Chapter 27
***NOLAN***
6 YEARS AGO.
I immediately turned around and faced the door. I heard him chuckle behind me.
"Ummmm..... What are you doing?" He asked and I shook my head.
"Sorry, I thought you told me to come in, I didn't know you were not dressed," I apologized quickly and he chuckled again.
"I did tell you to come in, I'm in a towel and you're a guy too, don't be so weird about it," he said and I nodded with my back still turned against him.
"So, are you going to turn around now?" He asked and I slowly turned around to face him. He was still in a towel and his torso was naked.
I always avoided being around shirtless guys so this was very awkward and hard for me.
I looked at his face trying so hard not to look down.
He walked to his dressing table and I found myself staring at his back and arms. He looked well-fit and muscular.
"Are you gonna tell me why you're here?" He asked with his back turned against me as he picked up a body lotion on the table.
"My mom told me you were going to Princeton and I should follow you so you can show me around," I replied and went to sit on the edge of his bed.
"Cool."
"So, I've never seen you around with any girl, you got a girlfriend or something?" He asked and I grabbed my knees with my hands, squeezing them nervously.
"Ummm...no," I replied.
"Now that I think about it, I've never seen you with any girl before, you ever dated someone before?" He asked again.
"I actually dated a girl once before. But we broke up," I said and he turned around to face me after taking care of his hair.
"Who ended it?" He asked, leaning on the chair in front of his dressing table.
"She did," I replied.
"Can I ask why?"
I was already getting uncomfortable with the questions, but I'd always wanted to be friends with Phillip and it never happened.
"She- she um... She ended it because she wanted me to sleep with her and I didn't." I gulped nervously.
"Ohhh," he said, dragging out the word and nodding.
"Now might be a good time to turn around," he said and I saw him suddenly reach for his towel.
I turned around quickly just as he took it off and I waited quietly for him to get dressed.
"Let's go."
***
As Hank parked in the parking lot, I opened the door and climbed down quickly.
I was so anxious to meet Brian since I hadn't seen him since I sent those texts telling him I might have feelings for a guy in our class, Ryan.
As Hank drove off I walked through the school compound. I noticed that everyone was staring at me, and it wasn't in a good kind of way.
I kept on walking, and I could feel their gazes on my skin as I walked into the hallway with my head down.
I suddenly bumped into a wall that nearly caused me to fall, except that it wasn't a wall.
Watch where you're going faggot." I slowly looked up to see Ivan Folder giving me an icy glare. It was Ryan's elder brother and he was with three of his friends from the school's football team.
Did he just call me a faggot??
"I'm sorry," I apologized and I was about to walk past him, but he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and he slammed me against the locker.
"Stay the fuck away from my brother." Ivan hissed, but he had me confused.
"What are you talking about?" I asked and his friends laughed.
"Here, let me show you," Kyle said and he took out his phone, holding it to my face to see. I looked at the screen, having no idea what he wanted to show me, but I was shocked to see a screenshot of the text messages I sent to Brian.
My heart began to beat rapidly. How were they able to get the screenshots?
I looked up a bit and I saw that it was posted on Brian's Facebook feed. I felt betrayed instantly and remained speechless as Kyle took his phone away.
"I've seen you staring at my brother before but I never knew that you were a fucking homo," Ivan grabbed my collars tightly as I tried to move away from the locker, but I wasn't strong enough to do anything.
He was a senior, but I was still scrawny looking compared to other sophomores.
There were a few students around but none of them did anything and they just stood by, watching us.
This wasn't the way I wanted people to know that I was gay and I definitely wasn't ready. I didn't know why I had to be scared since I wasn't doing anything wrong.
"It's just a text, I didn't do anything wrong," I replied stubbornly.
"He's such a fucking pervert," Allen, Ivan's best friend spat on the floor in disgust.
"I don't care about your feelings you fag, but you have no right to like my brother," Ivan bellowed.
"Why?" I confronted him.
"I have the right to like whoever I want, and who knows? Ryan might even like me back," I stated boldly.
"He needs to be taught a lesson," Allen suggested to Ryan.
Ivan gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the collars of my shirt, "Deny your feelings right now!"
"I can't."
He pushed me against the locker and I winced.
"Say that you don't like Ryan and that you will never go near him ever again," Ivan roared and my back was already starting to ache, but I was so stupid and I wouldn't back down.
If I didn't know better, I would say that Ivan was afraid of Ryan liking me back.
"No, I won't." I was stupid and stubborn.
All of a sudden Ivan threw a punch in my face and his friends cheered. I thought he was going to stop but he threw a second punch.
He was about to throw a third punch, but a voice down the hallway stopped him.
"Hey, let go of him now," Mr. Leo, the History teacher said and Ryan let go of me, moving back. .
"To my office now!"
***
I blinked and stopped staring the same tweet I had been looking at for minutes. I just zoned out and remembered a sensitive memory.
I never let anyone know what happened and I hid my bruises. My genes were complicated because of the difference race combinations but my wolf side didn't get activated till I was 16.
After that incident, I was scarred and I never thought about liking a guy ever again.
I looked up from my phone and looked around to see if I could see Phillip approaching. It had been 30 minutes since he told me to wait here at this cafe.
I sighed and took out my phone so I could call him while walking to the counter to get another cup of cappuccino. Someone else walked up to the counter and I noticed that they were staring at me.
I looked up and saw a lady who smiled at me.
"Hi."
"Hi," I said back awkwardly.
"I haven't seen you around before, are you new here?" She asked and I nodded.
"Yes," I replied.
"That explains it cause I thought I know every handsome face on campus," she said and I couldn't help myself from smiling as I caught the flirt.
"So, there's a bonfire party tonight, do you want to come?" She asked and I opened my mouth to talk, but I didn't know what to say.
I and Phillip had to leave soon.
"erm-"
"There you are." I heard Phillip's voice as he suddenly wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I was caught by surprise and I glanced at his arm before looking at him.
"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said with a smile and faced the lady.
She looked at the both of us, glancing at him, then me with a strange look on her face.
"Nice meeting you," she said and walked away.
Phillip took his arm off my shoulders as she left and nodded in the direction of the door.
I followed him out of the restaurant and he climbed into his car that was parked just before the road.
I climbed into Phillip's car and he started the engine just as I closed the door.
"We're going to a party now," he said and I faced him in surprise.
"My mom expects me to be home this evening and she's going to be mad if I go to a party," I said and he chuckled.
That wasn't the reason I didn't want to go with him. My mom didn't care what I did as long as it wasn't illegal or dangerous.
Tonight would be a full moon and since I turned 16, every full moon is the day my wolf could manifest.
The standard is when I'm 18 years, but many times, it could come early or slightly later. So my mom always made sure I was at home every night of the full moon. If I was outside when my wolf manifests and I have to turn, I could hurt someone or scare the Vampires in the clan.
But I didn't want to bring that up with Phillip and ruin the sense of normalcy and belonging I felt now. He knew I was a Werewolf, but I didn't want him to be aware of it now.
"Just give her a call and tell her you're with me," he said and I nodded even though I was feeling unsure about it.
My mom trusted Phillip and thought he was a good influence so she might overlook it as long as I'm back home safely without turning.
"Okay," I nodded and took out my phone, dialing my mom's number.