Timber was pacing back and forth in the living room, anxiously tugging at the collar of her dark grey t-shirt. Xianna, Kendra, Ashley, and Gina were going to be at her front door any minute. Everything was ready and the house was clean but Timber had one huge concern. Timber had full confidence in her aunt to avoid mentioning her wolf, but Emily was a little loud-mouthed sometimes though Timber didn't hold it against her. She was only five after all but Timber had still made sure to remind Emily over and over not to tell anyone that she was a wolf. Emily had promised, but it did nothing to ease Timber's worries.
Timber's fears were temporarily dissolved when the doorbell rang. Timber glanced out the window and saw all four girls on the porch and a green car parked outside. She tried her best not to throw the front door open in excitement. Instead, she opened it a little slower than she would have normally. As soon as it was all the way open, Timber was buried and hidden from view. She was wrapped in the middle of eight arms all hugging her tightly.
"Timber!" they all cried happily.
"How did you get here at the same time?" asked Timber through all the arms.
Grace came into the living room with a smile and a carefully balanced tray of meat and cheese sandwiches that she had cut into triangles, with some carrot sticks and sliced apples on the side. She set the tray down as the girls let go of Timber, who, at the moment, was smiling ear to ear. She led the girls to the coffee table and they sat cross-legged on the large light beige and grey area rug. Kendra was the first to reach into the sandwiches and a smile played at her lips when she took a bite.
"This is amazing," she said. "What's in it?"
"I don't know, you have to ask my aunt," said Timber.
"Excuse me," said Kendra as Grace came back to the table with cups and a pitcher of sweet tea. "What's in this sandwich?"
"Smoked turkey, honey ham, Gruyere cheese, salted tomato, avocado spread, mayonnaise, and white artisan bread," said Grace. "Do you not like them?"
"I love them," said Kendra. "This is the best sandwich I've ever had."
"I'm glad," said Grace. "If y'all clear the plates and you're still hungry, let me know. I'll be upstairs."
"We will," said Timber. "Thank you, Aunt Grace."
"You're welcome." Then she disappeared up the stairs and Timber heard the office door close.
"I think we should make Timber's house the hangout house," said Xianna after trying a sandwich triangle.
"I have no problem with that," said Timber with a smile.
"It'll make my dad happy," said Ashley. "I don't think he knew what to do, having so many girls in the house."
"So how did you get here at the same time?" asked Timber again.
"We live on the same block," said Xianna.
"We're only six blocks away from you," said Kendra. "This is delicious."
"My mom doesn't make anything like this for lunch," said Xianna. "It's just peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread. Does your aunt make fancy dinners too?"
"What do you mean by fancy?" asked Timber as she grabbed a couple of carrots.
"Does she make stuff out of a box?" asked Xianna.
"Some things, like side dishes, or if she's in a rush. Most nights, she spends an hour or two in the kitchen cooking dinner from scratch. I help. Doesn't your mom cook for you?"
"My mom does," said Kendra. "But my mom makes more traditional Mexican dinners like cochinita pibil and chilaquiles. My dad came to the US for work. He found a job and a place. My mom moved up here to be with him while she was pregnant and my brother was born two months later and my parents became legal citizens. I came along three years later. My mom is still very traditional and we don't eat foods from many other cultures at home. My dad came here to find work and escape the bad area they lived in. Mom is still homesick but she says life is easier here."
"My mom died of cancer when I was two," said Ashley. "I have four older brothers so I'm the only girl in the family. My dad likes to cook whatever goes on the barbecue after he's finished coaching football practice. Veggies aren't very popular in my house, but variations of meat and potatoes are."
"My mom cooks every night. It's mostly spaghetti, mac and cheese, and hot dogs," said Gina. "My dad works the night shift as a janitor for the school district, and my mom works two part-time jobs as a waitress, so she's really tired when she comes home."
"My mom tries to cook but she's kind of bad at it," said Xianna. "She does put a lot of love into everything she cooks, though. I do like her mac and cheese with tuna. It's odd but it's good for some reason."
"Well, if it's okay with my aunt, maybe you guys can join us for dinner one time," offered Timber.
"Sounds great," said Gina. "So now that you're actually talking, we've wanted to get to know you better."
"Go ahead," said Timber.
"Where did you move from?" asked Gina.
"Nebraska," said Timber. "After my parents died, I was brought out here but I had so much trouble adjusting to everything and coping with my loss, I wasn't ready for school yet."
"Well, I'm glad you did come to school," said Xianna. "I am so happy I got to meet you."
"Me too," said Ashley.
"I agree," said Kendra and Gina.
Timber blushed. "So do you have any siblings, Xianna?" she asked.
"I have a brother who's ten years older than me," she said. "His name is Orion. He still plays with me and stuff but he's moving out soon so I won't see him as much."
"Are you an only child, Timber?" asked Gina.
"Yeah," she said. "I have a little cousin. She's five and she's super cute. Her name is Emily and she's a little ray of sunshine."
