Jude
That was scary.
Usually, I’m all about living and let live in high school. I try to steer clear of any drama going on with my brother unless it personally concerns a friend of mine.
I was a bit weirded out by one of his friends asking Layla out on a date, but if he says he doesn’t have anything to do with this, all I can hope is for that to be true.
I teased Lay about the fact that she said she’d never date any of her wrestling team members, but if she had to pick one of them at least Blaine never gave her a hard time or called her a freak.
I hope he genuinely likes her and they get to spend time together and have a good date. I understand it can feel lonely sometimes waiting for our mates to “arrive”. Trust me, I can relate to that.
Unlike my brother who has a steady girlfriend to canoodle with. Straight people have the easiest time. I’m almost never jealous of him, but I wouldn’t mind a boyfriend.
Goddess knows I’m still longing for a mate that’ll probably take some time to discover me or vice versa.
Anyway, that got overshadowed by the fight that broke out between Quentin and the new boy. Damn! I’ve never seen my brother take a beating quite like that. Though he only defended himself, that boy was definitely trained by skilled enforcers.
I guess since he is the son of a tribe chief, it sounds about right that he’d be prepared as an Alpha’s son would. My brother was fuming after that fight. He never lost to anyone, except maybe me. Though that’s debatable.
But seriously though, he left the classroom practically holding back from shifting into wolf he was so furious. Not unlike our father, there’s nothing he hates more than feeling embarrassed before an audience.
It’s different when he was fighting me because no one expects any of us to be better than the other - though he claims to be. We’re both Alphas, so we’re evenly matched. But this wasn’t the case. At all.
Students were staring at him shocked that he was literally thrown to a wall. I heard the bones in his body crack as he fell down. It wasn’t pretty. Not even his wrestling partners challenge him in that way.
Of course, there’s a petty part of me that thinks my brother finally met his match and he earned it. But I’m worried about the boy. Quentin is not gonna let it slide. I’m genuinely scared for the refugee’s life.
I’m sure he didn’t come all this way here to pick a fight with my brother and he was just defending himself. He didn’t mean to call him out like that, as he quickly pointed out.
After we returned from the lunch break, even Layla was worried about the boy who was so nice to her just the other day. She knows my brother well and his rage is difficult to face off, even for her.
Inside the classroom, my brother glared daggers at the frightened boy who literally reeked of fear. I’m genuinely concerned for his well being, for sure.
I don’t know or have talked to him so far, but any queer person in trouble is one too many. At some level, I can relate to him even if not in this particular situation. Though I can honestly say that my brother gets on my nerves too.
“Dad is not gonna let it slide you killing a boy who is in sanctuary here. This goes to the very reputation of our pack.” - I mind linked Quentin at the end of class.
“I’m not gonna kill him, idiot. Maybe just mame him.” - He replied via mind link.
“That’s not exactly better. Anyway, I just thought it fair to warn you. If he asks, I’ll tell him whatever happened to that boy was caused by you.” - I threatened him.
“NARC!” - He shot back, grunting.
“He needs to be taught a lesson!” - He insisted, angrily.
“You’re not a dictator, Quentin! Stop thinking like everyone is your enemy! He’s just a student confused about the fact that my brother is a homophobe asshole instead of my best friend!” - I barked at him, annoyed.
My brother growled at me menacingly and nobody understood why inside the classroom. He left the room bumping into Beck purposefully, who got the not so veiled threat right away.
As we were about to leave the classroom, I approached the scared boy.
“Hi, Kuckunniwi. That’s how your name is pronounced, right?” - I asked him, a tad nervous.
“Hi. Yes, it is. But you can call me Beck.” - He replied shyly.
“I just wanted to apologize for my brother’s behavior. I’m really sorry for everything you’ve endured so far. You don’t deserve to be threatened inside the school.” - I said, still nervous.
“It’s fine. None of this is your fault. I shot my mouth anyway…” - He said, self deprecating.
“No! Don’t say that! This is NOT your fault! There’s nothing you can say that it’d justify this extreme reaction from him. None, do you hear me?” - I spoke incisively and he was taken aback by my resolve.
He stared at me in silence for a moment and both of us blushed.
“Yeah, I hear you. Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. Even if I’m gonna die soon.” - He said, despair coloring his tone.
“You’re not gonna die, Kuckunniwi! Stop it, okay? Even Quentin knows better than to kill another student…” - I said in a troubled tone.
“I hope so. Because I didn’t come here to die, I came to make a new life for myself.” - He stated, a bit more confident. He smiled at me and I was mystified by how beautiful his smile was.
“Right. That’s the spirit!” - I said, encouraging.
I left the classroom shortly afterwards and he kept smiling at me as I walked away. So adorable.
I know my brother will have his revenge. I just hope his victim is left alive after he's done with him.
After the final bell, I checked in with Lay about her upcoming date as we walked towards the front gate of the school.
"So, are you excited about the date?" - I asked her, giddy.
"I don't know if excited is the right word. More… apprehensive." - She replied with a pregnant pause between the last two words.
"I know this came out of the blue, but I have no reason to believe he wasn't being genuine. I'm thinking maybe he finally got enough courage to ask you out." - I conjectured in a low tone.
