Meanwhile from Adalin's perspective...
School has definitely been eventful for Adalin, who's just been caught up in all of Owen's worries and concerns trying to help build him up and face them even though she barely has courage to face her own problems. Yet, it's the least she can do for him. She owes him so many life times and when she's with him all her problems just seem so stupid and minor compared to his own.
He must feel like an alien creature so afraid of getting negative reactions from everyone around him that he would reject his own species nature to try and live among her kind in peace. Forget her anguish at never liking herself when she looked in the mirror at least others are willing to accept her a million times over, before they accepted or understood the true nature of Owen. Than again maybe he's also being too much of a harsh judge on himself.
She knows he is the most self controlled and self disciplined person on this planet, well at least in her eyes. Owen is like water. He lets the bad things roll over and sail through him like it's nothing. Yet, when the others started to turn on Adalin he snapped. He became a storm of emotions unable to calm himself out of love for her.
She blushed at the thought of comparing Owen to the ocean, but in all honestly maybe he was a lot like it. Hunters are a diplomatic need it seems. They are the reasons more wars between the different species was happening on a daily bases... It obviously still happened, but rarely it's something bad enough for an all out war to break out between the species.
She recalled Ryan saying that she is Owen's center and felt her face flush more at the thought. She's a sailor taming the wild spirit of the sea.
Adalin shakes her head, "I really need to stop trying to compare Owen to the ocean... Geez." She sighed and Owen glanced at her curiously his eyes ever watchful and observant.
"Something the matter?" Owen asked as Gregory and Keith said their goodbyes to break apart to head to class.
"Wait! You two should apologize for skipping class too!" Adalin told them, but they seemed to of escaped.
Owen chuckled, "They rather not miss study hall. It's the last class and they probably gots lots of homework to catch up on." Owen explains his light rose eyes twinkled with joy.
Adalin felt her heart race again and watched as Owen looked at her intensely only making her heart race even faster, "Well... we should go apologize at least!" she felt to nervous around him.
It's not that she doesn't trust him. She trust him completely, how couldn't she at this point? It's just their binding was getting stronger and more intense as if searing romance and passion into their hearts and souls to draw them ever closer. She wondered for a second if it was as strong for him as it was her or even worse?
Owen deeply sighed, "Yeah yeah. He's coming up the stairs. Should be out soon. Probably getting ready to head home. After study hall school will be over." He explains calmly and collected.
"What about that student? Bryan? I think?" Adalin asked.
"Tomorrow I'll apologize... not today. Owen replied dismissively not liking that idea.
"You have to take me with you when you do!" Adalin gently grabbed his arm to look at him determinedly.
Owen looked at her with sweet smile full of fondness, "Alright. Haha But that'll be the only time... you're a junior... I can't steal you from class. You'll fail school." Owen explains softly.
Adalin felt her cheeks get warm and bite her lip. She didn't want to be away from Owen. Not when she found him. Any second he could disappear and she'd lose him. The moment she thought it her eyes started to water.
Owen looked surprised and quickly hugged her, "I..." for a moment he wasn't sure what to say as he pulled away and looked at me with those beautiful rose eyes full of worry.
"Stay with me for at least today... I'll be okay... and come visit me every day... well... uh... yeah..." Adalin blurted calming herself down as her face went red.
"Oh sweet Adel... how you test me." Owen sighed kissing her forehead, "Alright. For you. I'll do it. I'll visit you everyday and spend the rest of what I can of today with you." He stepped back and gave her a big goofy grin with joy in those eyes of his.
The white bland walls of the school almost seemed like clouds to Adalin.
Yes this is heaven...
The white marble tile floors are just there to keep them from falling. The red double doors to the gym was just a warning to use at their own risk as working out can lead to injuring the body not meaning to after too many uses...
Owen glanced at the red doors as they swung open shattering her out of her weird daydream, "Hey. Couch. Sorry we skipped class. Mind if we talk for a bit?" He asked and the couch nodded as he walked over to them.
"Alright... I'm here. Now want to explain what happened back there?" Lawerence, a man with sunburn skin dressed in silver and blue gym clothes with a silver narwhal on the back and the words Masacara Highschool on the front, asked.
"Bryan called Adalin a shirt lifter. You do know that's just as bad as calling someone a skirt lifter." Owen crossed his arms looking way more intimidating than he meant to.
