An Alpha's stepdaughter; fate or free choice

Chapter 4: Dahnya - the next day

Beep, beep, beep… My alarm goes off, but to my surprise, it doesn’t resemble a demon screeching like every other day. I flip over and turn it off. No snoozing for me. I feel refreshed and well-rested. I get up and instantly think of my biology test in the second period. I am not even worried. I am a good student, I’ll ace it like I always do. Studying and reading books are my only hobbies outside of school and work.

I know I washed my hair last night, but for some reason, it looks like a bird's nest this morning. Like I rolled around or something. I do remember having the most delectable dream. I just can’t remember exactly what it was about. I feel a little dirty too. “Dirty in a good way”, I whisper. What’s up with that?

Dad should be waking up soon, so I hurry and hog the bathroom for myself. I turn on the shower, wait for it to reach the ideal temperature, and hop in. I hum one of my favourite songs, “what about us" while I lather up with my vanilla body wash. My humming turns to full-on singing, and I know that if my dad were still asleep, he'd be awake by now.

I turn off the tap and grab my towel. My mother used to dry me off while standing in the shower. I've kept this habit throughout my childhood. This way, we keep the mat dry and nobody risks slipping. Dad does it too. We keep the house tidy between the two of us. We vacuum, wash and dust on Saturdays. Oh, mum, it’s been so long, but I still miss you dearly. My thoughts jump to the sunflowers we painted on the side of our house and I smile. Dad is great, I have everything I need, but we both miss you. Pfff, “chin up, girl,” let's get on with our Tuesday.

I hurry back to my room and slip on some clothes. I love my skinny jeans. To outsiders, it might look like I wear the same clothes every day, but I just like my basics. I have several pairs of these babies. They’re comfortable and work wonders for me when paired with a long-sleeved shirt and sweater. I'll slip on my black biker boots when I leave the house. The heel is low and sturdy, with a non-slip edge, and I love wearing them. I am used to walking around on my socks indoors. I put on a little bit of foundation, some mascara, and lipgloss. I finish it with some translucent powder. I give my fine hair a very quick blowdry, just for added volume, and distribute some volumizing mousse throughout the back. I’m wearing my usual stud earrings. I hardly ever take them off, even though I am spoiled for choice. As I said, I'm a fan of simplicity, and if something works, it works. I reach for my grey sweater. I glance in my full-length mirror and smile to myself. That’ll do just fine.

With my backpack in hand, I head to the kitchen to pack my lunch for school. I get breakfast ready for me and my dad. Two cups of coffee and a toasted cheese for each of us. Dad doesn’t work until this afternoon, so he has some time to do whatever it is he does in his free time. We make a point of having breakfast together, so we can connect and go our separate ways. I finish my meal, then go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I hate coffee breath, gross.

Dad’s in the kitchen. I turn to him and kiss him on the cheek. “Bye daddy, see you tonight”. He smiles back, “bye baby girl. Have a good day”.

My bus stop is not far from home. Just across the road, in fact. And, I’m right on time this morning. The bus pulls up. I get on, greet the driver, show him my bus pass and take a seat. On the bus, I actually prefer a seat near the front. I don’t want to walk past all those other school kids. I prefer to avoid any extra attention from them. I do have a few friends at school. One of them is Sebastian, and he is on this bus route too. He’s at the back though, with his friends. He’s part of the more popular group, and I have no desire to sit anywhere near them. He gives me a small wave and I wave back.

My best friend, Avery, taps my shoulder. She saved me a seat next to her. She always does. She looks at me and squints a bit, “where is Dahnya, and what have you done with her?” Huh, what does she even mean? “Girl, why are you so happy? Did you win the lottery or something?” Right, okay then, “I am just being normal”. I am not sure what she’s trying to get at. Am I still wearing that smile from yesterday? I can’t seem to wipe it off my face. It’s kind of embarrassing now. I try to pull a straight face and tell her it’s nothing. I see her side glancing at me, one eyebrow arched. “If you say so.”

The bus stops at school and we’re the first up and out. I thank the driver, Dan, and wish him a good day. Avery smiles at me, “you are a sweetheart. I bet you make Dan’s day every morning. Especially when you consider these other little assholes on the bus, who don’t even acknowledge his existence.” I frown a little, “I guess you’re right. But I think I’m just being normal. It’s normal to thank someone for bringing you safely from point A to point B.” She nods, “normal for you because you’re the sweetest girl I know.” We head into school and towards our shared locker. It’s homeroom and then the first period. Avery turns to me, “I’ll see you in the second period, for our biology test. Catch you later girl.”

Mmm, I turn around and stand for a while with my back against our locker. I close my eyes and out of nowhere those light grey eyes pop into my head. My smile grows wider. And there you have it, I can’t form a straight face and decide to look down while I navigate the hallway. I don’t want any unsolicited attention. Sebastian sees me heading for my homeroom and taps me on the shoulder, “you look really nice today, Dahnya.” Okay, “thanks, I guess”. That’s new. He chuckles and walks down the hall to his homeroom.

