Chapter 6

Painting (Masterpiece)

The walls are boring me

Paint it like you always dreamed it'd be

Turquoise, neon green

Paint it like you always dreamed it'd be

...

If you want it, you can have it

Every color that you see, you see, you see

If you want it, want it bad

Build yourself a technicolor masterpiece

I'm in my room, finishing off my homework (really just texting Luke and kind of doing my homework) when Max barges in.

He signs really fast, running to the window. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" I ask, alarmed.

"There was a...howl that sounded really close," he signs, his face concerned as he closes my open window.

I stare at him incredulously. "And you...what? Though I would hear it?" I sign, my heart still racing.

Max pauses, then laughs to himself. "Sorry. It just freaked me out. I didn't know there were wolves in the area." He's still looking out the window.

He finally takes a good look at me and laughs again. "What the hell are you doing?"

I look down at my books and my laptop. "Homework?" Hope he doesn't notice that I haven't really touched my books in a half hour, and my phone is lit up in my lap.

"Okay. Let me rephrase. What the hell are you wearing?"

I roll my eyes at him. "It's a face mask. You might not have cared that you had acne as a teenager, but the majority of us do."

I don't have time to protest before he whips his phone out and takes a picture. I groan, knowing what it'll show. Me, in my ice cream cone shorts and green goop on my face.

"You look ridiculous," he smiles, obviously amused.

I smirk at him. "So did you when you had acne."

I can tell that he gasps, and he brings a hand to his chest, tapping it. "Ouch. That one hurt right here."

His face goes almost comically serious. "Keep your window shut, okay? That sounded really close."

I nod at him, deciding not to laugh at his expression before I look out the window myself. It's not dark enough that I can't see anything, but I do have to squint to make out the surrounding forest.

That's all this town is. Forest.

Max has long since left my room when I check my phone.

Luke: Hello?

Luke: Did you die?

Luke: Nice face mask. You look like a green smurf.

Luke: Actually you're the size of one, too.

I roll my eyes. Sometimes having the same best friend as your brother can be a pain in the ass. I mentally curse Max for sending Luke that picture.

Kota: My face is green and I'm still cuter than you.

I add a peace sign emoji at the end.

I turn back to my books, writing down some notes for the assigned reading, when I see movement out the corner of my eye.

I look out the window only to see nothing but trees.

But then, at the edge of the forest, I see a flash of grey fur and startle.

Shit, that wolf is really close. I can't help but stand up and walk to my window to get a closer look.

Despite Max's warning, I open my window and stick my head out.

I think I make a noise when I come face to face with the wolf. I feel the vibrations from my throat, but I don't remember telling myself to make that noise.

I trip over my own feet and land on my butt, scrambling back on all fours like the thing is gonna come through my window.

I take a moment to recover, staring at the wolf that is sniffing the edges of the window. I see it's snout twitching with the movement.

My heart is beating fast, and I wait for Max to come barging into my room again, but I must not have been that loud.

For some reason, I don't feel like freaking out that much. The wolf hasn't tried anything. In fact, with the way it's nose was twitching and the goofy look it has on its face now, with it's wide eyes and tongue lolling out, he doesn't look scary.

But it is ginormous.

I wait for it to do something, but when it just stares at me, I slowly get up, so as not to scare it.

I briefly wonder where the fuck my sanity went.

I take a step, and it bares its teeth at me. I let out a laugh, because it doesn't even look threatening. It looks like it's freaking smiling. And it looks like it's appearing that way on purpose.

I look around my room, waiting for the hallucination to go away or for Ashton Kutcher to jump out at me, because this shit just doesn't happen where I'm from.

It looks so majestic, more human than any wolf I've ever seen in pictures, but I have to remind myself that this animal can be deadly. It's hard though, when it acts like an oversized puppy waiting to play.

I take another step closer when it starts wagging its tail. I stop, though, remembering Max's worry and imagining how pissed Owen will be if I get killed by a freaking wolf from the safety of my own room.

"Come on, boy, get," I shoo it away, actually using my voice like when I did with Paul. I use it rarely, but I'm alone and no one can hear me but this wolf.

It's face looks pitiful at my words, and I melt a little inside.

It really is a big puppy.

I'm a sucker for puppies.

I step closer, and I realize I'm actually at the window now, close enough to touch it.

Too quick for me to comprehend, the wolf's head comes at me.

I close my eyes and flinch away, expecting my face to get eaten off.

I slowly open one eye when all I feel is warm breath on my face.

The wolf is just sniffing me, and it's then I realize I have the facial mask on.

The wolf is literally smelling my face.

The smell of it is pretty strong, I admit, since it's bentonite clay mixed with apple cider, so I can't fault the wolf for being curious, but it's so damn close to my face.

It seems sad when it notices my flinch, and I actually feel guilty. I reach my hand out, ready to pet it and give it some affection to make up for the flinch, when I realize what the fuck I'm doing.

I don't want to. In fact, every single thought running through my brain is telling me not to do it, but at the last minute, instead of petting the wolf, I slam the window closed right in front of his face.

I catch a glimpse of devastated eyes before I close the blinds, turn around and take a deep breath.

What the fuck just happened, I think to myself, closing my eyes.

A/N: Omg, you guys, I'm so sorry for not updating! This semester is so incredibly busy, I've barely had time to breathe.

While I had some time, I typed up a quick chapter. I almost wouldn't even count it as a chapter since it's so short.

I apologize, but it's better than nothing! (I hope? Lol)

Anyways, I can't believe you guys. I'm gone for a few months and come back to some amazing feedback! AND so many followers!

you guys are the best, and I love you all.

Let me know what you guys think of this one!

-M