"What do you mean?" asked Ashley.
"She's always happy," said Timber.
"Timber? I need your help." said a small voice.
"We were literally just talking about you," said Timber when she looked up to see Emily coming down the stairs. "Guys, this is Emily. Emily, these are my new friends. This is Xianna, Ashley, Kendra, and Gina."
"Hello," said Emily with a huge smile.
"So what did you need?"
"My shoe is untied and I can't find Mommy," she said.
"She's probably in the office," said Timber. "I'll fix it for you."
Timber tied Emily's right shoe and fixed her shoelaces on her left shoe. Then she adjusted her coat because Emily had missed a snap and everything was crooked.
"Thank you, Timber," said Emily. She hugged her and darted out to the backyard.
"Does she always have a smile on her face?" asked Gina, watching the little girl bounce away.
"Most of the time," said Timber grinning. "Sometimes I think it's a permanent expression."
"So girls," said Grace, coming down the stairs, "I hope you don't mind me askin', but I'm curious. How did y'all become friends with Timber?"
"We're all in the same class," said Gina. "We saw her by herself during lunch and we wanted to sit with her."
"You were shaking half the day if I remember right," said Ashley to Timber.
"We sort of adopted her," said Xianna. "She reminded us of a little lost puppy who was scared and in need of love."
Timber rolled her eyes, looked at Xianna, and said, "You adopted me?"
"You're adorable and you needed adopting," said Kendra.
"I don't think adopting is the right word," said Timber.
"It's the perfect word," said Ashley. "You're ours forever."
"Well I'm definitely not complaining," said Timber with a smile.
"Well I'm glad to hear that y'all are such sweet girls," said Grace. "Y'all are lucky to have each other."
"Grace, Honey, I have to go to work," said Chad, hurrying down the stairs and putting his tie around his neck.
"It's Saturday!" said Grace in disbelief.
"I know. They found something significant. They need me to confirm it. I'll only be there for an hour or two. Who are these girls? Timber's new friends, right?"
"This is Xianna, Ashley, Kendra, and Gina. Guys, this is my Uncle Chad," said Timber.
"Hi. Sorry, I can't stay," he said. He kissed Grace on the cheek and hurried out the door.
"That means there's a mess in the office," said Grace. "I should go tidy up before he gets home. If you girls need anythin' just holler." Once again, Grace disappeared up the stairs.
"I really like your Aunt Grace," said Xianna. "She reminds me of the woman from that movie. Oh my goodness, what movie am I thinking of? I have it on the tip of my tongue."
"The one with the brown-haired girl in the poofy green dress?" asked Ashley. "The one who says, 'Fiddle dee dee'?"
"That's the one!" said Xianna.
"I think you're talking about Gone with the Wind," said Gina. "I don't think Timber's aunt is anything like Scarlett O'Hara."
"They talk the same," said Kendra.
"Yes, but I don't think Grace is faking being polite or busy chasing after a man who doesn't return her affection," said Gina. "That's why I don't like that movie. I do like the way Grace talks though."
"I like the way she dresses," said Kendra. "Like a model from an old magazine or one of those classic Christmas shows."
"I like the food," said Ashley. "And speaking of food, I think we're out," she added, looking at the empty plates.
"Did we really eat all of it?" asked Gina in disbelief. "Wow."
"Are we still hungry?" asked Timber. They looked at each other and determined the answer was no. "So what do you guys want to do now?"
"Well, there are several options," said Gina.
"Send help, Gina is using big words again," teased Kendra. Gina grinned and stuck her tongue out.
"We could play truth or dare," said Xianna.
"Hide and seek," suggested Ashley.
"We could go outside and play tag," offered Kendra.
"What if we just watch a movie?" asked Gina.
"What do you think, Timber?" asked Xianna.
Timber considered for a moment playing hide and seek because she could sniff them out easily but then she realized that was unfair. So she decided that truth or dare might be more fun, so she voted and volunteered to go first.
"Alright Timber, truth or dare?" asked Xianna.
"Dare."
Xianna grinned wickedly and Timber regretted her decision.
"Show us the coolest thing you can do," said Xianna.
Timber smiled. She could do a backflip in human form but it required a partial shift. She got up, stood still to shift her muscles slightly, and then flipped her feet over her head. The girls cheered and clapped and Timber resumed full human form and bowed.
Without warning, the ground began to shake. Timber fought Turning because she had never been in an earthquake before and had no idea what was happening. The other girls reacted instantly and hid under the coffee table and end tables with their arms over their necks and heads but Timber stood in the middle of the room listening for Emily. Then she heard a scream for help. She ran out back to see her cousin standing in the open, completely frozen with fear. One huge jolt threw them both to the ground. Out of nowhere, Grace came out from behind Timber and grabbed Emily, dragged her toward the house, then grabbed Timber and hid in the door frame. She covered both of their heads with her upper body and held them tight to her with nothing supporting her. Fifty-six seconds after it started, it stopped suddenly. Timber looked up at Grace for an explanation.
