2. Hidden Wolf

Suddenly lost in twin jade oceans, Briar was rendered speechless, snapping her mouth shut at once. Across, the hall, a shorter, dark haired girl, with silver eyes saw Briar’s reaction, and understood what was happening here and text Alyssa.

Text Message From: K.

To: Alyssa Smythe:

‘Get to Rei’s locker!! New girl has “Eyes” for him. She might be the One!’

She shoved her phone back in her bag and prepared to watch the show!

“I am so sorry. I didn’t see you fast enough to pull the door, are you ok?” Asked a tall, dark haired guy straight out of a steamy, emo or goth romance novel.

“Sorry, I, ah, don’t, I mean…” Briar huffed, frustrated at how flustered she had become by him. Boys always made her nervous, but her anxiety rest different this time. He reached down, grabbed her by the arm, helping her to her feet.

“Thank you. I shouldn’t be allowed to walk and text, or do any multitasking really. I’m Briar KingBear. Its my first day, and I’m considering going home.” She looked at the ground to avoid his eyes.

“I’m Rei Strauss. It’s not so bad here. I feel horrible, you’re not hurt are you?” He asked, genuinely concerned.

“No. I’m fine. I need to get going. I,” Briar was cut off by someone bumping into her from behind.

“Well, what do we have here? Rei, I didn’t know you did charity work?” a leggy, thin, blonde girl with designer clothes and minions in tow. Briar has been dealing with girls like this since 7th grade.

“Alyssa, don’t be a bitch. It’s her first day. Give her a break?” Rei asked her.

“Awwwe! It’s her first day. Isn’t it sweet?” she looked to her minions and made cheesy baby faces at each other, to which Briar rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Briar shot back, alarmed at how fast her anger came to the surface before she could stuff it back down.

“I just wanted to welcome the New Girl on her first day. I’m Captain and starting setter of the varsity volleyball team, Captain of the spirit squad, and 1st violinist of our school’s symphony orchestra, Alyssa Smythe.” She stood there, waiting for acknowledgment Briar was not about to give her.

Briar looked at Rei and thanked him for his assistance, walking by a smiling Alyssa. Let her think she’s won. Her downfall will be made more epic that way, Briar thought to herself. Rounding the corner Bri found her locker, which was tucked in a little hallway at the back of the building.

“Thank goodness, I am saved.” She breathed aloud. Locker A315, the last locker on the left. Sliding her bags off her shoulder, surprised at the size of the lockers, she could put her violin, laptop, and books in with a little room to spare.

Her 1st class was her least favorite subject, math. Briar has had a love/hate relationship with math over the years. She just figured her brain had to sacrifice something to make her talent in volleyball possible! The sacrifice might as well be numbers and the numerical system.

After math she had music theory, history, photography, writing, and finished her day with study hall, which she planned to skip and check out the coffee shop she had seen a couple streets down from the campus on her way here.

Briar smiled as she grabbed her math and history books, a notebook, music folder, and violin, shutting her locker door. She spun around, and walked right into Alyssa.

“What do you want, Alyssa?” Briar asked, totally done with the posturing.

“If you want your high school experience with us to be a pleasant one, stay away from Rei, stay out of my way with my team, and don’t even think about my 1st seat in the orchestra, you feel me?” Alyssa looked in her eyes, and Briar could have swore her eyes went from brown to a deep red, but she couldn’t be sure..

“I get it, you’re top dog.” If Briar only knew the irony of her words

“That’s right. You are a Skid.” She smiled as if she’d wounded Briar deeply.

“I don’t even know what that means, Alyssa. I’ll steer clear of you and your click as long as we stop meeting like this. Deal?” Briar looked her in the eye, slammed her locker shut, walking off to math.

“See you around, New Girl.” Alyssa laughed, walked by her, and into her math class. Briar face palmed herself, wondering if the universe eternally hated her. Head down, keeping her distance, Briar sat down at the farthest seat from Alyssa and her minions. The fact she was in the same class as Alyssa was bad, but Rei walking through the doorway, her day shattered.

“Hey Briar.” He said as he walked by her to sit next to Alyssa. Before she could react, Briar felt something hit her in the back. Briar got up out of her seat, walked over to Alyssa and her minions with the pen that hit her.

“Rei, keep your pet on a leash, please?” Briar snapped, slamming the pen on Alyssa’s desk, cracking the wood.

“You really want to do this here, New Girl?” Alyssa shot to her feet.

“Sit down, you’re making a fool of yourself, Alyssa. What do you think you can do to me that hasn’t been done to me a hundred times?” Briars eyes burning into the blonde’s eyes.

“Good morning class! Take your seats, please?” the teacher came in and broke up the confrontation before it got out of hand. 45 minutes later, just before the bell rang, Briar jumped out of her seat and made a beeline for the door. Alyssa must have had the same idea, but Rei put an end to it by holding her back so Bri could get away.

“What are you doing? Let me go. You don’t expect me to let that go unpunished?” she growled at him.

“Back off. I don’t know why you’re being such a bitch. I didn’t sign up for this. We need some space. I’ll call you. I gotta get to class.” Rei grabbed his bag and walked out after Briar.

“Are you just gona let him talk to you like that over the New Girl’s feelings getting hurt?” Misty, on of Alyssa’s inner circle asked.

“She won’t be here long enough to fill my shoes. Rei will get bored with his little human trinket soon enough.” Alyssa smiled darkly, the wheels in her head turning.

“Briar! I’m sorry for Alyssa’s behavior. She lives for conflict, and she’s set her eyes on you. That was my fault. Let me make it up to you by buying you a coffee after your last class?” He smiled at her.

“I’m not staying all day. She is going to be in the majority of my classes because of our music and volleyball schedules. I need to get away from here.” Briar rubbed the base of her neck with her hand.

“Are you ok? You look a little pale. Alyssa didn’t hurt you back there, did she?” He asked looking at her back where the pen hit.

“A pen isn’t going to hurt me, Rei. I think I just got too angry, and need to settle down. I have chronic migraines in situations with high stress. I gotta go.” Briar stumbled past him and headed right for the front door, she needed some air.

As soon as she got outside, she sat on the stairs, hoping no one was around to see her mental breakdown. Collecting herself, she stood and went to take one step and the blackness swirled around her, the last thing she saw was the ground rushing up as her body fell.

Preparing for the pain when the ground met her bones, she tried tucking herself into a ball in the hopes she wouldn’t break anything.

“Hey there! Are you alright?” a male voice asked in panic. She felt hands grab her and hold her to her feet, but she was still blacking out.

“Hey, stay with me.” The male exclaimed, easily picking her up in his arms and carried her to the medical wing, just in case her injuries were more than she showed.

The more she tried to fight the wave of darkness that was flooding over her, the faster she was being sucked into it.

“Artemis? What happened to her?” Rei asked him.

“She just about hit the pavement outside. Good thing I was there, or this beauty would have been hurt. Can’t you control your pet, Rei?” Artemis asked.

“You know who she is, don’t you?” Rei asked.

“Yes, brother, I know exactly who she is, and what she is doing here. Do you?” He asked Rei.

“She hasn’t emerged yet. Alyssa thinks she is just another human in a school of wolves. It needs to stay that way. Let me take responsibility for her, Artemis. It’s my responsibility to help her bring out her wolf.” Rei said.

“Did our weak mother tell you that before she died, or our father before he betrayed this girl’s identity to me?” Artemis barked, making Briar stir and open her eyes for a second before fluttering shut again.