I blink my eyes open slowly, shading them from white walls. My vision is blurry, and I can hear beeping noises come from next to me.
I sit up. I am younger, much younger. I have little tubes running through my frail arms. I look up to see my mom and dad huddled over me.
It felt like I had been out for the longest time…
“Oh my god. Oh my god! GREG!!! Shaylee’s awake!!” My mom’s voice was hysterical. Her eyes rimmed red and her face sunken with guilt and sorrow.
My dad’s tired eyes, creasing at the ends, popped open and a smile crept upon his face. It cracked as if it was not use to the movement.
It shook something deep inside me. I’d never seen them look so sad.
I blinked around, still unaware of what had happened or where I was.
White Walls…Beeping Noises…
Am I at the hospital? If so, then how am I not in pain…?
But once I blinked again, this time the movement felt more real and more painful, I noticed the familiar hot pink walls of my room soon after.
“Ouch.” I stated, grabbing my tender head. I grabbed it, and sat up, trying to wake up from what felt like a bad dream.
Then it hit me, the wolves in the woods and the fight. I gulped.
My wolf came to my rescue! I cracked a smile at that.
How had he known I was in danger? Did he come, or did I imagine that?
His soft brown fur fluffed up in attack mode ran through my mind. Not to mention his long legs clenching and unclenching. It would have been a once in a lifetime view if I hadn’t been struggling for consciousness.
Dang flabbit!
Which reminds me,
How did I get in my room?
I glanced up to my open window. How did I get through the window?
Had I woken up earlier and not remembered? It was possible, my head was throbbing like it had it’s own heartbeat, and I had a history of not remembering important things—like my childhood.
My leg felt weak, and I figured it was from loss of blood. I jumped when I looked down at my leg.
It was wrapped up. Bandaged and everything. I glanced to my left into my dresser mirror against the wall, and I gasped.
Dirt and blood was smeared across my face, with little red scratched emerging and inflaming up from my skin.
I looked rough to say the least.
I couldn’t get over it though. Wouldn’t I remember wrapping up my leg, and walking all the way back and pulling myself through the window?
If I didn’t do it… then who did?
One of my parents possibly? A stranger who was hiking in the woods? I shuddered. That would be extremely creepy, considering they would have had to have known where my house was.
Who knows? I looked at the clock just in time to realize that it was 2:20. Holy crap I must have been asleep for at least an hour and a half!
Leslie and Vi were coming over soon. As fast as I could go at the current moment, I undressed and hoped in the shower, quieting my whimpers when the hot water hit my sore cuts.
I got out and slipped into some dark blue skinny jeans and a red t-shirt. My damp hair just hanging on my shoulders, the water soaking my back.
The doorbell rang just as I was finishing up my mascara on my eyes. I threw the tiny bottle of black goo… and stuff, and ran down the stairs. Fearing what would happen if my mom or dad were to socially outcast me for life by answering the door.
I winced with the pain of the bandages under my clothing as I made impact on the stairs. I opened the door to the terrible two. Cheery and abnormally beautiful like always.
“Shayles!” They squealed in unison as I lunged at them with a giant hug. They smelt like pine trees, and I could feel the warmth radiating from them.
“You guys! I’m so excited for tonight. Thank you so much for coming over!” I said, laughing as they stepped into the house.
“No probs.” Violet said, speaking for the both of them as she kicked of her converses.
“So what are we going to do, besides eat nachos of course?” Less stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner.
“OH MY GOSH! I totally spaced on that.” I said, suddenly bummed out I hadn’t thought of that in the first place.
I had an excuse though…. You know, being unconscious and all.
“So?? That’s even better we can make it together!” Leslie informed me as she waltz into my house, searching for my kitchen.
She turned back around and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for me to instruct her where to go for said nacho ingredients.
I pointed her to the far right hallway.
“Yeah, Leslie told me all about your crazy nacho feast a few weeks ago.” Violet informed me, as we followed the tiny blonde into the kitchen.
“Yeah. It was… interesting.” I chuckled.
“I was completely jealous.” Violet pouted. “But it’s about to be even better this time because I’m here. BOO YA!” Violet said, sliding across the wooden floors on her socks.
Somehow they found the portable radio in my house and cranked it up full blast, causing the glass cabinets to shake with the bass.
It was playing a classic: Nirvana: Smells like Teen Spirit.
I brought out the cheese and chips, and Violet got out the salsa in the fridge as a side-snack, dipping the open back of tortilla chips into the spicy red sauce and shoveling it into her mouth. Her eyes watered soon after and she was prancing around the kitchen begging me for water. Leslie had already gotten a bowl, and I helped her pile the chips and cheese on.
“With the Lights out, it's less dangerous!
Here we are now, entertain us!
I feel stupid, and contagious!
Here we are now, entertain us!”
We all yelled into the kitchen. And I wondered where the heck my parents were, and why they weren’t barging in here to reprimand us and tell us our ‘crappy’ music was too loud for their old people hearing.
I found a note when I went to bake the chips in the oven.
