ENTRY NUMBER THREE : CLAUDIA
" Something is definitely off today"

____________________________________

Claudia hated this particular Tuesday schedule. Delphine and Ezra didn't have the same morning classes, which meant she was left to her own devices—and frankly, her mind could only stay entertained for so long without someone to whisper sarcasm to.

She walked into her third period early, phone in hand, sipping her iced coffee and scanning the room for any vaguely familiar faces. That's when her eyes landed on her—Cecily.

Cecily was perched at her desk near the window, as if purposely bathed in morning sunlight. Her long dark hair were half-tied back, and in her lap rested a heavy, antique-looking book... in Latin.

Claudia blinked. Weird flex.

Still, curiosity itched in her chest. It was the first time they'd ever had a class together, and Cecily had always carried an air of mystery. She was that girl everyone kind of knew of but not really about. Smart. Quiet. Always scribbling in margins or doodling constellations on her wrists.

Claudia walked over and dropped her bag beside her own desk, which—lucky her—happened to be right next to Cecily's.

"Hey," Claudia said casually. "That's Latin, right?"

Cecily stiffened slightly and angled the book closer to her chest. "Sort of. It's... not the kind of Latin they teach here."

Claudia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind is it then?"

There was a pause. Cecily's fingers tightened on the edges of the pages before she finally muttered, "Just... something I'm reading for fun."

Claudia tilted her head. "For fun? It looks like a spellbook or something."

That made Cecily finally crack a small smile, glancing up. "Haha, thats funny. No its something silly like stuff people used to believe in before everything turned digital and boring - celestial bodies and stuff"

Claudia blinked. She hadn't expected that answer.

"Okay, that's actually kind of cool," she admitted.

Before Cecily could reply, the classroom door creaked open and their teacher, Ms. Aldridge, walked in—heels clicking, stack of papers in one hand and a clipboard in the other.

"Alright everyone, settle in," she said in her usual clipped tone. "We've got a new student joining us today."

Heads turned, and Claudia lazily followed their gaze as a girl with deep brown skin, shining black hair, and an oddly ethereal presence stepped inside. Her eyes were striking—too bright, too clear. She had a confidence that didn't quite match the uncertainty of being new.

"Hello," the girl said, voice smooth and calm. "I'm Celeste Flores."

Claudia's head snapped a bit at the name. Celeste? Celestial beings? Okay, she thought, that's weird timing.

Cecily glanced at her too, just briefly.

Ms. Aldridge gestured to an empty seat near the middle. "Take a seat, Celeste. We're just about to begin."

As Celeste sat down, a few students tried to make small talk with her, but she simply nodded and pulled out her notebook, seemingly uninterested.

The class moved on with a dry lecture on enlightenment thinkers and cosmic metaphors in literature, but Claudia's mind kept drifting.
Then came the kicker.

"Pop quiz next hour," Ms. Aldridge announced over the scraping of chalk. "On today's readings."

A collective groan swept across the room.

Except for Salvadora, who sat up a little straighter and grinned to herself. She was the kind of girl who lived for quizzes, always had three pencils sharpened and never forgot to underline in color-coded pens.

Claudia slumped in her chair and looked over at Cecily, who was back to scribbling in her Latin book, her lips moving as if sounding out each word silently.

Something's definitely off today, Claudia thought.

And for the first time in a while, she missed Delphine more than she expected.

The moment the bell rang, Claudia shot up from her seat like she'd been launched. Her bag was slung over her shoulder in a heartbeat, and she practically bolted for the hallway, weaving through students like it was a race. She needed to find Delphine and Ezra now.

She rounded the corner near the courtyard and—

Wham!

"Oof—jeez, sorry, Soirée!"

The girl she bumped into turned sharply, her signature glitter-streaked eyeliner still perfectly intact despite the impact. Soirée, looked at Claudia with amused eyes and a knowing smirk.

"No worries, pretty girl," she purred, brushing invisible dust off her jacket.

Claudia's face went red instantly. "I—uh, thanks! Sorry again!"

She darted away before Soirée could say anything else, cursing her stupid heart for skipping a beat like that.

Claudia's shoes squeaked a little as she passed the library, and just as she rounded the stairwell—there—she spotted them.

Ezra was by the lockers, arms crossed, jaw tense. Claudia could tell from ten feet away that something was bothering him. And then she saw why.

Delphine was a little ways down the hallway, leaning slightly against the wall, her hair bouncing as she laughed at something some random guy said.

He was tall. Not Ezra tall, but close. Blonde. Varsity jacket. Probably some junior from track.

Claudia's eyes flicked back to Ezra.

He wasn't just annoyed.

He was fuming.

The kind of quiet fury that bubbled under the surface, written across his clenched jaw and stormy eyes.

