W O R D S : 2127

D A T E : 7/15/18

I was a liar. Not a good one, either. My parents used to say I had crocodile tears for how easily I could shed buckets of tears at anything. This was especially useful when I wanted to get Zach in trouble.

Now, most of my tears are real.

I couldn't switch classes, not this late in the year. It was an empty threat. There was no way around me seeing him again, considering we were neighbors. All there was to do was sit in my bed, and frown at a wall for long periods at a time.

One Monday, my heart was heavy. My parents had come home from the conference, and the comforting smell of waffles woke me up from my deep slumber.

I got myself ready slowly and quietly, my brain still mulling over what had happened over the weekend. It was such a cat and mouse chase, only it went in circles.

Mustering enough energy to get out of bed, I looked around my bedroom floor for clothes that would be okay to wear. I found some jeans and a slightly wrinkled shirt, and put those on. I let out a huff every time I bent down, my bones creaky and tired.

My mother gave me a soft smile when I came into the kitchen, walking forward to hug me. I had been asleep when they arrived last night, and we hadn't seen each other in a few days.

I let her hug me, and even made an attempt to hug back, before walking over towards my place at our table.

"Ruby, you okay? You're looking a little rough," My mother eyed my outfit up and down, wincing at my hair. I shrugged, taking a bite soft waffles. Pouring a generous amount of syrup on them, I took my time eating.

I was late when I had finished, but my mom didn't say anything. She looked like she was fretting in the corner, but still gave me a loving smile when I waved goodbye.

I grabbed my bag on the way out, and got into my car quickly. Patting the console lovingly, I sighed. It was going to be an interesting day.

I drove quickly, but not speeding. I knew I wasn't going to make the bell, even if I tried. So, there was no point in trying.

It was nice not having to fight to get into my parking place when I got to school. A few stray cars were pulling up as well, but the parking lot was nearly empty.

Even the walk to the building was sluggish and calming. In the back of my mind, I wondered if I was just serene, or I had given up. Or If I was serene because I had given up.

I pulled the respected books out of my locker, before going to class. Nobody said anything to me as I walked in, and I only got fleeting glances. They were talking loudly amongst themselves, and Fletcher was doing some silly presentation in the back.

Connell was staring at me when I sat down. Normally he would be doing something like grading papers, looking the opposite way of me as I walked in. Today, he was doing what I did so often. Stare.

I looked up to him, my tired eyes meeting his. He didn't hold any particular expression. A hint of conflict crossed his eyes, and his eyebrows scrunched down, before returning to normal.

I watched him dully, not having enough energy to do much else. I sighed, glancing down at my empty desk. He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

Tapping his fingers on his desk, he contemplated something in his mind, before motioning for me to come up. I looked around, before pointing towards myself. He rolled his eyes, and once again curled his fingers inwards to get me to come.

Like a dog, I obediently got up and walked towards him, my fingers running along the edges of peoples desks as I walked. When I got to his own desk, he rolled out from the desk, and came to the side.

"Ruby, you look tired," He said.

I frowned, and blinked a few times.

"Really?"

He swallowed at my annoyed response, and lifted his blue eyes to my own.

"Go home," He told me. It was an unexpected response, so I tilted my head, and took a step back.

"What?" I asked, confused. He was a confusing man, that was for sure.

He seemed like he didn't want to be talking to me, like it bothered him. Still, he repeated his words. There was an ounce of care behind them, and I was surprised he would show such emotion.

There was silence as he turned away from me, pulling some random papers from his desk to look at. My mouth opened as I tried to think of a response, before closing. There was nothing to say.

Walking to my desk, I picked up my bag, and looked towards Maddie and Sara. They were both asleep, a serious case of the Mondays. They probably hadn't even realized I had come in.

Turning around, I walked towards the door, giving one more glance towards Connell before leaving the room.

Though I was tired, I knew I couldn't go home. My mom was home, and she would have a million questions if I came home any earlier then lunch. She would just assume I had a cut day if I came home at lunch.

I was also too tired to leave the actual school, so I decided to stay a bit longer. I went to the black box, and hid in a corner. There was a seat, and plenty of pillows for me to fall asleep. I was surprised that the door was even open.

I slept for hours. I've never been more comfortable in school. The nice silence, the far away chatter of another classroom, and the soft blankets that were provided. I even slept through the nasty sounding bells, much to my astonishment. That just showed my skills. In sleeping, of course.

By the time I was awake, I only had an hour left for school. That meant I slept a long time. Figuring I should stay till the last hour was over, I went on my phone for a long time. When the bell rung, I let with the other kids.

Deciding I didn't want to brave the parking lot, I walked towards the picknick tables. I just people watched as kids left the school, shaded by the trees.

Just before I was about to leave, a sharp, nasally laugh made me turn. I recognized them right away, the boys I hated more than anything. The Crow brothers. A rather dark name, for completely idiotic boys.

