Lavender was different after her Flowers arrived.
She was always tired and cried easily from the pain it caused her. I would sit on her bed when she needed me too and just rub her back while she sniffled from under her covers and curled around her stuffed teddy bear.
The dead flowers from her friends were replaced with fresh ones I picked for her. River even added in his own when he came over with a care package in the shoe-box he held when he climbed over the verandah and knocked lightly on her door.
Of course, Mum already supplied the things he had gifted, but it was the thought of it all and the knowing that he wasn't there to embarrass her further about such a public catastrophe that made her smile through the pain.
More flowers came when Mum and Dad celebrated Lavender's Flowering with a large chocolate cake decorated with a red flower in the middle. The mixture of pale carnations and budding daisies became the elaborate backdrop for the cake in the middle of the table.
Apparently, a Flowering cake was a common thing to find in a supermarket bakery. As embarrassing as it was for Lavender, the temptation of free food couldn't keep Darcy or River away who happily celebrated with us.
In an odd way, it all bought us closer.
River and I were affected differently than Darcy was around Lavender. The new scent that the other humans couldn't notice was the first thing that stirred the feelings inside me. Her body had an earthy cinnamon scent to it that strengthened through her Flowering. When Lavender had just come from a hot bath with her favourite orange and rosemary bath salts; it was very alluring indeed.
The new feelings were mainly ones of overwhelming protectiveness. I wanted to make sure that Lavender wasn't going to be preyed on in a time of vulnerability. I wanted to keep her wrapped in her blankets forever just to keep her safe and close to me.
The other was arousal. It flexed and jolted within me in ways i couldn't control. Innocent thoughts could trigger the rush that made itself known in the most obvious way possible. It was hard to hide when it seemed to appear on its own at the worst times and cloud my mind.
River was curious about Lavender's new scent like i was. But unlike me, he projected his feelings onto Darcy instead of her. I didn't like him anywhere near Lavender who was already confused enough. He looked like he could shred her soft skin with his claws if he lost control for just a moment, and that only made me more possessive.
Even through my snapping words or his bared teeth, we struggled through it together.
The torture for everyone was over in three days.
Lavender was still tender as she recovered, and i was still coming back to my senses as her scent faded back to her familiar one of the sweet daisy perfume she preferred to spray herself with.
Her energy returned, and her smiles were not lined with pain. She was back to the playful girl i knew that was jumping and running around like nothing had happened.
But i only got to see her for that weekend before the start of high school arrived.
Mum and Dad would go with Lavender for her enrolment while I would go alone.
A demon was expected to be dependant, even on their initiation to somewhere foreign and frightening.
Sitting in the front foyer to wait to be called to the principles office was nerve-wrecking. I crumpled my forms in my hands that wanted to be distracted from the curious eyes poking around the side of the wall further down to watch me.
Another two were fresh too, but were already being processed into the masses just a few metres from me.I could hear the hundreds of conversations tangled together and the different footsteps thudding through the crowded halls.
The principle opened their door to beckon me towards it. All the eyes retreated when i stood, only to return to watch me leave.
"Teddy Griffin; nice to finally meet you" the soft voice stated.
I sat down in the seat in front of the large wooden desk the principle took their place behind. They dressed casually in a knitted grey jumper and black pants that they smoothed over as they straightened in the chair.
"You can put the sheet up here, sweetheart."
I pushed the papers towards the principle who smiled at how crumpled they were.
Her soft grey eyes peered up at me from behind gold-rimmed glasses when her hands smoothed them out. Her skin was pure white with dashes of pink and purple that swiped down her nose and under her eyes. Her white horns twisted downwards with the same colours stained along the grooves. The hair around them was light brown and curled as well.
"My name is Mrs Burrows. I'm your principle here and I'll be the one who decides if you get into the school today."
I gulped.
"You've got nothing to worry about" she leant forward and winked at me cheekily, turning to the laptop beside her "your primary school teacher, Mrs Francy, gave you outstanding remarks on your character."
I felt myself smiling at the fond memories with her and my old classmates.
"Have you Bonded with your human yet, Teddy?"
I shook my head.
"And have you developed your spots yet?"
I frowned and shook again.
