My ears perk up, and I sniff around, picking up on the scents of the forest. Suddenly, I feel a rush of energy and find myself on all fours. Then with a burst of energy, I run through the trees, my hair bouncing behind me.
‘Rose, where are you going?’ Imogen shouts.
‘For a run,’ I shout back, and continue with great speed as I whip in and out of the trees, leap over boulders and critters, and then circle back to Janie and Imogen after a while.
I plonk on the ground covered in fallen leaves and roll onto my back, catching my breath.
‘That run felt so amazing,’ I say to them.
Janie chuckles. 'It must be a werewolf trait. You used to hate running to the milk bar down the road, and you'd even yell at the wind for messing up your hair. But now, you love it and can run for miles with ease.'
The rustling of bushes grabs our attention, and five wild grey wolves appear, growling and circling us. I pull Imogen and Janie beside me to keep them close.
Janie raises her hands, ready to cast a spell at them, but I shake my head no at her. Janie lowers her hands.
As they step closer, readying to attack, my canine teeth form, my ears flatten, and I let out a deep, ferocious growl, like never before, warning them.
The wolves sniff the air around me, their growls turning into whimpers as they pick up my scent.
As I stand there, mystified, the wolves slowly lower their heads in submission, backing away from us. I can't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the strange power that suddenly seems to emanate from me, ‘Get out of here, go on!’ I shout at the retreating wolves, my voice echoing through the forest. They disappear back into the undergrowth, leaving us alone once again.
Imogen looks at me in amazement. ‘They were scared of you,’ she says in disbelief.
‘Yeah, I don’t know why. There were more of them than there were us, and they wouldn’t have the sense to know Janie is a witch either,’ I say to them.
We spend the next hour helping Janie collect wildflowers for her to use in her teas and potions. The sun slowly sinks beneath the horizon, casting an orange and pink colour across the sky, and we all feel the chill of the evening breeze. It's getting late, and we know it's time to return home.
We drop Imogen home, and she seems nervous, ‘Is everything all right?’ I ask her.
‘I’m worried about Martha and the others tomorrow. I can’t help but think they’re going to target and bully me now, too,’ she says.
Janie forms a smile, ‘How about this! Let’s all video call each other in the morning, dress in similar but extra cute clothes, and walk into the academy together?’
‘Oh, my gosh, Janie! Martha would hate that! Especially seeing I’m part of your group now, let’s do it!’ Imogen smiles.
‘See you in the morning then,’ I wave to Imogen.
Imogen waves goodbye, her face illuminated by the porch light, before disappearing inside.
We then arrive in Janie’s driveway. I hug her and wave goodbye as I cross the road. I make my way up the pathway to my front door, unlock it and step inside. The familiar scent of home greets me, and I feel a sense of contentment wash over me as I make my way up to my bedroom. I wash up, put my favourite bunny pyjamas on and climb into bed.
We arrive at the academy dressed to impress, and we have certainly succeeded. Our outfits are different, but we have all coordinated the colours, wearing matching shades of black and red. Martha, Tori, and Sandra glare as they see us together as best friends, with Imogen entering the hallway.
Janie wears a stunning red mini-dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. Her dress has a sweetheart neckline that shows off her décolletage, and she paired it with knee-high black boots and a black jacket. Her hair is styled in two thick French braids that have strands of red faux hair entwined. Her usual sweet innocent look has now changed to hot and fiery.
I wear black leather pants that are tight-fitting and high-waisted, accentuating my hourglass figure. I wear a red blouse with ruffles that hide my tail underneath and sleeves that ruffle at the top. I added a black leather jacket that gives me a badass vibe. I found a maroon beanie in my mother’s room that covers my furry ears perfectly. My black ankle boots with silver studs complete my look.
Imogen's outfit is a combination of cute and sexy. She wears a red skater skirt with a black crop top that shows off her toned midriff. Her outfit is completed with a pair of black ankle boots. Her red hair has been teased along the hairline in the opposite direction in a bouffant style, making her hair puff up and out like an eighties style hairdo. She’s added large hoop earrings, giving her a cute but punk-like edginess to her look.
As we walk down the hallway, we smile at each other, strutting with confidence and flicking our hair over our shoulders as we pass Martha and her cronies, who are covered in cuts and bruises from the car accident. Sandra’s arm is also in a sling.
We smile at each other, knowing that we look super-hot and notice that every guy and girl in the hallway is gawking at us with either envy or lust. One guy trips over, while another walks into a locker.
Our outfits had certainly achieved the desired effect, and we own the attention with our charm and confidence, much to Martha’s dismay.
Xander appears from out of the shadows of the hallway and looks Janie up and down with his mouth gaped open, rendering him speechless. Imogen and I giggle at his reaction.
‘What do you think?’ Janie asks Xander and does a quick spin.
Xander swiftly places one hand on her back and the other on her waist, tilting her back and kissing her with quite the enthusiasm.
Every guy now stares at Xander, narrowing their eyes at him with jealousy, as he stakes his claim publicly on Janie by clearly sticking his tongue down her throat. Surprisingly, Janie seems to be thoroughly enjoying it and even giggles when their lips part.