Summer Flings and Other Things

Chapter 1

Chapter 1: 

“I think I’m gonna do it” I said, turning to one of my best friends, Mia, after soccer practice at school. We had just finished a particularly gruelling practice and I couldn’t wait to get to the showers. We had just entered the girl’s changing rooms by the gym and I embraced the cool air on my sweat-soaked skin. Despite being as plain and boring as your average school change room, the girl’s changing room had never looked so lovely. 

“What? Get some protein added to your smoothie at the juice bar? Good call” she responded as she flopped down on the benches with our bags on it. 

“No, haha. Like, IT. With Ben.” I whisper to her. Trying to keep it quiet enough so the entire team wouldn’t hear. “I know I always said I would wait til my 18th birthday…but Ben’s been so understanding since we started dating what with me wanting to wait and then my parents being totally overbearing…I just feel like he deserves it, you know?” I couldn’t help but twirl my hair around my fingers and bite my lip as I mulled over this huge decision…yet again. “I mean, he’s just been so nice about the whole thing. We’re supposed to be studying tonight for our bio final at the end of the week but like, maybe I can just push that off til tomorrow” 

Mia threw her hands up and screamed, making me jump and bite down on my lip so hard I could taste blood. I have to stop biting my lip when I’m anxious, my mom always says it’s childish and it might save me from future bruised lips. 

“Jesus Mia, you made me bleed! And shut up before everyone in here hears us. You’re so loud!” I say with a bit of a laugh as I throw my sweaty shirt from practice at her. 

She easily catches it and throws it back while rolling her eyes at me. “You shut up, you’re a werewolf for crying out loud, you heal quicker than the average human.”

“Well, the bleeding might stop, but I’ll still feel the bruise for another hour or so.” I retort. 

“Gosh, you always have to be so exact. But anyways, back to the more important topic at hand… thank the heavens, it is so archaic the whole saving-yourself-for-your-mate thing. God knows the guys haven’t been for the past century and us girls are finally catching onto what we’ve been missing out on. Ugh, I wish Ari were here so she could hear this! She’d be so proud of you!!” She laughs and winks at me as she strips, grabs a towel, and starts heading to the showers. “Also, Sam”, she says turning back to me, “no guys “deserves” it. It’s your body, you get to do what you want with it. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my somewhat limited experience in life, if you start giving things based on who “deserves” it, good or bad, life’s gonna hand you quite a few curveballs…and you’re not gonna like them”. 

I watched as Mia walked to the showers wrapped in her white towel, my brain going a mile a minute and my teeth still chewing on my lip. Apparently I don’t learn. On the one hand, Mia did have more experience than me in literally every department. From boys to work, life in general, even tragedies…but I felt like that also made her very jaded and not able to see the good in people. Ben was a nice guy and grew up in a loving home. He’s the second son of the alpha of our pack, the Aurora pack, and is well-liked by everyone in the pack. He might even be more liked than his older brother John, and I definitely think he’s more attractive with his dark brown wavy hair and bright blue eyes. Just thinking of his eyes and the way they crinkle at the corners when he smiles at me solidifies my resolve. I know he’s not a virgin and he could easily find another she-wolf in the pack willing to do anything with him, so the fact that he waited this long shows me he respects me. Even my other best friend Ari, who rounds out our inseparable trio, thinks he’s eye candy and always tells me I’m lucky I bagged the hottest guy in the pack. I have to admit, whenever she says she wants to sink her teeth into him, I’m never actually sure if she is joking or not, but Mia always says things like this about guys she sees. She also always laughs when she says it about Ben so it must just be my inexperience with boys and boy-talk between girlfriends. I smile to myself thinking of how nice Ben is and how he makes me feel so pretty and special compared to the other girls in the pack and I nod to myself and smile. Yes. It’s the right decision. I hurry trying to strip out of my clothes so I can shower. We’re supposed to be studying for that final together tonight but I have a feeling he won’t mind the change in plans. I’m just gonna have to ask Mia on help with what to wear, and what to say, how to stand, what to do with my hands.,basically everything. Too bad Ari isn’t feeling well or I would ask her for input as well. Oh god, I need all the help I can get. I have no clue what I’m doing. Ben is my first everything. First boy I’ve held hands with, first kiss, first boyfriend. just thinking about it all I start to feel dizzy and nauseous. I sit down and try to slow my breathing down, but now I’m so in my head I can’t stop but feel nervous. I close my eyes and lower myself to the bench so I’m lying down trying to count to 4 while breathing in, and then counting to 4 breathing out just to slow my heart rate. I totally lose track of how long I’m lying on the stupid uncomfortable changing room wooden benches but I hear someone walk up to me and then I hear a chortle. I open one eye and see Mia looking at me with a smile on her face. 

