"Up at night I'm awake cause it haunts me

That I never got to say what I wanted

I'm not the same as I was with you

I would jump out my skin just to get you

How could you have ever know

If I never let it show?

Now I just want to know, are you?"

--

I looked up to see Mom standing there with an innocent look and puppy eyes.

Uh oh.

"No mom," I shook my head. "You can't bribe me with food this time." I told her, putting my fork down.

"But Oli-" she whined- my mom literally whined-placing the fork back in my plate.

I narrowed my eyes at the fork but kept eating because- FOOD IS GRACIOUS AND FOOD DID NOTHING WRONG. FOOD CAN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, IT'S HOLY.

She smiled triumphantly and a spark ignited behind her eyes. Uh oh.

"Nuh huh," I told her, shaking my head. "I am not agreeing on becoming Nicholas' date again. He's a total Freak with a capital F! Last time we went for movies and he accidentally groped my ass!" I said, air quoting the word- accidentally.

Mom gave me a weirded out look. "It was probably dark?..."

"Oh please mom. Just because he's Claudia's son, doesn't mean he can be a complete douchebag." I rolled my eyes.

Claudia is Mom's best friend. And a genuinely nice person.

...with questionable parenting skills apparently.

"Whatever," she brushed the topic off. "We are not talking about that. I am not asking you to go out with him."

My eyebrows shot up again. I am getting a lot of surprises today.

"You remember that your father has gone out of the pack to help another pack heal a few patients?"

I nodded my head.

"Yeah," she continued, "So he is saying that there are a few patients there who aren't only physically damaged. They are suffering through psychological truama as well. He wants me to come and join him. So that I can counsel them and we can work together."

I opened my mouth to argue that he could ask any other psychologist but she stopped me.

"I haven't been working for a while, I want to do this too. I want to revive me career." She looked down at her hands and fiddled with her fingers. "I can't live like this anymore."

Mom left her job years ago. The reason is unknown to me, but she did. And I know that she has never been completely happy ever since. Her job gave her happiness. She is a psychologist who couseled for the army. And in the pack, she was our pack counselor too. She was always busy, yet so happy.

She always taught me that if you are living through a sad part of your life, and you don't know what to do anymore, you should resort to helping others. Because when you help others, you start realizing how much you have in your life and you value everything so much more. You feel good about yourself. And everything gets okay before you even know it.

I took her hands and caressed them in a comforting gesture.

"I understand, mommy." I said and kissed her cheek.

She smiled at me and her eyes glistened with happiness and pride.

If she's happy- then I am happy for her.

Only one thing...

"Where will I be staying?" I asked her, eating again.

"Oh," she said, cleaning the cabinet. "You'll be staying in the pack house for a while. Your father talked to the alpha."

I shrugged and swallowed my food. "Fine by me," I muttered.

I was standing at my locker, fixing it- I feel like I am always standing at my locker trying to organize it but this motherfucker isn't ready to get organized.

I shake my head. Story of my life.

"Boo." A voice said behind me making me jump a mile in the air.

"Aaaaaaarrghhhhhh!" I screamed. Scared out of my wits.

I turned around to see my best friend since diaper days giggling at me.

"Kat!" I exclaimed. We both squealed and she gave me a hug.

And by a hug I mean- she literally jumped on me- legs and hands included and wrapped herself around me like a burrito.

"I MISSED YOUUUUU!!" She exclaimed, squishing me in her arms

I coughed as it became hard for me to be breathe. "C-can't br-breathe," I choked.

She chuckled and finally let me go. But not before squeezing me one last time.

I always wonder how she manages to be so strong when she's so tiny. She's literally like a ball of energy. Always shaking with enthusiasm and activeness.

"You literally saw me 4 days ago," I told her dryly, still grinning. I could be teasing her- but that doesn't change that face that I missed her and freaking happy she's here now.

"Your point is?" She said and began operating her own locker which was not far from mine.

Her Latina accent was strong as ever and I loved it.

I am kind of jealous of how she has a beautiful accent with a golden tan, when I am here with boring American accent and pasty white skin.

"I thought it'll take you longer to come back." I said, honestly, closing my locker.

"I did too." She said. "But grandma got well soon."

I smiled at her. "That's a good thing."

