by E. C. Newman
* * *
It turned out that even if your hands were bandaged, the teachers still wanted a doctor’s note. Mr. Townsend was nice enough to let it slide, but wanted one by the next day. Which worked since I had to go see Dr. Reade after school anyway.
But did they really think I was creative and devious enough to wrap my hands in bandages so I could get out of doing work?
I didn’t need the minirecorder Mom had bought me to record lectures because Mr. Townsend refused to let me tape him. Fortunately, Jules didn’t have to take notes for me in English, but only because we watched the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet, which would take all week, so I was in luck because hopefully by the end of the week my hands would be functional again. Jules made sure I had all my books safe in my bag before letting me head to Pre-Calculus. She paused when I left, giving me a gentle side-hug.
The possibility of getting jostled or run into, and my hands hitting a locker or wall made my eyes tear just imagining the pain. I slid along the edges of the hallways, hoping to avoid the crush of students, slowly and carefully to the math hall, where Ezra stood outside the classroom, laughing at something Nick said. They both turned when I approached, eerily like they knew immediately I’d arrived.
Memories of seeing them do that before flashed in my mind. I walked up to them. “Can you sense me?”
They glanced at each other before focusing back on me.
“I mean, the turning thing right when I hit the hall. And you’ve done it before, in the cafeteria. Like at the same time. It’s creepy.” I smiled to show them I wasn’t upset.
Nick chuckled, and Ezra relaxed.
“We’re usually better about it,” Nick said. He glanced around surreptitiously. “We can smell you.”
“Oh, gross.”
They both laughed. Nick continued, “You don’t smell bad…just like…Sophie.”
I shuddered. “Doesn’t make it any less creepy.”
He grinned, winking at Ezra, who sobered quickly. I sensed that I’d hurt or insulted him.
“I mean, not creepy, just different, as in will take some time to get used to.” Bad speaking skills today. “Sorry.”
Nick continued to laugh without explanation, and Ezra punched his shoulder.
“Ow, man.” Nick rubbed the sore spot. “Don’t go all broody and crap with me.” To me, he said, “Artsy types. Moody.” He reached to ruffle my hair, but I ducked out of his way. He chuckled.
“So, you my watchdogs?”
“Clever.” Nick chuckled. “Haven’t heard that one before.”
“You wear sarcasm well.” My eyes drifted back to Ezra.
He’d relaxed some, smiling. “Shall we then?” he asked, gesturing toward the classroom door.
I nodded and started walking. “See ya, Nick.”
“Later,” he said and then spoke quietly to Ezra. Ezra shoved him, his eyes warning as Nick started laughing more. Nick winked at me and started down the hall. When we came in together, everyone that was already in class looked up at us. The shock on their faces was both gratifying and deeply embarrassing.
Ezra took my bag from me as we found two seats in the back. My face heated as I realized what we probably looked like.
Boyfriend and girlfriend. Dating.
That’d be the day. And pigs would fly right into frozen Hades.
As I gingerly got out my notebook, I thought about that. I knew what Ezra was. Not human. I looked over at him as he unloaded his bag. His eyes darted to mine, eyebrows raised in question. I shook my head and paid attention to the front of the room.
Didn’t matter. Still liked him.
My Pre-Cal teacher arrived. “Sophie, what on earth happened to you?”
Next to me, Ezra tensed. Did he think I would actually say? Did I look like the untrustworthy type?
“My gracefulness took a vacation this weekend?” The entire class laughed, and Ezra smiled…a little.
* * *
I met Jules at her locker after school and told her, “I have to go see Dr. Reade. Wanna hang out in a doctor’s office with me?” I smiled, desperately wanting to talk with her. There’d been no privacy to talk at school. If one of the pack wasn’t around, then some classmate was.
She shook her head. “I can’t.” Her focus stayed on the books that she rifled through.
“Why not?” My heart sank.
“Trust me, doctor’s office sounds better.” She shot me an apologetic grin, but it dropped. “I have to…train.”
“Train?”
She bent her head closer to mine. “Phasing. They want me to practice it.”
“Oh.” I swallowed. “That’s what they call it? Phasing?”
“Yeah. They have a lot of things to teach me.” She sighed, slamming close her locker. “I think I liked it better when I had no clue.”
“Can we hang out soon?” I asked softly.
“Yeah.” She sounded adamant. “This week. We’ll go to Fangorn. We’ll set it up.”
I smiled. “Sounds good.”
“Jules!” Ezra, at the end of the hall, was walking toward us.
“What?” She huffed.
“We gotta head back.” He looked at me. “You need a ride?”
“Mom’s picking me up. Thanks though.”
He shrugged. “No problem. Come on, mutt. Lessons are about to begin.” He grinned at Jules.
She sighed heavily. “Have fun at the doctor’s office.” She patted my arm and started down the hall.
Ezra smiled at me and followed her.
Chapter Eight
My hands got better by midweek. Still tender, but I didn’t need help putting on my shoes or driving to school, which was good. I was tired of playing the invalid.
