Welcome to Paradise Chapter Four- Not Human

I frowned as I watched Derek pace around the room, mumbling to himself as he did so. Trey and Dave were sitting next to me on the couch, with Trey in the middle, and Dave to the far side. Trey was bent forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands holding his head up. His breaths still seemed rushed to me, but I didn't bother him about it. He had insisted that he was well enough to leave the bed, and Derek and I had quickly relented. Dave was looking better at least; he wasn't so pale, and his breaths were normal. Roy was currently residing in Trey's room, on his bed, still unconscious. It had only been a mere six hours since Trey had come back, and things hadn't changed much. He had rested, but only for a little while. Two hours ago he had woken up and had insisted on getting out of bed, muttering something about boredom and laziness. Derek had made me leave the room while he had argued with him, and then thirty minutes later, Trey had emerged from the room, going down the hall to the bathroom to relieve himself before returning to sit on the couch. He had been in the same position ever since, and he didn't seem to notice Derek's constant mumbling and pacing, nor my concerned looks. Sighing, Derek stopped pacing and face the three of us, his expression pensive. "Trey," he said softly, and then repeated it louder when he didn't answer. Trey looked up at him and took his hands away from his head, sighing quietly. "I know you don't want to..." he took a breath. "But we should tell him...he has to know..." When Trey shook his head, Derek hurried to add, "I know you don't want him involved, but he's already involved. If we don't tell him, if we don't warn him, then he may run into trouble..." I frowned, confused, but Derek was finished talking. I turned my attention to my roomate, watching as he looked at the ground and chewed on his lower lip, his brows knitted in concentration.

Finally, Trey sighed and murmured, "Maybe you're right...but I don't want him involved anymore than he is. He doesn't need to get involved in this, Derek, and you know it." Derek sighed and started pacing once more as he thought things through, his eyes narrowed. I sighed and glanced back and forth at the two of them in utter confusion. I desperately wanted to know what was going on, but I could see that it was hard for them to tell me, and I didn't want to push the matter. I needed to let them tell me on their own, though I was anxious to know right away. "If we have to tell him," Trey continued, catching both mine and Derek's attention. "then we need to do it. I'm tired and my head is killing me." Derek frowned at my roomate, and I looked at the ground. From what Derek had said earlier, it wasn't like Trey to tell him how he was feeling, especially if he was hurting. I knew that Trey must be hurting more than he was letting on, and I felt bad for having asked them to tell me what was going on.

"Then why don't you go rest?" Derek asked as he stopped pacing, sitting down Indian-style on the ground, watching the person sitting next to me. "I can tell him, if you want to lie down. I think you should; you still look like a corpse to me, just a little cleaner." Trey had changed clothes in the short time he had been up, and was now wearing a black shirt and faded blue jeans. I saw Trey smile slightly, but it quickly faded away, causing me to frown. Derek frowned too, watching him. "Seriously, go lie down. If I may be so bold, you look like shit."

"...I'm okay," said Trey. "Just a headache. I can lie down when we're done." he sighed. "So are we going to get started?"

"...Uh, yeah," said Derek. "We'll start. Um...I'll go first." Trey only nodded. "Okay, uh...well...the first thing you need to know, Shadow, is that this isn't a normal school."

Trey gave a bitter chuckle, causing everyone to look at him. Dave frowned but didn't say anything. "I think he knows it isn't a normal school. That's pretty simple."

Derek nodded. "Right. I was just saying. Anyway, what you don't know is that not everyone is human."

"Whoa," said Dave, looking at him. "That was a big leap, wasn't it? Talking about school and then you just jump to not being human." he chuckled to himself.

"Same old Derek," Trey murmured, his eyes closed as he bent forward once more, his elbows on his knees, his hands holding his head up again.

Derek pouted. "Hey," he said. "That's why you don't let me tell the story. This is what happens when you decide to take a beating and go quiet." he said matter-of-factly. Trey smiled.

