[IC] Winter Bliss (SmallWonders & Cupcake)

[Cupcake]

He shrugged his shoulders with a chuckle. "I don't have to attend if I don't want to. I'm considered home school on the days I am not here. My mom just makes me come to have social interactions." he said then tightened the straps on his bags. "That is something I would consider for you to have done. Home schooling will keep you from these anxiety or panic attacks," he said.

[SmallWonders]

"Oh... Well, isn't it kind of expensive to hire your own teacher? My parents wouldn't be very good teachers..." Holly replied, tucking in her chair before walking towards the front of the room carefully. She sighed, still feeling a little guilty for causing such a disruption to the class. She tugged her sleeves down over her hands, wincing lightly as she noticed the throbbing pain in her palms. "I was really scared this time, huh?" She mumbled to herself, looking at the crescent shaped gouges in her palms. Her nails had dug in a lot deeper than she'd thought.

[Cupcake]

Zak shook his head. "No, I don't need a teacher. They just send in a workbook for me to fill out every semester for each class. It even explains the chapter before the questions so it's not all that hard. It's easier to go to class on some chapters, but today I just felt like getting out of the house," he explained. He walked to the door, holding it open for Holly. "There's no shame in having fear. It just means you're human," he said.

[SmallWonders]

Holly smiled weakly. "I'll... I'll ask about it." She replied, wondering if it really was as easy as Zak was making it out to be. "Thanks." She said gratefully as she walked out the door, adjusting the way her bag sat on her back. "It's just been a while since I've made myself bleed. I was kind of surprised." She didn't understand how Zak had heard her. She'd barely been able to hear herself speak. "How did you know about... You know. That." She asked, cringing as the memories tried to force their way back to the forefront of her mind.

[Cupcake]

He shook his head. "Oh, uh..." he started, trying to figure out an explanation of it. "It's just a guess. Where this whole state is nothing but forest," he chuckled nervously. He continued walking walking down the hallway until they came to main doors, holding them open for Holly.

[SmallWonders]

"Oh... Okay. Uhm... If you're going to walk me home, we have to take the long way so I don't do that again." Holly warned him, tugging her sleeves down over her palms again. "You don't have to though... I'm sure I'll be okay." She smiled confidently, looking away soon afterwards. She wasn't used to this whole 'having company' thing. It felt strange, but at the same time, it felt good. She'd have to get used to it.

[Cupcake]

"I was going to suggest that if you would rather stay clear of the forest, we could take the long way," he chuckled. He walked outside and felt the cold winter air. He looked around at the gray clouds. It would start snowing soon. He looked at Holly. "It's going to get real cold soon," he said, wondering out loud.

[SmallWonders]

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Holly asked him, looking up and biting her lip softly. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to stay warm. She hadn't realised how cold it had been that morning and had left her coat at home. "I mean, I'm not being ungrateful or anything but you're going far beyond nice and polite. Why are you doing all this for me?"

[Cupcake]

Zak raised an eyebrow. Why would she ask him that? Did he come off as acting irritated with her? He shook his head. "I can't explain how or why i knew a part of your past, but something in me wants to make it right... You are probably the only human I have associated with in a long time," he said. He took a second then realized he probably sounded stupid. Did he just call her human? He wondered what she would think. Probably around the lines of if he weren't hanging out with humans, what was he hanging out with? He cleared his throat and shrugged off his furry jacket, placing it on her shoulders.

[SmallWonders]

"You sound as if you don't hang around with humans at all. As if humans were beneath you or something. Which, I realise, is stupid. There's just something about the way you said it..." Holly shook her head, her red hair flying out around her face. "Maybe you're psychic or something." She mused, a faint smile on her lips. She took the jacket, wrapping it around herself and immediately felt warm and comfortable. Something about the way it smelled relaxed her and she resisted the urge to bury her nose in the fur. "Thank you." Her smile widened, brightening for him.

[Cupcake]

He chuckled, pulling both straps of the backpack up on his shoulders. "I wish I was psychic," he joked. Being psychic would probably be easier than being a werewolf. His eyes looked up higher at the morning sky. "Would you want to stop by the diner for something?" he asked. "They make pretty good milkshakes," he offered.

