CHAPTER 3 - BALM TO THE WOUND

~GRINDA~

Grinda stood at one corner of the big school hallway with a sad smirk on her face, after many warnings from her lecturer that morning, she had been successfully kicked out of the lecture hall.

Mission accomplished! She thought slyly to herself, between Tahlia; her best friend, and herself, she still doesn’t know who was more cunny and stubborn.

Standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck to see the faces of the students who were entering the hall was exhausting, as she isn’t so tall.

“I wonder what that beast did to her again, she missed school yesterday too for Christ's sake” she muttered to herself, crouching low in defeat with a sad face.

“Boom!”The very popular arrival word sent Grinda crashing to the floor from her crouching position in shock, Tahlia screamed into her ears as usual.

Her face lit up at her arrival and she quickly jumped to hug her friend, sniffing away her frustrated tears on Tahlia’s shoulder.

Tahlia rolled her eyes playfully as she hugged her best friend tightly, “I have missed you too and no, I’m not dead yet… I’m a werewolf remember” she whispered the last part quietly to avoid being heard by the people around them in the hall.

Grinda wiped her nose and cleaned her tears with a chuckle, “you cannot even die” she answered, her eyes visibly red and swollen.

“Have you been crying!” Tahlia asked in surprise, remembering at once that her friend loves her too much, “oooh, I’m so sorry, you know Quincy collected my phone and I couldn’t even call you to tell you about it”

She smashed it! Tahlia whined playfully to her friend.

The two girls looked at each other knowingly, before exchanging a sad smile, “I couldn’t concentrate in class since yesterday you know, thank God they didn’t smash you into pieces” Grinda sulked like a baby.

Tahlia laughed mockingly at her, the two girls Held hands and walked out of the hall and school premises to their special and secret spot to chat away.

******

“I know you won’t hear about it, sometimes I wonder if you are a werewolf… I have more information than you! And I’m human, "Grinda shouted at the top of her voice in excitement.

They were far inside the bush, overlooking a big blue sea; their secret spot, where they always come for privacy and peace.

Tahlia shook her head in wonder, although she heard the news about the terror visit to her pack, that’s what they call alpha caspian, he’s the only existing lycan descendant on earth and everyone knows him to be merciless and fearless.

But she wasn’t or didn’t want to be bothered about another terror right now, the one in her life is enough already.

“Come to think of it,” Tahlia started, beginning to enjoy the gist, her friend always knows how to bring sweet gist to take her pain and worries away in the meantime.

“… Grinda, my sister will not stop talking about his visit my father and sister seem to think he’s coming to our house” Tahlia concluded.

The two girls looked at each other like on cue and burst into a long laughter.

“That Quincy is just too full of herself, I don’t want my handsome man to be with that witch” Grinda defiantly protested, shrugging her shoulders in defiance.

The two girls grew silent after that and just took in the beauty of the environment, as usual, grinda came with the sweet snacks and they munched away happily.

Tahlia looked at her friend in appreciation, life without Quillion and grinda would have been unbearable, those two were like balm to her wound.

Although Grinda is human, her father is the owner of the college they attended. They had known each other since they were in kindergarten, and both girls grew up in Las Vegas.

Grinda found out about the werewolf from her father, who is part of the special human representative who knew about their existence, to be able to co-habitats together peacefully.

There’s no risk or danger to that because there’s a very effective blood oath between these human representatives and werewolves to keep the secret to themselves and their families.

They both have special duties to perform for each other, to live in peace and for generations now, it had been like that.

Tahlia had to open up to her friend when she found out that she was already aware and since kindergarten, Grinda would not stop talking about her fantasies and wishes to be like them or be in their world.

She’s more updated on their news than Tahlia herself.

Grindas’ loud snoring sound, jeered Tahlia back to reality… “you pig” Tahlia jested, shooking Grinda off her leg gently and playfully.

“Up! Up! It’s past two and I must be home before three to make dinner” Tahlia scolded her friend as she dragged her up with little or no effort, due to her werewolf ability.

“Carry me as you used to, I always enjoy it” Grinda protested sleepily, scrubbing her eyes. Tahlia smiled and carried her on her back until they were almost out of the forest.

The two girls hugged each other affectionately, promising to see again the next day in school, before going their separate ways.