My Girlfriend Bites (Young Adult Paranormal Werewolf Romance)

Chapter 9

Aiden

I get off the bus and start the walk home like I’ve done every afternoon since starting my academic career in first grade. I listen to the wind rustling through the trees as they dump their leaves for fall. The neighborhood surrounds me with the same old houses. The same old cars. The same old fences. The sun casts a dark shadow of me against the crumbling pavement. It’s amazing to watch another version of yourself mimicking every movement of yours perfectly. A doppelganger that makes his sneakers slap against the pavement like yours.

A low rumble reaches my ears. It increases in volume.

Coming closer…

And closer…

A massive new shape overtakes my shadow. A car.

I glance up to see the Oldsmobile rolling next to me. Bree smiles through the open window, her black hair now in a long ponytail.

I stop walking. “What’s up? Missed you in class.”

A massive understatement. When I didn’t see Bree in Algebra, my afternoon felt empty.

“We had a family emergency,” Bree says. “I was up most of the night.”

“Everything okay?”

“Only a scare. Thank the goddess Lu…” She stops herself mid-sentence. “Can I get your notes from class?”

Why didn’t Bree text me? She didn’t have to drive all the way over…oh, wait, she doesn’t have my number does she?

“You didn’t miss much. Mr. Strickland graded our tests.”

“What did you get?”

“A ninety-six.”

“Really? And you didn’t study for the test at all?”

“Nope.”

“I so hate you.” But Bree grins when she says it.

“We did get some homework.” I slip my backpack off and unzip it to pull out my notes.

“Hop in. I’ll take you home.”

Awesome. I go around the front of the car and jump in. Bree drives while I grab the piece of paper with the assignment written on it. I place it on her thigh. My fingers hover there a moment. Bree’s hand comes off the steering wheel and bumps into mine. I flinch and take my hand away.

“Could you copy that for me?” she asks.

“You can have mine.”

“Don’t you need it?”

I tap my forehead. “It’s all up here.”

“You’re impressive.”

Bree stops the car in front of my house and we shoot each other glances. I don’t want to get out. And she doesn’t ask me to leave. So we sit there with the motor running. My notes clinging to her thigh. The thigh my fingers brushed against.

A new confidence nudges my voice. “Can I…have your phone number? In case you miss class again. That way you can text me instead of wasting gas.”

Her hand touches my notes. “I don’t have a phone. Can I give you my email? I check it every day.”

Wow. She wants to give me her email?

I give Bree a pen. She finds an old gas receipt on the floor and writes down her email.

Moonluver@zmail.com

Bree hands me the slip of paper. “See you at school.”

Oh. I have to get out of the car, I guess. I hesitate, then roll out of the car and take a few steps up my driveway. The car idles in the street. I twist and wave goodbye. Bree returns my wave. My warm chest turns hot. I want to jump on top of the car and beg her not to drive off because I don’t want my afternoon to be normal.