by DJ DeSmyter
“Are you sure?” Alex asked. “I don’t want to—”
Raising his hand, Dad interrupted him. “It’s fine. Really.”
Taking a deep breath, Alex nodded and went back into the dressing room.
“He doesn’t have any money, does he?” I meant it more as a statement.
“No.”
I went over and hugged him. “Dad, it’s really nice of you to be doing all of this for him.”
“Yeah, I know.” He chuckled.
Grinning, I shook my head. “So humble.”
Alex came back out with the jeans and shirt draped over his arm.
“Where to next?” Dad asked him.
“Would you mind if I just looked around here some more?” he asked. His speech was improving and he showed no sign of struggling to get his words out. I still wondered why he didn’t speak when we first met.
“Not at all.”
“Do you?” Alex asked me. His regard for me was cute and made me happy even. How could a boy affect me so much?
“Of course not.”
Free to roam, Alex wandered throughout the young men’s section and picked out more clothes. He traveled back and forth between the dressing room and the racks. Along the way, he even picked out a few pairs of shoes and before we checked out, he grabbed a few packages of white undershirts, socks, and boxers.
After leaving the mall, we headed to the office supply store and Dad bought Alex everything he would need for school. On the way home, he thanked Dad profusely. He had offered to sit in the back and the sight of him buried underneath his bags made me laugh. I wished I had my camera. When we got home, I helped him carry his bags up to his room.
“I really like the clothes you got.” It was a lame attempt to start a conversation, but was better than awkward silence. Small talk was not my strong suit. Was it anyone’s?
“Thanks.” He began removing the tags. “I hope you don’t feel like I’m taking you and your dad’s money.”
I reached for a pair of jeans and ripped the size sticker off. “No, I don’t, but I appreciate your concern.”
He let out a sigh that sounded like one of relief and went to work hanging up his new shirts.
I handed him a hanger and tried to ignore my sweaty palms and racing heart. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“What are you doing here?” The minute I asked it, I wanted to take it back. My words were insensitive and I wished I had given my phrasing more thought. “I’m sorry, that was rude. Just forget I even asked you that.”
Alex remained quiet and then cleared his throat. “I just needed a place to stay and your dad generously offered his help.”
It was the same explanation Dad gave me and I didn’t push it. I wanted to ask him how long he planned on staying, but I had already invaded too much into his personal life. Besides, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
15. Alex
Spending time with Lily was bittersweet. When I was around her, I felt happy and the fears of not being able to find my family ceased to exist. At the same time, I knew I shouldn’t let myself grow attached to her. I was determined to find my family, my pack, and when I did, I knew that would be the end of anything Lily and I might have. It was clear her dad wanted to keep her away from my world, the world of wolves and hunters. I still didn’t know how John knew about us, but he understood that not all werewolves were tame. He wanted to protect Lily from the feral wolves and so did I.
With a sigh, I changed out of John’s clothes and into my new pair of pajamas. It was a little past seven o’clock and the sky was already dark. John and Lily had cooked dinner and tried to maintain a lively conversation. John was careful and steered the focus away from me and asked Lily to tell me about Victor Hills High, which fascinated me since I had never been to a public school. Young werewolves often shift spontaneously, so Mom and Dad had always home-schooled me. Thanks to television, though, I knew enough about the inner workings of a public school to know I would adjust well. I just hoped high school wasn’t as dramatic as the shows made it out to be.
“Don’t ditch me for the popular kids, though,” Lily said, pointing her fork at me.
I laughed and assured her I wouldn’t. I could tell that underneath her sarcasm, she was completely serious. She was genuinely worried about me becoming part of the crowd and abandoning her. Even if I didn’t feel as strongly about her as I did, I never would have done something as awful as that.
I finished getting ready for bed and was about to turn off the lights, but stopped when the floorboards in the hall creaked. I didn’t have to look up to know it was Lily.
“Hi,” she said with a little wave. She was smiling and it was contagious.
“Hi,” I replied.
She took a step inside the room. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”
I shrugged. “Not really.”
“Where did you go to school before?”
“I’ve been home-schooled all my life.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
I nodded. “So it’ll be a nice change for me, I guess.”
“I hope you end up in some of my classes.”
“Me too,” I said. “What’s your favorite?”
“Art,” she answered without hesitating. “Are you into art? You seem like a creative type.”
“I play a couple of instruments, so I guess I would fall under that category. I’m not very good at drawing or painting, though.”
“If you’re in my class, maybe I could help you.”
“I would like that.”
Her smile brightened and then she briefly looked away. “Well, I, uh, better get ready for bed. Goodnight, Alex.”
“Goodnight, Lily.”
I tried not to think about her, but I couldn’t resist. I wanted in the worst way to pick up my guitar and write her a song, a song that captured everything about her.
