Howl In The Night (DNF)

Chapter 30: Karl

George POV.

My body was practically pushed right against the window, with my eyes darting back and forth at everyone and everything. Every person, car, and wolf I kept an eye on as they appeared and disappeared from my line of sigh as I waited desperately for Karl to arrive.

He had been keeping updated throughout the entire day, telling me when he arrived in certain towns (despite me not knowing what half of the towns or cities he passed were called), or when he crossed into new states. Now, he’d sent me a text a minute ago to say he was in town and on his way.

I couldn’t wait to meet him in person, to see him without some restricting camera frame. I was so excited I could hardly keep still in my seat, instead often pacing back and forth in front of the window so that I would be able to see the brunette the moment that his car appeared turning into our driveway.

Both of my parents were home waiting for Karl as well. But they were both convinced that Karl must be some sort of paedophile that was trying to use me for underage sex, something which I was desperate to prove was wrong. I mean, imagine waiting for years to meet up with your best friend, only to discover that they were some forty year old living in a dingy basement.

I ran over a checklist of everything in my mind to make sure I was ready. I had made his bed on a blow up mattress right beside mine, covered with warm blankets and pillows, I had lots of food sitting in drawers on my desk, and I had a lot of movies (both on DVDs and streaming services) for us to watch.

My only concern was that during the brunette’s multi-week stay, Sapnap would come to my house and beg me to go visit Dream again. Or what could possibly be worse is if he exposes the fact he’s a werewolf and that I live in the middle of some kind of werewolf pack.

Karl would also likely want to talk about the Unloved Omega, however I hadn’t been reading it since I discovered the real lives werewolves that surrounded me; in school, in all of the shops in town, in my parents work. I was too focused on the fact that I may be killed at any moment by these creatures that I didn’t care about reading about fictional ones.

Suddenly, I saw a car I didn’t recognise. Unlike all the others which had driven past my house hundreds of times in the (almost) two month’s we’d been here, it was one which I had never seen before. But that was when I noticed who was driving it and my face lit up. Karl was here! Finally after talking to him for years I got to meet my best friend in person.

The moment the car slowed to a stop in the empty space in our driveway (like I told him that he could) I ran outside, eager to see my best friend. My still sceptical parents who were certain that Karl was some sort of pervert followed after me, wanting to see my online best friend for themselves.

He was standing in the driveway pulling his stuff out of the backseat before I ran over to him and practically jumped into his arms with the loving screech of ‘Karl!’ as I did. The brunette immediately moved to hold me back and after embracing for a few moments he spoke. “Oh my God I can’t believe I finally get to see you! I’ve waited so honking long!”

“Same here!” I responded before looking over at my parents. “See! I told you guys he wasn’t some weirdo!” I told them, and they both let out a sigh at the same time at my antics before greeting Karl politely. Hen they disappeared inside so I couldn't say anything else and embarrass them. Karl and I both noted their reactions and laughed before hugging each other again.

“I’ll help you take your stuff inside.” I said with a smile, grabbing one of the two suitcases and grimacing at how heavy it was. “What did you pack in this thing?”
“Well you haven’t had any of the great American junk food that I love so I brought that, I also knew that you haven’t tried Monster, so I brought some cans of that.”

“Of course you did, but I already brought some because I know you love them.” Most of the time we were on calls with one another he’d be sipping on a can of Monster. We continued laughing and reminiscing about late night discord calls and minecraft survival worlds as I led him upstairs, only stopping to introduce him properly to my parents and briefly point out important rooms.

The two of us collapsed onto my bed, laughing before he began eagerly talking about North Carolina. We spent ages joking and laughing and mindlessly planning what we could do during Karl’s stay. He kept talking about wanting to go and meet my friends and see my school, but I didn’t want him to do that.

I didn’t have any friends. Everyone who I considered my friend I immediately distanced myself from when I realised that they were werewolves, so I don’t know who I was going to introduce him to. How would he react if he found out that everyone in my town was a werewolf? Would Karl hate me? Would he never want to be friends again?

This is why I should have gone to North Carolina with him. Spend a few weeks at Karl’s house and meet his friends. He’s told me all about Jimmy and Chandler and Chris and a whole range of other people. No matter how strange and bizarre they could be, surely it wouldn’t be worse than werewolves which could rip you in half with razor sharp claws.

“Maybe we could watch a movie.” I suggested, wanting to change our topic of conversation so I didn’t reveal to my best friend that there were werewolves everywhere in this God forsaken town. “I found a few that looked quite good.”

“Stop trying to change the topic.” The brunette instructed. “I want to meet some of your friends and get to know what you are like when you aren’t screaming your lungs out in bedwars.”
“Most of the people you should ask are back in the UK.” I responded, watching as Karl furrowed his brows at me. “I really haven’t been getting along with many people here.”

“That’s a shame.” My best friend hummed, pulling me into a hug. “You should have moved to North Carolina, then you could have all of my friends.”
“I’ll pass. I can only put up with so many losers.” I rolled my eyes before getting lightly slapped by the taller brunette as he laughed.

“So would you like to find a movie?” I asked, but before I got a response I heard my mother calling me from downstairs.
“George, one of your friends from school is here! He wants to talk to you!” I let out a small sigh before standing up and reassuring my friend I’d be right back.

I hurried down the stairs, knowing that Karl was almost definitely going to follow me at some point to see who my friends were after I had claimed that I didn’t have any, not wanting to keep him waiting. My mother was standing in the doorway and the moment I looked past her at the person waiting at me my face fell. It was Sapnap.
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1286 words