IX. Mate
2142 Words
Aria's POV:
In the car and out the window, I saw trees.
More trees.
Oh! Is that a - no - just another tree.
I grab my cell phone to check for messages. Everything is still the same—messages from other students telling me to have a good time and update them. Messages from my parents, they’re telling me to be careful and call them.
Emails.
The art teacher.
He needs to leave me alone.
In the email, it says I left without completing my project. He says he will extend it until my graduation due to my unique circumstances, but if I don’t turn it in, he will fail me, and I’ll be carried back a year.
“That is illegal, sir.”
“What is illegal?” Tom asks.
“My stupid art teacher wants to fail me.”
Tom chuckles, “You’re failing art?”
I threw my head against the headrest and grunted. "Are we there yet?”
“No,” Tom said. I can tell he is trying his best not to throw me out the window. I look behind to see Sam, Cynthia, and Chelsea peacefully sleeping.
“What about now?!” I whined.
“I swear, Aria Sienna Rossi, I will throw you out of this car and make you walk to Full Moon territory.”
After a few minutes of silence
“Noooooooow?!” I whined even louder. I smiled when I saw Tom’s left eye twitch. He deserves it. I don’t know what he did, but he deserves it.
After three additional hours of napping, we slowed down. We could always fly here, but someone thinks it’s a good idea to do a road trip. If I find out who thinks a road trip is a good idea, I’m going to beat them. My lids lifted, peeking out the window, I saw a fairly decent size sky-blue house. Turning my head to the front, I saw my brothers with two other hunters. I stretched away all the soreness and ignored the eyes from all directions.
This is going to be a long year. When is our next break again? No, more importantly, when can we eat.
“Welcome to the Full Moon Pack!” Mr. James greeted us as he stared at Cynthia. She stood behind me, blushing a deep red, redder than her hair.
Sir, I passed by the station earlier. You may want to turn yourself in there.
All the other students arrived. Some were excited, others not so much. “Follow me!” Mr. James yelled.
There were many unpleasant stares from the wolves and a few growls. I can hear them, especially since they aren’t even hiding their voices.
“Filthy. What are they doing here? Are they crazy? They smell bad.”
“At least we don’t smell like a wet dog,” a hunter screamed.
“I need to pee,” I told Mr.James before he could start the tour.
“Oh, of course. Who else needs to use the restroom.”
A few other students raise their hands.
“Then, allow me to guide you all to our first destination. The bathroom.”
The girls beat me to the bathroom.
I grunt loudly and look at Mr.James.
“There is a private restroom in my office.”
“Please,” I said. “Please!” I should’ve gone to the bathroom at our last rest stop, but I was too absorbed in the kelpie. Kelpies are horses that can swim in the water.
Since I live in a human community, I don’t see a lot of magical creatures. Humans haven’t fully adapted to different creatures that “appeared out of thin air.” The kelpies are so wonderful. I almost wanted to kidnap them and forced my dad to change the law.
Mr.James takes out his keys and removes the one for the bathroom.
“Thank you!” I ran in the direction he pointed.
“Come back to the front when you’re done!”
On the toilet, I decided to settle down for the next two days and skip school on Monday or maybe the whole year. I heard that the extracurricular is the same as in my old school. The only difference is that they grade everything based on only exams.
After I flushed the toilet and washed my hands, I left the bathroom. The staff at the front desk glance at me before she returns to her work. Out of the building and into the deserted hallway, I walk to the front of the school.
After a few thoughts, I realized I could give myself a tour instead. Of course, only a stupid human would tour a school full of werewolves by herself. But I prefer to walk at my own pace instead of listening to the principal lecture about great history. I message Cynthia to cover for me.
She called me stupid.
I told her to call me when they’re almost done.
She called me.
I answered the call, “What?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Most days.”
“Come back here, Aria! It’s a place full of werewolves!”
“Meh.”
“Aria!”
“Fine. Fine. I’m coming.”
She grunts into the phone before she ends it.
I shove my hands into my pockets and walk towards the front of the building. Cynthia is right. I am a human who would like to be on the down-low.
There’s a group in front of me.
Someone knocks on my shoulder.
I stop and glance up, “What do you want?”
They exchange glances and chuckles slowly.
“Lost baby girl?”
I couldn’t hold it in - the laugh, “Are you serious? Baby girl?” I wipe the invisible tear from my eyes, “Oh. That made my day.”
His face turns red.
I take a step forward.
He places his hand on my shoulder.
He did...not.
His eyes move up and down my body. It makes me want to throw up. Another guy stepped in front of me and ran his hand through my hair. His fingers halt at the tip, and he twirls it around. “Doing anything right now?”
The girl giggles, “Leave the poor human alone. Don’t you see? She’s lost.”
“What? Don’t you see? We’re only trying to help.” His attention went back towards me, “So, tell me. Where are you heading? We’ll escort you there.”
More people appeared.
