"Oh my God, Flora, are you okay?" Sophia yelled, standing up from her seat blindly to help her friend.
The class erupted in laughter as Flora pushed herself up from the floor, blood streaming from her nose.
"Oh my god, did you see that?"
"What a klutz!"
"I can't believe she just face-planted!"
The teacher rushed over, concern etched on her face.
"Are you alright? Let's get you to the nurse's office." She said to her gently.
Flora shook her head, wiping the blood with the back of her hand.
"I'm fine. Really." She maintained firmly.
"Poor thing. Maybe you should watch where you're going next time." Vivian's voice dripped with false sympathy.
Her friends giggled, exchanging knowing glances.
"Flora, darling, are you still going to solve the problem? Or is that bloody nose of yours too distracting?" Clarissa's voice called out to Flora in a mocking tone.
Liam quickly made his way over to Flora, looking concerned.
"Here, let me help you-" He was saying but she cut him short.
"No. I said I'm fine." Flora's voice was firm as she stood up straight, ignoring the burning in her cheeks.
With that, she strode to the board, picked up the chalk, and began solving the equation.
The room fell silent, save for the scratch of chalk against the board. After a few moments, Flora stepped back, revealing her solution.
The teacher's eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
"Well, I must say, that is... impressive. Well done, Flora." She applauded her brilliance.
"Are you a genius, perhaps?" The teacher added, clearly impressed by her performance.
Liam and Sophia broke into applause, their voices ringing out in the quiet classroom.
"That's my girl!" Sophia cheered.
"I knew you had it in you!" Liam muttered more to himself.
"Yes, I did it. Now, let's see if you all can run those dirty mouths again." Flora thought to herself, feeling triumphant.
The teacher nodded approvingly.
"I think we can all learn something from Flora's perseverance... " The teacher was saying as she nodded approvingly but got interrupted by the Queen Bee of the class.
Clarissa's chair scraped against the floor as she stood.
"Actually, Miss, I'm afraid that answer is incorrect." She stated firmly.
Flora's heart sank.
"What? You are kidding, right?" She snapped at her.
"Oh, don't worry, dear. It is an easy mistake to make." Clarissa said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Isn't that right, everyone?" She turned to the whole, particularly her group of supporters and questioned.
A chorus of agreement rose from the group which was more than half of the class. The rest were quietly watching the scene unfold, nonchalantly, save for Liam and Sophia who were looking shocked.
"Yeah, totally wrong."
"Nice try, though."
"Better luck next time, new girl." Clarissa's supporters yelled.
The teacher frowned, glancing between the board and the class.
"Now, wait a moment. I'm not sure..." The teacher was saying but Clarissa didn't allow her to finish before butting in.
"Miss, surely you can see the error? Or should we put it to a vote?" Clarissa said, her voice growing louder.
"Clarissa, what are you doing?" Liam snapped at her.
"Nothing other than letting the new girl know how it works and who rules this place." Clarissa said to Liam in a deceptive sweet voice.
"What?" Flora huffed in disbelief.
Hands shot up around the room, more than half the class siding with Clarissa.
"I... well... Perhaps we should review this further. Flora, you may return to your seat." The teacher told her, her shoulders slumping.
Flora stood rooted to the spot, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe what was unfolding.
"But... I don't understand. How can they just say it is wrong and then it is ruled out as wrong? What kind of school is ..." She was saying in disbelief and anger when Clarissa's triumphant smirk cut her off.
"Don't worry, Flora. We can't all be good at everything, can we? Now, get back to your seat and stop feeling like you amount to anything. You don't belong here." Clarissa said to her gently as if she was telling her about the cool weather.
The laughter started again, softer this time but no less cruel.
Flora's vision blurred, tears threatening to spill over. Without a word, she turned and ran from the classroom.
"Flora, wait!" Liam yelled, half-rising from his seat but couldn't bring himself to follow her as he remembered their earlier encounter.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, as tension was brewing on campus, another form of tension was brewing outside the school walls. At Shadowlight Pack, a different scene was unfolding in the Alpha's study.
"Greetings, Alpha!" Mikael said, bowing his head in respect as he entered the dimly lit room.
Alpha Marcus looked up from the documents spread across his massive oak desk, his piercing gaze settling on his Beta.
"Mikael. What news do you bring? I am not in a mood to listen to anything bad." He said.
Mikael straightened, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
"I come with good tidings, Alpha. Our operative has successfully infiltrated Alpha Victor's pack. They are on the move, just as we anticipated. Discreetly as you instructed." He informed him.
A slow, predatory smile spread across Marcus's face.
"Excellent. Everything is falling into place."
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "And what of our other... arrangements?"
"You need not worry, Alpha. We have the upper hand. Clarissa is excelling in her role, staying close to Liam as instructed. Her influence grows by the day." Mikael assured him, a note of pride in his voice.
Marcus nodded, a look of paternal pride mixed with calculated approval crossing his features.
"Good. I knew I could trust my daughter with this task. She understands the importance of our cause." He said more to himself.
As Mikael bowed and turned to leave, Marcus's voice stopped him at the door.
"Remember, Mikael. We are not just shaping the future of our pack, but of all werewolves. Failure is not an option."