Wendy couldn't believe she was taking Irene's scolding to heart and actually trying to be descent to Sehun after all this time. She did have to admit that it was a lot easier not having at each other's necks though. Only Sehun didn't seem to be pleased either way though he faked being nice and all - for Irene's sake most likely. He was way too into looking like the good guy in front of her.

Everyone finished their poems, now all that was left was to make a table of contents and bind the book together like a real publication. Wendy knew how to do that thanks to Tiffany's old job as a book binder. She helped with the work to make things go faster since there was a quota everyone had to meet at that company. It closed eventually because of bankruptcy and no one was getting their pay.

"Maybe we should come over and help?" Irene suggested.

"Don't worry about it. I can do it quickly," Wendy told them. "Besides, my mom is an expert."

"Is that her job?" Sehun asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's out of business. Everything is digital now."

"it's a skillset that's useful to us now, " Irene replied before Wendy could make a sharp retort. "I'd like to learn how."

Oh sweet Irene trying to be the peacekeeper. Wendy carefully packed the pages in her backpack and felt a little excited that she knew how to do something that Sehun and Irene coudln't do. It was one impressive thing about her, or so she thought.

The bell rang to release them from school for the day, and Seungwan was about to exit the school grounds when Irene aught up to her. "Hey," the older girl said.

"Hey."

"Thanks for listening to me," Irene continued. "I know it's not easy but it made working together easier. I really appreciate it."

Wendy simply shrugged. "I was being stubborn."

"I know. It must be a good thing if you listened to me then, right?" 

"What...are you talking about?" Wendy furrowed her brows. 

"You are capable of being easygoing and somewhat amicable," the latter went on to explain. "You don't always have to act big and tough to protect yourself. No one has been bothering you for the last few weeks."

Wendy frowned, but realized that Irene was correct. No one was starting much arguments with her since she tried following Irene's advice, but she wondered if maybe it's because school exams were near and no one had time to waste messing around with her.

"Let's keep it that way," she replied instead. "Someone's bound to start gossip catching us talking together. I'll have the book done this weekend way before hte deadline. We can get that extra credit for turning it in early. See ya."

Wendy turned away abruptly before Irene could say anything more. 

Only Irene was left feeling frustrated and disappointed that Wendy could be so dismissive and cold about everyone.

--

"It's been a while since we did something together," Tiffany commented while helping Wendy with the book binding. 

"Thanks for helping me." Wendy watched Tiffany's experienced hands make the cuts and measure dimensions. 

"I'm glad you're taking school seriously. It's not easy finidng work these days. You'd be better off going to college and pursuing a career."

After working together another few hours, they finished and Tiffany sifted through the pages curiously. "Ah, to be a teen," she breathed, because the poems really sounded like someone in high school.

Oh Sehun.

The name painted itself into her brain, and she almost dropped Wendy's project in shock. She knew that surname well. She managed to keep her composure so that Wendy wouldn't lose that "A". She put it down and slid it towards Wendy, who admired the binding job.

"Are you friends with Oh Sehun?" she asked.

"What? No. I have to put up with him beacuse of Irene, and this project," Wendy replied. 

"A-alright. Be careful around them ok?"

"Yes, I always am."

"Good. Keep doing that."

--

"It has come to our attention that a subspecies of human, known as "Shifters" are living among innocent civilians. A feral attack occurred last night around 2am. A Shifter working for an important authority figure annihilated almost the whole household. The only surivior is the chairperson himsellf. It is unknown what caused the Shifter to act, but it was quickly detained and brought in for investigation..

Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for sispicious activity and report them at once. Shifters look and act like real humans. Police and security want ot ensure the safety of the people..."

Shifters were constantly on the news since then. Every day, there were updates and all kinds of police squabbles because the general public were scared. So scared thye called on anyone.

"Lt. Oh from The Council has graciously given us his time to speak up on the issue. In fact, he is very familiar with Shifters as he has had a history working with them, keeping them under control."

"As mentioned, Shifters act and look just like humans. Their differences from us are very subtle. However, sometime near the full moon, they become weak to their animal instincts - much like werewolves in the fairytale stories. Oh yes, this is real. In fact, there are wolf shifters. It is not some fiction story. Anyway, their traits begin to show, although some are very well trainedd at resisting.

