After almost 30 minutes of travel, we arrived at our destination. As I stepped out of Althea's car, my jaw practically hit the ground.In front of me was a mansion, not just big, but massive, like the kind that you would only ever see in luxury magazines or dramas about royalty. Its grand stone facade with a big driveway.This... this is her house?I couldn't help but feel small, out of place even, as we entered the gates of the exclusive subdivision. I had only heard rumors about this place. A lot of high-ranking pack members lived here. Even our Alpha's family had a house in this area, though our real pack territory was still hidden and protected deep within the forest. The city-dwellers rarely heard anything about it."Feel free to enjoy the party and just find your seat! Don't be shy, guys!” Althea uttered.Althea was immediately swallowed into a crowd and from the corner of my eye, I saw her walking side by side with Ethan. Of course, they would always be together.I stayed back
It was a little past 4 p.m. when all of the activities for today were finished and although my legs were aching so bad and my back begged for rest already, my heart was still full, overflowing, actually. Helping nearly forty orphans today had awakened something deep within me. Despite the Bianca drama this morning, I still couldn't stop smiling.I was near the entrance while crouching down to tie a loose shoelace when I heard a familiar giggle and the rapid patter of tiny feet."Sarah!"I looked up just in time to see Amie, the little girl I gave a snack to earlier while she was happily running toward me. Before I could fully rise, she already flung her arms around my waist and hugged me tightly.I froze and was stunned by the sudden warmth that wrapped around me. Slowly, I bent down and returned the hug while pulling her small form close as emotion welled in my chest."I'm going to miss you," I whispered while brushing some of her hair back. "I hope we see each other again soon."Sh
I arrived on campus around 7:15 a.m. and the parking lot was already filled with the school busses and a lot of students. They were gathered near the large school bus while chatting excitedly. Right beside it was the donation truck, which had been packed the night before with the clothes, toiletries, school supplies, and boxes of food which was all for the orphanage kids we were visiting today.I gently hugged my hoodie tighter around myself while feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. It was going to be a long, full day, but I was actually looking forward to it.When I stepped inside the school bus, the first thing I noticed was Ethan sitting in the third row. Or, more accurately, defending the third row. His bag was planted firmly beside him on the seat while he was clearly blocking anyone from sitting next to him.But of course, that didn't stop the girls from trying, though."Ethan, can I sit here?""Come on, there's enough space—""Just move your bag for a sec—"Ethan didn't eve
The past few days had been surprisingly chill and fun.Despite the pile of tasks from the student council, class projects, and meetings for the upcoming summer camp, I just found myself smiling more often than not. Everything felt less heavy lately, and most of that, if not all, was because of Tyler.He had been spending more time with me and a lot more.At first, I thought it was coincidence and then convenience. But now, he always seemed to be there for me. Whether I was heading to a council meeting, checking donation forms, or even making a quick trip to the bookstore. Tyler would suddenly be beside me, like he was taking caring of me all the time.And the way he looked after me, it felt more than just friendly. It felt like something else.This morning was also no different. We had a scheduled visit to the orphanage again today, and I had just finished getting ready. I just wore simple jeans and a clean white tee.When I headed out of my room and headed toward the kitchen, I immed
My phone wouldn't stop ringing. Argh!A groggy groan escaped me as I blindly reached for it on the nightstand while faintly blinking at the blinding screen. The name flashing across it instantly made me sit up. It was Emma.I hastily swiped the screen and brought the phone to my ear while still half-asleep and yawning."Hello...?""Took you long enough, sis. You always sleep like the dead."Emma’s voice was cheerful and full of energy. It was way too much energy for whatever ungodly hour this was."Emma?" I yawned again while rubbing my eyes. "Why are you calling me so early, sis?""Because I'm outside your condo right now. Hello? Are you seriously still in bed?"I flickered my eyes while still processing everything. "Wait—what?!""I'm at the lounge, girl,” she uttered while laughing. "Get your butt down here before I get mistaken for a lost delivery woman."That woke me up instantly.Throwing my blanket off, I immediately got out of bed and not even bothering to change. I just grabbe
It was already around 6 in the evening when I got back to the condo. The exhaustion from the day was finally catching up to me. My shoulders were aching, my eyes also felt heavy and all I just wanted right now was to faceplant onto my bed and not move for a week.But honestly, the visit to the orphanage had awakened something in me. Despite how drained I felt, knowing that we might actually be able to help those kids, it made every step worth it. It had been a while since I was able to help other people and I guess I was in the right track.When I entered my room, I didn't even bother changing. I just flopped onto my bed and hurriedly buried my face into the pillow. I could still smell the faint trace of dust from the orphanage's hallway but I was too lazy to move."I should just order some food," I mumbled into the sheets.Cooking was definitely out of the question tonight.I lazily reached for my phone on the bedside table and started scrolling through the food delivery app while me