—(Mark)—
Monday morning sucked, and although I normally woke up early, it didn't mean that I enjoyed doing it.
After the first few classes, I got back into the groove of things. But my personality had a subtle change. I was more outgoing and more willing to talk to the people around me. I still wasn't the old me before the bite, but I was more outspoken and more confident in myself.
I still struggled with my wolf side, but I was slowly making progress, and it showed whenever I shifted. My eyes were more red than yellow, and I noticed the changes in myself—my claws were sharper, and my teeth more prominent.
I still wouldn't call myself an Alpha, but I was close to becoming a full one.
When it was lunch time, I sat with Scott and Stiles since I wanted to ask how the full moon went for them. They both looked like shit and seemed more tense when talking to each other.
"Hey, Scott, Stiles, how have things been with you guys?" Both of them glanced at each other but gave me one-word answers before going back to eating their food. From their body language, I wasn't the problem here, but there was something going on between them.
I decided that I wouldn't dig into this situation here and now. I wasn't ready to deal with other people's problems when I was going through my own stuff.
Instead of sitting in silence, I went to sit with a few of the guys from the swim team who had the same lunch period as me. I was getting more connected with my team members.
Since I had missed a couple of swim practices, they let me know that we had another meet coming up soon, and it would be a home meet, so we would have more people from the school coming out to support the team.
I wasn't nervous, but the guys were a little since they didn't want to let down the friends that would come to support them. They also warned me that Coach Harris would probably push me to do more laps than the rest of the guys.
It wasn't a punishment, but he wanted me to make up for missing those practices. Which was something I couldn't get upset about, but it would suck.
Although I did have higher stamina, it didn't mean that I couldn't get tired. The only bright side was that my body would be alright by the following day.
Jackson looked dead, and I could really sense that there was something more going on with him. I would probably warn Scott to keep an eye on him the next time I saw him. There was no way for him not to notice that there was something wrong with Jackson.
When practice came around, I was itching to get in the water. Hell, I was the first one to show up to practice, and I just waved at Coach before I started to do laps. It was another 20 minutes before Coach blew his whistle to get my attention, and I got out of the pool. The guys were waiting for Coach to give us the training plan for today.
The guys were right; I was given more to work on, but I didn't complain. Although I think that Coach did expect me to because he paused when he told me what I had to do, but I just shrugged my shoulders before he continued on.
When practice was about to wrap up, Coach Harris pulled me aside for a small talk.
"Hey, Mark, can I have a moment with you?" he asked me.
"Sure, Coach. What's up?" I replied, grabbing my towel and slinging it over my shoulder.
He glanced around to make sure we had some privacy before speaking. "I've noticed you've been doing well, despite missing some practices. But I also noticed you've been different lately. More focused, maybe a bit distracted at times. Is everything okay?"
I hesitated, not sure how much to share. Coach Harris had always been supportive, but how do you explain werewolf problems to a normal person?
"Yeah, things have been... different, I guess. Just some personal stuff."
He nodded, his expression understanding. "I get it. If you need time or someone to talk to, you know I'm here, right? You're a valuable member of this team, Mark. We all go through things, and it's important to have support."
I appreciated his words, even if I couldn't fully explain my situation. "Thanks, Coach. I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Now, don't push yourself too hard. You've got potential, and I don't want you burning out," he added, patting my shoulder.
"I won't, Coach. Thanks again."
As I headed to the locker room, I thought about how much had changed since that night in the woods. Maybe I wasn't the same person I used to be, but I was starting to accept that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being a werewolf had its challenges, but it also gave me strength, both physically and mentally.
Me: Hey, you should keep an eye on Jackson. Something seems off.
A few minutes later, Scott replied.
Scott: Yeah, I noticed I'll see what up.
After practice, I spotted Michael waiting near the entrance, looking a bit lost. He had missed the bus, so I offered to give him a ride home.
As we drove, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple.
"Thanks for the ride, Mark," Michael said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us. "I noticed you missed a few days. Everything okay?"
I hesitated, my grip on the steering wheel tighten for a moment. "Yeah, I'm doing better actually," I replied, keeping my tone light. "What happened was just a small setback and it just brought back some bad experiences that I'm still processing."
Michael nodded, turning his gaze to the passing scenery outside the window. "If you ever need to talk, you know I'm here, right?"
His sincerity caught me off guard, and I felt a warmth of appreciation for his friendship. "Thanks, Michael. I appreciate it," I said, offering a small smile. "It's just... sometimes things get a bit overwhelming, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that," he replied, glancing back at me with understanding. "We all have our stuff to deal with."
We reached his house, and he hopped out, waving goodbye as I drove away.
Back home, I grabbed a quick dinner and settled in front of my computer. Logging into the game I often played with Noah, I felt a sense of anticipation. It was our way of unwinding after a long day, a shared ritual that helped both of us escape the pressure of everyday life.
As the game loaded, Noah's avatar appeared on my screen. "Hey, Mark! Ready to take on some quests tonight?" his voice crackled through my headphones.
"Absolutely," I replied, grinning. "Let's see if we can finally defeat that dragon this time."
We spent a few hours exploring virtual worlds, fighting battles, and laughing at each other's mishaps. There was something soothing about the familiarity of the game and the camaraderie we shared. It allowed me to temporarily set aside my worries and immerse myself in a different reality.
"Noah, you really need to work on your aim," I teased, as his character narrowly missed hitting a target.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he chuckled. "But at least I'm great at strategy. That's where you need some improvement."
We continued bantering back and forth, the friendly rivalry adding a layer of fun to our gaming session. Playing with Noah was a good distraction but it also kept us connected.
Eventually, as the night grew late, we logged off, promising to continue our adventure the next day. I leaned back in my chair, feeling a sense of contentment. With that, I headed to bed, ready to face whatever tomorrow might bring.