I pick up a brush and start working through the various knots and tangles in my hair, the long white unruly mop. It would be all worth it though, it was one part of my new being that I did like a lot. It used to be a deep strawberry blonde, which was pretty, but not unique. I never was able to dye it like I wanted to thanks to her. I groan out loud, the brush slightly faltering in my hair. I jab at a knot that was in the way, stupid woman.

The uninvited appearance of my parents had affected me more than I wanted to let on to anyone. Those were painful memories and even if the school had my back, that was only temporary. I don’t know what she is capable of.

I shake away the bad thoughts and think about the present. It was the twelfth of December, and it was the day that I go to meet the council and have dinner with Clops. I was cautiously excited. I was going there to be judged by people way more important than I. They could recoil at the sight of me and try to have me removed from the school. Or worse!

No no no, they wouldn’t do that. I don’t think. I hope not. Chloe would look out for me. I’m sure of it. I stood up and walked towards my dresser, I needed something to wear that was smart. I ignored the dress, I don’t think it was that sort of dinner. Plus that was for….Erina...only.

I pick up a light pink blouse and a button up grey cardigan and wrap them over my arm. I then pick up a skirt and some tights. I figured that dressing feminine would make me seem less…threatening to people. I dress and wait for the message that they were here for me. I lie on the bed and read a story on the tablet. I’d only gotten a few chapters into it, at a really nice climactic point where the main fox girl lead discovers her new powers and...the door goes off. I shut down the app on the tablet and tuck it into my bag.

I answer the door. Its Mrs Murray along with a smartly dressed man and woman with lanyards around their necks. “Your transport is here Sylvie” I buzz them through and check my reflection in the mirror, a loose bandage is visible on my neck so I push it down. I was still my green-ish blue-ish skinned self. I looked as good as I could do. I rub a scar on my cheek where I must have hit the pavement when I died.

I pick up my bag just as they knock the door. I open to see them in person, the guy has short stylish brown hair and a wide smile. His blue suit is impeccably clean. “Hello there, I’m David Charleton. I’m the Mayoress’s secretary. She tells me a lot about you Sylvie” he reaches out for a handshake and I take it gently, shaking it slowly. “This is our driver, Sarah” the woman gives me a slight nod. “Come on now, lets not keep the council waiting. Plus don’t tell anyone but Chloe is dying to see you” I hold up a hand in order to get them to wait. I needed to make sure Colin would be fed.

After dropping some big lettuce leaves into his enclosure I turn back and jog to the door, shutting it behind me. “We’re in the car park in the back. Theres still quite a few media types trying to catch a sniff of you so we’ve got tinted windows” David says with a beaming smile. Must be a posh car then. We slowly descend down the floors in the elevator and make our way to the lobby. As normal I pause and watch the fish tank for a few moments. Fish tanks are calming influences, sure the bubbling of the pumps could get annoying to some. But just watching them go about their business was therapeutic.

We emerge through the door into a chilly winter afternoon, nearly taking a huge leaf to the face. The trees were nearly done shedding for the winter and the pathways were littered with their leaves, making for a slippery walk. “Winter is awful isn’t it, I don’t sit well with the cold” says David, walking slowly along beside me after sending Sarah onwards to get the car running. We make small talk, well as much as me listening to him ramble on about inane things, and Mrs Murray excuses herself.

“...so I hear you like video games? What sort” now this is a topic I can actually talk about.

“Old stuff, platformers, racers. You probably wouldn’t have heard of stuff like Road Trip Adventure”

“I loved that one as a kid” he chuckles. I’m skeptical of this, it was a fairly obscure game.

“Okay then, what is the name of the third town”

“My City, thats a trick question” he smirks.

“Maybe you do know it then” I snort derisively.

“Heres the car now” A black blobby looking saloon silently whirrs around the corner.

“What is it?”

“Oh, right. Its electric” I don’t like it, why is it so blobby? Why hasn’t it got a face? David opens the back door for me to get in. It does look comfy inside... I climb in and pull on a seatbelt. The inside is lovely and warm, almost like being by the heat-lamp. The cold didn’t affect me like if I were normal, but I could still feel it and it was still unpleasant.

