OLIVIA'S POV
"Do you know how many stereotypes there are about werewolves?" Stella shouted angrily. Lemonade Mouth walked out of the movie theater, into the cold chilly air, with the rest of the crowd. Since it was our last day of winter break and school was in session tomorrow, the 6 of us decided to head to the movies tonight. We had just finished watching a "scary" movie which turned out to be pretty boring.
It was about a woman who fell in love with a monster, a werewolf. He was a normal person on the outside but beyond that, he was a killer. Every full moon he would shift into a beast and murder anyone who got in his way. The movie seemed pointless to me, because in the end the werewolf is killed by a silver bullet by the woman's brother, who just happens to be a supernatural detective.
"Why does it matter Stell? It's just a movie." Mo reminded her. Scott had his arm draped over her shoulders while she finished the leftover popcorn. There was still a lot left considering you'd normally eat it if you're entertained in a theater. None of us were.
"So? People act like werewolves are just heartless killers! They have feelings too!" Stella fumed. Wen snorted as he walked beside me. "She acts like they're real…" He murmured almost inaudible. "I heard that!" Stella exclaimed. Wen looked back at her as he rolled his eyes. "How could you have heard that? I barely heard it and I'm right next to him." I asked skeptically.
Scott looked at me. "You know she can hear like a hawk." He stated. I shook my head in disbelief. How could anyone hear that well? Stella sighed as we entered the parking lot. "I can't wait until they make a movie where the werewolves are the good guys." She announced.
"Werewolves won't ever be good," Charlie declared. "I mean you can't be part wolf and not be bad." he explained. "Wolves are too wild and unpredictable, especially if you mix it with a human." he told us. Wrong thing to say Charlie. Scott's arm dropped from Mo's shoulders as the whole group stopped walking. Stella glared at Charlie her fists clenching and her nostrils flaring.
"Why don't you pretend to be a werewolf. What if people judged you because of stupid movies that are fake and unrealistic? How would that make you feel?" They rest of us waited as Charlie hesitated to answer.
"That's what I thought, Delgado." Stella said through gritted teeth. She turned and started walking again. The rest of us jogged to catch up with her. "Stella, I don't get what the big deal is." I admitted. Why did she always act like this when we watched werewolf based movies?
Stella shook her head flustered "The big deal is that, why do people think werewolves only change during a full moon? Or where did the whole 'only a silver bullet can kill them' thing come from? Or even-"
"Stella!" Scott interrupted silencing her. She looked at him and quickly looked away. "What I'm trying to say is that I think people have all their facts wrong." She said. Mo looked at her like she was crazy. "They aren't even real Stella!" she cut in. "Yeah." Wen agreed. "And even if they were then they probably would be hard to control." Charlie added.
We got to the car and we all got in. It was a relief to escape the freezing air. Scott was driving and Stella was in the passenger seat, with the rest of us in the back. Stella leaned her head back as she accepted defeat. "Yeah whatever, I'm overreacting again." She surrendered. Scott started the car and drove down the street going towards Stella's house first.
We all sat in silence, the tension from the argument lingering. After 10 minutes Scott pulled along side the tree line that surrounded Stella's house. She opened the door and we all said our good-byes. Stella shut the door and walked off into the darkness. "Should we make sure she gets home?" I asked.
"No, she'll be fine." Scott assured already turning back onto the road. His voice didn't show a hint of worry. Mo climbed over and got into the passenger seat, giving us all more room. "So why do you guys think she got all worked up?" Charlie asked. I saw Scott tense up but it relaxed quickly. What was up with him now?
"I have no idea." Mo said putting her hand on her forehead. "But I don't think we should ever watch a werewolf movie with her again." she stated. Scott's jaw clenched. "I don't think we should watch them anyway. They're always so depressing in the end." Wen pointed out. I nodded. "Yeah it seems the werewolf never gets the girl." I agreed.
Scott glanced over at Mo. "Yup and then they die." Charlie finished. Suddenly Scott slammed on the brakes and we all skidded to a rushing halt. We waited in stunned silence for a moment. "Sorry. I almost missed Olivia's stop." Scott explained. I nodded quickly and jumped out of the car saying quick good-byes. I walked into my house and I heard Scott's car drive off in the distance.
I ran upstairs into my room and changed into my pajama's quickly. I walked out of the bathroom and slumped onto the bed. Something was up. I could tell by how jittery Scott was. And why was Stella so upset over a stupid movie? I have no idea how, but I WILL find out.
