Chapter 32

Lucas noticed the look of concern on the girls' faces as we stood there. With a kind smile, he gently asked the girl who spoke, "What is it?"

"We wanted to know if you could go to Winter Formal with us."

I hesitated, trying to process the unexpected turn of events. Three girls, whom I assumed were part of Jessica's clique, had just asked Lucas to be their date for the Winter Formal.

It was a surprising development, considering these quiet girls had previously shown no interest in Lucas due to his friendship with me.

Jessica stepped forward, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips as she explained the situation. "These three girls are the only options Lucas has for the Winter Formal this year. All the pretty and popular girls have agreed not to go with him because of his association with Shana."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I couldn't understand why attending a formal event had become such a big deal, and it pained me to see these girls being humiliated because of me.

One of the girls started sobbing, and my heart went out to her. She wasn't unattractive, just lacking in confidence and perhaps a bit thin. It reminded me of my own struggles with self-esteem, and I couldn't fathom what Jessica had done to coerce them into this situation.

"Don't speak to them like that as if they aren't standing here," I snapped at Jessica.

And just a few minutes ago, we saw other girls who seemed interested in Lucas, clearly contradicting Jessica's claim. Why would Jessica bluffing like this? Just to exert control and manipulate the situation?

Lucas chuckled at Jessica, but his eyes conveyed annoyance.

"I'm sorry girls. I would've loved to go to Winter Formal with you, but I already have a date to the dance."

"What?" Jessica snapped, shooting Lucas daggers. "Who?"

"Shana's my date." Lucas looked at me, a smile beginning to tug at the corner of his lips.

Jessica was visibly surprised by his response.

"But you can't go with her! You have to go to Winter Formal with someone from a significant family. Since you belong to a wealthy Alpha family, you need to match your status. There's going to be nothing but influential students there. Plus, media coverage!" Jessica's face got more and more red as she continued to talk.

It was clear that she believed Lucas needed a date who fit the societal expectations associated with his status as a well-known Alpha.

"If you go with Shana, you're going to be a laughingstock!" Jessica continued.

The weight of the situation pressed upon me, and I instinctively wanted to refuse Lucas's invitation. I didn't want to subject him to gossip and judgment.

However, Lucas spoke up before I could say anything, "I don't care what anyone else says, or what it looks like regarding Shana's status. She's my friend and I want to go with her. If you have a problem with that, it's not up to me to make you satisfied."

Jessica left in a huff, clearly unsure of how to answer Lucas.

"Thank you for trying to defend us," one of the three girls said to me once she was gone.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of solidarity with them, understanding their struggles as Omegas and victims of Jessica's bullying.

"You shouldn't let Jessica's words define your worth. You're all beautiful and unique in your own ways. She's just being cruel because she's insecure herself," I tried to reassure them. "Lucas didn't reject you because of their status as Omegas... The two of us are actually going to Winter Formal together."

The girls all nodded and left Lucas and me, whispering something amongst each other.

"That was sweet of you," he said, expressing his gratitude for my support. "You acknowledged those girls, and your words not only uplifted them, but they also made me proud of you."

His compliment had reminded me of the Bear I had known, the one who needed his own encouragement and reassurance all those years ago.

Still unsure about the appropriateness of attending the Winter Formal with Lucas... I asked, "Lucas, do you think I should go to Winter Formal with you?"

"Not this again, Shana."

"No, seriously," I pressed. "I don't want there to be any potential gossip or judgment from your Alpha circle."

Lucas responded with unwavering confidence. "I don't care about any of that. I have my own mind. I can make my own decisions."

"I know that, but—”

"But nothing, Shana." He looked me dead in the eye as he said, "I'm strong enough to disregard any negative opinions from my peers. Most of those people are shallow anyway, and they'll never be able to see beyond appearances. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be like them. And you're the only person who makes me feel normal. Like myself."

A thought crossed my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder if Lucas's father would be present at the event, given that families were also welcome.

"Is your father going to be there?"

Lucas sighed, his voice tinged with sadness. "My father is too busy. He finds activities like this, "child's plays," and those are his exact words. He rarely attends such events."

His words brought back memories of our conversation before he recognized me as his childhood friend.

"Weren't you the one who told me to save you from all the gossip? You told me you hated being involved in all the drama." I couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so readily accepting the possibility of being involved in it now?"

A blush crept onto Lucas's cheeks as embarrassment washed over him. "How could you still remember that? It was a long time ago..."

"Lucas, it wasn't even that long ago." I smiled at him playfully. "It was only a few weeks ago."

"Whatever." He shrugged and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck to relieve tension. "I prefer to avoid misunderstandings and stay out of drama, but this is something I can't stay away from. There would've been gossip either way, even if my date was someone else."

I supposed he had a point there.

"Plus, when I'm with my best friend, I don't care about what people say," Lucas finished, giving me a gentle smile.

I sighed, feeling torn between my fears of facing more gossip and my trust in Lucas's unwavering friendship. It was a difficult decision to make, and I couldn't deny the worry gnawing at the back of my mind.

Jessica had made it clear that she wasn't done with me, and attending the Winter Formal with Lucas might only escalate her vendetta.

I couldn’t help but worry about her next move.

But at that moment, as I looked into Lucas's eyes, I knew that I couldn't let fear dictate my choices. I had to trust in our friendship, in our ability to support each other through whatever would happen.

Together, we would face the consequences of attending the Winter Formal, knowing that our friendship was stronger than any gossip that might swirl around us.

I just didn’t expect the gossip to spread around so fast.