16. Lily
Alex may not have been nervous about his first day at Victor Hills High, but I was. Even his assurance that he wouldn’t ditch me couldn’t calm my worries. Given his swoon-worthy looks and personality, it wouldn’t be very long before the other girls tried to swoop in and win his heart. I couldn’t compete with them and I knew if I tried, I would fail.
“Lily!” Dad called from downstairs. “Hurry up!”
“I’m coming!” I shouted back, rushing out of my room with my backpack slung over my shoulder, I hurried down the stairs and stumbled down the last few steps. A pair of lean, strong arms caught me before I introduced my face to the hardwood floor.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked as he helped me back to my feet. The heat from his firm, gentle grip emanated through the sleeves of my shirt.
“Yeah, thanks.” I may not have succeeded in crashing down, but my backpack had and before I could move to pick it up, Alex had it in his hands.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks. Again.” I added.
Playing with his keys, Dad walked into the front room. “You two ready?”
My eyes were still on Alex as I answered. “Yeah.”
“Great. Let’s go.”
Alex let me go ahead of him. He was such a gentleman.
It didn’t take long for us to reach the school and the lot had yet to be filled by parking spot-hungry seniors, so Dad was able to park close to the front doors.
“Okay, here we go,” Dad said as we all got out of the truck.
I led the way to the front office and left them to sort out Alex’s enrollment. I wished I could’ve stayed, but I imagined it would take a while since Alex probably didn’t have any records readily available.
After going to my locker, I headed to my first period, but since it was so early, Mrs. Evans wasn’t there yet. I sat on the floor against the wall opposite of the classroom and pulled out the book I had been reading. I always had a book in my backpack just in case I had some down time.
“Is it any good?” A wonderfully familiar voice asked about twenty minu
tes later.
I looked up and found Alex standing over me. “Yeah. I think so, at least.”
He sat down next to me and held out a piece of paper. It was his schedule. “Take a look.”
Silently, I read what his scholarly routine would be and was ecstatic to learn we had a few classes together. “This is great!” I exclaimed. “You’re in my math class, my lunch, and my art class!” I was most excited about not having to eat alone anymore.
“I tried to get the same schedule as you, but since I didn’t have any records to show them, there are a few classes they insisted I take.”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting sick of me?” I teased.
He shook his head. “Of course not.”
“I would,” I countered. I handed him back his schedule and his fingers brushed mine as he took it. I had a feeling it was going to be a good day.
Minutes passed in conversation and before I knew it, students and teachers began flooding the hallways. I put my book away and when I turned back to Alex, he had his eyes closed.
“Are you okay?”
A second passed by before he opened them and nodded with a light smile.
17. Alex
At first, I was overwhelmed. Students and teachers began surrounding us and the once quiet halls filled with an array of sound. My ears picked up every word that was spoken and every breath that was taken. I could even hear the rustling of clothes as the students walked to their lockers and classes. Hundreds of heartbeats filled my ears, but there was only one that would help silence all the chaos. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the steady rhythm of Lily’s heart and by the time she asked me if I was okay, I could honestly answer that I was.
“Are you sure?”
“I am now,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.” I stood up and judging by the odd look on Lily’s face, I must have done so abnormally fast. I had to remind myself I was human, not part wolf here.
“Is Mrs. Evans nice?” I asked in order to keep our conversation going.
“If you could create a person using sunshine, baby bunnies, and energy drinks, then she would be the result.” Her description had my lips turning up into a smile.
“Good, I wouldn’t want to have a teacher made of storms, vultures, and deflated pop.”
Lily’s face broke into a smile and laughed at my comment. Her laughter was enough to brighten my smile. Walking into the classroom, she introduced me to Mrs. Evans and then led us to the back of the room.
“You don’t have to sit with me if you don’t want to,” she said, eyeing a seat positioned in the corner of the room where no one would notice its occupant. “I sit in the back so no one bothers me.”
There was an empty seat next to it, so I sat down without a second thought. I was determined not to leave Lily alone. “This is perfect.”
Lily looked relieved and took her seat. She began pulling out her materials, but a pencil decided to rebel and slipped out of her grasp. Using my unnaturally quick reflexes, I swiped it off the ground and held it out for her. A little werewolf speed couldn’t hurt sometimes, could it?
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” I glanced at her desk and saw that she had a textbook, a notebook, and a calculator out, so I took out the same items, everything except the textbook.
After getting up to ask Mrs. Evans for one and being directed to a pile of extras by her desk, I returned to my seat to find Lily’s face buried in her book again. She looked content, peaceful, and I didn’t want to disrupt her, so I just watched as she read. I was amazed at how mesmerized I was by her simple activity. She looked up with red cheeks.
“Sorry,” she said, closing her book. “I got to a really good part.”
“Go ahead and keep reading. I don’t mind.” I gave her an encouraging smile.
Glancing at the clock, she shook her head. “The bell’s going to ring.”
Sure enough, the bell rang and the class quieted down as Mrs. Evans took her place in the front of the room, ready to begin teaching.
