Finishing putting on his black Nike shirt, Ethan adjusted the fabric on his shoulders, tousled his hair in the mirror, and put the necklace around his neck.
Okay... First day. Let's go. What kinds of things could happen today?
As he opened the bedroom door, the first thing to hit him was the wave of noise from the hallway: laughter, hurried footsteps, and the echo of young people talking all at once.
Well... Now this is starting to look like a real school.
As soon as she started down the stairs, her presence did not go unnoticed. Several faces turned in her direction, following her steps with evident curiosity; after all, no one there had ever seen that face before.
"Tch... As always, I feel like a circus clown," he thought, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.
What Ethan didn't realize, however, was the true meaning of those glances. In the corners of the hallway, two girls leaning against the lockers were whispering to each other, following him with their eyes.
"Wow... Who is he? Have you seen him around here before?" one of them asked, adjusting a strand of her hair.
"I've never seen him... But he's cute," the other replied with a sly smile.
Ignoring the chatter, Ethan walked down the hallway to the principal's office door. He knocked three times on the wood and waited until he heard the voice authorizing him to enter.
"Ah, Ethan! Good morning. Did you sleep well?" greeted Caroline Forbes, looking up from a pile of folders on the table.
Good morning, Caroline. Yes, I slept well.
"Okay. Have you had breakfast yet?" she asked, adjusting her pen.
No, not yet. I just woke up and came straight here to check my schedule and see which classrooms I'm in.
"Ah, I understand. I hadn't told you about this yesterday because everything was so rushed," Caroline explained with a welcoming smile. "The first thing you're going to do is go to the cafeteria and have your coffee. Then you come back here and I'll give you all the details, okay?"
Okay, I'll be right back.
Ethan left the room and began to retrace his steps. The further he walked, the more he noticed the stares directed at him. Students stopped their conversations in the hallways to watch him pass. Of course, he was a stranger, so it was expected... But was that all? Did he have something dirty on his face?
Discreetly, he ran his hand over his nose to check, looked at his own shirt and saw no stain.
Hmm... It must just be because I'm the new guy and nobody knows me yet. New beginnings, the same old thing...
Upon arriving at the spacious and well-lit cafeteria, he found the place completely bustling. Groups divided by tables chatted loudly, cutlery clinked, and the smell of fresh coffee filled the air. It was only upon observing the crowd more closely that it finally dawned on him. A simple but obvious detail that he hadn't noticed until that moment: everyone there was wearing a uniform.
So that was it... Of course there was something wrong with me. I'm the only one without a uniform in this damn place.
Swallowing his slight embarrassment, he walked to the counter and joined the queue behind the other students. Right in front of him, a girl with wavy brown hair and a sharp gaze turned slowly, sizing him up before flashing a slightly mocking smile.
"Nice shirt... But I think they forgot to tell you that we usually have a dress code here," she said, crossing her arms with an extremely confident attitude. "I'm Penelope. And you must be the new kid the whole hallway is gossiping about."
— Ethan. And it's... unfortunately I only just realized I'm not wearing my uniform now — he replied, giving a weak smile and scratching the back of his neck.
As the line moved along, Penelope followed it, displaying an almost analytical curiosity.
— Where did you come from, Ethan? And, more importantly: what kind of supernatural being are you? Because I have a good eye for these things and I couldn't figure you out just by looking at you.
Ethan hesitated for a second. Talking about the supernatural so openly was still new to him.
— I come from far away... And as for what I am, I think I'm a werewolf. But, to be honest, even I'm not one hundred percent sure yet.
Penelope paused for a moment, the salad server suspended in mid-air, staring at it with furrowed brows in sheer bewilderment.
"You think you're a werewolf?" she repeated, letting out a disbelieving giggle. "What do you mean, 'you think'? Either you have the gene and have already activated the curse, or you don't. It's not the kind of thing that leaves room for doubt, kid."
"It's a complicated story," he replied, shrugging to cut the subject short.
Penelope watched him for another two seconds, surprised by the mystery, but decided not to press the issue.
"Well, whatever you are, at least you have presence. Come, grab your tray and sit with us," she invited, gesturing with her chin to a table near the windows. "I'll introduce you to everyone."
After getting their meals, Ethan followed her to the table where some students were chatting animatedly.
"Everyone, this is Ethan. He's new here, so please be kind," Penelope announced, pulling out a chair.
The students at the table stopped to stare at him. Ethan glanced at the group and simply nodded.
"Hey, newbie. I see you haven't quite caught up with the house rules yet," joked a boy in a leather jacket with a playful grin. "Nice to meet you, my name is Mike."
"Well... Unfortunately, I arrived in a rush last night and didn't have time to pack my school clothes yet," Ethan explained, sitting down.
