Chapter Eight

"Is it just me or do you have literally nothing in here?" Brenda asked, tossing my clothes onto the unpacked boxes lying around. The last week had been frighteningly fretful. House hunting, admission procedures, interior decorating, shopping for furniture and now........

College.

It was just so overwhelming.

"All you got here is some sweatpants, joggers, sport bras, some jean shorts amidst some fucked up T-shirts. Did you leave under a rock or some farm?"

"Yeah, cause I come from the countryside, genius."I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes in my half-dazed state. It was just 6am and we just moved into our new apartment.

"Weird, you don't even have their western accent."She observed out loud, tossing away another of my shirts. She jumped out of her sitting position, kicking her leg up in the air."Hiyaah, y'all!" She yelled, grinning at me. How could I tell her I was just a lonely hermit,who didn't see the need for socialization, content with her relationship with her best friend. I raised an eyebrow at her ludicrous mannerism.

She returned back to her former position, bending over my boxes, tossing my clothes in the room. "Seriously you've got nothing that spells out 'NEW YORK'S BITCH'?"

I don't want to be'NEW YORK'S BITCH'! And plus its just 6am!"I yelled, snuggling under the comforts of my sheets. I felt her climb on my bed, yanking off my sheets making me feel cold and exposed. I got up, narrowing my eyes at her. I was beginning to regret my decisions of making this she-wolf a friend. My morning sleep was of utmost importance to me.

She stared at me with bland,bored,icy eyes. "Quit being so stubborn. You're my ticket to coming to the city more often."

I rolled my eyes. She just wanted to come here to party hard which she had limited access to since Aiden and Derek always picked her up from school. Dad had gotten two cars. He got a red sweet Roll Royce and a linoleum maroon-coloured Pathfinder truck. Thankfully, he gave me the sweet red ride. Not sure if I could drive but I had driven a tractor in James's farm, so it didn't really bother me that much. Only that I needed a license.

"Alright, fine! If you don't want to get up from bed, that's your problem!"She exclaimed, crossing her arms with a blateful look across her features."Such a shame Derek came along......."

"Wait, Derek's here?!"I yelped subconsciously. I haven't had the time to visit since Dad met up with the Alpha. It looked like they had become best-of-buds seeing as Dad rented an apartment in Manhattan, the borders of their territory. Brenda just keep visiting and helping me, how and why, I had no clue.

I jumped out of bed and got into the bathroom while Brenda kept teasing me.

"You're literally blushing! You guys should just date already!" She yelled bursting into fits of giggles. I closed the door, looking into the mirror. As I expected,my face was as red as a tomato. I got ready, turning on the tab of water heater to increase the temperature and slowly shut my eyes as the water came in small cascades trickling down my skin as it hit the floor of the bathtub.

*******

I wrapped myself up in my towel and stepped out of the bathroom to find Brenda staring at some pieces of my clothes in utmost scrutiny.

"What are you doing? And where's Derek? Or did you just say that for me to get in the bathroom?"

"Hey chill. Derek is in the living room, listening to all your father's 'great stories'." She said with sarcasm in the end of her sentence. "It seems your father must have lived up to a century, seeing his stories never end."

" Well, he kinda has." I said laughing as I closing the door behind me. I quickly dried myself, putting on my lotion. Brenda gave me some clothes which I never thought I had. I got dressed in some baggy jeans with a cream coloured fitted cropped sweater which exposed my shoulders. I looked into my body length mirror.

"Not bad."I commented,tying up my hair in a ponytail."I know right, none of my picks ever go wrong. I even sew. I learnt sewing in a camp right after middle school incorporated with some fashion designing techniques. My friends tell me I'm great and I could even opt for a fashion designing course but......" She trailed off, literally saying that in one second."I can't cause I'm a fucking werewolf." She cursed, becoming sullen all of a sudden. I sat next to her, placing my hands on her shoulders in sympathy.

"Wait,why?"I pondered aloud.

"Derek says if I become successful, gaining a lot of fame, I might risk exposing our true identies."She explained, cleaning a stray tear which fell off her eyes.

"But traditions be damned right?"She said, changing her countenance all of a sudden. "And if we Longwalks are known for something, its our stubbornness." She said with a little smile, getting off the bed, reaching over to my table.

"And for the final touch,"She came over to me, fixing my diamond chain around my neck."Wait till Derek sees you, he'll most definitely fall in love!" She squealed, clapping her hands like an excited pup. I blushed a little but tried controlling it to prevent me from going all red.

"Hey, where did you get this chain? It's real cute and it even got your initials. S.V . One of your exes got you this?" She asked, figuring it with admiration.

I looked down at the initials. James gave me that for my fifteen years old birthday. In fact, taking retrospection into consideration, that's where the entire outfit came from.

James.

Around the time,he wanted me to change my nerdy fit so he got me the entire memorabilia as a gift. Wow, it was even because of him my sense in fashion developed. I never wore the clothes because he didn't get me the right size though I wore the chain around one of the Moon festivals when he became querulous about it. A few tears walked out of my eyes subconsciously. I immediately dabbed it off with the sleeves of my sweater.

Brenda who was silent for a while piped up, breaking me out of my reverie. "What? You're still into your ex?"

"No silly, it's my-"Derek interrupted us, opening the door briskly. "Hey, are you guys gonna take another two hours or what?" He paused, looking at me in a short daze before Brenda broke the silence with her stupid screaming. "It's 8:59, fuck!!!" She picked her backpack and my purse, using her other hand to drag me out while Derek shuffled behind to prevent himself from getting hit.

