How To Stay Out Of The Spotlight
“Where did you go?” asks mom worriedly as soon as I climb in through my window a couple of hours later. She must be worried sick. The smell of brownies and chocolate chip cookies waft strongly through the air. Mom bakes when she's stressed. So, she must've been really stressed.
“I'm sorry, mom. I just needed to go for a run,” I explain, which isn't a complete lie.
I did go for a run, but not in my wolf form. Not fully in my human form either. It's almost somewhere in between wolf form and human form. I was running on two legs, instead of on all fours. It left my hands free to fling myself upwards and grab onto trees. I felt like I was flying. I was so fast, the border patrols didn't even sense me up there. I was moving so fast that I think I might have reached the Canadian borders in such a short time. It's kinda weird, but I loved it! I felt so powerful and free like nothing can touch me.
I don't know what is happening to me, but selfishly I want to keep it to myself. Besides, telling mom about it would probably add more to her stress.
“It must be all that stress. It's good that you clear your head by going for a run,” says mom, smiling in relief. “Your friends are waiting for you downstairs, by the way.”
Reese and Penny are sitting in our kitchen, busy shoving mom's chocolate chip cookies and brownies into their mouths.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“Well, it's good to see you too!” scoffs Penny. “This is an intervention,” she announces seriously. It's hard to take her seriously when she's talking with her mouth full of cookies.
Reese rolls her eyes. “It's not an intervention, Penny,” she says. “We want to know what's going on with you. You've been acting weird, and you haven't been answering our calls or our texts.”
I grab a few cookies and some still warm pieces of brownies on a plate before going up to my room.
Boy, I'm hungry!
“What aren't you telling us?” asks Penny as she and Reese follow me up to my room.
I closed the door, and the three of us sit on my bed.
“So...are you going to tell us what's happening? Or don't you trust us?” asks Reese, looking hurt.
“It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't want you two to be worried. I always end up in trouble...one way or another. Aren't you tired of it? Don't you just want to live a peaceful life?” I ask them.
“I love living in your drama, Genesis. I crave it. I yearn for it. I live for it. I need your drama to entertain my boring existence,” yells Penny. The three of us go quiet for a second before we simultaneously burst out laughing uncontrollably.
I laugh so hard I have tears in my eyes. I'm actually very glad that my friends are here. I'd probably be driving myself nuts thinking about what's going on right now if I were by myself.
So I tell them everything. Well, almost everything. I tell them about the dinner at Alpha Carrington's, about dad wanting to move away, about the party that's about to happen in three days. I also tell them about Constantine.
“You and Constantine??? A lycan?” Penny shrieks.
“Shhh…” I shush her, worried if mom could hear us. I'm not ready to break it to my parents yet. They are under a lot of stress lately. I don't know how they are going to take the news about me and Constantine.
“So...you and Constantine, huh? A lycan.” repeats Reese in disbelieve.
“Wow, I didn't see that one coming,” says Penny, looking dazed.
I can't believe my friends! Of all the things I just told them, that's the only thing that they heard?
“But guys, what about Alpha Carrington's plan to have me mated to Logan soon? The announcement is in three days!”
I'm freaking out a bit.
“I think you should tell Constantine about it,” suggests Reese.
“Yeah, you should tell him,” agrees Penny. “So, you and Constantine, huh? Wow, do you know how seriously hot he is???” she exclaims while she grabs another one of my cookies.
“No, she doesn't Penny,” Reese deadpans, before she rolls her eyes. “When we told you to get a new mate, we didn't mean a lycan. But, wow! You don't do things half-assed do you, GenGen?”
“I can't wait to see how Logan's going to take this,” states Penny, smiling evilly. “I can see it now. You'll be the talk of the school soon...again. Not that they've stopped talking about you yet.”
I groan. That's what I'm afraid of.
“Great job, Penny. You really know how to make a friend feels better,” says Reese sarcastically.
***
Something is puzzling me. Do I look different? Does my skin look softer and even more dewy than usual? My features definitely look sharper: my nose; my cheekbones; my lips look fuller and redder; my light hazel eyes seem brighter. The green and the gold at the centers and the bluish-gray around the rims are more vivid. My eyebrows are more prominent, and eyelashes are thicker and longer too. My hair seems fuller and shinier; the red seems richer than before.
