Chapter 2
A rooster loudly called out at the peak of sunlight. I fluttered my eyelashes open and tossed my head around the room. The bed kept me restricted from moving too much because it was so small. The room itself was small, and made out of birch would with small furniture inside. I looked across from me at the annoying grand clock. It had been driving me insane for the whole night with its ‘tick, tock’ repeating. This clock and rooster actually made me miss my old arm clock. I narrowed my half open eyes and looked over the clock.
It’s six o’clock. Six o’clock...! I wake no earlier than ten thirty six on weekends! I tossed my head to the very small old fashioned window at the side of me. It had floral curtains hanging from the sides. I never liked patterns or flowers on cloth. I rubbed my hand on the fogged up window and looked into the distance seeing the loud rooster. I couldn’t simply smash it to the ground like I did with my alarm clock but...I could do something else.
Just let it go Rienne. Ignore it, go back to sleep. – My angel voice interrupted
I sighed and tossed around to my side, closing my eyes once more. Soreness was dragging down from my neck to my knees. My head felt as if it was reading on a cold rock instead of a pillow. If I can’t handle this... I can’t imagine how Neil’s handling it. He’s probably weeping in a corner or already dead. I quietly giggled to myself and hugged my chest with my arms. I attempted to drown the sound of the rooster out but it didn’t work. I grinded my teeth, blocked my ears but we all know that blocking your ears never actually works unless you sing really loudly.
That’s it. I’m giving into my temptations!
Then, it all grew silent. Did the rooster hear my thoughts? Seconds later, the sound of fluttering wings echoed into the room. Yes, I can hear it all the way in here. What did I expect? My grandma’s house passed down from generations is not a five star hotel. Not even a one star. Sorry Grandma, but it was asking for it.
I leapt to sit up and leaned myself against the window seeing a silhouette of a guy. His shape was very familiar to my eyes. He was smacking the rooster on the head repeatedly. The rooster attempted to make an escape but he grabbed the bird’s legs and wouldn’t release it. Actually, he looked a lot like Neil. What is he doing? The rooster pushed its chicken leg feet on Neil’s crotch. Neil released the bird in pain and then the bird quickly turned on him and started pecking on Neil’s head. And then round and round they go. I burst out into laughter but my laughter faded when Neil picked up an axe.
He’s not actually going to kill it right? If I did, it wouldn’t matter. If Neil did, it would give my grandma the excuse she needed to chop off Neil’s head. I struggled to open the frosted window and when it did, I yelled with all of my might.
“Neil! Don’t kill it! It won’t be the only one dead if you do!” I screamed a warning. He snapped his head at me like a vicious animal with teeth clenched, eyes popped and bangs under his eyes. I should video tape this. Put it on America’s funniest home videos and gain ten thousand. He might as well make me rich before he dies.
I got up from the bed, escaped the room and quietly walked out of the home to stop him from doing something that would get him in serious trouble. When I entered the field Neil grabbed a hold of the rooster with an axe against its neck. He’s officially lost it.
“Neil,” I sighed. I rubbed my arms back and forth to shake off the cold air of the morning. Neil’s back was facing me as he muttered threats to the Rooster as if it understood everything he just said. He really does have a bird brain.
“Neil!” I recited as he snapped his head at me again.
“Let the rooster go before grandma comes here and chops off your neck,” I groaned.
“Then you kill it!” He suggested raising the axe in the air like a mad man.
“Lower. The. Axe,” I spoke slowly and took a step back. He narrowed his deep hazel eyes at me and started to spit out words that he wasn’t crazy. Neil heavily sighed and lowered the axe to the ground and threatened me to chop off its neck. Couldn’t we just rip out it’s vocal chords? I decided to grab him by the shirt and drag him all the way back into the house. He was tumbling over his feet and swayed back in forth. He either didn’t get much sleep or got high. I don’t remember any liquor around grandma’s house so, it must be the sleep. I forced him back into his bed and he whined for me to stay with him. What was I? His mother...!? He was supposed to look out for me, not other way around!
“No,” I directly told him, turning my back at him and about to leave the room.
“Rienne... Don’t leave me. The wolf, rooster and grandma will kill me if you’re not around. They love you but they hate me,” He whined like a puppy. I’ve obviously got to check the house again for liquor if he was acting like this.
“You’re supposed to be my knight, cuz,” I snickered looking behind my shoulder to see his sad, big puppy eyes and lips pouted. He’s what, nineteen and he couldn’t handle himself?
