't grow out of her awkwardness. I started to think that maybe Cassie is crazy, she might even be a killer, that's why she lured me away from everybody. I've had a fighting chance she's only 5'3", thought the irrational part of my brain. What even are the chances that anyone is trying to kill me. I scoffed out loud.

"And might I ask what you two are doing out of class?" I practically jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice.

Slowly I turn around. I had to crane my neck to meet his green eyes. Too young to be a teacher, but almost a little too old to be in high school. His edgy look is coated with black leathers and an aura of 'stay back' that I couldn't begin to comprehend. His sharp jaw held a scar perpendicular to it that is one shade lighter than his smooth skin.

"Going to class, what about you, Thomas?" Cassie gave him a dirty look to match the unease he put off by just standing there.

"Making sure you don't get the new girl in trouble," he smiled, "because what it looks like to me-"

"Oh you don't have to worry about that remember? I'm miss 'goodie goodie,'" she replied, sticking out her tongue and rolling her eyes again.

"This is great and all but I need to get going," I interrupted and that boy, Thomas, glanced quickly at me then turned his attention back to Cassandra.

"You might be a goodie goodie Cassandra Light but remember what your job is. I knew Cody would fail to do it. However, I had more promise in you," Thomas sneered at her.

"Yes of course you had to, always doubting me when I'm your best asset. I was just getting to do step one in my job, step two actually." She scolded back, crossing her arms tightly across her chest and narrowing her eyes at him.

Thomas, unamused by Cassandra, turned back to me and smiled, looking at me up down. I crossed my arms over my chest, sinking my body weight deeper into the tile below me as red flushed my cheeks.

"Are you sure this is her? Seems a bit... dull." His smile faded and I can feel the skepticism trailing in his voice. Cassandra punched him in his arm.

"Yes." Her face is kissed with pink as she fiddled with some of her bracelets, the charms clacking.

"Hey! You three stay right there, is there a reason you all aren't in class right now?" I jumped again at the sudden arrival of another stranger. My eyes are closed shut and I took in a deep breath to recollect my self. Everything felt so light and I wished I had something to balance against.

Everything is okay, you're paranoid Jamie. It's all a dream. You'll wake up. I opened my eyes. An old guy, with a bald head. He was fat and his bear belly rolled over his belt and you could tell his shirt was just too tight for him. He raised his hands pointing us, sweat stains rolling down the side of his arm. I saw his arm hair from here, holding on the glistening beads like on his forehead. What little left he had of hair around the sides of his head clung to his shiny pale skin.

"Yeah, we were in the library running an errand for our teacher," Thomas replied in an even tone, and frankly a little irritated that he was even being asked that question.

"Oh really? And what would that be smart-" he started to move closer to us. The grease stain on his shirt grew more apparent as he heaved forward, breaths raspy.

"Book return for Mrs. Alec," Thomas interrupted.

"Sure..." the older man replied, doubtful. I felt Cassie crawl out of her skin when he took some more steps towards us, her hands shook and body flinched back.

"Thomas," she squeaked in a whisper voice, the only thing she could let out.

"I know," he replied through his teeth.

"What's going on guys. Are we in trouble?" I asked, eyeing back and forth from the fat teacher and them.

"Just be ready to run." Thomas wrapped his arm around me, pushing me back behind him with Cassandra. She also put her arms around me, keeping me put in a tight circle.

"You guys should really get to class, except for that new girl the principal wants to see her," he almost snarled like an animal. One step closer, two steps closer, as he pointed a shaky finger towards us. He twitched his head and slowly his lips, sweat stains growing bigger and the body odor filling more of the hallway. The more he tried to move closer the more he struggled.

"Oh we can take her we need late passes anyways," Cassandra added behind Thomas. I began to walk in the direction of the teacher despite the smell and looks. Thomas snatches my hand and rips me back into my place. "I'm ready, lets just be sure," Cassie whispered to Thomas.

"No! No! No!" His voice raised into a yell, "she needs to come with me! At once!" My chest tightened and we all moved back as he starts coming closer again. He rolled his head around with a snap, pulling his hand across his chest, and let's go some raspy screams and moans.

"Is he okay? I think he's having a heart attack!" I screamed and ran forward to help the man. Something loud cracked and again, cracking and popping like stitches on a tight shirt. Slowly he began to change into something, some of his skin growing more hair, and his pupils growing then his eyes shifting like a cats. His body seemed like it was almost sucking up the fat and his belly turned flat. His head filled with black hair and he grinned looking at me arms length away. "What the fuck," I trembled, stumbling back and tripping over my own feet onto the cold floor. I'm fumbled back to Thomas and Cassie confused by what's appearing in front of my eyes. The butterflies in my stomach scratched at the back of my throat, and my vision almost goes fuzzy.

I must be dreaming. I must be dreaming. I repeated over and over in my head which is turning foggy and useless. I opened my mouth again but nothing comes out, my stomach tightened and my movement felt slow.

