Free Me From the Wolves

[3] "School relationship thing"

"What, no lunch date with Ryder?" Bailee asked while I ate lunch with her and Evan. "He's been quite unexplainable today."

"I don't think so," I told her for both parts of what she said, even though I knew what she meant. Everyone was used to the Ryder who caused chaos instead of my Ryder. I don't think she expected him to balance it out as well as he did, but it happened. And apparently, even though he hadn't walked me to every class or carried every supply, being around me just a few times with the few gestures he did was enough to differentiate our relationship from his past ones that he didn't care too much about.

I looked over my shoulder and saw as he laughed and joked with a table I had seen his friends at yesterday. However, now Colin sat over there with him and they were laughing and having conversations as closely as they did at the bonfire. It made me happy to see him fall back into his life even though I was sure he heard all the condolences and whispers about his dad.

"Hey," Andrew greeted while he sat down beside me. I looked up at him for the first time seeing him at school today. Evan and Bailee replied to him, but I was focused on the fair haired model standing at the end of our table. The boy was tall and blonde to say the least, but he was also devilishly handsome. His scent was masked with a certain aroma I couldn't explain. It was too distinct for a human's, too bizarre for a werewolf's, and too saccharine for a witch's. He was still incredibly captivating, even though I had seen him in two of my classes.

"Who's this?" I asked while looking at the boy whose bright blue eyes met my plain brown ones.

"Trevor Versailles," Bailee answered in complete awe as she looked up to the boy. Evan rolled his eyes and hunched his shoulders as if knowing his girlfriend had a crush on the boy at some point or another. But he knew it passed because Bailee looked down in embarrassment while Trevor gave her an awkward grimace as if telling me in that one expression that he didn't actually know her.

"I'm Trevor," Trevor greeted as if trying to redo Bailee's outburst. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

I almost wanted to desperately beg him sit there just because he was beautiful, but of course Bailee did that for me and I settled with a head nod.

"This is my sister Ashlynn and you probably already know Bailee and Evan," Andrew grumbled while he began to eat.

"I think Bailee and I played soccer together when we were younger. And Evan..."

"We had physics together last year," Evan reminded with a jealous grumble.

"That's right," Trevor smiled before looking over at me. I saw his eyes shift somehow in color, even though they were locked to me. "It's nice to meet you Ashlynn."

"Likewise."

Did I not worry about some guy checking out my girlfriend? I heard Ryder's voice ponder. I wondered if he meant for me to hear it or if it was a subconscious thought of his, but when I looked over and saw him laughing at Rod with Colin, I figured it was the latter option. He wasn't even looking over here.

"So are you ready for soccer season?" Evan asked Trevor, I assumed. So he was a soccer player. That explained his athletic build.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied.

"Ashlynn plays soccer," Andrew said while shoveling food into his mouth.

"You do?" Trevor asked me and I felt not only my cheeks heat up, but part of my brain throbbed. It reminded me of when Stella had kissed Ryder and I was in his head, feeling each twinge of pain at the touch of her.

"I did," I corrected. "I was a forward."

"Oh really? You should try out here. Soccer isn't our number one sport compared to football or basketball, but I mean, you should still go out for it," Trevor suggested with a kind smile.

Nope, screw it. I'm gonna kick his ass, I was hearing Ryder think and then when I looked over my shoulder to see him sitting with Colin, he was actually standing at the end of my table and managed to startle me.

"Hey," I smiled at him.

"Hi," he greeted with tension.

"Don't I see enough of you at home?" Andrew groaned at Ryder's presence.

"Maybe I just like seeing your face," Ryder smiled sarcastically. Then his dark eyes met Trevor's face. "Trevor."

"Pleasure seeing you here; it's been a while," Trevor replied to my surprise with a sly smirk. I saw Ryder flinch ever so slightly but if you hadn't stared at him for the moment, you would've missed it. Not only was he appalled that Trevor didn't have the sort of fear that everyone else had for him, but maybe he was jealous. I found it amusing. "Is there anything you needed...?"

"Just her," Ryder said before glancing down at me. Time to get ready for the funeral, he reminded me.

"Oh, right," Bailee muttered beneath her breath before mouthing the word "funeral" to Evan and then quickly look up at Ryder. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"Aren't we all," Ryder sneered before I took the liberty to stand up with my stuff and depart with him before his socialite attitude from this morning would quickly wash away for a more dismal and/or irate one. But then we heard and sensed someone behind us and before we knew it, Trevor had jogged in front of us.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"We just did."

"I meant about something other than your surprise in attendance..." Trevor hinted at something and I frowned, wondering what it was especially when he didn't glance at me to give it away immediately.

"In that case...no," Ryder decided and then I recognized the glare he gave Trevor. He slid his hand down to mine and locked our woven fingers. Trevor's eyes glanced down at the clasp and then he smirked. "If you don't mind—which I don't care if you do—we have a funeral to attend."

"I suppose another time will have to do," Trevor called out to us while Ryder turned us to leave the cafeteria. I only smiled to myself, even as Ryder tried to stalk out in a huff before the rest of the upperclassmen werewolves started to wrap up their lunches and conversations in order to leave—well, the ones that even showed up to school.

"What?" Ryder finally asked me in irritation once we got in his car. He finally asked me after walking through the halls and signing us out of school and acting as if people weren't whispering about us. I was contented, but the dimple in his cheek that revealed itself in his annoyance just made me try harder to hide my giggle.

"Nothing," I lied and finally let out a laugh. He sighed as he turned on the car. "You're just cute when you're jealous." He gave me a look I deserved and I looked down into my lap until he looked away.

But I still laughed to myself, maybe relishing the fact that it was my last laugh of the day.