The One You Feed

His Home Sweet Home

        September 6th, 2010 (14)

            “You shouldn’t be ashamed.” Mom tried telling me. “It’s not so bad once you think about it.”

            I buried my head in my mother’s shoulder, her thick hair falling into my face as I frown and complain. “It matters to me, mom. James cares and I care and so does everyone else.”

            I just found out that Jamie had been acting weird, not because of his dad, but because of a mystery that made my back tingle. It also made me feel crappy because I felt like I was a bad friend, not knowing what was up with him. So I did digging, NCIS helping me feel better, feeling as I were some over-dramatic, struggling detective.

My good mood faded when I uncovered something Leroy Jethro Gibbs couldn't handle.

            He was ashamed of me.

I asked my Were members, and they laughed at me, poking fun of my clueless state. SIlencing her friends, Jen stepped forward from the circle and told me it was because I was an Omega. She told me that my pack didn't love me in the way they were supposed to. I told Jamie, even after he had been mute to me, and he didn't do anything. He didn't get protective like he usually did when his Wolf or himself caught my emotions.

He sat there, staring blankly at his hands, like they did him wrong.

            That’s why I cried. Not because of the other Were freshmen pointing and laughing at me, only because I wasn’t hugging James and he wasn’t whispering things in my ear and kissing my temple.

            “Oh, syrup angel.” Mom sighed sadly and pets my long hair. “Being an Omega should be an honor. I don’t know why they made us pack slaves.” Her thick accent is beautiful and exotic, much more beautiful than mine. It’s rich and flows easily.

            I was shocked because I didn’t bother to think of how mom was treated.

            “Being an Omega, Maple, means you are kind and smart, and generous.” She pulled me from her shoulder and I was forced to look into her bright green eyes. They were full of intense sincerity. “An Omega is like being a mom, you love so much more fiercely and freely.”

            And, little did Maple know, the Fates were counting on that truth.

Present

Maple didn’t have much of a spine, she found out a few minutes after the lunch bell rang and teens began to pour from classes to get to the cafeteria. She was waiting by the door for Evan because that day, she would sit by him and Mike just like he promised. It’s often when Rich forced her to sit in the seat next to him, his arm around her as he flirts with girls over her head. But today she decided to have a fun period. Evan found her at her place and finally convinced her to skip.

Yes, skip. As in an illegal, irresponsible, completely insane verb in which you leave school in the middle of the day to do funner stuff, such as drugs, sex, clubbing, etc. Or just sleeping and getting away from the pressures of school and society, but illegal stuff sounded more juicy.

She supposed it wasn’t all that bad considering she didn’t want Evan to know that Mike wasn’t going to sit next to him because he was with the athletic Sheila in, ironically, the janitors closet where Mike marked Evan, and she also didn’t want to spend another lunch with Richard glaring at her every time she smiled at a text Funny Evan sent.

Now, as she huddled against Evan’s VW Bus –endearingly known as a Hippie Bus by the public- she wasn’t feeling so free. Maple was nervous a teacher would spy her and Evan, they could come out any moment and she would get in trouble by her father. And that is one thing she didn’t want. Maple glared at the boring, stout school where Hell itself slept, and held onto her backpack like a child holding a security blanket. She just wanted to be in the lunch room, picking at food surprisingly appealing for a school, and have Richard’s leg against hers and his warm lips feathering kisses against her temple.