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Chapter 10 Skillful Art of Avoidance
"Okay, so what is up with you and Brey joining some geeky junior tribal council thingy?" Sadie asks me bright and earlier the next day at school. Lil and Sadie cornered me on the side of the school building only seconds after I popped onto campus. Inwardly I groan at the annoyance of the question, but on an all too closer level all I can see is the glint in Sadie's eyes as a tad bit of anger slices through her sheer annoyance at the thought of me and Brey geeking out.
"It's nothing, they probably made him join like they did me, it is entirely not my choice or his to be part of anything remotely close to the council, hell I live to annoy the piss out of those bastards." I say smirking at the two girls before me.
"That is not what Brey said, mom and dad are pleased as hell but I don't ever recall there being a junior tribal council before." Sadie remarks looking at me accusingly.
"Yeah how come we have never heard of it before?" Lil questions fishing for more answers.
"I don't know, all I know is that they want to punish me for something and what better way than inserting themselves securely into my personal life, forcing me to attend their hideous meetings." I say shrugging and fainting outrage.
"So is that what happened yesterday then, you and Brey were caught ditching the rest of school and fighting or something by the council." Sadie asks, "That why you didn't have time to meet me after school?"
"Yeah something like that but you don't have to worry about Brey…we worked it all out more or less."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drake's car pull up to the school and I cringe at the thought of actually confronting him. Hell, I think I need to be away from school again, life here is getting beyond stressful.
"I…uh have to go, I'll see you two later hopefully." I say quickly with a small smile and duck around back of the school to find an alternate entrance. The last thing I need today is Drake and Walker on my ass for mouthing off to him. I really hope he never changes into a werewolf that would be a day in the life of Satan.
"So Talin did you murder Brey in the woods yesterday, I don't see him at school." I hear Arden's snide comment echo down the hall towards me Emry standing by his side laughing.
"Asshole." I say under my breath as I try and regain my composure and quite the slight trembling of my hands. This anger thing is turning out to be more complicated than I first thought.
I quickly turn the other direction veering away from our hall and directly into my first period class, filling my head with useless information will be a welcomed distraction from the harsh words from my still upset friends. Of course it won't do any good to tell them that everything is fine between me and Brey that is until Brey comes back to school, hell they probably suspect he is in the hospital or something.
The rumors are flying and the whispers and glares do not settle my nerves any. Small school gossip is not a good thing when you are to topic of three of the largest rumors to go around. 1. My supposed relationship with Sadie an 8th grader. 2. The beating and hospitalization of one of my bestfriends. 3. Darke wants me dead. These on there own would be cause for concern let alone at the same time.
As I make my way to the lunchroom carefully avoiding the precise crossroads where I would have to speak to any of my so-called friends, I am pulled quickly into an empty classroom by the sleeve of my t-shirt.
"What the hell!" I gasp as I try and steady myself in the darkened room.
"You can't go in there." Lil says looking at me intently.
"Go in where and why not?" I ask slightly taken back by her dramatic behavior.
"Arden and Emry are over reacting and Drake is looking for you if you haven't noticed. Emry won't let Sadie leave the lunchroom spouting some shit about protecting her honor." Lil whispers in a hushed yell.
"Can my life get any more complicated, hell only a month ago my biggest concern was what I was going to do after school? Now I have crazy old men hounding me, my best friends accusing me of murder and holding the girl I love hostage in the lunchroom while a psycho searches the crowds so that he can pound me into the ground." I rant and spew my brain out to Lil, who of course listens intently.
"Wait what did you say?...you said love didn't you…Oh my gosh, Talin! You think you are in love with her!" Lil says shrieking and bouncing up and down before me. "Have you told her…no you haven't I would have already heard about it, shit you have to tell her! She will totally go postal on your ass if you do and not the bad kind of postal like kick you in the balls or something but the crazy as shit kind like jumping your bones against the nearest secluded spot kind!" Lil yelps out quickly blowing my mind out of my head at the words and the speediness that she says them.
"Slow down you are speaking like a monkey on acid…"
"When are you gonna tell her?"
"Tell her what I didn't comprehend a single word you spoke." I admit she can get quite crazy when she is excited, the only thing worse is when she and Sadie are excited together then it is utter chaos. However, Sadie reacts a bit differently not so much shrieking and bouncing as swearing and jumping. I know, I know subtle difference, guess you can only understand if you are indeed an eyewitness.
"Tell her you love her duh?"
"What?"
"Nevermind, boys geesh, well back to the topic of your immediate existence, how are you going to escape all the chaos in the lunchroom today?"
"Well if we keep contemplating what I am going to day for another say 10 minutes I will not have to follow through since the bell with undoubtedly ring on queue, you sure know how to take up my time this morning." I say rolling my eyes but grateful at the same time for her warning.
"You didn't really hurt Brey did you?" All I can do to react to that question is laugh and smile at her ignorance.
"You know Talin, I never thought things would change…" Lil smile at me with a hint of amusement in her eyes as her meaningfully looks at me.
"Never thought I would want them to." I sigh glancing at the clock again to check the time.
"You know it must be weird for you seeing her the way you do, cause you know it was just 2 summers ago that you were teasing us and calling us silly names to get us to cry."
I smile sheepishly at her wondering why my mind works like it does, I still haven't figured it out, when did Lil and Sadie become girls rather than children. I have not idea?
The bell rings and I glance at Lil once more before heading to my next class with dread since the very people I am trying to avoid will also be in attendance. Teacher interception is my only hope.
Luck has my side, or not depending how you take it. A test. Yes, I forgot to study but hell at least no one will be able to confront me during class. I'll bomb it more than likely seeing as I didn't even know we had one until today. Luck has my back until the final bell rings, I allow Arden to push me up against a locker by my neck, not wanting to snap him into with my enhanced strength, he taunts me and throws out a bunch of crap that I for one wasn't much concerned with. He is full of shit only he doesn't know it yet. I escape his grasp as quickly and with as little force as I can muster and race down the halls to the front door.
The concrete outside makes my head crack sickenly as I plummet to the ground, the force behind this sudden fall—Drake's outstretched arm. He clotheslined me in front of half the school, my breath is knocked out of me and I am stunned as I stare up at his laughing face.
"You know Gray, I seem to remember wanting to speak with you yesterday about this time." He sneers at me as he casually kicks one of my outstretched legs.
I remain silent as I feel my control loosening and goosebumps start to rise on my skin, something I noticed happens just before the shakes begin.
"Look he is too scared to do anything but lie there, bet he is ready to piss himself at the mere thought of facing me without his friends, too bad for you, you had to go and fuck around with the little sister." Drake tries taunting me, and yeah it is working, making me beyond mad, but instead I rise to my feet and walk away towards the woods. Nothing is worth changing into a wolf in public, old Clearwater if anything pounded that into my head.