"Feeling better?" I asked the next day at school. Nessie was standing by my locker, still beautiful no sign of her sudden illness from yesterday.
"Well I spent the rest of the day and most the night in the bathroom. My dad said I should take the day off, but it didn't seem necessary."
"You are the only teenager I know who will willingly come to school when your parents say its okay to stay at home." Brett said.
"Well staying at homes boring and I needed to pass these out." She held up to pink envelops one addressed to me and the other to Brett.
"What's this for?"
"Read them and you'll find out?" I opened my first (Brett had my bag and his in his hands) white cardstock with frilly lace lining was inside. It was a party invitation for next Saturday to celebrate Nessie's birthday.
"Will you two be able to come?"
"As long as its not on game night I can make it." Brett said looking over my shoulder to see the invitation. She gave a polite smile.
"And you Rhonda?"
"I don't know I'll have to see what's going on, but I'll try. Oh, I wanted to thank you for the keychain and everything really."
"I don't know anything about a keychain, but I had fun yesterday too until I got sick," first bell rang. "Please try to make it to the party, I'll see you at lunch." As she darted off to class I wondered how the keychain got into my purse.
"We are going to the library tonight, right?"
"Hmm, didn't we catch up in both classes?"
"Yea, but I was want to keep up with the tutoring. I don't know I'm able to understand the stuff a lot better when you show me." I thought it over I was getting paid to help him.
"I can keep tutoring you but I can't tonight some stuff with my grandmother has come up."
"Oh tomorrow then?"
"Yea." We made it to class and Brett turned in all the assignments that he owed Mrs. Archer. She gave a look to me then handed him a paper. A big smile came to his face and Mrs. Archer had a smile too. He quickly walked over to his seat in front of me.
I tapped his shoulder, "What was that about?" He showed me the paper in his hand. It was an algebra 2 test. At the top corner in red ink was an 82 percent and a note that said, 'good improvement.'
"I've never gotten more then a 65 on a math test since 8th grade."
"You going to hang it up on the fridge?"
"You laugh but I probably will. You know Rhonda you should become a teacher, if you can break thorough to someone as dumb as me you'd probably be a great teacher."
"You aren't dumb Brett." His face had a confused smile.
"Thanks."
The morning dragged on all the classes becoming mundane and the teachers voices monotone. Do to having such poor sleep the past couple days it was killing me to stay awake. Lunch couldn't come any sooner.
Nessie was passing out other invitations to everyone at our table while I took my seat. Everyone was already buzzing about it already. Changing plans to be there asking if there was a theme, what kind of gifts she would like. Lizbeth's voice was the loudest and most excited.
"Oh I love planning parties! Does your family need any help? I'm good at decorating. I also have my own label maker if you need one, or if you need a DJ my mom has contacts."
"Lizbeth, I'm sure Nessie's family has it all figured out." Carson laughed out. Lizbeth gave an embarrassed little smile falling back into her seat having not realized she had leaned forward towards Nessie in her excitement. Nessie wasn't bothered by it from her entertained smile.
"So how old will you be?" Carson asked.
"Sixteen."
"Sixteen really?" Lizbeth spoke up. "But you're a freshman."
"Yea I know, late starter."
"Don't let her get you down I too will be a sixteen-year-old freshman." I said coming to her defiance. "I was held back though so it's my fault."
"When's your birthday?" Nessie asked.
I thinned my lips; my birth date wasn't the best day. "September 11th." She stared at me with wide eyes. It was an uncomfortable date for people to celebrate on.
"Really?"
"Yea."
"That's my birthday too."
"What?"
"That's my birthday too. I'm only having the party next Saturday my actual b-day is the 11th."
"Woha those are some odd chances." Brett said having listened to the whole conversation. "When were you going to tell us your birthday was coming up." He nagged my shoulder.
I pouted at him. "I wasn't going to, just another day."
"You aren't going to have a sweet 16?"
"No it's to much hassle."
"We should have a small party at lunch one day." Lizbeth suggested.
"No guys its fine. If you want to give me something give me the peace of mind that there won't be a party." Lizbeth made a slight pout.
"Fine but I don't have to like it." Nessie grabbed my empty tray and we headed to our next class.
"It is strange that we have the same birthday. Like fate."
"Fate? Fate that my father's condom broke and my mom forgot her birth control. They both tried really hard to stop me from being here, so I guess your right its fate." I laughed, she gave me an uncomfortable glance. "Sorry. My humor is sometimes dark."
"Are you sure you don't want a little party just at lunch or we can combine our parties together?" This time I gave her an uncomfortable look.
"No. I don't need a party and I don't want one and I don't want to be tagged onto yours. If I get a slightest tingling that you did it, I won't come."
"But you will if I keep it as is."
"I said I try and I plan to."
"I really hope you come to my party. It'll be a lot of fun, there will be food and cake and me and Edward are going to play live music. You could sing." I glared at her. "Or just listen that's fine too. Your sister could come too. Opal will be there."
"I'll try."
We came up to the elementary school parking lot myself lost in my own thoughts. There was Nessie's party plus I was now tutoring Brett regularly and my doctor's appointment but the thing I was most concerned about was Debra. It bothered me she was staying with us, I couldn't figure out why she was.
When Carson stopped the car, I was surprised to see a large group of women hanging by the bike rack then I saw him. My heart dropped a little, I thought it was Embry but then I really looked and saw that it was Opal's uncle, Seth. After the talk with Nessie he was the one who had started dropping off and pick up Opal from school. He had said a few words here and there but not big it was unusual to see so many people around him the school was mostly empty when we pulled up. He stood out in the group, he was the tallest and the only man, but the women were sounding him all laughing and gossiping with each other. I quickly got out of car and stumbled up to see what was causing the commotion.
