Page 87 of Home: Posy 5

The class ended soon after I finished gluing my last piece in place, and Peri and I trotted off to creative writing.

That class, I wasn't too sure about. The teacher, Ms. Gautier, didn't smile and seemed really strict. She gave us a lecture on the importance of not coming late or skipping, pronouncing her name correctly as Go-Shay, and reminding us that the class being an elective meant that she didn't have to 'put up with us' if we were a problem.

"You may not like me. That is not my concern," she said. "My concern is to teach you, and your concern is to learn. So long as you can understand that, we will get along fine."

Needless to say, by the end of her introduction, I was sitting stiffly in my chair, intimidated and on edge.

Then she asked us to take out the blank book we were supposed to buy, and I was so thankful Mason had taken me shopping last week. He'd brought along the school's supply list and crossed off each item as we put it in the cart. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been prepared - and I knew Mrs. Gautier would not have let that slide, even if it was day one!

"You will use black or blue ink only in your blank book. Save your unreadable pink and green pens for your diaries." She frowned as she eyed Peri's collection of pastel pens. "Today, go to the first page and write the title, "My Goals." Compose a list of at least five milestones you hope to achieve in this class. After each milestone, list one reason why that goal is important to you."

I listened to her directions carefully so that I didn't mess up. She was not a teacher I wanted to disappoint or anger.

Man, she's a right old witch, isn't she?Peri muttered.I thought this would be fun. You know, writing stories and poems and stuff. If she's going to be like this all year, it's going to be a drag!

Maybe she's having a bad day,I suggested as I tried to think of my first goal.What are you writing?

Well, I thought about putting, 'Goal One: Don't piss off Ms. Gautier,she tittered, and I had to bite my bottom lip hard to not giggle.

In the end, I came up with what I thought was a decent list with solid reasons, and was glad when that class ended and we left Ms. Gautier behind for the day.

17: Oh, Mighty Queen

Posy

Peri waited with me until my next set of guards - Yolanda Ramirez, Sophia Bishop, and Bram Merriweather - came to walk me to history, then she hurried off to her next class, which was on the other side of campus.

The week before school started, Peri introduced me to Yolanda, Sophia, and Bram, and I enjoyed their company very much. They were shy, but friendly, had positive attitudes, and were serious about learning. They were so alike, in fact, that I called them the Clone Trio in my head.

I told them that as we walked into our classroom and claimed the first row of seats. I guessed we were pretty early as no one - not even the teacher - was there yet.

"Wecouldbe clones, I suppose," Bram giggled, "if I magically transitioned from a gay omega male to a straight she-wolf."

"I don't know whatthatwould help," Yolanda giggled. "I'd still be a Hispanic girl. You and Fifi could match pretty closely, though, if you dyed your hair platinum blond."

"Eww! No!" Bram's face screwed up in a cross between a pout and a scowl. "Then I'd look like Bridger the Bastard and he'd accuse me of copying him again! Remember when he got mad because I wore the same boots as him one day last winter?"

"Bridger who?" I tilted my head as I plopped down in a chair and began to get my supplies out of my bag. "And I wasn't basing the comment on your appearances, but on your personalities."

"We know, luna," Bram assured me, "and I was talking about Bridger the—"

"His name is Bridger Donahue," Yolanda cut him off as she, Sophia, and Bram stood around my desk. "He's one of the pack's bad boys, and twice as bad here at school. He's two years younger than us and a complete jerk."

"Heishot, though," Sophia murmured, and my eyebrows flew up as Yolanda gawked at her and Bram chuckled. "What? He may be a mean snake, but he's still hot."

"Fifi's got a crush!" Bram sing-sang, and she reached over and smacked him upside the head.

"I don't, but you're going togetcrushed if you say that again," Sophia scowled at him. "I don't need anyone hearing that and spreading rumors when you know very well that I am saving myself for my mate, no matter how long I have to wait until I find him."

"Tell me more about this Bridger guy," I said to Yolanda as Bram and Sophia continued to squabble like siblings. "Why is he so mean and a jerk?"

"Well, I know he lost all his family except his great-grandma in the sickness. He lives with her, but she's too old and feeble to have much control over him, so he pretty much does whatever he wants. There's a lot of gossip about him, which I don't listen to, but I know for a fact that he got in trouble with the human police last spring. He had to go to court over it, so it must have been something serious."

I was quiet as I mulled over the information. Bridger was acting out because he was full of pain. I knew it without even meeting the guy, and I wondered if my mates had set up any help for him. Maybe he needed to see Dr. York, too?

"We have another similarity that you probably don't know about, luna!" Bram hooted, drawing my attention back to the moment. "All three of us are turning eighteen this weekend! Me on Friday, Fifi on Saturday, and Yo-Yo on Sunday."

"Wow!" My eyes lit up. "That's amazing! Are you going to have a party?"

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