They Call Him Wolf | Short Story

Part IV

      Aria sat on the front step of her grandmother's house hours later. The police scattered around the front of the driveway. Lights reflecting off of the driveway in the dark. The sun had long set. It had been hours. Reports being filed, Aria's Grandmother stood in the driveway talking to what seemed like the tenth officer. They had all asked the same questions. What relation the young man had to the family? What gave him reason to break in, vandalize and steal? What had he taken, or tried to take?

     Aria kept still in her seat on the porch. She couldn't find it in herself to move. It seemed like a blur. After running into hallway finding Wolf on top of Asher. He had on some sort of mask, in a futile attempt to conceal his identity but Aria could spot make him out by his hair, his light blonde mop of hair that stuck out from the side of his mask. Wolf had of course ripped the mask off of Asher, leaving Aria to stare at it on the ground. It was dark, dog like. Asher had most likely looked worse, but Aria found herself focused in on the blood coming from Wolf's hand. The way his eyes squinted in some sort of unreadable, untouchable emotion. She had run up to them. She had screamed. She had even cried. And yet as she sat on the front steps of the porch watching her grief stricken grandmother talk to the officer, she found herself realizing that Asher's care and kindness had all been a front. Asher had only acted in such a manner to befriend Aria, to find out she was the granddaughter to Mrs. Hillings. He had somehow worked his way into her life within a day, making her open up to him about the move and how her Gran had taken them in. Asher had found an 'in'. Something to save him from his crisis.

     At some point after Asher was arrested, Wolf had explained Asher had his scholarship revoked from the school due to the altercation at lunch. That he had surpassed his last warning and needed the money. But it hadn't mattered to Aria , she had found herself shouting at Wolf, wanting him to leave angry for trying to defend Asher, after everything. She wanted nothing to do with him. She couldn't explain it, not entirely. Not to herself, or anyone else for that matter. Aria 's Gran walked up to her finally, placing a hand on her shoulder.

     "Come on dear, let's get some rest." She sighed. Aria let out an involuntary yawn and nodded her head. She walked into the house, following behind her grandmother. They walked into a kitchen occupied by Wolf and Aria's mother. Wolf had a kitchen rag thrown over his shoulder and dishes in his hands. Aria couldn't help but let out a stifled laugh. It was quite a sight. But her previous anger and frustration quickly festered back to the surface.

     "What do you think you're doing?" She said with a slight ridge or harshness.

     "He's just helping out Aria, no need to be rude," Her mother looked at her with a disappointed expression. Aria simply shook her head, looking to Wolf,

     "I thought I told you to leave," she snapped before turning on her heel and walking out of the room, firmly ignoring her mother call after her. Aria just short of ran to her room. She slammed the door shut and found her empty box that had once held her fixed up F2. Aria picked up the damaged pieces that were left, placing them gently in a separate box. She snapped on a lip and placed it in the back of her closet.

***

     Days passed. Days turned to weeks. A pile of clothes and other miscellaneous items began to completely cover the box holding the broken camera inside it. Wolf had stopped by continuously, but Aria had not wanted to see him. She found herself blaming him, for her mistrust in Asher. He should have warned her.

     School went by slowly, the days were painfully long when she was trying to avoid Wolf. He was not one to let someone ignore him though. Everyday he silently walked her to class, sat by her in shared classes, even sometimes ate lunch with her. But she couldn't, she wouldn't talk to him.

     "Come on Red. You can't hide behind that hat forever," Wolf commented one afternoon.

     "Try me," She replied back slightly urging him on to argue with her. Some part of her wanted it, wanted him to do a little more than keep his distance. She knew she had done a number after yelling at him, but deep down she wanted him to fight a little harder. Each day he spoke a few more words to her, and he got just a little more of a reply than the day before.

     It wasn't until she found a box on her doorstep one Saturday morning. She had her hair tied up in a messy ponytail and her red baseball cap on the top of her head, a coffee cup in her hand and very tired eyes. She let out a yawn picking up a white folded piece of notebook paper.

     "You've probably already noticed the red stripe on this camera, so no, this isn't the one you had. I did try and go and get it fixed but there was no hope. So I did the next best thing I could think of, I bought you a new one. I know it's not as special as one you fix up yourself, but hey maybe this will be a cool addition to your growing collection. One bought in perfect condition. No need to go around finding the broken and fixing it anymore. This one is in perfect condition; no fixing necessary.

     P.s- I bet I ruined the whole bad boy persona for you. Signed-Not the big bad wolf after all (it's Carson-by the way.)"

     Aria knelt down picking up the box. She started to lose her footing in her morning state. A shadow fell over her figure and arms reached out steadying her, as well as the box. 

     "Watch it, Red."