Fireflies - a Tale of Life and Death

by Bree Wolf

“I already said you were right. No need to rub it in.” Gabriel laughed. “It wasn’t an easy talk–my parents don’t get me at all, not right now–but they finally agreed. At least, for now, I’m staying. My grandparents will talk to Mrs. Hall tomorrow about me transferring.”

  In his mind, Gabriel saw Hannah smile, saw her eyes aglow with happiness. I was hoping you’d fight for your own dreams as much as you fought for mine.

  “I know,” Gabriel said, eyes focused on the tiny dot of light. “Thank you for…everything.” Then his face split into a grin. “Oh, you won’t believe what Eddie did last night. That guy is such a goof. It’s unbelievable. Yesterday, all of us went to the Dive and–you know, Jordan can’t go into the water yet–and he…”

  Long into the night, Gabriel sat in the cemetery, talking to the girl with the glowing red hair, a friend he’d lost once but found again.

  About Bree

  Amazon bestselling author, Bree Wolf has always been a language enthusiast (though not a grammarian!) and is rarely found without a book in her hand or her fingers glued to a keyboard. Trying to find her way, she has taught English as a second language, traveled abroad and worked at a translation agency as well as a law firm in Ireland. She also spent loooong years obtaining a BA in English and Education and an MA in Specialized Translation while wishing she could simply be a writer. Although there is nothing simple about being a writer, her dreams have finally come true.

  “A big thanks to my fairy godmother!”

  Currently, Bree has found her new home in the historical romance genre, writing Regency novels and novellas. Enjoying the mix of fact and fiction, she occasionally feels like a puppet master (or mistress? Although that sounds weird!), forcing her characters into ever-new situations that will put their strength, their beliefs, their love to the test, hoping that in the end they will triumph and get the happily-ever-after we are all looking for.

  If you're an avid reader, sign up for Bree's newsletter as she has the tendency to simply give books away. Find out about freebies, giveaways as well as occasional advance reader copies and read before the book is even on the shelves!

  Connect with Me:

  Follow me on Amazon:

  http://www.amazon.com/Bree-Wolf/e/B00FJX27Z4

  Follow me on Goodreads

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7333700.Bree_Wolf

  Friend me on Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/breewolf.novels

  Follow me on Twitter:

  https://twitter.com/breewolf_author

  Also By Bree

  Historical Romance:

  Love's Second Chance Series

  #1 Forgotten & Remembered - The Duke's Late Wife

  #2 Cursed & Cherished - The Duke's Wilful Wife

  #3 Despised & Desired - The Marquess' Passionate Wife

  #4 Abandoned & Protected - The Marquis' Tenacious Wife

  #5 Ruined & Redeemed - The Earl's Fallen Wife (Coming summer 2017!)

  #6 Betrayed & Blessed - The Viscount's Shrewd Wife (Coming fall 2017!)

  A Forbidden Love Novella Series: FREE on Kindle Unlimited

  #1 The Wrong Brother

  #2 A Brilliant Rose

  #3 The Forgotten Wife (Coming December 29, 2016)

  #4 An Unwelcome Proposal (Coming February 28, 2016)

  Suspenseful Contemporary Romance:

  Where There's Love Series: FREE on Kindle Unlimited

  #1 Remember Me

  Middle Grade Adventure:

  Heroes Next Door Trilogy

  #1 Fireflies (Now Perma-free!)

  #2 Butterflies

  #3 Dragonflies (Coming March 2017)

  Paranormal Fantasy:

  Crescent Rock Series

  #1 How to Live and Die in Crescent Rock

  #2 How to Love and Hate in Crescent Rock (Coming 2018)

  Dear Reader,

  'Fireflies' was a truly heart-felt project that took me back to my own childhood. Gabriel's struggle as well as the help and support within the small group of friends touched me greatly and made me see that their story was not quite told yet.

  Before you can move on to the sneak-peek of 'Butterflies', I have one quick request.

  If you enjoyed this story, would you mind leaving an honest and fair review?