"GO! GO! GO!" Thomas roared and snatched me up by my shirt pulling me back to my feet. I reacted fast and followed behind Cassandra.

Thomas pushed me again and I turned my head around to see shreds of clothes on the ground and the fat teacher gone, replaced with by a large animal- there is no way this is happening. There was no way we'd out run whatever that was. Fear ran throughout my body; fear driven by confusion and hysteria.

"What the hell is happening!" I yelled. Thomas took Cassie's hand and mine, taking a sharp right to the hallway, the bathrooms, the first doors on the right. He shoved all of us through and we stumbled in. I fell to my knees, I could feel a sharp pain as a slid across the tile. I was back again to where we were when this whole conversation started with Cassandra and I.

"Remember that life or death thing, this is apart of it," Cassandra said. I started to catch my breath, unable to do so as I lay out on the floor sitting underneath the sinks. My body ached and everything is became overwhelming hot as lunch creeped it way back up my throat.

I held my chest and began to slow my gasping breath and calm down my racing heart.

"It's okay Jamie," Cassandra said and covered my mouth to stop me from screaming. She touched my arm as she gets up from in front of me. She goes into the middle stall and stood on the bar behind behind the toilet, prying open the window, or at least tried to.

Thomas is pressed up against the door, holding it back from the tiger that's trying to claw it's way through. I heard the tile crack beneath its paws. More light started to leak through the bottom of the door. I laid on the floor unsure of what to do. My ears throbbed from pumping blood. Thomas looked to the side and realizes he didn't lock the door. "Wouldn't hurt to try," he laughs sarcastically and locked it with a click.

"A little help?" Cassie reached an inch short of being able to open the window properly. I got up next to her. The window is slightly rusted and painted over in a thick coat making it harder to budge. I take the palm of my hand and bang it on the window.

"Any day now guys!" Thomas heaved from the door, slits slowly making its way through. Banging of drums slowly sounded through the halls, like a marching band. People screamed and laughed as the music played louder, drowning out the sound of chaos.

"How nice, a senior rally and the windows not opening," Cassandra replied annoyed and rolling her eyes.

"Well guess what Cassie you got a pure princess right next to you, tell her to use her powers," Thomas noted, even more agitated than Cassie.

Cassie tilted her head to me, "hey Jamie can you use those powers you don't know about that have been laying dormant for 17 years of your life until your parents died and bust out this window," she said loud enough for Thomas to hear.

"I don't have powers you lunatic!"

"Your really going to be questioning that right now? Really?! After you just saw a man turn into a tiger your going to question everything we're doing right now?!" Thomas screamed at from the door to me. He was right, I shouldn't be questioning anything at the point, especially from the man who is holding back a tiger from busting through a door.

"If I use my powers we'll be easier to track!" Cassandra panicked, waving her hands quickly in front of her.

"FORGET IT."

A honey yellow glow appeared from her hand and covered the window, she closed her hand and it breaks, glass shattering in my face and hers. Her eyes glowed to a vibrant sea blue, a cut across her cheek bleeding bright red. My eyes widened even more as the cut began to soften and faded smaller, almost like a paper cut.

Cassie climbed out, her leg reaching over dropping to the grassy area down below. I jumped out of the window landing on my feet sending shock waves up to the top of my body, my ankles in pain. Thomas follows out of the window landing on top of me.

"Shit sorry."

I don't remember when Cassie started running but we followed close behind her. The tiger was behind us and catching up as we made our way away from the main building and into the parking lot full of cars. Next to a small SUV, Cody appeared in the distance. He had his hand over his eyes blocking out the afternoon sun and watched the scene unfold before him. He got in the car and started reversing toward us, the tires squeal as he speeds back.

I dodged to the side and land hard on my hip as the car continues to speed back and make contact with the large cat. The plastic bumper crunched and the tiger was flat against the concrete, smushed down by the rear tire. Slowly hair started to disappear and more bones began snapping.

"We have a class 1 species of the feline shape shifters, appears to be of high courts lineage, suggesting by the wrist tattoo I would say he is around two hundred years old." Thomas analyzed, kicking his wrist over to reveal a completely different man than the one we faced in the hallway. I got off the floor and dust away the dirt. My ravaged hands and leg from skidding on the concrete stung.

"Which means he's of old blood with that j slicker. Glad he didn't do much damage," Cody replied. My hands are shaking and my heart is still racing as I looked him over. Pale skin, blue veins trailed with hints of black bruises. His brown hair was long, reaching the nape of his neck, tire marks covering his legs.

"He would of had such a fun time killing us all and keeping Cassandra for his little pet. Absolutely despises witches." Thomas rolled his shoulders.

"I wouldn't blame him, after we killed off most of his family and made dragons the representatives of high courts," Cassandra sighed, kicking his limp arm.