The view was getting really boring, all she saw was the dark blue-grey walls and the filtered sunshine coming through the country-styled white blinds. She lay there, slightly nauseous and with a bad headache. Lexi rolled onto her side, the good one, not the one that was all bandaged up and healing. "Dad! Can I have my medicine now!" She yelled downstairs to her father. The heavy footfalls on the stairs echoed up into her room. There came a light knock on the door as he walked in.

"Hey princess," he said with a smile as he handed her the remedy for her headache. She gulped it down with a pained expression on her face, sticking her tongue out in disgust as she handed the empty cup back to her father. He chuckled as he took it from her. "You're never happy are you?" He stood up to go but Lexi grabbed his arm. "Daddy," she said quietly, "Can you stay here and talk to me for a while?" He sat back on the edge of her bed, "Of course I can sweetie. What's on your mind?"

Lexi looked away, casting her eyes on the stuffed animal cast to the corner of the room. It had bight yellow eyes and grey fur, it reminded her so much of the attack that she couldn't stand it. "Do you still love me?" She asked, her voice cracking on the last word and the tears welled up in her eyes. It seemed like that'd been a common activity, crying. When she wasn't yelling at someone or being moody, she cried. Mostly because of the thought of her being a werewolf, and partially because she wasn't done picking up the pieces from her first heartbreak a week ago.

George hugged his daughter close, holding her as she shook from the sobs that had escaped her. "Of course I do. Honey, just because you're a werewolf, doesn't mean we're all going to hate you. I know Josh and Lucas haven't talked to you yet, but they're coming around. Lucas promised me yesterday that he was going to come talk to you." He smiled at her, "It's a big change, and we're just going to have to live with it. Don't ever think that we won't be there to help you, got it?" Lexi nodded.

"Good, oh and I think one of your friends said she was going to try to visit today..." he said as his phone rang. "One second Lex, hello? Yes... OK... I'll be there soon." He hung up his phone and stood from the bed. "I've got to go, something came up at work." Lexi wiped the tears from her eyes, "Do you have to go catch the bad guys?" She asked. Lexi's dad smiled, "That's what I'm gonna try to do. Hang tight kiddo, I love you." He said kissing her forehead.

"I love you too dad. And thanks."

Annette walked in the direction of the McGee house thinking. Annette had sent Lexi lots of owl notes this past week but Shikoba had come back empty taloned. She had called her house and her father picked up. She had told him she'd be dropping by if it was okay with him. He had agreed and told her that Lexi had had an accident and it would be good for his daughter to see her friend. So Annette had brought Lexi some large flowers in a blue plastic vase and a miniature dolphin, the little puppy at the store had creepy little eyes and gave Annette the heebie-jeebies. The mini dolphin squeaked in it's little tank.

Annette arrived at the front door and knocked a little boy came to the door and looked up at her,"Who are you?" He asked grumpily "I'm Lexi's friend" The small boy replied,"You are friends with that?"  "I don't have time for this let me in! Your dad said I could come in." "FINE!" He stepped aside and ran down the hall. Annette stepped in to the cozy farm style house and closed the door with a soft click. She headed up the stairs and looked around the hall. Which room was Lexi's? Annette continued to walk when she came to the door with a large card taped on it,"Feel better Lex" "Love Lukie" Annette peeled the poster off to give it to Lexi and opened the door.

Annette gasped at the sight of the red headed girl lying down on the bed in pieces. A large gauze bandage covered most of her torso."Bloody HELL Lexi what happened to you?"

The door opened slowly to Lexi's room, and she saw Annette come in. She watched as Annette's face betrayed her obvious surprise and horror at Lexi's state. "Bloody HELL Lexi what happened to you?" Her friend screamed. Lexi grimaced, she hadn't told anybody outside of her and Alice's families about her.... ummm... condition. She pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard, the movement hadn't hurt as much since she had just taken her medicine.

"Good morning to you too Annette, I'm doing fine." Lexi said sarcastically. Her moods had been changing drastically since the attack, one moment she was as sensitive as a fuzzy bunny and then she was as mean as a tiger. Well, the kind of tiger that just tripped off a cliff and is protecting her babies from poachers. You know, they get REALLY mean! Annette just stared at her, "What!"

Annette walked over to Lexi's bedside table and placed the flowers down,"I talked to your dad on the phone and he said that you had been in an accident. What happened? Are you gonna be okay" She placed to card on Lexi's lap and the tank also upon the table. Annette sat at the foot of her bed. "When I talked to your dad he said you would tell me something important and that he wanted you to tell me. I got scared when he said you were hurt I thought I had lost my friend."

Lexi looked away from her friends pleading eyes, immediatly guilty about snapping at her. She sighed and realized she's have to tell her now. She looked back at her friend, "What I'm about to tell you is really important. If you're scared or disgusted by it, just leave ok?" Annette was nodding her head, urging Lexi to go on. Hesitantly, Lexi spoke again. "Remember how Alice and I had gone camping last week? Well, it was going great until..."

Howling... big and bright full moon... those big yellow glowing eyes and the teeth... Interupted by her brief flashback, Lexi shook it off and started again. "Alice and I were sitting outside, it was dark. And the full moon peaked over the horizon... W-we heard howling i-in the distance." She now started tripping over her words, the memory so fresh and vivid in her mind that it hurt. "Then, behind us w-we h-heard something. I turned around and saw the werewolf." Lexi's eyes had started to tear up, the pain from the attack washing over her.

