Chapter 81 ALMOST NORMAL

Chapter 81 ALMOST NORMAL
IRIS' POV

Was it abnormal that I was going back to school the next day? Derek kept telling me the same thing, but I didn't even want to listen to him. I just wanted to go back to school. I wanted something that was going to make me feel normal.

Derek didn't want to go there, but he had to go anyway, because he wanted to drop me off at school.

The moment the car came to a stop, and I set my foot on the floor, there was something about it that felt surreal.

Derek was never at my side in school, but this time, he was beside me like his life depended on him protecting me.

“Are you okay?” He asked for the umpteenth time, and I gave him a small nod.

“I'm fine,” I groaned. “Please, stop asking. I'll let you know when something is up.”

He pressed his lips into a thin line, before he wrapped a hand around my waist, pulling me towards him.

“I'm trying to take care of you, Iris. Don't I deserve a bit of appreciation?”

Before I even thought about it, I turned to face him, going on tiptoes and placing a kiss on his lips.

A few cheers were going around, and I felt my cheeks go pink immediately.

“I like seeing you blush,” he said calmly, still holding me close as he led me inside the building.

I took in the sight of students complaining, and lockers being banged.

A part of me didn't even know what I was actually doing there in school. My attendance was messed up, and so were my grades. I only had a few months to make sure that I was ready for the exams. And I could only hope that I would be able to get it done before something else happens at the pack.

Students were complaining about the too many assignments, and I was just walking, like I didn't even belong there. Everything felt small.

And distant.

I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder, trying to ignore the subtle hum underneath my skin.

The creature was quieter in school. But not totally gone. It was just watching everything. And I couldn't even tell when it was suddenly going to lose control.

As I walked further into the hallway, everything suddenly hit as once. The slamming lockers,voices overlapping, and hurried footsteps. I could hear every single click.

Every eye on me.

It was too much. Too bright. Too loud.

My hand immediately flew to my head, and Derek held on to my shoulders, making me look at him.

“Are you alright?” He asked, and I pressed my lips into a thin line as I gave him a small nod.

I exhaled slowly, but even the sound coming out of my mouth felt a little too frosty.

“I can do this,” I said, looking over at Derek.

“You can do what?” I heard a voice ask, and I turned to look at the person that spoke.

Owen.

I took in the sight of him, and I couldn't help but inhale sharply. He was standing in the same place that I had left him the last time.

The same eyes. The same expression. But this time, he had the slight look of relief on his face.

“You disappeared,” he said, and I swallowed hard. I could feel my throat slowly start to close up.

I was already searching my head for a lie to tell. Anything that was believable enough for him to smile at me, and act like everything was okay.

I noticed that Derek had taken a step back. Like he wanted to give the both of us some kind of privacy. Privacy that I didn't even ask for.

Trying not to bring too much attention to what I was doing, I looked around slightly, looking for Garrett. He would have come up with an excuse for me. He wouldn't do whatever Derek was doing there.

But maybe Derek was tired of telling lies as well. We were both exhausted. I just wanted to feel something. And I was feeling something at that point.

Nothing less than weird.

But then, it was convenient. I wasn't going to complain.

Owen took a step towards me, glaring at Derek. I almost laughed. If only he knew just how much Derek had saved me over the weekend.

He placed a hand over mine, and I couldn't stop myself from flinching.

I looked up at him, and his eyes seemed to widen slightly with hurt.

That was all I did, wasn't it? Hurt people.

“I didn't mean to…” I started, but the words trailed off before I could stop them.

“You okay?” He suddenly asked, leaning down to get a proper look at me.

I looked up at him confidently, knowing that he wasn't going to see anything. I had all the dark circles covered under layers upon layers of makeup.

“I'm here,” I whispered, and I could see Derek shake his head at the corner of my eye.

“That's not the same thing,” Owen said softly. He missed me, I could tell.

And I hated having to disappear without telling him a word. I hated having to lie to him about where I was going. In my head, he was more than worthy of being there when Derek and Garrett were fighting for me. Maybe he wasn't strong enough, but a part of me wanted him to be there.

As a support system. Anything.

But then, his uncle was a hunter. I couldn't forget that. He had been hunting my people down for years on edge. And I didn't think he was going to give up just because his nephew was close to a werewolf. I would probably be the first person Owen's uncle would kill.

And yet, I was taking the risk time and time again.

Just as I opened my mouth again, the creature inside me stirred, and I could tell that it was reacting to Owen.