A/N: Hey, everyone! I was really hoping to publish this chapter earlier last week, but I had a case of writer’s block and it was difficult for me to finish it. But, reading your comments and seeing your support really gave me the inspiration that I needed. So, again, thank you! And, also a big thank you for all the get well soon comments on last chapter. I appreciate it greatly :)

Without further ado, here’s Chapter 8 ^^

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Sticking her arm out from the covers, SinB slammed on the snooze button of her alarm clock. She thought about sleeping in for another ten minutes, but decided against it when she heard the muffled commotion of her parents arguing on the other side of her bedroom door. With an aggravated sigh, SinB kicked off her blankets and sat on the edge of the bed.

Unplugging her phone from its charging station, SinB checked to see if she had any new text messages. Though there were no notifications, the young werewolf had her eyes glued to her phone’s lock screen wallpaper. It was a picture of her and Yerin at a Halloween party hosted by their schoolmate, Yoo Jeongyeon, about two years ago. With the event being a last minute decision, the duo both dressed up as “Dracula” by putting on a black cape and plastic fangs they found at a bargain bin. While their costumes may not have been elaborate or even original, that didn’t stop them from having a good time. In fact, one could say they were the highlight of the party.

A smile slowly crept on SinB’s lips as she stared at her best friend’s cute hair buns and the duck face pose they both did. SinB wished she could relive that point in time. It was far more simpler compared to everything she was currently going through.

Once the phone screen faded to black, her smile reverted back into a disenchanted frown. Deciding she should start preparing for school, SinB set her phone down and stood up from the bed, groggily walking to the door.

Just as she placed her hand on the knob, SinB caught sight of her reflection on the full length mirror attached to the door. Shocked, she took a step back. Grabbing a fistful of hair, SinB held it up to her line of vision as memories of the night before avalanched into her mind.

After they left the ranch, SinB and Umji went to the bus station and rode the forty-minute trip back to town. But, instead of going directly home, Umji whistled for a cab to take them to the mall. From there, it was makeover time.

The younger girl guided SinB to a hair salon for a dye job. Umji suggested a complete gray and silver combo that was reminiscent of SinB’s werewolf fur color. Since this was the first time the older girl had done anything drastic to her hair, SinB compromised by getting gray-streaked highlights. Upon the big reveal, the only words a wide-eyed Umji could utter was, “Girl crush material.” And, though SinB always tried to stay humble, she was rather impressed with how well the color suited her. It had a flattering flair, but also made her look like a badass, which she didn’t mind.

The next stage was clothes. It was a bit difficult since their school had a strict uniform policy. But, when SinB landed her eyes on the leather jacket displayed at a fashion boutique’s front window, Umji knew it would be the perfect addition to the older girl’s style revamp. Hot on the store clerk’s heels, the enthusiastic neighbor had Sowon’s credit card in hand, ready for it to be charged and added onto the rich girl’s bill.

In all honesty, SinB felt quite guilty for taking advantage of someone else’s wealth, no matter how angry she was with Sowon for trying to convince her that she had to dismiss her feelings for Yerin. But, Umji kept insisting that Sowon wouldn’t mind, especially with the cold relationship she has with her parents.

Speaking of parents, SinB jumped at the sudden sound of a door slam followed by muffled yelling. It was a daily occurrence for the past several years. Each argument getting more intensified than the last.

SinB closed her eyes and thought back to that Halloween night and how the DJ switched from playing fast tempo party songs to a romantic slow jam. As SinB started to walk to a corner of the room, Yerin reached for her hand and twirled the younger girl into an embrace. “For practice,” her best friend justified, “for when we actually have dates.” Without saying a word, SinB placed her arms around Yerin as they danced as platonically as they could.

SinB opened her eyes, looked at her reflection, and saw a smile on her face once more. “Home sweet home,” she whispered to herself.