Except of course when Ezra helped me. Then, whatever acting skills I possessed came out in full form. I even winced once or twice when it didn’t hurt. I was awful. But, with Ezra, I didn’t want to convince myself I was awful when he would stand so close and even sometimes touch me.
On Wednesday, Jules and I drove out to our hideout, along with garbage bags to get rid of all the stuff we’d cleaned out. I’d also found a few pieces of furniture in our garage, a couple of chairs and an end table. Not much, but a start.
When I parked on the road, Jules let out a big sigh. I didn’t know how she knew where to stop so close to the isolated buildings, but she seemed to know the woods like I knew my house. Maybe it was the wolf-thing.
“You OK?”
She opened the passenger door. “I’m just glad to get away from them.”
I unbuckled and got out. “What do you mean?” I opened the trunk.
She took out the two chairs. “You can carry the garbage bags. Don’t want to make your hands worse.”
I closed the trunk, then followed her through the trees.
“What’s it been like?” I asked as we neared Fangorn. “Like the ph—”
She paused in the clearing. “Shhhh.” She dropped the chairs and hunched over, almost like she was getting into attack position. She sniffed. “Ezra?”
From behind the short building, Ezra walked out. Jules slid closer to me as he approached. I had flashback to when we’d first discovered this place. And the wolf. With the green eyes.
“You were the wolf!”
His eyes darted from Jules to me. “You just figured that out?”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “Hey, I’ve never seen you change, phase, whatever. I’ve had a lot to think about this week.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Calm down. I was joking.”
“Oh.” Then my cheeks heated.
“What are you doing here?” Jules asked him. “Spying on us?”
“Please. I get my kicks in much better ways than spying on a stray and her human pet.”
“Excuse me?” My mouth dropped open in shock.
“Stray?” Jules glared.
Ezra smirked at us and crossed his arms. “And this is my spot.”
“What?” Jules sounded outraged.
<
br /> He gestured to the tower and its companion. “This is my territory. Find someplace else.”
Jules continued to glare at him. “You’re a jerk.”
“Only sometimes. But seriously, this is mine.” His eyes lost their teasing glint and grew serious, if not vulnerable.
“But you backed off that day. When we came out here, I stared you down.”
Ezra’s jaw clenched. “That’s because you’re… Never mind. Do what you want.” He began to leave, heading the way we’d just come.
I reached out to touch his shoulder. He stopped as if electrocuted. Jules stomped to Fangorn, leaving us alone.
“We can share it, right?” I asked, my voice becoming breathy. My crush on Ezra Varden would go with me to the grave; I knew it.
Ezra turned to look at me. I dropped my hand.
“We could maybe do that.” He seemed like he wanted to say more, but instead took off running. I watched. Before he disappeared completely, he took off his shirt and left his jeans on the ground. He’d phased, and all I saw was a golden tail.
“Come on, Sophie,” Jules hollered from the second story.
We bagged the mess that we’d cleared out of the building and took it back to my car. Jules also carried up the end table, and I brought two old blankets that had been collecting dust in our basement.
“We need to figure out how to close the windows,” Jules said. “When it rains, everything will get soaked.” She stood by the open window, staring out into the sunny afternoon. “What did you say to Ezra?”
“Oh, um, that maybe we could share this place?”
“I bet I could fight him for it. I think I could take him.” She sat on one of the blankets.
“As a human or as a wolf?”
Her rueful smile dropped, and she looked away from me.
“Jules, what’s it like?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Sophie.” Her voice held a slight tremor. “I like to pretend it’s not real.”
I took her hand. “But it is. And I want to know about it. I know I won’t get it or anything, but it’s a big deal.”
“Aren’t you scared of me?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, the whole thing is weird and kinda scary, but I’m not scared of you. We’re best friends.” I wanted to take back my words. We hadn’t ever said anything like that.
“We are?” I’d never seen Jules so timid as she was that moment.
“Yeah. You think I go spying on wolf-guys with just anybody?” I laughed. “Oh man, what were they doing that night?”
“Swimming, as wolves. That’s why they were so jumpy.” She kept holding my hand and took a deep breath. “Phasing…it’s like using muscles that you haven’t used in a long time. It hurts, but if you do it a lot it gets better.” She met my eyes tentatively, waiting for my response.
“You’re a pretty wolf.” I said. We both smiled. “I’d be fine if you ever wanted to phase in front of me.”
Her smile wavered. “I’m not…even though you know, they’re wary about me doing it without all of them there. I’m not going Cujo on anybody.” She squeezed my hand. “Like I care what they think. Sure. Someday, I’ll phase.”
“Cool.” I paused. “Homework seems really lame after all this.”
“Homework is always lame, Sophie.”
* * *
“So, you can come over today?” I asked Jules the next day.
She sighed.
“Or not.”
“More…” She looked around. “Secret stuff.”
“Oh. Yeah. It’s only been a few days, I guess. Lots to learn.”
Jules gave me a sympathetic look before heading off to second period. I stuffed down my feelings of resentment, wishing something very odd.
I wished they’d just been some weird cult.
I did get an e-mail from her later that night before bed, when I checked my in-box one more time.
