For Ande's hint hint, nudge nudges. Many apologies for how long it took me to get this written and uploaded. And many apologies for this being such a short chapter. I Hope you enjoy it.
Thank you to Catherine, Ande, Incarnated-soul, and Sweet Bubblegum for reviewing. It's much appreciated.
Chapter 14
Leigh pulled open one of the double doors and the noise was deafening. Students chattered endlessly, a sea of buzzing noise. The heady scent of too much perfume mixed with too much cologne hit her nostrils. She succumbed to the chatter, allowing her mind to drift slightly. All the distinct human smells pulled into one scent more potent than any perfume. She found herself licking her lips thoughtfully. One of them would make a nice dinner.
She threw the thought from her mind. "Darn," she muttered. "I should've eaten breakfast."
It was too late now. She couldn't go back and grab something to eat. She distracted herself by slipping the backpack from her shoulders. She perched it on her knee and rummaged for her English textbook.
A girl was coming toward her through the crowd. Her smell became distinct from among the cluster. Ah, Leigh thought, looking up to meet the girl. Someone who doesn't smell like food. How refreshing.
Jamie pulled a lock of reddish-brown hair behind her ear and said, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you for days."
Leigh snorted as she located the textbook. She pulled it free, zipping the backpack closed. "Don't tell me you were looking."
"As a matter of fact, I was," Jamie replied. "Even your parents didn't know where you were."
Do they usually? Instead of voicing her thoughts she shrugged, feeling her dark hair ripple across her shoulders. All she said was, "I've been around."
She got the sudden urge to talk to Jamie about Doug. Thoughts were bubbling around in her mind, bursting to escape her still lips, but she couldn't risk it. Doug didn't want Jamie to know that he was in town--which seemed entirely silly to Leigh. But she didn't want to risk losing Doug's friendship and trust. It would be so nice to get the thoughts that had been passing through her--turning her insides upside down and weakening her knees to jelly--out in the open. And Jamie was the person she trusted most with her personal life.
The feeling was new to her. When did she, Leigh Bennett, ever need to tell anyone about her life? She was a private sort of person and she liked it that way. Yet the notion tugged at her anyway. She clamped it away. For Doug, she told herself.
"Around?" Jamie raised her eyebrows but didn't pursue the subject further. She, like all Leigh's other 'wolf friends knew better than to push into her privacy. Most of the time. Jamie tended to pester her more than the others. But she also knew that Leigh would talk if she wanted to--which she usually didn't.
"Why were you looking for me?" Leigh asked.
"We need to talk," Jamie replied. "All of us. The others are waiting in the music room."
"Good choice," Leigh noted praisingly. No one had band or chorus first period. There just wasn't enough students in Lampton High to have a class every period. Besides, Mrs. Craton, the band director, liked to sleep in. This gave her the perfect opportunity. Plus, the band room was built to stop sound waves from passing through the walls. The group would be able to discuss things humans didn't and should never learn about without distraction or being heard.
She followed Jamie through the cluster of students, occasionally having to push some people lightly to the side to be able to pass through. This place wouldn't be so crowded if the town had considered tacking on a new section to the school. As it was, Lampton High had to be one of the smallest schools on the face of the planet.
They waded through the crowd until they found the door they were looking for. Breaking free of the students, they stepped through, shutting the door behind them. Thankfully, the deafening noise fell away.
She met three rather grim faces instead. Not the best alternative. Well, actually, two grim faces. Alec was looking cocky as usual with his laughing cocker spaniel eyes. Porter was slumped into one of the desks. Jamie pulled another desk alongside his and it scraped audibly against the floor. Amber was examining her french manicured nails, looking calmer than Leigh knew she felt. Disturbed and vulnerable emotions were flowing off her in palpable waves. All three were at least a little nervous.
Leigh dumped her backpack to the floor and took a seat. She eyed each of them again. She asked finally, "What's going on?"
Alec gave her an odd glance. "Don't you know? The parents are going to break into the police station tonight."
Oh. Leigh snapped her fingers. "So that's what they were talking about!" She spoke of her parents conversation that morning. She had known that something of that nature would occur. For some reason, it was hard for her to fall into the nervousness that the other's felt. Sure, she cared about their parents--and her own!--but she had been feeling somewhat disconnected lately. She couldn't remember the last time that her family had actually felt like a family. Besides, it was hard to distract herself from the image in her mind--the image of Doug looking down at her that morning with that philosophical look in his eyes. She felt a delicious shiver race down her spine.
She pushed the image away. They were right. This was very important. And it was callous of her to be thinking about Doug when more important matters were at hand.
"And you're worried for them," Leigh supplied.
The others nodded.
Leigh bit her lip in contemplation. "They're going to go," she said finally. "And I don't think we should stop them. If the evidence isn't destroyed, then Porter's father might go to jail for the Colonel's death."
Amber chewed her nail, looking uncomfortable. The Colonel's death always seemed to make her feel uncomfortable. Leigh couldn't blame her. Amber was a strong girl but even she had cracks the tough hyde. It's got to be hard to know that you are responsible for another person's death. Even if that person was evil. Leigh had seen Doug's mind and knew all about the pain of making a living out of other's demises.