“But you always save me,” He frowned. The only thing I’ve saved him from was his own mother’s cooking. I twisted the door knob and swung the door open and froze in spot. My heart leapt out of my chest at the sudden face. Neil let out a feminine scream. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you how macho he was in the city and that he was on the wrestling team and track team. I always knew he had a little girl in him.
“Grandma...” I whispered nervously as my eyes focused at the sharp glimmering blade “What big...blade you have?” Her wise eyes didn’t meet mine, they met Neil’s. Ohhhhh! He’s in trouble! She pursued her lips and didn’t make a single movement.
“The better to kill him with,” She spat in a bloody murderous tone. It’s a good thing he’s a fast runner. The brief minute of silence stood intense. The next minute, Neil tried to escape through the tiny window. I would even have trouble fitting through that window. In the end, Neil got stuck, half way in. His ass was dangling out from the window from where I could see, while his head was facing the outside. Oh, this will kill the people who pass by here. Video tape it is...!
“At least you can’t get my head like this grandma, right?” He flashed a smile looking into the window. I burst out into laughter and start falling against the wall. Tears of laughter over poured down my eyes. A hard ache spread into my stomach until my loud laughter turned into a soundless one. As I continually soundlessly laughed, my back dragged against the wall until I collapsed into the ground from the deep pain I was feeling in my lungs of not being able to breathe. My cheeks felt numb because it was stretching out too much. Between my blurry vision, I looked above at my grandma’s expression. There wasn’t even one flinch of laughter that showed on her. My grandma tended to have this insanity serial killer look in her. She slowly took one slipper at a time toward the window. Neil, still afraid start reaching out for the grass outside to drag himself away. He probably feared that she’d cut half of his body or stick the knife into his ass or something.
“Not here, but I can come over there,” She plastered a crooked smile. I managed to stop them from speaking for a bit until I ran into my room and opened my suitcase. I quickly set up my grandma and went in and told them to began. I continued to watch the comedy unfolding. Neil’s face begging for mercy and grandma’s look that seemed as if she truly wanted to kill him. After filming, I left and decided to rest. Apparently, it was too tight to pull Neil out the window. We’re going to get someone else around town to help pull Neil out. She said it would be best if we’d go during lunch to search for someone.
I slept on the couch instead of the bed. I had to say the couch was much better than the bed. Luckily, I wouldn’t be sleeping here during the rest of my stay. Apparently, my Grandma’s friend’s daughter had an extra room available. Their home was large. She had a daughter that was two years older than me that was attending a university that was nearby my new school. Her daughter will drive me to me down to my new school every day, if not her, than Neil would take me down...when we find his car.
When I woke up, Neil was still stuck in the window. A couple of people that knew my grandma came by to give her stuff and greet me. Many of them turned the other way when they saw Neil sticking out the window, waving at strangers. Grandma put a dining cloth over him afterwards saying he was scaring people. He thought it was an executors head cover. He cried out and pleaded to strangers to help him and said that the grandma is mind sick. He may be right about the mind sick part. Yes, I videotaped that too.
Afterwards, grandma instructed me to go find a man named Tom Heathway to help get Neil out of the window. That name sounds oddly familiar. She told me that he was located at the town center, where the shops were and he was a very muscular man with a tattoo on his arm of a pony. She said I couldn’t miss him. What kind of man has a tattoo of a pony!? Right before my grandma could check up on me, I changed into one of my favorite shirts. Guess what color it was? Red. I demand freedom of color! Couldn’t the werewolf pick some other color-I don’t know-like-say, a shade of yellow and brown mixed together...?
I strolled down the town, wearing a red crop top and holding a basket in my hand for the sake of mocking the towns people of the story little red riding hood. Somebody has to start a revolution! I received some nasty stares, they received some back. Grandma was right, you couldn’t miss him. I walked inside the shop. His tattoo was definitely not a pony...it was some mad horse lit on fire that looked like it could kill you in a second.
“Can I help you?” His eyes lowered to the color on my shirt. The man had a husky voice, sharp black hair and regular brown eyes. He seemed to be mid thirties, very young looking, clear skinned and attractive for his age.
“Uh...” I began as I lifted my own focus off the tattoo “My grandma, Maria said that you could help us with a little incident that happened with my cousin...and the window.” He shifted his weight on one side and raised an eyebrow.
