The Rejected Alpha

Chapter 6 Truce?

Helen's POV

"How did everything go today?" mom asks as she carries three plates into the dining room like an acrobat.

"Great." I help her place the plates and tear a piece of fish and throw it to Snowball, the laziest cat I've ever seen in my life. She is as white as snow and as fat as a ball, a cat quite true to her name. I hold a firm belief that only two things can make her move. One is the smell of snapper while the other is dogs that she believes she can defeat.

"Anything interesting?" Dad hands me the table knife and it occurs to me that I can use it as a weapon to murder Dylan.

I am not crazy. This is what Nancy will say if she sees me holding a knife. Judged by the closeness between her and Dylan, they might be lovers, or at least almost lovers.

I am hesitant if I should tell my parents what I've suffered in school. My dad would probably encourage me to fight with Dylan and makes him kneel while my mom will be freaked out and starts to look for a new school for me.

Next, dad will ask her to stop because I am the victim and if anyone should be gone, it should be those bad guys. But mom will ignore his opinions and keep calling different recruit department and this woman won't stop until I am transferred to a new one. Then a quarrel will break out. Nothing will be settled and I will no longer be in mood to eat my dinner.

"Yes. I saw a notice that Drama Club is recruiting new members." I quickly stuff my mouth with a spoon of risotto. Thanks to Dylan Darcy and his gang, the school is now a battlefield and I need replenish my energy to hold the ground.

"Are you going to act as a bagger or something?" dad teases, "Is this a practice?"

"My cooking is amazing and our daughter is starving." mom gently hands me a glass of apple juice, "but your dad is right about one thing. You can eat slowly."

"Thanks mom, but I need to finish it quickly so that I have time to work out a plan tonight."

"A plan?" both of them are amazed at my words. They must mistake it for something like study schedule and I don't want to correct them.

"Yeah, I am full. I need to go." I drink the juice in one gulp, run upstairs and close the door behind me.

I need to find out a way to persuade Dylan into telling me what I want to know. That is to say, I need a time machine to reverse the time. I can pretend to be Dylan's loyal servant to earn his trust and investigate what is going on and everything may come to the surface smoothly.

What a marvelous plan. The only problem is that I don't know how to create a time machine.

I feel so frustrated and exhausted so I have a bath and go to bed early. I wrap myself in the quilt, letting the soft texture eases my anxiety. It doesn't take a long time before I become too relaxed to think. I fall into sleep soon and dream about my fiancé once again.

Of course, I am not able to know it is a dream until the moment I wake up. So the fake reunion can always make me thrilled.

The boy stands under a coconut with his back to me. I can't see his face but I recognize him anyway. Seagulls are hovering the beach and I rush to him, hugging him from behind. I tell him that I am extremely sorry for keeping him waiting for so many years, and I will do anything to make compensation if he still wants me. I am terrified that he will reject me but his answer touches my heart.

"You are and will always be the only person I want." He whispers, "we are soulmates, remember?"

"Yes, yes, I remember." Tears starts to swell in my eyes but I don't care. It is tears of joy.

"Why did you weep?" he asks and turns around, trying to help me wipe tears.

But as I see his face, I am frozen on the spot and can't help but shriek.

"It is you!"

"Of course it is me. Are you expecting someone else?" Dylan snorts and his face looks solemn. Or shall I say, jealous? I am thunderstruck by the crazy idea popping in my mind and for a second, I lose the ability to speak.

"I see." Dylan sighs and sends me a melancholy look, "It is not my intention to kill you. But you betray me. You break my heart and I will break yours. Isn't this fair?"

"No, no, no, I can explain, please listen to me!" he doesn't hear me out and stabs my heart with a table knife which looks the same as the one used by my family.

A pang of pain thrust through my heart and with a sharp inhale, I wake up.

I decide that I will never mess with Dylan Darcy. Whatever is happening in the school, I can simply turn a blind eye to it. The decision is made and nothing can change my mind.

Shame to admit, my so-called unchangeable determination only lasts 6 hours.

My initial plan is to get into the classroom early so I can find a seat which is far from Dylan. But as I enter the classroom, I see all students' nametags are attached to the desk and my name is paired with Dylan, glistening in the sun like a shameless traitor.  

HOLY CRAP.

What am I supposed to do now? This arrangement is totally inconsiderate and irrational. I rush to the desk, desperate to tear my nametags off the desk. The classroom is empty and I can make a swift rearrangement without no one knowing.

I can pair Nancy with Dylan. They will make great couple. No time for hesitation so I start to rummage my bag for something pointy enough to cut the tape. Eventually I get a pencil and I am about to set my nametag free when someone coughs behind me like a super evil antagonist who will always appear in time to destroy the heroine's plan.

"Good morning my beautiful deskmate. What are you doing?" he walks towards me and I quickly put away my pencil. I am alarmed by the way he called me.

"To occupy a seat, only to find it is unnecessary. We will be deskmates for this semester, if you are uncomfortable with this, we can…"  

He cut in before I could propose a rearrangement, "Perhaps we are meant to be paired together, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, till the end of the semester do us apart."

Dylan makes a stupid vow with a silly smile on his face and suddenly my eagerness to alienate myself from him dies down.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"To acquire knowledge, obviously." Dylan answers innocently as he sits down, "I love drama class."

"Why am I not surprised? You are a drama queen."

"For the record, I am a male and I can't have a s*x change like shapeshifters." He drawls and suggests, "You can call me drama king, though."

"All right, your majesty." I nod at him and he grins like a Samoyed. If he had a tail, I am sure he would wag it. I look away to avoid eye contact. "Why are you being nice to me?"

"A friend of mine advised me to treat you better, for there could be some misunderstandings." Dylan shrugs, "He has a point and I decide to follow the instruction."

"You are saying Zander White asked you to treat me better." I beam at him. I am amazed at the significance of "bribery."

"Yeah, he did make a proposal. He did ask me to treat you in a more civilized way, but I am the one who has the final say."

"So are we cool now?" I scrutinize his face. I am afraid this would be another prank.

"No. I'd rather call it a temporary truce," Dylan gives me a devilish smile, "or a negotiation."

"Fine. Name your terms."

"I want that necklace."

"Out of the question." I reject the appeal without hesitation yet this time he is not angry but sends me a thoughtful look, which makes me feel creepy.

"All right. You can keep the necklace." He mutters and clears his throat, "May I make another proposal?"

I am not used to this sudden politeness. It makes me feel very nervous and a little bit guilty, as if I had denied a proposal I should have accepted. I have no other choice but to nod and say, "Yes, go ahead."  

"Have a date with me."

All of a sudden, I hear a voice singing in my head

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down, so does my rationality.