Don't Hold Your Breath

February 3rd was just supposed to be another day in my normal hellhole of a life for me.

It wasn't.

That day, I woke up to the sound of my brother pounding on the door of my bedroom. "Alyssa, get your skinny ass outta bed. We're hungry!" he demanded, referring to himself and his best friend, Jason. 

I groaned and sat up. "Make it yourself!" I hollered through the door, pulling my dark messy hair into a ponytail. I knoew he wouldn't, but at least it gave me about five seconds to get up before Jake, my brother, stormed in. 

"Don't talk to me like that, bitch. Get up and make me something, I'm gonna be late for school!" he yelled. 

"Fine, I'll be down in three minutes!" I gave in. 

"Two, and hurry up!" he yelled with a final kick to the door before storming off downstairs. I quickly dashed over to my measly closet and pulled out a solid white tshirt, baggy grey sweatpants, and my prized Uggs. I changed in a flash then pulled a solid black hoodie on, then topped my messy hair with a headband. I grabbed my sagging backpack as I dashed out the door and downstairs to the kitchen, where Jake and Jason were impatiently waiting. 

"What took you so long? Trying to look hot for a guy? Cause let me tell you, no one's gonna look at you, except to tell you to move your skinny ass," Jake taunted as Jason laughed and sneered.  My brother, everyone. Future beta of the pack. Isn't he exceptional? Note the sarcasm. And don't forget Jason, future alpha. I was seriously worried for the fate of our pack if this was who it was going to. 

"Sorry, I was up late," I muttered, avoiding eye contact, but Jake wasn't even listening. I began to get out plates and coffee mugs while listening into Jake and Jason's conversation. 

"You gonna meet your mate today?" Jake asked. 

"Yeah, I guess. Hope it's a hot one," Jason shrugged. 

"If she's your mate, she has gotta be hot. I'm thinking Amanda or Stacey, you?" Jake replied. 

"Yeah, probably. Amanda, I hope, she's less dumb," Jason answered, referring to two cheerleaders at our high school. 

"When will you know?" Jake asked.

"When I get there- nine, I guess. No sooner, even if I've met her before," Jason said, closing the conversation. I dumped eggs and french toast onto two plates and slid them onto the counter. The two of them started to gobble up the fresh food without so much as a thank you, but I was used to it. I quietly made my way out the door and started the walk to school. I never dared to ride with my brother- after all, it was a little known fact that we were actually related. God forbid that anyone figure it out either. After trekking four blocks, and with two left to go, I saw my brother's precious black SUV jett by without a single honk or yell. This was normal, though. My brother was actually embarrased to know me, school loser. Seriously. I was a shame to the family name, or so I've been told hundreds of times by Jake. And a shame to the pack too, according to Jason. Those two had turned the whole school against me and made my life hell on earth. I couldn't wait until the day I could renounce the pack and move far away, to a big city where they'd never find me. 

I finally arrived at school five minutes early. I wove through the crowd wordlessly, no one calling out a "Hey, Alyssa!" or "Alyssa, how was your weekend?" Just another day in the life of the Washington High loser. I noticed a crowd growing in front of the main hall. Jason must be finding his mate. Sure enough, there he was, surrounded by students. His dark hair was messed up just right, and his tan skin stretched over musceles that were the product of being captain of the football team. Jason scanned the crowd, searching for his soulmate. He looked into the eyes of each hopeful girl, but didn't seem to see her.