A Wolf in a Ribbon

Standing on that stage felt like being a bug under a microscope.

The heat of the gym’s overhead lights beat down on me, making the "glow" on my skin feel like a literal fever.

Every eye in the building was a needle, stitching me into place. I could feel the sweat pooling at the nape of my neck, right where that single shimmering strand of hair was hidden.

Vice Principal Grimmer was so close I could smell the cold, metallic scent of his suit.

He didn’t look like a man about to deliver news. He looked like a butcher deciding where to make the first cut.

His eyes stayed fixed on my throat, watching the frantic pulse there with a dark, hungry intensity.

Beside him, Principal Higgins looked like she was standing on a landmine.

Her hands shook so violently that the paper she held rattled against the microphone—a sharp crinkle-crinkle that echoed through the silent gym.

She kept darting terrified glances at Grimmer, her chest heaving as if she were struggling to breathe in his presence.

"Following the events of last semester," Mrs. Higgins began, her voice brittle and thin.

She paused, swallowing hard, her eyes flickering toward the exit as if she wanted to run.

"The administration has had to make a very difficult decision regarding the conduct and... the presence of certain individuals in this school."

My heart stopped.

The gym went so quiet I could hear the hum of the electric lights.

This is it, I thought. He found a reason. He’s kicking me out in front of everyone.

"There are behaviors that cannot be ignored," she continued, her knuckles white as she gripped the podium.

"Disruptions to the order we work so hard to maintain. Miss Elara, step forward."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

I stepped forward, my legs heavy, expecting to hear expulsion or suspension echo through the rafters.

I looked toward the bleachers where Ethan was sitting.

His usual confident grin had vanished, his body tensed as if he were ready to jump the railing and grab me.

"However," Mrs. Higgins gasped, almost as if she were being choked by the very air Grimmer breathed,

"it is also the policy of this school to... to recognize when a student has achieved the impossible."

She fumbled with the paper, nearly dropping it.

"For the first time in ten years, we have a student who achieved a perfect score in every single subject during the Mid-Academic finals."

"Miss Elara... congratulations on your Excellence Award."

The silence that followed wasn't appreciative.

It was stunned.

The air in the gym shifted from horror to confusion.

Maya’s mouth fell open.

Seraphina—who had been wearing a smirk of anticipated victory—suddenly looked like she’d been slapped.

Her face went a sickly shade of gray, her eyes widening as the "invisible girl" she had looked down on for years was handed the highest honor in the school.

I reached out, my fingers trembling.

As I took the certificate, my skin brushed against Grimmer’s hand.

It wasn't human.

It was like touching a piece of dry ice.

He leaned down, his voice a low, guttural vibration that bypassed my ears and went straight to my brain.

"A wolf can wear a ribbon, Elara," he hissed, his eyes turning a shade of black that swallowed the light.

"But it's still a beast. And beasts eventually get put down."

I didn't wait for the applause.

I scrambled off that stage so fast I nearly tripped over the stairs, my heart hammering against my ribs.

The second the assembly was dismissed, the gym turned into a sea of chaos.

I tried to melt into the shadows of the hallway—

but a heavy arm dropped over my shoulders, nearly squashing me into the floorboards.

"Move aside, peasants! The genius is coming through!"

Ethan’s voice boomed over the crowd, drawing every head in our direction.

He grinned down at me, ruffling my hair.

"Look at you! My little princess is actually a nerd."

"I knew you were smart, but top of the school? I’m going to have to start charging people just to look at your face."

"Or at least make them bow."

"Ethan, stop it!" I hissed, my face burning. "You’re making a scene!"

"I'm a Senior, Princess. Making things worse is my primary elective," he teased, giving me a squeeze before heading off.

"Don't let it go to your head. I still remember when you tried to 'outsmart' a squirrel and ended up stuck in a tree for two hours!"

I groaned, turning toward my locker to hide my face—

only to find my path blocked.

Seraphina stood there, her three clones fanned out behind her like a wall of perfume and bad intentions.

"Congratulations, Elara," she said.

The words were polite. The tone was venom.

"The Mid-Academic Award. Who knew you spent your summer doing something other than being invisible?"

"Just a word of advice—don’t get used to the view from the top."

"It’s a long fall for someone who doesn't even know how to stand properly."

She stepped closer, her eyes burning with jealous heat.

"You’re playing a dangerous game, trying to take what's mine."

"Stay in your lane, puppy."

She swept past, her hair striking my shoulder like a silken whip.

"Holy—" Maya appeared out of nowhere, clutching her chest.

"Elara! You just gave Seraphina a heart attack! She’s going to be tasting that defeat all day."

"But seriously... since when are you a mastermind? I thought we were both just trying to survive!"

"I just studied, Maya! I didn't mean to start a war!"

"Well, the war is here," Maya giggled.

Then her expression turned mischievous.

"And speaking of wars... look who’s coming to claim his prize."

I followed her gaze—

and immediately regretted it.

Tommy Higgins was swaggering toward us.

He had grown taller, but he still moved like he was made of mismatched parts.

He leaned against a locker to look "cool"—misjudged—and nearly fell.

He wiped his nose on his sleeve and gave me what he probably thought was a smoldering look.

"Elara," he said in a fake deep voice, "I saw you up there. I guess I really know how to pick 'em."

"I always knew you had that spark back when you were following me around."

"You’ve finally reached a level worthy of my attention."

I blinked. "Tommy, I was seven. And I wanted your trading cards."

"It’s okay, you don't have to be shy," he said, winking awkwardly.

"I might find some time for us to catch up. I know you've been waiting for this."

He turned—

and got caught on a locker handle.

He stumbled, untangled himself with a red face, and walked off trying to look mysterious.

Maya lasted exactly three seconds before collapsing into laughter.

"I can't breathe!" she wheezed. "He thinks he made you!"

"Did you see the nose wipe? So romantic!"

"He’s like a lost giraffe trying to be a bad boy!"

"He thinks I'm still in love with him," I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

"Maya, this is a disaster."

"He’s going to follow me everywhere now, isn’t he?"

"Oh, absolutely," she grinned. "We have a stalker."

"A lanky, snotty-nosed stalker!"

I laughed despite myself—

but as we stepped into the courtyard, the humor faded.

The air felt… wrong. Heavier.

I looked toward the PE fields where students were running laps—

but my attention snagged on something else.

A figure leaned against the old oak tree at the edge of the track.

Tall. Still. Dressed in dark, rugged clothes that clashed with the bright school colors like a living shadow.

He stood with his arms crossed, watching the school with an intensity that made the hair on my arms rise.

My breath caught.

The world fell silent.

"Kael...?" I whispered.