"so much for being nice"

"Are you sure that's what you saw."

Tama rolled her eyes, tired of defending herself. She yelled out, "yes, I'm sure" for the fifth time, surrounded by familiar faces. Leah stood close to her friend, defending her like her life depended on it.

Tallulah stood off to the side, near Seth who clung to her like he was lost, watching the situation intently. Sam, had made his grand appearance at her job earlier, speaking to her for the first time in days before bringing her to the Clearwater's. Tallulah had seen a similar sight, though the wolf that she encountered wasn't a dusty brown like Tama had described. No, her wolf was as black as night, it's teeth so large it made butcher knives appear to be merely butter knives. "I believe you."

Tama glanced over at her friend, sending her a thankful smile. Harry sighed, sharing a look with Sam that only she seemed to catch, her smile faltering. Sam, who had grown several inches since his disappearance and adopted a new, shorter haircut that Leah almost cried over, walked over to the two girls. He bent down, placing a kiss on Leah's forehead, the man seemingly hesitant as he did so, promising his swift return. Tama met his eyes, sensing some sort of alarm that didn't help quell the feeling in her stomach, only sending him a small nod that he returned before he was out of the door.

There was a part of her that wondered if Sam was the same, if he too had stumbled upon some magical powers while lost in the woods, too scared to face anyone with his newfound abilities. It was odd but she noticed the looks, the way he looked at her - the way all the elders looked at her. Ever since she had opened her eyes after being struck by lightning it was as if they were waiting for something to happen. It was like they knew before she did that she would have some mystical control over the weather.

The girl racked her head countless times, trying to remember what bedtime story her mother had told her that was reminiscent of thunder and lightning, only to come up with math formulas and her current reading assignment instead. Her brain was fogged from school, afraid to ask for help even though she knew that they had known something about her.

There was something in the way that they looked at her that caused her to believe that even if she did confide in them, she wouldn't be safe. But, Sam was closer to her age and while they weren't best friends, she did consider him a friend outside of his relationship to Leah, though she knew he merely tolerated her as did everyone else around her. She turned towards the door where Sam had just left, not letting herself think twice before she ran out after him, calling his name.

He turned, almost hesitantly, towering over the girl with a look that seemed forced. She glanced up at him, a determined look on her face, not letting his mood get to her. "I have to go, Tama...it's important."

They both turned at the sound of a wolf's howl, Tama catching the worried look on Sam's face, her eyes narrowing. "You know something..."

"Tama," Sam urged her on, annoyed with her interruption and scared for her safety. Leah would never forgive him if he harmed Tama, the boy remembering when she had gotten hurt while they were play fighting and Leah stopped talking to him for a week. He almost allowed himself to smile at the memory. Almost.

The girl huffed, blowing her grown out bangs from in front of her face, a rash decision made after her breakup that she regretted still. She decided to get straight to the point, knowing there was no sense of beating around the bush. "What happened to you?"

Sam rolled his eyes, mumbling a small "if I had a dollar for every time I heard that goddamn question," before Tama scoffed, shoving his shoulder, "I'm being serious, you don't just disappear for weeks and then come back so different and expect everyone to move on."

It was true. The boy had grown, easily towering over anyone and well over six foot, his once lanky body gone and replaced with one that made him resemble a bodybuilder. His long hair, hair that Leah constantly fawned over before gathering the courage to talk to him, had been cut into a haphazard shag on top of his head. Though he normally looked overtired and over worked, Tama noticed a certain light go out in his eyes, he didn't seem to have any resolve left. It was terrifying. "What about you?"

Tama stiffened, watching the boy in front of her scowl and curl his lip up in disgust. She stood her ground though, nervously rubbing her hands against each other. He continued when she said nothing, "You got struck by lightning, you died...you don't think we notice how different you are? Even your own mother-"

Her attention was grabbed then, suddenly in afraid of what else he had to add on. He cursed, turning away from her and the house and continuing on his way, knowing he'd get an earful from the elders when he returned. Tama stood there, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. So I was right, she thought to herself. They did know about her change, possibly even more than her judging by the way Sam was acting. Gathering her senses, she turned to follow Sam, only to see that she was the only one outside in the cold, though the almost-freezing temperatures no longer bothered her. Exhaling deeply, she watched her breath expel into the night air in a white huff, rolling her eyes as she turned on her heels.

Tama mumbled a bitter, "so much for being nice" as she entered the house, ignoring the thunder that followed the slam of the front door by her hand.

"What?" Leah appeared from the partially hidden kitchen, handing her friend a cup of tea Sue had made, "especially for her" she had said. Tama stiffened, her anger dissolved immediately as her face flushed, hoping Leah brushed it off as a reaction from the bitter cold. 

She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, wrapping herself with her arms anxiously as she tried to figure out how to answer her friend's question. To her relief, Leah took her actions as a response to the fall weather Washington had to offer and immediately grabbed the nearest blanket, throwing it over Tama's shoulders with a worried frown. "I tried to talk to the bastard, relate a bit, he just-just stormed off."

"Relate how?" Tallulah asked, now seated on the couch with Seth by her side. Instead of tea, the two sipped cups of hot chocolate, their own blankets draped across them for warmth.

