Chapter 16

Akira felt depressed when she was woken from her cozy slumber. She was playing her food around, not really having any appetite to eat. She was well aware of the fact that she didn’t look that much presentable. Her hair is probably messy and disgruntled, but she didn’t even bother to fix or even check it out. She was sulking over the fact that he was serious about enrolling her to a school. She actually planned on taking the rest of the days off, since she was expelled. But everything had to become complicated and thrown off course . . . just because this stupid guy came.

       “Aren’t you going to eat your food? What’s with the long face anyway?"

      “It’s because of you.” she grumbled. Groaning, she unconsciously began whining. “Why the heck do I have to go to that school anyway? I don’t need any sort of education while I’m here. What kind of kidnapper would enroll his captive to a freaking school?”

      “For the last time, I didn’t kidnap you! You aren’t my captive. You’re my mate.” Adam grunted while shoving an egg into his mouth.

      “Then what do you call about this situation anyway?! I didn’t come with you with my own accord! And you are keeping me here shackled in chains!” she argued.

      He swallowed his food. “It’s called claiming.” he retaliated.

      “Well, just to let you know, I’m not claimable! Only I can claim myself!” she pushed back her chair, causing a deafening scratch to ring across the room. Her hand slapped the table surface, clattering the plates and glasses placed on top of it. They also caught the attention of the pack-members eating peacefully in their seats.

      “How can you claim yourself when I already claimed you?!” Adam followed her actions and pounded his fist against the surface with a much stronger force. They glared at each other straight to the eyes with unwavering determination. Some people had even flinched at the contact.

      “It’s called kidnapping!”

      “I told you I didn’t kidnap you! I was just claiming what’s mine!"

      “No! I belong to myself! I was born with the right of freedom and I have the privilege to do whatever I please! So stop going on about that stupid babble because it’s totally not true! Why do you even rant about that stupid thing anyway?”

      Everything in the room fell silent Akira swore she can hear a pin drop. Everybody was awkwardly staring at both of them, frozen on their positions. Adam’s gaze eventually softened but the anger creasing his face didn’t completely fade away. “It’s because you’re my precious heart.” he told her softly.

      Akira’s eyes twitched but she her face eventually heated up and blush tainted both of her cheeks. With the silence inside the room, she can practically hear her heart rate starting to speed up. And even worse, she felt utterly embarrassed!

      Stupid, Adam. She mentally told herself. Saying those stupid, cheesy lines. How can this be even happening? Why is he even having this kind of effect on me? “Stop saying those things!” she childishly stomped her foot. “This is harassing!” she yelled, plopping back down to her seat. He’s probably doing something to me. She thought. Maybe he’s putting thoughts into my mind or something.

      Adam smirked, suddenly finding her weakness. “Admit that you like it.”

      “No! I don’t like it at all! Has it ever occurred to you that we are in front of many people?!”

      Everybody looked away at an instant and started busying themselves with their own business. However, their attentions were caught once again when Adam answered her question with the same, striking confidence. His flirtatious gaze diverted to Akira’s face, causing her blush to worsen. He gracefully sat back down at his sit while dragging his leg up and settling his ankle above his knee.

     “I don’t care. I want them to know, anyway.”

      “You are such a stupid, arrogant flirt! You’re so full of yourself!”

      “Well, what can I say? I have something to boast about anyway.”

      “For the thousandth time, I am not yours!” she yelled.

      “Look, we’re going to be late.” he said, trying to change the topic.

      “Why do I care? It’s not like I’m going to that school anyway.”

       “You’re going.”

      “No, I’m not.”

      “Yes, you are.”

      “Will not.”

      “You will.”

      “Will not.”

      “You will.”

      “Will not!”

      “You will!"

      “Will no—“

      Adam rose to his feet, cutting her off in an instant. “That’s it. Stand up.”

      “Will not.”

      “You leave me no choice.” he grabbed Akira by the waist and hauled her on his shoulder without another word. The way he did it, it was as if Akira was as light as a feather.

       “Hey! Put me down!”

       “It seems you aren’t going to school at your own will."

       “Alright! Now put me down! I have my own two feet you know.”

