Bryan's POV:
SHE LEFT! Damn it! I scared her off when I was just beginning to break the silence. I knew I came on too strong, but I didn't know any other way of getting close to her. For a few months, I had given her space again until I could put my plan into action.
I had James' dad, our current Alpha, get the principal to match my schedule to Amanda's. Well, almost. Except for her last period. Yes, I even joined the chorus for her! Not that I can carry a tune in a bucket, but I was willing to do just about anything to get to know her. Extreme? Yes. Necessary? Meh, but Max was on edge every day and every time I got even a whiff of her scent, my need to be close to her went into overdrive.
When she finally spoke to me and basically said that she's been ignored her entire life, it broke my heart. I didn't know what to say except for "I'm sorry." I watched her walk away to the girl's bathroom. I'll admit I waited outside, not to be creepy, but I wanted to make sure she was okay. When I didn't hear anything, I went to class. I waited for her to show up, but she never did.
When I ran into Luke and Sam at lunch, they told me she left to go home. Luke helped me calm down after I was paired to work with her during first period. My wolf wanted to crawl out of my skin right there! I almost lost control! That's never happened before. As a higher-ranking wolf, I am trained earlier than most wolves because we are stronger and need to be in constant control of our wolves for the protection of the pack as well as to keep our existence a secret. Luckily, I walked out of class and Luke understood what was going on. He is a smart warrior and may be the best asset I have in getting to know Amanda. But first, I have to get through the rest of this boring day without her.
"Hey man! You alright?" James asks with Nick's concerned face behind him.
I chuckle and take a deep breath "That girl is gonna be the death of me. But, I got to talk to her, breathe in her beautiful scent, and walk with her. It was amazing until..." my voice trails off.
"Until?" Nick asks curiously.
"She left. As we were walking toward 4th period, she confronted me about my schedule and behavior change. Basically threw the fact that I and everyone else have ignored her since 3rd grade. I couldn't help, but let her walk away." I bowed my head in shame.
"Well, if it's one thing I know about you, Bryan, you know what you want and you go after it. I'm not saying changing your whole schedule around was the way to go, but it's something!" James says jokingly. Nick starts laughing and I can't help but join in. I mean, he's not wrong. For the first time in my life, though, I'm not sure how this plan will work out. Right now, I'm just focused on getting to know her. I just have to take it slow with her. Baby steps. I will earn your forgiveness, Amanda, and your love.
I use football as a nice distraction from my situation. The coach runs us through a gauntlet of drills and plays to prepare for the Homecoming game against our rivals. He wants to win as much as us and we work hard not to let him down. Although my body is present, my mind constantly drifts to her. My natural instincts are to be near her, hold her, kiss her, and make her mine. But this, our situation, is the definition of complicated. Maybe this is my punishment. Maybe this is how I earn my forgiveness. Moon Goddess, give me strength and guidance.
"Tiller! Get your head out of your ass and pay attention, son!" Coach yells from the sidelines as I miss the play call from James.
"Sorry, Coach!" I yell back. James smiles and shakes his head. He knows what I'm going through, especially since he has already found and claimed his mate. I trot over to the huddle. "Sorry guys. Just a lot on my mind, I guess." James repeats the play call and we break from the huddle to take our places on the line.
After football practice, I take my time in the shower and walk alone toward my car. Everyone else had already left. I decide to go for a drive to clear my head. I drive on autopilot, not even paying attention to where I'm headed. I suddenly recognize where I am. I slow to a stop just a house down from Amanda's house. How did I get here? I feel Max smirk mischievously in my head. I shake my head at him. You sly dog.
I sit in my Dodge charger for what feels like forever. As I contemplate my next move, I realize I need to apologize for my sudden change. It must have been overwhelming to go from invisible to noticed overnight. Although I can't exactly tell her the truth, I can at least smooth things over. She was visibly upset when she walked away. Max whimpers inside my head at the thought of our mate being upset. Well, it's now or never. I've stalked her house for long enough.
