THE FORBIDDEN HOWL 2

3. The Annual Anti-Bullying Day

The Annual Anti-Bullying Day, reads the banner behind our guest speaker, Officer Rueben Krick, from the local precinct.

"The statistics say nearly eighty percent of Omegas in a high school experience bullying in one form or another, and in over ninety percent of those cases Alphas are the ones bullying them," the officer says.

Olivia slides down on her seat and whispers to me. "Eighty percent? That's cuz only Omegas whine about it this much."

I give out a small laugh. She's right to some extent. Even though most Omegas are mistreated by the Alphas, it's not like I haven't seen an Alpha kid being pushed around by the other Alphas. Shit happens to everyone in spite of ranks. But perhaps it happens most often and publicly for the Omegas.

I notice one of the kids at the front row in the auditorium. Jamie Lexington, Max's younger cousin. He's one of the few Omegas in this school who isn't under any social pressure thanks to his cousin.

And in the row behind him is Richard Bruni, a Beta and my lab partner in Chemistry last year. He's sweet, and sexy. I liked him, and he seemed interested in me, too, but he always kept me in a distance, probably because I am, was, an Alpha.

After the speech ends, everyone returns to their classes.

In the afternoon Allison and I are sent with stacks of pamphlets for the Anti-Bullying day to be dropped at the staff's lounge. On our way we hear suspicious noises coming from the AV room. The two of us pause and go closer to the door and listen.

Yup, that's definitely the sound of sex.

Allison quietly reaches for the knob while I silently scream for her to leave it alone. Unfortunately I don't succeed in pulling her away and she manages to open the door. Who the fuck on earth has sex in school, let alone with the door unlocked? I'm about to find out since the curiosity gets the best of me after seeing Allison's surprised face.

I peek around the frame. A butt naked woman is bent down over the console and a guy, with his pants down, is doing her from behind. I recognize him. He's Tim, one of the obnoxious Alpha boys. It's the woman that takes me a moment to recognize, but when I do, I cover my mouth with my hand to stop myself from audibly gasping.

Allison and I just as stealthily move away from the door and reach the end of the hall.

"Fuck, wasn't that Ms. Stapleton? One of the History teachers?" I ask, unable to contain myself.

Allison nods. We both laugh.

"Oh my God, I need to clean my eyes with bleach after this," I say.

"I had my doubts though," Allison says.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"About Stapleton. I knew she was banging someone in school. I could just tell. I didn't know she was fucking a student."

I go quiet, before slowly saying, "I thought you were talking about Tim."

Allison says, "That manwhore fucks any girl who throws herself at him. But I told you that day, he sure is doing the Omegas these days."

"So you thought Ms. Stapleton was having an affair in school because she's an Omega?"

"Haven't you seen the way she dresses? Have you ever seen any of the Alpha female teachers dress like that?" She says.

My hands clutch the stack of pamphlets tighter. I had never noticed Stapleton dressed in anything inappropriate. She is one of the few young teachers and dresses brightly. What's that got to do with her rank?

We drop the pamphlets at the staff room and I don't talk to Allison on our way back but she's talking about something. My mind is a little tuned out.

After school, Allison and I reach the parking first and wait for Olivia and Jennifer when the boys arrive.

Allison smirks at Tim and says, "So how was the afternoon break with Stapleton, Tim?"

For a brief moment he seems startled but then puts on a crooked grin. "I knew I smelled a familiar scent by the door when I left," he says, looking at me, "You two were there."

What's with the Alphas and their olfactory prowess? Do I have to wear a different perfume each day so they can't start recognizing what I'm usually wearing? It's hard enough to remember to wear a perfume at all to mask my Omega scent every day before leaving for school.

"Our bad luck, we were," Allison says, before she's called over by one of her committee friends from the other side. After Allison leaves, Tim puts his arm over my shoulders and says, "You should've just come in, we could've gone threesome."

"Take your hand off me," I say, trying to remove his arm, but he tightens his grip. "If you are shy, it can be just us two," he says bringing his face closer.

For an utter brat, I'm taken aback by how pleasant he smells. Like dark chocolate. Before I could bite his arm off though to stop him from breaking my shoulder bones, I find him getting dragged away by his shoulder.

"We're getting late," Max says while taking Tim away from me.

I breathe out, no longer having to bear the burden of Tim's weight and company over me.

Allison comes back, and Olivia and Jennifer arrive, too. After a brief chat, Jennifer and Allison leave in their cars, and I ride with Olivia as usual.

Halfway to my home, Olivia says, "Something happened?"

"No. Why?"

"You seem awfully quiet. Don't tell me watching Tim having sex had traumatized you."

I laugh. "Well, it was pretty traumatic. But that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

A flood of emotions struck my throat, but not a sound comes out. I feel like I'm going to burst like a water balloon. "I was just thinking about the morning event."

"The Anti-Bullying day?"

I nod. "I was just wondering... Have I ever bullied anyone?"

Olivia laughs. "Seriously? That's what you were worried about? Sally you are the last Alpha I can imagine even being rude to anyone."

"Maybe you hadn't noticed because you are my friend. Maybe sometimes we say things that sound funny, but it's just... I don't know. I don't want to be a bully."

"You cannot be even if you try to be, I promise. You don't have the guts to bully anyone."

I punch her in the arm.

"Ouch," she says, "well, bully anyone except me maybe. So don't worry about it."

What about you? I want to ask. And Allison and Jennifer? But I just look out the window, satisfied with the answers I have for now.