       “Forget it. I like you where you are now.” he said and he started taking small steps towards the door.

      “Hey! What the hell! I already told you I’ll walk alone!”

      “I’m perfectly fine carrying you.”

      “We’ll I’m not.”

      Adam casually walked out of the room with Akira pounding her fist in his back. She was an accomplished fighter, and yet, all her efforts of breaking loose are futile. There’s no greater humiliation to a black-belt than not being able to break free from your captor.

      Jessica, who was watching them on her own seat, placed her elbow on the table. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand while letting out a dreamy sigh. “Aren’t they such a cute couple?”

      Ann was sitting just beside her. She forked a small piece of bacon and raised it to her lips. “I think they are lovey-dovey and all that. But they always argue."

      “Their argument is very interesting to listen to, you know?”

      “Yeah. I do hope they make up, though.”

      “Change ‘up’ with ‘out’.” Jessica told her.

      “Ew. You’re disgusting.” Ann stuffed her mouth with her breakfast and gave Jessica the ‘Are-you-a-moron?’ look. She stood up from her seat with an empty plate in her hands, rushing straight to the kitchen and out again. With her backpack slung on her back, Ann waved at Jessica. “I’ll be going! I’m going to be late!”

      “Wait! I’ll come with you!"

-*-

Akira gave up trying to escape. All her techniques were blocked by Adam and he made sure she wouldn’t be able to do anything except talk. No matter her skills, she couldn’t believe that someone in this world would be able to contradict her abilities.

      “You’ve been standing there for two minutes.” Akira grumbled, her hair falling onto her face since she was nearly flipped upside down.

      “I’m making sure there aren’t any enemies nearby.” he answered assertively. “There are no scents and no strange sounds. I guess it’d be fine.” he said, smiling.

      “What are you talking about? Enemies? There aren’t any other of those so-called ‘creatures’, are there?”

      “Why are you afraid?” Adam chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll be here to protect you."

      “No! I am not afraid of anything! I can protect myself for your information! Now put me down! Put me down, Adam!”

      “Not until you stop shouting and say please. You yell at over everything you want to have. Can’t you even show the littlest bit of respect?”

      “I’ll never respect my kidnapper. He doesn’t deserve any.” Akira told him.

      Adam sighed in frustration. He was starting to lose his patience. He gently set Akira down on her foot and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to make an eye contact. “You can walk on your own, I guess. But you cannot go too far. You’re bound to me with an invisible chain around your neck.” he said.

      “Yeah, sure. Only it’s not on the neck, but the shoulder!” she pointed out.

      Adam laughed. “How ironic.”

      “What are you laughing at, moron?” she growled, punching him hard on the shoulder.

      Adam grunted and placed his hand over the throbbing spot where Akira hit him. “Wo-ha-ow.”

      “Who’s howling now, mutt?”

      “You’ve got some strength in there.” he whispered.

      “Ha. As expected."

      “And it wasn’t a compliment!” Adam quickly added.

      “It doesn’t matter if it was a compliment or not.”

      “For me, it is. Now, step aside.” he said, gently grabbing Akira by the upper arms and pushing her aside. He bent down and brushed away the pile of leaves covering the ground. Once the place was cleared, an image of a trapdoor was revealed. The wooden door eventually had grasses growing out of it. Adam fished a key from his pocket and unlocked the heavily bolted passage way.

      “Don’t tell me that that is something that will lead to another world . . . or dimension, will it?”

      “Sort of.” he said. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

      “You mean—the school is in there?!” she exclaimed with wide eyes.

      “It’s not ‘in’ there. It’s ‘on’ the other side.” he answered. “Now stop fooling around and get down.”

      Akira remained on her position, seeming to be in a daze. Her mind was shouting weird things she couldn’t quite comprehend. The other side! Her brain screamed. What did he mean by ‘other side’? The netherworld?

       “Come on!” Adam’s voice snapped her out of her trance. She was suddenly hauled into someone’s shoulder and suddenly plunged into darkness. Realizing that Adam had jumped down the trapdoor with her, a scream was torn from her throat. After a few seconds, they finally landed. Everything was dark, except for a blinking red light. Akira felt her being thrown off and landing onto something soft.

