30)

It turns out an entire gym class of fourteen year old girls having to shower all together at the same time, for the first time, meant none of us were all that comfortable about it.

That and they have to be putting something in the water around here.

I did recognize a few of the girls from the Solstice picnic earlier that summer, which meant they came from Werewolf families. But since they hadn’t been shuffled off to the Dog house, Ryan’s name for the old gym, with me, Lourdes, and the boys meant that they themselves weren't Werewolves.

So, late bloomers? Or not enough magic in them to sustain the curse?

According to what Grandma Bree was calling the Caine scale, you needed a magic level of at least a five, on a ten low to one high scale for internal magic, to sustain the Werewolf spell long enough for it to set in.

But anyone above a ten, a baseline human, could learn some degree of internal magic, especially for something they had a talent for. And if these girls came from even one Werewolf parent, they should be able to learn some things, not just physical stuff either. Internal magic can be used on the mind as well.

One of the first things my Mom had taught me was a technique for improving my ability to retain information, something that was going to help a lot with High school classes.

Maybe Dad's Dojo could teach a lot more than just Werewolves.

“Oh looks like we’re locker neighbors.” Nicole, who I had met on the bus that morning, had opened the combination lock on the gym locker next to me.

She was pretty fit as well, although she had some padding over her muscles, which at her age might mean she had at least one more growth spurt before she topped out.

"Oh, yeah. So what did you guys get to do in the gym?"

Nicole gave me an odd look, “Floor hockey, but how did you get sweaty enough to need a shower, I thought you had a Doctor's note to get out of doing anything?"

...Think Sara, think. "Well, I can still play sports and stuff, I just have to pace myself to just one other person or work out by myself. If it's a group I push myself trying to keep up with everyone and overdo it."

She blinked and then nodded. "I guess that makes sense, do you think I can sneak off to the old gym too? I don't really like group sports either. I get distracted if theirs too many people.”

I nodded my head. “It might be better to get permission from the coach instead, forgiveness might be easier than permission, but getting caught going behind someone's back can mean never getting either."

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Nicole frowned, “Or it might be easier to get my Mom to sign a note, might as well get some use out of having a Doctor for a Mom.”

I had managed to finish getting dressed by this time aside from the shoes I was pulling on. I had learned to pull water out of simple things like towels and my hair, but I hadn’t thought about the fact that drying my hair by passing my hand along it might be suspicious until I came out of the shower.

Luckily there were nearly a dozen hair dryers plugged in and hung up on the wall opposite the mirrors above the sinks. Since I had gotten out of the shower and dried off quicker than most anyone else I managed to get to one of the few left in time to dry my hair out with a combination of magic and hot air.

Then I handed it off to Nicole as she stood there looking a little lost. She shook her head as she took it from my hand. “Tomorrow I’m getting a shower cap or something else to put over my hair, even if I have to get it shipped overnight”

I nodded in agreement since I thought it was a good plan if you didn't get sweaty playing against a set of aggressive, Austin, or sneaky, Ryan, boys. All I had thought while playing against them was that getting a barrette that would stay on my head would be nice, or possibly a sweatband.

I waved goodbye to Nicole as I headed out, only to find a bunch of boys from the gym all lurking in the hallway outside the gym that led back to the main building of the school, some of them with their hair not only still wet but appearing to be completely uncombed.

Which included Austin, who was now lumbering my way.

Well, lumbering was a little unfair, but he was so big and heavy that he seemed off balance. Maybe he had just put on that height and weight over the summer and was still adjusting.

He stood in front of me wordlessly for a moment. “Good game… Was I pushing things too much?”

I stare up at him for a moment. “Yes, but I liked the way you made it more of a challenge.”

He smiled a little, it looked more like a grimace. “Those games you talked about, is one of them Basketball?”

I considered that, "I think so? Sorry, but I'm not all that sure, I've only been to one once because my Dad lost a bet and had to show up. And I was there to watch the fights, so I didn't see much of anything else. All I saw was the people playing soccer outside. I can ask my parents tonight though."

He nodded to me and then turned around to reacquire the same spot he had been leaning against before, a set of smaller boys shuffling out of his way from where a late arrival from the boy’s locker room had gotten them spread out.

Well, at least I’m not the only one with bad social skills.

His friend Ryan and Nicole had only gotten out into the waiting hall when the bell rang and everyone was off to the hallways of the main building filled with people trying to get to their lockers or their next class, while others people were stopping right in the middle of the hallways to talk to someone while everyone else was forced to squeeze past them.

At least they weren’t blocking the lockers.

My Mom had planned to make me a nutritious lunch to take to school, but I managed to convince her that showing up with a lunch on the first day would destroy the image I was trying to build, and would deny one more thing I had missed out on by being homeschooled.

Complaining about how horrid school lunches were a tradition.

Besides, the lunches were free to all students, which I’m sure was the real reason I was lunch bag free.

Growing up helping her parents shop for their Korean restaurant had made my Mom a bargain shopper with a tight fist even though my family had money even before we found out about Grandpa Lathe and his lottery winning.

In any case, having dumped my books for the morning at my locker, I made it in line with only a few dozen people in front of me.

One of the girls who hung out with Del every time I had seen her, Angie, was in line in front of me and waved a few people past her until I caught up with her. "Ah… Our kind." She pointed at herself then behind me at Ryan who was grabbing a tray. "We get extra large portions, usually without asking. Is that something you need too?"

I shook my head. “No, not unless I’ve been pushing myself. Thanks for asking.”

She nodded at me. “Okay, I can tell Del I made an effort to be nice to you.” She leaned her head back to look down at me with a smirk. “Now I can snub you for the rest of the day, maybe even for the week.” Then she moved down the line to get a double helping of some meat paddies with gravy while I stood there a little confused.

What?