Walking down the steps of the staircase, SinB headed to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Upon entering, she was surprised to see both of her parents in the same room. Typically, her dad would either be getting ready for work or in the living room, checking his email. Instead, her mom and dad sat at the ends of the dining table, pretending as if neither one existed.

Not wanting to be in the middle of the uncomfortable arrangement, SinB thought about skipping breakfast and say her goodbyes. But, then, she saw her mom do a double take of her, almost spitting out her coffee.

“Hwang Eunbi, what in the world did you do to your hair?!” her mom exclaimed, blotting the corners of with a napkin.

SinB’s dad looked up from his phone, bothered by the interruption. Turning around to see what the uproar was about, he strained his eyes and fiddled with his glasses, also taken aback by his daughter’s new hair color.

Since the newly established friends arrived home much later than anticipated, SinB wasn’t able to reveal her current appearance to her parents.

“Umji and I went to the mall yesterday, and I was feeling a bit spontaneous,” SinB stretched the truth. “Do you like it?” She twirled, giving both parents a better view of her highlights.

“The dye better not stain the bathtub or towels,” Ms. Hwang said contemptuously. “Which reminds me, Eunbi-ya. From now on, I want you to clean up after using the bathroom. You left so much sludge in the sink and tub last week when you came back from sleeping over a Yerin’s. I had to spend the entire morning scrubbing the dirt out.”

“Well, I for one really like this change, Eunbi-ya,” Mr. Hwang interjected, sounding a lot less hostile than SinB’s mom. “Since you’ll be graduating in a couple of months, I think it is important for you to have the freedom to make decisions on your own. Get a little taste of what being an adult is like.”

“Oh sure, be the ‘cool’ parent and have our daughter resent me,” Ms. Hwang remarked irritably at her husband.

“I’m not trying to make you look bad. I was just trying to be supportive and show genuine approval for our daughter’s life choices,” Mr. Hwang countered as he took off his glasses to massage his temples.

With the pertinent urge to leave her house before the useless argument got heated, SinB grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl situated in the middle of the table, kissed her Umma on the cheek, kissed her Appa on the cheek, and quickly jogged out the front door.

Traipsing over the stone-covered walkway, SinB dug her thumbs into the orange’s bumpy exterior, tearing it apart and removing the entirety of the rind. Throwing the unwanted skin into the trash can, SinB made her way out onto the streets, the flowery scent of her next door neighbor catching her attention. Popping a slice into , she looked up and saw Umji, red notebook in tow, at the street corner.

SinB picked up her pace, cramming more slices and hoping that the juices don’t get on her uniform. The Sophomore smiled and waved as she saw SinB coming closer into view.

“Hey, Umji-ya,” SinB greeted, trying to swallow a mouthful of oranges. “What are you doing here? Don’t you usually go to school before me?” Brushing her hands to get rid of the excess orange remains, the two began to walk to Navillera High.

“I was waiting for you, SinB-unnie,” Umji responded. “I wanted to see if your highlights still held its shine. And, luckily, they still do.” She caressed the ends of SinB’s hair. “But, where’s your leather jacket?”

“In my backpack. I’m a bit too scared to wear it in public. My Umma practically flipped when she saw my hair this morning. She’ll probably call for an intervention if she also saw me wearing an expensive designer jacket imported from Italy.”

“If your Umma had that type of reaction, just imagine how the school will react when they see you walk through the hallways in your complete ensemble.”

“Actually, I’m kind of worried about that, Umji-ya. I mean, it’s a bit sudden, don’t you think? One weekend later and I show up looking like a wannabe K-pop idol?”

“I don’t see it like that, SinB-unnie. And, you shouldn’t have that outlook, either. Think of it as getting a fresh, new start in the school year. You’ll no longer be known as ‘Hwang SinB: Ex-Track Star.’ Now, you’re title will be ‘Hwang SinB: Girl Crush Extraordinaire.’”