       She heard the jingling of keys and the next thing she knew, lights lit up from in front of her. It illuminated the control section of a car—starting from the speed meter, the radio, along with the wheel and the break. She diverted her surprised gaze towards Adam who then officially started the car and turned the volume of the radio.

       Startlingly, the song of Bruno Mars ‘The Other Side’ began playing.

       “What did ‘Other side’ meant exactly?” she asked.

       Adam looked at her with a lop-sided grin. He looked so very handsome and cool with his hand on the wheel. He was radiating a very different aura, but shockingly similar. “Better buckle up, love. We’ll be heading out.”

       “Don’t call me love!” she shouted, pulling the seatbelt and securing it in place. One she heard it click, Adam stepped on the gas and began moving out in a speedy manner. “Hey! Slow down! Do you even know where you’re going?! It’s so dark I can’t even see a thing!”

       “You don’t have to worry.” he reassured her and pressed a button in front of him. A wall hatched and light flooded into the dark spaces. They went through the parting doors, sending a gust of wind flying behind them. Akira craned her neck to the place where they came from and saw cave walls.

       From the dark room, they were suddenly driving on the asphalt road. Akira allowed her eyes to wander and found out she was currently sitting on a Porsche 918 Hybrid Spyder. There was no roof, and so she can feel the wind blowing against her face. Her hair was whipped from her face, playing against the billowing breeze. The ride was sleek, and so was the car itself. Adam slipped on his sunglasses, acting incoherently as if nothing happened at all. Now it all made sense, he knew that was going to happen.

        “What the heck was that? Are you some kind of spy or something?”

       “No.”

       “Then why do you need to jump down from trap doors and land into a car?”

       “That was my own, personal garage.”

       “A hidden one.” Akira added. “What is this place?”

       Adam spared her a brief gaze before diverting his attention back to the road. “Let me explain in chronological order.”

       Akira’s arms crossed over her chest. She mentally admitted the fact that the wind was nice. “I’m listening.”

       “This place is isolated from the city.”

       “So you’re saying that this isn’t going to lead to civilization?”

       "Oh, it will. The school was solely built for werewolves to enter only. That is why granting humans access is a heavy crime."

       "Restricted, huh?"

       "Yes. But we make exceptions for half-breeds. Those born of both human and werewolf."

       "Ordinary humans cannot enter. So why are you taking me there?"

       "You see, that is something I have been thinking about since last night." he told her. "One way or another, you've got to have some genes in you. You see, it's impossible for an ordinary human to be mates with another werewolf, when he or she doesn't have any genes."

       "Are you saying I'm an exception? Maybe you're all mistaken." she stated. "Maybe you mistook me for someone else, I mean—I’m not so ordinary, but at the same time, normal, too."

       "You're making no sense." he said. "I cannot make any mistakes when it comes to this matter. Once a werewolf sees his mate . . . that is that. There is no mistaking it."

       "Okay, I get you. But it's also impossible to . . ." a sudden thought crossed her mind and she stopped in the middle of her sentence.

       "What's wrong?" Adam asked, suddenly worried of her silence.

       "Come to think of it, I guess you may be right." she whispered.

       "What do you mean?"

       "My mother died giving birth to me . . . at least, that's what I know. My father doesn't talk about her that much, so I don't know her much either. But I guess it could've been possible for her to be . . . to have been a werewolf . . ."

       "Well, I'm sincerely sorry about your mother. I guess you're one of the lucky ones beside Ann." he whispered the last part, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts.

       "Lucky ones?"

       "Those who have been born between a human and a werewolf have high possibilities of weak body structure when they are born. Werewolf genes are very strong and much more complicated than human genes. So half-breeds are rare and most of them die at birth, or even before they are born."

       "What about Ann?"

       "I'm kind of surprised when I first knew about her survival. But nothing beats the fact that her mother survived, too. Human bodies aren't that much capable of supporting a pup, so most of the babies die even before they are born." A child born between a hunter and a werewolf? Now that's possible. If ordinary humans wouldn't be able to support werewolf genes, then, a hybrid between a hunter and werewolf isn't surprising at all. Hunters are practically werewolves’ equals. They have stronger genes than human beings. He mentally concluded.

