The WolfSheep: Prologue

“Welcome to Key Academy!” That evening Professor Englebert fished out a piece of paper from a box of other slips and wrote the following words on the black marker board.

Quote of the day:

“Most people do not have a problem with you thinking for yourself, as long as your conclusions are the same as or at least compatible with their beliefs.”

Mokokoma Mokhonoana

In the back of the class, the new student, Heather Zuckerberg took a selfie with her new friends.

For the caption she wrote,

[Bored in Journalism class.]

Her friends giggled from the flood of comments that surged in.

“What do you think of this quote Ms. Zuckerberg?” The professor asked. He was a tall, skinny man with a small brown beard and round glasses that reflected the light from the ceiling making his face unreadable. The sight itself nearly stopped Heather’s heart in her chest. It didn’t help that the class had gone silent, some students had even turned to stare at her.

Heather looked to the board, nodded and quickly said.

“I-It’s… true.”

Mr. Englebert didn’t move, creeping her out a little.

“Do your friends also think so?”

“Yeah.”

“Totally.”

Heather’s new friends Amberly and Kiara eagerly nodded in agreement.

Mr. Englebert held the marker from both ends, as if weighing it with his fingers. He quietly asked. “Would anyone like to read this for me?”

An African American boy with dreadlocks stylishly swept to the side under his burgundy french beret raised his hand and when given the nod, went for it.

“Thank you, Nadie.” Professor Englebert began to walk.

“It is true, Ms. Zuckerberg, that this quote is very true. In fact I’d say it fits the situation right now. Everyone knows that you should not have your phone out in class when it is in session.” He held up a finger. “I do not mind if it is not in session, for example, I haven’t arrived yet or I’ve given you permission to do so for an activity.”

Heather pursed her lips, and tucked a stray strand of red hair behind her ear, from her heart shaped face long blood red strands sprouted from her head and coursed down her shoulders curling at the ends, lavender eyeshadow curtained the lids of her ocean eyes that threatened to suck in every boy and man alike into its waters, rendering them physically speechless. His lips should be opening and closing like a fish out of water, not flapping like this.

As she felt the burning gazes of her classmates she resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she tried to think of something to say.

The Professor’s expression did not change. “You don’t like that do you?”

She raised her eyebrows at him. The professor placed a hand on the board, a golden ring adorned his ring finger.

She rolled her eyes then.

“Paying attention in class is my belief. And it’s not just my belief, the moment you walk into a classroom you are expected to behave according to this belief as it’s universal. That said, this quote itself touches on other things. Any other interpretations?” The Professor scanned the classroom when another student rose their head.

She was a redhead, like Heather, only her hair was golden orange, curled into big ringlets which screamed painstaking effort on her part. In other words, a try hard. Because of this, Heather was already frowning long before the girl had been given the nod to speak.

“Go ahead, Grienice.”

“The first thing that came to mind was when people socialize of course. Whether it be talking about politics or other social issues, I think this would describe when people clash perfectly. When two individuals have a difference in opinion, the other party will accuse the other of not being able to think for themselves if they heard the same thing from the lips of multiple other people in the past...”

The professor clapped and pointed at her as soon as she finished.

“That’s right. Depending on the reason. People who say this only want to find people who think like themselves, a perfect example is religion or politics. I’ve seen good friends who had many things in common, turn into enemies not over something the other did but over who and what they believed in. That’s why I always say this-

The whole class chimed in.

“There’s no such thing as perfect communication.”

The Professor finally recovered the smile he started class with and continued on with the lecture.

Heather narrowed her eyes and sat back in her seat, she tuned out the professor, and fake listened with a smile on her face until the end of class.

“Who’s the goody two shoes?” she asked her new friends.

Her friends, Amberly and Kiara gave her blank stairs before tracing her gaze to the red head with the bouncy ringlet curls leaving the room.

“Ah, you mean, who’s the Princess?” Kiara corrected.

“Princess? What are we in fifth grade?”

