by Shayn Bloom
“What the hell are you talking about?” Gabriel says.
The werewolf growls, “Don’t talk to her like that!”
The wizard raises his wand. “I can talk how I like!”
“Why?” Wolf barks, “Because you’re a wizard?”
“Shut the fuck up!” I scream. Okay, good – they’re gaping now. “Shut it!” I yell at Gabriel who’s opening his mouth to comment. “Listen to me! Now I don’t know about you two idiots, but I want to find the Newborn before it murders humans. I’m going to their lair and doing the job. If you want to help that’s fine. Otherwise, shut the fuck up. I – unlike you nimrods – have a job to do!”
I’ve never seen a wizard and werewolf looking so stung. That said, I haven’t seen many wizards and werewolves. Fewer together. It takes them a moment to find their mouths again. Gabriel manages it first.
He lowers his wand. “I’m coming.”
“Me too,” Wolf says at once.
Gabriel tells him, “No you’re not!”
“Yes he is!” I say.
The werewolf looks menacing. “I don’t want him coming. I don’t trust him!”
I shrug apologetically. “He has to, Wolf. Sorry – he’s the only one who knows the way. There is no other way.”
“Yes there is!” Wolf says delightedly. “I know the way, too – I’ve been there!”
I continue before Gabriel can interrupt. “Fine, then,” I tell them. “You’re both coming! But I have one condition.”
“Of course you do,” Gabriel remarks.
Wolf bares his teeth at the wizard. “Are you always this big an asshole?”
“Let me speak!” I yell. “Are you listening?”
They look at me. “Yes!”
“Here’s my condition. You both have to get along during our raid. You can hate each other all you want in your free time. But when we’re hunting, we have to have each other’s back. Got it?”
They look at each other.
Chapter Nine
My dorm is a mess, like I left it.
Books and papers are strewn everywhere. My co-written essay with Wolf – Werewolves: the Sworn Protectors – is lying on the floor, scrawled B at its top. My iPad is on the desk, safe from harm. My backpack along with my many, many items of clothing cover the unmade bed.
But I’m not looking at my junk. I’m looking at Kiri’s naughty smile, caught between her rimmed glasses and half turned body.
Oh shit!
I know what she’s thinking.
Wouldn’t you be thinking the same? my alter ego asks.
I suppose, I answer her. But at least I’d get the facts before raising the roof!
Kiri swipes at her bobbed hair. “So – um – how was your night last night?”
Awkward!
“It’s not what you think!” I say too quickly.
Turning around in her chair, Kiri hugs its back, laying her head on it sweetly. “Nora! It’s me! You don’t have to lie to me of all people. Save it for your parents! I happened to notice you didn’t come back last night and really? You couldn’t bother calling? I assume you were preoccupied…”
I look around hastily. There it is – on the bureau. I point to it. “Sorry, Kiri – I left my phone here. Totally forgot it,” I say honestly, hoping she’ll drop the subject. I know she won’t. I’m not delusional.
“I don’t care about the fucking phone! Tell me about last night! How was it? Please tell me you were safe! Was alcohol involved?” She looks so cute with her head resting on the chair back and her raised eyebrows I can’t help smiling at her. “I knew it!” she gasps. “You did – you had sex!”
Going to my bed, I shove clothes aside and sit down, feeling glum all of a sudden. “I didn’t,” I tell her. “We didn’t have sex, Kiri.”
Her grin fades. “Oh,” she says. “Did you try? Did he drink too much? Tell me exactly what happened! I want the blow by blow!”
“Nothing happened!” I exclaim, gesturing her away. “We didn’t drink. Didn’t try to have sex – nothing. I mean it,” I add seriously, staring her down.
Geez, the last thing I need around here is a reputation.
Raising her eyebrows higher, she looks disbelieving. “Just one question,” she squeaks, “do you count oral as sex? Because –”
“We didn’t do anything!” I gasp, blushing furiously. Oh geez, red cheeks aren’t going to convince her. “No oral, no actual – nothing! Like I said. I swear it, Kiri,” I follow up, because she appears doubting.