       "That makes me interested on my mother even more. I always wondered what kind of woman would she be when I meet her. I mean—her being a werewolf is something I never expected at all."

       "I'm sorry."

       "Don't be."

       "Even so, I'd like to know the name of your mother."

       "Kathrynne. Kathrynne Martins."

       "What is her maiden name?"

        "Flynn."

       "Kathrynne Flynn? I think that rings a bell.” he paused.

       The ride was slower than before. Akira was silently anticipating on her seat. Sure she'd like to hear more about her mother. It would be nice to know more about her, even people with memories of her is enough. As the silence between them thickened, the trees parted and revealed a grand building within wide grounds. The land area covered more than Akira expected it to have. What more, everything seemed luxurious. Amidst all the grass-covered dirt and cobblestone pavement, the school stood with grace and dominance. Behind it was a lovely sight to see. There was a waterfall which enhanced the beauty of its surroundings. The water crashing against the steep slopes as it rushed down from an elevated ground felt very relaxing. It was a bit foggy on that part, although, majestic.

       "By the way, love, welcome to Werewolf Haven Private School." They drove over the bump and entered passed the gates. Akira was surprised to have a few cars coming in, too—though there are other directions where they came from. A few people crossed a smaller gate, purposely made for people without vehicles to use only.

       "Werewolf Haven? That's one way to put it."

       "It's literally one."

       Adam drove towards an available parking lot with a sign, 'Reserved: Stanford'.

       “I thought we were underground.” Akira said. “But I can see the skies."

       He shut the revolving engine down and pulled the keys out of place. “Believe it or not. This place doesn’t exist on the outside world.”

       “Gosh, what are you saying now? That we are somewhere like the netherworld or something?”

       “No. This isn’t another dimension, this is still Earth. This place is protected by a barrier which keeps it hidden from humans. In other words, this doesn’t appear in maps or satellites. This is only being viewed as a patch of forest and a couple of trees. Anyone who tries to wander near it can easily get thrown off their destination and end up some place else.”

       “How’s that possible?”

       “Witches.” he then opened the door on his side of the seat and stepped out of his car. Akira immediately followed after him, throwing her gaze everywhere with the excitement of discovering something.

       “Wait. Did you just say witches?"

       “I did.”

       “So all those magic spells and witchcrafts are real? Do they cackle like they do in the movies? Or do they have long noses with a big mole somewhere in the faces?” she pulled on her nose and made strange actions while speaking, which eventually made Adam laugh.

       “No. Those aren’t true. Witches can be very deceiving for their looks since they possess unnatural beauty like werewolves. The pack only happened to have a witch in their debt, and in return, she put up this barrier in order to protect us from the outside world.” he explained.

       “That’s something you don’t get to hear everyday.” Akira murmured to herself.

       “We have to go, Akira. We can’t possibly stay here forever.” Adam said.

       “I can just stand here.” she sighed.

       “Or do you like me to carry you again?”

       “On second thoughts, I can walk on my own.” she went ahead of him and advanced speedily towards the campus. “Is this really even happening?”

       “Wait a second, Akira.” Adam said.

       She stopped and twisted around, spotting Adam standing behind her. He pulled off something from his pocket and grabbed her hand, slipping it to her ring finger. “Remember, this will serve as your protection. It will ward off unnecessary evil ‘things’.” his large hands clutched her soft, delicate ones warmly. “And promise me you won’t remove it, or else you will be the one to regret. Don’t forget the fact that you’re in a place where beings you are unfamiliar with exists. You’ve got to be careful.”

       “Are you telling the truth? Or is there some kind of ulterior motive?” she asked, examining the piece of jewelry wrapped around her finger. “You are not tricking me into making people think I’m engaged to you now, are you?”

       She must admit that the ring was beautiful. The band was made of pure silver and neatly polished. The biggest gem was a light blue and embedded on the middle of four, sophisticated diamonds. Realizing the fact the ring must’ve cost a worthy price, she started to pull it out of her finger.

       “Even so, I can’t accept this.” she started to pull out the ring from her finger, but was stopped by Adam in the midst of her action.