"Not my fault," he said. "I told you not to have the meeting at that particular time, but did you listen to me? No." his voice wasn't accusing and he was still smiling, causing Dave and Derek to smile as well.

I frowned. "Okay--not humans?" I asked, urging him back to subject at hand.

Derek cleared his throat and nodded. "Er, right. Not everyone here is human. In fact, a rare few are actually human beings. There is a battle going on here that you are unaware of." he looked at Dave, who nodded. Sighing, he continued. "The teachers are humans," he said slowly. "And they care only for humans. Demons, Vamps, Werewolves...they're all on their own, whatever they are. Dave is human." he nodded at Dave. "Therefore he's not watched very much...he has more freedom, and he tends to be able to do things that others aren't allowed to do. Um...I...I'm not human," he finally murmured. I stared at him, trying to take everything in, but it was hard. It was hard to believe what I was hearing. "I...I am a..." he glanced at Trey.

Trey smiled slowly. "Go ahead," he said. "Tell him." I frowned and listened closely.

"I'm a werewolf..." he murmured. "I can turn into a wolf whenever I want, and I can hear and see and smell better, and my reflexes are quicker than the average human..." he looked at Trey, who sighed.

"As you may have guessed," said Trey, making me look at him. He was still in the same postion, looking at the ground. "I am different as well. I am not human..." I didn't say anything, though my stomach churned. My roomate wasn't human; for some reason I couldn't except this fact very easily. He wasn't human. I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly as he spoke again. "I will not say what I am," he said, and I opened my eyes, confused. "I won't say it because it may come as a shock, and I don't think you're ready for it yet."

Derek nodded. "Yeah Shadow," he said. "Trey's different...he'll tell you later." he looked at Dave. "Feeling better?" Dave nodded. "Good. Why don't you go back to your room? It should be pretty safe by now; everyone's woken up. Go back to your room and get some rest. And you," he said, looking at Trey. "Go to bed. Get some rest."

Trey sighed. "Yes Mother."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Hey if I don't look out for you, no one will."

"Overprotective person..." Trey mumbled beneath his breath, and I smiled slightly, though my mind seemed to be elsewhere. "Fine. I'll rest. But it's Shadow's bed; I'll take the couch."

I frowned and shook my head. "No, that's okay. You can have my bed; I don't mind."

"No, it's your bed Shadow. I'm not going to kick you out of it again. The couch is fine." he sighed. "Besides, you must be tired after being up all night." I sighed. I was tired; he was right. But still, I didn't want to make him sleep on the couch. It surely wasn't as comfortable as my bed.

"Okay," said Derek. "I'm going to go check up on the others, and then I'll be back. Okay?" he looked at Trey, who nodded.

"You don't have to keep asking my permission, you know," said Trey with a small sigh. Derek nodded.

"I know," he said as he shrugged. "What can I say? Old habits die hard." Trey smirked and shook his head. "Get some rest," he ordered, and then looked at me. "Shadow, make sure he rests and lies down." I nodded. "C'mon Dave," he murmured, and Dave rose to his feet, and the two of them left the dorm, closing the door behind them. I got to my feet and Trey lay down across the couch.

"...Uh..." I said, feeling an awkward silence come across us. "You okay?" I asked as his eyes slipped closed. They opened again and he looked at me for a moment, his eyes calculating.

He sighed. "I'm fine," he murmured, closing his eyes again. "Just a headache. I'll probably have one for a while, but I'll live."

I frowned. "Okay...well...do you need anything?" I didn't want him getting up again.

"No," he answered. "I'm fine."

"Okay...I'll be in my room if you need me," I said, and turned the lights to the common room off, entering my room. I didn't shut the door, for I didn't want something to happen to Trey without my knowing. I felt like I was being paranoid, but at this school it seemed that being paranoid was a good thing. Sighing, I crawled into my bed and pulled the covers up to my neck, snuggling my head into the pillows. "Night," I called out to my roomate, who responded with a quiet grunt.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.