"Alright. I see why you nearly attacked the boy. I'll have word with his parents and ask the principal to give him detention. That doesn't explain why you destroyed school property by popping a basketball." The couch nodded.
Owen shyly rubbed the back of his head blushing, "I think I can explain this one couch." Adalin immediately jumped to rescue him.
"Do tell." Lawerence nodded.
"So... recently everyone learned Owen is a hunter right? That means he's never used his full potential on the students... well Bryan wanted Owen on his team, because Owen was a hunter... not because Owen's a good player or anything. As well everyone is just taught that hunters are our twice superior... but I think anyone understands what that really means..." Adalin carefully explained to the couch.
"Yes. I think I'm starting to understand." Lawerence nodded.
"So Owen was doing his best at trying to explain to them... that he can't use his full potential with them, because our human bodies wouldn't be able to handle it, but it wasn't registering in their heads... So he thought demonstrating his strength would finally help them understand, but it didn't. They reckless still believed it would be fine... but Owen knows how strong he is... and how weak we humans are compared to him. He just didn't want to hurt them or have them hate him when he refused to use his full potential... they would just hate him and say he threw... and they lost cause he was a scared cat." Adalin explains putting her hand on her chest.
"I see..." the couch thinks about this as he plays with his bushy mustache, "Welp. Sometimes pain is the best teacher. If they weren't going to listen than maybe you should of played not at your full potential, but at a potential where they understood that you doing so is dangerous to them." He explains.
"I.... Uh... Er..." Owen looks a bit unhinged by that advice.
"Wouldn't he just get into trouble for that?!? Afterall rough housing isn't allowed in school... well at least not my schools..." Adalin scolded the teacher.
"Hmm... nope... because... in sports there's always a risk of injury. I wouldn't be mad at him. I'd tell them. You'd wanted to know what it was like playing sports with a hunter. You got your answer. Next time listen to a hunter who's trying to tell you it's a bad idea." Lawerence explains.
Owen scoffed and laughed at the same time still looking a bit unnerved, but also there's a strange hint of acceptance, "Unfortunately sir... I don't trust myself to have enough discipline to do something of that nature quite yet. I'm not trained properly... so I'm more likely to accidentally nearly end someone not meaning too." Owen admits sighing.
"I think you should trust yourself a bit more. You didn't punch that kid. That take a lot of self discipline." The couch pats Owen on the shoulder, "Trust in yourself a bit more. Sometimes the best training is yourself and life's many huddles." He explains.
Owen smiled, "Thanks couch."
"Alright than. Immma head home. I'll be the first to admit. I get way to hot headed when things go wrong and don't think straight. So I'm sorry for that. I'm working on it. I promise to try and be a more patient teacher with you two." Lawerence explains smiling softly.
"It's okay. I know you were just doing what felt right in the moment. We don't blame you. Have safe trip home." Adalin waved him off.
"Respect teach." Owen takes his fist and pounds it twice on his chest where his heart is and than brings it to his lips and kisses than throws a peace sign that also uses to salute him.
The teacher does it back and than leaves, "Ruskian gesture of respect?" Adalin asked Owen.
"Yeah. Lots of folk use it as the super of all respect gestures. Actually the Ruskian's don't use the peace sign. That's something we Galains added." Owen chuckled.
"Huh!" Adalin was in awe of the knowledge that Owen had.
"You seem... no offense... very blind to all these things..." Owen winced.
"I spent most my life on a ship on the sea... with dad's crew... so yeah... I might be a bit culturally sheltered or isolated if you prefer..." Adalin rubbed her head shyly.
"That makes sense. Ever think about leaving the sea life for one on the land?" Owen asked.
Adalin looks away and fidgets her hands looking a bit gloomy. She's definitely been thinking about it. After all, it be the easiest solution to her problems. After she graduated to just settle down somewhere, but that meant leaving her father and possibly never seeing him again.
Owen takes her hands and she looks up into his warm rose eyes, "It's okay. Let's face it together." He grinned angelically.
Adalin bursted into tears throwing herself on Owen unable to help it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deeply kissed him with thankful tears rolling down her face. She really needed to hear that. That she's not going to be alone if she decided to stay on land. That she doesn't have to continue the lonely nights with just her dog and no friends. For the first time in her life... She had someone to share life with...
