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Chapter 93
Doing the Right Thing
Jake
Brandon had a six-pack of beer in his hand when I collected him near Jenny's house. And the way he was going, it wasn't his first.
We drove to his house and then went to the little playground nearby.
At this time of day there was no one there and we had already hung out here many times in the evening. Here he could let off steam, so to speak. No one would hear him when he yelled. The later it got, the angrier he became.
Basically, I couldn't blame him. I didn't know if I would react differently. How could Jenny have done that? The two of them had already been arguing for quite a while, but they always got back together and seemed happier than before. It was probably a mistake. If she's not up for Bran anymore, she should have said something. And then with Chris, of all people. That slimeball. We couldn't stand him since Elementary School.
By now I had been drinking myself and could no longer drive.
Bran had put a beer in my hand with the words, "The world is bad and girls even more so!"
But it didn't stop at that one. I wasn't drunk, but I wouldn't challenge my driving fitness - which I still suspected was quite complete. Was no problem. Not far from here, the forest began.
Then, when Bran had calmed down enough to stop wishing everything and everyone to hell and was sitting quietly on a swing, I pulled out my cell phone.
First Becky. I would apologize that I probably could not come to the bar anymore.
But Becky didn't answer her cell phone. I tried several times.
"Flirting with a cute guy!" Leah then replied, who I immediately had at the cell phone.
"WHATTTT THE ...?"
Shocked, I jumped off the swing I was sitting on.
My heart had skipped a beat in terror for sure!
"Don't yell, I get her for you."
Leah sounded annoyed.
I paused.
"Jake! Wait. It's so loud in here," I then immediately heard my star.
And it didn't sound like I was disturbing her.
I narrowed my eyes mischievously together.
For this, Leah would pay!
"How's Bran doing? Has he calmed down?" asked Becky immediately, when I heard neither music nor the babble of voices.
"I think he's just taking a break to regain his strength," I looked around at Bran.
I told her I couldn't drive anymore and would run straight home, but would ask Dad to pick up the girls.
"He can take his time with that, though. I don't think Leah wants to go home so soon," she indicated, chuckling.
"What exactly am I missing now?" I inquired.
"Except for the Chicken Wings she raves about every time she has a little wing ..."
Did I mention I was hungry!
"... she's been talking to a hot guy for ages. Right now, they are dancing. That is, they were dancing. Until you called. You probably prevented a kiss, which your very favorite little sis won't forgive you for!"
"Define hot!" I summoned her matter-of-factly. After 'hot guy' I hadn't really listened.
"Jealous?" she chuckled.
"With you? Always!" I stated when I heard a clang behind me.
Bran had awkwardly 'put down' his beer bottle and started cursing all over again.
"Is that Becks? ... Don't let youself get swrapped ups bys her. She's no diffent frum thes others. She'll makes eyes at ya until yas finally confess yas love and then trample on yas words. Believe mes, J ... I know whats em talking 'bouts," he slurred so loudly that Becky also understood every word.
"Oh dear ..." she simply said.
"You're understating!" I stated tonelessly.
Brandon staggered away and I looked skeptically after him.
That was not the direction to his home.
"Your bed is in the other direction!" I yelled after him.
He mumbled something to the effect that he didn't want to go there either. I went after him.
He wasn't exactly traveling fast.
"I'm afraid it will probably be a while before I get home."
"Jake ... If Bran is that bad, then stay with him tonight. I don't want you to bring him home safely, and then he'll freak out again when you're gone. He wouldn't have far to go to Jenny. Who knows what he'll think of then," she explained to me.
"But ..." that's as far as I got.
"No, Jake. Edward is right. You can't base your whole life around me. I'm sure that would get on my nerves at some point, too. And I have to learn to cope with not having you with me all the time. I was fine all evening. Sure, I missed you. I would have loved to dance and laugh with you. Also, I would have loved to see your face while Leah chats with this really handsome guy ..."
I was going to interject something, but I didn't get around to it.
"... Last night worked too, and if I get really scared, I'll call you."
"If that's what you want!" I just muttered contritely. I didn't like it at all, even if I unfortunately had to agree with some points of her speech.
"No, that's not how I want it. But we just can't always choose everything."
"All right," I finally gave up. But I would leave early enough to wake her.
Then I called Dad. I explained my situation and he agreed with Becky's opinions from top to bottom.
I should have thought so!
"Becky thinks you can take your time picking the two up!" I then added.
"Why? It's almost eleven o'clock."
