"Your hair sucks."
I grit my teeth and took deep breaths. In the nose, out the mouth.
"Please, let me stop," Seth begged.
"Just one more," I pleaded.
"Fine," he sighed, "Sam loves Emily."
This was always the hardest. But it's been six years. I'm over it. They're reproducing like rabbits, but they're stuck here forever and I'm free. I parted my lips and breathed in. The calm replaced the fire.
"Thank you, Seth," I said coolly. My daily demon-fighting, when successful, always left me relieved that I had completed another day as a human.
"I really think it's working. They've been gone for a while."
"I do too," I said, "I feel...different. Better."
"I'm happy for you."
"Stick around here and you can go back to normal too," I offered.
"Nah," Seth said. He shrugged his lanky shoulders, "Then life would be so boring."
"I'll try not to be hopelessly bland when I'm normal again."
"Leah, you will never be bland."
"Thanks, now go. The demon spawn's family and their pet dog are missing you."
"I'll tell Jake you send your love."
"You'll tell him I told him to make his bloodsuckers buy my brother some cologne so he doesn't come home smelling like leech."
Seth chuckled and ran towards the woods. My legs twitched a little. I had a small urge to follow him. To get on four paws and run faster than anything on Earth. To leave everything behind me in a blur of green. I turned around and went back inside. I knew what I really wanted. I wanted to be normal.
Dear Landon,
You have no idea how much I love you, do you? I'm changing everything, but it will be worth it when I'm with you. I see the Uleys strolling down the road pushing a pink stroller with their little bundle inside, and I want to leave this place. But I don't. I see Seth running and going on adventures, and I think about how I have little to do most days. I want to phase and howl and run and run and run. Yet I don't. Because I want something else more. I thought I didn't need someone like you-and I don't- but it has been a long time. I want to go out and love someone, but I haven't imprinted and probably never will. Now I need to find someone who will make me happy. And I need to be human for that. I can never function within the human world if a wolf is living inside of me.
Wish me luck,
Leah
I rolled over and blinked at the bright sunlight streaming into my room. I look to the Brad Pitt poster on my wall. It's been there since high-school. Only man since Sam.
Don't get me wrong. I've scrapped together something of a life. I took some courses at the local community college. Easy, light stuff like photography and a course all about the George Lucas movies my dad and I loved. I'm thinking about studying psychology or gender studies. I've been inside a lot of teenage boys' minds so either couldn't be too hard. I also started dating. Had a few boyfriends. But I would always chicken out and look for the next exit out of the relationship.
There was a weird feeling in my tummy. Ow, ow. I got up and sprinted to the bathroom. I sat down and looked...
Oh my...
Is that what I think it is?
I went back to my room, and I sat on my bed.
Shock ran through me but it was soon replaced by fierce joy. Tears streamed down my face. I kept whispering "thank you" over and over. I felt like the Grinch with my heart growing too big to be measured.
My mom came in and sat down on the bed, shaking me. I was too wrapped up in my own joy to respond.
"Leah? What is it?"
"It came back, Mom. I'm human. I'm back."
Dear Landon,
I'm ready. I'm coming.
I hope to meet you soon,
Leah