ITS NOT OVER UNTIL THE FAT ALPHA SINGS

3 MARCH, WEDNESDAY, CONTINUED

We were supposed to be standing there clapping, but the roses were kind of hard to actually clap with and I worried about beheading any of them when some petals came off. Luckily, we were all thespians so we knew how to just act like we were clapping - even though it would be obvious we weren't hitting our roses hard enough.

But amid the applause and euphoria, it wasn't a moment to think very hard about so I guess fake clapping was alright.

Eventually, Ki and Madam Silvia (on the arms of a very flustered Mr D), took their turns to bow and receive roses.

And then right there on the stage, Madam Silvia hugged Ki and kissed him on the cheek.

But amid the applause and euphoria, it wasn't a moment to think very hard about... The school hooted and woooed. Ki took it all with his usual smile and then we all took our final bow and exited the stage just like we rehearsed.

Outside, Jules and Ramona took back the stage and it sounded like the audience would be released in an orderly fashion. Backstage it was chaos.

"Shhhh!!!!" Mr D rushed around shushing us frantically.

Besides peeking from behind the curtain, the other highly unprofessional conduct Mr D kept on top of his list of pet peeves, was when cast and crew were noisy backstage. We should in every way strive for true professionalism and not make a squeak until we were properly out of the backstage area. It would be best that we held our voices back until we returned to the Black Box. In fact, Mr D had insisted on it.

But everyone was just too thrilled and excited to remember true professionalism.

"Shhhhh...." Mr D hissed again.

"Listen! Mr D is peeing backstage!" EJ shouted above the noise.

It was like preschool level humor but the backstage erupted in laughter like he was comic gold.

Ki shot the red-head a stern look, but in the next moment he was facing Madam Silvia with his usual gentle smile as he led her back down to exit the hall with the VIP crowd.

Left alone to deal with us, Mr D insisted extra loudly, "Shhhhh!!!!"

Outside the audience laughed, did they hear us? Or was it just something witty Jules and Ramona were saying? I couldn't tell, but now on top of being flustered by our unprofessionalism, Mr D's face and neck had gone bright red.

My ears were ringing in the most disconcerting way since the climax when someone in the audience was screaming in soprano, the standing ovation didn't help the ringing stop. In fact, at this point, it had gone beyond the sirens, I would say they were pinging. I've noticed my ears had gotten a little sensitive since the bomb blasted at my face. Either that or the noise level this week had just repeatedly deafened me.

Eventually, we collectively snapped out of our giddy stupor. I'm not sure how, but we managed to head to the changing rooms, and after a general chaos of someone losing a phone, someone else losing a shirt, and the costume department reportedly missing several items, we were finally back in the Black Box.

I watched the guys sprawl with the legs hanging over the back of the chairs in front of them. I was back in my school uniform, short skirt and all, so I couldn't hang loose like they did, but I made myself at home on the seat Fluffy pulled down for me and watched Jasmine go around being congratulated and getting hugs.

Unlike Henry and I who had left our bouquets stacked neatly on the chairs in the front row (okay, Beta Pete and Fluffy stacked them), Jasmine was still holding onto her flowers. Oh man, she looked so happy! I was happy too. I mean, initially, I started off doing this for her, and I'm glad I did. Jasmine had been a good friend to me ever since the first day I met her, and I did want to leave her with something good, but I also had to admit, I gained a lot from this experience too.

Specifically, I gained a flip knife.

JK. I was well aware I blew that chance. (But it was worth it. XD)

Ki returned to the Black Box and told us to go join our parents for refreshmentd in the Multipurpose Hall. If we didn't eat up all the food on their buffet table, he promised us pizza when we got back. Naturally, everyone cheered. Also will the Young Alpha Henry, and Goddess please come with him instead? Urmmm... Okay?

I worried for a second that someone was going to make a big deal out of Ki calling me goddess again, but that didn't happen. In fact, everyone acted like Ki had said "Samantha Kingsley." Guess it wasn't as big a deal as I would imagine it to be.

I never really quite figured it out. Why did some things get blown up among the kids in this school (my locker was now a shrine where kids drop notes to the warlock princess with weather requests), and other things just fizzle out quietly.

Like the fact that Ki called me goddess, or that I had a parade waiting for me on the way to school, or that I walked away from a bomb blowing up in my face without a single scratch. Or even just this, being singled out with Henry from the other kids. I've hated being singled out since Elementary school just because my Dad was the alpha.

It was nice to have Henry around now, so it wasn't just me, but why couldn't we just go to the multipurpose room to join our parents like the other kids?

Because our parents weren't in the multipurpose hall with the other parents.

I realized this only after following Ki away from where the other kids were going. We were going to the dance studio - which had been set up for hosting Madam Principal's VVIPs.

They even put large potted plants along the corridor outside the room. Granted that they were fake plants and reminded me of the small fake potted tree Delta Simon had in his waiting room, it was still very fancy for a school hallway.

Our school hallway... Come to think of it, looked a lot like our renovated dungeons, I mean detention facilities, except for the notice boards and lockers and whatever here and there. Wow. Did that mean our newly revamped detention facilities were that good? Or that my high school was that sad? Maybe they were essentially the same thing. Hahahaha.

