FRIDAY
"It's next period and I have no idea what it's going to be about!" Liam frantically flipped through his large binder, sending papers flying everywhere in the cafeteria.
I frowned. "How do you know we have a pop quiz in French?"
"Well, I texted Mikaela, who told me that her friend Sarah knows a girl named Rachelle on the soccer team, who's in Mme. Yates' grade 11 class, which is the period right before us. Rachelle was told by Aiden that he overheard Mme. Yates talking to Mme. Stone about 'giving a pop quiz to her grade 12 class tomorrow', and that was yesterday."
My head spun listening to all those names. "Okay, wait. So you're saying we have a pop quiz?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Not 100%, but everyone in the grade's talking about it. I just found out now."
"Did they mention what it was going to be about?"
"No!" Liam wailed. "That's what's freaking me out!"
"Little Fluff, listen," I said gently. "Knowing Mme. Yates, it's most likely going to be a small grammar quiz on the stuff we covered this or last week."
"Like...the tenses and stuff?"
"Yes. A quiz on the subjonctif. That's the only thing she can really quiz us on. I mean, what else is she going to test us on? Something we've never covered in class?"
He deadpanned. "Dylan, you just described every teacher, ever."
The bell rang, and Liam blanched. "Ah! It's time!"
"It's time to succeed!" I reminded him, trying to be cheery and optimistic for once so I could calm his nerves. "Here, on our way up, we can go through some of the rules, okay?"
He nodded, although he was still a bit shaky about our potential pop quiz. As we put our bags away, we rehearsed conjugation rules for the subjunctive tense. Eventually, we arrived at the classroom.
"Thank you, Dylan, for volunteering to bring down the attendance," Mme. Yates voluntold me once she checked everyone off her attendance list.
"It's okay," I mouthed to Liam, who was sitting all tensed up in his seat.
The journey down to the office was fine and without any interruptions, much to my relief. On the way up, however, I was most unfortunate to stumble across a particular someone.
Marcus.
Somehow, seeing him felt even worse than running into Coach Rotisserie. At least she could be shaken off easily. Marcus, on the other hand, was like a leech - latching into you and draining your life force without remorse. He stood there, his pride rolling off him, and carrying himself as if he owned the school. I had no intentions of interacting with him, but Marcus apparently had other plans.
"Hey," he told me smoothly.
"Marcus," I said curtly.
"Nice seeing you around." He gave me a cold smile that resembled a wolf baring its teeth.
"Hm." I wasn't going to lie and pretend I was happy to see him.
I assumed Marcus hadn't given Liam too many issues today in class. Liam only mindlinked me once this morning, and that was to ask me to tell him a joke. I just hoped Marcus didn't do anything to him.
"I'm working with your little Omega friend for our science project," he told me, going straight for the kill. "He's quite precious, that one. A shame he's at school and poisoning his mind with this education. He'd make a perfect mate otherwise."
"The only thing poisoning his mind is you, Marcus," I told him icily. "And your completely outdated and ignorant way of thinking."
He shook his head. "Well, I'm just speaking the truth, Dylan. It's biology. Omegas need to act like Omegas, is that so much to ask? They don't belong in places like this."
"Hey!" A familiar voice came thundering down the halls.
Not again! I groaned to myself.
However, much to my surprise, Coach Renegade's fury seemed to be directed solely at Marcus, as opposed to the both of us.
"What in the Moon Goddess' name are you saying about Omegas, Johnston?"
"I'm just saying," Marcus shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but I could tell he was wary of Coach Racquetball's anger. "When I get mated to my Omega, they're going to be a housemate and nothing more. Omegas, and submissive wolves in general, should be taking care of the home and their dominant mate. Not working, or fighting, or getting involved in politics."
"Ha!" Coach snorted. "Bold of you to assume you'll be the dominant of your relationship. With your bitchy attitude, your mate's going to be the one dominating you."
