Chapter 1

Kathrina POV

Staring up at the bold inscription 'WELCOME TO LAKE TOWN' at the entrance of the town, my lips curled into a smile which didn't last for a few seconds. It's been almost two years since I left this town to go live with my gram and I ought to be excited by returning but that's far from it. Yes, I'm not happy. How could I be? I just lost my beloved gram a week ago and have returned to live with my parents and twin siblings. I took some steps into the town and stopped. I felt my heart beat thumping as my eyes darted down a weird road that led to an unknown community. I shrugged and started walking down to my home which was fifteen minutes away. I had told the Uber driver to stop at the entrance of the town instead of driving me straight home so I could walk home. I really wasn't too excited to meet my family. Gram's death has left me despondent.

"Wow! Kathy is home, mom!" Mona, my sister squealed the moment she saw me mounting the steps to the porch after she opened the door. My whole family rushed out and my mom walked up to me, spreading her arms wide, she pulled me into a hug.

" Kathrina,are you okay?" My Dad asked and I nodded.

"Of course she is, Paul," my mom said,

letting go of me. To my brother.

" Don't just stand there staring, boy. C'mon take your sister's bags to her room, Morley." Morley walked up to me, grinning.

"Welcome home, Kathrina," Morley said and I forced a smile. He took my bags and head inside, whistling as he usually does like a naughty farm boy.

"Come in and have lunch , my dear," my father said, smiling.

" Come off it, Paul. Let her freshen up first then join us," my mom said and rolled her eyes. My dad squinted at me and shrugged.

"I'll freshen up first, then,"I said and went inside.

"My dear, are you okay?" My dad asked me for the third time while we were having lunch and this time I couldn't nod like I did earlier but just kept quiet.

"Our Katrina is doing perfectly fine..."

"She isn't, mom. Gram is gone. Kathy was the one mostly attached to her so she'd be feeling worse than any of us about gram's death," Morley said.

"Mor, Kathy isn't that weak. I bet she'll get through this,right Katrina?" My mom asked and I nodded.

"I understand how you're feeling now, Kathrina.you spent most of your childhood with your gram and now she's gone, you can't seem to digest that. Just don't change now because of that. I miss my cheeky and high-spirited daughter," my dad said and a tear dropped down my eye. I sniffed and my mother glanced at me.

"Don't worry, dad. I'll get over this," I assured and dashed him a smile.

"You'll go to school on Monday with Morley and Monna, dear,"my dad told me and I lifted my gaze to him.

"Don't worry, Kathrina. Your dad already filled the paperwork for your transfer back to lake town's high school," my mom said and I nodded.

"You don't need to feel too anxious, Kathrina. It won't be your first time in Grace Hood High. Relax, everything hasn't changed since you left. In fact, Grace Hood High has been upgraded. Also, I know Lita would be so happy to see you when she returns from her aunt's place this weekend,"Morley said. I really couldn't wait to see Lita. She's probably gonna cheer me up and uplift my spirit.

   After lunch, I politely rejected my father's proposal of having a drive with him round the town. I wanted to be left alone for a while. I went into my room and glanced at every corner. 

Nothing had changed. It was looking the same way I had left it almost two years ago. I arranged my clothes and belongings in my bags in my closet and went to relieve myself in my bathroom. I came out after some minutes passed and I climbed back into my bed. I stared at the ceiling, reminiscing about the good moments I had with my gram before I slowly drifted to sleep under my pink duvet tucked to my chin as I snuggled into my bed.

I was woken up later after hearing Monna's knock on the door before she walked in.

"Dinner is ready, come eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"But..."

"Just leave, Monna. I want to go back to sleep, please."

"Okay then." She let out a sigh and left. I was about to go back to sleep when I heard a knock.

"Kat, it's me. Can I come in?" My dad asked and I sat up.

"Yes, dad." He opened the door and smiled at me before closing the door behind. He walked up to the bed and sat down beside me.

"You don't wanna have dinner?" I nodded and he chuckled. "Why, dear?"

"I'm not feeling hungry, dad."

He held my hand and exhaled.

"You know she wouldn't have tolerated you going to bed without having dinner?" I glanced at him, a bit curious.

"Who?"

"Your intolerable gram." I chuckled as I remembered the night she chased after me to force me to have dinner.

"Dad, do wild creatures exist?" My dad furrowed his brows at me.

"What?"

"Werewolves?Do they really exist?" He peered at me silently.

"Maybe," he shrugged, looking away.

"I heard gram was killed by a wild creature...a werewolf." My dad's eyes widened.

"Rumors?"

"I doubt.why didn't you tell me that gram was a werewolf hunter?"

"She poses to be. Werewolves? I don't really think they exist." The door was flung open and we both darted our gaze to the door. Mom was glaring at dad.

