The rest of March flies by and morphs into April as Axel and I spend every weekend in each other's territory. Since Sarah and Nik are living in my parent's house alone, I decided it was best to live with Larry and Lane for the remainder of my time in Lunar. It is the healthiest for me to separate myself from a toxic space that would only act as a reminder of past bad experiences. Also, Larry wouldn't survive without me.
Ever since Axel opened up to me about his past, I have been way more sensitive to his needs. I've been careful to find the perfect balance of aiding him in interacting with others while not emotionally overwhelming him.
I think it's going pretty well for Axel. He's been joining conversations more and more. By early May, Axel even began to start conversations with others without my prompting. Okay, maybe he just asked someone for the ketchup, but he never would have done that before! He would have glared at them until they figured out what he wanted or he would have just gotten it himself.
He also seems a tad more relaxed in social settings. He'll contribute a sentence here and there, and it makes me so happy to see him gaining confidence in himself. Soon enough, he won't even need me.
This morning, I'm extremely exhausted. Since graduation is nearing, all of my teachers are piling on all of these last minute assignments. For most seniors, they're able to slack off, but since I'm a year younger and I'm graduating early, there are all these last minute things I've had to do that others don't.
I already know that I'm going to take a gap year to learn all about being a part of the Dark Wood pack. I used to take loads of AP classes so I could just get out of the house and be independent, but now that I've found Axel, I don't need to rush anymore. I have time to settle into my new life and take my time in applying to college. I don't need to settle anymore.
Axel has been nothing but supportive. I think he's secretly glad that we'll have a year together before I potentially get extremely busy with schoolwork again. I still think he'll get annoyed with my pranks. I've gotten him a few more times over the past few months, and let's just say that the punishments are totally worth it. If anything, they make me want to prank him more!
I've also been pretty good about answering calls from Axel, but this morning I wake up on the later side and have to rush around the house to get ready. With Larry chastising me for making him late to work- which is a lie because he'll still get there in time for first period- and with Lane asking me if I have my lunch, my binders, and if I studied enough for my upcoming tests, my mind gets overloaded.
When I get to school and place some textbooks into my locker, I sigh in relief when I see the ticking clock on the wall that says that I have five minutes until my first class begins.
Panic seizes my heart and I curse when I check my phone and see that I have two missed calls from Axel. Fuck! I was getting so good at answering his calls. Technically, we could mindlink, but it would be such a strain on ourselves that we would both have pulsing headaches for the rest of the day. Mindlinking is easy when you're in close proximity, but we're too far away for that to be a comfortable option for communication now.
I quickly hit his contact. He answers on the second ring.
"I'm sorry for not answering! My phone was on silent and Larry was being a bitch. And Lane was asking me all these questions about school. And to top it all off, I forgot to finish my last Calc problem because I fell asleep, so I had to finish it in the car. Do you know how terribly Larry drives? I swear it's like a fucking ride through the Safari with him behind the wheel."
"It's fine," Axel says, and I'm sad that I can't feel his emotions to know exactly how he feels. His emotions have been getting a little easier to decipher, and I miss having him in close proximity.
"Okay," I say, hesitant to believe him. "I'm sorry," I mumble again. I don't want him to think that he's not important to me just because I get distracted easily.
"I said it's fine, Cooper. I understand," his deep voice sounds through the phone.
"Okay," I say again.
"Are you ready for your tests today?" he asks, and I smile that he cares enough to ask.
"Yeah, I'm gonna nail these metabolic sequences," I tell him, knowing that I really did study a lot for this test. This is our last test of the year, and we still have one final project for this Biology class and then I can finally say 'good riddance' to this class!
"Good boy," Axel says, and my fucking heart stutters. Did he just...? Yeah, I guess he did say that. It takes me a few moments to collect my breath and calm down my racing heart. I love when he says that shit to me.
"Uh, wow. T-thanks," I reply, knowing that Axel is smirking on the other side of the phone from my breathless tone of voice.
Axel says something else, but I feel someone's gaze burning into the back of my head. Turning, I see the person I hate the most at this school.
Brenden.
Ugh. I can't believe we ever fucked. Looking at him now, he's just a cheap, knock-off version of Axel with his pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He was always attractive to me, but nobody compares to Axel now.
I haven't spoken to Brenden since I turned him down again. He's been staring at me in the hallways, but since I've walked into school early every morning with Larry, he hasn't approached me. Since we got to school late today, I didn't have time to go to my locker when no one else was in the hallways.
Brenden and his shitty friends all walk up to me, and despite the fact that there's only three minutes until first period, they look like they don't have a care in the world about getting to class on time. I, on the other hand, have to make it to this test on time or else my grades will suffer.
When Brenden and his friends keep coming closer, I know I won't be able to avoid them. It's either run away and have them catch me, or face them and hope that some of my training with the Dark Wood pack will be enough to defend myself. No one in the hallways ever said anything when they used to see me get picked on. I don't see why things would be any different now.
Axel has rubbed off on me- yes, in the sexual way but also in the mental way- and I realize that I don't want to back away from this possible fight. I've trained with strong pack members and defeated some. Axel has trained me himself multiple times. I've gained muscle and stamina and speed. I've gained confidence in my abilities.
Brenden doesn't scare me anymore. He's just a bully, and I won't let him walk all over me.