"You can't talk to me like that!" Marcus growled. "My father is the Beta of the Celestial Maroon Pack, and trust me, I will end your entire career and place within your pack if you continue to disrespect me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she dismissed him, completely unfazed by his threats. "A 'Beta' who backstabs his pack members by hosting pack 'fundraisers', and using some of that money to fund his extravagant Caribbean vacations and your overly expensive hockey equipment. So unless you want me to expose him to the werewolf world, you better keep your sorry mouth shut."
Marcus' jaw clenched, but Coach Rhinoplasty had him there. I only watched in amusement as his face reddened, so I guessed the coach was right about his father. That was some excellent blackmail-worthy material. I was sure she had been waiting a long, long time to use that information against him.
"Now, the two of you, scram," she ordered. "Get out of my line of vision, and get back to class."
Marcus hurried off, although not without throwing us a dirty look.
"That was quite the speech." I gave her a genuine smile once he was officially gone.
"My mate's an Omega," she shrugged. "The thought of people thinking so lowly of them just ticks me off. My mate is the most patient, strong, and badass wolf I know. Marcus knows nothing of Omega strength."
"It sucks knowing that there are people like him in this world. They're everywhere."
"Yeah, there are. And you know what? There always will be. I say if they're too thick-brained to look at other perspectives and learn from them, then that's a them problem, not a you problem. Let them stew in their negativity and simplicity. When their feast comes out bitter because they refused to add any seasonings, they'll only have themselves to blame."
"Thanks, Coach." Huh. Maybe Coach Rodriguez wasn't all that bad. I didn't know she was capable of saying something so motivational and non-threatening.
"Now, for some reason, you're still standing right in the middle of the hallway, blocking all the traffic. I recall asking you to leave and get back to class."
I only chuckled. I mean, 10 seconds of kindness weren't all too much, but it was a record for her, and at least something. For today, I decided I wouldn't let her get to me.
"Nice seeing you, Coach. I'll be around often. I suppose we're just going to have to get used to each other's presence. Bye, and I hope you have a great day!"
-
"I think the quiz went pretty well, I don't know why I was freaking out about it," he said, as the two of us chilled in his family's kitchen after I walked him home.
"There you go, see? I'm sure you did great." I rubbed his shoulders, and he sighed.
"That feels nice," he murmured at my touch. "Anyway, what's up later today?"
"We're going out to see a movie tonight."
"No way, seriously? We're going to the movies?"
"Yep! Name any movie and we'll watch it."
"But there's so many...let's see." He paused, thinking intently about his decision. "Ooh, how about the new superhero movie that just came out? It got really good reviews."
"I'd say most superhero movies nowadays have pretty good reviews. But yeah, if that's what you want to see, we can. Be sure to wear something nice and warm. It might get a bit chilly late at night."
"What? Why? How bad is the air conditioning at the theatre?"
I laughed at his little misunderstanding. "We're going to be outside."
"Out..." his eyes widened. "Oh! I get it. We're going into one of those drive-in theatres, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, the one just in the town over."
"I've never been to one of those types of theatres before. How do you even hear the movie? Is the audio super loud or something?"
"No, they give you a speaker so you can listen in your car. Don't worry, your eardrums will be fine."
"If we're going tonight, then we're going to need snacks. I'm on it! I'll prepare a basket of food for us."
Before I could say anything further, he jumped out of his seat and began rummaging through his cupboards.
"This is edible," he said, tossing a bag of popcorn towards the table. "And this." A box of crackers came soaring through the air and landed on the table.
He nearly hit me with a bag, and I ducked out of the way just in time. I took a look at the package he had thrown towards me. "We're going to bring raisins to the movie?"
"Yeah, of course! They're a great snack to have."
"You're a fan of dried grapes?"
"Yes," he said confidently. "I am."
"Oh, no, you're one of those psychopaths," I joked.
"You're the psychopath who doesn't like raisins," he teased, but he was so adorable, I couldn't help but chuckle at his little 'insult' towards me.
"Alright, Fluffy," I said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "We've got popcorn, crackers, chips, jerky, pepperettes, and-"
"Drinks! I nearly forgot, I don't want you to dehydrate while we're there, let me go grab some!" He stumbled into his pantry, probably planning on bringing his entire fridge upstairs.