  Would it help if I said pretty please with a cherry on top?

  In all honesty, reviews and recommendations are so important for attracting new readers, especially for indie authors like me. I would greatly appreciate your support! Thanks so much for reading!

  Here is a direct link to the book page on Amazon. (Click me! Click me! Click me!...Okay, I'll stop now!)

  All the best to you,

  Bree

  Read a sneak-peek of Butterflies

  Chapter 1 – A New Day

  Bang!

  The door flew shut, not completely drowning out his parents' angry voices. They still rang in his ears, and his fingers slowly curled into fists as though having a will of their own.

  Gabriel shook his head. Something was wrong.

  In the distance, he heard another voice. Only this one didn't sound angry. It was pleasant, speaking with a soft, melodic hum.

  Straining his ears, Gabriel tried to listen. He fought down the noise from his parents' arguing as it moved like an enemy to block his way and tried to listen even harder.

  There it was again. A melodic voice, not speaking, but singing.

  Again, Gabriel listened, and this time, the voice sounded familiar.

  "Gabriel," it called as a soft weight descended on his shoulder and gave him a quick shake. "Gabriel, wake up."

  As his eyes flew open, Gabriel found his grandmother's face hovering over him. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she sang, humming under her breath as she pulled aside the curtains. "It's a beautiful day and," she turned to look at him, "your days of leisure are finally over."

  "Right," he breathed as realization dawned on him. "The first day of school." Wiping the remnants of his dream out of his eyes, he mouthed, "Today is the first day of school."

  His grandmother looked at him, and her eyes narrowed as the smile disappeared from her face. "Is something wrong? Are you nervous?" She came to sit down beside him on the bed.

  Pushing himself up, Gabriel shook his head. "No, I'm fine." His head felt heavy, and he let it hang down. In that moment, he missed the long hair he'd once had. The hair that would have hidden his face. But Hannah had convinced him to cut it all off, to let the world look at him and to work through his fear.

  Hannah, a tiny voice whispered, but Gabriel shushed it immediately.

  Again, his grandmother smiled, brushing a hand over his Mohawk. "I'm glad." She rose from the bed and pointed at the closet. "Now, chop, chop. You better get going. I'm sure Liam will be here any second."

  Instantly, Gabriel's face lit up. "Liam," he beamed. Caught in his dream, he'd once again become stuck in his old life. A life without friends, without a voice, without a place to be. But things had changed. This year would be different. As would this first day of school.

  With a smile on his face, Gabriel jumped out of bed.

  ***

  After securing their bikes in front of the main school building, Gabriel, his neighbors’ son Liam as well as their friend Eddie followed the small stream of students. Hesitantly it poured into the auditorium where a short welcome from Principal Hall would commence the new school year.

  "Yes, Mrs. S. will drop them off after," Liam said, scanning the grounds. "They should be here soon."

  "That's good," Eddie commented. "I mean, Jordan on her own is annoying enough as it is, but Jordan in a cast is like spending summer in hell." He wiped the back of his hand over his forehand and gave a short whistle. "But we made it through!"

  Gabriel grinned, but Liam's face showed a frown as he shook his head. "Don't you think you're a little rude? I mean, she was banned from swimming almost all summer, that's bound to put you in a bad mood."

  "Then what's her excuse the rest of the year?" Eddie a
sked grinning.

  "Oh, c'mon, she's not that bad," Liam protested.

  Eddie's face fell open. "Not that bad?" He shook his head, then stopped and narrowed his eyes. "Did she pay you to say that?"

  "What?" Liam gaped at his friend. "Why would you–? Oh, look there they are."

  From across the street, the twins Jack and Jordan waved at them as their mother's car pulled out into traffic and disappeared around the corner. Bending her arm back and forth, Jordan had a huge smile on her face. She balled her fingers into a fist and playfully punched her brother on the arm, who in turn howled in mock pain and attacked her the same way.

  Again, Eddie shook his head. "Unbelievable. They're acting like children." Gabriel and Liam stared at him, shaking their heads. "What?" Eddie wondered, unable to comprehend their astonished faces.

