Do Alphas Apologize? (A Cat's and Dog's book)

School days? Nightmares more like...

I woke up the next day and sighed into my pillow. I was pretending yesterday had all been a bad dream, that I'd be fine and no-one would abuse me; I knew I was lying to convince myself.

I shuffled slowly out of bed, glancing at the clock as I stood up; the numbers glowed steadily and said it was half past five. I sighed, walking to the bathroom as I shook my head to help wake myself up. I went through my usual morning routine, praying I would be able to do it again tomorrow; use the restroom, shower, brush my teeth, brush my hair, and apply deodorant. Then I left the bathroom to get dressed. George was groaning on the other bed in the room, so I closed the door quickly. I was self-conscious about myself, which tends to happen when you want to avoid anyone noticing you at all. You begin to think you're hair is too bright, your eyes are too dark, your skin is too pale, you nose is too big, your ears off center... you begin doubting yourself and grow even more closed off and self-conscious; hiding yourself from the world as you try to avoid, not only people who will use you, but also people who will ridicule and abuse you.

I walked over to my dresser, George muttering as he shifted. I had another two and a half minutes to cover my lower body and start pulling on a shirt before he'd get out of bed and see my back; it was how my days usually went, and I felt safe because of how consistent everything and everyone was. People develop habits and make the same choices over and over again; I just had to memorize their likes, dislikes, relationship status, and a few other general things, and I could tell where someone would be and when. So I did, and sure enough, George woke up right as I pulled my shirt over my head. He watched me for a moment, making me uncomfortable as he continued to watch me for an entire two minutes longer than normal. He'd be behind unless he rushed, or skipped something.

He finally left and went to the bathroom and I finished putting on my shoes. I carefully filled my backpack with the things I'd need for school, pausing for a moment before slipping pepper spray into the bag. Just in case. I slipped it onto my shoulders, and I stepped out of the door just as he slipped back into the room we shared. He was back on schedule, which meant he'd likely not sung. He liked singing in the shower, even though he took a few minutes longer when he sang. I walked upstairs, getting breakfast ready so the morning rush wouldn't be as hectic before grabbing myself a smoothie. I didn't eat breakfast, it gave me bad breath and I was paranoid about how people saw me. I finished the smoothie just as I heard mom start moving out of her bedroom. The clock read five thirty, so I'd been awake for an hour and she'd only woken up five minutes ago.

She walked in just as I stepped out of the room, throwing my smoothie cup in the sink and tidying the front room a bit. I set the shoes in order as I smelled the scent of mom cooking some cinnamon rolls, my favorite comfort foods. I put on my watch and stepped outside, a full three seconds early; a cat was watching me from the edge of my driveway, one I faintly recognized from the day before as the weird alpha leader guy. I stiffly stepped past it as I began walking to school. He followed. I shivered, my breathing growing a bit more quick and panicked as I stepped faster, lighter, trying to leave the cat behind. I heard a second set of paws and began flat out running, eyes wide and breathing terrified. It was still before six, so almost no-one was out and about yet. That was the reason I left so early; no one could bother me on the way to school if no one was there who could bother me.

The sound of paws faded for a moment, and I began to breath more easily, until I heard a dozen more paws rushing after me. I choked on a breath, sprinting forward with as much power as I could in a bid to escape the pack of feline demons. I managed to make it to school before my legs gave out, getting inside the front doors and slamming them shut before leaning against them in relief, my breathing hitched but slowing. Until the door bounced. I yelped, locking into place as the door continued to be hit by this after thud. I prepared to run and flipped around to see all ten of the cats that had been chasing me, human boys I'd seen either on the jocks sports teams or hanging out with the popular crowd. I saw the boy who'd kissed me yesterday, and I screamed, lurching away from the door at a dead run as I shut my eyes and ran for my home room. It was five long steps through the entry hall, two dozen down the first hall, a sharp left into the staircase, up those, and seventeen down the hall before sliding too a stop in front of the home room, the door that wasn't ever locked.