"Calm down, Timber," she said urgently. "Your eyes are blue and your hair is turnin' silver."
It wasn't just her hair and eyes. Her fangs and her claws were growing too. Timber took a few deep breaths and calmed her heart rate.
"Hold on," said Grace.
The ground shook again lightly for just a few seconds. Then it was quiet and Grace let Timber and Emily free.
Timber's human form returned to normal and Grace took them into the living room to see if Timber's friends were alright. They were all shaken, but otherwise fine. Gina had a small cut on her hand from a picture that had fallen off the end table and shattered. Grace cleaned it and put a band-aid on it, made sure no one else was hurt, and then dealt with Emily who still had no color in her face.
"What happened?" asked Timber after several minutes. "Why did the ground shake?"
"That was an earthquake," said Grace. "They happen all the time in California but most of them are so small, you'd never notice. Big ones are rare. You girls did the right thing by goin' under the table."
"Is Emily okay?" asked Xianna, clearly concerned about the white-faced child.
"She'll be alright," said Grace as she rocked her daughter back and forth. "She's never been in a big earthquake."
Almost at once, cell phones started ringing. Parents were checking up on their kids. Xianna, Gina, Ashley, and Kendra all reassured their parents that they were okay and Grace had made sure there were no injuries. Timber could hear relief spread and then the girls said goodbye and hung up.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Grace.
"Yeah," the girls chorused.
"My parents are coming to pick me up," said Gina.
"Mine too," said Kendra.
"And mine," said Ashley.
Xianna looked ashamed and fell silent.
"What's wrong, Xianna?" asked Timber.
"My dad's car had a tree fall on it," she said. "He can't come to get me."
"Call him back and tell him that I would be happy to have you for dinner and then take you home afterward," said Grace.
Xianna's face lit up. "Really?"
"Of course," said Grace with a genuine smile. So Xianna called her father and got his permission.
All four girls pitched in and helped Grace and Timber clean up the living and dining room. There were only two things that were broken in the quake so Grace didn't seem upset. Nothing of value had been harmed.
They just finished when the doorbell rang. It was Gina's mother. She was a tall ash-blonde woman with eyes that looked as though they could see into your soul. When she spoke, it was in a gentle tone. She thanked Grace for taking care of her baby and then took Gina home. Ashley's father was a balding redhead and very muscular, with freckles covering his whole face. He was gruff in his mannerisms, which explained to Timber why Ashley was a little rough around the edges with her manners. Kendra's mother frantically fussed over her, speaking in Spanish until she addressed Grace to say thank you. She was short and plump with shining black hair that was starting to turn gray.
Timber was very amused by the time everyone but Xianna left but her feelings changed when she saw how sad Xianna looked. In an attempt to cheer her up, she invited Xianna upstairs to her bedroom. Xianna looked at everything that was in view. Timber told her to pick out a CD and put it in the boom box. Xianna picked Timber's favorite and they spent the time until dinner laughing, dancing, jumping on the bed, and having pillow fights until Grace called them down for dinner.
Dinner was a loud affair that evening. Xianna and Emily were having a knock-knock joke marathon and the whole table was erupting into fits of laughter. Emily laughed so hard she nearly fell out of her chair. Timber had milk come out of her nose which made everyone laugh harder. After all the jambalaya was gone, Timber, Emily, and Xianna decided it was a good idea to have a push-up contest. Chad was the referee. Emily lost but kept cheering for both Xianna and Timber. In the end, Xianna won by ten. It was at last time for Xianna to go home. Grace took her in Chad's car because hers was gone. Timber was a little sad to see her go but knew she would see Xianna on Monday at school.
Both girls were then sent upstairs to get ready for their bath. Timber and Emily loved Saturday night baths. It was the only night they got bubbles. Timber and Emily played for a while in the water. By the time Grace came home and went upstairs, most of the bubbles were gone and Timber was pouring water over Emily's head with a cup to get the large amount of shampoo out of her hair.
"Look, Mommy!" said Emily proudly, "I washed my own hairs!"
"Did you get every hair?" asked Grace, fighting back a laugh.
Emily gasped and frantically checked her hair. When she was sure she had all of her hair covered in shampoo, she sighed and smiled up at Grace.
"Yes. I got all of my hairs."
"Timber? Did you wash your hair yet?" asked Grace.
"I didn't get it all out yet," admitted Timber. "I almost did but Emily wanted to share. Our skin is all clean. The water's not clean anymore though."
"Time to drain the tub, then."
Grace drained the water and turned on the showerhead to help Timber and Emily get the shampoo out of their hair. Once both girls were finished, Grace sent them to get their pajamas on and come down for a cookie and some warm milk before bed. Timber loved Grace's bedtime cookies. They were sweet and they helped her sleep better. She didn't know everything that was in them but she could taste the honey and lemon and a flowery taste that Grace said was called chamomile. After their nightly cookie, Timber and Emily were tucked into their beds and kissed good night. Timber drifted to sleep peacefully with thoughts of her friends in her mind.