I watch Caleb as he parked his car next to Anna’s. There is a different aura around him. His right-hand man Arnold steps out of the car and screens the crowd. Yes, he screens the crowd! You must do this when you leave a trail of lovesick exes behind you, who put on a very dramatic show every year to wish you a happy birthday! Once Arnold is done checking he asks Caleb to step out. And the school’s prince finally puts his feet on the school ground for the first time on his birthday.
“Here comes the birthday boy!”, I announce and turn around to leave for class.
“Why do you hate him so much?”, Anna asks following me.
“I don’t have one, but three reasons to hate him.”, I roll my eyes annoyed.
“We would love to know!”, Arya says and wraps her hand around mine.
“First, he is arrogant and doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Second, he is nothing but good looks which makes him equivalent to a zero. And third, he snatched the position of the president of the student body right off my hands using his dad’s name.”, I explain.
“Okay! So basically, you are just jealous and want to crib and cry over a powerful position like a baby.”, Arya says making Anna laugh. I stop and glare at both my friends making them freeze.
“Okay! We get it that you hate him. And you can win the elections this year. We will help you and support you! Now, let’s go!”, Anna says pulling me along.
I walk towards my locker which is right next to Caleb’s. The student body elects a new president every year from the senior batches. Last year I was the winning candidate until Caleb Adolf woke up one morning and decided to run as a candidate in the elections. His dad visited the school one day, and the next day Caleb was elected as the student body president. What fair play! As challenging candidates, our lockers were also placed next to each other. Even though the teachers called it a strategy to keep harmony, it felt more like mocking the loser trick to me.
I opened my locker after what seemed like a lifetime. Keeping my bag inside I took out the books for my first class- Calculus. What a great start to our last year at school! I closed my locker shut and turned around to leave. Well, turning around never felt like such a wrong decision.
"Mine", he growled.
Caleb pushed me to the locker and made my trip and fall and land straight on my bum.
“Ouch!”, I yelled out of pain.
My angry eyes looked straight into his dark brown orbs. I could hear people snicker and laugh. All this embarrassment for what? For him to growl like a dog!
“What is wrong with you?”, I whisper yelled as he inched closer to me.
I could still see people laughing, especially my best friends who could pass out any moment now because of laughing too hard. I was about to snap at this idiot again, but then his actions took everyone by surprise, including my reflex system. I swear it was a reflex!
His face seemed a little too close suddenly. People were watching us with great anticipation now. He closed his eyes and started to bring his face closer to mine. But before our lips could meet my legs moved on their own accord and met his abs with quite a boom! In a second the anticipation in the crowd’s eyes was changed to shock as they saw their student body president lying on the ground, groaning in pain. Well! I swear it was a reflex and at least I didn’t hit where it hurts more!
“I am so sorry!”, I finally spoke up and crawled a little closer to him.
“I-it is okay!”, he murmured in pain still moving from one side to the other clutching his abdomen tightly.
“Do-do you need some water? Wait! I’ll get you some.”, I stood up and ran to my locker and took out my bottle from my bag.
I ran towards him, but it slipped my mind, how my books were scattered on the floor. I stepped on my book and very smoothly went downpouring all the water on my poor victim. Now Caleb was not only groaning in pain but was also drenched in ice-cold water from head to toe.
People around us were now not able to control their laughter. I could see a dozen of phones recording another embarrassing moment of mine. Well, welcome back to becoming the queen of memes Haley! My eyes landed back on Caleb who was now giving me a look of disbelief combined with anger.
“I-I am sorry?”, it came out more of a question than an apology.
“Are you okay?”, Anna came to my rescue and helped Caleb get up.
“Well, thanks to your best friend I took another bath on my birthday!”, he mocked but ended up smiling at me.
“Oh yes! Happy birthday!”, I spoke up earning a very amused expression and tons of glares from the audience. Caleb laughed shaking his head.
“You should consider getting yourself treated. Psychotherapy might help.”, he said. I glared at him clutching my bottle tightly.
“Okay! Okay! The show is over!”, Arya sensed the tension and decided to make the crowd go away before any more drama unfolded.
“Well, maybe you should consider winning without your dad’s abuse of power sometimes. Standing up on your feet might help.”, I spoke with a smug smile.
“Sassy huh! I like that.”, Caleb smirked making my blood boil a lot more.
“Caleb, we need to leave.”, a very tensed Arnold came and intervened before the school corridor changed into a wrestling wing. Caleb pulled out an envelope from his pocket and walked towards me making me take a step back.
“Here, it is a special invite to my birthday party! You and your two friends have to come.”, he said keeping that envelope in my jacket’s pocket.
“Is this how you invite people?”, I asked.
