Chapter 2

It was the first day of school, and I woke up feeling nervous and excited at the same time. I knew I had to make a good impression, and I was hoping that my stepbrothers, Finn, Aiden, and Liam, would be there to support me. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw the triplets already sitting at the table, chatting away. I greeted them with a timid "Good morning," and they replied in unison, "Hey there, newbie." Finn, the eldest, looked at me and smirked. "Nervous for your first day at the new school?" he asked. I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. Liam, the youngest, chimed in, "Don't worry, we'll take care of you." Aiden, the middle brother, gave me a reassuring smile and said, "You'll do great, and we'll be there for you." I felt grateful for Aiden's support, but Finn and Liam were still teasing me. Finn pretended to be the strict teacher and said, "Don't be late for your first class or you'll get detention." Liam added, "And don't forget your lunch money, or you'll have to starve." I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I knew they were just teasing me because they cared. As we sat down for breakfast, Aiden made sure that I got my favorite cereal and poured me a glass of orange juice. Finn and Liam continued their teasing, but Aiden defended me every time they went too far. Finn started talking about how he was excited to meet new people, specifically new girls. "I heard there are some new chicks coming to school this year. It's going to be lit," he said with a grin. Aiden rolled his eyes and said, "Can you not talk about girls all the time? There are more important things to focus on, like our grades." Liam, on the other hand, was more interested in the social aspect of school. "I just hope we make some new friends," he said. "It's always fun to hang out with new people." Finn continued to talk about the new girls, saying, "I heard there's one girl who's a total dime piece. She's new to the school, and I'm definitely going to try and get to know her." I felt a bit uncomfortable with the conversation, but I didn't want to be the buzzkill. Instead, I tried to steer the conversation toward something else. "Have you guys heard about any cool extracurricular activities at the school?" I asked. Aiden jumped in and started talking about the robotics club, which he was interested in joining. Liam mentioned the soccer team, and Finn said he might try out for the basketball team. Even though I wasn't as interested in sports or robotics, I felt relieved that we were talking about something other than girls. I asked the triplets if they knew anything about the teachers at the school, hoping to get some insight into what to expect. Finn said he had heard that Mr. Johnson was the toughest English teacher in the school, but Aiden added that he was fair and always pushed his students to do better. Liam mentioned that Ms. Lee, the science teacher, was known for her fun experiments, and Finn said that he had heard Mr. Patel, the math teacher, was a bit of a hardass. As the triplets continued to discuss their thoughts on the teachers at school, I asked them, "What do you know about Coach Reynolds? Is he as tough as people say he is?" Finn replied, "He's tough, but he's also a fair coach. He expects a lot from his athletes, but if you show him that you're committed, he'll respect you." Just then, my mother walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, guys," she greeted us with a smile. "Good morning, Luna," the triplets responded in unison. My mother's expression turned serious as she said, "Boys, I've told you before to call me 'mother'. We are now a family and I want you to treat me as your own mother." The triplets looked at each other and then at my mother. "We're sorry, mother. We didn't mean to be disrespectful," Aiden said. My mother's face softened as she said, "It's alright, my boys. I know you didn't mean to be rude. But please remember that we are a family now, and we need to start acting like one." As I sat in the car on the way to my first day of school, my anxiety was already at an all-time high. I fidgeted nervously with the straps of my backpack and tried to take deep breaths to calm my racing heart. My stepbrothers, Finn, Aiden, and Liam, sat beside me, chatting excitedly about their own classes and friends. I tried to listen and join in the conversation, but my mind was consumed with worry. What if I didn't make any friends? What if I got lost in the huge school building? What if the teachers were too strict or the coursework too difficult? I tried to push these thoughts aside and stay positive, but it was hard. Every time I caught a glimpse of the school building in the distance, my stomach twisted with nerves. I kept imagining all the worst-case scenarios, from tripping in the hallway to forgetting my locker combination. As we pulled into the school parking lot, I felt like I was going to be sick. I took a few deep breaths and tried to psych myself up, telling myself that I could handle anything that came my way. But as I stepped out of the car and made my way toward the school building, my nerves threatened to overwhelm me. I knew I had to push through and give it my best shot, but it was easier said than done. As I walked through the doors, I was greeted by a bustling hallway filled with students rushing to get to their classes. The sound of lockers slamming and chatter filled the air, making me feel even more anxious. