Twisting Fate

2. First Day Ends

The bell rang soon after that, and I packed up my stuff and raced out of the room. I made my way to my next class, Science, and was able to get through the next two classes without incident. Probably because Lucille and Charles weren't in those classes with me, which I was eternally grateful for. My luck didn't hold, because as soon as I walked into the gym after changing, I saw Charles stretching with the boys. I didn't see Lucille though, so just maybe I'd be ok. Two seconds later, lady luck kicked me in the shins as Taylor, the red head who bumped into me outside of class, sat with Lucille and Charles. As she passed by me, she glared and gave me a snarl. However, the coach was already in the gym and stopped her from starting anything. For now.

The coach blew her whistle and everyone stopped talking at once. "Alright, my name is Coach Waters. If this is your first year here, know that I don't allow for slackers in this class. I expect you to put forth your best effort, and I'll know if you don't. I have my class set up so that for two weeks, we focus on one type of work out. We have two weeks of stretches and stamina, followed by two weeks of body building. After the first four weeks, we will have a Monday Run Day every week, and a Wednesday Build It day in the weight room. Friday's are up in the air and depends on how I feel if we do something a bit fun. You will learn to stretch as soon as you get out of the locker rooms, as I don't waste a lot of time on that alone. You will want to stretch before we begin, so get here fast, get changed and get to stretching. Dawdle in the hallway and you will end up cramping before the class is done. Understood?" The class gave a resounding "yes ma'am" and we began following her instruction's on stretching. After fifteen minutes, we moved onto running, and she taught us how to hold our arms and how to breathe for a more efficient run. By the end of the class, I needed a shower but was too scared to miss lunch for that. So as soon as we were dismissed for changing, I used a few cleaning wipes from my bag and changed back into my clothes. I figured I could eat lunch, and if I had time left I would go and get cleaned up a little better.

As I threw my pack onto my shoulder and started out, Taylor blocked my way. "And just where do you think you're going?" She asked me menacingly.

"To lunch." Was my short, curt reply.

"Not before we introduce ourselves." Taylor said, smirking, as two other girls came up behind her. One of them was one of the girls that was sitting with Lucille in writing class this morning. She was short, petite, and had sandy blond hair cut in a pixy style. I would have said she was pretty and maybe even cute if it wasn't for the scowl on her face. "I'm Taylor Stallard, the future alphas mate," she said proudly, pointing to herself, "this is Tracey Madden, the betas mate. I'd watch yourself if I were you. My friend Lucy did not enjoy the disrespect you showed her earlier, and neither did my future mate."

"Sure, I'll never talk to her, or you, ever again. Scouts honor, promise. Can I go to lunch now?" I questioned. I was kind of proud how non-sarcastic I thought I sounded. She acted like I'd want to go and hang out with them.

Her face morphed into one of anger and disgust. "I wasn't inviting you to talk to us. However, when you have to, it better be with the utmost respect. Are we clear?" She asked.

Don't fight, don't punch her, don't do it, no matter how tempting, I told myself. However, what I said was, "crystal.  I'll avoid talking to y'all, as I can tell you disapprove. May I go now? I'm hungry?" I tried to phrase it as a question, thinking if she though I was asking permission, it may pet her ego enough to let me go. I was right, for as soon as the question left my lips, she smiled smugly.

"Of corse. Enjoy your lunch, rogue." She walked out the gym doors, probably on her way to lunch as well, and I found my appetite had dwindled. The way she said rogue, it was like the word alone disgusted her. It had, however, reminded me of one thing: ninety percent of the cafeteria population would be pack wolves and that made me severely unrepresented and unwanted. I walked out of the gym, my backpack in one hand and lunch in the other. I decided to eat out under a big oak tree that was between the gym and cafeteria. I enjoyed the warm weather and the breeze that blew by.

Before I knew it, the bell rang and it was time for the afternoon classes. Everything went smoothly, no incidents between the teachers or students, no rude comments or "accidental" bumps and pushes. I still got the looks, the glares and curious glances, but I could handle that.

Soon enough, it was time to go home. I waited for Evelynn at the front of the school, anxiously scanning the crowd flooding from all directions for her. We were supposed to walk home together, and I wanted to see how her first day went.

Three minutes later, I saw her coming out of the front of the school, talking animatedly with a boy with sandy colored hair. He was bobbing his head to whatever she had said, and was smiling too. I watched Evelynn begin walking on the rout home, noticing with a touch of amusement laced with jealousy that she never even looked for me. I didn't mind, glad she had already made a friend, but it stung that she didn't at least look for me and wave. I glanced around the crowd again as the hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and my wolf felt on edge. Not seeing anything except the same looks I had received all day, I took it for nothing and began walking home.

After the "how was your first day of school" interrogation dinner, Evelynn and I retired to our rooms. She followed me to mine first, and sat on the edge of my bed while I stripped to the bare necessities and chose my outfit for the next day. We talked about the little things, fashion, or our idea of it anyway, not the skanky crap the girls even in her year were wearing like a second skin, bath and skin care products, makeup, typical girly stuff. It wasn't until she asked if there was anyone I liked in school that my ears perked up a bit.

"I've been at the school for one day. And not a great one at that. I told you how the girls were today. And that puffed up Alpha." I sigh exasperatedly and roll me eyes to the ceiling. I'd told my parents about it all, not wanting to hide it only to have the alpha that permitted us to come here come down on us as a family. They had told me not to worry, and had even praised me for not starting any fights and for backing down. Both of them knew how much of a temper I could have, maybe not with my family, but with others. Let's just say there was a certain boy three years back who didn't understand the word "no", and whose nose would never be the same again. I took a simple blue dress out, held it against me, and turned in silence to ask her opinion.

"Nah, it too girlie for you... wear that when you've settled here and got a few girlfriends... and yeah, I guess I can see how you didn't make any friends today." She paused, scrunching up her face in concentration. "What about that girl, the human one, who advised you about your strict teacher? She could be a friend." Evelynn said, swinging her short legs from my bed.

"Maybe." I said, not giving a direct answer. I didn't really want a friend, had never really needed one till now. Sure, I'd made them with the group of human home schooled kids. It was hard not to, with the parents all milling around and never being out of sight. It kind of felt like I had to to fit in. It hadn't been bad, but I'd never really had any best friends, just people whose names I knew and would see from time to time. It was the same way I felt about being in a pack. Not necessary for any reason, other than to have other people around you and be bossed around by a hierarchy that was predetermined at birth. No thanks. I put the dress back and pulled out a shirt with a ruffed up owl on it. It read "rock paper scissors throat punch I WIN" on it. "What about this with the holey blue jeans, vans and a seriously messy bun?"

She smiled with laughter in her eyes and replied, "That fits your temperament at the moment, sure. But I think you need a friend, better than the friends we had in the HS group. I know you knew their names and you talked to them well enough, but you weren't really very friendly." Evelynn said thinking back.

I laid the clothes on my vanity table and chose the simple makeup I'd add the next day, laying it out as well. "Well, your power of observation is better than moms. She always asked how our friends were after those things. I'd tell her what I could remember them saying, then forget it by the next day." I sighed, hoping that question wouldn't be asked on the daily going to this school.

Evelynn shrugged. "I think she knew, she was just asking and hoping one day you'd actually be interested in the people you were talking to." She stood up as I walked into our connected bathroom to shower, effectively cutting off our conversation.

We didn't talk again that night, and as I had no homework thanks to it being the first day of the year, I took advantage of that fact by going to bed as soon as my shower was done.