DAVINA
"Don't forget! Your new father, Alpha Diego, is going to pick you up from school today!" Mother yelled from the living area before she left and her words bounced off the walls of the almost empty house.
I sighed, ignoring her as I stuffed my backpack with the three page love letter I had written. The only comfort I had in my 18 years of living was staring at Shawn, the popular guy in class.
Amidst the bullying I endured at school, the emotional torment at home, his face and presence brought me peace. Occasionally, he would send a smile in my direction even with the cold aura that surrounded him and that would make my day. Maybe I was special.
I would gladly leave my suffocating home, filled with my mother's happy laughter after years of being grumpy and harsh toward me. She found a new man whom she would be getting married to and her life seemed to have kicked off again, leaving me in stagnant waters.
Her neglect over the past few years since Father left seemed to have blurred. Years of blaming me for Father's disappearance. Her lack of love which made me vulnerable to the outside world and being constantly put down for being a shame to her. And as if she did nothing wrong, she wanted me to accept her supposed new family now.
I dreamed of my own life kickstarting too, of me in Shawn's arms as his smile became only mine to look at everyday. I wouldn't shrink at the bullies at school anymore once he was by my side. I would be more confident.
I wouldn't crave for love in my home anymore, because I would always have something to look out for with Shawn. Mom could have her life while I had mine.
I took the time to arrange my clothes neatly, my hair was tucked nicely behind my ears, with little strands framing my face. I had never looked this charming before! Confidence flowed in and my head was held high.
The long walk to school was filled with me reciting the words I had to say to him. I planned to confess to him in a secluded corner in class but the moment I stepped into the noisy class, I froze.
The class went still as they all spotted me standing at the entrance. My head went low and my shoulders dropped. My deflated posture was likened to weakness, a person that wasn't even confident enough to walk before their intense stares.
Or was I much more nervous, feeling my heart in the pit of my stomach because of my planned confession? They all seemed to see through me, as if they knew what I was about to do, laughing at my impending failure.
Memories of being stoned with rotten food and eggs flowed back into my mind and for a moment, I zoned out in fear, my palms watering in sweat. I suddenly found myself being dragged to the middle of the large class, my body swayed weightlessly and my backpack was taken from me in seconds.
"Why are you looking so different today?" A teasing female voice echoed in my blank head as she flicked my head with her knuckles. Sharpness and pain like thorns shot through me and my hands slowly crawled around my body to protect myself.
My head almost dug into my chest, so they wouldn't stare at me and see the tears already clouding them. I was caving in.
"You had your hair done today? Are you going to see your boyfriend? I am sure he is as ugly as you are." Another familiar teasing voice echoed, sending me over the edge. In my head, I saw a version of myself, standing at the entrance and laughing at me for daring to look beautiful.
"You will always be ugly. Not worthy enough." My voice overlapped with the teasing voices of my bullies.
"Oh Goddess! Look what she has!" A playful male voice echoed as the sounds of scattering sheets and books resounded. My head snapped in the direction to see my backpack being torn apart and my books were scattered all over the floor.
The love letter I spent the entire night writing now lay in my bully's hands.
"No…" I whispered, my head shaking frantically with my body quivering. "You can't have that." I lunged forward, wanting to take my last shred of dignity before them but I quickly lost my balance when my legs were kicked from the side.
Bang!
My body stumbled forward, my face kissed the floor and I became one with it.
The familiar words I penned down echoed in the class. My love confession to Shawn and his smile which I wanted to see every day was broadcast. They laughed, they scorned and the rest of my classmates joined in with them.
Shame glued me to the floor, my tears and drooling saliva adding to the stickiness.
"Shawn! Someone is in love with you!"
"Shawn?" I gasped, finally looking up. Had he been in class all along? Watching my ridicule? How was he going to look at me now?
Then I saw him, standing at the entrance with a cold gaze. I never even noticed he was there all along. That smile he sent my way wasn't there, it was replaced by disgust and indifference. None I had ever seen before.
"What do you say to her confession, huh?" One of my bullies went ahead to him, clinging to him, kissing his cheek with a sly smile.
He pushed her away, and a cold warning glare scared her off. And then he looked back at me with the same gaze. I wasn't special at all, I finally realized.
My heart broke, the pieces scattering all over the floor for me to pick up later.
A sob escaped my lips knowing I wouldn't be able to. My only chance at happiness, my light was snuffed out within minutes. If I had been more confident and capable, would Shawn have looked at me with love?
But one last attempt, just one last chance at being confident enough to tell him my heartfelt desires. I shakily stood up, parted my lips to speak, "Shawn—"
"I have nothing to do with you." He sneered. His cold haze gnawed at my chest painfully, cutting off my breath.
The resentment in his tone was surprising. How could a person who smiled at me like I was special hate me this much?!
He turned his back on me, his heart closed toward me. Again, I told myself, I am not worthy of love. No one would ever look at me with affection even when my own parents disliked me.
I disliked myself even more. Who would then love a damaged soul?
The rest of the day was a blur. I was thrown in the corner and even the teachers didn't mind me. All I could do was send occasional stares at Shawn who didn't even take a single glance at me.
I slowly counted time in my mind, biding the moment I would finally go home, away from this shame. But home? That was a foreign word now. My house was now empty since we would be moving in with Mother's new husband.
Becoming the Alpha's stepdaughter would be a dream come true for many girls. Two different Packs were put under his belt! A strong and respected Alpha but to me, it was like I was thrown into prison. He was rumored to be strict and cold toward his triplet sons. How then would he behave toward the unlikeable me?
The bell rang, signalling the close of school. But I didn't move an inch. I had learned to be invisible, to let my bullies leave before I would finally emerge out of my class. Else, another round of bullying would ensue.
"Hey, are you Davina?" A tap on my shoulder caused me to jolt up.
I was still in that corner, with a boy smiling down at me hovering over me. I didn't recognize him but from his clothes, I knew he was a student like me.
"Huh, yeah…" I stuttered, my voice croaky.
"Come with me. The Alpha asked me to pick you up instead." He said. I looked away, trying to understand what was going on but when I looked back at him again, he was already at the entrance, leaving.
"Huh, wait!" I called out, carrying my torn backpack to run after him. Could he be one of the Alpha's sons?
"No way!" I thought. The Alpha's sons were rumored to never see the light.
But I ran, my breath growing short while he just walked ahead of me casually.
"Hey, wait up—"
My words were cut short when he walked up to a black car and the door was opened by a driver.
"Davina, hurry up!" He motioned to me, as he held the car door.
But I was rooted to the spot. Shawn's cold gaze, his disgust for me flowed back into my mind as I saw him sitting right in the black car.
Was this a setup?