"Hey, Madlyn what's wrong with you?" My dad asked and glanced at me as my mother walked up to him.

"Gosh, you almost startled us..."

"Paul, you telling her that my mom was posing to be what she wasn't is darn insulting to me and my late mom."

"Come on, Lyn."

"You tell her that her gram was..."

"Hush, Madlyn!" My dad arose and glanced down at me. He ran his hands through his head and sighed.

"Paul?"

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to yell at you." He apologized to my mom and held her hand. Bringing it up to his chin, he kissed it. He stared at me and I smiled.

"Kathrina isn't hungry. Let's let her sleep." My dad said and my mom nodded and exhaled. She glanced at me and grinned.

"Sleep tight, Kathy." She pecked my cheek and left.

"I'll leave now." My dad kissed my forehead and headed to the door. He stared at me as he was about to close the door.

"There's pizza and chicken in the refrigerator. You can have them with juice when you wake up and your belly starts grumbling." I giggled at his joke.

"Goodnight," he said and closed the door.

Something isn't right. My mom was about to say something before my dad shunned her. I think they're hiding something from me but 8 can't seem to think of what it might be.

The next few days went by in a flash. On Monday, my dad dropped me and my twin siblings in front of the school. Mona had dragged me to the staff room the moment we got into the school building to meet some of the teachers who knew me and always asked her about me when I was away.

"Kathrina!" A familiar feminine voice hollered and I whirled to see Lita grinning at me, her hand pressed against her lip. She took a step forward and stopped as she noticed the teachers in the staff room were all staring at her.

"Sorry, good morning," she muttered to the teachers one after the other, nodding before running up to me and pulling me into an embrace. She opened her mouth to talk but stopped when she stared down at Mr Tom, the mathematics teacher behind me. He motioned at us to leave and we headed out of the staff room, Monna following behind.

"I'm glad to see you, Kathrina," Lita squealed with delight before pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't come over to your house this morning so we both come to school together and most of all," she paused and glanced at Monna behind me. "I'm sorry about your gram's death." I smiled.

"I think first class is about to start. So, I'll leave first,"Mona said and headed down the hallway to her classroom.

"I think we should go to class now. We can catch up later during lunch break or after school, on our way home." She locked arms with me and we both headed to our class.

I went through my other classes without any problem since Lita and I are both in the same grade and when it was lunch break,Lita and I tagged along to the cafeteria.

I finished my meal before Lita. She was a slow eater and excused myself because I was feeling a bit suffocated in the now crowded cafeteria. I went to the backyard of the school to get some fresh air. It was as peaceful as always. I sat down on the bench and sipped from my bottle of milkshake.

After a while, I heard footsteps emerging. I flicked a stare at my right to see three boys heading up to me.

"Hey,pretty!" The tallest boy among them waved at me with a smirk and I sneered, looking away.

"Hm, she seems to have got an attitude," the boy at the right side of the tallest boy said and I arose. I knew they were here to hassle me.

"Get off my way," I said to the tallest boy stopping me from leaving.

"You seem familiar and brazen," he said . I whirled to leave through the other way but the shortest guy among them came in front of me, stopping me. They all circled me.

"Let me go now and I won't report you scumbags to the principal."

The tallest boy grabbed my arm, pulling me to him. I spat at his face and he pushed me back. I attempted to run but the other two guys grabbed me.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, trying to wriggle out from their grasps.

"Get the bitch on her knees!" The tallest boy ordered and the two boys bent me down, making me kneel.

I watched him glance at a stick and smirked. He went over and took it, swinging it as he walked up to me.

"You bitch. I'm gonna ruin your pretty face for what you did." He held up the stick and I shrilled, closing my eyes as he was about striking me. I heard a thud and the boys holding me let go of me. I slowly opened my eyes to see a guy hitting the two boys who had let go of me with the stick . The tallest guy who was a bit far behind my savior,on the ground ,clutching his stomach in pain, moaned as he suddenly stood up and headed to my savior. Almost throwing a punch to the back of his neck, my savior spun and gave him a blow straight in his face before giving him an arm throw. The boys ran off without looking back. I sighed and hung down my head, panting. I stared at my savior who was walking up to me. Reaching me, he knelt in front of me with a knee and my jaw dropped as I got a perfect view of his face.

His face was so modeled to perfection, with thick brown hair that hung over his hazel eyes. His eyes shone so radiantly, while he kept a smooth stare at me.

Oh my! Is he Cupid?

"Are you okay?" His soothing voice asked, still leaving me wordless. I couldn't move but just stared at him, lost in his eyes until he held my hand.

As soon as he touched me, sparks flew through my hand and arm, leaving a prickling sensation. I gasped at the effect of his touch, snapping out of my trance and he quickly let go of my hand.

 Gosh, what was that?