SinB chuckled from how ludicrous it all sounded. But, she also laughed to relieve some of her anxiety that swarmed through every fiber of her being. With every step closer to the school, the faster her heart began to beat. Soon enough, more schoolmates were in their presence, stopping, staring, and whispering amongst each other after catching sight of SinB.

Once they entered the building, SinB redirected Umji to the nearest restroom. After checking each stall to make sure they were alone, she grabbed the trash can and placed it underneath the door handle, securing their privacy.

“SinB-unnie, what are you doing?” Umji questioned, puzzled by the older girl’s silent, yet erratic behavior.

The Alpha werewolf strided towards Umji, keeping her head low as she looked at her new friend with concerned eyes. “I don’t think I can do this, Umji-ya. All this attention is already overwhelming.”

A small smile shaped on the younger girl’s lips, amused by the cute look on SinB’s nervous face. “Unnie, nothing but praise has been coming out of people’s mouths when they saw you. Even I can’t deny the fact that you look amazing.” Umji huffed out a breath after noticing her words of encouragement failed to make the crinkle in the older girl’s forehead disappear. “Tell me, Unnie, how much do you like Yerin-unnie?”

SinB’s eyes widened, baffled by the young girl’s straightforwardness. “Umm, a lot,” she answered shyly.

“Be more descriptive, Unnie,” Umji urged.

Darting her attention to the floor, SinB recalled that same Halloween night. After the semi-awkward slow dance, she and Yerin decided to leave. Craving for a midnight snack, the duo went to the local convenience store where they bought a tub of ice cream and stole two plastic spoons. As they ate the frozen treat during their walk back home, Yerin tried to feed SinB with her spoon. But, the playful, older girl purposefully smeared the ice cream onto the younger girl’s cheek. Surprised, SinB grabbed the hem of her best friend’s vampire cape to wipe the melted cream off. Before she could, though, SinB stood frozen as she saw Yerin leaning closer to her. In a quite seductive manner, Yerin pressed her lips on the blemish of SinB’s cheek. Pulling back, she subtly her lips as she smirked. “Thanks for another fun Halloween, SinB-ah,” she said, cadence sweet with aegyo. Putting in her plastic fangs, Yerin gave SinB a peck on the cheek.

It wasn’t the first time that Yerin had given SinB a kiss on the cheek so freely. But, it was the first time that Yerin’s display of affection had managed to make SinB’s heart flutter madly.

Flickering her eyes back to Umji’s brown orbs, SinB gulped as everything resonated in her head. “I like Yerin a lot. I like her stupid eye smile, even though she was ashamed about it after being teased in Junior High. I like how she always knows the right words to say. Whenever my parents have an argument, I can count on her for comfort and a shoulder to lean on. I like how she can be the strongest girl in the world at one moment, but can turn into a total cinnamon bun the next moment. I like her so much that sometimes I wish I could climb to the rooftop of this school and shout it out for the whole student body to know.”

“Prove it, Unnie,” Umji spoke, the corner of twitching into a smile. “Show Yerin-unnie what she’s missing out on.” Patting SinB’s shoulder, Umji unblocked the restroom door and left the older girl to her own devices.

SinB stared at herself in the mirror. Her gray highlights glimmered even under the dull lighting of the restroom. Removing her backpack, she ped it and took out the one article of clothing that was the epitome of coolness and charisma. Sliding her arms into the leather jacket, SinB flipped the collar up, threw her backpack over one shoulder, and proceeded to saunter out the door. There was no turning back.

As she walked through the hallways with her head held high, SinB thought about another high school film trope: the slow motion walk montage. The moment where the undeniably popular crowd strut down the halls like royalty. Bystanders have no choice but to stop what they’re doing and gawk. All the while some edgy, pop song is played in the background.

SinB had always found those kinds of scenes to be cheesy and unrealistic. But, as she glanced at the students around her, all pressed against their lockers to give her room to walk, she couldn’t help but smirk. Life had a tendency to imitate art. She could hear her own movie soundtrack play in her head.

