Ash ran as fast as he could. He ran in the hallway, past the stairs, into the entrance, and straight towards the gate. When he finally arrived, she was nowhere to be seen. Ash was a step too late.

He looked around over and over, but there was no sign of her. Though weak, the same scent from yesterday was here. That person he saw past the window was definitely her.

But, he didn't see her face because her back was turned towards him. However it was without her, there was no mistake in her smell. LJ came after Ash, out of breath.

"Whats… going… on…?"

His eye trails towards the direction the scent went. Ash gazed out silently. He may have missed her again, but next time, surely he'll find her again. And when he does, he'll make sure to grab her hand and not let go.

"Ash…?"

Ash's last year in middle school ended without him ever finding her. He went to high school next. All of his close friends went to the same high school as him, except for Cathy. Her family wanted her to go to an all private school after a certain incident happened. They were even concerned about her safety.

Ash went to each one of his classes on the first day without trouble. Out of his six class, he had two class together with Orpha, and one with LJ which was his last class, an elective class which was ceramic

Ash and LJ chat away as they enter the ceramic room. It smells like clay and water. There was white marking made by clay on the tables, and tools to carve clay.

Ash and LJ took their seat. Soon, students came in one after another until finally the teacher came in. When the bell rang, they started class.

Paperworks were passed out to sign for the parent to understand what their kids were expecting. Time passed by like a blink in an eye, and Ash soon forgot about the Alpha girl.

…

“Move the sign more towards the right,” said LJ through a speakerphone.

The students holding up the sign moved as he told them. Ash was standing beside him looking at the sign. LJ puts the speakerphone down, “I say more left.”

“Hmm…” Ash narrows his eyes, “It looks fine.”

“Left.”

“It’s fine the way it is LJ,” said Ash, “Anymore and it’ll be way too left.”

“I still think that making it left would be better…”

“PLEASE HURRY AND MAKE UP YOUR MIND!” one of the students holding the board yelled out, “OUR ARM CAN ONLY HOLD ON FOR SO LONG!!!”

LJ light nods his head and then, “Yeah, sure. It’s fine the way it is… Hang it up!”

The students holding up the sign gave out sighs of relieves. They can finally stop holding up the sign. They quickly nail the sign in before LJ changes his mind. Today was the school festival day. All of the students were preparing to welcome not only their parents but people from within and out from the city. Ash was helping LJ out who was in the Art Club.

There were a total of three shifts in all clubs that were participating in the festival; first break, second break, and third break. The three shifts were to help make sure all students get to enjoy the festival. LJ had the second shift, whereas Ash who wasn’t in any club was free the whole day.

“Where’s Orpha?” LJ asked, “It's almost the second break.”

Ash shrugs, “Maybe still running the cafe. Should we swing by there?”

“Sure.”

When the second break came, LJ left the vice-president in charge. Ash and him went to grab some meaty snacks before swinging by Orpha’s club. The culinary art club. They were doing a cafe for the festival. As they arrived at the classroom that was being used as a cafe, they saw the long line in waiting.

“Should we wait in line?” LJ asked.

“We can just call him,” said Ash.

Before making up their mind, there was a ruckus happening at the front. Ash and LJ weren't paying attention to the ruckus until it came to them. A girl in a maid came running out of the cafe and slams right into Ash.

“Oof…!”

She glances at him, “Sorry.”

And passes by him like the wind. Another girl passes by and pushes Ash to the side, “Sorry! Stop right there, Emily!”

“Go screw yourself!” Emily yelled back.

The girl ran after Emily like it was her last day on earth. Ash was on the ground totally baffled by what happened. Not a moment later, Orpha came out of the cafe to greet them while out of breath. LJ pat his back, “You good O?”

“Sorry… Trying to… Get… Emily to…” Ash stops Orpha from continuing.

Even though he was pushed to the side twice, it looks like its Orpha that needed a rest and comfort, and not him. They went into the cafe through the entrance where only staff of the cafe could go in. LJ pulls out a chair and puts Orpha on the chair to sit down.

“Catch your breath first before saying anything,” said LJ.

Orpha nods. He took in a few breaths and when his short breathing and heart racing finally calmed down, he was able to tell them what happened. During Emily’s shift, someone was acting inappropriately to her, so she almost beat them up. Luckily, her friend Hazel was there to stop her from going on a rampage. The most she did was stomp on the customer’s foot and broke it. She ran off before they caught her. Hazel chased after her, and that’s what happened.

“Wow,” said LJ, “I heard about Emily, but I didn’t think she would be much of a badass.”

“She’s a troublemaker I tell you,” said Orpha.

“Why did you have her take on the position as a maid then?” Ash asked.

“She couldn’t make the simple pancake we had, or drinks, or even hold up the sign, so we had her do the serving instead,” Orpha answered back, “Everything was going fine until that happened.”

“What did you mean by inappropriately?” LJ asked.

“That customer used his phermonon on Emily,” said Orpha.

“What?!”

“Ooh,” said LJ, “I would have punched his light as well.”

“It wasn’t a man, LJ,” said Orpha, “It was a woman.”

“What?!”

“My ears hurt, please stop yelling what you two,” said Orpha.

They apologized for freaking out, but high school wasn’t exactly the school life that is shown in movies or tv. In reality, it's pretty boring, and the only way to make it fun and entertaining was to hangout with friends, or gossip about whatever happens without spreading rumors.

“If the girl that tried to flirt with Emily released their pheromones, was she an Alpha?” LJ asked with curiosity.

“Seems like it,” Orpha answered, “Otherwise, Emily wouldn’t have tried to break her leg.”

“Who’s the alpha?” Ash asked, confused.

“The girl.”

“Emily.”

LJ and Orpha look at each other. LJ tilts his head to the side, “Emily was the alpha right?”

“No,” said Orpha, “The customer was an alpha. Emily’s an Omega.”

“Oh…”

To Be Continue