**Trigger Warning** This chapter contains violence and some gore** Please read with caution**
After a second Kayla looks up from the game before glancing back at me. She seems disappointed that Leo sees me as he stops leaning against the wall. "Oh no," I sigh as Kayla hesitantly follows Leo over to us.
"Who are they?" Caleb looks up at us.
"Just some people we know from school," Lizzy tells him as she lightly moves him closer to her. She keeps her arms resting over his shoulders.
"Where've you been?" Leo asks. Kayla rolls her eyes.
"Home," I state.
"What happened to you?" Kayla sounds more curious than her usual condescending tone.
"Fell off my motorcycle," I glance at my arm.
"So, you aren't as good on that thing as people say?" Leo smirks.
"I don't pay attention to what they say about my riding skills."
"Well, now that you're hurt. I can only assume you're going to be more careful around me."
"Why would I do that?" I glance at Caleb who is looking from me to Leo and back over and over again. He looks confused and a little scared.
"Well, let's make a list," Leo starts and I roll my eyes. "I could easily put you on the ground right now," I stop him.
"And what would that prove?" I question. "That you can beat up a guy that's already hurt?" I ignore the slight pain in my chest as I situate myself better. A little further from Caleb and Lizzy just in case.
"You better watch your mouth!" A small crowd gathers as he shoves my bandaged chest. I ignore the sharp pain and hold a hard stare at Leo, who looks pissed. It's easy to notice a twinge of pain in his eyes before anger takes over, though.
"Or what? You're gonna beat me up in front of everyone? Prove that you're just a coward that waits until someone's already down to fight?"
"Don't test me." He growls out as he shoves me against the wall, grabbing my tank top at the shoulders.
"Stop threatening me and act on it," I whisper.
"Leo, come on. Let's just hang out somewhere else," Kayla tries.
"Shut up!" Leo snaps back at her. "You think I won't beat your ass right here?!" Caleb watches with fear as he clings to Lizzy.
"Before you do," I feel my head start to hurt. "I want you to know that I heal fast."
I don't know why that came to mind, but I said it.
"What!?" He jams the bottoms of his palms into my shoulders, and I try to seem as unfazed as I can while the pain fires through me.
"I heal fast," I shrug.
He seems to have had enough and raises his fist. As he swings, I move my head enough that he punches the wall behind my head. Unfortunately, he manages to elbow my nose with his other arm and I feel a small amount of pain. Perks of being a dragon. Although this time he hit a little harder than usual.
"Nice one," I say in more of a grunt as my head throbs.
"Leo, knock it off!" Kayla yells.
He raises his hand to hit me but someone grabs his arm to hold it back from swinging. He barely glances over his shoulder where Olivia gives him a death glare as his other hand moves to my collar bone, tightly holding me to the wall, and his face shows a hint of a wince. Like he's hurt.
"Back off before I put you on your ass," Olivia warns. Caleb hides his face in Lizzy's waist as she stands with him.
"Can't fight your own battles huh?" Leo looks at me before letting me go and I cough as he backs off my way of breathing. Kayla follows him as the crowd disperses and I notice a slight limp in the way Leo's walking. A small hint of off-white peeks through his ripped jeans.
"Jesus, are you alright?" Olivia and Bree rush the rest of the way over as I try to calm the pain in my head and chest.
"Yeah, I think he reopened the cut," I hold the area on my chest that hurts the most and breathe as best I can.
"Come on," Olivia helps me to the truck as Bree, Lizzy, and Caleb follow.
"Go to that RV in the store parking lot," Lizzy says. "We have some stuff that you could use."
"Okay," Bree drives us there and we go inside. I sit on a small chair with my head in my hands as we crowd the small space.
"Hold on," Lizzy looks around the area and Caleb sits silently next to me.
"Take the tank top off," Olivia orders. I do as she says and the once white bandage is a dark red.
"Can someone stay outside with Caleb?" Lizzy asks as she sets a first-aid kit and some painkillers on the small table.
"I will," Bree takes Caleb outside and I take the painkillers before Olivia starts to take the bandages around my chest off.
As she peels the end off, blood trickles down my body from the slash marks. Lizzy's jaw hits the floor.
"You said you fell off your bike."
"Can we discuss this after he's not dripping blood?" Olivia asks as she starts to clean the area to the best of her ability. Lizzy nods and Olivia tries to fix me up. As Olivia is going to clean the wound I can't help but tense up as I look down.
The cut looks like it's fixing itself. Lizzy and Olivia gasp as I groan. Even though it's fixing itself, it fucking hurts! "What the hell?" Lizzy looks confused as the cuts turn into scars.
"Well, that's new," Olivia states.
"What just happened?" Lizzy raises her voice.
"Adrenaline?" I try.
"Good lie, bone head," Olivia comments.
"I don't know, it's never done that before. Then again I was never attacked by a wolf before," I shrug. There's no pain in my chest this time and my breathing is normal again. I start taking the bandage on my left arm off.
"What are you doing?" Lizzy questions.
"Seeing if that happened to my arm too," I continue to unwrap the bandage and as I examine my arm I see the same thing happening. The gash marks of the wolf's claws turn to scars wrapping my arm. I can't see my back but I'm confident that it's done the same thing.
"Holy shit," Olivia watches my new scars form.
