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Chapter One: Meet Mr. Garner

"Charlene! Hurry up or we are going to be late!" Shouted my mom from downstairs while I was in my room getting ready for the first day of school.

I groan, trying but failing miserably to find the perfect fitting outfit for the day. Why is dressing up so hard? "I'll be down in a second!" I rasie my voice to respond, very much doubtful she can even hear me as I bounce back and forth between my closet and the full length mirror in my room. I apply the last bit of make-up, making sure I don't overdo it. I hastily brush my hair, attempting to smooth out the center parted back ponytail style. It takes a few moments for me to realise that I don't actually like the hairstyle and so I settle for a simple messy high top knot bun. I hear my mom complaining downstairs and hurriedly grab my backpack to join her for breakfast before she loses her mind.

I settled for a pair of faded blue jeans with a white tank top and a pair of black sandals. Dressing up for school has never been part of my morning routine, usually I just put on whatever I can get my hands on and am ready to go. I loved simple and easy, but now that I was getting a new start, I figured taking a few extra minutes to look decent was not really that detrimental.

"How long does it take for you to get ready?" Asked my mom, clearly frustrated and impatient.

"Sorry." I replied coolly, trying not to show just how not sorry I was. She just rolls her eyes at me in a motherly fashion and points to the appetizing breakfast she'd prepared for us. I join her by the kitchen island and we silently start eating our breakfast. The silence between us, I feel, is a little bitter sweet since dad passed. Breakfast used to be a bubbly and loud time of the day for our family, but a lot has changed and though it can be hard to get comfortable with the change, I know we are both doing our best. And right then, our best was to enjoy the well prepared bacon and poached eggs with toasted bread and the best coffee only my mother can brew.

After a couple of silent minutes, mom looks at me,"You look a bit shaky, are you nervous?" She asked, looking at me perceptibly.

"I guess I'm a bit nervous." I shrugged nonchalantly, trying to put her mind at ease. Last thing I want is for her to worry about me.

"You'll be fine." She assured me, "You'll get to meet new people, the school is quite big and the classes are normally bigger than what you're used to, so you will be alright. Just be open and friendly, who knows? If you're lucky you might even meet a few cute guys..."

I turned to her abruptly, "Mom!" I have no idea why I was flustered about the idea, it was not like I've never dated before.

"I'm just teasing, but be open to all possibilities." She smiles at me hopefully. Sometimes, I think my mother worries too much abut me. At that moment, I knew she was trying to evaluate my excitement to everything that was happening, but much as I was excited to start a new school and maybe make new friends, I was also aware of the possibility of being miserable if I didn't like the place.

I return the hopeful smile, nodding my head in response and I can see the almost relieved look on her face.

Most times, my mom and I barley speak to one another, but after my father's death, it was as if we had become complete strangers. She spoke only when necessary and hardly spent time with me. At first it was a bit strange but as time went on, I got used to it.

Eight months ago we were inseparable. On weekends, we'd go out and have a girls day, we'd laugh out loud and talk about everything and nothing. She was my bestest of all best friends and sometimes it's terribly heartbreaking to think about all the good memories we shared. Will we ever get it all back? Could we ever get it back?

I knew after dad passed that things were never gonna be the same again. It took my mom two months before she said a word to me and it didn't surprise me that it took her so long. Being mates with my father; losing him meant that my mom had lost a part of her. She was now incomplete and no one was ever going to fill that void. My heart broke with and for hers, but I was proud of how far we've come since that fateful loss.

We don't exchange anymore words for the rest of the time. It's not awkward or tense, just a longing kind of silence. Like dad could walk in any minute and we'll both squeal with joy and forget the nightmare that's become our lives.

Breakfast done, I tidy up the kitchen island while mom heads upstairs to get the rest of her stuff and get ready to leave.

Getting in the car, I was now starting to get overwhelmingly anxious and my nerves were getting the best of me. I have never switched schools before, so all this was new to me and I was definitely freaking out. We decided to move to Bellemont, in the most western part of South America. There were way too many memories back in Houghton, Michigan that haunted us. We could have easily moved to another remote state, but the cozy town of Bellemont was too charming for the both of us and when it came down to it, we couldn't say no to the mountainous and forestry scenery.

As mom started the car, I keep thinking about what I'm supposed to do when I get there. I'll have to play the part of a new girl and I had no idea how to even begin. She must have noticed how nervous I was because she offered me her hand and I held on to it tightly.

"Just relax and be yourself, you'll be fine." She smiled at me reassuringly, "First days are always the worst but try making friends and you'll be alright." She looked at me smiling a little wider. I just smiled back and stared outside the window, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. After fifteen minutes of a silent ride, the car came to a stop.

The school was already packed with students and the parking lot was congested which did not ease my rather accelerating anxiety. I took my bag from the back seat and looked at my mom for some sort of comfort. "I'll see you later?" I asked faking a smile to assure her that I was okay.

