"Sophie, wake up, we gotta go soon." I opened my eyes to see a smiling Lily.

"How do you wake up before me every day? I mean, I understand today, but during school I wake up at six and you're awake before me." She shrugged. "Alright. I'll take a shower and be down in a few." She nodded and headed out. I climbed out of bed noticing that I was still wearing my uniform. I took my shower and pulled on a pair of skinny jeans along with a plain white guy tshirt. It was the perfect size for me so it didn't go down really far. I pulled on a soft blue hooded jacket. My converse, which I couldn't wear with my uniform, were lying beside my bed. I slipped them on and sighed at the comfort they gave me. Once I was fully dressed I slipped out of my room and down to the living room. I saw some of the girls and they smiled and waved. A few of them winked and I laughed. Trish and Lily were waiting by the food bar so I walked over to them.

"Hey guys." I said as I grabbed a breakfast donut and leaned against the wall.

Trish smiled. "Morning sleeping beauty. Ready to go?"

"Yup." I popped the p as I ate the last bite of the donut.

"Do you have to inhale everything?" She said sarcastically.

"No, I just choose to." I said as I walked towards the door. "So how are we getting to the store?" I asked.

Trish caught up to me. "Your date for tonight has agreed to give us a ride." I saw her give me a small smirk as she sped towards the door. She opened it and ran down the steps to a car. "Connor!" She waved happily.

I let out a deep groan. "Trish, you didn't."

She turned and gave me a bright smile. "Oh, I did." Trish turned back around and smiled as Connor got out of his car.

I shook my head and walked over to them. "So what did she blackmail you with?" I asked, knowing she had to have something over him.

"Um, the fact that I like you?" He gave me a small smile and I let out a little laugh.

"Oh." I turned to Trish who was swaying her arms innocently.

"Connor, you ready to go?" Trish asked as she shoved me into the passenger seat.

"Yeah, everyone else ready?" He looked in the back to see if the girls were buckled then to me to see if I was buckled.

"Yup." I said. "So you have to be submitted to this torture too?" I asked.

"Meh, I get to see girls wear dresses. It's not that bad of a deal if you ask me." I laughed a little at his comment and he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, well I don't normally wear dresses. I don't feel comfortable in them." I said as I picked at my nails.

"Why not? You wear skirts every day." He said.

"Ah, but I also wear shorts under them. I can't do that with a dress. The girls won't let me." I sent a mocking glare their way and they giggled.

"She's right, we won't. We'd tear them off and make her wear a thong." I gaped at them.

"Guys! I'm fifteen!" My eyes practically popped out of my head.

Connor laughed. "I thought you were turning sixteen today though?"

I turned back around in my seat. "No, tomorrow is my birthday. Today is when the party is starting. They want to celebrate my birthday the minute I turn sixteen, so at midnight everyone is going to scream happy birthday." He nodded.

"I see. So there's still a possibility that I'm your mate?" He glanced at me and there was a smile on his face.

"Um, I guess, but why would you want me as a mate?" He was a warrior like me. You'd think that he wouldn't want someone like him.

"I already told you. I like you." The smile from before had grown and he was flashing pearly whites.

"Yeah, but we're so alike. I thought the saying was opposites attract."

"I'm a boy, you're a girl. That's as opposite as it gets." He flashed a wink at me and my stomach did a back flip.

"That's not what I mean. You're a warrior and so am I." I was so like him it was hard to see a difference.

Trish decided this was her time to speak up and blurted out my intentions. "I thought you were going to ask Miceala if she could change your category?" She had a hint of 'I got you now' in her voice and I sighed.

"Yes, I'm planning on it, but not because I don't want to fight anymore. There are other reasons behind that Trish." I heard Lily clear her throat at Trish who was about to say something else.

"What's your reason then?" Connor asked.

I turned to the window and looked at the trees zooming by. "I just think I'd have an easier time doing something else."

Connor automatically thought the worst. "Who is giving you trouble? Is it one of the guys? Cause I'll kick their weak asses."

I laughed. "No, no one is giving me trouble. I just think it would be better if I change categories."

Connor scoffed. "You're the best in our class and you think it'd be better to do something else. Yeah, I think I'd be better off dressing up in a pink ball gown and flouncing through the boys locker room singing that I'm a princess."

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit specific. Do you have any plans that we don't know about?"

His face turned red. "No, I was making an analogy. I'm saying that it would be no better for me to do that than for you to change categories. You'd be embarrassed that you changed your passion. And I know it's your passion. I've never seen anyone spar like you do. It's like every second is the best moment of your life." He was right. That's exactly how I felt about it. The thing was, I couldn’t be the tigress and be that aggressive kick ass girl that I was. The tigress was supposed to be peaceful and a vision of control. I rarely got angry, but I loved to fight, and that wasn't peaceful.

