01

#####01

Scanning through the rows of students, I couldn’t find a single empty seat. After making awkward eye-contact with many of the students, I lower my gaze down to the floor instead.

« Rosalyn Edwards, am I right ? » I tilt my head up as a nod towards my new English teacher.

I never did like first days, especially when it’s my first day at a new school and new pack. All that attention was stabbing me with anxiety.

My mother just had to drag both my sister and I with her to this pack, forcing us to leave our old life behind.

She excused it as a chance to start fresh, although I never did mind our old pack. The only one who really needed a fresh break was my mother.

After all her mate, my father had died.

I wanted to be angry at her for making us leave our lives and start a new one, but I just couldn’t. My heart broke when I thought of the pain she had endured when losing her mate. I was never too close with my father, it was no secret that he had never cared much for children, at least not his own. The only reason I exist is that my mother always wanted a daughter, and my younger sister was just an accident.

I still loved him though, he was after all my father.

« Would you like to say something about yourself ? » the teacher asks politely.

Despite the urge to answer negatively, I smile and nod.

« Well, my name is Rosalyn, but I prefer Rose. I moved here from Canada and I’m a werewolf. »

I heard some boys snicker at my last comment.

« Obviously, » he comments.

Ignoring him, I look down shyly. It was no secret that I was a werewolf considering the high school is one of the few designated educational institutions for wolves. Just east of Amherst, Massachusetts, Pelham was a small town full of trees and forests, bordering the Quabbin Reservoir.

It was perfect for the Silver Heart pack as their population was small, and there were lots of free land to roam through. The lake was also a bonus for swimming and hanging around.

« Go take a seat, Rosalyn, » my teacher, Mr. Rogers, instructed.

« It’s Rose, » I mumble quietly. Looking back at the class, I was stuck with the same problem. There are no empty seats left.

My peers stared at me like I was a freak with 3 eyes and 7 legs.

« You can sit here with me, baby. » A boy in the fourth row said. He was pointing to his lap, and I almost shivered with disgust.

And we wonder why our generation is so messed up.

I ignore his offer and instead take a lone chair from the back and just sat desk-less.

« Playing hard to get, I like it. » Again, I ignored his comment.

Hating someone on the first day, how classy of me.

The class was boring as Mr. Roger spent more time than necessary explaining how to insert quotations into an essay. Five minutes before the end of the class, Mr. Rogers came up to me and apologized for the lack of desks. He also promised me a seat with a desk for tomorrow.

As soon as the bell rang, I didn’t move an inch. Everyone rushed out bumping and bouncing into each other. When the coast was finally clear, I made my way out.

I never even had the chance to make a friend. Friends are overrated anyways.

Looking at my schedule, I found I had math next. Turning the paper around, I was thankful to find a map to the school on the back. Very convenient.

« Oh hello ! You must be Rosalyn, come on in. »

Looking up, I noticed I had reached my destination. The blonde woman in front of me stood tall with her black heels and gave me a thoughtful smile.

« That’s me, but I prefer Rose. »

« Of course, Rose. Well, my name is Mrs. Morgan, and I will be your math teacher. Come in, don’t be shy. »

There were students scattered all around the room in their seats. Unsure if they had designated seating, I just picked a random seat in the back and hoped for the best. The last thing I wanted was the extra attention from stealing someone’s spot. The buzz of chattering teens grew louder and louder, giving me a slight headache.

Were people always this annoying or am I just getting old ?

« Oh my gosh. He is so hot yet terrifying. I love it ! » Excitement thundered around the room, making me curious.

While looking around, I caught the eye of a curly blonde. I was ready to look away before her words stopped me.

« Hey, you. Yes, you ! »

She took quick strides up to me, before swiftly taking the empty seat directly in front of mine.

« I haven’t seen your face around here before ; you must be new. » I gave her a kind smile, which she returned.

« Yes, I am new. Is it that obvious ? »

I took some time to really look at her. Her blonde curls reached an inch past her shoulders, her green eyes shining under the light of the room. She was thin but had curves in all the right places. She was very beautiful, but then again it seemed that everyone at this school just came from a modeling shoot.

They all looked like goddesses, making me feel left out. I felt so plain, so ordinary with medium wavy brown hair that reached mid-chest and big dark brown eyes that would look black unless you watched the sunlight shine on them.

« Well, not exactly obvious because of the way you are acting, just your existence in general. »

« Oh. » That’s even worse.

Seeing my reaction, her eyes widened in the realization of what she had just said.

« No ! I don’t mean it in a negative way, I just meant the population of the school is very small so a new face would stand out in general. Plus, everyone was warned about a new family joining the pack. »