“Okay,” Kiri remarks. “I believe you. It doesn’t matter. I want you to know you can trust me with anything, okay? You’re my friend. I don’t hear about kissing and tell. I just kiss and tell!”
I’m playing with my hair so as to avoid her eyes. “I’ll try and remember.”
“You know,” Kiri begins, “I’m glad you didn’t have sex last night.”
Dissonance.
What the fuck?
Didn’t she just finish telling me what good friends we are? Why on earth would she not want me to have sex with Gabriel? Does she want him for herself? Is that what this is about? How dare her!
Shut up, idiot, says my alter ego. Think! She’s never met him!
Geez, that’s right, I reply.
“Why not?” I’m trying to sound lighthearted instead of furious.
Nodding at me, she says, “Because you’re a total mess. Have you been in front of a mirror? Spare it, I beg you!”
“Funny,” I say. Relief flooding.
She leans forward. “Is that a leaf in your hair?”
“Probably,” I say quickly, jumping to my feet. “Sorry – got to shower!” Grabbing my toiletries bag, I dart into the bathroom before she has another chance to inspect me. I rarely move so fast.
Oh… wow. Okay. Not good.
I’m staring in the mirror. Unfortunately, the mirror is staring back. I have not one but several leaves in my hair! Even without the forest debris my hair would be terrible. It’s twisted in every direction and full of knots. I appear as though I’ve lived in the jungle since age seven. How embarrassing.
Oh fuck!
What if Kiri thinks this is my just-fucked look?
Geez, I hope not!
I must right the situation.
Turning on the water faucet in the shower, I let the hot water flow over my hand for a moment. Glorious. I strip off my dirt-ridden clothes and toss them aside. How many washes will it take to get rid of the smoke smell? Twenty, probably. I’m better off throwing them out. What a waste.
Peeling back the curtain, I step into the shower. But not before I’ve grabbed my hairbrush from the sink. The soothing caress of hot water is fantastic on my body. But I have my work cut out for me.
Lathering my body in soap, I wash off the smoke smell. Had to go. I take a liberal amount of shampoo and soak my hair in it, rubbing furiously. Forest flotsam falls to the bottom of the tub. Washing away the shampoo, I use a generous amount of conditioner. Washing this out, too, I take my hairbrush to my head, wincing as I pull out knots.
I relax under the hot water a while after I’ve finished. I know it’s wasteful, but it’s so good… finally, I finish. Drying off amid the steam-filled bathroom, I marvel in the sensation of being clean. Geez, it’s crazy how much a shower can do for the spirits. I feel like whooping. I hold it in.
Instead, I go to the sink and take out my contacts. Boy did they need to come out. I soak them in water for a few minutes and then replace them carefully, making sure not to scratch my strangely bright corneas. I spend the next twenty minutes blow drying my hair. I’m sorry – I have to do it. I can’t go walking around with wet hair. It’s icky. Wrapping myself in a towel, I head back to my dorm.
Kiri is tapping away at her laptop. Upon seeing me, her eyebrows nearly disappear into her bobbed hair. “You were in there an hour and fifteen minutes,” she tells me, her tone accusatory. “That’s insanity!”
I shrug her off. “So – why does it matter?”
&nbs
p; “It matters,” Kiri remarks, “because I’ve needed to pee for an hour and five minutes. An hour and five minutes, Nora.”
Huffing, she gets up and passes me without another word, slamming the door behind her. Oh well. Stripping off the towel, I find a clean pair of jeans and a white camisole. My typical uniform. Pulling these on, I stare around the room. I’ve forgotten something. Can’t think of it. What am I forgetting?
Of course! The final touch. Going to my chest of draws, I find a bottle of perfume. How could I have almost forgotten? Spraying my entire body from head to toe, I replace the little bottle. Breathing the smell deeply, I sigh my contentment. Now everything feels right. I’m home again!
Time to figure out school. The last class I attended was Dr. Blakely’s. Yesterday. It feels like eons ago. Since then, I’ve met two vampires – nearly being killed and raped by both – and unwittingly introduced Wolf and Gabriel. This means I’ve missed Dr. James’ and Dr. Renaus’ classes today.
