Furonica sat on her bed, her back facing the mirror of her vanity. Her iCoffin was propped up on the vanity as she picked multiple sticks and splinters from her back. There was one stubborn splinter in her back that wouldn't budge, no matter which way she pulled.

"And exactly how did this happen?" Clawdeen asked, watching Furonica from her phone. She was sitting at the door of her own bedroom, trying to keep her many siblings from entering. "Howleen, get out!"

"I just need a shirt!" the thirteen-year-old cub said, walking into frame.

Clawdeen rolled her eyes, looking back at her phone. "Sorry about that, Fe," she apologized. "What'd you say?"

Furonica whimpered as the splinter tugged at her skin, sending a small bead of blood down her spine. "I fell out of a tree," she said with a pout. She sighed. She was so close to just clawing the thing out. It would heal eventually, albeit a bit slower due to her human side slowing the normal werewolf healing process. "Some people were chasing me."

"People?" Clawdeen asked, ears twitching. "People, as in humans? You mean, you left New Salem again?" She sighed. "Fe—"

"I didn't go far, relax," Furonica rolled her eyes. "It was only to the skate park."

"Woah! You actually left New Salem?!" Howleen asked, orange frohawk popping into the frame. "Like, for real?" She whined as Clawdeen pushed her head away from the camera.

"I'm not gonna relax, Furonica," Clawdeen scolded. "You went to the human world alone, and got spotted. What if someone caught you, or followed you here?"

The entire time Clawdeen went on her rant, Furonica mockingly mouthed along to her cousin's words, growing tired of the constant "Heed my warning" speech from her.

"If I wanted to get yelled at about this, I would've called Aunt Harriet," Furonica sighed, referring to Clawdeen's mother. She winced as she finally got the stubborn splinter out of her back. "Finally."

"If your mother were here, she'd tell you the same thing I am—"

"She isn't," Furonica said, voice bitter. Her ears stuck straight up as she looked away from the camera. She pulled her knees into her chest and the room settled into silence.

It had been about a month since Furonica's mother, Selena, died. If her mother were still alive, Furonica wouldn't even have to worry about venturing into the human world alone. Her mother would've been there every step of the way.

Furonica tucked her ears, taking off her glasses. Tears brimmed her eyes. "She's not here. So stop talking about it. About her." She forced her tears back the way they came and moved off her bed. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Fe—" Clawdeen's voice was cut off by the dial tone. Sniffling, Furonica opened the door to the balcony and sat outside. The wind gently tossed her mane of brown and purple hair around, dancing with her curls.

To say she missed her mother would an understatement. Losing someone that close to you, takes a toll on your life. Especially if the reason they were gone was because of something that could've been prevented if you weren't so stupid and persistent.

A scent flooded her nose. It was a scent that made her feel warm inside, relaxed. A scent that gave her comfort after a long day, like this one.

"Hey, kiddo," her father greeted, stepping out onto the balcony overlooking the forest. It was a particularly chilly evening, so he had his hands tucked in his pockets. "Hungry? I made dinner. Now, it's not as good as your mother's, but..." He trailed off, seeing Furonica still staring out at the trees. The girl's ears twitched, letting him know something was wrong. "What's the matter?"

Furonica shook her head. "It's nothing. Stupid, really," she mumbled, tugging at a lock of purple hair. She looked at her father, who had his head tilted in concern. She sighed softly. "I went to the skate park today, and I got chased."

Her father sighed. "Furonica, I told you about leaving New Salem without me—"

"I know, and I already got chewed out by Clawdeen," Furonica groaned. "Then, she brought up Mom, and I just—" She sighed, feeling her throat start to close and tears stinging her eyes.

Her father sighed. "You miss her?"

"So much," a tear fell from Furonica's face as she leaned into her father, taking in his scent. She didn't think she could ever get used to waking up and not hearing her mother's heartbeat, in tune with her own. Whenever she needed to vent, she could turn to her mother to listen and not interrupt. Now, whenever she needed to vent, she had to talk to the stars.

Frankie hadn't slept a wink for a full twenty-four hours. They couldn't, not while they had so much to study for their first day of school. They sat cross-legged on a vacant lab table, rereading a stack of teen magazines. They were filled with tips on how to fit in and make an impression at school. They had read them twice already, they just needed to make sure they knew everything before the first day. Multiple magazines were scattered on the table, surrounding them with pop culture facts and fashion tips.

"Frankie," a voice sighed at the entrance to the lab. Frankie's creator, Victor, stood with his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. Frankie looked up, neck bolts sparking. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I know, I know," Frankie smiled. They looked back down at the magazine in their lap. "Just wanna make sure I'm up to date on this stuff."

"Teen magazines, really?" Victor asked, picking up one of the many books scattered on the table.

"Mom's idea," Frankie shrugged, not looking up from their reading.

"You better make sure you have hexbooks in that schoolbag," Victor poked Frankie's nose. "Get some sleep." Victor removed the books from the table, neatly stacking them on a chair.

Frankie laid back on the table, letting their father attach cables to their head and neck bolts. He pulled a lever, and their bolts started sparking, humming the monster to sleep.

Victor quietly left the room, knowing if anything other than the machine would make even a slight sound, Frankie would wake. The young monster was like a baby, waking at the smallest of sounds, and being nearly impossible to get to go back to sleep.

He walked upstairs into the house. It was a lot more welcoming than Frankie's room in the basement, and a lot warmer, literally. Walking through the house, he found his wife, Elizabeth, sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a glass of wine as she looked at the computer in front of her.

"Teen magazines," Victor said, announcing his presence. "You had to give the child teen magazines?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.

Elizabeth chuckled lightly. "You're the one who wanted a teenage monster," she put her glass down, letting her husband plant a kiss on her head. "I'm just helping them out. Plus, I needed to get rid of those, anyway."

Victor hummed a response, sitting next to her. "Helping them what? Frankie is supposed to be the embodiment of human intelligence."

"And that means what?" Elizabeth asked, propping her head up on her fist. "They should be alone? Emotional intelligence is just as important as intellect."

"I just don't want them to get hung up on the wrong things," Victor sighed. "School is very important."

"I agree," Elizabeth nodded. "And social interactions are an important part of the high school experience. But, I guess you wouldn't know that, Loner." She smiled and bat her eyelashes, leaning closer to give Victor a quick kiss.

"You're not funny," Victor told her, a dopey smile on his face. The two didn't know that the young monster was awake, watching, hoping that they, too, would find someone that would make them look that ridiculous when they smiled. A ghoul can dream.