“Class, before we begin, we have a new student joining us and I’d like you all to give him a warm welcome.” She gestured towards me and twenty faces turned to look at me. Nobody clapped or said hello; the other students simply stared. A few girls exchanged glances, but I made sure not to acknowledge them. The only girl I wanted to pay attention to was sitting right next to me.
“Welcome, to Victor Hills High,” Lily whispered with a smile.
I grinned back and turned my focus on Mrs. Evans. I feared I would have no clue as to what she would teach, but Mom had gone over a few of the basics of trigonometry, so I found myself quickly grasping the material.
When the bell rang fifty minutes later, the students seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief. The sounds of backpacks zipping and friends resuming previous conversations quickly filled the room and hallway.
Not wanting to get crushed in the frenzy, I put my stuff away slowly, but I wasted time mostly to wait for Lily.
“I hope you weren’t waiting for me,” she said when she stood.
I smiled and let her step into the hall first. “I was, but mostly because I need someone to show me where my next class is.”
She laughed and raised her brows. “Is that all I am good for, being a tour guide?”
“I’m afraid so,” I countered.
Her laughter was cut off when a group of guys hurried past us, accidentally hitting Lily with enough force to send her whirling to the ground before I could react and catch her.
“Watch where you’re going!” I yelled, my loud voice surprising me as much as Lily. I masked my feelings by helping her off the floor.
“Don’t bother,” she said as she got to her knees and picked up her textbooks. “They’re too focused on where they need to be.”
“I know, but I don’t like seeing you pushed around,” I admitted.
Quickly, Lily let her hair fall across her face, probably trying to hide a blush I knew was present. I could feel the heat radiating from her.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m kind of it used to it, as sad as that sounds.” She stood up and collected herself. “At least I’m not the only one they run into. I’m just a frequent target.”
“We will have to change that,” I mused. The next time someone ran into Lily, causing her to fall, I would be ready; I would catch her, even if it meant using my supernaturally quick reflexes.
Q
The rest of the day went by pretty fast and I found myself liking all my classes except for the ones I didn’t have with Lily. Pathetic, but true.
In art, Lily told me about the scholarship she was trying to win and asked me what I thought she should do. Since I hadn’t seen any of her work, she pulled out a few paintings and black and white photographs to show me. Even if I didn’t like her as much as I did, I still would have thought she was an amazing artist. Her photography was the best, though. When I told her, she agreed and I could tell my suggestion made her happy.
After school, I hoped we would go home through the woods so I could look for any sign of my family. Instead we circled around the woods and came at the house from the side.
“Do you have a lot of homework?” Lily asked when we got inside and removed our coats and shoes.
“Not as much as I assumed I would. I thought the teachers would give me a year’s worth of make-up work, but none of them did.”
“That’s nice.”
“Do you?” I asked.
“Kinda, but it’s mostly for English, so it shouldn’t take me too long.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon working on our assignments and when we were done, Lily went to work preparing dinner. I offered to help, but she insisted I remain seated. Watching her zip around the kitchen was entertaining and she moved with a grace and swiftness I hadn’t noticed before. It reminded me of Mom.
“Would you excuse me?” I asked as thoughts of Mom and the others consumed my mind.
“Of course, everything okay?” Her words were wrap
ped with worry
“I just need some air.”
Putting on my coat and shoes, I headed back outside and sat on the porch staring at the woods.
“Where are you guys?”
My question hung in the air with the desire for someone to answer it, but I knew no one would. If my family were still nearby, they would have found me. I wished I possessed telepathic abilities, but being a werewolf brought no such power. As much as I refused to think about it, I wasn’t the only one looking for my family. Somewhere in Victor Hills, the hunter, with a loaded gun, was searching hungrily for a kill.
Filling my lungs with the cold air and then watching my breath materialize before me, I went back inside and found Lily setting the table.
“Feeling better?”
“A little,” I said. “Would you like some help finishing up?”
“Sure. There are two glasses on the counter. Would you mind filling one with ice and water? The other one’s for you. I think your only options are milk, water, and juice.”
“Will your dad be late again?”
“Yeah. It’s rare that he’s ever home before eleven.”
Lily probably thought her dad was working late at the office or something. I wondered what she would have thought if I told her he was really wandering through the woods looking for other lost werewolves and any sign of the hunter.
Once the drinks were poured and the table set, we sat down and ate. We talked about school some more and after we exhausted that topic, she began asking me questions.
“You said you play guitar, right?”
I nodded.
“For how long?”
“About five years.”
She took a sip of her water. “What made you start playing?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think there’s any specific reason.”
“Do you play any other instruments?”
“The cello, but I’m better at guitar. You?”
“I play piano,” she said triumphantly. “I haven’t taken a formal lesson in years, though.”
The day I had heard the beautiful piano song flashed in my mind. I may have forgotten how the song went, but not how it made me feel. Could she have been the person I heard playing?