Howling with Wolves

Chapter Two

Today, it is wet and cold.

The sun has disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds; they’re a monstrous dark grey, almost black, swallowing up the sky in their wake. The clouds are joined together creating one thick patch in the sky. In the distance, thunder rumbles, but it’s soft and light, letting me know the storm it far away. At random intervals, lightening brightens the dim sky.

A cold breeze from an open window ruffles my shoulder length brown hair and I shiver, folding my arms across my chest, trying to clutch my jacket tighter around me. My tight black skinny jeans don’t even stop the wind from brushing my legs and cause goosebumbs to emerge over my skin.

“It’s freezing!” exclaims Bri, her teeth chattering. Her hair is in a high ponytail, exposing her neck to the breeze. She is much like me. Skinny jeans, a big, thick jacket around her, trying to keep as warm as possible while we wait in the hallway for the bell to go.

Brianna Snow and I have been best friends since we were four years old. So we’ve pretty much known each other our whole entire lives. Bri is a beautiful girl. Long, strawberry blonde hair, bright green eyes, peach coloured skin, curves in all the right places. To me, she’s practically the personification of perfection.

“The bell should be going soon.” Says Vanessa Morgan. Her thin lips curl into a grimace as a big gust of wind blows in, her short dyed blonde hair falls into her face. She brushes it away, a look of disgust transforming her features.

Nessa is a few inches taller than Bri and I, who both stand at five feet four inches. Her eyes are a sparkly blue, always full of light and happiness. Her skin is pale. She has a long nose, and round chin. She is skinnier than Bri and I.

It’s been three days since I stumbled into the woods, sort of stopped a fight and actually had a proper – albeit short – conversation with one of the most well-known boys at my school, and in my town.

When Nick Lockwood left after telling me not to trust Shawn Michaels, I had stood in the wide, empty field for a couple of minutes, the place where he touched my waist burning. My skin tingled despite him not actually touching my skin but only the thin layer of my shirt. My mind had stopped processing anything for those couple of minutes. It felt like I had been standing there for days, just stunned, before I made my way back into the dense woodland. It didn’t take me long to find the yellow path of ribbons, then the red path, my way out, and into my house.

My parents weren’t home when I got back.

That wasn’t unusual after they fought.

I replayed what I could remember while I stared up at my white ceiling before falling asleep, my dreams filled with people punching each other, the word ‘no’ in my voice being shouted over and over again until I woke up in a sweat, my mother’s tired eyes looking down at me, concerned.

The sound of fingers clicking in front of my face drags me out of my memories, my lost mind being found.

It was Nessa that snapped her fingers in front of my face.

“You zoned out on us.” Bri places a hand on my arm, her thumb moving up and down soothingly. “Are you alright?”

Shaking my head to remove my daze, I dazzle on a smile. “Didn’t get much sleep.” I say.

Nessa nods. “Tell me about it. I had two assignments to finish last night, and four episodes of Supernatural to watch. I didn’t get to sleep until three!”

Bri and I laugh, listening as Nessa jumps into an animated retelling of her night. It’s nice to have friends distract you when you get too caught up in your thoughts. I don’t know what I’d do without Bri and Nessa. They’re my best friends. It’d be like losing a part of myself. No Bri to deliver warm smiles, no over-the-top conversations with Nessa about random things.