Chapter Ten
Iwalked into the main cafeteria that doubled as a store and grabbed a basket.
I took my time going through the store first. The mini fridge I brought should be down to temperature and needed to be stocked.
I grabbed an array of drinks, water, sodas, chocolate milk.
Then I moved on to snacks. I had already decided to turn the top shelf of my desk into a small pantry for shelf snacks.
I grabbed crackers, chips, sweet cakes, and a few apples and bananas.
I moved onto the cafeteria portion for food.
I saw something that caught my eye and I rushed over.
They had small refrigerated dinner boxes.
Sushi and teriyaki chicken that looked absolutely delicious.
I grabbed a few boxes. Some for tomorrow and a few for dinner tonight.
I was starving. Shifting takes a lot of calories, and Nix is on edge.
Protein would help with that. Once I was full, I headed to the cashier.
I stood behind a few people and zoned out until something caught my ear. “I can’t believe you gave us ten thousand dollars.”
“You’re my friends. I couldn’t allow you to be broke like last year.” A soft chuckle sounded, and everyone joined in.
“Nina, you have always been so amazing and doing this for us is so generous.” I couldn’t stop it. I snorted. Nina again. She had a real problem claiming things that didn’t belong to her.
The girls all turned and faced me, and I just smiled and waved. I watched Nina scowl at me and the others just looked confused. “Who is that?” One whispered.
“And why did she laugh?” Another asked.
One of the original girls I saw widened her eyes and leaned in. “That is the girl that Professor R told us to stay away from.”
The others turned and looked at Nina, who was still scowling. “What’s funny?” She crossed her arms and glared at me.
I just shook my head. “Nothing.” I didn’t give everyone the money to be liked. I did it so that people would have food, which is something everyone deserved.
“No, tell me. I gave my friends money on their food card, and you laughed.” Nina strutted closer to me. “So what is funny?”
“You. You gave them money?” I tilted my head. “You don’t seem to be the type of person who gives money away for no reason.” I turned to the girls. “How much money did you have on your card before you started the semester?”
The tiny, pixie looking blonde pointed at herself. “I had nothing. Last year I worked at The Howl to feed myself.”
I turned back to Nina, who was still glaring, but her eyes held a little fear. “And now, how much do you have?”
“Mrs. Sandlewood gave me a card yesterday and told me an anonymous donor had gifted me ten thousand dollars for the semester. I was so excited I told everyone here.”
“And Nina told you she was the anonymous donor?”
She nodded and looked at Nina. “You said you gifted everyone.” She turned back to me. “There were a few of us that got the money. Why?”
I turned to Nina. “You must be from a rich pack. How much did you fork over?”
She tilted her chin. “Why are you asking? Are you jealous?”
I laughed. “No. I’m not jealous. Just confused.” I turned back to the girl. “Did you ask Mrs. Sandlewood if Nina here was the donor?” She shook her head no.
“I don’t think she will tell me who it was.”
I nodded. “Smart, she probably wouldn’t. But maybe she would tell you if Nina was the donor. Or, here is a thought. Nina said she donated just your friends the money. Ask Mrs. Sandlewood how much was donated.”
“She wouldn’t tell us,” Nina shot back.
I lifted a shoulder. “Maybe not. But why are you so worried about your friends asking?”
Nina bit her lip and then rallied. She glared at me and stepped closer.
“You think that just because Professor R told us to leave you alone that you can make me look like a fool? But you’re wrong.
” She pointed at all of her friends. “I gifted my friends’ money, and you can’t come in here and convince them I'm lying.”
Her friends furrowed their brows at her words.
She said something that wasn’t sitting well.
I covered my mouth and just shook my head.
This girl isn’t the smartest in the bunch.
I raised my hands. “Goddess forbid I give them any information that makes you look bad. All I was saying was before they go out of their way thanking you, and feeling like they owe you. Maybe, just maybe, they check the facts. The anonymous donor wanted to be anonymous for a reason. Probably so people didn’t feel like they owed anyone for basic rights, like food. ”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Nina stepped closer to me. “Who are you to talk down to me?” She snarled in my face, but I couldn’t help the laugh.
I raised my hands again with my basket hanging from one. “Listen, who I am isn’t your concern. But it just seems very convenient that you are taking credit for something that was supposed to be anonymous.”
