“So how was your break?” Jongdae asked as the four browsed the truck stop’s convenience store.

“Filled with training,” Sori shrugged, “Minji’s father worked me like a dog. I didn’t think I needed to train that hard, but he’s boss. How was being home for you?”

“Our dad’s still a ,” Jongdae replied and Jongin nodded, “I’m more than happy to be leaving for school. What about you, hyung?”

“Mom and dad almost found out what I was,” Luhan confessed, looking down sadly, “now they’re convinced I’m an even bigger freak then they thought.” Sori patted his shoulder, having a pretty good idea what he was going through.

If it was anything like her own messed up parent relationship, it . Thankfully, she’d never had to hide what she was from her supernatural parents or supernatural foster parents, but Luhan had to hide his powers every time he went home to his human family. Yeah, hiding something like that – something that was such a big part of you – from the people who were supposed to love you for fear that love would go away must .

“I’m so happy I’m not like you two,” Jongin sighed, “I don’t think I’d be able to deal the way you two do.” Luhan wanted to snap at the younger, shout out that he wasn’t dealing with it well at all, but he kept his mouth shut. Compared to how some of the other kids he knew dealt with it, he was doing pretty good.

“And why did you call me Jongdae?” Jongdae asked, turning to Sori, “you know I hate that name. The moment I set foot on the bus, I’m Chen.”

“Right,” she rolled her eyes, “because I’ve always called you that in the past.” When it came to the Kim brothers, Sori never called them by their nicknames. There wasn’t any particular reason why, she just liked using their birth names.

“I don’t mind if noona calls me by my real name,” Jongin shrugged, “she can call me whatever she wants.”

“ up,” Jongdae scoffed, but a small smile appeared on his face. Even if he acted like it bugged him, it felt kind of nice to have Sori call him by his birth name. Most of the school didn’t even know his real name and he didn’t volunteer the information, so it made him feel special that she’d bothered to look for that kind of information.

“What’s up with the new kids?” Seunghyun suddenly asked, popping up beside the four, “I can’t get a read on one of them.”

“You’re having that problem too?” Sori asked, “Jongdae? Jongin? What about you?”

“Now that you mention it,” Jongdae trailed off, looking over at the six new kids, “I can get a read on all of them but that one kid with tan skin. It’s like a black hole or something.”

“Same,” Jongin nodded, “I’ve got nothing.”

“Weird kids,” Luhan frowned, grabbing what he wanted before making his way over to the cash register. Sori nodded in agreement before following his lead, the others trailing after them.

“They keep looking at us,” Sori heard Hyuk whisper to the other boys, “it’s creepy.”

“I know,” Ravi frowned, “and anyone else get the feeling they know something we don’t know?”

“Smart, weird kids,” Sori whispered in Luhan’s ear before relaying everything the six had said. The down side of Luhan being fae was that he didn’t have the super hearing that Sori, Seunghyun, and the Kim brothers had. All shape shifters had great hearing, as did werewolves and vampires.

“They’re scared,” he told her, “we’ve creeped them out big time.” she nodded. The school’s owner wasn’t going to like that if she found out. Sori knew the nymph woman would chew her out, yelling that helping scare the new kids was “behaviour unbefitting one of our future teachers.”

Oh boy, did Sori want to avoid that conversation.

“Hey new kids,” she called as her made her way outside with her friends, “hurry up. If you aren’t done soon you’ll get left behind.”

Apparently, they didn’t doubt her words because they started rushing to the cash register to pay for their snacks. They might be scared of going to a school they thought was for troubled teens, on a bus full of said teen, but being left behind at a truck stop miles away from home was defiantly worse.

“Go ahead,” Sori sighed, stopping outside the doors to wait for the six boys, “I’ve got to calm their fears or Minji’s gonna have my .”

“That’s the price you pay for wanting to help run the school one day,” Jongdae shrugged.

“Beats the alternative,” she muttered. Compared to what she could end up doing with her life, working at Dark Lake Academy didn’t sound so bad.

“Oh,” the unreadable boy blinked when he came outside and saw her waiting, “did you wait for us?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “just to tell you to calm down. Jongdae and I were messing with you. Dark Lake isn’t that bad.”

“Really?” Ken asked, sounding hopeful.

“Yes,” she nodded, “I’m sure you’ll come to like it.”

“Doubt it,” Ravi scoffed, “it’s a place for kids with problems.”

“And you aren’t troubled?” Sori countered.

“No,” he replied, “we aren’t.”

“Whatever you say,” she shrugged as if to say she didn’t care, “but I’m sure you’ll all find that you fit in just fine.”

The rest of the bus ride was silent. Sori was sure the six boys had questions, but they never asked. Glancing at Ken’s face, she noticed he looked like he was trying very hard not to open his mouth. If he did, she was sure he’d ask more about Dark Lake and why she thought they would fit in just fine.

“We’re pulling in now,” the driver called, “get your stuff together and head to the dining hall. You’re already a good ten minutes late, so don’t take your time.”

“Follow,” Sori instructed the newbies once everyone was off the bus. They nodded, trusting her to lead them where they needed to go.

Once inside, the group of returning students dropped their bags at the door where a pile of bags already sat. Following their example, the six new kids did the same. Although they were slightly hesitant to leave their things, they also didn’t want to draw attention to themselves by taking their bags with them. Rushing down the halls to avoid being much later, the group burst through the doors of the dining hall, drawing looks from everyone who had gathered there already.

“Sorry, Minji,” Jongdae apologized, “we ran into traffic.”

“It’s alright,” the woman at the front of the room smile, “just please hurry and take your seats.” They all nodded.

Ravi watched as Sori, Luhan, Jongdae, and Jongin joined a table where several other teens – five girls and nine boys – sat while Seunghyun joined a different table. The remaining six quickly sat down at the nearest table, hoping the avoid too much attention. This failed however, because everyone seemed to be watching them.

“Welcome everyone,” Minji called everyone’s attention back to her, “I’m so happy to see so many familiar faces this year. To all of our new students, I’m Park Minji. I own this school. Please, if you have any problems, come see me.”

“Sori,” Hyuk and Ravi heard one of the boys at Sori’s talbe whisper, “what’s the ISBIP doing here?” 

“No idea,” she replied in the same hushed whisper, “but it must be important if they sent Jihu.”

“I don’t like it,” Jongdae joined in, “I don’t trust the ISBIP.”

“Jongdae,” Sori sighed, “Kris and Suho are part of the ISBIP, remember?”

“Right,” Jongdae blushed lightly in embarrassment before turning to two boys farther down the table, “sorry Kris hyung. Suho hyung.”

“Now,” Minji smiled, “I would like to ask all of our returning students to report to their dorm rooms. I trust everyone remembers where their dorm room is, but be sure to check the list in the front hall to make sure you haven’t been reassigned. Your things will be waiting for you.”

N, Leo, Ken, Ravi, Hongbin, and Hyuk watched as most of the teens left. In fact, once everyone had left there was only twenty eight kids left counting them.

“Now,” Minji told them, “let’s explain why you’re really here.”

A/N: wasn’t planning on having this ready to be posted so soon, but I’m on my study/reading week so I got nothing but time. please leave a comment below if you have the time