“GONE TO THE CUNNINGHAM’S. THEY WANTED TO MEET LUCY. YOU WERE SLEEPING, AND I DIDN’T WANT TO WAKE YOU. SEE YOU LATER SLEEPYHEAD!”
My dad’s familiar writing clung to the tiny yellow sticky note.
I shrugged. More nachos for us then!
“A mulatto
an albino
A mosquito
my libido
yay!”
Leslie solo-ed a part of the song, making air guitar movements with her hands, and shaking her hair around.
Violet and I exchanged a mutual look of “who the heck taught that girl to dance?” Violet held up her hands as if saying ‘not me’ and we both cracked into sputtered laughter, halfway trying to keep Leslie from noticing.
But of course she did, and whacked us with the nearby hand towel.
*
Once the chips were nice and baked, I took them out of the oven and sat them on the table, and hitched my sock covered feet up on the other side of the table, snickering to myself that my mom wasn’t here at the moment to tell me to act like a lady, and take them off the table we eat off of.
Leslie and Violet followed my actions and I chuckled.
We all grabbed a nacho immediately and shoved them into our mouths.
… Then we all spit them back out.
“HOT! HOT! HOT!” We screamed, scrambling the kitchen for a cold drink.
I got three sodas out of the fridge for Violet, Less and I, but Leslie was standing by the sink with her head bowed under it, drinking from the faucet.
Which made me laugh even harder.
Gah, I hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time.
*
We ate the nachos at a normal pace this time, and I couldn’t help but admire their beauty, completely unfair.
“How do you guys do it?”
They both cocked an eyebrow at me, and I laughed. “Do what?” Leslie asked.
“How do you look so pretty all the time!” I frowned. “I’m not that gifted!”
They’re mouths dropped open. “Shaylee are you stupid?”
It was my turn to cock an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“You don’t have to do anything to look pretty.” Violet started. “Less and me talk about it all the time. Wethink it’s unfair.”
I blushed a little. Did they mean that?
Leslie’s eyes bulged out of her head. “DUDE! Can we give you a makeover?”
My smile widened. “Please!”
They smiled wickedly at me, as I led them upstairs to my room. I entered and emptied my makeup contents out on the floor. They admired each one, and started grabbing things, as I got my zebra printed curler, and straightener from my bathroom. I dragged out an old mirror that was separated from an old dresser from the hallway closet and dragged it into the room, so that I could see what they were doing. Leslie got up with a hurt expression on her face and snatched it from me.
“NO!” She grabbed the mirror and took it back.
“It’s a surprise!” She explained. I laughed, and held my hands up in defeat. “Ok. Ok. Don’t get all PMS-y on me.”
Violet laughed at this as Leslie pouted angrily.
Suddenly they were weaving their hands throughout my hair. Violet took over the hair part soon after, saying it was her forte, and I couldn’t argue. Her hair ALWAYS looked cool.
Leslie scanned my face as she looked between the pile of makeup and me. Finally she started applying it. I just sat awkwardly, not really knowing what to do with my hands, or how to move or anything.
Have you ever had your friend’s makeover you? If so, you know what I’m talking about. Like, you want to start a conversation, but when you do, they don’t really look you in the eye. They just kind of stare at whatever they’re currently changing about you, and never pay attention.
I huffed and asked them to go play some music. Leslie happily got up and went through my mixed tapes, as Vi explained she couldn’t stop what she was doing at the moment.
Simple Plan blew up my speakers and I smiled. “You like them?” I asked Less. “Duh! They’re such classics!”
“I agree.” I said, beginning to sing to the song. It’s called I’m Just A Kid.
“The video for this is hilarious.” Violet stated as she pulled at my scalp. I winced only slightly, mostly out of discomfort.
“I know! That kid gets flat out squashed by that bus.” I inputted, and we all laughed.
“I don’t see why guys make that much of a deal about a pretty girl. It’s silly.” I said, speaking my mind.
They cracked up. Violet literally fell away from my hair, holding her stomach. It was the first time she had stopped managing my rat’s nest of a hair this whole time.
“What?” I asked defensively.
“HAHA…it’s just… PAHAHA…it’s just that…ahhhh! Leslie you tell her!”
It took Leslie about a minute to control her laughing. “It’s just funny Shayles. You’re so ignorant. That’s all.”
I pouted. “Ignorant about what?” I said, pouting more. This was beginning to aggravate me.
“You have two guys all over you, and when you just said that, it was like you were contradicting your own situation.”
“Two? What?? What the heck are you two going on about?” I asked, my brain surely confused.
“Hunny. It’s obvious really. Colton and Blake.”
My mouth dropped wide open. “C-C-Colton?” I questioned, disbelieving. My face felt red.
Wait…why was it red!?!?
“Duh. Why do you think he goes out of his way to ignore you?”
I looked at them as if they had just grown a talking head out of their armpits. “I don’t know…maybe because he freaking hates me!”
They laughed at this. “I’m serious, he almost ran me over with a bike, and then ignores me in class, asks for a seat change, laughs at my mistakes, tells me off, should I go on?” I was huffing now; getting angry. How could they not see how much he hated me?
Their chuckling died down a little bit, but they were still laughing. “I know it’s seems that way, but he likes you. I’m sure of it.” Leslie said with a smile.
