Night of the Alphas

Chapter 19

I sat in my sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling. What time is it? Noon? One? One thirty? I honestly didn't care. I had moved back into Miranda and Zaria's room, but I didn't have a cot. They had the bed, and Joshua got the last spare bed in the house. I didn't mind that much. The floor is much more comfortable than you would think.

The week of packing was almost over. Tomorrow, everyone but Miranda, Mom, Aunt Rebecca and I were leaving to go to Charlotte. Over the course of the week, it had gotten harder and harder to interact with my family. Every time I saw one of them, the tears would start flowing. I finally realized how much they meant to me. The little things they usually did that annoyed me became small, treasured memories. Alex quoting books at random times. Joshua playing pranks on people. Zaria taking random pictures of us. Charity always trying to keep us safe. Zane singing early 2000's songs that nobody knew existed. Even the way Abel would ruffle my hair and call me 'blondie' ceased to annoy me. My family became more valuable to me than ever. And yes, I had started to consider Miranda, Zaria, Charity, and Zane my family. We may not have been related, but that didn't change the closeness I felt with them.

At this point, I didn't even want to get out of bed. I stared at the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. When I woke up tomorrow, three quarters of my family would be gone. I accepted that, but the pain was still there. I sat upright when I heard a knock at the door. "Hello? Are you decent?" Zane's voice said.

"Yes."

He came in and sat at the end of my sleeping bag. "You're getting out of bed at some point, right?"

"Maybe." I tried not to look at him. I knew that I would burst into tears and look like a baby if I did. He held my hand. Slowly, my gaze drifted up to his face. He was smiling at me, which made my chest feel warm. My face flushed. "Is there a reason you came to check on me?"

"I got worried when you didn't come down for breakfast. You never skip meals unless something is really wrong."

I gulped. "I guess you're right. To be honest, I'm scared for tomorrow. I don't want you guys to leave. It would be like if a part of me went missing."

He rubbed my hand. "You really feel that way?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry about us. "We'll be fine."

"Promise you won't die?"

"I promise." He let go of my hand. His tail curled around his body, indicating that he was nervous. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something. And it's completely fine if you say no. I won't be mad at all."

"Alright, shoot."

"I just..." He played with a string on my sleeping bag. "I think you're an amazing person. And you're, like, my best friend." His face flushed red. "And you're pretty, too. You have such a good personality. Sometimes I feel like we've known each other forever, but I'm always learning new things about you. And, um..."

"Simp!" Joshua shouted from the hallway.

Zane turned even more red than he already was. "Sorry, I'm rambling, it's just..."

My brother barged in and smacked Zane with a ham and cheese sandwich. "Get to the point, you dork!" He rolled his eye. "He wants to know if you'll go out with him."

"That is NOT what I was gonna ask!" Zane said, embarrassed. "I was going to ask if you wanted to..."

"Go to dinner and a movie," Joshua interrupted, taking a bite of his sandwich. "That's called a D-A-T-E."

"Why are you still here?" I asked. "Can't you go annoy Abel or something?"

"Already tried. He has a very low tolerance for me. Plus, this is much more entertaining."