They glanced at us, but they didn’t take any initiative to intervene.
“The front,” I responded. “I’m meeting with Mr.James for the tour.”
“Oh, you’re one of the new students,” the girl said.
“Yeah.” I look back towards the two guys, “Would be a pity if something happens to the new exchange student on her first day. Like, I don’t know. An intense investigation where her father would demand anyone who is involved to go to prison...or execution.”
The guy in front of me laughs, “Chill, baby. We’re playing around.”
“What’s going on here?”
Everyone turns towards the voice.
Their heads went down, “Gamma Ryan.”
Gamma? How old is this child to be a gamma?
Ryan looks at me, “Human, what are you doing here?”
“Human have a name.”
“How dare you-”
Ryan places a palm in the air to stop him from speaking. “What’s your name?”
“Aria.”
“Aria,” he mumbles, “Aria Sienna Rossi?”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be with Mr.James?”
“Yup.”
“Are you lost?”
No. “Yup.”
Ryan’s expression changes. For a moment, it went quiet. Most likely, he’s communicating with Mr.James. No one ever talks about how awkward it gets when werewolves communicate with each other via mind link. But I will. It’s weird to stare at a person whose soul looks like it left the world. “Alright. Follow me.”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“My parents told me never to follow a stranger.” I’m taking my sweet time. By now, Mr.James should get a message from Ryan about how he found me. I hope Mr.James started the tour without me.
“That’s smart.”
“Thank you.”
Silence.
I can tell Ryan is not much of a talker.
“Follow me.” He walks without me.
I scratch my neck before I follow him. If I weren’t keeping a low profile, I would’ve left without looking back. But, since he’s a gamma, I should give him a bit of respect, or else he would keep an eye on me. That’s the last thing I need - someone who keeps an eye on my every movement.
“I apologize for the group earlier,” Ryan says. “They’re a good bunch, but-”
“-they only wanted to give the human a small scare?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “I expected it.”
“I have a feeling you don’t have high expectations for us.”
“Werewolves and humans had been at war for hundreds of years. I don’t expect love between us afterward.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“No problem,” I responded. Keep the conversation short. Uninteresting.
“We’re here,” Ryan says.
Not too far away from us was the group with their luggage. “Thanks,” I said. One step after another, I made my way towards the group. Everyone seemed absorbed in whatever Mr.James was saying.
“You’re here!” Cynthia drags me into the group. She hits me lightly, “No exploration on your own.”
“Yes. Mother. I apologize.”
“Where did you go?” John asks.
“That bathroom,” I responded. The bathroom master key is still in my pocket. I debate whether or not to give it back to Mr.James. He’s still talking. Maybe later...after I copy it.
I exhale softly while Mr.James talks. Then, he said: “This building is where you’ll all be staying.”
“Finally,” I grumble.
I walk towards the building with my luggage. I cannot believe Mr.James made us walk around the buildings with our luggage for ten minutes. He said something about wanting us to appreciate what Full Moon has to offer. There’s nothing wrong with allowing us to enjoy it after we put our luggage away.
When I opened the front door, I could hear someone scream: “Aria!”
My head turns back, and everything falls into slow motion.
I don’t like it when time passes in slow motion. It means something terrible is about to happen. For some odd reason, I could see everyone’s exaggerated emotions.
Cynthia’s mouth is wide open as she points at me.
John had a fistful of hair in his hands as his eyes widened.
Joe looks like a comedic cartoon with a hand extended toward me.
Where is Sam?
A bucket of paint falls on my head.
Feather.
And finally, corn.
Silence.
Dead.
Someone is going to die today.
Out of the deadly silence, I could hear waves of laughter. Not from one person, but multiple people. Multiple dead people.
Multiple voices overlapped one another - mostly anger and frustration.
“Are you okay?” Cynthia asks me.
I wipe the paint from my eyes, “No.”
Out of all the voices, I could hear: “It’s just a joke. A welcome gift.”
Once I threw the paint from my hands and spat out the liquid in my mouth, I checked the mastermind behind this beautiful project.
Hazel.
At that particular moment, it felt like time had stopped, and there was only one other person in this world, him. The volume of howling inside my head was increasing, escalating, with pure excitement.
Rainbow.
Many often speak of the color of eyes, pushing its importance, yet his eyes would be beautiful in any shade, but the ones he held were perfect. When I looked into them, it spoke with fierce intensity, sweet honesty, and gentleness.
Rainbow.
The beating in my chest halted, but I’ve never felt more alive.
Rainbow.
Analyzing him, the brown hair on his head was cut nicely, but it was messy, the right kind of messy. My eyes fell on his pink lips that were firmly pressed together in a flustered expression. Yet, it was utterly captivating, a truly sinful temptation.
Rainbow.
Inhaling deeply, I bite the bottom of my trembling lips. I can smell the refreshing yet pernicious scent of the salty ocean and vanilla forest.
A beautiful rainbow.
“Mate.”
- Writer
