[Vote and comment, please. Enjoy reading!]
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“HOOOOKKAAAYYY!!! Today, the guys are going to play football! Shirts versus skins! For girls… just sit on the bleachers and do whatever you want! And don’t make too much noise!” our PE teacher, who was also Sigfried High’s football coach, hollered the moment we piled up at the field. He ended his speech by blowing his whistle, and you could just imagine a series of reactions from us.
Coach Payton was so silly though. You can't tell girls to sit on the bleachers, and then expect them to remain silent. You just can't. They were girls. End of story.
As of us boys (I’d like to refer ourselves as men. Thank you), reluctant or not, grouped ourselves into two. I had this class with Zane (yeah!), Caleb (whoopies!), and Hunter (ooh… yeah, baby…).
I could practically touch the tension between Caleb and Zane. I found it funny though.
My boyfriend and I got picked to be on the skins team, much to our protests. Oh I knew and I knew very well why. Simply because, they wanted us shirtless – mostly from the hoots of the girls on the bleachers. Not that I was complaining, or ashamed of our bodies. Definitely not.
Hunter, Caleb and I exchanged worried glances before Hunter and I took our shirts off. Because if we did, our wolf marks would be exposed. Caleb didn’t even know yet that I had marked Hunter.
“Bullet! Knight! What are you two waiting for?! You're wasting time!” Coach Payton asked angrily, tapping his foot. Sheesh, man, place your hand over your hip and I’ll think of something else.
Hunter shrugged and whispered, “Let them see. Werewolves here won't mind, AND they get to know we’re both mated. As for humans, they’ll most likely think of it as a couple tattoo. Besides, our teacher is a warlock, as much as he didn’t look like it. So don’t worry, Silver-babe. Alright?”
I sighed and nodded. We took our shirts off at the same time and tossed them on the bleachers. Loud gasps filled the air automatically, making me grab Hunter’s hand. I glanced around to see their reactions.
Girls were staring, drooling, ogling and all those disturbing stuffs they do. I wasn’t really surprised at that, since it was me AND Hunter, so it was understandable. Boys were tossing the ball around, secretly watching the scene through the corner of their eyes. Only it wasn’t so secretly because I still knew. Coach Payton, well… he just stared. Blank-faced. Then nodded at us and plopped himself on the shaded part of the bleachers.
“Holy shit, Alpha! Silver actually marked you?!” Caleb whisper-yelled, looking flabbergasted and a whole lot of mixed emotions.
Hunter rubbed his temples. “Yeah. Earlier. That was why I took him home. He was showing the first signs of shifting.”
“Wow… that was pretty awesome. Congrats there, Luna.” Caleb smirked, making my face heat up.
“Don’t call me Luna! I'm not a girl—“ I was cut off when Zane suddenly yanked me. He literally dragged me as he walked towards the double doors. “Wait! Zane, where are you taking—“ I was cut off again when Hunter yanked me back. Right. Make that a habit. It didn’t hurt. At all.
Zane turned around and met Hunter’s glare. The field now turned silent as everyone else watched and waited for some action. It had been a long time since the last time a fight happened in this school, since Skylar was so uptight and all. Caleb was calmly observing behind Hunter, as always.
“What do you think you're doing, Taylor?” my mate asked, his voice oozing with threat.
Zane huffed. “I want to talk with my best friend.” He then turned to me. “Now, Sil. Now.”
“Uhh…” I eyed them both warily, sizing the situation. I think I already knew what Zane wanted to talk with me about. “Coach wouldn’t let us leave.”
I grimaced when Hunter scoffed. “You’d really go with him if the teacher do let you?”
“Babe, we’re best friends. You know, buddy-buddy?” I twisted my fore finger and middle finger together to show him what I meant. “We’ll just talk. Nothing bad could happen. I promise.” I looked at him straight in the eyes as I said those. I knew he would believe me and that he trusted me. What he didn’t was Zane.
“Why not just talk here?”
My best friend clicked his tongue. “Are you stupid?”
“Hey,” Caleb chimed in. I swear, that dude could remain calm even in the middle of another world war. “Respect my Alpha, please.”