Anyway, I brightened the moment I sensed my parents close. Ki let us into the room, "The Young Alpha Henry and Alpha Princess."

The room clapped politely at our entrance. Even though all we did was step into the room?

Madam Principal immediately glided over, arms outstretched, "Oh, my dears! Well done!"

Don't worry, she won't really hug us. She never had. Madam Principal liked to open up her arms to greet her dear students. Maybe it's sort of like the hug version of an airkiss.

I stiffen at her approach though. I had thought Ki was taking me to Mum and Dad.

"Thank you." Henry was quicker to the bat. I just smiled politely. Dad and Mum made their way over too, so yay.

{Mate?}

Oh... Bell wasn't here. My mating bond was quite clear about it. I still looked around the room and felt my heart dropped to my stomach at not seeing him, either that or I was just really hungry. It was lunchtime.

Mum caught me in a bear hug, "Oh, Sam! You were fantastic!"

Dad's large hand rested on my head, "That must be the best show I've seen for a long while."

That was probably also the only show you've seen for a long while. But yeah, my Mum and Dad were the kind of parents who were extremely biased. I grinned widely at them, "Did you like the finale where my wolf was like poof!"

I flared a little to show them. Madam Principal backed away quickly. I quickly drop the flare before I alarmed anyone else. I was still grinning from cheek to cheek.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it a poof." I turned towards the booming voice, Henry's Dad, Alpha George looked rather smug as he announced to the whole room, "It was more like a f***ing explosion!"

"Language, dear." Henry's Mum reminded her mate primly from Henry's arm. She was shining like a proud mum. I guess so was my mum.

"That was a breathtaking performance, Princess." Henry's Mum informed me, "Congratulations on the successful opening."

"It's also the closing, Mum." Henry reminded his mother, "This is just a school production, you know."

"Well yes, but for a school production it had amazing production value." Henry's Mum gushed, "It's almost like you had professionals running everything."

Technically, we did.

"The both of you did very well." Mum said sincerely, "I enjoyed watching the play very much."

And then Mum laughed and admitted, "I've never imagined you'd sign up for a theater production, Sam."

That's because I wouldn't.

To Henry's Mum she complimented, "Your son had such amazing presence on stage, he must have inherited your talent."

Henry's Mum looked very pleased, "Oh those were the days!"

And then she leaned over to Mum as if what she was about to say was meant only for Mum's ears, "Henry always excels in everything he sets his mind to do, but to be honest, he had never shown any special interest in performance art. I was quite surprised when we received the invitation from Madam Principal."

"She insisted we take the first flight back just for it." Alpha George interjected with his complaint loudly, "In the end I had to charter a private plane to get here in time."

Henry only shrugged, extremely unimpressed at his parent's extravagant efforts to attend our show, "I told you not to come."

"But how could I miss it?" Henry's Mum laughed, "I was quite sure this was a once in a lifetime chance to see my son star in a play."

Everyone very politely did not mention how our show hadn't played out like the expected innocent school theater production.

Awkward pause.

"So this is Sam..." Henry's Mum smiled at me, "You know its so funny, all along I thought "Sam" was a boy Henry hung out with in school. I had no idea she was the Alpha Princess herself!"

Mum laughed with her like it was a funny thing. I thought it was funny too, the way Henry seemed to be hapless against his Mum's onslaught of unwanted remarks.

And then Henry's mum and my Mum deviated to the usual grown up ladies talk.

Henry's mum had a lot of questions about the Micheal Ark vase we had gifted Henry at his inauguration, "It's brilliant, and I'm still constantly amazed at how its still blooming!"

She was keen to buy more from Micheal Ark's studio. Did Mum know if he had any new collections or if he accepted private commissions? Also she hadn't gotten the contact of Mum's designer yet. The other lunas were still talking about Mum's dress. Henry's Mum was convinced that the Green Packland's modern twist on classic lycan dresses was an essential part of the modern luna's wardrobe. Mum was very flattered.

"We have quite many designers who specialize in ceremonial lycan dresses at Gate City." Mum informed her, "And many independent local labels also make bespoke ceremonial dresses."

The burgeoning dress couture in Gate City had to be credited to the Lorent Pack, like literally, I'm sure their credit cards kept these designers creating the tiny tight-fitting dresses. Now that I was older, I kind of get that not all Lorent households had hired help to do their cleaning. I also get that the ladies didn't wear ceremonial dresses all the time. But I wouldn't be surprised if they wore these things the way I wore training gear. How would they be any more glorious than the other ladies in the Green Packlands otherwise?

"I simply must make a shopping trip to Gate City one of these days!" Henry's Mum decided.

"Let me know when you do." Mum smiled, "I'll be happy to show you around."

"Oh would you?" Henry's Mum lit up at Mum's invitation, "That would be marvelous!"

I pity the brave warrior who would be tasked to escort the lunas when that day came.

I bet my two front teeth that Dad had meant to leave after meeting me, but Mum and Henry's Mum were just hitting it off, so he was stuck with Alpha George.

To make matters worse, Madam Principal decided to take the opportunity to re-introduce Alpha Stephan and Madam Silvia to us.

They approached us with a full camera crew on the watch. Luckily, I've been well trained by recent experience on how to be a zoo animal and pretend I didn't notice the safari crowd, but I'm not sure how well my parents were trained to perform for the camera.