“I’m sorry, Miss Wilson, but you were gone for over a week. We contacted your parents, and they said they haven’t seen or spoken to you since July. It’s school policy to revoke room and board privileges to students who abandon their dwellings,” the Resident Director hands over a small box of belongings from my dorm room and some paperwork, “You missed two required meetings and we couldn’t contact you, so we assumed that’s what you had done.” I look inside and see my cell phone charger and laptop, a few notebooks, and things from my desk, but none of my clothes or bed linens. Not even my toiletries. “I-I understand the policy and I know I should have read the student life handbook better, b-but this isn’t even half of my belongings, ma’am. Where is everything else? Could I please go upstairs and get the rest?” I feel my lip tremble. After I paid the room and board fee for the spot in the dorm, I only had a couple hundred dollars left to buy ever

“Mom? Are you home?” I mind link her when I pull up to the house. “Out in the garden, Honey,” her voice sings sweetly in my head, “Why are you here?” I make my way to Mom’s vegetable garden. She is pulling carrots out of the ground and putting them in an enormous basket. “I can’t make time to stop and say hello to my mother without getting questioned?” “You know I didn’t mean it like that, Honey but it’s true. You never stop by during the week. Did your meetings go okay this morning?” She looks at me with concern. “Oh yeah. We should expect some big donations in the next couple of months from both companies.” I give her a convincing nod. “Is there anything you can’t do?” She flicks dirt at me playfully. “I can’t keep Rocky in check,” I squat down next to her, taking a serious tone. “I had to block him, Mom.” “Oh Keller! I’m so sorry to hear that,” she tilts her head and looks at me remorsefully, “How long

“What if you accept me and we just keep it a secret?” She shakes her head and her brow furrows. “Zara, no. I won’t do that. You shouldn’t be anyone’s secret.” I frown, regretting that I have made her feel this way. “You deserve so much better.” “When I was growing up, my parents told me the Moon Goddess gives everyone what they deserve. They said that’s why she made me smart and not strong. Because I deserved to be a werewolf who could find solutions for problems in our community. That’s why I worked so hard in my science classes. So I could help people.” Tears slide down her face and her voice cracks. “I-I was wrong. The Moon Goddess didn’t bless me with anything. She tricked me. She turned everyone who loves me against me and even took my home away. I won't ever be anything to anyone, Keller. Hell, not even the guy destined for me wants to be with me. I didn’t believe it before, but I do now. The Goddess hasn’t blessed me. She curs

I smooth down my uniform shirt while I wait for my bagel to come out of the toaster. I only got a little sleep, but I will wait until I get to the diner to have a cup of coffee. Keller’s coffee machine seems pretty fancy. I don’t want to figure it out twenty minutes before my shift starts.Oh! I almost forgot, I have a glass of apple juice in the fridge. I open the door and bend down to reach in when I hear a female voice behind me.“Look, Janice. Maid service! Can I get an omelette please? Ham and green peppers. Janice, what do you want?” The voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard.I stand upright and look at her. She has curly brown hair in a disheveled ponytail. Her gold dress is long sleeve, but backless. It's so short, it almost doesn’t cover her butt. I look around the room. Who is she talking to? When did Keller get a maid?“Oh, maybe she only speaks Spanish, Leslie.” A girl with short, fake blond

“Are you okay, miss?” The driver looks at me with concern. “Did you get into a fight? I can call campus police for you.” “No ma’am. I’m okay. It was dark out and I took a tumble down the library stairs.” I clear my throat, making up a story as quickly as I can. “Nothing an ice pack won’t cure once I’m home.”  She nods, but I feel her watching me as I find my seat. I try my best to hold my arm against my side to avoid anyone noticing the blood seeping into my shirt. Once I find a seat, I open the selfie camera on my phone to see how bad the damage is. The entire side of my face is swelling, with dark bruises forming. My teeth feel wiggly when I press my tongue to the side of my mouth. The blood vessels in my eye broke, making my entire eyeball appear bloody. “I’m trying to heal you as fast as I can, Zara,” Lavender says. “It’s just a lot at once for me. I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, Lavender. It could be worse.”