“It is not an invite Haley, it is an order!”, he whispered in my ear and left without another word. I could feel a shiver run down my spine as I heard my name roll out of his mouth this smoothly. I was still in shock contemplating what exactly happened when I heard a very excited squeal.
“WE ARE INVITED TO HIS PARTY!”, Arya started to jump in excitement.
“You can go! I am not going.”, I gave her the envelope and started to pick my books from the floor.
“Wait!”, Anna called out before I could leave.
“What?”, I turned around on the verge of snapping.
“This invitation has someone else’s name on it!”, she said showing me the envelope.
“Someone’s name?”, I asked walking back to my two friends.
“Yes, it says- ‘Official Invite for our Luna’.”, Arya read it out loud.
I took the envelope from her and read it myself.
“It looks important.”, Anna said.
“Maybe he gave you the wrong invite.”, Arya continued.
“If this is important, he might need it back. I will go and return it after school.”, I said and kept the envelope in my locker. Well looks like Adolf family is having a visitor today!
I walked inside the classroom to attend the last period and I heard the same annoying snickers and met a few shocked faces as well. Since the time I was pushed into the locker by Caleb, people were coming to my classes to just look at me. I felt like a showpiece kept on a show window for viewers to enjoy the sight of. One thing that surprisingly Arya noticed was that all these people were from the area where the Adolf family lives.“Is there something on my face?”, I asked for the hundredth time.“No! you need to just stay a little calm. People will forget what happened very soon.”, Anna said. I nodded and ignoring the distracting stares I focused on the laws of motion.“Are you sure you wish to go there alone?”, Arya asked as I walked out of the school gates.“He doesn’t live in a shady place. It is just the woods, and don’t you remember when mom and dad were alive, I used to go to their house every d
Memories are the most beautiful and the scariest things we hold onto in life. I watched her walk down the stairs with the same evil smirk and tons of flashbacks started playing like a movie in front of my eyes. Her red dress and face caked with make-up, perfectly showed her dominance. Scarlett Adolf’s life was nothing but a huge lie. A lie only a few people were aware of and unfortunately, I am one of those few people.“I never thought I’ll ever get to see you again!”, her voice laced with disgust made me shiver. I could feel all the scars burn again. The scars my clothes were hiding for years!“Have you gone mute?”, she asked now standing right in front of me.“I am not here to see you!”, I said in a brave voice.“But you are standing in front of me right now. It will be great to have a little chat, wouldn’t it?”, she said faking a smile.“A chat with you? What about a no for
After an hour and a half of running from one room to another and creating complete chaos, we were finally walking out of our apartment. Anna was a little nervous about seeing Arnold there, but she agreed to come with us to give me company.Arya was jumping with excitement, and we just let her have her moment. I was the least dressed person out of the three of us. I chose to wear a simple black dress and paired it with my denim jacket and white shoes. Anna was wearing her sea-green gown with her blonde hair complementing the look perfectly. Arya was excited about wearing her new dress. She wore a red and black jumpsuit with black heels and made a high pony to complete the look. We finally sat in the car and Arya decided to be our driver.After a long drive to the other side of the city, we were finally standing outside the woods. I picked up my phone and asked Ethan to come and pick us up. The radio in our car was still on with Sia’s Cheap Thrills playing at full
The stranger was still looking at us. I caught him staring at Caleb a few times too. Everything about him yelled danger. Whenever our eyes met I had this unsettling feeling in my gut.“Are you okay?”, Ethan asked giving me another glass of this amazing juice I had been hooked onto.“Who is that?”, I asked pointing at the guy with my eyes.“The guy in the black suit and weird grey tie?”, he asked, and I noticed his tie was indeed very weird. I nodded.“Why did he do something?”, he asked.“No, he was talking to Caleb earlier and I just don’t feel comfortable around him. Maybe I am being paranoid, but he seems scary.”, I told him honestly.“I don’t think you are being paranoid. He is scary. We all feel that way.”, he answered.“But who is he? I have never seen him in town.”, I asked again.“Remember Caleb stayed at a boarding sch
Caleb was holding my wrist tightly and he pulled me inside the house. I frantically looked towards the lawn to spot my friends, but I couldn’t find them.“Where did my friends go?”, I asked myself.“I don’t know. They must be out there somewhere.”, Caleb answered without looking at me.“How could you know!”, I was again not supposed to say that out loud.“Then why did you ask me?”, he asked and kept his focus on the stair we were climbing now.“I am talking to myself.”, I replied, and he just shrugged his shoulders.Once we reached upstairs, he opened the first door and asked me to wait outside. I looked around and I remember how the third floor of the Adolf mansion was always off-limits to us. My brother was the curious one and once he tried to enter this floor. He came back with a broken arm and to date, I have no idea what exactly happened here. I peeked inside the ro
