[43] They're Weird, Rude, Confusing, And Clingy. Not To Mention They're Werewolves

[43]-

I knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.

Chase Cane has not been to school since Valentine’s Day, nor have I talked to him. The bad thing about this: it was already February 28th; two weeks. He hasn’t answered his phone, been to school, been on Facebook, and nothing of the sorts. Anytime I ask the Pack, they don’t know anything. I don’t pressure the answer because maybe it’s some pack secrecy, but the only reason I’m at his house is to drop off this class work and to see if he’s okay or something. Moments later, Carina opened the door.

“Hey, Alicia?” she greeted.

“Where’s Chase? I have some school work for him,” I replied.

“What subject?” she asked.

“Science,” I answered. Surprisingly, the only class I was asked to give him something. I guess Wes got his other work or something? Or maybe the other guys? After all, I was his science partner, so this was the only direct academic connection between us.

“Ah…thought so; he finished all of his other work,” she nodded.

“Two weeks of work?” I asked, doubtfully. “he hasn’t even been at school…”

“And that is why computers make the world go round,” Carina sang. And then it clicked.

“Why are you stalling?” I asked. I saw her eyes flicker and knew that was her ‘tell’. “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s not here,” she said, quickly.

“Chase, not Grayson,” I elaborated.

“He’s not here either; none of them are,” she insisted. I narrowed my eyes and then shrugged.

“Well then can you give this to him? It’s due on like Friday,” I said, transferring the materials. When it was in her hands, I bumped her out of the way to dash into her house and up the stairs to Chase’s room. The first thing I noticed was that he wasn’t there and then I noticed that his room was…decent. There was something missing; clothes weren’t on the floor. Carina arrived behind me.

“Where’s your brother?” I asked, curiously.

“Not here,” she answered. I narrowed my eyes.

“Exact location.”

“They said I couldn’t tell you! I’m really sorry! I really wanted to tell you!” she suddenly rambled in a guilty cry.

“Tell me what?”

“Chase and Dane left,” she informed.

“Left?” I choked out. They…left? “Where?”

“You wouldn’t know where,” she assumed. “But yeah, they packed up and left. I don’t know how long they’ll be gone, but hopefully not for very much longer—”

Her sentence was cut off when I left the room, trotted down the stairs, and down the street.

The h3ll was this?! He just left?! To where?! And he didn’t even tell me after we had that day on Valentine’s…

I called Wes.

“Hello?” he greeted.

“Why didn’t you tell me that he left?!” I yelled.

“Who—oh. Well you didn’t ask.” Somehow I knew he was shrugging on the other end of the line, acting as if this was nothing.

“Yeah. I did. I asked where he was after a couple of days,” I recalled.

“Well maybe if you asked me every day, I would’ve eventually told you,” he responded.

“Or you could’ve had the integrity to just tell me,” I suggested.

“I didn’t know that you cared,” he informed.

“Of course I care. After—”

“After what? You think you were gonna be important to him after he used you for that one day? Yeah right,” Wes spat. Was he mad? “He didn’t tell you for a reason and we weren’t allowed to tell you, so stop throwing a fit.”

“Um is it me, or are you just pissed and inconsiderate?”

“You try running a two dozen size pack of werewolves on short notice and then have to keep an eye on a new wolf by yourself. You’d be pissed too!” he yelled. He sighed and apologized before hanging up. So Chase and Dane left Wes in charge as being the Beta wolf, on short notice meaning they didn’t tell them any earlier. But there was a new werewolf? Maybe he had something to do with it…but I doubt it.

***

“You are very cute,” someone commented on Tuesday morning. I turned around and saw a tall boy with beautiful brown eyes, short black hair, and a cute smile. Wow. He was cute…

“Thank you?” I replied, shutting my locker.

“I’m Jackson,” he greeted. “And you are…?”

“Off to class,” I laughed. “Might as well go find some other prey to stalk.”

“You say that as if I’m a vampire or something,” he snorted.

