Fated To The Bully Twins

You suit him

Two Months Later

Maddie

"Oh my God! I can't believe you like The Mean Girls; that was so random now,” I said with some excitement while talking on the cell phone.

I was returning to Detroit after spending the last two months in rural Michigan at my grandma's house, where I had gone to heal and regain my strength. After the episode in the college cafeteria, where my powers manifested uncontrollably for the first time, and after suffering such a huge blow to my emotions, I needed to retreat to a quiet and comfortable place to think about the changes happening to me and figure out how to deal with it all.

It had been worth it; I had really regained my control and relaxed a lot. It had even been invigorating to relive my childhood in that small town in the countryside, in the company of my grandma, who was always a docile and sweet woman, now sadly deceased, which helped heal my heart.

And then there was Stephen's company, albeit at a distance, as we only spoke on the phone. At first, we only exchanged text messages and things like that. Eventually, we started calling each other more frequently, leading to a good and relaxing friendship, which was a bit strange since he was the brother of the boy who had most disappointed me.

From what little I already knew of him, it was clear that Stephen was very different from his brother. When he talked to me, he didn't seem to have any intentions other than friendship, and he always made me laugh, which made me trust him a little.

"It's kind of atypical for Alphas to watch things like this,” he replied with a laugh on the other end of the line. “Girl stuff, that’s what they call it. But what the hell, right? I bet most of them would join the Mean Girls Club.”

I laughed at that. He was hilarious and easy to get along with, which felt so nice and good.

“I think the same too; I bet most Alphas love pink; they just act like jerks,” I said to him, and we both laughed.

“If you want to offer me a pink glass slipper like the Glitter Princess, I would really appreciate it,” he said, making me laugh.

"Iconic! You can leave it to me. Oh, I have to hang up; I'm almost home,” I said to him, realizing that the taxi was already entering my humble neighborhood and that my mother was waiting for me at home.

“What good news! Very welcome back to Detroit,” he wished in his good-natured way.

“Thank you, silly.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow at college, then?”

My smile faded when he mentioned college. The time I spent at my grandmother's house had been like balm for my emotional wounds. Conversations with Stephen, always so light and spontaneous, helped me stay sane. He was a valued friend, someone I could count on. In one of these conversations, I opened up about my fears about returning to college after the incident. I knew that rumors had spread like wildfire and that it wouldn't be easy to face my classmates and teachers again.

"I'm still a little shy about going back to college after burning down the cafeteria," I confessed on the phone. As I looked at my neighborhood from the taxi window, the good feeling of going home was always there.

Stephen, on the other end of the phone, listened patiently before responding, "Maddie, you are special. We all make mistakes. The important thing is how we get up after we fall. You have a strength that few possess, and that's what really matters."

These words of encouragement were exactly what I needed to hear. I felt comforted and more confident about facing what was to come. I smiled with a sigh, grateful for his words.

“You're really committed to getting your glass slippers, aren't you?” I giggled.

"It's working?" he asked, joining in the fun.

“I’ll see you at college then, Stephen,” I replied, hanging up the phone. Talking to him was really relaxing.

As soon as the taxi stopped at the door of my house, my mother came out, running to me to give me a welcome hug and kiss. My friend Sandy was also there to welcome me; they even made me a cake.

“Gosh, you are so cute!” I said excitedly, hugging them both.

"It's so good to have you back, Maddie," Sandy said, hugging me. "Detroit isn't the same without you."

She was a beautiful Black girl my age, her hair in dark box braids, which made her look so beautiful. She was docile and affectionate, and she had been my best friend forever. We had grown up together in this neighborhood, and sometimes after classes, we would go for a walk at the mall. Spending time with her was really nice.

I smiled, feeling grateful for her unconditional support. "I missed it here too. But in a way, I needed this time away."

Sandy nodded, pulling out a chair to sit next to me. "I completely understand. Sometimes we need to step away to see things more clearly, right? You seemed so overwhelmed before you went. How was that time in the country?"

I sighed, thinking about how to put into words what that period meant to me. “It was... transformative, I think. I spent a lot of time thinking, reading, and exploring my surroundings,” I told her.

But Mom interrupted. “And talking to her boyfriend on the cell phone…” she insinuated with a sly giggle as she served the beautiful cake that she and Sandy made for me.

"Oh my God! Stephen?” Sandy almost went crazy with excitement. “I knew he was into you!”

“Oh, stop it, you crazy girls. Alpha Stephen is just my friend, okay?” I said that. They were so emotional.

"Just friends? You guys spend hours talking and stuff,” Mommy exposed me, making me roll my eyes and give an embarrassed laugh.

“You suit him so much. I want you and him to be a couple!” My friend teased me, excited.

“Did you guys know that Stephen has a girlfriend?” I told them not to imagine things too much. Stephen had told me a while ago that he was dating a girl, so our relationship was just friendship. Not that he couldn't be a good match for me since our friendship was so good, but he was dating. And after what happened between me and his brother, I didn't want anything to do with boys anymore.

“Argh, you know how to turn off people, don’t you, Maddie?” Mom scolded me, making me laugh at her and Sandy for slacking off when I told them Stephen had a girlfriend.

“Do you want to know something? I bet at the very least he's indecisive because he's in love with you,” Sandy said, crafting a fanfic in her head. “Anyway, now I want you to tell me everything you did on vacation!” She was excited, as always.

So I talked to her and my mother while we were still eating the cake. But my mind always ended up slipping toward Stephen. Was he really getting swayed by me? He was always so kind to me, just like he was that embarrassing day when he gave me a ride after his brother broke my heart, but thinking about him was too dangerous. I didn't want to mistake his kindness for anything more than that. I was afraid of getting hurt again, like I was hurt by his brother...

And as if it were a damn premonition, the doorbell rang. When I went to answer it, there stood none other than Derek Strickland, the guy who played with my heart. He was standing at my door, looking at me with those deep eyes of his.