"It lunged for Alice, and I jumped in front of her. I was trying to protect her. The werewolf bit into my shoulder..." She was crying again. She weakly pointed at her shoulder in explanation. Her silent sobs racked her body and jolted her wound. "And I haven't heard b-back f-from Alice, I t-think she's s-scared of m-me. I'm a m-monster!" Lexi put her head in her hands and sobbed, her chest heaving with each labored breath and her eyes stinging from the salty tears. She looked back up at Annette, "Annie?" Lexi said weakly, the secret nickname she had made for Annette slipping out. "Please help me talk to Alice."

"Annette, I'm A werewolf" the words echoed in her head. She reached over and took her friends hand,"I'm not going anywhere" She said as her tears sync-ed with Lexi ," So what you're a werewolf? Nothing is different. You are just even more special. My uncle was a werewolf on my dad's side. He wasn't ever any different, He was just uncle Charlie just as you'll be just Lexi." She reached over to the dolphin tank on the side of the bed and swirled her fingers in it still clutching Lexi's hand. " As long as you'll be safe at school, I'll have no problem" Annette gasped,"Are you allowed to go now that Snark is gone? I heard the new head master was very nice" She wiped the salt water from her cheeks and reached for the phone ,"Damn, what's Alice's number again? She coming here and you and I are gonna talk to her.You are not a monster, and if you were you'd be a very cute red headed one. No one ignores my friend because they're different"

It was good to know that somepeople were still on her side. Annette for example, was totally supportive. "I'm not going anywhere... No one ignores my friend because they're different." Lexi appreciated that, she truly did. Her life would be flipped upside down now, and it would effect all of her family and friends. At least some one would be there for her. She wiped the last of the tears from her eyes, "Alice doesn't use a phone. She doesn't know how. We could send an owl or something." Lexi watched as Annette nodded in understanding. She hoped that Alice would talk to her, she wanted to apologize for getting into such a mess. They should've known it was a full moon. They should've gone a different night, or maybe not at all. Alexandra's dad had been such an avid camper when he grew up in the United States, so it was only normal that it was the same for his daughter.

Annette saw the look of appreciation in Lexi's eyes. "Okay one sec" Annette said putting down the phone and walked over to the window and with a push and pull, opened it. A short whistled tune called Shikoba to her outstretched forearm. The owl rotated it's head, finally stopping on Lexi. He flapped lazily to the bed side table and nibbled affectionately at her hair. "See he doesn't mind. Why should anyone else?" Annette said looking down at a roll of parchment as she sat down. "Okay I am your scribe. What do you want to say?"

"Well, I could be direct and say something like 'we need to talk ASAP' or I could say 'Please come over, I really need to talk t o you.' Yeah, do that one." Lexi said. She watcjed as Annette scratched out the message in ink. The quill flew over the page and she rolled up the message. Annette tied it onto Shikoba's leg and sent the bird off. "Thanks Annette, this means alot to me." Lexi said smiling.

"No problems amiga! All part of the plan. Now go you silly owl. I'll have a treat for you when you get back." She turned to Lexi " Board games while we wait?" She said pulling out Clue and Wizards Chess board "Do you know how to play wizard's chess? I could teach you" Annette said pulling up a chair swirling her finger in the dolphin tank.

"Is it anything like muggle chess, because I can sort of play that. It's a little ironic, me having wizards chess in my room an not knowing how to play." She said with a smile. Lexi was feeling much better now that Annette was here to comfort her. It was surprising that such a new friend could show such loyalty. They had only met a couple days ago and here they were, playing wizards chess. Just two friends, and it didn't even matter that one was a werewolf. It was very nice. "Do you think Alice will come over?"

"When Annette is here there's nothing to fear, she'll come, I'm sure." Annette said as she wrote down the movements of each piece and handed it to Lexi. "It's just like muggle chess but the pieces move themselves. The spaces are like coordinates numbers and letters. Look pawn to A-2" The pawn moved up two spaces. "It's fun. Especially when they capture each other."

Alice crept up the stairs of Lexi's house and into her room.

There, she stood, arms crossed and head down, tears flooding her eyes. I will not cry. she said to herself. I will not cry.

So, she stood there.

And waited.

As Annette started to teach her about wizard chess, Lexi thought she heard something. She looked towards her door but there was nothing there. After a few more moves, Lexi heard something again. This time it was more of a sniffle, like when you have a cold or when you start to cry. Lexi looked back towards her door and saw that someone had opened it, and that someone was standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red and glistening with tears. Her brown hair lazily pulled back into a loose ponytail. It looked as if she had been through hell. Or something close to it.

"Alice?" Lexi asked, her voice cracking. The brave lion within her crouched down and hid in the corner, leaving her exposed to everything. She had been ready for anything before, but now she felt threatened just by her cousin's presence. "Alice," Lexi said again, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I should've been more cautious, I should've realized we were in danger." The words spilled out of her mouth, one word after another. Obviously Alice was here for an apology, right? Lexi felt as if she was bearing her soul, she felt vulnerable and weak. That wasn't how she was supposed to feel. "I'm sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am..."

"Alice?" Alice," Lexi said again, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I should've been more cautious, I should've realized we were in danger. I'm sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am..."

Alice looked up in confusion. "I-I don't want an apology. I want to apologize. I am so sorry. I should have noticed him! I should have moved out of the way! It's all my fault you're - you're hurt, and I'm sorry. I am so so sorry." She began to sob, taking her glasses off to wipe her eyes. "I am so sorry. It's all my fault. And-And then I ignore you! I am the worst friend you could ever have. That's why I didn't want to see you. I thought- I thought you hated me and would never want to see me. I figured that you know, you don't like to see people you hated!"

She walked over to Lexi's bed. "I know this would mean nothing to you, but it would mean the world to me. Can- can I please have a hug? You don't need to forgive me. I completely understand that you would rather me dead.  It should have been me, and I get that. Just please. Please. Give me a hug."