NOTE: For the sake of time, though I know that the cabin is more than an hour away from Mercy Falls, just pretend that they are within the same general area. Thanks!
Just as we separate, I run into the bushes and puke. I curse silently and wipe my mouth. The last thing I wanted was for Evan to see me throw up. "I'm sorry," I mumble, looking down at the ground.
Evan squeezes my shoulder as he passes and says, "I'll go warm up the car." He runs ahead, out of view.
I'm left to walk through the golden forest with myself and my thoughts. As I recount what just happened, both the tragedy and kiss, my phone rings. I answer it skeptically, wondering who would be calling in the middle of a school day.
"Clare, it's me. This is urgent will you please come to the school?" Poppie's familiar voice booms from my little phone.
"First off, shouldn't you be in class and second, I look like crap Pop, I can't come."
"Please? I'll meet you out at the field. Besides it's sixth period." Poppie ditched her sixth period class on an almost daily basis. It was French and she already knew how to fluently speak both that and Spanish. Poppie's mom had cut a deal with her teacher that as long as she got higher than a B on every test she took then she could miss as much class as she wanted.
I sigh, debating my choices and finally agree to meet her there in fifteen minutes.
When I slide into the car it's nice and toasty. It warms me form my toes up, putting the wolf that's trying to claw its way out of me at ease. "Look, I'm really sorry Evan. I totally killed the mood." I look everywhere within his car except at him. The hula dancer sitting on his dashboard, the stain on the floor, or my legs, which are still shaking.
"Don't worry about it," he says trying to make me feel better. "A few more minutes and I would have done the same and I ate a big lunch. Let's just say that you up chucking was probably the least embarrassing for the both of us."
I crack an uneasy smile while he looks behind him to pull out of the long driveway. "Hey do you think you can drop me off at the school?" I ask hesitantly. He nods once before turning onto the road that leads there. It's a short drive from Beck's house to the school so we don't talk much.
We get there and he asks if I want him to stay. I say that he can be dismissed.
I climb out of the car, grabbing a stick of gum that I find in the console. I blow him an air kiss as he pulls out, hoping he doesn't notice it, but my gut says he did.
I head behind the school to the empty field that I had walked on with Evan only a short time ago. I find Poppie pacing across it, her arms flailing with crazy arm gestures.
She spots me walking towards her and runs. Though she is probably wearing 5-inch heels she still manages to get to me in one piece. "Finally you're here! Anyway, guess what, guess what, guess what?"
"What?" I hold her by her shoulders to make her stop jumping up and down.
"Weston proposed to me." She holds out her left hand for me to inspect the diamond ring that lay on her finger with a zebra patterned nail design (each finger holds a different animal print).
"Poppie, you're fifteen. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to get married." I let go of her hand, my eyebrow raised.
Poppie giggles wildly. "Not actually silly. He proposed to go out with me." She clutches her chest dramatically before breaking into a wide grin.
"That is incredibly cute and I am so happy for you but what does it mean?"
"It means that in like a week or so we'll have a little ceremony for us to date. You're invited. I'll hand out the invitations by next Tuesday."
"Finally you two get together." I'm smiling now right along with her.
"What about you and 'The Boy'? How's that working out?" I gulp at the nickname for Evan, which also happens to be the pet name Rachel created for my dad when they were younger.
"How'd you know about that name?"
"Your mom and I talk sometimes," Poppie says dismissing the importance in bringing up my dad when he is in wolf form. She wouldn't know how vulnerable I am when she mentions my parents though. "Now answer the question."
I give her a small smile before giving her the events of today. I leave out the part where Robert and Rachel come over to talk about the possible new cure but the rest is all true.
She offers me a ride home with her mom and when I do get home everybody is waiting for me.
"Yes?" I walk around them in our small little living room to grab a sandwich. I notice that everyone is there except Evan. I wonder where he is and feel my cheeks blush just thinking about him while his dad is in the same room.
"Clare, we might have found a possible cure," Cole says he walks over to me and starts to rub my back so I know that this is the eye before the storm. "But," he continues, "we need a subject to test on and we would like your permission first."
"I don't understand. I haven't ever turned." I don't mention that I feel like I might any day now and desperately wish sometimes that I could.
Cole looks me straight in the eye as if letting me know that the next part to the story I'm not going to enjoy, "The subject wouldn't be you, Clare. The test would be performed on Sam."
