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Chapter 15

I blinked at him wondering if I'd heard him right. Vampires? This was a terrible joke. I wanted to slap Paul. He said he was going to be serious and explain everything, but instead he brought everyone here to pull a prank on me.

"Okay," I nodded.

"So they turn into wolves… like in the stories…" Dad continued to explain.

"Okay," I watched them watch me. Everyone looked so serious and even Jake – he could never tell a joke with a straight face. What if they were being serious? What if they'd really thought that they were werewolves? What if they were all really in a messed up cult? I turned back to Dad, and I wanted to hug him. How had this happened to him? Drugs?

"Okay?" he repeated, unsure of himself.

"So Paul treats me like crap because he's a werewolf?" I asked.

"That actually needs to be a private discussion between us," Paul whispered, leaning in my ear.

"Okay, so all the clones - they are the ones that are werewolves?" I tried to remain calm. Whether this was a prank or a really a cult, I wanted them to think I believed them because it seems like they expected me to not believe them – obviously.

"Yes."

"To save us from the vampires," I nodded.

"Not all of them – not the Cullens," Seth interjected.

"Right, like from the legend." Then something clicked. Rosalie and Nessie both had that last name…

"So that's why you haven't killed Rosalie," I joked, glancing at Paul.

"Not yet," Paul grumbled, and some of the others laughed. My stomach dropped a bit realizing that they were really serious and that they truly believed all of this. Most of their story actually fits which was pretty impressive.

"Okay, so when are we going to talk," I looked at Paul because after everything I still felt safe with him, and I could get his story on this very elaborate joke (or really scary cult).

"Uh, now's good," he stood up, and I followed him out the back door.

"That was no fun," Seth pouted as the door shut. I sighed in relief that they had been joking.

Paul walked toward the woods passing Van Gogh's grave, but I had to stop and stare at the pile of rocks, trying to let myself say goodbye.

"I know you don't believe any of it," Paul walked back to stand next to me. "That's not how I wanted to explain it. Well… it was, but not with a room full of people. It was unsettling."

"Not here," I muttered walking briskly passed him. I settled down on a fallen log and huddled against my knees trying to keep warm.

"Rachel, I really like you, but I didn't want you to get involved with me because as soon as you got in too deep and found out about all of this, I knew you would regret the whole thing. It's not fair to force this on you," he paced back and forth.

"So you're a werewolf?" I deadpanned, tired of this joke.

"Not technically a werewolf. They're pretty much extinct, but we're shape shifters who turn into wolves so that's where the technical terms get messy…. This would be easier if you reacted in a normal way!"

"There's a normal way?"

"Freaking out – yelling – being angry – laughing – something besides just sitting there. They all came to help explain it when you freaked out."

"Well I am angry and annoyed and tired… I figured not reacting was the best way because I don't like being laughed at."

"This is not a joke Rachel. I wish it was, but it's not. If you think about it, it all makes sense. My high body temperature?" he knelt down next to me and grabbed my hand. My fingers instantly relaxed – stiff from the cold air. "Our bodies run at a higher temperature because our metabolism is so fast. It helps us heal faster because when we change into our wolf forms, our bones are basically breaking and reforming. That's why I'm naked all the time. I'm too warm and my clothes shred off when I phase."

"Right, and is meanness a common shapeshifter trait?" I rolled my eyes, trying not to believe him.

"We can be a little moody," he smirked. "But uh… I've got a temper and I've mistreated you because a small part of me hopes that you'll run away."

"Look, I heard Seth. I know this is a joke, and it's a really lame one. I'm not surprised because you definitely have a terrible sense of humor and you-"

"Rachel, I would never make fun of you when you're down especially when you're grieving. I can be a jackass, but I'm not cruel…"

gI only humphed in response. It didn't make sense. Paul was being so… bipolar. Oh what if he was schizophrenic? But his words seemed true - my you're lying! siren wasn't going off.

"And I have a great sense of humor. You're the weirdo who can't cuss like a normal person – I mean you're a grown woman. Sticky shoelaces, sticky shoelaces," he mocked me.

"That's not being funny," I shook my head, trying not to smile.

"No, now I'm making fun of you."

…

You: Hey I can't believe you're on! How you holding up?

Carol45: It's been bearable for the most part except that it got a little heated between me and one of the relatives. I don't want to get into it again – Thomas is still hiding in the bathroom. How are you?

You: My brother's back in town with his weird girlfriend, and Paul and my Dad are in a cult, and Van Gogh died.

Carol45: …..

Carol45: I'm so sorry. I don't know where to start.

And then I explained everything to her – telling her how they tried to convince me that they were werewolves and vampires – how all of the old legends were supposedly true, and even about Rosalie's eating disorder and how she was a "vampire" – and how Jake was a clone and his girlfriend had a strange vibe about her…

You: I never thought I say this, but I liked my old life when my only problem was being lonely and Doug cheating on me.

Carol45: if they're trying so hard to convince you, maybe you should try believing them.

You: are you kidding me?

Carol45: I'm saying you should be opened to the idea of the supernatural. Thomas and I have seen a lot of strange things during our travels. In South America we heard a lot of stories about vampires.

You: okay so I should believe them and get brainwashed into all of this nonsense?

Carol45: yes

You: I don't like this

Carol45: I think talking to Rosalie will help

You: Alright, well hope your trip gets better.

Carol45: thanks we'll see.

I didn't like what Carol had to say – I didn't even want to think about any of this because it was just… I was still hoping this was an elaborate dream where everything is strange and turned upside down.

…

I shut the oven door and finally grabbed my phone to call Dad's. I was going to invite Rosalie over for dinner and confront her eating disorder… and slightly ask her if she was a vampire. I hoped it wouldn't be as awkward as it sounded.

"Hey," Paul answered the phone – much nicer than before.

"Um hi, could I speak to Rosalie?"

"No."

"Paul, I-"

"Absolutely not, no."

"Paul, I'm inviting Rosalie over for dinner so that I can talk to her about all of this stuff."

"Then I'm coming over too."

"Noooo, this is strictly girls only so…. No."

"You're not going to be left alone with her. Especially after – no she's not," he objected, his voice sounded muffled as he talked to someone else in the room. "Fine!" he hung up. Rude Paul was back – still ending calls the same way.

Ten minutes later I was pulling the potatoes out of the oven and heard knocking on the front door. I had only expected Rosalie and was surprised to see a tall Quileute woman.

AN: sorry it just cuts off like that :/ I hope this story is still considered 'different' than some of the other wolf stories...

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