don't wanna live forever, cause I know I'll be living in vain

don't wanna fit wherever, Ijust wanna keep calling your name until you come back home

just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home

just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home. . .

I shut my alarm off after ten seconds of listening to the song. Then I got ready for school.

I'd already been going to Mystic High for a month and so far, I liked it.

At first, I didn't want to like it. I was basically being forced to go but only agreed to get away from Roan. If he was going to be a hunter, then I'd be a werewolf.

But the classes were actually interesting and people were nice. Grace and Asher helped me adapt and everything was going along smoothly.

Except for the fact that Stella and Nicole and Taylor weren't here. That was the one thing I missed. Nothing else.

My first two classes passed by quickly. Then I had English with Grace, which was probably the most chill class of the day.

I sat next to Grace and worked on the homework we were supposed to have completed. But the teacher was pretty lenient with us turning it in late.

"I heard we're going to phase in gym class." Coincidentally, Grace and I were in the same gym class again. But it was drastically different than Rivier.

For one, werewolves and humans shared the same classes and the werewolves actually phased in some classes. But I'd always opted out of it.

"You should really join us instead of watching." She crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat.

"I don't know," I was almost done with the reading. Now all I had to do was answer three questions.

"You can copy mine," Grace got out the homework and I was about to grab it when she pulled it away, "If you come to gym class this time."

"Grace, that's not fair," I complained.

"You never phase, you'll have to someday."

"I haven't phased in a year. Probably more." I hated the pain that went with it.

"Why not?" It wasn't an accusation, but more a curious question.

"Because I've spent my whole life pretending to be human. Besides, I think my wolf's dead or something."

"Then you should phase. You'll never know if you don't try." Grace pressed but I shook my head.

"I promise I'll go someday, but not today. Now, can I see it? Please?" I asked, being uber polite, and she finally gave up, giving me her homework so I could copy it.

.•*•.

We were eating dinner at the mall food court, having a very pleasant conversation, when someone caught Mom's eye.

"Hey, isn't that Roan?" Mom nudged me and, unluckily for me, she was right.

About seven tables over, Roan was sitting alone, his face in his phone.

Before, I would've been excited to see him. But now, it took all of my self control to not stab him in the eye with a straw.

"I haven't seen him since fifth grade. He sure looks different." Dad said.

"You saw him in the Nurse's office a month ago, remember?" I mumbled, hoping Roan would go away.

"Wait, that was Roan? Wow, he's a hunk," Mom said loudly.

"Mom." I flushed in embarrassment. But I didn't deny it.

"We should invite him to eat with us!"

"No, no, no," I objected instantly. I would've said hell yes if it weren't for the fact that Roan was a hunter who wanted to grow up and kill werewolves as a living.

"Why not? He looks so lonely." Mom looked at me innocently but I shook my head furiously.

"And he was nice enough to stay with you at the Nurse's." Dad added.

"What a nice boy," My mom cooed and I took another bite of my hamburger.

"Not gonna happen,"

And then Mom did something so bad I wanted to die.

"Roan!" She called out to him and he lifted up his head.

I started to duck under the table, hoping he wouldn't see me. But of course, he did, and started to walk over. God dammit.

"Mr. and Mrs. Deliz, how's it going?"

"Good," Mom smiled happily, "Why don't you sit down and join us?" She gestured to the chair next to her and across from me.

Tentatively, Roan sat down.

"So, how's life going, Roan?" Dad asked as he sipped his soda. I continued to cut my hamburger into fourths.

"It's good," He replied, "School's been good." I bet it has, I thought sarcastically.

"You have a girlfriend yet?"

I scraped my plastic knife against the plastic plate.

He struggled to find an answer, "Uh, not really, no,"

"There has to be someone, right?" Mom pressed, looking back at Roan, "Being a kind, handsome young man like yourself."

She could've just let me die quickly but no, she just had to let me die a slow, painful death.

"Well," Roan hesitated, "There is this one girl I've been trying to get to notice me for some time."

Barf.

Mom nodded eagerly, "Go on,"

"Well, she was in a couple of my classes and I've just always admired her. She was easy to talk to and I thought we connected great. But I haven't seen her around lately. And I doubt she knows that I exist."

He was talking about me.

That asshole.

"What a stupid girl," Dad chuckled and I glared at him.

Mom joined in, "Who wouldn't notice someone like you? It seems like you've got everything going for you." I wanted to point out that they knew nothing about him, not the things that mattered, anyway.

But I kept quiet.

If I opened my mouth, I'm pretty sure I'd blow up.

"I don't know." Roan looked pointedly at me and I looked down at my empty plate. It's true, Roan was perfect. I really wanted to see passed him being a hunter but I just couldn't.

I really wanted to get back together with him. . . but I just couldn't.

"Oh, did Lia tell you about life at her new school?" Mom changed the subject but it wasn't much better.

"No, she didn't." Roan looked at me but I just focused on eating my food.

My parents talked to Roan some more and I just wanted to kill myself. I felt like the third wheel on Roan and my parents' dinner date.

I took out my phone and saw eleven missed calls from Taylor and Nicole.

I texted them in the group chat.

Me: What's so important?

Nic: Stella ran away

I swear to God, if they were pranking me, it wasn't funny. They'd been trying to make me transfer back but this was just pathetic.

Me: What? No way

Tay: She wasn't in school all day and she didn't come home after school. Do you know where she is??

Nic: We've called everyone but no one's seen her

Tay: I'm seriously worried right now

Nic: She's officially a missing person

My blood ran cold. I don't think they'd joke about something like this.

Me: Are you serious right now?! What are the police doing?!

"What's wrong?" Roan's voice brought me back to the present. My parents looked at me, too, probably seeing the shock on my face.

"Stella ran away."