Bound By Fate

Chapter 4: Its a Date

I was still riding the high from our presentation, but the moment I woke up the next morning, reality came crashing back in. The familiar weight settled on my chest. I took a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling, trying to remind myself to stay focused. Today was just another day. Another day to keep pretending.

I got dressed quickly, pulling on my usual jeans and hoodie. I had become a master at blending in, and I wasn’t about to let my guard slip now. Not when things were going well. Not when I had managed to go unnoticed for so long.

As I left my room, I could hear my parents talking in the kitchen. I avoided them as much as possible. They meant well, but they didn’t understand. They couldn’t. The pressure they put on me to “succeed” in an Alpha world only made things worse.

“Lina, are you leaving already?” my mom called out just as I grabbed my bag.

“Yeah, I’ve got to get to school early,” I replied, not turning around. I couldn’t handle another one of their pep talks about how I needed to work harder, be stronger, act more like an Alpha.

“Alright, have a good day, sweetie,” my dad chimed in.

I mumbled a quick goodbye and slipped out the door, relief washing over me the moment I was outside. The crisp morning air hit my face, helping clear my thoughts. I needed to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

The walk to school was uneventful, the streets still quiet in the early morning. But as I approached the gates, I could feel the shift. The hum of conversations, the loud laughter, the occasional shove as people jostled each other. Eldridge Academy was a different world, one that demanded constant vigilance.

The halls were starting to fill up by the time I reached my locker. I noticed a few familiar faces, nodding in acknowledgment but not stopping to talk. Keeping a low profile was essential. Besides, there was only one person I really wanted to see.

Just as I closed my locker, Kai appeared next to me, his usual easygoing grin in place. “Hey, Lina! Ready for another thrilling day?”

I laughed, feeling some of my tension ease. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good, because I was thinking we could brainstorm more ideas for our next project after school today. I’ve got a few concepts bouncing around, and I want to get your take on them.”

“Yeah, sure. That sounds great,” I replied, surprised at how much I was looking forward to it. Spending time with Kai was starting to feel like the one part of my day where I could almost relax.

“Awesome. I’ll meet you at the library after class?” he asked.

I nodded, and we parted ways for our first-period classes. The day passed in a blur of lectures and notes, my mind only half-focused on the lessons. I kept replaying our conversation from the day before, the ease with which Kai and I worked together, how he made everything feel less overwhelming.

But every time I let my guard down, that nagging feeling crept back in. I couldn’t afford to get too comfortable. No one could know the truth about me, especially not Kai. He treated me like any other Alpha, and I had to keep it that way. The consequences of being found out were too severe to even think about.

By the time the final bell rang, I was both exhausted and relieved. I gathered my things and headed to the library, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that had been lingering all day. When I arrived, Kai was already there, sitting at one of the back tables with his notebook open, scribbling something down.

“Hey,” I greeted as I sat down across from him.

“Hey, Lina. Check this out,” he said, sliding the notebook over to me. “I was thinking we could explore how Alpha and Omega dynamics affect leadership roles in modern society. You know, dive into how those roles shape who ends up in power and how it all ties back to outdated expectations.”

I skimmed over his notes, impressed by how much thought he’d put into it. “This is really good, Kai. I think we could take it even further and look at how people are breaking away from those traditional roles.”

“Exactly! That’s what I was thinking,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “We could interview some of the faculty, maybe even some of the students, get their perspectives on how they see those dynamics playing out.”

We spent the next hour bouncing ideas off each other, filling pages with notes and potential questions. I found myself getting lost in the excitement of the project, the way we were both so invested in challenging the status quo.

But even as we talked, I couldn’t help but notice the little things. The way Kai leaned in closer when he was particularly excited about an idea. The way his eyes sparkled when we were on the same wavelength. I had to remind myself, over and over, that this wasn’t anything more than friendship. He didn’t see me the way I saw him. He couldn’t.

As the conversation wound down, we both leaned back in our chairs, taking a break from the intense brainstorming session.

“You know,” Kai said after a pause, “I’m really glad we got paired up for this project. You’ve got some amazing ideas, Lina. You make me think about things in a way I haven’t before.”

I felt my cheeks flush, and I quickly looked away, hoping he didn’t notice. “Thanks. I guess I just see things differently sometimes.”

“Well, it’s a good thing,” he replied, giving me a warm smile. “Keeps me on my toes.”

We packed up our things, and as we walked out of the library, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was teetering on the edge of something dangerous. The more time I spent with Kai, the harder it became to keep my distance, to remember that there was a part of me he could never know about.

As we stepped outside into the cool evening air, Kai turned to me, his expression thoughtful. “Hey, Lina, I was wondering—do you want to grab some coffee or something tomorrow after school? We can take a break from all the work and just... hang out.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the suddenness of the invitation. “Oh, um, yeah. That sounds good.”

“Great,” he said, flashing me a grin. “It’s a date then.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words, even though I knew he didn’t mean it that way. He was just being friendly. Still, the thought of spending more time with him outside of school sent a thrill through me.

As we parted ways, I couldn’t help but replay the day in my head. Things were getting more complicated, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep up the facade. But for now, I just had to take it one step at a time. One day at a time.

I didn’t know where this thing with Kai was headed, but I couldn’t deny that I wanted to find out.