I enter the rubble of my room. I collect my few CD's. Linkin Park, Green Day, Good Charlotte. I take my portable CD player and my stationary one. I leave the posters and pictures. I go to the family room. My mother's body has been removed, but I sense where the body was. The exact place. I go to the spot and put my hand on it. Then I vomit. I stand up and go to the place where the only photo I love is. I pick it up and put it in the bag I took from my room. I go back to my room and look around.
"Not taking any clothes?" Robin says, looking at the posters.
"I'll get new ones," I say, walking to my closet.
He watches as I open it up. I take out my laptop and DVD's out of the desk in my closet. I open a drawer and take out my drawing pad and journal. I close the drawer and open the hidden one at the bottom. I take out all the money, roughly five thousand dollars. Robin eyes the money warily.
"I have a past," I explain. "It's behind me."
He looks doubtful but accepts it.
I look around the room once more. I close my eyes and gather up all the energy left inside. When I'm done, I open my eyes and Robin is looking at me. Not in a bad way, just curious.
"I want you to make me a promise, before I agree to live with you guys," I say suddenly.
He looks at me funny and says, "What kind of promise?"
"Promise you won't fall in love with me," I say, totally serious.
He looks at me as if I'm crazy.
"I'm not crazy," I say. "Just promise."
He looks as though he's going to laugh as he says, "I promise."
"You don't believe that you could ever fall in love with me?" I say.
His face says it all.
"We'll see. By the way, be careful of the dog."
"What dog?" he says quizzically.
"The dog that'll attack you as we walk past Main Street."
"How do you know there'll be a dog at Main Street?"
"I know these things."
"You're psychic?"
"A little."
"Well now I feel safe."
"Sarcasm?"
"Genuine feeling of safety."
"How so?"
"You can tell me if there's a bus heading our way so I won't be hit."
"I could, but I might not."
He looks at me as if regarding me as a threat.
"Can we go back? It's getting light."
"So?"
"So I need to sleep."
"In the light?"
"I'm tired."
"Is that a wolf thing?"
"It's an I just had an extremely rough night and I want to go to sleep and try to forget it, thing."
"Oh yeah."
"Oh yeah," I mumble, walking past him.
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We get back to Titan Tower at the break of dawn. I head to the room next to Raven's.
"How do you know that's your room?"
I turn to answer him but he interrupts.
"Oh, must be the psychic thing."
"Actually, she pointed out which room was hers before we left."
"Oh."
I press the button next to the door and it opens. I walk inside and Robin follows me. I ignore his presence and examine the room. It has a reasonably big closet, a giant bed with a night stand next to it and a desk. I set my bag down on the bed and start unpacking.
"I'll leave you to it, then," Robin says, leaving.
"One thing," I say.
He stops and turns.
"Where's the training room?"
He points down the hall. "Last door on the right."
"Thanks."
He seems surprised at the small show of gratitude and leaves. I continue unpacking.
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I sit on the side of the Tower on the roof. I hear the door open behind me and Raven comes and sits next to me.
"Robin told me about the promise," she says.
"Just a precaution," I answer.
"Is there something we don't know?"
"Yes."
She says nothing more. We sit and watch the sun slowly rise.
"I prefer the moon," I say.
"Me too," she replies.
We sit in silence for a while.
"You should come meet the rest of the Titans."
"I'll come in a minute."
She gets up and walks to the door. She turns before going down and seems to want to say something but changes her mind. She leaves.
I get up and walk to the middle of the roof. I transform into a jet black wolf with a silver crescent moon on the forehead. I lift my head and fill the air with a howl only a true wolf could make.