The party was in full swing, and I could see people were enjoying it to the fullest. The party was divided into two zones. On one side of the lawn, all the youngsters were dancing and drinking and then again dancing. And on the other side of the lawn, there were all these serious-looking people, having sophisticated chats with a glass of champagne in one hand and the other hand in their pant’s pocket. Caleb was the one I was pitying. The poor birthday boy was juggling between the two sides. “Hayley come on!”, Anna came and pulled me into the crowd of a bunch of drunk teenagers moving their bodies to the beats. “I told you I don’t feel like dancing!”, I screamed, so that she could hear my voice over the loud music. “I don’t care. You are dancing!”, she screamed back and then started to sway her hips and hands. I laughed and soon we were both jumping to the beats. Fifteen minutes into dancing and I look behind to see Ethan also joined us. We were all en
Life is full of confusing mazes which surprise you and test you. I had my first encounter with a maze when I met Scarlett for the first time, and I was bullied for something I had no idea about. Maybe I still don’t know. But I do remember her calling me the odd one out, the kid who didn’t deserve to be a Robinson just like my dad.The second maze occurred when I lost my parents but all those times, I had my brother protecting me, guiding me. Today I felt lost. My soul was desperate for help, but I just kept running from the people who might have helped me- my best friends. For a while, I heard them shouting my name, but I just hid behind a tree. I wanted to be alone.This morning all I did was hate, Caleb. And I was right. I need to hate him. he deserves it. But his every touch, every move made this weird sensation. It was like someone sent electric shocks down my spine- in a good way. And all these confusing emotions combined with all the secrets his famil
We were walking back to the Adolf mansion and Caleb was still holding my hand. I was tired, thirsty, sleepy, and really hungry. I held onto his hands tighter as I felt a little dizzy.“Are you okay?”, he asked turning around after I squeezed his hand a little too tightly.“Yes! I am fine.”, I answered smiling a little. He nodded and focused his gaze back on the uneven land.“How far did I even come?”, I asked astonished at my own running skills.“Well, you literally ran into the middle of the forest. Our house is in the very beginning of this place. So, you did travel a nice long way.”, he chuckled.“Woah! I didn’t even realise.”, I murmured.“I am just glad we found you while you were still breathing.”, he said without looking back. How can someone say such a mean thing? I planned on ignoring his comment, he is the one who saved my life after all.“Ca
Hurt, a word we often feel but seldom use. Is it okay? To not talk about it and let it burn your heart down, wear out your body and still put on a smile while you are surrounded by those who hurt you. Is revenge an answer? Hurting back and watching them scream and beg for mercy. To be like them, to be like Leon. Will that ever be the answer? “What are you scribbling?”, Ethan walked outside the gates and asked. “Nothing.”, I closed my diary and wiped my tears with the sleeve of my t-shirt. “Show me!”, he said and snatched the diary out of my hands. “There was a time when I was sure, you don’t exist. And even if you do walk this earth, Just a speck of dust in this storm, How am I supposed to even find you? And then rushed in these thoughts, Are you looking for me with all you got? Or have you already given up and settled with the next best thing you saw? Do you love her like you were meant to love me? Or are you also staring out of the window, And unknowingly admiring the sa
One thing I learned about life at an early age was, having no expectations is tough but having expectations is deadly. Expectations as simple as a happy life and a live-breathing family are also enough to break you.Staring at the water in front of me, I was immersed in my own thoughts and the ripples in the lake made me wonder, how good it might feel if there were no feelings at all. To live an expectation-free life and also a life free of this constant anxiety asking the same question again and again- what does the future hone on hold for us?“What are you doing here?”, Ethan walked out of the building gates and took a seat beside me.“Did you talk to Mr. Collins?”, I asked.“Yes, they will move my stuff after dinner.”, he replied.“That’s good then. You are the only member of the pack I can trust.”, I smiled at him.“Did you meet all the other people sharing the apartment?”, Ethan asked.“I guess, I know Caleb, obviously, and I just met Lily the new friend he has made, and then it’
Destiny has an annoying habit of poking her nose everywhere. And it felt like she was playing with my life like it was some sort of a kid’s board game- all for entertainment. Having Caleb in town was not enough of a surprise that now he was my roommate.“You can go in now!”, Headmaster Collin’s secretary said.“Thank you!”, I barged into the room.Gothic! That is what that room screamed. Who has a gothic aesthetic for their office? Paintings from all supernatural movies covered one side of the wall. There was a huge portrait of someone who was almost the exact replica of Mr. Collins but the background had a fence, a creepy full moon, and bats. I could guess maybe it was his grandfather. The chairs were designed in the shapes of hands, fangs, and a wolf while I saw the man sitting on a castle. A chair that looked like a CASTLE!“Uhm…Hello again Headmaster Collins!”, I finally spoke up. This spooky interior was still very distracting.“Oh! Miss Hayley. Please sit down.”, he said pointin