“Shut up, you sick pervert,” Zane spat. Caleb’s eyes flashed hurt for a second but it was gone and replaced with an icy stare. Ugh, why were they fighting? I wanted them lovey-dovey!
I rubbed Hunter’s arm. “We won't take long, babe. Stay calm, okay?”
“I don't know, Silver.”
“Well, I do. And please put your shirt back on. I'm starting to get pissed at how bold people here are staring at you.” I said those quite loudly, so a lot of people heard, making them duck their heads down. Then, I faced my best friend with my brows raised. “I thought you want us to talk?”
He held up a finger and then made his way to Coach, probably to ask permission for us to leave. I walked towards where our shirts landed and wore mine after handing Hunter his shirt. I wouldn’t leave here with him still shirtless. He was standing there ‘clueless’ of the fact that our classmates were staring at him like a forbidden fruit. Well, I found him very tempting myself. But I was his boyfriend! I have all the rights!
Soon, Zane was walking back to us. I chanced a glance at Coach Payton, only to see him watching us like a hawk. Of course, not many people could get away from his class just for the reason that we wanted to talk in private. So I didn't know what my best friend told him. I wouldn’t doubt if he blackmailed Coach though. That sounded like something Zane wouldn’t hesitate to do.
Zane nodded and led the way out to the double doors. I planted a chaste kiss on Hunter before following my best friend, feeling my boyfriend’s gaze. And everyone else’s. But I had to deal with Zane first, since he wasn’t someone I could lie to. I told him before that I never wanted a tattoo – since Hunter’s mark on me looked like one – so of course he would smell something… I didn't know to him. His senses were abnormal.
‘I love you, Silver,’ were words that floated in my mind as I closed the doors behind me.
I smiled to myself before replying in my head, ‘I love you, too, Hunter.’
After that, I blanked out my mind. I saw Zane’s figure entering the football team’s locker room so I went there. I just wished he chose another place. I didn’t have anything against football players, but they should really clean the place. It stunk. And the smell of soap, shampoo, deodorant, perfume and everything they used to cover up the smell of sweat, foot – I could even smell cum – and all the other unimaginable odors they could produce, mixing all up wasn’t… pleasant.
I found Zane pacing back and forth as I entered. He was mumbling things to himself and actually chewing his nails, making me chuckle.
Unfortunately, he heard me and stopped. He was about to speak but I cut him off.
“So, you and Caleb, huh?” I asked, a sly smile plastered on my face.
Like I expected, he scoffed. He and Stefan could pass as fraternal twins from different mothers. “Caleb who? That prick who kept on pestering me? Don’t start, Sil. Do you know that he's been harassing me?! He kissed me! TWICE!” he screeched. “And one wasn’t just a peck even!” he grunted loudly and kicked a locker. “Just thinking about that… that DUDE infuriates me this much!”
I giggled. “Thank god, Caleb is always calm. Oohh… perfect match!”
“Let’s not talk about him!” he almost whined.
“But you two are mates!”
“WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?!”
“Oh. You don’t know?” I covered my mouth and mentally bitch-slapped myself a thousand times. Oh yeah! Ninja skills!
“We?! Mates?! You have got to be shitting me! Sil, no way! Just… just no way!”
I placed my hands over my hips. “Zaney-poo, are you telling me that you're rejecting him?”
“But—“
“Caleb is an amazing person all in all, Zaney-poo.”
“That’s not—“
“And, Zaney-poo, you can't deny that he's gorgeous. My Hunter is more gorgeous though.”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Why, Zaney-poo? You don’t mind me calling you that before.” I checked my nails, just to rile him up more.
“Because…”
“Because what?” I paused, now looking up at him. “Zaney-poo.”
“Because that’s pretty much an equivalence of your puppy face on me! And you know – oh you know very well! – that there's no way I could and would refuse to that!” I grinned. “Damn it, Sil, this is not what I wanted us to talk about.”
I laughed softly. This was one of the reasons why I hang out with Zane. It was so easy to rile him up. And his reactions, facial expressions, his words, were all just so amusing that it kept me from getting bored. No one wanted me bored. The last time I was, the Chemistry Lab exploded.
