My Best Friend's Werewolf

19 Eye Issues Again

Tattoo guy steps back, glancing around at the people who came with him. They follow suit. Without saying anything they run into the woods. Only tattoo guy lingers.

Travis hurries over to his parents who glance around with looks of bewilderment. "I have to go, but I'll be back."

Mrs. Briar clutches his arm. "You aren't going anywhere. You heard the howl."

"But Mom, there are always wolves."

"Yes, but they're probably out hunting tonight."

Travis pulls out of his mother's grasp at the same time Hunter is backing away from Hanna. Travis' jaw moves in an eclipse. "I need to--"

"Travis, your mother said no." Mr. Briar wraps his arm around her.

Tattoo guy trades a stern look with Travis before running into the woods. Grabbing his head and shaking it, Travis gives us all a death glare before darting into the house.

Another howl rings through the night.

Hanna grasps my arm. "Do you think they'll be all right?"

"I don't know." Mr. Briar pulls her away from me and engulfs her in a hug. "But it's not your job to worry about them."

"What about Hunter?"

He pulls back to give her a very fatherly, over protective look. "It's not your job to worry about him."

*******

I sit up in bed, clutching the blankets. I never screamed. Travis said he found me because I screamed. But I didn't. I was too scared.

I throw off the blankets and push myself off the bed, stumbling in the dark toward the door. I grab my glasses off the nightstand on the way. I'm getting answers now. I locate the door handle and step out into the hall. He's going to be so mad at me.

Walking toward his room, I inhale and exhale. I stare at his door, unsure of what to do. If I knock I wake the whole house up. But if I push open the door and he sleeps naked. . . That will be. . .bad. I'll leave it at that.

I ease the door open a crack. "Travis?"

No response.

I push the door open more, my eyes adjusting to the dark room. I'm able to make out his comforter pulled across the width of his bed. The only bulges being pillows. "Travis, you in here?" Maybe he went to the bathroom. But I didn't notice a light on when I was in the hall. I shiver and flick the lights on. The window is open.

Not good. Starting to panic, I stick my head outside. We're three stories up as the house is on a hill. There's a ledge he could have stepped on to but after that he's still three stories up. I step back, my stomach churning and my head light.

He snuck out. He didn't jump to his death. But how would he get down from here? Maybe this is a common occurrence. I'll ask Hanna before I wake up the whole neighborhood. First, though, I'll check the bathroom to be sure.

The bathroom is located adjacent to my room and it's wide open. Not good.

"Hanna?" I ask as I step into her room.

"What? What time is it?"

"Travis isn't in his room."

She's silent for a moment. "Sneaking into his room, are we?"

"Hanna, your brother is missing. He could be dead."

"Nah." Her mattress squeaks, and she plops back down under her covers.

"Did you go back to bed?"

"Look, here's the thing." She flips over onto her side to look at me. "I need to be on his good side, so he'll take you on a date."