"What's going on?" Lizzy questions as Olivia unwraps the bandage on my head. I can't help but let out a pained yell that sort of sounds similar to the roar of my dragon self, although I'm not in that form.
"This one's doing the same thing," Olivia says.
"Yeah, but it hurts a lot more," I breathe. That is the worst headache I have ever had. Holy shit.
"Can someone answer me?" Lizzy asks.
"I can't explain it," I stand. "You wouldn't believe me. I can tell you that I heal fast as fuck but that's the fastest it's ever happened."
"So, are you superhuman or something?"
"No... Come on," I take her hand in mine and pull her outside with me.
"What happened?" Caleb asks.
"Do you guys have anywhere to be today?" I ask.
"No, why?" Lizzy asks in return.
"We're going to my house."
"What?" Olivia and Bree ask in unison.
"I'm going to show you how I don't get hurt easily and how I heal faster than the average person," I state.
"Alright," Bree and Olivia get in and Lizzy and Caleb hesitantly follow.
The ride is silent until Caleb asks, "How far away do you live?"
"A while out of town," I answer.
"Are you all healed?" he slightly gestures to my arm.
"I think so," I hesitantly nod as we pass the trees covered in changing leaves.
"Does that mean you'll take me for a ride on your motorcycle?"
"Maybe, we might have to wait another day or two. Just to be sure I won't get hurt again," I mess up his hair a little and he smiles.
The car goes silent again.
Am I really going to tell Lizzy the truth? Will she freak out? I might have to tell Caleb too. He's not stupid, he'll figure out sooner or later that wounds don't heal that quickly.
I guess I have no choice but to tell Lizzy. We both saw what happened. How did that even happen? I've healed quickly before but I've never had that happen. I'm harder to bruise and when I get scraped up it heals faster than if a regular person would but I've never had big cuts like that just close themselves into a scar. Maybe it was the adrenaline of what Leo started?
And what was that bandage for? What'd he do to get that and why did Kayla try to stop him? She never has before. She would always just watch or help him fight.
My thoughts are interrupted by Caleb suggesting that we play a game. We spend the rest of the ride going around the truck playing I, Spy. As Bree parks next to my bike, Caleb notices that it looks the same as the last time he's seen it.
"Did you fix it?" He looks at me.
"Yeah. Can't drive it if it's busted," I nod as Dad comes out onto the porch looking worried.
"Where have you three been? You're supposed to be resting," He directs the last part to me. "Where are your bandages?"
"We went to the arcade and I don't need them." I hold out my arm and his jaw hits the floor.
"Wh- how?" He comes closer and examines my arm, then my head.
"I don't know. It just happened," I shrug. "Lizzy and Caleb can come in right?"
"Oh, of course," Dad leads everyone in and we gather in the living room.
"I'll be right back," I go to my room and look through my dresser as Dad and Olivia follow.
"Are you seriously thinking about telling them?" Olivia whisper-shouts.
"What? Telling who about what?" Dad follows suit in whispering.
"I can't not tell Lizzy she saw the same thing we did. You were there. You watched my cuts basically disappear in seconds flat," I argue as I grab a pair of basketball shorts.
"Wait, what happened?" Dad's confused.
"At the arcade, Leo pulled his crap. We went to Lizzy's and when we took the bandages off, all the cuts just fixed themselves. We all saw it. It wasn't like the usual speed of healing it was right after Leo opened them up again at the arcade," I explain. "There's no way anyone would believe that it didn't happen."
"So you're telling her about-" he looks at my door. "The dragon?"
"Yes."
"No."
Olivia and I say our answers at once.
"How do you know she won't tell? You've only known her two weeks," Olivia gives me the big sister glare.
"I don't know. I know that she isn't stupid, though. If I go out there and tell her it was just how my body works she would not believe that," I continue to argue. "Plus, I'm not about to gaslight her into thinking she's crazy."
"And you think she's gonna believe you're a damn dragon?"
"I can show her," I hold up the shorts.
"Alright, it's up to Travis," Dad steps in. "It's his secret and if he trusts this girl he can tell her. And by the sounds of it, there's really no choice."
"Fine. But I'm not okay with it."
"Good. 'Cause, you have to make sure she doesn't run from me when I show her," I smile. Olivia lets out a frustrated sigh and we go out to the living room where Bree, Lizzy, and Caleb are playing around.
"Lizzy, we have to show you something," I say more awkwardly than I intend.
"Okay," she stands and follows Olivia and I as Dad stays with Bree and Caleb. I can tell she doesn't want to leave Caleb.
"He'll be fine with them," I assure her as we go towards the back of the house.
"Where are we going?" she looks around as we go deeper into the woods.
"Not too far," Olivia says.
After a few minutes, we stop and I start to explain. "I don't know why I healed that fast. It's never happened before. Even though I do heal fast. I know the reason for that one," I ramble as I pace nervously.
What if she hates me after this?
"Dude, I don't want you to say it but get to the point already," Olivia tells me.
"Alright," I stop in my tracks. "Lizzy, I'm not human. Not fully, at least. I can change into a dragon. And I know that's hard to believe but you have to trust me. I'll show you in a second but first," I take a breath. "You have to promise that you won't freak out or tell anyone about this."
"Wait, you're telling me that you healed like a superhero because you're a dragon?" She gives me a confused look.
"I think so," I nod.