Regret For The Rejection

Chapter 6

My parents were furious with me for leaving, when I got home; I got to eat supper– that was cold– then I was to go straight to bed like a four year old. I did as I was told like a good obedient child, if only they had known where I was.

The next started out great! Mom was yelling at me from down stairs to get up and Gavin had the television way too loud. I groaned to myself. If this was a sign of how the rest of the day was going to go I wanted the end to come now! I practically fell out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, where I looked myself over in the mirror concluding this bed head was simply untameable so I brushed it out before putting it up in a messy bun. I brushed my teeth and put on a light layer of makeup. Returning to my room I stood back from my closet trying to find an outfit. I don’t mean to complain but sometimes I wish our school had uniforms so choosing what to wear wouldn’t be so hard.

“Edna what’s taking you so long?” My mother shouted from the stairs.

“I can’t find anything to wear!” I called back instantly regretting it as I heard her stomp up the stairs muttering an “Oh honestly.” This wasn’t going to end well. I was surprise when her walking patter changed halfway up the stairs from a grumpy stomping to a light, peppy step. Oh no.

She scampered right into my room like she own it, well she did technically but this was my part of the house. “Here wear this, Ferdi won’t be able to resist you.” She stated holding out a white sleeveless dress with a pink floral print and a leather belt around the waist.

“This isn’t about Ferdi–” I started but she was already gone. I reluctantly put on the dress, not for Ferdi but because I was late. I then dug through my closet for my favourite pair of cowboy boots. They were inspired by the boots Woody wore in Toy Story with ‘AИDY’ written on the bottom.

I was coming down the stairs when I heard a honking from outside the house. Crap my bus was here. I doubled my pace reaching for my bag on the coat rack by the door, I shouted my goodbyes as I ran out the door and watch as the bus pulled away with the kids in the back seats laughing at my tardiness. I rolled my eyes and returned inside hot with embarrassment.

“I need a ride to school.” I said going to the kitchen and sitting on a bar stool beside my dad who was reading the daily newspaper.

“You can take the car for this morning; I’ll pick it up on my lunch.” My mother said as she poured Gavin a glass of orange juice, I widened my eyes in surprise maybe this day wasn’t going to be so bad after all if they were willing to lend me the car the morning after I drove away with no explanation to where I was going. I thanked them before hurry out to the car, I would be lucky if I wasn’t late.

Luck wasn’t on my side either just like the other day. I got halfway to school when one of my tires blew. I was able to get the car to the side of the road. I groaned and slammed my head on the steering wheel, this wasn’t happening. This was just a dream, I pinched myself and to my misfortune I didn’t wake up. Well if I wasn’t going to wake up I might as well do something useful. I reached for my phone in my pocket, I bet you can guess what I pulled out, No? A big, fat handful of nothing that’s what.

I tried to stay calm, I really did but I have to admit I got a little angry when the foreign convenient store owner couldn’t understand that I needed the phone. I went to the next store over and called Stan.

“Yeah I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He replied when I explained to him what happened.

He was chuckling when he pulled up. “It’s not funny,” I whined stomping my foot, “The one time my parents let me drive the car to school and a tire blows.”

“I just think it’s funny you don’t know how to change a tire yet. You want to race you better know how to fix a car, it’s cheaper then always hiring a mechanic.” Stan laughed.

“I only trust a real mechanic to fix my car properly.” I retaliated.

“Then you better trust me when I say I’ll leave you stranded here for your parents to find you if you don’t believe I’m a real mechanic.” He countered.

“Touché. You can proceed to fix my car ‘real mechanic’.” I said and since I was already late for school he let me take his truck the rest of the way to school.

When I got to school the parking lot was full of car but void of students the bell had already rang fifteen minutes ago. I climb out of Stan’s red pickup truck in my spot at the very back of the parking lot and hauled my ass very quickly towards the school. I was just climbing the stairs the led to the entrance doors to the school when I saw the principal walk past. I froze where I was and was about to turn around and find another way to enter the school when the doors burst open.

“Miss Hartley, why are you not in class? The bell rang fifteen minutes ago.” Mr. Renold demanded. I was about to explain to him about my morning but he shushed me and continued to give me a lecture on how it was important to stay in school if I wanted a good future and doing drugs and alcohol was not the way to become a lawyer if that was my choice career that is. “Dention in room 506 with me after school Miss Hartley.” He said before moving aside to let me enter the school, I tried to protest but once again I was shushed as he pushed me into the school. This day truly could not get any worse and had trumped yesterday by a landslide.

When I got to my English class I tried to slip in quietly but Keri shouted at me from across the class, “’bout time you get here Hartley. I was beginning to think you were playing hooky.” Both the teacher and I glared daggers at her as I crossed the class and took my seat beside her. I tried to ignore the rude whispers of my classmates as I walked by them.

“What’s your problem?” I demanded of Keri as soon the teacher had continued her lesson.

Keri ignored my question and continued to speak, “I thought maybe you weren’t going to show up after what happened between you and Ferdi and your head ache.”

“Why does everyone think I’m bothered by Ferdi not wanting to be with me? I mean it doesn’t change anything because all of them already pretend I don’t exist.”

She widened her eyes, “Can’t you see it Edna. This changes everything, before yesterday they could pretend you didn’t exist, you where just another one of Mark’s pack members, just another grain of sand on a beach. Now, now you belong to Jonathan’s pack too, as his beta’s mate, a potential future alpha if anything ever happens to Jon.” I could only stare at her as my mind raced. She was right if something did end up happening between Ferdi and I, I would be part of both packs.

I let my gaze wander over to Ferdi, he sat one row over and two desks back to intent on his doodling to notice or so I thought I’d only been watching him for about ten seconds before he his head jerked up and gaze met mine for a fraction of a second before I spun my head back around. I felt my heart continue to pound at this small contact between us.

The rest of class was torture what was he thinking about catching me staring at him? I couldn’t concentrate now as I had daggers being glared at myself. When the bell rang I took my time packing my stuff hoping he would be long gone by the time I was done. Boy was I wrong I stood up and crashed right into him.