"Some are late bloomers" she smiled as she typed away "I see you have a very loving household, which is fantastic. Will you smile for me?"
I did and she took note of my teeth.
"This is a little..."
"Odd?" Mrs Burrows finished with a nod "It's much different to what humans would experience. We must account for everything here, Teddy Griffin."
She kept typing, only pausing to stamp and file my form into her desk.
"We will cover multiple things in the classes here to help yourself and your human thrive in life. We start from ten am and go through until two pm, so that you have time to see your human before and after school times. It's not a long period, but it gives you an hour before and after their school times for you to practise what you have learnt here."
It all sounded too good to be true. I was buzzing to get started.
"We accommodate from years seven up to twelve here, so its going to be a lot to take in at once. I will have someone show you the grounds once we are done here and get you prepared. All of our classes are practical with little theory, so you will not be needing a school bag like a human school. Does it all make sense?"
I nodded enthusiastically and Mrs Burrows grinned as she stood to shake my hand once more, passing me a sheet listed with rooms.
"Welcome to your first day of high school, Teddy Griffon."
Nothing could have prepared me for how vast the school was. Even as i was being led through by a keen year twelver, i felt absolutely lost in the concrete jungle.
How on earth was i going to remember all of this? Each block of rooms had their own letter and each letter had a number; it was going to years of me mindlessly wondering before i found the right spot.
"Your timetable tells you which class you have" they pointed to the top of it "and at what time. Then the letter is what block you are in and which room. It get's easier when you use it more."
It all looked like a jumbled mess. It made me want to cry when i realised i couldn't read a single portion of it.
"Looks like your first class is Sex Ed" they smirked and clapped my back "I'll take you there."
We were running across the grounds before i knew it. A small demountable building sat before a large oval that had older demons running laps around it. I almost tripped up the stair to the demountable while lost in what i was witnessing.
The year twelver knocked and waited for the female teacher to answer. Her ears perked up when she saw me standing there behind him.
"I was showing the kid around" the year twelver said with a jerk of their thumb "not wagging this time, Miss."
"Good to know, Maurice. Now get back to class, ok?" she smiled back and sent him on his way while i was ushered inside.
Everyone's eyes were tracking me when i was placed at the front of the small room. The teacher rested her hand on my shoulder briefly while i stood there awkwardly.
I had no idea where i was meant to look or what i was meant to say.
"Everyone, this is our new student, Teddy. Let's give him a warm welcome."
"Hello, Teddy" everyone chimed as they touched their fingertips.
I felt my ears shoot up at the familiar sign and mimicked it back.
"Teddy, you can sit next to Butterfly" the teacher pointed to a young boy in the middle of the room.
I felt a grin creep upwards when i took my empty seat and glanced at the boy whose black eyes looked away. His orange hair fell over his face to hide it perfectly.His skin matched mine but was accompanied by orange claws that looked like they were glowing and orange horns that curved upwards like a bull's.
I could see why someone had given him such an odd name.
"My name is Miss Brandarionousis" the teacher wrote on the green chalkboard behind her that squealed when the chalk scraped along it "but you can all call me Miss Brand. I'll be teaching you all about your bodies and what to expect from them."
There were giggles and some whispered comments.
"Like dicks and stuff, Miss?" someone called out to more laughter.
"Like dicks and stuff, Mr Sonny" Miss Brand replied "but what is the proper name for it?"
"Penis!" another called to eruptions of laughter and more trying to out call the other. Even Butterfly was joining in to shout at the flustered teacher.
Mrs Brand clapped her hands to restore order amongst everyone. The laughter subsided to withheld giggles.
"In a human, the penis is used for reproduction" Mrs Brand started as she drew a diagram "but in a demon, it is not. Young males can still have sex for pleasure, but they are all infertile. We have no need to make new lives when they are formed from the billions of spirits in the sky."
"So females can't have children either?" a girl questioned when she shot her hand up.
"No demon can have children. Females won't even have a Flowering like a human female because our bodies do not need to prepare to carry a baby."
I could tell there was disappointment in the room. Others weren't fazed by the life-changing news and snorted at it.
