2. Old friend

After geometry class got over, I packed up my things and left the room for the next lecture. But before I could have left the room, someone called out my name from the back of the classroom.

"Lexie, you left your earphones behind!"

As I turned around to see what the matter was, my shoulder bumped into someone coming in from the doorway.

I could only see a flash of blonde hair before I stumbled backwards from the force of the collision and stabilised myself against a desk.

"Watch where you are going! Or has that scar made you lose your vision in the second eye too?!"

I didn't even need to pull down my hood to see that the person my bad luck had made me collide with, was none other than Abby.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention…"

I mumbled an apology for the sake of the friendship Abby and I used to share, back when we were just kids who played together.

I knew her from my days in the Celene pack, where we both had been brought up in the same neighbourhood. She was the only female who was the same age as me in my locality, so we had become fast friends. But one day, after the death of her father when we had been ten years old, we had been separated. We found out a few days ago that her mother and she had moved to her uncle's pack, and I had lost all hopes of ever getting my childhood friend back.

To some extent, I had been right. Because when I had met her upon joining this pack, two years ago, I had found out that I had actually lost my good friend. She still looked almost the same: waist length blonde hair, high-bridged nose flanked by almond-shaped blue eyes, milky white skin and a brilliant smile. Only, she barely showed that smile any more.

I couldn't understand why, but Abby, despite being just as beautiful as I remember her at ten, had turned into a completely different and mean person at eighteen. Something about her eyes told me that she was much meaner to herself than she showed on the outside to other people, but Katrine had forbidden me from initiating contact with her, saying that I didn't need such people in my life at the moment. And I knew better than to question her judgement, but the least I could do was to let Abby's snarky comment slide in the name of old relations.

'There are very few old relations I have let myself keep, anyhow.'

So issuing that formal apology which I only meant partially, I began to turn around, to collect the earphones I had reportedly left at my desk.

"Huh! These uncouth Rogues, I don't know why the Werewolf elders could be so short-sighted to issue that decree! We can't habilitate each and every wild animal who walks into the territory!"

Abby remarked as she pushed past me and I felt my anger gaining control of my tongue before I could think.

"Did you have an extra vial of poison this morning for breakfast, just because you got rejected last night?!"

I spat out in her direction, and she turned around and speared me with her gaze within seconds, baring her fangs at the next moment.

Meanwhile, all the other students present in the classroom froze in their places with anticipation.

Apparently, I had been the first one to vocalise what everyone had wanted to say.

Yes, practically the entire pack knew that Abby liked Paul, and had been nourishing the dreams of becoming his Luna in the near future. Thanks to Katrine, who was interested in fashion and had kept me up all night while giving me the descriptions of the dresses of everyone at the party, I was sure that Abby had attended the Alpha's party with high hopes. And the higher those hopes are, the louder the sound is when they crash!

But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt bad for saying them to her. I was far too impulsive for my own soft heart, because the face of the little girl who used to be my friend flashed in front of my eyes. She must be feeling dejected too, and maybe I should have given her more space to feel upset at what I am sure would have been a major disappointment.

But most of those feelings of empathy vanished when she fired back her retort.

"Excuse me! Not everyone has the same Destiny as you, to be rejected! I am definitely Paul's mate, it's just that he hasn't realised it yet. Because anyway, I had to leave the party early last night and didn't get the chance to meet him properly.

Anyhow, you absolutely do not need to worry about me- I am sure he will realise it soon enough, just worry about yourself! With a face that ugly, I am sure anyone would be horrified to find you as their mate, and that is even before that horrifying scar of yours. Yes, Lexie, don't think that just because I had left the pack early, I don't know your secrets!"

***