CHAPTER 002
1595 Words
CHAPTER 002
Sigrid’s Point of View
My eighth-grade year progresses into fall.
As I stand in the hallway, I witness a brunette running past me. Johanne follows in her ridiculous wedges while she appears ready to fall as she stomps behind the runner. The briefness and tightness of her skirt baffle me because I can’t understand how she manages to remain upright while running. I can tell she’s angry. Those two Barbie lookalikes follow her while strutting with the confidence of people who feel in control of the area. Because running in those heels is impossible they strut with ease and stability without any worries.
What happened? What caused these three girls, who were misbehaving without being outright awful, to believe they were school royalty? Their summer trip abroad caused them to disregard the normal rules upon returning.
They never displayed kindness, but they also refrained from constant harassment toward others. It's as though they now believe they have the right to walk all over everyone else.
I have a job to do. Even though I’m not wanted here, I need to protect the pack because I’m the Beta’s daughter. My father refuses to have any interaction with me. He ignored my presence completely, which became even worse after my brother Sindre graduated and became the Beta. Still, I take my role seriously. It’s the one thing my father always pushed on us: our rank and image are everything. Our father relentlessly drilled into us the importance of not tarnishing his reputation before the pack.
I position myself between Johanne and whatever she's after while my hands go up like they could halt her with a simple wave. “Why are you chasing her? What did she do?”
Johanne nearly trips over her heels as she tries to stop her forward movement. She’s already furious, and it shows.
Johanne hisses in anger that she received a D grade on her paper! The little brat was supposed to make me sound intelligent while securing me an easy grade. She intentionally tried to embarrass me during the new teacher's first day. Get out of my way, Sigrid.”
Her words hurt, but I chose to stand my ground. I maintain my position and refuse to let her push me aside.
Did you compensate her for performing well, or did you simply choose an intelligent student from your class to handle your assignments?
Johanne glares at me. “What does that matter? I’m a warrior. She’s just an Omega. She ought to thank me for speaking to her initially.
I shake my head. Her academic performance bears no connection to her rank. My last encounter confirmed you are not a warrior. You waste your time instead of using it for training.
People who blame others for their failures lack personal responsibility for their actions. Do your work. Leave her alone. She chose not to write your paper, and she owes you no favors.
I try to stand as tall as possible, but it doesn't make much difference because I'm only about five feet tall. She will not succeed in pushing me aside. She should be a warrior but lacks agility. She’s too lazy to train.
“Keep your words in line with your superiors, you killer,” Kari sneers while advancing with assured steps. “You’re not even worth sharing air with. Your father agrees with this, and your brother shares his view. Nobody wants you around, so move.”
The impact of her words was strong despite my awareness that she was merely attempting to provoke me. Marta follows her leader while they complete their preferred triangle formation of intimidation. Their actions give them a sense of power because they have seen such behavior in movies.
Kari insists no one has any interest in your presence or your worthless opinions. In our pack, we don’t tolerate humiliation from anyone who gets away with it.
I don’t move. I refuse to give in to her. Kari forcefully moves past me to confront Sindre and his friends. All five of them heard her every word. The werewolf pack members known as the future Alphas, Beta, Gamma, and Delta possess powerful hearing abilities that allow them to hear everything.
But they don’t flinch.
They don’t care.
They’ve heard those words from her before. They think people who can't handle criticism lack the strength needed to survive within the pack.
Kari labeled me worthless before. But it doesn’t make it any easier. Despite hearing it repeatedly, the sting persists.
I force my eyelids open to keep the tears at bay and inhale deeply. There’s nothing I can do right now. The girl who got involved should have escaped their reach. I hope she successfully avoids those three, but I understand deep down that I only postponed the inevitable outcome.
I walk back home with my head down to avoid attention. I need to make it through several more years before I can move on. If I maintain my academic performance and avoid conflicts, I might eventually be able to escape from this place.
Fall of 9th Grade
SLAM.
The sound assaults my ears with unusual intensity. I forgot how harsh the lockers were to handle the impact. I drop to the floor where my head pounds and my eyes shut tight. My hand felt the swelling forming on the back of my head where I struck the metal. The pain is almost familiar now.
I silently wish someone a Happy Monday while doubting that anyone will hear me.
Kari approaches me while hissing that I need to get out of her way because I’m a fat cow.
She slaps me.
My taste buds detect blood flowing down my cheek. The fake nails she wears are cut so deeply that they leave visible marks despite being small. Several people laugh, and one laugh sounds deeper than the rest. One of the boys must have tossed me into the locker.
I don’t look around. I already know who’s behind her. Kari repeatedly demonstrates that she does not need to dirty her hands to get things done. People exist who’ll take any action to remain favored by her. People go to extreme lengths to join her group because they crave her approval so intensely that they’ll harm others to achieve it.
“What did I do this time for your Highness?” I ask with sarcasm while bitterness saturates my voice. I quickly looked up at her to give the child she was yelling at enough time to escape.
Kari no longer performs dirty work herself. She realized from the beginning that being popular—or mean—leads people to do anything to escape becoming her next target. The situation becomes particularly dangerous when your father serves on the school board and ensures nothing gets recorded on camera.
The messages she leaves on me serve as her distinct trademark. She has convinced everybody that my weakness shows through easily and that my healing process takes a long time. The reality remains hidden because only insiders witness the behind-the-scenes events.
Her ability to control people through manipulation and instilling fear remains unseen by others.
Her actions led to the suspension of several students. He faced extreme harassment, which forced him to find refuge in a different pack. His refusal to end his relationship with his girlfriend caused her to retaliate. We were in the fifth grade. What would anyone ever care about such nonsense during those years?
But no one talks about that.
Members of the pack who believed Kari’s lies told others that he needed extra help because the other school could give him more guidance.
Kari tosses her platinum blonde hair aside while stating that she won’t be stopped from disciplining a pup. The little brat destroyed my brand-new designer shoes right in front of everyone at school. She deserves to be punished.”
Her crystal blue eyes roll at me since she believes I lack the intelligence to grasp her logic.
It wasn’t the whole school. My brother, who will become Beta with future Alphas Gamma and Delta, was together. The five boys never seem to separate from one another. Kari made efforts to catch the attention of Dagfinn and Casper, who were future Alphas, while most girls at school did the same.
Marta and Johanne kept their eyes on the other three because they wanted any kind of attention and recognition.
Marta stumbled on a small fourth-grader, which caused her to spill her iced coffee all over Kari’s legs.
Kari will not acknowledge any mistakes made by her and her friends.
The guys walk off, still chuckling. The boys completely overlook the reddening in Kari’s eyes. I have never seen this particular aspect of her before when she is in their presence.
Kari’s smart. Kari understands enough not to reveal her true dangerous potential to them. Kari aims to maintain her status within the influential group where authority resides. The boys Sindre, Casper, Odin, Dagfinn, and Sverre control the school because they believe their parents run their family like a pack.
They have no idea what they’re doing.
But they love the power, the adoration. You can see it in their eyes. They exhibit toughness and provide leadership examples, although they believe this to be true.
To become the best, you need to behave as though you already are. You must maintain your stance because losing credibility becomes too risky when someone challenges you.
Will Kari maintain control of this school or suffer the inevitable fallout from her actions?
- Writer
