The bell chimed as we entered the familiar shop. Chris came into view as he came from the back.
Max had work today and he had brought me along again. I remembered the first time I was here and couldn't believe everything that happened since then.
I wanted to be with Max but I understood that he wanted to find a way to make sure I was safe in case Isaac thought it was better if I was... if I stayed away from Max.
"Alexa!" He pulled me into a hug. "How has Max been treating you?"
Laughing on the inside, I pouted. "Not well, he ignored me for three weeks."
Chris turned to glare at the culprit. "Max, now what have I been telling you?"
"Um well.."
I loved seing other sides to Max, and the one right now that was getting told off and didn't know what to say was adorable.
'You know I can feel how you're feeling right now right? Stop making me seem like a child that you're proud of or something.'
The embarrassed one was cute too.
'Shut up'
I guess he heard that, although I didn't appreciate him listening in on all my thoughts.
'Shouldn't you be coming up with an excuse right now?' I tried to stop myself from smirking.
"Hello?" Chris looked at us. "You guys have been staring at each other and not saying anything for like five minutes now."
I felt myself blush. Chris didn't know about us being mates and I was wondering whether he thought we were dating.
"Sorry." I said embarrassed and snapping out of it.
"Oh no, don't apologize. Just give me a warning next time so I can get my camera." Chris smiled.
"U-um." My voice went too high for my liking.
Max was grinning whilst looking at me although I didn't know why. Did he like seing me embarrassed?
"Okay, enough messing around. Get to work Max!" Chris looked at him seriously, almost annoyed at him for what I said. I felt myself try to suppress a laugh.
"Oh, let me help too!" I liked the atmosphere in this place and wanted to help out in anyway I could.
"Sure, just go into the back and there should be a mop you can use."
I nodded and made my way to the back into the small storage room. The whole shop was really small but I guess that's what made it cozy.
Smiling, I came back out and started cleaning the floor.
After a while, whilst Max was at the till, I was cleaning the back when Chris approached me.
"So, how long have you guys been together?"
"Huh!? Oh no we're not.." He caught me by surprise.
"Don't lie, I see the way he looks at you."
I hated how easily I blushed but I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Well, that and the fact that he wouldn't shut up about you whilst he was here."
"He talked about me?" My whole body tingled. I guess that's what having a mate felt like.
"Yeah. He kept saying that he was going to tell you something. I'm guessing he finally did."
I looked at Max with a small smile whilst he helped a customer. "Yeah, he did."
~~~~~
We were sat in the bus in silence, neither knowing what to say.
The bus ride seemed to last forever until we finally approached Max's stop.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled whilst getting up.
"Yeah." I returned the gesture.
His gaze lingered on me as he walked off the bus.
I hated how much I wanted to run up to him and hug him, but that was selfish because he wasn't ready to tell Isaac yet.
I didn't blame him, I wasn't sure we were ready to face the consequences.
Climbing the steps to my bedroom, I made sure not to make too much noise as I didn't want to wake my mom and Matt. Or Lily.
I felt guilty for not spending enough time with my family but my mind couldn't get thoughts of Max out of my head.
~~~~~
Our exams were approaching, I was laying on the table in the middle of English literature class and questioning life. I wished we could be a normal couple with Max but he couldn't even ask me out on a date because we had to keep it a secret. He hadn't even kissed me yet. Heat rose to my cheeks at the thought. What was I thinking in the middle of class?
It was as though nothing ever happened, we didn't talk much apart from the occasional hey and wave and I wished I didn't feel like my feelings kept increasing for him.
"Ms Heart?"
It was like since we stayed close to each other the bond was growing stronger. I wondered if that meant that he wanted to mark me.. Which was stupid because we weren't even a couple...
"Ms Heart!" The teacher was looking at me furiously.
"Y-yes?" I looked up at her.
"What exactly were you daydreaming about in the middle of my class?"
A really hot werewolf.
"Nothing?"
"Do not lie to me, anyways, you better pay attention now. This is your last chance."
"Right."
"Excuse me?"
"I meant yes... Miss."
She scoffed and turned back to the board, writing something about Shakespeare.
I felt my eyes grow heavy. It didn't help that I had spent the whole night talking to Max.
My last class before lunch was 'Physical Education' as they liked to call it, but I don't know why they didn't just call it sport. Teachers had a weird thing for fancy long names.
We were outside, in the cold and playing volleyball. I felt myself shiver in the wind. What kind of idiot would let us stand here in the winter?!
We had a week left before exams and holidays, which made everyone excited about the trip but the teachers thought they would make us work even harder since we would get some time later to have fun.