Some Shifters may exhibit thei traits outside of that full moon window, usually due to some sort of stimulus activating their animal senses. 

One of the easiest ways to tell is their eye color. All Shifters will have different and rare eye colors...

Do not fear them. They are simplly beasts stuck in a human body. For your reassurance, I will tell you that all Shifters found will be brought to the Council to be dealt with appropriately. We do not want anyone to be harmed."

"We need to leave this place," a younger Tiffany whispered to her then girlfrriend at the time, Jessica. "People are freaking out. Someone's gonna call us out whether or not we did anything at all."

"But if we leave, won't they get suspicious?"

"We could just say that we're trying to find somewhere else safer. We're terrified for our lives."

Just then, there was a knock on their front door and both froze. "C-calm dwon. calm down," Tiffany breathed and they both had to take a moment until the knocking continued more forcefully. "I'll go. Stay calm."

"Be careful."

Tiffany nodded and walked with measured steps toward the front door. It felt liek she was walking into a trap, but when she looked through the peekhole it was thier neighbor, who was pretty friendly. She opened the door. "Hey, everythign ok?" she asked.

"D-did you hear a weird noise?" 

Tiffany frowned and shook her head. But she spoke too soon as gunshots pelted the air, scaring both her and the neighbor. Tiffany ushered her in and they waited until the silence returned again.

"D'you think S-shifters?" the neighbor stammered.

Tiffany didn't answer but she was scared by the sound of guns, that the look on her face seemed to be enough of an answer to the neighbor. Once it got quiet again, she walked the neighbor back out. "Stay inside. It's too dangerous." She made sure the neighbor was safely tucked behidn locked doors before returning to her own. Jessica looked sickly pale as if Tiffany had already died or something.

"don't do that again," jess fussed. "what if something bad happened?"

"Nothign did. And don't worry. I told them to stay put." Tiffany turned off the lights and flopped in bed.

That was just the beginning of the extermination of shifters. Way before Tiffany and Wendy crossed paths.

After a few months, the fire died down and people eventually forgot. But the shifters did not, and they did everythign in their power not to let themselves get placed into prison camps, or worse. a death sentence.

--

The group members aced their proejcts especially with the help of the extra credit from turning it in early. Their teacher was impressed, especially because Irene got Wendy to cooperate.

Wendy merely scoffed and passed it off as herself trying to make things less of a warzone. I'm not some kind of animal that needs to be trained, she thought glumly.

She was glad it was over, and she was sure Sehun was happy it ended. Now they just had to finish off exams, adn the year was over.

That meant Irene would be graduating and heading off to college. So Wendy decided she needed to take advantage of the time she had left, despite her previous annoyancw at the older girl for making her actually try to get along with Sehun.

On the full moon, Wendy followed Tiffany's concoction directions herself - she would need to know how to do it herself eventually. 

After Wendy transformed into her cat form, she trekked over to Irene's house like usual. Irene had the window open for her and she hopped in to find Irene sitting at her desk apparently busy with something. 

She leapt in smack onto the papers which she hoped weren't too important, but that didn't matter now.

Irene was caught off guard but she cooed happily at cat Wendy, giving her the best ear scritches and pets. "Im so glad you're still here."

"You're the only one who really listens...well, not like you can talk to me but it's nice just having someone listen and not speak at me like I'm a toddler."

If only she knew, Wendy thought as shegazed into irene's dark brown pools.

"I'm kind of puzzle really," Irene continued. "There's someone at school I met. She's kind of aloof and very grumpy...kind of like a cat. She's pretty nice, but then she gets irritated really easy..."

Wendy felt a small bit of offense taken, but didn't want to get mad at Irene because the latter was right. Tiffany ahd also scolded Wendy before about her behavior. 

"I feel like...I've seen those green eyes before," Irene murmured, breaking Wendy from her thoughts.

Cat Wendy froze as she did remember the accident when she had saved Irene from an accident. Using her supernatural speed was a mistake as it activated an aspect of her true self. She'd hoped IRene had forgottne about it by now.

Later in the evening, they had settled for bed with cat Wendy curled up by her shoulder. Wendy was eyeing the window, waiting for IRene to sleep before slipping away. 

--

sorry for not updating, i'm super stress and busy. a big fat paper is due literally this week and i'm not eveni finished hahahahahahhaha hlep me