Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

**Alexandria**

This week has been a bit rough and that’s putting it mildly, every day at school I could feel people staring at me and I could hear the whispers and the talking about how James found his mate and the fact that it was me about how he rejected me because he thought I was too weak to be a good enough Luna, which in turn would allow everyone else to make fun of me more than what they usually do.

Usually, it’s just Jackie and her group giving me a hard time and the occasional prank from random people throughout the school that you could say are her followers, but now since James told everyone that I was his mate, but he rejected me, now it seems Annie is the only one who still has my back but it’s only a matter of time before the gossip starts to affect her too.

But no matter what I tell, her she refuses to walk away too. That is a true friend right there. I don’t know what I would do without her. So yeah, this week has been torture at school and of course, I can’t tell my parents because they would get so protective and take it out on the Alpha and I can't have my dad getting into trouble.

Even though my dad is the best fighter in the pack, I think he is better than the Alpha even, but I may be a bit biased, but today is Friday, and it’s almost the end of the school day, Annie is going to come home with me and we are going to hang out and watch movies and have a girls night, then tomorrow we will start our spa day for the Blue Moon Ball.

I’m excited but I am also nervous. I know everyone there is going to try and make me feel out of place and try to make me feel like I don’t belong there. But I just have to try and keep my wits about me and enjoy the night. Not like I have a mate anymore to spend the time with, I guess I’m just going to be alone for the rest of my life.

But that’s okay because I am working on a new life plan for myself once I graduate high school, it’s still a bit of a rough idea but I hope to be able to move to a new town may be a human town and go to college to work on my photography and live as a human that way I won't ever have to worry about being disappointed by anyone else ever again.

Yea, I will be known as a rogue wolf, but I don’t think I could handle my life if I stay in this pack, it’s not like I have a wolf anymore anyway, my wolf just decided to retreat to the back of my consciousness ever since James rejected me. And not only that but everyone here seems to hate me, why would anyone want to be a part of a pack where they are not wanted or cared for. The only people that show me any sort of affection are my parents and Annie. I haven’t told my parents yet because they have no idea what has been going on and I just don’t want them to worry.

“Alex!”

I mentally shake my head at the sound of my name coming from my teacher.

“Yes, Mr. Irving?”

“I asked you if you were listening to my lecture about the history of the Blue Moon pack? It’s going to be on the exam next week?”

“Sorry Mr. Irving, I missed the last couple of minutes, but I am focused now.”

I hear a few snickers and giggles from across the room, and when I look over it doesn’t surprise me that it is a few girls from Jackie’s followers. I turn back towards the front and give it my all to focus on my notes in front of me so I can ace this exam next week. I look to the clock and count down the minutes until this day is over. Just ten more minutes then I am home free…so to speak.

I manage to stay focused for the rest of the class and when I hear the final bell for the day I quickly grab my notes, books, and my backpack and make my way out of the classroom, but when I cross the threshold into the hallway I manage to lose my footing and fall face-first on the slick tile in the main hall of the school I slide a few inches and my books and everything else go flying even further. When I manage to compose myself and gather all my belongings, I get back to my feet and when I turn to look behind me and James is there is standing there with this shit-eating grin on his face with his arm draped over Jackie who looks like she is going to fall over from laughing so hard.

Jackie manages to control her cackling and comes out with one of her snarky comments.

“It looks like you need help learning to walk…. Reject!”

She says this loud enough that a few people nearby can hear it and there is also a few more giggles and cackles right along with her, when I glance over to James, he looks like he has a sorrowful expression on his face, but it is gone before I can read too much into it.

“Jackie just because you ended up with the future Alpha doesn’t mean he is going to treat you the way a true Luna deserves. But don’t worry The Moon Goddess will give you exactly what you deserve one day.”

I turn and walk away before she even has a chance to respond, making my way to my locker to meet Annie.

When I get to my locker and start to put my books away I get a sense of someone behind me and I can tell just by the smell of this person that they will make my day so much better with the plans we have for tonight, I can’t wait to get out of here and head home.

“Annie, you ready to get out of here, I have had my fill of this rotten place.”

“Hey girl, I heard what just happen, I’m sorry about that, but yes let’s blow this popsicle stand and go have us a girl’s night.”

As we walk in the front door of my house, Annie walks right to the kitchen for snacks while we finish up our homework before the weekend.

“Hey, mama Becca.”

My mom gives a small chuckle. My mom has always been like Annie's second mom and looks to Annie and me like we are both her daughters, so Annie calling my mom mama Becca is no surprise.

“Hello girls, how was your day?”

”It was rough, so many notes and lectures I feel like my head is going to burst, we have a few exams next week and I’m not looking forward to it.”

“Well, you girls are so smart you will ace those exams with flying colors, I have faith in you.”

I give my mom a hug and a kiss and tell her we are going to grab some snacks and hang out in my room for a while. We make our way upstairs and start on our homework.

“Hey Alex, maybe we could go to a movie or something tonight, get out of the house a couple of hours.”

“That sounds like fun we can ask my parents when my dad gets home, In the meantime, we can pig out on junk food and finish up the last of our homework before dad gets home.”

A couple of hours later we hear the front door open and not too much longer we hear chatter coming from the living room or kitchen and that tells me that my dad is home now, and I assume that my mom is talking to my dad about his day and how today went. I start to listen in to what I can hear and from the sounds of it I can tell my dada had a good day and so I begin to think that maybe we will have a good chance of getting to go out somewhere tonight and have a girl’s night. If not, we can just stay in and watch movies.