My Hockey Alpha

Nina

By the time the symposium came, I had spent the past few days trying my best to solely focus on my presentation. I decided that I couldn’t let my feelings for Enzo impede upon my grades in the exact same way that he couldn’t let his feelings for me impede upon his performance in the tournament. So, I didn’t see him at all for that time, although I couldn’t stop the negative thoughts and nightmares despite that.

The day of the symposium finally arrived, and I was well-prepared. I had a presentation put together on anatomy, and had spent hours practicing my presentation in front of Luke, who used his past as a talking skeleton to give me pointers and correct my mistakes.

I was well-prepared enough, in fact, that my presentation went incredibly well. I finished my presentation and stepped off of the stage, smiling in reaction to the applause coming from the small group of attendees, one of whom was my professor.

“Well, Miss Harper,” my professor said, approaching me as I packed up my laptop and other materials, “I must say that you gave an excellent presentation. I’ll award you the extra credit.”

I couldn’t help but smile even wider. “Thank you, Professor.”

“Remember that this is a one time thing,” he said, patting me on the shoulder. “I hope you’ll try harder from now on to be present in class and stay on top of your work.”

I nodded vehemently. “I will. Thank you again.”

The professor smiled, then left. I decided to stay at the symposium for a while longer and listen to some of the other presentations, as well as to walk around and look at the other projects that were laid out on tables around the gymnasium.

As I walked around and looked at all of the projects, I suddenly felt a familiar presence in the room. I froze for a moment, then jerked my head up from the particular project on mold that I was looking at, only to see none other than Enzo standing on the other side of the room.

He had his head bent and appeared to be looking at a project as well, but as I stared at him, he suddenly lifted his head as well and made eye contact with me.

His brown eyes began to glow ever so slightly red when he saw me, but he quickly looked away.

I figured that it was too late now to pretend that I hadn’t seen him — besides, I was curious as to why he was here instead of practicing hockey — and decided to make my way over to where he stood.

“Hey,” I said sheepishly as I approached, stopping to stand in front of him. “Surprise seeing you here.”

up a bit of his scent from

my chest then as there was an awkward silence between us, before my eyes finally fell on

posterboard, my eyes immediately

on biology or anatomy; it was a project

Specifically, their weaknesses.

blurb under each photograph containing werewolf facts. On the other half of the poster board, there

out. There was a single silver bullet, a wolfsbane flower, and the handle of an axe — the head had been removed,

my stomach. When I looked back up at Enzo, his

he made this,” he said, gesturing to the sick project. There was no name attached to

I began, my voice trailing

quickly looked away. I wondered if they had seen

wanna man up and try to kill me himself, so he’s trying to incite violence,” Enzo

could stop him, Enzo suddenly gritted his teeth and kicked the table, sending it toppling over and causing the project to scatter across the

incredulously. “You can’t

me to an entire host of angry and scared

to pick up the scattered items as people looked at us in silent shock. “Come on. Help

sighed, muttering an apology under his breath, then helped me pick up the table and

a problem here?” an attendant, one of the professors, said as she

“No, sorry. It was an

anything else and walked away, seeing as how we cleaned up the mess. I turned back to face Enzo when

hard to get more people to your side, and it’s been working. I know you’re angry and that what happened in the tunnels was awful, but you have to control these outbursts

as he

to go,” I said, turning to walk away. “I have a paper that I have to work