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CHAPTER 7

Motivated

Samantha

It's Monday again and I can't wait for school to end so I can go to the bar for my shift. The weekend flew by as I helped Carla and Rudy.

Fortunately, Carla paid me after each shift, so I was able to enjoy an incredibly lush breakfast on Sunday morning at one of my favorite cafes.

I did the math and, if all goes well with my new part-time job, I could rent a small studio. I just need to keep sleeping at school for the next 3 or 4 weeks so I can save enough for the first rental. Sounds easy enough, right?

I walk absentmindedly and don't even hear my friend calling out to me.

"Hey Sam, hold on." Jen runs after me out of breath.

"Good morning Jen, did you run here? I slow my pace trying to hold back a giggle. Jen is not a runner.

"I stopped by your house earlier and your parents acted like they had no idea who you were. Sam, what's going on?

I can read sincere concern in Jen's eyes and I feel a little guilty for not telling her about my parents.

Jen is so empathetic, I'm sure she'll make a great doctor someday.

"Her parents kicked her out. Well, they're not really her parents, are they? Marie joins us and answers Jen's question probably better than I could have. I give her a grateful smile practically begging them both with my eyes not to ask any more questions.

"What, how did that happen, why would they do such a thing?"

Well, I guess my pleading didn't work.

"Girls, keep your voices down, please. I don't need the pack bullies to get any more ammunition they can use on me. And also, I really don't want to talk about it." I tell the two girls firmly and let out a sigh of relief as I hear the bell ring and we all run to our respective classes.

I managed to get to my English class before Miss Roberts, our teacher. Fortunately, she is always late. Unfortunately, today that worked against me because I found myself in front of Timothy, who wears a big evil grin on his face.

Ming is already clawing inside, his rage getting harder and harder to contain.

Oh, this is great!

"Going somewhere, Omega?"

He grabs my shoulders, his claws reaching out and digging into my skin, making me wince in pain.

"I just want to go to class, Tim, I'm not looking for any trouble.

"It's Timothy for you, bitch. And it's too bad trouble is looking for you. And so he knees me in the stomach and I can feel the breakfast I ate yesterday trying to get out. Timothy quickly lets go of me. I can hear Miss Roberts' heels echoing in the hallway, so I walk into the classroom doing my best not to look hurt and ignore all the laughter.

"I could have kicked her ass. I know I could Just get over yourself and let me take over." Ming is rambling on and on about how we shouldn't let them think we're weak and how he can take them all. Honestly, she's giving me such a headache that I decide to block her out completely until she cools down.

Not that I enjoy being bullied, especially since I'm being bullied by people who were waving and high-fiving me a little over a week ago. Trust me, it sucks, but I need to be realistic. I'm an Omega, so obviously I could never beat Timothy or someone like him, who are literally training to become wrestlers.

At lunchtime both girls cornered me with serious expressions on their faces. I need to get this over with. They've been my best friends and they're still by my side, so they deserve to know everything.

"We need to talk, Sam." Jennifer tells me and Marie just nods, crossing her arms like a guard in a nightclub.

"Follow me."

I lead the girls to a large storage room I discovered a few days ago. I know for sure it's not used unless we have a big event coming up at school. The girls follow me inside the large storage room that is full of wooden things you need to set up a podium or stage and lots of chairs.

"What is this place?" -Marie asks, looking around wearily.

"They store things here that are needed when we have a school event. No one is going to bother us. Have a seat and I'll tell you everything once, and only once. Then I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

They both nodded and each took a chair from the stack.

After taking a deep breath, I told them everything that had happened since I ran away after the sorting ceremony. Jen was a little more composed as she listened to my story, while Marie grew increasingly angry. It must be the Alpha in her, having a harder time controlling her emotions.

"So you're practically squatting here?" Jennifer asks me with tears in her eyes. "You can come live with me. I...I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."

She tries, but we both know that's not an option.

"It's fine, honestly. I actually found a part-time job and in a few weeks I'll be able to afford my own place. I just need to ride this out for a while, and I'll manage fine." I'm surprised again at how confident I sound.

"I'm a few months away from finding my partner, and I have a feeling that finding him will change everything for me." Jen perks up a bit when she sees how enthusiastically I talk about finding my partner, but Marie seems to get angrier and angrier, so I interrupt the emotional reunion and we all go back to our classes.

After school, Jennifer offers to accompany me to the pub and I introduce her to Carla and Rudy. She stayed for a while, but I was busy waiting at the tables, so she finally left, but not before giving me a big hug and telling me how proud she is of me. I guess I'm proud of myself too, so I got this!

We're approaching closing time and as the last clients leave, I go to the back to tidy up Carla's office. Humming, I dance with the broom and organize her papers. I seem to be good at being Omega.

"Wow, do you sing?" Carla comes over with her mouth open and her eyes wide as saucers.

"Oh, my Goddess, you scared me to death. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were here."

"You have a really good voice, Sam. You know what? You should sing at the next open mic."

"Pff, you don't have to be so nice. I'm not looking to scare every patron in the pub, so I promise I'll refrain from singing in public." I laugh as softly as I can, but Carla doesn't budge.

"You're kidding now, right?" As soon as she realized I was serious, she yells for Rudy to come in.

"Hey, Rudy, be a wise old wolf and listen to this girl sing. I swear I've never heard anyone with such a beautiful voice and she sounds so good, but she seems to think she's deaf."

"Okay, let me hear it!" Rudy plops down in a chair acting like a judge on 'The Voice'. As amused as I find this whole situation, I'd rather not sing in front of them.

"Let's forget about all this, shall we? I think I'll just go home. Everything seems tidy around here, see you tomorrow?"

I ask in the hope that they'll just drop it and leave me alone.

"Sing, damn it! You've got a great voice girl, you just need a push, so I'm pushing you, now sing!"

I don't understand what happened, but the second Carla raised her voice and ordered me to sing, I let go. I closed my eyes and started singing the chorus of Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey.

"Wow, girl, you'll be singing this Saturday." Rudy stood up laughing and clapping.

"I guess I'll put my name on the list." I smile broadly and can't help but feel excited to sing.

As Samantha prepared to put her name on the open mic list for Saturday, she couldn't help but feel a newfound sense of hope and excitement about her life. Her friends, Jennifer, Carla, and Rudy, were supportive and encouraging. She felt like she was on the path to turning things around.

But as she wrote her name down on the list, a shadowy figure appeared in the doorway of the pub. Samantha didn't notice, too caught up in her moment of triumph. The mysterious person watched her with a malevolent grin, a glint of something dangerous in their eyes.

She didn't know that her decision to sing at the open mic night would set off a chain of events that would change her life in ways she couldn't even imagine.

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