They teased me when I was younger. Silly things, like laughing at me and running up to me, saying the other liked me. I knew they didn't, though. I didn't listen to them most days, and it only stopped when Mecah noticed and scared them into the next county. But Mecah's gone none.

I sighed as I turned back around, wishing I could bury myself (or them), into the ground.

"We if it isn't Ruby D." The tall one, Dug, sitting on the bench, uncomfortably close to me. I turned away, only to be faced with the other brother.

"Looking a little rough their Ruby," The black haired one laughed. I once again turned away. I let out a shaky sigh as I crossed my arms.

"Would you look at that, Ronnie, I think she's nervous," Dug said, smiling at his brother. Ronnie threw him smirk, patting me on my shoulder.

"Yeah, well, it's not like you have anything to worry about Ruby, no one- I mean, we don't like you anyways," Ronnie said. He so purposely misspoke, that I could have rolled my eyes. What is this- an early 2000's movie?

I clenched my jaw as I blinked, trying to block them out. Maybe if I didn't answer them they would go away.

"She's quiet today," Dug noted, nudging me with his leg. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"What's wrong Ruby? You mute now?" Ronnie laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I just glared at him, trying to think about how I could murder him with it going unnoticed.

"You need to wash your hair Ruby, it's gross," Dug said quickly after, pulling on one of my curls.

Unable to take anymore, I shot out of my seat, digging my feet into the dirt. I turned towards them, my tearful eyes looking at their smirks.

"Just shut up both of you! I pray for whoever marries you, they'll need it," I shouted, grabbing my bag from the ground. I ran at their laughing, trying to take deep breathes as my teary eyes followed the path towards my car.

As I passed the side doors of the school, I saw a familiar face. Connell was staring at me, his key card still in his hand, confusion clear on his face.

I let out another cry when I saw him, dramatically running the other way. It was like the entire world was against me, and he was just sprinkles on top.

He called out my name as I left. I walked in a different direction of the parking lot, towards the fields. Upon seeing the different sports teams getting ready, I walked down the only trail we had. It was overgrown and a little sketchy, but it seemed like it would work.

I wasn't sure for what, I but felt confident anyways.

I tried fruitlessly to brush my tears away as I walked further down the trail. I could hear his boots crunch on the leaves behind me. He was following so quickly, but he still kept a distance.

When I came to a curve, I stopped, and turned. When my red eyes and his met, I swallowed.

"Why don't you want to be my mate?" I asked. It was a question I had asked before. Maybe not this dramatically, but I had still asked it.

Connell stood in the middle of the path, looking lost. He was still trying to figure out my brain, and I knew he was getting himself confused. I was a teenage girl, I had no rhyme or reason.

"Ruby..." He murmured slowly. Pain was clear in his face, and for the first time I actually saw who he was. He was in pain.

"What's wrong with me?" I cried out, clenching my hands into fists. I swayed gently, my vision spotting. I had gotten myself too worked up.

Connell rushed forward and took my into his arms, sitting me down on the ground. The dirt was hard, and luckily not wet. The last of the autumn leaves had fallen, coloring it reds and oranges.

"I don't know what I did," I sobbed, putting my face into my knees. I was gasping for breath, and I could feel my chest constricting. My trouble breathing caused me to cry more, and I found myself getting dizzier as I struggled to control myself.

Connell shushed me, unzipping my jacket and pulling my to his chest. He put my hand to his chest, and took a few deep breathes to calm himself. As I tried to catch my breath, I listened to his heart, and found it calming.

In a broken voice, Connell spoke quietly.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ruby."

I swallowed, my cries quieting. I looked up at his face. His eyes were stormy and shiny, and I could see his nose getting red as he tried to control his own emotions. He was in a fight with himself and his wolf.

"You already have," I let out one more tearful sigh, casting my eyes downwards.

Connell seemed to look off, before rubbing his eyes. He tightened his arms around me, even though I was getting to the point that I didn't need his touch.

"If I love you, I could hurt you more," He claimed. His eyes looked into mine, pleading for me to understand. But I didn't, and I probably never would.

"I'm dying like this," I whispered, my hands tightening around his sweater.

For a few seconds, there was nothing but the pure silence I hated so much. He was fighting himself in his head, but his eyes were still trained on me.

"God forgive me," he mumbled to himself. With that, he lower his head down to mine, and pressed his lips gently to mine.

It wasn't like other kisses, at least, none I had ever had. It was so soft, so sweet. And it tingled- like, a lot. It almost felt like pop-its were all over my lips, only vanilla flavored.

He didn't stop kissing me after that. They weren't full on- ferocious make-out kisses.

They were gentle kisses, because we had plenty of time to do the other kind. 

Authors Note 

Yay! Finally! This chapter is one I've been so excited to write for so long, and I've finally done it! Ruby and Connell are now together, and we can finally get to uncovering Mecahs disappearance- remember her? Thank you guys so much for reading, i hope you're enjoying it so far. Yep, that's it!

Love,

Elle Kay