Ellie's POV
It's been months since my birthday and even though Alex promised things would go back to the way it was, it really hasn't. I can feel the change in our relationship, especially with Asher, he's pulled away a lot more. We still do everything together like we use to but he always seems more distant, like he's hanging around out of obligation rather than because he wants too.
Since the school year started they have also been busier. I get they are Seniors and I'm just a Junior so they have a lot more to prepare for but still, it's early December, a few weeks to Winter Break and I feel they are always telling me they have college prep this and college prep that. It's frustrating. I even overheard them saying they were going to do the leadership training with Jaydon the whole winter break only coming back for Christmas and then going right back there. It feels like an attempt to avoid me.
I'm walking down the hall to the cafeteria when I hear snickering coming from the corner over by the gym. The cheerleaders are gathered together like they always do for lunch and Susan, the head cheerleader and my former childhood friend rasies her voice, "Looks like the hot twins aren't as interested in being your friend anymore wolf girl, I think it's my time to make another move. Since they don't seem to want you anymore maybe they finally realized they need a new, sexier, model. But let's be real, we wouldn't stay in the friendzone like you have with them. I'll have one of them in my bed by the time the new year comes around, unlike you who hasn't had either one in what six years. Pathetic."
"Susan, unlike you, I don't need to bed or bribe my best friends to keep them around. Yeah we aren't hanging around as much as we have in the past but that's because they are busy being Seniors, not because we aren't friends anymore. Maybe you should grow up." I reply even though deep down I don't fully believe it myself anymore. The twins are pulling away from me and now Susan's comments just proved everyone can see it, not just me. Our friendship is slowly deteriorating,my decision was to prevent that but somehow it's made it come to fruition.
"Keep tell yourself that. You'll be a friendless loser once again, I will have one of the twins as my boyfriend and the other will be dating one of my best friends. You'll see." She sneered while her cronies laughed. I was about to respond back when a deep voice, one I know so well beats me to the punch.
"You, ugly ass cheerleader captain," Susan gasps at the insult, "what twins are you talking about? It sure the hell is not my brother or me. We told you last year we would NEVER choose you over Ellie. She is still our number one even when we are busy. As for your friends, we wouldn't touch them either, we don't date, touch or associate with losers who think it's okay to bully others and thinks because they spread their legs it gives them some type of power. It doesn't. While there is nothing wrong with women who spread their legs in general and I would never insult someone for the profession they may have chosen by calling them a whore, you are the exception. You are a whore, because you use the only tool at your disposal to degrade and bully others and discredit yourself. At least honest sex workers do it because they like the money or they like the job but they never do it to show they are better than anyone else. You and your whore friends better leave our girl alone or we will make sure by your senior year you will be at the very bottom of the social ladder and not a soul will help you out." Alex states with authority in his voice.
The gathered crowd then starts cheering and laughing at the cheer squad, letting them all know how pathetic they are for bullying someone because they are jealous the twins don't want them even as a friend. It mad my heart feel a little better that Alex was able to be here and stick up for me again but when I look around and don't see Asher with him my stomach drops as does my face because Alex notices.
"Hey, don't be sad, it's just us today but no matter what, what I said is true, you are our best friend and that gang of whores will never compare to you and could never break our friendship."
"Where is Ash?" I ask sadly.
"He had an appointment today and had to leave early but don't worry he will be there tonight for movie night, after all it's his night to choose!" Alex says trying to reassure me. He's been doing that a lot, reassuring that nothing has changed but I know it's just words. I feel the change deep in my bones. I'm losing my best friends.
Asher's POV
I'm losing her and it's my own fault. My wolf and I haven't been the same since she told us she didn't want to date us and I'm pulling away. Putting distance between us to protect my own heart. I tell myself it's better this way. That once I find my fated mate the pain will ease and we can go back to normal. That Ellie and our fated mate will get along so well that they will also become best friends and it will be like nothing ever happened. That our friendship was always meant to be like this. I know she wolves, heck wolves in general are territorial but if the goddess gives us the other half of our soul then our fated mate will feel just as connected to Ellie as Alex and I do. It's the only other explanation I can give as to why we feel so strongly for her, why we feel the sparks, she is meant to be in our lives forever and if she is not our fated then she will share a bond, a connection with our fated just like we will, of course it will be slightly different, I'm calling it the best-friendship bond, even though it's more than that, closer to a family bond or a fated mate bond but I don't know how else to explain it.
'If it's a *best friendship bond* as you call it human, why does it feel like she rejected us?' Alaric snarls at me.
He's the main reason we have still been spending time with Ellie like nothing has changed, that and because I want to be with her no matter how heartbroken I am that she doesn't want to date us. If it was any other female we would have just walked away, mended our hearts from a distance. Yes I'm pulling away mentally but physically I still want to be near her, even if we don't joke like we use too or I don't wrap my arms around her or tuch her like I use too. Alaric is better at the physical stuff than I am, when he is her 'Sam' he still pounces on her like a damn untrained dog.
'I'm not a dog!' Alaric growls at my thoughts, "I pounce to show her she's ours, I kiss her to mark her as mine so no others take her, I'd mark her other ways but you wont let me." He huffs, then retreats.
He's right though, at least one of us has to act like nothing has changed, prove to her we still love her and want her around even though everything has changed. Ever since she allowed me, us, to touch her, taste her, our connection grew and because she won't allow us to do it again because she put us back in the friendzone despite all of us having feelings for one another things HAVE changed and I just want to move past it but I am having a really difficult time doing so.