Chapter Six
LOU
I wished I could reach forward and punch him squarely in the face but it will be such a shame to dent such a perfectly built face. I clenched and unclenched my fists to withstand the class and when the bell went off before I could turn around, his arms jammed forth to camp me between the chair and table. “What are you, huh?” he leaned forth to sniff my face. His nose trailed the ridge of my neck and as I pushed him away from me, I could hear him and his friends laughing. He was having fun, teasing me.
I turned towards the door and he followed me. “You better stop following me or…”
“Or, what?” His eyes went dead, and it was almost as if I was seeing some other creature – like the creature I had seen the previous night. There was something about him that just irked my pulse and I wanted to be rid of the feeling. He closed the space between us again and his smile came in full. He must be a maniac, switching emotional roles as quickly as turning on and off a switch. His hand made to touch my hair again, but he stopped. It was almost as if he was forcing himself not to act on the primitive thoughts in his mind.
“I am warning you…” I didn’t know his name.
“Jameson, that’s enough.” Another voice reached us. I looked to my left to see a tall redhead boy. The first thing I noticed was how his jawline was defined. I saw a frown in Jameson’s eyes. It was as if he was staring at the devil himself. He and the other boy stood at the same height and when I saw that their enmity was brewing, that was my cue to walk away.
I slid out of Jameson’s reach and started down the halls but didn’t make it far. “Stay out of my business,” Jameson told the other boy and kept following me. I reached my locker just in time but before I could open it, Jameson’s palms shot forward and slammed it shut.
“What the hell is your problem?” I barked at him. I faced him squarely, ignoring his entire physique and gunning for his insolence. I understand that we had unresolved issues from the previous day, but he needed to stay the hell away from me.
“What are you?” he asks again, his hands still holding my locker shut. “I am not a patient guy, snow white so, answer me when I ask nicely.”
“Or what?” I asked defiantly even though I felt my insides quiver. My mother’s voice rang in my head. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone anything about me, and neither was I allowed to show what I was made of.
“Or…” His drawl intensified as he leaned his face forward until it was about an inch from mine. “Or, I might kiss you.” He said.
My heart plopped with adrenaline and it took a few seconds for me to register what he had just said. I pushed him off, only to realize that he was strong and he stood firmly without budging. I was about to push him again when the boy from earlier appeared and tugged Jameson roughly away from me. Without thinking, a split second later, Jameson’s fist flew forward and caught the other boy in the jaw. With the intensity, I thought it would send the boy flying across the hall but, it only did as much as staggering him a bit.
“That’s just a warning, Chris. Stay the hell away from my business.” Jameson turned to me again, but it was Chris’s turn to retaliate. He held Jameson from touching me and pushed him against the locker. The locker dented immediately and both boys turned it into a struggle.
It wasn’t long until the corridor started to teem with students and onlookers – two wolves were fighting, what could be more interesting than that? I quickly took the books out of my locker and walked briskly away without looking back.
I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling. My mother had put fake luminescent stars on the ceiling to help me sleep but tonight, it wasn’t working. I couldn’t help but question the tingle at the bottom of my belly. What was that feverish feeling that clawed up my spine when Jameson leaned towards me? What did he mean when he threatened to kiss me? What kind of sick joke is that towards a stranger? And what was that warm rush that enveloped me when Chris intervened? Why was I so drawn to both men whom I barely knew?
I ran a hand down my face in frustration and turned to my side. Cassie was not in this room. Ever since we moved to Advania, she decided to have her room for reasons known to herself alone. I tossed and turned before I stood to my feet and went to the room opposite mine, which was Cassie’s room. I knocked on the door twice and when there was no response, I pushed open the door, and to my surprise, it was unlocked.
Unlike my room, hers remained plain. She didn’t put up any decorations because to her, Advania felt temporary. Something also alarmed me; the room was without Cassie. I searched the depth of my pocket to take out my phone as my eyes simultaneously reached the clock on the wall to my left. It was past eleven. It was late.
I quickly shut the door behind me. If mother knew Cassie was not home, she would go berserk. I heard a distant ringing coming from outside her window. I rushed to it and calm washed over me like the loving breath of nature. “What are you doing here?” I said, peering out the window. She was sitting on the ledge and staring out into the distance. The city lights were gone, and all that lay several acres ahead was the silent wooded area that surrounded our home in Advania.
Cassie turned to me with a wry smile. “Second day of school, Lou, and you’ve got two werewolves fighting over you.” She mocked.
“News does travel fast, double D,” I responded and she shook her head, laughing. She tapped the space beside me and I managed to climb out the window to perch on the high ledge beside her. We sat in silence before she turned to me and said, “Before I forget,” she began. “I met the grey wolf.” She said.
“You don’t say…” I mulled.
“How was he? Did he say anything? Did he stalk you and threaten to kiss you?” I had said only to realize it sounded all shades of stupid. Cassie shook her head in disbelief.
“I am not that hormonal, Lou.” She responded. “He only asked me to join their clan.”
My jaw dropped agape.