Claudia walked up slowly, sidling beside him at the locker. "Hey."

Ezra didn't answer immediately. His eyes stayed on Delphine and the guy she was talking to. The guy who just touched Delphine's arm.

Claudia raised an eyebrow. "You good?"

Ezra exhaled sharply through his nose. "Do I look good?"

"Not really."

Finally, he turned toward her. "Who the hell even is that?"

Claudia leaned a little to get a better look. "I think his name is—um—Riley something? Football, I think?"

Ezra muttered something under his breath.

Claudia folded her arms. "You know she's allowed to talk to people, right?"

He gave her a look.

"I'm just saying," Claudia added, though even she felt a flicker of annoyance seeing Delphine that chipper after what happened last night. Like she hadn't spent hours sobbing and drenched in blood in the middle of the woods. Like there hadn't been a mangled body five feet from her trembling hands.

Ezra shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "Whatever"

07
____________________________________

____________________________________

The bell rang again—Maths.

Claudia barely had time to take a breath before they were shuffled into their next class. She slid into the seat beside Delphine, with Ezra dropping into the desk behind her as usual. Delphine, curiously quiet now, stared ahead at the whiteboard, twirling her pen slowly between her fingers.

Mr. Breyson adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses as he walked in, tapping a stack of worksheets against his desk. "Alright, class. We're starting something new today, but I want you all to get into groups of four for the exercise. Go ahead—move around."

Chairs scraped, voices rose, and everyone began finding their circles.

Claudia turned toward Delphine and Ezra. "That's three. Who're we missing?"

Delphine barely blinked, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Mr. Breyson cleared his throat loudly. "Maddox. You're the only one left—go ahead and join that group in the back."

Claudia's head turned in slow motion. So did Ezra's.

Maddox shifted awkwardly near the front of the classroom, a notebook clutched to his chest. He was wearing just a plain grey shirt and jeans, and he looked like he'd rather dissolve into the linoleum floor than walk across the room.

But eventually, he did.

Claudia glanced at Delphine just as Maddox reached their table.

Her eyes had gone cold.

Like someone had turned off the warmth behind them. She didn't blink. She didn't smile. She just stared—hard—at him.

"Hey," Maddox mumbled, lowering himself into the seat beside Ezra, which happened to be directly across from Delphine. His knee bumped the desk. "Sorry."

Ezra leaned back in his seat, arms crossed tightly. "All good, man."

Claudia gave Maddox a tiny, polite smile, trying to soften the weird tension settling like fog between them all.

Delphine hadn't said a single word.

Claudia kicked her lightly under the desk. "Delphine," she whispered.

"Hm?" Her eyes never left Maddox.

"You good?"

"Perfect," Delphine replied, voice flat.

Maddox shifted again and opened his notebook like it was a shield.

Mr. Breyson began explaining the task on the board, but none of them were really listening. Claudia felt her skin prickle, like the temperature in the room had dropped slightly. Ezra kept glancing between Delphine and Maddox like he was waiting for something to blow up.

Delphine's eyes were sharp, narrowed like she was trying to read Maddox's soul. And Maddox—he was sweating. It was barely noticeable, but his hands trembled slightly as he wrote something down.

Claudia looked between them.  This wasn't just about awkward group work.

This felt like a powder keg, and Delphine was holding the match.

The four of them tried to focus on the maths worksheet, but the tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Maddox kept stealing quick, nervous glances at Delphine, who barely acknowledged him beyond those cold, unreadable eyes. She tapped her pen sharply against the desk every few seconds, her jaw tight, as if forcing herself to stay calm.

Ezra and Claudia exchanged looks but didn't say anything. Claudia tried to make small talk to ease the mood.

"So, Maddox... you're doing okay with this stuff?" she asked, hoping to break the ice.

Maddox swallowed hard. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... trying to catch up."

Delphine's lip twitched in what might have been a smirk, or maybe a sneer.

"Looks like you're struggling a bit," she said quietly but sharply, eyes still locked on him.

Maddox's face flushed. "I said I'm fine," he muttered, glancing down at his paper.

Ezra's jaw clenched, but he didn't jump in.

Claudia wished she could do something to lighten the atmosphere, but Delphine's strange attitude toward Maddox was making the whole group feel off. She seemed almost... hostile, though Claudia couldn't figure out why.

Minutes passed with forced attempts at solving problems and awkward silences punctuated by Delphine's occasional sharp looks.

Finally, Maddox scribbled an answer and pushed his paper forward.

Delphine glanced at it, then scoffed softly.

"Wrong," she said flatly.

Maddox's hands clenched into fists. "Maybe. But at least I'm trying."

Ezra cleared his throat, breaking the standoff. "Alright, let's just finish this and move on."

Claudia nodded, hoping things would ease once the group work was over.

