Warwolf

Chapter 1: First, Olive Garden

Ed trotted towards the Olive Garden on the corner, tugging his black leather collar up. He loathed still being out in public like this but thank goodness his sister Phoebe asked him to come to the Olive Garden in a different city.

His eyes kept combing his surroundings, but no one seemed to be tailing him.

Can't be too careful with having a warrant for arrest.

Ed shoved his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes at remembering an earlier read newspaper article, which talked about his "crimes" involving "terrorism". He wished it was as mediocre as that, but he knew once you're forced down damnable paths like he did, there's almost no headin' back. Almost. The forgiveness of his deeds he felt would only come with destroying those that made him do said deeds.

But first, stupid Olive Garden.

The try-hard Italian restaurant was packed like all the chicken parmigiana left in the state was there. The bobbing sea of heads made it hard to find Phoebe's, but Ed finally spotted dirt brown hair in one of those funky French braids only Phoebe could mess up so badly. He slipped past kids aggressively slurping noodles—while resisting the powerful urge to smack 'em--and adults chowing down on breadsticks, finally sitting across from Phoebe.

The table only had two waters and some breadsticks so far. Ed was starving and wanted his entrée, but what bugged him the most was that Phoebe hadn't even look up from her phone yet.

Ed blinked and shifted in his seat, but she didn't even move.

"Yo," he called out.

Phoebe jumped a little and smacked her phone, screen side down, on the table.

"Oh, Edwin!"

"Shut up! Don't say my name!" He stage-whispered.

"Ohh, right," Phoebe rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, I was just reading the news articles on you-"

"They're a bunch of trash, all of 'em," he crossed his arms.

"Aren't you worried of getting caught?"

"Yes," he lied and snatched a breadstick. "Come on, what's the deal? You wanted to talk me for like a week now, but not about this crud."

Phoebe broke a breadstick in half and started nibbling it thoughtfully. Ed ripped half of his off and attempted to eat it in one bite.

"You don't even change your looks?"

"Wha?" he said around his breadstick piece.

"You're really-" she motioned with her breadstick- "stand-out ish."

He swallowed his huge bite of breadstick and looked down at his shredded leather jacket. He knew he had an iconic look: long bleached-blonde hair matching with his pale skin, multiple neck tattoos and multiple ear piercings. Especially with the police searching for him he was easy to look for if he stayed in his typical attire, but he kinda wanted to get caught. After all he knew what he was really being "convicted" of and he knew the plan to feel forgiven did involve getting arrested now that his makers were looking for him. At least, that's what he called them.

Ed shook his head. "Shut up about that and tell me about what you wanted to tell me."

He shoved the other half of his breadstick in his mouth made sure to smack it extra loud, after all Phoebe's was getting on her nerves so why not get on hers a little? He smiled.

Phoebe sighed and nibbled a bit more at her breadstick part.

I want answers, uuugh!

"Well?" He swallowed his breadstick and reached for some water.

"I'm eloping with Rowan," she blurted.

Ed inhaled his water and Phobe had to lean over and smack him a few good times before Ed could yell.

"What?! Him? Out of all the people I know, you pick him?"

"I know, I know," she sighed. "I know he's your best friend, but we really click with each other and-"

"No!" Ed huffed. Any, literally any, other guy than Rowan should marry Phoebe, Ed felt.

Rowan must be losing his mind, thinking he's gonna marry her.

Ed straightened in his seat. Wait, what if Rowan was becoming mentally unstable? He just had to be, considering him and what he's gone through too.

"Why?" Phoebe sighed. "What's so wrong with him? You guys hang out all the time. You've never said anything bad about him 'till now!"

Ed shook his head. "No, he isn't right for you! He's a good guy, but you. . ."

"I what?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes.

"You deserve better!" Ed lied again. He didn't want to fight, but she just couldn't marry Rowan.

Phoebe snorted. "Yeah, right Ed. Your opinion doesn't matter anyway, we're still eloping."

Ed slammed his fist on the table and stood.

Multiple people swerved their heads around and Phoebe leaned back in her seat.

"I said NO!" Ed growled then narrowed his eyes at the people surrounding him. Everyone looked back at their own tables and conversation continued but in a more hushed manner.

He slid back into his seat and stage-whispered: "Listen, I'm not gonna be around much longer and neither will Rowan so you need to forget about it. Just marry another guy."

"Wait, what?" Phoebe leaned in. "No! I love him! Not someone else. What did you do? What'd Rowan do?"

Oh, just stop with the questions!

Ed stared her dead in the eyes. "I can't ever say."

Phoebe visible swallowed.

"Why?" She bit her lip.

But Ed leaned back in his seat and sighed heavily. He listened to the idle chatter throughout the restaurant while Phoebe glared at him.

After a moment he took another breadstick and let the sweet buttery-garlic flavor ease his mind before finishing it. Then he sipped water while Phoebe finally returned to her phone and started scrolling.

Ed glanced as the doors. Someone was talking about him outside, no, now it was two people.

I don't want to get arrested in front of her. That would be a stupid last memory of someone.

"Phoebe," he spoke firmly. She looked up.

"The police are here, so I'm going to go outside and meet them," he bit his bottom lip and felt his two metal rings. He wish he could have stayed longer, at least finish some steak or something, but the police would be inside any moment.

"What?" Phoebe swerved her head around. "I don't see or hear any. . ."

Ed stood. Of course, Phoebe couldn't hear them. No normal human could.

"I'll tell Rowan you love him," he turned to Phoebe. "But you can't marry him."

After all, you probably won't be able to now. If the police are after me, they likely got Rowan already.

Ed started to walk away from the table.

"Wait!" Phoebe stood up. "When will I hear from you? What's going on, Edwin?"

Ed looked back at her.

"Bye, Ph-phoebe," his voice cracked. He knew he could never return to her, but he couldn't help but have an awful taste of regret in the back of his throat.

He was almost at the doors when two police officers stormed in, nearly slamming into him.

And so Ed let himself get arrested that day. After all, this was part one of his plan.