We had just played a game by the end of which I couldn't feel my fingers, and we were sat by a tree whilst the teacher told us how we could improve. This was secretly his way of telling us how much we sucked and what we could do to suck less.
The tree was shielding me from the wind and I started to feel warmer. I relaxed against the trunk as I thought about what Max was doing right now, not even realizing that I was falling asleep.
My sweet dreams of my mate were interrupted as I was frantically shaken awake. I was met with the eye of my glaring teacher who was obviously not very happy.
"Alexa, I was wondering where you were whilst the others were practicing. What did you think, that you could get away with sleeping in my class? By a tree on top of everything!"
Some girls snickered from behind me.
"I'm sorry."
He sighed, looking down. "You looked comfortable."
"Did you expect us to just die of hypothermia?" I muttered, eyes widening as I realised I said that out loud.
His attention was brought back onto me as he frowned.
"I know what will wake you up, ten laps of the field." He ordered.
"But the field is huge!?" I looked at the immense patch of green in front of me.
"Now!" He shouted.
I pulled myself up, blinking myself awake.
Just ten laps, I just had to keep repeating that to myself until I believed it.
My legs were shaking as I ran my second lap, thinking this was torture. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?
This was all Max's fault.
"What are you thinking about?" Will grinned as he jogged backwards.
"How much life sucks." I deadpanned.
"Come on, the others left already since the lesson ended."
I looked around and groaned to see the empty field.
"It's not that bad." He kept up with me even though he was going backwards.
"Show off."
He laughed as he turned around. "I'll just have to run with you."
"You don't have to." I tried to say in between breaths.
"Yeah well it was funny to see you fall asleep and then say that to the teacher."
"Ughh don't remind me."
He laughed.
"Why do you make this look so easy, I'm barely on my third lap but you don't even look out of breath?"
"I'm a werewolf you dummy."
I gave him a skeptical look. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me."
He shrugged. "Max told me not to."
"Why?" I kept my gaze of the path in front of me.
"I guess he was jealous." I heard Will smile.
"You keep saying that but.." I was about to say that wasn't true... But Max admitted it.
"Are you going to tell me about Eva?"
He smiled at the mention of his mate.
"She goes to another school, she's a werewolf too but from another pack. Happily it's not an enemy pack.. " he continued as I listened whilst running for what felt like years.
Max's PoV
My head was resting on the window as I sat in the middle of class, thinking about Lex.
It sounded cute right? And that jerk Will didn't call her that so immediately liked it.
"Hey Max?" Ace's face suddenly came into view.
"What?" He interputed thoughts of my mate which didn't put me in very good mood.
Ace frowned. "I just thought you might want to know but, someone is stuck running laps outside." He motioned to the window.
I wondered who he meant when I saw her and little legs struggling to keep up with her as she ran on the track. The sad sympathy was soon turned into anger when I saw Will next to her, he was running backwards and making her laugh. I was the one meant to be there and making her laugh.
I stood up pushing my chair back in the process. My arm was grabbed before I could move.
"Where are you going?" Ace was whispering. "Do you want Isaac to find out?"
I looked at Isaac at the front of the class, he was looking at us with a skeptical look on his face and actually the whole class was now staring wondering why an idiot had suddenly stood up in the middle of the lesson.
"Where are you going Mr. Woods?"
"Nowhere, sorry." I sat back down.
Ace nodded at me, like I had done the smart choice but that didn't keep me from staring at her throughout the whole lesson.
~~~~~
Alexa's PoV
By the time I had finished my last lap, I was all alone on the field as Will had had to leave in a hurry but he wouldn't tell me why.
Panting and out of breath, I made my way to the benches on the side so that I could collapse.
My heart felt like it was about to give up on me and I felt numb from running so much. It didn't help at all that I didn't get much sleep either.
Something caught my eye as I looked to the side of the empty seats. Dragging my body along I eyed the object wearily yet silently celebrating as I opened the lid of the water bottle.
On the side was a note that read "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you like Will, -Max"
Feeling my heart clench at the idea that he felt guilty over this, I took a sip from the cooling drink. It was just water yet at the time I felt like I was drinking heaven. I hadn't even realized how dry my throat was until I finished half of the bottle.
I couldn't believe that Max felt upset about something so small and unimportant, yet I wanted to see him to tell him I didn't blame him.
Nearing the entrance of the school, I walked back inside clutching the water bottle tightly to my chest.
~~~~~
Ahh that familiar feeling of liking someone and constantly thinking about them. Put your hand up if you know how that feels!
*shyly puts her hand up*
I don't know if anyone will ever read this book but I guess I'm enjoying writing it so that's all that counts right? If you do come across it, please don't be a silent reader!
-Bella