Cancer Love (Editing, writing how it used to be)

Chapter 8: The Slap!

I stand in the corridor of the year ten pupils running to their lockers grabbing their books and supplies for the morning English mock test. Chris had dropped me off earlier so I could avoid Marcus. After his text last night I didn't know what to reply.
'It's complicated.' That's all he put! How complicated can it be? It's either a simple answer. 'Yes I'm a wolf.' Or 'No hell no, that's stupid.' I was hoping my best friend would reply with the hell no answer but complicated? I shake my head and felt my gut instant tell me that all of what Chris had said yesterday about the wolves, hunters and so much more about mythical creatures, my brother have made it all seem believable and that's panicking, frightening and I'm hoping to avoid Marcus and especially Ryder at all cost.

I unlock my locker swinging my bag to my chest unzipping taking out my Maths books, English thick book and some notepads. I glance up at the photos stuck on the inside of my locker. One of the three of us, Marcus, Jenny and me at Pizza Hut with a large margherita pizza in front of us, all of us laughing. Another photo above of Jenny and I in year nine going to the school's fancy dress disco, we both decided to dress up like the blue brothers. Jenny's father is a huge fan of the blue brothers so we thought it'd be a laugh and it truly was. Another photo is just of Marcus and I when we were kids, I've known Marcus when I had been six so for Friday night to happen the way it did, I just need a good reason not a 'it's complicated.' Best friends don't keep secrets.
"Hey," Marcus's voice appears.
He's standing behind the open locker door. I cast my eyes left and right needing to say something. He steps around the locker. "Spoke to Ryder after that text."
"You just texted, 'it's complicated.' How complicated can my question be?" I asked avoiding his eyes, shutting the locker door lock, I also added in, "Why did you even leave me with Ryder? You kept on telling us girls that we all need to stick together."
When I do eventually look up, he looks a mess. My brother has really done a number on him.  His left eye is swollen closed, his jaw bruised, and there's a cut on his lip, I bet he has more bruises under the uniform. If he is a wolf he wouldn't look like that, he'd be all healed up, well that's what the book read.
"I believed you'd be safe with Ryder and you were and yeah, we're wolves. Well complicated for me as I'm a half breed."
I narrow my eyes, "What's a half breed?"
"I'm half wolf and half human hence why I can't heal quick enough. My mum's a human, and so is my sister. My dad's a full breed wolf and protective of all three of us."
"Chris doesn't want me near you or Ryder."
"He's just being the over protective big brother," he said and I wonder if Marcus even knows what Chris is.
"I don't understand why you couldn't be honest with me. You know everything about me and now," I pause feeling so upset about how I had been honest with Marcus about my cancer and he's kept this huge secret from me."
"I'm sorry Anna. I truly am but it's not something I could have told you. I was only allowed to tell you cause of Ryder."
"What have us being honest with each other have anything to do with him?" My tone annoyed that he has to bring Ryder into this conversation. 
"You're Ryder's mate, he's gonna be my Alpha a lot sooner. The youngest Alpha so it's a lot of pressure."
I don't even know what he wants me to say or do. I have my own worries, my own problems. Marcus then adds, "My mum and sister are the only humans in the pack so they can guide you, help you out whenever you need it especially since you are Ryder's mate."
"I'm not interested in Ryder."
He's quiet and I notice for the first time how his ocean beautiful blue eyes had darken and his jaw tenses. He strokes his jaw looking over his shoulder then turns back to me. "I've got practise. We can talk more at lunch."
He takes a step back and I want to ask about Jenny but I felt this tension like if I say anything at all, he'll flip out so I watch him disappear around the back heading towards the boys' changing room.

The first bell rings loudly echoing through the corridors causing pupils from year seven, year eight, year nine and year elevens and twelves to flood through like a chaotic storm, trying to get to their lockers, the library for catch up, club activities or homeroom. 
"Anna, thank god!" Jenny came running over and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug causing me to stumble a little. She pulls back looking at me then she had that worry expression. "I've been so worried about you since Red."
"Do you know?" I asked getting straight to the question."
"Know what?"
"About Marcus, about Ryder about whoever else," I said hoping she's just as lost as I am, that she also had no idea and I can take a breather and we can both go in this together however, she looks guilty.
"I never meant to keep it from you," she frowns.
I take a breather shaking my head waving my hands turning away from her. I can't believe my two best friends have been lying to me for years.
"Please don't be mad Anna."
"Mad? I'm close to being pissed off with you and with Marcus. You're both wolves and you never told me after everything, after the cancer," I whispered the cancer part.
"I'm not a werewolf. I'm a cat shifter and I know that you're Ryder's mate but Anna, you need to tell him about the cancer. He can be there when you get worse and I'm sure being the future Alpha there's connections to find the best doctors," her eyes begins well up.
I hissed at her, "I'm not telling Ryder nothing. My life has nothing to do with him and I swear Jenny, if you tell him, I will never forgive you."
She wipes her fingers under her eyes. I know I'm being harsh but I don't want some random boy I barely know, know I have cancer, know I could possible die sooner, I may not even make it to graduation and that frightens me and to let a stranger in my life, that scares me.

The second bell rings louder telling the pupils that homeroom is about to start any moment and it's a rush of girls and boys dashing around with books, black folders, backpacks, shoving and pushing each other to get to their homerooms.
I wasn't moving from the locker, I was standing still and staring at Jenny feeling so angry that she stands there telling me I should tell Ryder about the cancer.
"You're seriously being selfish Anna," she said.
I shake my head. "I'm being selfish?" Now I'm mad! Who the hell does she think she is, telling me I'm being selfish.
My next words were not kind but I was so furious, I didn't care. "At least I wasn't being a slut all Friday night then leaving my best friend with someone I barely know. You call me selfish but look_" my words cut me off not because I felt so bad I stopped myself, no, I definitely would have carried on being a bitch. I stopped because of the sudden impact.
Jenny had just slapped her hand across my cheek and the sudden impact causes the words to freeze, my eyes to sting threatening the tears to pour. My slightly tremble hand tenderly touches my cheek. I felt so shock that I couldn't seem to do anything. Jenny looks just as shocked as me. Her eyes grew wide, her lips quiver and we both just say nothing.

And then the sounds of the lockers trembling loudly startled me especially as he had rushed over slamming Jenny against the lockers growling dangerously at her. He looks terrifying with his eyes as black as darkness as he stares down at Jenny, his hand wrap around her slender neck and he growls out cranes as sharp as knifes. I could feel my body quivering, my heart racing a thousand beats and I'm scared as I could not take my eyes away as now I truly understand why Chris hates wolves and why he had always been protective of me.
At first I could never understand him but right now, at this very moment staring up at Ryder I just ran out of that corridor and I refuse to look back.