The first period goes as expected. Math, no biggie. The second-period biology test is fairly easy. I scan over the questions and do the easiest ones first, then work my way back and finish with the toughest questions last. Taking as much time as I need. I am one of the last ones finished, but that’s always the case. I try to use any remaining time to check my answers. In my class, those kids who finish first usually have the lowest grades. It’s like they couldn’t care less. To me, those last few minutes could mean the difference between an A and an A+.

By the time lunch rolls around, I feel that same buzzing and tingling. Like the air is snapping and pulling at me. Again, it doesn’t feel threatening in any way. I feel excited. Avery and I grab our lunch and head to the cafeteria. We don’t usually buy food here, but we do like to get drinks from the vending machine. I grab orange juice and she gets her usual, chocolate milk. Avery lifts her eyebrows and points them towards the table in front of us. "Sebastian has been eyeing you this entire time. What's up with that?" "I don't know," I say truthfully. "Is there something on my face? It's just Bas, we're friends. Don't go making it weird now." I think back to his words from this morning. Sebastian is good-looking, but I've never thought of him that way. He's my friend. And, he has brown eyes, not light grey ones… What has gotten into me? Why the sudden fixation with grey eyes? I don’t think I even know anyone with grey eyes.

The day drags on, I use my free period in the afternoon to do any homework I might have, and before you know it, we’re waiting on the final bell. Avery also has a part-time job, but she doesn’t work as much as I do. We meet at our locker, say our goodbyes, and both rush to our respective destinations. I need to catch that train and she needs to catch her bus. She works at a clothing store in the mall. Same drill as yesterday, but a slight jog will suffice today. As I approach the train station and enter the platform, I feel it. It’s like I can almost taste it. The air is alive and zapping at me. This is getting weird to the point where my jaw drops the minute I feel it. I look around, tentatively, and that smile creeps onto my face again, without my permission. Am I going bat s**t crazy? No time to dwell on it, I have to board my train. I grab my seat near the back, plop onto it and pull my backpack onto my lap. I loosen my scarf, grab my water bottle and take a few swigs.

By the time my stop rolls around, I’m breathing normally again, but still scanning the faces around me. Trying to be inconspicuous about it. As I walk the two blocks to the diner, I still feel that tingling, buzzing vibe, but it’s not as strong. Again, I wonder about my blood sugar and decide to eat something as soon as I reach the backroom. I stow away my backpack, get rid of the layers of outerwear, wash my hands and put on my apron. I head to the kitchen and grab a boiled egg and a coffee. I have time still. That feels better.

With some food in me, I head back into the customer’s part of the diner and get working on my section, vacuuming under the chairs and tables. Checking the knives and forks in the bins, refilling salt and pepper shakers as needed. As I wipe down the menus that sensation hits me again. This is some weird s**t. I turn around and the door closes softly again. This time, I clearly see a guy walking down the sidewalk. He is wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans. He’s pretty tall, with a nice ass. Did I just think that? Are my hormones getting out of wack? I’ve never even kissed a guy. What’s wrong with me? I lower my head a little, cheeks flushed, and continue with my evening. Some regulars come in for ribs. It’s all-you-can-eat rib night and these folks never miss it.

By around 9 pm, the door opens again and a tall guy walks in, looking at the floor. He proceeds to the counter, faces away from me, and asks for his takeout order. I perk my ears to listen to his voice and feel myself get very still. I just stand there. Staring at his back. I can’t help myself. He pays and leaves. I don’t even get to see his face, but I shamefully admit to checking him out the whole time as he walks out. That’s the second guy tonight, and this tingling sensation went off the charts. I’ll have to read up tonight. Perhaps I need to alleviate some of this s****l tension that’s very clearly built up in my subconscious.

“Bye guys, I have a train to catch!” I head out the door at 10 pm and make it to the train station on time. My train arrives at 10:12 sharp. I hop on, take my seat, lean back and close my eyes. My cheeks start to flush involuntarily. This is weird. Do I need to buy new jeans? Are they perhaps rubbing too tightly where they shouldn’t be? Causing some sort of invisible tension? I feel turned on and I am in the middle of a train, among strangers. This can’t be good. No way I’m waiting for my bus. I’ll walk off some of this and get home a little earlier.

A few minutes later, I reach home and unlock the door. “Hi Dad, I’m home!” I hear him from his bedroom, “baby girl, I’m going to call it a day. My shift ended early so I’ve already had a shower. Goodnight, sleep tight.”

Okay, I’d like to go to bed soon too. I do my stuff in the kitchen, turn on the dishwasher, and hop in the shower, not washing my hair this time. I grab my Minni Mouse nightshirt and my phone and climb into bed. I decide to search Google, and type in things like “tingling, excitement, glancing at random men’s asses”, and feel slightly embarrassed at my naughty thoughts. I read a few paragraphs and decide to put my phone away, turning the bedside lamp off too. I’m so worked up, and to top it off that strange tingling sensation just crept back into my bones. There’s nothing for it, I’ll have to try to fix this myself. I reach my hands between my thighs and imagine those light grey eyes. I feel slippery down there and get to work. It doesn’t take long before I melt in pleasure, drifting off to sleep.