Tuesday and Wednesday passed too quickly.
Too quietly.
Nothing new happened—which somehow made it worse.
Johnny told me we shouldn't talk for a while. Said it was safer that way. I didn't argue.
Melissa stayed close to me. Too close.
We spent time together, but it didn't feel natural. It felt… supervised. Like she was watching for cracks. Every time I asked her something important, she dodged it—changed the subject, smiled it away.
Kevin, strangely enough, started hanging around me more than Brad.
That alone told me something was wrong.
Thursday arrived.
Tomorrow was Friday.
Full moon.
Transformation day.
So I made a plan.
A foolproof one.
I'd ask Joe for help. I'd tell Mom I was staying over at Joe's for a school project and come back Saturday. No panic. No questions.
Easy.
As I stepped outside, someone was already waiting.
Melissa.
Leaning casually, like she'd been there all morning.
//Melissa//
"Hey! How you doin'?"
//Aaron//
"Very funny. What are you doing here?"
She smiled.
//Melissa//
"What? Can't a friend come pick you up?"
I sighed.
"Alright… cool. So I've got this plan."
I explained everything as we walked toward school, using Joe as cover.
At the bus stop, I glanced at her.
She was already staring.
"What?" she asked. "Is something on my face?"
//Aaron//
"Nah. It's just… every time I ask you something, you change the subject."
She opened her mouth to reply—
"Don't worry," I cut in. "I know you've got your reasons. But tomorrow's the day I change."
I looked at her seriously.
"You're not gonna give me any pointers?"
She inhaled—
Then Joe appeared behind us with Kevin.
Silence dropped like a curtain.
To break it, I told Joe about the plan.
He nodded once.
"Okay. Cool."
The bus arrived.
We got on.
At my locker, Kevin stood beside me.
That's when it hit me.
Something was wrong.
Everyone's movements were slow. Too slow. Like the world had dropped its frame rate. My vision sharpened—I could see things I shouldn't.
Some faces weren't… human.
Blink.
Kevin shoved me.
Reality snapped back.
"Hey," he whispered. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I muttered, shaking it off.
The rest of the day passed smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Evening.
Soccer practice.
As I changed, Joe stood beside me.
"You won't play today," he said. "Just watch from the bench."
I froze.
"…Wait. What?"
I turned to him, confidence laced with anger.
"Why the f#$k should I listen to you?"
Heat rushed through me.
Rage surged.
I walked past him.
Every step blurred my vision.
The field stretched and twisted.
Something grabbed me from behind.
I reacted instantly.
I turned—
Hands around a neck.
I lifted—
Too light.
Too soft.
Melissa.
Her eyes were wide.
She struggled to speak.
"Your… eyes…"
Something slammed into me.
I flew.
Hit the ground meters away.
I tried to stand.
My vision swam.
A shadow loomed.
All I saw—
A fist.
Then—
Darkness.
I woke up to darkness.
Cold metal bit into my wrists.
Chains.
My head felt like it had been split open and stitched back together by someone who hated me.
I groaned and lifted my head.
In front of me stood Joe.
Melissa.
Lorena.
They watched me like I was a malfunctioning machine.
I looked around.
The room was lined with cages.
Steel bars. Reinforced locks. Scratches along the walls—deep ones.
I was in one.
Chained.
Third cage over—
Brad.
Unconscious.
Figures.
I turned my head to the right.
Ivy.
Harry.
Alive.
That helped… a little.
Ivy noticed me and gave a weak smile.
"Hi," she whispered.
I lifted my hand in a small wave and forced a smile back, but my skull screamed in protest.
Then my eyes met Melissa's.
She stepped closer.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
I played dumb.
"…What happened?"
Joe's voice came from behind me.
"You lost control," he said calmly. "All of you did."
He stepped into view.
"And it's not even a full moon."
That sentence sat wrong.
Joe tossed something at me.
A phone.
It hit my chest and slid into my lap.
"What about our plan?" he said, smiling.
Not a friendly smile.
A predator's smile.
"I think you should make that call."
My stomach tightened.
I dialed.
"Hey Mom," I said, forcing my voice steady. "I… uh… won't be home until Sunday evening."
Pause.
"Yeah. Football practice."
Another pause.
"…Okay. Bye."
The call ended.
Joe clapped slowly.
"Nice."
The cage door opened with a heavy clang.
As he stepped closer, I noticed the glass in his hand.
A drink.
Dark. Thick.
He handed it to me.
"This will relax your body," he said. "So you don't accidentally hurt someone."
I hesitated.
Then drank.
Big mistake.
The world tilted instantly.
My limbs went numb.
My stomach dropped.
Joe unlocked my chains.
As I stepped forward, my legs failed me.
I collapsed to my knees.
I looked up at him, fury burning through the fog.
"You bastard," I slurred. "What… was in that?"
I tried to stand.
Couldn't.
Joe crouched beside me.
"We got a fighter," he chuckled.
He leaned close, voice low.
"You'll make a fine beta."
I turned my head.
Brad was out cold.
Harry too.
Ivy struggled—Lorena forced the same drink down her throat without effort.
Then I looked back at Joe—
Melissa stood behind him.
Watching.
Emotionless.
Like this was normal.
Like this was acceptable.
My vision dimmed.
I tried to crawl.
Tried to fight it.
Darkness took me.
I woke up again.
Different room.
Soft bed.
Different clothes.
That realization made my skin crawl.
I sat up slowly.
My legs trembled as I stood.
I tried walking.
Barely managed it.
After five minutes, I tried again.
This time, I made it to the door.
Outside was a long hallway.
Silent.
Too clean.
Too controlled.
I stopped.
Left… or right?
Then—
A loud voice echoed down the hall.
Brad's voice.
Complaining.
Yelling.
Annoying as hell.
And for the first time in my life—
I smiled.
Because I never thought I'd be happy to hear that moron's voice.