Chapter 1 New Home

CHAPTER ONE

Anika! Anika! Hurry up so we can get there before dusk". Mr. Michelson, Anika's father, called out

"Alright dad, I'm coming" Anika responded from her room.

"Anika, don't forget to pack just the things you need and not all the things you own." Mrs. Michelson said.

"Okay mum".

After about five minutes of deliberating on what to and what not to take, Anika came out with two boxes, locked the front door, then joined her parents in the car

"Are we set to go?" Mr. Michelson asked when they had all settled down in the car.

"Yes", Anika and her mum chorused

"Okay"

The Michelson family was a family that lived in the rural part of America. But due to the promotion and transfer of Mr. Michelson, they had to move to the urban part. Which meant that Anika would have to resume in a new school and make new friends and this was all that was on Anika mind.

How would my new home be? What sort of people would be our neighbor? What sport of school would I attend?. These and many more were the questions that filled Anika thoughts as the car moved on.

* * *. *. *. *

"Vincent, what's up? Aren't you going to school today?" Drake, Vincent's elder brother asked on sighting Vincent where he lay slouched on the couch.

"Nope", Vincent answered unenthusiastically.

"Nope? What do you mean by nope? Are you going yes or no?"

"I am not going." His gaze didn't leave his phone

"And why is that?"

"Don't just feel like. There is nothing that interests me in school anymore. All I do is attend classes, which, not to brag, I already know and understand what is being taught. And those unnecessary individuals that run around me thinking I have a soft spot for them when I don't. I feel frustrated. So for today, I won't go to school. Now, can you please let me be? I need to think".

"What do you mean? You are not sending me away...are you?" Drake squinted his eyes at him. "Anyways, what about Milly? Does she come to school often? I think she is kind beautiful and smart. Do you guys communicate in school?"

This finally caught Vincent's attention, at he took his eyes off his phone, letting the hand that held it drop to his side.

"That, Drake, is the main cause of my frustration." He slowly sat up. "She goes about claiming that we have a 'thing' when we are nothing. She doesn't even know me."

"Hmmn, that's good. You just have to continue communicating and maybe something good might happen"

"Something like what?"

"Something like becoming her boyfri..."

"Drake! GETOUT!" Vincent barked

"Alright, I'm leaving. But try and think abo..." Drake had his hands up in silent surrender

"I said get out!"

"And I said I am going", Drake replied and slammed the door.

Being the richest and most handsome boy in HORRY HIGH, Vincent was amongst the group of friends of three- consisting of Kim Knight, Bill Anderson and Vincent himself. They had physical and financial features that made them different from the regular teenage boys, so the students took it upon themselves to give the group the name,3Hs.

Vincent was a tall, well-built and good looking guy with jet black hair and green eyeballs. He had an athletic build and moved about with an aura and confidence that can be possessed by two. Almost every girl in school was desperate to just have a chat with him and his friends and every guy desired to be 'in' without even knowing their top secret.

Bill, Kim and Vincent met in the woods when they had just shifted back to human form. Bill was wolf, Kim was a tiger. While Vincent was a lion.

Vincent was surprised to see someone like him. Three of them were stark naked because of their shift. So right there and then, they became friends.

But for now, Vincent decided not to go to school, just to catch his breath. From what? He took couldn't place it.

*. *. *. *. *. *

"Here we are", Mr. Michelson said as he drove into a beautiful estate full of many beautiful houses. Anika's reaction to this view was utter surprise. There was a huge difference between this place and their former home.

"Anika, how do you see it?" Mrs. Michelson asked in a song like voice from where she sat at the passenger seat.

"Mom! This is awesome. I never expected anything like this. But which one exactly is our new home?"

There were so many houses with identical structures and colors.

"There is it.' Her dad said pointing to a building close to an already accommodated house.

"Wow. Double wow, dad."

"Anny do you like it?" her mom asked.

"No mom! I don't like it. I love it mom, I really love it." Anika confirmed.

Her mother's expression mirrored hers.

Can't wait to see my room. Anika thought in all excitement. Before Mr. Michelson could stop the car completely, Anika had already gotten out of the car and skipped towards the building.

"Wow. Mum. Dad. Hurry up, I can't wait to see the inside."

"Anika, calm down", her mom teased, between chuckles as she stepped out of the car.

Her dad got out, then went to the building to open its front door. Immediately the front door was opened, Anika ran inside with a squeal.

"Mom, are you really sure this is our house?" Anika asked, squinting her eyes as if to see if she was being lied to. They all stood in the well-furnished space that was the sitting room. It had three black leather couches arranged in a 'C' shape surrounding the white wooden table and facing the flat screen television.

All these were present in the Michelson's former residence, but this had a welcoming decor that had the warmth of home.

"Yes, your dad bought is because of his transfer"

"Dad you're amazing. I feel like....like a princess." she said going towards her dad to give him a hug.

"Of course, you are my princess and your mom is my queen and I can do anything for the both of you" her dad responded, wrapping his hands around her.

"Alright mom, come show me to my room." she said walking forward to hold her mother's hand.

They both walked upstairs where her mother showed her to a room. And to her surprise, her room was not what it used to be. It looked like the rooms of those girl she do see on TV. But in order to control her excitement, she wanted her mom to give her privacy, that is, to leave.

"Mom, please can you leave me alone? I want to be alone to do my arrangement" she pleaded.

"Alright, I'm leaving," her mother said and slammed the door shut from outside the room.

With the door closed and her mom away, she screamed, turned 360° and landed on her bed. It was a queen sized bed that because of its closeness to the window allowed the dull ray of the setting sun coming.

The thought of opening those curtains well enough to let in the ray of the sun at dawn brought a smile to Anika's face. Walking towards her wardrobe she gasped at the sight of many beautiful clothes she never had before in it.

Her parents had stacked her wardrobe!

The room at large was painted midnight blue with black coral dots allover. And Anika was a crazy lover of anything blue.

Her smile broadened as she realized that her room being painted her favorite color, would definitely be her mother's doing

She strolled across the room to the window. She clicked it open then realized that there was another window just two feet directly opposite hers.

Hmmn. I wonder who occupies that room. Well, it's none of my business. She thought to herself.

Time to unpack.