"Don't ever leave me!" Adalin pulled away still crying.
"I won't." Owen swore kissing her with just as much happiness.
Eventually they pulled away both of them looking at each other extremely flushed. Obviously, if they could they'd probably just hold each other and kiss all day, but not right now. Now isn't the time for that. They both take deep breaths and come to the mutual agreement that they should hurry up to get to class.
The teacher was Mrs. Sloan again, who gave them a stack of study guides to use for their up coming test.
"You have a week to study. Luckily it's the beginning of the new semester so there won't be too much homework. This also counts toward your finals for this semester as summer is coming up soon." Sloan explains.
"Yup but after our test it's going to be testing heck for me and you too." Owen tells Adalin.
"Fun..." Adalin wasn't looking forward to that.
Sloan paused to think about that, "If you pass this exam. I'll ask the principal to give you another week to study for the exams the seniors are taking. Otherwise... you should be fine with the junior exam since you'll be attending tomorrow. Make sure to take lots of notes though." Sloan nodded.
"Thank you Mrs. Sloan." Adalin was happy that she was so helpful despite her strict nature.
She's a good kind of strict. I'm really lucky to have her working so hard to help me with all of this. My other teachers focused more on the other students and left me to struggle... Not that I can blame them. I'm just that one transfer student that comes and goes in a year to two years...
Owen looked at Adalin worriedly and Sloan nodded, "Mister Pompey!" She called to her snapping Adalin out of her thoughts.
"Yes?!?" Adalin asked.
"If you ever need help with anything. We have a tutor, who's teaching our students free of charge. So don't be afraid to use that to your advantage. You're a good kid and you deserve all the tools you need to succeed." Sloan explains proudly making Adalin hood back tears.
"I won't let you down!" Adalin felt inspired to not only pass this exam, but graduated with Owen.
Her heart thumped fast at the thought of Owen and her walking across the stage together in their gowns and him just picking her up and hugging her in delight as they throw their hats and maybe kiss. It was a picture perfect scene worth fighting for.
Owen smiled, "We should get to studying! Thanks Mrs. Sloan!" He leads Adalin to a table as Sloan nodded and went to her desk to work on some paperwork that needed grading and exams that needed to be made on the computer.
Adalin smiled at Gregory and Keith, who are doing their best to help each other study as she and Owen join their little round wooden table.
"We are the knight of the round table." Adalin thinks amused as she takes her seat feeling so happy.
Owen just borrows Adalin's book as he goes into detail about what she should expect, but she wasn't listening as her eyes found Bryan and Duncan among the crowd of students. She only recognized them thanks to the incident in the gym and couldn't help, but spy on them a bit.
"You lost again. So you get to do my homework." Duncan tells Bryan yawning as he puts his head down to rest.
"Yeah. Yeah whatever." Bryan mumbled as he begins to write down notes from the book.
As Adalin was about to look away, she paused to see Bryan glance at Duncan and than at the others with alert blue eyes. He looked like he was up to something. The others around him were to busy studying with another to notice him. The little Dutchness boy ripped his notes and began writing something breathing heavily.
"Hmm... Huh... I see... It's a love letter." Owen whispered and Adalin jerked and saw Owen was curiously watching her watching the same thing.
"What?" Adalin whispered not wanting Bryan to notice them spying across from three tables.
"Shh. Let's watch." Owen out a finger on his lips.
Adalin nodded and went back to watching and she saw Bryan slip the letter into the backpack of the sleeping Ruskian boy. Adalin covered her mouth in shock her face going red as Bryan quickly went back to taking notes trying to play it cool.
Owen gently tapped Adalin's shoulder and pointed at the book, which stared at confused, "Just incase he looks over. He won't be able to read our lips from this far and think we studying." Owen explains.
"Gotcha." Adalin nodded and yet she had no idea what to say after witnessing that.
"Those two are always trying to one up another... So I find it cute that it seems this is how Bryan is trying to impress his crush." Owen smirked.
"I hope it works out for him. I mean... doing something like that is scary... you never know how people will react." Adalin explains shyly and softly.
"Hmmm... if doesn't work out... let's bring him into the pack." Owen decided.