David closes the door and gets in the front. “Onto the Town Hall please Sarah”.
***

A short drive through light late-morning traffic later, we arrived at the back door of the Town Hall, I had spotted several vans out front with dishes and equipment, and a crowd of people were gathered at the front entrance. I let out a groan-y sigh. I resign myself that I probably will be on TV today, and not in the way I’d want to be. Sarah drops me and David off and drives away to park the car.

“Come on in Sylvie. I’ll take you directly to Chloe’s office and get you something to drink, coffee? Tea?”

“Just water please” I hadn’t been drinking anything other than that. I wasn’t sure what it’d do to my new senses.

“Right right I’ll get you some tap water, come along now” he scans a card against the door and it opens, leading to a vast corridor with paintings of naval battles and old ships lining it. I follow him up the dark marble stairs of the old building, which lead to a smaller corridor. Again lined with paintings, but these were slightly more interesting as they were portraits of various people, I could only assume they were of the various previous Mayors. Part way down the paintings stopped. I guess they hadn’t done one of Chloe yet.

We eventually got to a large set of wooden doors. David knocks on them. “Ms Manfield, I’ve brought her” I hear a muffled reply of sorts and he opens the door, gesturing for me to go in ahead of him.

The office was warmly lit with orange tinted LED lights and a fake fireplace, the walls were half clad in the same dark wood as the doors and so was the floor, a dark green rug covered most of the space in front of her desk. I remember this room from the picture on her Facebook. Chloe is leaning against her desk looking casual and drinking an energy drink of some kind. I guess she is young after all compared to the average Mayor or Mayoress.

“Hi there Sylvie, good to see you again” she stands properly and I bolt forwards to hug her. I hadn’t seen her in about a month. We seperate after a moment. “How’re you doing?”

“Okay, I’ve just about recovered from nearly being squashed” I shrug.

“Yes I heard about that, troubling, but I trust the school to deal with the person who did that. Also, I want to deal with this press issue. The Principal has asked for my assistance and I’m happy to oblige. Do you have the referral for your muzzle removal with you?”

I twist my bag around in front of me and rustle around for the piece of paper. I pull it out and hand it to her.

“Ah Thanks. This will be helpful. Now I’m not expecting you to take part in the press conference, I will do that. But I do want the council to meet you if that is okay?”

I nod, I was mentally prepared for worse. This should be okay. I think. “Not everyone is here yet so you can relax. I’ll put on a little music or something, you can sit down on the sofa” she points to a dark leather sofa with lots of gold pieces embedded in it. At this moment David, who hadn’t followed me into the office, appears at the door, glass of water in hand. “Here you go Sylvie” I took it gladly. I think this was going to be a long day…

***

(In a house, miles away)

Erina was relaxing on her day off, taking the time to pamper herself a little. She spent so much time playing sports and sweating that she definitely needed it. She usually didn’t listen to music very often but Sylvie had shared her a playlist of music she liked and Erina was going to be damned if she didn’t try it out. She moved through the house with a pair of headphones around her neck, waiting for the bath to pour.

Suddenly a letter comes through the front door, which was down the stairs from where she was standing. She quickly hopped down the stairs with nothing else to do and picked up the letter. She was expecting it to be to her parents but for once it was addressed to her. It had a little stamp from the school on the envelope.

She quickly tears it open, using a pointed nail, another benefit of being a dragon-hybrid. She pulls out the letter and it reads.

Dear Ms. Erina Hartley

The Cherryford College has been approved for renovations to the top floor of our Campus Dorms, and as such we have chosen to reserve them for monster-folk/demi humans, which means you have an opportunity to move in if you wish. To apply you just have to get your parents to sign the form below. Your tuition has already been paid so we are not charging you any extra.

Thanks in advance, Principal Rockford.

Erina had never been too fussed about the dormitory system and had originally turned it down, but this...this is an opportunity to get closer to Sylvie, and perhaps surprise her. She tucks the letter into her hoodie pocket. Now she just has to try and get her parents to sign it...