Double bubble disco queen headed to the guillotine

Skin as cool as Steve McQueen, let me be your killer king

Feet finally on the Senior floor, SinB felt as if she was feeding off everybody’s energy of their adoration towards her. It was rejuvenating. It made her stand a little taller and fueled her with a confidence she never knew she had.

Up ahead, she spotted Sowon chatting, or more so flirting with Jihyo, a girl from her Physics class. The taller girl had one hand leaning against the locker and her other hand placed on her hip. She leaned closer to Jihyo, whispering something into her ear which caused the brown-haired girl to giggle coquettishly.

SinB grimaced at the thought of continuing the pretend relationship she built with Sowon. After all, the older girl had put her on an emotional rollercoaster yesterday afternoon. But, they did have an agreement. And, SinB wasn’t going to stop until she was a hundred percent certain that her best friend really didn’t love her the same way.

Eyes zoning on Sowon like a hawk, SinB walked a bit faster. Amidst Sowon’s come-hither exchange, SinB linked her arm with the older girl’s, forcing her to stand upright and stumble a bit. Without a clue of what to do, Sowon directed a frazzled, yet charming smile at Jihyo before obliging with the Alpha werewolf’s sudden behavior. Looking down at their arms that were now locked together, Sowon glared at an unusually composed SinB.

“What am I? Your arm candy?” Sowon retorted with knitted eyebrows.

SinB stared straight ahead, smiling and acknowledging students whose mouths hanged open in awe. “Go along with it,” she replied coolly.

Sowon’s lips twitched into smirk as she walked closer next to SinB, repositioning their arms so it would look more natural.

Oh we gotta turn up the crazy/ Livin’ like a washed up celebrity

Shooting fireworks like it’s the Fourth of July/ Until we feel alright

“I like what you did to your hair,” Sowon complimented in a hushed tone. “And, nice jacket. Where did you get it? Or, should I be more concerned with how you bought it?” Sowon quirked an eyebrow.

“Let’s just say, don’t be surprised if your parents ask you questions when the credit card bill arrives,” SinB implied, reaching into the interior pocket of the leather jacket and handing back the platinum card to Sowon.

“Didn’t know you had it in you, Wolfpup,” Sowon responded, tone free of anger. “I’m impressed. And, judging by the looks on Angel Cake and Superstar’s faces, I’m not the only one roused by your makeover.”

Furrowing her brows, SinB failed to understand what Sowon was referring to. “Who?”

“Yerin and Yuju,” Sowon simply answered as they walked passed the couple who were equally stunned by Navillera High’s most recent power couple. Overjoyed, Sowon gave them a small wave.

SinB wasn’t sure if she was too occupied with the attention to notice, but her best friend’s scent suddenly invaded all of her olfactory senses. Her heart began to beat at an alarming rate as her pent up anxiety crashed through her body like a wave. Thankfully, Sowon led SinB out of the premises and to the direction of the younger girl’s locker. Once there, it took SinB all of her self-control to not forcefully bang her head on the locker’s metal surface out of embarrassment.

“Get a hold of yourself, Wolfpup,” Sowon whispered. “Yerin and Yuju are walking this way. Relax, be cool, and for Heaven’s sake try not to stutter.”

SinB nodded her head, turning the wheel of her locker combination and promptly opening it. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through repeatedly until she could feel her heart start to calm down.

“SinB-ssi. Sowon-ssi,” Yuju spoke, grinning. “I assume you two had a very nice weekend.”

Trying hard not to roll her eyes, SinB pivoted around to meet the couple. Her eyes instantly locked on Yerin who seemed to be enraptured by her overall appearance.

“Wow, SinB-ah,” Yerin addressed her friend, demeanor displaying a huge, beaming smile. “I didn’t even recognize you, at first.”

“SinB and I went on another date yesterday to the mall,” Sowon informed. “We played a fun game of truth or dare which resulted in SinB getting highlights. I thought it would make her look silly, but she turned out looking even more gorgeous.” Staring at SinB adoringly, Sowon gently fixed the younger girl’s hair.

