Chapter 4

‘Magnus, nice of you to join the class. Just because you are the future Alpha does not mean you get special privileges. Now take your seat before you get yourself detention,’

I growl under my breath, ‘Yes, Mr Thomson,’ and plonk my books onto the table and sit next to Nina.

Nina stiffens in surprise as I sit beside her. She looks at me and is trying to contain a smile. I try to tune her presence out and tune into Mr Thompson. He talks about different types of soil that are low in nutrients and high in nutrients. Nina’s pen flicks back and forth as she listens to Mr Thomson. Her hands are small and dainty, and her nails have been freshly manicured and painted with a very light, subtle pink. Her long brown hair drape down her arms. I watch as she tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing a gold earring and exposing her nape. My eyes focus on the nape of her neck. I feel my heart racing. I break out into a sweat and feel my heartbeat pounding erratically through my chest.

‘Magnus… Magnus!’ Mr Thomson yells. I fall off my chair. Everyone is laughing. I glare at the class, and they fall silent. ‘For the second time Magnus. Take. Your. Seat.’

Nina gives me a look, but I grab my chair and take my seat, continuing to ignore her.

‘As I said, the student you are all sitting next to will be your lab partners for the rest of the term.’

‘What!’ I say, slamming my fist on the table. It breaks in half. My books fall with Nina’s, and all eyes are on me.

‘I’m not partnering with Nina for the rest of the term!’

Nina raises her hand. ‘Mr. Thomson, I have to agree with Magnus. I’d rather be lab partners with the classroom guinea pig in the cage. At least its I.Q would be higher than Magnus’s,’ she says.

The room roars with laughter. 

‘Quiet, quiet everyone,’ Mr Thomson shouts, the room becomes quiet minus the low giggles everyone tries to hold in. ‘Now Magnus, you have detention for being late and not paying attention and destroying school property.’

‘But...’ I try to argue back. Nina laughs, and I glare at her.

‘As for you, Nina, you will be lab partners with Magnus whether or not you like it, and you will also join him in detention today after school!’

‘What! Mr Thomson, that’s not fair,’

‘As is life, Nina,’ he growls.

Nina and I sit back in our seats with our arms crossed and backs facing each other since we no longer have a table to use, and we are both struggling to hold our tongues to not get into further trouble.

The bell goes, everyone leaves as Nina, and I squat down to collect our books. Of Course, the books mixed up when they fell. As we gather our books, we go to grab the same book, and I end up holding her hand instead. We pause and look at our hands. Her hand feels so soft and warm. We looked up at each other for a split second, and I quickly let go of her hand as if it burnt me. Grabbing my last two books, I storm off to my last class for the day.

May and Claire have already arrived in the English class before me. They sit on the opposite side of the room, thank goodness. The only problem now is that they are both patting the seat next to them for me to sit beside them.

Flint and Zak snicker in the back, wondering who I will choose to sit next to. Since I’m going on a date with Claire, I should probably get to know her better than I do, and it will help take my mind off Nina and what had just transpired in class with her.

May frowns as I take my seat next to Claire, and I see Zak pouts as he hands five dollars over to Flint. They had placed a bet as to who I chose. 

Claire clings onto my arm the same way May would.

‘I can’t wait until the party this Saturday,’

‘Yeah, um me neither,’

‘So, what do you plan on wearing?’ she asks.

‘Er, clothes…?’

‘Of course, you will wear clothes, dummy. What style of clothes?’

‘a shirt and jeans, I guess.’ 

‘You know what? I’m free after school tomorrow. Maybe I could come over and help you pick something out?’

I feel hesitant about having her over at my place. Do I even want her over? But then, my mind flashes back to the touch of Nina’s hand, and I realise one of my many questions has been answered. Yes, her skin is just as smooth as it looks.

‘So, what do you say, Magnus?’

‘Huh?’

‘About me coming over after school tomorrow unless you want me to come over today. I can cancel my shopping spree at the mall in the city with my girlfriends.’

‘Can’t today. I have detention after school with Nina,’

The pencil in her hand snaps in half, ‘Detention, and with Nina?’

‘Yup, I know. It’s like the Moon Goddess wants to punish me. I do not know why, though.’

‘Well, I feel for you, Boo-boo. It would be a curse to spend time with that freak. I will come over tomorrow after school then,’

I shuttered when she called me Boo-boo and felt anger build-up when referring to Nina as a freak. I shouldn’t care. Why do I care? It made me angry when May had called her a freak earlier in the cafeteria. 

Claire caresses her fingers across my lower arm as we listen to Mrs Lofts discussing our upcoming essay assignment. Claire’s caresses are making me cringe. She may as well run her nails across the chalkboard, as it would give me the same effect. I take her hand and hold it so she stops touching my arm. She grins and looks over at May, who is mentally throwing daggers at me. Her skin isn’t as smooth and lacks the warmth I felt with Nina’s. Her hands are pretty clammy.

‘Now open your textbooks to page 139 and answer the questions in your notebooks.’

I’ve never been so happy with Mrs Lofts giving me work to do. Happily releasing Claire’s hand, I grab my pen and write my answers. I purposely answer them slowly until the bell rings as an excuse not to have to hold her hand again.

The bell goes, I’m happy to run home and get away from everyone, especially May and Claire. Then I remember I have dreaded detention.

Returning to my locker, I pack my books away on the shelf and take my school bag. Josie runs up to me with her backpack.

‘Ready to go home, brother?’ she smiles.

‘Nope, I have detention… with Nina,’ 

‘Magnus! This is your chance!’ she squeals.

‘Chance for what?’

‘To get on your knees and beg the hottie for forgiveness for being such a dumbass all these years.’

‘Josie! Not going to happen,’

‘But why not? I never understood why you would cut your best friend off like that. You two were so close and did everything together.’

‘You wouldn’t understand, Josie. You’re not the one who will be an Alpha one day. I need to be respected, not laughed at.’

‘I’m your little sister, daughter of an Alpha which means my mate will probably be an Alpha from a different pack, so yeah, I get you to need to be respected just as I do as a potential Luna, but I do not know what that has to do with Nina?’

‘Forget it, okay? I’m going to be late for detention. I’ll see you at home for dinner.’

Flint walks up to us as I’m about to walk away. Josie wraps her arms around Flint and sobs into his chest. Just great. After everything else going on, now Josie is upset at me.