Chapter Two
"A defining moment takes a long time to get over, if you ever do." Mick Jones
The chime on the door rang, indicating a customer had walked in. I looked up from the records I was filing to see the blonde and ever adorable Trevor King. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Becca didn't come in for another thirty minutes, he was way too early. Zach and I have been in Forks for three month now. The dust is settling, the fear of running for our lives and starting over relaxed. The rebels weren't after us in particularly; I mean we weren't really anything special. The last couple weeks I've watched Trevor come in a couple times and try to casually flirt with and get to know Becca. I don't think he is aware how much she likes him, or vice versa. Trevor's light blue eyes meet mine and he gives me a distracted smile, "Hey Reid." His voice sounds distant, and his eyes darting about the room. I sighed; do I have to pretend like I don't know what's going on? "Becca will be here in about a half an hour." Trevor gives me a look of surprise, and begins to stutter. "Oh, I-I wasn't." I cut him off, giving him a grin. "There is this little café that is about twenty minutes away. They have these chocolate muffins that she is obsessed with. Also, their chai tea latte is a favorite of hers." I shrugged, "It would take you about an hour, so I'd suggest going now." Trevor gave a nervous laugh, "Nothing gets passed you, does it?" I smirked at him, but didn't say anything. He stood there for a moment debating, but eventually he gave me a smile and a little wave as he went right back outside. Trevor King was an idiot, but he was a nice one. Becca seemed ditzy, but the girl was incredibly smart. I wondered how things would work out once he actually built the courage to ask her out. I was betting she'd get bored of him; they wouldn't have anything solid to talk about. But, I could be wrong. Maybe there was more to Trevor than I had noticed. I'm not usually wrong though, perks of being an observer of the world. Zach tells me I spend more time watching life than living it, but is that a bad thing? I enjoy it.
Becca was about ten minutes early, all perky and humming as she walked in. "Morning Reid!" She sang. I gave her a short nod, "Morning Bec." Maybe I was trying too hard to be nonchalant, but I was excited to see thing go down, and didn't want to give anything away. Becca tilted her head as she looked at me, "Are you okay?" I sighed, she's too smart for her own good. I smiled at her, we'd become good friends over my time here. We were alike, yet opposites at the same time. "I'm great Bec, I just am a little tired today." She didn't seemed convinced, I should probably throw some truth into the mix. "Yeah, there may or may not have been a Supernatural binge fest going on last night." Becca's laughter filled the room. "Of course there was! You know I started watching that, since you talk about it so much." She leaned her elbows on the counter. "I am definitely a Sam fan." I rolled my eyes, "Of course you are." Becca made a face, "Of course you're a Dean fan." We both laughed, almost loud enough that we didn't hear the door chime. I felt the sickness enter the room. It was draining, and heavy. I lifted my eyes to meet the elderly lady that had come in. She looked at me briefly, but averted her eyes. Her shoulders were hunched over, her features tight. Becca turned around, "Good morning!" She said brightly. "Is there anything we can help you find?" The elderly lady began to speak to Becca, and Becca lead her down an aisle. I was too focused on her sickness to pay attention. Cancer. I could feel the lingering effects of some medication in her system. She knew, but as I could sense, there was nothing to do about. The woman couldn't have but a few months left. There were some sicknesses in the body I couldn't heal. I could, but eventually they came back. I could however, give her body a boost. That heaviness on her shoulders, I could ease. As she wondered the store with Becca, I focused on loosening her tight muscles and filling her with my magic. By the time the lady reached the counter to check out, she was standing tall. "How's your day?" I asked, smiling at her. The lady smiled back, "Very well thank you." She had grabbed a couple of the new and rather risqué romance novels Charles has been stocking the store with. As she left, Becca had a thoughtful expression. "Que pasa?" Becca looked at me, "What?" I laughed, "I said, what's up?" She gave me a half smile. "Those romance novels must have brought her a lot of joy. Her whole disposition changed by the time she left. It was the darnedest thing." I shrugged, putting my hands up. "Have you read any of those?" Becca's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned a little pink "No! Have you?" I looked around the room, "I picked up one, just out of curiosity." I leaned towards her from across the counter, "And as his tongue moved down my navel towards my-" Becca squealed, "Ah! Reid!" Laughter erupted from my lips.
