THE LAST DRAMA

Fluffy and EJ met us along the hallway, both of them were walking with hands in their pockets and smiling in such a way that I KNEW something was up. Like if my wolf ears were out, it would have zinged forward immediately. I think my good beta felt it too, I'm not sure if Harvey felt it from their expressions or mine, but he stiffened behind his magic black box. I don't think my good beta was as keen as I was for something interesting to happen.

"Hoi hoi, Pretty Alpha!" EJ pulled out his hand and waved from afar, "Come quick!"

"What's up?" Because I was the kind of Alpha who liked to get straight to the point.

"Zara's crying!" EJ announced way too happily.

"What?" How could that be a good thing?

Fluffy's smiling mask stretched because he was that pleased, "The rearrangements for tonight's pairings will be settled in a moment, Pretty Alpha."

I've already pushed past them and made the next turn around the hallways purely out of my lucky sense of direction. EJ and Fluffy spun on their heels to follow, and Harvey had no choice but to carry the box and follow along.

Why was Zara crying? Wait... why was I rushing over blindly like this? I slowed down, "What happened?"

The guys caught up. EJ took the small stack of books from my arms while Harvey dumped the box he was carrying into Fluffy's smiling embrace.

We were along the hallway lined with metal cupboards and benches and vending machines. This was where most of the school's club rooms were. It was at a busy time too. Term-end spring cleaning day, I think.

"Wait and see." Fluffy smiled.

"Here!" EJ bounded over to one of the vending machines, "This would be a good spot to watch."

To watch what? I followed him to the vending machine and watched him pout at the selection. Was he watching the drinks? The strawberry yogurt drink was sold out.

"Hmm..." EJ squinted at the other choices. I got distracted by the lemon yogurt soda drink. What was that? And why did our school have something weird like that?

My good beta took out his phone and scanned it to pay. He selected the drink I was studying and cracked open the can for me.

"What about me?" EJ asked.

"Nice try." Harvey shrugged and coolly ignored him.

EJ bought his own drink. His was strawberry yogurt soda (Not to be confused with his usual strawberry yogurt non-soda drink. He cracked open the can and held it up to me, "Cheers, Pretty Alpha!"

I lifted my can for him to tap with his. Just as I took a sip, the door of the girls' washroom slammed open and Zara pretty much screamed at the cool girls who had strutted out with her, "Arughhhh!!! You'll never understand! Why does this always happen to me?"

I swallowed and stepped forward, and then I stopped because something felt off.

Like it was written all over their faces.

Zara was totally upset, but she was also suddenly wearing visible make up. In fact, all the cool girls looked preened and lip-glossed in school during school hours. And not all of them were as good as acting as Zara was either. Krystal kept smiling - which was a totally weird expression to make when your best friend was screaming at you.

Leia's expression looked constipated, and Jasmine looked downright embarrassed to be standing next to them at all.

Also, my drink just tasted like ice cream soda with a lemon scent.

Fluffy's eyes were bent in crescents, the rest of his smile was hidden behind the box of things in his arms, but he was obviously enjoying the scene. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Winderhill High School's drama at its finest.

When no one responded to her initial outburst, Zara started wailing, "Wahhhhh....."

"It can't be helped, Zara." Krystal loudly declared to the entire hallway when she realized he had missed her cue, "Just blame yourself for not being a cheerleader!"

There were cheerleaders clearing out the metal cupboards outside their clubroom. Like the rest of the school, they had stopped to stare. But now at the mention of cheerleaders, the other girls in their club room poured out to see who was crying in the corridor.

"But EJ was supposed to be MY DATE!" Zara wailed to the entire school. Then she pointed at Jasmine, "You were supposed to go with Henry!"

Jasmine turned red, "Yes... but..."

"Speak louder!" Leia hissed at her.

"YES, BUT HENRY IS GOING WITH JANICE NOW." Jasmine pretty much yelled.

OMO. Wth was with this charade? I literally dropped my drink. Luckily Harvey smoothly caught it and decided to hold on to it for the rest of the show.

"And EJ asked you." Leia hissed again.

"Yes..." Jasmine nodded and then quickly loudly declared, "AND EJ ASKED ME, SO I SAID YES! SORRY ZARA! LOOKS LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE A DATE TONIGHT!"

