32 | PERFECT ATTENDANCE

The second I hear the car pull into my driveway, I walk out to meet my friend. I’d sent her a text an hour ago - when school ended - to see if she could come meet me at my house. I’ve been a nervous mess the entire time, despite downing several cups of tea laced with sin-a-cubes. I pause just inside the doorway to the house, waiting for Darine to hop out of her weird little burnt orange car. A smirk twitches my mouth as I see it.

The little monstrosity is an assault to my eyes, but I can’t help but stare at it a second too long, my mind drifting back to when I’d seen it for the first time after Winter Break when I’d met up with Darine. She hadn’t admitted that the thing was a gift from a certain overly-flirty Wolven, but I’d put two-and-two together. The relationship between the two seemingly more complex than I have a right to ask about - for the moment. I make the usual note-to-self to ask about Yuri when I’m not about to spill my guts to my friend.

My human friend locks up her car and comes to stand in front of me, looking the picture of health. Despite this, I can’t seem to meet her eyes, guilt weighing heavy and dragging my eyes to the bright orange converse she’s got on. A question bubbles in my throat for a second, but dies on my tongue where guilt manages to strangle it.

“You messed up my perfect attendance record.” Darine finally huffs at me. I look up to see her watching me through narrowed eyes, her hands on her hips, and a disapproving frown on her normally smiling face. I wince, trying not to let the accusation in her eyes twist my already guilty gut into more knots. Then she rolls her eyes and throws her arms around me. “Don’t abandon me like that again.” She warns, her hug unexpected, but nice. I let out a little surprised laugh and hug her back, trying not to crush her as I remember she’s human.

“It’s only been a week,” I protest, releasing her when her arms loosen. She frowns at me, tilting her head as she examines my face.

“You know that’s more like a month for me.” Darine grumbles, her pout quickly turning into a grin. “Pinky swear.” She holds out her pinky to me suddenly, a light of humor dancing in her blue-green eyes as she waits. I let out another laugh and roll my eyes, reaching over to link our pinkies.

“Pinky swear.” I huff back, feeling a little less guilty now that we’ve sort of made up. I nod my head to my house. “C’mon.” I tell her, wanting to get her inside the safety of the enclosed space.

I keep thinking back to the injury she’d sustained not too long ago, my eyes drifting to her neck as she ducks through the doorway. There’s the faintest line that stands out against her peachy skin, just a shade paler than her normal skin tone that gives the scar away. The ebbing guilt twists back into its original mass, weighing heavy in my stomach as I shut the door behind us. Darine goes over to the only chairs in the kitchen - the stools under the island - and plops into the one Mom would normally occupy.

“So, is this where you tell me your secret identity?” Darine prompts. I blink at the girl in utter shock, unable to make a sound as she continues. “Cause I’ve gotta tell you, I’m not buying the bullshit Mr. Hale’s been trying to feed me over the last week.” I let out a strangled coughing sound as I fight the weird little nervous laugh that bubbles from my throat. “And I’m totally cool with becoming a sidekick.” She adds, a little too much excitement gleaming in her eyes. I stare at her as comprehension dawns on me.

“Darine, I’m not a superhero.” I tell her bluntly, the words sounding ridiculous as they come from my mouth. Well, maybe not as ridiculous as I ponder my next words. I’m really a werewolf-vampire hybrid.

“Oh, right-,” Darine’s eyes goe wide and she looks around the room like she half-expects someone to come out of the walls. The she gives me a too-obvious wink. “Of course, you’re not.” She adds with another excited grin, wiggling a little on the stool. I manage to bite back the groan wanting to burst out of me as I roll my eyes and look back at her blandly. “Is Mr. Hale, like, your handler or something?”

“Not a spy either.” I grumble, running my hands over my eyes and letting out a wary smirk at my friend. Trust Darine to make this difficult to get out. I huff a sigh and consider my words carefully before saying them. “He’s actually my father.”

“Oh my God- Like Darth Vader?” Darine’s eyes widen to an impossible size and I frown at her.

“Who?” I shake my head in confusion and return to my original plan. “ Darine, let me just tell you-”

“Holy shit- that’s why he covers for you! He’s got to have super powers too then-”

“Dammit, Darine, shut up!” I hiss at her, just a little too inhumanly. My annoyance and anger boil inside me, exploding out as her human heart races just a little too audibly in my ears.

“You can’t keep trying to bullshit me, Scar. Your eyes get, like, nuclear-waste-green.” Darine tells me coldly, staring at me in a suddenly solemn way. I wrinkle my nose at my human friend, and rub my temples. I try not to take offense at her description of my eyes. They creep me out too, the few times I’ve seen the shocking acidic coloration in the mirror. I take a calming breath and feel my emotions go back to a simmer.

“Darine, I’m not a super hero. I’m…” I suck in a breath, trying to steady my nerves and get this over with. I focus my attention to a spot beside her, like the clean wall can keep me together as I prepare to out the existence of supernaturals to my human friend. “I’m a hybrid. Part vampire and part werewolf.” I manage to get out before she can interrupt again. I keep my eyes trained on the wall beside her, crossing my arms and waiting for her to speak. And waiting…and *waiting*…

When I look up, she’s frowning at me, her blue-green eyes blinking slowly at me.

“I like my explanation better.” Darine finally sighs. I try not to gape at her as she leans against the wall, a pensive look on her face. “Super hero sounds cooler, you know.” She points out, like it matters. A strangled, half-hysterical giggle emits from my throat and I burry my head in my hands as it turns into a full-belly laugh. All tension drains from my body as I laugh and Darine continues to watch me with the same expression. “You know….” Darine finally says when I’ve just about finished my laughing fit. I absently wipe at my eyes, raising my eyebrows at her. “I’m gonna want to see some proof.” She finally shifts a bit in her chair, as if she’s nervous of my response.

“Hm,” I hum around the last of my laughter. “I figured.” I admit, leaning my head back against the wall. “I’ll show you, but you have to promise me some…conditions.” I hedge.

“Shoot,” She tells me, perking up immediately. I smirk at her warily and hold up a hand, ticking off the conditions as nervousness churns in my stomach.

“You can’t run out screaming. You can’t tell anyone else - and I mean not even Yuri.” I tell her this to throw her keen mind off the possible scent that Yuri’s not human either. I don’t know how much he’s said or shown her, but I don’t have a right to tell her about him till he gets the green-light from the Azures. “And you have to pretend you don’t know if Hale asks.” I haven’t exactly cleared this with my father, unable to find or get ahold of him before I decided to call my friend here.

“Cross my heart,” Darine nods eagerly, making an ‘x’ over her chest and waiting with baited breath. I shake my head and give my body a little stretch.

“Okay.” I sigh and break the most important rule of the Wolven and shift.