Unbelievable.

Yesterday, on Halloween, Skylar told me that he wanted to pursue a romantic connection with me of all people. It took me a while to understand why he would break it off with Victoria, who was perfect for him, to try something with me, who should be the last person in Ravenwood he would ever set his sights on.

I have met his father, there is no way in hell he is allowing his son and heir to claim a nobody like me. He seems like a great guy, don't get me wrong, but there is a big difference between welcoming a guest in your house and receiving a prospect for your son. It's a whole different ball game.

There is just no way in hell that he would ever allow Skylar to claim me. It's laughable that he is even trying if you think about it. I should tell him to leave me alone and protect my heart from another disappointment, an inevitable heartbreak.

But Skylar seemed so sincere. Why would he make any of this up?

Could he want revenge for my actions back at his place when I went there to visit?

He would need to be machiavelic to wait almost a month to pursue that type of revenge... Also, I crashed and burned that weekend when I met my birth father. I am not doing well here in Ravenwood being dumped by the only guy I ever loved and had any chance to form a bond with. Why would he seek to punish me for something so trivial?

I am not doing well. This seems like a cruel and unusual punishment, an overkill for little old me. The only thing that makes sense is that he is actually telling the truth. There is no way he would risk losing Victoria for such an elaborate prank on me!

If that were the case, there are a million ways in which he could get to me without risking anything for him. I am an easy target and again... I am not doing well right now. What more could he take from me? Get me expelled? That seems like an overkill.

No, Skylar doesn't strike me as someone who would play with people's romantic feelings.

Simply because he never had to struggle before. Not only is he impossibly handsome, he is also very rich. I fail to see the angle here. I should be just a blip on his radar at this point. I always have been since I met him.

The only thing that makes sense is that he is telling the truth. I guess he imagined that anything he could ever build with me would be more genuine than whatever he would build with Victoria or anybody else here who is only after his money and position.

I think he got it in his head that the same thing that Jayden and I had, we could have as well. I am not sure it works like that because I was into Jay before I even knew who he was - I didn't know he was a Lockwood at first. That ship has long sailed with Skylar.

Any type of relationship we could have will be 'tainted' by his wealth and power. That is an inescapable truth. I don't know what he hoped we could have together, but I see no way out for us. There is just no way this could work, in my opinion.

With all that being said, why should I stop him from trying?

I am ashamed to say that my romantic prospect is dead in the water. There has been nothing going on with Jayden since the breakup almost one month ago. I have no other prospect or even anyone interested in me. Basically, all I have to look forward to right now is graduating from Ravenwood alone and with a good for nothing certificate.

As far as humans are concerned, Ravenwood Academy is billed as a preparatory school but it all amounts to nothing in the real world. If you are an Alpha, Beta, or Luna, then good for you. They teach valuable skills for those positions here, but other than that, out in the real world, I might as well get a college degree or I will never have a decent job.

That means there is a harrowing truth staring me in the face all along.

I am just spending my time here, nothing else. I was sent here with the hope of finding a decent partner who would not desert me like my mother was by my father. But right now that possibility is looking grim.

I am not a particularly proud person, but I am not keen on waiting around for one of Seth's disappointed suitors to come knocking at my door. Why should I be treated like a consolation prize?

I did not come here expecting I would be disputed by several students, but to be considered as an afterthought would not do wonders for my self-esteem, which is not even that high to begin with. Let's face it, I am a scholarship student from a small pack who was abandoned by his father before I was even born.

The prospects were never going to be easy for me to find, but that is why I appreciated Jayden so much. He saw me when I was invisible. But that is gone now. Like the fairy tale princess, the chariot turned into a pumpkin and nobody is looking for me to fit into a glass shoe. It is what it is.

It's Friday morning, the first of November.

Students are finishing off breakfast before they all leave for their homes. Unlike other weekends, no one is staying back today. Everybody is either taking a prospect home or simply going back to lick their wounds - and probably be chastised by their parents for not bringing home a viable candidate for partnership.

