by E. C. Newman
He jumped back.
“I’m not stupid.”
He blinked, sniffed once and then did a real good impression of a sad dog. “You’re angry.”
“Not a bit. What made you think that?” I breezed past him. “Have fun tonight.”
As I got out to the hall, I felt bad. It wasn’t his fault I wasn’t special enough to hang out with them. I turned around to go back and apologize, but the hall was so crowded I wasn’t sure I’d be on time for third period.
I thought the day would get better. But with a mediocre homework grade in two classes and Jules being quiet, the day getting better was unlikely. At lunch, she kept digging in her bag, pulling out stuff.
“What’s wrong?” I asked at her wrinkled-up nose.
“Something stinks.”
I leaned over and sniffed her bag. “Smells like nail polish.”
She dug her hand in and took out a bottle of bright red nail polish. “This yours?”
I held up my hands. “Do I look like the type of girl who paints her nails bright red?”
She chuckled. “Maybe it’s Naomi’s. I wonder if she threw it into the wrong bag.” She shoved her hand in deeper. “Crap.” When she pulled out her hand, it was red.
“It spilled?” I asked stupidly.
“I really don’t like her.” Jules grabbed her napkins and started wiping out the inside of her bag.
“Maybe she has some fingernail polish remover at home.”
“Awesome.” Jules shook out her sticky red hand, and then smiled at me. “I look like Lady Macbeth.”
I laughed, feeling better.
* * *
I headed to Jules’s locker after school, where an argument was starting.
Naomi shouted at Jules, “How could you?” She sounded teary. “This is so mean.”
Micah, Aidan, Nick, and Ezra rushed past me. Gil stopped. “Hey, Sophie.” He grinned.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I have no clue.”
Closer, I could see that Naomi held something red and small. It was the wolf figurine I’d given Jules, but appeared like it had been dipped in red paint, looking like blood. I gasped.
“Look, her bag is covered with it,” Naomi cried.
Micah grabbed Jules’s bag from her while I joined the group.
Jules seethed. “I didn’t do anything, you brat,” she snarled.
“This is yours, isn’t it?” Naomi asked, shoving the figurine in Jules’s face.
Jules snapped at Naomi, almost like she wanted to bite her. Ezra stepped in front of his sister. I smelled the nail polish.
“Jules doesn’t even wear nail polish,” I said. “That’s probably Naomi’s.”
The whole pack looked at me like I was an anomaly. Like I didn’t belong.
“She stole it from me.” Naomi wiped her eyes.
A bloody wolf. A shiver ran down my spine. I glanced at Jules and for just a second, doubted. But it didn’t seem possible. Jules had just shown me the nail polish as if she had no clue it was there. What was I thinking? Jules would never do that.
Micah shoved the bag back at Jules. “Juliet, this is serious.”
“I didn’t do it. Someone would have had to get it from my locker, which is locked.”
“Does anyone else know the combination?” Nick asked.
“I do,” I said. “I’ve seen her do it so many times.”
Micah glowered.
“I’m just saying, anyone could have done it. It’s not like anyone is supercovert about hiding it.”
Again they all peered at me strangely, Micah with narrowed eyes.
“You hate me so much. I’ve never done anything to you.” Naomi continued to sniffle.
“Mic,” Ezra said, “still humans around.”
True, a few students were still milling about. I caught the eyes of Summer over by her locker. She glared at me, and I dropped my gaze.
“We’ll talk about this tonight.” Micah grabbed the wolf from Naomi and sniffed it, his nose wrinkling. “The polish is too strong to indicate who did it.” He tossed it into his bag. “Head straight for the house. Now. And that doesn’t include you, Sophie.”
The same hurt I’d felt earlier came back in full force. I scowled. “Thank you for spelling it out.”
Micah continued on his way with Aidan following. Jules was still glowering at Naomi.
“Naomi, go ride with Micah, all right?” Ezra said softly. “I don’t want to deal with the two of you in the same car.”