"Gotta go, bye!" I say into the phone, then hang up on my mate. Will he be angry with me for hanging up on him? Hell yeah. But he's not meeting Brenden while I have to talk shit to him. He can punish me later.
Oh, no! Hint the sarcasm.
Brenden approaches me with his posse close behind, and I roll my eyes. This high school musical bullshit is getting really fucking old.
"Matthews!" I grin, trying to hide the nerves I feel from being cornered at my locker. I can feel my phone buzzing in my hand, but I send it straight to voicemail. Axel cannot know about this.
"It's been a while. How's Vagina? I mean, Virginia? Well, same thing I guess, and the answer should be the same- fucking uninteresting."
Brenden cocks his head to the side ignoring the sneers and muted laughter of his friends. Brenden is all about his image. That's why he always fucked me in a supply closet away from prying eyes and ears. No one would suspect that the school's golden boy was a closeted psycho. If I trash his image, especially in front of his friends, that will surely piss him off.
I'm doing great so far!
Brenden cracks his knuckles, a cheesy, bully move to intimidate the victim by drawing their eyes to fists that will break skin and bones. However, Brenden isn't aware that he's the victim this time, not me.
"Braydenton!" He mimics me, holding his hands out at his sides. "It's been a while since I've beaten your face in. I think it's time to fix that."
He shoots out his fist, but with my Dark Wood training I easily sidestep the punch which causes Brenden's hand to unexpectedly make a direct hit with the locker. The metallic crunching sound fills the hallway, and that's when I notice the clock and see that there are only two minutes left until first period starts. The hallways are thinning out, and I'm running out of time.
Brenden howls in pain, but I don't pay him any attention as I face off with his friends.
"My mate, the Beta of the Dark Wood pack, says hi. He also trained me. So go ahead, fight me. You'll lose to a fag, as you like to call me. Or, you can fucking leave and be cowards, but you'll be cowards who don't have a target on your back."
I hate to "name drop" my mate, but I'm running out of time here. As much training as I received, I cannot beat these guys four against one. I'm still learning, and they're still plenty strong. I hate admitting that, but part of what Axel taught me was strategy. If the numbers aren't on your side, don't engage in a fight purely because of emotions.
The three guys scare off easily, and I'm left with Brenden. I bend down to the floor where he's cradling his fist to his chest. His nostrils flare, and I can see the flecks of darker blue in his light blue eyes with how close I am to him.
"I'm not the same guy you used to fuck. I'll tell you one last time. Stay the fuck away from me. I have a mate, we marked each other, and we mated. He's a way better lay than you, so just give up and go find another ass to fill."
Brenden stares at me with such hatred in his eyes. He even tries to hit me with his other fist, but the move is slow and sloppy. I grab it in midair and press my forearm to his neck.
His face turns red and veins pop up around his neck and forehead from the strain to breathe.
"Hey! Get to class! What's going on here?"
Shit. A teacher spots the two of us and I know that I don't have the time to get in trouble. I let Brenden go with a curse, give him one swift kick to the ribs, and back away from him.
"Fuck you," I spit out, and then head to class.
~
I make it to my class with five seconds to spare. The tests are already handed out, and I quickly take a seat and begin bubbling in my scantron with the correct answers. I was really prepared for this test, so I finish with time to spare.
When I stand to turn in my test, the teacher with strange hair and really smelly breath hands me a flyer. I take it with a questioning look, but since others are taking the test, I can't verbally ask what I was handed. Instead, I go to my seat and read over the pamphlet.
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE WILDERNESS FIELD TRIP
Students will have two options for the final project this year. Below are the descriptions of the two biological science options for the end of the school year... blah, blah, blah.
Basically there's a trip in two weeks that will count as our final project. We'll have to set up tents and do some experimental shit in the woods. The other option is to write a ten page paper on different roots and plant life in the area. Both sound fucking boring, but I'm not writing a huge-ass paper on trees.
I look at the dates of the trip and my heart sinks. May 22-24. That's Friday through Sunday. More specifically, it's a weekend I'm supposed to spend at Dark Wood with Axel. I don't want to not see him. Will he understand? Will he be angry if I ask to go on the field trip? It's not like I really want to go, but it beats writing a paper I have no interest in writing that I'll most likely do poorly on.
I'm not so great at writing. I get too distracted, and I always go off on unrelated tangents. This one paper from last year that I was supposed to write about The Civil War ended up being about Captain America: Civil War, something my last history teacher did not appreciate.
I don't understand how anyone can tell me that writing about Chris Evans is wrong.
I deserved an A.
The rest of the day runs smoothly. I eat lunch with Larry, and I tell him about the field trip and my problem with Axel. Larry tells me to go on the field trip if I want, and Axel will just have to get over it. I make fun of him and ask him to say that to Axel's face.
He's too chicken.
I call Axel, and he's not pleased that I hung up with him earlier. I smoothly lied and said I was late to class and my teacher made me hang up. He still said I was in trouble and I had to call him after school to receive my punishment.
I have no idea how Axel's going to punish me over the phone, but I'd like to see him try.
~
Thank you to everyone who messaged me or reached out to me in some way. I sincerely appreciate all of the kind words :) You keep me motivated to write more, so I couldn't do this without you!
Q: What is your favorite flower?
A: Blue hydrangeas
Xx alexia