As soon as you arrived at school the next day, you gulped down to clear your throat. You had had to put your hair up due to the fact that your mom actually made you walk to school today. More like for the rest of the month since the punishment she dished out last night included taking away your car. Then, something about no handsome boys in the house either. You didn’t know what she meant by that but that didn’t matter anyway. What mattered now was finding Myungsoo. It wasn’t hard either. Apparently, he had just gotten to school and the procession was more than what you expected. It was hard not to notice the squealing girls as they rushed past you to the front door of the school. You stood on your tip toes as you approached the group of around four or five girls.

None of them talked to him, just walked behind him and pretended to be going the same way he was. You scoffed at their attempt. The noises they made were in no way subtle. They all made noises of regret as he approached the stairs. Soon they dispersed and went to their respective classrooms on the first floor. As soon as they were gone you rushed up the stairs to catch up to him. “Myungsoo!” You called out in a hushed tone of voice.

He didn’t answer. Most likely because he had his iPod in and was thinking about other things: such as the full moon tonight. You gritted your teeth at his ignorance of your presence. You reached out and yanked his arm back. That definitely got him to notice you. He whipped towards you, an annoyed look on his face. However, when he realized it was you his facial features relaxed though he now bore a look of confusion.

“Hey.” You said to him. He read your lips, not needing to take out his headphones to understand you. “Where’s Woohyun? Hoya?” Myungsoo’s lips twitched. His stomach knotted uncomfortably. He didn’t like that you spoke of them so easily. However, he still answered you.

“Courtyard.” He replied. He didn’t know if you heard him but your nodding signaled to him you did. You quickly your heel to descend down the stairs. Myungsoo parted his lips, a part of him saying for him to follow. Something seemed wrong if you actually came to him for that kind of information.

But then, another part of him told him not to. He didn’t want to know what you talked to other guys about. So, he followed the latter of his feelings. He told himself not to care. That he’d hear it from Hoya later on. So, he went to class.

You walked into the courtyard, immediately finding who you needed to. As you got closer to them, Dongwoo was the first to notice. He looked up, a frown replacing his previous joking face. Hoya noticed second and Woohyun last. The only one who even seemed to have interest in what you wanted was Woohyun. You weren’t sure if they heard about last night but the way Dongwoo and Hoya avoided your eyes once you stopped in front of them told you they didn’t.

You weren’t sure if you should say what you had been thinking about since last night. It would change everything. Send your life into the ever spinning whirl wind that was theirs. You breathed out. Your life wasn’t normal now and you had to say that this was the most heart-pounding three weeks of your life. Seventeen years of not believing in these kinds of things and then suddenly being thrown into it. The funny thing was that you didn’t mind. Not the dragging through the woods barefooted, not the pointing of guns at you, not the fact that you couldn’t even make your own decisions.

Though that last one would be changed with the words that would come out of your mouth now, “I believe it.”

The three of them slowly turned to you. They couldn’t help it. Your words didn’t register.

“Werewolves? I believe it.” You said again. You could tell from their silence that they didn’t understand why you were saying this now. Why it had taken you so long. They were relieved but it didn’t make sense to them. Your sudden change. Why suddenly say you believed it? “I believe it. And I’m on your side.”

Hoya was the first to stand from the bench. His eyes showed the same gentle look they had that night he first spoke to you in your kitchen, wearing your father’s clothes, and holding onto a cup of coffee. You didn’t know why but it seemed as though he was on the brink of tears. Before you could ask why, he hugged you. You had to say that it was not expected. Neither was Dongwoo whose head was buried in his hands to hide his face. And neither was Woohyun’s sad smile as he bit back his relief that tried to pour from his tear ducts.

Why were they like this? Why were they so emotional? You had never seen a man cry before, not even your own father, so you weren’t sure what you should do. Even as Hoya’s arms gripped you tighter, closer to him, you still didn’t know what to do. But then, you felt bad as you finally realized why when Hoya whispered something over and over next to your ear. “Thank you.”

They had never been believed before.

And why would anyone? Beasts who can rip your throat out aren’t exactly who you expected to be associating yourself with either.

Thus, you felt bad. Felt bad that while what you said was selfish it was probably all these three wanted to hear since they were born. You shook your head against Hoya’s chest. It looks like you were just going to have to make it up to them. Make it up to them a hundred times over. You were going to have to turn your selfish reason into a genuine one.

Your selfish reason of wanting trust from them. Your selfish reason of wanting to be protected when Zico came guns blazing. Your selfish, girlish reason of wanting to be around attractive boys whose attention you dominated.

“Are you sure?” You asked, not wanting to take one step further towards the large house in front of you.

“What’s with the scared face? He’s not gonna eat you.” Dongwoo laughed as he pushed your shoulder forward. You almost tripped over your own two feet as you played with your nails in nervousness.

“Sunggyu doesn’t exactly have good feelings for me at the moment.” You mumbled, remembering last night. It was because of you that Sungjong was put into danger. However, Woohyun, Hoya, and Dongwoo listened to your story and laughed. They assured you he wouldn’t be mad but from what you saw last night, Sunggyu doesn’t hold back. Who knows what bones of yours would be broken as soon as you stepped foot inside.

Inside of what? Well that would be the place Woohyun, Myungsoo, Sungjong, Sunggyu, Hoya, and Dongwoo called home. A huge cottage like house built out of red brick and covered with growing ivy that clung to the building like a virus. It looked old but it also had a sort of overpowering feel to it.

You gulped down, “Alright. I’ll go in.” Your feet still refused to move so Woohyun and Hoya gave you light shoves. “I’m going I’m going.” You said to them. They grinned at your reaction as you approached the front door. The door that you had unconsciously chosen since you found that mysterious boy in your bedroom and for the first time, you actually felt needed.