“This is futile.” I stated, rolling my eyes at the two of them.
“Besides. I already have a boyfriend.” I said, stating it before I could bite my tongue. I cursed myself, knowing that the tension would grow in the room, due to the ongoing war between the socialites (Brooke and Blake’s group) and the pack (Leslie and Violet and Colton’s group).
They froze. “Who?” They asked, borderline angry and scared.
“Blake Cunningham.” I said matter-of-factly.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” They said in unison. I just backed away shyly, and sighed.
Now they were serious.
*
It took a lot of arguing for them to realize that it was my choice, and I shouldn’t have to explain myself.
They finally agreed, stating they would support me no matter what. Which I was thankful for, true friends they were alright. I mean, letting your friend date someone you hate and being ok with it? That meant a lot in my book.
I checked myself in the mirror afterward, completely amazed at what I saw.
My hair was done in some curly half up, half down doo. It cascaded down my shoulders ever so lightly, making me feel like a goddess or something. My makeup was a little dark, but it definitely brought out my eyes.
“Oh my…” I stated, poking my face.
That was my face right?
Less and Vi high-fived each other. “We did good, huh?”
“You did amazing!” I answered. They smiled mischievously.
“What?” I asked a little afraid of their expressions.
“Then it’s settled, we’ll be doing your makeup for the dance Friday.”
I smiled wide. “That’d be amazing.” I stated, still unsure if I wanted to go to this ‘dance’ thing.
“Just get me away from Brooke though. I already promised her I’d go get my dress with her, and after that I know she’ll want to turn me into a Barbie.” I said, a little fearful.
They busted out laughing. “Don’t worry about little miss flower petal. We’re doing your hair and makeup.”Violet smiled sweetly.
I breathed out a sigh.
*
The night grew late rather fast. Six hours flew by like nothing, and I couldn’t tell you how relieving it felt to not feel so awkward and out of place in a town I supposedly grew up in.
We ended up watching one of Violet and Leslie’s favorite movies. “Underworld” (the first one) [::. SUCH A GOOD MOVIE.::]
They were totally gah-gah over the Lycan guy, and I couldn’t help but state how cool they vampire chick was.
They agreed she kicked butt, but hated that she was a vampire. I couldn’t help but get an odd feeling that there was a reason they had such a great despise for the vampires in the movie.
Either way, it was my new favorite movie.
After that, I let them take showers before I set up sleeping bags on the floor. Of course they were hot pink and zebra.
I have a zebra issue I think…
They came back with a T-shirt and shorts on. That’s when I noticed it. They had scrapes and cuts all across their legs and what looked like… bite marks? On their necks.
“Whoa. Where’d you get those from?” I said, blatantly pointing out the tiny abrasions.
They looked at one another wide-eyed as if sharing something with their eyes that I couldn’t detect.
“Uhm…” Violet began.
“Work.” Leslie stated coolly. “We work at the state park not to far from here. Lots of woodsy areas, and we’re required to wear shorts.” She informed me, complaining about the shorts part.
I nodded, not bothering to continue asking questions, since it obviously made them uncomfortable. But I couldn’t help but wonder if they were lying…. even if they did work at a state park or whatever, that didn’t explain the bite marks on their necks.
Besides, how likely is it that they BOTH have bite marks on their necks??
Not very likely. I answered my own unspoken question.
I didn’t press it as we lay down to go to sleep.
It was quite, expect for the faint chirping of wildlife outside.
“Hey guys?” I declared in a sort of whisper-like voice.
“Yeah?” They answered back, mocking my tone.
“Are you ..good friends with Colton?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.
“I guess so, why?” Leslie answered for the both of them.
“Then… do you know why he. Hates me?” I gulped.
It was silent for a little bit. “No… we don’t.” Violet answered this time.
“Oh.” I answered dumbly. “Well… if you do find out, could you tell me?”
“Sure.” They replied rather unsure of themselves, which only deepened the pit inside my chest. The empty feeling.
You know, the annoying one that appears every time I mention Colton’s name? Yeah, that one.
It was silent for a while, and I debated whether or not they had fallen asleep.
“Why does it matter?” Leslie asked in a gentle, concerned tone of voice.
I thought about this question…. Why did it matter to me?
Maybe it was the fact that I dreamt about either him or that wolf all the time. About him as a little boy, and me as a little girl, laughing till I cried and feeling completely safe when I was with him. About the day he gave me that anklet I still had somewhere around here. About some tree house I couldn’t shake from dreams, but had no memory of ever visiting there, or maybe it was the simple fact that out of everyone here… he was the only one my brain had chosen to remember.
And to me, there had to be a reason for that. I know I could never forget someone who must have been important to me.
“Because, Colton is the only person I can remember from my childhood here, and whether I like it or not… I know that there’s a reason for it. And with all this confusion in my head… I can’t help but feel like he could make things make since to me. Even though that sounds a little strange. I can’t get rid of that feeling.”
I said, satisfied with my answer.
“Ok. We’ll find out for you.” Leslie said, and I could just hear the certainty in her voice.