‘It will be okay, Nina. We will figure this out,’ I assure her gently.
‘Magnus?’ She says, pulling away and gazing into my eyes.
‘Yeah?’ I reply, locking my eyes with hers.
‘Do you wish sometimes we could go back in time and do things differently?’ She asks, a vulnerability in her tone.
I nod. ‘Every day. I wish I wasn’t stupid and didn’t ignore you for seven years,’ I confess.
Nina’s eyes widen. ‘Do you mean that, Magnus?’
‘Every word,’ I smile, sincerity in my eyes.
Her eyes glisten with a mix of emotions. ‘We can’t go back in time and change the past, but we can change the future right now,’ she declares.
‘How so?’ I ask, tilting my head.
‘Magnus, let’s forget the seven years of not talking never happened. Let’s be best friends again,’ she suggests, hope evident in her voice.
‘Really? You mean that?’ I ask, feeling a flutter in my stomach, my heart racing with happiness.
‘Every word,’ she smiles.
The next morning brings a change in the routine as Nina waits at the front door of the packhouse, ready to walk to school with us. It's a pleasant surprise, considering the past seven years when she would run ahead. The morning chatter is light and filled with smiles.
‘I’m glad you are well again,’ Zak smiles.
‘Thanks, me too,’ I reply.
‘I’m glad Nina is walking to school with us for a change,’ Josie smiles.
‘Me too,’ I echo, sharing a smile with Nina.
We arrive at school, and to my delight, Nina and I have science class together. Giggling and laughing, we sit at our familiar, wonky table.
‘Great to see you two getting along for a change instead of fighting,’ Mr Thomson says approvingly.
We open our textbooks and complete our worksheets without any drama. The bell rings, signalling the next class. As we exit the classroom, Moss approaches Nina, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up. Nina squeals with delight, her eyes locked with Moss's, and they kiss.
As challenging as it is to witness, I keep my composure. Moss sets her down gently.
‘I’ll see you later, Nina,’ I say, passing her and waving goodbye. Nina waves back with a smile.
‘I thought you hated him?’ I overhear Moss asking her.
‘We have put our differences aside and are once again friends,’ she smiles.
‘I see…’ Moss replies in a deep voice, glancing at me. ‘Let’s get to class, babe before we’re late,’ he says, taking her hand and leading her away.
Claire races towards me. ‘I’m glad you’re better. Let’s get to English class,’ she says, clinging to my arm.
Lunchtime arrives swiftly, and Claire and I head to the cafeteria. Nina waves and smiles at me from her table with Moss by her side. I wave back.
‘Why are you waving at Nina, Magnus?’ Claire asks.
‘Because she is my friend, Claire,’ I reply.
‘But I thought you weren’t talking to each other anymore?’ She asks, annoyed.
‘Well, we are now,’ I tell her, focusing on my lunch.
Flint, Zak, Paul, Josie, and I gather at our usual lunch spot, engaging in the usual banter. However, May remains noticeably quiet, her gaze fixed on Claire, simmering with silent resentment. The bell mercifully rings, signalling the end of our lunch break.
‘What class do we have, Flint?’ I ask as we start making our way to the next session.
‘PE…’ Flint trails off with a hint of dismay.
Great, PE – the class I share with Moss. Way to ruin my day.
With a sigh, Flint, Paul, Zak, and I change into our sports gear and head to the oval. As we start running laps, Moss tries to keep pace, attempting to intimidate me. However, we completely ignore his presence and finish the three laps without drama.
‘Right, boys. Now that you’ve warmed up, it’s time for some dodgeball,’ Mr. Tilley, our PE teacher, announces. ‘I want you all to form two groups.’
We divide into two teams, and as fate would have it, Moss ends up on the opposite side. Mr. Tilley places a hand on my shoulder. ‘This team will throw the balls first. After that, the other team must dodge the balls and not get hit.’
My team lines up, hurling dodgeballs at random opposing team members. Moss, however, remains the last one on the oval, showcasing his stamina and agility, though not quite on par with mine. I aim a ball carefully, launching it at a normal pace. It taps his chest.
‘You’re out, Moss,’ I declare with a smirk.
Moss glares at me in frustration.
‘Right, swap sides now, boys,’ Mr. Tilley instructs.
As we pass each other, Moss maliciously whacks my shoulder. I feel the anger surge, but I contain it, ignoring him completely, making Moss even angrier.
Moss relentlessly targets me throughout the game, throwing the ball with significant force, seemingly determined to injure me. Despite his efforts, he misses each time. Eventually, I stand as the last player on the oval, enduring over twenty minutes of Moss and the others failing to land a hit.
Mr. Tilley blows his whistle. ‘Time to pack up, and Magnus, well done,’ he commends.
Proudly, I walk away with Flint, Zak, and Paul, heading back toward the school building. Yet, just as I begin to revel in my victory, something strikes me with force against my head, and everything goes black.
I wake up in the nurse's office with a minor headache, and as my eyes adjust to the surroundings, I find Flint by my side.
'What happened?' I ask, rubbing the back of my head.
'Moss decided dodgeball wasn't over yet... he ran up behind you in a rage and threw the ball at your head with all his strength, knocking you out. He's currently in the principal’s office being reprimanded as we speak,' Flint explains.
Nina rushes into the nurse's station with genuine concern across her face and takes my hand. 'I heard what happened. Moss should not have done that. I'm so sorry. I will talk to Moss and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid again.'
'Nina, it's not your fault. You don't need to apologize,' I respond, frowning.
Nina's shoulders drop, and she looks away. 'Moss just doesn't like that we're friends again, but he will have to accept it,' she asserts.
Claire enters the room, taking my hand from Nina's grip and shooting her a glare before looking at me. 'Boo-boo, are you okay?'
'I'm fine, Claire. The pain has already gone,' I reply, but my eyes linger on Nina, much to Claire's dismay.
The nurse enters the room. 'That's because you have your wolf now. You will heal quickly,' she smiles. 'Do you feel okay to return to class?' She asks.
'Yes, I think I'll be fine now,' I answer, getting up from the bed. 'Thanks for checking on me, Nina. I appreciate it,' I express appreciatively.
Claire shoots me a quick glare. 'You know, Boo-boo,' she says as we exit the nurse’s station. 'I think you're spending too much time with Nina. I'm feeling very neglected, you know,' she huffs.