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That weekend was rough. Once the suppressants wore off, Jace spent his time alone, and with little else to think about, he could feel the full force of his heat. The nurses, most of which were fellow omegas, brought him food three times a day, but Jace couldn't bring himself to eat everything. By Monday, his heat had subsided and he began going to the school that neighbored the omega housing.

After spending so much time depending on his parent's money to keep his grades up, his grade fell sharply after the first few weeks. What was once a C+ had become an F. Luckily, the shock he received after presenting as an omega showed him just how pampered he had been in the past. His family's fortune shaped his entire life. His friends, his lifestyle, and even his grades, they were all dependent on wealth, and now he had nothing.

Jace considered contacting his brothers, but he had heard the way they talked about omegas. He knew they wouldn't offer any support. Instead, he buckled down and started working. He fixed his poor study habits with the help of some of his new classmates. Still, he knew his school was a special case. If he had been going to an average public school, one not dominated by omegas, but by alphas and betas, he would have been torn down in an instant. He was confident before his birthday, but now, anytime he spent in public, he found himself watching over his shoulder even knowing he could pass as a beta when he used scent blockers.

The highschool had no college equivalent, so he enrolled in a university across town. It was small, and he was surprised he even got in, but it had a good reputation for turning out graduates. He also knew there was very little chance any of his old classmates would end up attending. Nonetheless, he needed quite the hearty loan to afford it even with the multitude of scholarships he qualified for as an omega.

Jace was now moving into the school's dorms, after almost a year of living as an omega, he finally felt comfortable dealing with his heat. It was still agonizingly long, but he put it off as long as possible with heat blockers in order to pass as a beta in university. Of course, the admissions office knew the truth, but that was something they, by law, weren't allowed to share.

"I think that's everything," Jaime smiled, setting down the last of Jace's boxes on a desk, "Do you want me to help you unpack, too? I've got time."

Jace shook his head, "No, let's just grab something to eat. I can do that later."

Jace kept in tough with Jaime during his time at the shelter. He was nice enough to lend a hand if Jace ever wanted extra help. Still, Jace kept the details of his past a secret. He'd been ignoring it ever since he left home. Jace didn't think he could bare to confront what he'd lost and didn't care enough to try. As far as Jace was concerned if he could pretend it wasn't an issue, it wouldn't be an issue.

Jace settled into a booth with Jaime. They stopped at a nearby fastfood restaurant for some sandwiches.

"I can't believe it's been a year since we met," Jaime smiled, "and now we get to go to college together."

Jaime was a very animated speaker. His eyes lit up when he was excited and got soft when he was sad, "It's too bad we're in such different majors that I won't hardly have any classes with you. Do you think your professors will be good? I got kind of lucky last year, but I've heard the horror stories."

This was how it usually went with the two of them. Jaime could talk for hours while Jace listened. It was therapeutic for Jaime to spill whatever was on his mind, and Jace recently realized Jaime was a very entertaining person.

"It's like, I knew he was dumb, but I didn't realize he was that dumb, you know? ...What's up?" Jaime looked back at Jace and noticed a funny expression on his face.

"It's nothing. I just.." Jace couldn't place the words, "I don't feel so comfortable around very many people anymore. Thanks for sticking with my sorry ass."

Jaime's face warmed, "Ahh, uhm, you're welcome? I mean thank you, too," he laughed to himself, reaching to scratch the back of his head.

When lunch was finished Jace returned to his dorm to finish settling in. Classes started in a week.