“How about the leather jacket, SinB-ssi?” Yuju asked. “It looks awfully expensive.”

“It was a Christmas present from my Aunt. Italian leather,” SinB replied, lying through her teeth. She popped the collar, only for Sowon to tenderly smooth it back down.

“Wherever it's from, it makes you look so cool, SinB-ah,” Yerin praised, brushing her fingers on the chest portion of the jacket, right above her best friend’s heart.

“Ahem. SinB, do you mind walking me to class?” Sowon asked alluringly, hugging onto the younger girl’s arm.

“But, the bell hasn’t rung yet,” SinB replied in confusion.

“I’m aware. It’s just that I prefer arriving to class early,” Sowon noted, reaching a hand down to interlock with SinB’s fingers.

“You two go ahead,” Yerin interrupted reassuringly. “We’ll catch up at lunch.”

SinB opened to agree, but Sowon quickly barged in to answer before she could.

“Actually, Yerin-ssi, SinB and I had already planned on spending lunch together...alone. But, tomorrow will definitely be a better time for us.” Sowon put on her best apologetic smile.

“Of course,” Yerin replied, sounding crestfallen. She glanced at SinB who also looked deeply sorry. “Well, I guess we’ll let you two get on your way, then. Let’s go, Yuju-ya.” Grabbing onto Yuju’s hand, Yerin smiled politely at SinB and Sowon before turning away to leave.

SinB opened , ready to interrogate the Beta werewolf for declining Yerin’s lunchtime meetup. Before a word was spoken, Sowon tugged on her arm, coercing her to move and follow. The taller girl ushered SinB into the same supply closet. Closing and locking the door behind her, Sowon crossed her arms and stared at SinB venomously.

“Such a shame that you didn’t take my advice to heart, Wolfpup,” Sowon spoke, a flash of blue temporarily glazing over her brown eyes. “I know that your whole makeover is another futile attempt to get Angel Cake to see you than just a friend.”

“You caught me, Sowon-ssi,” SinB replied sarcastically. “I understand that you’re angry because I’m unwilling to throw away my feelings for Yerin. But, maybe you’re looking at things at the wrong angle, Sowon-ssi. You told me that Yerin is holding me back. But, what if I’m the one that’s holding myself back from Yerin. For years, I’ve been trying to convince myself that Yerin and I could never be together. That crossing the line between friendship and romance will just end up disastrous. Well, I’m tired of thinking that way. Because I know that I’ve never fallen for someone as hard as I’ve fell for my best friend.” SinB momentarily looked away from the taller girl’s threatening eyes. “We had an agreement. If you want to terminate it, then it’s fine by me.”

Uncrossing her arms, Sowon shook her head as if contemplating her choices. At last, she breathed out heavily. “So be it. I’ll continue to play the part, Wolfpup. And, I’ll also continue to train you. Just don’t come crying to me when it turns out that I’m actually right.” She unlocked the door and walked out before SinB could have the last word.

Once the school day was over, SinB went directly to the locker room where the track coach’s office was located. The space was quite empty due to students still finishing things up in their classes or rummaging for their practice bag in their personal lockers. SinB felt slightly relieved, though, mainly because she didn’t want to make it a big deal about rejoining the team.

Knocking on the door, SinB was greeted by the pleasantly surprised face of Coach Kwon Yuri. The beloved coach stepped out of her office to talk with one of the best runners she has ever trained.

“SinB, did you dye your hair, or are you already starting to get gray hairs?” Coach Kwon joked, earning an unamused look from her past student.

“Hilarious, Coach. Just hilarious,” SinB deadpanned.

“I’m just messing around, SinB. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was wondering if you had another spot left for me on the team?”

“Why, of course. And, may I add that your timing is impeccable. We have our first track meet of the semester this Friday. Do you think you’ll be ready by then? Or, are those legs too rusty from inactivity?”

