Chapter 8: Settling In

Okay, I was freaking out.

Or at least, I was trying to, but I wasn't being given the chance.

I was being introduced to some of the people who lived in this place. I realized that most of them were teenagers, and a few were a bit younger. But they were so many! Lexi told me to stick with her, so I did. And when we would find someone Lexi wanted to speak to, she introduced me. But she did that with weird phrases like,

"This is Cindy, and a new girl. So if you meet her on a run, don't bother linking my dad."

Lexi spent all day with me, trying to teach me my way around so that I would not get lost if we had to separate. She told me a few stuff about her friends, but some of it I couldn't understand.

Now it was late afternoon, and teens had begun coming in. I noticed that several had boyfriends and girlfriends, but no one seemed to mind. I had spent the whole day walking around, so I begged Lexi to just show me a bed. We were outside, and cars were coming in, and there were plenty of people around. I observed her analyzing all this as she bit her lip and looked about.

"I'm not afraid of people, Lexi. I'll be fine, " I said with a reassuring smile.

She smiled back, then tore inside at a speed which I had previously believed only I could attain.

I leaned on a lamppost.

This place really was huge. And elegant. The parking was meticulously manicured, and so were the trees that lined it. Lamps were glowing in the soft evening at regular intervals.

I watched the first star twinkle to life in the orange sky. I smiled. I sniffed all the air that was not stale from the crowded stables, nor tainted by the high screeching of teachers around the orphanage.

This was peace.

"Hi."

I snapped out of my reverie to see a boy standing before me. He smiled. "Sorry, did I disturb you?"

"No," I said curtly.

He nodded and squinted ahead. "Are you waiting for the afterglow?" he asked.

"Sort of," I replied quietly.

"I haven't seen you around," he commented.

"So?" I asked coldly.

His bright brown eyes sliced to me. "So I'm wondering who you are exactly," he said plainly.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you have to know everybody?" I said harshly.

He smirked, his eyes still on the beautiful sunset. "Actually, yeah." He spoke calmly, but his voice had a cold warning in it, like he was telling me not to mess with him.

"Too bad," I shrugged. I didn't want to tell him my name, so I didn't.

His eyes darkened.

"Cindy!" I heard Lexi call.

I breathed a sigh of relief. She came closer.

"Oh, hi Jayden. I guess you should meet Cindy. She's the one we rescued last night."

His perfect brown eyebrow rose. "So she's why you stayed home today," he stated, and she giggled. "Alright, I'll be seeing you girls." He stuck his hands in his pockets before giving me an extra look and saying,

"See you around, Cindy."

"In your dreams, Jayden."

He stopped in his tracks, and I could literally feel the danger vibes on him.

"You and I are going to have a problem, Cindy," he promised before continuing to walk away.

"Asshole," I said, feeling satisfied.

Lexi grabbed my hand and began to tow me in and up the stairs, her lips set in a thin line.

"What?" I asked, stunned by the uncharacteristic silence.

She ignored, and I didn't take to being ignored. My temper rose again. I wrenched my hand out of hers.

"What is it?" I demanded.

She glared at me with her pale eyes.

"Can't you see we're going to get you a room?" she spoke icily. I could tell that she was angry too.

"But what have I done that you're mad?"

She held my gaze, then said to me, "You have a knack for getting in trouble. I can see as much. But don't try anything crazy. Remember, look for trouble, and you won't find it. It will find you, and not when you want it to. If you don't watch your mouth, things will get ugly. Like they always do."

The words sank in.

"Now come on. There's a room you have to settle down in."

It took everything in me to swallow the words I wanted to say and follow her in silence. She was watching me out of the corner of her eye, and when she saw me calm down, she smiled, almost as if proud.

Then she turned into the bubbly person she had been all day.

She led me to the floor which she had said was occupied by "the girls" and in through one of the doors.

It was a fair sized room. It had two single beds, two dressers, two desks and two chairs. A girl reclined on one of the beds on her phone, and perked up when we arrived.

"Hi, Lexi," she exclaimed.

"Hey Dylan. Meet Cindy, your new roommate."

Dylan's eyes swerved onto me, and she smiled. "Uh, hi Cindy," she said awkwardly.

"Hi Dylan," I said, but my mind was on Lexi. I didn't want to share a room.

"Uh, but Lexi-" she began.

"No buts," Lexi cut through her sentence.

He eyes widened, and she pouted. "Alpha?"

Lexi nodded smugly.

Dylan groaned as she flopped back on the bed. "He had to notice," she grumped.

"Yep," Lexi grinned.

"Welcome to the room then," she said in defeat.

Lexi nodded smugly. "I'll leave you to it," she said. Then she added to Dylan, "Keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

"Whatever."

Lexi left, and I shut the door behind her.

"You don't want a roommate?" I asked.

"No offense," she said from under the pillow with which she had covered her face.

"I wouldn't take any," I assured her. "Sharing a room isn't always easy."

She launched the pillow off her head and sat straight. "Look, I guess I should just tell you straight away, since Alpha says you have to stay here: I have a boyfriend."

I blinked. Okay, so how was that relevant?

"And that was easy when I lived in here alone, but not anymore! That's why I didn't want a roommate. And all the other girls who had to work around it were envious of me, and now they'll all gloat when they find out."

"Wait, how can I hinder your relationship?" I asked. Was she insecure?

"Well, you know, I used to have him over some nights. That's all," she said dismissively, turning away to hide her slight blush.

My mouth dropped open as realization finally hit.

"Rrright," I said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and it opened. A tall, amazingly attractive boy let himself in.

Dylan's face was a distressed mess, but when she looked into his eyes, she smiled softly. She passed me and hugged him. When they kissed, I turned away.

"Hey Dylan," he said. "Who's this?"

"She's my new roomie, Cindy," she said grudgingly.

When I turned back, he was hugging her from behind, his hands wrapped around her middle as they both looked at me.

"Cindy, this is Rudy, my boyfriend."

I fidgeted uncomfortably and nodded. "I should take a shower," I muttered. Anything to get out of here.

Dylan nodded eagerly, crossed to her dresser, and plucked out a clean towel and pj's. Anything to get me out of there.

I literally fled my own room.

*Picture of Jayden*