“You aren’t, right?” I asked.

“Ew. Of course not,” he rambled.

“Good,” I laughed. Considering my “nice side” got me kidnapped first, I’d be more cautious. Maybe this guy wasn’t a vampire…or even a werewolf. Maybe he was a normal and simple human with no knowledge of mythical creatures.

“You don’t believe in that vampires…werewolves…witches/warlocks…mythical creatures being real thing, do you?”

“Of course not,” I said in an unreadable tone. It was sarcastic, yet honest in any way so that whatever he wanted to hear would be heard. “So, Jackson, what are you doing here?”

“Well considering that this is a school, I’m gonna answer that with ‘because I go here’,” he laughed.

“Since when?” I asked, suspiciously.

“Um today actually,” he beamed.

“Oh. So you think you can just waltz up to me and start talking?” I asked, amused.

“Well I called you cute,” he reminded.

“True…” I laughed. I watched as Wes hesitantly walked by. I grabbed his arm. “Hey.”

“What?” he asked. He glanced to Jackson and then shifted positions.

“I’m sorry about last night,” I apologized.

“Forget it,” he shook his head. His hair landed in his eyes. He gave Jackson another look before leaving. I sighed and watched him leave.

“Sorry about that,” I said to Jackson.

“So what happened last night?” he asked with a suggestive look. I playfully rolled my eyes.

“Nothing of a stranger’s concern,” I assured before the bell rang.

“Well then when I’m not a stranger, you can tell me anything,” he smiled.

Somehow I had a feeling that maybe Jackson Scott and I would be good friends; to break me away from werewolf drama. Finally a normal boy. But there was still the werewolves in mind…especially when I saw an intriguing scene on my way to lunch after stopping at my locker.

Jackson was walking down the hall, talking to a couple of his friends when suddenly Wes collided shoulders with him.

“Wes—” One of Jackson’s new friends started.

“Leave,” Wes growled. The two boys left. Wes grabbed Jackson and slammed him into the locker. Jackson smirked back at him as they stood at nearly the same height. What the h3ll is this about?! Sure, they knew each other because we all had the same first period and maybe they had another class, but why was Wes so mad at him when they hadn’t even interacted?

“You hurt her, and I kill you,” Wes hissed down at him.

And now I know the answer.

“Chill,” Jackson replied, pushing Wes out of the way so he could walk around him. Wes grabbed his arm to spin him around.

“You don’t know who you’re messing with,” Wes said.

“Meaning you or her?” Jackson retorted. They started a stare down. Was Jackson a vampire? No. I knew for a fact that he wasn’t. How? Because I had a vervain bracelet that grazed him today as a test and he didn’t react to it. So then why was Wes hating him?

I didn’t hear Wes’ response because I was focused on walking up to make sure they didn’t fight.

“Hey guys,” I greeted as if I didn’t know anything.

“Hey…”

“Hi,” Jackson smiled. “So I was thinking…”

“Oh no,” I laughed.

“Maybe you and I can go out tonight?” he asked. Was he asking me out?

“Uh…” I stammered.

“Alicia’s a virgin,” Wes blurted. I smacked his shoulder. Why the h3ll was that necessary for him to say that?! “Just so you know.”

“Ugh,” I commented.

“Nah. It’s fine,” Jackson smirked faintly. He looked to me. “I like girls who wait anyways.”

Aw. I was about to oblige to his request as Wes rolled his eyes, but then he walked off and Jackson’s phone rang.

“Hello?” he answered. “What are you doing at home? Oh…Um sure. I guess I sort of have to now…what else would I want to be doing on a school night? Right…Fine…I’m not…It’s just—forget it…Yeah. I’ll be there…Love you too…Bye.”

“Girlfriend?” I asked.

“Actually no,” he answered. “But she sure as h3ll acts like she’s one.”

I rose an eyebrow.

“My twin sister,” he clarified.

“That’s cool. So why haven’t I seen her around?” I asked. I think sets of twins are cool.