“My, my, Zane, you sure are angry. But don’t take it out on me.” I walked towards one of the benches and sat on it. It didn’t take three seconds before my best friend was beside me. And I was seeing a pout. “Now, what is this all about? I will let you say your side, but I won't let you get away about Caleb.”
He groaned. “Fine.” He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before facing me completely, stern and seriousness written all over his face. “You didn’t tell me Knight is a werewolf.”
“Because I didn’t have the chance to. The last time we talked from today was before I went hiking with my family, remember?”
“Yeah. And then you went MISSING. Seriously, Sil, everything and everyone turned chaotic when that news spread out. Some nights I couldn’t sleep! You didn’t even inform me the moment you got back? What happened, anyway?!”
“I'm sorry.” I also turned to completely face him. I crossed my legs Indian style and rested my elbows on them. Zane copied my movements, and so now we were two guys that if you would look at us from afar, it would appear that we were playing some board game.
I told him everything starting from when I got lost and got chased by that ugly bear, until present. Except the private stuffs, of course. I didn’t want Zane scarred for life. Besides, he will learn all those amazing things from his mate himself; Caleb.
A moment of silence hung up in the air after I finished talking. He was eyeing me intently, making me squirm. I felt relieved once he let out a sigh.
“So, you're mated with an Alpha, and you both had marked each other. Mind telling me how you bit him? I can't see any canines from you.”
“Wait,” I put a hand in between us, suddenly feeling confused. “By how you're reacting, you're not surprised that werewolves, and witches or warlocks, exist. Like, at all.”
He rolled his eyes. “My mother is Lerina, who is your mother’s sister. Ring any bells?” He even motioned a hand as if he was ringing an actual bell in the air.
I stared at him blankly for a few seconds before the gears in my head started running. I gasped, clasping my hands together under my chin. “You're a witch!”
He had an ‘ew’ face, visibly biting his tongue. “Warlock, for you. Last time I checked, I don’t have a vagina.”
“And you wouldn’t wish to have one when you and Caleb mates. It’s much, much better to take it up the ass, you know? Since we, men, have this amazing thing called prostate. Once Caleb abused it—“
“STOP! I don’t want to hear it!” he cried, covering his ears. What a stupid move to do. It’s common sense that you could still hear even with your hands over your ears like that.
And being the amazing best friend I was, I teased him more. I smirked, tapping the side of my nose. “Heh, so you want to feel it in actual, instead of hearing it from me? Smooth, Zaney-poo. Really smooth.” I added a nod, as if approving to his supposed-to-be idea.
“Who said I'm going to have sex with that dude?! And who said I would be bottom?!”
I chuckled. “I did.”
“Sil…” he growled, trying to look menacing. Meh. He should focus on hiding his cherry red face first. But he didn’t need to know that. I was quite enjoying the sight.
“Admit it. There’s no way you could stop Caleb. And stop calling him names.”
“Fuck you.”
“Aww… Fuck you, too, Zaney-poo!” I opened my arms and made kissy faces and sounds. You know what I got? A smack at the top of my head. I pouted, rubbing my head and then muttered, “I can't believe I was so oblivious of everything all this time. I mean, I've been with YOU and my FAMILY all my life, and I knew all of these just RECENTLY!”
“It’s not your fault. We hid things from you for your safety.”
“You sound like my Mommy.”
“I don’t sing Disney songs while skipping around.”
I sighed. “Enough of me. Let’s talk about you, and Caleb. Wait, did Payton let us sit out throughout the class?” We called our teachers first name basis when it was just the two of us. Sometimes, we even come up with silly nicknames.
“Yep,” he replied, popping the ‘P’. “He’s a warlock, too. And he's a part of our circle. No worries. He won't rat us out to the parental units.”
“OH! Show me your magic!”
He stared at me blankly. “No.”
“WWHHHYYY?!?!”
“If I showed you, even just a little bit, of my magic, you would nag me to do it again every chance you could.”
“No, I wouldn’t! I promise!”
“No use, no use.”
“Puh-leeaassse?!”
“No.”
