1
“Miss. Brooke,” The loud mention of my name broke my reverie, startling me a bit.
Coming to my senses, my head lifted up to the source of the sound. Mrs. Avery’s striking blue eyes were staring straight at me with her hands crossed over her chest and her blond brows, which I am still unsure are natural or she had them dyed to match her locks, were angled upwards in what seemed like waiting for something.
My brows frowned in confusion. Did I miss anything?
Spontaneously, my eyes travelled inside the room only to find every single eye present in the room was trained in my direction. Who am I kidding? They were all obviously staring at me. All those stares at me had me anxious and I instantly averted my attention back to Mrs. Avery who was still waiting patiently.
“Yes, Mrs. Av...Avery ” I called back in an unsure tone.
“Miss. Brooke, care to share your thoughts with us?” She urged.
For a moment I was unable to understand what she meant. My brows further ceased in uncertainty.
“Or maybe show us what you have been writing with so much dedication?” She soon added, interrupting my mini-thought.
Her remark had my eyes dropped to the note in front of me. My page was filled with all kinds of random patterns and margins. When did this happen? I hadn’t even realized I had been mindlessly doodling during my lecture.
I bit the inside of my lips inwardly cursing myself. I tugged the hair falling on my face behind my ear before once again looking back at Mrs. Avery
“N-Nothing,” I answered with a mixture of embracement and annoyance at myself.
She let out a hum, slightly nodding her head in acknowledgement. Uncrossing her hand, she turned and walked to the high table and stood behind it. Her body leaned against it, her left hand grabbed the bevel of the table.
“So, as I understand it, are you saying you zoned out for the past fifteen minutes but weren’t thinking anything?”
“Yes?” I lied.
It sounded absurd to my own years. I was never good at lying. Her head bobbed once again and her lips formed a small pout. For forty-two years she looked very young.
I had almost let out a sigh of relief when she began pressing the key on her Macbook, getting an impression she was convinced by my lies. How wrong I was was proven by the next statement she made.
“I know you are eighteen now and probably excited to meet your mate, but hold your horse.”
The pin drop silence that had surrounded the room broke as the whole class erupted into laughter.
“It’s not like that,” I blurt out, offended.
“Are you sure because the lipstick you have been putting on for a week tells me otherwise?”
Another round of laughter. I shrunk back into the seat, wanting nothing other than to disappear into the thin air. Why does Mrs. Avery had to be so loud? She could have called me after the class and had a private conversation with me.
There was no need for her to humiliate me in front of so many people. I couldn’t help but feel anger towards Mrs. Avery, even though none of what she said was a lie.
I’ll never admit it loudly, but I wanted to look presentable when I met my mate. So, I had been applying some makeup, which included lipstick and a slight coat of mascara, since the day I turned eighteen, which was a week ago.
I wasn’t the one who normally cares about looks but how I look, but thought I might meet the one who was made for me. My other half. My mate whom I had been waiting anxiously for years; anywhere, anytime, brought a strange fear into me. Fear of not being good enough for him.
The last thing I want him to feel is I wasn’t pretty enough for him. I wasn’t bad looking. Instead, I was a fairly attractive girl, but I don’t know why I have been feeling so self-consciously lately.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. There was no point hiding anymore.
The class boomed for the third time. Mrs. Avery’s voice halted them. “Silence”
“I hope that you understand it was not my intention to humiliate you or embrace you. But zoning out in class is unacceptable, no matter what reason it is,”
A part of me wanted to argue with her but I decided against it. It would bring no good. So, I nodded my head. Seemed like luck finally decided to grace me as the bell rang indicating the class was over. A sign of relief blew from my lips.
********************
I began stuffing my books and stationary inside the locker, happy that school is finally over. I can’t wait to get home and hug my bed. I grabbed my purse when an unwanted familiar high pitched voice came from behind me, making my hand still their movement.
“Hey freak,”
I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Helena is the queen Bee of the school. Ignoring her and her rude comment, I closed the locker and a clicking sound followed indicating the door was locked.
“Are you ignoring me, freak?” She said with irritation.
God, why can she leave me alone? I have started to get frustrated and angry with her constant picking on me over absolute nothing. I could feel November my Wolf trying to take over.
