The bell rung signalling the start of break time. Mari packed her stuffs into her bag, stood up and went to Alex desk which was at the back of the class. Mari sighed and shaked her head at her friend, the girl basically slept throughout Ap Calculus. How Mr. Reid, a werewolf and one of the strictest teachers in crescent high didn't notice her throughout class she had no idea.
Ap Calculus was one of the subjects that her and Alex had alone together including Ap English literature and food and nutrition.
Alex was always filled with new surprises everyday, every moment, even every seconds. One would think since Mari has known her for eleven years, she should know her best friend in and out but that's the problem she doesn't, not that she hasn't tried but she just can't. Trying to know what goes through her head was trying to figure out how to break a diamond and that's pretty hard.
Mari had also tried to figure out how Alex studied since she literally skips or sleep through classes but yet comes out with only A's no B's just A's. She hated people like that, she felt why should they be naturally intelligent and not work hard, it wasn't fair to her but she couldn't get herself to hate Alex for it instead she smiles at how lazy her friend is.
Mari tapped Alex on the shoulder "Hey wake up you sleepy head",she said stifling her giggle from the sight of her friend wriggling out of her hand "seriously Alex, everyone has gone to the cafeteria were the only ones still class"
"A minute", Alex said making Mari roll eyes. Using her two hands she lifted Alex up from the shoulder but she made sure not use her strength not to look suspicious.
"Not fair Mari I said a minute"
"And I said let's go for lunch"
"Argh your so annoying", Alex said picking up her bag and then leaving the class.
"I love you too", yelled Mari going after her.
Meeting up with the girls strides she asked eagerly "so...how was your date with Jason"
"Nice", Mari rolled her eyes at her one worded answer.
"How nice"
"Good"
"For goodness sake Alex just tell me how it went...I hope you didn't strangle him", she muttered that part quietly but Alex managed to hear it.
"Oh how I would have loved it", murmured Alex.
"Alex!"
Groaning and throwing her head back in frustration "it went like any normal high school date, he took me for lunch, to the cinema and arcade and we took a night stroll in the park",she said.
"So you guys basically spent almost the whole day together"
"I guess", Alex shrugged paying half attention to the discussion. This made Mari squeal excitedly.
"Do you like Jason Al", whispered Mari for only Alex to hear.
Jerking her head so fast away from Mari,"The fuck no..what the hell Mari", Alex whispered yell scrunching her face in disgust and began to increase her pace.
Chuckling, Mari caught up to her "Am sorry I was joking", no response "Seriously Al, I was just teasing you please don't be mad at me"
"Am not mad, I just don't want to continue with the topic of discussion", Alex said not sparing Mari a glance just staring and walking ahead.
They finally reached the cafeteria, took their trays of food and went to sit with their remaining friends in the middle of the cafeteria.
"Were on earth have you guys been", asked Cleo.
"Someone slept throughout calculus period"
"At least that's better I was stuck with her...", Hannah said pointing her fork at Liv ".... for art class and it was hell lemme tell ya"
"How is borrowing your paint and brushes every minute hell Hannah, you over exaggerate", Liv said folding her hands and pouting.
"Like I said H-E-L-L!", Hannah said stressing each syllable.
"But you're not in art class", Cleo pointed out.
"Yeah I thought I could skip physics class by lounging in the art room boy was I wrong", she said eyeing Liv who just ate like nothing happened.
"Are all of you free Friday night", asked Cleo.
"What's the occasion", asked Hannah.
"Hosting a sleepover to watch the new vampire movie", Cleo said.
"Well am free", Hannah said.
"Me too", said Liv.
"Please no", murmured Hannah in desperation.
"I don't remember making plans with Noah or cherry.. I guess am free", said Mari. Then everyone turned to look at Alex who has been silent since they entered the cafeteria, she hadn't touched her food a bit just picking and staring at it. She looked deep in thought, but what was she thinking Mari wondered.
"Al", she called.
"Alex"
"Alexander"
"Alexander Belle Paris!", yelled Mari gaining attention from other students "sorry" she whispered.
Alex looked up and met four pairs of eyes gazing at her with interest she cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow asking 'what'.
