Hi, I’m Forrest Young and my story is a bit of an odd one. If you can’t handle magic, or ghouls, goblins, demons, fights, smoking, and cussing, then I suggest you put the book down. To start off with one thing about me, I’m a half-elf, and things in my universe are weird. Why? Because hybrids, elves, gnomes, and other mythical creatures are killed because they’re considered a plague. Most disguise themselves as humans.  But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start where the problem began, my last day of hell (AKA, High school)

—

“Young! Are you even listening?” My teacher, Ms. Crab, was yelling at me, again. She looked like a pig, a really ugly human looking pig, she wasn’t a hybrid though. She dressed like she lived in the 70’s, all the tie dye, rainbow, and glitter.

“I expected a bit more from you on the last day of school, Young. This could help you find a job!” She chidded and the class was snickering at me. 

“I was paying attention, you just wanted to blame me for something.” I retorted. Now don’t come at me like, ‘You’re an awful student for saying that,’ She deserved it. 

“Well then, if you were paying attention, explain what I was just saying.” The class started snickering, again.

“I would, but you’re the teacher, not me.” I replied with a smirk. Now the class was laughing at her. 

“Principal's office, Young, now.” Yup, I was one of those kids that got in trouble all the time, I’m mature now (kinda). Anyways, the principal was in his forties, about the same age as Ms. Crab. He didn’t have any hair though. He always dressed formally in a suit and tie. Everyone calls him Principle Bald, except, his real name is Principle Gray.

“Young, it’s the last day of school! We all expected more.” Principle Gray said with a sigh. I almost said, ‘Maybe don’t expect so much then.’ Of course I didn’t REALLY say that, instead he spoke, “She was trying to help with finding a job!”

I huffed, “I don’t want any of those dumb old jobs.” 

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh? What job do you want?” 

I wanted to say I was going to live amongst elves and be free. I didn’t say that though, he would have called the cops. “I want to be an adventurer.” I replied instead.

He paused for a moment, thinking. “That’s a very dangerous job, you could get spotted by an elf.”

I clenched my fists, I wanted to punch him so badly. “They live deep in the woods, I won’t have to worry about them.” 

He sighed, shaking his head slightly. “Yes, but more have been reported coming out of the wo-” He was cut off by the dismissal bell.

I picked up my backpack and waved bye. I know, that wasn’t really trouble, not yet at least.       

—

I met my friend, Cove Nettle, outside of the school. She has olive green eyes and braided back black hair that she keeps in a ponytail. I can’t remember the last time she had it down and let it be an afro, she never really liked her hair like that though, so I guess it made sense. She was always wearing black dresses and red jackets over them. She’s the kid that enjoys winning arguments and reading, not to mention, her parents are also rich. Her parents also forced her to date her guy best friend, they still act platonic, the guy in question is Ashter Alsadow. He’s tall, kind, smart, auburn brown hair, dark brown eyes, tan skin, the usual guy teen girls fawn over. Not me or Cove though. She's aroace and he's gay. I figured Ashter would be waiting with Cove so we could get some food together, like we had planned, but I didn’t see Ashter.

“Hi, Cove! I thought Ashter was meeting us here so we could get some food.” I said as I walked over to her.

“He had a last minute basketball meetup.” Cove replied with a slight shrug, looking up from her book.

“I don’t think things like that just appear out of the blue on the last day of school. Besides, the rest of the basketball team is right there.” I said as I pointed to Ashters friends, and one of mine, Birch. Well, Birch is my twin brother. Well, we were born on the same day of the same year, different parents though, anyways.

“Hey, Forr!” Birch exclaimed as he ran up to me.

“Hi, Birch.” Cove said with a smile. 

“Hi, Cove. Also, have you guys seen Ashter? He said we were meeting up at the front of the school to grab food.” Birch questioned, a slightly raised eyebrow.

“There isn’t a basketball meetup?” Cove asked as she closed her book and put it in her bag. 

“No, why do you ask?”

“But he said-” 

“He’s probably in danger, so quit talking and let’s go!” I said, cutting off Cove and running towards the school as they followed.

—

When I turned the corridor to get to the gym, I saw Ashter walk in and ran after him. The Gym was HUGE, it was the biggest and oldest part of the school, and some kids even said it was haunted. 

I quietly opened the gym doors and Ashter was standing in front of the coach. The coach looked like Ms. Crab, but fat and short. He was dressed in a bright neon track jacket with violet track pants. 'Back here’ I signed so the coach didn’t hear us. Did I forget to mention Birch needs hearing aids and we all know sign language? Oh well.

They hid with me behind the ball carts and we silently listened to their conversation, but I peeked around the ball cart to see them.