  As the twins joined the group, Jack automatically took the lead. "Well, everyone, are you ready to enter the dragon’s lair?" He searched their faces.

  "The dragon's lair?" Gabriel asked.

  "Principal Hall, a.k.a. the dragon, has her very own, quite unique way of...let's say 'motivating' students on the first day," Eddie explained.

  "Motivate?" the others, except Gabriel, repeated in unison.

  "That's putting it mildly," Jordan said. "Terrify to my very core is more like it."

  "She terrified you?" Gabriel asked.

  Jordan shrugged. "Well, maybe not me, more precisely the likes of you, but that's splitting hairs."

  "And since when don't you do that?" Eddie asked.

  Jordan's eyes narrowed as she moved toward him.

  Again, Liam stepped in. "Stop it! Both of you! What do you think will happen when Principal Hall sees you fighting on the first day?"

  Eddie shrugged, seemingly unimpressed. "With any luck, suspend us indefinitely."

  "Do you really want that?" Liam asked, a look of incomprehension marking his face.

  "Duh!" Eddie exclaimed. "No more school, dude."

  "Seriously, you need help, DUDE!" Jordan said. "You're even more messed up than I am."

  "Okay, getting on dangerous terrain," Liam pointed out. "Let's go inside."

  "Yeah," Jack agreed. "Let's agree you're both pretty messed up and go listen to the speech that will chill us to our bones."

  "Sounds like a plan," Gabriel said as the last hint of a smile vanished from his face. What had scared him when he'd first met Eddie and Jordan now served as entertainment. Their exchange of blows generally brightened up his days.

  Walking into the auditorium that buzzed like a beehive on a bright summer day, Gabriel's eyes opened wide at the number of students fighting over seats, exchanging lunches or just gossiping. From the size of Kenton Woods, he would never have suspected there to be that many students. Among them, Gabriel spotted Liam's sister Nahla and her friend Kaitlin as well as Jack and Jordan's older brothers, Jason and Jonas.

  "In the back?" Liam asked.

  Eddie nodded. "It's safer there."

  "I thought you wanted to get suspended," Jordan threw in. "Has fear found you at last?"

  Eddie grinned. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm only doing this out of concern for you and your tender heart."

  Again, Jordan's eyes narrowed. "Quick reminder, my arm is fully healed, meaning every punch will hit its mark."

  "Cut it out!" Jack barked. "It's been what? Ten minutes? And this is already the second time you're jumping down his throat. Have you learned nothing from that stupid cast?"

  "I guess not," Eddie whispered.

  Instantly, Jack spun around, a glare on his face. "Not another word!" he hissed. When neither Jordan nor Eddie seemed to want to risk another confrontation, he turned back to the task at hand. "How about over there?" he asked, pointing to a few unoccupied seats in the fifth row on the left.

  "That's not really in the back," Eddie protested although his voice held no strength, making it sound like a mere comment.

  Jack's eyebrows rose. "See? Once again, your bickering has cost us." And with that he marched off.

  Reluctantly, they settled into their seats with Jordan on the far left and Eddie on the far right. Gabriel found himself in the middle with two friends on each side, and a smile spread over his face. For once, he was not alone.

  In the next instant, the beehive fell silent.

  Gabriel froze as though a shot had been fired. Scanning his surroundings, he turned to Liam, "What's going on?"

  "Principal Hall," Liam whispered back before his lips appeared to be sealed permanently.

  Craning his neck, Gabriel's eyes fell on the stern principal he'd first met a couple of weeks ago during their race for the treasure that no one had ever found. As before, her hair was tied in a bun, giving her face a fairly edged character, which was even more pronounced by the wiry glasses sitting low on her nose. Although she moved by no means slowly, her movements reminded Gabriel of those of a feline on the prowl, sharp eyes scanning her surroundings, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

  Principal Hall had something terrifying about her, Gabriel thought, and she hadn't even opened her mouth yet.