The rest of the hour passed uneventfully, and rather quietly. When the door chimed again, I knew it was Trevor before I looked up. He had a bag in hand, and a drink in the other. He gave me a quick grin and I nodded my head down the closest aisle. Becca came around and they nearly ran into each other. "Trevor?" Man, where is the popcorn? This was like the climax of a movie I had been watching for months. It took all the self-control I had to not stare at them, but I pulled a random magazine from under the counter was pretending to look at it. What was I looking at? I focused on the pictures before me, hardware? "Hey Becca." Trevor said, his voice calm. He was doing pretty good. I could practically hear his adrenaline pounding, at that speed he should be running. "I was at this little café and I just had a thought that maybe you would like this." Becca blushed at the offer, and took the little brown bag from him. When she peaked inside her eyes immediately lifted, passing Trevor she briefly met my eyes. What do I keep saying about her being so smart? Becca gave him a sweet smile, "My favorite, that's some good intuition you have there." Trevor swallowed, and gave a little laugh. "Chai tea?" She took the cup from him graciously. "This is so incredibly sweet of you, thank you." Trevor smiled broadly at her. I dropped my eyes, I had been staring for way to long. "You're welcome." There was a moment of silence. Come on man, just ask her out. He took a deep breath, it was quick. "Do you want to see a movie?" There was a brief moment of silence, "I mean together. Would you like to see a movie with me?" He was nervous, and beginning to sweat. With my ability I didn't really need to be looking at them to know anything. Becca smiled, the muscles in her face twitching slightly before they pulled her lips into a wide grin. "I'd love that." I sensed some hesitation in her, maybe it was the tightness forming in her shoulders, "But…" She said, "Could we make it a double date?" Wait, what? "What?" Trevor said, echoing my own thoughts. Becca gave a nervous laugh, "Yeah, see I have this thing…this rule I set up back in high school." Her voice shifted from nervous to firm, "I like to see who people are when they are around more people. It takes the pressure of dating off when you're with a group." That sounded so much like something she would say. "Uh-uh sure." Trevor said, probably trying to create a new game plan in his head. He didn't sound so sure. If he was about to back out, he was a dick. Well, this was definitely a good way to weed out the genuine. I felt them look at me, I looked up. Oh no, was I being dragged into this? Trevor smiled at me, "You know Reid, I have this friend, Jesse. He's grea-" I cut him off, "I'm in." Becca eyes widened, and she shook in a happy little dance. "Sounds like a date!" Trevor smiled at her, he looked fondly at her. "Meet us at 7:30?" Becca nodded her head, "7:30." Trevor left the bookstore, grinning foolishly. Becca skipped over to the counter with her tea and muffin in head. I gave her a curious look. She shrugged her shoulders, taking a sip of her tea. "I meant what I said. I don't like the pressure of being alone with a guy. Especially at first. Dating should be fun, and not pressuring at all." She gave me a smile, "Thank you." She glanced down at her tea, "Thank you."
OoOoO
"Ladies!" Trevor said as we walked into the theater. He had tickets in his hands. Him and Becca looked at each other, they were adorably off in their own little world for a moment. "Oh, Reid." Trevor said, this is my friend Jesse, I was talking about." Jesse, was eye candy. Buff, blonde hair and blue eyes, and very tan. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad. Jesse extended his hand to me, "It's nice to meet you Reid." I smiled at him as I took his hand. "You too." We all walked into the movie theater. Yep, this isn't awkward at all. We were a little early, so we had our choice of seats. Trevor lead us to a row in the middle and we all sat down. I looked over at Becca and Trevor talking and flirting, laughter bubbling between them. I glanced over to Jesse who was on his phone. I peaked, seeing he was scrolling through his Instagram. He was looking at pictures of himself, shirtless. Suddenly, he wasn't as attractive. I leaned back, I could handle this. It was for Becca after all. What movie were we even seeing anyway? I hadn't been paying attention as we walked in, and Trevor bought our tickets.
"So Reid," Jesse spoke, leaning over to me. "Are you in college?" I shook my head, "I'm taking a year off." Truth is I haven't thought about college since I lived in Ohio. "Oh." He said with a little distain in his voice. I ignored it, and instead asked if he was. Jesse smiled, "I'm in community college right now. I'm going to be a musician. I'm the lead singer in a band called 'Smashing the Ladies'" He seemed pretty proud of that awful name. "That's great." I didn't try to keep up the conversation. I wasn't a fan of Jesse, he seemed like a vain jerk. The trailers began and I suddenly found myself sleepy. I really was tired from a Supernatural binge watching session last night. Just as my eyes were closing I sensed something. I shot up, completely off guard. My group looked at me, I had just happened to jump at a new horror movie trailer. Jesse smirked at me, "we should go see that." Hell no. I gave him a shrug. Becca, you're lucky I love you. The sensation grew. My ability was picking up something I couldn't figure out. I opened myself up fully to my power, becoming very aware to the people in the theater. Down in the front there was a couple of boys that just walked in. There was something different about them. I sensed a kind of magic in them, it was very strong. I wondered what they were. At first I worried, were they rebels? That's stupid. I talked myself down with logic. Why would murdering rebels come into the movie? Why not be waiting in my car or something? And if they knew where I lived, it would be much easier to kill me when I was going to work and by myself. I mentally tried to calm myself down through all the trailers. We were watching a light hearted movie, and I began to relax. I did notice Becca and Trevor leaning onto each other's shoulders about half way through the movie. Jesse was on his phone the whole time so I didn't need to worry about him trying some lame attempt to get closer to me.
