10 FEBRUARY, WEDNESDAY, GOING TO SCHOOL
Harvey knocked twice on the sliding door and let himself in with a polite bow, "Good morning."
I grabbed my stuff and headed out with Harvey.
"When I grow up, I want boys to come over and drive me to school too." Sabre decided.
"They're not boys, they're betas!" I called back.
"They're boys!" Sabre yelled back, "If they take off their pants, you will know because boys wear UNDERWEAR, NOT PANTIES."
Yes. Very important life lesson. Except, last I heard, Ben wasn't wearing any. Omo. Why did I remember that? Maybe I was turning into Carlie.
My betas chuffed their amusement. Ki needlessly held the sliding door open while Harvey led me out to the Porsche he had exchanged his truck for.
"I'll see you for the first reading later today. Madam Silvia will be joining us. She is quite thrilled about the new script." Ki informed me with his usual smile just as I passed.
I nodded as my mind tried to register what he was talking about. Harvey continued to lead me out and into the car.
Oh yeah, I had to stay back for theatre practice later. We're reading the script together for the first time. Who knew my highschool life would see me involve in something artsy like theatre? Who knew that all the camp night skits would one day cumilate to the leading role of my highschool's next blockbuster hit?
It definitely wasn't in my life plan of becoming the alpha, but wth.
Maybe that's what my mad genius Dad planned when he said that I should get exposure to different things in high school.
At least it was part of somebody's plan, I guess.
Once in the car, Harvey went through my plan for the day. It was suddenly normal and calm again. No drama, no intrigues, no elaborate schemes to take over the world. Just the daily schedule of a highschooler. I had school, and the first reading of my school's theatre production.
The last two days had been really long so I was looking forward to a quiet evening to just do homework and write in my diary.
YES! Suddenly the life of a normal highschooler seemed very appealing to me. Maybe it was the way Savy and Lizzy and Ben looked as they jetted off in the Lambo. They were still in Middle School too! I was the highschooler! I should be the one dressed like the cool kid, hanging with my gang, riding on a Lambo... Okay, not the Lambo. But you know what I mean.
Maybe Mum was right. I was 15. I should be doing stuff. I'm not sure exactly what kind of stuff, and my school required a uniform, but I NEED TO LIVE A NORMAL TEENAGE LIFE! Or I'll be just like Wolfie - stuck forever in my 10 year old level.
I worked really hard the last two nights at Alpha-ish things. Maybe I could take the rest of the week to soak in just being a real teenager, like the ones in the manga I was reading. This could be my new beginning! I mean, maybe the reason why I wasn't becoming a cool teenager was because I wasn't spending enough time working on it.
I'm always like "I'm the alpha." Maybe this week I could be like, "I'm the cool teenager."
Yeah, suddenly that sounded quite appealing. That's exactly what I was going to be. I was going to be the cool teenager. I wasn't going to be betrothed to my Luna. I was going to have a boyfriend (whether he knew it or not, Bell was my boyfriend, as of now.)
Tada! Instant boyfriend! I felt a little like Cinderella, having a pumpkin (mate) turned into a coach (boyfriend). Bipbitiy bopity boo! Let's use the magic of imagination and turn me cool!
I was going to do cool teenager stuff that wasn't just reading the mangas everyone had read in middle school - although I had to keep going - I had a new volume in my bag today. It's urm... how did Savy put it? It's research. If Savy could use the vast wisdom within the folds of these manga comics to learn what human love was, I could use it to learn to be a cool teenager.
In fact, I would commit everything I do this week to being a cool teenager. Maybe my coolness just needed to be cultivated.
Except that Harvey continued by highlighting several upcoming events after today:
Dinner with the Lorent's at our home would be next Friday. While this at first sounded like a pack relation event between two neighboring alpha families about to merge with the mating of their heirs, with a wave of my wand, I realized this was kinda still a cool highschooler's life. Because my parents were inviting polite company over for dinner. Who happened to be my boyfriend's family. Very teenage drama type of thing. Anyway, it's all the way at the end of next week. Maybe by then, I'd already master the art of teenage coolness.
