DEATH THREATS AND FRIENDSHIP HAMS

18 FEBRUARY, THURSDAY, BEFORE HOMEROOM

By the time I got back to class, Henry and Marcus were at their seats. They were early to school again.

This was because it was safer for Henry to travel while my warriors here were out in full force, so arrangements had been made for his car to arrive shortly after mine.

"Why? Are you still getting death threats?" I asked.

Henry shrugged, "Honestly, I haven't the foggiest. My dad had all my lines of communications intercepted, and everything that reaches me has been screened."

"Except for my mobile line." Henry smirked, tapping his phone to light up.

"That just what you think." Marcus shook his head knowingly.

"Oh yeah? And how would you know that?" Henry challenged, he pressed the side of his phone and the screen turned dark again.

Marcus shrugged, "I'm sure your dad would find a way."

Henry frowned at his darkened phone, "Hn."

"Wait, why is he screening your stuff?" I asked. Something just didn't click, "It's not like the death threats are scary or anything, right?"

Henry shrugged, "I'm not afraid of their threats."

But I sensed a lie.

"Okay, so they are a little graphic, and I hate it when they threaten my mum or... It's f***ing stressful to think about."

Oh. Yeah, I never had death threats before, "Like paparazzi?"

"Worse." Henry said.

I didn't know... "So that why's your dad screening your coms?"

Marcus chuckled, "It's not about the death threats, Sam. That's just an excuse."

Eh?

Henry sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. My dad caught wind of one of my phone calls to James. He suspects I'm dealing with some illegal underground business..."

"And are you?" I asked.

Marcus began a coughing/laughing fit, "Are you saying that your mate has an illegal underground business?"

No, of course not! Oh wait, but if it were Bell, I wouldn't have been surprised. Henry raised a brow at me. I quickly shook my head, "How would I know? It's not like he tells me anything about his business."

He was my mate, yes, but once again, I realised I knew next to nothing about him.

"Anyway, we're not." Henry said and then he smirked, "At least, I'm not. But my old man insisted on auditing, and then he realized how successful some of my deals were - excepting the stupid ones I've made with you... Anyway, now he's just leeching off my data to improve his own profits."

Ah... I see.

No I didn't see. I thought River and Keanu's little scheme was totally unnecessary, but I guess it wasn't just humans who did unnecessary things, "He could've just asked you straight." I grumbled.

"As if I'll tell him for free." Henry smirked.

Ah... I give up. I had no patience for these complicated things. It's a good thing my own life had always been straight forward.

"I guess that's part and parcel of being an Alpha these days." Marcus patted Henry's shoulder, "I mean, at least your dad isn't blatantly doing it..."

"What the hell!" Henry growled, "How much more blatant can he get?"

And then both guys looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Right." Henry smirked.

I blinked, "Seriously, what?"

Marcus laughed, "Come on, Sam. Surely you didn't think your emails and texts got answered by themselves."

Eh, of course not! My betas answer them! So? Oh... I supposed you could say someone was always 'monitoring' my coms too then. But mine was different!

"It's completely different." I told them. Henry and Marcus laughed like they knew better.

"Shuuuure..." Marcus chuffed.

I returned to my seat and tossed my head. Whatever. I wasn't going to waste time arguing with two big heads who thought they knew everything.

By now, Fluffy was already in his school uniform and reading at his desk. EJ bounced into the classroom, "I'm ready for school!" (But it was pretty obvious, he meant he was ready to play, not study.)

Elena had also come in. She's been arriving later recently. Most of the other kids come to school later now because it took a while to get past the paparazzi and stuff.

I felt bad all over again thinking about it. Mum always told me not to do things to cause others inconvenience. And me coming to school everyday, was a lot of inconvenience - for my warriors, for the school, for the student council, for the students... for everyone really. I'm surprised no one told me to stop coming.

Maybe I should stop coming to school... The solution hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked up from my comic book and stared out of the window. Should I quit Winderhill? I mean, I wouldn't even be dropping out of highschool entirely. I was transfering to the Lorent Girl's Academy right?

But my exams were coming up. And the Romeo and Juliet play and Our Last Hurrah was playing at the talent time. And then it would be the end of the term anyway.

Just 2 more weeks... and it would be goodbye to Winderhill forever.

When I thought about it like that, it made me want to be a little bit selfish and keep troubling everyone, just for two more weeks. Two more weeks. I want to finish my first and last term in this highschool properly.

"Ahem, Zammi. Homework!" Krystal's demand woke me from my reverie.

"Earth to Zammi!" Zara chimed in, and then she sighed, "Zammi, you're always spacing out!"

I was not!

"Hi, Jaz, you want math first or science?" Leia asked.

Jasmine smiled and shook her head, "I did my homework today."

Eh, really? If she did her homework, why did she sound so embarrassed about it?

"Eh, really?" Zara asked, "Why? Didn't you have anything better to do?"

Jasmine figetted uncomfortably, "Well, you know after what happened yesterday... I thought I was going to die, and then I realised... I didn't want to die like this! I mean, I wanted to fall in love..."

"With Liam?" Leia wagged her brows and the girls laughed. Jasmine turned redder, but she pressed on, "Yes, but I realized there's more to life than fashion, and boys, and always having friends around you."