Seriously? It was like she was announcing gossip in point form to the whole school. Nobody was going to buy this! I quickly scanned the hallways. It had gotten quiet. Most of the students had stopped to watch or record a video. Oh man... what had Fluffy instigated now?

"It's always like this!" Zara wailed, "It's not fair! Why do guys always pick the cheerleaders over me?"

"What's happening?" Some of the cheerleaders who came out of the club room later wanted to know.

"I think someone dumped that poor girl because of Jasmine." One of the cheerleaders explained.

"EJ... that's the cute redhead in 1-7 right?" Another cheerleader said.

"OMG. EJ! I'm so jelly now."

"Jasmine would be so lucky. First Liam and now EJ."

"Why do all the popular boys like her? She's not even that popular."

"They're all in her class. Lucky pig."

"Where's Abigail? Aren't they in the same class? Quick, call Abigail."

Meanwhile, the cool girls were just standing outside the girl's washroom, Zara wailing. They were looking around. I think they were waiting for something... or someone...to enter the scene.

{Where's Liam?} Fluffy asked.

EJ took a gulp of his soda and checked his phone, {OTW, he says.}

Ah, the other actors were late. I looked at the cool girls... I don't think improvisation was their best skill. They just looked helplessly at each other. Zara, who was the best actress thus far, fell on her knees in a fresh bout of wailing, just to stall.

"Should someone call a teacher?" Some of the students from the Cooking Club asked each other.

This play was going to take a turn south if nothing happened.

There was a rush of footsteps that slowed just before rounding the corner, but it turned out to be just Abigail and her posy entering stage left.

"Oh great. Just what we needed." Leia grumbled.

Yeah. I cast Fluffy a side glance, but he looked only too happy at the new addition to his cast.

"What's going on?" Abigail asked looking terribly surprised and then concerned, "Zara? What happened?"

"EJ dumped me and asked Jasmine to your party!" Zara repeated loudly and tearfully, "Now I don't have a date!"

"Oh... I can't believe a cool girl would be making such a tearful scene in school because of a date." One of Abigail's friends said snidely.

"B**** shut up." Krystal said. She had stopped following the script to defend her friend, but I think it made her look more natural.

Leia tugged her arm to make her stop though.

"Poor thing." Abigail decided to take the higher ground and cooed, "Don't cry. Since you're so pitiful, I'll give you an invite. You can come all by yourself."

"You don't have to, Abigail!" Random Girl 1 said.

"Yes, you're really being too kind." Random Girl 2 said.

"I don't want to come alone!" Zara wailed. I couldn't tell if she was acting or if this was really Zara's true feelings.

"Back off Abigail!"

Finally! The Calvery was here! Enter Ivan and Liam stage right.

Ivan charged over, straight into the scene.

Liam had arrived with him, but he had stopped short of entering the messy drama playing out in the middle of the hallway. In fact, he looked genuinely confused. When he saw us, he released a breath of relief and walked over quickly.

"I brought Ivan, Fluff. What's up?" Liam asked. He cast an uneasy glance to where the drama was unfolding.

"Oh." Fluffy smiled, "That was quick."

No, they were late.

But we were interrupted by Ivan who had been doing a lot of shouting today, "Are you girls bullying Zara again?"

"Why... why would you say that?" Abigail looked properly hurt, "I was just trying to help her..."

"It's true! Abigail was trying to help." Random Girl 1 attested, "You can ask anyone here."

Zara sniffed dramatically and pressed on with the script, "EJ dumped me so he could take Jasmine to the party tonight."

"WHAT?" But this was Liam who suddenly pushed away from us and stormed into the scene. Liam who usually liked to pose and act cool... "Jasmine, you can't go out with EJ!"

Liam quickly looked up to where we were, "No offense, EJ."

"None taken!" EJ cheerfully waved back and took another swig of his drink. It had a strong strawberry smell that I actually preferred over my lemon one.

My good beta wordlessly tapped his phone against the vending machine and bought the strawberry yogurt soda, opened it one-handedly, and held it out to me.

I froze and then accepted it, "Thank you."

Actually, I was only looking. I dared not look in the direction of the vending machine anymore.

"Jas, EJ is a player." Liam told her (and the rest of the school) outright.

Which was what I probably should've told Janice about Henry from the beginning.

