Strangers▪ Matei Covaci imagine

Thirteen

Aria and I meet Dani after the final lesson and we make our way down to the sports hall. It's an area of the school I generally avoid; just because wolfbloods are athletically superior to humans doesn't mean I find exercise enjoyable. Besides, it reeks of feet. 

Benches are set up in a square, with a mat in the middle. It's already pretty full, yet the three of us squeeze into a place Hannah has reserved for us on one of the front row benches. I settle down between Aria and Dani, drowning out their babbling as I try to trace the scent of four other wolfbloods in the room. After a while, I spot Matei, Emilia and TJ sat in the second row on the opposite side of the mat. That's three, but who's the fourth?

"Hey," Aria nudges me, pulling me back into reality "have you ever seen a taekwondo match before?"

I shake my head. "No, never. I didn't realise it was such a popular sport" I say, looking around at the lively crowd.

"Well, it is here" Dani explains "We've got two of the best taekwondo players here. Every year they both get to the qualifiers final, so there's a massive rivalry between them."

"Who won last year?" I ask.

"Hannah" Dani answeres, pulling up a video on her phone, "This is the final from last year..."

As I watch the video, something about the opponent sparks a feeling of familiarity.

"Who's that?" I ask, trying to sound casual. I point at the girl being knocked down by Hannah, and Dani pauses the video.

"Selina. Selina Khan." She answeres. "She hangs out with TJ and his weird friends, those Covaci siblings. I think she and TJ used to have...a thing"

Suddenly, something clicks in my brain: the girl I saw earlier with TJ, the girl in the video. The unidentified fourth wolfblood.

As if on cue, I see Hannah emerge from the crowd, followed by Selina. They're both dressed in white doboks, and receive a loud welcoming from the mass of students. I watch Selina as she goes to her corner, waving at the three wolfbloods cheering her on. I can't help but think that this match is unfair. Wolfbloods are significantly more athletic than humans, as well as having faster reactions. I guess Hannah must be really fucking good if she beat Selina last year.

Hannah comes over to us and we each give her a good-luck hug. It's cheesy but I'm happily overwhelmed with how quickly these girls have absorbed me into their group. Dani holds out her phone, ready to film the match. 

"Go Hannah!" She yells, accompanied by Aria's whoops and cheers. Without realising I join in, cheering on a girl I've only known for a couple of weeks. I'm not even thinking about Matei, or what kind of message this is sending to him. At this moment, I'm just enjoying being happy.

----------- 1 hour later -----------

I watch my breath leave my mouth, passing through the chain wire fence and into the adjoining field. The sinking sun pierces it, turning it a coral orange which matches the darkening sky. I haven't been back to this part of the school since Matei brought me here. I could never persuade Aria and Hannah to leave their bench on the other side of campus. Besides, during school time it's full of smokers hiding from the CCTV cameras. Whether it's the memories attached to it or just the general scenery, there's something incredibly calming about sitting on the long grass, fingers hooked on the cool metal, gazing out onto the empty field.

I'm so zoned out I don't even sense Matei approach until he taps me on the shoulder.

"Back again?" He asks. I look up at him wearily, unaware of where we stand after this morning. However, he puts my worries at rest when he sits down beside me, sporting one of his adorable smiles.

"I'm just taking a break from the others," I explain "I know they mean well...but, I don't know, sometimes it's a bit overwhelming..."

"Make sure you send my congratulations to Hannah." Matei says sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah I'm sure she's very eager to hear from you," I say with a laugh, returning the sarcasm. He laughs too, but it's uneasy. An awkward silence follows, and I feel the need to address something that's been playing on my mind since the match.

"Its impressive, isn't it? Given the circumstances..." I can sense Matei's confusion, and I dare not look him in the eye.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Selina's a wolfblood, Matei. You and I both know she could have easily won that match. But she didn't. How come?"

"She doesn't use her powers, y/n," Matei answers as if I had asked the most obvious question in the world.

I turn and see that he is looking me directly in the eye, his chiselled face expressionless. "How do you know?"

"Because otherwise, she would win. Selina's been obsessed with taekwondo as long as I've known her, it means everything to her. And she might be competitive, but she's also fair. As much as Selina wants to win, she would never cheat or play dirty. She wants to win fair and square."

I nod slowly, processing everything Matei just said. "I understand. It's difficult, having the abilities we have. I can't imagine life without them, but sometimes I wish I didn't have them at all. It's sort of... a privilege and a burden at the same time."

"It doesn't have to be that difficult." Matei insists. He edges closer and, yet again, I can't help but gaze into the eyes that promise nothing but reassurance. "Why don't you join me and the others? We're all wolfbloods, you wouldn't have to try to fit in. You already know Emilia, and I'm sure Selina would love to get to know you."

"And TJ? I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"...of course..." Matei says hesitantly. 

I can't resist laughing at this. "Please, don't lie, Matei.  I know he can't stand me."

Despite my clear reluctance, Matei shifts even closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. Immediately it takes me back to Friday night, and the way I felt when completely captivated by his company. "Only because he doesn't know you. If you just talked to him, I'm sure he'd realise what a... good person you are"

I don't say anything, mainly because I've lost the power of speech. After a moment, Matei pulls a notepad and pen from his bag. I watch him scribble something down and tear off the corner of a page. He hands it to me and I silently take it.

"Here. If you change your mind, text me. We're going up to the ruins tonight. You should come. I want you to come."

I look down at the scrap of paper. It's his number.

"I'll think about it" I manage to say, clumsily shoving the paper into the pocket of my bomber jacket. "Um, I should probably go. Bye."

I stand up (slightly too quickly) and get away as fast as my shaky legs can manage. Why am I like this? More importantly, what on earth am I going to do now?