“Trust me, Coach. I’ll be so ready that those girls from Fantagio will be shaking in their track shoes when they see me run.”

Coach Kwon placed her hand out for SinB to shake. “Welcome back to the team, SinB.”

“Omo!”

SinB and Coach Kwon quickly turned their head to the entrance where they saw a joyful Yerin and a stone-faced Yuju both carrying their workout bag.

“Is it true, SinB-ah? Are you really back on the team?” Yerin asked, eyes bold and hopeful.

An unbreakable smile dawned on SinB’s face. “I’m back.”

Unable to control her giddiness, Yerin slid off her duffle bag, ran up to SinB, and enveloped her best friend in the biggest bear hug she could give. SinB returned the hug, closing her eyes and melting into the older girl’s warm embrace. She felt Yerin’s velvety lips peck her cheek before releasing the hug.

“Aren’t you just full of surprises today, SinB-ssi,” Yuju spoke, tone on the border of bitterness. “Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to the return of our friendly competition.” She smiled in a smarmy, insincere sort of manner.

SinB smiled back with a proud, unfazed grin of her own. “Coach Kwon, do you have any training clothes to spare? I want to start practicing as soon as possible. Need to make sure that I’m in top shape for the upcoming track meet.”

“You can borrow my clothes, SinB-ah. I always bring extra,” Yerin offered.

“Gomaweo, Yerin-ah,” SinB thanked, a hint of aegyo nipping at her tone. “Is my locker still available?”

“I’ve been guarding it from others who dare to use it,” Yerin kidded. “Come on, SinB-ah, let's go change.” She took hold of her best friend’s hand as they walked to the middle row of lockers.

SinB glanced behind her to check on Yuju who tried to appear unbothered, but was doing a horrible job at it. Her rival’s eyes were sharp as daggers and her demeanor lost the compassion and friendliness she was well-known for.

Once they were at their designated lockers, Yerin ped her bag, taking out a t-shirt, shorts, and even a pair of track shoes for SinB to wear. The younger girl accepted the clothes courteously and began to remove her uniform. She slid off her leather jacket, undid her tie, pulled off her sweater vest, and ed her blouse. After shrugging out of her blouse completely, she heard Yerin gasp loudly. SinB about-faced on her heels, checking to see what the sudden sound was for.

There was a sparkle in her best friend’s eyes, was curved into a breathless smile, and her cheeks had a shade of pink that wasn’t there before. Then, it occurred to SinB. Yerin was staring at her, Yerin was smiling at her, and Yerin was blushing because of her. But, then another thought occurred to SinB. She looked down and noticed that she was completely shirtless, only clad in her bra.

“SinB-ah, how did you get those abs?!” Yerin said, stepping closer to her best friend. Her eyes were hypnotized on SinB’s toned body.

SinB gulped, nervous and slightly excited by Yerin’s close proximity. “I guess all that cardio paid off during my time in America,” she replied meekly.

“You look good,” Yerin affirmed. “But, I’m going to miss pinching your tummy. You barely have any body fat. Well, I guess I’m going to have to tickle you now!”

Without warning, Yerin began to attack SinB’s bare stomach with her fingers, rousing the younger girl until she was squirming and cackling with laughter.

For SinB, receiving this type of treatment from Yerin was quite normal. She has always considered her best friend to be impulsive and random at times. But, she caught a glimpse at Yuju and noticed how serious her expression was.

“Babe. Yerin-ah!” Yuju addressed her girlfriend, having to raise her voice to be heard over the two friends’ giggling spree. Yerin stopped what she was doing, looking over her shoulder to meet Yuju’s steely eyes. “Not in the locker room,” she said sternly.

Yerin’s smile slowly regressed into a straight line. SinB nodded at her head as if to indicate that she was okay. Forcing out one last smile, the older girl walked back to where her locker was located and began to change quietly next to Yuju.

Song lyrics used: “Victorious” by Panic! At The Disco