While Mrs. Smith was introducing him to the class, Shawn barely heard a single word. "If there's anything you need, you know where to find me," Mrs. Smith said quietly, leaning closer before turning and heading for the door.
But even then, her words barely reached him, he was unable to focus on anything around him, his mind still caught on the shock of what he had just realized.
"Excuse me for a second," he said, glancing briefly over the students before turning and walking out of the classroom.
His breathing had already grown uneven, adrenaline climbing inside him, and that frightened him more than anything because it was always the first sign that he was about to lose control.
He moved down the hallway, trying to remember where Mrs. Smith had pointed out the bathrooms earlier, but his mind refused to cooperate. The memory wouldn't come.
Instead, he focused on his hearing, searching for any faint sound of flushing water somewhere in the building, and when he finally caught it, he followed it, only to realize it was coming from the students' washroom.
He let out a low groan and quickened his pace away from there, trying to keep control of his breathing, which had become shallow and uneven as he moved through the hallway in search of a private place where he could calm himself.
His thoughts felt like a storm, too many emotions crashing together, impossible to separate one from another.
Fortunately, classes had already begun, and the hallways were empty.
When he finally spotted the teachers' washroom, relief washed over him. He stepped inside and quickly locked himself in one of the stalls, forcing himself to pull back from the edge of panic and regain some control.
But it was already too late, his eyes had already begun to glow. He forced himself to follow the method Myra had taught him- inhale slowly, hold the breath for atleast three minutes, which was possible for him after becoming the beast he still didn't fully understand, then release it just as slowly.
They had tried every other options, but nothing had ever worked.
Myra had spent years searching for a solution, experimenting with every compound she could create, hoping to find something that could turn him back into a human, but nothing had ever worked.
When that failed completely, she tried to create something that could at least help him control his shifting, still, nothing worked.
Slowly, Shawn felt himself regaining control, though his heart still pounded in his chest.
He listened carefully, and when he couldn't sense or hear anyone inside the bathroom or around it, his fingers moved almost automatically as he dialed Myra's number.
"Shouldn't you be in class by now? Or did you change your mind after realizing I was actually right when I said that kind of job was too risky for you?" Myra's voice came through immediately, almost teasing.
"I think they caught us," Shawn said bluntly, his voice low and tense.
"What are you talking about? What happened? Did you… kill someone?" Myra's tone shifted instantly, her heartbeat practically audible over the line.
"The boy from the club last week… he's the mayor and governor's son. He lied, he isn't twenty-three, and he's still in high school." Shawn's voice dropped lower, each word carrying disbelief.
"Oh crap," Myra muttered.
"The fact that he kept showing up, even after I told him not to… it feels like they're using him, like they know about us. Fuck! I don't even know what I was thinking!" Shawn's voice climbed, the panic spilling out uncontrollably.
"It could be a coincidence, Shawn. Calm down. You can't let your emotions get the best of you, you know what will happen if you do," Myra urged, though her own voice trembled with worry.
"Coincidence?" Shawn's voice wavered, threading with disbelief. "And even if it were, what if I get sued for sleeping with a high school student? And even if I don't get sued, how am I supposed to live with myself knowing I actually slept with a minor?!" His breathing grew uneven again, shallow and fast.
As if sensing it, Myra's voice softened through the phone. "It's not your fault, Shawn. He lied, okay? And… you asked him never to show up again, and he did anyway. But... when he came back, you didn't do anything with him, did you?" Myra asked, but even as she spoke, it was clear she already knew the answer and expected a simple 'yes' from him.
"No. We did it four times," Shawn admitted, his voice faltering despite himself.
"Four what?! In less than a week? You're kidding, right? And since when do you sleep with someone twice- no, four times?! Shawn, that was against the rules! Once that happens…" Myra's disbelief was almost audible in her tone, but Shawn cut her off sharply.
"I know, okay? It won't happen again. Let's meet right now and figure out what's going on." Shawn was already moving, heading out of the stall but Myra's asnwer stopped him.
"You can't just disappear from school right now, especially on your first day! Don't make them suspicious and start digging into your life. Let's meet after work. You should've listened when I warned you that this kind of job isn't safe right now. But no, you insisted it was your second dream job, that no one was going to stop you from living your life again, and now look at this..."
"Will you stop nagging?" Shawn said quickly, cutting Myra off before she could continue.
"Okay…" Myra said, "See you later then." She added ended the call.
Shawn inhaled deeply before heading for the door. The moment he opened it, he saw Cade there, leaning casually against the sinks, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.
For a moment, panic shot through Shawn. Had Cade overheard his conversation with Myra?
The smirk didn't clarify anything- maybe he hadn't, or maybe he was pretending not to understand. The uncertainty unsettled Shawn.
"Mr. Geller," Cade called, the smile never faltering. "Looks like even the universe wants us together. Don't you think it's fate, meeting in a place like this…"
Before Cade could finish, Shawn started walking away.
For a split second, Shawn had considered pretending to go along with Cade, to see if he knew something- if his parents were really using him, but Cade's manner, his words, his tone- it all felt like a teenager caught in the rush of adolescence, nothing serious. So Shawn walked on, but Cade stepped forward, blocking his path.