“Whatever. You like her better.” Naomi ran to catch up with the boys.
Ezra sighed deeply and rubbed his face. “We’d better go. Wanna ride, Nick?”
Nick nodded. “Come on.” He took Jules’s arm.
She wrenched away from him. “I’m fine.” She met my gaze. “I’ll call you later.”
I nodded.
Jules and Nick walked toward the outside doors. It was quiet in the hall. Everyone had gone home or to whatever extracurricular activity they had.
Except for Ezra, who said, “You’d better head home.”
“What is going on?” I asked, bewildered. “I mean, you can’t believe that Jules would do something like that.”
“I don’t. But it is something to be worried about. Wolves make people think. Even something little can be…” Ezra ran a hand through messy hair. “Anyway, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s just a weird thing. Naomi has girls who hate her guts.”
“Why?”
Ezra snorted. “Um, ’cause that’s what girls do?”
I frowned at him. “Nice… Um, sorry about snapping at you earlier.”
He grinned. “It’s cool. Don’t see you angry all that much. It’s entertaining.”
I glared at him.
“Or not.” He chuckled. “Go home, human.”
“Don’t let Micah bully Jules,” I said.
Ezra grinned bigger and started walking next to me. “I think Jules can hold her own.” He sounded…admiring.
I eyed him. Did he like Jules? Like, really like her? Didn’t suppose anything could be worse than that.
“Yeah. Anyway, you better go.” I slowed, wanting to be alone.
He turned but kept moving, walking backward to face me while talking. “Don’t worry so much,” he said. “See ya tomorrow.”
I waved halfheartedly as he spun back around and jogged out into the fall air.
* * *
Jules didn’t call me that night, but e-mailed me a brief note.
No one really believes Naomi, but nobody knows who could have done it. They’re thinking a human. Maybe Summer? She has it in for me. But why a wolf?
Even I have to admit that the wolf looked creepy.
J
I closed the window on my computer and opened up my Pre-Cal book. I remembered the bloody wolf and shuddered. Definitely creepy.
School the next day was unremarkable. Jules didn’t go into details about the night before. Ezra and the rest of them seemed quiet, which really wasn’t a big change from normal.
“Do you have Show Choir after school?” Jules asked me at lunch.
“Yeah. For a little bit.”
“Wanna come over? After, I mean.” She looked surreptitiously at Connie and Nicole who were discussing if the Disney channel guy was hotter than the guy from that vampire movie.
“I can’t.”
”Why not?”
“After you snuck out…I can’t hang out after school with you for a few days.”
“Oh. Jeez, they’re strict.”
I nodded, but I kind of agreed with them. Jules had totally snuck out and used me as an accessory to her crime. “You didn’t get into trouble?” I asked.
“I did, I just figured I could sneak out again.” She sighed heavily. “Maybe this weekend?”
* * *
Mom and Dad let me go over after Sunday dinner because I was good and asked. I drove out as soon as the last dish was washed and dried. I could drive to the Vardens in my sleep these days.
I arrived to find only Meredith at the house. “Pack run?” I asked.
She nodded. “Come in though. They’ve been gone almost an hour. Should be back soon.” She went to sit on the living room sofa. An open book rested on the nearby coffee table. “How have you been?”
“OK. Just school and everything.” I sat on the armchair. “I’m sorry.”
“About?”
“The stuff with Naomi and Jules.”
Her eyes clouded over. “Yes, I suppose it’s normal enough. I always wanted another girl. It’ll work out. Just an adjustment.” She smiled, but her eyes were exhausted.
“Yeah. I’ll go wait for them outside on the deck, OK?”
She nodded again, and I went out through the sliding doors and shut them behind me. I walked to the railing and breathed deeply. I loved fall—the colors, the clean smell of the air, the sweaters and scarves I got to wear.
