Chapter 3 3

CHAPTER 3: RUMI

The bell rang, and I quickly shoved my things into my backpack. I looked down and saw my lip gloss sitting right where it had fallen. That was strange. Did Knox kick it back when I wasn’t looking? Or did it just roll back on its own? There was no way a jerk like him would be helpful. He probably just bumped it by accident when he shifted his giant legs.

I tossed the gloss in my bag and stood up. Instead of trying to squeeze past Knox again, I climbed over the empty chairs in the row in front of me. I wasn’t going to give him another chance to block me or try to make a scene.

As I reached the door, I glanced back. Knox was sitting up now, holding his phone to his ear. His blue eyes caught mine for a split second. I quickly looked away and stepped out into the hallway.

The hallway was a nightmare. It was so crowded I had to push my way through the sea of students. It felt like a wolf stampede. Everyone was loud, and the air was thick with the scent of different Pack members. My old school was small and quiet. There, the teachers knew your name. Here, I was just another face in the crowd. The teacher in my first class didn't even notice I was the new girl.

I found my locker and stopped. My brain went blank. I couldn't remember the combination. I stood there, feeling stupid, until someone slammed their hand against the locker next to mine.

"What the hell, girl?" a voice barked.

I didn't think. I immediately balled my hands into fists and brought them up to protect my face. Back at my old Pack, I spent every day in the training pits. My father made sure I knew how to fight, even if I was smaller than the other wolves. I wasn't going to let anyone push me around on my first day.

The girl standing there was about my height, but she was built thick and strong. She had dyed red hair and dark eyes with heavy red liner. She looked at my fists and started laughing.

"Whoa, easy there tigeress!" she said, pointing at my hands. "Are we really gonna fight right now?"

I kept my guard up, staring at her. "I don't know. Are we?"

I noticed a long scar on her arm. She looked like she had seen a few battles. She didn't look mean, though—just curious.

The girl laughed again. "Relax. I’m just messing with you. You look like you’re ready to kill someone."

"Why?" I asked, lowering my hands just a little but staying alert. "What do you want?"

She leaned against the lockers. "What’s the deal with you and Felix?"

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"Felix. The big guy you sat on his face. The one who almost threw you across the window." She grinned. "Do you have a death wish, or was that your way of flirting?"

"Felix? Is that his name? I thought everyone called him Knox."

She shrugged. "His name is Felix Knox. But around here, people call him The Glacier. Or The Bone-Crusher. He has a lot of names."

"The Glacier?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Because he’s cold, he’s hard, and if you get in his way, he’ll sink you like the Titanic." She looked me up and down. "You should know, Felix doesn't like people in his space. Especially sitting next to him."

"He needs to get over himself," I snapped. The anger helped me remember my locker code. I spun the dial, and it clicked open.

“You might want to watch out," the girl warned. "You piss off The Glacier, and he’ll make your life a living hell."

I grabbed my chemistry book. "The Bone-Crusher? People seriously call him that?"

"The guys do. He’s the best defender on the hockey team. He’s the star player. He’s so good that pro scouts are already coming to games to watch him play."

"A hockey player," I said, rolling my eyes. "I should have known. He’s just another jock with a big ego."

"You don't like hockey players?" she asked with a smirk.

"Are you kidding? They’re all the same. Arrogant jerks who think they run the world."

"Hey, my mate is on the team," she said, sounding offended.

“Oh. Sorry," I mumbled.

She shoved my arm playfully. "I’m kidding! I have none. I’m Nova, by the way."

"I’m Rumi," I said. "I should probably get going. I need to find my next class."

"Where are you headed?"

"Room 4B."

"Chemistry?" Nova made a face. "No way. I don't do science. But my brother is in that class. Come on, follow me. I’ll show you a shortcut."

I already knew the way because I had studied the map, but I followed her anyway. She was the first person who had been nice to me, so I didn't want to be rude.

"Why does he have so many nicknames?" I asked as we walked up the stairs. "For a guy who just plays hockey?"

“Felix?" Nova smiled like I was interested in him. "He’s popular. And in this Pack, popular people get titles."

"I don't get how he's popular," I muttered. "He's so mean."

"Well, the guys call him the Bone-Crusher because of how he hits people on the ice," Nova explained.

"And why do the girls call him The Glacier?" I asked. "Because he's cold?"

"That," Nova said, stopping at an open door, "and because he's beautiful to look at, but he'll destroy your heart if you get too close. Anyway, here you are. Welcome to the land of the nerdy wolfs."