Can't Love A Werewolf Without Getting Fleas

Can't Love a Werewolf, Without Getting Fleas. [1]

Shy? Weak? Scared? All of the emotions that come with moving somewhere new.

Correction, this place wasn't new to me. In fact it was somewhat strangely scary how familiar it was. I lived here as a little kid. I grew up here, a semi-small town in Texas. But as I walked, memories flashed through my head.

The grocery store I use to skip down to in my red and yellow flowered sandals during the summer was still there, but bigger. Much bigger, in fact. It was more like a super-target.

I made a mental note that I'd have to come back and view it later. The end of summer breeze wisped through my hair and it smelt like honeysuckle everywhere I went. Bird songs filled the air, and I smiled. What was the point of being negative about this whole thing? Where would that even get me? I wasn't one for complaining. I've learned to be tough, at least back where I had been, it was the way we lived. Brooklyn, New York. Three words, with a wholeeee lot of meaning.

I've seen many things a girl my age should never see. I've been down the block in a quaint vintage store when a bank was robbed. A month or two ago, a hundred people from my old high school got busted for a giant drug deal. Of course this was to be expected. Sex, drinking, and drugs seemed like a way of life in my old high school, though don't misunderstand me- I never did any of those sorts, but it was common to know people who did, heck...everyone I knew did.  So it was no surprise a nearby police station was called up, and one by one student's belongings were checked as they were filtered through a 'cleansing' process.  Where the students went through breath tests, urine tests, etc. Yeah, a big sha-bang.

I saw many tears, and many lives get thrown away that day. One of my best friends was the class valedictorian, and worked overtime for our stupid school in order to keep her position.  It was such a shame that the one day she decided to let go and feel free, was the day the drug bust took place. Shannon's title was ripped away, and her record permanently scarred. I knew something like that would happen. Bad things happen to good people, isn't that how the saying goes? I mean, it wasn't that I was against drug use, it didn't bother me. It just wasn't the kind of person I was.

My grandfather was the priest of the church up in New York, and I guess I felt I held a certain expectation. I was known for being a "goody-goody" there. But I didn't believe in stereotypes.  I was just me, whether that was goody-goody or not. The church had a huge mass of population too; everyone loved my grandmother and grandfather, and knew my whole family, all the way down to little Lucy(6 years old). The Turner's were always known for being a loving and giving family. I cared for New York, and every single person I met there.  But I guess it never really felt like home.  I mean, sure I called it home becuase I lived there, but it wasn't where I knew I BELONGED.  

But no, that's not why we moved back to the tiny ol' town of Leona, Texas with a total population of 202.  My dad's job filtered him back here. It made me sad to wave goodbye to all my good friends, after all I moved to New York when I was 7, and everyone knows once your pre-teen, and teen years hit, those were the year you will never forget. But hey, I turn 17 in a month (October 28th). I still had two years left on me. My junior and senior year. I just couldn't help but wonder how different it will be now that all of my friends aren't here.

I talked to Karla, my best friend since my first breath of elementary air was taken (we were in the same 2nd grade class, and after I shared my lunch with her, she welcomed me into her life with open arms, and we just grew from there), and she promised she'd get our old gang together to all drive down and visit for my birthday.

Though, I don't know how that will work out. I can't imagine all eight of them driving over... heck, I don't know how long that would take. Probably two maybe three days, and knowing my best guy friend Michael, he wouldn't sit still that long. But hey, gotta love your friends!

Speaking of friends, hadn't I made friends as a little girl? I had to have some flames to recoil with people down here right? Not every step of my social ladder had to be withered away, right?

Of course, there's no answering these questions. It was a matter of facing the place myself.

"Shaylee!" My dad's voice echoed down the block, and it broke my train of thoughts.

I took one last look around, and ran back to where I had started my little adventure in the first place.  The leaves crunched beneath my converses, and I felt my heart beat when passing cars or when passing people.

Something about this place made my skin crawl.  I couldn't remember it hardly at all.  Why was that? I had spent my whole childhood here for crying out loud!  Sure, New York never really felt like home, but neither did this place.

I sighed.  There was no turning back now.  I had to face my past, whether I remembered it or not, and just hope they accepted the new me.