She shrugged, not wanting to get caught before she could even understand herself. She was hoping her and Sam could talk it out, figure out a way to tell others so they wouldn't be alone. But judging by the way Harry and Sue were acting, she knew he wasn't alone like she was, catching the sneaking glances they sent her way while they whispered in the kitchen without shame. "Never liked him anyways," she grumbled, sipping the tea slowly before making her way over to them.

It was a lie, they both knew that. She was the one who had urged Leah to go on a date with the Uley boy her freshman year, even helping her get ready for their first date to the movies. She liked him, he was quiet and had manners and treated Leah like she was the only girl in the world. Leah smiled at her, following her friend to their usual spot on the couch, though it dropped when her parents joined them. Tama sank further into the couch under their gaze, Leah catching on and sending her parents a glare, snapping at them, "no need to come up with an excuse as to why Sam was here."

Tallulah cleared her throat awkwardly, setting down her cup on the coffee table. "Um, I know the timing isn't the best but...I doubt my brother is coming back to get me. Can I stay here tonight?"

"Please?" Seth added, a pleading look on his face as he stared up at his parents, the young boy almost oblivious to the tension in the room or at least wanting to absolve it. Sue let out a soft laugh, stroking her son's hair gently before she sighed, silently hoping that he wouldn't fall prey to the change happening around them.

Sue glanced up at Tallulah, looking over to Tama after, her hand still atop her son's full crop of hair, "of course you can stay, dear...you too Tama. I called your mother's already, they're fine with it though, Mitena does want you to call her before bed."

Before Tama could say anything back, Sue took a few steps back to return to her husband's side. "There's some leftover tamales in the fridge if you girl's are hungry-"

Leah stood up, pulling Tama up with her, "it's late, we have school tomorrow. Goodnight," not leaving any room for discussion as she grabbed onto Tallulah's arm as well, dragging them into her bedroom.

"Wait but I was hungry," Tallulah sulked, dropping herself onto her crush's bed lazily. Leah sent her a look and she shrugged, defending herself, "your mom makes great tamales, what do you want from me?"

The older girl scoffed, searching through her drawers for two extra sets of pajamas. Tama sat silently, watching her friend. She hated seeing her like this, so unlike herself, it was as though she was falling apart from the seams. She wanted to tell her, so badly but, she feared it would be too much on the poor girl's shoulders so, she kept her mouth shut. Noticing eyes on her, Leah turned to meet her friend's gaze, calming just a bit. "What?"

Tama sighed, knowing she couldn't be completely dishonest with her. "I just hate seeing you like this...it's not like you." Tallulah nodded in agreement, quickly slipping on the mismatch pajamas Leah had offered her.

"I wish everything would go back to normal," the youngest girl added, her voice almost too quiet for anyone to hear. They didn't need to speak to be in agreement, all of them knowing they wished for the same.

Tama slipped her pajamas on before Sue knocked on the door, entering a few seconds later. Leah turned away, unable to look at her mother. "I just wanted to say goodnight to you girls." The two younger girls chorused a simple "goodnight", watching as Sue lingered for a bit, her eyes on Tama's for a few moments too long.

It made her feel uneasy, the teenager thinking about it well into the night after the other girl's had drifted off to sleep. Tallulah's snores were enough to keep her up but her thoughts were too overwhelming. She stared up at the ceiling from her spot on the floor, on top of a make shift pallet. Before she could try and force herself to sleep for the third time since her head hit the pillow, she heard the unmistakable sound of the back door opening. If it were anyone else, the sound would've gone unnoticed but, she had been recently cursed with heightened hearing so she heard it perfectly. Carefully, she made her way off the floor and out of the room, confronting whoever had entered, the sight shocking her.

Covered in rain and partially naked stood a shaking Jared Cameron, standing next to Sam with wide eyes. The poor boy looked as though he had seen a ghost, holding himself and unable to find the words to thank Sue as she draped a blanket over his bare shoulders. All but Jared turned at the sound of the door closing, eyeing the girl warily as she took in the sight of them. "Jared?"

He flinched, everyone reacting suddenly to the action, as though glass had suddenly shattered. She stepped back, apologizing for frightening the boy, though Sue reassured her that she was alright, quickly coming over to the girl, shushing her. "Don't tell anyone what you just saw...understand?"

The older woman's hand rested on the doorknob behind Tama, slowly twisting it open as she waited for the girl's answer. She nodded her head furiously, glancing quickly between the scene unfolding and the look on Sue's face, feeling as if she was intruding. She quickly soothed the girl she helped raised, opening the door and ushering her in quietly, giving her one last look over before she shut the door.

ϟ

Kim approached the four teens as they exited Tama's car and ventured into the school building, a grim look on her face. Tama already knew what the girl wanted to ask before she even opened her mouth but, she still looked equally uncomfortable when she actually did. "Hey I know it's a long shot but, have any of you guys seen Jared recently? He hasn't been to school in days and, I'm starting to get really worried about him."

