The Circle Of Rings (#1 in The Circle series)

REWRITE - Chapter 1

Chapter One

--Olive Locke--

Tapping my pencil on the side of my desk was the only thing that was entertaining me enough for the time to pass. My teacher was droning on and on about the math lesson but this was not what I wanted to focus on. I wanted it to be an hour from now when my birthday party was starting and I was having fun with my friends instead.

"Miss. Locke would you please pay attention."

The teacher said it quietly, but I heard him loud and clear. I may have not been listening to his teaching but when my name is said, I zone back in quickly. 

I gave him a nervous smile and stopped tapping the pencil on my desk. He was a werewolf, one of the many who had jobs in the school here and I'm sure I was very annoying. He didn't even give me a second glance as he kept going. Just because it was my thirteenth birthday I wasn't going to get any special treatment. I had been reminded of that fact all week now. It was hard not to think of all the amazing things I will be able to do once I shift! The werewolves of this pack must understand that better than anyone!

But nope. Apparently all of my thinking and day dreaming is just annoying.

I cannot wait until I'm just as strong as them and just as fast as them. I cannot wait until I can run in wolf form with my brother and we can go for long runs all weekend long. Clyde will take me all over the territory and I'll be able to go train with him every day after school finally. Then finally, FINALLY, I can go cliff diving. I want nothing more than to jump into the ocean and feel perfect fine as the cold water surrounds me.

See, I'm a werewolf, well my whole family is. Almost every one in this town is because the mayor, Mr. MacLean, is also the Alpha. The humans know about us, because most of them are either mates or related somehow to the local werewolf population - aside from about three or four families. So when we have "elections" for mayor, basically the whole town "votes" for him because he's the alpha.

If he really didn't want it, then I'm sure he's make someone run against him, but no one ever does. Although, his son Raymond isn't up for the job of mayor when he is old enough. So, despite Raymond being the next alpha, he won't be the mayor of our tiny town. His dad will probably hold that position or maybe they'll give it to Freddrick or Clyde. Someone still high up enough that they can really address everyone's concerns and help everyone out.

I think Clyde would make a great mayor, mostly because he's my older brother. However, as the future third in command, he's be perfect for the job of attending events to hear peoples concerns and help them out. The mayor is mostly a front for the humans but Cylde is so personable that he would be amazing at it.

That and the future Beta, Freddrick, is a total idiot. That boy should never become Beta, they should give it to his younger sister, who is also one of my best friends. Her name is Nettie and she is the smartest person at this school. She also frequently helps all three boys with their homework because she skipped a couple grades and has joined them even though she's a year younger than me.

My other best friend, Maggie, is the wild card. You will never know what she's thinking. Sometimes its super helpful and amazing, and other times it makes me question her sanity. But we love her anyways.

My party will have all six of us. Technically I only invited Maggie and Nettie, but my brother will invite Freddrick and Raymond over too. It's just typical. They take turns at each others houses every weekend and this weekend they made sure was a Clyde's house weekend so that they would be there to celebrate my birthday.

I would like to think it was Raymond's idea but it was probably my mom bullying Clyde into making sure he was home for my birthday and Clyde not wanting to give up time with his best friends.

I don't mind though, I still get to see Raymond and I'm sure he'll be extra nice to me because it's my birthday after all. Not because he's not nice, Raymond is nicer to me than he is to anyone else, even Freddrick and Clyde. But I know because he's already so nice that a special occasion for me just means he will be sure to be extra nice. Because that's just how Raymond is.

Part of me thinks its because Raymond doesn't have any siblings so he's nicer to his friends little sisters, but I tested it one day and got Nettie to be extra nice to him and I was mean to him whenever he tried to talk to me. He still made conversation with Nettie like normal, but every time I brushed him off he would actually look upset. At the end of the day he asked Clyde if I was okay and Clyde looked at me like I was crazy.

But then I knew. I knew he liked me, just like I liked him.

Well, I hoped.

My Raymond crush has been going strong for years, but it's only a matter of time before he find his mate and they live happily ever after. He's an alpha werewolf after all, and they always have strong mates. Strong in mind, spirit, or body. I am strong in nothing.

I'm not good at training. I'm afraid of confrontation. I'm the girl who gets picked last and is always forced to walk behind my friend on a thin sidewalk. I make sure no one notices me and I stay back on purpose. But I'm not even observant so staying behind everyone doesn't even help.

The bell rang then, proving my observant poing just perfectly.

I grabbed my things and ran to my locker. Beating my friends and getting ready with all my things to leave. I had to wait for ten more seconds for Nettie to appear. She was already thirteen and shifted so she was faster than us and stronger to get through the crowds. Her last class was just further away from our lockers from the rest of us.

Maggie wasn't far behind her though.

They both grinned at me. "We'll get our stuff from our houses and come right over!" Nettie said with a rather loud voice that made me wince a bit.

Better hearing was a sign of the changing coming so it was welcome. "I'll see you ASAP!"

I gave them both one last huge smile and then sprinted out of the school. Everyone basically walks home unless your a senior so I passed a lot of people on the way back to my house. I even passed Clyde who laughed at me. My mom had taken the day off work so she could prepare the house for my party and it was amazing! 

There was pink and white balloons everywhere and streamers hanging off of the ceiling. There was also a banner that said "Happy Birthday Olive" across the livingroom wall.

My mom was ginning at me after I took all of the decorations in. "Thoughts?"

"I love it!" I jumped at her and hugged her tightly.

After I told my mom a few things about school, she sent me upstairs to get ready for my party. I had picked out an outfit weeks ago that said "oh yeah it's my birthday and I'm excited but I also am too cool to dress up for it."

The outfit was a pair of pink jeans and a nice white blouse. I made sure the decorations my mom bought matched my outfit, that's why everything was pink and white. Not because they're my favourite colours or anything - my favourite colour is actually green - but these pink jeans are my center piece and my inspiration for the rest of it. They were too good to pass up when I found them over the summer for back to school shopping and I've been saving them for two months for this day.

When I finally finished changing - no added makeup or hair stuff because that would really look like I was trying too hard just because it is my birthday - the doorbell rang and I knew my best friends were here.