“No, no, Samuels is the worst,” Evan stood by his word.

“You only say that because you don't like Social Studies,” Lola giggled. It was the only subject they had together, so she knew exactly how he struggled with it. Plus half of his papers were identical to hers. What a coincidence, right?

"Wait until you experience Matthews. You'll see,” Josh argued. He and Kieran were in the same year, so they had more experience with teachers. At least that's what they thought.

Today was one of those special days when they were all together. Actually, lately they have met like this often. Evan and Kieran grew closer and thanks to him he got to know Josh. Angie brought Lola, who she just had a class with, and Evan took Aiden and Roger. Sometimes they were joined by Millie and Clara, who travelled with him on the bus every day, but he guessed they weren't even at school today. He felt like he was getting closer and closer to people every day, something that didn't happen to him in his pack. Once again, he proved to be more suited to humans than wolves.

“What about you, Rory? In freshman year, everyone tries to look as stern as possible to scare you, but it's bullshit. At least Parker gives up after a month,” Angie asked Roger, or Rory as they called him. He hated his name, and they didn't want to torture him.

"You act like you weren't a freshman a few months ago." Evan shot her a look, raising an eyebrow as he knew it would annoy her. Of course, it worked, as she pierced him with a look. She hated it when anyone questioned her words, and he was more than happy to do so. Sometimes he thought that just as fate destined mates to love each other, he and Angie were destined to annoy each other for the rest of their lives.

“I swear if one of you is ever found dumped in a ditch somewhere, the other one will be the first suspect,” Aiden intervened before she could say anything nice to him.

“You're way off the mark if you think I'd just leave his body lying around. We, women, are perfectionists when it comes to revenge,” Angie countered with a smile on her face that looked like she knew exactly what she was talking about.

“Bitch, you'd kill yourself the very next day 'cause you'd miss me,” Evan was quick to respond.

“Why does every conversation with you either end in an argument or planning a murder?” This time it was Josh who intervened. It was obvious that he hadn't spent enough time with them, otherwise he would have been used to it. Like Aiden, who managed to eat a packet of chips while watching their little argument.

Both Angie and Evan just shrugged. It wasn't something they hadn't heard before.

"If we're going to die, can it at least be at the Depot? There's another party tonight, and apparently this time it's Brittany and Sheila's party,” Lola interrupted the conversation without looking up from her phone. She loved parties and would be at every one if she could. 

The Depot was an old warehouse near Marwell that had been bought up by students of this school long ago, and since then had always been sold to the next generation. Everyone who wanted to organize a party there had to make a financial contribution, as did everyone who wanted to participate. At least that's what Lola said. Evan had never been there, and thanks to his helicopter parents, he didn't think he ever would.

Brittany and Sheila were both members of the Debate Club, which, paradoxically, was not known for its words but for its actions. Whenever something bad or shocking happened at school, they were the first to be singled out.

"If you think my parents would let me go…” Rory answered her first.

“Same. Plus I'd have to sneak back and forth, and I doubt there'd be a bus at that time,” Angie added to his response. Evan hoped he didn't have to say anything, since if Angie didn't have a way to get there, neither did he.

“I'm not exactly the party type.” This was the first time Kieran had joined the conversation. So far he just listened and nodded in agreement. And maybe, just maybe, he took a few long looks at Evan. Of course, he didn't forget to blush at each of them.

"You would go if Evan went," Lola protested. Evan's cheeks turned red again. Evidently, everyone noticed his crush and did not forget to tease him whenever there was a chance. Well, either him or Kieran, who never denied it and that only made Evan's feelings stronger.

“You’re not protesting,” Angie pointed out, visibly enjoying it.

“Let my buddy breathe, you idiots, 'cause I’ll have to become a murderer.” Josh had Kieran's back in a second. Evan would have liked it if he took in his words, but he was too busy watching Kieran right now. Their eyes met as they had so many times before. They watched each other in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence without either of them having to make the first move. Evan knew he couldn't and probably only himself and Josh as his best friend knew what Kieran's reason was. 

“And they are doing it again,” Lola teased, breaking their locked gazes as Evan looked straight at her.

“Shut up!”

…

Evan came home in a good mood. It's been happening a lot lately. At school, his friends put a smile on his face and even the journey home couldn't wash it off. He beamed when he opened the door, he beamed when he took off his shoes, and even when he walked into the kitchen where his parents were sitting. Of course, they immediately noticed his smile.

"What makes you smile like that?" his mom asked the moment he crossed the threshold. She and his father were just having a snack consisting of only meat since according to her, proteins were the most important for a wolf. Evan sometimes thought about what would happen if she met a vegetarian human. She would probably have a heart attack.

“Can’t I smile?” Evan's tone suggested that it was an absurd question that he wasn't going to answer.

"I'm just making sure you're not doing anything you shouldn't," she argued.

"And that is?" he immediately asked back, opening the fridge in the process to find something to eat. Something other than meat.

His eyes followed the individual shelves with food, wondering if he wanted to make a sandwich. Evan had such a problem that although he loved food, he hated recipes that involved more than two steps. His favorites were the ones when all you had to do was open the lid and take a spoon. And just like that, he ended up with yogurt again.

After his mom decided not to answer him, he closed the refrigerator door enough to see her, but she wasn’t looking at him, too focused on the empty place on the table. His father just furrowed his brows and that's how Evan understood that they were communicating silently via mind link.

The bright smile he brought from school was gone in a second. Evan knew this kind of silence very well, so he knew that what he was about to hear would probably anger him. He, therefore, prepared yogurt and a spoon just in case he had to lock himself in his room for the rest of the day. Not that he had any other plans anyway.

“I just don't want you to end up like Riley.” Anger was an understatement. Evan's eyes dimmed for a moment, and he was surprised that the cup in his hands didn't crack with how hard he squeezed it.

"So now is okay to talk about him?" Evan raised his voice without even realizing it. For months he hoped someone would mention his favourite cousin, but everyone pretended he had died. He hated it, it made him feel like a stranger in his own house.

“Evan,” his father warned him, breaking his silence. He hated it when his wife and son argued, but his solution to all problems was to tell Evan not to contradict his mother. Evan hated it, but he was glad that at least he wasn't picking fights with him like she was.

“No Evan,” he mimicked his words, “she started it so let her answer me.” He was out of sorts. His life seemed to be divided into two dimensions, where in one he was extremely happy, and in the other he had to fight for survival.

He could feel a growl rising in his throat. His wolf fed on his fury and transformed it into his own. Just as wolves were family-based, they were also born predators who thrived on battles.

"Riley made his own decision that cost him his place in this family," his mom finally spoke up.

"He didn't do anything wrong," Evan argued back through gritted teeth in a second.

"Can we stop arguing? We've all had a long day, let's not spoil it any more at home," his father decided to intervene again. However, his words made no sense and were only a feeble attempt at reconciliation.

"I was having a great day until I came home and had to listen to this nonsense," Evan spat out.

"Enough! Calm down or go to your room!" Mother's hands hit the table with force, and the chair she had been sitting on wobbled as she stood up quickly.

“Gladly,” he answered her with a smirk that he knew would make her even more furious. He knew he could keep arguing with her, but it would be pointless as she would never agree with him. Evidently, he was old enough to go to school outside the town but not old enough to have an opinion of his own. Or to deserve a decent answer.

On days like this, he used to hope that Riley would come back for him. Realistically, though, he knew it would be foolish to return to a place where nothing good awaited him, so he didn't blame him for leaving without him.

Fortunately, Evan wasn't planning to stay long either. He just needed to last a few years and get a scholarship.