Chapter 11

Thursday 28thAugust 2014

I walk home alone, lost in my thoughts. My feelings are swirling around inside me, slowly building up into a hurricane. Anger is the most definite emotion, and it's the one that found me walking straight through the front door and towards the sitting room, where I know Mom and Saraiyu would be.

They're sitting in front of the TV, watching some re-run of America's Next Top Model. I barely know what I'm thinking, let alone what I'm planning on saying, but I don't care. I need answers.

"How could you never tell me?" My voice is hoarse, and I can feel angry tears welling up behind my eyes.

They both look at me in shock, and I couldn't care less that it was obvious I had been outside; my hair's a mess and my shoes are covered in mud and leaves.

The look on Mom's face tells me she knows exactly what's coming. "Where have you been?" she asks, standing slowly. Saraiyu follow suit, but she stays back a little.

"Why didn't you tell me that I'm going to turn into a freakin' wolf?" My voice turns shrill towards the end, and I see Mom wince. She knows what I'm talking about and at least has the decency to not pretend to be confused.

"I didn't know for sure… but I guess I should have seeing as you're a direct descendant…" Mom glances at Saraiyu, as if for help. The older woman just shrugs and gestures towards me. Mom won't be getting any help there.

She seems to pluck up every ounce of courage she has and sits back on the couch, beckoning for me to join her. I'm hesitant, but figure it's best if I try to be somewhat understanding.

"Look, I know that you're really confused right now, and I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you about this before. I guess I always thought it would be your father who would do this part when the time came." Sadness fills her face and a little bit of my anger dissipates.

This has to do with Dad? No wonder why she's been putting this off for so long; she hates talking about him. But now isn't the time to tell her that it's okay and she doesn't have to talk about it. I need answers, and this conversation is long overdue.

"Why? What does this have to do with Dad that you couldn't just tell me?" I demand, crossing my arms across my chest. I might look like a petulant child right now, but it's the only way to stop myself from fidgeting my hands and giving away how worked up I am.

"The way your father explained it to me was that the particular genes that allow the… change, only run in the families who are descended from the original seven who founded the town. There was some kind of curse that the native people put on them in revenge for taking the land and building on it without permission. A lot of that resentment went away after time, but every generation is still forced to go through this." She stops, the words that had been freely pouring out becoming too hard.

Saraiyu pipes up. "There are some families outside of the original seven who have been affected through marriages with these families, including your friend Maiara."

I'm beginning to grasp the vague shape of this strange tale, but it's still a lot to fathom. Especially when I'd grown up thinking this kind of stuff was just rubbish people wrote about to create a fictional escape for troubled teens. Clearly, I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Why haven't I changed yet, then? I got the impression that Mai and a couple of the others – Caius Hart and Acacia Steele – haven't either."

Mom frowns, probably not recognizing the last names, and most liking wondering if she needed to worry about either of them trying anything with me.

Saraiyu answers for her again. "Most don't change for the first time until after their seventeenth birthday. No one knows for sure if a child has the gene until at least their fifteenth year, when the pheromones and other hormones in the body begin changing and those who are already matured can sense these changes."

I take a moment just to think this through. So after I turn seventeen – barely a couple months away – I'll have to go through that downright unpleasant experience and won't have any choice in the matter.

This is turning out to be a really shitty day.

"I think I just need to go to bed and think about all this tomorrow," I say, standing. Mom and Saraiyu look worried, but I ignore them as I walk off.

"Good night, sweetheart," Mom calls after me, and the concern in her voice is enough to break me further.

Reaching my room, I go to chuck my phone on the night stand only to stop myself when I see I have a message from Cloud. I must have received it while I was talking to Mom.

Cloud: Hey r u ok?

A reluctant smile breaks free from my tense expression. It's nice to know he's concerned about me after helping me through tonight.

Serenity: Yeah, Mom finally told me everything

Cloud: Do you wanna come over tomorrow? I can help fill in some more blanks

I'm really, really tempted, so I think his proposal over.

Serenity: Would it be okay if I come over now instead?

I send my reply and sit on the edge of my bed waiting for the verdict. The final message I get from Cloud is a smiley face emoji and a 'sure', making me smile again. He's turning out to be the best friend I'd never had.

Honestly, I thought I'd be closer to Mai by now, but I have so much more in common with Cloud that the connection between us is a lot easier to navigate. I'm still figuring out how to even behave like a girl, let alone how to be friends with one.