MO'S POV
The next morning:
I woke up to the beeping of my alarm. 6:00 A.M. Ugh. School. I dragged myself out of bed and went into the bathroom. I got the shower and relaxed as the warm water soothed my stress. We had a huge test today to review all the stuff we had gone over in U.S History before winter break.
Stella, Olivia and I, had practically studied our hearts out. This test was worth 30% of our overall grade! For those of you who don't know what I mean when I say that: If we screw up this test, we basically fail the class. Believe it or not, Stella is the one who was so freaked by this test. U.S History isn't her strongest subject. Yesterday at the theater was probably the first time she forgot about that test. Even on Christmas Day she mentioned it once or twice!
Of course the only thing that could distract her would be a stupid werewolf movie. If I remember correctly, the only werewolf movie she ever did like was Twilight. She thought that the movie was much more practical and understandable. You want to know what's practical and understandable to me? Definitely NOT Stella!
I got out of the shower and changed into my black denim jeans and my bright blue blouse. I brushed my teeth and left my hair straight. I fumbled with my shoes and socks as I rand down the stairs. I glanced at the clock. 6:27 A.M. I ran into the kitchen and sat down at the table. I slipped on my shoes when my Mother came into the room.
"Morning, Monu." She greeted. "Morning, Mama." I replied. I grabbed my school work spread across the table, put it in my folder and into my backpack. "Are you prepared for that test today?" She asked, making some coffee. I smiled confidently. "The band and I studied forever!" I assured her. She nodded approvingly. "Good. Baba will be proud." She stated warmly. I smiled as I zipped up my jacket.
Suddenly my watch beeped. "Oh, I gotta go!" I ran over and hugged her, before running and grabbing my backpack on the way out. The crisp wind hit me as I shivered. I walked hurriedly towards the school. Mesa was a pretty small place. Mostly covered with vast forests and woodland. The school was only down the street, so I arrived quickly. I made my way onto the campus and went down to the music room in the basement, where the band and I normally hang out before the bell rings.
I opened the door to the detention room and I saw Stella sitting at one of the desks. Her History book was opened up in front of her. Her face was covered by her jacket hood and her head was propped up on her elbow. I sat in the desk across from her. "Hey, get any studying done?" I asked amused. No reply. I examined her for a moment "Stella?" I said worried. She still didn't answer. "Stella!" I exclaimed hitting her arm to get her attention.
Her arm dropped and her head hit the desk with a thud. "Ow…" She complained sleepily. Her head was flat on the desk and I pulled the hood away from her face. A long scratch trailed from her left cheekbone all the way up to her temple. "Stella! What happened to you?" I yelled. Her eyes didn't open. "Walking home last night…branch hit me…no big deal." She muttered yawning.
"Why are you still sleeping?" I demanded. "I…am…not…sleeping…" Her voice trailed off. I took her book off the desk and slammed it on the wood, creating a loud echoing smash. Stella jolted up right covering her ears. "How are you supposed to take that test like this?" I shouted.
Stella glared at me. Her eyes were bloodshot badly. "How much sleep did you get last night?" I asked. "None." She stated relaxing again. My mouth dropped. "Of all days, why did you pick today to do this?" I groaned.
Olivia and Wen walked in the room at that moment and Olivia stopped mid-sentence. "Stella, what happened to your face?" Olivia exclaimed rushing forward and examining the scratch. "A branch." She answered yawning again.
"A branch? Stella, it looks like something clawed you!" Wen pointed out standing beside Olivia. I studied the scratch for a moment. Wen was right. It was a pretty deep cut, and it looked fresh. But the way it curved toward her cheek bone at the bottom, looked like a slice. As if someone hit her.
Charlie entered the room, twirling his drumsticks as he joined our group. "Hey, guys. What's going-" His gaze rested on Stella. "Whoa! What happened to you?" He exclaimed surprised. Stella rested her head on the desk again clearly annoyed. "It was just a branch! It's not that big of a-"
She choked on her words as she saw Scott walk through the door. His eyes widened with relief as his eyes met hers, but it disappeared as soon as it had come. "Stella? What did that to you?" He asked worriedly. "A-A branch." She stuttered. What was up with them? I don't think I've ever seen Stella so flustered before.