"Mmm ... mmm ... But Leah seems to be fishing for a new boyfriend ..." I smirked and shortly after heard a key rattle, a front door fall into the lock and the connection was cut.
Becky would have loved to see my face and I was really tempted to drive to the bar right now to see Dad's face.
I had already pushed Bran in the right direction while I was on the phone, but he could hardly walk , so I supported him. The actually short distance dragged on.
I saw his dad behind a window, which I knocked on quietly. His mother would probably already lie in bed, and I didn't want to wake her by ringing the bell. His father saw at first gaze that Bran was drunk.
Well, it was hard to miss.
He asked what happened, if it wasn't supposed to be just a fun evening at the new bar and not a drinking binge.
"We didn't get that far. He found Jenny with another guy," I explained, while he took Bran from me and supported him all the way to his room.
He thought he was stronger than me.
I opened the door and pushed all sorts of things off his bed, onto which he immediately dropped Bran. Circumstantially we undressed him a bit and threw the blanket over him.
"Are you staying?" his dad asked me, seemingly amused by the sight of his son.
No wonder. I was also chuckling. Bran had railed on and on against all the female beings of this world. Except for his mommy! She was the best! His ranting went smoothly into a steady snore.
I pulled the second blanket out of the closet, set my cell phone alarm, put my clothes aside and threw myself on the sofa.
For a long time, I lay awake bothering about Becky, wondering if I was really worrying too much, but eventually I fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, I was torn from the sofa.
Bran wanted to confront Chris. Now! And I should go with him. After all, it was my duty as his best friend.
Loudly he tried to make his 'arguments' clear.
The door opened and Blake stood half-naked in the room.
His older brother's girlfriend.
She had heard Bran's yelling and my somewhat quieter attempts at conciliation. She literally hissed at him until she got tired of it and slapped him hard across the face.
Yeah, that was Blake. You didn't mess with her when you were drunk.
Bran fell silent and looked after her in shock.
I tried not to laugh.
It was hard!
Then, fortunately, he fell asleep again - until the next morning.
Bran was also awakened by my alarm clock, but he was sober again.
And in his right mind!
Quickly I went to wash up and get dressed.
I would take a shower later. In more pleasant company.
On the way home, I stopped at the bakery - as I always do when I stay here at night.
Dad had already turned on the coffee maker and was setting the breakfast table when I walked in the door. I didn't need to ask how Becky had fared alone last night.
She was a little restless until Dad had put her in my bed with the little wolf. Then she had slept peacefully.
I briefly told him about Bran, how he wanted to go on a revenge mission last night and was stopped by Blake.
"And what kind of guy did Leah pick up?" I then asked with a smirk.
I suspected the reaction.
"I don't like him!" Dad clenched his teeth together.
"Any particular reason for that?" I asked further.
"Not yet."
"So, it's only because he wants your princess!" I summarized his expression.
"Are you trying to tell me now that I'm as narrow-minded as Henry?" he got angry.
"Of course not," I smirked further and went upstairs.
I took off my clothes and lay down with Becky.
It was only a quarter to six, so I could still enjoy at least fifteen minutes with her.
She snuggled up to me and immediately opened her eyes.
"There you are," she noted sleepily, rubbing her eyes.
She was so cute when she woke up.
We cuddled until our coffee came.
Today I still very much wanted to go running with Leah. But other than showing me how Becky had been hit on, she didn't show me anything about her guy.
Bran and Jenny got into a heated battle of words outside the school, which Jasper had to mediate.
Supernaturally.
Afterwards, Bran then discussed things with Lisa.
That was her favorite pastime. To set the other one on edge until one of the two gave in. Or rather had to give up, so that no one came to harm. It had always been like that with the two of them.
By the time we had our math lesson together, they had already made up.
Also as always.
But other than not knowing what to learn first, the rest of the week passed quietly.
Mom had helped me with chemistry on Wednesday, so I was able to handle that on my own again.
Basically, I didn't have a problem with chemistry, but I didn't have the subject this year, so I had to brush up on some stuff.
On Thursday I was first with Jazz, who had told me again very vividly about the Civil War.
I would definitely manage the test the next day with it.
After that, I went to Carlisle.
Actually, I had just wanted to chat a bit with him and Esmé before running home, but I ended up being tutored in English.
And on Friday, I sat with Dad again about business administration.
My one bright spot during those days was picking Becky up every evening and kissing her awake every morning.
And then Leah and I ran through the woods Friday night.
It was already dark, but darkness didn't bother us as wolves. It was really good to clear our heads with a run.