“Rienne?” He doubly blinked. Did my grandma mention me to others.
“That’s my name,” I admitted.
“You’ve grown up!” He stretched out a smile, and pulled me into a hug that stopped the process of breathing “I remember you being five years old. I can’t believe you’re a teenager!” I breathed heavily in and out at the release.
“You don’t remember me,” he frowned.
“No...” I apologetically smiled.
“I was nineteen at that time. Do you remember someone you would cling on to and make them dress as a princess?” He refreshed. Oh... OH! OH...SHIT! If there was such thing as a werewolf, I’d so be dead right now because my cheeks were lighting up ten different shades of red. I attempted to shake my head to get rid of the embarrassing memories.
“So you do remember!” he chuckled. Sadly, yes...
“No,” I whispered and glanced down at my converse shoes “No, I don’t remember.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, you were cute as a kid,” He kindly smiled.
“Um...Okay,” I took another breath in and out and faced him face to face “About my cousin.”
“You’re seventeen, correct...? What’s your boyfriends name?” He interrupted.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,”
“I won’t tell your grandma,”
“I really don’t,”
“I can keep a secret,”
“But I don’t,”
“What, does he do drugs?”
“NO! I don’t have a boyfriend!”
“Alright, you can tell me when you want,”
“But I do–forget it... We need help to get my cousin out a situation,”
“Let me guess, he got stuck out the window,”
“How did you know?”
“I heard there was half a body sticking out the window. Only Maria can get someone afraid enough to try to jump out the window. If it’s not Maria, it’s the wolf,” He sighs. You’ve got to be kidding me. He believes in the wolf myths too? He leaned against the shop wall with a smirk on his face.
“You don’t believe in the village’s myth,” He stated. Who would...? I shrugged and he looked at me with careful eyes, nodding his head back and forth in disappointment.
“Rie, even if you don’t believe in the myth, at least don’t wear the color red. It’ll cause trouble for you. It’s already caused trouble for my daughter. The color red is hated more by the villagers than the wolf. The wolf doesn’t notice until it sees you. If it sees you in red, you could be killed,” He whispered quietly. I crossed my arm and gave a skeptical expression.
“I dare it,” I snickered.
“We found a body bit in half, a couple of weeks ago because the girl wore red. If you don’t mind seeing gruesome images, I can show it to you for proof. Rie, don’t wear red. Listen to your grandma,” He leaned into the counter with focused eyes meeting mine. Okay... Maybe there was a serial killer on the loose that has an obsession with werewolves. That was something to be worried about but an actual werewolf? I doubt it.
The door chimed open. I looked over my shoulder and saw an ashy blond baby faced girl coming in, her big blue eyes met first Tom and then strolled onto me, quickly looking away. Over her shoulders was a thin crimson red cardigan. I’m glad she decided to join in my revolution. News travels fast here...
“Veronica, you shouldn’t leave the house,” Tom strictly reminded her. Why...? Don’t I know a girl named Veronica?
“I know but I don’t plan to stay inside forever. Mom said to come back home for lunch,” Veronica said with shifty eyes that would drag back on to me. There was slight curiosity showing through her expression. This may be the only place where people are curious about the color of your shirt. As much as I liked the color red, I also hated attention.
“I have something to do during Lunch. Rienne’s cousin got stuck in the window,” Tom explained. She turned her head at me with a frail smile “You’re grandma scared him...?”
“Big time,” I smiled back.
“Rienne, why don’t you take over the shop with Veronica while I go get your cousin out,” Tom suggested. I and Veronica exchanged looks. She nodded her head that she wouldn’t mind. I told Tom I would and he left the shop, leaving the two of us behind the counter. Veronica appeared as if she was younger than me but not by much. She was fairly tall. The first few seconds was awkward silence.
“I didn’t really want to ask...but, why are you wearing red?” She arches an eyebrow.
“It’s my favourite color,” I plainly responded and looked over her cardigan “How about you?” I was hoping to hear that she wanted to start revolution too. She pressed her lips together looking the other way.
“Why do you think I wear it?” She mutters. She was the werewolf’s lover? It didn’t even exist.
“Because you felt like it,” I decided. She looked at me in disbelieve.
“Listen, I don’t believe in this crazy myth. Even if I did, there’s no reason to shun a person because of it,” I admitted with the hint of my anger breaking out of my lips. This was no different than a high school bullying. I’ve dealt with my share of bullies. They’ve tried to bully me before but couldn’t affect me when I wouldn’t fall for their traps, had tight friends and would use dirty tricks to get them to stop. Black mailing usually worked out very well for me.
