12
Raven
The cafeteria was already buzzingwith students when we arrived, and I realized for the first time exactly how many people attended this school. While breakfast had been scattered with open tables and tables with lots of open seats, lunch was a different story.
My palms were sweaty as I gripped a plastic tray and followed Makayla through the line to get food. The kind looking women working behind the counter set a plate with a burger and fries on my tray. It wasn’t my favorite meal, but my stomach still grumbled in appreciation at the prospect of food.
I grabbed a few paper cups full of fruit and followed Makayla out of the line. She led us through the maze of tables toward the back of the room.
“New girl, come sit with us,” one of the sirens hissed.
I ignored her and kept walking.
Someone whistled at me and my cheeks burned. What was with this place? Did they all miss high school this much that they had to pretend they were back there?
A leg shot out in front of me and I stopped just in time to keep myself from landing face first on the ground. I bared my teeth and turned to find Remi, stretched out in his seat causally.
“Do you mind, asshole?” I nodded to his outstretched leg.
“Not at all,” he said, pulling his leg back in.
I rolled my eyes and took a step forward.
“Hey, Raven,” he called out.
I turned to look at him despite the fact that I knew I should ignore him.
“You and I got off on the wrong foot this morning. How about you let me make it up to you? I can pick you up tonight at seven and I’ll show you a good time.”
“She doesn’t need to catch your fleas,” Makayla growled.
“How about you play fair here, wolf,” he said.
“Remi, I accept your apology, but I’m not dating anyone right now,” I said. It wasn’t what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him that I wouldn’t let him touch me if he was the last man alive but I knew I didn’t need the extra enemies or the distractions of a bully. If I was really going to get through this school, I had a lot to catch up on. And I knew that despite the fact that my only friend was a wolf shifter, I had to find some mages to help me.
“Fair enough,” he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “You know where to find me when you’re ready.”
“Come on,” Makayla said.
I turned away from Remi and followed Makayla to a table at the back of the cafeteria where Ben and three other students were sitting. She set down her tray and took one of the empty seats. I sat down next to her, trying to avoid eye contact with Ben. I wasn’t ready for the flips I knew my stomach would make when I looked at him.
“You must be our resident mage,” a girl with blonde curls said.
“That’s me,” I said, then I took a huge bite of my hamburger to prevent having to say anything else.
“Let the girl eat,” Makayla said. “Remi knocked her breakfast all over the floor this morning.”
“And he’s still alive?” The blonde girl asked. “Wow, Ben, how did you hold back?” She had a strong southern drawl and came across as someone who was often the center of the gossip. I wasn’t sure why I thought that, but I had a feeling if I wanted info about anyone, she was the girl to ask.
I lifted an eyebrow and risked a glance at the pack’s alpha. For a moment, our eyes met and just as I expected, a rush of tingles shot through me like electricity sizzling down through my chest, low into my stomach. We both turned away.
“Never mind that,” Makayla said. “What I want to know is why Cormac is in confinement. Who was in gym this morning? Did anyone see it?”
The table burst into conversation as one of the other shifters, a man with dreadlocks and a full beard explained how someone named Cormac had threatened the gym teacher this morning. “It was like he snapped.”
I was grateful for the distraction away from me and used the time to eat all of my food quickly while I still had the chance.
Finally, feeling a little more like myself after the surprisingly good meal, I decided to join the conversation. These people seemed nice and I didn’t really care what their magical power was. “Officially introducing myself now, thanks for letting me eat. I’m Raven, reluctant mage.”