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WITH A SIGH, FILLED WITH both relief and reluctance, Lucy marked the end of the short break upon her entrance to school. Her backpack was crammed with neatly completed homework, her long hair was tied up and her posture was determined. She was working hard, studying every night continually. She was going to do well.
She decided this would be her mantra for what was left of the school year. She wanted so badly for her scores to reflect her work, and she was desperate to make her mom proud. But despite the strong tide of motivation, the girl, internally, was riddled with anxiety. Her finals, the SATs and everything else was rapidly approaching, and there was still so much work to do.
Despite this, a smile was on her face as she approached her locker. Her belongings were already neatly arranged inside, to her relief, and she wasted no time in slugging off her ridiculously heavy backpack. Rolling her shoulders of kinks, her eyes briefly flashed to her phone, noting she had five minutes before her US History class. Her smile tightened.
Just as she began walking away, rowdy voices erupted down the busy hallway, and all around her, heads turned. She wasn't surprised to see the jun – wolf boys – shoving each other and prancing down the hall in their typical unruly swagger. It was a credit to her (and her adaptive mind) that she didn't feel even a beat of shock upon seeing Quil in between them.
It wasn't the entire pack, just Quil and his forgiven best friends. But their dominating presence and large figures commanded the attention of everyone present, even the hurried teachers. For a second, she watched them, noting the lightness in her cousin's face, and the elated grin on his lips. Her own mouth tugged upwards slightly, before she rolled her eyes and strode past them.
"Hey Luce!" Quil greeted as she passed. He had stayed at Jacob's the night previously – something about a project due the next morning – but had been running 'patrols' before that. She hadn't seen him in a while.
"Hey," She returned, flashing him a small smile. It faded slightly as she beheld the other two, but she pushed onwards, forcing herself to get through this. "Hey." She addressed the two males coolly.
The three of them instantly looked startled but hastily recovered. Quil shot her a look, eyes happy, and she felt better. However, as she glanced back at them, her feet shifted uncomfortably.
"Hey," Jacob responded casually, and there was a beat of silence before he nudged the silent male beside him in a harsh jab.
Embry snapped to attention. "Hey – hello!"
Eyebrow raised at the awkward response, she settled with a small, bemused smile, and continued to her US History class. Seconds later, laughter erupted behind her, and she dimly heard groaning. Her lips twitched into a more genuine tilt.