“Alright girl, I know that look. Go take a shower super quick. We’ll go get post-workout smoothies, and then we’re going back to your place. I’ll help you get ready, pick out what you’re wearing and do your makeup and hair. We can rehearse what you’re gonna say, how you’re gonna sit, the whole nine yards. I got your back girl. Now go! We have a lot to do if you’re gonna be on time for your study date and look smokin’ hot to boot ready to get freaky! Haha, god I’m so proud of you” she says as she starts pulling on her clothes. 

~~~~

I look at myself in the mirror in Mia’s room and try focus on my breathing again. I can’t believe I’m going to do this. We had gone to my place first but Mia was upset with my lack of “suitable options” as she put it and dragged me back to her place. Her room is plain and simple in furnishings but one peek in her closet (which is actually one of the smaller bedrooms in the house), and you can see where Mia spends all her money, time, and energy. I’m still studying myself kind of in shock with how I look. I didn’t let Mia get too carried away with my makeup - just a little bit of a natural brown smoky eye with liquid liner and mascara, a lip tint and a bit of blush - but I’m still shocked with how my light brown eyes look even lighter, almost like an amber colour. I always thought my eyes were just a boring brown colour. I made her leave my hair alone since I didn’t want to have to worry about my hair being all crunchy with mousse or anything so she put in a light oil that seems to bring out the natural auburn highlights in my wavy brown hair. I start to practice the “sultry smile no man can say no to” that Mia taught me and hear her groan. I glance over and she’s looking down at her phone.

“Ugh, Ari is asking me to bring her a smoothie as well. Don’t know why, it’s not like she was at soccer practice. Whatevs, girl is high maintenance.” She says as she flicks her jet black hair over her shoulder with a flourish. “We need to finish our fashion class garment for our final project and it’s due in two days. I feel like I’ve been pulling all the weight for this project since it was assigned a month ago. Like I designed the entire thing, made the patterns, bought the fabric, all she had to do was pin and cut the fabric and she hasn’t even done that. K, anyways. So sorry, ignore my drama. It’s not the most pressing matter. Back to you my dear.” She says with a wink and tosses her phone aside onto my bed and walks towards me, hands on her hips. “So, we’ve practiced your smile, how you’re gonna suggest studying in his bedroom instead of the family room. Maybe something along the lines of you can focus better with no distractions?” and she winks at me “but really you’ll be the distraction and as soon as you get to his room you jump him!”

“Mia! I am not going to just jump him!! This is my first time, I don’t have that type of know-how or confidence!” I cry out in protest.

“ I know, I know.” She says holding her hands up in protest, “We will go with the slowly stripping off layer by layer cause you’re too warm. I was just hoping my excellent tutoring would have instilled more confidence in you. I mean, look at yourself Sam, you’ve got killer legs, a great ass, and you’re gorgeous, smart, and sweet. What guy wouldn’t want you? I know if Ben hadn’t asked you out a whole bunch of other guys would have sooner than later. You blossomed this year girl. You were always stuck in your books that your parents made you read, avoiding eye contact with the entire school…and the whole skipping a grade thing was awkward cause you didn’t have a group of friends that skipped with you and you had to find a new crew to fit in with. I consider myself lucky that my dad and I moved here and I found someone as friendless as me. You’re the bestest friend a girl could ask for. I’m also so glad I made you train with me and then forced you to try out for the soccer team with me. It pulled you out of your shell and let others see how amazing you are. This night is going to be great, because you’re great and you ARE worth waiting for. I’m just glad Ben is smart enough to see it. Now get out of here and screw his brains out before you make me cry like a proud mama for growing up so quickly” she joked as she fake wiped a tear with one finger. 

I couldn’t help but started laughing and gave her a big hug. She really was the best - like the sister I never had. 

“Love you M, thanks for all this” I gestured to myself, “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Ok, let’s get out of here before I change my mind”

We rushed out of my house, me making sure I grab my bag with my notes inside just in case I chicken out. Mia turning to her car so she can grab Ari a smoothie and waving bye as I walked the four houses over to Ben’s house. The whole time I’m focusing on my breathing - four counts in, four counts out. 

Four counts in, four counts out. 

Four in, four out. 

I let myself in since his parents are usually at the pack house until dinner time and walk into the kitchen since he usually has some snacks for me ready to go on days I’ve had practice. The alpha’s house is very open concept and modern, lots of cool grey’s with a masculine touch of leather here and there. Their kitchen is almost immaculate like it usually is except for his bag. His school bag is there but I don’t see him or any snacks so I wander to the family room in case he’s there. Still no sight of him, the sleek modern sofas devoid of any trace of people. Strange, I’m about to turn back to the kitchen to grab my phone to call him when I hear his voice coming from upstairs and I smile to myself. He must have taken a nap after school and forgotten to set an alarm. He naps more than anyone I’ve ever met. Makes it one less thing I have to bring up trying to get him to his bedroom. Before I can lose my courage, I take a deep breath and race up the wide winding staircase, take a right, reach for the second door and open it and -

Woosh - all the air in my lungs leave me and I freeze at the scene in front of me.