Too Hot For The Alphas

I’m never surprised when I spot a bad guy. They always show up eventually. Seeing the man who died saving my life when I was a child? Well, that made me look twice. Literally.I was on my way to second period at my new school, Sonoran Sunset High, when I noticed him from the corner of my eye. I did a double take, and my eyes locked onto him in disbelief. It felt like I was dreaming. My head turned to follow him in slow motion as I was transported into my very first memory—my boarding school being attacked, everyone inside killed, and the building burned to the ground. I only made it out alive because a teacher, Mr. Finn, shoved me out the door and told me to run while he stayed to fight. I assumed he was killed along with everyone else. Seeing him alive in the very hallway I was walking down was more than a shock. It took me a moment to snap out of my stupor. I needed answers about what had happened that day, about the monsters that attacked the school, where he had been all these

Maybe I was hallucinating again. I tore a piece of paper from my notebook, crumpled it, and threw it at him. It bounced off the back of his head and landed on the floor. He was real.And he was turning around to see what had hit him.“I missed the garbage can, sorry,” I blurted, jumping out of my chair to grab the paper and introduce myself to him. After all, the last time he had seen me I was a child. He might not automatically recognize me. “You mean you weren’t trying to pelt me in the head?” he asked. His eyes went big as my foot caught on something and twisted. A few seconds later, I was sprawled out on the industrial-grade carpet, and he was kneeling beside me. “Are you okay?” he asked.I was not thinking rationally. I was too focused on the fact that I’d found Mr. Finn. So, instead of responding like a normal person, I looked up at him from the floor and spoke frantically.“I’m Ser—ow!” Pain shot through my ankle as I tried to get up.“Uh, are you okay?” he asked again.“No—o

The next morning as I was getting ready, I noticed I needed a haircut. I purposely kept my hair long, so I only had to spend money to get it cut once or twice a year, but it was in bad shape. I had lost some weight too. Apparently, I couldn’t be bothered to eat during my hibernation over the summer. My pants nearly fell off after I zipped them up, and my shirt hung loosely off my shoulders. I looked like a kid in her big sister’s hand-me-downs. I punched a new hole in my belt and cinched it around my waist.I carefully put on my shoes, wincing at the pain in my ankle, and heard what sounded like pebbles hitting my window. When I looked out, I saw Bryan in his room holding a giant bag of Skittles, eating a few then throwing one, eating a few then throwing one. This was my chance to fix the horrible first impression I had made, so I needed to make sure I seemed normal. I opened the window and a Skittle pelted me on the chin.“Eat up,” he called over to me. Balancing on my good foot, I

True to his word, as soon as the bell rang to signal the end of third period, Bryan walked into the room. He let students clear out, then stopped in front of my desk and picked up my books. “Is this one of those better things you have to do?” Ashley asked after she looked him up and down. Bryan raised his eyebrows at me.“Bryan, this is Ashley,” I said, then picked up my crutches. “Ashley Abrams,” she said with a wave and a smile. “Bryan Farris.” He gave her a nod hello.“Bryan is my next door neighbor and a boy scout,” I continued, giving Ashley a look. “I thought I’d sprain my ankle so he could get his merit badge for charity.”“That was thoughtful of you,” Ashley laughed. “Helping out a boy scout.”“I’m not a boy scout. She’s making fun of me,” Bryan explained. He gave me a look, then turned back to Ashley. “I’m actually helping Sera so I can get out of class early.”“You two are a pair of comedians,” Ashley said. She stood up without losing her perfect posture. I don’t think a

“I guess that’s settled,” Ashley said, her green eyes going back and forth between Bryan and me. “Is it?” I asked hopefully. Maybe desperately.“Yeah. You’re a novelty. End of story.” She continued to study us, the pale, freckled skin of her forehead scrunching together. I sighed in relief, and Ashley glanced at Ella and Preeti.“I think we’ve made Sera uncomfortable enough for today,” she added when she realized her friends were having difficulty switching gears. “Let’s change the subject. Tell us about yourself, Sera.”Ella and Preeti focused on me, eager to get information.“There’s not much to know,” I said, grateful for the change in conversation. “I like to jog.”“Oh, and you’re on crutches,” Preeti said. “I’m sorry you can’t jog right now because of your injury.” “Thank you. I’ll survive.” I smiled. “What about all of you?”“Ashley does ballet,” Ella said, pointing to Ashley. “That’s where the long limbs and excellent posture come from. Unlike me, who stomps around ungracefu