Sitting up, I look at myself in the mirror. My hair is a ragged mess from tossing and turning, and I can see slight bags under my eyes. My back feels okay, just a little tender, but nothing that can stop me from going to school. I shower and dress in jeans and a tight-fitting black shirt showing my muscular physique with my favourite pair of black sneakers. As I comb my hair back, it flings back into the shabby style, giving me the ruggedly handsome look instead of the sleek, pretty boy look I usually go for. I take my seat at the table for breakfast.
‘Magnus, darling, how is your back, dear?’ mother asks.
‘It’s fine. It wasn’t anything major, to begin with.’
‘I’m glad to hear,’ she smiles.
I see Nina down the other end of the table, talking to her parents while eating her breakfast. Josie is constantly looking between Nina and me. It’s time to go to school. Nina grabs her bag and races ahead of us. I want to catch up to her, but she is faster than me. We have an assembly this morning and make our way to the hall. I sit as close as I can to Nina. There are five students between us. Claire calls out to me, races over, and sits next to me.
‘Boo-boo, I’ve been looking for you all morning,’ she says and clings onto my arm and leans on me as the assembly starts. I can’t shake her off and cause a scene, so I sit there quietly.
Principal Conrad stands at the podium.
‘Good morning students, I would, first, like to remind you all that your rubbish goes in the bin and not on the ground. You should all know better by now. Second, I would like to welcome a new student joining our school today. I’m sure you will all make Moss feel very welcome.’
The school claps as Moss makes his way to the podium. He is almost as handsome as I am and has brown hair, but unlike my blue eyes, his are brown. You can tell he trains regularly. Although Moss isn’t as big as I am, he isn’t far off it. I can’t help but glare at him and decide I already dislike him.
‘Thank you, Principal Conrad. I look forward to meeting you all and feel very welcomed already,’ he smiles. Everyone claps except me; I watch as he walks away from the podium with his smug face. After ten more minutes of Principal Conrad talking, assembly ends.
Nina stares at Claire, still clinging onto my arm as we leave the hall.
‘We have the first-class together Boo-boo, let’s go,’ she smiles.
‘Great…,’ I say, lacking any enthusiasm.
Nina sits in her usual spot and avoids eye contact, completely ignoring Claire and me. Then things become even worse. Moss walks in with a big grin showing his sparkly white perfect teeth. I almost want to throw up looking at him. His smile pissed me off, and I secretly hoped I could one day knock that smug smile from his face with maybe a couple of teeth out along with it. He stares around the room at the vacant seats, and his face lights up even more like a sparkler on a birthday cake when he sees Nina sitting in the far corner with no one near her. He takes the seat right next to her and puts his hand out to shake hers.
‘Hey, I’m Moss. What’s a pretty girl like yourself doing alone in the corner here?’
Nina blushes and shakes his hand.
‘Oh, I’m Nina. I prefer to sit alone,’ she says.
‘Oh, would you like me to move? I didn’t mean to intrude in your space?’ he says sincerely.
‘Actually, some company might be nice for a change, and you’re new here anyway, so please make yourself comfortable,’ she smiles.
They chatted quietly and giggled together throughout class. The bell finally goes, and I’m happy they will part ways.
‘What subject do you have next? She asks him.
‘Visual Art,’
‘Me too,’ she says with happiness, ‘Let’s go together then.’ She smiles.
My heart sinks along with my gut. I’ve got English, so I’m stuck with Claire again, but at least Zak and Flint are in English. I try to think of who I know who has Visual Art.
‘I’ll meet you in English, Claire. I just got to stop by the men’s room,’
‘Okay, Boo-boo, don’t take too long now,’ she says, giving me a wink and blowing me a kiss. I try to hold the shudder as my body screams to release it. I rush down the corridor and find Paul just before entering Visual Art class.
‘Hey, Paul,’
‘Yo-Yo, what’s up, Magnus?’
‘Um, not much, I just have a favour to ask,’
‘Oh, ok,’
‘The new guy. I don’t know what it is about him, but I can just sense something isn’t right. Can you monitor Nina? I want to monitor her welfare around him. Being the future Alpha and all, it will be my duty to keep my pack safe, so why not now?’
‘Sure, Magnus, I’ll monitor both of them.’
‘Great, and Paul, don’t mention this to anyone, okay? It’s just between you and me. Got it?’
‘Got it,’ he nods.
I run back to English and sit in my seat between Claire and Zak, with Flint beside Zak. We have to write an essay; I struggle to concentrate. Instead, I think of Moss and Nina.
‘Everything okay, Boo-boo?’ Claire asks.
Zak and Flint snigger at her nickname she gave me. I elbow Zak hard enough he flies into Flint. It shuts them up from laughing at me.
‘Yup, fine, just struggling to concentrate is all.’
‘Oh, my Boo-boo, do you have a headache? I can finish the essay for you?’
‘Um yeah, it’s a headache… sure,’ I say, sliding my essay to her.’
I put my hand up.
‘Yes, Magnus?’
‘Um, I need to go to the men’s room,’
‘Okay, but be quick,’
‘Okay, Mrs Lofts,’
‘Oh, Boo-boo, you had just been to the men’s room. Is it the runs?’ she asks in front of the entire class.
I welcomed the hole that opened up and swallowed me whole yesterday to reappear and swallow me again.
‘No, I don’t have the runs, just be quiet, Claire,’ I growl and storm out of the room, heading straight to Visual Arts class. I duck down outside the window and peek in. Moss is leaning over Nina, helping her with her work. He sits back next to her and pushes her hair behind her ear. I let out a loud growl, and everyone turns their attention to the growling window. I duck down just in time and crawl away furiously. Claire smiles when she sees me return to class, but she frowns when she sees the anger across my face.
‘What’s wrong, Boo-boo?’
‘Nothing,’ I growl.
‘Well, if it’s nothing, why do you sound so grumpy and angry then?’
‘I’m not grumpy or angry.’ I take a subtle deep breath to calm myself down and think of Nina’s brown-doe-like eyes. ‘I didn’t sleep well last night, but now I know why.’
