BAY #4
Skye’s eyes fill with tears. Storm gives me the middle finger.
"Fuck you, Bay! You smell like booze! Were you drinking or what?"
"It’s medicine for my throat," I snap, voice rough. "Now get your asses upstairs, or I swear to Fate, tomorrow you’re going to school no matter what."
That finally gets through. They stomp upstairs, sulking and muttering.
A minute later, I hear the front door open. Uncle Jordan’s here. He comes every day, helps clean, cooks for us, tries to make Dad’s life easier.
He takes one look at me, pale, pissed off, wrecked, and raises a brow.
"Trouble with your brothers?"
"Story of my life. I just sent their sorry asses to bed. They’re supposed to be sick, but they’re running around like it’s fucking recess," I mutter and turn away.
Then I head upstairs too.
Nothing and no one can make this day better. Hell, nothing can make anything better anymore.
◆◆◆
The next morning, after another long, cold shower, I pull on a thick hoodie and loose sweatpants, sling my backpack over one shoulder, and finally head down to the kitchen to join the rest of the family for breakfast.
Snow is still away, spending a few more days at Uncle Van’s. Skye and Storm are in their rooms since they’re staying home another day, so Dad didn’t bother waking them up for breakfast.
My father isn’t there, he had to leave early for a meeting with one of his local clients who wants to commission a music composition from him.
So it’s just Rain, my youngest brother Sun, and my dad. I’m relieved; it means a quieter morning without everyone talking over each other like they usually do.
The moment Dad sees me, he walks right up and looks into my eyes.
"Bay… are you alright? You look really pale." Worry flashes across his face. "Are you sure you don’t want to stay home another day?"
"No. It’s my first few days at a new school. I’d rather not show up later than everyone else or they’ll just label me as the new kid," I mumble gloomily, sitting down at the table as a wave of pain runs through me. I still can’t sit on a hard surface, but I’ll just have to deal with it.
I force down a few bites of toast, but it tastes like paper. Then I notice Sun staring at me, his big light-green eyes fixed on my face.
My youngest brother is three and a half, and two days ago he went to preschool for the first time. Normally I’d ask Dad how he’s doing, if Sun handled being separated from us well, but my own pain drowns everything else out. There’s no space left in me to care about anyone right now.
Rain, on the other hand, is glued to his phone, silent. Eventually Dad says, "Rain, put the phone down. No screens at the table, please."
"Daaad," Rain groans, setting his phone aside with a pout.
"I’ll pick you guys up today," Dad says, looking at both of us. "I took the day off, have a few errands to run in town."
I don’t reply. I don’t care whether Jordan or Dad picks me up, none of it matters.
Then something occurs to me.
"Dad, you have a gun, right?"
I see a small twitch in his shoulders before he turns to look at me.
"Yes, it’s locked in the safe. Why do you ask?" he says, raising a brow as he loads the dishwasher.
"I saw some wild animal in the bushes nearby. Could’ve been a black bear, maybe a coyote."
"Don’t worry, I doubt it’ll try to get through the fence."
I let out a nervous huff. "You never know. It could be hungry or rabid. Tell Skye and Storm not to go outside, not even into the yard."
Dad studies me carefully. "Sure, I’ll tell them," he says calmly.
But I’m not done. "You probably shouldn’t keep the gun locked up. Maybe keep it closer, just in case," I mutter.
He watches me for a moment, then turns back to the dishes without answering.
We finish breakfast and head out to the driveway. Dad straps Sun into his car seat while Rain and I climb into the back of the SUV.
I sit next to Sun, who keeps watching me. Every time the car bumps over something, I flinch from the pain.
When we hit a speed bump, I can’t help letting out a quiet groan. Dad glances at me in the mirror.
"You alright, Bay?"
"Yeah," I mumble. "Just a stomachache."
"Probably nerves. First day at a new school, meeting new people…"
Then I feel a small hand gripping my forearm. Sun’s eyes are focused on me, oddly intent.
I want to pull away, but instead I give him a crooked smile.
He’s probably having a rough time too, it’s his first week in preschool, and no kid likes being separated from his parents.
But Dad decided to pick up a few extra music classes at another preschool, and he and Father thought it would be good for Sun to spend a few hours there every day.
Soon we stop in front of Rain’s middle school.
He jumps out, waves, and heads toward the building with a spring in his step.