"The pack?" Adalin blinked.
Owen went red, "Uh... a pack to a hunter is like a family... I'm no alpha by any means... maybe a beta at best. But... to me... you. Gregory and Keith are my pack. I want to go to infinity and beyond to protect you all and make you all happy." Owen explains.
"But your dad isn't part of your pack?" Adalin asked.
Owen winced and rubbed his head, "To much.... Raw emotions... very mixed... between father and me... we have strong bond and of course I'd protect him... I don't want him unhappy, but I treat him like alpha... meaning he's responsible for his own happiness. He is... my alpha... sort of.... Ahahaha... it's weird..." Owen grimaced.
"Alpha... beta... what are those?" Adalin asked.
"It's like a ranking system. Alpha leads over everyone except very special Omegas. Some Omegas become the alpha to alphas and have to run pack with alpha... or for the alpha depending on the situation." Owen explains shyly blushing.
"So you're a beta?" Adalin felt curious about that.
"I'm the right hand man of alpha. If there is no alpha or chosen alpha successor. Beta must take the role. But beta's don't ready want to be leaders or interested in it... Or those that are have inferior complex cause they always trying to one up the alpha... there's a few causes were alpha let's beta be alpha as alpha feels they aren't ready... so yeah it's very complicated." Owen blushed.
"You don't feel like your inferior to everyone do you?" Adalin asked concerned.
"I grew up around humans. Kinda hard to be jealous of a human... no offense!" Owen apologized.
"Oh come on! Surely some of you must feel just a little jealous of how crazy insane we humans can be!" Adalin asked.
"Hmmm... Well theres a few old souls that are pretty impressive." Owen recalled.
"Old soul?" Adalin asked.
"That's what we call humans who have reincarnated and remember their reincarnation in same way." Owen explains.
Adalin froze and stares at Owen in horror, "Oh my gosh. I'm an old soul." She blurted.
Owen looks at Adalin suddenly going stiff, "What?" He looks confused.
Adalin covered her mouth turning red and shakes her head to afraid to speak now. Owen just paused to stare at the desk for a moment as if letting that sink in.
"I mean... I guess... that does make sense. Old souls tend to be more accepting of the crazy things. They've seen it all. They know how to deal with it... I thought it was your carefree nature as Germone though.. How did I? Not know?" Owen looks away looking confused and ashamed.
"I mean... I could be wrong." Adalin tried to help.
"You... knew when we saw each other... we were mates... it doesn't always happen like that. Soulmates usually take time to accept each other... I mean it's hard to accept being bond to a person all your life... not knowing who they are or even why you're bond can be frustrating along with all the emotions and feelings that come with being bond... most will deny it or reject it completely..." Owen looks at Adalin softly.
"Owen..." Adalin touched her chest regretting bring this up.
"If you're an old soul... Did I at least do my job and protect you until she got you?" Owen starts tearing up.
Adalin starts crying, "Yeah. You did... always... so do me favor... let me protect you this time." She touched his hand and held it.
Owen stiffened, "Adalin... have... you... been seeing.... me..." he gulped.
"Yeah. You'd protect me... and than you're gone... leaving me alone." She cried harder.
"I'm. I'm so sorry!" Owen hugged her not caring that a few students were looking at them now.
"It's okay. You're here now... it's okay." Adalin wanted to hold him forever.
"Take outside you two." Sloan sighed.
"Ahem... yes... well than." Owen broke apart from the hug gather their things as he wiped his eyes, "Permission to head home early?" He asked.
"Granted. Go on. Get out of here. But try to be in time tomorrow." Sloan sighed.
Adalin takes Owen's hand as he throws her backpack over her shoulder and she wiped her face on her sleeve. They shyly blush as they say good bye to Gregory and Keith, who just cheering them on in their own special way as they head outside of the school together.
"I'll take you home... and text dad to see if he'll come over if it's alright with your dad... maybe have dinner?" Owen asked.
"Yeah. That sounds good." Adalin nodded leaning her head on his shoulder feeling at peace.
Please mother of sea and all the deities and spirits in between...
Let this love run it's full course until it's time for our bodies to give out....
Just this lifetime...
And I'll be satisfied...
Adalin walked with Owen as he claimed his skateboard and head up the mountain hill to her house with her close to his side.