The Bloodline of Wolves

Chapter 2

Two hours later, Tom and Paige found Kasey and Jillian, drunk and dancing carelessly. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Tom asks Paige with a bewildered look plastered on his face. Paige, who is rendered speechless, just nods slowly, as if she moves too fast the visual might disappear. "Someone tell me who that is, because that isn't Jillian Vines."

Paige suddenly sobers up completely, feeling the need to watch over her slightly inebriated friends. "Hey Tom, is that the new guy?" She points at the tall, built figure with several girls pawed up against him. Tom chortles and rolls his eyes at the sight in front of him. Okay, so the guy is good looking, so what?

Paige freezes next to him, "Where'd they go?"

"Who?" Tom's eyes drift, mesmerized by a pretty brunette that just said hello to him. Paige smacks his arm in frustration, raising a suspicious eyebrow at him as she waits for him to catch on. "Oh right, Jillian and Kasey. Huh, they seem to have... disappeared."

Nervously, Paige begins to push through groups to familiar high school faces, searching the room. "I really think we should find them and take them back to my place." She urges, the feeling of concern growing in her chest. Tom agrees and follows after her, even though his equivalent of searching includes checking out the cheerleading squad.

"So do you think something happened that randomly changed Jillian's thoughts about getting drunk?" Tom ponders as he strolls behind Paige. She sighs at the question and shakes her head, indicating she doesn't want to assume anything. Jillian is too in control of herself to make rash decisions. In all their years of being friends, not once has Paige seen Jill lose touch with her emotions, not even when Freddy was involved. 

Once they step outside, they finally spot Kasey and Jillian, who are being approached by two guys in the grade below them, offering them their cups. Kasey flashes the boy her classic twinkle in the eye smile of appreciation, but even while intoxicated Jillian knows better, and she throws a glance over just in time to see the third boy plop something in his cup and walk up to another girl. 

Drunken-induced fury buzzes through Jillian, she's always known it happens, but the audacity of these junior boys, of all people, to try it on her and her friend! Well, she thinks, her anger burning hotter by the second, maybe this will teach them some manners. With less than a second thought, Jill throws the liquid at the shocked face of the boy in front of her. He groans in pain as the alcohol starts to burn in his eyes, trying desperately to rub it off with this hand. 

"What the fuck, bitch!" He sputters out, then she grabs Kasey's cup and tosses its contaminants  out at the ground in front of their feet.

"You put something in the drinks, I saw you!" She yells accusingly, her fury hasn't waned from her outburst. The two boys freeze, hopefully realizing how serious their mistake was. The dry one starts to turn a shade of red that firetrucks tend to be extremely familiar with. Good, they should be mortified, Jillian thinks, slowly starting to come out of the drunken buzz.

The second guy-- who isn't drenched and very red-- holds his hand up in surrender and backs away, "We're sorry, it was stupid. We'll just go now." As he turns his back, the other one finally pulls his hands away from his face and lunges at Jillian, seeking retribution for the aching sting in his eyes. Jillian lets out a yelp and instantly moves, only hardly sidestepping the attack as he falls face-first to the ground. 

From the patio, Tom comes running up, immediately positioning himself between the attacker and Jillian, as Paige pulls Kasey back from the drama that just spilled around her. "Just go, you're embarrassing yourself." Tom demands, standing in front of Jillian protectively. The boy's friend reappears in front of him to help him up, tugging at his arm to make sure he doesn't try anything else. Satisfied by their absence, Tom turns back around to face Jillian and wraps her in a hug, "Are you okay Silly Jilly?", using an old nickname that used to make her giggle when she was nine.