Alpha Will

1. Brad

I was having a shitty night.

Correction- make that a shitty day. First I move to this dump town with my divorced mom, dropping out of my four year training- which I'd already completed three years of by the way- and just when this hot girl invited me to a party after school, she goes right ahead and abandons me for some tattooed prick within minutes of getting there. This day was bordering one of the worst days in history. I could've found another chick, I guess, but I'm not a guy who likes second best, of anything. So I chatted with some people, trying not to seem bored and missing the conversations I had with my old friend(what new weapons were in the library?) but after several hours of watching people dancing and seeming to enjoy their carefree normal teen lives, I decided I'd rather go home.

The night air was cool and welcome on my heated skin, the absence of alcohol and sweat in it refreshing. I paused on the porch steps. Maybe I should go back inside, down a few drinks and forget everything for the night.

And wake up in the morning still miserable, but with a migraine as a bonus. Plus, I have school tomorrow. I shook my head, wondering how the idiots inside would make it to class in the morning and decided I definitely wouldn't be joining them in finding out.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, walking down the steps and away from the roaring music. The lawn was littered with plastic cups and a couple of passed out bodies.

Definitely not hopping on the morning migraine train.

Aside from the lawn, the street itself was deathly quiet with most of the cars parked in whoever was hosting the party's driveway. Which made it pretty easy to spot the girl who sat with her legs crossed right in the middle of the sidewalk at the edge of the lawn, facing the empty dark street. The street lamp was beside her, casting its yellow light across her willowy figure. She looked so pathetically alone that I stopped dead in my tracks. She didn't seem to sense she was being watched(like most normal people), she was writing something in a notebook.

Curious, I sauntered over to her, peeking over her shoulder at the notebook in her lap.

Freaking math.

She was doing freaking mathematics on a sidewalk outside a party. Her pencil moved across the page with the quick sure movements of someone who knew what they were doing. Scribbling neat figures as her other hand punched in numbers on her pink calculator.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The words came out before I could stop them, but I couldn't help it, this girl was seriously weird.

Both hands froze. Then she turned and looked up at me. She wasn't as pretty as the girl that had invited me to the party, heck, she was actually plain faced. Chestnut skin, furrowed eyebrows and dark eyes. Her lips, wide and pink, were pulled into a frown. She was dressed casually, blue jeans and a navy sweater, her curly black hair almost similar to a lion's mane the way it seemed to bounce around her face.

"You're new around here," she stated, ignoring my question, twisting her pencil in her hand as she continued to frown up at me. "You should probably leave. Now."

I raised an eyebrow. I detested being ordered around almost as much as I hated being second place, but this was particularly annoying coming from some weirdo who was doing her homework outside a party like it was her bedroom. So I gave her a smile, all teeth and not at all friendly, and planted myself right next to her.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Your funeral," she muttered, shifting her attention back to her notebook.

The pink pen began moving again, but not for long. I plucked it out of her fingers, smirking when she glowered.

"Sweetheart, you've gotta either be insane to be doing your homework out here or do you live out here?" I gave a pointed look at the pink backpack propped up by the street lamp.

She reached for her pen but I had it out of the way in moments and in my pocket a heartbeat later. I could feel my mood lifting already which was good, I deserved to cut down on some stress. If that meant chatting up a lunatic then I was up for it.

I leaned back on my palms, spreading out my legs more comfortably. "Gonna answer my question?"

"What question?"

"Why the hell are you doing that shit," I pointed at the evil textbook, jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Instead of being in there?"

She lifted her chin. "I'm waiting for a friend, and you should really get going."

I frowned at her dismissal, noticed the way she was studying me. Not with interest like I was used to(I mean look at me), but with pity. The girl was really nuts, she should be grateful I was even speaking to her.

"Waiting for a friend?" I snorted. "Aren't you too old to have imaginary friends?"

She closed her notebook, grabbed her bag and stuffed her books inside. Ignoring me.

"Tell me your name," I pressed. I don't remember seeing her at school, but there was only one high school in this stupid town and she had to be in it.

I waited, expecting her to ignore me again, to get up and leave. Instead, she stared back at me and smiled.

The same moment a fist connected with the side of my face.