I heard rustling in front of me, but couldn’t see anything through the trees. I saw a flash of black fur pass through the woods, then disappear.
“Hello?” I called.
A head popped out from behind a tree.
“Hey, Gil.”
“Hey, Sophie.” He jogged up to the steps.
“You’re the first one back,” I told him.
He wiped his brow. He wore jeans and was slipping on a shirt as he stood by me. No shoes.
I was kinda getting used to it. “Where are the others?”
Next to me on the deck, he wrapped his hands around the railing. “Dunno. It was just a run. It’s to keep our skills sharp. That’s what Micah says.” He scoffed. “Thinks he runs the world.”
“Just the pack.” I smiled warmly at him.
He smiled back. “Just here hanging out?”
“Jules asked me to come.”
He nodded, accepting that.
But for some reason, I felt like continuing. “I feel weird when I’m at home. Like if I’m gone, I’ll miss something important. And also, I feel wrong not telling my parents. Not that I would, but I don’t usually keep stuff from them. I’m lame like that.”
“You’re not lame. You’re cool,” he said, eyes never leaving my face. “Choosing to hang out with us.”
“Well, y’all are cool.”
He blushed.
“How’s the band?”
“Good. Hoping to cut a demo soon. Just to see what it sounds like on playback.”
“Awesome. I really hope you get to do that. Be a rock star. Go tour the world. Have millions of fans. That’d be fun.”
He bumped shoulders with me. “Yeah.” His eyes were still on me.
I looked back out toward the woods, all of a sudden nervous. “Are you just faster than the rest of them? I don’t see anyone. Not that I can see all that well until the leaves have all fallen, but even then, I can usually make out flashes of fur amongst the foliage.” I shut myself up. I was babbling.
He didn’t say anything.
I dared to look back over at him. Was his face closer than it was before?
“Sophie. You are the coolest girl I’ve ever met. Human or shifter.” His eyes shone, the odd color of them warming into gold.
“Uh, Gil?”
I supposed if I’d been a bit more experienced, I would have known what was coming. But I wasn’t so I didn’t. Know.
Gil Reade kissed me.
Chapter Thirteen
His lips pressed against mine hard and awkwardly. Surprised, I didn’t pull away immediately. I’d never been kissed before.
Gil must have taken that as a good sign because he pushed his tongue in my mouth.
I jumped away. “What, um, no, no, no. Uh…I like you Gil, but not…”
His eyes opened, the glow gone. I heard laughter. As if on cue, both Gil and I looked beyond the deck to see the rest of the pack. Aidan was doing most of the laughing, but so were Micah and Nick. Naomi covered her mouth, but the shaking of her shoulders showed that she too, was laughing.
Jules watched both of us, visibly confused.
And Ezra… I couldn’t read Ezra. His face was blank, but his hands were balled up into fists.
“Nicely done, pup!” Aidan called and wolf-whistled.
Gil turned beet red and jumped on the railing on the side of the deck, then down to the ground. He took off running.
“Gil!” I called, feeling all kinds of awful. I ran to where he’d jumped off. He was gone. Disappeared into the woods.
The rest of them started walking up to the deck.
“Looks like Sophie likes the taste of wolf.” Aidan winked at me.
“No, it wasn’t…” I tried to explain.
Micah shook his head, grinning. He slung an arm around Nick’s shoulders. The three of them entered the house.
“You like some wolf groupie now?” Naomi asked snidely, following the guys in.
Jules was behind her.
“Jules, I didn’t…” I reached out to grab her arm. “I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me.” My words were really for Ezra. Not that I believed he cared. But I had to let him know. He didn’t even look at me as he passed us and went into the house.
“You OK?” Jules asked. “I didn’t know you liked Gil.”
“I don’t. Not like that. I think he’s a sweet kid.” I covered my face with my hands. My cheeks were hot. I must have been the color of an eggplant. “He just…kissed me.” I dropped my hands.
Jules patted my back. I took a deep breath. She smelled like the trees.