"Is something wrong", asked Mari placing her hand on Alex hands which the latter retracted hers quickly away.
"Nothing", said Alex smiling at Mari. At least Mari knew her well enough to know when she fake smiles.
"Are you sure, your ok", asked Mari but she was staring at Alex's hands, its abnormally hot...really hot. And Alex was the first to remove her hands that means she's aware of it, came the thought of Mari. Liv, Cleo and Hannah just watched the scene that was unfolding.
"Alex..
"I said am fine Mari", her voice was sharp and hard as ice, it sent shivers down Mari back. She hated when Alex talk to her in that tone, something was always wrong.
"Am sorry..please excuse me", said Alex dropping her fork, standing up she carried her bag and left without giving a glance to any of them. Mari stared at her best friend retreating figure and tried to keep the tears at bay from spilling, her mind was strong willed and determined but her heart was always emotional especially when it came to Alex, she didn't like it nor did she hate it. 'This shouldn't make her cry', she thought.
"What happened", asked Cleo.
Putting on a strong facade, Mari turned to look at her friends "I don't know.. maybe she's still mad at me for teasing her on spending almost the whole day with Jason".
"Wait... Alex spent the whole day with Jason I thought she hated that jerk", asked Hannah.
Shrugging "aAlmost a day...and I don't know about that", said Mari, her mind was in a jumbled mess mostly the fact that Alex temperature was strangely hot. 'Was she sick...does she have a fever' she mentally gasped in realization 'how didn't she notice it before, yesterday Alex skipped school and today she slept throughout every class. She even looked paler today...she couldn't even eat her lunch'.
Mari was so frustrated with her self that she didn't notice that her best friend was sick. She was too busy thinking about solving the mysteries surrounding the royals to notice and that made her feel guilty.
"Ok Mari now your zoning out", said Hannah snapping her fingers at her face.
"I'll be back... maybe not, but I will see you guys later", Mari said abruptly standing up. Strapping her bag on her left shoulder she picked up her and Alex trays,
"Wait...I want that", said Cleo stopping her from taking Alex's tray and placing it in front of hers.
The girls stared at her with amusement.
"What a girl got to eat", she shrugged.
Mira left with her tray and threw it into the nearby trashcan and left the cafeteria.
...
She used her strong sense of smell to track Alex scent down to the girls bathroom. She opened the door quietly which in a supernatural ear made a squeak but for a human it was silent as night. She peered inside and saw Alex splashing water unto her face.
"Hey", Mari said quietly
"I would like to be alone Mari", Alex said not looking up.
"At least can I know what's wrong", she said coming to the sink beside Alex "I figured you may have a fever".
"Am fine", said Alex turning off the faucet then taking a napkin to dry her face.
"No your not Al ... Stop being stubborn is childish, you need to see the school nurse".
Throwing the napkin into the waste bin, Alex turned to face her friend "For the last time Mari am fine and I would really like to be alone", she said trying to step around her.
"No.. you will see the nurse and that's final", said Mari blocking the door with her hands akimbo.
Alex scoffed folding her arms then asked, "And what power do you have to make me", Mari was speechless to that, she knew the argument was childish but couldn't control her emotions.
Sighing in frustration Alex stepped towards Mari "move", she said in a low, cool and deadly voice that made Mari stiffen she moved away unconsciously, Alex opened the door and left without another word.
The voice she just heard held a weird kind of power that made her scared shitless and move subconsciously. She's never heard Alex this angry before and for what, not wanting to visit the nurse. She had always known Alex was stubborn but right now, there is this gnawing feeling in her heart she just can't seem to explain.
...
The day went by slowly Alex skipped the rest of classes and went home which Arielle followed her too. This made Mari feel a little bit antsy about the situation. Arielle never skips classes, she behaved too perfect for that, and if she did that means something was definitely wrong.
Her mind was faraway from class, she couldn't concentrate and it wasn't helping that the chemistry teacher, Mrs. Clara noticed it and kept asking her questions, some she could not answer.
Mari held herself from snapping at the woman and focused her eyes on the clock above the board.