Surprises are better than knowing what awaits us in the future. It was at this moment I realized how much I despised knowing it all. How much I hated that it was not just me who knew but my family did too.“You are leaving the territory this very moment young lady!”, there was a finality in pappy’s tone.“But pappy I cannot keep running.”, I somehow managed to answer despite knowing this will only make him angry.“Did I say your opinion is required here? I have already made arrangements and Oliver will go with you.”, he was about to walk away when grandma stopped him.“Don’t you think she is safer here with all of us?”, she asked looking at him with concern.“What do you mean? Oliver can take care of his sister like us all.”, pappy argued.“I don’t doubt Oliver’s skill, but Leon is powerful because he has no connection with his human. We cannot put Oliver in such grave danger even for his sister. Werewolves hunt in packs and only a pack can fight with them.”, grandma’s words made sens
Life is full of ups and downs, but when we are optimistic, we find a way to sail through the storms. But what if we are tired? What if we are stuck in that storm alone? What if there was no point in sailing through? What if we start enjoying battling the storm?It's been one whole year of me staying here at the hunter’s den as people call it. People here are my family now and my grandparents and my brother are now convinced that I can kill a werewolf if one attacks me. And maybe that is why I was allowed to come to the bar in the city tonight to celebrate Mason’s birthday.Neon lights were covering the floor, walls, and roof with a dark aura, and a mysterious stench in the air. I walked inside the bar with my friends laughing and having fun as if they were used to such places. Well, they were. I was the one on house arrest for 6 months. Then they allowed me to walk in the streets for one hour and today finally I got my old life back.“Are you excited about starting school next week?”,
I ran down the stairs ignoring pappy’s calls, as my main motive was to save myself from my brother’s tickle attack. Getting engulfed in his bear hug and then sprawling on the floor laughing like a maniac while also begging him to stop was not my idea of a first impression. People were already staring at us, but this stare could turn into a glare the moment my brother would initiate what he calls the attack of a tickle bean!“Stop you two!”, a voice interrupted our little game of chase. A feminine voice, I had missed all this while and a voice Oliver knew by heart.“Grandma!”, I squealed as I saw her lean, small figure standing beside a door. Her hair was grey with just two or three black strands standing out. Unlike other grandmas, she never had a hunched back, and her eyes were still perfectly fine which explains the absence of spectacles.“My darling!”, she replied with equal enthusiasm and hugged me tightly. I felt warm and safe and at home, a feeling I longed for.“Are you okay?”,
We landed in London an hour back, and all I could see were trees, everywhere. I had heard a lot about London’s beauty but never did anyone mentioned these abundant forests.“Where are we going?”, I asked.“To the hunter’s paradise.”, pappy answered.“Hunter’s what?”, I asked confused.“It’s a place where all the hunters live.”, Oliver answered.“You were living here all this while?”, I asked.“Not exactly, but I did visit a lot.”, he said without looking at me. The forest had his complete attention.“Are there werewolves here too?”, I couldn’t help but let all the questions out.“Yes, there are. But the areas are divided. We cannot enter their territory and they are not allowed to enter ours.”, pappy answered. I nodded.I saw Oliver staring at a tree near the far end of the forest. He was not star
Fear! To people, it is just a word, but to some, it is more! I always felt the fear of losing people, but this was the first time I was afraid to know them. I was afraid to keep them for an eternity. I was petrified to be bound to their story, to be a part of their destiny. Love has no boundaries, and no love can dwell within boundaries. The love that might have taken birth inside my heart for Caleb, was lost in the boundaries of Leon. And now in the place of that love, fear was born. I was afraid to be his mate, to be the one moon goddess picked for him.I saw the trees move past me as Ethan drove the car towards my apartment. The silence was peaceful, our minds were not. I couldn’t help but feel the fear. My life had turned upside down and not only did I lose my best friend, but I also lost a piece of me somewhere in that dungeon. And maybe I found a lost piece too. A missing piece. I found something familiar.“Wait!”, I literally scre
I had no idea if it was day or night outside. I was surrounded by darkness and the almost diminishing light of the lanterns. No one came inside to give us food or water and Uncle Zach never told me where he got the food from. I looked at his sleeping form, and I could find a little resemblance to mom. I wondered what he looks like when he is not in transition? It led to another thought and then other till I finally pondered, can he even change into his human form completely? I’ll ask him once he wakes up! After what felt like an hour, I finally heard the gates open. My sense of time was also missing. I had no idea how fast or slow time was passing. Just like me Uncle Zach also sat up straight. He sniffed the air. “It’s your mate. I am going inside. Don’t tell him we talked. Stay safe Haley.”, he whispered and vanished into the darkness of his cage. I gulped in fear as I heard footsteps coming toward me. What is he here for now? “Haley?”, there was a s