Reading Between the Lines

Chapter 12: Paradise

2 weeks later...

I shuffle through my clothes while packing my bags, making sure that I have everything I need. I'm a chronic under-packer, but I just hope that it pays off now. After all, this isn't just a normal vacation.

"Are you sure you don't mind me staying with you guys?" I question hesitantly while Divya grabs a suitcase from me.

"We wouldn't have asked you if we had a problem with it, right?" she smirks mischievously.

"Well, yeah. But I just feel bad about coming so last minute," I doubt. "You already live with 7 people. I don't want to make things stressful."

"Don't worry about it. The house was already way too chaotic in the first place. And you'll make things there way more exciting," she reassures me before she grabs her things.

Now, you might be thinking: Sarvani, why the hell are you moving in with people that you've only met three months ago?

It's a long story.

After finding out about this world, and not to mention the fact that I'm a werewolf, and the ABG has officially confirmed that I am one, let's just say that everyone was pretty overwhelmed. My friends were mostly shocked, but they were pretty excited about having a new werewolf buddy to teach.

But here's the ultimate question: How?

How did I even go through life as a werewolf? Why did it have to take a near-death experience for me to realize that?

We didn't really have the time to formulate all the possible explanations at the clinic. First, I needed to tell my parents what happened to me.

The watered-down explanation, of course.

They're already so paranoid about me being here alone; if I told them that I got my ass kicked by vampires, found out about a parallel universe, and discovered that my pH is now more acidic than my stomach and that I'm a WEREWOLF now, then they will actually fly all the way to Dallas just to take me back home. And never let me leave the house again.

I'm serious, they would.

They may generally be very chill, but they'll suddenly go into overblown full protective mode even if I just scratch my knee.  I guess it's what I get for being an only child.

The main point is, I would have to say "goodbye Dallas" if I tell them even one speck of the truth. So... I told them that I was cornered by some guys on the way back to my apartment at night and fought them off, which technically isn't a lie. I just excluded the "fluff".

That's fine, right?

My parents, particularly my mom, were so mad. They were 2 seconds away from booking their tickets and flying to Dallas to take me back to New York, but I convinced them that I was ok and just had some minor bruises. Surprisingly, they bought it! However, they told me to stay away from my apartment for a while and be in a hotel for the time being.

Good for me, though. After the incident, going to my apartment has been an adventure in itself. Every step I took constantly reminded me of that fateful night, and every dream was riddled with awful memories. The pain and hopelessness I felt just never seemed to go away, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I can't just have a fear of my apartment. I literally live there.

I know I hated when my friends followed me to my apartment before, but it became routine soon enough. I called a person every day just to help me walk toward my apartment so that I wasn't so scared. It actually worked out, though! All that one-on-one time helped me get to know them better, and it made me a little more knowledgeable about their world every day.