Veronica raised her head and faintly smiled “I agree but...are you going to keep wearing red?”
“Why...? There can’t be two girls wearing the same color?” I smirked.
“You’re putting yourself in danger,” She forewarned.
“That’s fine... An actual wolf won’t attack me. I walked up to a lion and bear before and they did nothing to me, but as soon as they see another person they go wild,” I assured her. She tried to fight a smile but the joy in her showed through. Her smile appeared gentle and hardly seen by others. I and Veronica talked for awhile and it turned out she was fifteen. She was two years younger than me. In between our conversations she’d always point out that the wolf shouldn’t be underestimated. Honestly, bring it on wolf boy. I doubt it’s real. If people told me there was a serial killer than I’d throw everything red in my suitcase out. After an hour, Tom came back and I decided to head back to grandma’s house and see if Neil was out. I offered Veronica to come but as soon as she heard my grandma was there she said she had to something else. My grandma truly did scare others.
Neil’s ass was out of the window but now beaten by a broom that my grandma was holding onto. We ate lunch after Neil got beaten up. Neil was instructed by my grandma to take me to the place I’ll be staying after tomorrow. Neil himself didn’t know the location. All we were told that we had to walk up and then follow to the right until I saw a house as big as my own in the city.
We dragged her feet on the way there and then arrived. It was easily recognizable, because it was the largest house around. We continued to walk down the dirt path but stopped when a car came from the opposite direction we were came up and parked near the house. It was a pure black car, in a brand I couldn’t remember. It didn’t look expensively rich but well enough that it made me want to drive. It loudly honked.
The front door of the house opened up, as a blond girl rushed to climb down the stairs that lead after the front door. Instantly, Neil had his eyes glued on to her. I elbowed him on the shoulder and gave me a quick nasty look.
“You’re no better,” Neil accused.
“Yea... I am,” I scoffed and turned to look ahead and then saw the driver come out. The moment I turned to look at him, the moment our eyes met. His eyes narrowed at me like sharp daggers. Correction, he’s eyes glanced down at my chest-or more so-at the color red.
“I’m starting to hate him,” I whispered.
“Just yesterday you were drooling over him,” Neil reminded.
“No I wasn’t, do you see the way he’s looking at me?”
“Everybody looks at you like that,”
“No they don’t,”
“Everybody here does,”
“They really hate the color red,”
“No...” Neil sighed, tossing his head to me “I think it’s you.” I rolled my eyes and then watched the blond girl give the driver a hug for a greeting. Oh, he was dating someone? Then the blond turned her head to catch what he was looking at-me. I awkwardly glanced away and then felt a hard tug over my wrist from Neil. Neil dragged me toward them until the four of us faced each other.
“Hi...” I lowered my head to stare at my shoes.
“Hey, you must be Rienne, right?” The blond girl asked “I’m Sirius.” I dared to look up at the gorgeous girl and have the other guy’s eyes create a hole at the side of my head. Sirius’s hair was in wavy curls with her bangs clipped at the top of top side of her head. Her eyes were a warm brown, slightly tanned and fairly tall.
“Yea, I am,” I faintly smiled and glanced over at Neil who seemed to be dying for me to introduce. Although, he said he was my boyfriend and so...
“This is my boyfriend, Neil,” I spread a bigger smile and then grabbed hold of Neil’s hand. I squeezed his hand to the point I cut off the blood to his fingers. As I turned to Neil I found his anger showing through his expression. Pay back is a bitch isn’t it?
“Oh... Boyfriend...? I thought you came with your cousin,” Sirius spoke confused. Busted...
“I am her cousin,” Neil blurt out. The two strangers suddenly became quiet. Sirius' glossy pink lips curved into a small smile, faded. Oh no... They thought...
“No, we’re not blood related, and no we are not dating or anything. This is just payback for something he did to me,” I explained. Awkward... The male beside her chuckled at my reply as if it was something amusing. By mistake, I swap my attention toward him.
“I doubt you were a couple,” he admitted. He knew...?
“You know each other?” Sirius asked.
“No,” He flatly said “Trent found her with his pet, and I followed. Trent was checking her out, and that’s the reason her cousin said they were dating.” He looked at Sirius with a kind smile, undoubtedly very close to her. Ah, they must be going out. Wait, Trent was actually checking me out?
