I slam my locker and turn back to Shelby. She keeps blathering on about how amazing her weekend, but I'm not listening to her. All I can think about is how mad at Dax I am. And how he didn't even try and apologize to ome. Or say anyhting to me since we left home this morning. Shelby snaps her fingers in front of my face, "Are you even listening to me, Laney?"
I sigh, angrily. "You know what, Shelby? No! I'm not frigging listening to you, because I have a lot of shit going on in my life right now, you know that?!" People start to stop and everyone that keeps walking on stares at me. I feel the tears rushing down my cheeks, but I continue to scream at my best friend anyway. "God, what the hell is your problem. Everything is ALWAYS about you!"
She stares me in the eyes for a second, then she grabs my arm and jerks me into the nearest rersteroom. "What's your problem?" She asks me. "What happened with Dax?"
It's amazing how well she knows me. "We're fighting right now, and I have a secret, I have to tell somebody." I hesitate, and I'm glad I do, because a girl I don't know comes out of a stall behind us. Shelby and I pretend to make plans to go to the mall after school until she leaves.
I pull her head close to mine so that I don't say it too loud. I whisper into her ear, "Dax is a... um..." I regret even bringing it up, because it isn't my secret to tell. I sigh, and shake my head. "No. I can't. It's not my secret to tell you. I'm sorry."
She nods, and we walk out of the bathroom arm in arm. "Hey, so you mind if I stay at your house for a few days?"
"Of course not," She answers. "It's fine. I've just gotta call my mom during study hall, but I'm sure she'll be okay with it."
"Great," I tell her, and sigh.
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"I'll tell her.... Mhm... Yes, I've got it... Love you, too, mom..... Hmhm.. Bye, mom." She hangs up the phone and turns to me. "She said she has to check with... umm... your mom."
I feel my mouth drop open, and a million things rush through my head. The last thing that does, though, is that it won't be that bad.
About five minutes later, I get a text from my mom, and that's where it starts.
For the rest of the day, I'm a happy as could be. Until I got home ot get clothes.
I climb out of the backseat onto my driveway, just like I have millions of times before, but as soon as my foot hits the asphalt, I know something's wrong. I walk slowly, leerily, on the stepping stones up to my back padio.
I walk to the back door, but as I put my key in the door there's a loud, startling crash behind me. I turn around, scared to death of what I might see. I am scared to death of what I do see.
I scream when I see him. "Dax!?"
He moves forward swiftly, stepping over the planter pot he's already knocked over, and walks over to me me hastily. He pushes me up against the pale brick wall, and he kisses me.
But it isn't a sweet one. No, it's too forceful. It's like he's trying to make me feel something, but he's trying too hard. And it isn't even a good kiss.I push him as hard as I can against the chest with both of my arms, but he doesn't move. He won't get off of my lips, and I get so pissed, that I move myself as far to the wall as I can get get and tell him to get off of me. "God, Dax. What the hell!?" I scream at him. He tries to say something, but I won't hear it anymore. "No. No. I'm so tired of all your 'uh, I love you' then you don't even want to kiss me? And all your 'I can't tell you's' and secrets. Well, not anymore. No. I'm going to go inside to get my clothes, and when I come back out you sure as hell, better not be here when I get back, got it?!"
"You can't go to her house without me watching you." He tells me, urgently, as if he doesn't trust anyone that isn't him.
"Why not, Dax?" I ask, irritatted.
He hesitates. "I can't tell you."
I scoff and walk to him. I put my hand on his face, and give him a fake smile. I try as hard as I can to make this look as real as I can. "Thanks," I say making it sound sincere. I drop my hand and my face turns morbid. "For proving my point."
I march up the steps and into my real home. I'm welcomed with a hug from my mom. I sigh and try my hardest to look pleased to be home. The seecond she let's me go, I walk to my room and put some clothes into my backpack. I walk back out of the hallway, and give my mom a quick kiss on the cheek, then I run out of the house to the back porch. When Dax isn't there, I'm not as happy as I thought I'd be. I walk down the driveway, trying not to think, and climb into my best friend's red car and drive to her house.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ <3 }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
I twirl my fork over and over again until I get a good bit of spaghetti on it then I shove it into my mouth. Still after half an hour of sitting at this table with Shelby and her mom, no one has said anything yet.
I slurp another noodle into my mouth and turn to Maria, Shelby's mom. "This is really good, Ms. Maria."
Before her mother can say thanks, Shelby turns to me and looks me dead in the eye, and says, "I need to tell you something." She glances at her mom and then back to me. "Mother doesn't want me to, but I have to I'm tired of all these secrets. I can't lie to you anymore. And I'm tired ofhiding tthings from the people I love."
She argues quietly with her mom about it, but then she grabs my hand and takes meinto her bedroom. She sits me on the bed and she sits next to me. She takes my hand and looks me right into the eyes. "Okay so I have a few things I need to clear up with you," She says. I take a deep breath, confused and preparing myself for the worst. "One, I know that there are werewolves in this town. Two, I know that Dax is a werewolf."
I think she's done, while I sit there in shock. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself to tell me the biggest part. "You know you're my best friend, and I would never lie to you if I had any other choice."
"Laney, I'm a werewolf. And I'm part of Dax's rival pack, Moonlight."
