Criminal

Chapter 12: Friendship

While feeling too anxious to see that doctor, I drove to the house Gretchen told me. It would calm me before my meeting with the doctor. He had my answers that everyone hid from me. I should be eager to visit him, but my instinct told me to wait. After what Alex did, I may not leave the doctor's office in one piece, so I wished to be with Gretchen some more.

She let me into her living room. I took in the blue walls and tan furniture. It wasn't spectacular, but I couldn't remember the last time I visited a friend's house. All this childish excitement rushed to me. "I'm glad you decided to stay with me and Kari." Gretchen said as she handed me a glass of water, which I expected was still healthy for vampires. "We questioned Alex, but he was silent, so I dropped him off at his house. That's the last time I'll see him."

I sat on a chair facing the TV. That relationship was about to end, especially after he tried to kill three innocent people. "I'm glad you're done with him, but I'm worried he'd hurt us again."

"I'll keep you safe." She rubbed my head. "I have a surprise for you in my room."

I followed her to her room while I drank the water. My face turned warm, and the cold water didn't help. She liked me, but I felt unsure about a potential relationship. She had been my light during this dark time, but she's twenty-one when I wasn't eighteen yet. The loss of my mom still overwhelmed me too much. Maybe in the future we would be together.

She stepped away as I sat on her bed by her nightstand, wondering what the surprise was. She had a pink and brown colored room with pictures of herself and her sister scattered on the walls. I adored how much they care about each other, but envied their sibling relationship compared to mine. I stretched my back by lying on her bed, which was the same width as Nick's. My mind kept going to twisted places like imaging what Gretchen and Alex must've done together. I shudder, sat up, and faced her door. Her relationship history was a turn-off, but I'd forgive it.

Soon, she entered in her wolf form. The big, grey, fuzzy wolf shyly sat nearby. I couldn't resist petting her head. "I always wanted a dog." I whispered, feeling embarrassed to say that out loud to her.

"I will be yours anytime." She didn't say the words aloud, but they were a telepathic message. This must be how werewolves talked while shifted. She hopped on the bed and wrapped her furry body around me. She even licked my cheek. I giggled as I relaxed into her fluffiness. She's too adorable, and I wanted to give into it. "You're blushing." She telepathically said to me. I rubbed my hot cheeks, surprised I could blush, even in my half dead state. She continued, "You're the cutest vampire zombie to have ever walked in this world."

I stared down, grinning. "You're probably correct, and you're the cutest werewolf ever." I said out loud, doubting if I could use telepathy. She nodded in agreement. It's odd to interact with a wolf. Humans hunted them, but they're looking to move past that. "What does your wolf think about me?"

She seemed to grin in her wolf form. "She likes you. You represent what all wolves want."

"What is that?" This amount of praise was too much. I couldn't mean so much to wolves.

"You've been unforgivably wronged, but you moved forward. You don't let the past haunt you."

I nodded, looking down from my hot face. Except for someone trying to kill me and my family, life was good now. I wished I met these people while my mom was still alive. Although I wouldn't have appreciated them like I do now. Perhaps even losing Fay had benefits.

We spent the next several minutes cuddling on her bed. I rested my head on her wolf body while she curled around me. This was relaxing, but I kept thinking about our future together. "Gretchen," she lifted her head toward me. "Do you want a relationship with me, like the one you had with Alex?"

She shifted to her human form. "Maybe it's too soon for us, but I like you. You're so cute, sweet, and I want to take care of you."

Her words would've annoyed me in the past, but I didn't mind them now. Although, I must take care of myself, and solve the current problem myself. I'd be a failure to myself and my mom if I didn't succeed. "I like you too, but between me being younger, and the murderer of my mom somewhere out there. We should wait."

"Understood. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." The sun began to set outside behind her closed blinds. "Before it gets too dark, I want to take a walk."

"That's fine. I'll talk to your sister."

I walked into Kari's room across from Gretchen's while she went outside. Kari took notebooks from her desk as I checked out her purple, girly room. She turned toward me with the notebooks in hand. "I noticed you weren't there the last few days at school. I figured it would be hard to attend as a vampire. If you're interested, here are my notes of what you missed." She handed them to me.

"Thanks. I'll read them tonight." Surprisingly, I missed school, and my ordinary life before this occurrence. "Unfortunately, my abnormalities got caught, and I thought it was best to stay home." I remembered the people I scared, and I couldn't risk more. I placed the notebooks on my lap as I sat on her bed.

She sat beside me. "I never had a sleepover with a friend. Can you stay here?" She's dressed similarly to her sister, with a yellow sweater and brown skirt.

I wasn't interested in sleepovers, but she wouldn't take 'no' as an answer. She was as cute as Gretchen. "Yes, so you can get your notes back Monday morning, tomorrow."

"Great." She combed her fingers through her medium-length hair. "About that brief visit at Daren's house, do you know why Alex was there? Are you okay after that?"

It must be more distressing for her than for me to see a badly wounded person. I was almost used to it at this point. "I'm worried he'll attack again." He told Gretchen to ignore the incident with Fay. "He must have something to do with my mom's murder." I trusted Kari enough to open up about it.

She paused for several seconds. "Your mom was murdered?"

"It's the reason I'm a vampire now. One attacked me and her on Halloween night." The irony was laughable. "Some witch knew, so she cast the spell so I'll survive."

She rested her chin against her hands. "I don't know about my parents. One day, they were mean to me and Gretchen. Eventually, the abuse grew until Gretchen moved at eighteen and took me with her. I don't know much about it."

That's an interesting story Kari will someday understand better. Everyone had different scenarios with their families. I was lucky to have a positive relationship with my parents. "Are you still upset over that incident with Alex and Gretchen? You must not be interested in werewolves anymore."

"Yeah... I always doubt it would happen, but maybe that's good." She wanted to be someone special to her sister, but she's her only family, and that's precious.

Late into the night, Kari slept while I sat at her desk, catching up with schoolwork. For once, I used my vampire abilities to my advantage and wasn't tired. I worried about Gretchen not being home yet, but I hadn't stopped listening to my soul that reassured me everything's fine. I took a nap at the desk when I finished studying. Somewhere in my sleep, Gretchen stroked my hair. "I'll let you figure it out yourself." She whispered, but I was too tired to ask what she meant.