ON THE SIDELINES

Chapter 1

DAWN

“Murderer!”

“You killed her! You fat Skunk.”

“You did this because you were jealous!”

“Murderer!”

The screams and curses grew louder with every passing second, while I remained on the floor of the school hallway, holding the dead body of the one person who saw the true me.

“Dawn Clifford…” I heard my name, but I didn't bother looking up, overwhelmed with grief, shame, and regret.

“You are under arrest,step away from the deceased and hold your hands out.”

The instructions came, and tears pooled out of my eyes as I shut them close.

Soon I was being lifted off the floor and my hands were chained behind me. The curse didn't die down, it became a chant.

“DAWN CLIFFORD IS A MURDERER!”

TWO MONTHS EARLIER

Standing outside the enormous towering iron gate of AlphaBeta Academy carved with wolves, crowns, and ancient symbols that represented power and leadership. The gentle reminder of why I was here.

I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“We finally made it.” Kiara, my best friend since childhood, squealed beside me, grabbing my arm so tight I almost winced.

“Yeah, we made it,” I said in a whisper, equally excited but too nervous to show it.

“Come on.” Kiara pulled at my shoulder,we crossed the gate ,the moment we stepped into the courtyard, I felt it.

Eyes, so many eyes, students glanced at us as we walked forward, some gazes were curious, some bored, and others were openly judging.

I instinctively looked down at my shoes, and my heart started doing that annoying thing where it beat too fast for no reason. I hated it so much.

“Oh my goodness, it's beautiful.” Kiara yelped, forcing me to look away from my shoes and stare.

The beauty of the school instantly blew me away, and my lips parted in awe. “Oh Moon Goddess!” Kiara exclaimed next to me.

I couldn't believe my eyes or understand how everyone here looked like they belonged in a magazine.

Tall boys with sharp jaws and broad shoulders walked across the courtyard like they owned the ground beneath their feet. Girls with perfect bodies and shiny hair laughed confidently as if they had never felt insecure a day in their lives.

I instantly felt the need to disappear, feeling like I had accidentally wandered into the wrong place.

I gulped again, pulled the sleeves of my oversized hoodie over my hands, suddenly wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

“You’re doing that thing again.”

I blinked, turning to look at Kiara.

“What thing?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders.

“The I ’m-about-to-run-away thing,” she said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I exhaled slowly, rolling my eyes. “There’s nothing, and why would I run away?”I let out a sigh.” This is my dream.”

Kiara shakes her head,” You were thinking about it.” she deadpanned, not believing my lie.

Okay… maybe I was, This school wasn’t just any school, it was the school. The place where the future Alphas, Betas, and Gammas of powerful packs were trained.

Only the children of leaders were admitted, children who are strong, confident, and perfect. Children who looked nothing like me.

My stomach twisted painfully,I could already imagine the whispers, the lingering and judging gazes.

If I were a low-ranked pack member, maybe I wouldn't be so worried, but I am the Beta’s daughter and heir to his position, yet I look nothing like a leader.

*Leaders aren't defined by how they look.* My father's words have always offered me comfort, but today, at this moment, it wasn't working.

Kiara nudged my shoulder gently.

“Hey,” she said softly. “Look at me.” And I did.

Kiara Clarkson had always been the kind of girl people turned their heads to look at. Her long silver-blonde hair fell perfectly down her back, and her bright green eyes sparkled with excitement. She is the perfect candidate for this school, she belongs here more than I do, after all she is the Alpha's daughter.

“Are you listening?” Kiara asked, and only then did I realize I’d spaced out.

“Yeah sorry.”

She grabbed my hand in hers, squeezing it softly. “We are gonna be fine Dawn. This place has been our dream since we were kids,” she reminded me, and it was true.

When we were six, we used to sit under the giant oak tree in Ravenstone Pack and imagine ourselves studying here. Back then, AlphaBeta felt like some magical place where legends were made, our parents were alumni, and they had so many awesome stories they shared with us.

Back then life was so easy. Unfortunately, I didn't know the world cared so much about what people looked like.

Back then, I hadn’t learned that people stared longer when your body didn’t match their idea of beauty.

“We are going to survive as long as we have each other,” Kiara’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts once again. She released her hand and held out a pinky. “Together forever.”

A small smile graced my lips, “Together forever.” I replied, wrapping my pinky around hers.

“Now come on, let's find Dean's office, so we can locate our dorms. As leaders of tomorrow, we definitely need our rest.” She joked and I chuckled, letting her pull me along.

With the help of Kiara’s jovial approach, we got the direction to the Dean's office; thankfully, it was a separate building from the main school and we didn't run into that many students.

We met with the Dean, Shauna, who offered us our room documents, timetable, locker numbers, and a much-needed school map.

“Let's find her lockers before we head to our dorms,” Kiara suggested, though it meant going to the school's main building, but this wasn't something I could avoid forever.

“Good idea.” I agreed.

*****************

Walking right into the school's hallway felt a bit challenging as the other students glided by. Their gazes burned even more, but Kiara holding me close reduced my anxiety. Until then my legs twisted against each other and the next moment I found myself falling flat on the ground.

My ankle collided with the ground, sending a shockwave of pain through my body.

“Whoa! Earthquake!” Someone yelled and an uproar of laughter filled the hall.

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as embarrassment engulfed me. “Dawn.” Kiara coached next to me, trying to lift me.

“Oh no, someone's trying to lift the mountain!” Another voice yelled, and my heart ached,I could feel the tears brewing at the back of my eyes.

“Come on Dawn, don't listen to those tacky words,” Kiara said, placing my hand around my shoulder. With her help, I rose off the floor, but I couldn't shake off everything that just happened.

I grabbed my bag off the floor and fled, ignoring Kiara’s call behind me. I just wanted to be far away from that spot.

This is my very first day in this school, with no knowledge of where to go, yet I kept turning at every corridor cut.

Luckily I found the female restroom and I scurried inside, I dropped my bag and let out the tears, replaying the embarrassing moment in my head.

“Fuck!” I screamed burying my head in my palm. I am so stupid. So, so stupid. The door to the restroom burst open and Kiara stood right there looking fazed.

“You scared me.” Kiara breathed out, her lips quavering.

“I…” a sob tears out of my throat before I can finish my words. Kiara approached me, pulling me into a tight hug. “I said we are in this together for fuck sake Dawn.”

“I am sorry.” I apologize, resting my head on her shoulder.

“Fuck you.”

Pulling apart, she wiped my face with her palm and helped me fix my glasses. “You are alright Dawn, and those douches were just being stupid. I am not going to let their words get to you, and you shouldn't either. We are here for a purpose and they are not part of it.”

“Okay?”

I nodded, feeling a little better. “Together forever?” Kiara asked and I smiled, realizing how lucky I am that she is here with me.

“Together forever.”