The last bell was heard making Mari sprang up from her chair and rush to the door immediately. "Hey..hey, slow down tiger were you rushing to".
"Noah...um am busy right now and I gotta to go, see you later, love ya", Mari said in rush then pecked him on the cheek and was about to leave when Noah held her back from the elbow.
"Is something wrong...was the matter"
"Nothing... really I will talk to you later okay", said Mari then left.
"Ah girls and there problem being nothing", sighed Jason putting his arms around Noah shoulders.
"How was your date with Alex", Noah asked making Jason smile wistfully.
"I actually enjoyed it to be honest...she was civil with me", Jason said smiling at the memory.
"That's...new", Noah said not keeping the surprise from his voice.
"Yeah it is, but part of the time we were together I felt as if she wasn't paying attention to me".
"Was she on her phone " Noah asked in which Jason shook his head and chuckled "why do you still like her Jay, do you just want her because she's the only girl who doesn't show interest in you or do you admire her as in like her like her", Noah asked the question he had always wanted to ask his best friend "your the freaking alpha of Moon lake park, the strongest and largest park in the whole of crescent fall, you could get any girl you want why do you still pin on the same girl for the past ten years knowing deep down she won't reciprocate the feelings".
Jason shrugged and put his hands in his pockets causally and said "I don't know, I just feel drawn to her... It's something I can't explain".
Noah sighed he has never seen his best friend this desperate. Usually he gets what he wants when he wants except this time he couldn't have Alex "Come on man let's go for hockey practice".
.....
The dwanson home,
Mira walked around her room deep in thought, her mind kept on replaying today's event. Sometimes she would look out from her window towards Alex's but there was no sign
of her in it.
Something's wrong, she feels it, no she knows it, but the question is what went wrong. She took her phone from her nightstand and texted Liv, Cleo and Hannah to meet her at the local library. She took her jacket, her personal house key, wore her boots and went downstairs. She was about to open the door when she heard a very familiar voice, cursing under her breath she turned to look at the figure who was sitting on the couch watching TV. The living room was dimly lit making her not to notice her dad at first.
"We're you going to at this hour, young lady"
Muttering some curses again under breath she raked her head for a quick and believable excuse to give.
"Me and my friends are going to the community library for research on our history project".
"At nine in the night"
"We've been busy with other assignments and decided to do this one in the night. We might also come back in the middle of the night since the project is bulky. No need to worry about me I can take care of myself as always"
Her dad sighed "I know you don't have any project to attend to", he said making her breath hitch and heart to start beating fast, she hates being caught. "I also know that you would be meeting with your friends, as long as you come back home without being high or with cuts on the body, I don't care what you teenagers are up too", he added turning his attention back to the TV and waved his hands dismissively.
Mari stood there gaping at her father's casualness 'who the hell switched her dad', she had thought. She really couldn't believe the words that came out from man in front of her.
"Aren't you still going, your free you know, your of age", her dad said looking up to her.
"Right....I'll be going now see you later then", she said then rushed out of the house, who was she to give up this opportunity. Not wanting to stay much longer before her dad change his mind, she started to speed walk towards the library which was two miles away.
....
"Are you guys here yet", texted Mari on the group chat.
"Yeah we are, are you?", asked Cleo.
"Yes I've just reached the entrance were are you guys".
"At the middle of the library to the right", said Hannah.
"Ok I will be there in ten seconds".
She reached her friends just in time, catching her breath she sat down at the available seat next to them.
"So what's the emergency, it's 9:23pm", asked Hannah.
"I figured we should continue our investigation on the Royals".
"Right now", whined Liv.
"This night", asked Hannah.
"In the library", asked Cleo.
"Yes...right now and in the library", she pointed at Liv then turned to Cleo "what better place to learn things than the library".
"But it's a local library owned by a human by that matter, you sure we will be able to find what we're looking for", asked Hannah.
"That's the point since it's a local library it's been here longer and for the human librarian she's old enough to know she lives with supernaturals", Mari said then took a deep breath she looked up at the rows of shelves that were high up from floor to ceiling "shall we start", she asked in which they all nodded.