Chapter FIVE
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My dress for the dinner party was a knee length black dress and my hair was wavy but pinned back. Hannah walked in with her own purple dress and her hair in a fancy updo. She smiled when she saw me and I felt my confidence drop, Hannah was 10x more gorgeous than I could ever hope to be.
"You look amazing!" Hannah squealed as she fixed a part of my hair.
I blushed and shook my head, "Thanks but have you looked in the mirror. You're stunning."
"Thanks." She beamed and then noticed the drapery covering my mirrors her smile fell. "Are you okay?"
I nodded and grabbed a jacket, incase I got cold, and walked down the stairs. Hannah followed behind me and were greeted by the rest of the family at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hannah, you're beautiful." I heard everyone gush over my little sister.
"Oh, Kat." My mother engulfed me in a tight embrace, "You're in a dress! Honey you look so beautiful."
"Never thought I'd see the day where you were in another dress." Chris smirked on our way out. I blushed, turning away from their awe filled stares.
The drive to the Reeds was short they must have lived three blocks over, in a modest yellow house that was surrounded by trees.
My parents walked ahead of the rest of us, then it was Hannah and I with Tommy and Chris bringing up the rear.
The door opened before my parents could even knock and a squeal could be heard from inside. "Laurel! Frank! Come in."
A tiny brown haired wolf ushered us all in with a warm and excited smile. "The teens are downstairs and the other adults are right thru here." She pointed to the stairs and then to the living room where I could see about a dozen couples chatting.
We all followed after Chris who led the way down the stairs. The closer we got the louder it became. Music was blasted through the speakers which caused the chatter to be like a shouting match just to be heard.
Nobody looked at us as we descended the stairs to which I was thankful for. Tommy went to the boys that were playing a video game, Hannah walked over to a group of girls who laughed and welcomed her like old friends. Chris studied the room for a moment before making his way over to guitar group in the back.
Awkwardly I stood at the foot of the stairs while watching the rest of the party goers have fun. I should have brought a book, I groaned and that's when I spotted Via talking to Colin who was giving her his full attention, he was laughing at something she said when he saw me. I gave him a small smile and turned away.
I was hurt, naturally but I shouldn't be. He wasn't mine and he never would be, he had a mate somewhere and Via was her problem not mine.
"Hey Kat." Bradley appeared in front of me, "You looked lonely so I thought I'd say hi."
Smiling slightly at him to show that I wasn't a total bitch, I nodded, "Um Thanks."
"There you are!" Hannah broke from the group of girls she'd been talking too, "Taylor was telling me that you weren't going to make it."
"She's a liar." He growled as he looked to the group of girls, who all giggled when he looked at them.
Tuning them out I looked around the party again. Colin was still talking with Via but kept sending me curious looks. My eyes stopped when they noticed another person sitting alone. Time to make a friend I guess.
Leaving Bradley and Hannah to flirt shamelessly I approached a girl who was sitting alone, sipping a drink from a glass. "Hi." I nodded as I sat next to her.
"Hi." She whispered turning away from me, her eyes downcasted.
"I'm Kat." I tried, I definitely wasn't good at this whole making friend thing.
She froze and turned to face me, studying my face before finally whispering, "Malia."
Silence was something that always happened in a conversation with me so I wasn't surprised when it happened again. We both listened to the people around us and their pointless conversations. "I'm human so you probably shouldn't sit so close."
Facing her again I watched as she wouldn't meet my gaze. "Me too."
Malia looked at me quickly and I saw a smile on her lips. "From a family of wolves?" Nodding her grin widened, "Follow me." She gestured to the stairs and I nodded, standing to follow her.
"Where do you think you're going?" Spencer was suddenly in front of us, glaring at Malia.
"Outside." She flinched, not meeting his eyes.
"Better not let dad see you then." He hissed before walking away.
"Come on." I grabbed her arm and pulled her with me up the stairs. We walked through the house till I saw the front door which is where we went outside.
"Sorry." Malia apologize quickly.
"Don't be." I shook my head, "Spencer's your brother?"
She nodded and her wild eyes looked to the house. I could see fear behind the numb look I knew all too well. "Doesn't your family..." She trailed off.
Confused I cocked my head as I watched her twitch as if something had caused her physical pain. "I'm the only Human born in my family. I'm a...mistake."
Then it dawned on me. Her family has hurt her, whether emotionally or physically I didn't care, they were the same in my book. "You aren't a mistake Malia. Your parents shouldn't say that."
"No. Please, don't say anything." She whispered, "They'll hear you. Please." Her brown eyes pleading as she tugged on my arm, "Please don't make it worse."
I nodded, I couldn't make it worse but I also didn't know how to fix it. I was human and they were all wolves. She was getting hurt. What was I supposed to do?
"Kat." My dad smiled from the doorway, "Honey, dinner is ready."
Returning the smile, I looked to Malia who stared at my father in shook. "Come on."
I sat next to my parents and Hannah on my other side, and then Chris was on her other side with Tommy next to him. Across from my parents were Colin's which left Colin across from me with a brown haired girl next to him, who couldn't have been more than ten. Via sat next to her and the little girl rolled her eyes at everything Via said to which I smiled at.
I saw Malia sitting next to Spencer further down the table, with Bradley on her other side. A rough older looking guy with a beard and a long mane of hair sat on the other side of Spencer who I could only assume was their father.
Hatred so deep started in the pit of my stomach and if I'd been a wolf I'm sure I would have growled.
"Colin certainly seems to enjoy your children's company." I heard the tiny women that I now knew as his mother spoke with a cheery smile.
"Oh, sure." My mother laughed, "He's always hanging out at our house, either with Tommy or with Chris and Hannah."
