Chapter 9

HARLEY

"What are you reading?" she asks, glancing at the cover of my book. "Oh, a werewolf romance," she says with a grin. "Are you a fan of the genre?"

I feel my cheeks redden.

"Well, I'm not really sure," I say, laughing a little. "I've never read anything like this before. I just picked it up because the cover looked interesting."

"You should read it," Lauren says. "The story is really well-written, and the characters are complex and interesting. It's not just some cheesy romance novel."

"The author really knows how to create suspense," Lauren continues. "I've been on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering what's going to happen next. The main character, Lily, is so brave and determined, and the Alpha is so mysterious and intriguing. I just can't put the book down."

As we chat, I start to relax. I'm surprised to find that Lauren and I have a lot in common. We both love reading, and we're both fascinated by fantasy worlds.

Just then, the bell rings, signaling the end of the period. As I pack up my things, I see Matt and Juliet walking down the hall, hand in hand. My heart sinks, and I feel a pang of jealousy.

"You know them, right?" Lauren asks, noticing the look on my face. "Are they your friends?"

I shake my head, trying to keep my voice steady. "We used to be friends," I say, "but not anymore." I don't want to talk about it, so I quickly change the subject. "Are you hungry?”

Lauren nods, and we head to the cafeteria. As we make our way through the line, I can't help but feel a little bit awkward.

I'm not used to having friends, and I'm not sure what to say.

But Lauren seems to be a natural, chatting away about her favorite books and movies. I find myself relaxing and actually enjoying our conversation.

We find a table and sit down, digging into our food. "So, tell me more about yourself," Lauren says. "Where are you from? What's your family like?"

I take a deep breath and decide to be honest.

"My mom died when I was younger," I say. "It was really hard for me and my dad. A few years ago, he got remarried, and then brought my new stepmom and stepsister, Juliet into the house."

Lauren's eyes widen.

"Your stepsister is Juliet?" she asks, sounding a little shocked. "Wow, that's a small world. How's that been going?"

"It's been pretty rough," I say, my voice catching in my throat. I don't want to dwell on this, so I quickly change the subject. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"I'm from a small town in the Midwest," she says. "It's a lot different from here. The pace is slower, and everyone knows everyone else. It can be a little claustrophobic, but it's also kind of nice to be part of a community like that."

"That sounds nice," I say, a little wistfully.

"You know, I've been thinking about wolves a lot lately," I say, feeling a bit more relaxed. "Do you know any other stories about wolves that I might like?"

"Oh, there are so many great ones!" she says, her eyes lighting up. "Have you ever read 'The Call of the Wild' or 'White Fang' by Jack London? They're both classics about the wilds of Alaska and the life of a wolf. Or 'Never Cry Wolf' by Farley Mowat - it's a nonfiction book about a biologist who studies wolves in the Canadian Arctic.”

“Calm down!” I laughed. “You know a lot. What are you? A beta wolf?” I joked and Lauren laughed.

"Ha, sorry!" she says, a sheepish grin on her face. "I'm kind of a nerd when it comes to books. You should see my bookshelf - it's packed with so many titles. I just can't get enough of reading."

"That's not a bad thing," I say. "It's impressive that you're so passionate about reading. I'm not really much of a bookworm, but I'm trying to read more."

"Well, I've got to get to my next class," Lauren says, gathering up her books. "But we should talk more about books sometime. Maybe you could come over to my house and we could swap some recommendations."

"That sounds fun," I say, a smile spreading across my face. "I'd like that. Maybe we could even make a book club, just the two of us."

"Ooh, I love that idea!" she says, her eyes shining. "We could call it the Book Buddies Club! It'll be great."

Just then, the bell rings, and we both jump up from our seats. "I'll see you at gym class!" she says, waving goodbye. "I'll be back after that so we can talk some more."

"Sounds good!" I say, feeling a rush of excitement. I head to gym class with a spring in my step, thinking about all the books I could read. Maybe this is the beginning of a great friendship.

I hurry into the locker room, eager to change into my gym clothes and get the day started. As I push open the door, I'm met with a scene of chaos.

My stepsister, Juliet, is leading a group of girls who are bullying another girl. I watch in horror as the girl cowers in the corner, tears streaming down her face.

"Stop it!" I say, my voice shaking with anger. "You're supposed to be a role model for the younger students, not a bully."

"This is none of your business," Juliet says, her voice low and threatening. "You should just get out of here while you still can. I won't be responsible for what happens if you don't."

But I'm not backing down. "I'm not going anywhere," I say, my voice steady. "And if you don't stop this, I'm going to go and tell the principal what's going on here."

Juliet's eyes narrow, and I can see the anger rising in her. But I'm not going to let her intimidate me.

"Fine," Juliet says, her voice dripping with venom. "But we're not done here. You'll regret this, you little brat." She turns to her friends and snaps her fingers. They all follow her out of the locker room, shooting me dirty looks as they go.

Once they're gone, the girl they were bullying stands up and brushes herself off.

"Thank you so much for what you did," she says, her voice trembling. "I was so scared.”

"It's okay," I say, trying to sound reassuring. "No one should have to go through something like that. What's your name?"

"I'm Jessica," she says, offering me a small smile. "I'm new here, and I've been having a really hard time. Thank you for standing up for me."

"Of course," I say. "I'm Harley, by the way. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I'm always here to help."

I run back to the gym, my heart still pounding from what just happened. As I step through the door, I see our gym teacher, Mr. Lee, staring at me with a disapproving look on his face.

"You're late, Miss Harleyyy," he says, his voice stern. "You know that tardiness is not tolerated in this class."

I'm flustered and out of breath, but I try to explain what happened. "Mr. Lee, I'm sorry," I say. "But there was a situation in the locker room.

"Miss Harley, I'm sorry, but I've heard every excuse in the book," he says, his expression unyielding. "For your tardiness, you'll have to run fifty laps around the court."

"Fifty?" I gasp, my jaw dropping. "But that's impossible! I'll never be able to do that many laps."

"It's the rules, Miss Harley," he says, his tone brooking no argument. "If you want to be a part of this class, you have to abide by the rules."

"But Mr. Lee, you have to understand," I plead. "There was a girl who was being bullied in the locker room. I had to help her."

"Miss Harley, that's very admirable of you," he says, his voice softening a bit. "But we have rules in place for a reason. If you disobey those rules, there are consequences. I'm sorry, but I can't make an exception for you."

I feel my shoulders slump in defeat. I know he's right, but it still feels so unfair.

As I'm about to start my punishment, the door to the gym flies open and another teacher comes rushing in. It's Mrs. Taylor, the school counselor.

"Mr. Lee, please, you can't make her run laps!" she says, her voice insistent. "I just spoke to Jessica, and what she said is true. She was helping a student who was being bullied."

Mr. Lee's face softens as he looks from Mrs. Taylor to me. "Is that true, Miss Harley?" he asks.