I
Chapter 1 GOT THE DRINKS!!!” Tonight at the club, I heard Iris scream loudly as she tried to drown out the deafening noise of the music that was determined to burst my eardrum. I took one of the red plastic cups from her hands and tried my best to yell out at her, “About time! Why did you take so long!” The blended cocktails in the cups were ones I would rather not know the components of. This was my first night at Tropical Thunder, Bournville’s largest and busiest nightclub. Basically, everyone from our college attended, even a group of adolescent hormone-happy high school students who brought phony identification to show their peers how horrible they really were. What utter fools they were, squandering their time attempting to validate their value to others who didn’t give a damn. I thought it was silly to try to live up to other people’s expectations; why not just be yourself? But anyhow, enough of my viewpoint, Iris started. Iris laughed and bobbed her head back and forth, following the beat of the music playing. “I met a guy,” she exclaimed. A man, she mentioned? This was just how Iris was. She changed males like clockwork every single week, but there was nothing I could do about it. She was the only friend I had and the finest one I had. Do not misunderstand me. I’m not one of those pitiful, bashful females who can never seem to find friends or know how to have fun. This was not the case, though. I believe that I’m a very enjoyable person to hang out with, and I’m sure that anyone would want to be friends with me. However, the real reason I didn’t have any friends was that nobody, save Iris, could truly stay around to comprehend my already dysfunctional existence. She remained consistent no matter what. To me, she was more than just a friend; we shared an unbreakable sisterly tie. She was my only remaining family member and very dear to me. It was there that Iris and I nearly grew up together—that is, until Iris was adopted by a wealthy and loving human family and I was adopted by a repulsive abuser and drunkard. Well, that’s just my usual luck, though. It was awful, extremely awful if I may say so. Similar to the kind of bad luck where lightning strikes the same spot twice. We both began to dance to the music playing in the background, and I inquired, “Who is the new guy that got you smiling like this?” Pizzaboys was it; their music was the greatest. She turned around and asked, “Remember Landon Brettman? From literature class?” as we rocked our bodies together and I ran my hands over her body. However, isn’t she supposed to be fucking kidding me? Do I still recall Landon Brettman? It is impossible to forget someone as obnoxious and terrible as Landon Brettman, or as I generally refer to him, as Landon jerk man. Of course, I remember Landon Brettman. In addition to being a showoff, brat, proud, irritating, awful, overconfident, and a host of other adjectives that could be used to describe him indefinitely, Landon was also a big man whore and spoilt. And regrettably, I was unfortunate enough to be paired with a high-literature course out of all the several that I had applied for. If I’m being very honest, Landon looked more like one of those clichéd jocks from the 1990s. A guy like Landon was, to put it plainly, a complete waste to humanity. Data! I laughed and expressed my disdain at the idea of her and Landon dating. “Ew. I bet he wouldn’t even last a day with you. It’s either you dump his sorry ass or he cheats again.” I sincerely hoped that this wouldn’t last forever. “Maybe? Honestly, I think so too, but I’m going to be the one dumping him first.” We both giggled “But you know that they all just serve as a fun distraction for me until I find my one true mate,” Iris remarked with a smile. The idea of meeting her partner, who the Moon goddess had predestined for her, thrilled her much. Yes, your guess was correct! I’m a witch, and Iris is a werewolf. And sure, it’s true that all those things older kids told you around ridiculous campfires or in the dark to scare the living daylights out of you are true. There is magic. It was also very much true that there were monsters, creatures, and things you would never think were possible; in fact, they all wanted me dead. I’m not sure what sin I must have done in a previous life, but everyone and everything on this already dysfunctional world wanted me dead.
