Who am I, a heroine?

Chapter 5

“What is it you wanted to talk about?” I asked him without looking at him. I wanted him to know that I was mad at him, and I was hurt too.

“Well, there is this girl…” he started with a smile on his face and my jaw dropped. Did he seriously want to talk about the girl? “..the girl I was talking to earlier today. I like her and I need some advice, Sera, and since you are a girl... I thought you could help me.” He said and that was the most painful thing he ever said to me. Like he just ripped my heart out and stomped on it. All I could hear was his voice as it was mockingly echoing in my head. 'I like her.' 'I like her.' 'I like her.'

“Sera? Are you okay?” He asked worriedly and then I looked at him while trying to hold my tears back. I started to shake my head. I couldn’t talk without bursting into tears so I just shook my head. “What no? What’s wrong?” He asked and put his hand on my shoulder. It felt like he burned me with his touch. I was so upset and disappointed.

“Sorry….I can’t help you.” I managed to tell him and stood up from the bed to make as much distance as possible between us. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore. I thought he wanted to talk about his lies and apologise , but here he was, talking about liking that girl and he even asked advice from me to win her over. It’s not like he knew that I liked him, but still… this is my luck.

“I don’t feel good. Can we talk tomorrow?” I asked him without looking at him and he stood up from the bed as well.

“What’s wrong?” He asked again with a worried expression.

“It hurts…” I whispered, then I cleared my throat. “My tummy hurts.” I said. I didn't want to tell him what was really wrong.

“Oh, okay. I will go now then.” He said disappointedly. “Will you be okay, though?” he asked and I nodded my head, so he let out a sigh. “See you tomorrow in school then.” He said and then walked out of the door after he looked back at me one last time. I closed it behind him before I fell onto my bed, crying.

I kind of felt sorry for him as he walked away sadly. He just wanted to talk to me about the girl he liked, to his best friend, and I just shut him down because I was a terrible person who fell for her best friend. I was a terrible friend.

But he lied to me…

*

***

*

“Noooo…” I let out a scream as I woke up from a nightmare again, but at this time it was Cayden who was the reason of my scream. He was the one who betrayed me in my dream at this time.

I shook my head and tried to forget about the dream and not to think about it because it just made me nauseous.

Since it was almost four am, I decided to get up and start to get ready for training. I had training with mom and dad every morning. Mostly my mom was present because dad couldn’t wake up so early sometimes, just like my brothers, but they needed to join us either way. Mom and dad always told them that they needed to train hard to be strong enough to protect me if I needed and the twins took that very seriously.

We have been learning to fight since we were five and I love every minute of it. Other kids didn’t need to start to train so young, but since we were the children of the Alpha and Luna of the pack, that was the best option for us, as my parents said. I thought so too. It was useful in a lot of ways. We got to spend time with each other every day. We were fit and strong and we could protect ourselves as well.

I loved training, but sometimes it was too much. Sometimes I needed to take extra breaks and, luckily, my parents gave me some days off after the day I got sick. I was over training myself to the extent that I collapsed on the training field. They got really worried about me that day.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and I saw mom poking her head into my room in the next second.

“Another one?” She asked worriedly and I nodded my head with a sigh. I guess she heard me. Werewolf hearing and all. I can’t wait to have it as well.

She let out a sigh and walked up to me. She leaned down and pressed a kiss onto my forehead affectionately.

“Let’s go to training, huh?” She asked and smiled at me. I nodded my head again and managed to smile back at her just to reassure her.

“Yeah, I will be ready in five minutes.” I told her and she nodded her head and made her way towards the door.

“Alright, sweetie. I will try to wake the boys up in the meantime.” She said with a chuckle and that made my smile widen.

I have a loving family. What else do I need?

*

*** Cayden’s POV ***

*

“Ha-ha-ha. Oh god, you are something else…” Mason couldn’t stop laughing and it started to get on my nerves.

“What the hell are you laughing about? What’s so funny?” I asked him frustratedly. He started laughing as soon as I told him that I asked Sera to help me yesterday. I had no idea how to ask Katie out so I thought she could come up with something that girls like.

“Nothing, nothing. What did she say?” He asked after he calmed down, but the smirk was still on his annoying face.

“She couldn’t talk to me, her tummy was hurting so she said we will talk today.” I told him and he nodded his head with furrowed eyebrows like he was deep in thoughts.

“What did she say today then?” He asked and I looked at him in confusion.

“She …”I wanted to answer but then I realised that I hadn’t even seen her all day and it was already lunch time. “Wait. Where is Serena? Is she even in school?” I asked him and he looked at me in disbelief while he shook his head.

“She is your friend, you should know, man.” He said, and then I realised how bad of a friend I was. She sent me a text in the morning to come to school without her, but I didn’t even ask her why. She used to come late and sometimes her first period was free as well, so I thought that was the case this time too.

“Gosh, I am such a bad friend.” I said and took my phone out of my pocket to call her. I still felt terrible for lying to her yesterday and now even more. I hoped she was okay.

It was just ringing and ringing, but she didn’t answer, which was strange since she always answered my calls, even if she was in class or when she was sleeping. Except yesterday…

Wait… she always answers her phone but this was the second time she didn’t. I remember she was a light sleeper because of her nightmares. Why didn't she wake up to my call then? Why didn't she pick it up now?

