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The day was hot, long, and tiring, and Miss Helpworth's droning about the Presidents of the United States was not helping my slowly-growing headache. But it was the last class of the day, and the moment the bell rang, the entire room of students didn't hesitate in leaving the room as fast as they could. 'So. Bloody. Tiring,' Chaser complained. 'I thought she was never going to shut up.'
'Me too,' I agreed, shoving my books into my locker and slamming the door. 'Want to bet she ripped her material off Wikipedia?'
Chaser snorted. 'That's not a fair bet, that's a rout,' she said, and I had to laugh.
"Candy!"
I turned and smiled when I saw Gemma coming up to me. She hooked her arm through mine and we sauntered off down the hallway towards the main doors and freedom. "I'm bored as batshit," she said, as we stepped out into the sunshine. "No one's home, and it's just about the weekend. I vote we go swimming and clear our heads."
"You read my mind," I said, grinning from ear to ear. Gemma's family was super filthy rich, and they had the mansion to prove it. Not that my own house wasn't amazing, but Gemma's house blew mine out of the water ten times over. "That's just the cure I need after Miss Helpworth's drivel."
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Ten minutes later, we were having a blast, swimming, diving and playing in the massive pool that could easily have rivalled an olympic pool in size and depth. It was also a good way to clear the cobwebs from one's head, and as we surfaced from another long swim, I felt better already.
Until Pearl came out on the deck, wearing the skimpiest swim suit I'd ever seen on another human being. She stared arrogantly down her nose at us as we trod water, catching our breath. "The hell are you two doing here?" she snapped, folding her arms. "I've got friends coming over, remember?"
Gemma and I exchanged looks. Neither of us liked Pearl, who was the cattiest bitch known to mankind. "Sorry," Gemma said at last.
Pearl sniffed. "Just get out," she said.
"I live here too," Gemma protested, growing angry. "You can't just order me around in my own house!"
"Let it go," I advised. "Let's not antangonise the girl any more than we have to."
Gemma sighed and nodded. Pearl kept her eyes on us the entire time as we climbed out and towelled ourselves out, making me feel like I was under investigation for having committed a heinous wrondoing. "And don't let me catch you two here again," Pearl called after us. Gemma almost turned around to give her sister a good bollocking, but I grabbed her arm, forestalling the gesture. Gemma subsided again, but she was growling low in her throat, and I didn't blame her. Pearl had the arrogance to go along with her role as Theta - heir to the Alpha - and she never let an opportunity go by where she didn't use it. Gemma herself was classed as an omega - the lowest of the low - despite being almost as powerful as Pearl, and it rankled her whenever Pealr rode rougshod over her. "Just leave it," I advised, as we finished dressing. "I know she pisses you off, but after tonight, she's going to be eating dirt."
Gemma managed a faint smile as she combed out her damp hair. "I'm so looking forward to watching her eat it," she admitted. "You and Jethro are going to be a great couple."
I had to smile, but I blushed a little as well. Jethro and I had been friends ever since we were cubs, and we knew each other inside and out. Tonight would be the night where we officially declared each other as mates, having made a childhood promise that we'd do so when the time came. And I couldn't have picked a more worthy male to be by my side. "I've kept it on the downlow," I admitted, "but it's not going to be half obvious when he walks in tonight."
"Pearl will be shitting bricks," Gemma predicted. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too," I said, and I meant it.
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