The Year of the Wolf (Completed) (Book One of The Almair Series)

Chapter 9 (Edited)

"Hey, why didn't you answer my call last night?" my friend, Mia, asked, while I sat down besides her.

"You called me?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, I have called you. Check your cell phone, and you will see that I had. I had called you like thirteen times."

Mia Carter was one of my best friends. She had wavy, black hair that I was jealous of, and she had gray eyes that always seemed to laugh. Her smile showed pearly white teeth, but right now she had a frown on her face. Standing at 5'7, she was the shortest in our group. Sadly though, she was the only one that had tan skin.

Like me, Mia was a basketball player, and we had been on the same team since forever. She had also been at the same karate place that I had been taking lessons at, and she was also there when Master Yin had died.

"Uh, correction, you had called her five times, Mia. You called me three times, which proves to me that you suck at math," my other friend, James, said, sitting in the seat behind us.

James Andrews was his name, and he was different from me and Mia. Unlike us, he wasn't really an athlete, but he had joined the karate place, since his mother had wanted him to make new friends. He was the math genius of the group, and he looked the part. He stood at 6'3, so he was the tallest of the group. James had blue eyes and red hair, an Irish or Scottish trait, I think. Another thing that he had was freckles, and he had lots of them. Also, he wore glass.

"Well, anyways, where were you?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you have a hot date for your birthday?" She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. And yes, she had completely ignored James's comment about her not being smart.

I sighed, knowing that I was going to have to say a partial truth. I knew that I couldn't tell them about the Almair show business. It could get them hurt or... killed. "I had a hard night on my birthday," I replied, shrugging my shoulder. "I didn't have my cell phone on me, because-"

"What?!" Mia and James asked/exclaimed, interrupting me.

I usually did have my cell phone on me, if anyone needed help or to talk, because I was that girl. So, they were surprised that I hadn't had it on me, because somebody might've needed me. "I didn't have my cell phone on me, last night. My brother took it up from me, because we had to do something."

"I am calling you. I want to see if he gave it back to you. That nasty, slimy worm." Mia said, putting her purse in her lap. She grumbled a few more inaudible things before she had taken out her phone.

"Mia, put your cell phone back into your purse. You all ready know that it's not with the rules," our bus driver said, glancing up at her.

"Yes, Mr. Wilds," she said, rolling her eyes at him. She huffed but placed her phone back into her bag.

"Hey, it's not our fault that we like to sit up front. It keeps us away from the weird ones."

"No, I think it is your fault, Miss Martha Johnson. Because, you were the one that had sat up here first and basically claimed it."

Mr. Wilds had been our bus driver for a very long time. He had wavy blonde hair that was pretty bushy. He also had brown eyes that showed kindness to anyone he met. He always had a small smile on his face, and I'm talking always. I don't think I've had ever seen him frown once. He stood around probably 6'4 and was good looking for a thirty year old.

  "Can I see if John had placed my phone in my bag, please?"

  "I am not watching." Which meant, yes.

  "Thanks."

  I opened the first pocket of my bag, knowing that John would have placed it in there, since it was the smallest. I looked in and saw that everything was there, except my knife. However, in the knife's place was a note from John. I frowned before opening it up to read it.

Martha,

I placed all your stuff in your bag. Your cell phone is in there, also.

I placed your pn in your boot, knowing that that would be the first place that you would look for it.

All of your money is in there. Nick and Mike tried to take something, but Mom had stopped them from doing it. They should get a job of their own.

Anyways, I hope you can trust me, again. I didn't want to put you in danger. But, you all ready know this.

Love always,

John.

"Put you in danger?" Mia asked. "John, putting you in danger? He can't even hurt a fly! Well, he wouldn't. I'm sure that he could."

"It's complicated. It's nothing." I couldn't tell them that my life was kind of a joke. I couldn't tell them that my family had lied to me for all of my life, and we were different from them.

  "Please, tell us. What does John mean by putting you in danger?" James asked, frowning. "We can help you with anything. You all ready know that you can tell us anything, and we would be there for you."

"I-I can't tell you this. I don't even know the details myself."

And I didn't know the details about my secret life. I knew that John had wanted to tell me all about this, but he didn't tell me, nor did he give me any hints. I didn't even know if I could trust myself, let alone John. I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone at this point. That was scary.

"Come on, Martha, he is your brother, for goodness sakes! He won't hurt you. He never has. So, what does he mean by this?" Mia asked, gesturing to the letter.

"It's kind of complicated," I snapped, feeling very aggravated that she was pushing me. "Some things are just supposed to be left alone. So, please leave this matter alone. I have no idea what is going on. I don't have to say anything that has to deal with him. So, just drop it."

"Okay, but you don't have to snap at me." She frowned and turned away from me. Hurt came off of her like waves. "If you don't want to talk, then fine, I'll move." She got up to leave and move away from me.

"Not while the bus is in motion, please," Mr. Wilds called back.

She sat down but didn't look at me. Her back was stiff, and I knew that she was really hurt about this whole thing.

"Mia, please. This is hard for me to understand right now. John and I are... going through some stupid stuff, right now." I grabbed her arm, wanting her to turn and look at me. "I know that I shouldn't have gotten my anger out at you, and I'm sorry that I did. However, there are some things that I can't explain to anyone, or it might cause them to get hurt or killed." And there has been a lot of people killed because of me, I thought miserably.

"Cause them to get hurt, what do you mean by that?  And, what about us? Can you not tell us what is happening either? I mean, you are our friend."

I shook my head and sighed. "No. I would like to tell you all of this, but I can't. I just can't tell you this."

"Why not? We could help you."

"No! And, that's final."

"Fine, if you want to be that way, then fine, I don't care.," Mia said, bitterly. She turned away and wouldn't speak or look at me. It was a clear sign to me on what that meant. She had that 'my way or highway' point of view, and sometimes it didn't work out too well for the people that cared about her.

I caught Mr. Wild's eye, and I saw that there was pity in it. I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. I had lost my best friends. The two people that I had trusted the most.

And, it was all because I was the Almair and a dumb one at that.