FOURTEEN: The Fall

HER DREAD OF Monday was becoming true right before her eyes. Cornelia was walking down the school hallway and towards her locker, but she noticed that the kind of attention she was getting was similar to the usual.

No one came to say hi to her, there were no thrown smiles, and wide grins. Some were just stealing glances at her before they would whisper among their friends, while others had the guts to blantly stare at her.

She knew the kind of looks she was getting; she could easily interpret them. They were disapproving, gloating, bored, and cunning. She could see it in the many guys she had said no too.

Cornelia arrived at her locker and found Abigail waiting for her. "Are we okay?" She asked right away, before even greeting Cornelia.

She wasn't sure how to answer that question. She still blamed Abigail for not telling her earlier, perhaps she could have done some damage control. She let out a sigh, "I think word got around." She said without giving an answer.

"Jessica and Lana." Abigail said while watching Cornelia put her stuff in the locker. "Things got messy after you left. Apparently, Jessica asked Joshua out, and when he said no, she told him that he's pinning over a common whore who only wants a sugar daddy."

Cornelia visibly winced at the words, and she closed her locker with a pained look on her face. "And I'll assume this conversation wasn't in some private room where no one could hear."

"It was at the gym.... half of the football team heard it, and some cheerleaders too. There were also..."

Before Abigail could continue her long list, Cornelia interjected. "Cheerleaders and football team is more than enough for a rumor to spread like wild fire." She let out a sigh, and they began walking to their class. "And of course Jessica gave him every detail of what she had heard."

Abigail nodded again, then a thoughtful look passed her face, "I heard that Joshua defended you though. He told Jessica he was at the ball and he was sure that nothing had happened between you and well... anyone for that matter."

...

Lucien was in his study at the mansion, and his eyes drifted to the painting he had discussed with Cornelia. He gritted his teeth as his anger rose with the thought of her. He held the glass of whiskey that was on the desk and threw it straight ahead towards the door.

At that same moment, Daniel was coming in and he barely managed to dodge the glass by leaning to the side. He looked at Lucien with a raised eyebrow, "It looks like you're still upset."

Lucien scoffed, "Upset? Are you sure that word is adequate?"

Daniel let out a breath and walked into the room, "The full moon is in two days, I think it's why you've been on your hulk mood."

Lucien shook his head. The hulk mood was what Daniel called his temper when his anger took over his brain and he was only filled with hot red rage.

"If the Surrett witch doesn't come within the week, I'll make sure to end hunt entire coven to extension." Lucien threatened from between gritted teeth.

"Alpha." Daniel started in a more sombre tone, "I believe it's unwise to make enemies of the witches. She had explained her reasons, and her coven ought to come first."

Lucien only shook his head, wondering how his pack would handle the approaching full moon in their new environment. He only hoped that no accidents happened. He couldn't afford accidents at the moment. His patience was running thin with everything, he needed Sara to arrive so she could break that curse on his pack.

But there was a small part of him, very small, which wondered if he could possibly have a chance once the curse is broken. Cornelia's face was what shone on his mind at the thought of a normal life, and he was left once more to wonder.

...

Cornelia felt like she had been at cloud nine, the seventh sky as they say, then all too suddenly someone decided to drop her to the seventh hell. She stood at the diner buying takeaway for her dinner after Jerry said he would be back late.

It wasn't her first dealing with this particular diner, everyone was usually nice to her. Today she stood there, the workers were trying to avoid her gaze, and when they did it was full of disappointment.

The cherry on top was when Arney Easton, a man in his forty who was always drunk, threw a slurred comment her way. "When you're done with him, maybe you'll go for me too." He laughed wholeheartedly, like it was just the funniest joke.

Cornelia had to bite her tongue to not reply. She told her self that it was the polite thing to do, the right thing to do, and finally what her mom would have wanted her to do.

She didn't expect anyone to come to her aid with Arney's crass comment. But she was horrified when another one, a man she wasn't sure what his name was said, "Bet her father knows all about it. But y'all know how lawyers are like."

That man, she remembered him if only faintly. He frequented their neighbourhood, but she didn't think he lived there. Whoever he was, his comment had cut deeper than the many she had heard today.

She couldn't get out of that diner faster, she rushed out like fire was on her feet, but once she was outside she couldn't help but wonder if Jerry really knew what was happening and kept silent because the Amarok was rich.

The thought sickened her.