       “This ring has a sentimental value.” Adam started. “It’s been in my family for generations. My mother told me to give it to my mate when I found her. And when I do, take you to her.”

       “Aren’t you giving it to the wrong person?”

       “No. I’m pretty sure it fits you well. Besides, even if you deny it, you are still my mate—there is no changing it. And by any chance, don’t mention anything about your family, Akira. Werewolves can be very . . . sensitive.”

       “Akira!” both of their heads turned towards the direction of the voice. Ann was running towards them with a brown paper bag cuddled between her arms. She caught a few, unnecessary attention, but even so, continued on her way towards Akira.

       Akira, remembering the fact that she and Adam were still hand in hand, she tore away from him and stepped a few steps back. Ann stopped in front of her, handing out the brown paper bag she was holding.

       “Jamie told me to give that to you.” she stated.

       “Ooh, that’s quite thoughtful of her. Once we get home, remind me to show her my gratitude.”

       “Sure. That won’t be a problem.” Ann said. “Ooh! Have you been inside the school yet? Isn’t it great?!”

       “I haven’t quite exactly been into the building. But it’s quite awesome.”

       “Well, let me give you the grand tour!”

       “I’ll be seeing you later,” Adam started, knowing Akira is hearing his statement loud and clear. “Mate.” he finished.

       “Wait. Aren’t you going to come?” she turned and raised a brow.

       “I have some things to take care of at the office regarding your transfer as a student. I’ll meet you at Class Four – Two.”

-*-

“Déjà vu.” Akira whispered. “I think this sort of happened before.” she scratched her head and watched other people walking either alone or by group. Ann was on her hyped mode, touring her around every crook and cranny of the school. The building had huge, glassed windows that offered a phenomenal view of the outside.

       Akira noticed that most of the students have been looking at her with curious gazes as she passed by. She seemed to have been the center of attention ever since this morning when she came.

       “—by the way, have you chosen what club you’ll be in?”

       “Huh?” Akira snapped out of her line of thinking and looked at Ann questioningly.

       “Akira!” a familiar voice echoed through the hallway. Both their attention were diverted towards the owner, revealing the form of Jessica walking towards them with a smile. A clique of girls was following her shortly—all of them wearing skimpy clothes.

       “Jessica.” Akira’s words were caught in surprise. “You study here, too?”

       “I do.” she answered. “Welcome to Werewolf Haven, Luna!”

       “Not with the ‘Luna’ thing again.”

       “Jessica. I thought you will become Luna.” One of the girls quipped before her.

       “People change.” she stated, without giving her a single glance. “Anyways, did you decide which club you’re going to be in, yet?”

       “No. Not yet."

       “Oh, goody! You can join our club instead. Any experiences with cheerleading?”

       “I guess so.” she muttered

       “Great! Try outs after school hours! Three o’clock to five thirty. See ‘ya later!"

       “Oh, I almost forgot. I’ll drop you to your homeroom class. Class starts in five minutes. I wouldn’t want you to be late at your first day of school.”

-*-

Ann ushered her inside the room with the sign of ‘Class Four – Two’ hanging above the door. With a murmur of ‘good luck’, Ann left her alone and proceeded to her own class, jogging her way towards the staircase they previously climbed. Akira had tried backing away, although it was too late for everybody’s attention were already on her.

       She felt her stomach twist in anxiety as she made her way into the classroom, sticking her hand into her pocket to prevent them from shaking. She regained her cool composure in a few seconds and slowly made her way into an empty chair, opting to find a place peaceful and free of disturbance.

       “Akira,” Adam’s voice suddenly whispered in her ear.  Startled, her head whipped around and she went face to face with him. “I was calling you, you know.” he settled on the chair beside Akira.

       ”Where the heck did you come from?” Akira exclaimed, her brows knitting into one.

       “The other side of the room.” he answered.

       “So is this the new Luna of the Bourne Harlem?” A guy with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped up with a lopsided smirk on his face. His hands were tucked on his pockets while he lazily chewed on a gum inside his mouth.

       “Get lost, Sander.” Adam growled.