Last night's Halloween party was epic and some students were missing breakfast because they were still sleeping. Those who can afford to, I am a smart person who knows not to miss the most important meal of the day.

Later this morning, I am getting on a bus back to Boulder. But this time I am not going alone. Shocking? You have no idea!

"What?" Seth was in shock as I told him of some surprising news during breakfast today. He stayed up last night until two in the morning with Sean, but he can not afford to miss breakfast today because he will leave according to a schedule and can sleep on the plane back home.

"That was my reaction too." I confirmed it to him, baffled to be speaking these words.

"But my father will never approve of you, no offense." Seth told me the obvious.

"None taken. I told him that, but he said he is not taking 'no' for an answer." I relayed the message I was given last night by his brother.

"That's crazy! It doesn't work that way! My father has to sign off on my brother's contract or it won't be valid. And he will never sign off on you. No offense." He raised his voice enthusiastically.

I know, roommate. You don't need to sound so convincing. I have been burned before.

"I am sure he knows that." I took a drink of my coffee to give me the strength to suffer through this conversation that was already triggering me.

"I am sorry, I am not trying to be mean, it's just that Skylar knows what our father expects from him. He is expecting someone like Victoria, not you." He reiterated jaw dropped at his brother's intentions with me.

"Thank you for the clarification, but I knew that already. As did he, I imagine." I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I know we have zero chances, but I am not pursuing him. He came after me.

"I am sorry, I just don't want to see you getting hurt. Especially after what happened between you and Jayden." Seth looked worried for me, genuinely.

"I am already hurt, Seth. I am still heartbroken. Your brother cannot do anything to me, much less any harm. If he wants to indulge himself in some fantasy that he thinks he can sweep me off my feet and convince your father that he can claim a nobody to be his Luna then who am I to stop him? Do you see anyone else vying to be taken home by me?" I ranted, irritated. I am not mad at him, it's just an unfortunate realization that I have nothing to lose.

Seth was perplexed by my ranting, he could detect the hurt in my voice. I am still not over Jayden and I make no secret of that. I know that the Alphas can hear me, but I do not care about that. I have nothing to hide and no reason to care about what anybody thinks of me. I am done.

At the Alpha section of the cafeteria, some very shocked Alphas are also having breakfast.

"You can't be serious! You broke up with Victoria for him!? He will never be yours!" Kyle reprimanded Skylar with a worried and angry expression on his face, sitting across from each other as usual. Jayden is also baffled by this news.

"I am as serious as a heart attack. Why should I be forced to choose who my parents want for me? Why can't I have what I want? That is Jacob Anderson Broderick, and I stand by that." He declared, not letting anything shake his confidence.

"His last name is Broderick? How do you know that?" Jayden interjected, confused about the information.

"There is a lot that you don't know about, roomie." Skylar told him, smugly.

"But what I do know is that your brother is right. He will never be yours. Your father will never sign off on the contract." Jayden spoke in a threatening tone, glaring at him.

"I am not you, roomie. If my father doesn't sign off on the contract, I will marry Jake and we will sign our own contract alone. Last time I checked, this is still America. Both of us are legal consenting adults and I have nothing to fear." Skylar declared and literally everybody gasped in shock at the same time. The cafeteria was full of students.

Jayden scoffed.

"You wouldn't dare!" He laughed as if challenging him.

"Watch me! Not everyone is a spineless brat afraid of his grandfather." He provoked Jayden, setting him off.

"You son of a bitch! If you hurt him in any way–"

"Like you have?" He cut Jayden off, raising his voice.

"I cannot hurt him any more than you have, Jay. Unlike your relationship with him, he does not expect anything to come from this, so whatever happens between us will be a surprise." He stated with unshakable confidence.

You have to admire the guy. He is valiant. Delusional, sure. But I can't help but admire his self-confidence. Jayden was furious at Skylar, but he did not lie so far. He is boasting, but not lying.