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on finding my way to my first class. The school building was massive, with multiple floors and long, winding corridors. I felt like I was walking in circles, but eventually, I found my classroom. I scanned the faces and I finally found Liam sitting at the back. As I made my way towards him, Liam flashed me a smile and gave me a little wave. "Hey there, step-sis," Liam said, grinning. "Glad to see you did not get lost." I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "Ha ha, very funny, Liam," I said, taking a seat next to him. He chuckled. "You know I love to tease you, Maya. It's just so easy." I huffed, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach at the sound of his voice. Liam had always been a bit of a flirt, but I had never really taken it seriously. After all, he was my stepbrother. But as we sat together in class, I found myself getting more and more flustered by his teasing. He would make little comments under his breath that only I could hear, and I would try my best not to blush. At one point, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You look cute when you're all flustered like that." I felt a heat rise to my cheeks, and I quickly turned away from him. "Shut up, Liam. You're so annoying." Suddenly, he turned to me with a serious expression. "Maya, I wanted to talk to you about something," Liam said, his voice softening. "Since you're now a part of our family, I think it's important for you to train with us." I furrowed my brows, confused. "What do you mean, train with you?" Liam leaned closer to me and spoke in a hushed tone. "We're not just a regular family, Maya. We're a part of the Lycan clan, and we need to be prepared for anything. I think it's important for you to learn how to protect yourself and others in case something happens." I nodded slowly, understanding where he was coming from. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. When do I start?" Liam's face broke into a grin. "Great! We'll start training this weekend. You're going to love it, Maya. Trust me." I paused for a moment and looked at him suspiciously. "Wait, are we going to be the only ones training?" Liam raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Why? Do you need some one-on-one training with me, Maya?" I blushed at his teasing, feeling my heart race. "Shut up, Liam. That's not what I meant." Liam laughed and ruffled my hair. "Relax, Maya. We'll be training with the rest of the clan. But who knows, maybe I can give you some extra attention if you're lucky." I rolled my eyes at Liam's teasing once again. "Seriously, Liam? Can't you just be serious for once?" I asked, frustrated. "Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood," he said, chuckling. "But in all honesty, Maya, it's important for you to train with the rest of the clan. We need to work together and be able to rely on each other." I nodded, understanding the logic behind his words. "Okay, that makes sense. But will it just be the two of us training alone?" I asked, hoping for some one-on-one time with Liam. He raised an eyebrow at me, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Why, are you hoping for some alone time with me?" he teased. I blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. "No, of course not. I just thought it might be easier to train one-on-one," I said, trying to recover from my embarrassment. Liam laughed. "Relax, Maya. I'm just messing with you. We'll be training with the rest of the clan, but don't worry, I'll be there to help you every step of the way." I smiled, grateful for Liam's reassurance. "Thanks, Liam. I really appreciate it." "No problem, sis," he said, giving me a playful nudge with his elbow. "We've got this." After a couple of more classes, the bell rang for lunch break. I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the classroom, with Liam following closely behind. As we walked toward the cafeteria, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. I didn't know anyone else at the school, and the thought of sitting alone in a sea of strangers was daunting. Liam must have sensed my unease, because he put his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry, Maya. You're not alone. I'll be right here with you." I smiled, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Liam." When we entered the cafeteria, it was buzzing with noise and activity. Students were laughing and chatting with their friends, and the smell of food filled the air. As we made our way through the crowd, I suddenly caught sight of Aiden and Finn sitting at a table in the corner of the room. They were deep in conversation, their heads close together as they talked in hushed tones. "Liam, look," I whispered, pointing in their direction. Liam followed my gaze and nodded. "Yeah, I see them." We made our way over to their table, and as we approached, Finn looked up and spotted us. "Hey guys," Finn said, giving us a small smile. "How's your first day going?" "It's going pretty well," Liam replied, taking a seat next to Aiden. "Maya's already making friends in her classes." I smiled at the compliment, feeling a little proud of myself. "Yeah, everyone seems really nice so far." Finn looked at me curiously. "What classes are you in?" I