Hello, everyone! My name is Olivia, I am 16. Four years ago, my family took a move from London to Virginia, to be closer to the American side of my family, so that is where I am now! This is my very first story for Fanfiction! I've loved reading fanfics about Seth and the other wolves over the past year or so, and I've finally decided to write one of my own!
Since Seth is my favourite, this story is about him. It was an idea that popped into my head in the middle of lessons one day, and I just had to write it down! If everyone loves it, then I am happy to continue!
Here is 'Zero'!
One
Someone once said that the first step to getting help is admitting that you have a problem.
Only I don't need help.
Because I don't have a problem.
Well why dontcha tell that to her?
"Why are we here?" I ask, looking at my mother. She smiles at me and runs a hand through my cropped hair. I turn back to the cottage that we're parked in front of. A shiny silver plaque near the door reads Auburn F. Jones, Grief Counselor.
I give my mother a look - you have got to be kidding me.
She gives me her own look back - I dare you to say one thing about it, buster.
"I'm just worried because he barely eats. Teenage boys are supposed to eat you out of house and home, right? I can barely get a piece of bread into this kid; let alone a full meal," she rants once we're seated across from the counselor. I chew on my thumbnail, looking around at the overdecorated inside.
There are children's drawings covering practically every inch of the left wall. Opposite of that there are paintings of people on horses, people on merry-go-rounds, people on-
"Seth Clearwater!" Mom hisses in a low voice. I look at her. She knocks my thumb out of my mouth. I look at Auburn F. Jones. He smiles at me.
"Nice to have your attention," he chuckles. "Hello, Seth."
"Hello."
"How's school?"
"S'okay," I shrug.
"You're a senior, right?"
"Yeah."
"You really don't want to be there, huh?" he smiles wider, showing perfectly aligned teeth. "You can be honest, kiddo."
"Not really."
With a laugh, he gets up and walks to the window overlooking his backyard. A plant box is sitting on the sill, and he picks a watering can from the floor and waters the flowers there.
"You have any colleges in mind? I know you're starting applications soon; it's September."
"Seth has a bright future ahead of him. Not too long ago he was telling me all about his plans to go to Harvard for pre-law," Mom chirps with a big smile. From my slumped position on the couch, I narrow my eyes at her.
Yeah. When I actually had a future. What am I doing instead of applying to my dream school?
Exploding into a bear-sized wolf and chasing vampires. Yep. Real Harvard material.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my "bright future" ended seven months ago. Sorry, Mom.
"I understand that your father passed a while back," Auburn says then, setting his watering can back down. He comes over to sit across from us again.
"Yeah," I answer, but it comes out as a soft whisper. I look down at my chewed up nails.
"What was it? If you don't mind me asking."
"Um…a heart attack. He, um, had high blood pressure, or something…Like that."
"Do you miss him?"
I look up from my hands resting on my stomach to Mom, who is suddenly very quiet. Her eyes are looking at Auburn, or maybe it's at the wall behind him. There are more paintings there. "Modern" is what they're called, I think. But let's be honest; they're ugly as shit.
"Mhm," I finally answer, and I feel myself getting choked up.
"It's hard without your dad, isn't it?"
I don't answer, and instead look down at my hands again.
"When was the last time you had a full meal, Seth?"
I shrug, "I'm just not hungry lately."
"It's to be expected; what a hard ordeal you had to overcome. Especially at such an exiting, yet stressful time in your life. But you're going to need to start eating some more. I'm sure your father wouldn't have wanted you to starve, now would he?" Auburn chuckles a bit.
I cut my eyes at him.
"What should I do about him, Mr. Jones? About his newfound eating habits, I mean," Mom asks.
"Well-"
I tune the both of them out for the rest of the half hour that we're in the cottage. I analyse the children's drawings instead, trying to drown out the extreme hunger in the pit of my stomach.
I'll have to eat something someday…today. I have no choice. Mom's poked her nose into too much already.
Joy.
"…and I'll see Seth for an individual session again in three weeks," I hear Auburn say, standing up. Mom does, too, and I follow suit. He shakes both of our hands and walks us to the door.
"Thank you, Mr. Jones," Mom smiles. She ribs me.
I mumble, "Thanks."
We get in the car. It's quiet for the first half mile.
"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"
I stare at her.
"Don't give me that look. He's going to help you! We're all so worried about you - Sam, and Emily…Jacob's phoned to ask about you, and all your brothers…Leah's even worried, sweetheart. I don't want her to, you know with that new boy she's seeing and all, but…you haven't been the same since your father left us." Her eyes get sad and she clears her throat.
I sigh and go back to staring at the window. A leaf detaches itself from a tree and drifts away in the breeze outside. After rolling down the window, I stick my head out a little bit and let the wind run over my face and through my hair.
I wish I was a leaf.
She drops me at home, saying that she has to go meet with Emily to plan a baby shower, and then zooms off. No one else is in the house, and I go and sit on the sofa.
I stare and stare for a long time at the blank television screen, and the hungry wolves scratching at my stomach get louder and more ravenous. I try to ignore it for as long as I can, but-
"Fuck it," I mumble, and go into the kitchen.
An apple. That should be enough.
I finish it.
No. No, it's not enough.
More.
Okay, a Pop Tart.
No, two.
Okay, okay, three.
Fine…wait, six? Seth, slow down.
Eight.
Damn it, Seth, you ate the whole box.
Damn it, I ate the whole box.
I'm thirsty.
Some milk? Why not the whole carton? Down the hatch you go…Oh, I've finished it already.
So hungry.
Last night's casserole - gone. A box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch - bye-bye.
Seth, stop.
I can't stop.
Seth, you big fat cow, STOP EATING.
Stop. I'm stopping.
The kitchen is a mess. You should clean it.
The kitchen is a mess, I need to clean it.
Done.
…
I stare down at my feast for the second time today. It should be a reminder to never set foot in the kitchen again… Any kitchen for that matter. I can't keep doing this.
But I know I'll be back.
I can only quiet these wolves for so long.
Was it good? Bad? Review please! I hope to have the next chapter up and running very soon!
So long!
-Olivia