The Forgotten Wolf

A New Start

Groaning loudly, I know there's nothing I can do. Maybe I can go by a store after school and buy cheap face cream. Admitting defeat, I leave the bathroom, my hair still a mess, and a pimple taking up half of my forehead. As I hurry across the hallway to the stairs, I quickly stuffed my legs into my pants, pulling them up to my waist only to realize that I left my school dress shirt in my room. Running back across hallway I retrieve the shirt from its hanger in my small closet. With time running out, I button it as I made my way downstairs. It's honestly a miracle I didn't fall down the stairs, as I was so occupied with my clothing. 

Rushing down the creaky stairs, I sprint past my mom as I desperately look for my shoes in our mess of a kitchen. While walking hunched overlooking, pawing through packages, boxes, and bags, I hear my mom calling my name. Looking up, I see my beautiful mother standing there in her pajamas. Her long blonde hair hanging down loosely over her shoulders, a coffee in one hand and my sneakers in the other.

Letting out a breath of relief, I scramble from my spot on the floor over to her, grab the shoes, and kiss her on the cheek.

"Thanks, Mama," I say as I slip them on one at a time while I'm still standing.

She laughs, "You know, this wouldn't be a problem if you just woke up earlier. You would have been ready for school instead of rushing at the last minute.

I put on a fake grin. She has no idea about the nightmares that keep me up, making it impossible for me to sleep. "What, are you crazy? Where's the fun in that?" I ask in a goofy manner. She's already so worried and stressed because of yet another move and...Dad.

Wrapping both of her hands around her mug tightly, my mother looks at me closely as I stand up and shrug my bookbag over my shoulders, a small, sad smile written across her face.

"You look more like your father every day. I wish he could see you now. He'd be so proud." She says quietly as her face turns to look down into her own cup. Yeah, right, I think to myself bitterly, proud of the one "wolf "in existence who hates what he is.

Not wanting her to cry any more than she already does, I wrap my mother into a tight hug. "He can see me, Mama. He can see both of us. He's always watching" I say while embracing my depressed mother. These past four years have worn away much of that carefree attitude and the bright look she once had. She tried to act strong but I can see through her act. She doesn't wanna worry me. She works so hard at the hospital. I know it takes all she can get to provide for us. But with the constant moving, school, food, and bills, there's always so little left. 

As I pull back from the hug, I see a small tear escape her eye before she quickly brushes it off and rubs my shoulder. "Get a move on now Mason, don't wanna be late on your first day. And don't forget to take your pill," she added sternly, pushing me back from the hug.

"Oh joy," I dramatically say to try and release some of the tension in the room while I walk across the room for a nearby cabinet to grab a glass to fill with water and an unmarked pill bottle beside it, "another high school".

Popping the top of the bottle, I place a small, bitter purple pill in my mouth. I knock back the medicine with a sip of water.

"Refreshing." I let out with an extenuated ahhhhh, placing the glass in the sink.

I walk back over to my mother and kiss her cheek one more time before walking towards the front door and leaving the house. As soon as I open the door, I'm greeted by the warm rays of the sun. It's was September, so it was still basically summer.

I hope the falls in Alabama are better than North Dakoda's.

 I hate the snow. It's so cold and it reminds me too much of home. Or rather, what was home.

After having decided to roll up my long dress shirt's sleeves (sue me, it's my first day at a new school, I wanted to look cooler), I begin to walk to the bus stop two blocks away at a brisk pace.

Can't be late. Can't be late. Can't be late.

Thinking maybe there was still a chance I could make it to the stop in time, I looked at my battered wristwatch. In those several seconds I wasn't looking, I suddenly heard a loud rumble. As I look up from my watch, I'm greeted with the sight of my bus...driving away. 

Oh fuck. I'm late! 

Dropping all pretenses of looking cool, I start pumping my legs into an all-out sprint, waving my arms above my head.

"Hey! Wait for me!" I yell at the bus, which is beginning to make a turn around the next corner. Soon, it's crossing a four-way and out of sight as I'm left in a slowing jog. "Wait...come...back," I gasp hunched over, my hands on my knees. After taking a few seconds to collect my breath and my position, I grit my teeth and prepare myself to run all the way to school.

God, times like this make me wish I wasn't so unlucky. I could definitely use a little extra speed right now, I begin to think to myself after running four blocks.

Realizing I needed directions for the rest of the way to school, I reached for where my phone usually is in my pocket only to find it empty. I had left it on my desk in my room.
"Great. Now I'm really screwed". I don't know where I'm going. I've never even seen this school, much less the actual location of it. My uniform and other things came through the mail and I don't remember the sending address.

Sighing, I admit defeat and begin to walk instead of run. 

What's the point, I muse to myself without humor while kicking a pebble, the first period's probably already started.

After maybe ten minutes of dragging my tired body along the road, I hear the loud grumble of an expensive sports car speeding down the road behind me. Soon, I felt the vibrations of the music that was pouring out of the vehicle as it drew closer to me before it settled to a slow crawl to match my own. Slightly apprehensive, I watch as the passenger side window rolled down and an attractive teenage boy with dark aviators look at me.

"Need a ride?" the boy asked with a smirk.

Now, being raised by a controlling mother in the twenty-first century, I had long been prepared for such occasions as this.

"My mother said I'm not supposed to get in cars in with strangers." I stupidly say while continuing to walk while looking at the ground awkwardly.

The boy, still driving at a speed matching my snail pace, laughed "Wow, how old are you? Seven? Relax, we both go to St. Ailbe." He said.
"How'd you know that?" I ask timidly, trying to concentrate as hard on the ground as I could. Stalker!
Mr. Handsome laughed while using one hand to flash the school's logo on his blazer that matched my own.
"Oh." Let's just say, I'm the king at comebacks
"Now, hop in and I'll give you a ride." Sensing my hesitation he simply added, "Look, it's another five miles till you get to school," he offered while looking me up and down, "and you don't look like you're gonna make it there alive at the rate you're sweating."

And that's all that I needed to hear to understand I needed a ride.

"OK, thanks..." I fished for his name.

"Kelvin."

"OK, thanks, Kelvin," I say as I awkwardly clamor into the low riding passenger seat with my bookbag in my lap.

"So hey, I've never seen you before. Are you new?" Kelvin asked while beginning to speed up as we went down the road.

Picking at a loose thread on my new blazer's sleeve, I simply reply, "Yes." Oh, come on. At least try to be interesting, Mason.

"And does the new kid have a name?" Kelvin snickers, obvious to my timidness.

"Mason." I respond, still not wanting to meet his gaze. Wow, you're hopeless, my consciousness scolds.

But it's not my fault. There's something about this boy. Some kind of power...almost as if...no. No way. Not here.