My Best Friend's Werewolf

13 Shapes

I dash out of Hanna's room, down the hall and push open Travis' unlocked door. I stare at the sight before me, dumbfounded. Travis lies on his stomach gripping his head. I glance at Hunter who has gone pale.

"What--"

"What the heck happened?" Hanna shoves past me and crouches down next to her brother in--

"Hanna, what the hell are you wearing?" Travis' face is red.

I face palm myself as she glances down at her towel.

"I was worried. I thought you fell through the floor."

"Hanna, can you leave please?" Hunter straightens his back. I wasn't sure it was possible, but his face has gone paler.

Nodding sheepishly, Hanna stands and hurries past me. By this time, Travis has pulled himself to his feet.

"Are you staying for dinner?" I ask Hunter.

"No. I was about to leave. I mean, I am leaving now. I have"— he looks at Travis, —"club business to attend to."

"The country club, right. I'd love to see what it looks like sometime.'

They both tense. "No."

I wince internally. Point taken. They could have tried to act nicer about it even if they don't want me around. "Well it was nice seeing you, Hunter." I turn, but before I can step out of the door, Hunter says something that makes my back tense.

"Stay out of the woods."

******

"Addy, help me. I'm going to die."

I reach for Eliza but she's just out of my grasp. She's too close to the edge of the cliff. Some pebbles break away, and I watch them fall.

"Eliza, just walk this way." I take deep breaths, motioning with my hands for her to move forward.

She shakes her head. "They're going to kill me."

"No."

"Tell my parents I love them. And Addy--"

"Eliza--"

"Thank you for finding me." She steps back and falls, her arms and hair flying upward. No! No, I just found her. The mountain begins to rumble, and rocks roll downward toward me.

I groan, swatting hands away.

"Addy. . .psst. . . Addy."

"What?"

"Shhh...you don't have to wake up."

Well. . .

"My parents and I are going into town."

My eyes pop open. "Can I come? It will only take me a few minutes to change."

"No."

Does no one want me?

"It would ruin the surprise we're planning for you and Travis."

Pease, no. "This isn't some date thing, is it?"

"No. But hopefully it will set the mood."

"Hanna--"

"And since you'll be with him all day, I have a mission for you. I want you to find out some things about him."

"Like what?" I ask skeptical.

"His favorite color and shape."

"Shape?"

She rolls her eyes at me and sits down on my bed, forcing me to scoot over. "Yes, shape."

"Do you even know your favorite shape?"

"Of course I do. It's a heart."

I close my eyes and begin to sway. "Forget it. I'm not doing that. It's too weird."

"This is because you're homeschooled, isn't it?"

I sit up, staring at her with my mouth hanging open. "What does that have anything to do with this?" I massage my forehead.

"Didn't want to have to do this..." She reaches into her pocket and draws out a sheet of paper. Unfolding it, she shows it to me. My face goes pale, and I try to snatch it away, but she yanks it out of my reach.

"Where did you get that?"

"You mean this adorable, nude baby photo of you?" she asks innocently, examining the picture. "Your mom's profile page."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Oh"-- her grin is sadistic—"show Travis."

I fall back, the pillow collapsing like an airbag around my head. "Just go. Leave me to dwell on my fate."

She grabs a pillow I kicked to the floor during the middle of the night and hits me on the head with it. I glare at her, and she laughs.

"You and my brother make a perfect pair."

She's got me. And she knows it. She jumps to her feet and high tails it out of my room with me following. I chase her down the hall but right as she passes Travis' room his door opens, and I collide into his bare chest. His hands lock around my arms to hold me steady. The collision doesn't seem to have shaken him. Mortified, my cheeks burn.

The front door slams shut, and I hear a car ignition start. That's it. I'm left in the house with Mr. No Shirt.

"You okay?" He blinks at me.

I nod. "Yeah. Sorry."

He eyes me curiously. "You sure? Something seems off about you."

"Travis, I'm fine."

He frowns. "All right. I'm just going out."

Without a shirt?

"Will you be okay alone here?"

"Of course. I thought I'd read after breakfast."

His frown inches upward. "How is that book anyway?"

"It's a full moon in the story." I can't help letting a smile overcome my face. "Hunter didn't want me to stay out of the forest because of werewolves, right?"

His face stiffens.

"Relax." I laugh. "You aren't going to be eaten by a werewolf."

"No. But you might."