She nodded, "Try taking a cab back because I'm not sure when I'll be kicking off at work." I knew this was overwhelming for her as it was for me. After all, she was starting a new job as well. I nodded in response and opened the door. "And Charlene..." She called when I climbed out of the car. I turned to look at her through the window, "I love you."

"I love you too mom." Even though we don't talk as much, we keep reminding each other that our love persists through the silence. And right then, it was all I needed to carry me through the day. I waved her goodbye and strapped my hauled my backpack.

I looked around checking the place out. The school was absolutely stunning, everything about it was perfect. From the institutional look to the vast expanse of the green garden in the midst of all the buildings and a very noticeable fountain to finish off the look. It was as lovely as I had imagined. There were too many students, way more than I was used to. Back in Houghton, our senior class would have had only twenty five students, but here I will be a part of more than one hundred senior students.

"I'll be fine." I told myself inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm my nerves. The place was busy, students screaming at each other in excitement, some guys chanting the lame school anthem. It was a typical first day of an academic year. I had to admit, everything here was better than my previous school, for a second I could have sworn I was on the set of 90210. All the wealth surrounding me, the fancy clothes, the flashy cars; it was insane.

"Hi!" A voice distracted me from behind and if I didn't have my wolf senses, I would have been heftily startled. Turning around, my eyes were met by a tall blonde girl, smiling cheerfully at me. I didn't respond to her ever bubbly greeting, I just turned and looked at her passively thinking she might have confused me with somebody else.

"I'm Jessica. Welcome to Belle High. You must be new here, right?" She asked offering me her hand, which I shook silently, not saying anything. Friendly girl...was all I was thinking.

How is it that she was able to tell I was new?

That's when I noticed that she was wearing some sort of a uniform, 'Welcome Home', the top had the words plastered across her chest. Perhaps some sort of a welcome committee member, are there such committees in any school?

"Uhm... Are you going to tell me your name?" She asked looking at me, keeping her bright smile on.

"Oh, I'm Charlene. Call me Charlie, I prefer it." I replied starting to brighten up a bit. Her excitement was contagious somehow.

"Cool, you can call me Jess or Jessy, whichever one you like and whatever you need, I am-" She paused and turned to the rest of her team members who were also busy playing host to new students, "We are here for you!" She was really bubbly and giggly. I didn't know what else to say so I just looked at her.

"So you wanna go get your class schedule or something." She asked, clearly reading my rather confounded look.

"Oh yeah, I was just about to go to the administration building to get that and the school map." I remembered then that was the first task on my to-do list for the day.

"Let's go then. But you don't need the map, I'll be your map." She giggled and for the first time I just smiled at her. I usually find it hard telling whether a person likes me or not but I could definitely tell that Jess liked me.

"Okay." I shrugged simply, and she continued to giggle. She was really something.

We headed to the office and on our way Jess was showing me around and introducing me to some of her friends that we came across. The girl could talk. I thought I was a great listener, but within a few minutes that was refuted by spending time with Jess. She smiled at everyone we bumped into and she had a very cheerful personality. I also took note that she was very much popular. Almost every guy and girl knew her by name and since it was the first day of school, she was hugging and giving high fives to the entire student population. Maybe not the entire population, but still, it was a lot of people.

I told her to wait outside the office whilst I went inside to get my class schedule; worried that she might know every staff member in there and I was not in the mood to make myself visible to the entire admin staff. I just wanted to pick up my class schedule and leave the office.

I got back to find her chatting up another student. I showed her my class schedule and she immediately squealed excitedly and I assumed that meant we shared some classes.

"This is so cool! You have most of your classes at the same time as mine. Except for the last period, which is English." She said smiling happily, "We'd better go, you don't wanna be late for Chemistry." I swear she drooled a bit over the last word. I most certainly did not like Chemistry and she seemed excited for it.

Weird.

She took my hand and we hurried to our first class. As we hurried to the class, we passed by the rest of the welcome committee and they all cheered and wished me luck for the rest of the year.

Even though we were rushing to class, it seemed like Jess couldn't pass anyone without saying hi or at least offering them a hug or a high five. I most probably looked like an idiot grinning at everyone she entertained on our way. I was relieved when we finally entered the class. It was all loud and busy, until some of the students spotted me and the whole class fell silent. Some guys were whistling, which made me feel a bit self-conscious, but Jess seemed to flourish under the attention. We walked down the aisle to the only two vacant seats at the back.

"Stop it guys, make her feel welcomed." Jess chastised playfully some of the guys as we took our seats.

"I'm sure you're wondering why the back seats aren't occupied." She whispered to me once we took our seats. I was couped up in all the newness of the entire experience that I barely took note that most girls were lining up at the front of the class.

"Our Chemistry teacher is so hot and really, I think he's quite young."Jess elaborated, "He started working here last semester and-" Her fervent whispering was cut off by what I assumed to be the Chemistry teacher, calling the class to order. I started to fiddle with my bag, trying to find a notebook and my pencil case, when I felt someone staring at me. Wolf senses I'd like to call it. But this was not the typical sense of staring that I had been experiencing since I stepped inside the school's gates, this was more than that, but I couldn't really pin it down to what it was.