“She’s the president of the journalism club, she also hosts a couple of shows for the school network and our school channel on Youtube.”

Heather listened on with an expression that creased by the second..

“Big deal… she hosts a show for the news, who even watches it?”

Amberly and Kiara exchanged knowing smiles.

“She doesn’t get it.” They spoke in unison.

This frustrated Heather further.

“What don’t I get?”

Amberly sighed and began. “Well, everyone watches it. You… were assigned an e-mail address the moment you enrolled right? And you were told about the Golden Mirror News Network app as well as our student run news app. Surely you’ve seen some news after setting up your student profile…”

“I haven’t.”

“Okay, well, I’m telling you now, if you don’t… you’re going to be left out of the loop a lot here. The students here are given a lot of freedom with whatever they write… it’s sort of like a gossip girl universe…” Kiara explained with sparkly eyes.

“Seriously… how old are you guys?”

“She gave a bad example but seriously that’s not the real reason she’s called “the” princess, the real reason…” Amberly looked around before pressing closer to Heather’s side. “Is her brother.”

“Her brother? What is he like... a teacher?”

Kiara quickly jumped at the chance to explain as they continued to walk down the hall, “She has an older twin brother who’s friends with the president of the Adventurer’s club, not only does he throw the most amazing parties, he’s also a cellist, and a model! AND…”

As she walked down the hall, a door opened suddenly, hitting Heather and she nearly fell, had a hand not quickly reached out to help her.

“Whoa! My bad, my bad- you okay?” A boy with golden orange hair and emerald blue-green eyes with little flecks of gold stared back at her startled.

Amberly and Kiara froze on the spot.

“Speak of the devil…”

He pulled Heather up until she could properly stand. His friends leaving the classroom called out to him.

“Yo, Greenwich,[Gren-ich] leggo!”

He apologized once more and turned to leave but Heather was tightly holding onto his hand. She ended up pulling him back like a dog on a leash.

Her siren-like eyes gazed deeply into his, there were few if almost none who didn’t fall in, the first today being her professor, Englebert. It didn’t count.

A moment of silence passed and he blinked at her a flicker of confusion and discomfort registering. “Um, could you let go?”

She reached a hand up to his face. His eyes were so green… she had never seen green eyes that hue before. She had seen her fair share of hot guys and had built up an immunity to it. That’s what she had thought. But this guy was beautiful…

The boy tried again. “Hello…?” He tried to pull his hand out of her hold but she only squeezed harder.

Her friends nudged her and whisper hissed.

“Heather?”

“Girl, let go!”

Finally one of his friends, a blonde with shaggy blonde hair tied up into a messy man bun slipped in between the two of them and with two clasped hands cut in between their hands while saying.

“Come now, it’s time to part like the red sea before moses.” His words would make sense much later, once she learned the boy’s name was Moses.

He pried their hands away from each other and ushered Greenwich by the shoulder down the hall.

As the two walked away, Heather stood still.

Amberly shook her head while Kiara continued loud enough for Heather to hear. “Anyway… he’s super overprotective of his younger twin, E-specially when it comes to guys. Because of him, she’s never dated. Like anyone. That’s why she’s called the Princess.”

Heather finally began to walk again. Although their encounter was brief, he wasn’t charmed by her. He seemed cute and innocent like a lost little lamb. He hadn’t hit puberty yet, there was still time to teach him.

Heather mumbled,“It’s probably because he’s single that he has so much free time to worry about her.”

This remark made Kiara and Amberly burst out in laughter.

Heather knitted her brows, and pouted.“What?”

Amberly, who sank to the floor, slowly stood. “Girl... he’s like the biggest player in this school!”

The news hit her like an egg to the face.

Another abnormality. Guys would always eye her with a mix of lust, awe, and admiration but he… she didn’t sense anything off with him. He didn’t even seem to take any interest in her. This wounded her pride but also helped her make up her mind as to how she would spend the rest of her days.

One way or another he'll be mine.