Part of the pack

3 || The Berklin family

Families are like branches on a tree - we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.

- Unknown

'•'•'•

The smell of old paper permeates through my nostrils like an ancient scripture from an unknown era, its heavy leather cover feels rough to my hands with some scratches on the back cover. The warm halo of light illuminates the black slightly faded ink of letters from the book I got from my tenth birthday.

The AC buzzed as its warm air enveloped my cream-colored roll in all of its corners. Besides my white laced white duvet is an antique table with a mirror covered in carved images of wolves making me adore this piece.

I lay behind the wooden headboard, hanging atop from it was a dream catcher I got from a trip to Ohio, in the cream walls were pictures of my family and friends as well as the images of wolves and other wildlife creatures I've gathered on the past ten years.

"Hey nerd, where's the big pot?" I look on my side to see a mass of dark brown hair and chocolate eyes looking at me in irritation, George, the brother I always fought with.

I guess that he was an enemy from my past life or something, we just can't get along well, that's the only explanation I could get.

"In the cupboard doofus, I suggest you buy a pair of glasses so you can see" I answered back which he returns with a grunt and he didn't even close the door. Ugh! Such a brat!

I came down from the soft comfort of my bed and walk to the door with a high and closed it- locked this room so I can avoid not beating up my brother.

George Berklin, 12 years old and yes I get it, he's a teenager so his hormones must be like that of a female having PSM but I still don't get how much we loathe each other. He calls me a nerd for being too obsessed with my books and I call him a doofus for being a doofus, in short, we just don't get along well. At all.

The clock ticked until it reached 6 and soon, I heard the familiar rumble of my father's car in the garage. I slip on my home slippers and went down the stairs, we have a two-story house with me and my brother's room upstairs and the master bedroom downstairs.

"Mom, Dad, you're here" I gave both of them an embrace, mom's hugs were always warm, like those freshly baked bread she bakes every day. Dad, on the other hand, smells of wine, those aged grape wine they hid in the cellar to enhance its taste.

"Where's your brother?"

"He's in his room, chatting with his friends," I said in distaste, his friends were all those so-called famous, you know those clique groups of popular guys? Those assholes who bully those who are weaker than them and act entitled like they own the world and are immature in their actions. I just don't know how my once loving and kind brother got into their group.

"Honey" mom slightly frowns and I wince, muttering sorry. Even though mom didn't like George's friends, she still wants to be at least polite to them, even on the surface. "You didn't get into that rebellious phase and your brother... he still has a long way to go to shed off his prideful and immature self, let's just give him time"

Mom's right, my brother, as annoying as he is, he's still my baby brother. He's just lost in this materialistic world, we just have to be there for him once he learned the real world and I hope he does now. I don't think my patience can stand another year of him being a cocky asshole.

"Alright, alright, as much as I love the two of you it's getting cold here" the two of us, me and mom, burst into laughter and I close the door.

The sun has already left the horizon welcoming the moon in its sleep, the darkness crept in as well as the biting cold of the North. In no time, mom brought the leftover bread she has in the bakery and microwaved it to heat it, dad called George who has a frown on his face as he sat down.

The four of us are in silence, mom and dad practiced the tradition of staying silent as we eat. I finished up my food and put it in the automatic dishwasher before sitting on the couch, on my left is my mother with her glasses on.

"Mom" she hummed and I continued. "Everlyn wanted me to go-"

"You can, you absolutely can my dear" she didn't even let me finish and just automatically agreed when hearing Everlyn's name. No doubt she thinks that I'll be out partying with Everlyn and doing teenage activities fit for my age.

"That's not fair! Mom, I also wanted to go to Simon's party this Friday!" My brother popped in here like a mushroom and whined like a baby.

Simon Matthews is his best friend, he's another cocky asshole who loves to get a girlfriend even though he's not even a teenager yet. It stands to say that he's going to become a womanizer in no time and I'm afraid that my brother, who is one of his devotees, will be like him.

"George, you always go to parties but your sister seldom does. Don't you think it's unfair for me to stop her when she's old enough and that it's once in a Blue Moon for her to go out?" She calmly explained, George didn't argue anymore and whisk away his brisk, reckless attitude.

Mom has that ability to calm anyone else with her words. Her manner of speaking is always soft, even when we're kids and we fool around, she would always reprimand us with a soft voice. But once she gets furious, she would stay silent and her once warm and soft words would turn into icicles that would pierce you in the gut.

After getting my permission to go out with Everlyn, right on track, she came here with bright red lipstick on her lips and a twinkle in her eye. She only has that twinkle whenever she has something up on her sleeves and I don't have a good feeling about it.

"Hello Stephen, hello Aline! I'm going to take my lovely friend here out but can I get her to get ready first?" She was brimming in excitement, I could feel the smile in me fading away, I think I want to back down from her plans but too late.

Her claws have already clasped their way on my hand and with a slight tug, I fell into her trap without even a slight budge from my parents.

"I don't think we need... those" I look in refusal at her potions laying on my bed with their sparkly and colorful self. I wish to just throw them out of the woods, never to come back here again.

"Silly you, of course, we need you to get ready and that means it's the make-up time!"

I shrieked as I tried to run away from her and go to my door only to see that it was locked, I look behind me to see Everlyn smiling like a Chesire cat, her hands dangling a set of keys.

"Give it back!"

"No! As I've learned painfully from my experience, I should always lock the door when I'm giving you makeup-" she said with a roll of her eyes before I interrupted her.

"Those are not make-up, they're evil! They hurt animals and-"

"They're cruelty-free darling" I had my jaw slack at her rebuttal and was about to rebuff her again with some dark makeup facts when she threw me into my bed and stood close to me and whispered. "You either get me to have make-up in your face and I'll buy you that newest volume of wolf survival or we'll stay here rotting our youthful self with a staring contest"

Of course, I became tempted at her words and agreed, it's just makeup, I'll wash it out on my face, and to relieve me of my conscience, I would volunteer to any work for our community this week.

With that, I got my face caked with make-up and hope that this day better be better or I'm storming out of this party she's talking about.

***
Chapter 3 is out! Hope you like it!

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