:PROLOUGE:

The first day of school was the second worst day of my life next to when my father died after letting all his emotions spill out at my feet. Mrs. Dean was my English teacher and a real nut job let me tell you.

"Ok class looks like we have a new student! How about a round of applause!? And remember, we all had a scary first day of school too! so be extra nice" Mrs. Dean hopped up and down and clapped her hands faster then the speed of light. The class joined her and clapped for me then one of them coughed and said "Loser."

"Please share with the class your name and why you're here plus two exciting things that happened to you over the last year." She took a seat at her desk and got out a pen and piece of paper that I guess she was going to use to write down the things I was about to say. Talk about jeepers creepers.

I sighed and stood up to face the classroom which was smell yet very well lit with windows on the right side of the room. "Front of the room sweetie. Let us see your beautiful face!" I sighed again and walked backwards so I was in front of the giant chalkboard. I hoped this was eleventh grade English and not Kindergarten Social Studies where we learn how to interact with our peers by clapping and complimenting our beautiful looks.

"Hi I'm Austria Westly"

"Let's hear your middle name too!" She said brightly. She reminded me a lot of Effie from The Hunger Games which was one of the books I got to read at my other school back in Brooklyn. At least she didn't look anything like the crazy woman but if she did I would be halfway to Canada by now.

"AUSTRIA SUDAN WESTLY" I screamed and the entire class cracked up in laughter and I didn't know if it was from my lack of respect or the retarded name I burdened. "My parents were drunk when they named me" They started chuckling again and that's when I noticed a familiar boy sitting in the front of the class with his eyes draped by a sweatshirt. Hunter, he was smiling brightly at me and I sure hoped he forgot everything that happened that one night not to long ago. Yeah, that one night when he and Don almost murdered each other and then Hunter almost got squashed by a purple dragon.

"So uh…what was the next question?" I asked Mrs. Dean who was smiling at me with curiosity.

"Tell us why you're here and two experiences you had over the past year" she cocked her head and grinned, revealing tons of dimples and wrinkles in her cheeks.

"Well I'm here because…well let's just face it life sucks. I ran away from home and I am now residing here with my…Aunt April" I smiled, satisfied with the lie. "Two exciting things, well, where do I start? I know Hunter." I gestured to the muscular kid "I found him looking at dresses in Gilly Hicks" The class started cracking up for the third time and I heard our teacher mumble "Looks like we got another clown"

Hunter was a popular kid because everybody slapped him and the shoulder and praised him. "What can I say? I'm a real drag queen and those dresses were…" He slapped his cheeks with his palms and fluttered his eyes "Gorgeous!" I even had to laugh at that as he raised his pitch on the last word.

"Class! Let Austria Sudan Westly speak" She commanded. I looked at Hunter with a crazed expression and one girl yelled "She does that!"

"Something else, something else…" I tapped my toe on the ground and rubbed my chin. "I met the most amazing person in my life" I didn't notice but my tone got all serious. "He saved my life actually, multiple times! It's weird though, most people never would have guessed a guy like him would be capable of so much. He has so many emotions and feelings but he expresses them in such a way that when he does show them, he never hurts anyone."

The class seemed to be enwrapped in my words as if they all know what that feeling was like but in reality, they had no frickin idea.

"Is he like your prince charming?" One girl asked with pig tails and glasses

"Sort of. Except I'm not allowed to see him" I frowned

Leo was furious that night we got home from the hospital and "Grounded" me from seeing Donatello except on the weekends. He said "I was a bad influence" but c'mon, he was jealous that I chose the least likely of them. Or so he thought.

"We all have that prince or princess charming. That someone that lights the fire in our hearts and when it's out from all the misery we go through, sparks it again with a simple touch or smile. He's out there girls, she's out there guys. Go find them. It might do you some good" The class clapped for me and I took my seat which I now realized was next to Hunter.

"You're pretty good with words sis." I'm pretty sure he just friend zoned me. Not that we were ever anything but. "By the way, I remember that night. You got me obsessed with finding those creatures. I never knew anything like them existed and you know they best part? You can help me find them. They were protecting you weren't they?"

I swallowed hard and couldn't speak until my throat stopped shaking. My hands turned into sweat waterfalls as I clenched the bottom of my shirt for stability. "What are you talking about?"

"C'mon Austria you know what I'm talking about. Who were those guys?" He asked

I had to ignore him in fear of giving away my friends identity. Apparently Leo didn't punch him hard enough.

Update: Sequel is up! The Prodigal Daughter