"Okay, Ethan. So, tell us, what kind of supernatural being are you?" asked a dark-haired girl with expressive eyes named Amora, leaning over the table.
"Shall we get straight to the point?" Ethan smiled slightly before confiding, "Okay... As I was saying to Penelope, I don't even know exactly what I am. I may or may not be a different kind of werewolf... One that can use magic."
A sudden, heavy silence fell over the table. A collective look of shock spread across the faces of Mike, Amora, and even the students at the next table who had overheard.
"WHAT?!" Mike nearly choked on his juice. "YOU CAN USE MAGIC AND YOU'RE ALSO A WEREWOLF?! THAT'S..."
"What?" Ethan blinked, confused. If people were already looking at him strangely before, now it seemed like he had turned into a circus freak. "Is it that bizarre?" he asked, turning to Penelope.
Even Penelope, who usually maintained an unwavering demeanor, was wide-eyed in surprise.
"Yes, Ethan! It's extremely bizarre!" she said, gesturing with her hands. "The bloodlines are pure and separate for a reason. Known hybrids only exist between vampires and werewolves. A warlock who is also a werewolf? Nature normally doesn't even allow something like that to exist or keep magic active!"
Shit... I really am a stranger even to this place, Ethan thought, feeling a knot in his chest. I mean, I kind of suspected it, but hearing their shock makes it all the more real.
"That means you'll have to attend two different classes and fit in with two covens at the same time, Ethan," Penelope continued, resuming her analytical tone.
"Covens? What do you mean?" he asked.
"It's the social divisions of the school," she explained, leaning back in her chair. "Vampires hang out with vampires, werewolves join their packs under the alpha's leadership, and witches do the same in their covens. You're stuck in the middle of two worlds."
"Hm, I see... Thanks for the lesson, Penelope. I'll buy you a Coke later for this," Ethan said, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.
Penelope let out a low laugh and bowed her head.
BIIIIIIIII!
The shrill sound of the bell echoed throughout the building, causing the students to begin gathering their belongings in a flurry of shuffling chairs.
"Alright, everyone, time to go! Today we have History of Magical Geometry... Ethan, don't be late on your first day!" Penelope warned, rising gracefully.
Ethan nodded, stood up, placed his tray on the counter, and walked back to the director's office to take care of his business.
Toc, toc.
"Yes, you can come in!" Caroline's voice called from inside the room.
"Caroline, were you able to adjust my schedule?" Ethan asked, opening the door.
"Yes! Here they are, and here's your uniform," Caroline said, handing him a folded stack with the school crest and some papers attached. "You'll be a little late for your first class, but I've already let the teachers know."
Ethan quickly glanced at the curriculum.
Okay... So I'll have classes divided between species each day?
— Exactly. You need this to adapt to your wolf side and your magical side. From what I've been told, you know almost nothing about the rules of our world, right?
"Yeah... more or less," Ethan admitted, scratching his chin.
That's right. But remember that here we don't just teach supernatural subjects, Ethan. The traditional human subjects are also part of the mandatory curriculum.
"That makes sense. There's no way to isolate ourselves from the human world, since we still live in it," Ethan commented.
Caroline nodded with an approving smile.
Exactly. Now go change and go to class.
- It can leave.
Walking briskly to his room, Ethan put on his uniform. The dress shirt and blazer were slightly tight on his shoulders and chest, but they did the job.
Wandering through the corridors filled with numbered doors, he searched for Room 3 — the werewolf group — deciding to start with the side he felt was most present within himself.
Toc, toc.
"Yes, just a moment!" Footsteps echoed from inside, and the door opened. A woman in her thirties, with neatly cut dark hair and expressive blue eyes, greeted him with a welcoming smile.
"Hello... Oh, yes! You must be Ethan. Come in, please," she gestured, making way for them.
"Thank you... Professor...?" he asked, seeking identification.
— Lucy. You can call me Professor Lucy. Alright, everyone, pay attention! Today we have a new student joining us — Lucy said to the class of muscular and attentive teenagers. She picked up a piece of chalk, handed it to Ethan, and pointed to the blackboard. — Please introduce yourself.
Ethan walked over to the board and wrote "Ethan Nichols" in large letters. Then he turned to the class, feeling dozens of eyes fixed on him.
— Hi everyone. I'm new to this whole supernatural and werewolf thing... So go easy on me and don't make fun of me for it.
Shit... How embarrassing. Who says something so stupid on their first day?, he thought immediately, feeling his ear burn.
Some boys in the back chuckled softly, while others maintained neutral, appraising expressions. Across the room, two girls exchanged quick glances and small smiles, thinking about how cute the new boy was.
Without waiting for further comments, Ethan walked to the back of the room and settled into the last desk in the right-hand row, next to the window, watching the activity in the courtyard outside as class began.