"Young males produce testosterone still; like a human male" Miss Brand continued as she circled the diagram "and will still be attracted to females, or other males. Demon males will fight violently amongst each other as they mature and try to keep their own humans, or even other demons, for themselves sexually. You'll see this behaviour in the older men here who like to fight each other."
There was more amused laughter at this.
"Usually, a strong male is more likely to win the attention of a female because of the appeal of their dominant genes weeding out the weak ones. In demons, the physical appearance also comes into factor here. A mutated male is more likely to appeal to a female because of their ability to protect them and succeed when others challenge him."
Instantly i thought of River and his frightening form beside mine.
Did Lavender find that attractive?
"But it seems like males prefer a softer, Unmutated female when looking for a mate" Miss Brand continued, drawing up a small demon "males do not like something that could possibly challenge their position."
"So, they want someone weak?" a girl scoffed.
"Not all demons have the same preference" Miss Brand reminded "you cannot win over a mate with lies and tricks."
"But i thought only humans could be our mates?" Butterfly spoke up.
"Human's give us life when we Bond with them. A lot of you may take this to a sexual level since you have such a connection already with your human, but you can feel the same way about another demon. You may not be able to exchange souls, but you can still feel love for them."
Mrs Brand beamed as discussion was whispered between friends. She peered up at the clock then brought attention back to her before a bell rang from outside.
"Tonight's homework will be to research what is the cause of spotting in demons" Mrs Brand announced as we all copied the same gesture "in males and females. PE will be your next class with Mr Link."
Demons poured out of the cramped classroom and back into the open air. Everyone filed around the demountable and towards the field that the older demons were vacating. Some gathered by the fence to watch us instead of heading to their classes. I saw one demon was so mutated he looked like something else entirely with his hanging limbs and gaping mouth of teeth.
Chattering filled the air as friends discussed more pleasant subjects or teased about the one they had just learnt. I felt so out of place as i looked for someone to talk to and only found myself being passed like i didn't exist.
We all lined up before the teacher who waited impatiently. He had on a bright orange vest that covered most of his blue shirt. His black shorts blended into his skin to make him look almost nude which others immediately noticed and pointed out under their breaths. His flaming red eyes pierced through everyone as his crooked tail whipped back and forth on the grass. The teacher's black horns were broken; one of them tossed against the fence while the stump bled steadily.
"Quit your chattering and eyes forward" the teacher snapped "I'm Mr Link for our newbie today" he jabbed a finger at me "and you are all going to be showing me your strength."
Excitement buzzed through everyone as Mr Link stepped into the rope squares he fixed up. I saw blood splattered across a few of them and turned to see the wounds from the older demons who were watching.
"I'm going to have randomised teams of two fighting to push each other out of their squares. For now, we will have no violence. As you get older, you will advance to more severe fighting. Let me demonstrate..."
Mr Link snapped his fingers and pointed to the mutated demon. He muttered something to his friends who smirked and cheered him onto the field when he jumped the fence.
"This is one of my year twelve students, Zenon. His human cops some serious abuse at home, which is why he looks like a glorified fucking angler fish."
"Go, Angler!" the demons cheered from the fence.
"It's sort of become his nickname around here" Mr Link added with a firm grasp of Angler's shoulder.
Angler's mouth curled up at the edges as he smiled at us. His teeth were so thin and copious that they looked like they couldn't fit into his head. His mouth remained gaping to really add to his fearsome stance; the skin around it gouged with a scar that ran through the right side and down to his neck.
Angler's eyes were soulless black and looked like beads against his blood-red skin and spiked black Mohawk. His arms easily reached his knees and were pulled back into massive claws that were as long as his teeth. His legs were lanky as well and had feet so prominent that he couldn't fit into any shoes. His white shirt and black shorts everyone here wore as their uniform looked odd on someone like him.
"Angler will show you what you are aiming to get to the level of" Mr Link announced "no rules."
Angler smiled at this and stepped into the rope square.
"Ready..."
Both men lowered themselves and bared their teeth.
"Set..."
Claws curled and pointed forwards as ears flattened.
"Go!"
Angler ran and launched himself at Mr Link immediately. The air thundered when the bodies rammed into each other and grappled for a hold.