It can’t be helped. I never got around to reading Sordello for Renaus. Didn’t start it. Plus, I’m tired of Dr. James quizzing everybody on pointless events in The Great Gatsby. I wish he’d talk about literary substance. I would go to that class. Considering he almost certainly didn’t do that today, it appears I’ve missed nothing. Hmm… maybe I should Wikipedia-plot-summary Sordello.
Or maybe I should search for cool new apps on my iPad. I do this instead. Relaxing at my desk – tea cup in hand – I scroll through the choices. Cool! I like this one – an app telling you when werewolves are near! I buy it at once. How can I not? Setting my iPad aside, I sip my tea delicately.
What now? I know what I should be doing. I should be studying. Preparing for Dr. Tuten’s English 301: The Art of the Essay, and Dr. Blakely’s History 145: The American Revolution. I have both tomorrow. But I don’t feel like studying. Partly because I’m exhausted after my night in the forest. Partly because I don’t want to. I don’t feel like reading 1776 by David McCullough. I don’t feel like working on the essay about essays that Dr. Tuten assigned via Blackboard.
Instead, I sit and sip my tea.
I do this for a while, my usually racing brain glad to have a respite. Soon enough guilt trips me in the direction of my laptop, so I pull it to me and begin working on my very, very procrastinated essay.
* * *
Later in the evening I decide to call Dad. Though we usually call each other on the weekend, I feel I haven’t talked to him in a while and I want to fix that. So – after several hours of eking out an essay like blood from my veins – I dial Dad’s number. Two rings and an answer like always.
“Nora Rae,” Dad says.
My smile is unseen. “Hi, Dad!”
“Something wrong?”
Geez, why is this always his first assumption? Can he hear it in my voice?
“No,” I answer, “of course not! Everything’s fine on my end. It’s been a while and I wanted to hear your voice.”
A pause. “That’s what people say when something’s wrong.”
He always chooses the wrong moment to be intuitive! I’m not in the mood for a therapy session. “Never mind me,” I say unconvincingly. “How are you? How’s stuff at home? How’s work been?”
“Work’s been work,” he tells me. “It’s been tiring recently. Back’s giving me trouble. Things are slow in Baring, Nora – very slow. I’m glad I saved up during the summer when things were busier. If I hadn’t, I would be in a prickly situation right now. Kudos for thinking ahead, I guess.”
I nod, forgetting he can’t see me. “Have you – um – heard from Mom? Or her new boyfriend?” I add before I can stop myself. I didn’t want to bring it up but I can’t help myself. Too curious.
A sigh from Dad’s end. “They’ve moved in.”
“What!” I gasp.
Holy bejesus shitballs!
“Yep,” Dad exhales, “I don’t know how your mother figured out to tell me but she did. She called asking for the wok she used to cook stir fry in. A $10 wok. She calls me up and says she wants it. Naturally, I ask why. Says she’s cooking for two every night. That’s the only reason she called,” he adds dissonantly, “because soon as she told me she said never mind and hung up.”
I can’t decide whether I feel sorrier for him or angrier at her. “Oh, Dad,” I say to him. “That’s – that’s terrible. I’m sorry she’s being so cruel. She can’t be happy – you know that, don’t you? A happy person doesn’t go this far out of their way to make someone else miserable. She can’t be happy.”
“I don’t know, Nora Rae,” he says. “I don’t know much about her anymore. Everything I thought I knew is gone. She’s a new woman with new principles and new priorities. I mean, sure – the girl I married would never have settled so fast. On me or anyone. All that’s changed. Everything’s changed now.”
I’ve never heard him so forlorn. I’m changing the subject. “When are you coming to visit me?” I ask him, trying to spin a cheerful tone around my words. “Soon, I hope! It better be soon, Dad.”
“We’ll see.” But I can hear the smile on his face. “I’ve got a bathroom I’m supposed to finish in two weeks and I’m going to need every day. Anytime, once that’s done. Tell me what works for you.”
The door opens and Kiri walks in, hauling her cello case. “Okay, Dad,” I tell him. “I will let you know. In the meantime stay well, stay healthy. And please oh please don’t let Mom’s antics get you down. I think she’s gone off the deep end or something. Whatever is happening is not positive. Don’t think she’s having the time of her life or anything. Just try and have yours.”