I was running just northeast along the city.
Here, one had to get very close to the houses in parts. It was the villa district of Saco. To each little palace belonged a piece of forest, in which guest or pool houses were partly hidden.
I stood still abruptly.
A young man was sitting not far from one such bungalow, leaning against a fallen tree trunk. He was talking on the phone. Smoked beside it. A bottle stood not far away.
Mike! All alone! In the middle of the forest!
My neck fur bristled, and I growled without prompting my body to do so.
'JAKE. Come back!' Leah yelled at me.
But I only saw Becky in my mind's eye. How I had found her last week. Helplessly at Mike's mercy. The countless injuries that covered her body. The innumerable tears she had shed. The pain she had had to endure. The fear in her eyes that still flashed now and then. And I saw Mike in front of me. Unprotected. The taste of sweet revenge reached my tongue. He would not leave this forest alive!
Leah kept screaming at me.
I paid no attention to her. I concentrated only on what was right in front of me.
My revenge! I imagined exactly what I would do to him. Slowly and painfully. He deserved nothing else. However still I waited. I did not want to face him as a wolf. He should see who took his life. That he was responsible for it. Even if I pictured and imagined everything exactly, my mind was still working.
I pulled back a little.
Checked whether he was really alone. I also had to wait for him to finish his phone call. The danger was too great otherwise that he would call for help. That he would divulge my identity over the cell phone.
And since I had nothing else to do, I eavesdropped on his conversation while I laid down on the ground.
He was speaking to one of the guys who had caught me in the gym.
This was the one Mike had died for? He called Mike sick and not sane because he had not only raped some girl - which was already disgusting enough - but on top of that his ex-girlfriend.
"... that you punch Jake Black and threaten him as a joke is something completely different than actually doing that too! How did you come up with this completely wacky idea?" the voice nagged through the receiver.
"Yo, bro. Do you have any idea how much this sucks. That bitch has not let me paw her once in three months. But with this little fucker she does it after a few days even at school!" Mike tried to explain.
A rather ridiculous explanation.
An explanation that made me growl.
"Then you might want to rethink your general approach to the opposite gender so you don't have to convince another girl to sleep with you again!" the other returned viciously and hung up.
Finally! My revenge!
I stood up, took the first step ...
… and then Becky stood in front of me. Not really, of course. But I saw her in front of me. Something in my head had been asking what Becky would say if I killed Mike. And I had an immediate answer that I didn't need to think about.
I hung my head guiltily and ducked back into the undergrowth.
She would be afraid of me. And this fear could be so great that she would leave me. That she wanted nothing more to do with me. With someone who ended a person's life just like that. I wouldn't jeopardize that, even if everything in me was pushing for sweet retribution ... I would never touch Mike!
"Asswipe!" cursed Mike to himself, taking a big swig from his bottle.
I lifted my head again and grinned bittersweetly.
Not killing him didn't mean I couldn't give him the shock of his life.
I stretched again, stepped out of my little hiding place and growled loud enough for him to hear.
He raised his head, whose face instantly turned ashen. His cell phone fell to the ground from one hand and the bottle from the other, and his jaw dropped. Fear stood in his eyes.
Mortal fear. I smelled his fear and sweat.
I chased him through the forest after shredding his phone with my mouth.
How much endurance did a regular high school football player have? I would find out!
I didn't get tired of looking at his panicked face, even if I gave him a little head start and only jumped into his path now and then as if out of nowhere. I drove him back and forth. The main thing was to keep him away from civilization.
Eventually I ran across Leah and Edward, who were standing around in the area grinning looking at the spectacle through my eyes with amusement.
Dad took my clothes off my ankle so Mike wouldn't remember it later – in a quiet moment - and possibly associate it with me.
Some time passed before Mike was at the end of his strength.
He slowed down and I heard his heart racing. I had him boxed in. He stood with his back to the Saco River.
Growling and baring my teeth, I strode towards him. Urged him further and further into the damnably cold water for humans.
He wailed. Like a small child. I liked the sight of him, but I had a little problem: Why wouldn't a real wolf attack now, when the prey was so trapped?
The answer came promptly.
Leah howled at the other end of the forest.
Mike heard it, of course, and looked tremulously in the direction from which the perilous wolf howl had come.
I lifted my head in that direction as well, threw Mike another threatening growl, and ran away.
Mike had outlived me, but still a feeling of satisfaction spread through me. Together with the feeling of having done the right thing and that Becky would have a good laugh about it.
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