[SmallWonders]

"Doesn't everyone?" Holly returned with a shrug. "I haven't really had a chance to see the town so... okay." She had her lunch money with her, since she wouldn't be spending it at school anyway. Pulling the coat tighter around her, she headed towards where the majority of the shops were. "Isn't it kind of... Cold for milkshakes though?"

[Cupcake]

He chuckled. "I don't get cold. I don't think about it. They do have some amazing home-made hot chocolate though," he added. He was more of a milkshake guy, but then again, hot chocolate was pretty good. He was the diner from the sidewalk and pointed at it. "That's Hannah's Diner,". He jogged up to the door and opened it, holding it for Holly.

[SmallWonders]

"You don't? You're pretty weird, Zak." Holly smiled, showing she meant know harm by the words. "I could do with a hold chocolate... I get cold really easily." She admitted, stepping through the door and into the diner. It was warm and instantly, her cheeks flushed a deeper pink from the sudden temperature change. She thanked him again for holding the door open for her, walking towards one of the booths. "You're very much a gentleman, aren't you?" She commented with a giggle. "Always opening doors for me and giving me your jacket and all..."

[Cupcake]

He raised an eyebrow. "Its just something i do I guess," he chuckled. He grabbed a booth and sat next to the window, and watched a waitress acknowledge their presence. He looked at Holly with a smile. Maybe he could get her used to having someone around.

[SmallWonders]

"We'll, it's sweet." Holly replied as she sat down opposite him, her cold fingers picking up a menu. Her hands felt numb and it was a little difficult to move her fingers but she managed it. "So you're having a milkshake then?" She asked, half her mind on the conversation and the other half scanning the hot beverages section of their menu. It didn't take her long to settle upon a hot chocolate with hazelnut flavouring and topped with whipped cream.

[Cupcake]

He nodded. "Yeah, sounds good," he chuckled. He stared out the window, watching the forest line. His heightened senses were easy to switch on or off, but on the eve of a full moon, he cannot control them. He could see parts of his pack running through the dark edge of the forest. They were patrolling, watching for any type of supernatural being to come to this peaceful town. Oddly enough, this town doesn't know they are safe from anything else. He shifted his eyes back at Holly. He could smell the stench of cabin all over her again. He shook his head as cool beads of sweat started rolling down his temples. He took a deep breath, feeling the effects of the full moon start to hit him. This day was going to feel like crap until the full moon came out. He checked his watch just as the waitress came over to their table. It was 9 in the morning. He had another six hours to get to the forest, and patrol the area. He looked up at the waitress, who had asked him if he was ready to order. He used his sleeve to wipe his forehead. "Yeah- uh...." he started, feeling an intense feeling wash over him. All the colors seemed prominent. Especially the waitresses' fake red hair. "I'll take a vanilla milkshake," he said, then cleared a lump in his throat. The waitress gave him a puzzled look, almost like Holly had when she asked him about it being took cold for winter. He looked back at Holly, seeing if she was still going to order the hot chocolate.

[SmallWonders]

Holly ordered her hot chocolate politely but quickly, just to get the waitress away from them. "Are you okay?" She asked him softly as soon as the waitress was away behind the counter. "You don't look too good." She reached out to him for a moment before pulling her fingers back and deciding against it. It was weird. He'd started sweating, even though it was cool enough in there. The cafe was warmer than the outdoors but not by that much. "You look almost sick..." That confused her. He had been perfectly okay before. There had been no indication of anything wrong with him before they'd sat down.

[Cupcake]

He shook his head, snapping back into reality. "Hmm?" he asked, then rummaged through his head to figure out what she was saying. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine," he chuckled. "Like I said, I don't get cold, I'm usually warm," he chuckled nervously. He rubbed his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat. His senses were in overload today, as they were every eve of a full moon. He tried to change the subject. "So, where did you live before coming to this small little town?" he asked.

[SmallWonders]

"If you're sure." Holly mumbled, still doubtful. She shrugged off his jacket, sitting forward and crossing her arms on the table. "We used to live in Oregon before we moved here. We were on the other side of the country..." She smiled lightly, not really minding where they moved. But before that, when I was really young, we were living in Montana. That's why the way I talk is so weird." She had a rather unique accent, acquired from all her moving around, plus her mother's Scottish accent thrown in too.