“What is it?” Mason asked as he leaned back on his chair and put some frites into his mouth smugly.

“Something is off.” I told him while I was trying to figure out what.

“You think so?” He asked sarcastically and I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Do you know something?” I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders, but I could see on his face that he did.

“There is your cousin. Why don’t you ask her?” He asked and I looked at the directions he was pointing at. I turned around to see Iris with her classmates.

“Right… I will be back in a minute.” I told him with a scowl on my face and made my way towards Iris.

I don’t know why he was keeping secrets, but he should tell me. He was my friend after all.

Iris rolled her eyes as soon as she saw me. She didn’t really like me since I always ruined her Barbies when we were kids. So much for holding a grudge, huh?

“Where is Sera? She didn’t answer her phone.” I asked her and she folded her arms in the front of her chest.

“You know… you are a sh*tty friend, but I didn’t know that you were stupid as well. You don’t deserve her friendship.” She said, and I don’t know what she meant or what got into her. She said the same thing yesterday. Could she…. Oh, no. F*ck.

My eyes widened from the realisation. Sera was acting strangely, avoiding me and my calls. Iris said that I don’t deserve her friendship…. Sh*t. She knows, right?

“Oh, it finally registered in that selfish head of yours?” She asked sarcastically.

“I f*cked this up big time, didn’t I?” I asked with a deep sigh as I massaged the back of my neck. I knew I shouldn’t have lied to her.

“You did, i***t. She even gave you a chance to explain yourself, but you just lied to her face again and you are calling yourself her best friend?” She asked. She was getting angry.

Sera did ask me how soccer was and I just lied to her again. Then in her room… I am sure she thought that I wanted to tell her the truth, but then I started to talk about Katie. Now I understand why she was upset with me and why she didn’t answer the phone.

“Can I please borrow your phone?” I asked Iris.

“No.” She said without hesitation.

“Please, Iris. She doesn’t pick up my calls. I need to talk to her and explain myself.” I pleaded with her desperately and she let out a sigh.

“Here, but really make it right and don’t make it worse.” She said as she handed her phone to me.

“How did she find out that I wasn’t playing soccer, by the way?” I asked her curiously.

“Just talk to her.” She said and pointed at her phone in my hand impatiently. I didn’t waste time and dialled her number.

“Iris, I told you I was fine. You can stop calling me and texting me every ten minutes. It’s not the end of the world. At least I have you guys, my family, who I can trust and that’s the most important.” She said before I could tell her it was me and not Iris and I felt like sh*t as soon as I heard her saying all that. So she thought that she couldn’t trust me anymore? God, I was really an as*sh*le.

“Sera… it’s me.” I said into the phone hesitantly.

“Oh.” She said simply. I guess she didn’t expect me to call her from Iris' phone when she knew that I didn’t get along with Iris.

“Can we talk?” I asked her shortly. “I don’t want to do this over the phone. I will come over after school.” I added.

“I don’t know. I am not feeling so good. Better if you don’t come over today.” She said and that broke my heart.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick? Is your tummy still hurting?” I asked her and she let out a sigh, but stayed quiet so I continued. “Look Sera, I will come over. I want to talk to you. It’s important. I want to apologise and explain what happened yesterday, but I don’t want to do it over the phone.” I told her and she was quiet for a while before she said…

“Okay.” Her voice was so sad and I felt like a jerk for lying to her. I don’t even know why I lied. She was cool, she would have understood.

“Then I will see you later.” I told her and hung up before handing the phone back to Iris. I was so glad Sera agreed.

“Was it that hard?” Iris asked and rolled her eyes again before she walked away while I made my way back to our table where Mason was sitting with a few guys and Katie and Annie joined them too.

“Hi, Cayden. I hope you don’t mind that we are sitting here,” Katie said, and I smiled at her half-heartedly.

“Of course not, it’s okay.” I told her and sat down. I really liked Katie, but honestly, I was not in the mood. I felt like I was losing my best friend.

“So? How did it go?” Mason asked with a smug smirk on his face, and I didn’t like it. Not at all. “You look like it didn’t go well.” He added, and I glared at him.

“Are you happy?” I asked him and his smile faded, he almost looked worried.

“Why do you ask?” He asked carefully and I didn't know if he had something to do with this whole thing or he was just enjoying it when there was a problem between Sera and I.

“Was it you?” I asked him. I couldn’t help it. “Did you tell Sera that we didn’t play soccer at all?” I asked him and his eyes widened. His expression seemed sincerely surprised, so I think he really was.

“She knows?” He asked and I nodded my head.

“Yeah. Iris told me,” I said, and massaged my neck again.

“I guess you are in trouble then,” he said, and the stupid smirk was back on his face again.

“You know… sometimes I wonder if you really are my friend or just want to make my life more difficult.” I told him frustratedly and stood up from the table. I had enough of his smugness. It was his fault that Sera didn’t talk to me and he even dared to joke and laugh about it. I should have known. He never liked her after all. I shouldn’t have listened to him.

“Where are you going?” He asked with a sigh, but I was too annoyed with him to answer, so I just grabbed my backpack and walked away. I won’t let him ruin my friendship with Sera.