Winifrith Mage sat in English Lit thinking . About that boy. Whose name she knew without really knowing it.
Pyro had given her strange looks for the rest of lunch, as if he’d wanted to say something… but couldn’t find the words. She didn’t blame him. What happened with Jet was… electrifying to say the least. But, not a bad ‘Stuck-your-finger-in-a-light-socket’ electricity, more like the staticy feeling a person gets when they fall in love. Nice tingles. All over her body, especially from where he had a grip on her hand.
But… however nice it might have felt just standing there with Jet, it scared the shit out of her. He was, after all, a stranger. And something in his eyes had scared her, like his attitude wasn’t the only thing cold about him. Like he was hiding something bad. Really bad.
Could this be any less interesting? She thought. The teacher, a slightly plump woman with dark hair, was lecturing on Shakespeare, and although Winnie enjoyed his work, Ms. McPayton made Romeo and Juliet blatantly dull.
“Who remembers why Romeo kills Tybalt?” The class looked at her blankly, and she tried to put enthusiasm into her voice. “Come now! Perhaps… Ms. Mage will enlighten us?”
Winnie looked up from where she had been drawing in her notebook and swallowed. Public speaking wasn’t her thing. “Oh.. well… Romeo killed Tybalt because-”
Knock, knock. Someone was at the door, and as Ms.McPayton moved to see who it was, Winnie breathed a sigh of relief… until she saw Jet cooly slide into the class and take the seat directly behind her.
She froze. Why me…?And- Atleast she forgot the question…
A whisper from behind her. “Hey.”
“Um… hi…” A weak reply, made in one short breath. She never knew what to say around boys, Jaren wasn’t really a guy [not in her head, atleast], and she always seemed to make a complete jackass out of herself in front of everyone else.
So, for the next few minutes she was really tense, like a sore muscle. All she could think was- How do I get like this around a guy I don’t even know!? Until she finally yelled at herself-He’s no-one, and I don’t care! Winnie’s chin jutted out defensively, and she crossed her bare arms. I don’t give a damn.
Or atleast that’s the way she wished it was.
Suddenly, the sound of paper hitting paper. Her dark head head snapped around, searching for where it had come from. Her desk.
A small note, with ‘Winnie’ scrawled across the front. She didn’t even have to turn around to know it was Jet. And she also knew he probably had a sly little grin on his face.
Winnie fumbled with it, unfolding each corner slowly watching the front of the class. Ms. McPayton had a policy about notes. There were none.
Winnie-
Hey. I know we haven’t talked… but what happened this afternoon was strange. I feel like I know you… . If you could find it in your heart , meet me by the steps in front of the school.
– Jet
Winnie smiled and stuffed the note in her desk. Her previous notions about his jerkiness were abolished. What to do but go? She couldn’t possibly leave that fine young man waiting forever, now could she? It just wouldn’t be right. Plus, she was really quite curious as to what the hell he had to say.
She merely brushed off the feeling that came with her decision. Like she was forgetting something. Making a mistake. And Winnie wrote the whispers off as her mind playing tricks on her.
Maybe she shouldn’t have.
The teenager tapped his foot impatiently, but then again, he was ALWAYS impatient with something. This place just wasn’t fast enough for him, and he meant to do somethin about it. He’d already gotten a standing with the ‘in’ crowd and had half the school around his little finger.
Sigh. He needed to talk to this girl!
For what? Damn. That little voice in his head. What exactly are you gonna tell her? Oh’ Your friend is a werewolf, he probably wants to eat your spleen… so stay away!’ Are you insane? Do you have anything wrong with you, mentally?
No. He thought. I’ll just make up something… yeah, say I saw the guy dropping acid or something. She’ll believe it.
“Jet?”
He whirled around, and there she was… his heart started to beat faster. This girl could get under your skin… “Hey, G.I.”
Smile. “Yeah, but don’t think I’m just gonna run off to join the army or some shit.” She looked around, then her gray eyes focused on his face. “What’s up?”
“Well…” Do or die. “I’m new, right?”
Nod.
“I don’t exactly now where everything is- so I need someone to help me out…” Well, not exactly what he was going for, but hell! Run with it. Winnie was someone he could like being close to but not really close to..
“Hell yeah!” Excitement flashed through her gray eyes… but dimmed and she made a serious face. “Um…” Cough. “If you want me to.”
He smiled and reached out to touch her cheek… something was drawing him to her. A few inches away, an inch…
“Hey Winnie!” A loud, excited voice came. A girl, short and petite ran over to the secluded area where they had bee standing.
Winnie groaned and looked at him pleadingly, then sighed and said, “Hey… Dahlia.”
The small blonde with big bambi eyes grinned. “Yeah, did you hear?!”
“Hear what?”
“James and Lissa just hooked up… everyone is talking about it!”
A thought flew at Jet from no where. And I would care, why? James broke up with me, the asshole. Images. A happier Winnie with some jock… laughing. Then crying as he broke up with her. The pain… Jet chocked back on a sob and looked into her eyes. They were full of tears.
Dark hair flew as she whirled away from him.
The chirpy little girl she called Dahlia looked concerned. “Oh, look I’m sorry. I forgot…”
“It’s O.K. So he’s a dick? So what.” Winnie turned back smiled brilliantly, and turned back not meeting his eyes. “I’ll see you later.” She fished around in her purse and pulled out a green marker. Winnie took his hand and wrote numbers on it. “Call me.” Smiled again, and turned. “Comin’ Dah?”
The blonde looked at Winnie stunned, turned to Jet and shrugged. “Bye.”
All this in the matter of a minute leaving him in their dust. A girl I could loose myself in….