Porter nodded. "We're not disputing whether or not they should go. What we're worried about it is whether or not they'll get caught."
"They'll be in wolf form," Leigh replied. "No one will be able to say that any them--or us--are somehow responsible."
"Just the same, we need to keep the officers away from the building or they'll ruin everything." Jamie said. "We need to think of a way to distract them."
Jamie's eyes turned up to Alec. "Did you get the information we need?"
Alec smiled and propped his feet up on the desk. He lounged back with a smile. "There are exactly five officers in the city limits. One for each of us." He named the officers off, ticking his fingers. "Dectectives Tross, Dolwin, Carter, Staves, and Tennor."
"I'll take Tro--" Porter started to speak but Leigh cut him off.
"I call Tross!" She called out before Porter could finish his sentence. Porter paused mid-sentence and shrugged. "Alright," he replied. "I'll take Staves then."
Jamie gave her a questioning glance. Leigh shrugged. "The guy and I have a score to settle. He gets on my nerves."
"Amen," Amber muttered, slowly becoming her old self again. She tossed back her golden hair and fixed her face with a daring expression. "Alec and I will take Dolwin and Carter because they're usually together."
"That leaves Tennor for me," Jamie finished. She was still giving Leigh that odd look. Leigh hated the way she was always so perceptive. She could hardly hide anything from the girl's notice. No doubt it was a trait she'd learned from the Colonel.
Leigh couldn't allow anyone else to distract Tross. If they did, they would know there was some other guy in the picture. That guy being Doug. That information would undoubtedly get back to Jamie. Then Doug wouldn't be too happy with Leigh. Besides, she rationalized, Doug and she had a job to do tonight. A job that conveniently involved the detective. They could kill two birds with one stone. Leigh had to stop Tross from ever letting on that she'd ever done drugs. She wanted to have a future to look forward to in which she didin't spend the next five or so years in jail.
She couldn't help but feel a little rumble of unease at the plan. It didn't coincide well with the parent's break-in. Doug could end up in a world of hurt.
Jamie nodded. "Alright. Good luck everybody."
On that note, everyone got up and left the room. It was somewhere around that point that Leigh started to feel a nervous acid churning through her stomach. It stayed with her throughout the rest of the day at school. It was as if the other's emotions had seeped through the barriers that hid her from everyone else and had curdled around her mind.
She really did care about the parents. Especially hers. It seemed like it would be so much easier to forget all this was even happening. Or to feel cold and distant. But Leigh couldn't make herself not care. That wasn't in her control. She was just glad when classes had finished so that she could take a long anticipated ride in the countryside. Leigh didn't know how long she spent letting the purr of the motor sooth her senses and the wind blow against her, cleansing her mind of all thought. But eventually, she knew that she had to come back. Slowly, she began to guide her motorcycle back toward town. The sun was starting to dip in the horizon, displaying a ruddy light along the outline of the hills.
Leigh parked in the Carlyle driveway. Instead of stepping into the house, she moved into the backyard. The woods behind were silent except for the sound of chirping crickets and a few buzzing mosquitoes. Leigh swatted one away from her arm.
She slipped into the woods, feeling the twigs crunch beneath her feet. She kept her ears open, listening for even the slightest sound. She was alone...or at least she hoped. There were few people who could sneak up on her undetected. She was nervous, nonetheless. She knew she should strip down before she changed to wolf. But she couldn't help feeling like there was a beady eye out in the woods, boring into her back. She knew it was probably just her nerves talking. Besides, she couldn't catch even a whiff of human scent.
She slipped the leather jacket from her shoulders and splayed it across a log. It had better be here when she got back of she would be furious. She started to lift the shirt from her body, but stopped herself. She couldn't bring herself to strip naked on the odd chance that someone might be watching. Like it would be any better for her to turn wolf if someone was in the vicinity.
She began to change anyway. Her bones started to lengthen and reverse and her body began to itch with new fur. The teeth within her mouth grew and sharpened and her senses heightened. Her mouth buldged forward, becoming a snout and her eyes slid to the sides of her head. She landed on all fours, the shirt ripping to shreds upon her back. Her jeans split along the seams. Distantly she knew that she would regret having ruined a pair of perfectly good clothes, but right now the wolf wanted to be in charge. Hunger pains wracked her stomach and there were plenty of animals to be had.
Leigh sniffed her wet nose along the ground. There was a rabbit nearby. She could smell it, hiding behind the trees. She burst forward, jaws snapping. She caught the hapless white bunny before it got the chance to escape. It died instantly, for which the human Leigh was greatful for. The wolf was still in charge, gnawing at its meal. Slowly, the hunger pains ceased, and with it, Leigh's control returned.
She darted through the words toward the place Doug had told her to meet him. It was empty and silent except for the chirping cricket. Leigh lay down in the thicket and waited. Sooner or later he would show up with Tross right in tow.
