Page 6 of Knot My Wonderland

I sighed, picking at the edge of my bun. "They want me to go to this mixer. Some event where unattached Alphas and Omegas can meet."

She winced. "Yikes."

"Yeah. I told them I'd think about it," I said, my voice flattening with the effort of pretending I cared.

"You gonna?" Mara asked, tilting her head curiously.

I poked at a fry like it might explode. "I don't know. It’d be easier just to say yes. Less arguing. Less... guilt trips."

"But?"Mara prompted me to continue, as she took a bite of her own food.

"But I don’t want to pick an Alpha like I'm buying a used car," I snapped before I could stop myself. I exhaled slowly, pushing my food away. "I don't want to feel like I'm choosing because I have to. Not because I want to."

Mara nodded, tapping her fingers lightly against her tray. "Makes sense to me."

"Yeah, well," I muttered, "tell my parents that."

She shrugged. "Their vision of your future isn't the only one that matters, y'know."

I looked up at her, grateful and maybe a little emotional in a way I didn’t quite have words for. Mara wasn't the type to go in for sappy pep talks. She just said things plainly, like they were obvious facts instead of rare comforts.

For a few minutes, we just ate quietly, the kind of easy silence that felt more like a blanket than a wall. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows across our trays. Outside, people laughed, skateboard wheels clattered over concrete, and the world spun on without giving a damn about what anyone was supposed to be doing with their lives.

"I don’t know what I want yet," I said eventually, breaking the silence.

"That's allowed," Mara said. "You’re allowed to just... exist. Figure it out later. Screw the timeline."

I smiled, a real one this time, small but stubborn. "Thanks."

"Anytime, rebel queen." Mara told me with a cheeky smile. I laughed under my breath, feeling lighter than I had in days.Maybe I didn't have it all figured out. Maybe I didn’t even know where to start.

Mara nudged my tray with her elbow. "You gonna eat that? Or just stare it into a new dimension?"

I rolled my eyes but pulled my basket of fries closer. "Back off, scavenger. I'm eating."

She smirked, resting her chin on her hand as she watched me shove a handful of fries into my mouth like I hadn’t just been on the verge of an existential crisis five minutes ago.

"That’s the spirit," she said. "Emotional damage? Stuff it down with deep-fried potatoes."

"Solid life advice," I said, half-choking on a laugh.

Mara leaned back in her chair, kicking her boots up onto the empty chair across from us. A group of freshmen with color-coded lanyards wandered past, arguing about some upcoming midterm like it was the end of the world. I watched them for a second — the frantic energy, the nervous excitement — and felt a weird pang in my chest. Like I was supposed to be caught up in that whirlwind too. Instead, it felt like I was standing outside a glass wall, watching it all happen without me.

"You’re thinking too loud," Mara said, snapping a fry in half and tossing it into her mouth.

"Sorry," I muttered, fiddling with the strap of my bag. "I just... sometimes it feels like everyone else knows what they’re doing. Like they’re all running toward something, and I'm still trying to find the starting line."

Mara shrugged. "Most of 'em are faking it."

"You think?"

"Iknow." She tossed another fry at me, and I caught it without thinking. "Nobody has their shit together, Alice. Not really. Some people are just better at pretending."

I chewed the fry thoughtfully, feeling a smile creep across my face. "So basically, I'm just bad at faking it."

"Exactly." She grinned, like that was the biggest compliment she could give. "Honestly? I’d rather be a mess than a liar."

"That’s a low bar, Mara." I sent her a small mock glare, a smile was on my face though.

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