For the second time tonight I sneak out of the house. The air outside is colder than before, and I shiver in my sweater. Hopefully Cloud had a heater going, or at least a really warm blanket I could snuggle under.

A surprise is waiting for me when I walk through the garden gate and step out onto the street. Cloud is leaning against the fence, waiting for me, in much the same way Luca had been only hours before.

I stop in my tracks, surprised into immobility. "Hey, I didn't expect you to come pick me up," I say, wondering how on earth he could have even gotten here so quickly.

"I was on my way back from the clearing when I was texting you, so I thought I'd just come over," he explains, pushing himself off the wall to stand in front of me. His pale blonde hair is glowing in the light from the moon, creating a halo around his head.

His eyes twinkle from under his hair, sending shivers through me. I'm startled when I feel his hand touch mine, our fingers weaving together as he pulls me down the street after him. Warmth shoots up my arm, threading its way through my chilled limbs.

It only takes us about ten minutes to get to his house, and I'm a little nervous about running into Luca. After tonight, it was hard to even think about him without remembering the sickening sound of his bones elongating as he Changed.

"Uhm, will Luca mind me being here so late?" I ask tentatively as Cloud opens the front door. He ushers me into the dark hallway as he shuts the door behind us.

"He's over at Avery's with the other guys, so don't worry," he assures me, once again taking my hand in his to lead us through the dark house.

I almost ask how he can see so well without any light, but feel like slapping myself in the face when I realize. Obviously being able to see in the dark was a perk of our shared condition.

The stairs were a little harder to navigate, and I almost trip a couple times, but Cloud kept hold of my hand and made sure to go slowly. I thought about telling him to just turn the bloody lights on so I wouldn't break my neck, but there's something about walking around in a dark house with this remarkable boy holding my hand that makes me feel adventurous and daring.

After being such a polite, responsible girl my whole life, I can't resist the feeling like I'm breaking the rules. Even if Mom hadn't specifically said I wasn't allowed out at night, it was definitely implied.

When we arrive in Cloud's bedroom doorway, he tells me to wait there while he turns a light on. Just as I'm about to ask why, I hear a loud thud, followed by Cloud cursing and I can't help but laugh. Trying to muffle my giggles behind my hand, I wait in the dark as I hear him making his way across the room again.

The lamp on his bedside table flares to life, illuminating the room. Gazing around at the destruction, I understand why he told me to wait at the door. Even a ninja could have tripped and broken their neck on all the stuff covering the floor.

Cloud's grumbling to himself and massaging his thigh, where I'm assuming he crashed into something. "I'm glad you find this funny," he mutters to me. His mouth twitches into a half-smile, though, so I don't feel so bad about the giggles still escaping my lips.

"I thought you could see in the dark," I say, choking back more laughter at the look on his face.

He snorts. "Probably better than you at the moment, but I'm no owl. Clearly navigating my room was too much even for me." We both look around at the mess, and I'm amused to see the blush tingeing his cheeks. "Sorry about the mess, I – uh, had trouble finding something to wear," he says by way of explanation.

"Don't worry about it," I tell him as I make my way to his couch to sit down. "My room looks basically the same right now." I smile up at him as he comes to plop down beside me. What I said was pretty much the truth, except Cloud had a lot more stuff than I did at the moment.

"So what do you wanna do? We can talk about stuff, or maybe watch a movie or something…" Cloud scratched the back of his neck nervously, and I couldn't help noticing how adorable he was doing that.

"A movie sounds good," I say quickly. I'm so not in the mood to talk about tonight.

"Awesome," he says, jumping up to turn the TV and whatever else on, already talking about a bunch of new movies he had that he hadn't seen yet and asking if I wanted to give them a go.

I agree to the first one he mentioned, having no idea what it was, but knowing that anything was good enough to keep my mind off tonight's events.

Friday 29thAugust 2014

I wake to the smell of deodorant and toast. Guy deodorant and Nutella toast. Mmmm.

Opening my eyes, the first thing that filters through my brain is that this is not my bed. Mine has a fabric canopy overhead, and this one most definitely does not have that.

Beginning to panic, I sit bolt upright, very nearly upsetting a giant grey furball that had been perched beside me. The cat hisses at me angrily, jumping out of the way from the blanket I flung back. I stare at its retreating figure for a moment, beyond confused, when I hear a familiar chuckle.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Cloud says, grinning at me from the couch.

Cloud.

This is his bedroom.

Holy shit, I fell asleep on his couch last night. And, I'm in his bed?

