MY PLANS THIS CHRISTMAS

Hi, my name is Christa Laurel. And like my introduction would tell you, I'm a very normal girl. Very normal. My normalcy is particularly highlighted by my college room mate.

Meet my college room mate, Samantha Kingsley Lorent. We only ended up as room mates because

1. Our family names were right next to each other on the registration list.

2. We were both freshmen girls at the Gate City Business College.

3. Sam wanted to be "normal".

From the onset this was so ridiculous that I thought it was a joke. But no, Sam was serious. She wanted to experience what a normal college student life was like.

On the first day we met in the dorm, she had let me into the room, "Hi! I'm Sam. You must be my new room mate!"

I stared at the beautiful apparition of midnight blue hair falling in waves around her like a aura of something magic. Her mouth curved in a beautiful smile, her eyes like the favourite shade in my paint box, and I was like... Sam... As in the Alpha Sam, the powerful werewolf Alpha that sometimes we see on the Lycan news channel?

As in the Alpha Sam who is Green Packlands' famous Alpha Princess who united the Green Packland under her rule in 5 years so that the entire Green Packlands, the warlock country next to it, as well as the entire Gate City was under her administration.

As in the Alpha Sam who not just defeated the Rogue King that had plagued the continent for decades, but apparently set him on the straight and narrow. Last I read on my news feed, he was reunited with his mate and now cultivating exotic roses? If tabloids were to be believed anyway.

As in the Alpha Sam who was the founder of the beautiful Princess Town? It was said that the entire town was built in a span of 3 short years as a home to former slaves, widows, and orphans... But you couldn't tell visiting it. My family went there for vacation last year to see the famous Henry Park's rose collection in the late summer. There was a blue rose in the collection. It had a single opened flower. We were told the blue rose only bloomed late in the season, only budding when all the other roses were in a riot of perfumes and colors. For now, we were lucky to see the one that we did.

How would it be even possible for such a person to be normal? I was normal. Sam had a species of roses named after her.

It was impossible, but when she looked at me, her blue lapis lazuli eyes shining hopefully, I couldn't bear to break it to her. So I only said, "Hi, my name is Christa Laurel and I'll be your very normal college dorm mate."

Sam laughed, "Perfect. I like you already."

Two knocks on the door and a dark haired guy with green eyes came in, "Sam, the Dean's welcome reception is in 15 minutes."

The Dean was holding a reception to welcome a student. Yeah, very normal.

But I think this was the normal that Sam was used to.

Later, I would learn that this was Ben. Sam's first Beta. Ben was so smart that he skipped junior year in highschool. Even in college, he was on the honours track. His GPA after term one was a perfect 4.8 out of 4.0, shooting him to the top of the dean's list. Don't ask how this happened. My own GPA was at 3.2 and I was thrilled.

Another guy knocked and entered, he took a glance at me and nodded a polite greeting before turning his attention back to Sam, "Alpha, there are reporters at the college visitor lounge waiting for you. If you do give them an audience, may I invite the campus paper to participate as well?"

I recognized this guy. Harvey something... He was the college student president, a senior... I think. I saw his picture and forward in the welcome newsletter to freshmen.

My best friend Serene thinks he's super hot, especially if you're into werewolves. Serene was very into werewolves. Her sole purpose of studying in Gate City College was to meet her werewolf soulmate.

Unfortunately, Harvey wasn't Serene's soulmate. He was just one of the three super hot and unmated beta werewolves of the Green Packland.

And not five minutes later, a third guy, his hair shaved suavely on the sides, but the rest of the long waves in a stylish top knot, knocked and let himself in. I noticed his hair first, and then his eyes quite shocked me, one green and one blue both in a shocking hue and contrast. Oh, he was the guy on the news a lot. On the tabloids too. One of the hot betas... The scandalous one. I forgot his name then, but later found out he was Ki, and was really rather nice. He was actually the nicest and friendliest of the three.

