The tension from hearing their whispers and talks about me—when will this end? I clenched my hands tightly, trying to distract myself with anything. I forgot to bring a book to enjoy, but it was only a few minutes before the teacher arrived.
I didn't care what they said or thought, but to be the talk of a high school famous for having more than three thousand students! And their talks on our school's social media! Believe me, it's disgusting because I won't only be their topic, but also that of other schools.
Especially me; I've always been on the invisible side, but not on the margin—I lived quietly without noise.
I woke Sherry as I saw the teacher, Eugen, greeting us while carefully scanning every student in the class as if we were open books easily readable by her, which made me focus on her lesson because she focused on us.
We returned the greeting.
"No lessons today," she said, quietly placing her bag on the table and stepping to the center of the classroom calmly.
"But I will talk to you just to kill time about the great writer William Shakespeare, author of Romeo and Juliet, which caused a magnificent emergence in literature, and people still talk about it to this day," the teacher continued, walking lightly before us with her slender body and tall stature; sometimes I think she may have joined the army before, for her steps, posture, and shoulders move with a strange harmony.
She continued with a questioning expression, "What do you think of the play?"
A moment of silence passed.
She has a good technique; if she wants to know the personality before her, she asks for their opinion, then focuses on their body language and choice of words, and finally she will know who they are.
I thought, I didn't like Romeo and Juliet nor their story… it's simply—
"A cowardly love."
An odd silence fell, and I frowned, repeating the phrase; "Cowardly love?"
"What do you mean, Mr. Horton?" the teacher Eugen asked with a curious face, her eyes fixed on the boy sitting in the back…
Black, the fool. What an answer!
Love makes a person cowardly and reckless, so I find it cowardly love.
I mean, look, their love killed their friend who sacrificed for them, and Juliet, who didn't die but woke up to see him dead by suicide. "Love makes a person cowardly and reckless, so I find it cowardly love. Look, their friend died for them, and Romeo, Juliet's cousin, whom she loved, couldn't see her in the coffin, so he killed himself, thinking she was really dead, but she woke up and killed herself with a dagger too. Stupid," he said indifferently.
Is he an idiot? All these sacrifices and cowardice! He sacrificed his friend's life and killed Romeo, Juliet's cousin, to have her, but he couldn't see her lying in the coffin, so he killed himself thinking she was dead, but she woke up and killed herself too. Just shut up.
"That's what the heart does when controlled by a lover; it becomes reckless but not cowardly," said a freckled girl with dyed red hair, shaking her head lightly.
"Love is a curse," she muttered indifferently.
The teacher looked at him deeply, frowning, leaning on the table behind her. "Who agrees with Horton that love is a curse?" I saw how Black looked at her unexpectedly.
Few raised their hands; for me, yes, I think love is a curse, but I didn't raise my hand—I won't agree with him on anything. Finally, the bell rang.
She straightened, picked up her bag, and headed to the door. "Okay, we'll continue tomorrow." At 11, I glanced at Black; his features were sharp, and his eyes were the color of dull chocolate, and his pale white skin—despite his quiet beauty—he was ugly in my eyes; I mean, when your soul is ugly, your beauty doesn't forgive you, believe me.
I gathered my things, picked up my book, put it in my bag, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a few sips. I turned to Sherry and saw her send a glare to… Ashley. Please, not again.
Ashley; everyone called her "The Carrot" because of her hair and skin. She sat relaxed, arms crossed over her chest, ignoring Sherry's glare at her. I averted my eyes from her and stood up, nudging Sherry to stand and leave before that carrot crushed her with her hands.
"Oh, look at that slender body, I barely recognized you, Estella,"
Arthur interrupted us, followed by Philip and Black, who were about to leave but stopped.
His way of talking was dirty, so I ignored him. I turned, carrying my bag, ready to leave...
But Black stopped us with a voice: "Has your wolf shown up yet?"
A strong heartbeat made me freeze in place. I calmly looked into his eyes, silent. He twisted his lips while looking at me with a fake question. Some students were silently watching my reaction.
How dare that bastard?
I felt anger and fear making my heart race wildly, but I controlled my nerves a bit. I had learned since childhood that Black loved to provoke me; he enjoys that very much.
"It's none of your business," I whispered mockingly. "Step away before the talk gets longer." What made it worse were the sharp, pity-filled, and mocking whispers from some students that didn't help me at all. My eyes started to sting.
"You're a pathetic person who knows nothing but bullying."
Yes, he's pathetic. He always sticks his nose into my life and bullies me because my mother is half-human! The difficulty of my wolf's appearance is a sensitive topic for me, so he better shut up.
"No, dear, I'm good at other things you might like," I heard Arthur's muffled chuckle, and some laughed loudly. I rolled my eyes, wanting to leave and ignore them, but Sherry stepped forward, yelling loudly, "Find someone else to impress with your acts, you filthy person!" and then firmly, "Not Estella, understood!" I gripped my bag on my shoulder tightly, tense.
I grabbed Sherry's hand, squeezing it tightly to follow me outside before I distort the face in front of me.
I am peaceful and don't like fights of any kind, but I pretended I could silence him and that he didn't matter, but my heart really, if it got a little excited with the beating, would have burst from my chest. I knew perfectly well they were listening clearly to him; I wanted the ground to swallow me. I don't like this feeling at all.
I smiled sarcastically at Sherry's face. She looked at me with a strange gaze, then turned her body laughing. I lightly signaled to Sherry that we should go out. She hesitated for a moment but followed me when she heard Philip say sharply, "That's enough," deliberately addressing Black.
I hurried outside and didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, moving away from the class without looking back until—
I saw her behind me with a frown, glaring at me with her sleepy dark chocolate eyes and pursed small lips in displeasure, though her features were tired.
"What? Why are you staring at me?"
Yet she had a strong, bold personality.
"Nothing. Did you say you wanted to come with me home? It's already been a week since you didn't come, even my father asks about you…"
"Estella," she interrupted, exhaling air from her mouth trying to control her anger, "I swear if you repeat that, I'll tell my uncle and let what will happen, happen. I don't care about his relationship with the alpha or beta. It's none of our business that the beta has a bastard son named Black who sticks his big nose into things that don't concern him. And also know well that your father will be angry when he finds out you are covering up like nothing happened."
"Sherry… please not now," I sighed, turning my face toward the glass beside me and continuing calmly, "Just tell me, why didn't you answer my calls yesterday?"
"I was busy and didn't even open my phone, can you believe that? Albert came yesterday and I spent the whole day with him."
"Oh, has Albert returned from military training?" It seemed she really missed him. Sherry was attached to her brother Albert, who is five years older than her. He was like a father to her, filling in for her late father, who was actually her uncle since her real father died. So, she was strongly attached to Albert.
"Yes, and I will definitely come to you today. Oh, I miss my aunt Adele's cooking."
We returned home, fortunately not far but on the edge of the forest, and walking would take half an hour, only ten minutes by car.
Our house is a beautiful modern design with a lovely garden on the right that stretches to the back surrounded by fences, and on the left is a nice independent kitchen with a glass door overlooking the garden. The first floor is all for guests and the living room, while the second floor has our bedrooms, and the third floor also has a living room and two guest rooms. Our house isn't very big as we are a small family of five (my mother, father, me, Adam, and Marcella).