6

Dawn

Sunday was to be uneventful since I had no plans, so I decided to spend it drawing.

I was good at art— it was one of the only things I could express myself with. The other was singing in the shower, but that wasn't something I was willing to practice at.

I felt a kind of need to draw, maybe because I hadn't in a while; maybe it was because I had sourced emotions and feelings that were fighting to show themselves. My mind wouldn't sway from the wolf I saw a few nights ago. In a way, I didn't know how to feel about it.

It just didn't make any sense.

I was in the road staring at a wolf. A car came speeding towards me. Then suddenly, the wolf was gone, somebody was holding me, rescuing me, and I was safe. But how? If Hayden saved me when he did, he must have seen the wolf. And if he did see it, wouldn't he have told me? I didn't understand.

My thoughts returned to what took place before I woke up in Jackie and Harvey's house.

Suddenly a loud horn sent me jumping out of my skin, as I span around to see headlights racing straight towards me.

"Shit! Do you have some kind of death wish?!" I heard as the car sped away. Somebody was holding me, pulling me off the road. I hoped it was my dad. My eyes were wide with fright, but unseeing. I couldn't understand— everything was muddled. Was I dead? Had I been run over again?

I heard a loud cracking noise beside me, then rustling. "Shut up, Michael! Give her to me." I was passed over to someone else, and with seconds I was hoisted up, lying in someone's arms. Immediately I was surrounded by warmth, fighting off my goosebumps.

"...huh?" I mumbled. My eyes were flicking around frantically but still, I couldn't get my vision to work. What was happening?

"She's still recovering from last week, Hayden. She's going into shock— and she's freezing."

A hand was pressed to my forehead and ran through my hair. It was unfamiliar, but calming.

"Shh... It's okay, go to sleep. Everything's okay."

Michael... Michael had rescued me. He had asked me if I had a death wish, meaning he knew that I was standing in the middle of the road, staring at something, or he knew about my accident. Hayden had taken me from Michael, had helped me fall asleep. But there was someone else.

Someone I knew.

I couldn't shake the feeling of recognition when I played the voice in my mind... A girl's voice. I thought it might have been Mum at the time, but Jackie said that Hayden's friends were with him. Jackie also knew my name because one of his friends went to my school— that must be how I recognised the girl's voice. But who? Who was it?

My eyes found the page of my sketchbook, and I gasped when I realised that I had been drawing the black wolf that was in the road with me. It's eyes weren't in colour— I never used colours in my drawings —but they were shaded carefully. I quickly added some extra detail to the irises and the nostrils, watching the drawing almost come alive. It was jarring seeing the wolf again, even when it was only a drawing.

"Dawn?" I heard Dad call.

"Yeah?" I yelled.

"Come down a sec," he responded. Sighing, I closed my sketchbook and slid it underneath my mattress, where my family wouldn't find it. I hated people looking at my drawings; they were too personal, images that came straight out of my mind. It was like giving someone an insight into my thoughts and memories.

"What is it?" I questioned when I padded into the kitchen, finding Dad sitting at the tale, his laptop beneath his fingers.

"I just got an email from the school; they said you have a new student starting tomorrow, and they want you to show them around, befriend them. It's up to you, though, so if you don't want to I can email them back and tell them," he said.

I was taken aback. They wanted me? Why? I was always quiet in class, and most of my teachers didn't even know my name. Wait, that was probably the reason that they picked me. Someone who could influence the new student decently, without guiding them down the path to drugs or rebellion.

"No, no, it's okay, I'll do it," I said.

He raised his eyebrows, "Really? I'm surprised."

"What the hell, right?" I shrugged.

He continued to stare at me, looking for a sign that I didn't really want to do it, but he obviously didn't find one. "Okay, if you're sure," he said. I nodded, and he turned back to his laptop, tapping out his reply. "They'll be in the year above," Dad told me, his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

I frowned. Was that supposed to dissuade me? "Okay then," I replied, and headed back up to my bedroom. Most of the new students in our school were shown around by students in the year below. Supposedly, younger students were generally less corrupt than the older kids. I couldn't say that I necessarily agreed, considering my little sister's mischievous behaviour.

>>

Monday.

My scar had died down in colour and the inflammation had completely disappeared with the cream I was putting on it every morning and evening. I'd also been recommended a gel by the doctor— it cost quite a bit of money, but it was supposed to be amazing, great for making scars fade away.