Mum and Savy had made a shopping appointment with me after school on Thursday. Since when did my own mother and sister need to schedule an appointment with my betas to go shopping together with me? But other than that, it sounded like a natural and normal highschool thing to do right? Even though I didn't think I needed anything, it would be fun to go out with Mum and Savy. I think Savy mentioned needing to buy an outfit for the Vday Dance on Sunday night. It had been a while since we walked around the department stores, and stopped for ice-cream or had frappes at a coffee house or ate lunch at the sushi bar - the second part was always the highlight for me. Mum always treated us something nice when we went shopping together.
Thursday training session had been swapped to Friday for this week. Hank would be the trainer. Ben would be expected to spar for his rank. I got excited about the fight at first, but then I remembered that I was supposed to be a cool teen. I guess if you imagined this like a dance or gym session... Urm... Like weekly kickboxing aerobics class, I think I was still on the very normal highschooler activity. Yeah... Don't argue with me. THIS IS A NORMAL COOL HIGHSCHOOLER ACTIVITY! I'll even make sure to wear some cool gym gear.
This Friday is the official Vday celebrations in school. Yes! Totally highschool event! The balloons have been ordered. Ki would have them delivered to school around lunch time. Also the ingredients had arrived yesterday. I've got loads to do before Vday, but cool teens had stuff like that to do all the time right?
Henry had selected a terrain and engineering specialist to analyze the Princess Town hill. He requested their visas to begin work. Bell had responded the email in affirmative on his own initiative. He added that he would lead the team to root out the rogues. The rogue hunt had been confirmed to run from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. Harvey sounded quite confident, "I believe Luna Bell plans to successfully win the bet you made with Alpha Henry."
I can win my own bets... I just needed to figure out how hunting rogues was part of being a normal cool teenager. Or how to be at two places at the same time.
Because on one hand, I was packed back-to-back with normal teenager activities which would help me become the cool teenager I aspired to be.
On the other hand, there was a three day rogue hunt with the underground army happening without me.
If I was the suspicious type, I would think that someone purposely arranged my schedule like this to make it impossible for me to do both.
But I was sure it had to be a coincidence that it was all happening on the same three days because organizing everything just to keep it coincidental to this scale and detail was just ridiculous.
"We have received Priscilla's invitation to her dinner party for this Friday night. Ki has responded with our regrets since your schedule is full." Harvey informed me.
Oh right, because Thursday training happened to be swapped to Friday this week.
"Why is our training on Friday this week anyway?" I asked. I wondered if it were to accommodate Hank's schedule, or the warriors from Friday's training, or the Morning Light youths...
"So that you would honestly be unable to attend Priscilla's party." Harvey answered.
Oh. So you reshuffled the trainers and warriors and everyone else's rosters and schedules? Like, huh? But, okay...
"What's my schedule like on Saturday?" I asked. Last day of the rogue hunt, maybe I could still dream travel over.
"Breakfast with your friends, there is a special valentine's day event by the Lycan Study Group, details are in your email inbox - should I upload it to your Kindle?" Harvey paused.
I nodded, "Okay."
Although if it were document #5005, I would be quite unlikely to see it before Saturday.
He continued, "There are two meetings Saturday afternoon, running back to back at the packhouse conference room, followed by the housewarming dinner at the Alpha House that your parents are hosting. And then your pool party during and after."
Eh?
"Why is it my pool party?" I asked.
Harvey frowned a little, then he answered carefully, "Ben was told by Lizzy and the other girls that you had asked them to arrange to use the pool through him. Ki decided to tag it to the dinner party your parents were throwing for the economies of scale and organizing convenience."
Oh right. I did tell the girls to ask Ben about using the pool during lunch last Saturday. I hadn't expected a party though.