Ignore November. Don’t give her the satisfaction’, I told her, but I could still feel her snarling and growling, ignoring my words and attempting to take control.
‘November please, I don’t want any trouble’ I begged.
Helena frightens me beyond words. Last thing I want is to let my wolf out and mess up the situation even more.
Surprisingly, November quieted down. For someone so stubborn and ill-tempered, she was easy to convince this time. My wolf and I are completely different in nature. I am quiet, calm, timid, while she is loud and easy to anger. The only thing common between us is we are both introverts.
Ignoring Helena’s once again, I grabbed the handle, I pulled it, assuring the locker was secured. I don’t want Helena and her minions to put a frog inside my locker like the last time I accidently left my locker open. afraid to do anything.
I turned left, trying to escape from there. Tried, but a hand curled around my left arm in a tight grip, pulling me back.
“Where do you think you are going?“′ she asked.
I finally peered up through my lashes, as expected, Helena’s face held an expression of resentment. Her eyes glowered at me with the intention of burying me under 6ft.
Her jet back hairstyle into soft loose curls. Bewitching blue eyes with a splash of green in them. Small button nose. She is a sight to see. And being a cheerleader, I don’t want to speak about her physics. God, she is breathtaking breathing, but what a waste of such beauty only if she had a likeable personality.
“Pleas-se leave me-me,” I pleaded.
“P-Please le-leave me al-lone,” She imitated me, mocking me and making fun of my fluency disorder.
It’s a speaking disorder where a person has trouble speaking in a fluid or flowing manner. In my case, whenever I am nervous or scared, I tend to shutter.
“Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is the nerd actually wearing makeup?”
Of course, she knew what happened in the class today, especially when her loyal minions Tina and Mina were in the class. If you are wondering if Tina and Mina are sisters, then you are absolutely right.
“Your eyes are fine, Helena. She really has makeup on.”
“Girls”
Before I could understand anything, Tina and Mina both grabbed each of my hands, bounding me. Panicked, I began pulling my hand, attempting to break free, but to no avail. Instead, the purse in my hand fell on the ground with a heavy thud. I just hope my phone is okay. I recently bought it.
“W-wh-hat are yo..u doing?” I asked in fright.
Helena took a step closer, now standing right in front of me inches away hovering, my tiny frame imitating me and shooting me a smile. It was anything but friendly. The malice-tainted smile was an indicator something bad was about to happen. The thought itself had me almost pissing my pants.
I looked around and realized a small crowd had gathered now watching the scene. Some were recording us, some were enjoying the drama and some were giving me a look of pity, but no one came forward to my aid.
“Relax, freak your makeup isn’t quite right. I just want to help.”
Helena’s voice drew my attention away from the crowd to her. An evil smile sat on her cherry-red painted lips.
“Pleas-se I am fine-ne,” I managed to say.
“No you are not. You’ll be once I’m done with you.” Her tone teasing. She was enjoying this.
I was about to ask what she meant, but before I could. Her thumb smeared the lipstick from my lips to all over my face. I tried to move my head back but one of the hands grabbed the back of my neck, locking me in place. The crowd crowded into cheers and laughter. My eyes shut in humiliation. I never felt so small in my whole life.
“You think makeup will fix your ugly face,”
Her tone was sharp with a sense of anger. I don’t know why she hates me so much. I don’t remember doing anything to make her angry or offend her.
“Nobody wants you, not even your own mate. Who would want an ugly mate who shutters like a fool?” Venom dripped her every word.
My heart bruised and my eyes teared at her words.
What if she is telling the truth, what if my mate really doesn’t want me?
Don’t let her get through your head, Hazel, she is just trying to get on your nerves. Nobody can break a mate bond. How can he not want me when I already want him. Love him. Do you think I am exaggerating? No, I’m not. I have fallen in love with my mate since the day I was introduced to the concept of mate.
I don’t even know him yet, but he has already become the reason I smile. He has become my prayer, the very last one. He is both my journey and my destiny. The unshed tears merged into the waterline, threatening to spill, but I locked them, refusing to let them flow.
Snapping out of my trance, I found myself alone in the hallway with no sign of a single soul. How long was I lost in my thoughts?