She nodded and we walked together to chemistry class. Me, Katherine and Andrew had it together.

"So..." She started awkwardly and looked down at her feet with an apologetic expression. "I am sorry for not being able to come to your birthday. I am the worst best friend ever! I remember getting ready when dad dashed inside my room saying that Grandma's pack had been attacked and we have to go to take care of her."

Yeah. You heard it right. Katherine is a werewolf too. A high rank to be precise.

Her father is one of our best pack warriors and she hence, lives in the pack house with other high rankers. He is so powerful that when our Delta (4th in command) turned rogue, he was offered the position. But he declined and is the head of the warriors now.

"It's okay, Kat." I smiled at her and gave her a side hug. It's not like it was a good birthday anyways.

"But still," she whispered and placed her head over my shoulder while walking. "It was your 18th- we were supposed to get drunk and wasted. We were supposed to get each other do a pole dance in the middle of horny teenagers. And then we were supposed to wake up next day with naked strangers and call each other in panic. We were supposed to have fun, Oli. We missed it."

I chuckled, but it was forced and sad.

Being with Kat again made me realize how much these 3-4 days changed me and I don't think I'll ever be able to tell her how much pain I was in.

I don't think she'll understand.

But I hope she'll try.

"Oli?" Kat asked, waving her hands in front of my face and I snapped out of it.

"Huh?" I asked.

She frowned. "Where have you been? I asked you if I can come over today. We have a lot to talk about!"

I nodded absentmindedly before remembering that I won't go home today.

"You don't have to come." I told her. "I am coming to the pack house anyways. Mom and dad are out for work and I will be staying in the pack house in that time."

Her eyes widened in realization and she nodded. "Ohhh."

I nodded too but her next words made me freeze on the spot.

"That's good, Oli. Infact, it is great. You hardly ever come to the pack house anyways. It would be good with you there. We'll gawk at that hot Alpha- beta pair together," she squealed but I didn't feel like sharing her excitement.

I wanted to die. Literally.

Oh god.

How had I forgotten that Chance will be there too? How will I survive?

Chance and me. In the same house. For a few days. Oh moon goddess. What are trying to do?

The rest of the day in school went okay. And by okay I mean that Katherine constantly gushed about how much fun we'll have at the pack house and Chance ignored me like a plague.

Yeah, you heard it right. He ignored me like I was some sort of a rabid street dog.

In the classes we had together, he made sure to sit as far to me as possible. In the cafeteria, his entire clique went to eat outside because apparently they weren't 'feeling like it'. And the last period— which was the biology lab and he and I are seated pretty close— he decided to completely skip the class all together.

I don't understand him to be honest. I wonder if he's suffering from some some sort of a bipolar disease.

Because like, BITCH MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND!

Yesterday he was basically begging me for another chance and now today he is acting like a douche again.

Ugh.

I hate him.

"Calm down, Kat. Otherwise we'll end up wrapped around a tree in no time." I chuckled.

"Oh shut up!" Katherine giggled excitedly as she continued jumping up and down on the driver's seat over some Taylor Swift song.

She's the biggest Swiftie I know. Infact, she might be biggest one in this whole damn planet.

"You should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way to you

You talk

You talk

And

You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong

Too strong..."

Yeah. She's the girl who sings the chorus too.

"AND YOU'RE SO GORGEOUUUSSS, I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING TO YOUR FACE. CAUSE LOOOK AT YOUR FACE!"

"Are you on drugs?" I asked, trying to keep a straight face.

She gave me a side ways glance before reaching out to punch my shoulder playfully.

"Shut up," she mumbled, trying to sound stern. But the goofy smile on her face gave it all away.

We were currently driving to the pack house. My car was parked in the school and my luggage has been delivered directly to the pack house by mom after she packed it.

"If you got a girlfriend I am jealous of her

But if you're single that's honestly worse

Cause' you're so gorgeous it actually hurts

Honey it hurts.

Ocean blue eyes

Looking in mine

I feel like I might

Sink and drown and die- ie- ie!"

You and me both Taylor. I thought, you and me both.

I looked out of the car window and watched as the trees and buildings flew by. I hoped that these few upcoming days in the pack house will pass peacefully and without any drama.

Then why did I have a feeling of being very wrong?

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