Mr Link snatched for Angler's teeth while Angler went for Mr Link's broken horns before snapping his teeth around his arm. Mr Link tore it from his grasp, shredding the flesh on the way, and darted around to Angler's side.
Mr Link flung his arm forward to splatter Angler with blood and blind him. As he staggered, Mr Link snapped his hand around Angler's throat to dig his claws in.
The older demons cheered and screamed for Angler. The support fuelled him to break free from the grip and slam himself back into Mr Link to topple him over onto the ground. Angler screamed at him and i saw flashes of light run down his sides as he did before he dragged Mr Link out of bounds by the throat.
"ANGLER!" the demons screamed in support as he took the win and helped the teacher back to his feet.
"Go Angler!" our class cried out as well with whistles of approval.
Angler waved and made his way back to his friends. I saw his tail flick up when one of the proud female's planted a kiss on the side of his face and wrapped her hand around his waist as they walked off. His wrapped around her side as well; although a lot more carefully with his claws easily dominating her frame.
So that's what Miss Brand had been talking about...
I needed to be someone like Angler to make sure Lavender stayed protected.
My heart quickened at the thought of her swooning over me like that female had done for her victor.
"Let's see if any of you have just a fraction of that talent" Mr Link said as he spat a wad of blood on the grass and set about splitting us into teams.
I nursed a split lip the rest of the day after being teamed up with Butterfly.
After we both grabbed each other's horns, I went to yank at his shirt to throw him from me. He had been edging the rope when i latched onto his wrists instead to tear his hands from me.
This caused him to turn feral immediately and call forth the strength i didn't know he had left in him.
He shoved me back and i staggered. He then landed his fist into my mouth to bring me to the ground where i cried out in shock and the seering pain that dribbled over my face.
Butterfly didn't stick around after seeing me crying for help. He quickly ran off to where it was safe while i was sent to the nurse who could only offer me an ice-pack wrapped in paper and some painkillers since the call for home was looming.
Mum and Dad were obviously shocked when they arrived in the car to pick me up. Lavender stared from her side when i climbed in and tried to hide from the bombardment of questions that made me sob at how useless i had been.
A demon wasn't supposed to be a crybaby. I was supposed to be tough and fearless, just like Angler.
Mum didn't get the answers she demanded and my dignity was all but shattered when she stormed in to argue with the calm principle overseeing the rest of the children being collected.
I couldn't hide from the watching eyes and gossiping mouths as we sat there by the school to wait for Mum to return. It was the ultimate form of humiliation that made me sink down into my seat and yank my ears over my eyes to avoid it all.
Lavender picked up the ice-pack i abandoned in my lap to press to my mouth for me. She even unclipped her seat-belt to move to the middle one so she could snuggle against me while she did. The mustard yellow fabric of her school dress brushed against my leg while her tiny breasts pushed to my arm.
It made my body tense up at having her plant herself on me like this. I could smell her daisy perfume mixed with her sweat that only added to the mixture of tones.
"I think you look kinda cute" she whispered up at me "and you'll have a cool lip scar."
"Y-you think so?" I sniffled, getting a wad of paper stuck to my tongue that made her giggle.
"I know so" she pushed her head against me to force me into wrapping my arm around her.
Mum finally returned in a huff and complained about the lack of responsibility the school had. I wasn't listening though when the car pulled from the school and Dad chimed in on his opinion.
I felt like i was on top of the world right now. None of the other noise could distract me from this amazing feeling.
"Hey, Teddy?" Lavender whispered, with her bright blue eyes peering at my face.
"Yeah?" I gulped back.
"I learnt more about demons today" she said with a knowing smile.
Her fingers wandered over to my tail sitting between us to run gently down it. The shivers jolted through me to make my mouth suddenly go dry and my mind turn to mush.
She knew exactly what she was doing to me and i hated the reaction my body was giving her. It was going to be a lot harder to hide if she kept pushing me.
"I want you to take my soul, Teddy."
The ice-pack dropped from my mouth and rolled off my legs to fall onto the floor.
I left it there, worried that if i broke eye contact with Lavender that it would make her think that i was brushing off something so monumental to us both.
"Tonight?" I breathed.
"Tonight" she nodded and snuggled up to me once more.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
