First Meeting

~Cory~

          The sun is shining down on me as I float on my back in the river. The water is warm enough to make you feel like you are being enveloped within a warm embrace. There are no worries, no fears. Everything is calm. I, suddenly, lose my concentration and find myself falling. The water is covering my face and invading my nose. I can feel water in my throat and when I open my mouth to scream, nothing but gurgles come out. The water is no longer warm. It is ice cold and feels like a shock to my system. “Wake your ass up! You need to get to school.” I struggle to open my eyes. I’m not outside and there is no sun shining down on me. I can see four stone walls. They are dingy and covered in dried blood and other stains. It hurts to turn my head. It hurts to move my body. It hurts to breathe. I’m laying on a cement floor and the memories are flooding back to me. This is the position I fell in last night. They left me just like this after beating me. I accidently dropped a glass of water on the kitchen floor and for that I was punished. “HURRY UP!”

          I struggle to sit up, every part of my body screaming in protest. I roll onto my knees and push myself up, finally standing on my feet. I take shaky steps towards the stairs to see a change of clothes left out for me. It makes sense. These clothes are covered in blood and that isn’t a good look for school. I change as quickly as my body will allow and head up the stairs. I don’t bother trying to get breakfast, because I know there isn’t any for me. I grab my notebook and my pen and head out of the house. It is usually a short walk to school, but my injuries will make it longer. Just another day in hell and I have no escape. 

~Zahara~

          Some people dread going to a new school, but not me. I love seeing the different schools and how different the students can be. My excitement is not necessarily for a new school, but more so for the harassment that will end. Being the future Alpha, there is no shortage of people who are looking to be ‘friends’ or more in hopes that it elevates their own status. I simply want my last year of high school to be quiet. Maybe I will meet some new people and come up with true friends. Maybe I will meet my mate; well after I turn 18 in 4 months. The exciting part is that anything can happen and I can’t wait. Since I’m not one to make a big splash, I decide to keep my outfit under the radar. I slip on a pair of skinny jeans along with a black sports bra and a black crop top hoodie. I tie my outfit together with a pair of black Nike AirMax. I’m not really that into makeup so I just stick with the chapstick. I just got goddess box braids over the weekend in red so I decide to leave them down. I grab my bag and head downstairs. My parents are already at the table along with my little brother. “Morning mom, dad,” I say, kissing them both on the cheek. I sit next to my brother and nudge him with my arm, “Morning half-pint.” He just grumbles and continues eating his cereal. 

          “Are you sure you really want to go to this school?” My mom has asked me this a hundred times already I swear. 

          “Love, you know she wants this. She has told us many times. We need to just let her go.” My dad pats my mom's back as she sighs.

          “I just worry about her so much. I want her to be safe.” I shake my head.

          “Mom, I will be there with Lennox. Bryn will be driving us to and from and there will be a warrior hidden as a security guard at the school. I will be just fine.” I go to my mom and wrap my arms around her nuzzling her neck. “Mom, I just want to finish high school in peace. Lennox and I want to be able to get through the rest of the year with no one knowing that we are the future Alpha and Beta. The stress of it all is too much.” My mom squeezes my arms and nods. “Don’t worry so much,” I whisper in her ear. My mom chuckles and kisses my cheek.

          My parents are amazing and they are the Alpha and Luna of the Ash Band Pack. My dad, Alpha Byron, is well loved and respected around this pack and outside of it. He rules with love and logic. All of the pack members know that he is accessible to them at all times and he will always do what he can to ensure their safety and happiness. My mom, Luna Amara, is a role model to many. She is always bright and cheery with all of the pack members. She knows everyone’s names and enough of their personal lives that they feel truly seen and heard by her. I try to take from both of my parents to form the type of Alpha I want to be. I will take over for my parents soon. I’m in my last year of high school and then I will go to an Alpha training camp for about 2 years. I will learn different modes of combat as well as strategic thinking. My future Beta will go to a similar camp and we will meet up once a month, for a week, to train together. It is all so extensive, but worth it. I’m excited to become the new Alpha of my pack. We are a successful pack and I want to keep that going.