My body is curvier as well. Not too much of a difference, but when I pull the jeans or the skirt up over my bottom, I can feel it. My girls are spilling over. There's a cleavage now above the neckline of my tank top.
What is wrong with me? Whatever it is, I know I'm changing.
I sigh and throw the hairbrush back on the dresser. This is ridiculous. My life is in chaos and I'm staring at my reflection in the mirror.
I know Constantine dropped by last night. His scent lingers in the air. I wish I wasn't such a heavy sleeper. I miss him. The need to be with him spurs me to get dressed for school faster. I'm not putting any makeup on today, not even a lip gloss.
Reese shows up in her car with Penny in the passenger seat. Autumn and I climb in. “You look a bit different, did you do something with your makeup today?” asks Penny, turning around.
“That's what I said yesterday!” exclaims Reese. “You look even better today,” she adds, staring at me thoughtfully through the rearview mirror.
So it's not just me imagining stuff then.
“Whatever it is, girlfriend...you look hot,” announces Penny with a giggle.
Autumn rolls her eyes. “She's probably just gained weight!”
“Hey!” I protest. “I did not!” Well, I might. I don't know. I didn't check, but I'm not going to admit that to my annoying little sister.
Reese drives the car so fast that the ride doesn't even last five minutes.
I can feel the attention we're getting as soon as we step out of the car. There are a few catcalls from the boys while the girls glare at us.
“Morning girls,” greets River, wrapping his arm around Reese's shoulders. Even River is looking annoyed by the attention we’re suddenly getting. I shake my head. When are they going to stop paying attention to us?
I can feel his eyes on me even before I see him.
Penny nudges me so hard, I think I break a rib cage. “That's him! That's him!” she whispers excitedly.
Constantine is standing with three other lycans at the bottom of the steps leading up to the school entrance. This time, I'm pretty sure they're not looking at anything behind us.
He looks so incredibly hot today in his dark wash jeans, a gray t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and black leather biker boots. I still can't believe that this gorgeous creature is mine and that he's standing there waiting for me.
I look up and smile. His eyes lit up. Then all I can see is him. My heart picks up, and I hasten my steps.
“Constantine,” I whisper as I get a few feet away from him.
He doesn't hesitate to close the gap between us. He steps up and pulls me right into his arms and places his lips and nose right at the base of my neck, nuzzling me there. Jolts of electricity shoot through me and I tighten my arms around him to stay upright.
Oh, wow!
“What are you wearing, sunshine? I thought we've established that you're not going to wear anything too revealing and skirts that are too short,” he whispers in my ear.
I didn't try to dress slutty or anything, but with my new curves, everything that I own seems to fit sinfully snug in certain places.
“We did?”
“Yes, we did. Those male werewolves and humans are staring at you. They're looking at what's mine. It make me want to rip their heads off.” He growls.
“But I wore this for you.” I blurt out softly. My face turns bright red as soon as I realized what I just said, but Constantine stops scowling. The anger in his eyes is replaced with something else as he stares at me. A slow sexy smile is growing on his lips.
Wow. I guess that's the right thing to say to cool him off.
“Did you now?” There's a mischievous gleam in his silver eyes. “I'd much prefer you in nothing at all,” he growls wickedly.
He's expecting me to blush and look away in embarrassment. Two can play this game. My cheeks flush beet red, but I smile naughtily back. “Maybe I can show up in nothing at all to school tomorrow.”
He growls deeply in his throat. The sound sends delightful shivers down my spine.
“Don't test me, my love,” he mutters. “If you want the school to be still standing tomorrow, I suggest you'd better not, my little imp,” he murmurs in my ear. His teeth nip my earlobe gently.
Oh, flying cows, cuddly bunnies and fuzzy slippers!
When I pull back, I notice how everybody is staring. Everybody is frozen in their spots. Even Reese, River and Penny are staring with their mouths open.
Wow, I guess this is not the way to stay out of the spotlight.