Angry, Oblivious, Alpha

9 Tempt me

10 years old, Damien

Bored, I scribbled wild patterns on the tabletop. The loud chatter of my class filled the room and the smell of sandwiches filled the air.
Her loud laughter made me raise my head. Cass sat at her desk, a notebook open in front of her.
Lorelie and Jessy, our Beta-Wolf's daughter, leaned over it with interested expressions.

I narrowed my eyes and half rose from my chair. Colorful images of wolf breeds from around the world covered the pages of the magazine.
Next to it was a whole stack of stupid stickers that couldn't have been cheesier.
Cass put a pink and yellow sticker in the notebook and turned the page.
The shiny paper barely rustled, it had to be thick.

Lorelie selected the next sticker, Cass raised her head and smiled happily at her friend. The fluorescent light from the ceiling lamp shimmered in her eyes, making the otherwise warm brown appear cool.
She looked way too happy. Annoyed, I jutted my jaw, chair legs scraping against the worn floor as I stood up.
I headed towards Derik and Jayce, who were standing near the entrance chatting.

As I passed Cass's desk, I reached out, brushing the sparkling stickers to the floor as I went.
They spread out across half the classroom, fluttering.
"Hey!", the girls shouted indignantly, but I ignored them.
I joined my friends with a satisfied expression.

Clarisia

I looked at the reflection critically, frowning. Too much.
With a frustrated sigh, I collapsed onto my bed. The lipstick stuck disgustingly on my mouth and the hairspray, which I usually only used for parties, smelled artificial.
"Cass?", I heard Lorelie's voice through the door. "We're running late."
"I'm coming", I murmured.

I grabbed my backpack, slipped on the white sandals that I had picked out of the closet last night and stepped out into the hallway.
Lorelie's blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh", she managed.
"Let's go", I said shortly.
The thin material of my light blue dress clung to my upper body, swinging loosely around my knees as I walked down the stairs.
Derik, who was already halfway out the door, whistled through his teeth. "Man, how I missed those legs over the winter."

"Stop staring." I punched him hard in the shoulder.
"It won't be easy", he replied with a broad grin.
The morning was cool, with occasional wisps of mist caught in the branches of the forest.
"Don't you think it's too cold for a dress?", Lorelie asked doubtfully.
I shrugged and pressed my lips together tightly to hide the chattering of my teeth. "I can't wait any longer for summer."
"Me neither", Derik added with a suggestive grin, but Lorelie just frowned.

I rolled my eyes and pulled up my neckline, almost exposing the lace edge of my bra.
As I entered the classroom alongside my friends, I noticed the stares of my classmates.
With my head bowed, I headed for the tables next to Jayce and Brian, careful to leave a seat empty in between.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jayce turn in his chair to look at me.
"Would you like to go to the window?", I asked Lorelie as I hastily dropped my backpack on the table.

She shrugged her shoulders, noticeably quiet, but sat down.
I crossed my legs and ignored the goosebumps that spread across my body due to the cold.
My eyes fell on the empty space to my right and I tapped my feet impatiently.
If he didn't come to school today, I could have put on my warm clothes.
The electronic bell rang through the building, prompting Misses Suarez to begin class.

The door swung open and Damien burst into the room. His eyes fell on me and he froze.
"Good morning, Mister Lynch", Misses Suarez greeted him disapprovingly. "You are late. Once again."
"I overslept", he murmured.
His blue eyes slowly darkened, like a spring day during a thunderstorm.
I furrowed my brows and examined the grayish circles under his eyes.
He looked more like he had only slept a few hours.