"He's a great buddy, but he's the kind of guy who doesn't go out more than once with any girl." Liam explained.

"I'll go again if she's paying." EJ quipped.

Liam ignored him, "He's not right for you."

"Then who should I go with?" Jasmine asked somewhat coyly.

Liam took a deep breath, "Me. Look, I know I'm just an average warrior wolf, but better with me than wolves like EJ. At least... at least I really like you, Jas. My feelings for you are real."

Awww...

I had never heard Liam talk so much before in my life. This must be love.

Jasmine squealed and threw her arms around him.

The rest of the school clapped and hooted.

"That's literally the most romantic thing I've ever seen." One of the cheerleaders declared.

"Fine. Then I'll go with EJ." Krystal announced.

"Okay!" EJ shouted his agreement from where we were standing, "Let's have fun tonight!"

"What about me?" Wailed Zara... still kneeling on the ground.

"Don't cry!" EJ bounded over now, "I can take you too!"

"No way, you playboy!" Ivan yelled and threw a punch at EJ.

Ivan was just a human, and from his swing, I was quite sure that punch, as passionately thrown as it was, wouldn't really get past the warrior jacket on EJ, but EJ bounded back like it was a sledgehammer, "Okay, okay. I didn't know she was your girl, Ivan."

"What? My...my...my..." Ivan stammered turning red.

"JUST TAKE HER." Leia shouted loudly to make sure everyone heard, "IT WAS YOUR FAULT SHE LOST HER DATE IN THE FIRST PLACE."

"Wh...what?" Ivan flushed a dark red.

"IT'S BECAUSE YOUR DATE IS GOING TO THE PARTY WITH HENRY." Leia informed Ivan (and the whole school).

"WHAT?" Ivan shouted back, mostly because his brain registered that last bit of info. I guess Janice forgot to tell him.

"See, Zara." Ivan said pulling her up by her hand, "I told you these werewolf types were all playboys! Come on. Stop crying on the ground. Are you a little kid?"

Zara sniffed and then shook her head and then nodded.

Ivan sighed, "Why are you so stupid?"

He proceeded to drag her off by her hand, "Come on. It's a zoo here."

As Zara was dragged off, she looked back and threw a wink at the cool girls.

Krystal and Leia high-fived and returned "backstage" to the girl's washroom.

Liam came over with Jasmine, "Sorry, Fluff. You said you needed our help..."

"It's okay." Fluffy smiled, "All settled now."

Liam raised a brow.

Yes, let's see you explain yourself out of this one, genius tactician.

"I met Big Brother Beta and Pretty Alpha along the hallway and they kindly helped me taste test the sodas." Fluffy nodded towards the two cans of sodas in our hands.

"I told you, Strawberry is the best!" EJ grinned, holding out his can.

"Oh, yes." Jasmine agreed, "I prefer the strawberry one too."

Apparently, fruit-flavored yogurt sodas were a normal drink in the gold packlands. Who knew?

Fluffy nodded, his smile firmly in place, "Yes. I'll have the strawberry one then, Big Brother Beta."

Fluffy smiled and tilted his head towards Harvey who paused, and then reluctantly tapped his phone and bought Fluffy the drink.

EJ's mouth dropped open.

Fluffy smiled.

Liam smiled, his usual lopsided smile, "If you say so Fluff. If you say so."

And then he took Jasmine's hand, "I'll send you home. Do you have a lot to carry?"

I watched them walk away feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Maybe this time they'll live happily ever after?

Harvey finished my lemon yogurt soda and tossed the can in the recycling bin next to the vending machine, "Let's go."

I let him lead me back to the car, his hand coolly on my back as if he felt I would not know the way out of my own school without his guidance. Fluffy and EJ followed behind with my stuff.

"I can't believe you pulled that off." I told Fluffy.

"Hoi hoi! Fluffy's the fluffiest! You even made Big Brother Beta buy you a drink!" EJ praised.

"I'm docking it from your allowance." Harvey informed them, a wry smile in place. And then he added, "But if you get through your first week of school next term without me getting called to Principal Charlie's office, I'll buy you lunch."

"Hoi, hoi!" EJ cheered immediately, "Big Brother Beta is the best!"

"What kind of lunch?" Fluffy wanted to know.

Harvey considered this and decided with his usual wry smile, "That would depend on my mood."