1. A wicked cherub

Victoria's POV

I don't like exam periods. Not because I don't know what I'm doing, mind you. I'm a straight-A student. I don't like exam periods because of the moods that come with them.

People hardly smile. They walk around like zombies with stress and anxiety written all over their faces, making each day feel as if color has been sucked out of the atmosphere. I'm the happy, carefree kinda girl who doesn't like solemn environments. It dampens my spirit and affects my general well-being.

My daddy taught me that when you stress out, your awareness suffers. You see less, you hear less, and you think less clearly. But when you maintain a calm, optimistic mindset, even in a bad situation, you will see more, sense more, be a better problem-solver, and give yourself more options.

Thank God it's over now. It's the end of the session, and I'm elated. I finish my last paper, humming a song as I submit my answer sheet to the invigilator and sign out of the hall. The man looks at me wonderingly over his spectacles. Since I know I'm not breaking any rules, I shrug, then flash him a bright smile before walking out of the exam hall.

The moment I close the door behind me, I shout and laugh with relief

"Yes! Woooo-hooooo!"

James Brown's song begins playing in my head, and I shamelessly sing and dance along as I hurry out of the faculty.

"Wao! I feel good, ta da da da da da

I knew that I would now. Ta da da da da da

I feel good. Ta da da da da da

I knew that I would now. Ta da da da da da

So good!... So good!... I got you!"

Students passing by laugh as they watch. Some even get their phones out to record me but I don't mind. At the moment, I'm happy to be the clown who puts smiles on their stressed and anxious faces.

I arrive at my dormitory, cheerfully greeting every student and staff I come across as I run up the stairs to the suite I shared with another girl my age. Beautiful and vivacious Camila is a suitemate that had turned friend.

Tomorrow, we are going skydiving with some friends and I'm super excited. It's been so long since the last time. I miss the thrill of free-falling through the air when you jump out of a plane. It's an incredibly liberating peaceful experience.

All arrangements for the trip have been made. I just need to pack my stuff and send the ones I won't be needing for the trip home ahead of me. My parents think I'm vacationing in Italy to explore Rome's ancient ruins, visit historical sites, and probably flirt with curly-haired Italian boys.

My mom especially would shit square eggs if she found out I'm going skydiving instead of exploring the city of Rome. She blew a gasket the first time I went bungee jumping, and made the mistake of sharing my experience with her.

"What kind of a girl are you!? How could you endanger your life just for a rush of excitement!? What is the matter with you!?..."

She talked and talked and talked on and on and on till it became a shouting contest between us while my dad just looked helpless as he wordlessly opened and closed his mouth, not knowing whose side to be on. Poor daddy. Always the peacemaker between us.

Never again! What she doesn't know won't make her worry.

'Camila is home.'

I note to myself with a smile when I hear reggaeton music blaring out of her room.

It was because of this attitude of hers that her first suitemate approached me to swap rooms with her. She was studious and couldn't cope with the constant blaring of music from Camila's room. I readily accepted because, one, I don't mind loud music. Two, my suitemate at that time also wasn't my kind of person. Although she tried not to show it, I could tell from how she made excuses every time I offered to do things together with her that she's not comfortable around werewolves.

I drop my keys and backpack in my room before going to her door. I know she won't hear me if I knock, but I do so anyway. When she doesn't answer, I open the door and peek inside to see her trying on a dress.

"Hey!" I call out in a loud voice

She turns and smiles when she sees me

"Oh, thank God you're here!" She says and reaches for the remote to turn off the music. Then she turns her back to me,

"Come help me with this zipper..."

"You have a date? Aren't you supposed to be packing?" I ask as I help zip up the dress.

"We'll be back in time to do the packing. I'm just trying it on..." She says and moves to look at herself in the dressing mirror.

"The team is celebrating the end of the school session with a party. I asked Colton if you could come along and..."

I sigh and interrupt before she finishes her sentence

"Camila, I..."

"I know! I know! You don't want to go because of what happened with Jamie..." She also interrupts, "Just that I need you there! Mia and her bitch teammates will be there you know. I don't want to be alone with any of them when Colton goes off to do stuff with his friends... Please!"

I sigh again as she continues to look at me pitifully. I knew about the party. Colton already invited me. I guess he didn't tell her that I rejected his invitation.

Okay, quick backstory/introduction.

Colton was my senior in high school but we weren't on speaking terms then. He was two years ahead of me. Fortunately, we met again here in college and became good friends. I introduced him to Camila when he broke up with his Ex, Mia, who is the Captain of his team's cheerleaders. Jamie is my ex-boyfriend and in the same football team as Colton. I broke up with him when I caught him cheating on me with Mia's friend.

That bastard wasn't even man enough to own up to what he did. I caught him having sex with her and his excuse was,

"I'm sorry. They set me up."

Really!?

So what if he was indeed set up by Mia and her friends as I later deduced when I spoke with Colton and later thought about what led me to catching him in the act.

Did she kidnap and force him to that secluded place?

No, she did not! He willingly followed her.

Did she tie him down before forcing herself on him?

No, she did not! He willingly had sex with her.

When I walked in on them, she was slightly bent, leaning her arms on the wall with legs spread wide and her dress rolled up her waist, while he furiously fucked her from behind as if his life depended on it.

I hope I don't ever see that bastard again till he graduates, but what can I do now that my friend needs me? I know how spiteful she-wolves can be towards any woman they feel is encroaching on a man they feel belongs to them. Especially if she's not a werewolf. Camila is human.

"Okay..." I reluctantly say with a smile and she shrieks with happiness,

"Oh, Vic! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I owe you one!..." After giving me a quick hug, she pushes away from me and asks, "Okay! Now, what do you think of my dress? You like?"

She's wearing a beautiful mini sundress that twirls as she turns for me to properly see

"Yes. It's beautiful. You know you don't need me to tell you that. You have good eyes for fashion"

She smiles

"Thank you. So I got you this one..." She says and picks up another dress from the bed, holding it up for me to see. "White always enhances your beauty. Those bitches eyes would pop with envy when they see us. Jamie would wish he had never cheated on you and..."

"Camila, I don't care about that bastard anymore. So please, stop mentioning his name around me!" I say but deep down within me, I know I'm lying to myself.

It's been three weeks since I broke up with him. Why haven't I forgotten about him if I truly don't care? Obviously, I still do since I'm still pained. He was my first boyfriend.

A few weeks into our relationship, we discussed the issue of sex, and both agreed to wait for two years. If we did not meet our mates after the two years had elapsed, then we would totally be with each other in every sense of the world. His betrayal was really painful.

"Okay, I'm sorry! I promise I won't mention his name to you anymore." She says, looking truly sorry with the way she childishly pout her lips.

I laugh

"Thank you," I say and accept the dress from her even though I have no intention of wearing it to the party. I accepted it because she will never take no for an answer and I'm not in the mood to go back and forth over that with her.

Indeed, white looks good on me but it's not suitable for this kind of party. Color white, combined with my kind of look, makes me appear cherubic. Sweet, innocent, childlike appearance. That is not who I am and certainly not the appearance I want to portray at a party full of beautiful, scatty she-wolves.

Mia thinks I'm vulnerable and easily bullied. She needs to be schooled never to judge a book by its cover.

"I should go prepare," I tell Camila before walking out of her room. I smile to myself when a wicked idea begins to form in my mind.