"Fighting isn't peaceful. I'm trying to better myself on a spiritual level." I was trying not to give away everything to Trish and Connor, while also making them drop the subject.

Lily cut into the conversation. "It's Sophie's choice. We have no right to tell her what to do."

Connor sat up. "You might not, but if I do end up being her mate, then I will."

I rolled my eyes. "Even if you were my mate, you know I wouldn't just give in because you told me to."

I could see the mall in the distance and I was ready to just get out of the car, buy a dress and get back. "I'm saying that I may be able to persuade you easier than them." Connor was stuck on the idea that we'd be mates, but I didn't see it. He was like my brother.

"There's the mall." I said, trying to distract them.

I heard Trish squeal. "Good. I want Sophie to try on everything." I groaned and sunk down in my seat as much as possible.

Connor laughed beside me and I gave him a murderous glare. He didn't even flinch. "I'll help you escape."

"You will do no such thing!" Trish yelled. "I want her to look perfect, and if you don't try on every dress you don't know which is the best."

I shrugged. "Once I find the dress I want to wear, I'm going to the food court."

"As long as I approve!" Trish said in a sing song voice.

We stepped out of the car and headed in.

**************

Trish had dragged both Lily and I through twenty dress shops. I found a dress I liked, but she said it was too boyish. I shrugged and put it back up on the rack. We were standing in a small, no name boutique on the far side of the mall. Connor was leaning against the wall with a bored expression. I looked up at a clock on the wall and gasped at the time. It was two thirty. The game started in half an hour.

Trish walked over to Connor. "Aren't you coaching our class's football game today?"

Connor shrugged. "Yeah, but they don't really need me."

Trish nodded. "So you'll get there when you get there?" He nodded, obviously bored. "Alright." She clapped her hands. "Let's get Sophie into some dresses."

He perked up a bit and looked at me. "Alright, fine. Let's find me a dress."

Trish nodded. We both started searching the racks and both of us pulled off a dress. I pulled off a red lacey dress that wasn't too short and turned to her as she turned to me. In her hands was a long, off white dress with a lace bodice and a nude under part. From the waist down was a long white flowy skirt that split along the side to show the lacy part. I immediately forgot about the dress that I had found and went grab the one in her hands.

Trish laughed a little. "Like it?" I nodded, just staring at the dress. "Good. Go try it on, it's your size." I took the dress to a small dressing room towards the back of the building. I slipped off my clothes and pulled the dress on. I turned to look at the back and immediately a smile crossed my face. The back was covered all the way up to the back of my neck. The skirt covered everything nicely, yet still gave off a sense of beauty. The slit didn’t show anything but the lace, which went down about mid thigh. I smiled at myself and spun around. "Come out, we want to see too!" I opened the door and stepped out. Trish put her hands up in the air. "Oh. My. Goddess. Yes! We found the perfect dress! Twirl." She moved her finger in a circle and I twirled around. "Oh yes. Definitely. We are getting that. My treat. Call it part one of your birthday gift." I smiled and looked down at myself. "Part two is the perfect shoes to go with it." I looked up at her. "Don't worry. Four inches, max."

My eyes opened wide. "Four inches?! You want me to die?!"

Connor laughed. "I'll catch you if you fall." His eyes looked at me hungrily, but not in an aggressive way. I blushed under his gaze. "You look amazing in that dress."

"Thanks." I said, not meeting his eyes.

Trish squealed. "Okay, go change out of it so we can buy it." I turned back into the dressing room and carefully took it off. After it was hung back on the hanger, I pulled on my jeans and shirt along with my jacket.

I walked out and gave the dress to Trish who happily paid for it. "Alright, so where are we getting these shoes you plan to murder me with?"

Trish smiled. "Only the best place ever to buy shoes." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"And where would that be?" I asked, curious about her answer.

"You'll see." She said confidently. "You'll love it."

Connor, Lily and I followed behind her. She practically skipped through the mall. I turned to Lily. "I think she's gone nuts."

Lily nodded. "I have no earthly idea where she is going."

Trish stopped in front of an opening. I looked at the shop title and noticed that it wasn't a major company. "This place is awesome. The shoes are cute and the prices are cheap." She stepped in and greeted a guy by name. "Hey Nick, how've you been?"

Nick shrugged. "As good as anyone else. You?" She smiled.

"I'm doing great! I'm here to buy some shoes for my friend. Tomorrow is her birthday so we're throwing a party so we can celebrate the exact moment she turns sixteen." She paused. "Wanna come? I know it isn't your thing, but it might be fun. It's all werewolves. No humans. I promise this time."

He pondered it for a second. "I might stop by to say happy birthday. Can I get the address?"

She nodded and took a piece of paper from him. She scribbled for a second then handed it back to him. "Here, this is the girls dorm address. That's where the party is being held. We'll see you there." Trish grabbed my arm. "Now let's find those shoes."