Awkward. Totally awkward. I hate being new.

"Morning guys," The teacher spoke and it was hard not to notice his really deep voice. "So first things first..." He sighed exasperatedly, probably annoyed at the few students still chatting. "Peter, Kayla, Veruschka..." He called a few students to order before continuing, "So today we have a new student with us." As he said the words, I stopped trying to find my pencil case and abruptly sat up straight, my eyes trained on Jess who was now grinning at me. My heart started hammering in my chest. I knew where this was going and I was not loving it.

"Miss Charlene Craig, could you please stand up and introduce yourself and tell us any five random things about yourself." I could feel all eyes on me now and if I had a choice I would have shifted right then and there and ran for the woods. "Excuse us Miss Craig, but we barely get any new students around here, so this calls for a party on our end. " He said jokingly, but I knew there was some truth to those words or at the least it seemed like it.

I stood up nervously, keeping my eyes trained on Jess and the green scenery outside the class. "I'm Charlene Craig. I'm 17 and will be 18 in four months, I'm an only child, I love drawing and painting. My mom and myself just moved from Houghton a few weeks back and, uhm, my favorite animal is a wolf." I finished shrugging the last part embarrassingly. Couldn't I have thought of some interesting things to share? I sat down, still keeping my eyes off of the front. I think I might have also lost my hearing, I couldn't even make out what I had just said.

I was so determined to not get shaken up by all the attention that I avoided making eye contact with anyone in the class but Jess.

"Very well, Miss Craig. I'm Mr. Garner, I'll be a very old age in two weeks, I am not an only child, I love Chemistry and I definitely dislike wolves." The girls chuckled and I noticed a few guys roll their eyes. I just smiled weakly, still looking down, embarrassed at how lame my little speech was. "The rest of these guys you'll get to meet throughout the year, most of which I'd recommend you stay away from. Very naughty." He joked again. His jokes were absolutely lame and yet the girls were throwing their heads back in laughter. Where did they pick up their humor sense? This guy was not funny on any level.

I was thankful when the conversation finally shifted to Chemistry, but I was bummed out from my earlier speech that I settled for drawing instead of paying attention to whatever Mr Chemistry teacher was saying. The class went by slowly, mainly because I wasn't interested in anything that was being said and partially because Mr whoever his name was, was busy giving big picture overview of what Chemistry is and why it is important. I honestly disliked chemistry, it was never my favorite subject and I found it boring and a bit complicated. Maybe it was only boring because it was complicated for me.

I was deeply buried in my drawing, that I didn't even notice Mr. Chemistry teacher walk to my side after a few minutes. He held out his hand in front of me and for a second I was a bit confused until I realised he wanted me to hand over my drawing book. I was a bit hesitant, until Jess nudged me.

Crap!

I looked at him pleadingly, not meeting his eyes directly, he was staring at the board and still talking while he waited. Non negotiable order...I handed him the book. He closed it and returned to the front of the class, placing it on his table. "Please see me after class Miss. Craig." He said and then continued with the lesson. I was grateful he didn't make a big fuss out of the incident. I pulled out another notebook from my bag and scribbled down whatever nonsense he was spelling.

"You cool?" Jess whispered to me.

"Uhm I just hate the subject, that's all." It wasn't a complete lie, but more than that, something else was making my inner animal uneasy. You'd think being a werewolf it would be easy to keep both sides of my being in control, but today or rather since I was embarrassed in front of the whole class minutes ago, the animal side was demanding dominance. I figured it was because she felt the need to prove herself or some lame excuse like that. But I was getting more restless by the minute and if I didn't leave this class, I might lose control and do the unthinkable.

I felt like a ton of weight had been lifted off my shoulders when the bell finally rang to signal end of class.Jess stood from her seat and turned to look at me, "I'll wait for you outside." She told me and I was a bit confused until I remembered Mr Chemistry wanted to have a chat with me. Damn.

"You forgot?" Jess asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, kinda. I'll be quick." I told her gathering my things from the table while she walked out with the rest of the class.

I gathered up the rest of my stuff and walked to the front of the class, waiting for Mr Lame jokes to finish doing whatever he was busy with on the projector. "So?" I asked him once the class had cleared and he turned to look at me. For the first time since I walked into his class, I stared straight into his eyes, daring him to give me detention for drawing in class. Surely that would be a bit of an exaggeration. My reasoning seemed to falter and all I could think as I looked into his eyes, was how incredibly alluring they were.

Electric blue eyes.

I could not believe it. It was like I could see into the depths of his soul and for a second I lost myself and my self-control. I might have growled, but the minute the sound left my throat, I covered it up by incessantly clearing my throat.

Shit! This cannot be happening!

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that question?" He smirked and wrapped his arms on his chest. I had totally forgotten I was at a new school and that he was my new teacher. Again, it felt like I was in this strange world where things were just unfolding right in front of me and I had no control over what was happening.

"I'm sorry?" My words came out as a question, though it was not intended. Goodness me, I was sweaty, palpitating and probably looked like an idiot.