"Sure. That might be true. I guess now there's no point in debating it. He already texted me saying he is going to pick me up at 7 tomorrow." - She informed me, clearly apprehensive about it.
"How did he get your number?" - I'm intrigued by this small detail.
"From the wrestling team group chat." - She replied quickly, as we walked.
"Right. Well, call me on Sunday and tell me all about it." - I spoke in a mixture of anxiety and nervousness.
"I’ll probably be texting you since Saturday." - She stated, anxiously.
"Don't forget to enjoy your date, Lay! It's gonna be fine." - I encouraged her. - "But you need to loosen up and have fun!"
She looked so apprehensive that it was throwing me off. It's just a date. If that doesn't work out, it's an experience still worth having.
Or so I imagine. It's not like anyone has ever asked me out on a date before…
"I know, Jude." - She spoke without feeling very confident.
Because it's Quentin's day with the car, she gave me a ride home in hers. Fortunately, my brother doesn't mind taking me to training since we both go back and forth at the same time. It’s mostly at school that he dislikes going with me.
Honestly, what’s the point? Everybody knows we’re brothers. It’s not our arrival that is gonna set us apart. Being the twin sons of who we are, nothing does.
Later that evening, the Atwoods are all having dinner inside the kitchen. My parents are asking us how the first week back to school went.
"It was great, mom. I'm really excited for my senior year and college prospects." - I replied in an enthusiastic tone.
"That's good to hear, son. But just so you know, you don't have to forgo college in order for you to become Alpha. You can have a college degree and ascend as Alpha afterwards. It's not a 'either or' situation." - Mom argued in a light tone.
My brother grimaced at her words.
"Exactly. Neither of you needs to rush the ascension. Quentin can go to college as well, should he desire." - Dad agreed, glancing at my brother.
"I know, mom. Thanks." - I smiled weakly at her. I just don't want to fight Quentin on this, even though we're gonna have to. I'm not an ambitious person in that sense.
"I don't know about college yet. After I get mated to Cassie, I'll see where her mind is and if she wants to go. But of course I'll apply." - Quentin chimed in, unsure of himself for once.
My parents exchanged a look and breathed out a tired sigh.
"You do realize that there are hundreds of girls you could be mated to, right?" - Mom told him with a knowing glance.
"I know, mom. I'm not delusional about it. But I want her. I can't help the way I feel." - He rebuked, annoyed at her inquiry.
"We're just cautioning you to manage your expectations, son. Teenagers almost never get it right." - Dad argued in a firm tone as he stared at him.
Quentin scowled and grunted, but said nothing in response. Even he knows our parents are right. There's a very high probability that Cassie is not his mate.
"I remember as if it was yesterday when my high school boyfriend got mated right in front of me. I felt devastated." - Mom told us, replaying the scene in her mind.
Dad looked at her with a sting of jealousy, though he knows this story since they attended the same high school.
"I got it, mom. Move on, please!" - Quentin raised his tone, pissed off.
"I'm going out tonight and tomorrow Dragon is spending the night." - He notified them, still mad.
"You should have phrased it like a question, son. You don't tell us where you go and who comes to our house. We allow you, if we feel like it." - Dad rolled his eyes in annoyance.
He looked at my parents, taken aback by this and softened his expression with some welcomed humility.
"You're right, dad. I'm sorry for the way I spoke. Is it okay if Jalensky sleeps over here tomorrow?" - He corrected himself, speaking humbly.
"Yes, it's fine. Better him than Cassie." - Dad snickered, to which (only) mom laughed.
"I'd ask permission for her to sleep here too, but I know you'd never allow it." - Quentin remarked with a mischievous grin.
"You should count yourself lucky to be allowed to have a girlfriend at all." - Dad threatened him with a knitted frown.
"Yes, thank you Alpha." - He appeased our father with a meek tone.
I couldn't hold back the laughter as my brother was forced to humble himself. That is indeed a rare sight. Not that it goes unnoticed by him.
"Yeah, laugh it off princess. You're lucky nobody wants you!" - He jabbed at me. He loves to point out my lack of dating prospects.
"Don't talk to your brother like that!" - Mom reprimanded him, furiously.
I'm used to this treatment by him, as sad as it is. I'm not even bothered by it anymore.
"Quentin, you're on dish duty tonight." - Dad declared, much to my brother's dismay. He pouted like a spoiled brat and I relished in his instant karma.
Later at night, I texted Layla words of encouragement for her upcoming date. I’m sure everything is gonna be alright. Blaine is a handsome boy, not that beauty should count for anything. Not necessarily.
While I tried to rein in my friendly jealousy of her, I spent the night binge watching Heartstopper to make myself feel better. Though there’s one lesson in that show that I’m yet to apply to myself, as you’ll soon find out.
It’s kind of funny how I am as anxious about her date as if I was the one being asked. But I’m really hoping everything goes great tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
A|N: It’s kind of a funny story. This chapter was NOT supposed to end here, but as it happens I ended up over writing the prologue to the chapter and when I got to the endgame there was little space left for me to develop the storyline I intended.
It's why you'll get an extra JUDE episode instead of a Beck's. The next chapter is NOT for the faint of heart.
Unrelated, I think this is my first J.Lo song in any of my books. Not the one I would've wanted to go with if I had a choice. But I have to stay true to the theme of the chapter.
Love,
Léo.
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