I know right? But this was coming from Jasmine. Except for the fact that she hung out with me, she was in every way a cheerleader type. What Pearl would call a "popular". I mean, she was even dating the Prince Popularity, himself.

"What else is there?" Krystal shrugged coolly.

"I don't know, but yesterday, I thought I would die and never graduate from highschool..." Jasmine said.

"But we lived." I said.

"But that doesn't mean we'd all be able to graduate." Leia remarked snidely.

Jasmine nodded, "And I realized there's a life after graduation too. I always thought I'd just get mated and have pups, you know? But I guess I've gotten greedy. I want more."

"Like what?" Krystal asked.

"Like college, maybe... Heh, I don't know." Jasmine looked embaressed all over again, "But I thought I'd try."

"I don't know Jaz... college sounds like hard work." Zara warned her.

Normally, Jasmine would have just looked down and mumble something like, "I guess so."

But I guess the near-death experience really did something for Jasmine, because her eyes burned with determination, "I used to be a plain and timid nobody. It took me more than a year, but I worked really hard to transform myself to a cute a popular cheerleader."

"So that you could date Liam." Leia reminded her.

Jasmine didn't deny it, "Yes. But this time, it's for me. I'm going to work hard, make cheer captain, and up my grades so that I can get a college admission."

"Wow. What about Liam though?" Krystal asked.

Jasmine shrugged, "You were right, Krystal. Guys like girls they have to chase. If Liam wants me, he'll better work his butt off for that football scholarship."

"Ooooo...." The cool girls were anonymous in their admiration.

I was just wow... I was blown away. I had no idea near-death experiences could be so life changing.

"Actually, I had been thinking too." Zara admitted next.

Krystal scoffed, "You want to go to college too? Pluhlease!"

"No, no, of course not!" Zara huffed, "Don't be stupid. I have better things to do with my life."

"Alright, what?" Krystal asked.

"You know how Brownie had babies the other day right?" Zara started, then she stopped, "Oh sorry, I hadn't told Zammi yet. Did you see it on my channel, Zammi - you're still following me right?"

Eh? I nodded while taking out my phone to check.

"Anyway, my mum has been bugging me to give them away." Zara said.

"And you said you'd rather die." Krystal finished impatiently for her, "So?"

"Yesterday, when my life flashed before my eyes, I saw their four cute little faces, and I realized my mum was right! I was being totally selfish, keeping them to myself." Zara paused dramatically and took a deep breath, "So I want you to have it."

"Say what?" Leia asked.

"I.want.you." Zara took care to spell it out for us, "to each adopt one of my babies and take good care of them for Brownie and me."

This must be what my betas felt like when they said "I see." It's like they saw, but they could not understand the logic that went into what was being said.

"No way!" Krystal said immediately, "I don't want a smelly hamster in my room!"

"Look," Zara said in all seriousness, "I am giving you girls my babies because you're my best friends. Giving them away is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's like giving away a piece of my soul. But I can, if it's you. I know my babies will be happy if its you."

Zara had definitely been putting a lot of thought into this, "Krystal could dress her's up to be the most fashionable ham in all of the insta-world. Leia can keep her ham company all night and watch tiktok together. Jaz can give her ham a warm a large family to live with. And I'm sure the lucky ham who lives with Zammi will be able to have all the hamster balls and fancy hamster toys in the world. You'll all make great hamster mummies. I believe in you."

I shook my head, "Hey, wait, Zara, this isn't like friendship bands."

"They are exactly like that." Zara decided, "They're friendship hams. Right now they still need their Mama Brownie, but they'd be old enough to leave home after another week or so. I'll bring them to school after the exams. I'm just tell you first, so you can prepare their new home."

"Wow, whichever one goes to Zammi is going to be one lucky ham." Leia said.

Wait, I never agreed. (Mum was going to kill me.)

But Krystal was already flipping through her phone to check out the competition for her future insta-star hamster, "Tch, you better give me a pretty one. I need to choose first."

Leia shrugged, "I already have an empty cage from my last hamsters."

"What happened to your hamsters?" Zara asked.

"They died." Leia shrugged, "My mum said that's how small animals are. They never live longer than a few months."

"They can live for at least 2 years!" Zara exclaimed.

I bet she's regretting her decision now.

"Let me just tell you now, if any of you let our friendship ham die, I will never forgive you." Zara vowed.

"Can I just not take any?" I suggested.

"No!" Zara turned just as angrily towards me, "You of all people should take one of my babies and give it the life of luxury I can only dream of! Does my friendship mean nothing to you?"

"Ah, no. I mean yes. I mean, okay." I said. (Mum was going to kill me.)

"Good." Zara was satisfied, "Remember to buy it a nice fancy hamster cage."

"Oh, get something like this." Krystal, who was still browsing the insta-worthy hamsters, showed us her screen. We all paused to admire the see through acrylic hamster-sized mansion.

"I want to see pictures. You need to send me photos of your friendship ham every week!" Zara ordered.

I guess being the guardian of a piece of your human friend's soul was a heavy burden like that. (Mum would understand, right?)