A dry chuckle. “Will do, Nora Rae, will do. Study hard, enjoy yourself, and most of all don’t worry about your parents – me or your mother. We’ll be fine in the long run of things. College is a time in life that’s about you. Nobody else. So live up to that. Ignore what’s happening at home.”
Ugh. Does he know me? “I’ll try, Dad.”
“Heh, okay. Goodnight, Nora Rae. Love ya.”
“Night, Dad. Love you, too.”
Putting my phone on the desk, I turn around to see Kiri removing her cello from its case. Gingerly, she sets it on her bed and turns to me. “Want to grab a bite to eat?” she asks. “Skipped lunch today. I’m starving!”
I look to my computer screen where my essay on essays is unfinished. Geez, that cursor blinks a lot. “No thanks,” I tell her. “I’ve got this essay to finish for Dr. Tuten. It’s going slowly and I’m blank. Got nothing.”
“Take a break,” is Kiri’s solution. “That’s what I do when I can’t think. The other thing I do? Eat! Come with me and we can do both. Once we get back you’ll be able to finish in half an hour.”
Scratching my thin stomach, I try feeling something. Nope. Still no appetite. I could go with Kiri and not eat. She’d probably think I’m weird. It’s not like I can force it down either. It’s not necessarily the complete absence of hunger, but rather the complete inability to eat food. If I force it down it will come up. Wouldn’t be pretty. Might put Kiri off her dinner. Can’t have that.
“I should keep working. I’ll be too tired if I put it off. I promise I’ll come another time. Sound good?”
How is later going to be any different? my alter ego asks.
Stalling, I point out.
Kiri’s eyes narrow. “Nora, I have never seen you eat.”
“Yes you have!” I say desperately. These are dangerous waters. “At – err – The Mousetrap! You saw me eat there.”
She shakes her head. “No, I didn’t. I saw you drink. Drink a lot, actually. But no food. Seriously, Nora – I’ve never seen you eat as much as a pastry! Not here in our room or anywhere. You don’t have food here.”
I stare into her glasses. “What are you saying?”
Tenseness fills the room.
“Nothing at all,” Kiri says after a long pause. “Simply that… that maybe you should eat more often.”
My lie comes too easily. “I do eat!”
“Yes?” I push, staring her down.
No answer comes.
* * *
The next month passes uneventfully.
September turns to October. The leaves change color, their edges finding a ginger tinge before falling – the beauty of their spiraling grace descending to the ground around Evergreen State College like a twirling, multicolored skirt. They build up in corners and stairwells around dorm building C.
Gabriel becomes evanescent as the days pass. One moment he’s by my side and the next he’s running off on errands. He informs me he’s doing reconnaissance work around the newly discovered vampire lair.
Our romance plateaus.
We’ve reached the point where we kiss every time we meet – whether in my dorm or on the beach at Eld Inlet. But we have yet to go further. I can’t tell whether it’s his hesitation or mine holding us back.
Wolf, on the other hand, has become nonexistent. Not long after our rendezvous in the forest he starts skipping Dr. Tuten’s class. I’m saddened by this. English 301: The Art of the Essay, had been my favorite class. But only because Wolf was there. Now class is stiff and boring – painful to the ears and debilitating to the mind. Dr. Tuten seemingly wants us to copy his tiresome style of writing. Perhaps that’s why my werewolf friend quit. In any case, I miss him terribly.
I also miss my parents. My weekly phone calls with Dad are continuing, though he has yet to visit me. He must have finished that bathroom by now. As for Mom, I have neither heard from nor seen her since I was dropped off at Evergreen. Her unexplained disappearance from my life is painful.
Good news?
Well, Kiri has apparently forgotten about my promise to eat with her. So I don’t have to worry about that. Kiri is busy these days. Her music teachers heaped a leaden amount of studying on their students. Many a night I return to find Kiri bent over a composition book, her hair a mess and her glasses crooked as she hastily devours Ramen noodles before rushing off to a cello lesson.