       “Nice to meet ‘ya.” he said, ignoring Adam’s statement. “Names Sander Cain. Alpha of the Snow Troupe.”

       Akira saw Adam throwing daggers at the Sander guy. She never really imagined seeing an Alpha of another of those so-called packs around here. It only seemed at first that the Bourne Harlem owns this school. Seeing as to prevent any trouble from occurring, Akira pushed back her hair and leaned back on her seat. Arms and legs crossed, she gave Sander an eye to eye contact. “I don’t talk to deaf people.” she said.

       “I’m only deaf to people who I don’t like. So consider it a privilege that I’m talking to you.” he retaliated, suddenly radiating a menacing aura.

       “That only accentuates the fact that you are full of yourself.”

       “Isn’t your mate full of himself, too?”

       “You should learn your place, Sander. You are forgetting that you are still in my territory. I won’t tolerate you—“

       “I’ve had enough of Adam being full of himself, idiot.” Akira quipped, cutting Adam’s sentence off. “I don’t need another, so to speak. And FYI, if you can’t say anything that will be worth my time, get out of my face.”

       “Why you—“ Sander advanced towards Akira but Adam instinctively moved forward and blocked his path.

       “As I told you, Sander,” Adam began. “If you don’t want the alliance between Snow and Bourne to be terminated then learn to back off.”

       “This isn’t the end of it.”

       “Seeing as I’ll come and see you the next few days, I’m sure it won’t.” Akira told him.

       After Sander had taken a few steps away from their position, Adam turned to Akira with disbelief plastered across his face. “You shouldn’t be getting involved in things like this, Akira. You’ll only cause me trouble.”

       “It’ll be more of a trouble if I’ll have another mutt running after me. Mate or not, I won’t have it.”

       “You don’t understand, Akira.”

       “Then enlighten me.” she told him in a matter-of-fact voice.

       “You—“

       Adam’s sentence was cut short when the door burst open and the teacher came strolling in with books and papers pinned under her arm. Her heels pounded against the marbled floor, ringing throughout the whole room. All students standing went back to their respective places and the class suddenly got quiet. Adam hesitantly dropped back to his seat.

       “We’ll talk about this later.” he told her.

       “Adam,” the teacher addressed. “It certainly is rare seeing you around, knowing the fact that you have Alpha duties to attend to.”

       So the teachers are werewolves, too? Just expected from a Werewolf Haven, I suppose. Akira thought silently to herself.

       “And who would even expect you’ll bring your other half with you. A new student, I assume. Well then, young lady. Please stand up and come here in front, introduce yourself to the class."

       “I’m sorry, ma’am. I don’t do introductions.”

       The teacher momentarily looked irked by her attitude. “Judging by your impression, you’ll be quite troublesome. If that’s your choice, I’ll read your record to the class then.” The teacher reached for the folder on top of her desk and Akira blew out a large sigh.

       “Akira Flynn, seventeen. You came from Phoenix High during your first year, transferred to Deccan High during mid-term classes of your first year until second year, you moved to Beau Wilder in third year and you went to Harrington High two weeks after your start of classes from your last school, and your previous school from now is Gegenhuber. Reason for transfer . . . expulsion.”

       There was a pause. Some students in the room began whispering things silently to their seatmate. Akira was shocked not because of the ‘expulsion’ part, but because of the name the teacher called her by. How come her surname is ‘Flynn’ instead of ‘Martins’? And how the heck did they get all those information? What did Adam do this time?

       “Though with the bad records, you led the cheerleading squad ever since you joined and displayed outstanding group and individual performances. You also got all schools you enrolled yourself into interschool-competitions and all won first place at each year. You received the leadership award during your first year, second year, and third year. Also, despite the bad behavior, you managed to get yourself into the honor roll and effortlessly get good grades on all of your subjects. You are a fluent speaker of Italian and French, and, you represented your school in the Taekwondo Tournament regardless of the fact that you aren’t included in the Taekwondo club—eventually winning first place in the finals.”

       The teacher snapped the folder close and placed it back on the table. “Just so you know, Miss Flynn. We gather all of our students’ records from their past years of high school. In spite of being a hidden school, we have the ability to get information needed. And because of you continuous bad records, we needed to find more about your background and school performance in order to determine whether or not you are more than qualified to enter this school. Werewolf Haven is located in a hidden section, even though, we are famous for our high standards and us being an elite school.”

