Chapter 2

Clarissa Whitlock was a dazzling young woman with golden brown hair and a petite round face, she was averagely heightened and the normal height for a girl. Lucas turned to stare at her, she was beautiful and so engrossed in the book she was reading.

“Miss Whitlock, can you please give me the answer to the above equation,” Mr Dan asked, he knew that she had not been listening and solving the equation would be the only way to prove it. She glanced at the equation on the whiteboard and slowly stood up to answer.

“She wouldn’t get it even if she was given the answer” a girl at the front had said, she had dark hair and pale white skin. The other students in the class laughed with her and all started at Clary who seemed uninterested and unbothered. “It should be 10,” she said and sat down.

“That is incorrect, I’m surprised it took you that long to answer Clary. You should always concentrate and listen in class, this is your last warning.” The class went on for another forty-five minutes and then the bell rand for a change of subject, Clary dashed out of the class before anyone else and Lucas ran after her. It was clear that she didn’t want a conversation with anyone but he was so fascinated by her. The mean girl from Algebra class bumped into her, making her hit the lockers and fall to the ground.

“You should get a new pair of glasses Clarissa, keep your eyes on the road,” she said and laughed as she walked up to Lucas. “ Hi, I’m Anika... Anika Adler” her hands were outstretched for a handshake which he accepted. “ I’m Lucas Fairchild” he answered politely and moved over to help Clary up.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he put her books in her locker. “yeah, thank you”. She slammed her locker shut and rushed into an open class.

“She’s really a loser, trying to fit in where she’s not meant to be” Anika started to say as she walked closer to him. “Lucas Fairchild, you are a personality I would love to get to know”

The day ran by and Lucas tried all he could to get Clary to notice him, it made him feel anxious and stupid. She was the first girl to ever make him feel this way and it disturbed him, he sniffed the air to check if she was close by but he didn’t get anything from her rather what he got was Anika's will scent everywhere. He had not noticed that she was a wolf because all wolves were expected to hide their scene from the humans and keep away from attention. He tried concentrating in his final class of the day but her scent was everywhere, it didn’t smell bad, Anika emitted a ginger kind of scent and he despised ginger. He closed his eyes, trying to draw away from her and just when he was about to give up, the air was purified with jasmine and lavender, he had a smile as he opened his eyes to see Clary hurrying to her seat. She must have forgotten what class she had because it was fifteen minutes to the end of the period. Lucas trailed his eyes after her and concentrated on her every move, she was cautious when taking out her seat and putting it back after seating, denim paper bag skirt and black cardigan had never looked better than it was on her. She turned to his direction and gave him a scowl.

“Quit starting at me, you look like a creep” She said irritated by the attention she was getting. She searched the classroom, picked up a book and started doodling, ignoring the voice of the Philosophy teacher and Lucas who had been trying to make a conversation. He resigned to his fate, it was his first day after all.

Clary got home and slammed the door shut, her mum was having a double shift at the hospital that day so it was her all alone like every other time. She dropped her bag and took out a juice box from the refrigerator, taking off her converse sneakers, she laid back on the couch and reminisced about the day she just had. Everything seemed to play like a video, Mrs Harrison had completed her dressing and commended her on her previous literature article, Mr Dan was always being himself, trying to humiliate her, Anika was never going to change and then the creep. She stopped mid-way and started at the image that had formed in her mind, he looked very familiar but she didn’t know how.

“Clary, you are home early. How was school?” Alice asked and hugged the already-seated girl.

“Why are you here? Don’t you have a shift ma?” Clary started to say as she moved the groceries from the paper bag to their respective places. Alice Whitlock, mother to Clarissa and Cassandra was a nurse, she had chestnut hair which fell off her shoulders and a small built. She sat down on the couch and took a big gulp out of the bottle of water Clary offered her.

“ Why are you home? Is your shift over?” Clary asked and Alice heaved a long sigh. “ I can’t work this night Clary, I don’t think I can do night shifts anymore” Alice replied. It was rather unusual to hear her mother say that, she was always motivated to work. After Clary's dad, Drew left them for reasons known to only her mother and father, Alice buried herself into her work and children, she was a fighter and didn’t let the fact that her husband left her and her children bring an effect to her children. They had all they needed to survive and she made sure they were comfortable. The door opened and Cassandra entered with two girls tagging alongside her, they ,held shopping bags in various sizes and brands.

“Hi Mrs. Whitlock” the girls said as they found their way into the living room. Allison and Raina had been friends with Cassandra since middle school and even though they acted bitchy, their friendship was genuine and strong. “ Why didn’t you come home with Clary? And where did you get the money to get all these Cassie?” Alice said and acknowledged the girls greetings with a smile as she ushered them to seats.

“Allison’s dad gave us his credit card for the day ma, and Claryran out of school after the last period, I can’t babysit her ma, Clary needs to find friends and live life” Cassandra said as she laid her head on Clary's lap. “I love that you get to be my twin sweetheart, but you have to come out of this shell you have built. You are pushing mum and I away.”

“I am so not doing that and eww, don’t get all lovey-dovey on me.” She said and pushed Cassandra to the floor which made everyone laugh. “Cassie, I have told you to stop doing that, Mr. Stonewall has been good to us but it doesn’t mean we get to take advantage of his charity” Alice said in worry.

“Mrs Whitlock, Cassie worked for that money. She’s been working shifts at the hotel, daddy likes her around also, he says she has a good influence on me” Allison said in Cassie’s defence. “I know you don’t want me spending extravagantly mum, and I won’t. But there are just sometimes when I have to and today is one of those times.” Clary rolled her eyes and groaned at her statement, she was unbelievable. She closed her eyes as she zoned herself out of the conversation, he found his way back into her thoughts and while she tried to push him away, there was something about him that was so familiar.