And now, with these three standing side by side in what was about to be my dorm room, the place not only suddenly felt suffocatingly cramped, I realised these were probably all three of the hot betas of the Green Packland standing right in front of me... What was their pack called? Moon something... Was it a shape? Moon Crescent? No something with a sound. Moon Bell Pack. That's right. I wished they just called themselves the Green Pack. It would have been easier to remember.

The Moon Bell Pack. Don't let the cute name fool you. Headed by the Alpha Princess, it was arguably the second richest and largest pack in the continent after the Black Forest Pack. And fast catching up too... The Lycan Economics Magazine that my Dad subscribed to had put the Moon Bell Pack as the most promising pack of the year. Dad chose the college for me because of that.

Plus Gate City was the safest city in the world. Dad said that if I had to live by myself, better be here than anywhere else.

Dad would be relieved that my room mate would be Alpha Sam herself.

"I've done unpacking for Luna and me. Want me to help you unpack too, Alpha?" The scandalous beta offered.

Sam simply smiled and indicated to me, "Meet Christa. She's my room mate."

The three betas seemed perfectly used to their Alpha totally ignoring their urgent request and all nodded a quick bow to me.

"Where's Bell?" Sam asked next.

I'm not exactly sure where this conversation was going. I would find over the course of living with her that Alpha Sam was usually wrapped in her own world.

Maybe the only way to ever understand her was to read her diary. She always wrote in it, but I never dared touch it. Even if she left it right on my desk by accident. I would not touch it.

I heard werewolves had super smelling powers. She might smell my scent on it. And they could sense if you were lying. And I wasn't great at lying to begin with. So if I got caught reading Alpha's Sam's diary... I really didn't want to land myself in a werewolf dungeon. Thank you very much.

So I never understood what went on in the head of my Alpha room mate who believed herself to be living the normal college student life. But what college student had three hot betas and a former fight dog mate almost constantly around her?

Because her mate, the guy she called Bell? Was James Lorent the Third... I'm not entirely clear about Lycan royalty but the name had some kind of pedigree. He was better known to humans as the fightdog formerly known as Rebel, the hottest fightdog to ever grace the entertainment arena.

A ticket to one of his fight concerts at the Gate's City Light Arena could be re-sold online at three to four times the selling price. He rarely performs now though, since he was the Green Packland's Luna and all. Our tour guide last year to the Princess Town said it was like asking our queen to perform in a rock concert.

Now normal was me. And I'm sorry if you were here to read about an awesome cool alpha story. Wrong diary - try the one on the next desk.

Or if you were hoping for some werewolf romance with a human? Uh... Not likely. Maybe Serene's diary... If she wrote one. Since Serene was the one who felt it "deep in her heart" that she was "destined to be a werewolf's soulmate." Yeah, I think she has been watching/reading too many werewolf romances too.

But this is just my diary.

This diary is about just normal me who got through the first term in college pretty normally. I was so normal that even with three hot betas entering and leaving my dorm room multiple times a day, having Alpha Sam as my roomie and even going out to a few parties with her and hanging out to study together sometimes... after finishing one full term in college, I was still a relatively unknown face.

I made a few normal friends. They were nice. Particularly Serene who became my best friend. We took all the same classes which were not Alpha Sam's classes because those were really crowded and the both of us signed up only in the afternoon. Alpha Sam's classes were full by lunchtime.

Serene was human like me. Normal like me. She was blond and blue eyed... Okay, Serene was really cute. She was the kind of girl that guys didn't know how to say 'no' directly to because she was that cute.

But compared to Alpha Sam, Serene was normal. So was Marco (the smart one), Fred (the nice guy jock) and Mona, Marco's catty twin sister.

Mona was catty, yes, but she was our cat. So there. And she came with Marco. So since our group needed his brains, we learned to love with her cattiness.

