Jackie opened her eyes to blinding sunshine streaming in from her window and grunted. A wet tongue flicked her ear making her pull the covers over her head. She felt another flick followed by a small growl. The growl then sank its teeth into the covers and pulled them off her bed. The woosh of cool air made Jackie peer over her shoulder at her silver companion annoyed.
"Adenaline, what-"
Her clock glared at her from underneath Adenaline's massive paw.
10:42 a.m.
"Ah, no! I'm late for school!"
Flying out of bed, she sent freshly folded clothes flying as she grabbed her armor from the closet. Adenaline huffed as a pair of shorts landed on her snout. She nosed open the bedroom door and went down the hall matching the clock's ticking with her claws.
Jackie grabbed her sword and bow from their place on the wall and stumbled into the kitchen while slipping her bow into her quiver. Shakisa stood disapprovingly by the front door holding a hot sandwich. Embarrassed by her lack of an excuse, Jackie kissed her mother's cheek, grabbed the sandwich, picked up her school bag from its place in the mud closet, and bounded out the door.
"I'm late, love you!"
Shakisa shook her head as she closed the door. "When is that girl going to grow up?"
"She's only fifteen," Rupert said reading his newspaper.
"This is the third time she's been late this month!"
"No one's perfect darling."
"She's of age! If she gets into trouble with the commander, you-"
"Will not bail her out." Rupert said sternly, laying down his newspaper, "Like you said, Jackie is of age. She needs to take responsibility for her mistakes. We can't protect her anymore."
Shakisa paused in her dishwashing and sighed, "You're right. I just worry about him."
Rupert rose from the table and put his arms around his wife. Nearby, a massive white wolf growled softly from his perch.
"Darling, we haven't-" Rupert paused as he took note of the kitchen clock, "I must go or I'll be late as well." He planted a kiss on Shakisa's cheek and walked out the door. The white wolf stretched, leapt down from his perch, and followed Rupert out the door.
Jackie bounded across the bridge to the school as the third hour bell rang. She paused outside the front door catching her breath and wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Jackie!" A girl hissed from the left. Jackie and Adenaline looked to see Savi motioning to them.
"Jackie, come on!"
Adenaline licked Jackie's shoulder and bounded out of sight among the trees. Jackie ran to the window and climbed through the window into an unused classroom. Savi quickly shut the window and rounded on her friend,"Jackie, this is the third time this month you've been late for school!"
"I know Savi, I've been busy," Jackie said sheepishly as Hope deposited books into Jackie's arms. The duo's pale ginger friend sighed and pushed the two towards the door.
"Come on, or we'll all be late for class."
The trio hurried down the hall as the warning bell rang. They split into adjacent hallways. Jackie speedily walked down the health hall and had one foot inside the doorway to her class when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Lieutenant Mandelove, a word please." Jackie shivered as the commander's voice rang with disapproval.
"Yes Commander?"
"I didn't see you at roll call this morning. This is the third time this month."
"I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again." Jackie turned to enter the classroom, but the commander held her back.
"No it won't happen again. Report to me at 0800 hours tomorrow morning."
Jackie groaned internally. Tomorrow was her day off," Yes sir."
The commander released her,"Good day Lieutenant."
"Alright, spill." Savi said as she and Hope sat opposite Jackie on the branch. They were at their customary lunch spot in the trees secluded from the general hub of students at the outdoor lunch tables. Adenaline lay above in a hollow in the tree's massive trunk gnawing on the remains of her meal. Jackie raised an eyebrow at Savi's comment.
"Spill what?"
"The reason why you've been late three times!" Savi exclaimed as she dug into her burrito. Hope nodded but gently added,"We've been worried. You're not usually late so often. The Wolf Riders are usually sticklers for consistency."
Jackie hesitated but answered in a low voice,"I've been helping Doc with one of her projects." She waited as a mixture of expressions crossed her two friend's faces.
"Doc? The freaky doctor from the City?" Savi was the first to speak.
"No the doctor from the arctic. Of course Doc is the same doctor from the City!" Jackie exclaimed.
"She's mad." Hope said.
"No," Jackie admonished, " Doc isn't mad. She is just misunderstood. I-" The bell in the lunch yard rang signaling the end of lunch.
All three girls sighed, tucked their lunches away and emerged from the thicket of leaves covering their spot. Adenaline cracked the last bone of her meal in her jaw before jumping down from her hollow and following the trio inside. Adenaline's presence filled the large cafeteria making the younger students look up from their meals.
"We're not done discussing this." Savi said with a maternal air that made Jackie groan.
"Geesh Savi, you sound like my mother. Are you going to lecture me like her too?"
"Jackie, this is serious! Doc can't be trusted because-" Savi stopped as Jackie whirled to face her at her locker.
"Because what? Because she's from the City? Not everyone from that place is born bad Savi."
"You only know one person! How can you say that not everyone from the City is bad?"
"I don't know how I know, but I'm certain of this."
"That's no excuse!" Savi's face boiled with blood,"unless you've somehow been there and are a traitor-" Jackie's fist slammed into Savi's cheek throwing her against the lockers. The heated conversation had attratched stares from the other students. Hope gulped as she watched knowing intervention would be useless.
Jackie's eyes narrowed in anger. Adenaline growled as Savi rubbed her sore jaw.
"Don't you dare question people before you've gotten to know them Savi." Jackie hissed in a low voice. The hall darkened as she spoke. Chords of dark music thrummed from Jackie's body. A second later, she relaxed and the hall brightened to its normal hum of activity. Heaving a sigh, Jackie hefted her backpack on her shoulder.
"I need to pick up Sarah to take her to her afternoon training. I suggest that we take the rest of the day to ourselves." Jackie turned and walked down the hall to the first year common room. Adenaline hummed a note of concern at Hope who shook her head.
When the duo were out of sight, Hope retrieved an ice pack from her locker and pressed it to Savi's bruised cheek. Savi hissed but held the ice pack in place.
"Why do you insist on aggravating her like that?" Hope asked in resignation.
Savi peered down the hall where her volatile friend went. Regret clouded her eyes.
"Her recklessness is going to cause trouble someday."