A dreaded thought comes to mind and I peer down at myself, relief washing through me when I still have last night's clothes on, minus my shoes and socks. I berate myself for thinking Cloud would do anything when I wasn't conscious and willing.

"Uh, what–?" I ask, cautiously getting out of the bed in case there were any other demon cats lurking about. I don't know what exactly I was trying to ask, but it all fled my mind when my feet touched the floor and I recoiled quickly. And I thought my floors were freezing in the morning!

"There's some socks of mine on the night stand," Cloud tells me, still smiling from his spot on the couch. His hair is damp, presumably from a recent shower, and I narrow my eyes at him when I see the chocolate-smeared toast being brought to his lips.

I hope he's planning on sharing.

I find the socks he mentioned and yank them on, glad they were so warm and thick. This time when I go to stand, there isn't an icicle lancing through me at the contact, and walk over to join Cloud on the couch. I notice a large plate of toast, as well as two cups of coffee and an assortment of other stuff, like fruit and a bowl of scrambled eggs.

"Geez, that's a lot of food," I say, my mouth watering at the sight of it all.

"Yeah, I tend to eat a lot and didn't know what you would want," he says, blushing slightly under his tan. It's the cutest thing ever, seeing a guy embarrassed like that.

I bite my lip, my heart swelling in my chest. This guy is seriously more than I deserve. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Well there's coffee, and I got some milk and sugar separately because I didn't know how you like it. Help yourself to whatever else." Cloud finishes off his toast in two bites, leaning over to grab some another plain piece and piling scrambled eggs on top.

It's as I'm halfway through my own Nutella toast when I remember that I hadn't exactly been supposed to leave last night and I had ended up sleeping here. Mom was so going to kill me.

Digging my phone out from between the couch cushions, I dread the amount of messages and calls I'm destined to have. It takes me a moment after unlocking my phone to realize that the only unopened message I have is from Sky.

Confused as hell, I open the text.

Sky: Told Mom you left early this morning to hang out with your friends. She just about had a heart attack when she checked your room and found it empty. You soooo owe me

I gape at the little black letters on the screen, wondering if it was some weird joke that she was pulling on me. But there was no other reason why I wouldn't have a million missed calls from Mom, so I'm forced to admit that maybe my little sister isn't so much of a brat as I'd thought.

"What's wrong?"

I glance up and meet Cloud's worried gaze. "I just realized that maybe my sister isn't the spawn of Satan after all," I say, laughing to myself at my own joke.

He gives me a half-smile. "I'm sure if she's anything like you she can't be that bad," he says seriously. My face heats at the compliment and I'm at a loss for what to say.

I almost jump out of my skin when a moment later my phone started ringing. Mum's photo pops up on the screen and I hesitate before answering. Cloud gestures for me to go ahead and take it when I show him the screen.

"Hello?"

"Uh, good morning, sweetheart," Mom's voice filters through the phone, sounding nervous. "Skylah said you left early this morning and I'd been hoping to speak with you about your birthday party."

I forgot about the party. This is going to be just wonderful.

"Oh yeah, uhm, we don't have to do that, you know," I say, acutely aware of Cloud's presence beside me. He's doing a good job of pretending he's more interested in the food than my conversation, but I know if it was me I'd be listening in.

"No, no," Mom says, "it's the only chance we'll get to celebrate your birthday because you'll be away at school on the day, and it's an important year for you."

I wince at her words. An important year is a bit of an understatement considering on my birthday I'd be turning into a giant dog.

"Yeah, I guess," are the only words I manage to force out.

"Would tonight be okay? Seeing as you'll be leaving Sunday and all…" she pauses, nervous again. "And I was going to leave the guest list up to you, seeing as you seem to have made some new friends in the last couple of weeks."

I don't know what to say, so I just agree with her and get off the phone as quickly as possible. After an awkward goodbye, I hang up and slump down into the couch with a sigh.

Cloud's watching me with an odd expression. "You seem kind of… tense. Is everything okay between you and your Mom?"

I look up at him through the wisps of hair that had fallen over my face. "Yeah, I guess I just don't really know what to say to her after last night." My mind shies away from the memory. The idea was just preposterous, but I'm beginning to realize that there isn't much I can do about it.

"I understand that, but I also get where she's coming from. I didn't really know what to say around you when I realized you didn't know about… well, everything." He gives me that lopsided grin I'm growing to love, and I smile back at him.

"Feel like going to a seriously lame birthday party tonight?" I ask, half expecting him to refuse.

"Of course," he says instead, his grin growing wider.