"Oh my Goddess, you're serious about this, aren't you?" Kyle stared at him, perplexed.

"I wouldn't have broken up with Vic if I wasn't. I want Jake to be my prospect. I just need to convince him that not all Alphas will break his heart." He spoke with an endearing quality.

"Wouldn't it be easier to make Victoria fall in love with you?" Kyle was gobsmacked at his words.

"I know this concept is difficult to understand, Kyle. But here is the thing. Four decades ago, people were not mated based on wealth, race, or anything other than what was best for them. It's preposterous to think that a person like Jake can not be paired with a person like me. Lunas used to be selected by their strength of character, not how much money their family had. We lost sight of that trait. I want Jake precisely because out of all the people in here, he is the one person who is not going to say yes to me because I am a Stronghold. It's easy to find a gold digger. But what is hard is to find someone who loves you for who you are inside. That is what I want, do you understand? I don't want to be loved for my money or status. If I can't make him fall in love with the real me, then what's the point?" He ranted, trying to make himself crystal clear.

Wow. I am legitimately impressed by him. I am baffled by his reasoning. I guess he has given it a lot of thought before he made his decision after all.

"What happened between the two of you on that trip to Texas? I feel like this has been boiling in you for quite some time." Kyle wondered, intrigued by this phenomenon.

"He accused me of bullying him in front of my parents." He answered and I gasped in shock at his bluntness.

"Really? In front of your parents? That took some balls!" Kyle gasped.

"Exactly. If he dared to be honest in front of the most powerful werewolf couple in the country, then he is the one for me. I am only sorry that I did not see that until now. But you're right. It has been bubbling up for quite some time." He admitted, sincerely.

"Oh, my Goddess!" Seth gasped in shock as he realized something.

"He does want you!" He stared at me incredulously.

"Apparently. All I had to do was to call him on his bullshit. Classicism is so outdated." I muttered, completely taken aback by Skylar's declaration. I did not think he had given that much thought about it. I guess he is not playing around...

After breakfast, I got ready for my trip while Seth readied for his. He will take Sean to introduce him to his parents, which is a huge deal. I honestly can only root for him. He deserves nothing but happiness.

Skylar met me with his luggage at the front of the second tower when we walked to the parking lot where the vans would take us to town. It was then that I learned that instead of taking the bus, Skylar had rented a car to drive us to Boulder.

I just never thought of that because traveling by bus is much cheaper than driving back and forth. Also, Ravenwood does not allow students to park their cars over there. It would be an impossible task with 160 students. That is why they offer vans to transport to and from the nearest town. They always have vans at all hours of the day - from nine am to nine pm.

We got into his rental car and he started driving toward my hometown.

"I didn't expect that speech from you earlier. Thanks for that." I told him, shyly.

"I spoke from the heart. I was wrong before and you were right. I should never have judged you for being a scholarship student. You are precisely the kind of people Ravenwood should strive to enroll. You are a good person, Jake." He complimented me and I blushed.

"You are a great person too, Skylar. Sometimes, all we need is a push in the right direction." I said, encouraging.

"Or a kick in the ass." He snickered.

"Whatever it takes." I laughed it off. I have no idea what this weekend has in store for me.

https://youtu.be/-ebtjgK8NNU

A|N: BOOM!

If there is one fault I probably have as a writer is that I am bad at giving intrigue and backstabbing, lies, and deception. Honestly - I use that word a lot - I am such a straight shooter that it's hard for me to give anything other than that.

I can never be truly insidious, but I am sure there are plenty of authors who already do that. All I can do is write from an honest place. There is so much deception in the world, maybe I could be a voice of dissent.

Who knows?

What you see is what you get. You know where you stand with me.

But I can always bring you a twist or two. Like the one that is coming next.

OFF: I love that song and singer.

Next is the pop classic by my favorite living female singer "My All". [On Saturday.]

Love,

Léo.