Chapter 78

It was time to go back to school the next day.

I had been looking forward to seeing Amy, but she seemed different. Whenever I was around her, she constantly checked her phone for messages, and she seemed distracted when we talked.

All the other students noticed I looked different than before my ball. They stared and whispered as I passed them or while we sat in classrooms together.

I had been expecting it since I was wearing my contacts, a little makeup, and had my long, wavy hair styled in a loose ponytail. The expensive jeans Lana made me buy caught their attention too.

It was surprising that Amy didn’t say a word about it. It wasn’t like her to ignore me like this, and I decided to talk to her at lunch and see what was on her mind.

I realized I hadn’t seen William yet, as I was walking to werewolf history class. Was he still out of town?

I forgot about him as I stopped at a water cooler surrounded by my classmates. They either didn’t notice or didn’t care that I was within earshot.

“Did you hear about Daisy Wilson?” a popular senior girl said. “She claims to have a double-mate bond with Victor Klein and William James. She must be desperate for a mate to make up a lie like that.”

“Poor William is so embarrassed by her that he left town,” another girl said. “If he misses too many football games, he could lose his place on the team.”

I didn’t think of that, and it made me feel worse.

One of William’s teammates came to my defense. “I heard that the double-mate bond is real. My parents told me Victor and William lost control and shifted as soon as Daisy’s wolf entered the ballroom.”

“If the males felt the bond too, it wasn’t fake,” another boy pointed out.

“Come on. I can’t believe any male would feel a bond with Daisy, let alone two of them,” the first girl said.

“I heard she looked stunning at the ball,” William’s teammate told the others. “My mother said Daisy is as beautiful as her mother.”

“No way!” the first girl protested. “Was she wearing her wetsuit?”

I cringed when the crowd erupted in laughter.

“See for yourselves.” William’s teammate pointed to where I stood next in line for a drink of water. The hissing of whispers followed several gasps.

“Oh, my Goddess!” One girl exclaimed. “That can’t be Daisy.”

“Don’t cry,” Diana said. “They don’t matter, Daisy, and those girls are saying those things because they are jealous of you.”

“I’m trying, Diana. But why are they being this awful to me, and I’ve done nothing to them? I should run away and hide on the rooftop. You’ll like it better outside.”

“No. Please do not give them the satisfaction of seeing they upset you. Instead, get your drink of water, smile at them, and walk away.”

“I don’t know….”

“You can do it,” Diana said. “I am here with you. I think you’ll like the result of my advice.”

As the whispers continued, I lowered my head to the water fountain and drank. Then I lifted my head high and forced a smile onto my face.

There was complete silence while I walked away.

“It made them stop talking, but I don’t know if it helped me much, Diana.”

“You made them aware that you know what they are saying about you and that you don’t care. Tears and running away satisfy their need to be cruel. Deny them that.”

I felt a little better by the time I got to werewolf history class and sat in my usual seat. When William didn’t arrive to sit next to me, the fact that he had left town struck home.

He was really gone, and it was my fault. Should I have chosen him instead of Victor? I would never know now.

It was hard to concentrate when class started. Miss Grant’s voice buzzed in my mind as she lectured us on the werewolf bill of rights. I knew I wouldn’t remember any of it.

I couldn’t stop staring at William’s empty seat. It made me feel like his mother had been right to be mad at me.

“I miss him too, Daisy,” Diana said. “Sometimes I think I hear his wolf, Mark, calling me from a distance. But it is not your fault that he left. And I believe he did the right thing.”

I knew she was correct, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty. William is a good person who had his life turned upside down over something that wasn’t his fault.

At lunchtime, Amy was waiting for me in the cafeteria. I hadn’t spent time with her in a while and was glad to have the opportunity to catch up.

But she had her phone in front of her face or against her ear the entire time. She spoke only a few words to me, and I knew she was talking to her new boyfriend.

“Don’t feel left out, Daisy,” Diana said. “Be pleased that your friend has found love. I have seen through your eyes that she is a hard worker and a good person. She deserves to be happy.”

“I know you’re right, Diana, but I miss my friend. Why can’t she spare just a few minutes for me?”

“Ask her. It’s the only way to find out.”

I waited until Amy was expecting a text from Justin and asked, “Are you upset with me or something, Amy?”

“Nuh-uh, why?” Amy said without looking up from her phone screen.

“You won’t talk to me or anything,” I replied. “I need to discuss something with you, but you seem to be ignoring me.”

“I’m sorry, Daisy.” Amy looked at me briefly and patted my hand before her gaze returned to her phone screen. “What’s the matter?”

“Have you heard the gossip all the Alphas are spreading about me?”

“I haven’t been paying attention to those jerks.” Amy smiled when her phone vibrated. “Why are you?”

Amy read something on her phone and laughed before typing a message.

“What is going on with you and Justin?” I asked.

She finished typing her message and looked up at me with a big smile.

“Daisy, I think I’m in love with him. He’s the most handsome and most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”

Yikes, it sounded like my friend was headed for heartbreak. She’s just as naïve about men as I am.

“You haven’t known him that long. How can you be in love?”

“I just am.” She shrugged. “Wait until it happens to you, and you’ll understand.”

Before I could speak again, her phone rang. She giggled, and I could tell by the blissful look on her face that it was Justin.

I got up from the table. “I have to go to my locker. I’ll see you later.”

Amy didn’t seem to hear me, so I walked away.

After school, I went to the rooftop to see if Amy was there. I was going to try to talk to her again.

She was there, sitting with her back against the brick chimney, with her cell phone to her ear.

I stood beside her for several moments while looking at the football practice field.

A wave of guilt slammed into me when I realized William was not on the field, and maybe he never would be again.

“Amy, I really need to talk to you,” I tapped her shoulder.

Amy held up her index finger, indicating I should wait. But after a full minute, she was still talking to Justin.

I walked away without another word and went to the first floor and out the door.

To my relief and surprise, the Lamborghini was waiting for me outside the school gate.