Scott nodded in understanding. Didn't this seem too…casual? Why was he completely fine about Stella supposedly getting hit with a branch? Suddenly the bell rang. Stella and Scott simultaneously covered their ears in alarm. "C'mon. We're gonna be late." Wen said walking towards the door. I looked back at Scott as Charlie and Olivia followed Wen. "I'll catch up with you guys later." He said meeting my gaze as Stella packed up her history stuff.
I nodded and followed everyone out. As soon as the door shut I grabbed Olivia's arm and pulled her back. Wen and Charlie continued walking to the elevator and disappeared around the corner. "Liv, something's going on with the two of them." I stated pointing at the detention room. Olivia smiled. "I'm way ahead of you." She announced walking up to the door and looking through the window. We could hear their voices clearly through the glass. Luck was on our side today.
"Stella you know he's never alone out there! I was worried sick!" Scott was saying. Stella stood up defensively, all her weariness from before gone. "I was this close Scott." She told him. "And then next thing I know, my jaw is throbbing and I'm running through the forest trying to pick up the trail again!" She said frustrated, gesturing at her injury.
Scott grabbed her chin gently and turned it to look at the scratch. "Peter?" He guessed. She nodded. "He was downwind so he had the advantage." Stella explained. She sighed. "God, I'm so stupid! I should've checked the scent. He knew I was coming before I even knew where I was going!" She yelled ashamed.
"Hey, don't blame yourself." Scott comforted her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get him, but we have to do it together." Stella shook her head stubbornly. "You don't get it Scott." She hesitated a moment. "Peter told me that tonight he'd be vulnerable."
Determination shined in Scott's eyes. "Then I'll meet you tonight in the forest, by your place." Stella nodded. They walked towards the door. Olivia and I ran down the hallway and into the elevator before they could spot us. So many questions ran through my mind.
Who was this person they were referring to? Who is Peter? Why were they in the forest in the middle of the night? What really caused Stella's accident? Was something going on between the two of them? No. Stella wouldn't do that to me. Olivia and I stood in silence as we relived everything we just heard. The elevator opened and we stepped out and headed to our first period class. Olivia smiled at me. "We're following them tonight aren't we." It wasn't a question. I smiled back. "You know it."
OLIVIA'S POV
That Night:
Adrenaline rushed through my body as I ran to Stella's house. Mo and I are going to meet up across the street and wait for Stella to leave. I was pumped. After 6 hours of boring tests, I was ready for excitement. I hated lying to the guys, though. Especially Wen. But, Stella was my best friend and something was seriously wrong.
The crisp night air chilled my bones as I picked up speed. I could see Stella's house clearly now. I crossed the street and waited for Mo. It wasn't long before we met up. "Hey, has Stella left yet?" she asked. I shook my head. "Not since I've been here." I answered. Mo glanced at her watch, rolling up her jacket sleeve. "It's already 9. Maybe she left before we got here." Mo suggested.
"Let's go look." I offered, running across the road. Stella's house was completely surrounded by a thick tree line, except from the front view. So she had no backyard, just utter forest. I walked around the side of the house and looked around. Noting out of the ordinary. Mo followed behind me.
"Hey look!" Mo said pointing at the ground. Through the moonlight, I could faintly see a footprint. Actually, it was a trail of footprints. They all led into the woods. My heart dropped. "She left already." I stated. Mo shook her head. "We have to go after her." Mo proclaimed. As much as my danger alarm was going off in my head, I agreed with her. We couldn't let Stella be wandering around the forest at night all alone.
I nodded and the two of us slowly entered the point of no return. Instantly the canopy of the trees dropped the temperature by like 6 degrees. I shivered but walked on. I stared at the ground trying to follow the path of footsteps Stella left behind. With the moon being blocked out, there was no light to give us guidance. Mo dug around in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The light illuminated the air around us and she aimed it down at the footprints.
We walked for 20 minutes in silence, the noises of the forest making me uneasy. We walked out into a clearing. The path stopped. Mo and I looked around. To our right, was more trees and to the left, the ground sloped downward creating a hilltop view. I walked to the edge and looked down. It was about a 40 foot fall, but the way it was slanted made didn't make it straight down. A few trees sprouted out at the same angle the incline created. At the bottom a small creek, only about 2 feet wide, trailed off both ways out into the rest of the forest.