My college life in term one was pretty nice. I made some decent friends, scored a B+ average, my dorm life, as crazy as it looked on the first day, turned out to be a peaceful one since our hallway was restricted access and Sam and her betas/luna were pretty respectful of my privacy. I do have all their phone numbers but I never use them. I don't even dare to tell Serene I have them. (She might try to prank text Harvey! T.T I must never let her know I have his number.)

Sam was pretty quiet most of the time too. That was when she was in the room with me. She would work on her computer or study or write in her diary a lot. She also spent a long time in the shower. But that's okay. I only needed half an hour and she always let me go first. I guess it was the hair. I mean washing and conditioning all that hair to look so alive and magical everyday must take a while.

Most of the time, Sam was at one meeting or another or just somewhere else. Most nights, she didn't even come back. I never asked. Werewolf thing maybe? I knew to stay out of werewolf matters.

So yeah, my college life was pretty nice. Quiet. A little lonely, but peaceful.

And I'm happy because I'm going home for Christmas. I miss my mum and dad. I can't believe I missed them that much, but I did.

This Christmas, Dad said we would be taking a trip to meet his client in the Gold Packlands. Dad had been invited to work on some consultation work there (over Christmas - who worked over Christmas? Lycan.) Dad was a management consultant. He used to be a professor and studied many kinds of management styles from human to Lycan to even vampire work styles, particularly in terms of boosting productivity and "future proofing" organizations.

"The world is changing everyday." I think this was the number one over quoted line everyone has been repeating.

For Dad, it meant he quit being a university professor and started a consultation company to help organizations adapt to changes and align themselves to the future.

Anyway, this Christmas, we would spend it at the Gold Packlands at the invitation of Alpha George. Last Summer, our family spent it at the Princess Town at the invitation of Alpha Kingsley. That was fun. Dad worked and met all the official people and went to all the meetings. Mum and I shopped, explored the cafes, and in the weekends, Dad would join us to visit the sights there.

Dad said Lycan Alphas took care of their guests well. Even as humans, we got VIP treatment with Beta Lucas or Beta Gerald around. They were really polite and considerate in an old fashioned way.

So yeah, this Christmas break, our family got to stay at the Gold Packlands. Dad said the service apartment Alpha George put us at was right in the middle of the shopping district. Mum and I were going to have a lot of fun.

I couldn't wait.

"You're really excited." Sam noticed.

"Yeah. My family is planning a holiday." I said, "What about you?"

"I've got work and meetings. A bit of travelling to the various friendly packs." Sam pouted, "My betas efficiently scheduled all my meetings in the school break. Sometimes I think they're too efficient."

Two knocks on the door and Ben let himself in, "Car's ready to go."

"Need a ride out anywhere, Chris?" Sam offered as Ben collected all her packed luggage from next to the door where Ki left them. Sam had a lot of stuff.

I shook my head, "No thanks. My mum and dad are coming. I wanted to let them see the dorm I stay in, if that's okay with you."

Sam grinned, "Yeah sure. Too bad I can't meet them."

Ben held the door open impatiently for his Alpha to leave.

"See you next term!" Sam said. She passed me this pretty journalling book and a card, "Thanks for being my room mate, Chris. It was a great term."

"Me too...I mean, thank you too." The gift took me by surprise. And then she was gone.

I looked at the journal, it was binded in a pale pink leather cover. My favourite colour.

The card was in a navy blue envelope with the initials SKL embossed into it. The white colored card was similarly embossed. It was very official looking. But inside the words wrote, "Dear Chris, I'm not really good at words but I wanted you to know I was lucky to have you as my room mate. You're nice and neat, and I think your paintings are very pretty. I wanted to buy you a sketchbook for your watercolours, but I couldn't find one. I was told they needed special paper? Sorry. I probably should have shopped in an art supply store. Hope you like this journal book though. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Love, Sam"

Sam thought my watercolours were pretty! I smiled at the card. This really made my day. And this was how I started writing a diary too. I guess I just wanted to give it a go.

Nothing too ambitious. I'm just going to write about my Christmas Holidays at the Gold Packlands.