Alpha Nobody and Her Hockey Captain

Tutor Selena

Selena's POV

I woke up to Melinda shaking my shoulder. "Selena! Get up!"

I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes."

"You said that ten minutes ago!” Melinda screamed.

I cracked one eye open. "Then give me another five minutes."

Melinda threw my blanket aside without mercy. "Hurry up before Lecturer Kelvin locks the classroom again."

I sat up with a sigh. My body still ached from yesterday's shift at the arena, but I forced myself out of bed.

Somehow... I couldn't shake the feeling that today wouldn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and reached for my phone.

8:28 a.m.

"Oh no."

I shot out of bed so quickly that I nearly bumped my head against the top bunk.

"I told you!" Melinda laughed from across the room. "Now who's begging for five more minutes?"

"You could've woken me up earlier." I cried out.

"I tried." She shrugged. "You threatened to bite me."

I froze halfway through putting on my shoes. "Did I?"

She nodded confidently. "Word for word. You even claimed that your teeth were as sharp as a wolf's.”

My eyes widened. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to." She shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously, and she burst into laughter.

"You really are impossible." Melinda grinned, and playfully hit my arms. “I'm just joking around.”

I sighed in relief.

By the time I finished getting dressed, Caleb was already waiting outside our dorm with three paper bags hanging from one hand.

He smiled awkwardly when he saw us. "Morning."

"Morning!" Melinda replied cheerfully. "You look suspiciously happy."

His ears immediately turned pink. "I... um... the cafeteria was crowded, so I bought breakfast before everything finished."

He held out one of the bags. "This one's for you, Selena."

I smiled and collected it. "You bought breakfast for me?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I remembered you skipped dinner yesterday because of work."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," he mumbled, avoiding my eyes.

Melinda looked between us before dramatically placing a hand over her chest.

"I'm witnessing romance blossom before my very eyes."

Caleb almost dropped the remaining bags. "It isn't like that!"

I couldn't help laughing. Sometimes I wondered what I'd done to deserve friends like these.

The three of us walked toward the academic building together.

Students filled every pathway. Expensive cars continued dropping off wealthy students while scholarship students hurried between classes with books clutched tightly against their chests.

Two completely different worlds. One campus.

As we approached the main building, the conversations around us suddenly grew louder.

"Isn't that her?"

"The cleaner?"

"The one Ashford talked to?"

I frowned. Were they talking about me?

Before I could ask, a familiar voice drifted across the hallway.

"Well... if it isn't our campus celebrity."

I immediately recognized the voice as Bella's.

She stood outside the classroom surrounded by her usual group of friends.

Her gaze swept over me before a mocking smile curved across her lips. "I heard you've become quite bold lately."

I stopped walking. "I don't know what you mean."

Bella laughed. "Oh, don't be modest." She folded her arms. "First you wander into the boys' restroom."

A few students chuckled.

"Then you start hanging around the hockey team."

More laughter followed.

"And now..." Her smile widened. "...people are saying Ashford actually knows your name."

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. "It's just a misunderstanding. People like to share rumours.”

Bella slowly walked toward me until only a few steps separated us.

"A misunderstanding?" she repeated. "I wonder..."

Her eyes deliberately traveled over my scholarship badge.

"...what made someone like you think you belonged anywhere near someone like Ashford Enzo Callaghan."

The hallway fell silent. Dozens of eyes settled on me.

I lowered my gaze. The attention I was getting was unnecessary. I needed to avoid crowded spaces. It suffocates my wolf sometimes.

“I never said I belonged near him,” I murmured under my breath

Bella smirked. "Good. At least you know your place."

A shadow fell across the hallway. "What's going on?"

The lazy voice instantly drew everyone's attention.

Gabriel strolled toward us with a hockey stick resting across his shoulders, his practice jersey hanging loosely over a black T-shirt.

Several girls immediately straightened their posture.

"Gabriel!"

He ignored them. His eyes landed on me first. Then on Bella.

Bella folded her arms. "Perfect timing. Tell Female 2 here that she should stop chasing hockey players."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Chasing hockey players?"

He looked at me for a long second before scoffing. "I don't think she's that stupid."

I blinked. Bella looked equally surprised.

"Then why does she keep showing up around the arena?" one of Bella's friends asked.

Gabriel shrugged. "Because she works there."

The hallway grew quiet. Everyone wondered why Gabriel wasn't insulting me like his usual self.

"But..." he continued, turning his attention to me, "...she does have a bad habit."

I frowned. And he stepped closer, just enough for me to hear him clearly.

"You smile too much."

My brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"You smile when people insult you." He tilted his head. "You smile when you're embarrassed."

