Fall had come to Moonwood Mill at last and things were changing for the teens.
On
top of the start of school, Miranda faced renewed grief. She'd gotten
word that her father, Don, was dead... murdered in his home under
mysterious circumstances.
Yeah, he hadn't been the best dad in the world... starting at leaving mom pregnant at the altar and ending with rarely, if ever, being around. Yeah, he'd cheated on every woman he'd ever dated. (With as many affairs as he'd had, Miranda sometimes wondered if she had any half-brothers or sisters out there in the world.) Still, he'd been her dad. What little time they had had together had been good.
It was a time where Miranda really missed her mom and Gwen. At least she had her friends. Jake was there for her, offered her a shoulder to cry on when she got the news.
She was really glad to have a friend like him.
Yeah, he hadn't been the best dad in the world... starting at leaving mom pregnant at the altar and ending with rarely, if ever, being around. Yeah, he'd cheated on every woman he'd ever dated. (With as many affairs as he'd had, Miranda sometimes wondered if she had any half-brothers or sisters out there in the world.) Still, he'd been her dad. What little time they had had together had been good.
It was a time where Miranda really missed her mom and Gwen. At least she had her friends. Jake was there for her, offered her a shoulder to cry on when she got the news.
She was really glad to have a friend like him.
Miranda had been worried about attending school again. She was, after all, the missing daughter of a (believed to be) murdered world-famous celebrity. What would happen when the Community High School asked for her records?
Fortunately Community High School, which educated teens from several small towns, communes, farms and lonely houses in surrounding area, was more than willing to turn a blind eye to strange teenagers showing up. No one questioned the sudden appearance of "Jake's cousin, Miranda Volkov" or her total lack of previous school records.
It
was quite enough that the new girl from Moonwood Mill was polite,
studious and not prone to sudden outbursts. High school was never easy,
but it was an especially hard time for teenage werewolves. The wolf
inside them longed to run under the open sky, not to sit in cramped
desks listening to teachers drone on about math.
Nick and Beth spent most days after school at the Volkov's.
Nick wasn't a great student... book smarts were Jake's thing, not his.
Beth did her best to encourage her brother and keep him focused.
A few times, the boys missed school entirely simply because they couldn't hold the wolf back anymore...
... but for the most part school was school.
Nick and Beth spent most days after school at the Volkov's.
Nick wasn't a great student... book smarts were Jake's thing, not his.
Beth did her best to encourage her brother and keep him focused.
A few times, the boys missed school entirely simply because they couldn't hold the wolf back anymore...
... but for the most part school was school.
While Miranda still eagerly wanted to unlock the secrets of Moonwood Mill, those early days of fall didn't leave any of them much time. Between school and homework, it was sometimes all Miranda could do to find some time to practice her violin...
... and hang out with her friends.
Sadly, Nick's cheesy pickup lines weren't getting any better...
... but they were getting along OK, when he didn't talk.
Jake and Beth were getting along well too...
... though also mostly without talking much.
Sadly, Nick's cheesy pickup lines weren't getting any better...
... but they were getting along OK, when he didn't talk.
Jake and Beth were getting along well too...
... though also mostly without talking much.
Despite all the dangers and challenges in the world, Miranda thought, really life wasn't half bad.
She knew could count on Jake to make her laugh when she needed to.
She was really glad to have a friend like him.
She was really glad to have a friend like him.
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