She ran into the living room where Dad had relaxed himself on the sofa, legs crossed,a mug of steaming coffee sitting on the coffee table. I suddenly tensed when I felt Derek's presence behind me.

"Mr. Vengua, we have to go now. Sophia's late for orientation." Brenda said, handing me my purse. Dad looked away from his phone and got up, pressing a kiss against my hair. "My baby is all grown up. "Aren't you taking your car?" He asked, holding me by my cheeks. I slipped his hands down in a bid to answer but Brenda beat me to it. "No, Derek's dropping us off, right Derek?"

Derek was staring down at me, probably without a care in the world,(at least that's what I thought). Brenda nudged him by the arm, bringing him back to reality. As usual and without warning, my cheeks flared pink.

"Right." Derek answered, looking embarrassed.

"Alright kids, hurry up. Don't want you to be late."Dad said, picking up his mug of coffee with a mischievous glint in his brown eyes. Before I could interpret what that look in his eyes meant, Brenda grabbed my arm again,superspeeding to the door. I heard Derek sigh but couldn't help but be happy he was around.

*******

Brenda jumped out of the SUV, headphones hanging on her neck, slinging one of her arms,her blonde tresses waving on her shoulders as she bounced off into the campus. I shook my head in dismay, wondering how she could be so careless being aware that I was a very naive fresher around here. I jumped out of the truck, closing the door behind me. An eerie overwhelming excitement braced me,a bubbling warm feeling cooking up in me. I just took it as the ecstasy which washed over new college students coming into campus for the first time. But something told me it was different. Like stepping into this place would change my life forever. My wolf shivered for the voice in my head wasn't hers.

It sent down shrill spears of fear down my spine, completely overtaking any form of excitement I just felt.

"Sophi?"I immediately tensed at his voice, swiveling around to see him through the rolled-down tinted windows. Derek sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the wheel with a happy look on his face which suddenly changed to one of concern.

"Sophi, what's wrong? You look pale."I came closer to the car, forcing on a smile though it wasn't enough to chase away the feeling I had. "Nothing, I'm just scared to go in that's all."

"Alright." He said, ostensibly convinced,a smile popping on his face. "So what are you studying?"

"Medicine. I'm going into public health. I want to be a doctor in my pack."I said, smiling once again. The thought of those dreams made my heart flutter.

"So you're a nerd?" He asked, that mischievous grin growing on his face that I simply couldn't get enough of.

"No, I'm not!"I retorted with a childish tone.

"But nerds are for sciences, aren't they?"

The Klaxon of a large bus honked before I could respond. I pouted for a while before returning my gaze to him."I guess you have to go." I said, staring at those golden brown eyes of his which stared right back at mine. The Klaxon honked again, this time more furiously.

"Alright, bye."I said, moving away from the window into the pavement which led into the fake green grass which appeared in splotches in front of the school building accompanied by pine trees which stood upwards and sprightly almost touching the sky.

"Bye,"He said, that mischievous glint appearing again."Nerd."

I glared at him as he laughed blatefully, driving away. The driver of the large bus drove in, though not without a glare at me. I ignored it as I stared at the carved out sign, written in bold letters:,

WELCOME TO CERCARVE FALLS COLLEGE.

"Sophi, come on!"I heard Brenda yell from a gaggle of giggling girls. "You're ten minutes late for the Orientation!"

"Alright Bre,"I huffed, walking over to where we stood.

*******

That had been the worst five hours of my entire life. The stoic, stout, pot-bellied professor who wore a red sweater with some peculiar tiny silver coloured buttons (which was quite weird cause summer wasn't gonna end any time soon) went on and on like a battery which was never going to lose its power. I missed my two first classes due to the fucking orientation program. The professor went on and on about goals which didn't concern any of us the students.(At least I thought so). I squeezed the brochures which had been handed over to me at the program and threw them into the bin as I walked into the class I had been directed for our English lecture after I completed my purchase for my stationaries, materials amidst other paraphernalia. The first day of college wasn't turning out to be so great as I imagined. Who was I kidding? None of my first days since elementary school had ever been the way I imagined it.

Damnit, I was being paranoid.

Walking into the large hall filled with bustling students who struggled to take their seats, I noticed Bre at the far right end of the hall with the desks taking altitude as the stairs climbed higher into the room. She waved over to me, inviting me to sit next to her on a vacant seat she had reserved. I knew it wasn't for me, probably one of her derelict friends who refused to take up her offer.

L However, I declined the offer, taking up a sit in the third row, being the quirky student I am. A slim tall professor graced the room and a deadly eerie silence embraced the hall. It was weird for students to shut their mouths, worst even behaving.

I take it the man had some reputation around here. He began teaching like normal professors and scribbling on the sensor built boards. But I couldn't pay attention, Clio wasn't at rest for some reason mixed up with the tense frowsty air compounded with the feeling of of suffocation being in the entanglement of hundreds of students around. I couldn't even take notes. I felt like I might pass out any second.

Right then and there, the door of the huge classroom opened, revealed a tall muscularly built, blood red haired guy with a clear porcelain face unlike normal red-heads who would have freckles dotted on their faces. He had sharp jawlines making him seem super sexy at the same time.....so mysterious.

The obsidian haired human girl flopped her hair on her desk dramatically letting out a dreamy sigh which gave me the impression that she had a huge crush on him. I rolled my eyes. Clio's senses sharpened with eyes angulated at him like he was some sort of attacker,a corpulent threat. I fixed my gaze at him, wondering the cause of her frantic hysteria.

And suddenly, it ticked.

He was a vampire.

"Mr Evans, you're late." The professor enunciated, without ev

en facing the door. "Again." He drawled, finally swiveling around to face the red-haired guy.