The Rejected Alpha

Chapter 18

Flashback

Aiden's POV:

The cafeteria in our school was always full of students, bristling with noises and chattering. The food that they gave us was probably the only highlight of the Lunch Break. I was always surrounded by my friends, who would keep trying to talk to me and get me to help them with their homework and assignments. The table at which I sat with the other popular kids was always crowded. I had always hated the attention that I got from everyone around. Normally, a person would be thrilled to get fame in high school. Everyone at this age wanted to be popular and have a lot of friends.

At the beginning of middle school, I had become caught up in this farce of popularity. I had never really had many friends as a child. So naturally, it got to me, to the point where I had started losing my one true friend. That one friend, Rosalie, who had always stuck by me. At the beginning of the school year, we had reached a point where we didn't get enough time to have a proper conversation.

We had both made new friends and barely had any time for each other. But I soon realized my mistake, when I overheard a friend of mine boasting about how he had gotten me to complete his homework for him. He had looked proud of his accomplishment of using me for his work.

My perspective about my so-called friends had changed a little that day. I started noticing the behavioral tics that soon gave them away.

When I looked back to how my relationship with Rosalie had changed over the past year, I was filled with regret and shame. I could not believe how easily I had succumbed to the glamor of being a popular kid in school.

But Rosalie, being the ever-sweet girl that she was, accepted me back without any hesitation. I would always remember what she had told me the day I went to apologize to her. I had invited her to meet me at our secret spot in the gardens. She had brightened up the whole place, with her sweet smile, as soon as she reached the spot. She confused me when she greeted me as though we had never even lost touch with each other. I asked why she was being so friendly to me, even though we had stopped being friends with each other.

She just smiled at me and said, "We will always be friends, Aiden. Remember when I told you that I was going to be your best friend? I meant that. I will always be your friend, even when you don't want me to. You can never get rid of me Silly."

That got me a little angry. I hated that she was thinking so low of herself.

"There is never going to be a time when I don't want you as my friend. You are the sweetest person I know and you deserve a better friend. I don't deserve to be your friend. I ignored you all year just because I made some new friends. They don't compare to you. You should be angry at me for forgetting you." I said.

Then she said something that always stuck by me. She said, "You may not think so, but I know you even better that you know yourself. You are a kind person and you take care of people you love. And I know you will be a great Alpha one day."

We reconnected with each other during the summer break. We would always hang out our spot in the garden or at the packhouse. Most of the summer break we spend at the lake in the middle of the forest. Both of us had changed a lot over that last year. But one thing that hadn't changed was the bond we shared. Things became a little tough when school reopened. We were busy with assignments and with our homework. But we tried to make time for each other.

There were days when we didn't see each other the whole day. She did not own a mobile phone so we were not able to talk to each other over text. But we somehow managed to stay connected. There were also times when we would fight over silly things. At the end of the day, we always made up.