CHAPTER SIX - THE PARTY

Jayla

Remember what I said about not liking parties? Yeah. Now add dressing up to the list of things I hate about parties.

I throw my closet open and groan when I see that I have practically nothing to wear. My entire closet is filled with either worn out jeans and shirt outfits or summer dresses, which are definitely not meant for a party like this.

Even though I doubt any other packs are invited, our own pack is big enough. It has about 800 members with 300 school going members. I miss Katherine being here. That girl always had a talent of finding something presentable for a party in my trashy closet

Finally I settle for blue skinny jeans, white crop top and a pair of strappy heels. It's a rather cute kind of outfit and it suits me well. I quickly plug in my curling iron as I do a bit of makeup.

I apply some concealer under my eyes and on my eyelids as a base before taking my palette to do a quick smoky eyelook. Then I take my black eyeliner from YSL and do a quick wing. I add some mascara, light pink lipstick and I decide that my makeup looks good.

I grab my heated curling iron and quickly curl the ends of my slightly dry hair, making them look bouncy and full. I ruffle my hair and decide not to use any hair spray because this party doesn't seem too important.

I take a look at myself in the mirror, and I'm proud of how I look. I'm putting some last minute essentials in my purse like lipstick, some cash and earphones, when my father calls for me and I go downstairs.

"I'm coming!" I holler and quickly slip on my black strappy heels.

"You look beautiful, angel," my dad says with pride in his eyes and voice when he sees me as I enter the room, and kisses my forehead.

I smile and go on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You don't look too bad yourself, dad."

He smiles sweetly at me and ruffles my hair, making me groan.

"Come on, kiddo," he says. "We should get going. I need to talk to the Alpha and then I'll come back while you can enjoy the party, okay?"

"Okay," I mumble, nodding my head.

Dad gives Mom a quick kiss on her lips before we decide to go and they share one of those gooey eye looks which makes me roll my eyes.

"Bye, honey!" Dad hollers before he and I step outside and enter into the car.

I tuck the seatbelt in and sigh, looking out of the window. When I was a kid, I thought life was just like a beautiful fairytale where you are your parent's princess and there is someone in the world who will become a prince just for you.

Then, I grew up a little and learnt about the adult's world where people cheated and lied to each other. I learned about hypocrisy, where the adults taught of love and truth, but weren't so loving and truthful themselves.

Then my parents told me about mates, and I was transfixed. Having a soulmate- someone who's made just for you, didn't sound any less than a fairytale for me.

And I hoped. Again. My hopes increased everyday as I saw how my parents loved each other and how my friends changed when they found their mates. I wanted that too. I wanted a mate.

Then I turned eightee, and I got rejected. Not technically anyway, but practically. I mean, he didn't say the words and severe the bond, but he never accepted me either.

I learned another thing about humans that day. I learned that hopes and expectations are hazardous for you, and no one will ever be truly happy for your happiness.

When the world knows about your weaknesses and hopes, they'd do anything in their power to break them. To break you. But you have to be strong.

You have to be strong enough to not get broken by those people yet at the same time, prevent yourself from becoming cynical because we came alone to this world. And we'll exit this world alone, too.

"This is my daughter, Jayla," Dad says, introducing me to the Alpha who smiles warmly at me. I hadn't even realized that we had gotten to the Alpha's office due to how I had been so lost in my thoughts.

"Of course I know her. She's such a talented girl. The principal told me about her." He looks at me and grins. "Have you met my son yet?"

I open my mouth to say no but Jasper Obed, the future Alpha of the pack cut me off.

"Unfortunately not. But we would love to know each other, won't we, pretty lady?" Jasper asks me, grinning and showing off his pearly white teeth.

I close my mouth and nod slightly. How could I say no to the future Alpha?

***

Thinking back to that moment, I regret my action. I should have just said no. Jasper has been constantly flirting with me and all my attempts to escape this situation have all been in vain.

"So, apart from looking gorgeous, what are your hobbies?" Jasper asks as he swirls the contents of the drink in his glass.

"Um. I like to sing," I manage to get out.

That piece of information seems to make him pick up interest. "Oh, do you play some type of instrument too?"

I nod. "Yeah. I know how to play the guitar."

"Interesting," he whispers, leaning close to me. "Do you know what I'm good at?"

He picks a strand of my hair and twirls it between his fingers, his face dangerously close to mine.

"No?" I reply without stuttering.

If it was Tyler in place of Jasper right now, I know I would have been paralysed by now. But since it's Jasper and not my mate, I feel no sparks, no thrills, nothing at all.

Even though Jasper is the sexiest boy in the whole of the school and practically every girl I know has a crush on him, I can't help but feel it's not proper to talk to him.

On the other hand, I can't help but feel hurt that Tyler didn't even tell Jasper- his best friend from childhood- about us being mates because if he had known, he won't have flirted with me, the way he is doing right now.

Is Tyler really that ashamed of me? Do I really mean so little to him?

I decide to shake my thoughts off when Jasper leans even closer, his nose touching mine.

I hold my breath as he says the next words. "The thing is, sweetheart, I can't tell you about my hobbies. I can just show them to you."

I gasp when I realize what kind of hobbies he is talking about. I choose to ignore him and look away. Where is Shane anyway? Isn't this supposed to be his party? Not that I'm looking forward to meeting him or anything.

"Jasper," a deep voice says and we both look to the side to see Tyler standing there with his jaw clenched. His palms are fisted tightly and he looks pissed.

"Tyler," Jasper says lazily as he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling away. "Looks like you did find a girl this time, huh?" Jasper laughs lightly as if it's a joke but no one laughs. It's only as he speaks that I notice a girl standing beside Tyler.

Standing? I scoff after a closer look at them. More like clinging to his body like a leech. As I look closely, I discover that it's the same girl as the one from detention and I wonder if both of them are dating or something.

"Babe," she slurs, obviously drunk. "Why don't we go somewhere else? Somewhere we can have fun," she says in his ear, trailing a finger down his chest and biting his ear.

I fold my hands into fists when I feel a pang of hurt in my chest. Tyler is unaffected though. He looks like he is enjoying my state, as if he is delighted with it.

"Why not, babe," he says loud enough for Jasper and I to hear it as he pull the girl closer to himself. My jaw drops as I see him lean down and kiss her right in front of my eyes.

If you think seeing your mate with someone is hurtful, try watching him kiss someone else in front of your eyes. And voluntarily too. One of his eyes are open as he sneaks a glance at me and smirks through the kiss.

My body is burning. My lungs, my chest, my heart are burning with pain, jealousy and hurt. So much that it's painful to breathe.

"Excuse me," I barely manage to get out as I detach myself from Jasper.

"Hey!" Jasper calls out, but I don't look behind.

How many times have you cried for someone? How many times have you gotten up and told yourself 'not anymore'? How many times have you decided that you've had enough of a person and yet given in to them again? How many times have you cried yourself to sleep, only to get up and make the same mistake all over again?

Tyler Everett is that mistake of mine. He is a mistake I never committed in the first place. I clench the railings of the first floor balcony as tears fall down my face.

One tear falls on the floor, followed by another, till I lose of how many salty droplets fall down my eyes. I sniffle and whimper as the images of him kissing her swirls around in my head and it feels like someone is running a silver dagger through my heart, stabbing me again and again.

I want to go home. I really want to. I'm about to pull my phone out when a familiar voice stops me.

"What is a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?"

I turn around to see who it is and gasp loudly.

Oh God, why me?