“Where’s everyone, coach?” Ashter asked and looked around, visibly confused.

“One of them is right here.” The coach said and swirled his hand around and Birch stood up and walked over there, as if he wasn’t in control of himself. Me and Cove sat silently, careful not to breathe too loudly. I was wondering if he knew we were here.

“Ah, Birch, is anyone with you?” The coach asked and Birch shook his head, at least he was lying.

“How are you doing that?! Put him down!” Ashter exclaimed and ran towards the coach to stop whatever he was doing to Birch. 

“Not so fast, Alsadow.”  The coach said and Ashter stopped in his tracks, he tried to move but he couldn’t, and the coach lifted him into the air. Cove gasped, and I guess the coach heard her and his head whipped towards the ball cart we were hiding behind. 

“Were you lying Birch?” He questioned. Again, Birch shook his head, he displayed no emotion, at least, as far as I could tell. 

“It doesn’t matter. No one can help either of you.” The coach said with a dark look and Ashter tried moving, but the coach brought him next to Birch. 

“Thanks for wearing your basketball jackets today, men, helps out a lot.” He chuckled with a smirk.

‘Chips’ Cove signed.

At first I was confused, why did Cove want chips? Then I realized, their jackets were chipped, it was a good theory. 

‘I’ll cause a distraction, you take their jackets off’ I signed, well, that’s what it could be roughly translated to, and luckily, Cove got that translation, but she shook her head and was about to sign something, but I ignored her and ran out from behind the carts. 

“HEY, PIG! OVER HERE!” I shouted and the coach's head whipped towards me, a smirk on his face. 

“Idiot move, kid.”

“What ar-?” I started, but before I could finish my sentence, Ashter and Birch fell to the floor, gasping for air.

“What did you do to them!?” I exclaimed as I ran up and started panicking, when all of a sudden, Cove came up behind the coach and hit him in the back of the head with a tennis racket. He let out a pained groan and fell to his knees. His sort of psychic grasp on Birch and Ashter disappeared and they began breathing heavily.

“Hurry, take your jackets off!” Cove exclaimed and ran towards us, the tennis racket now on the floor. “He won’t be down much longer, let’s go!”

“You guys are slow!” I huffed and took off Birchs jacket and Cove took Ashters jacket off.

“Now let’s get the hell out of here!” I exclaimed as I put Birchs arm over my shoulder and Cove put Ashters arm over her shoulder, and we ran out of the gym as fast as we could.

—

When we made it out of the school, people were staring at us in shock and confusion. 

“What’s going on here?” Mercedes Gold, the richest girl in school, asked as she walked up to us. She had her long ash blonde hair up in a high ponytail and her icy blue eyes had a teasing glint to them. She was basically the definition of a high school bully, but with mommy and sibling issues.

“None of your business, Mercedes.” I managed to say through panting breaths. 

“It so is, you ran out panting like psychopaths and two cute guys draped over your arms like they came back from war.” She replied as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“One, Don’t talk about my brother like that and two, we basically came back from war so shut up.” I retorted and she looked offended. Like I cared. I had to get these two to my house. 

“Forrest, we need to hurry.” Cove said with a frantic look on her face. 

"Yeah, I know.” 

“Not so fast weirdos, explain what’s going on.” Mercedes said and stepped in front of us and I pushed past her. 

“Go away Mercedes.” I snapped.

By now there was a crowd wondering what was going on. 

“No, explain what’s going on, do I need to remind you that Principle Gray is my dad?” I rolled my eyes at her words. Principle Gray was her dad, but when her parents got divorced, she took her moms name. “Principle Gray is my good friend, I always see him, now go away!” I snapped and was about to continue walking when I heard the coach yelling and he ran out of the school with a wild look in his eyes. Most of the students looked a bit nervous, a few looked ready to run, and the last bit, me, and Cove were ready to fight but, it was mainly me ready to fight, Cove looked a bit ready to run. 

“Coach! What is the meaning of this?” Mercedes demanded. 

“Mercedes! Don’t go up there!” I warned. I hated Mercedes, yeah, but sometimes you have to help people you don’t like. 

“Oh what's the coach gonna do? Throw me across the school yard?” Mercedes asked with an eye roll and he threw her across the school yard. See guys? This is why we don’t give people ideas. 

“Mercedes!” Cove exclaimed as she dragged Ashter and ran over to make sure Mercedes was ok. Mercedes mumbled gibberish before sitting up and rubbing her head. A crowd had gathered around Mercedes and ignored the coach. I carefully set Birch down by the stairs. 

“That was too far. Way too far.” 