I decide against going to her front door because, honestly, it's still hard to face her mother after what happened that night. I quietly sneak around to the back of the house only to be faced with a new dilemma: I have no idea which room or window is hers.
"Shit!" I curse softly. I start to get frustrated when the light bulb goes off. I smile, pleased with how smart I am, as I mindlink Sam and Luke.
Sam, Luke, I need your help with something.
Yes, Beta. They respond in unison.
If you were standing in the backyard of Amanda's house, which window would be her bedroom? I speak quickly. After a brief pause, I hear a small gasp, then Luke responds.
Second floor, last window on the left.
Thanks. I close the link before any questions can be asked. I find a few pebbles lying around and I throw them at her window. It takes a few moments before there is any movement. I see her curtains open and she cracks her window. Her face is slightly red and puffy as if she's been crying. She looks very confused as she registers who is standing below her window.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" she stammers and looks around thoroughly confused as to why I am at her house. I can only image what's going through that pretty little head of hers. She probably thinks this is another prank.
"Well, uh, interesting story. I waited outside the bathroom, but you never came out, so I eventually went to class to wait for you only to find out from Sam and Luke that you left. You were upset and, well, I felt like I caused it, so I wanted to come here and apologize." I explained. She stared at me in shock and disbelief. "Do you think we could go for a walk and just talk?" I ask before I lost my nerve. At that point, I wasn't sure if she would say yes.
"Give me a sec and I'll be down." she closes her window and then, her curtains. It feels like an eternity before I hear the lock on the back door being clicked open and Amanda emerging onto the deck. She wraps her sweater around her and walks toward me. We remain silent as I lead her down a very familiar path into the woods.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" she questions as we enter a clearing. She nervously tucks her hair behind her ear. I'm suddenly nervous being this close to her and I know I have to be cautious of what I say to her.
"I'm sorry if I upset you. That was not my intent."
"I know. And it was wrong of me to lash out at you. But, can I be honest?" she looks up at me in earnest.
"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."
"My life has been one predictable event after another, for the most part. After years of being ignored and only relying on Sam or Luke or my mom, it frankly terrified me that you, of all people, wanted to talk to me. Please, I don't want to be the butt of any joke or cruel prank. I'd rather be ignored." I see the pain in her eyes and unshed tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. It honestly broke me that I couldn't comfort her. I square my shoulders and face her completely.
"First, I have no ill intentions towards you. I'm just a normal guy. Sam and Luke talk about you all the time. I just never noticed or took a interest until we were partnered together. When you began to help me in history, I thought immediately you were someone I could become friends with. I just want to get to know you better and be another friend like Sam or Luke. If that's okay with you?" It pained me to tell this little white lie because I had no intentions of remaining just her friend, but for now, I needed to gain her trust, get to know her, and build our bond. The rest would be beautiful bonuses until the truth can be revealed. "Friends?" I stick my hand out.
Although hesitant, she shakes my hand with a slight smile on her face.
"Friends." I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. She laughs and shakes her head at my actions, but her blush gives her away. We sit on the cool grass watching the sun set over the tall pines. The conversation is awkward, at first, but once both of our nerves calm, the ease with which we talk is magical. She's incredibly witty and smart. Her eyes sparkle when she gets excited about a topic and she definitely captures my entire attention.
After the sun sets, the temperature falls and I can see her sweater is not enough to keep her warm. I would love to pull her in close and give her warmth, but I know it would be too soon. I have to be patient.
"Let me walk you back home. It's too cold to stay out here any longer." I say as I start to stand. She nods in agreement and stands, brushing the grass off of her leggings. As we approach her back door, I break the silence. "Thanks for allowing me to apologize and for the talk." I stand nervously.
"Thank you for checking on me. It's good to have someone else to talk to. Don't get me wrong, Sam and Luke have never made me feel like a third wheel, but sometimes..." her voice trails off.
"I understand." I give her a knowingly look, considering the times I spend with James and Whitney. "Well, I will see you tomorrow in class. Good night, Amanda."
"Good night, Bryan." She turns and walks back into her house. I wait until I hear the lock click before heading back to my car. Step one complete.