Rain’s the kind of kid who gets along with everyone.
He’s twelve and a half, already taller than all of his classmates, definitely growing into an alpha.
A group of his friends is waiting near the entrance, and they greet him with some complicated handshake before disappearing inside.
Then it’s just me and Sun in the car as Dad turns around and drives toward my high school. I notice him glancing at me from time to time in the rearview mirror. Once or twice our eyes meet, and I catch a glimpse of concern in his aquamarine eyes.
"Bay… are you sure you’re alright? I’m sorry to keep asking, but I can’t shake this scary feeling. It’s like there’s a dark cloud hanging over you. Are you really that anxious about the new school?"
"I’m not afraid of school," I say flatly, and it’s the absolute truth.
I couldn’t care less about a bunch of kids who probably have no idea what it means to come face to face with darkness and pain.
Or maybe some of them do. Either way, I doubt we’ll be chatting about it over blueberry muffins in the cafeteria.
"Did you get some negative comment under your video or something?"
My laughter is bitter and sharp.
"Seriously, Dad? You think something like that could ruin my mood?"
"So something did ruin your mood."
I let out an angry sigh.
"I’m a teenager. Let’s just call it hormones," I say through clenched teeth.
Sun is still holding my hand. I don’t pull away. There’s something soothing in his grip, that small hand and those big trusting eyes watching me so closely.
We finally pull up in front of my new school.
Jackson High is big. A lot of students come here from the suburbs and nearby towns, it’s a pretty mixed crowd, and the place is packed. My middle school was small and rural. This is going to be different.
"We’ll go to the main office with you to get your schedule," Dad says.
He unbuckles Sun’s seatbelt, and the three of us head inside. Great. Marching into school with Dad and my baby brother, a ‘perfect’ start.
We’re about twenty minutes early, but there are already plenty of students around. Luckily, the main office is right by the entrance, so I don’t have to parade through the halls with my embarrassing entourage.
The school secretary greets us from behind a wide counter. Dad explains the situation, gives my name, and apologizes for my recent absence due to a cold. The secretary hands me a school ID, a printed schedule, and a sheet with a school map and lunch information.
As we step out of the office, Dad says, "Your class is on the second floor. Looks like you’ve got English first. Good luck, Bay. Keep your head up, okay? It’s gonna be fine."
"Thanks," I mutter.
"Bye-bye-Bay!" Sun waves his chubby hand at me.
"Bye, Sun."
I force a smile at him, because it’s not his fault my world fell apart.
Then I turn away and climb the stairs, map in hand.
I find the classroom where English is scheduled to be. The door’s open, and inside there are already students talking to each other like they’ve known one another forever.
There are eighteen of them. It’s hard to tell their secondary genders at first glance, since at fourteen, not all traits are obvious yet, but most show hints.
From what I can tell, there are at least five alphas, maybe seven omegas, and six betas.
I could be wrong, I’m guessing mostly by height.
Alphas usually go through an intense growth spurt around the age of twelve.
Betas experience it to a moderate degree, while omegas grow much more slowly, which is why at fourteen or fifteen they’re often still quite short.
A few students notice me and turn their heads with curious looks. I’m definitely the tallest in the room. And probably the most gloomy-looking.
I scan for an empty seat. There are a few, but better to make sure first.
"Hey, this is Mr. Rivera’s class, right?" I ask a stocky beta kid with acne, or at least I think he’s a beta. Hard to tell.
"Yeah, class starts soon," he says, watching me closely. "I’m Dereck. You?"
"Bay. Which seats are still free?"
He turns and points toward the back of the room.
"Only that one, next to Sneezy. Nobody wants to sit by him because he’s always coughing and sneezing," he says with a quiet chuckle.
I follow his gaze.
And sure enough, by the side wall in the last row, there’s a lone student sitting by himself, small, almost fragile, even below the average height for an omega.
His blond hair, streaked with a soft pink tint, falls messily across his cheeks, nearly hiding his face.
Oversized glasses with thick pink frames cover half of it.
On the desk in front of him sits an inhaler and a big box of tissues printed with colorful gems.
"Thanks," I mutter to the beta and make my way over to the empty seat next to the ‘Sneezy’ guy.
"Hey, you don’t mind if I sit here?" I ask, forcing my face into something that vaguely resembles a polite expression.
"Sure, as long as you don’t mind sitting next to me."