Alpha Rejected the Tomboy. Now, She’s Gone. Chapter 08
Adam pulled out his phone and opened Jamie’s WhatsApp chat.Â
His fingers moved quickly across the screen as he typed, “Jamie, I’ve liked you for a very long time.”Â
He hesitated for a split second, then hit send.Â
A bright red exclamation mark popped up instantly beside the message.Â
Jamie had deleted him.Â
Adam immediately dialed her number. The line rang for several seconds before getting cut straight to voicemail.Â
He called over a dozen times in a row, only to end up fully blocked.Â
He also tried reaching out to her through Packlink, but every message failed to deliver–she had blocked him unilaterally.Â
Adam tightened his grip on his phone, leaning back against the wall, completely drained of allÂ
strength.Â
He slowly sank to the ground, buried his face in his hands, and broke down sobbing.Â
At that moment, I was sitting in a movie theaterÂ
with Eric, watching a film.Â
We’d made this promise long ago–to celebrateÂ
our SAT results with a movie night once scoresÂ
dropped.Â
Eric noticed my phone lighting up repeatedly as IÂ
declined every call.Â
“You not gonna answer that?” he asked softly.Â
“No point.”Â
When the final call came through, I blocked theÂ
number for good.Â
Amid the shifting theater lights, Eric spoke quietlyÂ
out of the blue.Â
“Honestly, I’ve always kind of envied Adam.”Â
“Envy him for what?”Â
“For growing up alongside you, for having you byÂ
his side all these years.”Â
His tone was gentle, laced with careful, tentativeÂ
longing.Â
“We’ve lived in the same neighborhood our wholeÂ
lives, but you’ve always belonged more with.Â
Adam. I even have to time it right just to catch aÂ
glimpse of you.”Â
The movie started right after he finished speaking.Â
We fell into silence, both seemingly absorbed inÂ
the screening.Â
My eyes stayed fixed on the screen, but my mindÂ
drifted back to old memories.Â
Eric and I had known each other since childhood,Â
yet we’d never been close.Â
He was one of Adam’s original pack brothers, theÂ
quietest and most reserved among them.Â
When we entered middle school, Eric devotedÂ
himself entirely to his studies, rarely joining Adam.Â
and the others to hang out.Â
Adam had forced him to choose between theirÂ
brotherhood and his grades. Eric chose hisÂ
education, and the two fell out completely.Â
After that, I only heard about Eric throughÂ
neighborhood gossip.Â
People talked about his perfect test scores, his acceptance into the elite Magnet School, his consistent top rankings across statewide exams.Â
Occasionally, Adam and I would cross paths with Eric on our way home.Â
Adam would always scoff, sling an arm over my shoulder, and walk straight past him without a word.Â
But every time I caught sight of Eric’s Magnet School uniform, I couldn’t hide my quiet envy.Â
I only truly grew close with Eric in the weeks leading up to the SATS, when I spent every day studying at the town library.Â
We kept running into each other at the bus stop, taking the same route to the library every morning.Â
One rainy day when I’d forgotten my umbrella, he’d. stepped forward and offered to walk me home.Â
After that, we began studying together regularly.Â
When I told him I aimed for the top universities,Â
Eric never mocked me. Instead, he offered to help me study.Â
We added each other’s contacts.Â
He walked me through every difficult question, shared exclusive practice materials and exam papers from his elite school.Â
I already had a solid academic foundation, and with his help, my grades improved by leaps andÂ
bounds.Â
We’d vowed to meet each other at the top.Â
In the end, I scored 1580. He scored 1588.Â
We’d both kept our word. We’d truly met at theÂ
summit.Â
The movie ended close to eleven p.m.Â
Eric and I walked home together. As we reachedÂ
my front gate, my peripheral vision caught aÂ
familiar figure.Â
It was Adam.Â
He leaned against my front door, head hung lowÂ
and shoulders slouched, looking utterly broken.Â
and abandoned, like a stray wolf with no pack.Â
The second he laid eyes on Eric, his features. twisted with raw, raging fury.Â
“You blocked me, ignored my calls… all so youÂ
could be with him?”Â
The light in his eyes shattered completely, his.Â
voice hoarse and ragged beyond recognition.Â
“Are you two… dating?”Â
Eric spoke coldly, tone sharp and unyielding. “It’sÂ
none of your business.”Â
The next instant, Adam lunged forward andÂ
slammed a fist into Eric’s face.Â
“None of my business? Jamie’s mine! Stay the hellÂ
away from her!”Â
The two boys crashed into a brutal fight in anÂ
instant.Â
Adam fought recklessly, every punch landing hardÂ
and merciless. Eric didn’t back down, counteringÂ
every blow with equal ferocity.Â
“Stop fighting!” I shouted, but neither of them listened.Â
I shifted into my wolf form without hesitation and forced myself between them, prying them apart.Â
They halted their attacks immediately, careful notÂ
to hurt me in the chaos.Â
Neither had gained the upper hand. Both of theirÂ
faces were bruised and bloodied.Â
Eric glanced coldly at Adam, then turned to me.Â
“I’ll head home. Call me if you need anything.”Â
He walked away, leaving only Adam and meÂ
standing alone beneath the howling night wind.

