Playing with Fire #1 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒 - 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

I woke up feeling numb and unsure. Tear tracks were etched into my face, leaving my pillow damp. My stomach lurched as the memory of Theo trying to kiss me resurfaced; and the fact that he was a werewolf.

I wouldn't be able to simply forgive and forget, I knew that much. I couldn't believe that he'd tried to use me like that; especially since he didn't seem like he could commit to anything.

Fresh tears threatened to fall but I hastily blocked them in my throat and started to get ready for school. I didn't want to cry anymore. It felt like a total waste of emotion — I should've just been focusing on my schoolwork, as opposed to getting involved with boy drama.

I'd already broken my promise to myself of no boys, within the first day back at school. Though, in all honesty, I met Theo before school. I hadn't even made it a few days out of the summer holiday without screwing up.

On the bus to school, I listened to the news to remind myself that no matter what issues Theo brought, there were much worse things going on in the world. It's hard to put life in perspective as a teenager. But the world is a whole lot bigger than the goings-on in Lake Oldoy — just a small town in the north of England.

Wednesday came over to me as soon as I was off the bus. She paused to take in my tired eyes and no makeup as if to confirm what she already knew. With pity coating her words, she told me, "Al said she'd warned you. But I still wish I'd read your stars the night before last, so I could've warned you as well."

"He's a werewolf, Wednesday," I hissed at her as we moved out of the earshot of a few teachers and the crowd of kids getting off the bus. "How couldn't you have seen that coming? Like, surely you should've learnt that weeks ago?"

"I'm so sorry, Ember." Her face darkened. "I should've known; I should've been able to tell as soon as I saw him. It's like his identity is clouded, cloaked..."

"It's okay," I sighed; I hadn't meant to take my anger out on her. Forcing a small yet empty smile, I told her, "I'm fine now. Don't worry."

"What we need to know now is whether he can be trusted again," Wednesday said under her breath.

We skipped form together and sat under the few trees that Wednesday and Al had protected with charms. Our little safe space consisted of three large oak trees clustered together at the edge of the school playing fields. As soon as we entered the bubble of protective charms, we were enveloped in a tranquil lack of human noises, other than each other. Bird songs sounded from the trees and calm washed over me.

"Should we even consider trusting him after this?" Wednesday pondered while she grabbed the mats that Al had woven from grass and bark.

I sat down on one of them, which, as always, surprised me at how comfortable it truly was.

"I honestly don't know. There may be some logic behind why he withheld the fact he's a werewolf."

"Yeah, like he's hiding something." Wednesday eyed me.

"Can't you read the stars about him again?"

"It's nine in the morning, there aren't any!" Wednesday laughed lightly, before lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "Besides, when I tried to last night, his intentions weren't clear."

"Could you, I don't know, read his mind or something?" I half-joked; none of us was quite sure on the extent of Wednesday's powers.

Since her mum wasn't around anymore, we couldn't exactly get any advice from her. Though if there's anything that Wednesday's dad, Alistair, taught us, it's to not contact the dead — no matter how severe our desperation might get.