River Falls
The Wolves
Lizzie Wildblood
Copyright © 2020 Stacy Mannino
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
River Falls
Books In This Series
About The Author
Chapter One
Death and New life
Death.... It’s funny how quickly things can change, one minute you’re just a normal sixteen year old girl, then five minutes later it feels like your whole world has been turned completely upside down. That moment you see on films when someone answers the door and there are two police officers there. That actually happens in real life, it’s exactly what it’s like.
“Are you Alexia Johnson?” A plump middle aged officer asks.
“Yes, why?”
“Can we come inside, we have some bad news, is there someone we can call.....”
I didn’t really hear the rest of what they said, Aunt Sara had to repeat everything to me later on that night.
Eight days later here I am, sat in the car not wanting to get out. If I get out and go over there then it’s actually real, what those officers said, had really happened.
Mum and dad really are dead.
Looking down at my only formal black dress that was in my wardrobe, I find myself thinking that I wish I had something better to wear, my parents deserved something better than a dress that’s been hanging in a wardrobe for the past year without even being considered worth wearing. I don’t suppose what I’m wearing really matters though does it?
Slowly getting out of the car, I start walking to where my parents will be laid to rest, Aunt Sara grabs my hand for support but I can’t really feel it, everything still feels numb. I wonder if this feeling will ever go away? Will I always have this pain in my chest. I find myself thinking of the future, my mum won’t get to see me going to my senior prom, my dad won’t ever get to walk me down the aisle, I mean who will do that now? I don’t have any grandparents left alive, no uncles, no one apart from Aunt Sara....
Ok Alex, get a grip, I can do this. Stop thinking of the future and concentrate on now . The only problem is that what is about to happen, I think is actually worse than what’s to come.
We come to a stop beside a large hole in the ground.
The grave.
I can’t call it that, it’s a hole. A deep dark hole. I can tell they tried to make it not look like a fresh hole by putting that fake green grass around the edges so you can’t see the dirt, but what’s the point? I mean it’s a hole, it’s there for one purpose.
One reason.
To bury my parents.
“It’s a beautiful day today isn’t it?”
Did I really just hear someone say that? A beautiful day? A beautiful day? I want to scream at them, it’s not a beautiful day, it’s a horrid day! This is the worst day of my life, it’s a funeral, two people are dead! Actually five people are dead if you include the people in the other car that crashed head on with my parents car. How can people think anything about today is beautiful?
I can’t pay attention to what’s being said or what’s going on. I can see people going up to the hole and throwing flowers in. I can feel Aunt Sara tugging on my hand to get me to do the same, I know my feet are moving but I don’t really feel completely with it. I can feel my hand stretch forward and I can see the flower in my hand. This is it. It’s real. It actually happened.
My parents are actually gone. I’m officially an orphan.
My fingers slowly open and I release my hold on the flower. It seems to take hours to float down the hole, finally it lands on top of the coffin, and although it’s just a single flower that I know isn’t very heavy, it somehow makes the loudest thump in my head as it lays down mixed in with the others. Like a clock striking the hour, it rings in my head and blots out everything else.
Aunt Sara lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere, literally, nowhere. I had never even visited her there with my parents. She always came to us. She moved away about 6 years ago, not long after my grandmother died. She was an artist, and to be honest she was a good artist, and made a good living out of it, she had exhibited at several major galleries and got good reviews, so I suppose the reason why she moved to River Falls, makes sense. For her.
But now, as I have no other family, still a minor and an orphan, I have to move there too. Aunt Sara keeps telling me that I will love it there, so peaceful and quiet. Good to clear my head she says. I don’t want to tell her that my head is already empty. Has been since the funeral. I’m just moving around and doing things on autopilot. It took a few weeks after the funeral to clear the house of what we wanted to keep and what needed to go to goodwill. Walking around it while it was empty was strange. I kept trying to remember what it was like with furniture, music, laughter, my parents, but I just couldn’t seem to get my head to focus properly.
After a five hour drive in a rented car, because Aunt Sara had flown in when she heard the news, we were finally in my new home town. River Falls. A place where I could start again. A place where people wouldn’t look at me with pity in their eyes, and keep asking me how I’m doing. I lost count of the amount of food that we threw away because people obviously think that when your parents die, you forget how to cook.
