My unlife went on as I’d grown slowly used to. The strange became normal and soon winter had well and truly began to set in. Regular meetings with the Nurse over my health and with Leo and Erina continued, trying to build some confidence in Leo to come public about their problems. Occasionally Nurse Jousset would also join us for these, but unfortunately these things tend to be slow processes. Every time we think we’d made progress we hit another stumbling point.

Pure shapeshifters like Leo were exceptionally rare it turns out, and typically borne from normal human families. There turned out to only be a handful of others that were documented in the world from the Nurse’s research. It is notoriously difficult to find out a lot about them due to their natural attraction to the wild, leading them to spend only a transient amount of time as humans.

I made Leo promise to me that they wouldn’t run off and get themselves killed by a predator or any of the other ways poor animals end up dying. “I...won’t, but I still need that...time” they stutter. “You know….to myself”

“I understand” Erina nods in the background.

“It comes naturally to you, like flying does to me. Just stay safe” she says.

“Um...you too” They respond, Erina waves Leo off, clearly confident of her skills.

“Thank you” she giggles. “Right, I have to go get to a practise session. We better give Sylvie a peaceful afternoon” she claps her hands together with a sense of finality. I open the sliding window door as I know its quicker for both to leave that way. Leo transforms into a Robin and flies out. Erina hangs back a moment to hug me and then launches herself into the sky.

I decided to turn on one of my old game consoles and play some games. I'd been working on 100 percenting a couple of games, I reached down the back of the console to turn it on, fumbling around for the switch. I’d just managed to find it when I heard a ping from the screen by the door. I untangled myself from the wires and went to go look at it.

It was a visitor, I cautiously hit the button that activates the camera and microphone on the door downstairs. It was Mrs Murray, the assistant to the Principal, and along with her was...

I growl under my breath. Both of my parents were here, and unlike last time my mum showed up they appear to have gone through official means to see me.

“Hello, Sylvie? Your parents are here to see you. I’m told they haven’t seen you since you came back” For good goddamned reasons. My Dad was a feeble man who couldn’t see how my Mum was hurting me with her controlling nature, and wouldn’t do anything about it. Last I heard from Guy that they had divorced…

...Shit…

This confrontation was pretty much inevitable, but to prolong it slightly further I don’t let them through. Mrs Murray would probably use her own access then. I ignored it and went back to sitting on my bed, grabbing my controller along the way. If my afternoon was going to go this way I’d at least get a couple of minutes of gaming in first.

As expected, about ten minutes later the door buzzed and swung open I quickly hide myself under the sheets, my mum storms in like a gaunt hungry werewolf. “SYLVIE WADE! I want to see you!” She stands over the bed and yanks off the covers. She gasps and staggers back a couple of steps, nearly knocking over a lamp.

“You...you’re not my daughter. My daughter was gorgeous and cute and pretty...you’re a freak, wearing her skin”

“Hey hang on Gemma thats-” my Dad interjects but falters after coming in behind her.

“Peter. Look at it” her face is dark and serious. She points an accusatory finger at me. “Is that what you remember our daughter as?”

He shuffles forwards to take a closer look, but still keeps his distance. He slowly shakes his head. I can’t do anything to stop them, my tablet is out of reach.

“Hang on now!” Mrs Murray walks around in front of her. “I didn’t bring you in to belittle one of our students like that. She is your daughter, back from the dead. And you should be happy to see her again, to be blessed with her back in your life” I knew this wouldn’t please her to hear. I didn’t want her back in my life either. She drops the quilt that she was still holding with one hand and moves towards the door.

“That is not my daughter, not at all” I quickly snatch up the quilt and pull it back towards me, wanting to hide away from them all. “Come on Peter. Leave the abomination there. Our daughter is dead” He takes a lingering look at me and turns back to her, shaking his head slowly. They both leave the room, closing the door behind them. Which left me with a stunned Mrs Murray.

“I’m so sorry Sylvie…” I half shrug, I’d expected it to go poorly. But I didn’t think it’d...affect me like that. The inevitability of it blinded me to what I was in store for. “I didn’t know she would...react that way” I nod. It wasn’t her fault, it was mine for not getting it out of the way beforehand.

“I’ll...leave you be...sorry. I won’t let that happen again, I don’t think it will…” she slowly slinks off like a hurt animal, and exits the room. I waited afterwards, to make sure they were all gone. It took fifteen minutes but I finally coaxed myself up and picked up the controller again.

I need some escapism right now, where was I?

***

I was awoken by the sound of a knocking on my door, to which I hesitantly got up to investigate. I turn the volume up on the tablet.

“Who is it?!”

“Nurse Jousset, I have someone to introduce to you!” I was still in my pajamas but I was modest enough. I opened the door to see two very very very different shapes. Nurse Jousset was being accompanied by a very...fishy looking character.

“Morning Sylvie. This is Sémphnìo-”

“Hello!” the semi-humanoid female says. “You can call me Sam or Sammy if you’d like” they spoke with a soft, singsong Scottish accent, which was curious as this was the south of England. “I’ve moved down south because I hear this is one of the best schools in terms of dealing with people like us” Jousset coughs, not quite liking the interruption.

“We’ve decided to develop the top floor for mainly monster-folk and the likes, the Principal has done ahead with this after the successful integration of you, Sylvie. And I am going to propose to Leo, and eventually their parents, that it would be a good idea for them to move in too” I nod, sounds like my unlife was going to get quite a few new interesting character's.

“Oh!” Nurse Jousset exclaims, as if she had just remembered something. “You have a letter Sylvie. I went through all the mailboxes this morning. Students don’t like checking stuff like that, annoyingly” she pulls an envelope out of her white coat pocket and hands it to me.

“Now you two have been introduced to each other, come along Sémphnìo. Lets go figure out what renovations you’ll need”

“No worries, I’ll see you soon Sylvie!” she waves back as they walk off, leaving me clutching the envelope and wondering what sort of new monster-people I’ll encounter.

I close the door and look at the envelope, it has a stamp from the town council on it. It must be from Clops. I clumsily tear open the letter.

Dear (Ms) Sylvie Wade.

I want to discuss the on-going media issue with you in person in my office, are you free on the 12th of December? I’ve talked to the Principal and he has agreed that we need to sort this issue out for good. Otherwise it could deteriorate further.

Please contact me soon.

Mayoress Chloe Manfield.

P.S. I would have done this privately but the local council are interested in seeing you too.

An official dinner? I was not passing that up. I quickly start typing up a response on my tablet to be sent to the Principal and forwarded on. This sounds exciting!