“Let’s just say that she got…obsessively attached and sh!t happened, so now she goes to an a special school downtown,” he explained. Obsessively attached? Weird. “But currently, she’s ‘sick’ at home right now and instead of going on a date with you, I’m at home with her since our dad is on a business trip.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Nah. It’s okay,” he shrugged. “Um. How about we switch numbers and I can call you if I get relieved of duty?”

“Sure,” I laughed. We switched numbers and carried off our day. We ate lunch off campus and shared last period. Hours after school ended, he texted me.

Jackson: Hey

Me: Fancy talking to u again

Jackson: Nerd

Me: ?

Jackson: Only nerds would greet someone like that

Me: Eh.

Jackson: :P

Me: Was there a point in u txting me? Lol

Jackson: Oh right…

Jackson: Do you wanna go to the park with me?

Me: When?

Jackson: R u busy right now?

Me: Nope

Jackson: Yes u r. Cuz now we hav a date

Me: Oh do we now (: ?

Jackson: Of course.

And thus, it resulted in our date being attended at the park at seven o’clock at night.

“So how’d it go with your sister?” I asked as we walked along the trail, holding hands casually.

“Well she’s not ‘sick’, but now she’s grounded,” he informed. I laughed once.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that she hates her new school and wanted an excuse to be at home, but she didn’t think about the unexpected return of our dad, so now she’s grounded for skipping,” he explained. “Freedom for me.”

“Haha of course,” I laughed. He stopped walking and then wrapped his arms around my waist.

“But I’m with you now, so my sister doesn’t even matter,” he whispered. I looked into his brown eyes that flicked with different colors and I started to think of Chase’s gorgeous eyes. And then I heard his voice.

“What. The. H3ll?!” Chase’s voice roared. I turned my head to see Chase walking up; His fists were clenched. He ripped Jackson and I apart.

“What are you doing here?!” I yelled at him, angered.

“Maybe I should be asking you that,” he retorted. He glanced to Jackson. “The h3ll.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Jackson replied, sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and grabbed Jackson’s hand to tow him off.

“Wait,” Chase called. I reluctantly stopped. He appeared in front of me. “You are not seriously going out with him. After Valentine’s day—”

“I realized that you’re nothing but a jerk,” I finished. “You played me that entire day.”

He stayed quiet cuz he knew I was right and then I towed Jackson away. Thank God Chase didn’t follow.

“What was that about?” Jackson asked once we were far enough away. I don’t even care about Chase’s super werewolf hearing.

“It’s a long story,” I whined. He took me in a hug.

“I don’t care about anyone that’s your ex boyfriend, or jealous friend, or whatever sh!t,” he whispered. “All I care about is the fact that you can trust me and I’m really starting to like you a lot.”

I looked up at him. And his mirrored look was like he would kiss me. To my surprise, the only place where his lips touched was my cheek. Yup. Jackson Scott was a keeper.

***

“It makes me feel lame that everyone, but me was out of this house tonight,” Zoey commented as we were all in the living room at eleven o’clock.

“You could’ve gone out with Micah,” Mom suggested.

“He’s sick,” she commented.

“Not our problem,” I shrugged.

“Yeah it is,” she insisted. “Cuz you had a date and you had…whatever you were at.”

“I was on a date—”

“A date?” Zoey and I asked our mother.

“Yes. The thing which requires two people to casually have fun and get to know each other,” our mom clarified.

“You’re dating?” Zoey asked. She nodded. Wow…

“OMG! Who is he!? How long have you known him?! This is so—”

“Weird,” I interrupted his rant. She’s never dated anyone other than dad. I didn’t want her to…

“His name is Collin,” my mom informed as she and Zoey sat on the couch. I trudged my way to the stairs as they talked about him. When I reached my room, I looked at the family picture with me, Zoey, Mom, and Dad. Sure, I wanted my mom and everyone to get over Dad’s death, but I didn’t mean replace him after ten years…or at all. I really hope this Collin guy isn’t serious with my mom.