Nina stepped closer. “Just because Professor R stood up for you doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you. Professor R is a man. And like any man, his attention will drift, but let me make myself very clear, he’s mine. He might support you now, but he will come back to me.”
I looked up, met her glare, and started laughing. “What the fuck does he have to do with you claiming to donate money?”
She stepped closer. “I just want you to know that just because he stood up for you today doesn’t mean he will cover for you now.”
I had to bend over; I was laughing so hard. “He knows who donated the money. As does Alpha Vince and Mrs. Sandlewood. Something that could easily be determined is a very ballsy thing to lie about.”
Nina stammered. “You’re lying.”
I shook my head. “I’m not.” I picked my basket back up. “But find out for yourself.” I stood back up and moved to cash out. “It’s easy enough to check.” I turned to face them. “And I don’t have a reason to lie. I don’t care if you like me or not.”
Nina stomped her foot. “You don't know anything.”
I turned to look at her and shook my head. “I hate people that try to act like they are good people, when in actuality they are claiming good deeds by others. If you were a good person, you would shine on your own deeds.”
“I did this for them.” She screamed in my face. But I just shook my head.
“Excuse me.” A soft voice called from behind us and we all turned. “Are you the Alpha that gifted the money to me?”
Nina froze. “What?” But the girl was focused on me and I just smiled. “I’m the only Alpha here, girl.”
The girl stepped closer and held out a hand. “You are Alpha Amy, right?”
I nodded and shook her hand. “I am.” The girls with Nina gasped and Nina looked like she had been slapped. “Who are you?”
“My name is Wendy.” She smiled up at me. “Wendy Sandlewood.”
“Are you related to Mrs. Sandlewood?”
Wendy nodded. “She is my mom. I just wanted to thank you.”
“Honestly, you don’t have to.” I waved her off, but she shook her head and I could see the sparkle of tears.
“No. Please. Let me get this out.” She clutched at my hand.
“I know you didn’t have to do this. And I know you did it for the entire school.
Throwing out three almost four million dollars to make sure every student had enough money on their card for books and food for the semester is very generous of you.
And I know you wanted to stay anonymous.
But I need you to know just how much of an impact you made on us. ”
“What are you saying?” One of Nina’s friends came over.
Wendy looked at her in confusion. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”
“No one.” She waved her hands. “But you are saying she is the Alpha that donated the money?” She looked back at Nina with her eyebrows raised. “It wasn’t another Alpha you could be confusing her with?”
“No, I’m sure. Amy and her mother came into the office on Friday.
My mother helped her. She had me come in to help her load all the cards.
There were a lot of cards, let me tell you.
I was in the back office when she came and paid for it all.
” She turned back to me and smiled. “My mom was going to take on a night job to pay for my food and books. Since my father died, it has just been us and she wanted to make sure I had every opportunity. I told her I could cover it, that I could work, but she wouldn’t let me.
But you saved us. She doesn’t have to get a night job to cover my expenses.
” A tear that she was trying to hold back fell.
“You really don’t understand how much of an impact you made on my life, on our lives.
And I seriously can’t thank you enough.”
“Can you do me one favour?”
“Anything.” She wiped at her tears.
“Don’t tell anyone else it was me. If you hear someone claiming it was them, you can say you know who it was, and it wasn’t them. But unless someone commands you, keep it quiet.”
“Are you fucking serious, Nina?” One girl screeched. “You lied about gifting us money and said we had to do your project.” The silence that followed was deafening.
I turned to look back at the white faced Nina and the screeching pack of girls around her.
She was trying to battle back, but you could tell she had lost steam.
Suddenly, there was a loud beep that went through the air.
Everyone froze, and I turned back to Wendy and she mouthed the word, ‘Announcements’.
I just nodded and turned back to the line to wait my turn to pay.
“Good evening students.” Alpha Vince’s voice came over the speakers, and I had to stop my eyes from rolling.
“It has come to my attention that there are a lot of students claiming that they were the ones that donated the money to the student body. I wanted to clear up some facts, so that there would be no more infighting.” I turned wide eyes to Wendy, and she winced.
“He wouldn’t.” I whispered, but knowing him, he would. He would one hundred percent claim the donation for Brandon or himself.