I have to admit though that it is beautiful here. Driving past huge forest trees, it’s just green everywhere, I’ve never seen so much green. There’s not a beach in sight though, that is the only problem I can see so. I love the beach, having it right outside your front door for the past sixteen years, it’s going to be strange now to not smell or hear the ocean.
In the distance above the trees there are the most majestic looking mountains, if I was an artist like Aunt Sara I would want a blank canvas to paint those mountains every day, and I’m sure I wouldn’t get bored of painting them.
Driving further into town Aunt Sara points out little restaurants and a café, a bookshop, hardware shop, convenience store and a boutique. That pretty much makes up the whole town. Apart from the bookshop I can’t really see a reason for me to ever make a trip into town.
Aunt Sara’s house is a little further outside of town, if I was driving myself I’m sure I would have missed the turning for her drive, a small bumpy dirt road leads the way through more trees and then comes to a stop outside a cute little two storey, white and sage green painted house. It looks like it belongs next to the beach, so I guess that maybe Aunt Sara and I actually do have something in common. Aunt Sara’s truck is parked next to the house, it’s a stick shift she told me on the way here, so I’m going to have to learn how to drive it before I ca
n use it to drive myself to school. That’s if I can make myself drive it. It’s not as new as the rental but I actually prefer it. It has character.
The house has a wrap around porch that I could imagine myself sitting out on one of the sofas, wrapped in a blanket at night, reading a book or just thinking, you know ‘clearing my head’.
Aunt Sara looks at me.
“Home sweet home.” She gives me a half smile, Not really reaching her eyes. I know she is struggling with her sisters death, I’ve heard her crying a few times at night. But she never cries in front of me. I think she thinks she has to be strong for me, now she is my legal guardian.
I give her a half smile back and for the first time since those officers came and knocked on my front door, I feel like I could actually, maybe start to think about living a life again and not just continue being the shell of a person I am right now.
◆◆◆
Today is that day.
First day in a new school, I can’t wait. Note sarcasm. Getting up from the comfort and warmth of my new bed I go over to the bathroom and go through my morning routine.
I do my makeup, just a light dusting of foundation over my natural olive skin, thanks to my mum. Some eyeliner to outline my big almond shaped blue eyes and a small amount of mascara. Done. Don’t want to overdo it. Looking at my reflection I give myself a mental pep talk. I’ve never really struggled to make friends, but living in one place all my life, I’ve never actually been the ‘new girl’. The friends I had in high school were my friends in elementary and we all just grew up together.
However today I am the new girl and I’m slightly nervous. Taking a final glance at my make up to check everything is as it should, I shake my damp hair out. It reaches half way down my back in dark brown waves. I’ve always had long hair, I never let my mum cut it when I was younger as I thought it was going to make me look like a boy. My best friend back home, Tammy was always jealous of my hair. In a teasing way though, I knew she never really meant it. She had straight hair that had a tendency to frizz in certain weather. She always said I was the whole package. Beauty and brains.
I miss being back home. But I suppose this is my home now.
Without being vain, I know from the looks and attention I get from guys that I’m good looking. I never like to flaunt it though. I’m just not that type of girl to go from guy to guy. I’ve only really ever had one serious boyfriend and we ended it two years ago when we realised we were better as friends, but let’s be honest here, how serious can you be at fourteen?
I’ve never actually gotten past about three dates with a guy since then, as soon as they realise they aren’t going to ‘get any’ after three dates they back off and move on to the next girl. Hopefully she’s as smart as I am. I mean I’m not saving my self for marriage or anything but my virginity is something I want to keep until I know I’m ready and it’s the right guy. I’m only 16, and high school guys really are jerks sometimes.
Moving out of the bathroom to my wardrobe I try to decide what look I want to go for today? I decide on black skinny jeans, a plain white fitted tee shirt, and my grey leather jacket. That should keep me warm enough. I may have to go shopping to go and get some warmer clothes, it’s not really beach weather here most of the time like back at home.
I really need to stop thinking about back home. Here is home now.
I’ll have to remember to ask Aunt Sara where the best place to go is, that boutique in town I don’t think will have what I want. Pulling on my comfy black calf boots I’m ready for the day, well ready for breakfast at least.