"It's no use. The path ends and Stella isn't here." I announced as Mo joined me at the edge of the ravine. "Stella's not here, but I am." I swerved around and almost slipped off the hill as a voice startled me from behind. My voice hitched in my throat and I grabbed Mo's arm as I saw the smirking face of Ray Beech standing in the center of the clearing.
He had his arms crossed over his chest as he examined us curiously. "What are you doing here Beech?" Mo hissed. He snickered. "The same thing your doing, looking for Stella." He answered plainly. Confusion welled up inside me. Why would he be looking for Stella? "Of course, I think we all want to find her for different reasons." Ray added taking a step closer.
Mo and I backed up a step and I felt the heel of my foot slip off the edge. There was no where to go now. I felt intimidated by Ray for once. There was a new edge to him. I don't now how to explain it. I swallowed. "You know it's a beautiful full moon tonight." Ray told us randomly. What was he getting at? "And I hear there are a lot of wolves inhabiting this place."
Suddenly I heard rustling in the trees behind him. Two pairs of eyes appeared on either side of him. One pair a bright green, the other a musty blue. The eyes stepped out of the undergrowth and my heart raced as two humongous wolves appeared visible in the moonlight of the clearing. Mo tensed beside me. They were at eye level with Ray and growling deeply, just watching us. They stopped next to Ray almost as if he was commanding them.
Green Eyes on the left, was a russet brown wolf with black tipped ears. It's eyes were silted glaring at me. Blue Eyes on the right, was a cloudy gray wolf with small specks of white and black covering it's pelt. It stood defensively gazing at Mo. It was like they were targeting us. As terrified as I felt right now, I had to admit they were beautiful.
Ray smiled. "It's been a while since we've had an addition to our family huh boys?" He asked. Was he talking to the wolves? Both of the wolves flicked their ears in response. "I've been trying to get people to join, but at this rate we'll just have to make them ourselves." Ray declared sadly. He smirked again. "I wonder how Lemonade Mouth will do without their lead singer and bassist." The wolves took a step forward and my heart stopped.
Whatever was about to happen next was completely brought to a halt. A giant wolf leaped in front of me and Mo from the left tree line, snarling and growling angrily. Mo and I almost fell over the hill again in amazement. The wolf almost completely blocked our view of Ray from how tall it stood on all fours. It's back lowered and it's ears lay flat on it's head as the wolf stood defensively around us.
If I thought the other two wolves looked intimidating, try this one. I couldn't see it's face because it's back was to us horizontally. It's pelt was so dark brown it almost looked black. But you could see the mixed shades of tan and yellow blended into it's fur. It's ears, paws, and tail were completely covered a in bleach white color.
Ray smiled. "Well, look who we have here." He said coldly. Surprisingly both wolves on either side of Ray started backing up as if they were scared. The wolf in front of us snarled again and the hairs on it's back pricked up. "You know, I wouldn't have had to drag them into this if you had made a deal with me." Ray defended. Who was he talking to?
Instead of eye level now, the wolf inbetween Ray and us now came up to my stomach from how lowered it was. This wolf must be pissed off. It's ears stay lay flat on its head as it continued growling at Ray. How was he not phased by this? I for one, am gonna be having nightmares for a while! My heart still hammered in my chest from the shock. How can wolves be this big? And what connection did Ray even have with them?
"You shouldn't be making threats that you can't back up." Ray stated. Our Wolf barked loudly and snarled again in response. Ray's smile faltered. "Don't make me be the one to tell them what you are…" Ray trailed off looking at us. Our Wolf hesitated a moment. Suddenly, Blue Eyes ran forward. I felt the wind rush out of me as Our Wolf slammed into me and Mo, pushing us to the right. I landed with a grunt on the ground and I sat up in surprise.
Blue Eyes slammed into Our Wolf, running at full speed, and my heart dropped again as Our Wolf fell over the edge of the hill. I crawled to the edge and Mo followed. I watched in horror as Our Wolf rolled down the rocky incline. I winced each time it slammed into a tree or boulder. I stopped breathing suddenly. Because, I watched as the figure rolling down that hill changed. Paws into hands and feet. Fur into clothes. I wasn't watching a wolf rolling and slamming into everything in its path anymore. The figure made one final impact before landing on it's stomach, with a splash into the creek below.
My mouth dropped and I felt my eyes watering. Mo gasped and grasped my arm. The limp body laying in that creek was Stella Yamada.