Sunday was quiet and uneventful and, before we knew it, it was Monday. Dressing in another pair of black cargo pants, a skull t-shirt, combat boots, and my jewelry, I got ready for school. Ms. Hannah said that she would personally go to the school to talk to them, and then she'll text us the response. When she does, she wants us to post it to our band social media accounts. After all, it will be broadcasted live from the school.
The first half of the day was uneventful, and by lunch Ms. Hannah messaged us about the answer. She said the school agreed to it and that our t-shirts should be ready by then. Ms. Hannah is going to have a big batch made, that way they can be sold during or after the interview.
Mrs. Lovelace had to reschedule our class for Tuesday, so I spent lunch in the cafeteria. We posted the news to our social media accounts, and anticipation for Friday increased. AP Algebra and English went in a blur, and finally it was time for PE.
Everyone was outside playing soccer, and I was sitting on a bench doing my homework. Cobra, who was in the security room, asked me how the field was and, after listening, gave the 'all clear.' As I was working, Coach Hill came up to me.
"I have a question for you, Andrew." She said when I looked up to her.
"What's up, Coach Hill?" I asked, putting down my pencil.
"I want to start an after school self-defense class, and I was wondering if your godfathers would be interested in teaching their specialties." Coach Hill said, explaining her idea to me.
"Well, Nigel's specialty is blades, so I don't know if that would be a good idea. However, Nixis and Umbra might be willing. They teach Muay Thai and MMA/Krav Maga respectively." I said honestly.
"That's fine, but would you be willing to ask them for me?" She asked, slightly pleading. "The only way I can start this program is if I have licensed instructors." Pulling out my phone, I messaged Nixis and Umbra about Coach Hill's question. It didn't take long before they both responded. They agreed and when I told Coach Hill, she was happy.
After the bell rang, we went home and I went to the Music Room while my brothers did their homework. I went between singing, playing the piano, and playing the violin. Spending two hours playing music, I went into the living room and my brothers were already watching Supernatural. We watched television until dinner was ready, then we ate and went to bed.
The next day, there was another note beside my clothes for the day. It reminded me that my older sister, Alex, would be getting me from school early for my appointment with Donny. To be honest, it doesn't feel like a week had already passed since the shooting, but it just meant something else to talk to my therapist about.
Getting dressed, we got into our cars and left for school. AP World History was typical. We took turns reading paragraphs from Chapter 10, then answered the questions at the end. AP Biology was the same as World History. I don't know what it was about teachers having students read out loud. They said it was to help us absorb and retain the information, but it was more annoying than anything else.
After Biology, it was time for my Art class. As I separated from my brothers, Bill came up to me. It's been a while since he showed himself to me, so my guard went up.
"What do you want, Bill?" I asked, impatient to sit down due to the pain in my leg. My backpack also wasn't helping with my balance on the crutches.
"I want to do this." Bill said, before punching me in the face. When I fell down, he started kicking me, and a few of those landed on my bad leg. Screaming in pain, I knew Viper would quickly find me on the hallway cameras. It didn't take long for James and Rita to get to me and to pull Bill away.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" James asked as he held Bill against the wall.
"Not only did he fuck my brother up last year, but he brought a damn shooter to our school. He doesn't fucking belong here, and don't pity him. The Freak is a damn Shifter. He can take a beating like this!" Bill yelled at James.
"Andrew, are you okay?" Rita asked as she knelt beside me.
"Get everyone away from me." I ground out, looking up at her with ice blue eyes. Nightmare's eyes. As Rita hurried everyone out of the hall, Bill asked what was going on.
"Injured Shifters are more susceptible to forced shifts due to their Fight or Flight response. Andrew was told not to shift for at least two months because of his leg. Now, because of you, it's going to take him longer to heal." Rita said, joining James and Bill beside the wall. While she was talking, I had taken off my bag as the sound of bones snapping and my grunts filled the air. Soon, Nightmare was standing in the hall, taking on a size that was appropriate for his surroundings.
"Andrew?" James asked, keeping himself between me and Bill.
"That's not Andrew. Andrew's eyes are green. Those eyes are blue. His Ayakashi is in control." Josh said, slowly coming up to us.
"Josh, stay away." Rita tried ordering him to stay back, but Josh didn't listen.
"He won't hurt me. I'm considered a part of his Pack." Josh said while kneeling on the floor. "It's okay now, Nightmare. Can you give Andrew control again?" Nightmare growled softly while looking at Bill. "Hey, buddy, look at me." Josh waited until Nightmare was looking at him again before continuing. "That idiot won't do anything else. James and Rita won't allow it, and the police are already on the way. However, I'm worried about my brother. We need to get that leg checked out, and to make sure there aren't any other injuries. You know it's easier to do that if Andrew is in control."
As Nightmare listened to Josh talking, the other students were watching from the classroom doorways. Nightmare knew Josh was right, so he slowly walked toward him before laying on the floor with his head in Josh's lap. Slowly giving me control again, the shift back was less painful, but I was still struggling to breathe while I laid on my brother's knees.
"Just take it easy. Don't try to move until Alex gets here, She's on her way now." Josh said, gently laying a hand on my left shoulder. As I laid on the floor, the police came and took Bill away. While they walked Bill down the hall, Alex came running to us.
"What happened?" She asked, out of breath. Rita explained the situation to her while Josh and James helped me stand. My head was pounding and I was dizzy, so they helped me to Alex's car before Josh went back to class. James and Rita followed us to the hospital, that way they could help me inside. By the time we got to the hospital, I was struggling to stay awake. They helped me inside and a nurse brought over a wheelchair while Alex talked to the man at the reception desk.
"My brother has an appointment with Doctor Donatello Dragonheart today at 1pm. There was an incident at his school, so we came early." She told the young man when it was our turn.
"What's your brother's name and birthday?" He asked, typing at his computer.
"His name is Andrew Slate and his birthday is February 15, 2011." She said before looking at me. "Please tell him to hurry. I think my brother might have a concussion."
"I'll let him know. If you take a seat, he'll get you as soon as he can." The man said. This was the last thing I heard before losing consciousness.