“He was checking me out?” I spoke out what I processed, interrupting the guy’s moment with Sirius. They can be lovey dovey anytime they want, just not in front of me. I’ll probably have to see more of him if I’m staying here with Sirius.
“I told you,” Neil snickered.
“Well, you look attractive Rienne. Don’t be surprised, I bet even my boyfriend here checked you out,” Sirius laughed out.
“No,” Her boyfriend was flat on direct. Did he just call me ugly?
“You better not be calling me ugly,” I warned. He glanced at me, up and down with a smirk over his face. I didn’t mean for him to check me out!
“Talk to me when you grow up, and then maybe I’ll look at you,” He scoffed. You think I could get kicked out of the village if I attempt to beat up a man? Would the wolf come after me if I bathed myself in this guy’s red? I shrugged off the homicidal thoughts and just angrily stared.
“I’m seventeen,” I dryly said.
“I meant your body grows up,” He chuckled.
“Diarmid!” Sirius yelled, pushing him at the side.
“Sorry,” Diarmid instantly apologized. Oh, so he was that type of guy?
“Don’t talk to my cousin like that again,” Neil warned.
“Then tell her not to wear red,” Diarmid suggested.
“She can where whatever the fuck she wants,” Neil sniped. I could hug him right now. Neil all the sudden moved closer to him and I felt the heat growing stronger between them. A fight was already cooking up and I didn’t like it. They were leaving me out of the fight.
“Guys, no fighting,” Sirius instructed and then she met my eyes “Rienne, it’s dangerous to wear red here.” A silence had followed and their eyes followed to me. I felt like breaking out into a lecture or some kind of motivational speech about how important it was for me to wear red. Okay, maybe not so important. If I actually believed in these stories, than I would never wear red around here. If people continually accused a fictional wolf, and not even consider it was a serial killer, then I’ll wear red as long as I like. Veronica was getting shunned by it. Somebody needs to help her out.
“Yes, I know... Red is forbidden. Red is the marking of the werewolf’s lover. If you’re not the lover, you’re going to die. I dare it to try to lay a paw on me. The wolf can meet my foot,” I blurt out.
“I have to agree, but still. Last person did die,” Sirius bit her lip.
“Even if you don’t believe it’s a wolf. It’s still could get you killed,” Diarmid attempted to convince.
“But the red lover thing is insane! Veronica is getting looked down on it for. That isn’t fair to her,” I protested “Besides, let’s say the wolf was real. IF it was real... I would not let a murderous wolf near my friend.”
“Oh no... You got her to speak heroic. Things go bad when she peaks heroic,” Neil sighed.
“How bad...?” Diarmid chuckled.
“She got expelled from her school,” Neil explained, all the sudden buddy, buddy with Diarmid. Boys are so weird...
“What did you do?” Sirius asked.
“I beat up a couple of rich guys because they were touching my friends in private spots,” I defended my reason “Seems like to me that wolf is no different...”
“True,” Sirius shrugged as Diarmid smirked.
“So, you’re staying here after the weekend?” Sirius asked.
“That’s the plan,” I admit ted “Unless, you don’t want me around...”
“No, it’ll be nice to have another girl around,” She said.
“Guess, I’ll be seeing you more often,” Diarmid said in disappointment.
“Sorry, you’re not my type,” I sucked in air and Neil laughed at my remark. This is the most quietest he has been during a conversation. Usually, he’d be the one doing most of the talking. I was more pleased when Diarmid’s smirk was wiped off his face.
“I and Diarmid was about to go to town at a fast food restaurant. You want to come?” Sirius suggested. And be in the middle of the two lover birds? I don’t think so.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t think Diarmid wants me there because he’ll be attempted to have an affair,” I sarcastically spoke. Sirius surprisingly took it the way she was supposed to take it. There were these type of girls that anything that sounded as if I was interested in who they were dating, would eat me up alive.
“Good point,” Sirius laughed “I’ll see you sometime later.” Diarmid caught hold of Sirius hand as he led her into his car. They seemed like a happy couple. Sirius was the type of girl that lowered my self-esteem. She was gorgeous, had a boyfriend who seemed like he actually cared for her and she had a good personality. I, well I wasn’t as pretty as her. Nor did I have a boyfriend and not the best personality considering I had my issues. Even so, I’m okay with who I am. I am who I am, after all.