"Can you finish this? I don't think it would be smart of me to finish the rest." She says holding up the joint.

Now I didn't want to get up but that dopey smile on her face is hard to deny.

I walk over and grab the joint and make my way back to my desk to finish it like she asked.

I can tell when it started to kick in for Josie because she started to ask questions openly.

"What did you mean when you said you were training to become the alpha earlier, did you fight Jed for it?"

"Oh right, do you remember Theo and Val?"

"Yeah, my dad used to tell us about the wolves and how great they were doing under their leadership."

"Well they had taken a liking to me and wanted me to take over after them."

"But I'm pretty sure it was Jed that came after them."

"He did. I didn't think I was ready, and Jed thought he was, so I practically handed the position to him."

"Do you still feel that way, not ready?"

"I honestly don't know. I talked to my mom tonight about this and she thinks I am. She said all the things I wanted to hear."

"You know if the people around you keep saying you are, why aren't you in that position?"

"See, the people saying that, they have expectations, what if I can't meet them?"

"So you're scared that you wont meet the expectations people have for you?"

"I guess."

"Cypress, that's insane. Everyone sees the improvements you make in that pack, and you're not even their alpha, that's impressive alone."

"Thank you but even if I feel ready, I am not fighting Jed to get there. He's a good leader too."

"Are you guys together?"

"What?" I say bringing my eyebrows together in confusion but I can't read her face because she's refusing to look in my direction.

"I just remember you not denying to Finch that he was your boyfriend and you seem to care a lot about not hurting him even if it means improving the pack."

"Um no, we're not. He's one of the only people who wasn't afraid to approach me with Penelope still intimidating people from another country. We became close and we smoked a lot together. That's why we are always in my room. Good to know you care about my love life though." I can't contain my smirk when saying that last part.

I usually let people think what they want but I wanted to explain myself to Josie even if there's no reason I had to.

But I had to tease her somehow.

It's too fun, because she can't contain any of her emotions from her face and right now her eyebrows are comically scrunched together. I start to genuinely smile when she lets out a scoff.

"Like you don't care about mine."

My smile drops.

"I see you looking over and not so subtly pointing your ear in our direction when we argued in the cafeteria."

I did do that, didn't I?

"You noticed that?

She starts giggling at first but then it turns into a full laugh that I haven't heard yet. It's not long until I am laughing too.

"You didn't think you were slick, did you?"

"I mean kinda, you never said anything."

"I am also very intrigued on how you know what my favorite candy is?" She says as she holds the sour patch watermelon's into the air.

I get up and walk over to the bed and lay down next to her. I gently take the candy and open it before handing it back to her, signaling that she should start eating.

"Oh this must be good." With a smirk on her face before grabbing a watermelon and eating it.

"Well the night Pen left, she had something to say before she moved. She asked if I could keep an eye on you, making sure that you're all good, especially after the whole black hair scary phase." She lets out a short laugh.

"So let me get this straight. You have been keeping an eye on me for over a year, Cypress? That's kinda creepy."

"I know it is, I told Pen that all the time, but I couldn't let her leave without agreeing." I rush out.

"If you didn't freak out so quickly I would have been able to say that it's also kind of sweet. I mean if you've been watching that long, what's the overall grade I received?

"You know I would give you an A in progress up until recently."

"And why only up until recently, Cypress?" She sounds like she's trying to bait me in with that smirk she's also wearing. I fall for it.

"Hmmmm, I don't know Josie, maybe a small dark vibed wolf that is also a bird." She laughs at way I describe the girl.

"Hey, I didn't know she'd try to take over the pack after two days of being here, if I had I would have told her not to."

I scoff at that.

"That's not what I am talking about Josie."

She looks very confused if her face is anything to go by.

"Josie she almost left you because of the Merge, and you pretty much had to explain your worth to her out of frustration, and after that took her back with no questions asked. You deserve better than that, you shouldn't have to explain your strengths to someone for them to realize OH maybe this person is the best I'll ever get, they should know that after spending two days with you, she should have realized she was lucky the second you gave her a chance at that school."

I was expecting the incoming anger, but as I turn over to look in her brown eyes, they are only filled with adoration.

"I didn't know you thought all of that."

I can't focus while looking into her eyes and turn back to face the ceiling.

"And you said that I wasn't a purple person." She laughs at that before it turns into a yawn.

"You tired?"

"Yeah, can we go to bed?"

"Of course." I turn off the music and get under the covers.

"Lights on or off?" I ask her, holding the small remote in my hand.

"Can you just dim them a bit?"

"Yeah." I dim them until there is a comfortable hue of purple in the room.

"Thank you for this Cypress, goodnight."

"Goodnight Josie."