Aunt Sara is already sat at the small kitchen table eating pancakes and sipping her coffee. Dressed in paint splattered jeans and baggy top, her hair is tied back in a messy bun and she looks ready for the day too.
“Hey, there’s fresh coffee in the pot and pancakes on the side if you want some?”
Following the smell of the coffee I make my way over to the pot and pour a large mug of black coffee, adding two sugars. Perfect. Just the way I like it. Taking some pancakes off the stack and pouring a generous amount of maple syrup, I go and sit next to her.
“So are you working from home today or at your studio?” I ask her, taking a small sip of coffee.
“I’ll drop you off at school, then go straight to the studio. I’ll stay there till you finish school and come pick you up. That ok by you?”
“Yeah that’s great thanks. I was thinking I may need some warmer clothes, could we maybe go shopping at the weekend? Is there a mall near by we could go to?”
“Yeah of course, Woodfield mall is just about half an hour outside of town we can go there. I need to pick up some more painting supplies anyway. It’s no trouble. We can look for a car too if you want one? You do know that you don’t have to worry about money right?”
Money.... Oh yeah, apparently I have quite a bit of it now. Not like millions but enough to see me through college and probably buy a small house afterwards. Only problem is I don’t really want any of it. I know realistically I’ll have to use it to buy essentials, clothes, toiletries, food. Well Aunt Sara won’t let me buy food, but luxuries like a car? I feel like I’m just benefiting from my parents death, when what I would really want is them, rather than the money.
“Err, yeah I’m not really in the mood for like a whole day out so maybe just clothes for now? Is there a bus I could catch home from school to save you having to come and get me every day? I don’t mind walking really, once I know where I’m going.”
“No it’s fine I don’t mind picking you up, and its too far to walk, besides it gives me an excuse to not stay there till two in the morning”
“Well here it is. Rivers High. You all set for today? Got everything you need?” She says as we pull into the carpark of my new school.
“Yeah I’m good, just wish it was the end of the day already. I’ll see you later.” I give her a smile back, I think its just to cover my nerves.
Rivers High, not really an original name in a town called River Falls, but what else were they going to name the school after? The school is larger than I expected although not as big as my last one.
Walking up the main steps I can see people looking my way. I hear a wolf whistle, and as I look up I can see a group of overdressed girls scowling at me. Great, not even through the door and already I’ve made a bad impression with someone. Never mind, can’t please everyone.
I make my way to the school office to get my schedule.
“Hi, I’m Alexia Johnson, it’s my first day.”
A polite older looking woman smiles and finds my schedule, tells me I have English first and which direction to go in. As I’m trying to find the right way I hear the bell go.
“Great going Alex, late to your first class.” I say quietly to myself .
Finding the room, and trying to sneak in, which isn’t very likely as I can already hear the teacher starting his class. He looks up at me as I enter the room frowning slightly but then smiles as he realises I’m the new girl, not just a regular late comer.
“Oh yes, everyone this is Alexia Johnson, our new student. I’m sure you will all make her feel very welcome here. Anything you want to say Alexia?”
“Umm it’s just Alex.” I manage to croak out without sounding like a complete idiot.
“Ok then Alex, please take a seat, there’s an empty one next to Amber, over by the window.”
I sit down next to a petite blonde girl, who sends a cheerful smile my way.
“Hey, welcome to Rivers High, I’m amber” she says to me as she holds out her hand so we can do a formal handshake.
“Hey, I’m Alex, thanks for the welcome.”
“So, how’s the day going so far?”
“There’s not really been much to it really, I met the lady in the office and now you, so that’s about it.” I reply to her. After hearing a small cough I look up to see the teacher waiting to carry on with his class so we don’t really get chance to talk any more. I don’t want to get detention on my
first day here.
As the bell rings we start to gather our things together, I’m a bit slower than Amber but she waits for me anyway.
“So what’s your next class?”
“Math” I answer her after a quick peek at my planner.
“Me too, I’ll walk with you. So do you know someone who lives in River falls? We don’t usually get people move here otherwise. It’s not exactly a place that jumps out at you on a map.” She smiles, waiting for me to answer.
“Er, yeah my Aunt lives here. I had family issues so it was just best that I came to live with her.” Family issues being that I have no other family.
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