His gaze dropped briefly to my hands. "And you smile even when you're angry. You're not fun to play with."

My fingers instinctively curled into fists.

"I've been wondering..." he said with a mocking grin. "Are you pretending to be nice, or is something actually wrong with your head?"

Laughter rippled through the crowd. I bit the inside of my cheek.

Bella smirked. "See? Even Gabriel thinks you're weird."

Gabriel didn't laugh with everyone else. Instead, he kept looking at me, waiting. Almost as though he wanted to see whether I'd smile again.

I took a slow breath. Then, I smiled. "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable."

For the first time, Gabriel's grin faltered.

"...Tch." He clicked his tongue and looked away. "Forget it. You're too boring."

Without another word, he walked past me toward the classroom.

Bella stared after him in confusion. "So that's it?"

Gabriel didn't answer. He simply lifted one hand in the air without looking back.

The crowd slowly dispersed, disappointed that the confrontation had ended so quickly.

Melinda immediately grabbed my arm. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Don't worry. I'm used to it."

—--

When we got to class. Our morning lecture had already begun. Melinda, Caleb, and I quickly snuck to the back seats.

The hockey players were around. Lucas was sitting with his teammates, but he waved at me with a bright smile. Ashford on the other hand looked like he was fighting with his notebook.

Bella was gossiping with her friends about the latest fashion bags.

“I wonder how she always manages to pass. She never listens in class, yet somehow, she's one of the top three scholars,” Melinda whispered, and I couldn't agree more.

“Speaking of scholars. Selena, I have a gig for you,” Caleb said. “Our hockey players need a tutor. I heard that they have a make-up general mathematics test next month. If you apply on time, the school will pay you to tutor some of them.”

My eyes widened. "Hockey players? Tutor?"

Caleb nodded. "The Academic Support Office pairs student tutors with athletes who are struggling in class. The tutors receive extra scholarship credits and a monthly allowance."

Melinda's eyes lit up immediately. "See? I told you being smart would pay off someday."

She nudged my shoulder. "You should apply."

I frowned. "Just like that?"

"Not exactly," Caleb replied. "The students have to agree first. The school can't force anyone to accept a tutor."

"Oh." The excitement that had begun to rise inside me sank almost immediately. "So if they refuse..."

"Then another student gets assigned," Caleb finished. "Most rich students don't like being tutored by scholarship students anyway."

Melinda rolled her eyes. "They'd rather fail than admit they need help."

I rested my chin on my hand, pretending to pay attention to Lecturer Kelvin while my thoughts raced.

Students had to agree first. That meant I couldn't simply sign up and expect to be paired with Ashford.

I would have to convince him. Would he even listen to me?

I quietly glanced toward the front of the classroom.

Ashford was still staring at his notebook, his brows drawn together in frustration. He hadn't written anything for almost five minutes.

Even from where I sat, I could tell he wasn't following the lesson. A tiny smile crept onto my lips. Maybe…

No. I quickly shook my head. What if I was wrong?

The lecture finally ended, and the classroom erupted into conversation.

Students packed their bags while others rushed toward the door before the next class.

Melinda stretched lazily. "I'm starving."

"Weren't you eating five minutes ago?" Caleb asked.

"I get hungry academically."

He sighed. "I'll never understand you."

I barely heard them. My gaze remained fixed on Ashford. He stayed in his seat while Lucas said something to him.

Ashford simply rubbed the back of his neck before opening his notebook again. He didn't look like someone who had just understood today's lesson.

"Selena?" Melinda waved a hand in front of my face.

"Hmm?"

"You've been staring in one direction for a suspiciously long time."

I blinked and looked away. "I was thinking."

Melinda looked curious. "About?"

I hesitated. "...Nothing."

Caleb suddenly reached into his backpack and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He handed it to me. "The Academic Support Office released the rankings of approved tutors yesterday."

I unfolded it. My name sat comfortably at the top of the General Mathematics tutors. Below it were several other students. Further down was another section. Students requiring academic assistance.

Out of curiosity, my eyes drifted across the list. Most names meant nothing to me. Then I stopped when I saw ‘Ashford Enzo Callaghan’.

I read the line again just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.

Ashford… Failing mathematics?

A slow smile spread across my face. The Moon Goddess really was on my side today.

If Ashford needed a tutor...then maybe this was the opportunity I'd been praying for. I folded the paper carefully and looked up.

Ashford had just slung his backpack over his shoulder and was about to leave the classroom.

Before my courage had the chance to disappear, I stood.

"Selena?" Melinda called after me.

I smiled over my shoulder. "I finally found my way in."

Then, without giving myself time to think, I walked straight toward Ashford's seat.