Pearl was in trouble. "Can one of you guys walk me to the train station?"
None of the guys were making eye contact with her, though.
"What's wrong, Pearl?" I asked.
"My dad drove me to school, but I need to take the train home myself. I'm a bit scared to walk by myself," Pearl explained.
"I can walk you," I said, understanding. It's a foreign packland, on her first day. Been there, done that.
"Don't you have a driver to drive you?" Pearl asked. She looked at Henry and Marcus. Oh yeah, Henry had a driver.
"No. I take the train home," I told her.
"Then just the two of us?" Pearl asked me. "Is that safe?"
"Sam's very strong. You'll be fine," Henry assured her.
This made me happy. Ah! I'm too easy to flatter sometimes.
"Yeah, I'll protect you," I promised. "Actually, it's really safe."
"Not in my packland," Pearl said. "There are rogues."
Oh yeah. "Which station do you alight?"
I was expecting her to say a faraway station on another line, but it was a station I passed every day. In fact, it was Bra's station.
"We're on the same line," I told her. "I get off after you."
"That's perfect then!" Jasmine sounded a little forced. She looked a little tired around her eyes.
"Well, come on then." I adjusted my bag and turned to go. "Bye, Jasmine. Bye, guys."
"Yeah, okay," Pearl consented and picked up her bag to follow.
"Why does Jasmine get special mention?" Marcus complained.
Jasmine laughed, the sound reassuring me that she was okay. "It's because I'm special," she boasted to the guys.
I walked with Pearl, who looked really reluctant to leave. Maybe the rogue incident was really traumatic for her. I decided to walk along the road today instead of taking the shortcut through the dark maze of apartments.
On the bright side, the weather had taken a turn for the better. The ground was still mucky and icy, making the filth stand out on the pavement. But the air was fresh and cool, and the sun was out.
"There is a shortcut through there," I nodded toward the apartments across the road, "but it's kind of dark and twisty. I'll show you the main road today."
Pearl looked at the old, dilapidated buildings across the road and seemed relieved we were taking the main road.
"I like taking this route to school in the mornings. It's very peaceful," I told Pearl. I wanted to reassure her that she was safe.
We walked for a while, and then Pearl said, "You're really nice, Sam." She told me, "To be honest, I was kind of worried about my first day of school, but you're nice. I'm glad I met you."
"It's no problem," I shrugged it off. "I'm glad to meet you too."
"You don't think I'm weird or weak or something?" Pearl asked me.
"Why would I think that?" I asked. Actually, I thought most female wolves my age were weaker than me, so I never really judged them by their strength. And usually, I was told I was the weird one.
"Oh, I didn't tell you yet," Pearl realized. "I can't shift anymore. I'm like 16 this year. I already had my first shift. But then the rogues came, and my back got injured. The doctors put metal plates in my spine. So now I can't shift ever again."
Oh. I didn't know. If I thought I felt sorry for Pearl earlier, I felt really, really sorry for Pearl now.
I could not ever imagine never being able to shift again. I'd heard that keeping your wolf trapped was a kind of torture in itself, until the wolf grew too weak to be sensed.
"I take Wolfbane pills to keep my wolf sleeping all the time now," Pearl told me. "If I accidentally shift, the metal plates in my spine would end up killing me."
What do you say to something like that? I'm sorry?
"I think…" I said finally. "I think you are a very brave and strong girl."
Pearl teared up. "Thanks, Sam. You're really understanding."
We reached the station. It was a bit more crowded than the first train. I was pleased we actually made it for the second train. I thought we would be later.
"We should always aim for the earlier trains," I told Pearl. "It just gets more crowded with time."
Pearl nodded. We stood there waiting for the train, the platform slowly filling up with more students. Did we actually just miss the second train? Maybe we missed the third.
"Hey, Sam? Do you think you can change places with Jasmine?" Pearl asked suddenly.
What? And leave Jasmine to sit with Maria? That would be impossible.
"Please, Sam?" Pearl asked. "Jasmine is nice and all, but I don't feel she understands me. Plus, she is kind of an airhead."
Okay…
"I don't think Jasmine wants to sit with the vamp," I told Pearl.
"Why not?" Pearl asked. "The vamp seems quite harmless."
I looked at her. Ah, yes, she probably didn't know Maria had controlled and wiped her earlier.
"She's harmless as long as I'm next to her," I told Pearl. "Don't go near the vamp on your own."
"Why is she harmless to you?" Pearl asked.
Because we are friends?
"Because I'm strong. She doesn't want to fight me," I said instead. That was also true.
Pearl looked at me carefully. "Are you really that strong, Sam? I know Henry seemed to think so."
Oh yeah. If her wolf was sleeping, maybe she couldn't gauge my wolf strength at all.
"I'm strong enough," I told her finally.
For some reason, I didn't feel comfortable telling Pearl more.
After that, we talked about boys in our class. Mostly Pearl talked; I just nodded.
Pearl also asked me a lot of questions about school, but I didn't know the answer to most of them.
It seemed she was still looking for a club too, today being her first day in school and all… I guess I was still the only slow one to figure it out.
"I used to be in the art club in my old school," Pearl told me.
"Don't join the art club!" I blurted out.
"Kind of nerdy, huh?" Pearl laughed to herself.
"No, not really." But before I could explain about the art club being the vamp club, Pearl quickly cut me off. "Don't worry. I was thinking of doing something cooler in this school."
"What club did you sign up for?" she asked me.
"I dunno." I shrugged. "I'm still thinking about it."
"I thought the registration closed on Monday," she informed me.
Oh.
That would have explained the banners and posters I hadn't stopped to admire.
"I bet you'll be trying out for the cheerleading squad, huh?" Pearl asked.
"No…" I was more the football player type. "I don't really want to do that stuff."
"So, what kind of stuff do you like?" Pearl asked.
What kind of stuff do I like? I like to train, hang out with friends, and eat.
Maybe Maria was onto something with the karate club.
"Here's my stop! Thanks for walking me!" Pearl waved and left.
I waved goodbye to her and breathed out a sigh of relief. Talking to girls can sometimes be really tiring! Suddenly, I remembered that I was supposed to be finishing my homework.
I pulled out my workbook to get started. I've got half a train ride left. Better make the most of it.
By the time I pulled out my home ec textbook to read, I had a bright idea. I could join the cooking club!
I thought about it the entire bus ride back home.
I think I needed some criteria:
It had to still have vacancies, and if there was a selection test, I had to be able to pass it.
It had to not bore me to tears or force me into lengthy exposure to girl talk. Actually, this ruled out the cooking club.
Maybe I could learn a new skill.
Or something related to the stuff I liked.
And I didn't want to join the karate club because I didn't want Maria to be right.
Did it have to fit in with the popular image? I guess it wouldn't hurt to not pick a super awkward club.
I didn't even know what clubs were available in our school. I guess I should check the school website when I got home.