Needless to say, my 'birthday party' was just about as awkward as you could imagine. I invited each member of my new group of friends, and surprisingly they all actually turned up. I'd returned home not long after Mom's phone call, with a promise from Cloud that he'd see me at the party.

I arrive home to find Mom in the kitchen, frantically flipping through a recipe book. There are a dozen others scattered over the benches, and I laugh to myself.

Mom's never been the greatest cook when she strays from the usual dinner meals, and I can imagine her panic over having to cater for a bunch of teenagers.

Saraiyu is trying to reason with her as I walk in, and doing her best to stop Mom from cooking enough for a whole army. "They're teenagers, Jayda, not judges on MasterChef," she's saying as she tries subtly putting away some of the recipe books.

Mom's having none of it. "They eat a lot don't they? So I'll need to make more than I usually would… and how many are there going to be?" She's looking at me now, and I'm frozen for a second when I process that she's talking to me.

"Uh, I think there's gonna be like eleven or twelve?" I say, unsure if half of them will even turn up.

Relief fills Mom's face and I smother a smile at her reaction. "Oh. I thought there was more than that for some reason," she confesses, surveying the piles of books in front of her with fresh eyes.

I leave her to finish fussing over needless details and go upstairs to my room. Where were we going to host everyone? I'm sure they'd fit in my room and everything, but I don't really want near-strangers in the same room where I sleep.

Turns out I don't need to worry for long when Sky sticks her head around my door. "Mom wants you to clean up the bottom floor of the library for the party," she says, not even bothering with a 'hello'.

I raise my eyebrows at her. "The library? Really?"

"Yeah. She said it never gets used anyway and she trusts that no one will start a bonfire or anything in there." Sky shuffles into the room, glancing around at the chaos. Needless to say I had lot of packing to do before I left on Sunday.

I snort, knowing that Sky was paraphrasing what Mom had actually said, but I let it slide. "Are you gonna make an appearance?" I ask her, sifting through my closet to find something casual but nice to wear tonight.

"Sure, I guess," she says, and I'm surprised to note that she sounds nervous.

"I invited a couple of the girls' younger siblings that are roughly your age, so you might get along with them," I offer helpfully.

"Will they be going to the same school as me?" she asks. "Or are they going to that boarding school, too?"

I pause, trying to remember if anyone last night had actually said how old Caius and Acacia are. "Uh, I'm not actually sure," I admit, and feel sad when her face falls. "But even if they are going to the boarding school, they might know other kids who aren't."

My words aren't much more than a vague hope, but Sky smiles at me appreciatively for trying nonetheless. It's a rare moment between us, where we're not fighting or only conversing in sarcastic comments.

"Wanna help me find something to wear?" I ask her tentatively, hoping to God that I'm not going too far with this newfound truce.

She brightens considerably. "Uh, duh!" she exclaims, and lunges forward to help rifle through my rack of clothes.

The first to arrive are Cloud and Luca. I hardly know which of them I'm more comfortable looking at after the past couple weeks, so usher them into the library with as little eye contact as possible.

Mom enlisted the help of Saraiyu and I to do the food, and I think she's throwing so much energy into this party because she feels guilty about the whole boarding school thing. Neither of us have mentioned last night, and I have no intention of bringing that up anytime soon.

There's only a few tense moments with Cloud and Luca where the three of us don't really know what to say to each other, but thankfully the doorbell rings again.

I rush to answer it, opening the door to find Mai, Jesse, Mason and Victorie standing there. "Hey," I greet them as I let them in.

Just as I've closed the door and started to show them to the library, the doorbell rings again. I answer it again to find the rest of the group there. Reina offers me a wide smile as she and Caius step past me. Kailya, Avery and Acacia are next, and their smiles are more polite than friendly.

Doing a quick mental calculation I decide everyone I'd invited is here, so it's safe to close the door again. I glance around the front yard first though, just in case.

Joining my guests in the hall, I lead them into the library, where Cloud and Luca are already munching on the snacks.

I'd asked Mai to bring some music, seeing as I haven't a clue what everyone likes listening to. Personally, I'm more of a whatever's on the radio kind of girl.

All in all, it turns out to be a fun night. We listen to music and watch some movies while eating some of the food Mom spent hours on. Sky talked a lot with Caius and Accy, and I feel better knowing that I've made the effort to include her more. I feel closer to everyone by the end of it, but for some reason I'm still relieved when they leave.

I guess it's gonna take me some time to get used to actually having friends.