I smiled to myself. His fussiness over my wellbeing and his drive to feed me were very endearing. With these qualities, he would make a great parent.
And a great mate, a small part of me said.
-
"Well, I think we're all set," I said. "We've got the amazing buffet you packed us, which I thank you for, plus all these comfy blankets. Here, come take a seat."
I patted the space beside me. Liam eagerly sat down on the mat, and I draped my blanket around his shoulders so the two of us could share the warmth. He leaned his head on my shoulder and relaxed into my body.
We sat in my friend's borrowed truck, at a perfect distance from the screen. The night was clear and starry, but to my surprise, the theatre was relatively quite empty. There were about 15 other cars in the area, and a lot of open space. I assumed it was due to the Victoria Day long weekend, and everyone being on vacation and all. I mean, I definitely wasn't complaining about the lack of people.
"It's almost Monday," he whispered.
"Yeah," I said. "It is. I'll be an adult then."
"We're growing up."
"I know. But we're growing up together. How have you enjoyed the week so far?"
"It was perfect," he smiled at me. "You're so kind, thoughtful, and strong, Dylan. You're going to be a great leader. I know it."
"Thanks, Liam."
"So much is going to happen soon," he murmured. "You'll probably end up finding your mate soon, and become mated in June, and then we'll never see each other again, and-"
"Hey," I said, rubbing his arm. "We will always see each other, Liam. We've been hanging out ever since we were young pups. I was there when you were still blind, and deaf, and learning how to walk. None of that will change just because I've found my mate. I will always make time for you."
"I mean, I guess, but finding your mate is still going to change everything. You'll be walking them everywhere, taking them on cool little adventures, and maybe even having pups soon. And what about my own mate? What if they tell me I can't hang out with you anymore?"
"Then I will visit you regardless," I said firmly. "Your mate's never going to put a stop on our friendship. I don't care what they have to say."
"Oh, I agree. I won't let my mate tell me I can't hang out with you. Still, the idea of that just makes me sad, you know? Finding my mate will change my life forever."
We were silent for a few moments, letting our thoughts roam freely through our head. I couldn't blame Liam for being worried about the future, as mateship worked differently for him than it did for me.
Unlike other rankings of wolves, who couldn't officially discover their mates before the age of 18, Omegas actually had some flexibility in this area. They could discover their mates before the age of 18, usually at around 17, but I'd heard of Omegas finding their partners as young as 15.
Of course, to protect underaged wolves, the mating ceremony wasn't allowed to be completed until both parties were at least 18. Some exceptions were made at 17, but with parental permission and counselling. After the ceremony, Omegas would move into their mate's pack, and the newly-mated couple would begin their new lives together.
"I've...I've always wondered what my future mate would be like," Liam admitted quietly. "For some reason, whenever I did, I always thought of someone like you. Someone who's kind, and funny, and empathetic. But also, someone who's strong and brave. Someone who can make me feel safe, even if the world is falling apart around me."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "You know, my mate might be far away from here. Maybe they live in France, or Thailand. If that's the case, then we'll be far apart."
"Maybe," I said slowly. "But sometimes, your mate might be closer than you think. I get that feeling, at least, that's what I think it means. That my mate is near, and I can soon hold them in my arms. It feels like..."
I tried to think of how I could put it in words, but I couldn't explain it. "Do you understand what I mean, Liam?"
He hesitated. "Actually, yes, I do."
We looked into each other's eyes, and again, I was mesmerized by the sparks that seemed to pass between the two of us.
A few seconds later, though, our speaker began blaring with life, signalling the movie was going to start. Sheesh, every time we had a moment, someone or something always had to interrupt us. I figured it was a sign from the Moon Goddess. Protection, maybe?
I pulled the blankets more tightly around us as the dialogue began rolling, the music starting playing, and the iconic logo popped up onto the screen. Liam hummed happily when a particular someone showed up.
"Look, that's my favourite character," he pointed out dreamily.
"You're Team Cap?" My Alpha instincts kicked in, and I growled quietly at the idea of my Liam fanboying over a fictional character.
"Yeah," he said softly. "He reminds me of you, that's why."
As they said, sometimes you just knew.