"Why, it's not like he even knows you exist," Leah snapped, still angry over the scene that unfolded last night and the way her parents had tried to smooth it over the next morning. The girl rebelled by throwing her entire breakfast, plate and utensils included, into the trash before storming outside and walking to school. Of course, Tama had picked her up before she could walk too far, the idea of her friend alone in an area where wolves taller than horses had been seen was far too frightening for her to imagine.

Tama nudged her friend, sending her a disapproving stare, reassuring Kim, who stood with wide eyes unable to respond, before she led her away. Leah sighed, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder. "God, I don't know what the hell is going on with me, I should go back and apologize-"

"Jared was at the house last night," Tama squeaked, unable to hold in the secret. She told Leah -almost- everything and vice versa, the idea of hiding something like that making her physically sick. Plus, she figured something like that could put Leah off the trail of discovering that something was not right with her best friend, something she had nightmares about frequently. She shuddered as she recalled the things she would say to her in her dreams, holding her book closer to her chest.

Leah's eyes went wide, pulling her friend to the side where no one could hear their conversation. She checked to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in closer, her voice a whisper as she urged her friend on. Tama explained quickly, wanting to get it over with and not wanting to miss class. Leah scoffed as she listened to her friend retell the events of last night, deciding she too would spill a few secrets of her own. "They've been so weird, lately. You know, the other night, I overheard our moms talking on the phone about you."

Tama straightened up, her eyebrows furrowing together as she looked bewildered. "Me? What did they say?"

The girl shrugged, Tama grateful she wasn't suspicious. "I don't know, something about you changing because of the lightning strike. Like no shit, of course you're gonna be different, you died. I wouldn't be the same either."

"Sam did tell me they talked about me behind my back," Tama muttered, adjusting the strap of her backpack awkwardly, staring at the ground.

Leah rolled her eyes, "I swear, I can't wait to graduate and get the hell away from them...no offense," her eyes softened, offering her friend a sincere smile that she returned.

"As long as you promise to visit me," Tama said, always the one to encourage Leah to follow her dreams no matter how far they took her, even if they would no longer be friends. She hid this fear though, with a joke, "and as long as you don't try and find a new best friend."

The bell rang and Leah scoffed, almost offended at her friend's joke. She grabbed onto her, pulling her towards the door as she knew the younger teenager would freak out if she were even a minute late. "I could never meet anyone like you so why would I even try?"

Tama smiled to herself as she took her seat, bidding her older friend farewell for the time being. Kim was already in her seat, the girl fidgeting as she stared at Jared's empty seat. Tama followed her gaze as she took out a pen, clicking it subconsciously as she thought about the events last night. She couldn't get the image of Jared, barely dressed and horrified, as though he had seen death himself. It scared her, to her core, the possibility of something so harrowing happening to the poor boy to make him behave that way. She couldn't even imagine, her mind suddenly reminding her of the night she was almost killed at the hand of that man.

She knew the men involved had been captured and were awaiting trial but, she still found herself a nervous wreck outside of school and the confides of her loved one's homes. Kim nudged her, repeating herself for the third time. "Hey, are you okay?"

Shaking her head, she snapped out of her trance, reassuring the girl before she complied, handing over her spare pencil. Just as she looked up from Jared's desk she caught sight of Paul walking in, late. Typical. She rolled her eyes at his arrival, avoiding eye contact with the boy who came to sit in the nearest empty seat, ignoring the reprimanding given by their teacher.

"Now, we haven't had much work but it's time to actually start working and to celebrate the last week of September, we have my favorite project," their teacher began. She was a cheerful woman, well fed with bouncy cheeks that made Tama trust her on first contact. She'd known her since childhood and she was one of the nicest teachers she had the pleasure of meeting.

The students groaned, Mrs. Chubbuck paying them no mind, her mood not letting her. She began to draw on the board with a wide smile, writing "history" in large letters. "I know nowadays you children aren't too interested in your culture and with the media I don't blame you. But, I want you all to get connected to your roots and the stories that come from them."

Tama sat up straighter, her interest piqued as she began to piece together their project, a ghost of a smile on her face. History was one of her favorite subjects, especially the history of her tribe. Mitena often retold stories before bed or whenever they took trips outside into nature. She taught her to have respect and reverence for those that came before her and the land she walked upon.

"I want you all to pick a story from history...our history, though it doesn't matter the tribe, and give an oral report in exactly two weeks from today," she continued, ignoring the pushback from her students like it was second nature. "You can choose the story yourself but I don't want to hear the same story twice. You can come to me after you and your partner have decided and I will give you the okay to start your report."

The students seemed to get excited then, sharing glances with their friends and romantic partners, silently making groups in their head. Mrs. Chubbuck noticed this of course and let out a light laugh, "I've already given you a partner so don't even attempt to go and find your friend. All of you are too comfortable, learn to get out of your comfort zone."

She began to call out names in pairs, a few students groaning as they heard their new partners. Some whooped and hollered, immediately switching seats around to accommodate the new pairings, Mrs. Chubbuck allowing the small disturbance. She looked over to Kim and Tama, a bit of a mischievous look on her face as she smiled, "Kim Conway and Jared Cameron."

The girl beside her squealed, immediately catching herself and cupping her