Chapter 1: The Girl Nobody Sees

The clock on the classroom wall ticked loudly, its sound amplified by the suffocating silence. Nicola James sat in the back corner, her chair slightly askew to keep her distance from the other students. Not that anyone wanted to be close to her. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, flickering every now and then, but no one else seemed to notice. Crescent Moon High was old, the kind of school where the lockers stuck, the cafeteria food tasted like cardboard, and the faint smell of mildew lingered no matter how many times they cleaned.

Nicola glanced at the clock again. Two minutes until the bell. Two minutes until she could blend into the crowd, slip through the hallways unnoticed, and finally escape the judgmental stares that followed her everywhere. Two minutes until she could retreat into the safety of her own mind.

The teacher’s voice droned on, his monotone explanation of algebra formulas fading into the background. Nicola’s gaze drifted to the window. The late autumn sun bathed the Crescent Moon forest in a golden glow, making the leaves shimmer like fire. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their branches whispering secrets she wished she could hear. The forest was her sanctuary, a place where she didn’t have to think about her status as an Omega or endure the cruel jabs from her classmates. It was a world that didn’t care about pack hierarchy or the fact that she was at the bottom of it.

Behind her, a muffled giggle broke her train of thought. She stiffened, her grip tightening on her pen.

“Hey, Omega,” Maddie Harlan whispered, her voice dripping with mockery. The Alpha girl leaned forward, just enough for her honey-blonde curls to brush against Nicola’s shoulder. “Try not to ruin the game tonight, okay? Oh, wait, you’re not going. No one wants you there.”

Nicola clenched her jaw, keeping her eyes glued to her notebook. Maddie’s voice was soft, just low enough that the teacher wouldn’t notice, but loud enough for Nicola to hear every word. She could feel the smirks and stifled laughter of Maddie’s clique radiating behind her.

Maddie wasn’t entirely wrong - Nicola hadn’t planned on going to the football game. She never went to social events if she could help it. They were just another reminder of how little she belonged. At Crescent Moon High, she was invisible unless someone decided she was a target. And tonight would be no different.

The bell finally rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. Nicola quickly shoved her books into her bag, keeping her head down as she tried to slip out of the classroom before Maddie could say anything else. But as she stood, Maddie’s foot shot out, catching the edge of Nicola’s shoe. She stumbled, her books and papers tumbling to the floor in a chaotic heap.

“Oh no, clumsy me,” Maddie said with mock concern, her perfectly glossed lips curving into a smirk. “You should be more careful, Omega.”

Laughter erupted around her, a ripple of cruel amusement that made Nicola’s cheeks burn. She dropped to her knees, frantically gathering her scattered belongings. She didn’t look up, keeping her head low as her hair fell like a curtain around her face. The classroom emptied quickly, the laughter fading as her tormentors moved on.

“Nicola!” a familiar voice called, cutting through the lingering tension. She glanced up to see Chloe and Theo waiting for her by the door. Relief flooded her chest at the sight of them.

Chloe’s green eyes were narrowed in anger, her auburn curls bouncing as she stormed into the room. Theo, tall and broad-shouldered with a boyish grin, followed behind her. His usual easygoing demeanor was replaced with a frown as he looked down at Nicola.

“You okay?” Chloe asked, crouching to help her gather her books. “Maddie’s such a..”

“I’m fine,” Nicola interrupted, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. The last thing she wanted was to dwell on Maddie’s cruelty. “Let’s just go.”

Chloe didn’t look convinced, but she nodded, standing and handing Nicola her notebook. The three of them walked to Nicola’s locker, Chloe launching into a fiery rant about pack hierarchy and how Alphas like Maddie thought they ruled the world. Her words were sharp, each one fueled by her outrage on Nicola’s behalf.

Theo chimed in occasionally, his tone lighthearted, though Nicola could sense the protectiveness behind his words. He had a way of balancing Chloe’s fire, grounding her without snuffing out her spark. Nicola appreciated both of them more than she could say, but sometimes, their determination to stand up for her made her feel even more helpless.

As they reached her locker, Chloe stopped mid-rant and turned to Nicola, her hands on her hips. “You’re coming tonight,” she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Nicola spun her locker dial, sighing. “I wasn’t planning to-”

“I don’t care what you were planning,” Chloe said, crossing her arms. “It’s Friday, your birthday’s tomorrow, and you are not spending another night at home alone. We’re going to the game, and that’s final.”

Nicola opened her locker and stared blankly at the neatly arranged contents. The idea of spending the evening surrounded by noisy classmates and the suffocating pressure of pack dynamics made her stomach churn. But before she could voice her protest, Theo leaned casually against the locker next to hers, his grin returning.

“And before you try to argue,” he added, “there will be popcorn. Lots of it. And maybe hot chocolate if you’re lucky.”

Nicola glanced between her two friends, knowing they wouldn’t back down. Chloe’s determined gaze and Theo’s teasing smile were an unspoken promise: they wouldn’t let her spend the night alone, no matter how much she resisted.

She sighed, pressing her forehead against the cool metal of her locker. “Fine,” she muttered. “But only because you’re both annoying.”

Chloe beamed, looping her arm through Nicola’s. “That’s the spirit!”

Theo chuckled, falling into step beside them as they walked toward the school’s exit. “You won’t regret it,” he said, his voice warm and reassuring. “Promise.”

Nicola wanted to believe him, but the nagging doubt in her chest wouldn’t let go. The forest had always been her refuge, the one place where she could escape the suffocating weight of being an Omega. Tonight, she would be stepping into the very world she’d spent years avoiding.

As they stepped out into the crisp autumn air, the sun dipping low on the horizon, Nicola glanced at her friends. They were her lifeline, her tether to a world that often felt like it was crumbling around her. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad - if she could make it through without Maddie’s insults and avoid being noticed by anyone else.

But deep down, a tiny voice whispered that tonight might be different. And not in a way she was ready for.