The movie itself sucked, and I was spending the whole time trying to rationalize to myself that the guys filled with magic weren't a problem. If only my senses could alert me to what is a problem. We were walking out to the car, laughing about the movie. Discussing scenes. Becca and Trevor were flirting shamelessly, and Jesse seemed to be growing increasingly bored, but we were all still having good conversation. I could see the magical guys walking, and by chance we all seemed to park in the alley. My senses seemed to be going off, but I ignored them. I didn't want to live in fear of everything. It all happened so fast. Trevor was walking in front, going to open Becca's car door for her after he had taken the keys from her. One minute we were laughing, the next minute a tall and pale man was holding Trevor by the neck. "What a lovely little dinner tonight." He drawled. Another man appeared from the right. Vampires. My body locked up, my mind paralyzed as it scrambled for logic. There was no logic, and my emotions on overload. The man with the southern accent was masculine, in a beautiful sort of way. He looked dangerous, but the kind of danger you walk into in awe. None of us moved, until Trevor screamed. The man sunk his teeth into his throat, and then dropped him to the ground. Do something...do something! My mind screamed at me. I could stop this, I could stop this! The other one moved towards Jesse who had dropped his phone on the ground and was staring open mouthed at Trevor convulsing on the ground. In the back of my mind I felt it same magic I had felt earlier. Then I heard a growl. "Aw, no fun." He man with the accent said, pushing back his brown. "I don't like puppies much." His attention turned from us to the three massive dogs behind us. Werewolves?! Jesse took one look at them and moved to run, but the vampire had grabbed him. One of the werewolves jumped over Becca and I towards Jesse and the vampire with him. The vampire threw Jesse and went a few feet down the alley. My brain snapped back into action. I grabbed Becca's hand. Another wolf went around us, following the Vampire who had tried to take Jesse. The one with the accent moved slowly towards the lone one behind us. Where were the wolves friends? I was pretty sure there were more than three of them. It doesn't matter! Move! I turned around, fully facing a wolf for the first time. The giant brown eyes were staring at me. The fur was this soft and sandy color. The human in him was showing, and he was staring at me intently. It was like he knew me. What? That's stupid, keep moving! My brain screamed. The wolf must have been distracted because the vampire with the accent lunged at him. I saw a blade and like a coward I backed away as I heard the whimper of the wolf. I rounded the corner to see more wolves. Holy crap! How does this happen and no one notices! I am never parking in an alley again! Becca was stumbling behind me, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. I pulled her roughly. I could hear them fighting, feel the tension in all their bodies. My awareness suddenly came back, my brain becoming unlocked from the fear. 6 wolves, two vampires. We were going to be okay, right? I could tell suddenly the one vampire the two chased down was dead, or out of my range. I could sense three of the wolves and the horrible vampire with the accent moving farther away. One stayed where our cars were. I stopped. He was injured. I tried to move again, but my body wouldn't let me. I took a deep breathe. I couldn't let him die. Not like Trevor. A wave of nausea hit me. Trevor was...dead. Becca beside me here was nearly going to have a heart attack, or pass out. I looked at her, her eyes wide. "Stay here!" I blurted. Turning back and sprinting towards the injured wolf. I turned the corner and saw the wolf lying on the ground. There was a sword sticking out of its slow rising chest. Instinct clicked in. He was injured and I was going to heal him. I couldn't stop myself. I was very aware of my dead friend down the alley and the passed out one a few feet away from him. Once I healed the wolf I was grabbing Jesse and getting the hell out of here. The wolf's eyes opened slowly and focused on me. I put my hands on the sword and ripped it out of the heart, immediately filling the space with my magic. I heard a low rumble as I half repaired the heart, he would be up on his feet soon and I couldn't let him find me, and knowing he would heal himself I only did what was needed. Panic rose in me and raced to grab Jesse. I could tell the massive wolf was healing quickly now that I had sped up the process. I grabbed Jesse's arms, and he began to stir. I sent some magic towards him, hoping to get him awake. His eyes fluttered open and I pulled the dazed boy to his feet. Time to go to Becca. I ignored Trevor's lifeless body and walked as quickly past the wolf that was soon to be perfectly well. Becca was standing in the middle of the street, wearing the most haunted face I had ever seen. "It killed him." She whispered. The nausea came over me again. "Let's get out of here." I whispered grabbing her with my free hand. My voice was nearly gone; the emotions I'd been blocking out were kicking in. We were walking towards people now, a busy and lit part of town. I realized too late that I was covered in blood from getting so close to the wolf. Jesse was all bruised and bloody, and Becca...Becca looked like she had nothing left inside. We were definitely a sight to see. A man noticed us, and then the whole street noticed us.