It was raining this morning; the whole day seemed miserable. I felt like I was starting to regret the decision to take the new kid under my wing. I wasn't very confident, especially with new people, and I wasn't sure how I was going to undertake the task. For goodness sake, I didn't even know if they were a boy or a girl, let alone their name or if I would like them.

"You ready to go?" Ryan called from my bedroom door.

"Yeah, just a second," I said, shoving my sketchpad on my desk discreetly under my mattress. I'd been staring at the sketch of the wolf earlier, trying to think coherently. Eventually, I had just decided to move on, so I ate a few of Dads famous pancakes and got ready for school, pushing the beast from my mind.

Swinging my bag on my shoulder, I followed Ryan downstairs and jumped in the car.

"Morning, little Miss Good Samaritan," Mum laughed.

I shot her a questioning look as we pulled out of the driveway. "What do you mean?"

"Your dad told me about what you're doing for the new student."

I shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Well, the school chose you to do it, so obviously they think highly of you. We're proud of you, you know."

"Oh... Thanks," I said awkwardly. I didn't think my parents would really read into it.

"I'm good too, Mummy!" Sid piped in from the back.

"I know you are, sweetie," Mum cooed, shooting me an amused look.

"What?! Last week she convinced the whole class that Miss College put her in charge and your little goody-two-shoes made everyone do her school work for her!" Ryan put in, appalled.

I laughed my head off as Mum eyed a guilty-looking Sid in the rearview mirror. "Is that true, Sid?"

Sid's head snapped to Ryan and she scowled at him. "I told you that in cofidences!" she yelled.

"Confidence," I corrected, earning a scowl from Sid as well. "Somebody's been watching too much TV," I giggled with Mum.

"Alright! Everyone over ten years old, out of my warm machine!" Mum announced as we pulled into the car park.

"Warm machine?" I asked with a smile.

She put her nose in the air, "Yep! Out into the cold you go."

"Have a good day, Sid! See you later, Mum," I said.

Ryan and I jumped out and watched the car speed off down the road, Mum on her way to drop Sid off at school.

"Dawn!" I heard, and I span around to see Caitlyn running towards me, making Ryan scarper.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning as Caitlyn caught her breath.

"You," she panted, "are one lucky bitch."

"What?" I was confused.

Macy came jogging up to us, filling in for a very unfit Caitlyn. "The new student, it's a guy. And my lord, he is beautiful."

"He," Caitlyn exhaled, "is the sexiest creature I have ever seen."

"...Oh," I blushed. How was I supposed to keep calm around him now? It was all going to shit.

"Sheila! Tell her how gorgeous he is," Caitlyn ordered as Sheila joined us.

"Dawn, that boy is the most attractive person I have ever laid eyes on. Seriously. I wish I was in your shoes."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and started heading towards the school, the girls following me.

"Now, don't be nervous. Just keep calm, make him chase you," Caitlyn instructed.

I scoffed, "I'm not looking for a relationship, Cait, honestly."

"Sure." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey Indie," I said as I spotted her just in front of us, "Where's Amy?"

"Ah, she's not feeling well," she replied. Indie Layman was the definition of loyal, and I knew that after school, she'd be at Amy's house, feeding her soup and checking her temperature.

"Did you see the new guy?" Sheila asked Indie excitedly.

"Yeah I did."

"Isn't he perfect?" Sheila swooned.

Indie shrugged, "He's okay."

Just as Sheila was about to protest, the bell rang, and we all hurried into Registration. After Miss Moran took the register, she called my name.

"Yes?" I spoke up meekly.

"I have a note here saying you need to go down to the reception?"

I stood up, mouthing to my friends that I'd see them later. "Yes, miss."

My heart pounding nervously as I walked downstairs to reception, wringing my hands nervously.

It was the moment I would meet the new guy, this 'Adonis' as the girls had let on.

"Dawn, I'm glad you decided to to this for the school," Mr. Green, our head teacher, greeted me.

"No problem, Mr. Green."

"Ah, here's our new student, now."

I watched as a boy, sitting in the waiting area, turned his dark-haired head to look over. My eyes followed the structure of his body until they reached his face. Hazel eyes stared back at me as I looked over his beautiful face.

Yes, he was gorgeous.

"Dawn, this is Hayden."