She didn't mention me, did she not know that he hung out in my room sometimes or was she not mentioning me on purpose? Maybe Colin's parents don't like humans like so many other wolves.
"Hannah?" Colin's mother smiled and Hannah returned the grin with one of her own, "Oh dear, you don't think.." She trailed off turning to my mother.
"Only time will tell." My mom held a enthusiastic smirk of her own.
The two of them giggled and Colin's father kept throwing glances at Hannah and Colin, a smile forming on his lips. Colin looked to my sister who was grinning at the little girl across the table.
What was going on? I know I'm not a wolf but that didn't mean I was stupid. How come they were all acting weird?
Someone kicked my shin and I looked across the table where the little girl sat a grin spread across her face as she stared at me. She flicked her head to Colin who was watching me with careful eyes.
I turned away from him and focus on my food. Across the table I heard Via throwing insults to Hannah, clearly she wasn't happy with her but I couldn't figure out why. Hannah had done nothing from when we sat down to when they chatter happily across the table till--now.
Hannah seemed to ignore her completely as she grinned up and down the table, striking up conversation with Colin who was talking excitedly back to her. I felt my heart contract in my chest, something was wrong with me.
Dinner seemed to last forever but finally the table began to break apart, the adults heading back into the living room while most of the teenagers headed to the stairs. The little girl was staring at me, a smile that I'd only seen her give to me was on her lips again.
I stood up after Hannah and saw Colin quickly rise to his feet across the table, his face flushed as he looked around the room, like he'd forgotten where he was or something.
Colin's parents laughed and so did mine both sets sending happy smiles to Colin and Hannah before going into the living room.
"Care to accompany me back downstairs?" Hannah asked a flustered Colin who nodded quickly as he rushed out of the room, Hannah following happily behind him.
Watching after them I felt even more confused, what was happening here? Things were starting to get strange. "I'm Olivia." The little girl that had been smiling at me spoke and I realized we were alone. "But I prefer Liv."
"Um Kat." I nodded, still in confusion.
"Hang out with me?" She gave me a hopeful look that I'd hate to have to crush so I nodded. She instantly took my arm leading me up the stairs, "No one my age ever comes to the dinner parties."
A rush of sympathy filled me as I was following after the young girl. No wonder she had practically glared at everyone, she was alone.
Following Liv I looked at the doors along the hallway as we passed. One of them stood out to me the most, it was open revealing a blue colored room that was cluttered and messy. Colin's name was attached to the door and I felt myself smile. He's messy, finally something that wasn't perfect. Well I mean, he was overly aggressive and a complete dick when he ignored me for no reason but this was different.
Olivia led us into a pink covered room which is where she let go of my arm. Running over to her small desk she grabbed a book and a box of markers. "Do you draw?"
"Not really." I shook my head and she pouted slightly, "But I can try."
Olivia beamed, handing me the book and markers. "Make me a pretty picture please." She twirled in her dress before running across the room again to get something else.
As I finished up drawing her as a Princess with a loyal sidekick, a puppy. What wolf kid doesn't want a puppy?
"Kat!" I heard my mother call through the house. "Kat, we're leaving."
"I gotta go, but it was nice to meet you Liv." I handed her the picture and got to my feet.
"You'll come back, won't you?" Her voice was small and quiet. "It's just I don't really have friends, my parents won't let me go to school until after I'm a teenager. When I get my wolf."
"Um, yeah." I smiled, "Of course." Waving I walked out of the room, finding my way back down the stairs I was greeted with my family and Colin's, Colin included. He was talking with Hannah with Chris glaring at him the entire time.
"There you are." My mother directed her attention to me when I stood in front of the little group.
Colin's mother smiled at me, "You must be Katrina. Your mother has told me all about you getting into NYU. You must be extremely brilliant."
My face went scarlet in embarrassment, my eyes shifting downwards. "Oh, she's being modest." My mother laughed, squeezing my shoulder. "She's been taking Senior classes since the eighth grade and finally I'm ready to let her take College classes."
I've been reading college textbooks for ages, she just doesn't know that.
My parents continued to talk with Colin's in a happy manner, like they were old friends catching up. Getting bored with the grown up topics from the group I was surrounded with I walked over to where Tommy had joined Chris in glaring at Colin, who I could tell was half listening to Hannah babble on.
"Tired of being the favorite yet?" Tommy asked, a smirk spreading across his face as he directed his gaze to me.
Chris turned at Tommy's question and then grinned at me, "Yeah, is perfect Kat ready to hand on the reigns?"
I giggled and everyone froze at the sound. The silence that pressed on me was almost intolerable, I was suffocating. I hadn't giggled or really been happy in nearly a year, before everything bad happened.
"Kat?" My mother whispered behind me. My wide eyes met Colin's who was staring at me with an odd expression. Chris and Tommy had their mouth gaped open, watching me carefully. Hannah was mid hair twirl and a grin was creeping around the corner of her lips while she stared at me.
Then I was enveloped into five pairs of arms and it turned into a group hug.
"Okay." I whispered, "I'm good, honestly."
"We should go." My dad beamed at me, his arm firmly on my shoulder as everyone else had let me go. They all instantly agreed and we moved towards the door, my family seem to have a new pep in their step after that moment that had happened. My mother was grinning as she rushed the rest of the goodbye with Colin's mother before running to keep up with the rest of us.
Looking behind me I saw Colin and his parents making their way out onto the porch to see us off. Confused expressions on all of their faces but my eyes were glued to Colin's, which I found to be weird. Hannah had made it pretty clear that she liked him which meant even if did like him, I couldn't. Plus he has a mate.
Do you like the story so far? Do you think it's moving too slow? Too Fast? Completely uninteresting... ?