Selena brushed the stark white locks so everything fell on one side. Then, snapping a picture of herself in one of the school's bathroom mirrors, she sent it to Tatiana. The studs and rings gleamed in her exposed ear, the same metallic color as the piercing in her nostrils. Their last chain of messages were three days old – they almost read as normal chatting and gossip. But she knew it was forced, both of them going through the motions of still being friends.
‘Big day tomorrow. Wish you were with me.’ Sounded sappy and they needed to work things out not wishes. Unless Morgana had an artifact in her store to magically fix a broken friendship and heart. Two big chunks to stitch together. ‘Brittney, Amber’s wife, did the piercings. They’re adults, real ones with jobs. Not sure I can live up to thinking of them as subordinate members of my streak yet. Almost makes you understand why mom and dad are so harsh. But if I had to choose, I’d rather escape to the Karnstein mansion than sit in on another lecture meant for my sisters.’ Her family still had no idea she wasn’t a furless welp any longer. One problem at time Selena. ‘Think I can come over?’
She hadn’t expected the reply to come instantly or at all. ‘Will you bring Jez?’
‘Yes.’ The reply was an enigmatic thumbs-up. Tats followed it up with saying that she would check with Jezebel. The entire exchange left an emptiness inside. Selena had not even considered the possibility of Tatiana accepting and found herself struggling to find something to fill the void. ‘Are things fine between us?’
‘No.’ Strange as it sounded, things not been good between them was good. Even it broke the serious tone further, Selena sent a smiley and suddenly felt like she stood on less treacherous ground. Tats would know what she meant.
“See, that’s what you two look like. Obviously in love.” Ashlee, the Cheerleader captain, came swaying with Zoey, Stella, and Hannah in tow. “You guys are such cuties anyway. Holding hands like that is so sweet.” With the distinct sense she was being used as a prop, Selena glanced at the tips of Stella’s and Hannah’s fingers touching before drawing away and starting over by approaching each other again. “Maybe we should come out too. Getting cramped in the Cheerleader closet.”
Hannah blushed, looking like she had been caught like a mouse in a trap. Stella also seemed a little uncomfortable. Still in the stage they figured out each other’s boundaries. Who needed birds when Selena had cat ears to overhear stray conversations, including Pradha and Charlee talking with the frazzled red-haired last night. With Jezebel and Tatiana, she had fallen into two extremes and Selena hoped to take notes on a normal relationship. As normal as two prospective Weretigers of the same clan dating were. Pretty normal, in other words if you exchanged Weretiger to Werewolf.
“Told them everything?” Selena had to set down ground rules, otherwise half the school would realize that Weres weren’t schlock horror material for B-rated movies by the end of the month.
“Not exactly...,” Stella said as she latched onto her girlfriend’s hand, “...well, a version of Hannah did. In a dream.”
Selena’s jaw dropped. Moon’s craters. A seer. Like Lisel, except she’d be a freaking Weretiger Shaman. Often a ceremonial role in a clan, with possibly little or no magic talent involved outside of ritual or aides like psychedelics to connect and channel Lady Moon. Her stunned reaction set the three cheerleaders and Hannah on edge. Guess she should say something. “Its a big deal. Um, which one of you are the seer?” The now questioning glances told her neither of them had any idea.