Wonderful Pain

Chapter 17: The REALLY, REALLY Unwanted Invitation

She lifted her face up to look at me, flipping the hair out of her eyes.

Her eyes.

Never before had I seen eyes filled with more pain, more anger, more hatred.

Oh, shit.

A feeling of panic dropped like a half-ton weight inside my stomach. Ashley started forcing me back, towards the house, until she had me pinned against the wall. Her nose was bleeding.

"For a human, you can sure pack a punch," she snarled. She left my hands fall and slapped me across the face, leaving an excruciating sting behind and probably a red mark, too.

"Don't forget your place, Theo. I'm the stronger one here."

She wiped the blood away from her nose, and I could see that it had already healed and stopped bleeding.

Oh shit.

She was going to kill me.

If not kill me, then she was going to break every single bone in my body and leave me lying there in pain.

Suddenly, she kissed me, her arms wrapping around me like a vice. She forced me to the ground.

It was then that I realized her true intention.

I couldn't let that happen!

But unexpectedly, she let go. Her voice was dangerously low when she spoke: "Remember that Natalie is missing, and might never be found. I leave you with a better option; me."

She leaned in to whisper into my ear. "Think of all the fun we could have. I'm the better werewolf here; a wolf that actually wants you, and would never abandon you."

"Theo!"

Our heads snapped to the doorway to see Denise standing there, horrified.

Ashley jumped off me. "There's going to be a party at my house on Saturday, Theo! You are going to come, and then you can see how much better I am than Natalie."

She turned and sprinted away.

Denise ran over to me, dropping her backpack. "Theo! Are you alright, did that bitch hurt you?! I swear, I'm going to call the pack, and we'll put her in her place! She'll never touch you again after we-"

I waved her away and sat up. "Don't be stupid, Denise. It doesn't matter. She just wanted me to come to a stupid party, which I'll never do. Ok? Seriously, you overreact way too much."

Her face hardened, all concern and compassion gone. I could see hurt in her eyes, although she tried to hide it. "Alright, Theo, whatever. I was just trying to help, but if you don't want it, that's fine."

"I don't need your help!"

Her eyes watered. "Fine then! Hide in your fucking shell! All this time, you've been pushing us away, not caring how we felt! It's killing me, Theo, not being able to talk to you, to see you laugh or smile! Face it, Natalie's not coming back!"

"Don't you dare say-"

She stepped back, the tears flowing now. "Well, I just did!" she yelled. "Natalie's not coming back! Just face it and get over yourself!"

"She's going to come back!"

 "NO SHE'S NOT!"

Without realizing what I was doing, I jumped up and slapped her in the face.

She staggered back, recoiling from the blow.

A few second of silence passed. Horror filled me, accompained by the realization at what I had done, as she lifted her head back up and I saw the bright red mark that my hand had left.

I stepped forwards and reached out towards her. "Denise, no, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

She burst out into sobs and ran inside, slamming the door.

I stood outside, my arm still outstreched, unable to process what I had done.

Then it came to me.

I had hit my sister.

Tears poured down my face, and I turned and ran down the street, not knowing exactly where I was going.

Anywhere, I thought. Anywhere away from here.

John was going to kill me when he heard what I had done. I shouldn't have hit her. I couldn't bear to be beat up by my best friend, too.

Or, my ex-best friend.

But that didn't matter. I would rather be beat up by John a doze times than face the guilt and the realization that I had hit Denise.

I had hit my sister.

My only sister, who was only trying to help.

My sister, who was there to comfort me when I was upset.

My sister, who, one time when I was five, punched this guy from my kindergarden class at the playground because he had pushed me off the swing.

My sister, who had just told me that my mate was never going to come back.

No.

Yet, much harder than I had hit Denise, the facts slapped me in the face that Natalie had been missing for two months, and there was not even a single clue as to where she was.

Even Ashley had sprung at the chance that I could be-

I screamed as my head exploded in pain. I dropped to the road like a bag of rocks, the impact of the asphalt adding to the unbelievable pain that I felt. I clutched my head and writhed, still screaming from the pressure, the pain, the torture.

I will go to the party!

Or feel this pain forever.

I will go to the party!

Or die.

"I'LL GO!" I screamed, just wanting to be rid of the pain, the pain, the pain...........

The pain slowly slipped away, leaving my head throbbing.

I would go to the party.

But no one else will let me........

I will do it in secret.

It was Friday. That means that the party is tomorrow night.

I slowly picked myself back up and limped back home to find my backpack by the side of the road and the car gone.

Denise was gone.

I ruffled around my backpack for the spare key to the house, and, finding it, went inside the house and dragged my backpack to my room.

My parents were at work, and were going to be at work until six.

I could skip school and spend the night and tomorrow morning in my room.

I closed the door and locked it, also pushing my dresser in front of it, too.

I was going to go to the party.