The moon was laughing at Jaren. He glanced down at his lighter… still working. Click. A flame… dancing in the darkness. He always thought it was funny how wolves were supposed to be scared of fire. He loved it. I’m just special. Silly rabbit! Trips are for kids! He thought, grinning wickedly. Then, the green haired boy sighed and shook his head.
Hell yeah, his mother had gotten all over him for dyeing his hair. “It’ll turn your coat green!” She said. Oh, well. There had to be another green werewolf somewhere. Jaren was his packs’ equivalent to a punk.
His pack.
Nine werewolves he’d known forever. All his cousins, aunts and uncles with his father as leader. The Alpha male, with his mother as the Alpha female. And he couldn’t exactly remember what he was.
Shrug. Jaren didn’t really see himself as a ‘wolf anyway. He was just himself.
Footsteps, behind him. He kept flicking his Bic and said, “Hey, Dad.” without looking up. The small orange flame wavered, the went out. Click. Darkness.
Jaren gave up trying to get fire again, and shifted his gaze to the tall, thin man before him. “Where is everyone?”
Adam Rudi narrowed his eyes, gave a minute shrug and sat beside his son on the rotting log. “They aren’t coming.”
“Huh?”
“They…aren’t…coming.” His father knew that he was slow, just not why he was.
“Why not? I thought this was a pack meeting.”
“It’s not.”
Jaren got a little nervous. After watching his father bite the head off a full grown dear, he didn’t exactly want to screw around. “Well, then what is it?”
Adam’s bronze eyes ( Jaren looked a lot like his dad) searched his sons face. “I have to talk to you about something.”
“What something?”
“Initiation something.”
Oh… shit. The Initiation. The thing that every member had to go through when they turned 18, to show their loyalty to the pack. And the special day would be next week for Pyro.
Gulp. “Why?”
“We’ve been over this!” His father barked, with nascent irritation. “Everyone has to do it. Once. Then it’s over, and you don’t have to think about it anymore.”
Really now? He thought cynically, glancing sideways . The Initiation was something he thought about, even now, with every waking moment. It wasn’t just something you forgot about. Not ever. Sigh. “Who?”
“The first person you see tomorrow.” Adam picked a little bark off the log.
“The way it has always been.”
“Do you gotta’ sound so goddamned mysterious? It’s makin’ me nervous.”
A short, gruff laugh from Adam. “Everything makes your dumb ass nervous.”
Jaren got up, and turned to face his dad. “I… have to go. ” Shrug. “Homework.”
Suspicion flickered in the older man’s eyes, but he got up and dusted himself off. “Just remember…” He said, glancing over his shoulder once at his mishappen son.
That recieved a snort from Jaren. Yeah, but how could I forget that on Friday I have to eat somone’s heart out. Literally.
Winifrith Mage was dreaming.
But her dream was a lot like reality…
She was in the cafeteria at school again, and it was night outside. Soft moon light show through the blinds, dancing across the plainly tiled floor. Her gray eyes took in every inch, savoring… it was so real.
The smell of burnt food, the feel of smoothness beneath her feet, every block in the wall matched her memory… except the music.
It was like nothing she had ever heard before and every tune struck a chord that shook deep with in her. The darkness from the hate and fear that she knew as a child… the yellow sunshine from her fleeting innocense and the silver chord of love, hidden underneath everything else.
However nice this experience might have been, the puzzling ambient music struck too many chords. The simultaneous reactions from all of the emotions left her raw, like an open wound.
She was soft to everything… the slight chill in the air, the dark atmosphere and the strong arms that came up to wrap around her, cocooning Winnie safely from the entire world. The brush of lips on her neck, kisses on her eyelids, lightning inside her mind… And he smelled so good…
Just the two of them, the only ones in the universe. But… a thought was nagging at her mind. Winnie batted at it, irritated at herself for disturbing this bliss. Still…
Who was ‘he’?
Swaying,, she opened her eyes, just a crack, trying to catch a glimpse at the mystery. Harder that Winnie thought. There wasn’t much light, and the bit that existed flickered shortly, then faded. She opened her eyes all the way, squinted, then gasped.
It was Jet.
She pushed away, feeling dizzy, clutching at her head. It… didn’t make any sense. Winnie didn’t even know him, let alone want to kiss-
Are you so sure? Came a night wind voice in the depths of her mind. Smell him, feel him. You know exactly who he is…
I’m hearing things! She whimpered, but the voice was so sweet and insistent. It was hard not to listen… before she knew it, her feet were moving forward and she felt like she finally belonged somewhere. They both just stood there, still and breathing softly as Winnie registered what she knew.
That smell! Like the woods after a winter rain… his chin, so strong and willful, she knew that, too. It reminded her of a knight in some… sad fairytale. Sad, but not over.
As she stood there, trying to remember something that had been gone, the mysterious girl had the eerie feeling he was trying to do the same thing. They were both just so… lost.
‘I’ll love you forever…’
‘Forever is a long time.’
Silence.
Jet took a step closer, they were almost touching now. Winifrith was frozen to that drab tile. The electricity sizzled between them, making her breath pick up and her heart pound.
But, it was still just a dream, wasn’t it?
By then Winnie didn’t care. She didn’t know… didn’t want…
His soft lips touched hers, and there were no more thoughts. No more doubts. She wanted him. The music swelled as his hands became lost in her hair, drumb beats echoing off the cement walls.
She was so far away, her tan arms wrapped around his lithely muscled body. Jet still kissed her, deeper and deeper as she felt the heat, the emotion. The girl was falling into two pools of silky green…
Winifrith Mage woke up soaked in sweat, panting.
A minute later, Jet Fioul opened his eyes and looked out the open window at a full moon.