Of Alphas and Outcasts

[Blue Satin Sashes]

@*Jay

The rain had been falling hard all weekend, and had not let up in the slightest by Monday morning. Caera hardly noticed though, unable to feel the biting cold of the wind whipping her face, nor the rain as it seeped through her jacket. Of everything she'd lost as of recent, her vulnerability to the elements was not something she particularly missed, though it's loss she still mourned.

Reaching the school, she climbed up it's overly steep staircase, as usual longing for the ache in her calves it used to bring. It's strange the things you miss once they're gone. She had gained many things due to the transformation (gifts, as the other vampires had repeatedly tried to convince her). She was faster, stronger, tired less easily, could see more clearly; and, of course, immortality, the concept of which she was doing her best to ponder as little as possible.

Caera could remember all those wishes she and her friends would make in grade school; I wish I was prettier, I wish I was better at sports, I wish I could stay awake forever. And, of course, the one that everyone longs for, one desire that every human seems to dream of somewhere deep within their being: I wish that I could live forever.

She found that once you have all of these, you wish for different things. She wished she could once again feel the sun on her face, or the sting of a sunburn, or the pain in your eyes when it's too bright. She wished that she felt hungry for potato chips, and Taco Bell, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, instead of being hungry for the people who she once considered friends. She wished she could feel today's numbing rain against her cheek.

She entered the school, and headed towards her locker, expertly weaving through the crowd. It was rather easy when the whole planet avoided you. She didn't blame them, nor did she want them to do otherwise. Their mere existence seemed to mock her. She spun in her combination and grabbed her French book, quickly moving away from the couple that had begun making out two rows down.

Her final wish was simple; she wished she were anywhere else.

 

[*Jay]

Joey had parked her car in the usual spot in the student parking lot. She was dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt that had a black and white outline drawing of baby Simba on it, who were a golden outlined crown. Over the top she wore a jacket, it had two sets of zippers and a wide collar with two side pockets that clipped closed, and the brand name was stitched on the left of her chest. Her hair was simply pulled into a pony tail, which was in need of being dyed again, but Joey rather liked the dim orange it had faded to, not to mention the mix of that plus her dirty blonde roots were beginning go show. As of right now, it didn't look bad, but Joey had the dye at home to redo it either tonight or tomorrow. She wouldn't be surprised if her dad found it and trashed it though. One could hope.

Making sure the doors got locked, she glanced upwards at the panel she had parked under and praised her choice of parking long ago. "You go, Joey," she said, giving herself a mental pat on the back. Now to make it inside without getting too drenched. She hesitated, hiking her backpack higher on her shoulder. She normally was all for the rain, but it was one thing when you were a wolf out in the middle of the forest and a totally different thing when you were about to step on to the campus of loads of teenagers who loved to judge.

Huffing, she just went for it and rushed to the building. She could revel in the rain later, for now, she would like to keep her clothes dry.

Of course, that wasn't so possible but she made it inside before she was drenched. "Joey!" a female voice called, and the girl turned to the voice, stepping out of the way from the door and heading in the direction of the voice. "Hi, Mady," Joey said when she came face-to-face with her overly excited best friend. "Hi!" was the brown-haired girls response.

She had been friends with Mady since middle school, but she was one of her human friends. It sucked a little bit, not being able to fully talk with her, but she knew it was better not to risk it. Safer for her, y'know? Similar to why no one should know the super heroes identity.

"Did you do the homework for french?" Mady asked her, and Joey nodded, and the two continued with their small talk until the bell rang. "I'll see you later," Joey bid her friend goodbye, giving a small wave before heading to French. She had it first period, while Mady had it in fifth, so the two had to separate ways for now. She didn't have her book, it wasn't in her locker either as she had brought it home and forgot it last night.

Taking her usual spot in the classroom, near the back, but a row up. Taking out the spiral notebook for this class, she placed her pencil beside it before turning her attention to her phone.

 

[Blue Satin Sashes]

Caera pushed her way through the crowd, finally reaching one of the bathrooms at the end of the hall. Slipping inside, she locked the door behind her, and then went over and sat under the sink. She placed her head between her knees, drawing in deep breaths. Mondays were always the hardest. On the weekends she could hide herself away and not have to constantly be reminded of what she was. But, once she returned to school, her bloodlust returned full-force, ever growing. She'd been able to hold it off so far. Se'd been a vampire for months now, but she hadn't fed once. She didn't think she could keep it up much longer; School was becoming harder and harder to get through. She had considered dropping out entirely, but since she was only 17 they'd contact her grandfather, potentially screwing up her whole system. She just needed to keep it up till her next birthday.

The first bell went off, signaling that she only had a minute left to get to class. Pulling herself up, she took a few deep breaths before unlocking the door and heading to class. Once she got there, there were only a few seats left, so she quickly grabbed one in the second to last row. She pulled out her French book and waited, quietly going over the homework.

She half-listened to the chatter of her classmates all around. Her hearing had improved drastically, so it was much harder to block them out entirely; instead she had begun to listen into their conversations. Thus, though she didn't ever converse with her classmates, she was, embarrassingly enough, up to date on most of the high school drama.

From what she could gather, last year's valedictorian had landed herself in prison, someone named Jenna was suspended for vandalizing the gym, and the captain of the football team had gotten drunk at a party that Saturday and ended up sleeping with a freshman. She used to be a huge gossip, and once upon a time she would have killed for this information. Now it all just seemed so trivial, furthering her desire to leave this town and never look back. She often considered if sucking one of these imbeciles dry would really be such a loss, but she hadn't succumbed to the urge yet.

She glanced at the girl next to orange hair catching the light in a rather pleasant manner, catching Caera's attention. She had always used to dye her own hair as well, but after she'd been bitten, it had reverted to it's natural state, an off-white color which she wasn't fond of, and no matter what dye she tried, it never seemed worked, leaving her stuck with her natural hair permanently.

Finally the teacher arrived (three and a half minutes late), and sat down to take attendance. Caera sat back, resigning herself to another day of misery in her own personal hell.