rattled off my schedule, and Finn's eyes widened in surprise. "No way. I'm in the same maths class as Liam, but I didn't know you were in there too." I nodded, feeling a little relieved that I wouldn't be completely alone in the class. "Yeah, Liam's been helping me out." Aiden chimed in. "That's great. The three of us can help you get caught up on anything you missed." I felt a warm feeling in my chest at the thought of having support from my stepbrothers. "Thanks, guys. That means a lot to me." Finn grinned. "No problem. We've got your back." I noticed a pretty blonde girl with sparkling green eyes smiling at Liam from across the room. The girl walked over to our table and said hello. "Hey, Liam," she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Long time no see." Liam smiled politely. "Hey, Sarah. How's it going?" "It's going well," Sarah said, her eyes lingering on Liam. "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out later." I tried not to roll my eyes as I watched the exchange. It was clear that Sarah was interested in Liam, and I didn't like the way she was flirting with him right in front of me. Before Liam could reply, Finn chimed in. "Actually, Liam's busy tonight. He's helping Maya with her homework." I felt a surge of gratitude towards Finn for interrupting Sarah's advances. Liam nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sorry Sarah. Maybe some other time." Sarah shrugged and walked away, her attention already shifting to someone else in the crowd. I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Liam didn't seem interested in her advances. As we continued talking, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that Sarah's flirtations had stirred up in me. But I pushed those thoughts aside. It was not right for me to think about my stepbrother in that way. As Sarah walked away, Finn let out a low whistle. "Wow, Liam. You sure do have some admirers." I rolled my eyes, feeling a little annoyed at Sarah's blatant flirting. "Yeah, well, she's not my type." Liam chuckled. "I think Maya's just jealous." I shook my head. "I'm not jealous. I just don't like when people are so obvious about their intentions." Aiden nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's like they don't even care that you're not interested." Finn smirked. "Well, you can't blame them. Liam's a catch." Liam chuckled, then turned the conversation towards Finn. "How's that girl from your chemistry class? The one you were telling me about last week?" Finn's face lit up. "Oh, she's great. We've been studying together a lot, and I think she's really starting to like me." Aiden rolled his eyes. "Here we go again. Finn's in love." Finn shot him a playful glare. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm a hopeless romantic." Aiden leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. "So, Maya, do you have your eye on anyone special?" I felt a blush creeping up my neck and shook my head. "No, not really. I've been so busy with school and getting settled in." Finn grinned. "Come on, Maya. There must be someone who caught your attention." I shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed at the attention. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it." Liam chimed in, trying to take the focus off me. "Well, what about you guys? Any crushes or love interests?" Aiden chuckled. "Ah, I see what you're trying to do, Liam. You're trying to shift the attention away from Maya." Finn nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but it's not going to work. We want to hear all about Maya's love life." I rolled my eyes, feeling a little overwhelmed by their teasing. "There's really nothing to tell. I'm just trying to focus on school right now." Aiden raised his eyebrows. "Fair enough, but you can't ignore your heart forever. Someday, you'll find that special someone." "What about you Aiden? Do you have a crush on someone?" I said. Aiden chuckled at my question. "Well, I'm single at the moment, Maya. But I'm always on the lookout for someone special." Finn raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you were more focused on your studies." Aiden grinned. "I am, but that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun on the side." I rolled my eyes playfully. "Typical guy." Aiden laughed. "Hey, don't knock it until you try it." We continued chatting, and the conversation turned to other topics. As we talked, I couldn't help but wonder about Aiden's love life. He seemed like such a great guy, and I was surprised that he wasn't already taken. But I pushed those thoughts aside. I already had trouble adjusting to this new school and didn't want to get involved in anyone's drama, especially when it came to relationships. After lunch, I had drama and history class. In drama, we started working on our next play, which was going to be a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in a high school. It was a fun concept, and I was excited to see how it would turn out. In history class, we were learning about the American Revolution, which was one of my favorite topics. I listened intently as the teacher gave a lecture, taking notes and jotting down questions in the margins of my notebook. As the school day came to a close, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It had been a long day, but I had managed to make it through without any more drama.