Seth stood in the middle of the group a line of kids in front of him. I watched as the young boy grabbed ahold of his hands and slowly Seth lifted him up and flipped him around. Then the next kid did it. The mothers laughed and commented how cute it was, but it just seemed odd to me. When I was littler my grandpa did this with me, but it was like he was a ride. Then Reina was up.
"Reina." Even though she was the biggest kid there he was able to accomplish it with ease. He didn't even break a sweat. Opal stood behind Reina but instead of flipping her over like the others he just lifted her up.
"Okay I'm done, sorry." There was several moans of disappointment and I watched as several of the kids when to their mothers. I waited for them to clear away a little.
"Are you a fair ride?" He gave a laugh and shrugged his shoulders.
"Some of them saw me do it with Opal and then Reina and they all wanted to try."
"How were you able to do that with Reina. I know you have to be strong with how you look but she's at least 95 pounds."
"95 pounds that's nothing in fact once you get your cast off I could probably do you." Reina's and Lizbeth's short little snorts is what caused my face to go red.
"My body doesn't twist that way anymore."
"Fair enough. See you tomorrow." He headed to his parked car and I turned on Reina.
"What was so funny with what he said." She chewed on her lip hiding her laughter.
"He said 'do you.'"
"And how do you know that."
"I'm not stupid. Besides all the boys say stuff like that."
"You need to stop hanging out with these boys then."
We pulled into our house Debra's car in the side lot next to it was Mrs. Sims and Mr. Walkers I picked at my nails, why were they here? Was it just a friendly check in or had Debra outed me? Reina face also held an air of worry I had explained to her what my plan was, and she didn't want to get taken either. Carson helped me get up to the back-porch Reina and Lizbeth following behind they were all there on the porch. Debra had a cigarette between her lips, wide frighten eyes. Mrs. Sims too had a concerned face and keep glancing towards the woods. Mr. Walker was a large man with round stomach and bushy graying beard the only hair he had. He held a tablet in his hand and paused the video as we approached.
"Girls get up her quickly." Mrs. Sims said her voice higher then usually. "Reina you just go on inside and start your homework." Reina stared at her but went inside anyway though I did see her eye roll.
"What's going on?"
"Well Charlotte called me last night told me about some animal that's been sniffing around here so I looked through some back log video of my deer cameras." He handed me the tablet. The video had been reset. With Carson and Lizbeth watching over my shoulder I pressed play.
The video was dark and fuzzy the area didn't seem to be around our land but deeper in the woods near the river. There was nothing but blackness and highlighted white foliage then a deer, a second one and a third one. This didn't seem of too much concerned deer roamed these areas all the time. It wasn't uncommon for me to get up in the morning and see one in our back yard. I jumped and almost nearly dropped the tablet when another animal jumped into frame its body over powering the buck. Carson gasped, and Lizbeth turned away.
It was a wolf.
Much larger than any wolf I had ever seen. It had light fur as the camera made it look white in the over exospore, it had its pray the wolfs body taking up the whole frame. It held the carcass of the deer in its jaw and just as quickly as it had come it took off with its prize. I played the video again, the first couldn't have been real. But again, the wolf appeared.
"What kind of wolf is that….it huge."
"I'm not sure but you are right I haven't seen them get that big. Now you said it hasn't come up to the house yet."
"No, I haven't even see it clearly. I didn't know it was a wolf."
"Doesn't matter if it hasn't come to the house yet. Something like that can't be left unchecked stocking so near our homes. I've already contacted the police and animal control but finding that animal will be difficult." Mrs. Sims stated.
"I don't think it would be safe for any of us to be outside of extended periods particularly at night." Debra interjected. Both Mrs. Sims and Debra were tense, taking turns looking back at the woods edge. If I had use of my left arm I could throw a rock and hit a tree.
I too began to eye the darkness searching for movement, highlights of gray, eyes staring back. The woods that I have always felt safe and sure in now held a danger. My jaw set this animal had taken away my sanctuary. My injuries had paused me from spending days in the familiar growth, finding a tree and spending all day under it being comforted by the silence. Being inside this house suffocated me enough I wouldn't let this wolf take the place I truly felt real.
"I agree with you ladies. Until we track it down and," he stopped noticing Lizbeth's whimper. "…Relocate it. We should come up with some rules for you all to be safe. Like you said Debra no outside night activities, and this goes with out saying but stay out of the woods. Me and my boys will be in tomorrow to set up some motion flood lights for both of your properties."
"The police have been informed so they will post about staying away from the woods, and I'll past the word onto my gym mates."
"Also, you should park in the front parking lot from now on. It a further walk but you have more visibility." He looked down at my leg. The front parking lot had more visibility but more stairs as well. "How much longer till you get that cast off."
"Next Monday I trade it in for just one from my foot to my knee."
"Good you'll be able to walk in it easier too." I nodded but I didn't plan to just sit by I eyed the woods once more and focused, I scanned all around me, walking up to the farthest edge of the porch. I could see Reina in her room and then I saw the slight movement in the same line of vision.
***I'm sorry it taking longer for me to finish these chapters, I think I'm going to go on a break from this story as I have others i would like to work on and i feel thats the reason why i'm not writing as fast. I do plan to come back so keep an eye out and thanks for sticking with me for so long.***