  As the few last students that remained standing jumped out of Mrs. Hall's way as she descended the stairs towards the podium, not a whisper could be heard. Although he could completely understand their reaction, Gabriel was amazed at the authority this little, old lady commanded.

  Facing her students with unfaltering eyes, Mrs. Hall seemed to be looking at each and every one of them, and the silence dragged on. When she finally opened her mouth, she didn't bother with the microphone. The auditorium was still completely quiet so that even her calm and leveled voice could be heard in the very back.

  "Dear students," Mrs. Hall started as though she was writing a letter. Those two words held nothing threatening under normal circumstances, but Gabriel could feel goose bumps slowly spreading down his arms. She could have recited a love poem or told a dirty joke and the result would still have been the same. Maybe there was nothing more frightening than the possibility of a threat, not even an outspoken one.

  "As the summer has come to its unfortunate end filling these grounds with a horde of barbarian invaders once more, school rules have been adapted to encompass the newest escapades of the student body, which have reached my ears." The students collectively drew in their breath, wondering whose reckless behavior she was referring to.

  "Oops," Eddie whispered as he looked at his friends. "Sounds like some unfortunate individuals made it on Principal Hall's list of 'Students under Surveillance'."

  "Edward Lawrence!" Mrs. Hall's voice cut through the silence.

  Not only Eddie flinched.

  Her sharp eyes narrowed as they turned onto the disruptive element, and her nose crinkled as though she was smelling something rotten. "My office. After class." She returned to her speech after Eddie nodded, for once, unable to speak.

  "School grounds may only be entered with regard to classroom activities. Trespassing after hours will not be tolerated and will be punished accordingly. Vehicles, be they two-wheeled or four-wheeled, are only to be park in thusly marked areas or will be confiscated," here she paused for impact, "indefinitely."

  Again, students drew in their breath but otherwise remained quiet.

  "Seat belts or helmets must be worn at all times. Again, violation will be dealt with swiftly. Any kind of reckless behavior involving two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles will be punished based on the severity of the transgression." Suddenly, her eyes shifted to the left of the auditorium and for a moment settled on Jordan. Although his friend showed no obvious reaction, Gabriel could see traitorous bumps rising on her forearms.

  Then Principal Hall's gaze moved on to a row farther in the back.

  Though Gabriel barely dared turn his head, he spotted Mike Matthews out of the corners of his eyes. After their bike race during the summer, Gabriel hadn't seen him again.

  Unlike Jordan's, his face showed concern, and he swallowed hard.

  "Two outstanding individuals in t
he field of reckless behavior shall receive their reward in but a moment," Mrs. Hall continued. Her voice remained cold and detached, only a bit of a sharp edge was added to it. "Due to budget cuts, the cleaning crew will be understaffed this year and is in dire need of a few additional pairs of hands. Therefore, it is my pleasure to announce that, starting today, Jordan Sharp and Michael Matthews will spend the next two months lending the aforementioned hands in order to keep school grounds clean."

  Both their mouths fell open in shock, and yet, both had the wisdom not to argue.

  Mrs. Hall continued her motivational speech, gathering more volunteers for the cleaning crew as well as the cafeteria staff. By the time she was done, a large part of the student body had been roped into lending a hand. "I sincerely hope that this year will see an improvement on your part and not make such measures necessary the coming year." Her eyes swiftly flew across the cowering students before her. "Now, head to class and remember to be respectful to your teachers as well as your classmates." Then she paused, and her eyes narrowed even more if that was even possible. "But above all," she said, dragging out each word to make them count, "stay away from my roses."

  "She can do that?" Gabriel asked as they headed down the corridor to his first class at the new school. "Punish students for something that happened during the summer? And not even on school grounds?"

  "She did, didn't she?" Jordan snapped, a scowl had settled on her face and was likely to stay with them till the end of her term.

  Grinning at his sister, Jack nodded. "Yes, she can. If she finds out, you get punished. Most students are more afraid of her finding out than of their parents. Greg Henley even got punished for littering during his vacation with his parents on Haiti. She had him emptying garbage cans for a year."