I sat up on my knees, with my butt over my heels, and looked up at him under my lashes. Stuck the bottom lip out! Oh yeah! Make the eyes big and teary! “Please, Zaney-poo?” SNIFF!
“That was cheating!”
Wipe an invisible tear!
“Fine, fine, you fucker!”
“Oh yes, I am! And I fuck reaaally goooood.” I grinned.
“Silver Bullet, making things sexual since 1994.”
I was going to retort back, alright. But then in a blink, we were floating. No, we were not floating above the bench we were sitting on. Fucking Zane teleported us into a forest, I was floating over waterfall while he was grinning madly on the cliff. And when I thought I was going to fall, we were back to the locker room. I was so surprised that I still fell, only to the floor.
“ZANE!!!”
“What?” he laughed. “You wanted that!”
I quickly got up and then kicked his shin. You think he got hurt? NO! He just scratched his shin and then went back like nothing happened. AT ALL!
I stomped my foot. “How did you do that? Where’s your wand?”
“Seriously, Sil? A wand?”
“You don’t have one?”
“More like, I don’t need one. Well, before, when I was still new to all this, yes. But, you leave a person with magic for too long, like me, and of course, expect me to get stronger that I don’t need one to use magic anymore.”
“Yeah, rub it in my face, you asshole.” He just grinned and I sighed. After a while, I nodded and then smirked. “Now, about…” I drawled on purpose, and I was granted of another blush from my best friend. I was so enjoying this. I didn’t think I even needed to play matchmaking.
“I don’t like him.”
“You don’t hate him, either.”
“What’s your point?” He closed his eyes and tiredly rubbed his temples. “Sil, you know I'm straight.”
I frowned. “How long will you keep that lie to yourself?”
Now, he looked at me incredulously. “Are you telling me, I'm gay?!”
“No.”
“Could’ve fooled me!”
“What I mean is,” I pointed out, stressing every word. “You don’t have to be gay to be with Caleb. I know a pair from Hunter’s pack who were gay just for each other. Heck, I think even Hunter is only gay for me himself! He never looked at other guys the way he looks at me. And that goes for Caleb with you, too!”
“Of course! I know the concept of mating, and werewolves are the most loyal creatures of all kinds.”
“But?”
“But…” he sighed. As I expected, he didn’t have any reason.
“Zane, you are my best friend. I won't lead you on something that would just break you in the end.”
“I know that, Sil. I just… it’s just that…” he groaned. “It’s hard to accept all this. Okay, I'm not homophobic, given. My family isn't either. That… Caleb… guy is good-looking, fine.”
“See? You find him good-looking. You so checked him out.”
“I don't know!”
“At least give him a chance! Everybody deserves a chance. Let him prove himself to you. Besides, I'm pretty sure he won't force himself on you in any sexual purposes. Well, except those kisses you mentioned. C'mon, kisses won't hurt you. And you saw him earlier. He could stand his ground even if there are tornados around him. He's the epitome of calmness. He’ll wait for you, Zane, if that’s what you want him to do for you to get by. Just, you know, don’t take too long. We both know how sexual frustration can drive a man to the point of insanity, let alone a werewolf oozing with hormones.”
I watched my best friend turn silent as he pondered over my words. He had that distant look again. And I would know that look even in my sleep. He was weighing the consequences; the pro’s and the con’s. Zane might appear outgoing or a person who acts before he thinks, but in front of the few people he trusted, he wasn’t. That was just his cover up. His mask. Wall. Defense from unworthy ones.
I waited for him patiently. It was kind of easy for me to know what was going in his head, yet hard. I could pinpoint a few emotions flashing in his eyes. Or from his sighs, groans, when he's clicking his tongue, tapping all of his fingertips together, and the occasional twitching of his right eye.
Saying that he's confused would be an understatement. He was beyond that. But he brought it to himself. He knew what was best to do, just refusing to acknowledge it. As much as I wanted to just slap him and tell him to stop making things hard, staying silent was better. I wasn’t even moving an inch, even trying to breathe as softly and silently as I could, because I very well knew that I might disturb his train of thoughts with just the littlest movements.
Finally, he snapped out of his little world. The cue there was when he pursed his lips.
“Alright.”
I danced in victory.