Author's Note: Forewarning! This is kind of a sad chapter. So let me know if you cried or wanted to cry, or if it wasn't really that sad or whatever you do feel, I guess. Thanks
Chapter Fourteen
The reception for the future students of Alpha School was finally over and all the students had been receiving congratulations, compliments and wishes of good luck from their friends and family for the upcoming semester. Among all of this, Garth had strolled to and from congratulating Alex and Christina. To speed up time, he congratulated a few other random wolves that looked like they needed a bit more praise for their already glorious achievement. When Garth felt that the action was almost over with the evening, he approached his parents and informed them that he would be with Christina for a bit and that they would be meeting at the stream. Casually, Garth left the reception and wandered to the stream.
The water of the stream was clear and running smoothly, bubbling as usual. An image of the waning moon was present in the constantly rippling and trickling water. In the stream, the water seemed to play with itself and the images that it reflected. Here it would start to swirl; and over there it would zig zag through the rocks and stones. Occasionally, a maple leaf would float swiftly by. Everything that the stream did added to Garth's rather peaceful mood.
Garth stared at the water and the reflections housed in it until he heard a rustling and the approaching footsteps of another wolf. Christina emerged. She walked up next to Garth and sat beside him. Enchanted, she too stared at the water.
"Hey," she casually greeted him.
"Hi," Garth replied. He wasn't sure what to say to her, so he decided on something rather cliché. "Congratulations on that impromptu speech."
"Oh yeah, that. It was really nothing," she returned.
"Well, I was glad you pulled me up there. It made me feel kinda… loved."
"You are loved, Garth. I was just trying to make sure that others knew how special you are."
Garth turned and looked at Christina. Until now, they had both been staring at the water, enchanted by its actions. "Well… Thanks. It really means a lot to me."
"You know, I could tell. It was really cute how you kept trying to keep a plastic smile on and no matter how hard you tried not to, you broke down at the end. I don't think I should have been embarrassed like I was for that. You couldn't tell I was, could you?"
"I had my face in your fur. All I could see was a white patch," Garth replied. He was neutral on her being embarrassed because of what he did.
"Oh, okay then. I'm… I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Christina sighed. "I'm a terrible person for being embarrassed because of my own boyfriend whom I love dearly! That's what." Christina began to sob. Sliding down her face, Christina's tears fell one by one into the flowing stream.
"It's okay, Christina. I shouldn't have just broken down like that in your speech anyway."
"No! No Garth. You have a right to show your emotions! I'm the terrible one here! You should just break up with me and go find some other girlfriend." Christina was now fully crying. Truly, she was feeling terrible: like some worthless little being that no one even would ever bother to care about.
Now Garth felt bad. He did partially believe that this was his fault. It was his responsibility to be able to contain himself, he thought. Yet again unsure of what to do, Garth put his arm around Christina, although he really could not stand seeing his angel cry.
"Garth… Oh Garth." Turning to her boyfriend, Christina returned the hug. "Does this mean we're okay?"
"Christina, we're more than okay. Please stop crying, you're breaking my heart. I don't like seeing you so down on yourself and sad like this."
Slowly stopping her tears, Christina said, "Garth… I don't know what I'll do without you. Can you come to Alpha School with me?"
"I want to so badly! But that stupid test thing! They'll never let me in."
"Your parents are the pack leaders. Couldn't they tweak the system?"
"They wouldn't do it. They believe in fair shots for everyone. Honestly, I don't believe they'd even consider it."
"Then I guess this is it, then. Just me and you, sitting by this little stream, trying to grab our last few minutes together before we separate." Christina sighed. "Some rules that we follow are just plain stupid!"
"Tell me about it," Garth replied. "I mean, I know both of us will probably become alphas, but I don't think some of the rights we have should be restricted actions for the omegas."
"Oh my gosh, I know!" Christina's mood was shifting from sad to excited and angry. "If I got to be an alpha, and for some weird reason, you didn't, I would be so mad!"
"Or if it was the other way around, I'd have to hurt someone!" Garth was becoming enraged.
"What would you do?" Christina wanted to know.
"One of two things: I'd fight till we changed things, or move away!"
"And take me with you!"
"Oh, of course."
There was a slow pause between the two. Garth restarted the conversation.
"Nevertheless, I will miss you. I'll think about you every day. If there's ever something that's really hard or extremely challenging, I'll think about you, cause you give me the strength to keep going."
Christina could not help but smile here. Garth really was overly cute. There were sometimes when she thought she would die from his cuteness. "I'll remember that," she replied, "every word of it."
"I don't doubt you will," Garth said.
Suddenly, Garth found himself staring into Christina's blue eyes. Christina stared right back into Garth's large eyes. The two wolf pups leaned in to each other. They were close enough to strongly smell each other's scents. Christina smelled a lot like some sort of flower that Garth could not name. Garth had a sweet, rugged and cute smell to him. Garth and Christina's noses were almost touching. They were two eternal centimeters away from each other. For an unknown reason, the two wolves stopped. There was a rustling in the nearby bushes.
"There you two are," an adult female wolf said. As she came closer, the two wolves saw that it was Christina's mom, Christine.
"Oh, hi Mom," Christina casually greeted. "Um, what are you doing?"
"What are you doing?" she returned the question. "You never told us where you were going."
"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, Mom, but…"
"No. It's time to come home. You leave VERY early for Alpha School tomorrow and you should have been in an hour ago. Come on." Christine started to walk away clearly expecting Christina to follow her.
"I have to…" Christina began to explain.
"No, it's okay. I understand." Garth was trying to act as mature as possible. "You have a responsibility. Is this good-by?"
"As much as I hate to say it, I'm afraid so. Garth, I don't want to leave. Why can't Alpha School just be on this territory? Why do we have to go somewhere else? Stupid laws!" Christina was mad at first, but she gradually became sadder.
"Well, you go have fun! And the next time I see you, you had better be an alpha!" Attempting to encourage her, Garth was trying to act like he was happy.
"I-I-I'll do my… my best."
"I know you will. Good-by Christina. I'll miss you."
"Good-by Garth." Christina paused. She was clearly fighting a breakdown. "I'll miss you too."
The two wolves leaned into a long hug as tears of sadness began to escape their eyes. Each one of them was hugging the other so tightly that they could feel the other's heart beating rapidly. Neither of them ever wanted this to end, but the stern voice of Christine called Christina away, ending the heartfelt moment in either of their lives. Christina walked towards her mom and they both left Garth sitting alone beside the stream.
Garth watched as his only love in the world walked away. He knew it would be a long time before he ever saw her again. Tears began to pour down Garth's sad face. Silently, Garth wept for his loss. If Garth survived this tough time he was about to endure, he did not know how he would be when he got out of it. "I wish we had had more time together," he sobbed.
Author's Note: It wouldn't be a bad idea to listen to "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars now that you've finished this chapter. You could also listen to it and read the story again, from the part where it says "…could not stand seeing his angel cry." Just a suggestion. Please review.