On my way home from school, my mind was preoccupied with the day's events, trying to make sense of everything.
I felt like I had finally understood what and who I was dealing with.
Interrupting my thoughts, my father, Jonathan Blackwood, who was behind the wheel, suddenly posed a question.
"Ed, son, who's the new student you're tutoring?" he inquired.
"Hmm? Oh, she's a transfer student. Her name's Valentina," I replied, shifting my attention from my inner musings to my father's query.
Upon learning that I was tutoring a girl, my father wore a playful smile and hummed, "Is that so?"
From the backseat emerged my younger sister, Emily.
"WHAT!? No way!" Emily nearly spat out her drink in disbelief.
"Why? What's wrong?" I asked, amusement evident in my tone. "What's so surprising?"
Emily, her face contorted with disbelief, pointed accusingly at my hair. "No way, you're landing any girl with THAT haircut."
She continued her tirade, "The day you got that haircut, you were no longer my brother!"
"What?" I feigned shock, inwardly agreeing with her assessment of my haircut—if only it weren't me who got 'that' haircut.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?" I defended, taking a sip of water and struggling not to choke on Emily's next words.
"You looked like you were in charge of emptying chamber pots in medieval times."
— Prrrft
"Cough, cough"
My dad burst into laughter and handed me tissues to clean up the mess.
Glancing back at my sister, who was trying hard to stifle her laughter, "Sorry, Ed, but Mom really did you dirty with that bowl haircut."
— Pfft
"Ahem," Emily fake-coughed, attempting to regain her composure, "Anyway, like I said, with that haircut..."
— Pfft
Yet another failed attempt at suppressing her laughter.
Watching her struggle, I unconsciously ran my hand through my hair, reminding myself that it had been three months since the haircut incident, and my hair had grown significantly.
The bowl shape was long gone.
Before Emily could resume her teasing, I interjected, "Your five head seems to be bearing more fruit," with a sly smile, pointing out the small yet visible pimples on her forehead.
Emily's eyes widened, seemingly remembering something, as she examined her reflection in the rearview mirror. "N-No, Dad! I need to book an appointment with a dermatologist today-"
Taking in the chaos around me, I returned to my thoughts, a smile playing at the corners of my lips.
* * *
Back in my room lying on my bed, I rubbed my wrists which had an imprint of Valentina's hand.
The last bit confirmed my suspicions, I knew something was off about both of them. They seemed way to perfect and above everyone else at least in terms of senses and physical capabilities.
Valentina's grip on my hand was so strong that if she applied a bit more force it'd of snapped my wrists. There's no way any normal girl could produce that amount of grip strength.
Thinking back to more than decade ago the words I heard from him was now ringing in my ears.
"Wolf in sheep clothing."
That is correct no normal or 'any' girl could produce that amount of grip strength, so she is in fact most likely not human. Both she and Thomas.
I already knew as much from my encounters with them. Not only did they possess superhuman speed and strength but also senses. Adding to that would also be the way they present themselves.
Now one of them is after me.
I wondered if I can beat them in a fight with no weapons or advantages, I was quite confident in myself despite not knowing their full power or arsenal.
It was also my first time meeting those that wear human skin. I only had experience and encounters with those that don't look or disguise like humans.
With a sigh I got up and turned on my computer, I first checked the security cameras that I planted without anyone in my family knowing all over the house except the bathroom and personal rooms obviously.
The reason I checked the cameras to see if everything was working perfectly because of the fact that Valentina brought up my family.
I was caught off guard at that moment. All my life whenever I fought I only had myself to worry about and no one else to look after.
But now, it has become problematic as I had 3 times the persons to look after, other than myself.
I ruffled through my hair and got up and exited my room. It was dead of night and everyone was fast asleep. In the dark I went the attic located in the top floor of the house my family owned.
I lightly jumped and pressed the boarding which dropped down ladders for me too climb.
Climbing up slowly without making a noise I located a dusty cardboard box and bought it back to my room.
Opening the box there were several drones in pieces. If an ordinary person were to look at the contents of the box they'll no doubt think of them as scrap metals.
Sitting back on my chair I leaned back and stretched. I looked at the contents of the box and begun to assemble the drones.
Since I now not only had to look after myself but my family too, I was planning to make weapons and transform the house, so that If anyone of those 'creatures' were to even step a foot here, they'd wish they didn't.
After working for an hour, all the drones were now assembled. I than went to a drawer and opened it. It seemed normal at first containing paper clips, files, pen and other stuffs.
I than used one of the paper clips and inserted it in a tiny hole at the corner so that no one notices it even if they were to look closely.
With a snap the drawer's boarding lifted to reveal another layer of boarding underneath the first one.
There was nothing in there except a bottle of cologne. The bottle looked expensive and quite fancy.
I once again used the paper clip and inserted it into a tiny whole in the body of the cologne bottle which opened a very small hatch.
Inside that hatch contained a tiny key which I took and noted myself to use it when I get to school.
I than climbed out of the window, jumping down, I landed quit and swiftly as a cat in the grassy backyard.
Checking to see if anyone had woken up, when no one did I silently went to the backyard storage.
Retrieving a small cardboard box hidden inside of the shed, I went back and climbed my way into my room using the drainage pipes attached to the house.
I than took out a tiny camera and a microphone which I attached to my school tie.
Everything is almost ready, I just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.