For the fifth time I was sharing what happened. Except this time I was sitting in the police station at a desk with a man listening intently. The man also happened to a freaking werewolf. The very same werewolf I had healed. I could still feel the magic within him. He was attractive and staring at me intently. His russet colored skin and brown eyes made him stand out the room. His black hair was thick, and combined with his boyish face he looked young. But he had the presence of someone older, like an old soul. His intense eyes stared at me, and as he cleared his throat I remembered he had asked me to tell him what happened. I was staring at him like a moron. I looked away, taking a shaky hand through my tangled and messy hair. I had thrown away my blood covered sweatshirt before the police had arrived. The picture of my friend in the alley came to mind again, causing me to shiver. "Are you cold?" He asked suddenly. I looked into the deep brown eyes, full of concern. I shook my head, strangely comforted by his kindness. I took a deep breath. "We were coming out of the movie." I said quietly. A lump formed in my throat as I tried to not picture Trevor's look of fear before his brutal death. "Then, a guy came up on us and just attacked my friend Trevor." I closed my eyes, my nose scrunching in my attempt to not cry in front of the officer. "I think the man was drunk, because he was crazy. He took a bite out of my friend's neck. Then Jesse tried to attack him but the man shoved him down the alley. While this was happening, Becca and I ran." He bit him. It was the best I could come up with. Becca had kind of lost it, she was screaming about vampires and werewolves the moment the police arrived. After all that emptiness, she just turned manic. I could hear her crying in the other room. I looked over at the room she was in. "She's in shock." That was true. "I can see why she thought the guy could be a vampire with the whole biting thing." Also true.
The officer looked at me, as if he was deciding whether or not to say something. "But you don't believe it was?" His voice serious, his eyes focused. I let out a shaky laugh. Maybe he didn't remember me healing him? Was that a possibility? "A what? A vampire?" I shook my head, "Those don't exist." He knows what really happened. But I guess he has a job to do. The officer nodded, scribbling things down. My brother was a few feet away talking with another officer. "Can you remember what the man looked like?" I shook my head at the question, even though I could. I was pretty sure the werewolves had taken the jack ass down. The officer in front of me looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine. He gave me a good humored and easy grin that seemed really out of place. "It sounds like you saved a life tonight" He said. I couldn't move my eyes from him, "What do you mean?" I asked quietly. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then gave him the easy grin again. "Two of your friends are still alive." My brother walked over, he was ready to get out of here. His face expressionless. I could feel it though, his tension and stress. Zach didn't have my ability, so he didn't know the things I knew. I was thankful he was being spared some of the details. Like the werewolf in front of us. "We have all we need." The officer said to me. His good humored grin gone, and his serious expression back. "You are free to leave." We passed Becca's parents, who looked worried and scared of their raging daughter.
Zach didn't speak the entire car ride. I was numb, every inch of my body heavy. I felt empty yet full of grief and terror at the same time. My brain was spinning with thoughts. The vampires, the werewolves, and the werewolf I healed. He knew who I was, he knew my name and where I lived. He was a freaking police officer. What was he going to do about this knowledge? I didn't know, and it was driving me insane. I thought about Becca, and I could still hear her screaming in my mind. We had stopped, and I heard the engine turn off. "What happened?" Zach asked, his voice betraying his fear and stress. After a few minutes of my silence he continued. "I heard her, your friend Becca." He said firmly, "Vampires and werewolves?" I nodded my head, he wouldn't believe me if I said anything other than that. I heard him sigh as he got out of the car. I followed him inside; he had thought we were safe. And here I was having adventures with vampires and werewolves. We didn't talk the rest of the night, which was okay with me. I had shut down. How could so much happen so quickly? I fell asleep, miraculously, or maybe it was the exhaustion. The terror of the night haunted my dreams, but eventually all I saw was those brown eyes of the wolf I had healed.