Author's note: Good news! I'm getting therapy!

Last night

(Matt)

I groaned, feeling tired when I got back home from school. I went straight to my room, barely acknowledging my mom who gave me her usual frown.

I shut the door behind me, sliding down the wood lifting the small silver chain off my neck. I felt my claws and horns again and felt a bit better in my natural state. 

I lifted myself off the ground, peering into the mirror nailed to the wall. 

My ruby red horns shone in the dim light, making them appear brighter than they were. I lifted my hand, staring at how my black claws sort of melded together where it met skin. Just not quite human and not quite a monster either. 

I frowned at my fingers, wishing I could be all human. 

This was my curse, being stuck in between. I never knew my real mother which explained a lot of...this. My dad probably didn't know he married a monster. 

I sat back down again, leaning against the wall. 

I rested my forehead on my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs. 

I went through every day like this, no one knowing my secret.

It hurt knowing they would murder me if they found out.

----------

Saturday

I pulled up the directions on my phone, frowning at the distance from my house. I squinted at the screen, and it read "Mobile home park". I felt a pang of sympathy for Alistair. 

I got there 15 minutes later, glancing at the "Welcome Crow lake" haphazardly staked in the ground next to the rickety fence. 

It took me a minute to spot his address because my phone was being buggy. I pulled up in the driveway, nearly running over a bike thrown in the small concrete plot set in front of the left side of the small house. 

I studied it for a moment, taking in the hole-filled roof and walls, grimacing at the pieces of wood thrown over some of them, clearly molding. The only window had a small succulent garden planted in the garden box. Wind chimes blew in the wind, making me shiver with its hollow sound. I stepped out of my car only to be greeted by a fat tabby cat who wore a purple collar around her neck. 

I bent down to scratch her head and she purred at my touch. 

I was surprised since most animals seemed to hate me. 

"She let you pet her?" A voice asked, nearly making me jump three feet in the air. My head snapped up, meeting Alistair's ice blue and olive green eyes. He wore yet another oversized hoodie and ripped jeans with a pair of dirty black combat boots.

"Don't scare me like that!" I hissed through my teeth.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," He said, his eyes gleaming. He smothered a giggle lifting his hand to his mouth still keeping a fist on his hip. I noticed he changed the color of his nail polish to dark purple, a color that complimented his silky black hair. 

"You really do enjoy the suffering of others," I groaned. 

"You got me there," He shrugged simply, his mischievous smile still playing on his lips. 

"Let's just get this over with," I grumbled. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him call to the cat I had pet earlier and she followed his movements. 

"What's her name?" 

"Kitty," He replied. 

"How creative," I deadpanned, rolling my eyes. 

"I didn't name her," Alistair said, leading me to his backyard. 

"Who did then?" I asked, instantly puzzled. Wasn't that his cat?

"Haddy did," He replied simply, me following him to a cracked concrete path that led to an odd patch of forest. There were no other trees in sight accept for these which set off several alarms inside my brain.

"Who?" 

"Haddy,"

"Who the hell is 'Haddy'?" 

"Hallen, She's the owner of this place," He shoved his hands into his pockets and for a split second, I thought I saw something red on his wrist, but shook my head, thinking I was just seeing things again. He kicked a rock. "But she's more like a second mom to me." 

"Odd name," I mumbled to myself. I looked around, observing the dark evergreen trees that towered over us, seeming intimidating in the wind's wake. I gentle breeze touseled Alistair's hair, revealing a nasty scar that began at his neck and disappeared past his collar. He frowned. quickly putting up his hair in a messy bun with a lacy scrunchie. 

"Where'd you get that?" I snorted. 

"A bus stop," He said and Kitty jumped on his should and he didn't even flinch. 

"Gross," I scrunched my nose at him, walking to stride beside him. 

Alistair glanced up at me through his bangs which he blew off his forehead.

"It's not gross, it's recycling," He snorted, ducking underneath a branch. 

"Still gross, and where are we going?" I asked, ducking under the same branch, nearly getting whacked in the face. 

He smirked at me. 

"It's a surprise, sweety," He said, feigning innocence. 

"Leave it up to me to get paired with a psychopath," Did he just call me sweety? 

"You're lucky to breathe the same air as me," Alistair said in a horrible impression of my voice. 

"I do not sound like that!" I squeaked, aiming to sock him in the shoulder but missed. He had lightning-fast reflexes which surprised me considering my size.

"Do too!" Alistair said running off into the trees.

"Get back here you ass!" I shouted, running after him. 

Jeez, this kid was fast. 

I stopped to catch my breath, leaning on my knees while I wheezed.

"You're so slow!" Alistair called from up in a tree. 

"How. The. Hell," I Huffed in between breaths. "You're a twig!"

He frowned down at me. 

"I have a fast metabolism," Alistair crossed his arms with a huff. I cross my arms right back. 

"I bet a strong breeze could snap you right in two," I said with a smirk. 

"Okay, now that was uncalled for," All of a sudden he jumped out of the tree he had been climbing. Without thinking, I jumped forward to catch him in my arms. 

"Hey, you caught me!" Alis said with a smirk. Did i just refer to him as Alis?

"What if I didn't?" I looked down at him, strangely wanting to keep holding him. I ignored my quickening heartbeat. I'm NOT gay!

"You'd carry me to the hospital," He snuggled into my chest, making my heart beat even faster. I felt a blush creep to my cheeks and other places as well and I internally screamed at myself. NOPE NOT HAPPENING

I dropped him and he squeaked loudly and glared at me.

"What was that for?" He crossed his arms grumpily.

"You- I- we-" I stuttered, at a loss for words. 

He smirked, lifting himself off the ground. 

"You're cute when you blush," Alistair said, his mischievous eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. He showed his teeth, the tip of his tongue sticking out a little bit.

"N-no I'm not!" I shouted, turning crimson. 

He just laughed at me and sauntered out of the clearing. 

"We getting those samples or not?" He asked when I didn't follow him. I nodded quickly. He turned and the sun caught his icy eye, making it sparkle in the sunlight. His hair falls from the bun, his ebony strands bounce on his small shoulders. My eyes trace his back, wandering further and it's hard to look away, I'll have to admit. I could see his smile from here, making my heart skip. 

There goes the infuriatingly beautiful boy who left me stuttering and blushing mess. 

"I can feel you staring," 

Gosh dammit.