       “How can that be?”

       “I see, Adam didn’t tell you yet. Graduates from this school needs specific information to qualify themselves for different colleges and other jobs, and for that, we needed to somehow make our school known and at the same time, unknown. We take our students seriously, and if the student doesn’t have that single, and very important qualification, we do not accept them.”

       “Let me guess, being a werewolf?”

       “That’s right. Even rogues are welcome to this school. After all, this place is also considered as sanctuary. This place served as refuge to our ancestors a long time ago when they needed to go into hiding from human beings. And that is exactly what we are going to discuss today, the Werewolf History.”

       Akira gave out a huff. “Interesting. I think I’m going to listen for the first time of my life.”

       “I’m glad to hear that, because we’ll be starting immediately.”

       I think I’m going to like this place after all. They’re actually teaching something those stupid, ordinary schools won’t. I think I should feel very special. She thought.

-*-

During lunch time, Adam took Akira to the cafeteria which was even more ‘grand’ than she expected it to be. They served delicious foods—mostly meat—and the tables and chairs were arranged fairly. There is no place around that’s near the ‘dumpster’ and everything was clean. No doubt this is really an elite private high school.

       Time flew faster than Akira expected it to have, all the lessons they are teaching are different from the usual things they teach in ‘normal’ high schools. Akira decided to ask Adam about being named as ‘Akira Flynn’ instead of her normal ‘Akira Martins’. Adam didn’t know how to answer her question, because of the fact that there are some things that aren’t meant for others to know yet. So no matter Akira’s threats and bad-mouthing, Adam won’t answer.

       At the end of class hours, Akira felt herself tired from all of the discussions they went through for the whole day. One thing she noticed, is that Adam was in ‘all’ of her classes and he never even missed a single one of them.

       The Alpha jerk. She thought. Probably used his position into getting me the same classes as him.

       “Akira,”

       “Leave me alone, dummy. I’m tired of seeing your face.” That was a total lie. Adam’s masculine features never ceased to amaze her. His handsome face had a source of ethereal beauty that she won’t ever get tired of looking at, even for a whole day.

       “You don’t have to be so cruel. Anyways, I heard Jessica gave you an invite on the cheerleading tryouts for this afternoon.” They slowly walked to the direction heading out of the building.

       “Yeah, she did.”

       “You should join. Since you seem very good at it.”

       “I’m tired of the cheerleading squad.” she said. “I want to try something else.”

       “Like what?”

       “I don’t know.”

       “Badminton?”

       “Maybe.”

       “Volleyball.”

       “Maybe. Oh, I know.” she snapped her fingers.

       “What?”

       “Maybe this year I’ll try track and field.”

       “Are you a fast runner?”

       “Maybe.”

       “What’s with all the ‘maybe’? Aren’t you even sure of what you can do?”

       “Maybe.”

       “Akira,” Adam grabbed her shoulders and made her face him.

       “What? What’s your problem?”

       He immediately leaned in and placed his lips on top of hers, pulling back after a few seconds. “I’ve been meaning to do that since this morning.”

       She pushed him away. “What the heck was that for?!”

       “Nothing. I just wanted to.”

       “Well you can’t just kiss me like that!” she yelled at him.

       “I can. You’re mine after all. And only mine.” he stared at her possessively.

       “Whatever.” she sped up her pace and went down the flight of staircase. She met Ann on her way to the gymnasium. At first she seemed busy talking to some girl around her age, but the moment she saw her, she ran up towards Akira and cheerily greeted.

       “Hey, Akira!” she said. The smile she had on faded and was replaced by a curious expression. “What’s wrong? You’re blushing.” she told her.

       “What? I am?” she tapped her cheek and shook her head fervently. “Never mind. It’s just hot, I guess.”

       “Oh,” Ann nodded understandingly. “Are you on your way to the gym?”

       “Yeah, I am.”

       “I’ll take you there, then.”

       “Thanks.”

Sorry for the long wait! I do hope you like it though!