However much fun you’re having doing homework or whatever, I bet it’s not nearly as fun as phasing with a bunch of boys and all the while making sure they don’t get a look at you naked.
I laughed, feeling less lonely.
* * *
Jules met me at my locker Friday morning, looking as tired as could be.
“Rough night?” I asked with a small smile on my face.
She shook her head, her eyes happier than her face. “What exactly are you implying, Sophie Todd?”
I shrugged innocently. “You did e-mail that you were with a bunch of guys.”
“Yes, and they would never be worth the lack of sleep.” She yawned and stretched. “How was your night?”
“I’m sure less exciting. But I have something for you.” I dug into my bag, searching for the familiar contours. I pulled it out. “Here.”
The wolf figurine had synthetic gray and white fur. Not like the ones that Ezra did.
Jules gave me a weird look. “Um…thank you?”
I laughed. “I found it on one of my shelves at home. When my folks and I travel, I tend to buy some random souvenir and that’s from Yellowstone National Park. About two years go.” I pointed to its face. “It seemed sweet.”
“You’re giving me a wolf?” she asked, trying not to laugh.
“Made me think of you. Although you’re prettier than this guy. You don’t have to take it if you don’t want it. I thought maybe he’d guard your locker or desk or something.”
She shook her head, grinning. “You really are strange sometimes.” She slipped the wolf into the front pocket of her backpack.
“It’s my brain. It goes places without my permission.” I closed my locker. “So, more pack stuff tonight?”
She shot me a warning look as we headed to English. “Yeah.”
“More practice?” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. My hands were down to just a few Band-Aids over the deepest cuts.
“I can’t tell you.” She looked regretful.
I dropped my arm. “Oh.”
“Not that I know all that much. But I can’t tell you.”
“Sure. ’Course.” I followed her into English, waves of abandonment breaking over me again. They seemed worse this time.
Later in the day, Jules had her sweater tied around her waist, which surprised me. Not that I paid all that much attention to clothing or the wearing of it, but it seemed out of character.
“Jules?”
She emitted a low growl.
I stopped. “Um, what’s wrong?”
Her shoulders slumped, and she lifted the sweater to show me her backside. Pinkish red marks streaked haphazardly the seat and upper legs of her jeans.
“Period?”
She dropped the sweater. “No. Lipstick.” The growl was still there in her voice.
“But you don’t wear lipstick.” She didn’t wear any makeup actually.
“No kidding. State the obvious.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry.”
I nodded, accepting it.
“It was on my seat in last class.” She slammed her locker door.
“Maybe someone got bored and played with it?”
“Like it was an accident? We always sit in the same seats in that class. Someone knew.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say. She growled again.
“Humans don’t sound like that.”
“I know!” She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. “I know. Sorry.”
I looped arms with her. “Walk me to my car?”
A reluctant smile played on her lips. “OK.”
* * *
I called Jules after dinner only to get her voice mail. That I knew why she disappeared without her phone and that she wasn’t just ditching me or ignoring me was good, but it still hurt.
I finished my homework and went downstairs to see Mom and Dad in our backyard playing badminton. They’d turned on some camping lanterns and were drinking wine while attempting to hit a birdie. I smiled and joined them. To play badminton, not drink wine. Slightly ran
around trying to catch the birdie, but she really wasn’t the best at it.
“You’re home,” Dad said.
“You saw me at dinner,” I replied, sitting in a wicker chair and watching as Mom missed the perfect serve Dad hit. “Good job, Mom.”
“Hush,” she answered good-naturedly. “Would you like to help me out then?”
I chuckled and grabbed an extra racket and walked over to Mom’s side, scooping up the birdie from the ground as I did.
“I thought you’d be off to see your friend, Julia.” Dad was notoriously bad with names.
“Jules, Dad. Nah. She had something with the family tonight.” That sounded not too lie-like.
“How’s it going for her? Being there?”
Dad and Mom both stopped playing to look at me.
“Um, OK. You know, there’s stuff, but she seems to like them better than her other foster families.” At least before everything had come out.
“And you’re keeping up your grades?” Dad again.
I sighed, tossing up the birdie and actually hitting it. Right into the net. “Of course.”
“Good.” He jogged over and picked it up, moving backward to set up another serve. “We miss you.”
I looked at him, surprised. Then over at Mom who seemed just as surprised at Dad’s comment.
“Well, um—”
“Honey, it’s fine,” Mom said. “We’re used to you being with us. It’s good that you have a friend in Juliet.”
Dad nodded. “It’s just my little girl is growing up. Soon, you’ll be too cool for your old dad.”
“Daaad…” I felt a twinge in my heart. Things were changing. My life was drastically different than last year. Than a week ago. And I couldn’t tell my parents why. They just thought I was growing independent and pulling away like a typical teenager.
If only they knew.
“Soon there will be boys lining up at the door. I’ll have to get a shotgun to clean when they show up.” Dad smiled at me, his eyes crinkling up at the sides.
“I don’t think that’s an immediate problem,” I told him, mock serious. “But I’ll give you full warning if the herd of boys appear.”