Wait no... That wasn't the point.
"So it just had to be this Saturday?" I asked. This Saturday... Like on the last night of the rogue hunt Saturday?
Harvey paused for a moment, "What do you mean, princess?"
I nodded, "Spill it, Beta. Something's up."
Harvey winced, "Apologies, Alpha. Your schedule this week was complicated by a few irregularities since last weekend due to a somewhat complex chain of command. I'm not sure how to best explain it."
"Just say whatever it is in simple English." I suggested.
Harvey made a face which was either that he was reluctant, or that he was truly racking his brain to figure out to how to put it.
"Normally, your schedule is planned by the principles of priority and urgency." Harvey started. In which I lost him at "normally". So much for simple English.
"Priority is given to your health, safety, education, pack commitments, and personal goals and promises as the future alpha of Moon Bell." Harvey continued to explain, "Considerations include feasibility and savings, cost-benefits, and beta welfare."
It all sounded very sensible...and complicated.
"Occasionally, there are instructions from the Alpha Office, which overrides our intended schedules. Or requests from the Elder Betas which we make all reasonable efforts to comply with." Harvey continued in his usual detailed explanations, but that was also his strength...all the little details, "Besides, the Alpha Office, and our Elder Betas, we strive to accommodate your Luna's needs and preferences. And according to your relationship with your family, we are careful to respect, protect, and care for your home and family members."
That's nice to know. But I'm waiting for the catch - like the revelation of what made it such that I was packed back to back on the exact dates of the rogue hunt in the Gold Packlands.
"Your mother... She had made it very clear to us, with your father, that she does not want you to participate in the rogue hunt. Your Luna had volunteered then to take it on in your stead. This was the main factor of consideration for this week's schedule."
Therein laid my answer. Meet culprit #1: my mother. I waited as he signaled and made a turn.
"Furthermore, your Luna Bell was adamant you did not attend the matchmaking party Priscilla was throwing for her son. This was largely as expected." Harvey intoned.
Culprit #2: my overtly possessive mate.
"The housewarming of the new alpha house could not be delayed further, since your parents intended to convey their deep thanks to all for their concern and care in a timely manner. Savy is intent on having the pool party this week. Sabre requires Ki for a couple of playdates..."
Culprit #3, 4... Wait what?
"So my betas are now organizing parties and playdates for various members of my family?" Was that even part of the job description?
"Actually, the Alpha and her family's PR and events would fall into Ki's sphere of expertise." Harvey informed me.
So organizing fancy dinners and pool parties and playdates was a thing betas did?
Opps, and I dragged him into directing my school play, and helping me get Vday balloons. Maybe playing a Shakespearean knock-off character Bulliet, and giving out heart-shaped balloons counted as PR too. Hahaha. What kind of PR was that for a future Alpha? Omo.
"Due to the irregularities of the week, we had redistributed the beta workload, and scheduled the events so that all the criteria are met and everything is entirely on schedule." Harvey concluded in his usual calm and steady way.
At this point, my brain short circuited. I nodded, but I had no idea to what I was nodding to.
All I knew was that driving out in pickup trucks and motorbikes with my betas and some warriors to round up rogues in the Gold Packlands would be out of the question this week.
Perhaps I would have no choice but to stay home and cultivate my coolness.
Hahahaha.
You couldn't possibly have thought I would really just stay home!
Please! You should know me better than that! Where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is dream travel.... Muahahaha!
I would be at that rogue hunt with or without my betas!
What? It was a perfectly normal cool teenager thing to do! I've watched cool teenagers on TV sneak out at night to go to concerts and or midnight movies all the time. Okay, so a rogue hunt wasn't exactly a midnight movie... But bipity bopity boo! Nothing a bit of magic can't do!
I'll be at the hunt and back by dawn and my beautiful, unevil, birth mother would not have a clue! Muahahaha!