My Best Friend's Werewolf

18 Don't Make This Awkward

I narrow my eyes, not really sure how I'm feeling. "Fine then. You can't blame me for wondering. Things happen in life to make someone suspicious of everyone."

"Being suspicious causes you to be a threat, and threats get killed."

I face forward quickly, trying to control my breathing. He threatened me. I squeeze my hand into a fist. I'll stay as far as possible from him during whatever this surprise is.

Dark green corduroy curtains are draped across the wooden French doors. I don't wait for Travis to be a gentleman. I open them myself, because he's already not one.

Fairy lights, prepared to take over the setting sun's roll, are strung between trees. On the picnic table candles glow inside of colored mason jars. A fire burns in the fire pit while from somewhere 1940's music is playing, sounding as if it's coming from a phonograph.

Hanna suddenly jumps out in front of me and a light flashes, blinding me before I start to see pink and blue dots streaking across my vision. "Aww. . . Addy, you look so pretty," she gushes.

"Thanks. You do too."

She beams. "Do you like it?" She motions with her arms to the backyard.

"It's beautiful." I'll let locking me in a room for six hours slide. For now.

"I'm so glad. I was worried you wouldn't like it. So first we'll have hot dogs and then smores." She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the fire pit. I can't help smiling. Hanna's quirky but the truth is she's sweet, and I'm lucky she seems to want so bad to be my friend. Picking up a metal stick, she skewers a whitish hot dog. She twirls it around, right in my face. "Here you go."

I take it hesitantly. "I'll probably get food poisoning."

"Nah." Grabbing my hand, she drags me around the edge of the fire. The heat brushes against my legs, and I watch my feet uneasily. She pushes me down on a log, and I have to be sure to angle the skewer upward as I fall so I don't stab my eyes or hers. She taps her foot on the ground. "Travis, get over here."

Travis stands on the other side of the fire behind the log benches. He steps to the side, rubbing the back of his neck.

I put my hotdog in the fire. "You all right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Yo, where is everyone?" Our heads snap up to see Hunter walking along the porch. He pushes himself over the railing and walks toward us. He stiffens suddenly.

"Hunter, what are you doing here?"

"Hanna invited me."

Travis' gaze turns sharply on Hanna. "Is that so?"

"Do you guys want to sit down?" I ask interrupting the conversation.

Hunter's gaze travels to Hanna. "No, we're good."

Umm, boys are weird? Hovering the hotdog over an ember, I tilt my head to the side. "Is this done?" The dog is only slightly darker than it was before I stuck it in the flames.

"Yeah I think so. I mean it shouldn't kill you." Hanna stands and walks to the table, grabbing two buns and an equal number of plates. She faces the boys. "Is somebody afraid of the fire?"

"Pssh, no," Travis says at the same time Hunter runs his hand through his hair. Before we are halfway done, ten people come through the woods behind us. As in the spot right behind mine and Hanna's log. One half are boys while the other half are girls. I don't recognize any of them. I'm not sure if I should classify this under the weird category because of everything else that has happened to me. Not everything can go in the weird category if there is going to be any distinction.

Hunter seems to forget his aversion to fire because he suddenly takes a place at Hanna's side. On the other hand Travis approaches them. Mr. and Mrs. Briar watch with interest from the log they sit on, breaking their conversation.

"What are you doing here?" Travis straightens his back, crossing his arms and looking a black haired boy in the eyes. Black and grey lines travel up past the collar of his white dress shirt which is smeared with dirt and up the right side of his neck. The black lines stop at his cheek. The grey lines continue to his forehead.

"Xavier, sent us to socialize." He turns his eyes on me, and I see his nostrils suck upward, like a sniff. His eyes narrow. I step back and Hanna latches onto my arm, pulling me away from the fire.

Travis crosses his arms. "So nice of him to join us."

The tattooed boy nods once. The rest of the group stares at me.

"Hunter?" I ask quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Is it my imagination or do they look like they want to kill me?"

"It's not. Sorry. . . I mean it is." No, you don't. You know what they look like. You see and feel the vibes they give off of wanting to skin me alive.

"Why do they look that way?" I ask.

"Did you— I said they don't."

"Addy's right." Hanna's grip on me tightens. "I think they should leave."

"They're fine. Just, Addy, stay with Travis."

I snort. "I'm sure he'll like that."

"I'm sure he will." Hanna smiles at me before facing Hunter. "I like this music. Dance with me?"

Hunter's jaw drops. Before he can answer, Hanna grabs his hand and drags him toward a small clearing where more fairy lights are strung. I watch, picking at my hot dog, as Hanna takes the lead. Hunter holds her awkwardly, like he's scared she'll break. Soon two other couples from the odd group join them, and even Hanna's and Travis' parents. I smush the remnants of the bun in my hand, wondering if Travis will ask me. Not that I have any romantic interest in it. Only picking at bread is awkward.

Two more couples start dancing. Travis asks the only remaining girl to be his partner. I stink at dancing anyway. I sink down onto the log, staring at the flames, trying to ignore the laughing and doe-eyed looks to my right.

"Are you all right?"

I look up quickly, finding the guy with the tattoos standing over me. "Oh, yeah. Just relaxing."

He gives me a not buying it look. "I was wondering if this lovely girl wanted to dance."

"Who?" I blush. "You mean me, don't you?"

He nods, holding out his hand. I accept it, and he pulls me to my feet and guides me to the small clearing.

"So how does this work?" I glance around at everyone else.

He takes both of my hands and places them on his shoulders, before placing his on my hips. This isn't weird. "Now just kind of sway." He smiles encouragingly at me. "I heard you had an incident with some wolves."

Travis' head snaps toward us from across all the other couples. He couldn't have heard that.

"Umm yeah."

"You don't hear of that everyday. Mind telling me what you remember?"

I tilt my head, staring at him curiously. "I remember everything."

He grips my waist. "Continue."

"There were three wolves. Two held back while on"— I inhale— "was sniffing me, growling at me. The part I can't get over is that one of the other two barked at him, almost like he was telling him to back off."

"Wolves can't speak."

"I know that. But apparently werewolves can. At least that's what the legends say."

"Excuse me?" His voice is dry.

"You know, full moon, half man-half wolf?"

"I'm well aware, thank you." He spins me under his arm slowly, almost like he's trying to distract me. "But you know werewolves aren't real."

"Oh I know. It's probably a good thing."

He looks down. "Yes, right. Of course." He turns his head to my right and locks eyes with Travis, who in turn glances up at the almost full moon.

A howl tears through the mountain.