“It did look like you weren’t into it,” she said.
“I feel awful. I didn’t mean to lead him on.”
“Sophie.” She ducked her head so we were eye to eye. “He’s a boy. You were nice to him. Of course he likes you. You’re very likable.”
I shook my head. “And now he’s humiliated… My first kiss.” I rested my head on her shoulder.
“That was your first kiss?” She patted my head. “I bet that was a really bad first kiss.”
I groaned and hid my face in her shoulder as she began to laugh.
* * *
I drove in on Monday morning, bleary-eyed from not sleeping soundly. I’d worried about Naomi and Jules, Gil and Ezra, which didn’t make for good rest. So maybe that’s why I didn’t see her pull in front of me.
I ran into Summer’s Miata.
Barely tapped her because the speed limit was 10 MPH in the school lot, and I was one of the few that abided by that to a T. So I nudged her with my bumper.
Didn’t stop her from getting out of her car, yelling at me.
I opened my door. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you… I don’t even think I left a mark.” I got out, too tired to feel as scared as I should have been.
“You are such a dumbass!” She continued her tirade as others started gathering around.
I examined the point of impact. I was right. Not even a scratch. “Summer, I’m really sorry, but there’s nothing there. It was a mistake.” I straightened.
She slapped me in the face before I even registered that she was close enough. It stung, and my eyes filled with tears. Oddly, she didn’t look that mad, but more…smug.
I heard someone yelling and footsteps pounding toward us. Jules shoved Summer out of the way and stood right in front of me, facing Summer. “Don’t you ever touch her,” Jules snarled in near wolf voice.
Not good.
I grabbed her arm to keep her from going after Summer. “No, you’ll get in trouble.”
“She hit you.”
“Yeah.”
Ezra hurried up and also put himself between Summer and us. She was no longer alone. Her friends and a few guys from the football team had joined her.
“Sophie,” he began.
Jules glared at him.
“Hey, calm down,” he said to Jules.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“You’re don’t want to phase by mistake.” His voice was low, but we could both hear him. “I’ll move your car, Sophie.” He jogged to the door while Jules pulled me asi
de and shouted a few things at Summer that I could never repeat to anyone. Summer and her posse left after that.
Then she said, “I saw it. Ezra was driving up when we saw her swerve in front of you. Not your fault.”
My hand was still on my cheek. “I wondered.”
Jules hunkered down so our faces were the same level. “You OK?”
“I’ve had better weeks.”
She smiled. “Wanna go to the office?”
I shook my head. “I’ve been to the office too much already this year.”
She nodded. Ezra came back to where we stood with my backpack and keys.
I took them. “Thanks.”
“Yeah. We need to teach you how to fight.”
Jules smiled. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“No way. I’m a wimp.”
Jules and Ezra walked me into school, with neither of them letting go of the idea.
* * *
I headed to Chemistry later that afternoon, still worried that both Ezra and Jules wanted to teach me to fight. Maybe they were right. I was getting into more fights than ever, even if I didn’t go looking for them.
I saw Gil coming down the hall. With a smile, I walked toward him.
“Gil! Hey…” I maneuvered through the crowd so I was right in front of him.
His eyes didn’t register that he’d seen me, but he sidestepped me with ease. I tapped his shoulder.
He spun, eyes angry. “Leave me alone.” It wasn’t Gil’s voice at all, but some strange angry version of it. Furious. And he stalked off.
Guess he hadn’t gotten over the embarrassment of kissing me.
That in and of itself bummed me out. I liked Gil.
I found my lab table and sat, my heart low. Today sucked in the worst way.
* * *
“I meant to tell you something,” Jules said as we sat down for lunch. These days, Connie and Mary-Beth didn’t even pretend anymore. They avoided us. So we sat at a table on our own. I couldn’t say I really cared at that moment.
“This morning, but you know, got distracted by Evil Redhead.”