At lunch, the three of them huddled around the table in the corner of the cafeteria. Claudia had spread out a thick, worn book about mythological creatures, flipping through pages as they tried to make sense of everything happening to Delphine.

Claudia rubbed her temples, reading aloud in a rushed whisper, "So, it was a full moon. You were bitten. You ate —uh—I mean—" She gulped and quickly changed course, "Let's skip that part. But you did react weirdly to fire."

Delphine nodded, her fingers tapping nervously on the table.

Claudia continued, "Full moon, bitten, carnivore urges..."

Suddenly, a voice cut through their bubble.

"Ooh, cool! Are you talking about werewolves?"

Claudia blinked, startled, and awkwardly laughed, "We're, um—"

Before she could finish, Salvadora, who had been nearby with her tray, leaned in with a sly smile.

"Oh wait, no. Did you mention fire? Then it's not a werewolf. What was the name... oh yes, Wendigo."

The three of them froze, their eyes wide.

Salvadora's smile only grew wider as she added, "Did I just find the answer to your question? This is some weird online quiz, right?"

Ezra cleared his throat, trying to regain control. "Yes, yes, you did, Sallie. Thank you."

Salvadora waved and walked away happily, leaving them all stunned in silence.

Delphine broke it first, voice shaky. "Wendigo? What even is that?"

Claudia flipped the book open to a page with dark, haunting illustrations. "It's some kind of spirit or monster from folklore. Cannibalistic, cursed, a hunger that never ends."

Ezra frowned. "That sounds... bad."

Claudia nodded. "Yeah. And the symptoms kind of match what you're going through. The craving, the changes."

Delphine swallowed hard, looking down at her hands. "So, what? I'm turning into some kind of monster?"

"No one said that ," Ezra said firmly.

Claudia glanced up from the book, her eyes catching movement across the cafeteria. Soiree was walking by again, her confident stride turning heads as usual. This time, Soiree looked right at Claudia—and winked.

Claudia's cheeks flushed instantly. She quickly looked down, hoping Delphine hadn't noticed. But sure enough, Delphine's sharp eyes locked onto Soiree's wink, her brow raising in curiosity.

"Hey," Delphine whispered, nudging Claudia's arm. "Did you just get a wink from Soiree?"

Claudia swallowed, feeling both embarrassed and oddly excited. "Yeah... I think so."

Delphine smirked. "Well, don't keep me in suspense. What's going on with you and her?"

Claudia laughed nervously. "Nothing, I swear. Just... maybe she's friendlier than I thought."

Delphine gave a knowing smile, her eyes flickering between Claudia and Soiree as she walked away. "Keep your eyes open, Claudia. There's always more than meets the eye."

Just then Ezra suggested "Why don't we head over to my place later? Maybe we can dig up some more info about what's happening."

Delphine shook her head quickly. "I can't, actually. I've already been asked out on a date."

Claudia's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Omg, who was it?"

Ezra's face tightened, and Claudia caught the flicker of annoyance in his eyes.

"Wait," Claudia pressed, "was it the blond guy from before?"

"No," Delphine said with a smirk.

"Delphine ... how many guys have asked you out so far?" Claudia's curiosity got the better of her.

"Six."

"WHAT? When did all this happen?!" Claudia's voice rose in disbelief.

"Just today..." Delphine replied casually.

Claudia glanced at Ezra, who looked less than thrilled, and grinned mischievously. "C'mon, spill! Tell us about him."

Delphine's smirk deepened. "Well, he's tall, handsome, and has such a pretty face..."

Ezra clenched his jaw tightly, his fingers twitching at his sides as jealousy bubbled quietly beneath his calm exterior. He tried to focus on the conversation, but his eyes kept flickering toward Delphine, who was suddenly so different — bolder, more confident, almost daring.

Delphine caught his gaze and smirked mischievously. "Aw, Ezra, don't worry. You're still one of my favourites"  she said with a playful lilt in her voice.

Before either of them could say more, she stood up smoothly, walked over to him, and lightly caressed his jaw with the back of her fingers, sending a strange warmth through him. Then, with a teasing smile, she turned and left the room.

Ezra sat frozen for a moment, staring at where her hand had just been.

Claudia then still shocked looked at him "What the hell has happened to sweet ol' Dellie?"

She nudged him "Looks like someone's got competition."

Ezra groaned, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I have no clue what's going on with her lately, but... I swear, I'm screwed."

Claudia laughed softly. "Well, maybe it's about time she shook things up a little. You've been holding all the cards for too long."

Ezra shot her a glare but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Just remind me to survive this."

Delphine's voice floated back from the hallway, "Don't worry, Ezra. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Ezra shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. "God help me."

08
_____________________________________

EJONA SPEAKS !!

Wohoo new chapter