I am average.

Average height.

Average weight.

Average look.

Average hormones.

Average intelligence.

I am average.

And because I am average, I will: never have more than a minimum wage job or education beyond high school; never have a living space bigger than a rented room; never have a family.

I am a Beta living in a world of Alphas and Omegas.

Alphas are strong and powerful.

Omegas are soft and loveable.

And as a Beta, I am just average.

~~~~~~

“Bitch, where are you?”

“I am parking now,” I respond. My best friend since middle school and I were meeting up for brunch at a new little café downtown.

“Gooooood,” he says. “I’m hungry as hell and I need some ‘me-time’ with my Bestie!”

“Okay, okay,” I laugh. “I’ll be there in five. Love you Boo-Boo.”

“Byyyyyye girl, see you soon!” He makes smooch sounds into the phone before hanging up.

I remember the first day we met: both the best and worst day of our lives. It was tenth grade. I was the only Beta in the school and I was completely ignored for it. They acted as if I did not exist: a ghost floating through the halls.

I had just finished talking with my Alpha teacher about why I had received an F on a project. He simply hadn’t graded it. I saw it, sitting on his desk, ready to be looked at, but he spoke as if I had never turned it in. It was one thing that my classmates treated me like nothing, it was an entirely different story when a teacher treated me the same. I was trying my best not to cry as I made my way to lunch.

As I walked through the hallway, I heard crying coming from the boys restroom. Being invisible, no one would notice if I walked in, so I decided to investigate. To my surprise, there was a group of boys kicking something on the floor. Cocking my head, I realized that the thing on the floor was another boy.

Without thinking, I pushed my way through the group to the boy on the floor. I covered him so he would no longer be kicked. “Leave.”

“Do you have a death wish?” The leader of the group asked. All I respond with is a chuckle.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” He asked, spooked by my haunting laugh.

I turned from my position to look at them. “A ghost,” I whispered. “Do you think I give a shit about death?”

“...” They were speechless.

“You on the other hand must really crave death,” I chuckled.

“Oh, and why would you say that?” Another kid smirked.

“Because you’re just a small Omega beating up an Alpha about to shift,” I cackled. “You can’t smell it? I mean, I am a fucking Beta and even I can smell it.”

I gave a wicked grin as they scented the air. They looked like they shit their pants as they ran out of the room.

“Hey,” I said. “My name is Jane. Are you okay?”

He wouldn’t look up at me, still covering his face and cowering from the blows he was receiving.

I rubbed gentle circles on his back until he was ready to look at me.

“Hi,” I smiled down at him.

“Hi,” he hiccupped.

“Would you like a ghost to bring you to the nurse?” I asked with a soft chuckle.

“No. But, I would love for Jane to,” He gave me a big smile as I helped him up. “I’m Martin by the way.”

From that point on, we were inseparable. I brought him to the nurse and chatted with him as they treated his wounds. We found that we were both in the same Science, English, and Art classes that semester. We never realized it because we both kept our heads down. Me because I was the ghost, him because he was embarrassed by not having shifted yet.

Most people shift when they are in middle school or ninth grade. Alpha’s muscles fill out, they get taller, and their aura becomes more powerful. Omegas become more supple, filling out in other ways than the Alphas, and their auras become soft like a warm blanket. The scent of both Alphas and Omegas becomes stronger, their fangs get longer, and their sex drive increases. Us Betas just get a little taller. Not much else. We are average after all.

Those who don’t shift when they are expected to are frequently made fun of, case in point with Martin.

But I was right when I said Martin was going to shift soon; he shifted later that week. He was a late bloomer, but damn did he bloom. He became huge and absolutely beautiful. And luckily for me, he became my protector, at school and at home.

Once he shifted, he became rather popular, with well everyone, yet he always ate with me and introduced me to his friends. They all accepted me and made me feel welcome. For a year and a half, I was no longer a ghost. People actually spoke with me, even smiled at me. My grades went up. I was happy, even if it was just for a few moments at school.

My home life still was not great. I have two Alpha parents, who were absolutely devastated when I was born a Beta. They always told me that I was worthless and that I would amount to nothing. Martin would spend time with me at home, trying to get them to see that I had some value. They would be perfectly loving when he was around and then go back to their old ways when he would leave. At least school had become a haven.

That is until our little town got a new mayor.

One who was adamantly opposed to Betas.

She made legislation that made it legal to fully discriminate against Betas. Schoolmates and teachers diverted back to their old ways, treating me like a ghost once again.

I could live with being a ghost, but one day, there was a shift. I went from being a ghost to being a punching bag. If Martin was not beside me, I would be beaten to a pulp. We still had a semester left, but it was becoming too much for me to handle. I loved school and really wanted to finish, but I felt like I wouldn’t survive.

Martin, ever the greatest friend in the whole world, took me out of the situation. He told me that his aunt, who lived in a bigger, more tolerant city, was willing to take us in.

“Martin, I love you and I appreciate your offer, but your parents would never go for that,” I said with a sigh.

“Bet?” He smiled and grabbed my hand. “Watch this.”

He brought me into his living room. “Mom, dad,” he gulped. “I am asexual.”

All of our jaws dropped and our eyes went wide. I knew for a long time that he was asexual, but I couldn’t believe that he’d come out like that to his parents. His parents, also both Alphas, were not the type who care about passing on their family name, but just like with Betas, our town did not take well to people who were not overly sexual.

“Well,” his father said. “We love you no matter what.” We were all scooped up into a group hug.

“This town isn’t safe for you though,” his mother mentioned, tears in her eyes.

“I know,” He nodded. “I talked with aunt Angie and she said that Jane and I could live with her. It is better in the bigger cities.”

“Okay,” His father smiled and nodded. “My sister is perfect. I know she’ll take care of you.”

“We’ll take you up this weekend,” His mother wiped her tears with a resolute nod.

“Thank you,” Martin pulled us in close once more. “I love you all so much.”

He came out for me. He moved his life for me. He went to college, majoring in Biology so I could live vicariously through him, all for me.

He graduated with honors just half a year ago, getting a job straight out of college at a large drug company, claiming that it was all because of me. He said that if it wasn’t for my tutoring and my experimental ideas, he would have never made it. I was glad to help: it was the least I could do. His aunt sheltered us all throughout his college years, helped me get an entry level job at the sales company she works at, and generally became a mom to me, especially after my parents stopped talking to me. Once Martin graduated, we moved into a small apartment together, where we have been living ever since.

Today he was treating me to brunch as an anniversary of our leaving the shit hole that was our home town.

“God, I am so lucky to have him as a best friend,” I sigh to myself as I lock up my car and turn to go to the café.

“HELP! HELP!”

“What the fuck?”