“And what’s a kid gonna do about it?” The coach asked and popped his knuckles as he smirked. 

“How about you find out?” I said with a glare and a white hot flame appeared in the palm of my hands. 

The coach looked shocked for a moment, but it quickly disappeared into a smirk, “So boss was right, there was a half-elf here.”

“Who-?” Before I could finish my sentence the coach charged and I barely dodged.

“Watch where you're going!” Not the best thing to say, but it was all that came to mind. Just then, Principle Gray walked outside to see the mess, but what he saw was I had attacked Birch, Ashter, Mercedes, and the coach, not the coach had attacked us. The coach looked up and knew what Principle Gray was thinking and began playing innocent.

“Young has gone crazy and attacked us!” 

“WHAT?! No I didn’t!” I said and tried to defend myself, and Cove was about to speak up but Principle Gray spoke first.

“I knew something was off about you, Young, but I never thought you were..” He paused to choose his words, “one of them.”

I clenched my fists and the flames in my palms disappeared. Cove looked a bit nervous, she never knew I was an elf, but she still spoke up to defend me. 

“Forrest has never hurt anyone! I’m always with them!” 

“Silence, Nettle.” Principle Gray said and Cove put her head down and looked away. “I’m calling the police, does anyone object?” 

“I do.” Birch mumbled as he stood up and rubbed his head, he was still dizzy, and leaned up against me for support. “It was coach, he attacked me and Ashter, then he threw Mercedes across the courtyard.” 

“Birch, they’ve brainwashed you!” Principle Gray exclaimed and I huffed. I mean, I know I’m trouble, but seriously, I wasn’t THAT bad, was I? 

“No, he’s not!” Ashter exclaimed as he stood up, he was pretty wobbly, but better than Birch. 

“Not you too, Ashter.” Principal Gray said with a sigh and took out his phone then dialed 911. I could hear him carefully saying where we were and what happened. 

“We need to run.” I said and helped Birch stand steadily, by now he was able to run for a bit, at least able to run home. Cove helped Ashter and Mercedes, she had Mercedes around her arms and her and Ashter ran after me and Birch.

—

“I. Need. A. BREAK.” Birch managed through panting breaths and leaned up against the big willow tree just outside of our neighborhood. 

“We need to keep going!” I exclaimed. I was frantic to get away, I couldn’t go to jail, especially not after seeing what had happened to other elves on TV…

“No! Besides, you owe us an explanation!” Cove said as she set Mercedes down on the tree and pointed her finger at me, “You never told us, any of us, you were-”

 “I was what?! A monster? Some freak that needs to be killed?! Some beast?!” I snapped, cutting off Cove and she looked a bit stunned at my words, and I felt a bit shocked, but I didn’t care, I was tired, sweaty, the cops were after me, and I just wanted REST. 

“Quit fighting guys. There’s no time for that.” Ashter said and stepped in between us and I turned away, then, I heard Mercedes groan, and we all looked towards her.

“Wha-? Where am I? Who are you people?” She questioned and we stared at each other, what should we do?

Cove spoke, “We’re your best friends!”

Mercedes seemed convinced and nodded, “Ok! What’s my name?” Birch snickered and started to say, “Your name is Bi-”

I slapped his face and said, “Mercedes, your name is Mercedes Gold.” Birch rubbed his face where I slapped him, it had a red hand outline. I snickered a bit as Cove answered Mercedes MANY questions. 

“Why are we here?” She questioned.

“Because we went on a walk.” Cove answered.

“What’s a walk?”

“When you go outside and walk around.”

“Like this?” Mercedes asked and started flailing her arms around. She looked like an octopus. I snickered some more, Cove sighed and face palmed.

“Yeah, sure, that’s what a walk is.” Birch said with a bit of laughter. I slapped his face again.

“Don’t encourage it.” I scolded.

“Ow, you have a good arm…” Birch grumbled. I had slapped him in the same spot and it looked even redder. I rolled my eyes and looked towards the woods.

“What’s that?” Mercedes asked and pointed at me and I covered my ears, the magic that made my ears look like normal human ears had worn off. 

“Uh…” I thought for a minute, trying to come up with an excuse.

Cove rolled her eyes and spoke, “Forrest is an elf.”

Mercedes nodded thought for a moment. “Aren’t elves…dangerous?”

I shook my head immediately, but before I could speak, Birch did.

“Not all of them are dangerous.” He explained.

“Then why does that elf look ready to kill us all?” Mercedes asked and pointed to the woods. We turned to see an elf with light gray skin and dark red eyes and black scleras, looking at us with a smirk. The elf was dressed in what looked like a mage's robe. I immediately realized we needed to run.